Alteration in the Expression of Genes Encoding Primary Metabolism Enzymes and Plastid Transporters during the Culture Growth of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Molecular Biology - In a mixotrophic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii culture, the expression levels of genes encoding primary metabolic enzymes and chloroplast plastid transporters were analyzed. For the...     

蚯蚓纤溶酶组分及其基因的多态性

生化制备证明,蚯蚓纤溶酶为一组含有10个以上同工酶组分的混合酶.为了研究这些组分的DNA和蛋白质序列的异同,本文通过对数据库中已报道的28条蚯蚓纤溶酶基因按相似性进行归类,将它们分为4组(基因型).同一组中的序列具有共同特征,即保守的N-末端、C-末端和相同的结构域,而且这些结构域在序列中分布的位置也相同;但它们之间在中间部分存在明显差异,这些差异说明了基因型中存在多态性.这种多态性可能是它们在体内溶栓的药理药效作用存在差异的结构基础.     

核定位信号筛选系统的构建

建立了一酵母克隆系统用于克隆含核定位信号 (NLS)的蛋白质的基因 .用表达转录因子GAL4 DNA结合域 - p53(GAL4- DBD- p53)融合蛋白的质粒转化酵母 HF7c,使 GAL4- DBD- p53可结合于报告基因的启动子但因无转录激活域而不能激活转录 .构建一酵母穿梭载体 ,可表达无NLS的 GAL4转录激活域 -大 T抗原 (GAL4- AD- LT)融合蛋白 .融合蛋白基因的下游插入一多克隆位点 .将 c DNA文库插入多克隆位点后 ,如果 c DNA片段可编码 NLS,则 GAL4- AD- LT分子可进入细胞核 ,并通过 LT与 p53的相互作用而使 GAL4- AD结合于启动子和激活报告基因的转录 .构建了这一克隆系统的各质粒 ,并用绿色荧光蛋白 (GFP)验证了其对核内蛋白和胞浆蛋白的甄别能力 .这一系统将有助于从 c DNA文库中筛选编码带有 NLS的蛋白质的基因     

Notch and Wingless Regulate Expression of Cuticle Patterning Genes

The cell surface receptor Notch is required during Drosophila embryogenesis for production of epidermal precursor cells. The secreted factor Wingless is required for specifying different types of cells during differentiation of tissues from these epidermal precursor cells. The results reported here show that the full-length Notch and a form of Notch truncated in the amino terminus associate with Wingless in S2 cells and in embryos. In S2 cells, Wingless and the two different forms of Notch regulate expression of Dfrizzled 2, a receptor of Wg; hairy, a negative regulator of achaete expression; shaggy, a negative regulator of engrailed expression; and patched, a negative regulator of wingless expression. Analyses of expression of the same genes in mutant N embryos indicate that the pattern of gene regulations observed in vitro reflects regulations in vivo. These results suggest that the strong genetic interactions observed between Notch and wingless genes during development of Drosophila is at least partly due to regulation of expression of cuticle patterning genes by Wingless and the two forms of Notch.     

Developmental Regulation of the Plastid Protein Import Apparatus

Plastid development involves the programmed accumulation of proteins. Most plastid proteins are synthesized in the cytosol and imported into the organelle by an envelope-based protein import apparatus. Previous studies have shown that developmental rates of protein accumulation correspond to mRNA levels. Here, we examined the relationship between plastid development and the activity of the protein import apparatus. Developing plastids, primarily from wheat leaves, were analyzed for their protein import capability in vitro. Import capability, initially high in proplastids, declined as much as 20-fold as plastid development approached either the mature etioplast or the mature chloroplast. The observed decline was not due to senescence, nonspecific inhibitors, or protein turnover. Furthermore, the import capability of mature etioplasts, initially very low, was transiently reactivated during light-mediated redifferentiation into chloroplasts. These results suggest that plant cells regulate the import apparatus in concert with the protein demands of the developing plastids.     

Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes of Mitochondrial Components in Cancer

Although the observation of aerobic glycolysis of tumor cells by Otto v. Warburg had demonstrated abnormalities of mitochondrial energy metabolism in cancer decades ago, there was no clear evidence for a functional role of mutant mitochondrial proteins in cancer development until the early years of the 21^st century. In the year 2000, a major breakthrough was achieved by the observation, that several genes coding for subunits of the respiratory chain (ETC) complex II, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) are tumor suppressor genes in heritable paragangliomas, fulfilling Knudson’s classical two-hit hypothesis. A functional inactivation of both alleles by germline mutations and chromosomal losses in the tumor tissue was found in the patients. Later, SDH mutations were also identified in sporadic paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas. Genes of the mitochondrial ATP-synthase and of mitochondrial iron homeostasis have been implicated in cancer development at the level of cell culture and mouse experiments. In contrast to the well established role of some nuclear SDH genes, a functional impact of the mitochondrial genome itself (mtDNA) in cancer development remains unclear. Nevertheless, the extremely high frequency of mtDNA mutations in solid tumors raises the question, whether this small circular genome might be applicable to early cancer detection. This is a meaningful approach, especially in cancers, which tend to spread tumor cells early into bodily fluids or faeces, which can be screened by non-invasive methods.     

Chromosomal Locations of Three Human Nuclear Genes (RPSM12, TUFM, and AFG3L1) Specifying Putative Components of the Mitochondrial Gene Expression Apparatus

We have mapped the chromosomal locations of three human nuclear genes for putative components of the apparatus of mitochondrial gene expression, using a combination ofin situhybridization and interspecies hybrid mapping. The genesRPMS12(mitoribosomal protein S12, a conserved protein component of the mitoribosomal accuracy center),TUFM(mitochondrial elongation factor EF-Tu), andAFG3L1(similar to the yeast genesAfg3andRca1involved in the turnover of mistranslated or misfolded mtDNA-encoded polypeptides) were initially characterized by a combination of database sequence analysis, PCR, cloning, and DNA sequencing.RPMS12maps to chromosome 19q13.1, close to the previously mapped gene for autosomal dominant hearing loss DFNA4. TheTUFMgene is located on chromosome 16p11.2, with a putative pseudogene or variant (TUFML) located very close to the centromere of chromosome 17.AFG3L1is located on chromosome 16q24, very close to the telomere. By virtue of their inferred functions in mitochondria, these genes should be regarded as candidates of disorders sharing features with mitochondrial disease syndromes, such as sensorineural deafness, diabetes, and retinopathy.     

三个苹果NBS基因的鉴定及其对外源生长物质的响应

为了探讨苹果NBS基因的生理作用,从苹果中鉴定了NBS家族的3个基因,分别命名为MdNBS、MdTIR-NBS1和MdTIR-NBS-LRR1。这3个基因编码的蛋白质均含有NB-ARC结构域,MdTIR-NBS1和MdTIR-NBS-LRR1蛋白N端还有TIR结构域,MdTIR-NBS-LRR1蛋白在C端含有LRR结构。荧光定量PCR分析表明,这3个不同类型的NBS基因的表达具有明显不同的组织特异性,此外,MdNBS、MdTIR-NBS1和MdTIR-NBS-LRR1在‘嘎啦’苹果幼苗叶片中均受SA和MeJA诱导。ACC处理不能提高MdNBS和MdTIR-NBS1基因的表达,但能诱导MdTIR-NBS-LRR1基因表达。结果表明,MdNBS、MdTIR-NBS1和MdTIR-NBS-LRR1基因可能参与了苹果抗逆或抗病防御反应。