阳离子脂质体及其在体内基因转染中的应用

阳离子脂质体已经成为基因转移使用最广泛的载体之一。本文从阳离子脂质体的理化特性、质粒／阳性子脂质复合体与生物大分子的相互作用、质粒／脂质复合体的基因转移机制等方面,对阳离子脂质体及其在体内基因转染中的应用进行了综述。     

水动力转染基因在小鼠体内的长期高效表达

水动力转染技术是近年新出现的一种体内基因转染方法,可以实现目的基因在小鼠体内的高效表达,有可能作为受精卵显微注射的一种简单替代技术。但该技术的缺点是转染基因多瞬时表达,外源基因在体内高效表达的时间通常不超过1周,而且局限于肝、肾等器官,从而限制了该技术广泛应用。为了延长水动力转染基因在小鼠体内长期高效表达的时间,从而能对目的基因的体内功能进行长期研究,国外研究进行了广泛的探索,本综述了相关研究的最新进展。     

量子点在基因转染中的应用研究进展

量子点因其独特的纳米尺寸效应、光学特性和生物相容性,既能作为纳米载体与目的基因结合,又能作为纳米荧光标记物跟踪记录其在转染过程中的位置,给基因工程的发展带来了新的契机。在阐述量子点用于基因转染的优势、标记基因的方法等基础上,作者系统综述了量子点在基因转染中的应用,并对其发展趋势和应用前景进行了展望。     

微流控技术在细胞转染中的应用

微流控技术是在微米级、纳米级结构中操控纳升至皮升体积流体的技术与科学,具有液体流动可控、消耗试样和试剂极少等优点。近年来,细胞转染技术有逐渐向微型化技术途径发展的趋势,这也给了研究者从微尺度角度审视细胞转染技术过程的新机会。以下介绍了基于微流控技术的细胞转染方法,包括微阵列方式的转染技术、缩微流动空间中的转染、微流控液滴技术应用于细胞转染、微流控注射技术以及微流控电穿孔技术,并阐述了影响转染效率的因素或改善途径。     

致病菌体内诱导基因的功能分析—体内表达技术的应用

病原菌体内诱导的基因在致病过程中起重要作用,体内表达技术是一类很有前景的研究体内诱导基因的技术,本介绍了体内表达技术的基本原理,类型以及在致病菌体内诱导基因方面的研究进展和应用前景。     

大鼠再生肝中表达上调基因的筛选与鉴定

采用新发展的抑制差减杂交技术（suppression subtractive hybridization,SSH）在基因组水平筛选再生肝中高表达基因。大鼠肝部分切除后24h的再生杆组织来源的cDNA作为受检者（tester）,正常肝组织的cDNA作为驱动者（driver）,进行差减杂交,获得一900个克隆的差减杂交库,随后对差减克隆进行了差异筛选,得到50个在再生肝中高表达的强阳性克隆,序列测定和同源比较表明这些克隆代表了37个基因,其中13个与已报道的肝再生相关的基因同源,15个为忆知基因但首次发现与肝再生相关,9个为新的基因（EST）已被GenBank收录。制备了标准化RNA点杂交膜,通过对上述部分基因的RNA点杂交分析,不但确认了这些基因在再生肝中表达水平的升高,同时发现它们在肝再生过程中有不同的表达模式。实验结果提示这些基因在肝再生过程中具有重要功能。     

心包穿刺简易装置在基因转染中的应用

目的探讨自制心包穿刺装置转染心脏的安全性、可行性。方法应用磷酸钙沉淀方法制备携带大肠杆菌LacZ基因复制缺陷的重组腺病毒(Ad-LacZ),将12头中国小型猪分为实验组和对照组,采用球囊堵塞前降支第一对角支远端,心肌梗死模型建立后即刻,采用自制简易心包腔穿刺装置经皮剑突下穿刺,成功后置中心静脉导管于心包腔内并行转染,28 d后处死。实验组:胶原酶1200 U及透明质酸酶3000 U预处理心包后,在心包腔内注射Ad-LacZ基因2.0×109p.f.u;对照组:同样方法预处理心包后,在心包腔内注射生理盐水1 mL。于注射后3、7及28 d分别对缺血心肌进行染色及病理观察。结果冠状动脉造影证实前降支远端完全闭塞,病理显示心肌有缺血和梗死;实验组注射Ad-LacZ基因后第3、第7天及28d后X-gal染色有阳性细胞,以第7天最明显,对照组无阳性细胞。结论自制的心包腔简易穿刺装置将腺病毒载体转染至缺血心肌是安全的,可行的,并且腺病毒可持续表达4周。     

细胞连接相关基因在大鼠肝再生中表达模式

细胞连接是组织、器官形成的基础。为在基因转录水平了解紧密连接、粘附连接、粘着斑和间隙连接相关基因在肝再生中作用,本文用搜集网站资料和查阅相关论文等方法获得上述基因,用Rat Genome 230 2.0芯片检测它们在大鼠再生肝中表达情况,将3次检验结果相同或相似、在肝再生中发生有意义表达变化、真手术组和假手术组表达差异显著的基因视为肝再生相关基因。初步证实上述4种细胞连接中79、53、109和53个基因与肝再生相关。其中,肝再生启动(部分肝切除后0.5～4h)、G0/G1过渡(PH后4～6h)、细胞增殖(部分肝切除后6～66h)、细胞分化和组织结构功能重建(部分肝切除后72～168h)等4个阶段起始表达的基因数和基因的总表达次数为124、43、122、10和249、145、957、306。表明相关基因主要在肝再生启动阶段起始表达,在不同阶段发挥作用。它们共上调972次,下调540次,表明肝再生中大多数细胞连接相关基因表达加强,少数基因表达降低。它们表达的相似性分为均上调、上调占优势、均下调、下调占优势、上调和下调相近等5类,涉及102、38、73、27和16个基因,它们表达的时间相关性分为0.5和1h、2h、4和6h、8和12h、16h、18和48h、24h、30和42h、36h、54和60h、66和72h、96h、120h、144和168h等14组,表明肝再生中细胞生理生化活动具有阶段性。它们的表达模式分为41类,表明肝再生中细胞生理生化活动具有多样性和复杂性。根据肝再生中基因表达变化和表达模式推测,肝再生早期和前期间隙连接形成增强,晚中期和后期间隙连接形成减少;早期、前期和后期粘着斑形成增强;紧密连接和粘附连接的形成贯穿于整个肝再生。     

脂肪细胞分化相关基因在大鼠再生肝中表达变化

肝脏由多种细胞构成,肝再生与细胞分化密切相关,细胞分化受基因转录水平调控。为在基因转录水平了解脂肪细胞分化基因在大鼠肝再生中作用,本文用搜集网站资料和查阅相关论文等方法获得上述基因,用Rat Genome2302.0芯片检测它们在大鼠肝再生(liver regeneration,LR)中表达情况,将三次检验结果相同或相似、在肝再生中表达变化2倍以上、真手术组和假手术组相比差异显著的基因视为肝再生相关基因。初步证实上述基因中75个基因与肝再生相关。肝再生启动(PH后0.5-4h)、G0/G1过渡(PH后4-6h)、细胞增殖(PH后6-66h)、细胞分化和组织结构功能重建(PH后72-168h)等四个阶段起始表达的基因数为44、13、30和1;基因的总表达次数为88、58、302和90。表明相关基因主要在肝再生启动阶段起始表达,在不同阶段发挥作用。它们共表达上调313次、下调167次,分为43种表达方式。表明肝再生中脂肪细胞发生和分化相关基因活动多样和复杂。根据本文研究结果推测,上述基因不仅调节脂肪细胞分化,而且参与肝再生的生理生化活动。     

外源基因转染细胞技术的研究进展

细胞转染技术是分析细胞内基因及基因产物功能的重要工具。它不仅是基因功能研究、基因免疫的理论和技术基础,也是研究基因表达调控、突变分析等的常规工具。同时也是体内应用的重要过程,比如基因治疗、疫苗接种、药物开发等。在过去的40年里,已开发了多种外源基因转染细胞的方法。主要包括以病毒介导的外源基因转染细胞方法和非病毒介导的细胞转染方法。其具体可细分为三类:即生物学方法、化学方法、物理方法。这些方法的提出使外源分子如DNA、RNA等导入特定细胞并表达目的基因及产生特定功能的蛋白质分子得以实现。理想的细胞转染方法应该具有较好的生物降解性、稳定性、靶向性强、有助于基因的表达并能应用于基因方面疾病的治疗。但每种方法都有自己的优势和不足,应根据具体实验的设计和目的来选择最佳细胞转染方法.     

Follistatin allows efficient retroviral-mediated gene transfer into rat liver

Retroviral vectors are widely used tools for gene therapy. However, in vivo gene transfer is only effective in dividing cells, which, in liver, requires a regenerative stimulus. Follistatin is effective in promoting liver regeneration after 90% and 70% hepatectomy in rats. We studied its efficacy on liver regeneration and retroviral-mediated gene delivery in 50% hepatectomized rats. When human recombinant follistatin was infused into the portal vein immediately after 50% hepatectomy, hepatocyte proliferation was significantly higher than in control 50% hepatectomized rats. A single injection of virus particles administered 23 h after follistatin infusion resulted in more than 20% gene transduction efficiency in hepatocytes compared to 3% in control rats. It is concluded that a single injection of follistatin induces onset of proliferation in 50% hepatectomized rats and allows efficient retroviral-mediated gene transfer to the liver.     

Liver- and lobe-selective gene transfection following the instillation of plasmid DNA to the liver surface in mice

The present study has undertaken the liver- and lobe-selective gene transfections following the instillation of plasmid DNA (pDNA) to the liver surface in mice. The luciferase levels produced in the applied (left) liver lobe at 6 h after liver surface instillation of pDNA were significantly higher than those produced in the other tissues assayed, and ranged from 8.5-fold higher in other liver lobes to 320-fold higher in other tissues. After small intestine surface instillation of pDNA, the gene expression was a little detected in the tissues assayed. Following liver surface instillation of pDNA at a time from 2 to 48 h or at a volume from 15 to 120 microl, the gene expressions of the applied liver lobe were always significantly higher than those of other liver lobes and other tissues. We demonstrated the novel liver- and lobe-selective gene transfection utilizing the instillation to the liver surface.     

活体电穿孔法基因导入技术

活体电穿孔法(invivoelectroporation)可将外源基因有效导入靶组织或器官,导入效率较高,并且可在多种组织器官上应用。近年来活体电穿孔法用于转基因研究的报道不断增多,在基因治疗方面的优势也日趋显著,是一种很好的活体基因导入方法 。     

酵母PH081在酸性磷酸酯酶基因表达调控中的作用

利用酵母ＰＨＯ８１与大肠杆菌产β－半乳糖苷酶的融合基因,系统地研究了ＰＨＯ８１基因在酵母酸性磷酸醋酶的不同调控因子的单缺失株和双缺失株中的表达规律,它与酸性磷酸酯酶基因ＰＨＯ５和ＰＨＯ１１的控制机制相似。构建了ＡＤＨ１启动子控制下ＰＨＯ８１表达质粒。在ＰＨＯ８１在细胞内组成型表达时,酸性磷酸酯酶基因的表达仍受无机磷的控制,揭示ＰＨＯ８１蛋白可能在不同浓度无机磷条件发生变构。ＰＨＯ８１在酸性磷酸酯酶基因表达系统中是一个中介因子。在此基础提出了一个酸性磷酸酯酶基因调控的分子模型。     

Dopamine D2 Receptor-Deficient Mice Exhibit Decreased Dopamine Transporter Function but No Changes in Dopamine Release in Dorsal Striatum

Abstract : Presynaptic D₂ dopamine (DA) autoreceptors, which are well known to modulate DA release, have recently been shown to regulate DA transporter (DAT) activity. To examine the effects of D₂ DA receptor deficiency on DA release and DAT activity in dorsal striatum, we used mice genetically engineered to have two (D₂^+/+), one (D₂^+/-), or no (D₂^-/-) functional copies of the gene coding for the D₂ DA receptor. In vivo microdialysis studies demonstrated that basal and K⁺-evoked extracellular DA concentrations were similar in all three genotypes. However, using in vivo electrochemistry, the D₂^-/- mice were found to have decreased DAT function, i.e., clearance of locally applied DA was decreased by 50% relative to that in D₂^+/+ mice. In D₂^+/+ mice, but not D₂^-/- mice, local application of the D₂-like receptor antagonist raclopride increased DA signal amplitude, indicating decreased DA clearance. Binding assays with the cocaine analogue [³H]WIN 35,428 showed no genotypic differences in either density or affinity of DAT binding sites in striatum or substantia nigra, indicating that the differences seen in DAT activity were not a result of decreased DAT expression. These results further strengthen the idea that the D₂ DA receptor subtype modulates activity of the striatal DAT.     

Smt3 is required for the immune response of silkworm, Bombyx mori

SUMO works in a similar way as ubiquitin to alter the biological properties of a target protein by conjugation. The homologous gene of SUMO named BmSmt3 was identified for the first time in silkworm. The expression of BmSmt3 was enhanced in the fat body of silkworm after immune challenge. However, the expression of BmSmt3 after immune challenge was almost invariant in silk gland, which is the nonimmune organ in silkworm. In addition, the expression of BmRelA and CecropinB1 was decreased significantly in pupae after the BmSmt3 was knocked down in vivo. According to our results, BmSmt3 might participate in the immune response through regulating the expression of BmRelA gene, which can further regulate the expression of antibacterial peptide subsequently in silkworm.     

Dendritic cell vaccination and immune monitoring

We exploited dendritic cells (DC) to vaccinate melanoma patients. We recently demonstrated a statistical significant correlation between favorable clinical outcome and the presence of vaccine-related tumor antigen-specific T cells in delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin biopsies. However, favorable clinical outcome is only observed in a minority of the treated patients. Therefore, it is obvious that current DC-based protocols need to be improved. For this reason, we study in small proof of principle trials the fate, interactions and effectiveness of the injected DC.