RAP-PCR技术及其应用

RAP-PCR是以PCR为基础构建RNA指纹图谱,研究基因差异表达的有效方法.所显示的种系特异性差异可用于对基因的遗传作图;所揭示的组织特异性差异可用于研究特异基因的表达.该法可检测各种情形下RNA群体间的差异.本文简介其基本原理及在基因差异表达研究领域的最新应用。 Abstract:RAP-PCR is a useful method based on PCR to display fingerprint of RNA populations and to study differential gene expression.The strain-specific differences revealed should be useful for genetic mapping of genes.The tissue-spe-cific differences revealed might be useful for studying differential gene expression.In this review,we introduce the theory of RAP-PCR and its recent applications.     

基于PCR技术的研究基因差异表达的方法比较

随着PCR技术的发展,如何分离新的基因也取得了长足进步。本文将对m RNA差异显示技术(DDRT-PCR)、c DNA-AFLP、抑制性差减杂交(SSH)、基因表达系列分析(SAGE)等几种基于PCR技术的研究基因差异表达的方法进行比较,以此来探讨如何进行新基因的分离和基因差异表达的分析。     

基因差异转录表达验证方法研究进展

基因的差异表达与组织、细胞的生物学性状和功能密切相关,随着对组织、器官分化及细胞、生物个体生长发育等的深入研究,大量差异转录基因的验证分析变得越来越重要。为此,该领域基于核酸互补配对和PCR原理建立了Northern blot和荧光定量PCR等一系列基因差异转录分析技术,利用这些方法对不同处理、不同组织器官、不同发育时段的基因差异转录进行了验证分析,为后续的基因功能分析奠定了坚实基础,并且通过检测分析,使基因差异表达分析方法由定性到定量、由繁琐复杂到简单快速、由以大量RNA为前提到对少量RNA样品的检测,甚至建立了单细胞荧光定量PCR方法,基因差异转录验证方法正在向更高效、精准方向发展,并使成本逐步降低。但是,到目前为止,生殖细胞等样品取样较为困难、精子等RNA含量较少样品的基因差异表达验证挑战性还仍然很大。从验证方法发展历程的角度,对基因差异转录验证方法进行了总结,希望为取样难度较大、RNA含量较低样品的基因差异表达分析提供有价值的参考。     

灌喂氧化鱼油对黄颡鱼胃肠道黏膜胆固醇和胆汁酸合成途径基因差异表达的影响

分别提取灌喂氧化鱼油以及鱼油的黄颡鱼胃肠道肠道黏膜的总RNA。将氧化鱼油组、鱼油组总RNA等量混合后,采用RNA-Seq测序,用Trinity进行de novo拼接、组装,对单一基因进行功能注释;再将氧化鱼油组、鱼油组总RNA分别测序、注释后进行基因表达量分析,并计算氧化鱼油组对鱼油组单一基因的差异表达定量分析,以log_2(OFH/FH)值代表氧化鱼油组相对于鱼油组基因的差异表达量。基因差异表达显示,氧化鱼油导致黄颡鱼胃肠道黏膜组织中胆固醇、胆汁酸生物合成代谢途径的酶以及涉及胆固醇和胆汁酸吸收转运蛋白基因差异表达。黄颡鱼胃肠道黏膜中以乙酰辅酶A为原料的胆固醇生物合成途径关键酶基因差异表达显著下调,从细胞外吸收转运胆固醇的主要蛋白基因差异表达下调,显示灌喂氧化鱼油导致黄颡鱼胃肠道黏膜胆固醇合成能力下降、从其他组织吸收胆固醇的能力下降,血清胆固醇含量下降4.06%。灌喂氧化鱼油后,黄颡鱼胃肠道黏膜以胆固醇为原料的初级胆汁酸合成代谢的关键酶差异表达显著上调,而胆汁酸转运到细胞外和转运到肠腔的载体蛋白基因差异表达下调,肠道再吸收胆汁酸的转运载体蛋白基因差异表达下调及肝细胞从血液吸收转运的载体蛋白基因差异表达上调,而血清胆汁酸含量下降了20.00%。结果表明,胆汁酸的肠肝循环发生障碍,肠腔和血清胆汁酸含量下降、胆汁酸在细胞出现淤积的趋势。     

RNA干扰在肿瘤基因研究中的应用进展

RNA干扰是真核生物基因转录后水平的一种表达调控机制,它通过内源性或外源性的ds RNA介导细胞内靶标m RNA发生特异性降解或翻译抑制,从分子水平影响靶标基因的表达。该技术不仅广泛用于肿瘤基因结构与功能的探索研究,也为肿瘤基因靶向特异性治疗提供了新的技术手段。本文就RNA干扰的原理和特点,合成方法,以及目前RNA干扰在肿瘤基因研究中的应用方法及情况进行综述。     

运用多种策略改良差异显示PCR

目的：改进差异显示PCR技术,提高其在筛选差异表达基因方面的效率。方法：①采用单碱基金铆钉引物;②增加引物长度;③提高PCR反应的严谨性;④应用同步重复测序电泳。结果：减少经典方法的工作量,降低了非特异性和假阳性率。用改良技术研究热适应大鼠下丘脑基因的差异表达,发现了一个差异表达基因片段,斑点杂交证实为阳性片段。结论：改进后的差异显示PCR技术是一种研究基因差异表达从而发现新基因或基因新功能的有效方法。     

抑制性消减杂交技术在禽类差异表达相关基因筛选中的应用进展

抑制性消减杂交技术(suppression subtractive hybridization,SSH)是目前被广泛用于寻找差异表达基因方面的一种技术,因其具有假阳性率低、灵敏度高、重复性好、特异性强等特点而被大多数研究者所采用。该技术的优势在于可以在转录水平对不同环境、不同生理条件下的组织或细胞进行基因差异表达方面的研究。随着近年来分子生物学的不断发展,对差异表达基因的筛选及克隆已逐渐成为研究的热点。本文主要对抑制性消减杂交技术在鹅、鸭和鸡这三种常见禽类的生产性能、抗病机理以及品种差异等方面研究中的应用进行综述,从而为采用抑制性消减杂交技术研究生命活动的分子作用机制提供更多的参考。     

基因印记与lncRNA

基因印记是一种表观遗传调控机制,在二倍体哺乳动物的发育过程中,基因印记可以调控来自亲代的等位基因差异表达。非编码RNA是不编码蛋白质的RNA,它在RNA水平调控基因表达。研究表明大多数印记基因中存在长非编码RNA（长度>200nt的非编码RNA）的转录,长非编码RNA主要通过顺式的转录干扰作用来实现基因印记。同时基因印记及其相关的长非编码RNA异常表达与许多先天疾病相关,迄今已发现数十种人类遗传疾病与基因印记有关,而lncRNA引起的基因印记在疾病的发生和治疗中起着重要作用。     

RNA干扰技术在抗丙型病毒性肝炎中的应用

RNA干扰技术可以特异性敲低或关闭特定基因的表达,已经在生命科学的各基础研究领域中得到广泛应用,并且在抗病毒和肿瘤治疗等药物开发研究中具有良好的应用前景。近年来,RNA干扰技术被逐渐用于抗丙型病毒性肝炎的研究,不仅可以特异性地阻断丙型肝炎病毒的复制和表达,而且还可以特异性地阻断与丙型肝炎病毒结合的蛋白的复制和表达。我们简要综述了近年来RNA干扰技术在此方面的应用。     

基因差异性表达与衰老

微细胞融合实验表明：人的第１、４、６、７号染色体以及Ｘ染色体上存在衰老基因;基因差异性表达研究方法显示：衰老细胞具有特异性表达或高表达的基因。提示细胞衰老是个主动过程,可能与包括衰老基因在内一系列基因激活有关。     

RNA fingerprinting of specific plant cell types: Adaptation to plants and optimization of RNA arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR)

Differential gene expression contributes to cell differentiation and underlies plant responses to hormonal and environmental factors. Most methods available to identify differentially expressed genes in plants are biased towards moderately or strongly expressed genes. RNA arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (RAP-PCR) produces populations of amplicons from reverse transcribed RNA in a process similar to differential display, but with a higher degree of reproducibility and sensitivity, thus enabling the identification of low abundance mRNA. A detailed RAP-PCR protocol allowing the rapid identification of differentially expressed genes in scarce plant cells, such as stomatal guard cells, is presented here. In addition, a fast and reliable method for the semi-quantitative confirmation of gene expression patterns is described.     

The nonradioisotopic representation of differentially expressed mRNA by a combination of RNA fingerprinting and differential display

In many applications, an understanding of differentially expressed genes in different tissues, or owing to an applied stimulus is important. However, the wide use of two rather similar polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques for the identification of differentially expressed mRNAs (RNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed PCR [RAP-PCR] and differential, display [DDR-PCR] has shown, that reproducibility is still a problem. By combining features of both RAP-PCR and DDRT-PCR a technique has recently been developed that avoids some of the disadvantages, but the use of radioisotopes for band detection still limits its application. We have improved this technique for analyzing differentially expressed mRNA by resolving the amplified products on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels and subsequently staining the gels with silver nitrate. Our modification allows the identification of differentially expressed bands with a very high accuracy. Therefore these bands can be very easily reamplified and sequenced directly. Subsequently the differential expression can be verified by semiquantitative RT-PCR with specific primers derived from sequence data. These improvements, together with nonradioactive sequencing techniques, make it possible to do DD analysis completely without a health hazardous owing to radioactivity. The nonradioisotopic differentially expressed mRNA-PCR (DEmRNA-PCR) is a reliable and useful modification of available differential expression methods.     

Identification of aerobically and anaerobically induced genes in Enterococcus faecalis by random arbitrarily primed PCR

Enterococci have emerged among the leading causes of nosocomial infection. With the goal of analyzing enterococcal genes differentially expressed in environments related to commensal or environmental colonization and infection sites, we adapted and optimized a method more commonly used in the study of eukaryotic gene expression, random arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR). The RAP-PCR method was systematically optimized, allowing the technique to be used in a highly reproducible manner with gram-positive bacterial RNA. In the present study, aerobiosis was chosen as a variable for the induction of changes in gene expression by Enterococcus faecalis. Aerobically and anaerobically induced genes were detected and identified to the sequence level, and differential gene expression was confirmed by quantitative, specifically primed RT-PCR. Differentially expressed genes included several sharing identity with those of other organisms related to oxygen metabolism, as well as hypothetical genes lacking identity to known genes.     

Identification of Aerobically and Anaerobically Induced Genes in Enterococcus faecalis by Random Arbitrarily Primed PCR

Enterococci have emerged among the leading causes of nosocomial infection. With the goal of analyzing enterococcal genes differentially expressed in environments related to commensal or environmental colonization and infection sites, we adapted and optimized a method more commonly used in the study of eukaryotic gene expression, random arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR). The RAP-PCR method was systematically optimized, allowing the technique to be used in a highly reproducible manner with gram-positive bacterial RNA. In the present study, aerobiosis was chosen as a variable for the induction of changes in gene expression by Enterococcus faecalis. Aerobically and anaerobically induced genes were detected and identified to the sequence level, and differential gene expression was confirmed by quantitative, specifically primed RT-PCR. Differentially expressed genes included several sharing identity with those of other organisms related to oxygen metabolism, as well as hypothetical genes lacking identity to known genes.     

Evidence for chimeric sequences formed during random arbitrarily primed PCR

Chimeric sequences were observed to occur abundantly (48% of clones) during random arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (RAP-PCR) experiments designed to examine differential expression of genes involved in metal resistance in sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Some of the chimeric sequences were composed of sequence from a gene differentially expressed under the imposed conditions and a sequence of the 16S or 23S rRNA gene. The remainder were composed of two rRNA sequences. Experiments using PCR and genomic sequence analysis showed that the chimeric sequences were not due to a genetic mutation (e.g., recombination, transposition). As RAP-PCR has been widely used to identify differentially expressed genes, this observation may aid in our interpretation of RAP-PCR data.     

Short communication. Early changes in gene expression during direct somatic embryogenesis in alfalfa revealed by RAP-PCR

A procedure for direct production of somatic embryos from alfalfa leaf explants has been developed. Wounding followed by 2,4-D treatment induces competent cells in the leaf to produce embryos. Changes in gene expression following induction of direct somatic embryogenesis were investigated by RNA arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR) with a view to identifying genes involved in controlling the onset of somatic embryo development. Amongst the induced sequences identified were a calnexin-like sequence (which was induced within 2 d), and a novel plant homologue of the yeast SN12 multi-drug resistance protein (which did not appear until 10 d after induction). RT-PCR amplification of these sequences confirmed the expression patterns revealed by RAP-PCR and was used to show that the calnexin-like gene is induced by 2,4-D, but that the level of expression is enhanced by wounding. The technique of RAP-PCR has the potential to isolate genes of interest by identifying specific expression patterns during complex developmental processes.     

Differentially expressed genes in response to amoxicillin in Helicobacter pylori analyzed by RNA arbitrarily primed PCR

Because the molecular mechanism of amoxicillin resistance in Helicobacter pylori seems to be partially explained by several mutational changes in the pbp1A gene, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the gene expression pattern in response to amoxicillin in the Amx(R) Hardenberg strain using RNA arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR). In the experiments, c. 100 differentially expressed RAP-PCR products were identified using five arbitrary primers. The cDNAs that presented the highest levels of induction or repression were cloned and sequenced, and the sequences were compared with those present in databases using the blast search algorithm. The differential expression of the isolated cDNAs was confirmed by real-time PCR. The preliminary results showed that amoxicillin alters the expression of five cDNAs involved in biosynthesis, two involved with pathogenesis, four related to cell envelope formation, two involved in cellular processes, three related with transport and binding proteins, one involved with protein degradation, one involved with energy metabolism and seven hypothetical proteins. Further analysis of these cDNAs will allow a better comprehension of both the molecular mechanism(s) of amoxicillin resistance and the adaptative mechanism(s) used by H. pylori in the presence of this antibiotic.     

Isolation of differentially expressed genes in human heart tissues

We applied RNA arbitrarily primed-PCR (RAP-PCR) to screen the genes differentially expressed between common congenital heart defects (CHD) [atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, Tetrology of Fallot (TOF)] and normal human heart samples. Three of these differentially amplified fragments matched cDNA sequences coding for proteins of unknown function in humans: hCALO (human homologue of calossin), NP79 (coding for a nuclear protein of 79KD) and SUN2 (Sad-1 unc-84 domain protein 2). The other four fragments were from known human genes: apolipoprotein J, titin, dystrophin and protein kinase C-delta. Northern blot analysis confirmed that all of these genes are expressed in the human heart. The results of RAP-PCR were reconfirmed by quantitative RT-PCR in TOF and control heart samples. Both techniques showed the levels of expression of hCALO, NP79 and SUN2 to be comparable in TOF and control samples and the level of expression of dystrophin and titin, both coding for cytoskeletal proteins, to be significantly upregulated in TOF samples. In summary, we have shown that the RAP-PCR technique is useful in the identification of differentially expressed gene from biopsy samples of human CHD tissues. In this manner, we have identified three novel genes implicated in the normal function of the human heart and two known genes upregulated in TOF samples.