Developmental stage-related expression and identification of murine erythroid differentiation-denucleation factor (MEDDF)

Using MEDDF cDNA fragment in plasmid pBS-SK-MEDDF as template the coding sequence was cloned into pGEM-T-Easy plasmid by PCR method to delete non-coding sequence. After DNA sequencing it was confirmed that the clone sequence was correct, the coding region then was inserted into the vector pET-30α between BamH I and Hind III to construct eukaryotic expression vector. It was found that the specific protein was up to 40% of total bactorial proteins in certain high-expression E. coli. High titer of anti-sera was detected by inoculating New Zealand rabbits with purified MEDDF protein as an antigen. By using immunocytochemical staining it was demonstrated that the expression of MEDDF was exhibited in a developmental stage-specific manner, suggesting that MEDDF may play a certain role in the initiation of murine erythroid terminal differentiation and nuclear condensation. As for the expression of MEDDF appearing in granu-locytes and megakaryocyter in murine bone marrow, it may indicate that there is an origina     

Isolation and analysis of an Abelson murine leukemia virus-encoded tyrosine-specific kinase produced in Escherichia coli

A segment of the coding sequence of the Abelson murine leukemia virus transforming gene (v-abl) has been inserted into a plasmid vector that allows its efficient and regulated expression in Escherichia coli. The product of the v-abl-derived coding sequence, designated p60v-abl, accumulated to a level of approximately 10% of total E. coli protein. A procedure is described for the isolation of p60v-abl from E. coli that yields about 50 micrograms of p60v-abl/g wet weight of E. coli. p60v-abl was capable of autophosphorylation and phosphorylating certain E. coli proteins specifically at tyrosine residues. The E. coli-expressed p60v-abl specifically phosphorylated tyrosine residues on casein and angiotensin II. The Km and Vmax values for ATP, casein, and angiotensin II in the p60v-abl kinase reaction have been determined and compared to values reported for other tyrosine-specific kinases. The expression system and isolation procedure described here permit the preparation of functional p60v-abl in quantities sufficient for detailed physical and biochemical characterization and examination of its biological action(s).     

Inhibition of the synthesis of proteins needed for Epstein-Barr virus replication by antisense RNA against the zta gene

Antisense RNA complementary to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) Zta gene, an immediate-early gene encoding a transactivator, was applied to inhibit EBV protein synthesis during its lytic cycle. A DNA fragment containing the Zta gene sequence was inserted into an expression vector, pMAMneo, in a sense and antisense direction under a dexamethasone-inducible murine mammary tumor virus LTR promoter, resulting in the construction of plasmids pZ(+) and pZ(–), respectively. Synthesis of Zta protein was reduced in pZ(–)-transfected cells upon dexamethasone induction. Because D-form early antigen and DNA polymerase are essential for viral DNA replication, the contents of these two viral proteins were examined. Amounts of the two lytic proteins were observed to be significantly repressed in pZ(–)-transfected cells. In contrast, both proteins were normally expressed in the sense plasmid pZ(+) or cells transfected with vector alone. Above results demonstrate that Zta antisense RNA can reduce the production of Zta protein and the other lytic proteins, possibly resulting in the inhibition of EBV replication.     

Cloning and expression of a collagen-analog-encoding synthetic gene in Escherichia coli

A family of totally synthetic genes coding for multiple tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence (Gly-Pro-Pro) has been prepared and inserted into the ClaI cloning site of the expression vector pJL6. A representative recombinant plasmid, pAC1, with an insert of about 340 bp was established in an Escherichia coli strain bearing a defective λ prophage, to study expression of the CII-collagen analog fusion protein produced from pAC1 upon heat induction. Authentic fusion protein production was demonstrated by nucleotide sequencing, Northern-blot analysis, and in vivo synthesis. Conversion of a wild-type rpoH allele to the rpoH165 mutation was shown to suppress proteolysis of the unstable fusion protein.     

Inhibition Site of Cupric Ions on the Growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans on Sulfur-salts Medium

The cDNA sequence coding for tuna growth hormone (tGH) was placed under the control of the repressible acid phosphatase (PHO5) promoter of a yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in an expression plasmid, pAM82. The yeast cells transformed with the plasmid synthesized tGH only when the cDNA was attached to the vector through a synthetic oligonucleotide linker having a similar sequence to the 5′-flanking region of the PHO5 structural region. The amount of tGH produced in yeast cells accounted for more than 3% of the total cellular protein and the product was immunologically identified as tGH by Western blotting using polyclonal antibodies specific to tGH.     

Construction, characterization and expression of full length cDNA clone of sheep YAP1 gene

RT-PCR, 5′RACE, 3′RACE were used to clone sheep full length cDNA sequence of YAP1 (Yes-associated protein 1), eukaryotic expression plasmid and a mutant that cannot be phosphorylated at Ser42 was successfully constructed. The amino acid sequence analysis revealed that sheep YAP1 gene encoded water-soluble protein and its relative molecular weight and isoelectric point was 44,079.0 Da and 4.91, respectively. Sub-cellular localization of YAP1 was in the nucleus, it is hydrophilic non-transmembrane and non-secreted protein. YAP1 protein contained 33 phosphorylation sites, seven glycosylation sites and two WW domains. The secondary structure of YAP1 was mainly composed of random coil, while the tertiary structure of domain area showed a forniciform helix structure. YAP1 gene was expressed in different tissues, the highest expression was in kidney and the lowest was in hypothalamus. The CDS of sheep YAP1was amplified by RT-PCR from healthy sheep longissimus dorsi muscle, cloned into pMD19-T simple vector by T/A ligation. YAP1 coding region was further sub-cloned into pEGFP-C1 vector by T4 Ligase to construct a eukaryotic expression plasmid and then make the eukaryotic expression vector as the template to construct the phosphorylation site mutant. PCR, restriction enzyme and sequencing were used to confirm the recombinant plasmid. The sheep full-length YAP1 cDNA sequence is 1712 in length encoding 403 amino acids. It was confirmed that the sheep YAP1 CDS was correctly inserted into eukaryotic expression vector and serine had been mutated to alanine by PCR, restriction digestion and sequencing. The result showed that the recombinant plasmid pEGFP-C1-YAP1 and pEGFP-C1-YAP1 S42A was constructed correctly, this will help for further studies on the YAP1 protein expression and its biological activities.     

Expression of a phenylcoumaran benzylic ether reductase-like protein in the ovules of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium hirsutum</Emphasis>

Two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in wild-type (DP 5690) and fiberless (SL 1-7-1) cotton ovules. One protein, designated V2 was unique to ovules of the fiber producing DP 5690 line. The protein was purified from 2D-PAGE of 4 d post anthesis DP 5690 ovules and partially sequenced. The short amino acid sequence was nearly identical to the deduced amino acid sequence for cotton phenylcoumaran benzylic ether reductase (PCBER) protein. A consensus sequence was assembled from ESTs encoding cotton PCBER genes, primers were designed, and a full length gene was amplified from plasmid DNA from a 72 h etiolated cotton cotyledon library. The polymerase chain reaction generated a 950 bp product with unique EcoRI (5′) and (3′) KpnI restriction sites for directional insertion into the expression vector pPICZA. Nucleotide sequencing was performed, and the full length coding region was 924 bp encoding a protein of 308 amino acids. The molecular mass and pI measured (2D PAGE) were similar to the theoretical protein.     

CLONING OF MELITTIN cDNA FROM HONEYBEE INTO THE HIGH EXPREHION PLASMID OF ESCHERICHIA COLI*

Abstract Total mRNA from venom glands of newly emerged queen bees was reversely transcribed into cDNA and cloned into the EcoRI site of plasmid λgt11; cDNA library for bee venom was thus constructed. PCR technique was used to produce the melittin coding sequence from the cDNA library. A 87 bp product was produced and inserted into the EcoRI and PstI sites of the high level expression vector pBV220. Recombinant plasmid pBM95 was transformed into the competent cells of E.coli JM101. After screening transformants on LB medium with ampicilin, structure of the recombinant plasmid pBM95 from transformants was analyzed and melittin gene in pBM95 was sequenced. The cloned cDNA coding for honey bee melittin was obtained.     

Repetin (Rptn), a New Member of the “Fused Gene” Subgroup within the S100 Gene Family Encoding a Murine Epidermal Differentiation Protein

We report the cloning and characterization of a murine epidermal differentiation gene, repetin (Rptn), exhibiting striking similarity to the genes of the intermediate filament-associated proteins profilaggrin and trichohyalin. The repetin gene consists of three exons and two introns. The first exon is short and untranslated. The deduced amino acid sequence distributed between exons II and III contains 1130 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 130 kDa and pIof 7.7. The amino terminus exhibits significant homology to the S100 proteins containing two calcium-binding motifs of the EF-hand type. The remainder coding sequence contains a central segment consisting of 49 tandem repeats of a 12-amino-acid sequence rich in glutamines. By fluorescencein situhybridization the repetin gene was localized to chromosome band 3 F1-2. Expression of repetin mRNA is detectable in the stratified internal epithelia of forestomach and tongue and to a lesser degree in normal skin epidermis, where it is restricted to the differentiated suprabasal cell layers. Based on its chromosomal localization, its genomic organization, and its stage-specific expression during late epidermal differentiation, as well as on the structural features of the encoded protein, we conclude that the repetin gene represents a novel member of the “fused gene” subgroup of the S100 gene family encoding multifunctional epidermal matrix proteins.     

Use of Aspergillus overproducing mutants,cured for intergrated plasmid,to overproduce heterologous proteins

Aspergillus niger var. awamori was previously transformed with a vector designed to express a fused glucoamylase-prochymosin gene and bearing the Neurospora crassa pyr4 gene as a selectable marker. Mutant strains that overproduced the glucoamylase-prochymosin fusion protein were derived from one of the transformants. Despite the fact that the expression vector was integrated into the genome of these strains it was possible to obtain strains from which the vector sequences had been removed. This was performed by selection against the pyr4 gene present on the expression vector using 5-fluoroorotic acid. The cured strains were retransformed in order to investigate production of heterologous proteins using other expression vectors. In addition to the glucoamylase-prochymosin fusion protein, the mutant Aspergillus strains also over-produced Rhizomucor miehei aspartic proteinase but not preprochymosin produced as a non-fusion protein. The ability to select for loss of integrated plasmid from Aspergillus transformants may prove to be important for a variety of applications. Correspondence to: M. Ward     

Human HOXA5 homeodomain enhances protein transduction and its application to vascular inflammation

Cellular protein delivery is an emerging technique by which exogenous recombinant proteins are delivered into mammalian cells across the membrane. We have developed an Escherichia coli expression vector including human specific gene sequences for protein cellular delivery. The plasmid was generated by ligation the nucleotides 770–817 of the homeobox A5 mRNA sequence which was matched with protein transduction domain (PTD) of homeodomain protein A5 (HOXA5) into pET expression vector. The cellular uptake of HOXA5-PTD-EGFP was detected in 1 min and its transduction reached a maximum at 1 h within cell lysates. The cellular uptake of HOXA5-EGFP at 37 °C was greater than in 4 °C. For study for the functional role of human HOXA5-PTD, we purified HOXA5-APE1/Ref-1 and applied it on monocyte adhesion. Pretreatment with HOXA5-APE1/Ref-1 (100 nM) inhibited TNF-α-induced monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells, compared with HOXA5-EGFP. Taken together, our data suggested that human HOXA5-PTD vector provides a powerful research tools for uncovering cellular functions of proteins or for the generation of human PTD-containing proteins.     

肥胖基因的分离及其在大肠杆菌中的表达

利用PCR技术自外周血白细胞染色体DNA中扩增获取了肥胖基因(ob基因)的外显子2和3序列.经过拼接,获得了全长的ob基因编码序列. 测序结果表明,获得的序列与文献报道完全一致.利用PCR技术扩增出成熟蛋白的编码序列,克隆至表达载体pBV220中获得了表达菌株,并对表达产物进行了初步纯化,为进一步研究ob基因产物的功能与应用奠定了基础.     

垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活肽基因的合成表达与活性研究

根据文献报道垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活肽(pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide, PACAP)的氨基酸序列,推导出其核苷酸序列并设计成部分互补的6条寡核苷酸片段,利用DNA合成仪人工合成、纯化这6条寡核苷酸片段,通过片段退火、连接、克隆及测序鉴定获得了PACAP基因.将PACAP基因克隆至pGEX-4T-3质粒中转化BL21进行表达分析,融合蛋白约占细胞总蛋白的30％,其中部分为可溶性,部分以包涵体形式存在.通过亲和层析纯化GST-PACAP融合蛋白,该蛋白质能促进PC12细胞轴突生长及脊髓神经元存活.     

垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活肽基因的合成表达与活性研究

根据文献报道垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活肽(pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide, PACAP)的氨基酸序列,推导出其核苷酸序列并设计成部分互补的6条寡核苷酸片段,利用DNA合成仪人工合成、纯化这6条寡核苷酸片段,通过片段退火、连接、克隆及测序鉴定获得了PACAP基因.将PACAP基因克隆至pGEX-4T-3质粒中转化BL21进行表达分析,融合蛋白约占细胞总蛋白的30％,其中部分为可溶性,部分以包涵体形式存在.通过亲和层析纯化GST-PACAP融合蛋白,该蛋白质能促进PC12细胞轴突生长及脊髓神经元存活.     

小鼠Nanog基因的克隆及其在大肠杆菌中的表达

按照nanog基因编码序列设计合成引物,利用RT-PCB从小鼠的囊胚期胚胎中扩增得到该 基因,并将该基因克隆到pET-28b(+)载体上,获得pET-28b(+)-nanog原核表达重组质粒,限制 性酶分析和DNA序列测定均证实该克隆插入片段为nanog基因编码序列。重组质粒转化大肠杆 菌BL21(DE3),经IPTG诱导表达,在大肠杆菌表达系统中获得了高效表达,western杂交证实该 蛋白具有6-His抗原活性,从而证实目的蛋白为Nanog蛋白。