Biochemical Characterization of Novel Retroviral Integrase Proteins

Integrase is an essential retroviral enzyme, catalyzing the stable integration of reverse transcribed DNA into cellular DNA. Several aspects of the integration mechanism, including the length of host DNA sequence duplication flanking the integrated provirus, which can be from 4 to 6 bp, and the nucleotide preferences at the site of integration, are thought to cluster among the different retroviral genera. To date only the spumavirus prototype foamy virus integrase has provided diffractable crystals of integrase-DNA complexes, revealing unprecedented details on the molecular mechanisms of DNA integration. Here, we characterize five previously unstudied integrase proteins, including those derived from the alpharetrovirus lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV), betaretroviruses Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV), and mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), epsilonretrovirus walleye dermal sarcoma virus (WDSV), and gammaretrovirus reticuloendotheliosis virus strain A (Rev-A) to identify potential novel structural biology candidates. Integrase expressed in bacterial cells was analyzed for solubility, stability during purification, and, once purified, 3′ processing and DNA strand transfer activities in vitro. We show that while we were unable to extract or purify accountable amounts of WDSV, JRSV, or LPDV integrase, purified MMTV and Rev-A integrase each preferentially support the concerted integration of two viral DNA ends into target DNA. The sequencing of concerted Rev-A integration products indicates high fidelity cleavage of target DNA strands separated by 5 bp during integration, which contrasts with the 4 bp duplication generated by a separate gammaretrovirus, the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV). By comparing Rev-A in vitro integration sites to those generated by MLV in cells, we concordantly conclude that the spacing of target DNA cleavage is more evolutionarily flexible than are the target DNA base contacts made by integrase during integration. Given their desirable concerted DNA integration profiles, Rev-A and MMTV integrase proteins have been earmarked for structural biology studies.     

稳定表达hHCN2基因 HEK293细胞系的建立

目的：培育稳定表达hHCN2基因的细胞系,建立一种表达研究心肌离子通道的有效模型。方法：通过脂质体转染的方法,将重组pcDNA3-hHCN2真核表达载体导入人胚肾细胞（HEK293细胞）,以G418压力筛选转染细胞,并对其进行全细胞膜片钳记录。结果：经600μg／ml压力筛选后,获得抗性细胞克隆,并用全细胞膜片钳技术记录到克隆hHCN2通道编码电流。结论：本实验采用脂质体转染法成功地培育出G418抗性HEK293细胞。为进一步研究克隆离子通道结构和功能的关系奠定基础。     

Localization of the mcf.2 transforming sequence to the X chromosome.

A transforming sequence was identified using co-transfection of DNA from the human mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7 and of a G418 resistance gene into NIH 3T3 cells, followed by tumor formation in athymic mice. This sequence, named mcf.2, was molecularly cloned. A transforming activity resides in a cosmid clone of 42 kb. mcf.2 did not cross-hybridize with the known oncogenes tested. In situ hybridization localized it on the X chromosome, probably at q27. This localization was confirmed by hybridization to a panel of human--rodent cell line DNAs.     

伪狂犬病病毒gC基因在IBRS-2细胞中的表达及其对病毒繁殖的影响

 对含伪狂犬病病毒 Ea株 g C全基因的质粒 p UC1 .75进行亚克隆 ,将其完整编码区置于真核表达载体 pc DNA3.1 +的 HCMV启动子 /增强子下游 ,构建了 g C基因真核表达质粒 pc DNA-g C.脂质体转染 IBRS- 2细胞 ,在 G41 8抗性选择下 ,获得多个阳性克隆细胞系 .经 ELISA筛选反应最强的阳性克隆细胞系 ,进一步用间接免疫荧光检测证实 g C基因在 IBRS- 2细胞中得到了正确表达并分布在细胞膜 .以 1 0 0个蚀斑形成单位的伪狂犬病病毒分别接种表达 g C的细胞系和空白载体转染细胞系 .通过测定蚀斑数发现 ,表达 g C的细胞系对病毒的感染具有抑制作用 ,平均抑制率达 59.4%± 1 .3% .     

稳定表达外源性p16基因肺癌A549细胞株的建立及鉴定

为构建稳定表达外源性抑癌基因p16的肺癌A549细胞株,用脂质体介导的基因转染方法,借助真核质粒表达载体（pcDNA3)。将抑癌基因p16转移入此基因缺失的人肺癌细胞株A549细胞中,经G418筛选,获得稳定表达的细胞克隆,用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）及免疫组织化学鉴定p16基因的表达,同时对克隆细胞分泌蛋白进行活性检测。结果显示转染p16基因的A549细胞中可以检测到p16mRNA及蛋白的表达,说明建立的p16真核表达载体能在肺肿瘤细胞中分泌表达蛋白,表达P16抑癌蛋白的A549细胞株的建立有助于研究抑癌基因p16在肺癌发生中的作用。     

NAG7基因转染对鼻咽癌细胞生长的影响

为了探讨鼻咽癌表达下调基因NAG7对鼻咽癌细胞系HNE1生长的影响, 构建了NAG7基因的真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)/NAG7, 并采用脂质体转染技术将真核重组体pcDNA3.1(+)/NAG7质粒和真核空载体pcDNA3.1(+)质粒分别导入HNE1细胞, 经G418筛选后获得稳定转染细胞克隆, RT-PCR和RNA印迹检测NAG7基因的表达, 并通过细胞生长曲线、裸鼠接种和流式细胞等方法对转染细胞的生物学行为进行检测.结果显示：转染NAG7基因后,基因表达增加,细胞生长倍增时间较空载体转染和HNE1明显延长,流式细胞技术检测表明,NAG7可延缓细胞由G0～G1期进入S期;裸鼠接种实验显示转染NAG7基因后的HNE1细胞致瘤性受到抑制.上述结果表明：NAG7基因转染后鼻咽癌细胞生长受到抑制,提示NAG7基因是一鼻咽癌相关的抑瘤基因候选者.     

New acceptor cell for transfected genomic DNA: oncogene transfer into a mouse mammary epithelial cell line.

A line of mouse mammary epithelial cells (NMuMG) has been characterized for its ability to be stably transfected with exogenous DNA. A transfection frequency of at least 1 cell per 1,000 was obtained with the pSV2neo plasmid. Several thousand G418-resistant NMuMG cell clones can easily be generated in cotransfection of genomic DNA and pSV2neo. The NMuMG cells were isolated from normal mammary glands and do not form malignant lesions when injected into nude mice. We have cotransfected NMuMG cells with pSV2neo and genomic DNA from the human EJ bladder carcinoma line, a cell line which contains an activated c-rasH oncogene. When a pool of 4,700 G418-resistant colonies was injected into nude mice, tumors were obtained. These tumors contain a transfected human rasH gene. Genomic DNA transfection into a line of mouse epithelial cells, in combination with the selection of stable transfectants and tumor induction in nude mice, can be used to screen human tumor DNA for the presence of activated oncogenes.     

Development of a functional reporter gene HTS assay for the identification of mGluR7 modulators

For the identification of modulators of the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR7, a functional cell-based high throughput screening (HTS) assay was developed. This assay utilizes the signal transduction pathway of mGluR7, which is negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase. A cAMP-responsive luciferase reporter gene and rat mGluR7 cDNA were cotransfected into CHO-K1 cells by electroporation. Stable recombinant cells were selected by resistance to the antibiotic G418. Functional selection was carried out by analyzing the effect of the agonist glutamate to reduce elevated cAMP levels after forskolin stimulation. Out of 83 G418-resistant cell clones, the clone with the best functional characteristics was selected. This clone displayed the strongest reduction of forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels. Glutamate (10 mM) decreased cAMP levels, as monitored by luciferase expression, by about 50%, and the more potent agonist L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate resulted in nearly complete reduction, exhibiting an EC(50) of 0.9 mM. The functional response of the clone did not change during cell passages, indicating the stability of this novel recombinant cell line. The luciferase reporter gene assay, which allows easy nonradioactive luminescence detection of mGluR7 activity, was optimized for its application in automated HTS.     

Deletions in a recombinant retrovirus genome associated with its expression in embryonal carcinoma cells.

We analyzed embryonal carcinoma cell lines infected with a recombinant Moloney murine leukemia virus. Lines that carried but did not express the neo gene retained a provirus of LTR-gag-pol-neo-LTR, where LTR is a long terminal repeat, whereas all G418-resistant lines deleted regions that included the primer binding site and the splicing donor site. This suggested the presence of multiple inhibitory elements.     

Inherent G418-resistance in hybridization of industrial yeasts

Eight strains of sake yeast exhibited inherent-resistance to 100 μg/ml of Geneticin (G418). Fourteen wine yeasts and 1 shochu yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and 1 miso yeast (Zygosaccharomyces rouxii) were inherent G418-sensitive. The petites converted from inherent G418-resistants by treatment with ethidium bromide retained G418-resistance (ϱ⁻ G418R), and thus were hybridized by electrofusion with the wine yeast W3 (ϱ⁺ G418S, wild type). A lag phase of 12–18 h was required prior to administration of the drug in glycerol medium when selecting G418-resistant hybridization products. Colonies were formed in the regeneration medium at a frequency of about 1 × 10⁻⁵ per used protoplasts. No growth of any parental strain (10⁶/_~10⁷ protoplasts) separately subjected to electrofusion and regeneration was observed. The hybridization products were G418-resistant “grande” strains (ϱ⁻ G418R) in which the genetic traits of parental strains had been complemented. Uninucleate cells (DAPI staining) of the hybridization products showed CHEF electrophoretic karyotypes similar to that of wine yeast, but possessed a single chromosome (approx. 320 kb) presumably from sake yeast.     

Doxycycline-Regulated 3T3-L1 Preadipocyte Cell Line with Inducible,Stable Expression of Adenoviral E4orf1 Gene: A Cell Model to Study Insulin-Independent Glucose Disposal

Impaired glycemic control and excessive adiposity are major risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus. In rodent models, Ad36, a human adenovirus, improves glycemic control, independent of dietary fat intake or adiposity. It is impractical to use Ad36 for therapeutic action. Instead, we identified that E4orf1 protein of Ad36, mediates its anti-hyperglycemic action independent of insulin signaling. To further evaluate the therapeutic potential of E4orf1 to improve glycemic control, we established a stable 3T3-L1 cell system in which E4orf1 expression can be regulated. The development and characterization of this cell line is described here. Full-length adenoviral-36 E4orf1 cDNA obtained by PCR was cloned into a tetracycline responsive element containing vector (pTRE-Tight-E4orf1). Upon screening dozens of pTRE-Tight-E4orf1 clones, we identified the one with the highest expression of E4orf1 in response to doxycycline treatment. Furthermore, using this inducible system we characterized the ability of E4orf1 to improve glucose disposal in a time dependent manner. This stable cell line offers a valuable resource to carefully study the novel signaling pathways E4orf1 uses to enhance cellular glucose disposal independent of insulin.