PTPD1 supports receptor stability and mitogenic signaling in bladder cancer cells

PTPD1, a cytosolic non-receptor protein-tyrosine phosphatase, stimulates the Src-EGF transduction pathway. Localization of PTPD1 at actin cytoskeleton and adhesion sites is required for cell scattering and migration. Here, we show that during EGF stimulation, PTPD1 is rapidly recruited to endocytic vesicles containing the EGF receptor. Endosomal localization of PTPD1 is mediated by interaction with KIF16B, an endosomal kinesin that modulates receptor recycling at the plasma membrane. Silencing of PTPD1 promotes degradation of EGF receptor and inhibits downstream ERK signaling. We also found that PTPD1 is markedly increased in bladder cancer tissue samples. PTPD1 levels positively correlated with the grading and invasiveness potential of these tumors. Transgenic expression of an inactive PTPD1 mutant or genetic knockdown of the endogenous PTPD1 severely inhibited both growth and motility of human bladder cancer cells. These findings identify PTPD1 as a novel component of the endocytic machinery that impacts on EGF receptor stability and on growth and motility of bladder cancer cells.     

Mucin 21/Epiglycanin Modulates Cell Adhesion

The molecular structure of mouse Mucin 21 (Muc21)/epiglycanin is proposed to have 98 tandem repeats of 15 amino acids and three exceptional repeats with 12 or 13 amino acids each, followed by a stem domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail. A cDNA of Muc21 having 84 tandem repeats of 15 amino acids was constructed and transfected using a Venus vector into HEK 293T cells. The fluorescent cells, which were considered to express Muc21, were nonadherent. This antiadhesion effect was lessened when constructs with smaller numbers of tandem repeats were used, suggesting that the tandem repeat domain plays a crucial role. Cells expressing Muc21 were significantly less adherent to each other and to extracellular matrix components than control cells. Antibody binding to the cell surface integrin subunits α5, α6, and β1 was reduced in Muc21 transfectants in a tandem repeat-dependent manner, whereas equal amounts of proteins were detected by Western blot analysis. Muc21 was expressed as a large glycoprotein that was highly glycosylated with O-glycans at the cell surface, as detected by flow cytometry, Western blotting, and lectin blotting. Although at least a portion of Muc21 was glycosylated with sialylated glycans, removal of sialic acid did not influence the prevention of adhesion.     

用无选择标记的转基因烟草表达胸腺素α1（Tα1）

胸腺素α1（thymosin α1,Tα1）作为免疫调节剂在T细胞成熟、分化和功能发挥方面扮演着重要角色,临床主要被用于免疫缺陷、病毒感染和自身免疫性疾病（HBV、HCV、HIV和癌症等）的治疗。由于组织提取Tα1原料限制、化学合成价格昂贵和传统表达系统（原核或转基因动物）存在安全隐患,使Tα1临床应用受限。用烟草表达Tα1,首先按植物偏爱密码子设计合成tα1基因（124bp）并重组串联成4×tα1,构建植物双元表达载体p35s∷4×tα1（含twin T-DNAs）,用农杆菌（Agrobacterium tumefaciens）介导法转化烟草。PCR和Southern blot结果证实获得了14转基因烟草,并发现靶基因4×tα1与筛选基因npt II在转基因烟草T0代基因组中发生了分别整合。对177株T1代转基因烟草检测,获得了2株仅整合4×tα1而无筛选标记npt II的植株。ELISA结果显示,4×Tα1在转基因烟草叶片中的表达量介于180.46（81#）~756.87 ng/g·fw（86#）,Western blot证实植物源4×Tα1具有免疫活性。MTT实验结果显示,植物源的4×Tα1蛋白具有促进BALB/c鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖的功能,为用安全植物表达系统生产包括Tα1在内的药用蛋白提供重要参考。     

Contact sites from human placental mitochondria: characterization and role in progesterone synthesis

To understand the functional compartmentalization of human placental mitochondria, we analyzed the composition and steroidogenic activity of contact sites. Several fractions containing contact sites were isolated using osmotic shock treatment and sucrose gradient centrifugation. These fractions contained various proteins and marker enzymes associated with mitochondrial membranes. The fractions containing the cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage system, cholesterol, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-isocitrate dehydrogenase, porin, and adenosine 5(')-triphosphate-diphosphohydrolase activity showed the capacity to synthesize progesterone. Our observations indicate that all necessary elements and enzymes for steroidogenesis are present and functional in placental mitochondrial contact sites. This organization may facilitate the metabolism of cholesterol delivered to the outer mitochondrial membrane into steroid hormones by the inner mitochondrial membrane cholesterol side chain cleavage system.     

Efficiency of direct selection on quantitative trait loci for a two-trait breeding objective

Selection on known loci affecting quantitative traits (DSQ) was compared to phenotypic selection index for a single and a two-trait selection objective. Two situations were simulated; a single known quantitative locus, and ten identified loci accounting for all the additive genetic variance. Selection efficiency of DSQ relative to traitbased selection was higher for two-trait selection, than was selection on a single trait with the same heritability. The advantage of DSQ was greater when the traits were negatively correlated. Relative selection efficiency (RSE) for a single locus responsible for 0.1 of the genetic variance was 1.11 with heritabilities of 0.45 and 0.2 and zero genetic and phenotypic correlations between the traits. RSE of DSQ for ten known loci was 1.5 to 1.8 in the first 3 generations of selection, but declined in each subsequent generation. With DSQ most loci reached fixation after 7 generations. Response to trait-based selection continued through generation 15 and approached the response obtained with DSQ after 10 generations. The cumulative genetic response after 10 generations of DSQ was only 93% to 97% of the economically optimum genotype because the less favorable allele reached fixation for some loci, generally those with effects in opposite directions on the two traits.     

Cloning of Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA: its use in pneumococcal transformation and in studies of mismatch repair

EcoRI fragments of the amiA locus in Streptococcus pneumoniae were cloned either into a derivative of lambda or into pBR325 plasmid. Mutations in the amiA locus confer resistance to aminopterin. Pneumococcal DNA fractions were enriched for the desired EcoRI fragments by agarose gel electrophoresis. Recombinant clones were detected directly by transformation with DNA and lambda plaques or from single-colony lysates containing pBR325. The use of cloned DNA in pneumococcal transformation has revealed a number of features pertinent to transformation in general, and also the mismatch repair process. High transformation levels can be achieved, from 40 to 80% of a competent culture. These high levels of transformation with cloned DNA made in a foreign host are taken to confirm the absence of restriction effects on transformation in S. pneumoniae. At saturation, similar transformation levels are obtained with hybrid phage or hybrid plasmid DNAs, but the DNA amount required is 20 to 25 times lower for hybrid plasmid than for hybrid phage, probably because plasmid DNA is 10 times shorter than phage DNA. There is no "end effect" with intact hybrid DNA, i.e. similar transformation levels are achieved for markers whatever their map position on the cloned pneumococcal fragment. Cloned DNA has been used to study the action of the mismatch repair process (hex system). The presence of two mismatches in the same cell is not enough to saturate the hex system, and is not enough to kill the colony-forming center (cfc).     

Single primer amplification reaction methods reveal exotic and indigenous mulberry varieties are similarly diverse

Mulberry is the sole food source for mulberry silkworm and a number of indigenous and exotic varieties are used in sericulture. Studies on assessment of genetic diversity have been done amongst a few mulberry varieties using one or at the most two methods. However, no comprehensive study on a large number of varieties has been carried out. In present study, single primer amplification reaction (SPAR) methods have been used for determination of diversity in 27 mulberry varieties (exotic as well as indigenous), using four minisatellite core sequence primers for directed amplification of minisatellite DNA (DAMD), three simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs as primers for inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and 20 arbitrary sequence decamer primers for random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) reactions. The Jaccard coefficients were determined for the DAMD, ISSR and RAPD band data (total of 58, 39 and 235 bands respectively). All three methods revealed wide range of distances supporting a wide range of mulberry genetic diversity. A cumulative analysis of the data generated by three methods resulted in a neighbour-joining (NJ) tree that gave a better reflection of the relatedness and affinities of the varieties to each other. Comparison of the three methods by marker indices and the Mantel test of correlation indicated that though all methods were useful for the assessment of diversity in mulberry, the DAMD method was better. When considered as two groups (10 exotic and 17 indigenous varieties), the mulberry varieties in the exotic group were found to have slightly greater diversity than the indigenous ones. These results support the concept of naturalization of mulberry varieties at locales distant from their origins. NBRI communication No. 542.     

基于三点测交的双标记 -QTL基因定位的相关方法

提出在测交群体中,对区间标记座位赋值后求其与待定位的数量性状表型值间的简单相关系数Ｒ,以此进行连锁测验,并且在一定条件下用Ｒ值求出该数量性状座位（ＱＴＬ）与各标记座位（ＭＬ）间的重组值。     

水稻化感物质抑草作用机理的分子生物学研究

水稻化感作用是通过水稻植株体向环境中释放化感物质来实现的．水稻化感物质的主要抑草作用机理有：抑制杂草种子的发芽,影响激素平衡,破坏细胞膜系统的完整性,影响光合作用和呼吸作用,干扰对营养和水分的吸收,影响蛋白质合成和基因表达等．水稻化感作用是由多基因控制的,表现为数量性状．利用分子生物学技术和化感生物检测技术等研究手段检测到了多个水稻化感作用的主效应(QTLs)位点,但不同水稻化感种质其主效应QTLs位点明显不同．通过分子辅助选择和建立近等基因系的方法对检测到的QTLs作进一步的精细定位,最终实现水稻化感抑草有利基因的克隆是今后研究的重要方向。