黑腹果蝇头部中RNA结合蛋白RBP9的互作蛋白筛选

【目的】筛选RNA结合蛋白RBP9在黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster头部中的互作蛋白。【方法】利用CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑技术，分别将3×Flag和V5标签编码序列插入到黑腹果蝇成虫头中RBP9和FNE基因起始密码子ATG的后面，构建黑腹果蝇转基因品系3×Flag-RBP 9/3×Flag-RBP9(3FRBP9)和V5-FNE/V5-FNE(VFNE)；利用免疫沉淀和质谱法鉴定黑腹果蝇3FRBP9和野生型品系成虫头部中RBP9的互作蛋白并进行生物信息学分析。利用免疫共沉淀方法检测RBP9与FNE蛋白之间的相互作用。【结果】质谱法从黑腹果蝇成虫头部共鉴定了190个与RBP9相互作用的蛋白，其中包括ELAV和FNE。KEGG富集分析显示这些蛋白的基因主要参与核糖体、碳代谢、三羧酸循环、氨基酸生物合成等通路。免疫共沉淀实验结果验证了RBP9与FNE蛋白之间存在相互作用。【结论】RNA结合蛋白ELAV家族成员在黑腹果蝇成虫头部中具有相互作用。本研究为RBP9在果蝇神经系统发育中的功能研究提供了重要实验依据。     

piggyBac转座子在牛基因组的整合位点及特征分析

piggyBac(PB)转座子作为一种遗传工具被广泛应用于多个物种的转基因及插入突变研究, 目前PB转座子在牛中的相关研究还较少。为了获得PB转座子在牛基因组中的整合位点, 总结其转座特征, 文章构建了PB[CMV-EGFP]和pcDNA-PBase二元转座系统, 利用细胞核电转技术共转染牛耳组织成纤维细胞, 经G-418筛选, 获得了稳定转染EGFP的转基因细胞系; 提取细胞基因组DNA, 利用基因组步移技术扩增PB转座子5′ Bac区插入位置的DNA序列; 通过与牛基因组序列进行BLAST比对, 得到PB转座子在牛基因组中的插入位点。文章共获得了8个有效的整合位点, 但仅有5个位点定位到染色体1、2、11和X染色体上。序列分析表明：在牛基因组中, PB转座子可特异性的插入到“TTAA”位置, 并整合到基因间的非调控区; 分析整合位点“TTAA”相邻一侧的5个碱基组成, 发现PB转座子5′端倾向于插入到GC(62.5%)碱基富集区。该研究表明, PB转座子可以在牛基因组中发生转座, 获得的整合位点信息为利用PB转座子在牛上开展遗传学研究提供了理论参考。     

PiggyBac转座系统在转mCherry基因斑马鱼上的应用

改造了Piggy Bac转座子供体质粒5'-PTK-3',将红色荧光蛋白基因(m Cherry)定向插入其中,构建得到了基因捕获载体质粒:PTK-m Cherry。通过显微注射,将Piggy Bac转座子供体质粒与Piggy Bac转座酶m RNA共注射于斑马鱼受精卵中,筛选得到了m Cherry的表达在时间及空间上均不同的转基因斑马鱼,统计表明m Cherry在F0代中有8.2%的表达率,Piggy Bac转座子能够在斑马鱼中进行有效转座且捕获到不同基因,有效实现突变体的筛选。     

灵活操控果蝇翅芽中wingless基因表达水平的策略

【目的】灵活操控靶基因的表达水平对于研究基因的功能十分重要。Gal4/UAS系统已被广泛应用于调控基因表达,可研究果蝇Drosophila等模式生物复杂的生物学问题。受采用载体的特性及插入位点的影响,Gal4或UAS转基因品系在构建好之后,其调控靶基因的能力基本是确定的。本研究旨在在现有Gal4/UAS系统的基础上,开发一种新的策略,实现在果蝇翅芽中灵活操控wingless(wg)基因的表达水平。【方法】用遗传学手段将黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster品系的UAS-wg和UAS-wg-RNAi转基因重组到同一黑腹果蝇品系中。将该重组黑腹果蝇品系与dpp-Gal4黑腹果蝇品系杂交,同时驱动UAS-wg和UAS-wg-RNAi在果蝇幼虫翅芽中共表达。杂交子代幼虫分别放置在不同的温度(18, 25和30℃)下培养。将幼虫翅芽解剖并进行免疫组化染色,测量染色的荧光强度,分析翅芽中wg的表达水平。【结果】在低温(18℃)下,UAS-wg在基因表达调控中起主要作用,wg表现为超表达,但其超表达的效率可被UAS-wg-RNAi有效地削弱。相反,在高温(30℃)下,UAS-wg-RNAi起主导作用,wg的表达受到抑制。并且通过转换温度,可实现wg在翅芽发育的不同阶段在超表达和抑制之间相互转化,从而灵活地操控wg基因在翅芽中的表达水平。【结论】该方法可以灵活操控果蝇翅芽中wg基因的表达水平,对于调控转基因的表达有重要的意义。     

转座子PiggyBac在哺乳动物中的应用

DNA转座子作为一种遗传工程工具已广泛应用于多物种的转基因及产生插入突变等研究。目前,在哺乳动物中有转座活性的转座子可分为三类：1）hAT样转座子;2）Tcl样转座子包括Sleeping Beauty和FrogPrince;3）PiggyBac转座子家族。其中甘蓝蠖度尺蛾（Cabbage looper moth Trichoplusia ni）来源的PiggyBac转座子是目前在哺乳动物中活性最高的转座子,并且可以携带十几kb的外源基因转座而不影响其效率,使其在哺乳动物的转基因、癌基因的发现、基因治疗研究方面具有巨大的应用潜力。此外,PB的无痕迹转座对于无转基因、无遗传物质改变的诱导多潜能干细胞（iPS）研究也具有非常重要的意义。本文主要对针对PB在哺乳动物中的应用现状及前景作一介绍。     

基于四臂嗅觉仪内轨迹跟踪的 昆虫嗅觉行为分析体系

【目的】结合四臂嗅觉仪与轨迹跟踪分析系统,通过分析不同试验条件下黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster的嗅觉行为,建立适合于果蝇等小型昆虫的嗅觉行为实验技术体系。【方法】采用Ethovision XT软件追踪黑腹果蝇在四臂嗅觉仪内的活动轨迹,分析各区域内的累计停留时长、运动速度;同时,考察气流速度和味源设置对苹果醋引诱及蓝桉Eucalyptus globulus叶油驱避黑腹果蝇效果的影响。【结果】适合于黑腹果蝇嗅觉行为分析的气流速度为300~1 200 mL/min;300 mL/min时黑腹果蝇个体间运动速度最为均一,因此推荐最适气流速度大小为300 mL/min。味源设置不会改变黑腹果蝇对味源物的嗅觉行为反应,但对味源物的引诱指数有一定的影响,单一臂放置味源物试验效果更佳。单头测试的实验效果优于多头试验。【结论】本研究建立的基于轨迹跟踪的嗅觉行为分析体系可用于昆虫信息化合物有效成分的筛选鉴定。在合适的气流条件下,单一臂设置味源化合物逐头进行测试试验效果更佳;多头试验可用于化合物的初步筛选。     

双酚A(BPA)与黑腹果蝇雌激素相关受体(dERR)的结合模式及对其基因表达的影响

【目的】雌激素相关受体(estrogen-related receptors, ERRs)属于核受体(nuclear receptor, NR)超家族,在昆虫新陈代谢和能量转换调节中发挥重要作用。双酚A(bisphenol A, BPA)与昆虫生殖和神经系统疾病有关。本研究旨在探究BPA影响黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster ERR(dERR)的作用机理。【方法】通过AutoDock Vina模拟小分子BPA与Modeller 9.25构建的dERR蛋白的分子对接,使用Gromacs 5.1.9进行分子动力学模拟,并结合自由能的计算探究BPA与dERR的结合模式。利用qRT-PCR方法检测3种浓度(0.1, 1和10 μg/L) BPA处理6, 12和24 h对黑腹果蝇成虫和2龄幼虫中dERR基因转录水平的影响。【结果】通过分子对接和极性溶剂化能发现,Phe370及Leu334等侧链氨基酸是BPA与dERR结合的关键氨基酸。qRT-PCR分析显示,不同浓度的BPA处理6和12 h时黑腹果蝇成虫和2龄幼虫中dERR基因转录水平均发生显著变化,而0.1 μg/L BPA处理24 h时的几乎接近对照。【结论】BPA能够影响黑腹果蝇体内dERR的表达,作用机理可能跟BPA与dERR的潜在特异性结合有关。     

黑腹果蝇对高盐的产卵避性反应及其生物学意义

【目的】研究黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster对高盐的产卵避性,并通过高盐下后代生存率和发育历期的变化来揭示这一现象的生物学意义。【方法】应用产卵双选择装置,检测黑腹果蝇和雅库巴果蝇D. yakuba雌成虫分别对含有0. 25和1 mol/L NaCl的培养基的产卵选择性;利用产卵装置,检测黑腹果蝇对1 mol/L NaCl的位置效应;通过强迫产卵实验检测钠盐胁迫下黑腹果蝇的产卵能力;通过毛细管摄食法和观察口器延伸,检测钠盐胁迫下黑腹果蝇的摄食行为。利用黑暗条件和突变体Orco2分别探究视觉和嗅觉对高盐的产卵选择性。通过外科手术法摘除黑腹果蝇前足部分味觉感受器,并使用咸味突变体Ionotropic Receptor 76b (IR76b),研究介导该行为的感觉系统。在含有不同浓度NaCl (0,0. 25,0. 50,0. 75和1 mol/L)的培养基上培养黑腹果蝇,探究NaCl对黑腹果蝇后代的发育历期和存活率的影响。【结果】雌性黑腹果蝇产卵对高盐产生避性反应,对0. 25和1 mol/L NaCl的产卵偏嗜指数分别为-0. 45和-0. 59;雅库巴果蝇对高盐的反应与黑腹果蝇相同,对0. 25和1 mol/L NaCl的产卵偏嗜指数分别为-0. 78和-0. 99;并且两种果蝇均对0. 25和1 mol/L KCl和CaCl2产生产卵避性反应。黑腹果蝇避开含0. 25和1 mol/L NaCl培养基,位置指数分别为-0. 74和-0. 88。高盐不影响黑腹果蝇的生育能力,其对0,0. 25和1 mol/L NaCl的产卵指数分别为5. 59,6. 63和5. 41。黑腹果蝇对0. 25和1 mol/L NaCl摄食产生明显排斥反应,摄食指数分别为-0. 37和-0. 41,且随浓度增大食欲越低。同时在黑暗条件下,黑腹果蝇对0. 25和1 mol/L NaCl仍产生了显著的避性反应,产卵偏嗜指数分别为-0. 49和-0. 59,摘除前足的黑腹果蝇对0. 25 mol/L NaCl的产卵偏嗜指数为-0. 05,IR76b突变体对高盐的产卵避性反应消失,对0. 25和1 mol/L NaCl的产卵偏嗜指数分别为0. 46和0. 39。0. 25 mol/L NaCl明显延长了后代成蛹时间0. 40 d,后代幼虫存活率降低了16. 5%,而在1 mol/L NaCl上后代卵完全不能形成蛹和成虫。【结论】黑腹果蝇雌成虫通过咸味感觉器官感知高盐而产生产卵避性反应,以促进后代的生长发育和提高后代的幼虫存活率。     

转座子Sleeping Beauty和PiggyBac

近10年来,得益于转座子Sleeping Beauty(SB)和PiggyBac(PB)的发现和完善,转座子作为一种遗传工程工具在脊椎动物的基因遗传研究中得到广泛应用.SB和PB宿主范围极其广泛,从单细胞生物到哺乳动物都能够发挥作用.转座过程需要转座序列和转座酶的存在,类似于"剪切"、"粘贴"的方式.转座子载体系统转座时可携带一段外源DNA序列,利用这一特性可以用于实现目的基因的转移,现已广泛用于转基因动物、基因功能研究、基因治疗等领域.当转座系统与基因捕获技术相结合,不仅可研究插入突变基因的功能,还能通过所携带的报告基因获得捕获基因的表达图谱.作为非病毒载体的SB和PB转座系统,由于具有高容量、高效率和高安全性等优势,并且PB在转座后不留任何足迹,不会造成遗传物质的不可预测改变,在动物基因工程以及基因治疗方面具有诱人的前景.     

斑翅果蝇和黑腹果蝇成虫飞行能力的研究

【目的】为明确斑翅果蝇Drosophila suzukii Matsumura和黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster飞行能力的差异。【方法】利用昆虫飞行磨系统对斑翅果蝇和黑腹果蝇雌、雄虫各7个日龄分别进行22-24 h连续吊飞试验,并对相关飞行参数进行显著性检验。【结果】两种果蝇在1日龄时的飞行时间、飞行速度和飞行距离均最小,随着日龄的增加,飞行能力出现两个高峰。斑翅果蝇的第一个高峰出现在2日龄,黑腹果蝇的第一个高峰出现在3日龄;两种果蝇飞行能力的第二个高峰均出现在15日龄,此时雌、雄虫的累计飞行距离均最大。斑翅果蝇雌、雄虫15日龄的总飞行距离最远,而黑腹果蝇雌虫15日龄、雄虫3日龄飞行距离最远、飞行时间最长。【结论】斑翅果蝇和黑腹果蝇的飞行能力与日龄和性别均有关系,且两种果蝇雌虫的飞行能力均强于雄虫。     

The piggyBac element is capable of precise excision and transposition in cells and embryos of the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae

The piggyBac transposable element was tested for transposition activity in plasmid-based excision and inter-plasmid transposition assays to determine if this element would function in Anopheles gambiae cells and embryos. In the Mos55 cell line, precise excision of the piggyBac element was observed only in the presence of a helper plasmid. Excision occurred at a rate of 1 event per 1000 donor plasmids screened. Precise excision of the piggyBac element was also observed in injected An. gambiae embryos, but at a lower rate of 1 excision per 5000 donor plasmids. Transposition of the marked piggyBac element into a target plasmid occurred in An. gambiae cells at a rate of 1 transposition event per 24,000 donor plasmids. The piggyBac element transposed in a precise manner, with the TTAA target site being duplicated upon insertion, in 56% of transpositions observed, and only in the presence of the piggyBac helper. The remaining transpositions resulted in a deletion of target sequence, a novel observation for the phenomenon of piggyBac element insertion. 'Hot spots' for insertion into the target plasmid were observed, with 25 of 34 events involving one particular site. These results are the first demonstration of the precise mobility of piggyBac in this malaria vector and suggest that the lepidopteran piggyBac transposon is a candidate element for germline transformation of anopheline mosquitoes.     

piggyBac transposon-mediated transgenesis in the apicomplexan parasite Eimeria tenella

piggyBac, a type II transposon that is useful for efficient transgenesis and insertional mutagenesis, has been used for effective and stable transfection in a wide variety of organisms. In this study we investigate the potential use of the piggyBac transposon system for forward genetics studies in the apicomplexan parasite Eimeria tenella. Using the restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) method, E. tenella sporozoites were electroporated with a donor plasmid containing the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) gene flanked by piggyBac inverted terminal repeats (ITRs), an Asc I-linearized helper plasmid containing the transposase gene and the restriction enzyme Asc I. Subsequently, electroporated sporozoites were inoculated into chickens via the cloacal route and transfected progeny oocysts expressing EYFP were sorted by flow cytometry. A transgenic E. tenella population was selected by successive in vivo passage. Southern-blotting analysis showed that exogenous DNA containing the EYFP gene was integrated into the parasite genome at a limited number of integration sites and that the inserted part of the donor plasmid was the fragment located between the 5' and 3' ITRs as indicated by primer-specific PCR screening. Genome walking revealed that the insertion sites were TTAA-specific, which is consistent with the transposition characteristics of piggyBac.     

piggyBac转座系统的功能改进及在哺乳动物中的应用

piggyBac (PB)转座系统具有转座效率高、删除精确、半随机插入和携带片段较大等优点。但是作为一种转基因实验的工具,特别是在哺乳动物个体水平的转基因方面,还需要提高其转基因效率,并降低外源基因随机插入对内源基因破坏的风险。近年来的研究结果显示,PB转座系统得到了进一步改进：采用PB转座酶与DNA特异性结合蛋白融合而构成的融合型转座酶,表现出外源片段有插入到染色体靶向位点的倾向;采用突变体筛选的方法提高了PB转座酶的活性,获得了只具有切除活性而没有插入活性的新型PB转座酶;采用PB转座系统与细菌人工染色体(Bacterial artificial chromosomes, BAC)载体联合使携带的外源片段长度提高到了207 kb。改进后的PB转座系统在基因组研究、基因治疗、诱导多能干细胞(Induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSCs)诱导及其分化方面发挥了较大的作用。文章对PB转座系统的最新研究进展和应用前景进行了综述。     

绵羊高效转基因通用型piggyBac转座子载体构建及功能验证

piggyBac (PB)是一种能在多种动物细胞中进行转座的DNA转座子,作为一种转基因工具已被广泛应用于各种哺乳动物转基因研究中。针对不同物种对PB转座子进行改造,是提升其通用性的必要手段。为构建基于绵羊细胞进行转基因操作的通用型PB转座子载体,本研究对PB转座酶(PBase)基因进行绵羊密码子偏好性优化并将其克隆到pBNW-TP1载体中,成功构建了PB转座子载体pBNW-TP2。将pBNW-TP2转染到绵羊成纤维细胞和乳腺上皮细胞中,利用G418筛选获取稳定转染细胞株;利用Tail-PCR检测稳定转染细胞株的PB转座位点,对细胞阳性克隆进行亚甲蓝染色;利用非配对t检验确认其转座效率。结果表明,pBNW-TP2成功介导了绵羊成纤维细胞和乳腺上皮细胞转基因阳性细胞株的生产;PB转座位点检测表明pBNW-TP2能特异性整合到绵羊基因组TTAA位点,其整合位点倾向于功能基因间;亚甲蓝染色统计分析结果提示pBNW-TP2介导的转基因效率显著提升。本研究成功构建了绵羊通用型PB转座子载体pBNW-TP2,并在绵羊体细胞中对其特性进行验证和分析,为PB转座子在绵羊体细胞中开展转基因相关研究提供了科学依据。     

Translocation of ampicillin transposon Tn1 in Escherichia coli cells during sexual reproduction

The efficiency of Tn1 transposition has been shown to increase considerably in course of bacterial conjugation. Usually, the frequency of Tn1 transposition from plasmid pSA2001, a derivative of RP4, into the chromosome never exceeded 0.1% per cell. Percentage of His+ transconjugants, marked by transposon Tn1 during conjugation between Hfr donor, carrying plasmid pSA2001, and auxotrophic recipient, was about 30%. Transposon Tn1 transfer into the recipient cells does not depend on the recA+ gene function in donor cells or on conjugative transfer of plasmid pSA2001. The transfer requires the recA+ gene function in recipients as well as the Hfr function in donor cells. Southern's blot-hybridization revealed the insertion of transposon Tn1 into the different sites of the chromosome of His+ transconjugants. The transposon inserted during conjugation retains the ability to potential further translocation into new sites on the chromosomal DNA.     

Using a modified piggyBac transposon-combined Cre/loxP system to produce selectable reporter-free transgenic bovine mammary epithelial cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer

Transposon systems are widely used for genetic engineering in various model organisms. PiggyBac (PB) has recently been confirmed to have highly efficient transposition in the mouse germ line and mammalian cell lines. In this study, we used a modified PB transposon system mediated by PB transposase (PBase) mRNA carrying the human lactoferrin gene driven by bovine β-casein promoter to transfect bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs), and the selectable reporter in two stable transgenic BMEC clones was removed using cell-permeant Cre recombinase. These reporter-free transgenic BMECs were used as donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and exhibited a competence of SCNT embryos similar to stable transgenic BMECs and nontransgenic BMECs. The comprehensive information from this study provided a modified approach using an altered PB transposon system mediated by PBase mRNA in vitro and combined with the Cre/loxP system to produce transgenic and selectable reporter-free donor nuclei for SCNT. Consequently, the production of safe bovine mammary bioreactors can be promoted.     

Conjugative transposition of Tn916: the transposon int gene is required only in the donor.

Conjugative transposition of transposon Tn916 has been shown to proceed by excision of the transposon in the donor strain and insertion of this element in the recipient. This process requires the product of the transposon int gene. We report here the surprising finding that the int gene is required only in the donor during conjugative transposition. We find that Tn916 int-1, whose int gene has been inactivated by an insertion mutation, transposes when a complementing wild-type int gene is present only in the donor during mating. When the int+ gene is present in a plasmid and is expressed from the spac promoter, conjugative transposition is very inefficient. However, when the Int+ function is supplied from a coresident distantly linked Tn916 tra-641 mutant, which is defective in a function required for conjugation, efficient conjugative transposition of Tn916 int-1 occurs. This suggests either that Int is not required for integration of Tn916 in gram-positive bacteria or that the protein is transferred from the donor to the transconjugant during the mating event. When the nonconjugative plasmid pAT145 was present in the donor, it was rarely cotransferred with Tn916. This suggests that complete fusion of mating cells is not common during conjugative transposition.