FEN1酶介导的功能核酸生物传感器的研究进展

瓣状核酸内切酶-1(Flap endonuclease 1,FEN1)是一种可以识别三碱基重叠结构(三核酸)并对其进行切割,释放出5’-flap片段的结构特异性酶,并且有着高效稳定的切割效率。基于此种特性,通过不同的信号输出方式,FEN1酶现被用于DNA、RNA、病毒等放大检测中。首先对FEN1酶的发现、性质以及作用方面做了相应介绍,然后根据所检测的靶物质不同,对FEN1酶所介导的生物传感器进行分类,主要包括对单核苷酸多态性的检测、甲基化检测、基因型检测、RNA检测、病毒检测、肿瘤检测和微生物检测等。此外,对FEN1酶与纳米材料的结合以及体内表征及治疗也进行了较为详细的介绍。同时,还对传感器之间的原理、灵敏度、特异性及适用领域等方面进行比较和优缺点的简单评价。最后,对FEN1酶所介导的生物传感器的中存在的不足,以及未来的发展方向进行了展望,旨在为今后研发更便携、更灵敏、更准确的FEN1功能核酸生物传感器提供理论参考。     

火球菌Pyrococcus furious瓣状核酸内切酶1的表达纯化及酶学特征

【目的】克隆表达和纯化火球菌Pyrococcus furious来源的瓣状核酸内切酶1基因pFEN1(PF1414),对该蛋白的活性和酶学特征进行鉴定和分析。【方法】将pFEN1在大肠杆菌中进行重组表达,经亲和层析纯化得到电泳纯蛋白;利用人工合成的荧光标记的寡核苷酸片段作为底物,用变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳鉴定pFEN1在体外的酶学特性以及与其他蛋白的相互作用。【结果】pFEN1重组蛋白能在大肠杆菌中进行高效表达;高于100 mmol/L的NaCl会抑制pFEN1的活性;pFEN1的核酸酶活性依赖于金属离子Mg~(2+)或Mn~(2+),且Mn~(2+)的催化效率优于Mg~(2+);来自嗜热古菌的pFEN1是一种耐高温蛋白,最适反应温度为60–65°C;增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)能促进pFEN1的内切酶活性。【结论】本研究证实pFEN1是一种Mg~(2+)或Mn~(2+)依赖的核酸内切酶,且PCNA能促进该酶的活性。     

限制性核酸内切酶（restrictionendonuclease）

利用基因重组技术的研究以及产品的制造得到广泛普及，其中的有功之臣就是限制性核酸内切酶。具有识别特定的碱基序列并加以切割的功能。日本东京大学的小宫山真教授为我们就其有关机理及应用用研究进行阐述。[编者按]     

限制性核酸内切酶Bsp 63Ⅰ的纯化及性质研究

用Ｂａｃｉｌｌｕｓｓｐｈａｅｒｉｃｕｓ６３菌为材料,经ＤＮＡ－Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ和ＣｉｂａｃｒｏｎＢｌｕｅＦ３ＧＡ－Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ两步亲和层析,将Ｂｓｐ６３Ⅰ纯化到均一程度。酶比活力达６１４００Ｕ／ｍｇ蛋白。用凝胶过滤法测得该酶分子量为１１３８００。该酶样品在ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ中呈现为一条蛋白带,并测得其亚基分子量为５６８００。用ＤＮＳ－Ｃｌ法测得该酶Ｎ－末端氨基酸为丙氨酸。上述结果表明该酶分子是由两个相同亚基组成。     

核酸内切酶在细胞凋亡中的作用

核酸内切酶在形成细胞凋亡的典型特征——DNA片段化中,发挥着直接的重要作用.介绍了已知的参与细胞凋亡的二价金属离子依赖性和非依赖性核酸内切酶种类,其中二价金属离子依赖性主要有nuc18、DNaseⅠ、Ca^2＋/Mg^2＋核酸内切酶、Ca^2＋/Mn^2＋核酸内切酶、DNaseγ、nuc58和nuc40;二价金属离子非依赖型主要有DNaseⅡ及类似核酸内切酶.此外,还初步探讨了核酸内切酶降解染色质DNA的过程及其作用机制.     

限制性核酸内切酶或特异位点的DNA内切酶

目前对那些在原核生物中看来普遍存在的特异位点核酸内切酶的看法,由于探索重组DNA技术学的工具而受到了严重地歪曲。仅分离到了具有识别3-7个特异碱基范围序列的酶。当然这些内切酶在复合组基因的分析、“逆转遗传学”(“reverse genetics”)的兴起以及在真核中基因表达区的最近突破,特别是在了解肿瘤病毒RNA的作用过程中和免疫球蛋白的表达中基因重排等方面的用途上在过去的五年深为分子和细胞生物学家们体会到了。已发现了在识别顺序中有交错、对称、不对称及简并巨大多样性。同时考虑到特异位点重组和(或)DNA降解方面的遗传学资料,说明我们现在所收集的内切酶只能代表一个程度极其复杂的特异性窄谱。这些酶本身也为生物物理学家们和生物化学家们提供了探索DNA-蛋白质相互作用的微妙问题的丰富材料。     

Association between the flap endonuclease 1 gene polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility: An updated meta-analysis

Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) has emerged as an important enzyme in the maintenance of genomic instability and preventing carcinogenesis. The relationship between FEN1 −69G>A (rs174538)+4150G>T (rs4246215) polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility has been reported; however, results were inconclusive. In the present study, a meta-analysis of data from eligible reports was carried out to summarize the possible relationship between FEN1 polymorphisms and cancer risk. A total of 11 articles, including 20 studies with 7366 cases and 9028 controls and 18 studies with 6649 cases and 8325 controls for FEN1 rs174538 and FEN1 rs4246215 polymorphisms, respectively, were recruited for meta-analysis. Overall, meta-analyses showed that FEN1 rs174538 and rs4246215 polymorphisms are significantly associated with the decreased risk of cancer. The stratified analysis proposed that both variants were associated with protection against gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, hepatocellular cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer. In conclusion, this meta-analysis revealed an association between FEN1 polymorphisms and cancer risk. Additional studies in a larger study population that include subjects from a variety of ethnicities are warranted to further verify our findings.     

Structural basis for recruitment of human flap endonuclease 1 to PCNA

Flap endonuclease-1 (FEN1) is a key enzyme for maintaining genomic stability and replication. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) binds FEN1 and stimulates its endonuclease activity. The structural basis of the FEN1-PCNA interaction was revealed by the crystal structure of the complex between human FEN1 and PCNA. The main interface involves the C-terminal tail of FEN1, which forms two beta-strands connected by a short helix, the betaA-alphaA-betaB motif, participating in beta-beta and hydrophobic interactions with PCNA. These interactions are similar to those previously observed for the p21CIP1/WAF1 peptide. However, this structure involving the full-length enzyme has revealed additional interfaces that are involved in the core domain. The interactions at the interfaces maintain the enzyme in an inactive 'locked-down' orientation and might be utilized in rapid DNA-tracking by preserving the central hole of PCNA for sliding along the DNA. A hinge region present between the core domain and the C-terminal tail of FEN1 would play a role in switching the FEN1 orientation from an inactive to an active orientation.     

The two DNA clamps Rad9/Rad1/Hus1 complex and proliferating cell nuclear antigen differentially regulate flap endonuclease 1 activity

DNA damage leads to activation of several mechanisms such as DNA repair and cell-cycle checkpoints. It is evident that these different cellular mechanisms have to be finely co-ordinated. Growing evidence suggests that the Rad9/Rad1/Hus1 cell-cycle checkpoint complex (9-1-1 complex), which is recruited to DNA lesion upon DNA damage, plays a major role in DNA repair. This complex has been shown to interact with and stimulate several proteins involved in long-patch base excision repair. On the other hand, the well-characterised DNA clamp-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) also interacts with and stimulates several of these factors. In this work, we compared the effects of the 9-1-1 complex and PCNA on flap endonuclease 1 (Fen1). Our data suggest that PCNA and the 9-1-1 complex can independently bind to and activate Fen1. Finally, acetylation of Fen1 by p300-HAT abolished the stimulatory effect of the 9-1-1 complex but not that of PCNA, suggesting a possible mechanism of regulation of this important repair pathway.     

A conserved tyrosine residue aids ternary complex formation,but not catalysis,in phage T5 flap endonuclease

The flap endonucleases, or 5' nucleases, are involved in DNA replication and repair. They possess both 5'-3' exonucleolytic activity and the ability to cleave bifurcated, or branched DNA, in an endonucleolytic, structure-specific manner. These enzymes share a great degree of structural and sequence similarity. Conserved acidic amino acids, whose primary role appears to be chelation of essential divalent cation cofactors, lie at the base of the active site. A loop, or helical archway, is located above the active site. A conserved tyrosine residue lies at the base of the archway in phage T5 flap endonuclease. This residue is conserved in the structures of all flap endonucleases analysed to date. We mutated the tyrosine 82 codon in the cloned T5 5' nuclease to one encoding phenylalanine. Detailed analysis of the purified Y82F protein revealed only a modest (3.5-fold) decrease in binding affinity for DNA compared with wild-type in the absence of cofactor. The modified nuclease retains both structure-specific endonuclease and exonuclease activities. Kinetic analysis was performed using a newly developed single-cleavage assay based on hydrolysis of a fluorescently labelled oligonucleotide substrate. Substrate and products were resolved by denaturing HPLC. Steady-state kinetic analysis revealed that loss of the tyrosine hydroxyl function did not significantly impair k(cat). Pre-steady state analysis under single-turnover conditions also demonstrated little change in the rate of reaction compared to the wild-type protein. The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters for the Y82F enzyme-catalysed reaction was bell-shaped as for the wild-type protein. Thus, Y82 does not play a role in catalysis. However, steady-state analysis did detect a large (approximately 300-fold) defect in K(M). These results imply that this conserved tyrosine plays a key role in ternary complex formation (protein-DNA-metal ion), a prerequisite for catalysis.     

Human exonuclease 1 (EXO1) activity characterization and its function on flap structures

Human exonuclease 1 (EXO1) is involved in multiple DNA metabolism processes, including DNA repair and replication. Most of the fundamental roles of EXO1 have been described in yeast. Here, we report a biochemical characterization of human full-length EXO1. Prior to assay EXO1 on different DNA flap structures, we determined factors essential for the thermodynamic stability of EXO1. We show that enzymatic activity and stability of EXO1 on DNA is modulated by temperature. By characterization of EXO1 flap activity using various DNA flap substrates, we show that EXO1 has a strong capacity for degrading double stranded DNA and has a modest endonuclease or 5′ flap activity. Furthermore, we report novel mechanistic insights into the processing of flap structures, showing that EXO1 preferentially cleaves one nucleotide inwards in a double stranded region of a forked and nicked DNA flap substrates, suggesting a possible role of EXO1 in strand displacement.