人脑胶质瘤细胞中GDNF 基因启动子1 区甲基化状态的研究

目的:观察GDNF启动子1区在人脑胶质瘤细胞中的甲基化修饰状态,以期探讨其对于GDNF在胶质瘤中高表达的影响。方法:基因测序检测10例胶质瘤与5例正常脑组织中GDNF基因序列,比较其基因是否有突变发生;重亚硫酸盐修饰后基因测序检测20例胶质瘤(10例低级别和10例高级别)与5例正常脑组织中GDNF启动子1区甲基化修饰状态。结果:GDNF启动子1区基因在胶质瘤中没有发生突变;GDNF启动子1区甲基化修饰在正常脑组织、低级别、高级别中发生率分别为72.25%、86.25%、86.75%。在胶质瘤中的甲基化修饰水平比正常脑组织明显增高(P<0.05),而高低级别之间无显著性差异。结论:在胶质瘤细胞中,GDNF启动子1区发生了高甲基化修饰,这种修饰很可能会影响GDNF基因的表达。     

CDH1 基因启动子甲基化与宫颈癌临床病理类型的关系

目的:探讨分析CDH1基因启动子甲基化与宫颈癌临床病理类型的关系。方法:选取2012年5月~2015年7月我院105例宫颈癌患者为宫颈癌组,同时选取60例正常宫颈组织为正常组,以甲基化特异性聚合酶链反应(MSP)检测CDH1基因启动子Cp G岛甲基化状态及高危型HPV DNA状态,分析CDH1基因甲基化状态与高危型HPV DNA状态及临床病理参数的关系。结果:宫颈癌组CDH1基因启动子甲基化阳性率为56.19%,明显高于正常组的6.67%,具有统计学差异(P0.05);宫颈癌组的高危型HPV DNA阳性率为84.76%,明显高于正常组的20.00%,具有统计学差异(P0.05);高危型HPV DNA与CDH1基因启动子甲基化的一致性分析结果具有统计学意义(P0.05);CDH1基因启动子甲基化率与患者的WHO组织分化程度分级、FIGO分期、组织病理学分型、肿瘤大小有关,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:宫颈癌CDH1基因启动子甲基化与WHO组织分化程度分级、FIGO分期、组织病理学分型、肿瘤大小具有关联,并与高危型HPV DNA阳性具有一致性,可以作为宫颈癌诊断和预后评估的参考指标。     

FHIT基因在宫颈癌细胞中的表达及其甲基化调控

目的：分析FHIT基因在宫颈癌细胞中表达情况以及甲基化的调控情况。方法：对RJC-1、SiHa、CS1213以及C4-1细胞进行培养,提取这些细胞的DNA并经过亚硫酸氢盐修饰,进行PCR反应和产物的检测。分析FHIT基因在宫颈癌细胞中表达情况以及甲基化的调控情况。结果：RJC-1、CS1213细胞仅有甲基化引物扩增出了目的条带,为完全甲基化状态。其他细胞则是甲基特异性引物与非甲基特异性引物共同扩增出73bp的目的条带,其状态为甲基化杂合性。通过5-aza-CdR处理细胞后,通过实时定量PCR检测FHIT mRNA的表达,显示处理后各种细胞中的FHIT mRNA的表达升高。结论：FHIT基因的甲基化是其表达下调的重要机制之一,是临床研究宫颈癌细胞的重要方向之一。     

Sp1 Regulates Chromatin Looping between an Intronic Enhancer and Distal Promoter of the Human Heme Oxygenase-1 Gene in Renal Cells

HO-1 (heme oxygenase-1) is an inducible microsomal enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of pro-oxidant heme. The goal of this study was to characterize a minimal enhancer region within the human HO-1 gene and delineate its role in modulating HO-1 expression by participation with its promoter elements in renal epithelial cells. Deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis identified a 220-bp minimal enhancer in intron 1 of the HO-1 gene, which regulates hemin-mediated HO-1 gene expression. Small interfering RNA, decoy oligonucleotides, site-directed mutagenesis, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the functional interaction of Sp1 with a consensus binding sequence within the 220-bp region. Mutations of regulatory elements within the −4.5 kb promoter region (a cyclic AMP response and a downstream NF-E2/AP-1 element, both located at −4.0 kb, and/or an E-box sequence located at −44 bp) resulted in the loss of enhancer activity. A chromosome conformation capture assay performed in human renal epithelial (HK-2) cells demonstrated hemin-inducible chromatin looping between the intronic enhancer and the −4.0 kb promoter region in a time-dependent manner. Restriction digestion with ApaLI (which cleaves the 220-bp enhancer) led to a loss of stimulus-dependent chromatin looping. Sp1 small interfering RNA and mithramycin A, a Sp1 binding site inhibitor, resulted in loss of the loop formation between the intronic enhancer and the distal HO-1 promoter by the chromosome conformation capture assay. These results provide novel insight into the complex molecular interactions that underlie human HO-1 regulation in renal epithelial cells.     

半胱氨酸双加氧酶1基因启动子甲基化在肿瘤研究中的应用

半胱氨酸双加氧酶1 (cysteine dioxygenase 1,CDO1)是一种肿瘤抑制基因（tumor suppressor gene,TSG）,参与细胞增殖、分化、凋亡及铁死亡等一系列生理过程。DNA甲基化是人类肿瘤中表观遗传学修饰的主要方式之一,CDO1是一种与恶性肿瘤高度相关的甲基化基因（highly relevant methylation gene,HRMG）,在多种人类癌症中被其甲基化启动子所沉默,甲基化的CDO1基因启动子是人类肿瘤中最常见的早期特异性诊断标志物之一。本文就CDO1生物学功能及其启动子DNA的甲基化在肿瘤中的作用及调控作一综述。     

巢式甲基化特异性PCR检测不同类型组织标本中WIF-1基因启动子异常甲基化

目的:采用一种高灵敏度的DNA甲基化分析方法,即巢式甲基化特异性PCR法(nested-MSP,nMSP),检测外科手术切除新鲜组织、石蜡包埋组织及纤维支气管镜活检组织中WIF-1基因启动子的异常甲基化状态。方法:将基因组DNA变性成为单链,用亚硫酸氢盐修饰单链DNA,所有未甲基化的胞嘧啶被转变为尿嘧啶,而甲基化的胞嘧啶则不变。设计针对甲基化和非甲基化等位基因的特异引物,进行巢式PCR扩增,最后经凝胶电泳检测目的片段。结果:在3种类型的原发性非小细胞肺癌标本中都检测出了WIF-1基因启动子的异常甲基化。结论:巢式甲基化特异性PCR是一种灵敏度高、特异性强的甲基化检测方法,可广泛应用于不同类型标本基因启动子甲基化的分析。     

Cytosolic Branched Chain Aminotransferase (BCATc) Regulates mTORC1 Signaling and Glycolytic Metabolism in CD4+ T Cells

Here we show that expression of the cytosolic branched chain aminotransferase (BCATc) is triggered by the T cell receptor (TCR) of CD4⁺ T cells. Induction of BCATc correlates with increased Leu transamination, whereas T cells from the BCATc^−/− mouse exhibit lower Leu transamination and higher intracellular Leu concentrations than the cells from wild type (WT) mice. Induction of BCATc by TCR in WT cells is prevented by the calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) inhibitor, cyclosporin A (CsA), suggesting that NFAT controls BCATc expression. Leu is a known activator of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). mTOR is emerging as a critical regulator of T cell activation, differentiation, and metabolism. Activated T cells from BCATc^−/− mice show increased phosphorylation of mTORC1 downstream targets, S6 and 4EBP-1, indicating higher mTORC1 activation than in T cells from WT mice. Furthermore, T cells from BCATc^−/− mice display higher rates of glycolysis, glycolytic capacity, and glycolytic reserve when compared with activated WT cells. These findings reveal BCATc as a novel regulator of T cell activation and metabolism and highlight the important role of Leu metabolism in T cells.     

UHRF1 Induces Methylation of the TXNIP Promoter and Down-Regulates Gene Expression in Cervical Cancer

DNA methylation, and consequent down-regulation, of tumour suppressor genes occurs in response to epigenetic stimuli during cancer development. Similarly, human oncoviruses, including human papillomavirus (HPV), up-regulate and augment DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activities, thereby decreasing tumour suppressor genes (TSGs) expression. Ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING finger domain 1 (UHRF1), an epigenetic regulator of DNA methylation, is overexpressed in HPV-induced cervical cancers. Here, we investigated the role of UHRF1 in cervical cancer by knocking down its expression in HeLa cells using lentiviral-encoded short hairpin (sh)RNA and performing cDNA microarrays. We detected significantly elevated expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), a known TSG, in UHRF1-knockdown cells, and this gene is hypermethylated in cervical cancer tissue and cell lines, as indicated by whole-genome methylation analysis. Up-regulation of UHRF1 and decreased TXNIP were further detected in cervical cancer by western blot and immunohistochemistry and confirmed by Oncomine database analysis. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we identified the inverted CCAAT domain-containing UHRF1-binding site in the TXNIP promoter and demonstrated UHRF1 knockdown decreases UHRF1 promoter binding and enhances TXNIP expression through demethylation of this region. TXNIP promoter CpG methylation was further confirmed in cervical cancer tissue by pyrosequencing and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Critically, down-regulation of UHRF1 by siRNA or UHRF1 antagonist (thymoquinone) induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7), which stabilises and promotes UHRF1 function, is increased by HPV viral protein E6/E7 overexpression. These results indicate HPV might induce carcinogenesis through UHRF1-mediated TXNIP promoter methylation, thus suggesting a possible link between CpG methylation and cervical cancer.     

人LCRG1基因启动子的鉴定与初步分析

Laryngeal carcinoma related gene 1(LCRC1)是一个喉癌候选抑瘤基因,为进一步深入研究其转录调控机制,应用5'RACE技术确定了该基因的转录起始位点,然后在对人LCRG1基因进行生物信息学分析的基础上,通过PCR定向克隆和酶切亚克隆策略,构建了11种含不同长度LCRG1启动子荧光素酶报告基因重组体.启动子活性分析表明,-169～ 127区域的启动子活性最高.研究提示,LCRG1基因转录所必需的基因启动子序列在-169～ 127范围内.     

Expression of the CDR1 efflux pump in clinical Candida albicans isolates is controlled by a negative regulatory element

Resistance to azole antifungal drugs in clinical isolates of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is often caused by constitutive overexpression of the CDR1 gene, which encodes a multidrug efflux pump of the ABC transporter superfamily. To understand the relevance of a recently identified negative regulatory element (NRE) in the CDR1 promoter for the control of CDR1 expression in the clinical scenario, we investigated the effect of mutation or deletion of the NRE on CDR1 expression in two matched pairs of azole-sensitive and resistant clinical isolates of C. albicans. Expression of GFP or lacZ reporter genes from the wild type CDR1 promoter was much higher in the azole-resistant C. albicans isolates than in the azole-susceptible isolates, reflecting the known differences in CDR1 expression in these strains. Deletion or mutation of the NRE resulted in enhanced reporter gene expression in azole-sensitive strains, but did not further increase the already high CDR1 promoter activity in the azole-resistant strains. In agreement with these findings, electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed a reduced binding to the NRE of nuclear extracts from the resistant C. albicans isolates as compared with extracts from the sensitive isolates. These results demonstrate that the NRE is involved in maintaining CDR1 expression at basal levels and that this repression is overcome in azole-resistant clinical C. albicans isolates, resulting in constitutive CDR1 overexpression and concomitant drug resistance.