表观遗传的化学干预对金龟子绿僵菌次生代谢产物影响的研究

[背景] 表观遗传酶类化学抑制剂对真菌的影响研究主要集中在新次生代谢产物挖掘方面,而对大量已知次生代谢物含量的变化却关注较少。金龟子绿僵菌是一种常用杀虫真菌,能代谢出多种已知生物活性物质,其含量可能会影响到该菌与环境间关系及利用潜力。[目的] 评估组蛋白去乙酰化酶和DNA甲基转移酶的化学抑制剂对金龟子绿僵菌代谢物安全性和可利用性的影响。[方法] 在金龟子绿僵菌培养基中添加表观遗传酶类化学抑制剂,培养一定时间后用高分辨液质联用及标准品对照方法分析次生代谢产物变化。根据差异代谢物的生物活性评估化学抑制剂的影响。[结果] 高分辨液质联用分析结果表明当抑制剂浓度达500μmol/L时,金龟子绿僵菌有16种主要次生代谢产物出现明显量的变化,包括destruxin A、A1、A2、B、B1、B2、E、E2、Ed、didesmethyldestruxin C、dihydrodestruxin A、desmethyldestruxin B、12-hydroxyovalicin、subglutinol C、fungerin和ustilagic Acid C。其中,丁酸钠处理可使15种主要代谢物含量升高。苯甲酰胺可使12种主要代谢物含量升高。伏立诺他虽然仅能使10种主要代谢物含量升高,但部分代谢物的升高幅度明显高于前两者。2种DNA甲基转移酶抑制剂可使金龟子绿僵菌代谢物中绿僵菌素类代谢物含量普遍下降。[结论] 组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂可引起金龟子绿僵菌主要代谢物含量普遍升高,而DNA甲基转移酶抑制剂使金龟子绿僵菌的绿僵菌素含量普遍下降。由于变化的代谢物都具有显著的杀虫、免疫抑制或抗菌抗癌等生物活性,因此上述化学抑制剂可增强或降低金龟子绿僵菌对环境中昆虫毒性,同时也增加或降低其代谢物利用潜力。另外,subglutinol C、fungerin和ustilagic Acid C是首次在金龟子绿僵菌中被发现。     

利用CRISPR/Cas9系统检测果蝇细胞中组蛋白甲基化修饰对20E信号传导的调控

【目的】利用CRISPR/Cas9基因敲除系统在黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster细胞中筛选并检测组蛋白甲基化修饰对蜕皮激素20 羟基蜕皮酮(20-hydroxyecdysone, 20E)信号传导的调控。【方法】通过Flybase网站分析并总结黑腹果蝇组蛋白甲基转移酶及其修饰位点;将5个组蛋白甲基转移酶基因［trr, Mes-4, ash1, Su(var)3-9和egg］的sgRNA插入到敲除载体pAc-sgRNA-Cas9骨架中并转染黑腹果蝇Kc细胞,利用TA克隆和测序鉴定突变位点。以Trr正调控20E初级应答基因Br-C的转录表达为阳性对照,利用qRT-PCR和Western blot检测该系统敲除靶基因的有效性;通过检测20E应答元件(20E response element, EcRE)双荧光素酶活性确定trr, Mes-4, ash1, Su(var)3-9和egg是否参与20E信号传导。【结果】果蝇组蛋白甲基化修饰主要发生在组蛋白H3的赖氨酸残基上,H3的精氨酸残基和组蛋白H4的甲基化修饰较少。trr敲除载体pAc-trr-sgRNA-Cas9转染Kc细胞后成功突变trr,降低H3K4三甲基化水平并阻断20E对其初级应答基因Br-C的转录诱导,证明该敲除系统的有效性。除trr之外,Mes-4和egg的敲除降低EcRE的双荧光素酶活性。【结论】插入靶标基因sgRNA序列的pAc-sgRNA-Cas9敲除载体在果蝇Kc细胞中可以有效快捷地突变靶基因。利用该敲除系统发现,除Trr之外,Mes-4和egg影响EcRE的活性而参与20E信号传导。本研究为昆虫细胞CRISPR/Cas9介导的基因敲除和组蛋白甲基化修饰调控20E信号传导的深入研究提供了理论依据与工作基础。     

SETD2 epidermal deficiency promotes cutaneous wound healing via activation of AKT/mTOR Signalling

ObjectivesCutaneous wound healing is one of the major medical problems worldwide. Epigenetic modifiers have been identified as important players in skin development, homeostasis and wound repair. SET domain–containing 2 (SETD2) is the only known histone H3K36 tri‐methylase; however, its role in skin wound healing remains unclear.Materials and MethodsTo elucidate the biological role of SETD2 in wound healing, conditional gene targeting was used to generate epidermis‐specific Setd2‐deficient mice. Wound‐healing experiments were performed on the backs of mice, and injured skin tissues were collected and analysed by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemical staining. In vitro, CCK8 and scratch wound‐healing assays were performed on Setd2‐knockdown and Setd2‐overexpression human immortalized keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). In addition, RNA‐seq and H3K36me3 ChIP‐seq analyses were performed to identify the dysregulated genes modulated by SETD2. Finally, the results were validated in functional rescue experiments using AKT and mTOR inhibitors (MK2206 and rapamycin).ResultsEpidermis‐specific Setd2‐deficient mice were successfully established, and SETD2 deficiency resulted in accelerated re‐epithelialization during cutaneous wound healing by promoting keratinocyte proliferation and migration. Furthermore, the loss of SETD2 enhanced the scratch closure and proliferation of keratinocytes in vitro. Mechanistically, the deletion of Setd2 resulted in the activation of AKT/mTOR signalling pathway, while the pharmacological inhibition of AKT and mTOR with MK2206 and rapamycin, respectively, delayed wound closure.ConclusionsOur results showed that SETD2 loss promoted cutaneous wound healing via the activation of AKT/mTOR signalling.     

龙眼组蛋白去乙酰化酶基因DlHDT1的克隆与特性分析

组蛋白去乙酰化是植物表观遗传调控的重要组成部分,对染色体结构修饰和基因表达调控发挥着重要的作用。为深入探究组蛋白去乙酰化酶基因(histone deacetylase 1,HDT1)在龙眼体胚发生过程中的功能,该研究结合龙眼基因组数据,采用RT-PCR方法克隆得到龙眼组蛋白去乙酰化酶基因(DlHDT1),对其进行生物信息学分析及亚细胞定位观察,同时结合转录组数据分析DlHDT1在体胚发生过程中的FPKM值,并利用qRT-PCR技术检测PEG6000和NaCl处理下DlHDT1的表达模式。结果表明:(1)DlHDT1基因CDS序列全长918 bp,编码305个氨基酸,该蛋白为不稳定亲水性蛋白,不含信号肽和跨膜结构,共含43个磷酸化位点,相对分子量为32 585.54 Da,等电点为4.65;进化树分析显示龙眼DlHDT1与漾濞槭亲缘关系最近(78.76%)。(2)亚细胞定位显示,DlHDT1蛋白定位于细胞核中;顺式作用元件分析发现DlHDT1基因含有大量光响应元件和脱落酸、茉莉酸甲酯等激素及逆境胁迫响应元件;转录组数据显示,DlHDT1在龙眼体胚发生不同时期均有表达,在胚性愈伤组织(EC)阶段表达最低,在球形胚(GE)阶段表达最高。(3)qRT-PCR显示,在PEG6000和NaCl处理下DlHDT1基因,呈下调表达趋势,推测DlHDT1可能参与调控龙眼对干旱及盐胁迫的响应,并存在负调控关系。研究认为,DlHDT1为核定位基因,可能参与龙眼体胚形态建成并在龙眼响应非生物逆境胁迫过程中发挥重要作用。     

Insights into epigenetic patterns in mammalian early embryos

Mammalian fertilization begins with the fusion of two specialized gametes,followed by major epigenetic remodeling leading to the formation of a totipotent embryo.During the development of the pre-implantation embryo,precise reprogramming progress is a prerequisite for avoiding developmental defects or embryonic lethality,but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.For the past few years,unprecedented breakthroughs have been made in mapping the regulatory network of dynamic epigenomes during mammalian early embryo development,taking advantage of multiple advances and innovations in low-input genome-wide chromatin analysis technologies.The aim of this review is to highlight the most recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of epigenetic remodeling during early embryogenesis in mammals,including DNA methylation,histone modifications,chromatin accessibility and 3D chromatin organization.     

Long noncoding RNA ATB promotes ovarian cancer tumorigenesis by mediating histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation through binding to EZH2

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies. The unfavourable prognosis is mainly due to the lack of early-stage diagnosis, drug resistance and recurrence. Therefore, it needs to investigate the mechanism of OC tumorigenesis and identify effective biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis. It is reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles during the tumorigenesis of OC. Therefore, the present study aimed to study the role and clinical significance of LncRNAs ATB (lnc-ATB) in the development and progression of OC. In our research, lnc-ATB expression in OC tissues was elevated compared with adjacent normal tissues and high expression of lnc-ATB was associated with poor outcomes of OC patients. The silencing of lnc-ATB blocked cell proliferation, invasion and migration in SKOV3 and A2780 cells. RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down results showed that lnc-ATB positively regulated the expression of EZH2 via directly interacting with EZH2. Besides, the overexpression of EZH2 partly rescued lnc-ATB silencing-inducing inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay results demonstrated that the silencing of lnc-ATB reduced the occupancy of caudal-related homeobox protein 1, Forkhead box C1, Large tumour suppressor kinase 2, cadherin-1 and disabled homolog 2 interacting protein promoters on EZH2 and H3K27me3. These data revealed the oncogenic of lnc-ATB and provided a novel biomarker for OC diagnosis. Furthermore, these findings indicated the mechanism of lnc-ATB functioning in the progression of OC, which provided a new target for OC therapy.     

Myostatin基因突变激发骨骼肌发育机制研究进展

肌肉生长抑制素基因（myostatin,MSTN）是骨骼肌发育的负调节因子,在不同物种中具有高度保守性。自然突变或通过基因编辑技术对该基因进行操作,均可以获得肌肉异常发达的动物个体。研究表明,MSTN基因突变可以通过多种调控途径影响肌肉发育过程。因此,从成肌细胞增殖、分化、蛋白质合成分解代谢、组蛋白修饰以及巨噬细胞极化等5个方面对MSTN突变促进肌肉发育的机理进行综述,以期为农业动物育种新材料生产及重大恶病质的治疗提供借鉴。     

Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Damage and Repair: Progress in Plants

Dedicated to Prof. Jan H. J. Hoeijmakers.

Referee: Dr. Nawin C. Mishra, Professor of Genetics, University of South Carolina, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia, SC 29208

Despite stable genomes of all living organisms, they are subject to damage by chemical and physical agents in the environment (e.g., UV and ionizing radiations, chemical mutagens, fungal and bacterial toxins, etc.) and by free radicals or alkylating agents endogenously generated in metabolism. DNA is also damaged because of errors during its replication. The DNA lesions produced by these damaging agents could be altered base, missing base, mismatch base, deletion or insertion, linked pyrimidines, strand breaks, intra- and inter-strand cross-links.