小鼠T-bet启动子荧光素酶报告基因载体的构建及活性鉴定

为了研究T-bet在T细胞中的转录调控机制,并研究其在多发性硬化症中的信号通路,本研究构建小鼠TBX21(编码T-bet)基因启动子区和增强子区萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因载体。在对小鼠TBX21基因5?侧翼区进行详尽生物信息学特征分析后,设计相应引物,用PCR的方法从小鼠基因组中扩增出TBX21基因5?侧翼区–1 000 bp-28 bp片段长为1 028 bp的启动子区(以翻译起始点ATG为+1)和–3 308 bp-–2 000 bp片段长为1308 bp的非编码区保守序列(No-coding conserved sequence,CNS),再用定向克隆的方法将这两个片段定向重组入专门用于启动子活性研究的萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因载体(p GL4.10)中,构建出包含小鼠TBX21基因启动子区和CNS区的萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因载体(p GL4.10-TBX21pr-CNS),电泳与测序鉴定,最后再将p GL4.10-TBX21pr-CNS与内参p RL-TK用lipofectamine 2000共转染293T细胞和Jurkat细胞中,通过双荧光素酶报告基因检测系统鉴定p GL4.10-TBX21pr-CNS的启动子和增强子活性,并用独立样本t检验方法进行统计分析。对照组共转染p GL4.10与内参p RL-TK。结果表明,成功构建出荧光素酶报告基因重组质粒p GL4.10-TBX21pr-CNS。与转染空质粒p RL-TK组相比,293T细胞(P=0.012 2)和Jurkat细胞(P=0.002 2)中转染p GL4.10-TBX21pr-CNS组荧光素酶活性升高。研究结果表明在293T细胞和Jurkat细胞中p GL4.10-TBX21pr-CNS可以表现出启动子活性,为后续小鼠T-bet转录调控研究提供了基本材料。     

Firefly luciferase as a reporter of regulated gene expression in higher plants

The firefly luciferase, assayedin vivo with a low-light video camera, acts as a non-invasive, real-time reporter of the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in single plants. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the luciferase assay in extracts of transformed plant tissue makes it a particularly useful marker in transient or stable transformation experiments.     

Optimization of luciferase activity in a tomato transient assay system

The gene encoding firefly luciferase is a commonly used reporter for transient expression assays in plants. We have found that the concentration of buffers normally used in luciferase assays is too low to adequately buffer acidic plant organs. This results in low apparent luciferase activity as well as high variability among replicates. In a transient assay system based on particle bombardment of ripe tomato fruit, luciferase activity driven by the 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus was increased as much as 130 fold by increasing the concentration of the buffer from 50 mM to 300 mM. Using 300 mM buffer, expression levels of luciferase driven by three different plant promoters were found to reflect expression patterns in intact plants.     

The use of the luciferase reporter system forin planta gene expression studies

The properties of the firefly luciferase (LUC) make it a very good nondestructive reporter to quantify and image transgene promoter activity in plants. The short half-life of the LUC mRNA and protein, and the very limited regeneration of the LUC protein after reacting with luciferin, enables monitoring of changes in gene activity with a high time resolution. However, the ease at which luciferase activity is measuredin planta, using a light sensitive camera system (2D-luminometer), contrasts sharply with the complications that arise from interpreting the results. A variegated pattern of luciferase activity, that is often observed inin planta measurements, might either be caused by differences in influx, availability of the substrates (luciferin, oxygen, ATP) or by local differences in reporter gene activity. Here we tested the possible contribution of differences in the availability of each substrate to the variegatedin planta luciferase activity, and we show whenin planta luciferase activity is measured under substrate equilibrium conditions and can be related to the promoter activity of the reporter gene. Furthermore, we demonstrate the effects of protein stability, apparent half-life of luciferase activity, regeneration of luciferase and pH on thein vivo andin vitro luciferase measurements. The combined results give the prerequisites for the correct utilisation of the luciferase reporter system, especially forin vivo gene expression studies in plant research.     

一种适于家蚕细胞激素研究的双荧光素酶报告基因系统的内参质粒的构建

双荧光素酶报告基因系统能够提供灵敏的读数,但该系统需要依赖组成型表达的内参对读数进行归一化。然而,大多数内参并不是在所有条件下都组成型表达。为此,文中建立了一个有效的方法制备适于家蚕细胞双荧光素酶报告基因系统的内参质粒。首先,突变BmV gP78启动子上的激素应答相关元件,获得了在家蚕细胞中稳定表达的组成型启动子BmV gP78M;然后,用BmV gP78M替换pRL-SV40质粒上的SV40启动子和嵌合内含子序列,成功构建了pRL-V gP78M内参质粒;最后,通过细胞转染实验证实pRL-V gP78M内参在家蚕细胞系中稳定表达,并且pRL-V gP78M内参的表达活性不受蜕皮激素、保幼激素及激素相关转录因子的影响。最终,获得了在家蚕细胞中稳定表达且表达量适中的内参质粒pRL-V gP78M。该内参可以有效地作为双荧光素酶报告基因系统的内参质粒用于家蚕细胞系中激素的研究。同时,该内参质粒的构建方法也为构建适于其他物种细胞系的双荧光素酶报告基因系统的内参质粒提供了参考。     

Kinetic analysis and modeling of firefly luciferase as a quantitative reporter gene in live mammalian cells

Firefly luciferase has proven to be a highly sensitive and quantitative reporter gene for studying gene delivery and regulation, and its recent use in live cells and organisms promises to further expand its utility. However, the intracellular behavior and properties of the enzyme are not well characterized. Specifically, information on the intracellular kinetics and stability of luciferase activity is necessary for real-time luminescence counts from live cells to be quantitatively meaningful. Here, we report a dynamic analysis of luciferase activity in the context of living mammalian cells. We have determined the relative light units measured in living cells to be proportional to that found in cell lysate. We have also calculated the K(m) of luciferase in living cells to be approximately 1 mM, a value much higher than the 10 microM found for pure enzyme in vitro. In addition, a 2-hour half-life of luciferase activity in live cells was measured in real time. Finally, we have modeled luciferase activity in live cells for the purposes of understanding and translating the luciferase signal into a more effective metric of gene expression and cell behavior.     

人p53启动子萤光素酶报告基因的构建及其活性测定

目的：克隆p53基因的启动子,插入萤光素酶报告基因载体,并检测启动子活性。方法：采用PCR技术从人肝癌细胞系HepG2基因组中扩增人p53启动子,插入萤光素酶报告基因载体pGL4．0-empty,将重组质粒转染293T、ZR75-1、HepG2、A549细胞,测定p53启动子的转录活性。结果：构建了p53启动子的萤光素酶报告基因;通过测序及质粒酶切鉴定,所构建的p53启动子正确;活性实验表明,报告基因在多种细胞中显示构建的p53启动子活性,并呈现一定的剂量效应;转录因子USF能以剂量效应方式提高p53报告基因的转录活性。结论：克隆了人p53启动子,为进一步研究调控p53的转录因子奠定了基础。     

猪CuZnSOD基因启动子的克隆鉴定及分析

猪铜锌超氧化物歧化酶(CuZnSOD)是一种重要的抗氧化酶,其功能已被广泛研究,但CuZnSOD基因的转录调控尚不明确。为了研究猪CuZnSOD基因的核心启动子区域,并对其转录调控机制进行探讨,运用PCR方法从猪基因组克隆CuZnSOD基因5′上游调控区853 bp的片段,然后通过巢式PCR方法获得5′末端逐渐缺失的启动子系列片段,并将这些片段定向插入到荧光素酶报告基因表达载体(pGL3-Basic)中。瞬时转染小鼠胚胎细胞(NIH/3T3),利用双荧光素酶报告基因检测不同长度启动子活性。检测结果显示,在CuZnSOD基因5′上游调控区-87 bp和-266 bp处分别存在2个潜在转录起始位点,-383 bp~+67 bp启动区活性最强,进一步缺失分析发现-75 bp~-32 bp区域内含有猪CuZnSOD基因转录所必需的基础启动子序列,其中存在多个潜在的转录因子结合位点,研究结果提示这些转录因子结合位点可能是参与CuZnSOD基因转录的重要调控序列。     

含p27启动子的荧光素酶报告基因的构建和活性测定

目的:克隆p27基因的启动子,插入荧光素酶报告基因载体中,并检测其活性。方法:采用PCR技术从人乳腺癌细胞系MCF-7基因组中扩增出p27启动子,插入荧光素酶报告基因载体pGL3-basic中,确定所扩增的DNA序列,在293T细胞中检测其活性。结果:测序结果显示扩增的p27启动子序列正确,活性实验表明构建的报告基因具有启动子活性,雌激素受体(ER)α能以剂量依赖的方式升高p27报告基因的转录。结论:克隆了p27启动子,为ERα共调节子的功能研究提供了重要基础。     

Thein vivo pattern of firefly luciferase expression in transgenic plants

Expression of the firefly luciferase gene in transgenic plants produces light emission patterns when the plants are supplied with luciferin. We explored whether inin vivo pattern of light emission truly reveals the pattern of luciferase gene expression or whether it reflects other parameters such as the availability of the substrate, luciferin, or the tissue-specific distribution of organelles in which luciferase was localized. The tissue-specific distribution of luciferase activity and thein vivo pattern of light were examined when the luciferase gene was driven by different promoters and when luciferase was redirected from the peroxisome, where it is normally targeted, to the chloroplast compartment. It was found that the distribution of luciferase activity closely correlated with the tissue-specific pattern of luciferase mRNA. However, thein vivo light pattern appeared to reflect not only tissue-specific distribution of luciferase activity, but also the pattern of luciferin uptake.     

含p21启动子的荧光素酶报告基因的构建和活性测定

目的:克隆p21基因的启动子,插入荧光素酶报告基因载体中,并检测其活性。方法:采用PCR技术从人乳腺癌细胞系MCF-7基因组中扩增出p21启动子,插入荧光素酶报告基因载体pGL3-basic中,确定所扩增的DNA序列,在293T细胞中检测其活性。结果:测序结果表明扩增的p21启动子序列正确,活性实验表明构建的报告基因具有启动子活性,雌激素受体(ER)α能以剂量依赖的方式升高p21报告基因的转录。结论:克隆了p21启动子,为ERα共调节子的功能研究提供了重要基础。     

DEK真核表达载体的构建及其对p53启动子活性的影响

目的：构建DEK的pcDNA3-Flag表达载体,研究其对抑癌基因p53启动子活性的影响。方法：以乳腺文库为模板,PCR扩增DEK编码序列,克隆到pcDNA3-Flag载体,构建成pcDNA3-Flag-DEK,转染293T细胞,Western印迹鉴定peDNA3-Flag载体介导的DEK的表达,萤光素酶报告基因活性实验研究DEK对p53启动子活性的影响。结果：双酶切实验证实得到pcDNA3-Flag-DEK阳性克隆;Western印迹实验发现DEK在293T细胞内表达;转录活性实验表明在ZR75-1乳腺癌细胞中,DEK呈剂量依赖性抑制p53启动子的活性。结论：构建了DEK的真核表达载体,并发现此表达载体能在ZR75-1乳腺癌细胞中抑制p53启动子活性。     

Low-light image analysis of transgenic organisms using bacterial luciferase as a marker

Methods for measurement of a novel light-emitting reporter gene system in bacteria, yeast, plant cells, plant tissues and intact plant organs are described. The principle underlying the assay procedures is the bacterial luciferase catalysed oxidation of reduced flavin mononucleotide (FMNH₂) in the presence of the ten carbon aldehyde decanal, to yield FMN, decanoic acid, water and a photon of light at 490 nm which can be captured by X-ray film, a photomultiplier tube or, for in vivo measurements, an image-intensifier coupled to a video camera. This light measuring assay system is sensitive, easy to use, inexpensive, does not require radioactivity, and has been used successfully for rapid detection of bacterial transformants, the quantitative measurement of transient and stable gene expression in bacteria and yeast, and in vivo measurement of temporal and spatial gene expression throughout plant and animal development.     

Novel monomeric luciferase enzymes as tools to study plant gene regulation in vivo

Taking advantage of a specially constructed vector, luciferase LuxA and LuxB subunits were connected in frame to different amino acid linkers to reproduce a series of monomeric luciferase enzymes. A comparison of their activities in E. coli cells demonstrated that the length of the linkers positively affected activity. One luciferase fusion gene was expressed in plant cells, and we showed that this gene activity could be monitored directly without destructive sampling.     

Characterization of gene expression during potato tuber development in individuals and populations using the luciferase reporter system

Analysis of gene expression and enzyme activity in pooled tuber samples has previously indicated different developmental events occurring in a fixed sequential order during tuber development, starting with the up-regulation of starch synthesis then induction of protein storage followed by cell division and cell enlargement. In this report we analysed in vivo promoter activity of genes related to cell division and storage of reserves during tuber development in individual in vitro tubers, using the non invasive firefly luciferase reporter system. The average activity of the storage related promoters (AGPaseS and Pat21) was up-regulated prior to visible swelling, while the average activity of both cell cycle genes (cycB1;1 and CDC2a) showed an up-regulation after the onset of swelling. However, this novel system allowed expression analysis in individual tubers, which showed a variable up-regulation of both storage genes in relation to the moment of swelling, from 4 days before to 10 days after the onset of swelling. We conclude that during the first stages of tuber development, the moment of storage gene induction is independent from swelling. These results indicate that the developmental program of potato tubers does not consist of a fixed sequential order of events, but consists of independent developmental programs (storage and swelling), together resulting in the formation of a potato tuber. It is concluded that analysis of developmental programs by studying individuals may result in new insights, possibly obscured when using pooled samples.