ABI 1700芯片分析系统在基因差异表达研究中的应用

应用化学发光法标记技术分别对正常和临床慢性髓细胞性白血病（chronic myelogenous leukemia,CML）病人骨髓单个核细胞的RNA进行标记,然后与ABI的人全基因组表达谱芯片杂交,对于杂交后所得到的荧光信号数据,应用1700芯片分析系统对其进行生物信息学分析.实验结果表明,ABI1700芯片分析系统可以对基因芯片杂交后得到的差异表达基因进行疾病学分类和生物功能分类分析,同时还发现与CML相关的差异表达基因75个,因此ABI1700芯片分析系统在芯片研究领域中具有重要的应用价值.     

Comparative analyses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNAs using Agilent RNA 6000 Nano Assay and agarose gel electrophoresis

Precise quantification and quality characterisation of isolated RNAs are prerequisites for their further exploitation in genome-wide microarrays, Northern blots, cDNA library preparation and others. Our data indicate that RNA analyses using Agilent RNA Nano Assay exhibit several advantages when compared with those performed on ethidium bromide-stained agarose gel electrophoresis or on a spectrophotometer. The RNA Nano Assay makes it possible to estimate RNA concentrations in the range from 1000 ng microl(-1) to 17 ng microl(-1). The presence of impurities including traces of DNA within RNA samples does not influence the concentration measurements. Like agarose gel electrophoresis, RNA Nano Assay allows to analyse RNAs dissolved in formamide and therefore protected against RNase action. Moreover, it allows a clearer distinction of partially degraded samples. The limitation of RNA Nano Assay is the impossibility to detect and to analyse double-stranded RNAs.     

Isolation and characterization of RNA-containing exosomes

The field of exosome research is rapidly expanding, with a dramatic increase in publications in recent years. These small vesicles (30-100 nm) of endocytic origin were first proposed to function as a way for reticulocytes to eradicate the transferrin receptor while maturing into erythrocytes, and were later named exosomes. Exosomes are formed by inward budding of late endosomes, producing multivesicular bodies (MVBs), and are released into the environment by fusion of the MVBs with the plasma membrane. Since the first discovery of exosomes, a wide range of cells have been shown to release these vesicles. Exosomes have also been detected in several biological fluids, including plasma, nasal lavage fluid, saliva and breast milk. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the content and function of exosomes depends on the originating cell and the conditions under which they are produced. A variety of functions have been demonstrated for exosomes, such as induction of tolerance against allergen, eradication of established tumors in mice, inhibition and activation of natural killer cells, promotion of differentiation into T regulatory cells, stimulation of T cell proliferation and induction of T cell apoptosis. Year 2007 we demonstrated that exosomes released from mast cells contain messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNA (miRNA), and that the RNA can be shuttled from one cell to another via exosomes. In the recipient cells, the mRNA shuttled by exosomes was shown to be translated into protein, suggesting a regulatory function of the transferred RNA. Further, we have also shown that exosomes derived from cells grown under oxidative stress can induce tolerance against further stress in recipient cells and thus suggest a biological function of the exosomal shuttle RNA. Cell culture media and biological fluids contain a mixture of vesicles and shed fragments. A high quality isolation method for exosomes, followed by characterization and identification of the exosomes and their content, is therefore crucial to distinguish exosomes from other vesicles and particles. Here, we present a method for the isolation of exosomes from both cell culture medium and body fluids. This isolation method is based on repeated centrifugation and filtration steps, followed by a final ultracentrifugation step in which the exosomes are pelleted. Important methods to identify the exosomes and characterize the exosomal morphology and protein content are highlighted, including electron microscopy, flow cytometry and Western blot. The purification of the total exosomal RNA is based on spin column chromatography and the exosomal RNA yield and size distribution is analyzed using a Bioanalyzer.