非编码RNA和RNA沉默

生物体内存在大量的非编码RNA ,它们形态各异 ,功能也千差万别 ,在生物的生长、发育、分化进程中扮演着不同的角色 ,尤其是siRNA ,它是RNA沉默的诱因。RNA沉默是真核生物特有的现象 ,它需要一系列因子的参与 ,其中RNA依赖性的RNA聚合酶是沉默起始的关键 ,Dicer酶是形成siRNA的基础 ,而RNA沉默诱导复合体 (RSIC)等是发生RNA沉默“链式反应”的关键因子     

真核生物mRNA的帽结构与帽结合蛋白

帽结构是所有ＲＮＡ 聚合酶Ⅱ转录产物的特征性结构,它在ｍ ＲＮＡ 的功能和代谢的很多方面起作用． 在这些过程中还离不开相关蛋白质对它的识别和粘附,作为它行使功能的媒介,这些蛋白质就称为帽结合蛋白（Ｃａｐ－Ｂｉｎｄｉｎｇ Ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ,ＣＢＰ）． 该文主要讨论了帽结构与胞质中的ＣＢＰ－ｅＩＦ４Ｅ（ｅｕｋａｒｙｏｔｉｃ ｉｎｉｔｉａｔｉｏｎ ｆａｃｔｏｒ ４Ｅ,真核起始因子４Ｅ）的相互作用在ｍ ＲＮＡ 指导的翻译起始中的作用机制,以及帽结构与核内发现的另一种ＣＢＰ复合体相互作用在ｍ ＲＮＡ 加工中的作用．     

RNA polymerase II acts as an RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase to extend and destabilize a non‐coding RNA

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is a well‐characterized DNA‐dependent RNA polymerase, which has also been reported to have RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) activity. Natural cellular RNA substrates of mammalian Pol II, however, have not been identified and the cellular function of the Pol II RdRP activity is unknown. We found that Pol II can use a non‐coding RNA, B2 RNA, as both a substrate and a template for its RdRP activity. Pol II extends B2 RNA by 18 nt on its 3′‐end in an internally templated reaction. The RNA product resulting from extension of B2 RNA by the Pol II RdRP can be removed from Pol II by a factor present in nuclear extracts. Treatment of cells with α‐amanitin or actinomycin D revealed that extension of B2 RNA by Pol II destabilizes the RNA. Our studies provide compelling evidence that mammalian Pol II acts as an RdRP to control the stability of a cellular RNA by extending its 3′‐end.     

Carotenoid-radical interactions

Carotenoids have been reported to react with virtually any radical species likely to be encountered in a biological system. The products of such reactions are frequently short-lived radical species that can decay to more stable products. In some cases, stable adducts can be observed, but in the majority of interactions with radicals, carotenoids break down to degradation products very similar to what is seen with oxidative degradation. It is only recently that the biological activity of these breakdown products has begun to be investigated.     

RNA:诱导基因沉默

在生物体中,双链RNA(double-strand RNA,dsRNA)裂解后的小RNA可以诱导细胞质和基因组水平外源基因沉默。所谓基因沉默(gene silencing)是指生物体中特定基因由于种种原因不表达。小RNA能诱导互补信使RNA在转录后降解。RNA沉默是基因组水平的免疫现象,代表了进化过程中原始的基因组对抗外源基因序列表达的保护机制,在动植物进化中起着重要作用,RNA沉默具有抵抗病毒入侵、抑制转座子活动等作用,并调控蛋白编码基因的表达,具有十分诱人的应用前景。     

利用RNA干扰抑制具有多种剪接形式的RNA结合蛋白基因的表达

目的:构建具有多种剪接形式的RNA结合蛋白(RBPMS)基因siRNA的真核表达载体,观察其对RBPMS表达的影响。方法:利用RNA干扰(RNAi)技术,设计并合成了2条针对RBPMS基因的siRNA,将其克隆到siRNA表达载体pSliencer2.1-U6neo上。将重组质粒和带FLAG标签的RBPMS共转染293T人胚肾细胞,通过Western印迹检验RNAi效应。结果:测序证明成功构建了RBPMSsiRNA真核表达载体;Western印迹表明构建的siRNA能有效地抑制RBPMS基因的表达。结论:构建了RBPMSsiRNA的真核表达载体,该siRNA能有效地抑制RBPMS基因的表达。     

In vitro characterization of the splicing efficiency and fidelity of the RmInt1 group II intron as a means of controlling the dispersion of its host mobile element

Group II introns are catalytic RNAs that are excised from their precursors in a protein-dependent manner in vivo. Certain group II introns can also react in a protein-independent manner under nonphysiological conditions in vitro. The efficiency and fidelity of the splicing reaction is crucial, to guarantee the correct formation and expression of the protein-coding mRNA. RmInt1 is an efficient mobile intron found within the ISRm2011-2 insertion sequence in the symbiotic bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. The RmInt1 intron self-splices in vitro, but this reaction generates side products due to a predicted cryptic IBS1* sequence within the 3′ exon. We engineered an RmInt1 intron lacking the cryptic IBS1* sequence, which improved the fidelity of the splicing reaction. However, atypical circular forms of similar electrophoretic mobility to the lariat intron were nevertheless observed. We analyzed a run of four cytidine residues at the 3′ splice site potentially responsible for a lack of fidelity at this site leading to the formation of circular intron forms. We showed that mutations of residues base-pairing in the tertiary EBS3–IBS3 interaction increased the efficiency and fidelity of the splicing reaction. Our results indicate that RmInt1 has developed strategies for decreasing its splicing efficiency and fidelity. RmInt1 makes use of unproductive splicing reactions to limit the transposition of the insertion sequence into which it inserts itself in its natural context, thereby preventing potentially harmful dispersion of ISRm2011-2 throughout the genome of its host.