共培养对小鼠囊胚质量及其表观遗传修饰的影响

本研究探讨了共培养对小鼠囊胚质量及其表观遗传修饰的影响。将小鼠的受精卵体外随机分别置于含颗粒细胞(试验组I)、输卵管上皮细胞(试验组Ⅱ)、输卵管组织块(试验组Ⅲ)的KSOM培养液中作为试验组进行共培养,同时设立对照组A(体外培养,仅含KSOM)和对照组B(体内培养)。比较各组受精卵的卵裂率和囊胚发育率;并应用碘化丙啶和Hoechest333258对囊胚进行染色,利用ICM/TE值评价各组胚胎体外发育的质量;同时将囊胚进行免疫荧光染色,观察其基因组甲基化和组蛋白乙酰化的水平。结果表明,与对照组A相比,试验组的卵裂率和囊胚发育率均有显著提高(P<0.05);同时其囊胚细胞数目及内细胞团细胞数与滋养层细胞数比值(ICM/TE)值均显著高于对照组A(P<0.05);各试验组囊胚基因组甲基化水平与对照组A差异不显著(P>0.05),但各体外培养组均与对照组B差异显著(P<0.05);试验组组蛋白乙酰化水平与对照组A、B差异均不显著(P>0.05)。共培养能够有效促进小鼠胚胎的体外发育,提高囊胚的发育质量,但是仍不能克服由体外培养造成的基因组甲基化异常。     

HBD-3基因的乳腺特异性表达载体的构建及真核表达

为了制备高效表达人β-防御素-3基因的转基因奶牛提供可靠的核移植供体细胞,本试验采用RT-PCR从人胎盘组织获得人β-防御素3cDNA,通过双酶切法将目的基因片段hBD插入到质粒pBCP之间,最后再通过双酶切法将目的片段BCD插入到真核表达载体pEGFP-C1中,最终构建乳腺特异性表达载体pEBCD。脂质体介导法转染奶牛胎儿成纤维细胞G418,抗性筛选3~4周后,经PCR、RT-PCR扩增检测和报告基因EGFP表达检测,得到稳定整合外源基因的转基因供体细胞;同时检测稳定转染的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞系的上清液,检测到重组人β-防御素-3蛋白可以在奶牛乳腺上皮细胞组织特异性表达。     

Cloning,purification and biochemical characterisation of an organic solvent-, detergent-, and thermo-stable amylopullulanase from Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1

Thermostable amylopullulanases can catalyse the hydrolysis of both α-1,4 and α-1,6 glucosidic bonds and are of considerable interest in the starch saccharification industry. In this study, the gene Apu-Tk encoding an extracellular amylopullulanase was cloned from an extremely thermophilic anaerobic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1. Apu-Tk encodes an 1100-amino acid protein with a 27-residue signal peptide, which has a predicted mass of 125 kDa after signal peptide cleavage. Sequence alignments showed that Apu-Tk contains the five regions conserved in all GH57 family proteins. Full-length Apu-Tk was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme displayed both pullulanase and amylase activity. The optimal temperature for Apu-Tk to hydrolyse pullulan and soluble starch was >100 °C. Apu-Tk was also active at a broad range of pH (4–7), with an optimum pH of ~5.0–5.5. Apu-Tk also retained >30% of its original activity and partially folded globular structure in the presence of 8% SDS or 10% β-mercaptoethanol. The high yield, broad pH range, and stability of Apu-Tk implicate it as a potential enzyme for industrial applications.     

Zinc Transporter 7 Induced by High Glucose Attenuates Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition of Peritoneal Mesothelial Cells

Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient and cytoprotectant involved in preventing many types of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-driven fibrosis in vivo. The zinc-transporter family SLC30A (ZnT) is a pivotal factor in the regulation of Zn homeostasis. However, its function in EMT in peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) remains unknown. This study explored the regulation of zinc transporters and the role they play in cell EMT, particularly in rat peritoneal mesothelial cells (RPMCs), surrounding glucose concentrations and the molecular mechanism involved. The effects of high glucose (HG) on zinc transporter gene expression were measured in RPMCs by real-time PCR. We explored ZnT7 (Slc30A7): the effect of ZnT7 over-expression and siRNA-mediated knock-down on HG-induced EMT was investigated as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. Over-expression of ZnT7 resulted in significantly inhibited HG-induced EMT in RPMCs, while inhibition of ZnT7 expression using a considerable siRNA-mediated knock-down of RPMCs increased the levels of EMT. Furthermore, over-expression of ZnT7 is accompanied by down-regulation of TGF-β/Smad pathway, phospho-Smad3,4 expression levels. The finding suggests that the zinc-transporting system in RPMCs is influenced by the exposure to HG. The ZnT7 may account for the inhibition of HG-induced EMT in RPMCs, likely through targeting TGF-β/Smad signaling.     

High level soluble expression and one-step purification of IBDV VP2 protein in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

Objectives

To improve the expression of soluble IBDV VP2 protein by using different tagged vectors in Escherichia coli.

Results

Fusion tags, Grifin, MBP, SUMO, thioredoxin, γ-crystallin, ArsC and PpiB, enhanced the expression and solubility of VP2 protein. The fusion proteins were purified by Ni–NTA chromatography, MBP-VP2 showed the highest purity about 90 %. After removing the MBP tag, VP2 self-assembled into virus-like particles, ~25 nm diam. Results from AGP suggested the recombinant IBDV VP2 protein identified by reference serum like IBDV.

Conclusion

All the seven tags enhanced the expression and solubility of IBDV VP2 protein. The recombinant protein self-assembly into virus like particles and possess antigenicity as reference IBDV.

     

Structural and functional characterization of osmotically inducible protein C (OsmC) from Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1

Osmotically inducible protein C (OsmC) is involved in the cellular defense mechanism against oxidative stress caused by exposure to hyperoxides or elevated osmolarity. OsmC was identified by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) analysis as a protein that is overexpressed in response to osmotic stress, but not under heat and oxidative stress. Here, an OsmC gene from T. kodakaraensis KOD1 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. TkOsmC showed a homotetrameric structure based on gel filtration and electron microscopic analyses. TkOsmC has a significant peroxidase activity toward both organic and inorganic peroxides in high, but not in low temperature.     

Oligomeric structure of the ATP-dependent protease La (Lon) of Escherichia coli

Lon, also known as protease La, belongs to a class of ATP-dependent serine protease. It plays an essential role in degradation of abnormal proteins and of certain short-lived regulatory proteins, and is thought to possess a Ser-Lys catalytic dyad. To examine the structural organization of Lon, we performed an electron microscope analysis. The averaged images of Lon with end-on orientation revealed a six-membered, ring-shaped structure with a central cavity. The side-on view showed a two-layered structure with an equal distribution of mass across the equatorial plane of the complex. Since a Lon subunit possesses two large regions containing nucleotide binding and proteolytic domains, each layer of the Lon hexamer appears to consist of the side projections of one of the major domains arranged in a ring. Lon showed a strong tendency to form hexamers in the presence of Mg(2+), but dissociated into monomers and/or dimers in its absence. Moreover, Mg(2+)-dependent hexamer formation was independent of ATP. These results indicate that Lon has a hexameric ring-shaped structure with a central cavity, and that the establishment of this configuration requires Mg(2+), but not ATP.     

Nuclear retention of the lncRNA SNHG1 by doxorubicin attenuates hnRNPC–p53 protein interactions

The protein p53 plays a crucial role in the regulation of cellular responses to diverse stresses. Thus, a major priority in cell biology is to define the mechanisms that regulate p53 activity in response to stresses or maintain it at basal levels under normal conditions. Moreover, further investigation is required to establish whether RNA participates in regulating p53's interaction with other proteins. Here, by conducting systematic experiments, we discovered a p53 interactor—hnRNPC—that directly binds to p53, destabilizes it, and prevents its activation under normal conditions. Upon doxorubicin treatment, the lncRNA SNHG1 is retained in the nucleus through its binding with nucleolin and it competes with p53 for hnRNPC binding, which upregulates p53 levels and promotes p53‐dependent apoptosis by impairing hnRNPC regulation of p53 activity. Our results indicate that a balance between lncRNA SNHG1 and hnRNPC regulates p53 activity and p53‐dependent apoptosis upon doxorubicin treatment, and further indicate that a change in lncRNA subcellular localization under specific circumstances is biologically significant.     

温光敏雄性不育小麦BNS幼穗发育中的内源激素变化

为探讨温光敏雄性不育小麦BNS育性与内源激素的关系,该研究以BNS不育株和可育株的叶片、幼穗和花药为研究材料(以鲜重计),在雌雄蕊分化期(Ⅰ)到三核期(Ⅵ)之间分期取材。采用酶联免疫法测定生长素(IAA)、赤霉素(GA)和脱落酸(ABA)的含量。结果显示:(1)在发育过程中,不育株IAA含量(33～95ng/g)显著低于可育株(57～112ng/g);不育株ABA、GA含量分别为48～129ng/g、3～14ng/g,可育株分别为77～132ng/g、4～11ng/g,大部分时期不育株显著低于可育株。(2)在雌雄蕊分化期,幼穗不育株IAA和GA含量分别为33.85ng/g和7.13ng/g,可育株分别为50.55ng/g和11.84ng/g,不育株IAA和GA含量均显著低于可育株。(3)在幼穗发育期内,不育株IAA/ABA、IAA/GA和ABA/GA分别为0.4～1.1、4.3～15和7～20,可育株为0.5～0.9、4.3～11.5和7.3～13,与可育株相比,不育株中激素比例浮动较大,表现比例失调。研究表明,BNS幼穗发育中激素的比例失调是雄性不育的形成原因之一,而雌雄蕊分化期的IAA、GA的含量下降可能促进BNS雄性不育的发生。