香猪雌激素受体α、β基因cDNA的克隆及分析

本文采用RT-PCR技术,分别从香猪的子宫和卵巢总RNA中扩增了雌激素受体α和β(Erα、Erβ)两种cDNA,分别长1788 bp和1581 bp,包括起始密码子和终止密码子,碱基序列与大白猪的Erα、Erβ基因的相似性为99.3%和99.6%.Erα、Erβ两个基因编码595、526个氨基酸,N-末端的20、24个氨基酸残基为信号肽,成熟肽序列与大白猪之间均有4个氨基酸不同.三维结构分析发现,与大白猪相比,香猪Erα成熟肽第192、231位氨基酸由Ser、Met变为Gly、Thr,位于DNA结合结构域,成熟肽438位氨基酸由Val变为Gly,位于Erα的配体结合结构域;Erβ成熟肽中,167位和360位氨基酸由Asp和Phe变为Glu和Pro,位于受体的DNA结合域和配体结合域,这五个位点的氨基酸替代可能影响Ers蛋白与雌激素受体应答元件、雌激素等配体的结合,改变相关基因的转录效率,并可能影响香猪的卵巢、子宫等繁殖系统的发育,与香猪的低繁殖力有关     

Development, characterization, and applications of a novel estrogen receptor beta monoclonal antibody

The role of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in breast cancer has been studied extensively, and its protein expression is prognostic and a primary determinant of endocrine sensitivity. However, much less is known about the role of ERβ and its relevance remains unclear due to the publication of conflicting reports. Here, we provide evidence that much of this controversy may be explained by variability in antibody sensitivity and specificity and describe the development, characterization, and potential applications of a novel monoclonal antibody targeting full-length human ERβ and its splice variant forms. Specifically, we demonstrate that a number of commercially available ERβ antibodies are insensitive for ERβ and exhibit significant cross-reaction with ERα. However, our newly developed MC10 ERβ antibody is shown to be highly specific and sensitive for detection of full-length ERβ and its variant forms. Strong and variable staining patterns for endogenous levels of ERβ protein were detected in normal human tissues and breast tumors using the MC10 antibody. Importantly, ERβ was shown to be expressed in a limited cohort of both ERα positive and ERα negative breast tumors. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the use of poorly validated ERβ antibodies is likely to explain much of the controversy in the field with regard to the biological relevance of ERβ in breast cancer. The use of the MC10 antibody, in combination with highly specific antibodies targeting only full-length ERβ, is likely to provide additional discriminatory features in breast cancers that may be useful in predicting response to therapy.     

Cloning and characterization of the human galanin GALR2 receptor

We present the molecular cloning and characterization of the human galanin receptor, hGALR2. hGALR2 shares 85%, 39%, and 57% amino acid identities to rGALR2, hGALR1, and hGALR3, respectively. hGALR2, along with rGALR2, can be distinguished from the other cloned galanin receptors by a tolerance for both N-terminal extension and C-terminal deletion of galanin, as well as by a primary signaling mechanism involving phosphatidyl inositol hydrolysis and calcium mobilization. By RT-PCR, GALR2 mRNA was abundant in human hippocampus, hypothalamus, heart, kidney, liver, and small intestine. A weak GALR2 mRNA signal was detected in human retina, and no signal was detected in cerebral cortex, lung, spleen, stomach, or pituitary.     

Cloning and characterization of the SIL promoter

The SIL gene undergoes a site-specific rearrangement with the SCL gene in 25% of patients with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The functional result of this rearrangement is that the SIL regulatory elements aberrantly drive expression of the SCL gene. We have cloned and sequenced the human SIL promoter, cloned a murine homolog, found the sequence to be highly conserved, and defined a minimal promoter region. Both the cloned murine and human sequences were found to be highly active in either human or murine cells. SCL mRNA, driven by a cloned SIL promoter, could be downregulated by DMSO in stably transfected F4-6 murine erythroleukemia cells. The SIL promoter was found to be partially unmethylated in proliferating tissues, in which it is highly expressed, and more highly methylated in post-mitotic tissues, in which SIL is not expressed. The isolation of the SIL promoter provides an important tool for the study of both the SIL gene expression as well as the role of the SIL promoter in leukemogenesis.