斜纹夜蛾羧酸酯酶基因的克隆、序列分析及表达水平

为了明确斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura对溴氰菊酯产生抗性的分子机理, 本研究利用RT-PCR技术和RACE方法获得了1个斜纹夜蛾羧酸酯酶基因的全长cDNA序列, 命名为Slest2。序列分析表明, 该cDNA全长1 796 bp（GenBank 登录号: DQ445461）, 5′和3′UTR区分别长63和119 bp,开放阅读框编码一个由537个氨基酸残基组成的羧酸酯酶蛋白。通过对氨基酸同源性分析表明, 该羧酸酯酶与其他物种的酯酶均具有很高的氨基酸相似性,并具有多个在不同酯酶蛋白家族中均保守的区域。采用实时定量PCR技术比较了Slest2在斜纹夜蛾抗、感品系中的表达水平。当以cDNA为模板检测mRNA转录水平时发现, Slest2在抗性品系中的转录水平是敏感品系的46.85倍; 以基因组DNA为模板检测Slest2基因的拷贝数时发现, Slest2在抗、感性品系中的拷贝数无显著差异（前者为后者的1.16倍）。这些结果表明, 抗性与敏感品系具有相似的Slest2基因拷贝数, 但它们在抗性品系中的转录水平显著升高。由此推测Slest2基因的转录水平升高与斜纹夜蛾对溴氰菊酯的抗药性密切相关。     

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression of a novel serine proteinase inhibitor gene in bay scallops (Argopecten irradians, Lamarck 1819)

Serine protease inhibitors, critical regulators of endogenous proteases, are found in all multicellular organisms and play crucial roles in host physiological and immunological effector mechanisms. The first mollusk serine proteinase inhibitor (designated AISPI) cDNA was obtained from the bay scallop Argopecten irradians by randomly sequencing a whole tissue cDNA library and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA of the scallop serine protease inhibitor was 1020 bp, consisting of a 5'-terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 39 bp, a 3'-terminal UTR of 147 bp with a canonical polyadenylation signal sequence AATAAA and a poly(A) tail, and an open reading frame of 834 bp. The AISPI cDNA encoded a polypeptide of 278 amino acids with a putative signal peptide of 22 amino acids and a mature protein of 256 amino acids. The deduced amino-acid sequence of AISPI contained six tandem and homologous domains similar to that of Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors, including the conserved sequence C-X(7)-C-X(6)-Y-X(3)-C-X(2,3)-C and six cysteine residues responsible for the formation of disulfide bridges, indicating that the AISPI protein from bay scallop should be a member of the Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor family. The temporal expression of AISPI was measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR after injury or bacterial challenge. After the adductor muscle was wounded or injected with Vibrio anguillarum, the expression of AISPI mRNA in hemolymph was up-regulated and reached the maximum level at 8 and 16 h, respectively, and then progressively dropped back to the original level. The results indicated that AISPI could play an important role in injury healing and immune response in mollusks as it could be induced by injury and bacterial challenge.     

凡纳滨对虾MT基因序列及其在卵巢发育和低温胁迫中的表达分析

在低温处理仔虾全长cDNA文库的筛选测序中, 获得凡纳滨对虾(Litopenaeus vannmei)金属硫蛋白基因全长cDNA序列, 该序列含有425个碱基, 包含177 bp开放阅读框, 上游98 bp的非编码区及下游150 bp 的非编码区, 编码58个氨基酸, 其中半胱氨酸含量丰富, 富含金属硫蛋白典型的Cys-X(1-3)-Cys 结构。多序列比对表明, 凡纳滨对虾MT蛋白序列与美洲螯龙虾(Homarus americanus)MT蛋白序列具最高同源性72.4%。Real-time PCR结果表明, 凡纳滨对虾MT基因在卵巢组织中呈优势表达, 在不同发育期的卵巢中的表达量都很高, 在低温处理凡纳滨对虾肝胰腺组织中上调表达。实验所得结果为研究凡纳滨对虾金属硫蛋白基因在生殖发育和低温应激中的功能提供了参考。       

Competency for nonsense-mediated reduction in collagen X mRNA is specified by the 3' UTR and corresponds to the position of mutations in Schmid metaphyseal chondrodysplasia

Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) is a eukaryotic cellular RNA surveillance and quality-control mechanism that degrades mRNA containing premature stop codons (nonsense mutations) that otherwise may exert a deleterious effect by the production of dysfunctional truncated proteins. Collagen X (COL10A1) nonsense mutations in Schmid-type metaphyseal chondrodysplasia are localized in a region toward the 3' end of the last exon (exon 3) and result in mRNA decay, in contrast to most other genes in which terminal-exon nonsense mutations are resistant to NMD. We introduce nonsense mutations into the mouse Col10a1 gene and express these in a hypertrophic-chondrocyte cell line to explore the mechanism of last-exon mRNA decay of Col10a1 and demonstrate that mRNA decay is spatially restricted to mutations occurring in a 3' region of the exon 3 coding sequence; this region corresponds to where human mutations have been described. This localization of mRNA-decay competency suggested that a downstream region, such as the 3' UTR, may play a role in specifying decay of mutant Col10a1 mRNA containing nonsense mutations. We found that deleting any of the three conserved sequence regions within the 3' UTR (region I, 23 bp; region II, 170 bp; and region III, 76 bp) prevented mutant mRNA decay, but a smaller 13 bp deletion within region III was permissive for decay. These data suggest that the 3' UTR participates in collagen X last-exon mRNA decay and that overall 3' UTR configuration, rather than specific linear-sequence motifs, may be important in specifying decay of Col10a1 mRNA containing nonsense mutations.     

Two Kazal-type protease inhibitors from Macrobrachium nipponense and Eriocheir sinensis: comparative analysis of structure and activities

Kazal-type inhibitors (KPIs) play important roles in many biological and physiological processes, such as blood clotting, the immune response and reproduction. In the present study, two male reproductive tract KPIs, termed Man-KPI and Ers-KPI, were identified in Macrobrachium nipponense and Eriocheir sinensis, respectively. The inhibitory activities of recombinant Man-KPI and Ers-KPI against chymotrypsin, elastase, trypsin and thrombin were determined. The results showed that both of them strongly inhibit chymotrypsin and elastase. Kinetic studies were performed to elucidate their inhibition mechanism. Furthermore, individual domains were also expressed to learn further which domain contributes to the inhibitory activities of intact KPIs. Only Man-KPI_domain3 is active in the inhibition of chymotrypsin and elastase. Meanwhile, Ers-KPI_domain2 and 3 are responsible for inhibition of chymotrypsin, and Ers-KPI_domains2, 3 and 4 are responsible for the inhibition of elastase. Meanwhile, the inhibitory activities of these two KPIs toward Macrobrachium rosenbergii, M. nipponense and E. sinensis sperm were compared with that of the Kazal-type peptidase inhibitor (MRPINK) characterized from the M. rosenbergii reproductive tract in a previous study. The results demonstrated that KPIs can completely inhibit the gelatinolytic activities of sperm proteases from their own species, while different levels of cross-inhibition were observed between KPI and proteases from different species. These results may provide new perspective to further clarify the mechanism of KPI-proteases interaction in the male reproductive system.     

Cloning and characterization of full-length human ribosomal protein L15 cDNA which was overexpressed in esophageal cancer

The aim of this investigation was trying to identify the genes differentially expressed in esophageal cancer. By combining suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) with reverse Northern high density blots, a gene named EC45 was obtained, which dramatically overexpressed in 70% esophageal cancer (18/26). EC45 was mapped to 3p12-3p11.2 by radiation hybrid mapping (RH mapping). The putative full length EC45 cDNA (1987 bp) was identified by cDNA libraries screening of esophageal cancer. EC45 encoded 204 amino acids, and it shared a 100% similarity with ribosomal protein L15 (635 bp, mRNA) in ORF, but no similarity in 5' UTR or 3' UTR. Northern blot panel of multiple adult human normal tissues showed EC45 distributed in almost normal tissues tested. All these data suggested that EC45, encoding ribosomal protein L15 and overexpressing in esophageal cancer might play a possible role in carcinogenesis of esophagus.     

Myotonic dystrophy: the role of the CUG triplet repeats in splicing of a novel DMPK exon and altered cytoplasmic DMPK mRNA isoform ratios

The mechanism by which (CTG)n expansion in the 3' UTR of the DMPK gene causes myotonic dystrophy (DM) is unknown. We identified four RNA splicing factors--hnRNP C, U2AF (U2 auxiliary factor), PTB (polypyrimidine tract binding protein), and PSF (PTB associated splicing factor)--that bind to two short regions 3' of the (CUG)n, and found a novel 3' DMPK exon resulting in an mRNA lacking the repeats. We propose that the (CUG)n is an essential cis acting element for this splicing event. In contrast to (CUG)n containing mRNAs, the novel isoform is not retained in the nucleus in DM cells, resulting in imbalances in relative levels of cytoplasmic DMPK mRNA isoforms and a new dominant effect of the mutation on DMPK.     

猪CuZnSOD基因的克隆、表达及功能分析

为了进一步了解和认识CuZnSOD基因的结构和功能,揭示CuZnSOD对猪抗氧化机能的影响,寻找与肉质性状相关联的分子标记,文章采用RACE(Rapid amplification of cDNA end)方法,对莱芜猪CuZnSOD基因cDNA进行克隆测序,分析其结构和功能,并用Real-timePCR检测CuZnSOD基因的表达.结果表明,CuZnSOD基因cDNA序列全长658 bp(GenBank登录号:GU944822),包含76 bp的5'UTR和120 bp的3'UTR序列.全部CDS序列462 bp,编码153个氨基酸,分子量为15.9 kDa,等电点为6.03.CuZnSOD基因编码的氨基酸序列中,第3氨基酸残基处存在1个O-糖基化位点,第86氨基酸残基处存在1个N-糖基化位点.二级结构中α螺旋仅占1.31%.在进化过程中高度保守,与人、牛、小鼠和褐鼠的编码区同源性分别为87.74%、87.66%、83.44%和83.23%;氨基酸序列同源性分别为90.26%、94.12%、92.21%和91.50%.CuZnSOD存在典型的金属结合配体结构域(GFHVHQFGDNT).基于蛋白序列所构建的分子进化树表明猪与牛的亲缘关系最近.在mRNA水平上,CuZnSOD是一个广谱表达基因,在大脑、心脏、脾脏、肝脏、肾脏、肺、大肠、小肠、脊髓,肌肉、背膘和胃中都能检测到,其在肾脏,小肠和肺中表达量较高,在心脏和肌肉组织中表达量较低.