CAT vectors for analysis of eukaryotic promoters and enhancers

We have constructed two sets of plasmids for analysis of factors affecting mammalian gene expression. The pOCAT series contains a bacterial chloramphenicol-resistance expression unit (cat) and no eukaryotic promoter. The pUTKAT series contains the same cat unit under the control of the thymidine-kinase promoter of Herpes simplex virus. These plasmids are designed for testing effects of inserted regulatory elements on cat expression after transient transfection of mammalian cells in culture. We demonstrate here that the pOCAT series is useful for studying activities of inserted eukaryotic promoters, and the pUTKAT series is useful for studying activities of inserted eukaryotic enhancers.     

不同调控元件驱动下菊欧氏杆菌纤维素酶celY基因在大肠杆菌中表达的研究

目的:以菊欧氏杆菌(Erwinia chrysanthemi)基因组DNA为模板,通过PCR方法找到了该菌的β-1,4-内切葡聚糖酶celY基因及其调控元件并克隆至pUC19载体。为提高纤维素酶celY基因在原核细胞中的分泌表达量,比较了由不同启动子和信号肽调控的celY基因在大肠杆菌中的表达水平。方法:分别构建了由脂蛋白启动子、T7启动子、果胶酶信号肽调控的多种表达载体与由纤维素酶celY基因自身的启动子和信号肽调控的表达载体相比较。结果:由脂蛋白启动子、T7启动子、果胶酶信号肽调控的表达载体都不同程度提高了celY基因的分泌表达量。结论:脂蛋白启动子、T7启动子、果胶酶信号肽都不失为构建强分泌表达载体的可选元件。     

Improved expression vectors for eukaryotic promoter/enhancer studies.

We describe two transfectable vectors designed to facilitate the functional analysis of eukaryotic promoter/enhancer sequences. The first, pJFCAT1, is an improved chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene expression vector with two features that distinguish it from the majority of other CAT vectors currently in use: 1) it carries a trimer cassette of the simian virus 40 major late polyadenylation site to block plasmid-initiated read-through expression of CAT, and 2) it includes the phage f1 origin of replication, permitting generation of single-stranded copies to serve as templates for oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis or single-strand DNA sequencing. The promoterless pJFCAT1 directs little if any CAT activity in transfected mouse L cells and, therefore, may be particularly useful for the analysis of weak promoters whose activity is otherwise masked by background CAT expression. The second vector, pTAG-1, uses human beta-globin as a reporter gene and was designed to facilitate the analysis of reporter gene expression at the RNA level. Like pJFCAT1, pTAG-1 also includes the simian virus 40 polyadenylation site trimer cassette located just upstream of the promoter insertion site. We have used each of these vectors to study functional elements in the human and mouse thymidine kinase promoters.     

新型双基因表达盒真核载体的构建及功能验证

目的: 构建含双基因表达盒的新型基因疫苗真核表达载体pVAX2,并对其功能进行验证。方法: 设计一个包含人巨细胞病毒启动子(CMV promoter)、T7启动子、信号肽基因、血凝素A表位基因(HA)、多克隆位点区域(MCS)、c-myc抗原表位、血小板来源的生长因子受体跨膜区域(PDGFR TM)及牛生长激素多腺苷酸化信号(BGH polyA)等八种元素的表达盒Ⅱ(Expressing cassette Ⅱ),在其上下游添加Nru Ⅰ酶切位点后,进行人工化学合成,连接到克隆载体pGH中得pGH-Ⅱ;用Nru Ⅰ酶切pGH-Ⅱ,回收1 300bp左右的片段,去磷后插入到pVAX1的相应位点,Nru Ⅰ及Bgl Ⅱ/Pst Ⅰ酶切鉴定,获得新型基因疫苗真核表达载体pVAX2;然后以增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)为报告基因,将其分别构建至两个不同的表达盒内,脂质体转染BHK-21细胞,利用RT-PCR及荧光显微镜技术进行该载体的功能验证。结果: 两个表达盒内的EGFP基因在BHK-21细胞均能高效表达,相互间不受影响,且新构建的表达盒具有蛋白展示功能。结论: 成功构建含双基因表达盒的新型基因疫苗真核表达载体pVAX2,为多价DNA疫苗的研究奠定了坚实基础。     

Construction of a lentiviral T/A vector for direct analysis of PCR-amplified promoters

The promoter plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression. To analyze a promoter’s activity, we developed a novel lentiviral T/A vector that contains two reporter genes, a luciferase (Luc2) gene and a green fluorescent protein (Venus) gene, that are linked via an internal ribosome entry site (IRES2). To test the performance of this vector, phosphoglycerate kinase-1 (PGK) and elongation factor-1α (EF1α) promoters were amplified by PCR and inserted into this lentiviral T/A vector using T4 DNA ligase, yielding two promoter–reporter vectors: pLent-T-PGK and pLent-T-EF1α. When these vectors were transfected into 293T cells, we observed a higher level of Venus expression under a fluorescence microscopy in the case of pLent-T-EF1α as compared to pLent-T-PGK. The results of the luciferase reporter assay showed that the ratio of the promoter activities of EF1α and PGK was approximately 9:1. The two promoter–reporter vectors were also packaged as lentiviral particles to conduct promoter activity assay in cultured cells. The ratio of the promoter activities of EF1α and PGK was 4.23:1 when they were infected into 293T cells at a multiplicity of infection of 1. This value is comparable to that of a parallel experiment using the commercial luciferase reporter vector pGL4.10 with an activity ratio of 5.99:1 for EF1α and PGK. These results indicate that lentiviral T/A vector will be a useful tool for analysis of promoter activity and specificity.     

Use of the human elongation factor 1 alpha promoter as a versatile and efficient expression system

We have characterized the promoter region of the human elongation factor 1 alpha-encoding gene (EF-1 alpha) and developed a versatile expression system which has a wide host range and a high efficiency of gene expression. To identify the promoter region of the EF-1 alpha gene necessary for efficient gene expression, we constructed four pEF-CAT plasmids that have the bacterial cat gene fused to four different sites of the human EF-1 alpha gene: (i) ligated to the end of the TATA box (pEF220-CAT); (ii) ligated in exon 1 (pEF204-CAT and pEF233-CAT), and (iii) ligated in exon 2 (pEF321-CAT). All the pEF-CAT plasmids were highly expressed in all the cell types tested, including fibroblasts and lymphoid cells. Plasmid pEF321-CAT, which contains the first exon and the first intron, gave the highest level of cat expression. Plasmids pEF204- and pEF233-CAT, which contain part of the first exon but do not contain the first intron, were less efficient in cat expression than was pEF321-CAT. Plasmid pEF220-CAT, which lacks both the first exon and the first intron, was the least efficient. Plasmid pEF321-CAT was several- to 100-fold more efficient in cat expression than plasmid pSV2-CAT depending on the recipient cell types. The promoter of pEF321 plasmid also directed the stable expression of the bacterial neo gene more efficiently than the promoter of the simian virus 40 (SV40) early gene or the long terminal repeat of Rous sarcoma virus. Using this system, the SV40 early gene and the cDNA encoding human CD4 were also expressed efficiently.     

Expression of HLA-DR antigen in human class II mutant B-cell lines by double infection with retrovirus vectors.

A new retrovirus vector containing the gene for hygromycin B resistance (hyg) as a selectable marker under the control of an internal simian virus 40 promoter was constructed. It was used, together with an analogous previously described vector, DO1, which contains the gene for G418 resistance, to introduce and express the genes for the two chains of a human class II major histocompatibility complex antigen in NIH 3T3 cells. In addition, these vectors were used to express DR antigens in two human mutant B-lymphoblastoid cell lines, one of which was deleted for both alleles of the DR alpha gene and the other of which expressed no class II antigens because of a genetic defect in a putative trans-acting regulatory factor.     

Plasmid vectors with multiple cloning sites and cat-reporter gene for promoter cloning and analysis in animal cells

We have constructed two vectors, pGCAT-A and pGCAT-C, designed to facilitate the construction of recombinant plasmids containing the bacterial gene (cat) coding for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) under the control of eukaryotic promoter and/or enhancer elements. The cat gene was inserted downstream from a multiple cloning site (MCS) region with eleven unique restriction sites. The MCS region is in opposite orientation in the two vectors. The CAT activity of control extracts from cells transfected with pGCAT-A or pGCAT-C is very low. Insertion of the viral SV40 early promoter into one of the sites of the MCS region of pGCAT-A or pGCAT-C results in a 30- to 400-fold stimulation of the CAT activity.     

Identification and characterisation of a regulatory region in the Toxoplasma gondii hsp70 genomic locus

Toxoplasma gondii is an important human and veterinary pathogen. The induction of bradyzoite development in vitro has been linked to temperature, pH, mitochondrial inhibitors, sodium arsenite and many of the other stressors associated with heat shock protein induction. Heat shock or stress induced activation of a set of heat shock protein genes, is characteristic of almost all eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Studies in other organisms indicate that heat shock proteins are developmentally regulated. We have established that increases in the expression of bag1/hsp30 and hsp70 are associated with bradyzoite development. The T. gondii hsp70 gene locus was cloned and sequenced. The regulatory regions of this gene were analysed by deletion analysis using beta-galactosidase expression vectors transiently transfected into RH strain T. gondii. Expression was measured at pH 7.1 and 8.1 (i.e. pH shock) and compared to the expression obtained with similar constructs using BAG1 and SAG1 promoters. A pH-regulated region of the Tg-hsp70 gene locus was identified which has some similarities to heat shock elements described in other eukaryotic systems. Green fluorescent protein expression vectors driven by the Tg-hsp70 regulatory region were constructed and stably transfected into T. gondii. Expression of green fluorescent protein in these parasites was induced by pH shock in those lines carrying the Tg-hsp70 regulatory constructs. Gel shift analysis was carried out using oligomers corresponding to the pH-regulated region and a putative DNA binding protein was identified. These data support the identification of a pH responsive cis-regulatory element in the T. gondii hsp70 gene locus. A model of the interaction of hsp70 and small heat shock proteins (e.g. BAG1) in development is presented.     

人eya2基因小干扰RNA表达载体的构建及表达

目的：设计并构建人eya2（eyes absent2）基因小干扰RNA（siRNA）的真核表达载体,并观察其沉默效果。方法：以人eya2为靶基因,以pSliencer2．1-U6 neo质粒为载体,根据人eya2的cDNA序列,设计含有小发卡结构的2条寡核苷酸序列,将其克隆到siRNA表达载体上;转化大肠杆菌DH5Ⅸ菌株,抽提质粒,测序分析;将重组质粒转染人胚肾293T细胞,通过荧光分析、Westemblot和转录活性实验检测其抑制效果。结果：重组体测序结果与目的序列相一致,证明构建了eya2 siRNA真核表达载体;荧光观察表明siRNA能显著减弱细胞中绿色荧光强度,抑制eya2基因表达;Westemblot分析证明构建的siRNA能有效抑制外源性及内源性eya2基因表达;转录活性测定表明,构建的siRNA能有效抑制eya2基因表达。结论：构建了eya2 siRNA真核表达载体,该siRNA能有效地抑制eya2基因表达。