pHYPER, a shRNA vector for high-efficiency RNA interference in embryonic stem cells

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful method to generate loss-of-function phenotypes. Plasmid vectors with RNA polymerase III promoters have been developed to express short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) in mammalian cells. In order to optimize the efficiency of these vectors in embryonic stem (ES) cells, we have constructed and tested several plasmids, based on the H1 promoter; that direct the expression of shRNAs. The original pSUPER vector was used as a reference in this study. This vector drives the expression of shRNAs from a basic 0.2-kb H1 promoter; which exhibits a variable expression when integrated into the genome of ES cells. We used a 2.5-kb mouse genomic fragment containing the H1 promoter to construct a new H1 shRNA vector pHYPER. A comparison of this vector with the basic 0.2-kb H1 vector showed that pHYPER directs the synthesis of higher amounts of shRNAs. Using epifluorescence and fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, we demonstrated that pHYPER is 4-fold more active than the 0.2-kb H1-based vector after integration into the genome of mouse ES cells. We provide a new, improved H1 shRNA vector that is optimized for both transient transfection studies and the generation of stable ES cell lines.     

Efficient protein expression from the endogenous RNA polymerase I promoter using a human ribosomal DNA targeting vector

Vector systems to deliver, integrate and express therapeutic genes in host cells are essential for gene therapy. In the present study, we investigated a novel vector system for integration and expression of a transgene. In this system, the transgene expression was driven by an endogenous RNA polymerase I (Pol I) promoter after being integrated into the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus. Human coagulation factor IX coding sequence (FIX), with an internal ribosome entry sites element at its leader region, was targeted into the 18S rDNA locus via homologous recombination. FIX protein expression, which was under the control of the endogenous Pol I promoter, was found to be similar to that of a moderate Pol II promoter. The average FIX expression level of the rDNA recombinants was additionally enhanced to that from a strong Pol II promoter as a result of elimination of position effects. Our data suggest the possibility of applying this system in gene therapy for hereditary diseases.     

Efficient expression of small RNA polymerase III genes from a novel simian virus 40 vector and their effect on viral gene expression.

In the past, simian virus 40 (SV40) has been used as a cloning vehicle to clone foreign genes by substituting portions of the viral genome vital for viral replication. Propagation of these defective viruses required a helper virus and the recombinant viruses obtained could be grown only as a mixture. In this study, we describe a novel nondefective SV40 vector to clone small RNA polymerase III genes. Two small RNA polymerase III genes, an amber suppressor human serine tRNA gene and the adenovirus (Ad) VAI RNA gene, were cloned in the intron region of the large-T antigen gene of SV40 after deleting DNA sequences coding for the small-t polypeptide. The recombinant viruses grew to wild type levels and showed no growth defects. When CV-1p cells were infected with these viruses, the cloned RNA polymerase III genes were expressed at high levels at late times. Interestingly, large amounts VAI RNA in CV-1p cells infected with SV40-VA recombinant virus, did not enhance translation of viral mRNAs significantly but did lead to a 3 to 4 fold increase in the steady state levels of large-T mRNA suggesting a novel function for VAI RNA in SV40 infected monkey cells. Furthermore, VAI mutants which fail to function in Ad infected human cells also failed to enhance the levels of large-T mRNAs in monkey cells infected with SV40. The simple SV40 vector described here may be useful to study the structure and function of small RNA polymerase III genes in the context of a eucaryotic chromosome. In addition, the nondefective recombinant SV40 which expresses the suppressor tRNA gene at high levels may provide a useful helper system to propagate animal viruses with amber mutations in essential genes.     

Development of species-specific polymerase chain reaction primers for detection of Fusobacterium periodonticum

The purpose of this study was to develop species-specific PCR primers for detection of Fusobacterium periodonticum. The specificity data showed that two sets of PCR primers, Fp-F3/Fp-R2 and Fp-F1/Fp-R2 PCR, produced amplicons from all the F. periodonticum, but not from the other species tested, which included 12 Fusobacterium species or subspecies and representative oral bacteria. The sensitivity of the primer sets was 4 or 40 pg of the chromosomal DNA from F. periodonticum ATCC 33693(T) . These results suggest that these two sets of PCR primers are quite sensitive in detection of F. periodonticum in molecular epidemiological studies of periodontitis.     

HBV prec/c shRNA慢病毒真核表达载体的构建和鉴定

目的构建针对HBV prec/c区的shRNA真核表达载体psiHBV,感染HepG2 2.15细胞后观察其对HBeAg表达的抑制作用,为探讨防治HBV感染的新措施提供实验依据。方法针对HBV prec/c基因序列,构建shRNA表达载体psiHBV1、psiHBV2和无关序列psiHBVc。psiHBV与慢病毒辅助系统质粒共转染293T细胞组装慢病毒颗粒后,感染HepG2 2.15细胞,RT-PCR检测prec/c mRNA的转录,微粒子化学发光分析仪(MEIA)检测细胞上清和细胞裂解液中HBeAg表达。结果重组质粒双酶切和测序鉴定与预期结果相符合;组装慢病毒颗粒感染HepG2 2.15细胞后,prec/c mRNA转录降低;与对照组比较,HBeAg的表达水平也显著降低,病毒颗粒对HBeAg表达的抑制作用差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论成功构建针对HBVprec/c的慢病毒载体psiHBV1、siHBV2,慢病毒介导的RNA i能抑制HBV表达,为应用RNA干扰技术治疗乙型肝炎提供了实验依据。     

Single-step purification and structural characterization of human interleukin-6 produced in Escherichia coli from a T7 RNA polymerase expression vector

Human interleukin-6 or B-cell stimulatory factor-2 is a cytokine involved in acute phase and immune response. Cloning of cDNA for human interleukin-6 in the pT7.7 expression plasmid under the control of a bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase promoter system allows rapid production of the cytokine in Escherichia coli. Upon cell induction with isopropyl thiogalactopyranoside, recombinant human interleukin-6 is overexpressed and forms insoluble inclusion bodies. Solubilization of the protein with 6 M guanidine hydrochloride and refolding in the presence of a reduction/oxidation system results in a quantitative recovery of recombinant human interleukin-6. This material is already 70% pure and can be further purified to homogeneity with a single passage over a weak anionic-exchange column. Extended structural characterization of the purified protein by electrospray mass spectrometry, automated Edman degradation and peptide mapping by high-pressure liquid chromatography/fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry demonstrates that recombinant human interleukin-6 is identical to the natural protein both in amino acid sequence and S-S bridge content. However, it contains a minor component accounting for about 20% of the entire translated protein which exhibits a Met-Ala dipeptide extension at the N-terminus. Purified recombinant human interleukin-6 is biologically active because it is able to induce at least 70-fold the human C-reactive promoter transfected in human hepatoma Hep 3B cells and is stable for several months in 10% glycerol at 4 degrees C. The expression system described in the present work has the main advantage of producing a high yield of recombinant human interleukin-6 (about 25 mg/l) combined with a very simple purification scheme.     

shRNA慢病毒表达载体对肝癌细胞HepG2中CXCR7表达的影响

目的:探讨趋化因子受体7(Chemokine receptor7,CXCR7)的短发夹RNA(a small hairpin Ribonucleic acid,shRNA)慢病毒表达载体对人肝癌细胞HepG2中CXCR7表达的影响.方法:合成4个针对CXCR7靶基因序列的shRNA,分别与Age Ⅰ和EcoRl酶切后的pGCSIL-RFP载体连接,构建CXCR7的shRNA慢病毒表达载体pGCSIL-RFP-CXCR7-shRNA;构建含有CXCR7互补DNA(complementary DNA,cDNA)的真核过表达载体pEGFP-N1-3FLAG-CXCR7,与pGCSIL-RFP-CXCR7-shRNA共转染HEK293T细胞,筛选具有显著敲减作用的CXCR7-shRNA;将具有显著敲减作用的pGCSIL-RFP-CXCR7-shRNA与慢病毒包装质粒共转染人胚肾细胞(Human embryonic kidney cells,HEK293T)产生慢病毒颗粒LV-CXCR7-shRNA,并将纯化的慢病毒颗粒感染人肝癌HepG2细胞,以逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)和免疫印迹(Western blot)分别检测CXCR7信使核糖核酸(mRNA)和蛋白的沉默效果.结果:聚合酶链反应(Polymerasechain reaction,PCR)鉴定及测序结果表明成功构建4个CXCR7的shRNA慢病毒表达载体,并筛选出具有显著敲减作用的pGCSIL-RFP-CXCR7-shRNA2;包装含有CXCR7一shRNA2的慢病毒颗粒LV-CXCR7-shRNA2(病毒滴度为3x 109TU/ml),感染HepG2细胞,CXCR7mRNA和蛋白的表达水平下调.结论:成功构建靶向CXCR7基因的shRNA慢病毒表达载体,可有效抑制人肝癌HepG2细胞CXCR7 mRNA和蛋白的表达.     

Comparison of bovine RNA polymerase III promoters for short hairpin RNA expression

RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by DNA-based expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) is a powerful method of sequence-specific gene knockdown. A number of vectors for expression of shRNA have been developed that feature promoters from RNA polymerase III (pol III)-transcribed genes of mouse or human origin. To advance the use of RNAi as a tool for functional genomic research and for future development of specific therapeutics in the bovine species, we have developed shRNA expression vectors that feature novel bovine RNA pol III promoters. We characterized two bovine U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) promoters (bU6-2 and bU6-3) and a bovine 7SK snRNA promoter (b7SK). We compared the efficiency of each of these promoters to express shRNA molecules. Promoter activity was measured in the context of RNAi by targeting and suppressing the reporter gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein. Results show that the b7SK promoter induced the greatest level of suppression in a range of cell lines. The comparison of these bovine promoters in shRNA expression is an important component for the future development of bovine-specific RNAi-based research.     

RNA polymerase I-mediated protein-coding gene expression in Trypanosoma brucei

Protein-coding genes are transcribed by RNA polymerise (pol) II in all eukaryotes analyzed to date, with the exception of the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei, where pol I can mediate expression of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) and neomycin phosphotransferase (neo) reporter genes. The addition of the capped 39-nucleotide (nt) mini-exon to the pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) by trans-splicing in T. brucei has presumably led to the uncoupling of the requirement for production of mRNA by pol II. Here Hui-min Chung, Mary G-S. Lee and Lex Van der Ploeg review the evidence that supports the notion that pol I also transcribes a subset of naturally occurring protein-coding genes in T. brucei.     

Virus-derived gene expression and RNA interference vector for grapevine

The improvement of the agricultural and wine-making qualities of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera) is hampered by adherence to traditional varieties, the recalcitrance of this plant to genetic modifications, and public resistance to genetically modified organism (GMO) technologies. To address these challenges, we developed an RNA virus-based vector for the introduction of desired traits into grapevine without heritable modifications to the genome. This vector expresses recombinant proteins in the phloem tissue that is involved in sugar transport throughout the plant, from leaves to roots to berries. Furthermore, the vector provides a powerful RNA interference (RNAi) capability of regulating the expression of endogenous genes via virus-induced gene-silencing (VIGS) technology. Additional advantages of this vector include superb genetic capacity and stability, as well as the swiftness of technology implementation. The most significant applications of the viral vector include functional genomics of the grapevine and disease control via RNAi-enabled vaccination against pathogens or invertebrate pests.