Purification,cDNA cloning,and characterization of LysM-containing plant chitinase from horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Chitinase-A (EaChiA), molecular mass 36 kDa, was purified from the vegetative stems of a horsetail (Equisetum arvense) using a series of column chromatography. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of EaChiA was similar to the lysin motif (LysM). A cDNA encoding EaChiA was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and polymerase chain reaction. It consisted of 1320 nucleotides and encoded an open reading frame of 361 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence indicated that EaChiA is composed of a N-terminal LysM domain and a C-terminal plant class IIIb chitinase catalytic domain, belonging to the glycoside hydrolase family 18, linked by proline-rich regions. EaChiA has strong chitin-binding activity, however, no antifungal activity. This is the first report of a chitinase from Equisetopsida, a class of fern plants, and the second report of a LysM-containing chitinase from a plant.     

三种鳞翅目夜蛾科昆虫α-微管蛋白基因的克隆与mRNA表达水平

根据昆虫微管蛋白的分子特征筛选对昆虫微管有效的抑制剂来控制昆虫的生长发育或不同器官的有效功能的表达来达到控制害虫的目的,在未来的害虫综合治理中具有广泛的应用前景。以预蛹期甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua、小地老虎Agrotis ypsilon和八字地老虎Agrotis c-nigrum为材料提取总RNA,利用RT-PCR和cDNA末端快速扩增技术(RACE),分别扩增得到以上3种夜蛾科昆虫的α-微管蛋白基因的cDNA序列,3种昆虫的该基因序列均包括1个1353个碱基的开放阅读框。这3个cDNA序列均编码1个含450个氨基酸的蛋白,分子量约为50kDa。氨基酸的142~148位存在1个微管蛋白信号片段GGGTGSG,在氨基酸序列的C-端都有1个酪氨酸残基,N-端存在1个对转录后调控非常重要的保守区MRECI序列,以上特点与其他昆虫α-微管蛋白氨基酸序列保守区序列相同。序列比对表明,克隆得到的α-微管蛋白基因的核苷酸序列是高度保守的,同源性为94.4%~97.0%,而氨基酸的序列同源性达到100%。利用RT-PCR技术在3种昆虫4龄、5龄、6龄幼虫、蛹期4个不同发育阶段和6龄期的肠道、体壁、脂肪体3种不同组织中都检测到了α-微管蛋白基因在mRNA水平的表达。     

Purification, characterization, and cDNA cloning of a novel acidic endoglycoceramidase from the jellyfish, Cyanea nozakii

Endoglycoceramidase (EC ) is an enzyme capable of cleaving the glycosidic linkage between oligosaccharides and ceramides in various glycosphingolipids. We report here the purification, characterization, and cDNA cloning of a novel endoglycoceramidase from the jellyfish, Cyanea nozakii. The purified enzyme showed a single protein band estimated to be 51 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme showed a pH optimum of 3.0 and was activated by Triton X-100 and Lubrol PX but not by sodium taurodeoxycholate. This enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed gangliosides, especially GT1b and GQ1b, whereas neutral glycosphingolipids were somewhat resistant to hydrolysis by the enzyme. A full-length cDNA encoding the enzyme was cloned by 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends using a partial amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme. The open reading frame of 1509 nucleotides encoded a polypeptide of 503 amino acids including a signal sequence of 25 residues and six potential N-glycosylation sites. Interestingly, the Asn-Glu-Pro sequence, which is the putative active site of Rhodococcus endoglycoceramidase, was conserved in the deduced amino acid sequences. This is the first report of the cloning of an endoglycoceramidase from a eukaryote.     

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the tulip bulb chitinase-1 cDNA

A cDNA encoding tulip bulb chitinase-1 (TBC-1) was cloned using a combination of immunoscreening from a lambda ZAP cDNA library with anti-TBC-1 antiserum and the 5' rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) method, and sequenced. The cDNA consists of 1,106 nucleotides and included an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 314 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence and the determined protein sequence indicated the presence of a signal peptide and an extra peptide composed of 26 and 13 amino acids at the N- and C-termini, respectively. The deduced sequence of TBC-1 had 10-20% and 63% sequence similarities to plant class III chitinases and gladiolus bulb class IIIb chitinase (GBC-a), respectively. The cDNA encoding mature TBC-1 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligated into the expression vector pET-22b, and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The recombinant TBC-1 (rTBC-1) expressed in E. coli was purified by gel filtration followed by ion-exchange chromatography. Specific activity of the rTBC-1 was almost same as the authentic TBC-1 toward glycolchitin. This is the first report on the cDNA cloning of a class III chitinase having C-terminal extra peptide.     

小地老虎UV视蛋白基因的克隆及序列分析

视蛋白是感光物质的重要组成成分,是动物感知周围光环境的重要途径之一。本文以小地老虎(Agrotis ypsilon)3日龄成虫为材料,利用RT-PCR和RACE末端扩增技术克隆得到小地老虎UV视蛋白基因的cDNA序列。序列分析表明,小地老虎视蛋白基因的cDNA序列1 632 bp,包括一个1 140 bp的完整开放阅读框架,编码379个氨基酸,理论蛋白分子量(Mw)41.50 ku,等电点(pI)7.56。GenBank登录号为JN185654。UV视蛋白包括7个跨膜拓扑结构和一个G蛋白偶联受体家族,第107位赖氨酸与UV视蛋白的紫外敏感性有重要关系。同源性分析显示,小地老虎UV视蛋白基因与其他昆虫的UV视蛋白基因具有较高同源性。本研究对深入探究UV视蛋白在动物夜行生活中的作用具有重要意义。     

A new type of plant chitinase containing LysM domains from a fern (Pteris ryukyuensis): roles of LysM domains in chitin binding and antifungal activity

Chitinase-A (PrChi-A), of molecular mass 42 kDa, was purified from the leaves of a fern (P. ryukyuensis) using several column chromatographies. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of PrChi-A was similar to the lysin motif (LysM). A cDNA encoding PrChi-A was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and polymerase chain reaction. It consisted of 1459 nucleotides and encoded an open-reading frame of 423-amino-acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence indicated that PrChi-A is composed of two N-terminal LysM domains and a C-terminal catalytic domain, belonging to the group of plant class IIIb chitinases, linked by proline, serine, and threonine-rich regions. Wild-type PrChi-A had chitin-binding and antifungal activities, but a mutant without LysM domains had lost both activities. These results suggest that the LysM domains contribute significantly to the antifungal activity of PrChi-A through their binding activity to chitin in the cell wall of fungi. This is the first report of the presence in plants of a family-18 chitinase containing LysM domains.     

鸡含锰超氧化物歧化酶cDNA克隆及序列分析

 为弄清鸡含锰超氧化物歧化酶 (manganese containingsuperoxidedismutase ,MnSOD)的cDNA序列 ,以开展动物锰营养学的深入研究 ,根据已知鸡MnSOD的N端氨基酸序列设计简并引物 ,应用 3′RACE(rapidamplificationofcDNAends)技术 ,扩增克隆了鸡心肌MnSOD 990bp的 3′cDNA片段 .再根据 3′RACE片段测序结果设计引物进行 5′RACE ,结果获取了一个与 3′RACE片段相互重叠的鸡心肌MnSOD 52 1bp的 5′RACE片段 ,并对其进行了克隆测序 .最后根据 3′RACE片段和 5′RACE片段序列信息进行拼接 ,从而获取鸡MnSODcDNA的全序列信息 .研究结果表明 :鸡MnSODcDNA全长为 110 8个核苷酸 ,其中 5′非翻译区 2 5个核苷酸 ,编码区 675个核苷酸 ,3′非翻译区 4 0 8个核苷酸 ,编码一个长 2 2 4个氨基酸残基的蛋白质前体 .其中信号肽长 2 6个氨基酸残基 ,成熟肽长 198个氨基酸残基 ,分子量为 2 2kD .与人、大鼠、线虫、果蝇等真核生物MnSOD氨基酸序列的同源性分别为82 4 %、84 .7%、62 .4 %、59.3% .     

Characterization of an Extracellular Serine Protease Gene from the Nematophagous Fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lecanicillium psalliotae</Emphasis>

The gene encoding a cuticle-degrading serine protease was cloned from three isolates of Lecanicillium psalliotae (syn. Verticillium psalliotae) by 3′ and 5′ RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) method. The gene encodes for 382 amino acids and the protein shares conserved motifs with subtilisin N and peptidase S8. Comparison of translated cDNA sequences of three isolates revealed one amino acid polymorphism at position 230. The deduced protease sequence shared high degree of similarities to other cuticle-degrading proteases from other nematophagous fungi.     

Molecular characterization of a cDNA encoding vitellogenin in the banana shrimp, Penaeus (Litopenaeus) merguiensis and sites of vitellogenin mRNA expression

In order to determine the primary structure of banana shrimp, Penaeus merguiensis, vitellogenin (Vg), we previously purified vitellin (Vt) from the ovaries of vitellogenic females, and chemically analyzed the N-terminal amino acid sequence of its 78 kDa subunit. In this study, a cDNA from this species encoding Vg was cloned based on the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the major 78 kDa subunit of Vt and conserved sequences of Vg/Vt from other crustacean species. The complete nucleotide sequence of Vg cDNA was achieved by RT-PCR and 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) approaches. The full-length Vg cDNA consisted of 7,961 nucleotides. The open reading frame of this cDNA encoding a precursor peptide was comprised of 2,586 amino acid residues, with a putative processing site, R-X-K/R-R, recognized by subtilisin-like endoproteases. The deduced amino acid sequence was obtained from the Vg cDNA and its amino acid composition showed a high similarity to that of purified Vt. The deduced primary structure, of P. merguiensis Vg was 91.4% identical to the Vg of Penaeus semisulcatus and was also related to the Vg sequences of six other crustacean species with identities that ranged from 86.9% to 36.6%. In addition, the amino acid sequences corresponding to the signal peptide, N-terminal region and C-terminal region of P. merguiensis Vg were almost identical to the same sequences of the seven other reported crustacean species. Results from RT-PCR analysis showed that Vg mRNA expression was present in both the ovary and hepatopancreas of vitellogenic females but was not detected in other tissues including muscle, heart, and intestine of females or in the hepatopancreas of mature males. These results indicate that the Vg gene may be expressed only by mature P. merguiensis females and that both the ovary and hepatopancreas are possible sites for Vg synthesis in this species of shrimp.     

Cloning and expression of a farnesyl diphosphate synthase in Centella asiatica (L.) Urban

A cDNA encoding farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS; EC2.5.1.1/EC2.5.1.10) was isolated from Centella asiacita (L.) Urban, using degenerate primers based on two highly conserved domains. A full-length cDNA clone was subsequently isolated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The sequence of the CaFPS (C. asiatica farnesyl diphosphate synthase) cDNA contains an open reading frame of 1029 nucleotides encoding 343 amino acids with a molecular mass of 39.6 kDa. The deduced CaFPS amino acid sequence exhibits 84, 79, and 72%, identity to the FPSs of Artemisia annua, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa, respectively. Southern blot analysis suggested that the C. asiatica genome contains only one FPS gene. An artificially expressed soluble form of the CaFPS was identified by SDS-PAGE. It had high specific activity and produced farnesyl diphosphate as the major isoprenoid.     

鳜肌酸激酶M-CK cDNA的克隆与组织表达分析

利用RT–PCR和cDNA末端快速扩增法（RACE）克隆了鳜（Siniperca chuatsi）肌酸激酶（creatine kinase,CK）cDNA序列,并分析了该基因的结构特征和系统关系。鳜CK cDNA序列全长1586 bp,包括5′端非翻译区92 bp,3′端非翻译区348 bp和开放阅读框（ORF）1 146 bp,共编码381个氨基酸。鳜CK具有脊椎动物CK共有的保守结构域和肌型肌酸激酶（M-CK）同工酶的特异识别位点;氨基酸序列与M-CK型的相似度最高,而与脑型肌酸激酶（B-CK）和线粒体型肌酸激酶（Mi-CKs）的相似度较低;在CK系统关系树中鳜CK与M-CK群聚类。这些均表明,鳜CK属脊椎动物M-CK型。RT-PCR分析表明,鳜M-CK在成体不同组织中的表达量不同,其中,在皮肤、卵巢、肾脏、胃、肌肉和心脏中表达较强;而在眼和脑、肝胰脏中表达较弱。