三角帆蚌BPI/LBP基因cDNA的分子特征及表达分析

杀菌通透性增加蛋白/脂多糖结合蛋白(bactericidal permeability-increasing protein/LPS-binding protein,BPI/LBP)在生物体的免疫应答过程中发挥着重要作用,但是在三角帆蚌中未见其相关的研究。我们采用RACE法获得三角帆蚌BPI/LBP基因c DNA全长(Gen Bank KX363568),该基因序列全长为1 793 bp,5'非编码区(untranslated region,UTR)和3'UTR分别为65 bp和219 bp,开放阅读框(open reading frame,ORF)1 509 bp,共编码氨基酸502个。氨基酸序列包括BPI1和BPI2两个结构域,同源性分析其与一些已知物种的BPI/LBP基因氨基酸发现各物种间具有相似的结构域,属于典型的BPI/LBP基因。q RT-PCR(Quantitative Real-time PCR)分析结果表明BPI/LBP基因表达于血液、肠、肾脏、外套膜、肝、腮、闭壳肌、性腺和斧足9个正常组织,表达量最高的是血液,最低的是肝脏。利用嗜水气单胞菌诱导后检测发现,血液、外套膜变化趋势最为明显,均呈现出先升高再降低的趋势,在3 h或12 h达到最大值,之后开始逐渐下降并趋于稳定,我们推测BPI/LBP基因在三角帆蚌的免疫反应中发挥着重要的作用。     

LPS受体及信号转导研究进展

内毒素脂多糖（LPS）可激活单核／巨噬细胞,产生一系列炎症反应,而LPS跨膜信号转导是引起细胞效应的关键。本文主要综述LPS结合蛋白（LBP）、LPS受体（mCD14、sCD14）以及Toll群受体（TLRs）在LPS激活细胞及信号跨膜传递中的重要作用。推测LPS／LBP与细胞膜CD14结合后,TLRs以及细胞外富含亮氨酸片段的重复序列识别LPS,将LPS的刺激信号跨膜转导,激活NF－kB信号途径导致效应基因的表达。     

巴西橡胶Pto类抗病同源序列的克隆与系统发育重建

番茄Pto基因是一类可以编码丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶(STK)序列的广谱抗性候选基因,其序列克隆与鉴定为深入了解番茄的抗病机制奠定了基础.在该研究中,一对依据Pto基因的保守序列设计的简并引物被用来扩增巴西橡胶中Pto基因抗病同源序列,扩增得到了一个约550 bp的基因片段,其随后被克隆并测序.序列分析发现,其中的7个抗病同源序列与Pto基因高度同源(BLASTX E value <3e-53),所以其被认为是Pto基因抗病同源序列(Pto-RGCs).通过巴西橡胶的Pto-RGCs多序列比对表明,这些序列包含了多个STKs保守的次级结构域.此外,系统发育分析也表明,巴西橡胶的Pto-RGCs属于Pto基因同源的R基因.该研究结果中Pto-RGCs可为巴西橡胶抗病的发展提供一个有效的基因资源.     

梅PGIP基因的启动子克隆及生物信息学分析

根据梅PGIP基因(GenBank登录号:DQ364056.1)5′端序列设计特异反向引物,利用染色体步行法获得了该基因上游1 037 bp的启动子序列.启动子结构分析表明,梅PGIP基因启动子序列与中国李PGIP基因启动子显著相似,相似度达89%~96%,较中国李PGIP基因启动子多一个100 bp的区段,与水稻和豆的启动子序列均无Blast比对结果.转录调控元件预测结果表明,克隆序列与豆相应序列的保守区存在着能调控抗病基因转录的GT1结合位点.     

活体生物药：生物技术推动的创新药研发前沿

随着微生物组学研究的深入,越来越多的研究证据显示微生物与人体的健康密切相关。20世纪,人们发现了益生菌,并将其作为有健康功效的食品或膳食补充剂使用。21世纪以来,随着人体微生物组学、DNA合成与测序,以及基因编辑等技术的飞速发展,微生物在人体健康方面展示出更为广阔的应用前景。近年来,在新药研发上,提出了“下一代益生菌”的概念,将微生物作为“活体生物药(live biotherapeutic products,LBP)”进行研究和开发。简单地说,LBP是活菌药物,可以用于预防或治疗人类的某些疾病和适应症。LBP因其独特的优势,成为了新药研发领域的前沿方向,具有十分广阔的发展前景。本文着重从生物技术角度介绍LBP的类型和研究进展,并总结了LBP开发所面临的挑战以及对未来的展望,以期为LBP技术的发展与产品开发提供参考。     

'黄金桃'PpAG基因克隆及其相似片段序列分析

以桃品种黄金桃为材料,通过同源克隆法获得了AGAMOUS基因的同源基因,命名为PpAG.序列分析表明:该基因全长为6 372 bp,含有8个外显子,大小为42~231 bp;7个内含子,大小为88~3 889 bp.Southern杂交结果表明,该基因在桃基因组中为单拷贝.此外,还获得了与PpAG基因5′端序列近似的一段序列,但该序列缺失了PpAG基因表达的关键序列.推测在桃基因组中PpAG基因只存在单拷贝,但可能存在着不能正常表达的基因或基因片段,从而影响雌蕊与雄蕊的形成和发育.     

加工番茄多聚半乳糖醛酸酶(PG)基因的cDNA克隆和全序列测定

以加工番茄"87-5”为材料,采用反转录PCR(RT-PCR)技术将加工番茄PG基因的cDNA序列克隆到pGEM-T载体上,并进行了全序列测定分析.结果表明,加工番茄的PG基因的cDNA与国内外报道的番茄PG基因的cDNA,在碱基序列及氨基酸序列上均有差异.说明番茄的PG基因具有多态性.     

酵母基因上游序列中潜在的转录正调控位点分析

前期研究表明,高效转录酵母基因内含子在序列长度、寡核苷酸使用、以及位置分布等方面都有着区别于低转录内含子的特征 . 进一步观察发现：上游基因间区域的序列长度与基因转录频率也有与内含子序列相同的现象,转录频率高的上游基因间序列一般都比转录频率低的长 . 对高效转录和低效转录上游基因间序列的寡核苷酸使用频率进行统计比较分析,抽提出高转录基因上游区可能的转录正调控元件 . 与酵母的所有非编码序列比较,这些可能的正调控元件基本上也是过表达的 (over-represented) ,其中多数和实验所得的一些位点特征相吻合 . 这些元件富含 G 、 C ,这与内含子中可能的正调控元件在碱基组成上有一定的互补性 . 从这些特征看,高效转录基因上游的序列结构确实有利于基因的转录 .     

一个血清抑制基因的克隆

比较血清培养细胞和血清饥饿细胞的基因表达差异,获得了一段血清饥饿细胞中特异表达的cDNA序列,以此序列出发,通过搜索表达序列标签(EST),拼接出完整的基因序列,通过PCR分段克隆获得全长cDNA序列.该基因全长5 429 bp,编码框预测有791个氨基酸残基.GenBank搜索,该基因与已有的细胞周期调控基因没有同源性.所以,该基因是一个新的与细胞周期有关的基因（GenBank接受号：AY050169）.由于该基因最初发现在无血清培养条件下表达,故叫血清抑制基因（serum inhibit gene,Si-1基因）.     

草莓果实MADS-box基因保守片段的克隆与序列分析

根据多种植物MADS-box基因保守区序列设计简并引物,应用PCR技术从草莓绿果中分高出33条MADS-box基因cDNA片段.序列分析表明,这些片段长度在137 - 146 bp之间,包含基因起始密码子.推导的氨基酸序列与已登录的草莓的MADS-box基因同源性超过87％.推导的氨基酸序列与已知的革莓和其他物种调控果实发育成熟的MADs-box基因以及拟南芥的MADS-box家族基因进行系统发育分析,可将这些基因片段分科归入拟南芥MADS-box基因不同亚家族中,证明草莓果实中存在各类MADS-box家族基因,克隆的部分片段可能参与调控果实发育和成熟软化的调节.     

Cellular laminin-binding protein and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus replication in Vero, 293 and 9S2 cells

The level of laminin-binding protein (LBP) expression on cellular membranes was studied in three cell lines including 293 cells transformed by plasmide with human LBP gene. Vero cells show a high level of LBP on the cell surfaces and demonstrate a high level of the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus replication. The inhibition of VEE virus replication was more than 200 times as much after treatment of Vero cell surfaces with monoclonal antibodies to human LBP. 293 cells have more low level of LBP on their surfaces but being transformed by plasmide with LBP human gene these cells showed an increase in the level of cellular LBP. The VEE virus replication in transformed cells (9S2) was more than 2000 times higher compared to 293 cells. The results obtained demonstrate a principal role of cellular LBP in VEE virus entry into mammalian cells. It can be proposed that LBP is a key cellular protein at the early stage of VEE virus replication in cells. So, LBP might be a target protein for development of some new generation of antiviral drugs that would be able to inhibit (enhance) the alphavirus replication in human cells.     

Human recombinant laminin-binding protein: isolation, purification, and crystallization

The mRNA of the precursor of laminin-binding protein (LBP) was isolated from a human embryo kidney cell line and cloned. The determined sequence of the LBP gene showed complete identity with the LBP genes isolated from human lung and large intestine cells. The human LBP was expressed by E. coli cells, and it was purified using Ni-NTA-Sepharose chromatography. The mobility of the homogeneous recombinant human laminin-binding protein on SDS-PAGE was 43 kD. A mixture of eight murine monoclonal antibodies, the MPLR Pool against LBP, reacted with the recombinant LBP in Western blot. The interaction of the antiidiotypical antibodies 10H10 and E6B provided evidence that the epitope binding to protein E of the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is also preserved on the human recombinant LBP. Enzyme immunoassay confirmed the ability of the recombinant LBP to interact with protein E of TBE virus. The biological activity of the recombinant LBP allowed us to perform X-ray analysis of the spatial arrangement of the LBP molecule using the recombinant protein. For this purpose, crystals of the human LBP were obtained by the standing drop version of the pore diffusion technique. The crystals appropriate for X-ray structural analysis were 0.3 x 0.1 x 0.05 mm in size. The X-ray diffraction field of the crystal extended to 2.5 A.     

Cellular laminin-binding protein and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus replication in Vero, 293 and 9S2 cells

The expression of the laminin-binding protein (LBP) on cellular membranes in different cell lines has been studied. A high level of replication of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus was registered in Vero cells with high levels of LBP on the cell surface. The treatment of Vero cells with monoclonal antibodies to human LBP reduced VEE virus replication by a factor of more than 200. A low level of LBP expression on the surface of 293 cells was increased via transfection by plasmid with gene for human LBP. The VEE virus replication in transfected cells (9S2) was increased by more that 2000 times compared to the 293 cells. The results demonstrated the principal role of cellular LBP in the entry of VEE virus into mammalian cells. It is proposed that LBP is a key cellular protein for the early stage of the VEE virus replication in cells. LBP may be a target protein for the development of a new generation of antiviral drugs capable of inhibiting (enhancing) the alphavirus replication in human cells.     

Three new human members of the lipid transfer/lipopolysaccharide binding protein family (LT/LBP)

We have identified three novel, rarely expressed human genes that encode new members of the lipid transfer/lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LT/LBP) gene family based on sequence homology. BPI and other members of the LT/LBP family are structurally related proteins capable of binding phospholipids and lipopolysaccharides. Real-time PCR studies indicate that BPIL1 and BPIL3 are highly expressed in hypertrophic tonsils. In situ hybridization analysis of BPIL2 shows prominent expression in skin specimens from psoriasis patients. BPIL1 and BPIL3 map to Chromosome 20q11; thus, these novel genes form a cluster with BPI and two other members of the LT/LBP gene family on the long arm of human Chr 20. BPIL2maps to Chr 22q13. The exon/intron organization of all three genes is highly conserved with that of BPI, suggesting evolution from a common ancestor.     

Lipopolysaccharide stimulates HepG2 human hepatoma cells in the presence of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein via CD14.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP), an opsonin for activation of macrophages by bacterial LPS, is synthesized in hepatocytes and is known to be an acute phase protein. Recently, cytokine-induced production of LBP was reported to increase 10-fold in hepatocytes isolated from LPS-treated rats, compared with those from normal rats. However, the mechanism by which the LPS treatment enhances the effect of cytokines remains to be clarified. In the present study, we examined whether LPS alone or an LPS/LBP complex directly stimulates the hepatocytes, leading to acceleration of the cytokine-induced LBP production. HepG2 cells (a human hepatoma cell line) were shown to express CD14, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored LPS receptor, by both RT/PCR and flow cytometric analyses. An LPS/LBP complex was an effective stimulator for LBP and CD14 production in HepG2 cells, but stimulation of the cells with either LPS or LBP alone did not significantly accelerate the production of these proteins. The findings were confirmed by semiquantitative RT/PCR analysis of mRNA levels of LBP and CD14 in HepG2 cells after stimulation with LPS alone and an LPS/LBP complex. In addition, two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to CD14 (3C10 and MEM-18) inhibited LPS/LBP-induced cellular responses of HepG2 cells. Furthermore, prestimulation of HepG2 cells with LPS/LBP augmented cytokine-induced production and gene expression of LBP and CD14. All these findings suggest that an LPS/LBP complex, but not free LPS, stimulates HepG2 cells via CD14 leading to increased basal and cytokine-induced LBP and CD14 production.     

Ribosome-associated protein LBP/p40 binds to S21 protein of 40S ribosome: analysis using a yeast two-hybrid system

The ribosome-associated protein LBP/p40, which was originally named after "laminin binding protein precursor p40," is distributed on the cell surface as laminin binding protein p67 (LBP/p67), in the nucleus, and on 40S ribosomes. In a broad range of eukaryotes, the localization of LBP/p40 on the 40S ribosome is well conserved. Two yeast homologs of LBP/p40 are believed to be essential for cell viability and each gene product probably corresponds to the assembly and/or stability of the 40S ribosomal subunit. The precise role of LBP/p40 in translation, however, remains to be elucidated, especially in higher eukaryotes. In this report, we used a yeast two-hybrid screening method to isolate molecules associated with human LBP/p40 protein on ribosomes. We found that the 40S ribosomal protein S21 was tightly bound with LBP/p40 in this yeast two-hybrid system and in in vitro analysis. Further, we discovered that the association required a broad region of the LBP/p40 amino acid sequence, which corresponds to the highly conserved region of LBP/p40 homologs among eukaryotes.     

An expanded family of proteins with BPI/LBP/PLUNC-like domains in trypanosome parasites: an association with pathogenicity?

Trypanosomatids are protozoan parasites that cause human and animal disease. Trypanosoma brucei telomeric ESs (expression sites) contain genes that are critical for parasite survival in the bloodstream, including the VSG (variant surface glycoprotein) genes, used for antigenic variation, and the SRA (serum-resistance-associated) gene, which confers resistance to lysis by human serum. In addition, ESs contain ESAGs (expression-site-associated genes), whose functions, with few exceptions, have remained elusive. A bioinformatic analysis of the ESAG5 gene of T. brucei showed that it encodes a protein with two BPI (bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein)/LBP (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein)/PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone)-like domains and that it belongs to a multigene family termed (GR)ESAG5 (gene related to ESAG5). Members of this family are found with various copy number in different members of the Trypanosomatidae family. T. brucei has an expanded repertoire, with multiple ESAG5 copies and at least five GRESAG5 genes. In contrast, the parasites of the genus Leishmania, which are intracellular parasites, have only a single GRESAG5 gene. Although the amino acid sequence identity between the (GR)ESAG5 gene products between species is as low as 15-25%, the BPI/LBP/PLUNC-like domain organization and the length of the proteins are highly conserved, and the proteins are predicted to be membrane-anchored or secreted. Current work focuses on the elucidation of possible roles for this gene family in infection. This is likely to provide novel insights into the evolution of the BPI/LBP/PLUNC-like domains.