Hyperproduction of chitinase influences crystal toxin synthesis and sporulation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis>

Bacillus thuringiensis HD-73 was transformed with the endochitinase gene chiA74 under the control of a strong promoter (pcytA) and a 5′ mRNA stabilizing (STAB-SD) sequence (HD-73-pEBchiA74). Expression levels were compared with those observed from the wild type strain (HD-73) and the recombinant HD-73 strain expressing chiA74 under the control of its native promoter (HD-73-pEHchiA74). The chitinolytic activity of HD-73-pEBchiA74 was markedly elevated, being ~58- and 362-fold higher than, respectively, HD-73-pEHchiA74 and parental HD-73, representing the highest levels of chitinase expression in recombinant B. thuringiensis reported to date. Parasporal crystals measured under transmission electron microscopy showed that HD-73 produced crystals of 1.235 (±0.214) and 1.356 (±0.247) μm in length when the bacterium was grown in respectively, NBS and NBS with glucose. Otherwise, HD-73-pEBchiA74 synthesized crystals of 1.250 (±0.222) and 1.139 (±0.202) μm in length when cultivated in NBS and NBS with glucose, respectively, values that showed a diminution of ~10 and 20% compared with crystals produced by HD-73-pEHchiA74 grown under the same conditions. Comparison of viable spore counts per ml showed that HD-73-pEBchiA74 produced fewest viable spores (1.5 × 10⁹, 1.3 × 10⁹), compared to HD-73-pEHchiA74 (4.9 × 10⁹, 5.3 × 10⁹) and HD-73 (6.8 × 10⁹, 8.8 × 10⁹) when grown in NBS and NBS supplemented with glucose, respectively. No change in cellular protease activity was observed despite the overproduction of the chitinase.     

HIF-1-alpha激活的长链非编码RNA-ANRIL与肺腺癌的关系的研究

摘要目的：现已经证实缺氧诱导因子-1alpha（hypoxia inducible factor-1,HIF-1alpha）与肺腺癌（lung adenocarcinoma，LA）侵袭性有关。 INK4 基因座中反义非编码RNA（CDKN2B antisense RNA 1，ANRIL）是目前确认的能够促进肿瘤发生发展的一种长链非编码 RNA（long noncoding RNA，lncRNA）。而本研究即探究在肺腺癌中HIF-1琢与ANRIL之间是否存在一定的联系。方法：利用实时定 量PCR 技术（quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction，qRT-PCR）检测人体肺腺癌组织和肺腺癌细胞系A549 中HIF-1-alpha和 ANRIL的表达水平，然后利用小干扰RNA（small interfering RNA，siRNA）和基因过表达技术使HIF-1alpha低量和过量表达，再检测 肺腺癌细胞系A549 中ANRIL表达水平的变化。结果：ANRIL和HIF-1alpha在人体肺腺癌组织和肺腺癌细胞系A549 中的表达水平 呈现正相关，而且ANRIL 和HIF-1alpha在癌组织中的表达水平均高于癌旁组织，并且通过HIF-1alpha的低量和过量表达，ANRIL亦呈 现相应的变化。结论：ANRIL 和HIF-1alpha在肺腺癌组织中的表达具有相关性，而且HIF-1琢能够刺激激活ANRIL的表达，因此 ANRIL-HIF-1alpha可能为肺腺癌的诊疗提供一个崭新的靶点。     

高流动性蛋白基因过量表达对果蝇发育的影响

HmgD基因编码果蝇高流动性蛋白（High mobility group proteins, HMG）的同源物,它可以参与染色质的组装。目前关于HMGD蛋白在果蝇胚胎发育过程中的作用尚无定论。我们采用UAS-Gal4系统,通过功能获得性突变的方法研究了HmgD基因过量表达对果蝇发育的影响。结果表明：HmgD过量表达对果蝇胚胎期发育的影响较弱,而对后期幼虫的发育具有很大的影响;HmgD过量表达的果蝇胚胎死亡率增高,但这种影响不是很大,因为一部分胚胎仍然能够发育至成体;但是当HmgD在广泛表达的Gal4驱动子（ActGal4）的控制下过量表达时导致子代大量死亡,特别是用4个拷贝的转基因果蝇进行杂交时,后代中的突变型在三龄幼虫末期全部死亡;部分突变型幼虫体内长有黑色素瘤,其血淋巴中的血细胞数量极显著地高于野生型。RT-PCR分析表明,突变幼虫中与血细胞增殖有关的Ras-MAPK途径和Toll途径被异常激活。这些结果显示：HmgD过量表达可能引起染色质结构疏松,激活了特定的转录因子,从而引发了三龄幼虫期异常的转录调控,并导致幼虫死亡。     

来源于柠檬酸杆菌的高比活植酸酶基因在毕赤酵母中的高效表达

柠檬酸杆菌(Citrobacterbraakii)来源的植酸酶是目前报道的比活最高的植酸酶。按照毕赤酵母(Pichiapastoris)对密码子的选择偏向性,对来源于柠檬酸杆菌的高比活植酸酶基因AppA进行了密码子优化改造。改造后的基因AppA(m)按正确的阅读框架融合到毕赤酵母表达载体pPIC9的α-因子信号肽编码序列3′端,通过电击转化得到重组转化子。通过PCR验证,AppA(m)已整合在酵母染色体上。SDS-PAGE分析和表达产物的研究表明,植酸酶得到了高效分泌表达,在5L发酵罐中植酸酶蛋白表达量达到3·2mg/mL发酵液,发酵效价达到每毫升发酵液1·4×107IU以上,高于目前报道的各种植酸酶基因工程菌株的发酵效价。     

An efficient in vitro refolding of recombinant bacterial laccase in Escherichia coli

Laccases (benzenediol oxygen oxidoreductases, EC 1.10.3.2) are important multicopper enzymes that are used in many biotechnological processes. A recombinant form of laccase from Bacillus sp. HR03 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL-21(DE3). Inclusion body (IB) formation happens quite often during recombinant protein production. Hence, developing a protocol for efficient refolding of proteins from inclusion bodies to provide large amounts of active protein could be advantageous for structural and functional studies. Here, we have tried to find an efficient method of refolding for this bacterial enzyme. Solubilization of inclusion bodies was carried out in phosphate buffer pH 7, containing 8 M urea and 4 mM β-mercaptoethanol and refolding was performed using the dilution method. The effect of different additives was investigated on the refolding procedure of denaturated laccase. Mix buffer (phosphate buffer and citrate buffer, 100 mM) containing 4 mM ZnSO₄ and 100 mM sorbitol was selected as an optimized refolding buffer. Also Kinetic parameters of soluble and refolded laccase were analyzed.     

Characterization of the enzyme activity of an extracellular metalloprotease (VMC) from Vibrio mimicus and its C-terminal deletions

To investigate the enzymatic properties of Vibrio mimicus metalloprotease, the mature metalloprotease gene (vmc) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein (rVMC61) was purified by metal affinity chromatography. rVMC61 showed maximum activity at about 37 degrees C, pH 8. The purified rVMC61 was very specific toward collagen substrates, such as gelatin, type I, II, and III collagens and synthetic peptides (Cbz-GPLGP and Cbz-GPGGPA). But it did not show degrading activity toward other biological proteins including lysozyme, lactoferrin and bovine serum albumin. rVMC61 also showed cytotoxicity against CHSE-214 fish cells. To examine the role of the C-terminal region of rVMC61, the 3' end of the metalloprotease gene (vmc) was digested serially with exonuclease III. The truncated vmc derivatives encoding 57-42 kDa of the protease were isolated and overexpressed in E. coli. The collagenase activities of truncated proteins were investigated using gelatin as substrate. Deletion of 100 amino acids from the C-terminus resulted in loss of gelatin degrading activity. However, deletion of 67 amino acids from the C-terminus did not affect its gelatin degrading activity.     

hTERT基因组成型过量表达的Vero细胞系的建立

目的:建立组成型过量表达hTERT的Vero细胞系。方法:从质粒pCI-neo-hTERT酶切、分离纯化hTERT cDNA,克隆入phEF/chMAR-hyg载体中,构建重组真核表达质粒phEF/chMAR-hyg-hTERT。采用脂质体转染法转染Vero细胞,经潮霉素筛选、克隆分离培养,用RT-PCR检测转染阳性细胞克隆的hTERT mRNA表达丰度,Western blotting验证高丰度表达hTERT mRNA克隆的hTERT表达。用Cedex AS20细胞密度和活力分析系统考察过量表达hTERT Vero细胞在组织培养板中批次培养的生长特性。结果:从phEF/chMAR-hyg-hTERT转染阳性细胞中筛选出hTERT mRNA和蛋白高丰度表达的Vero细胞系(Vero-T1),Vero-T细胞在批次培养中后期的细胞密度和活力均高于野生型Vero细胞。结论:成功建立了hTERT基因组成型过量表达的Vero细胞系,为探索以组成型过量表达hTERT的技术途径改善细胞培养特性、提高病毒疫苗生产工艺水平奠定了基础。     

Sonic Hedgehog过表达下调后脑五羟色胺能神经元数量

目的:本研究主要是探索高浓度的Shh对后脑5-HT神经元数量的影响。方法:通过免疫荧光和原位杂交手段检测Shh在脑干的表达情况。离体培养5-HT神经元,用不同浓度Shh蛋白处理,观察5-HT神经元的数量变化以及对轴突的影响。通过胚胎宫内电转,检测Shh过表达后脑5-HT神经元的数量变化。结果:Shh在脑干5-HT神经元分布区域内表达。离体培养的5-HT神经元,250 ng/m L的Shh蛋白处理后神经元数量为41.25±0.52(n=4,P=0.0218),与对照组35±1.21(n=4)相比,神经元数量上调。相反,1250 ng/m L的Shh蛋白处理后神经元数量为7.5±0.43(n=4,P0.0001),与对照组相比,神经元数量极显著下降。250 ng/m L的Shh蛋白处理后5-HT神经元轴突长度为1.08±0.05(n=4,P=0.7555),与对照组1±0.01(n=4)相比,轴突长度没有显著性差异。然而1250 ng/m L的Shh蛋白处理后5-HT神经元轴突长度为0.44±0.03(n=4,P=0.0014),与对照组相比,轴突长度极显著缩短。胚胎宫内电转p IRES-Shh-EGFP和p IRES-EGFP,观察到Shh过表达缝核上行5-HT神经元数量为147±54.2(n=4,P=0.0053),相较于对照组459±49.0(n=4),神经元数量极显著下降。同样地,Shh过表达缝核下行5-HT神经元数量为187±18.4(n=4,P=0.0001),相较于对照组411±17.3(n=4),神经元数量也发生了极显著下降。结论:Shh过表达对5-HT神经元的发育有负向的调控作用,主要表现在引起后脑缝核5-HT神经元数量减少。