小菜蛾NanosO基因启动子的克隆及功能验证

【目的】克隆小菜蛾Plutella xylostella NanosO基因PxnosO启动子,并验证其具有生殖腺特异性活性,以期应用于基因功能研究或转基因昆虫的构建,为小菜蛾等农业害虫的综合治理提供新的研究思路。【方法】根据小菜蛾基因组序列信息,利用PCR技术克隆NanosO的启动子并进行序列分析。构建PxnosO-EGFP表达质粒,利用脂质体细胞转染技术将PxnosO-EGFP和IE1-EGFP表达质粒转入到小菜蛾胚胎细胞系(Px-6)和草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda卵巢细胞系(Sf9)中,通过激光共聚焦荧光显微镜观察和qRT-PCR技术分别定性和定量分析EGFP基因的表达,验证小菜蛾NanosO启动子的活性。【结果】克隆获得小菜蛾PxnosO (Px004767)启动子区序列,长1 743 bp。对启动子序列进行分析,发现该序列不仅包含启动子共有核心元件TATA box以及上游启动子成分CAAT box和GC box等,还包含有数十个转录因子结合位点。利用细胞转染技术,在PxnosO启动子驱动下成功地在Px-6和Sf9细胞系中表达外源基因EGFP。【结论】克隆了小菜蛾NanosO基因PxnosO启动子,在细胞水平上验证其能驱动外源EGFP基因的表达,为分析PxnosO在小菜蛾不同发育时期的表达模式和PxnosO启动子在体内的功能验证奠定基础。     

Firefly luciferase gene: structure and expression in mammalian cells.

The nucleotide sequence of the luciferase gene from the firefly Photinus pyralis was determined from the analysis of cDNA and genomic clones. The gene contains six introns, all less than 60 bases in length. The 5' end of the luciferase mRNA was determined by both S1 nuclease analysis and primer extension. Although the luciferase cDNA clone lacked the six N-terminal codons of the open reading frame, we were able to reconstruct the equivalent of a full-length cDNA using the genomic clone as a source of the missing 5' sequence. The full-length, intronless luciferase gene was inserted into mammalian expression vectors and introduced into monkey (CV-1) cells in which enzymatically active firefly luciferase was transiently expressed. In addition, cell lines stably expressing firefly luciferase were isolated. Deleting a portion of the 5'-untranslated region of the luciferase gene removed an upstream initiation (AUG) codon and resulted in a twofold increase in the level of luciferase expression. The ability of the full-length luciferase gene to activate cryptic or enhancerless promoters was also greatly reduced or eliminated by this 5' deletion. Assaying the expression of luciferase provides a rapid and inexpensive method for monitoring promoter activity. Depending on the instrumentation employed to detect luciferase activity, we estimate this assay to be from 30- to 1,000-fold more sensitive than assaying chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression.     

Expression of a Bacillus subtilis pectate lyase gene in Pichia pastoris

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is an attractive heterologous protein expression host, mainly for genes from higher eukaryotes. However, no successful examples for the expression of bacterial gene encoding pectate lyase in P. pastoris have been reported. The present study reports for the first time the cloning and functional expression of the bacterial Bacillus subtilis gene encoding alkaline pectate lyase in P. pastoris. A molecular weight of 43,644 Da was calculated from the deduced amino acid sequence. A pectate lyase activity as high as 100 U/ml was attained in the fermentation broth of P. pastoris GS 115, which was about 10 times higher than when the gene is expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant pectate lyase was purified to homogeneity and maximal activity of the enzyme was observed at 65 °C, and pH 9.4. The recombinant enzyme showed a wider pH and thermal stability spectrum than the purified pectate lyase from B. subtilis WSHB04-02. Pectate lyase activity slightly increased in the presence of Mg²⁺ (ion) but decreased in the presence of other metal ions. Analysis of polygalacturonic acid degradation products by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry revealed that the degradation products were unsaturated trigalacturonic acid and unsaturated bigalacturonic acid, which confirms that the enzyme catalyzes a trans-elimination reaction.     

Convenient plasmid vectors for construction of chimeric mouse/human antibodies

Chimeric antibodies composed of mouse-derived variable regions and human-derived constant regions have been developed for clinical use. However, construction of chimeric mouse/human genes in expression vectors is time-consuming work. In this study, we developed convenient vectors for construction of chimeric mouse/human antibodies. The protocols are as follows: In mouse hybridomas and B cells, most active VH and V kappa genes can be identified as rearranged bands by Southern hybridization of EcoRI- and HindIII-digested DNAs with JH and J kappa probes, respectively, and such fragments can be isolated in lambda-EcoRI and lambda-HindIII vectors, respectively. We constructed two plasmids: pSV2-HG 1 gpt contains human C gamma 1 and Ecogpt genes, and only one EcoRI site upstream of the C gamma 1 gene; pSV2-HC kappa neo contains human C kappa and neo genes, and only one HindIII site upstream of the C kappa gene. An isolated EcoRI fragment containing a VHDHJH gene and a HindIII fragment containing a V kappa J kappa gene are inserted into pSV2-HC kappa neo, respectively. Both resulting plasmid DNAs are co-transfected into SP2/0 cell, a non-Ig-secreting mouse myeloma. Transformants are selected by both mycophenolic acid and G418. With this procedure, it takes only 2 months to obtain chimeric antibodies.     

Expression of an ouabain-resistant Na,K-ATPase in CV-1 cells after transfection with a cDNA encoding the rat Na,K-ATPase alpha 1 subunit

We have used a gene transfer system to investigate the relationship between expression of the rat Na,K-ATPase alpha 1 subunit gene and ouabain-resistant Na,K-ATPase activity. A cDNA clone encoding the entire rat Na,K-ATPase alpha 1 subunit was inserted into the expression vector pSV2neo. This construct (pSV2 alpha 1) conferred resistance to 100 microM ouabain to ouabain-sensitive CV-1 cells. Hybridization analysis of transfected clones revealed the presence of both rat-specific and endogenous Na,K-ATPase alpha 1 subunit DNA and mRNA sequences. A single form of highly ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake was detected in CV-1 cells, whereas two distinct classes of ouabain-inhibitable uptake were observed in transfectants. One class exhibited the high ouabain sensitivity of the endogenous monkey Na,K-ATPase, while the second class showed the reduced ouabain sensitivity characteristic of the rodent renal Na,K-ATPase. Examination of the ouabain-sensitive, sodium-dependent ATPase activity of the transfectants also revealed a low affinity component of Na,K-ATPase activity characteristic of the rodent kidney enzyme. These results suggest that expression of the rat alpha 1 subunit gene is directly responsible for ouabain-resistant Na,K-ATPase activity in transfected CV-1 cells.     

稀有鮈鲫HSP70基因启动子的克隆及功能分析

热休克蛋白70(HSP70)作为一种分子伴侣,在环境毒理学中受到广泛研究。前期研究表明稀有鮈鲫HSP70基因(GrHSP70)表达量与五氯酚(pentachlorophenol, PCP)处理的浓度和时间在肝脏中呈现剂量/时间-依赖效应。为探究启动子在热休克蛋白70表达调控中的作用,根据已知的GrHSP70 cDNA序列,采用染色体步移技术克隆了GrHSP70的5'侧翼区的核苷酸序列。生物信息学分析从预测的转录起始位点(C)起的5'侧翼区域共1 487bp,潜在的转录因子结合位点包括雌激素响应元件(ERE)、Sp1结合位点(Sp1)、糖皮质激素响应元件(GRE)、TATA结合蛋白(TBP)、CCAAT/增强子蛋白结合位点(C/EBP)、Oct-1结合位点(Oct-1)、GATA转录因子结合位点(GATA-1)等。实验构建了含有启动子缺失片段的萤火虫萤光素酶(firefly luciferase)和海肾萤光素酶(renilla luciferase)报告基因表达载体,瞬时转染HeLa细胞后,利用双荧光活性检测确定获得的GrHSP70启动子具有启动活性,其核心启动位点位于转录起始点上游-1 487~-1 093bp。同时,用不同浓度PCP暴露成功转染了重组质粒(pGL-HSP70 promoter-Luc+)的HeLa细胞,培养24h后检测双荧光活性,与对照相比,随PCP浓度的增加,荧光活性均显著增加。说明在稀有鮈鲫肝脏中PCP会通过激活GrHSP70启动子来诱导GrHSP70表达,但PCP在稀有鮈鲫体内通过何种机制来调节HSP70的合成,仍然需要进一步研究。