肌细胞增强因子2在心力衰竭过程中的作用

心脏在长期过量负荷及神经体液系统过度激活的影响下,可发生以心肌细胞肥大、心肌纤维排列紊乱、心肌间质细胞增生及胚胎基因再表达增加为主的病理改变,从而引起心脏泵功能减退、心室扩张、心室肥厚和纤维化,最终导致心力衰竭.肌细胞增强因子2(myocyte enhancerfactor 2,MEF2)是一种特定的转录因子,其主要功能是促进肌细胞分化过程中的基因转录,在骨骼肌、心肌、平滑肌的发育过程中起介导细胞分化的作用.近年来的研究发现,在心力衰竭过程中.MEF2提供了心室重构信号转导过程中的作用靶点,可能参与了心室肥厚与心力衰竭的过程.     

果蝇新基因CG7609的克隆与初步功能研究

通过生物信息学方法和分子克隆技术克隆了一个果蝇新基因CG7609．该基因属于WD40家族,具有7个典型的WD40重复结构域．与人类WDR24基因的同源度很高．胚胎原位杂交和RT-PCR显示其在胚胎早期的中胚层有弱表达,在胚胎晚期主要在肠中表达．通过心脏特异抗体检测CG7609突变体的表型,发现其心脏前体细胞的分化不受影响．但通过果蝇心力衰竭模型分析该基因在成体心脏中的功能,发现CG7609基因缺失后心力衰竭发生率明显高于野生型,而且在与pannier基因配对后心力衰竭率发生较大的变化,这个初步发现推测该基因可能在戍体心脏中具有功能．     

扬子鳄FoxO1基因CDS序列的克隆及其在初孵鳄性腺组织的时空表达规律

研究以初孵扬子鳄(Alligator sinensis)性腺组织为实验材料,开展Forkhead box家族蛋白-1(FoxO1)基因CDS区克隆和序列特征分析。利用免疫组织化学检测其在胃、肠和肺脏等组织中的表达谱,结合免疫荧光(IF)、RT-PCR和Western Blot探讨其在不同出壳后日龄(17日龄、63日龄和96日龄)雌性扬子鳄性腺组织中的时空表达规律,探讨其在雌性扬子鳄性腺发育过程中的生物学功能。研究成功克隆获得FoxO1基因长度为1941 bp的完整编码区及646个预测编码氨基酸序列。与其他物种间进行同源性比对和构建进化树分析发现,扬子鳄FoxO1基因与鸟类的亲缘关系相较中华鳖(Pelodiscus sinensis)和原矛头蝮(Protobothrops mucrosquamatus)等爬行动物更近。在其他脊椎动物中,哺乳动物、硬骨鱼和两栖物种也各自聚类称为子群,表明FoxO1兼具功能保守性和种间特异性;免疫组织化学结果表明FoxO1在初孵鳄性腺复合体、肺、胃和肠中均有表达,免疫荧光结果表明17日龄性腺组织中的FoxO1主要表达于肾上腺和中肾区但在皮质部呈微弱表达,在6...     

多标记物法在心力衰竭风险评估中的应用

心力衰竭的发生发展涉及多条生理病理通路,选择不同通路中的多个生物标记物能够提高对心力衰竭风险评估的准确性。总结了心 力衰竭发生发展过程中与心肌损伤、内皮功能障碍、神经激素紊乱、炎症反应、氧化应激过程相关的生物标记物,基于多标记物评价方法 的数学模型及多标记物法在心力衰竭和药物心脏毒性风险评估中的应用。     

盐城棉区棉铃虫田间种群对Bt蛋白的抗性基因频率

【背景】转Bt基因抗虫棉已经在我国进行了近20年的大规模商业化种植,产生了显著的经济和环境效益。但是,靶标害虫棉铃虫的抗性是转Bt基因抗虫棉产业健康发展所面临的最大问题,而抗性监测是解决这一问题的必要管理措施。盐城市是江苏省转基因抗虫棉的主产区,但有关该地区棉铃虫对转Bt基因抗虫棉的抗性基因频率未见报道。【方法】于2012年在盐城三龙镇和东台镇棉区采集田间棉铃虫种群,检测了初孵幼虫对花铃期转Bt基因抗虫棉中30幼嫩叶片的敏感性,用区分剂量法检测了2龄幼虫对Bt蛋白的抗性基因频率。【结果】取食转Bt基因抗虫棉叶片后,棉铃虫初孵幼虫在9 d内全部死亡;三龙镇和东台镇棉铃虫2龄幼虫对Bt蛋白的抗性基因频率分别为7.6×10-3和6.9×10-3。【结论与意义】目前,盐城棉区的棉铃虫对转Bt基因抗虫棉仍保持很高的敏感性,棉铃虫种群对Bt蛋白的抗性基因频率没有发生显著变化,但仍需持续监测。     

应用基因芯片技术研究原发性腹膜后脂肪肉瘤组织特异性候选基因

目的:原发性腹膜后脂肪肉瘤是一种少见的恶性肿瘤,发病率大约占全部恶性肿瘤的1％,但其却是腹膜后最常见的软组织肿瘤.通过研究原发性腹膜后脂肪肉瘤和正常脂肪组织间的基因表达差异,可以寻找到与原发性腹膜后脂肪肉瘤发生、发展相关的候选基因并为其防治研究提供线索.方法:应用基因芯片技术检测2例原发性腹膜后脂肪肉瘤和相应的正常脂肪组织全基因组序列,分析其基因表达差异.结果:两组间的差异表达基因3828个,其中表达上调有1837个基因,表达下调有1991个基因.其中涉及细胞增殖、黏附、凋亡以及信号通路等多种生物学过程.结论:通过基因表达谱芯片筛选出与原发性腹膜后脂肪肉瘤发生和进展密切相关的基因为其基础研究及临床早期诊断、预防和治疗提供潜在的分子标记和靶基因.     

生信分析筛选心衰氧化应激相关关键[]基因并预测候选药物

为探究氧化应激相关基因在心力衰竭发生发展中的作用,并发现核心基因进行靶基因药物预测。从GEO数据库下载GSE120895基因表达图谱,通过GEO2R筛选差异表达基因,将差异表达基因与GeneCard数据库中筛选的氧化应激相关基因取交集,得到心力衰竭氧化应激相关差异表达基因,利用R软件对差异表达基因进行GO及KEGG分析,利用Cytoscape进行PPI网络的模块以及关键基因的筛选。之后在GSE17800基因表达图谱中验证关键基因的表达,并针对关键基因进行相互作用药物预测。差异表达基因与氧化应激相关基因取交集后,共筛选出52个上调的氧化应激相关差异表达基因,在此基础上,筛选出ACTB,STAT3,FN1,EDN1,CAT共5个关键基因,在GSE17800基因表达图谱中验证后,针对4个关键基因预测了19个靶基因潜在药物。总之,本研究通过生物信息学方法鉴定关键基因,并预测潜在治疗药物,从而为了解心力衰竭的分子机制及其诊治方法提供新的见解。     

在子宫颈上皮内瘤变和鳞癌组织中CyclinE、Rb基因表达的研究

目的 探讨细胞周期素E（CyclinE）、视网膜母细胞瘤（Rb）基因与上皮内瘤变（CIN）和宫颈鳞癌的关系,及其在癌变过程中的意义。方法 应用免疫组化技术（S-P法）,检测CyclinE和Rb基因产物在各级别CIN77例和宫颈鳞癌40例中的表达状况,并以正常子宫颈鳞状上皮20例做对照。结果 在正常宫颈鳞状上皮、CINⅠ、CINⅡ、CINⅢ及宫颈鳞癌中,CyclinE的阳性表达率呈逐渐增强趋势,分别为：0．0％、30．0％、75．0％、65．0％、60．0％。正常宫颈鳞状上皮与各级别CIN和宫颈鳞癌之间差异均有显著性（P〈0．01或〈0．005）,CINⅠ与CINⅡ、CINⅢ、宫颈鳞癌组间差异均有显著性（P〈0．005或〈0．01）;Rb基因蛋白的表达率逐渐下调,分别为：100．0％、55．0％、20．0%、24．3%、23．5％,在正常宫颈鳞状上皮与各级别CIN和宫颈鳞癌组间差异均有显著性（P〈0．005）;CINI与CINHI、宫颈鳞癌组间差异有显著性（P〈O．005）。结论CyclinE在正常子宫颈鳞状上皮表达阴性,随着发生CIN从轻到重至宫颈鳞癌,表达呈逐渐增强趋势;表明CyclinE在子宫颈癌变过程中起到重要作用,CyclinE参与CIN的进展及子宫颈癌癌变机制。Rb基因蛋白在正常子宫颈鳞状上皮100％阳性,随着发生CIN从轻到重至宫颈鳞癌,表达呈逐渐下调趋势,甚至消失;表明Rb基因可能主要通过功能性失活参与宫颈鳞癌的发生,并且其在癌变过程中起重要作用。发现CyclinE表达增强和RB基因表达下调或消失,有助于宫颈鳞癌发生的判断及CIN程度和级别的确定。     

三疣梭子蟹活体胚胎发育的观察

观察了三２梭子蟹胚胎发育全过程。整个胚胎发育过程约需６８０小时。孵排出约５２小时后开始表面孵裂,至２５６细胞时进入囊胚期。囊胚后期,预定内胚层细胞出现,并与集中在其周围的 起内陷,形成原肠。     

基因的单核苷酸多态性与乳腺癌关系的研究进展

乳腺癌是女性发病率最高的恶性肿瘤,具有家族聚集性,其发生发展是一个复杂的过程,涉及多种不同基因的相互作用和相互调控。随着基因技术和分子生物技术的飞速发展,许多基因被揭示在乳腺癌的发生发展中起关键作用,如BRCA、FGFR、ATM、ZNF365、Pokemon基因等。基于流行病学研究,这些易感基因可被分为高外显率易感基因和低外显率易感基因,其多态性对乳腺癌具有重要的影响。对乳腺癌易感基因的研究有助于阐明乳腺癌的发生机制、发展过程,对其早期诊断、预后判断和良恶性鉴别也有着重要的意义,可为乳腺癌的临床生物基因靶向治疗提供新的靶点和理论基础。本文主要对这些基因的单核苷酸多态性与乳腺癌关系的研究进展进行了综述。     

Analysis of the expression pattern of Mysidium columbiae wingless provides evidence for conserved mesodermal and retinal patterning processes among insects and crustaceans

The Wnt family includes a number of genes, such as wingless ( wg), which encode secreted glycoproteins that function in numerous developmental patterning processes. In order to gain a better understanding of crustacean pattern formation, a wg orthologue was cloned from the malacostracan crustacean Mysidium columbiae(mysid), and the expression pattern of this gene was compared with that of Drosophila wg. Although Drosophila wg is expressed in many developing tissues, such as the ventral neuroectoderm, M. columbiae wg (mcowg)expression is detected within only a subset of these tissues. mcowg is expressed in the dorsal part of each developing segment and within the developing eye, but not within the ventral neuroectoderm. Dorsal wg expression in Drosophila is required for heart and muscle development, and conservation of this dorsal wgexpression pattern suggests that mcowgmay function to pattern these tissues in mysids. Consistent with this, expression of Even-skipped (Eve) protein in heart precursor and muscle cells, which is dependent on Wg signaling in Drosophila, is also conserved in mysids. Within the developing mysid eye, mcowg is expressed in a pattern that is similar to the expression pattern of Drosophila wg in the fly eye disc. In Drosophila,Wg inhibits neural differentiation at the anterior margin of the eye disc and patterns the dorsal/ventral axis of the eye. These data indicate that mcowg may function similarly during mysid eye development. Analysis of mcowgexpression provides molecular evidence suggesting that the processes of heart, muscle, and eye patterning are likely to be conserved among insects and crustaceans.     

The patterns of wingless,decapentaplegic, and tinman position the Drosophila heart

Two secreted signaling molecules, wingless (wg) and decapentaplegic (dpp), are required to specify the heart in Drosophila. wg and dpp are also required to specify other cell types within the mesoderm and in many other regions of the embryo. Because the spatial patterns of wg and dpp are dynamic, different populations of mesodermal cells are exposed to different combinations of wg and/or dpp at different times. To determine whether the patterns of wg and dpp expression provide unique positional information for the specification of heart precursors, we altered these patterns. Our data suggest that wg and dpp contribute progressively to the elaboration of the expression pattern of the mesoderm-specific homeobox-containing gene tinman (tin), and that the overlap of wg and dpp at an early stage (9) as well as at a later stage (11) in the presence of tin-expressing cells directs cardiac-specific differentiation. Furthermore, ectopic tin expression in the ectoderm at wg/dpp intersects (the primordia of the thoracic imaginal disks) also leads to cardiac-specific differentiation, suggesting that tin confers mesoderm-specificity to the wg/dpp response. We conclude that ectopic heart can be generated by altering the patterns of wg and dpp within the tin-expressing mesoderm, or by ectopic induction of tin within the wg- and dpp-expressing ectoderm.     

灵活操控果蝇翅芽中wingless基因表达水平的策略

【目的】灵活操控靶基因的表达水平对于研究基因的功能十分重要。Gal4/UAS系统已被广泛应用于调控基因表达,可研究果蝇Drosophila等模式生物复杂的生物学问题。受采用载体的特性及插入位点的影响,Gal4或UAS转基因品系在构建好之后,其调控靶基因的能力基本是确定的。本研究旨在在现有Gal4/UAS系统的基础上,开发一种新的策略,实现在果蝇翅芽中灵活操控wingless(wg)基因的表达水平。【方法】用遗传学手段将黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster品系的UAS-wg和UAS-wg-RNAi转基因重组到同一黑腹果蝇品系中。将该重组黑腹果蝇品系与dpp-Gal4黑腹果蝇品系杂交,同时驱动UAS-wg和UAS-wg-RNAi在果蝇幼虫翅芽中共表达。杂交子代幼虫分别放置在不同的温度(18, 25和30℃)下培养。将幼虫翅芽解剖并进行免疫组化染色,测量染色的荧光强度,分析翅芽中wg的表达水平。【结果】在低温(18℃)下,UAS-wg在基因表达调控中起主要作用,wg表现为超表达,但其超表达的效率可被UAS-wg-RNAi有效地削弱。相反,在高温(30℃)下,UAS-wg-RNAi起主导作用,wg的表达受到抑制。并且通过转换温度,可实现wg在翅芽发育的不同阶段在超表达和抑制之间相互转化,从而灵活地操控wg基因在翅芽中的表达水平。【结论】该方法可以灵活操控果蝇翅芽中wg基因的表达水平,对于调控转基因的表达有重要的意义。     

Sternopleural Is a Regulatory Mutation of Wingless with Both Dominant and Recessive Effects on Larval Development of Drosophila Melanogaster

The Drosophila wingless (wg) gene encodes a secreted signaling protein that is required for many separate patterning events in both embryonic and larval development. wg functions in the development of the adult structures have been studied using the conditional mutant wg(ts) and also using regulatory mutations of wg that reduce larval functions. Here we present evidence that Sternopleural (Sp) is another regulatory allele of wg that affects a subset of larval functions. Sp has both a recessive loss-of-function component and a gain-of-function component. The loss-of-function component reflects a reduction of wg activity in the notum and in the antenna. The gain-of-function component apparently leads to ectopic wg activity in the dorsal first and second leg disc and thereby generates the dominant Sp phenotype. Sp and other wg alleles show a complex pattern of complementation. We present evidence that these genetic properties are due to transvection. These results have implications for the genetic definition of a null allele at loci subject to transvection.     

Highly asymmetric intergeneric nuclear hybrids between Nicotiana and Petunia: evidence for recombinogenic and translocation events in somatic hybrid plants after “gamma”-fusion

Summary Extremely asymmetric nuclear hybrids have been obtained via protoplast fusion in an intergeneric combination. Irradiated (cobalt⁶⁰,100 krad) kanamycinresistant Petunia hybrida mesophyll protoplasts were chemically fused with wild-type mesophyll protoplasts of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. Eighty-six hybrid colonies were selected on kanamycin-containing medium, and twenty-four of these could be induced to regenerate numerous shoots. Cytological analysis of the regenerants showed the presence of a few chromosome fragments in some lines, and even a metacentric chromosome in yet another line. Besides additional chromosome fragments some lines only possessed typical Nicotiana chromosomes, and this at the diploid (2n = 2X = 20) as well as the tetraploid (2n = 2X = 40) level. Biochemical analysis showed that all regenerants had neomycin phosphotransferase activity (NPTII), which suggests that intergenomic recombination and or translocation events took place at least in those lines where no additional chromosome fragments could be detected. The presence of the NPTII gene was shown by Southern hybridization. All regenerants tested were fertile, and the segregation ratios for the kanamycin gene (for self and backcross pollinations to the recipient partner) for some of the regenerants correspond with Mendelian rules for a monogenic dominant marker. Most of the regenerants showed abnormal segregation ratios; in this case, no correlation could be made between segregation ratio and chromosome composition.Our results demonstrate the existence of intergenomic recombination and translocations evens in nuclear somatic hybrid plants obtained via gamma-fusion.     

Molecular markers for seed colour in Brassica juncea.

A detailed RFLP map was used to map QTLs associated with seed colour in Brassica juncea using a doubled-haploid population derived from a cross between a black/brown-seeded cultivar and a yellow-seeded breeding line. Segregation analysis suggested that seed colour was under control of 2 unlinked loci with duplicate gene action. However, QTL analysis revealed 3 QTLs, SC-B4, SC-A10 and SC-A6, affecting seed colour. The QTLs were consistent across environments, and individually explained 43%, 31%, and 16%, respectively, and collectively 62% of the phenotypic variation in the population. Digenic interaction analysis showed that closest flanking locus of QTL SC-B4, wg7b6cNM, had strong epistasis with the locus wg5a1a, which is tightly linked to QTL SC-A6. The interaction of these 2 loci explained 27% of the phenotypic variation in the population, while the whole model explained 84%. In a multiple regression model, the effects of QTL SC-A10, as well as its interaction with other loci, were non-significant, whereas the effects of loci wg7b6cNM and wg5a1a and their interaction were significant. Ninety-eight percent of the DH lines carried the expected alleles of loci wg7b6cNM and wg5a1a for seed colour, confirming that only these 2 loci were linked to seed colour in B. juncea. Four additional digenic interactions significantly affected seed colour, and all 5 digenic interactions were consistent across environments.     

A dual role for homothorax in inhibiting wing blade development and specifying proximal wing identities in Drosophila

The Drosophila wing imaginal disc gives rise to three body parts along the proximo-distal (P-D) axis: the wing blade, the wing hinge and the mesonotum. Development of the wing blade initiates along part of the dorsal/ventral (D/V) compartment boundary and requires input from both the Notch and wingless (wg) signal transduction pathways. In the wing blade, wg activates the gene vestigial (vg), which is required for the wing blade to grow. wg is also required for hinge development, but wg does not activate vg in the hinge, raising the question of what target genes are activated by wg to generate hinge structures. Here we show that wg activates the gene homothorax (hth) in the hinge and that hth is necessary for hinge development. Further, we demonstrate that hth also limits where along the D/V compartment boundary wing blade development can initiate, thus helping to define the size and position of the wing blade within the disc epithelium. We also show that the gene teashirt (tsh), which is coexpressed with hth throughout most of wing disc development, collaborates with hth to repress vg and block wing blade development. Our results suggest that tsh and hth block wing blade development by repressing some of the activities of the Notch pathway at the D/V compartment boundary.     

Genetic studies on the muscle protein turnover rate of coturnix quail

The validation of the urinary excretion of N-methylhistidine (N-MH) by quail as an index of the muscle protein turnover rate was tested using the criterion of the rate of recovery of radioactivity in urine following an intraperitoneal dose of l-[3-¹⁴C]methylhistidine. A genetic study on muscle protein turnover in quail was conducted using three genetically diverse lines (LL, large body size; SS, small body size; RR, random-bred control line) selected for body size. When l-[3-¹⁴C]methylhistidine was administered to 20-week-old male and female coturnix quail by direct intraperitoneal injection, approximately 90% of the l-[3-¹⁴C]methylhistidine was recovered by 96 hr postinjection. Recoveries were low in the egg and muscle. These results show that N-MH released from myofibrillar protein is not reutilized and the excretion of N-MH is a satisfactory index of muscle protein breakdown. In all lines, the amount of urinary N-MH excretion and fractional synthesis (K_s) and degradation (K_d) rates at the high growing period were higher than those at the low growing period. The K_s and K_d are significantly different among selected lines at both 3 and 6 weeks of age. At 3 weeks of age, the fractional rate of synthesis of the LL line (13.2%/day) was higher than that of the RR line (11.5%/day), whereas the SS (8.1%/day) was lower than that of the RR line (11.5%/day). The fractional rates of degradation of both the LL line (4.1%/day) and the SS line (5.6%/day) were lower than that of the RR line (7.0%/day) at 3 weeks of age. From these results, it was recognized that selection for body size gave rise to the changes in the muscle protein turnover rate.