组蛋白与hAMFR基因启动子的结合对体外转录活性的影响

采用从鸡血红细胞中分离纯化的组蛋白,从ＨｅＬａ细胞核中萃取的含有ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ⅱ和多种Ⅱ类基因转录因子的可溶性抽提物,以及从非洲爪蟾卵细胞核中撮以的萃取物热处理物上清用于核小体构建,以含有人自泌移动因子受体基因启动子序列的ＤＮＡ片段为模板进行体外转录实验,结果表明,组蛋白和转录因子在ｈＡＭＦＲ基因启动子序列上的竞争性结合对转录活性具有重要的影响作用,在启动子区域预先构建的核小体能够抑制转录活性;     

组蛋白乙酰转移酶的研究进展

组蛋白乙酰化与基因转录等生物效应有密切的关系,组蛋白乙酰化主要是由组蛋白乙酰转移酶催化的。 要介绍了基因转录有关组蛋白乙酰转移酶,包括ＨＡＴＡ／Ｇｃｎ５ｐ、ｐ３００／ＣＢＰ、ｐ／ＣＡＦ、ＡＣＴＲ、Ｓｒｃ１、ＴＡＦ Ⅱ ２５０、Ｅｌｐ３等的来源,与其相互作用的蛋白质及其主要功能。     

衰老过程中鼠肝细胞核体外重组的转录活性

本文以０．３５ｍｏｌ／ＬＫＣｌ抽提不同年龄鼠肝细胞,将抽提后细胞核分别与抽提物、纯化的染色质高迁移率非组蛋白（ＨＭＧ）及组蛋白Ｈ１进行重组。结果发现,０．３５ｍｏｌ／ＬＫＣｌ抽提后老年鼠肝细胞与断乳鼠肝细胞核抽提物重组转录活性高于其与自身或青年鼠肝细胞核抽提液重组者。还发现高迁移率非组蛋白可提高抽提后鼠肝细胞核转录活性,对断乳鼠的作用最强;但不影响未经抽提的细胞核转录活性。相反,组蛋白Ｈ１则可抑制各年龄组鼠肝细胞核的转录活性。     

衰老过程中鼠肝细胞核体外重组的转录活性

本文以０．３５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ ＫＣｌ抽提不同年龄鼠肝细胞,将抽提后细胞核分别与抽提物、纯化的染色质高迁移率非组蛋白（ＨＭＧ）及组蛋白Ｈ１进行重组。结果表现,０．３５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ ＫＣｌ抽提后老年鼠肝细胞与断乳鼠肝细胞核抽提物重组转录活性高于其与自身或青年鼠肝细胞核抽提液重组者。还发现高迁移率非组蛋白可提高抽提后鼠肝细胞核转录活性,对断乳鼠的作用最强;但不影响未经抽提的细胞核转录活性。相反,组蛋白Ｈ１则可     

羟基脲促进HEL细胞分化机制的研究

以往研究表明, 用羟基脲诱导人红白血病细胞（ＨＥＬｃｅｌｌ）后, 能促进成年型β珠蛋白基因表达, 使ＨＥＬ细胞趋向终末分化。本文试图进一步揭示羟基脲诱导ＨＥＬ细胞分化的分子机制。ＧＭＳＡ 与Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ 印迹分析结果显示, 随着羟基脲诱导ＨＥＬ 细胞时间延长, 细胞核内的ＧＡＴＡ１ 转录因子的含量增加, 它与β珠蛋白基因５＇旁侧ＤＮＡ 序列内一个正调控序列（ＰＣＲ：－ ２２３～－ １９４ ｂｐ） 以及人工合成的ＧＡＴＡＤＮＡ 序列结合能力增加; 与此相反,细胞核内的ＧＡＴＡ２ 转录因子的含量下降, 它与ＧＡＴＡＤＮＡ 序列结合能力也下降。此外, 还检测到在羟基脲诱导ＨＥＬ细胞后, 核内与ＹＹ１ 类似的一个转录因子含量也迅速下降。实验结果表明ＧＡＴＡ２ 可能在红系细胞早期分化中起重要作用, 而ＧＡＴＡ１ 则在红系细胞终末分化过程中起调控作用。推测类似ＹＹ１ 的一个转录因子可能具有抑制ＨＥＬ细胞趋向终末分化的功能     

表皮生长因子对游离细胞核特异基因体外转录的影响

ＥＧＦ作用于ＮＣ３Ｈ１０和ＴＣ３Ｈ１０细胞核,对ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ⅱ有促进作用,但对ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ⅰ和酶Ⅲ没有影响,此外还发现转化细胞核内的ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ⅰ和酶Ⅱ的活性比正常细胞高１倍多。但两种细胞的ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ⅱ差别不大。同时,以非放射性标记的ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ＣＬＮ１、ＣＬＮ３探针进行点杂交,结果发现,ＥＧＦ直接作用于细胞核可使ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ＣＬＮ１基因的转录水平提高;但是,对ＣＬＮ３无影响。     

表皮生长因子对游离细胞核特异基因体外转录的影响

ＥＧＦ作用于ＮＣ３Ｈ１０和ＴＣ３Ｈ１０细胞核,对ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ⅱ有促进作用,但对ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ｉ和酶Ⅲ没有影响,此外还发现转化细胞核内的ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ｉ和酶Ⅲ的活性比正常细胞高１倍多,但两种细胞的ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ⅱ差别不大,同时,以非放射性标记的ｃ－ｆｏｓ,ＣＬＮ１,ＣＬＮ３探针进行点杂交,结果发现,ＥＧＦ直接作用于细胞核可使ｃ－ｆｏｓ,ＣＬＮ１基因的转录水平提高,但是,对ＣＬＮ３无影响。     

人分裂细胞核抗原基因片段的筛选、测序及对启动子的分析

经６．６×１０５个克隆筛选,从装在λ噬菌体载体Ｃｈａｒｏｎ３０中的人基因库中筛选到了一个含人分裂细胞核抗原（ＰＣＮＡ）基因的克隆。经Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交分析插入基因长约１４ｋｂ,有较长的５＇上游区,但３＇端缺少一部分。经亚克隆和测序已确定从５＇上游１２６３ｂｐ到３＇端与λ载体接点共４９６９ｂｐＰＣＮＡ基因片段的核苷酸序列。将ＰＣＮＡ基因启动子核苷酸序列与ＤＮＡ聚合酶α,拓扑异构酶Ⅱα,胸苷酸激酶基因的启动子进行比较有３０％以上同源性,具有“看家基因”特征。在转录起始点的５＇上游几百ｂｐ的范围内都有与ＣＡＴ,ＳＰ１,Ｅ２Ｆ,ＮＦＨＢ,Ｏｃｔ１和ＡＴＦ等转录因子的结合位点相似的核苷酸序列。     

核受体辅助因子及其信号转导

类固醇激素、核受体及其辅助因子在细胞增殖、分化中起重要的作用。核受体与相应的配体结合后同细胞内的辅助激活因子ＣＢＰ／Ｐ３００、ＰＣＡＦ、Ｐ／ＣＩＰ和ＳＲＣ家族等结合形成的复合物能使组蛋白乙酰化促进基因的转录,当缺乏配体时核受体同辅助抑制因子ＳＭＲＩ、mSin3A及ＨＡＤ１具有很强的结合力使组蛋白去乙酰化抑制基因的转录活性。ＭＡＰＫ、ＰＫＡ、ＡＰ－１、Ｓap-a、ＪＡＫ／ＳＴＡＴ、ＪＡＫ信号传导中核受体辅助因子参与信号传导过程影响基础的转录。     

黑曲霉糖化酶基因表达调控的研究：Ⅱ.A.niger T21和3.795glaA基因 …

对糖化酶高产菌株Ａ．ｎｉｇｅｒＴ２１和原始菌株Ａ．ｎｉｇｅｒ３．７９５和ｇｌａＡ５′上游区的序列分析证明,两者在１．５ｋｂ的区域内有９个部位的碱基不同。为考察这些碱基差异是否是引起Ｔ２１ｇｌａＡ基因转录水平提高的原因,构建了以Ｔ２１和３．７９５ａｌａＡ基因转录调控区及Ａ．ｎｉｄｕｌａｎｓ ｔｒｐＣ基因终止子为表达元件的Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ ｈｐｈ基因表达载体（ｐＸＨ１２和ｐＧＨ１）,用ｐＸＨ２和ｐＧＨ１分     

Histone H2A ubiquitination does not preclude histone H1 binding, but it facilitates its association with the nucleosome

Histone H2A ubiquitination is a bulky posttranslational modification that occurs at the vicinity of the binding site for linker histones in the nucleosome. Therefore, we took several experimental approaches to investigate the role of ubiquitinated H2A (uH2A) in the binding of linker histones. Our results showed that uH2A was present in situ in histone H1-containing nucleosomes. Notably in vitro experiments using nucleosomes reconstituted onto 167-bp random sequence and 208-bp (5 S rRNA gene) DNA fragments showed that ubiquitination of H2A did not prevent binding of histone H1 but it rather enhanced the binding of this histone to the nucleosome. We also showed that ubiquitination of H2A did not affect the positioning of the histone octamer in the nucleosome in either the absence or the presence of linker histones.     

Triiodothyronine nuclear receptor. Role of histones and DNA in hormone binding

The triiodothyronine (T3) nuclear receptor was previously shown to lose rapidly its high affinity hormone-binding property after a partial purification from the nuclear extract. It was then found that histones + DNA added to the incubation medium with labeled T3 could restore, at least in part, the high affinity T3 binding. We now demonstrate that DNA alone increases the high affinity T3 binding site concentration moderately, and only at low ionic strength where it can bind to the receptor. Total histones and all histone fractions studied (total core histones, F2a, H2B, H3, H4, H1) specifically increase, at low concentrations, the level of T3 binding; but higher concentrations of some individualized histones, particularly arginine-rich histones, have an inhibitory effect. DNA, or several other polynucleotides, in the presence of histones increase the stimulating histone effect and reverse the inhibitory effect into a true activation. Histones increase the number of T3 binding sites but decrease the affinity for T3; addition of DNA restores the high affinity for T3 and stabilizes the T3-receptor complexes. Thus, some of the histone molecules could play a role in the maintenance of the T3 binding site, but multiple interactions between histones or with DNA seem necessary to impair the negative effect exerted by other parts of the histone molecules. Whether these positive and negative effects of histones on the T3 binding site are of biological relevance in the regulation of T3 binding to its receptor remains to be determined.     

Specific binding of Alu sequences by HeLa nuclear extracts

Plasmid Blur 8 which contains the 300bp human Alu consensus sequence and plasmid pBR322 were digested with restriction enzymes and the fragments obtained end labelled with 32P-gamma-ATP. The end labelled fragments were incubated with HeLa nuclear extracts and the incubation mixtures passed through a nitrocellulose filter. The 300bp alu consensus sequence was preferentially retained on the filter. The HeLa nuclear extract did not preferentially bind any fragments generated from pBR322 and histones which bind nonspecifically all DNA fragments did not preferentially bind the alu sequence. We conclude that the HeLa nuclear extract contains components which specifically bind the human alu sequence.     

Eucaryotic cell components that bind to chlamydial elementary bodies: the histones

HeLa-cell-membrane fractions isolated by sonication as used previously to identify chlamydial adhesins were examined by a blotting technique for binding chlamydial elementary bodies (EB). One HeLa cell protein with apparent molecular mass of 32 kDa was found to bind native EB. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) raised against this chlamydial binding host-cell protein reacted with eucaryotic histones. Histone fractions were capable of binding EB in an ELISA assay and histone H1 was identified as the chlamydial-binding host cell protein in the Hela cell membrane fraction. Probing with specific mAbs against histone H3 and DNA confirmed that chromatin components were present in the host-cell membrane extract. These data suggest that the HeLa-cell-binding chlamydial proteins were previously identified by their reaction with chromatin and not with membrane components.     

Sequence preference of mouse H1(0) and H1t.

Histone H1 proteins bind to DNA and are important in formation and maintenance of chromatin structure. Little is known about differences among variant H1 histones in their interactions with DNA. We examined the effects of histones H1(0) and H1t on thermal denaturation of several DNA species. One of the DNA molecules was a 214-base-pair fragment from the plasmid pBR322, which contains an AT-rich and a GC-rich region. Both H1(0) and H1t bound preferentially to one region of the DNA fragment, a region that is relatively GC-rich. This result indicates that histones H1(0) and H1t are not totally nonspecific but rather bind with some sequence preference to DNA. This conclusion was supported by studies of other DNA species, including two 92-base-pair fragments derived from the two regions of the 214-mer, and several synthetic homocopolymers of DNA. Data obtained with the homocopolymers suggested that the binding preference was not simple preference for GC base pairs. The binding of the two H1 variants was not identical: there appear to be differences in binding site sizes, affinities, and sequence selectivities between H1t and H1(0).     

Hsl7p, the yeast homologue of human JBP1, is a protein methyltransferase

The yeast protein Hsl7p is a homologue of Janus kinase binding protein 1, JBP1, a newly characterized protein methyltransferase. In this report, Hsl7p also is shown to be a methyltransferase. It can be crosslinked to [(3)H]S-adenosylmethionine and exhibits in vitro protein methylation activity. Calf histones H2A and H4 and bovine myelin basic protein were methylated by Hsl7p, whereas histones H1, H2B, and H3 and bovine cytochrome c were not. We demonstrated that JBP1 can complement Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a disrupted HSL7 gene as judged by a reduction of the elongated bud phenotype, and a point mutation in the JBP1 S-adenosylmethionine consensus binding sequence eliminated all complementation by JBP1. Therefore, we conclude the yeast protein Hsl7p is a sequence and functional homologue of JBP1. These data provide evidence for an intricate link between protein methylation and macroscopic changes in yeast morphology.     

Differences among subfractions of H1 histone in retention of linear and superhelical DNA on filters

Four kinds of rabbit thymus H1 histone differ among themselves in their ability to retain DNA on nitrocellulose filters. This is true for linear, or superhelical DNA, but the order of effectiveness of the different H1 histones depends on the physical conformation of the DNA. For linear DNA the binding efficiencies of the H1 histones are: RTL2 = RTL3 greater than RTL4 greater than RTL1. This order of effectiveness parallels the effectiveness of the H1 histones previously found for the condensation of linear DNA as observed by circular dichroism and viscosity. The binding efficiencies of the various histones toward superhelical DNA were: RTL4 greater than RTL3 greater than RTL1 greater than RTL2. The variation in amino acid sequence between different rabbit thymus H1 histones might thus introduce structural variations in nucleohistone fibers and perhaps in chromatin.     

The adenomatous polyposis coli protein contributes to normal compaction of mitotic chromatin

The tumour suppressor Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) is required for proper mitosis; however, the exact role of APC in mitosis is not understood. Using demembranated sperm chromatin exposed to meiotic Xenopus egg extract and HeLa cells expressing fluorescently labelled histones, we established that APC contributes to chromatin compaction. Sperm chromatin in APC-depleted Xenopus egg extract frequently formed tight round or elongated structures. Such abnormally compacted chromatin predominantly formed spindles with low microtubule content. Furthermore, in mitotic HeLa cells expressing GFP- and mCherry-labelled H2B histones, depletion of APC caused a decrease in the donor fluorescence lifetime of neighbouring fluorophores, indicative of excessive chromatin compaction. Profiling the chromatin-associated proteome of sperm chromatin incubated with Xenopus egg extracts revealed temporal APC-dependent changes in the abundance of histones, closely mirrored by chromatin-associated Topoisomerase IIa, condensin I complex and Kif4. In the absence of APC these factors initially accumulated on chromatin, but then decreased faster than in controls. We also found and validated significant APC-dependent changes in chromatin modifiers Set-a and Rbbp7. Both were decreased on chromatin in APC-depleted extract; in addition, the kinetics of association of Set-a with chromatin was altered in the absence of APC.     

Variable effects of the conserved RNA hairpin element upon 3' end processing of histone pre-mRNA in vitro.

We have studied the requirements for efficient histone-specific RNA 3' processing in nuclear extract from mammalian tissue culture cells. Processing is strongly impaired by mutations in the pre-mRNA spacer element that reduce the base-pairing potential with U7 RNA. Moreover, by exchanging the hairpin and spacer elements of two differently processed H4 genes, we find that this difference is exclusively due to the spacer element. Finally, processing is inhibited by the addition of competitor RNAs, if these contain a wild-type spacer sequence, but not if their spacer element is mutated. Conversely, the importance of the hairpin for histone RNA 3' processing is highly variable: A hairpin mutant of the H4-12 gene is processed with almost wild-type efficiency in extract from K21 mouse mastocytoma cells but is strongly affected in HeLa cell extract, whereas an identical hairpin mutant of the H4-1 gene is affected in both extracts. The hairpin defect of H4-12-specific RNA in HeLa cells can be overcome by a compensatory mutation that increases the base complementarity to U7 snRNA. Very similar results were also obtained in RNA competition experiments: processing of H4-12-specific RNA can be competed by RNA carrying a wild-type hairpin element in extract from HeLa, but not K21 cells, whereas processing of H4-1-specific RNA can be competed in both extracts. With two additional histone genes we obtained results that were in one case intermediate and in the other similar to those obtained with H4-1. These results suggest that hairpin binding factor(s) can cooperatively support the ability of U7 snRNPs to form an active processing complex, but is(are) not directly involved in the processing mechanism.