Pro-apoptotic ASY/Nogo-B protein associates with ASYIP

We have previously shown that ectopic expression of the ASY/Nogo-B gene induced apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. Nogo-A, a splice variant of the ASY, has been reported to have an inhibitory effect on neuronal regeneration in the central nervous system. To investigate the mechanism of ASY-induced apoptosis or inhibition of neuronal regeneration, we cloned a cDNA for the ASY-interacting protein from the human cDNA library using the yeast two-hybrid method, and obtained a cDNA we designated as ASYIP. The ASYIP protein contains two hydrophobic regions and a double lysine endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retrieval motif at its C-terminus, which was shown to be identical to RTN3, a reticulon family protein of unknown function. We showed that ASY and ASYIP proteins formed a complex also in human cells. Mutational analysis indicated that both of the hydrophobic regions of the ASYIP protein were required for the association. By immunofluorescence analysis, the ASYIP protein was shown to be co-localized with ASY in the ER. Characterization of the ASYIP gene may be very useful in clarifying the mechanism of ASY-induced apoptosis or Nogo-involved inhibition of neuronal regeneration in the central nervous system.     

Dimerization of two novel apoptosisinducing proteins and its function in regulating cell apoptosis

Asy (apoptosis/saibousi Yutsudo) is a novel apoptosis-inducing gene found in 1999 by Yutsudo group in Japan. In 2000, Qi Bing et al. cloned another novel gene, named hap (homologue of ASY protein), which encoded the ASY interact ing protein, from human lung cell line (WI-38) cDNA library by using yeast two-h ybrid system. It has been proved that ASY formed homodimer in yeast and human ce ll line, ASY and HAP formed heterodimer in yeast cells, and both induced cell ap optosis in human tumor cell lines Sao2 and CGL4. This paper showed that HAP coul d form homodimer in yeast cells by yeast two-hybrid system; HAP and ASY could pr oduce heterodimer in human cell line by cross-immunoprecipitation test; by using apoptosis-testing technologies such as AnnexinV, TUNEL, DNA ladder and Flow Cyt ometry, the cell apoptosis in human normal or tumor cell lines transfected with hap or asy individually or cotransfected by the both was qualified or quantified . It was firstly demonstrated that ASY or HAP induced cell apoptosis not only in human tumor cell lines, but also in human normal cell lines. Moreover, we prove d that the heterodimer between ASY and HAP decreased apoptosis-inducing activity from the homodimer of ASY or HAP. It revealed that by choosing to form heterodi mer or homodimer between ASY and / or HAP is an important mechanism of regulatin g apoptosis in human cell lines.     

Dimerization of two novel apoptosis-inducing proteins and its function in regulating cell apoptosis

Apoptosis (or programmed cell death) was firstly described by Kerr[1] in 1972. Since bcl-2 cDNA was cloned by Cleary et al.[2] in 1986, many apoptosis-related genes have been found in human or mammalian cell lines. The bcl-2 family[35] containing 23 genes, the caspase family[68] bearing 14 members and the TNF family[9,10] are the most clearly elucidated ones. With the study of apoptosis going deeper, people have realized that cell apoptosis is impor-tant in development and homeostasis of mu…     

果蝇程序化死亡基因5(PDCD5)同源cDNA的克隆和序列分析

 为了解人类白血病细胞凋亡相关新基因 TFAR1 9(PDCD5,programmed cell death5)在不同种属间的序列同源性 ,利用 EST(expression sequence tag)拼接、RT- PCR、DNA序列测定技术及计算机分析技术 ,首次成功地进行了果蝇 PDCD5同源 c DNA编码区基因克隆和序列分析 .发现果蝇与小鼠及果蝇与人 PDCD5在核苷酸水平上分别有 57.5%和 57.1 %的同源性 ,在氨基酸水平上分别有 46.8%和 46.4%的同源性 .功能区分析发现 ,果蝇 PDCD5c DNA编码 1 33个氨基酸 ,计算机预测可能是一种核蛋白 ,含 5个可能的酪蛋白激酶 (casein kinase )磷酸化位点 ,2个可能的 PKC磷酸化位点 ,与人 PDCD5的功能区类似 .因而果蝇 PDCD5是与人 PDCD5同源的新基因 ,可能都与细胞程序化死亡相关 .     

彩叶草叶片衰老相关新基因Cbcbs的分子特征和功能分析

 叶片衰老是观叶植物观赏性降低的重要因素之一.为研究彩叶草叶片衰老变化的分子机理,在构建彩叶草衰老叶片cDNA文库及小型EST库的基础上,以1条新的具有胱硫醚 β 合酶(cystathionine beta synthase, CBS)结构域的EST序列为探针,通过RACE与文库结合的 方法,克隆了1个具有1对完整CBS结构域的全长cDNA,Cbcbs.Cbcbs cDNA 全长859 bp,包含1个609 bp的ORF框,编码202个氨基酸.其5′UTR区含有1个终止子TAA,3′UTR区含有推测的加尾信号AATAAA和ATTTA元件.CbCBS N端含有线粒体转运肽,具有2个保守的CBS结构域,4个酪蛋白激酶Ⅱ(casein kinase Ⅱ,CKⅡ)磷酸化位点,3个蛋白激酶C(protein kinase c,PKC)磷酸化位点和1个酪氨酸硫化(tyrosine sulfation,TS)位点.序列比较和进化分析表明,CbCBS是与衰老或应急相关的蛋白.二级结构和三级结构预测表明,CbCBS的功能主要由CBS结构域决定.RT-PCR分析表明,该基因在叶的各个时期均有表达,但随叶片衰老进程的加快而表达增加,是一个叶衰老相关基因（SAG）,推测在线粒体中成熟的CbCBS可能作为细胞能量传感器,在叶衰老引起的能量应急中参与细胞能量水平的调节.     

两个鼻咽癌负相关新基因的分离与特性

8个通过 c DNA代表差异分析法 ( c DNA representational difference analysis,c DNA RDA)分离的新 c DNA序列中 ,经 RT- PCR验证 ,发现其中一 c DNA序列 (登录号 :AF0 91 51 7)在 40 %的鼻咽癌活检组织中存在表达缺失和下调 .Northern杂交显示 ,AF0 91 51 7代表转录本为 1 .1 kb和 1 .4kb大小的两个基因 ,进而采用文库筛选 ,成功分离出 3′端完全不同的两个基因 ,命名为 NAG1 1和 NAG 1 2 (登录号分别为 AF 1 70 30 7和 AF 1 94971 ) .经过计算机预测 ,NAG 1 1编码 87个氨基酸组成的跨膜蛋白 ,NAG1 2编码 1 36个氨基酸组成的可溶性的核蛋白 ,两者无任何同源性 .NAG 1 1蛋白含有 3个 ATP结合区、两个蛋白激酶 C磷酸化位点和两个 N-肉豆寇酸化位点 ,NAG 1 2含有POU结构域和多个功能位点 .结果说明 NAG1 1和 NAG1 2的表达的缺失与下调可能参与了鼻咽癌的进程 ;NAG1 1基因产物可能与 ATP的跨膜转运有关 ;NAG1 2基因产物可能与转录翻译有关 .     

繁缕核糖体失活蛋白基因克隆及序列分析

采用同源克隆结合RACE法,克隆了繁缕核糖体失活蛋白的全长cDNA,命名为q3(GenBank accession GQ870262)。序列分析结果表明,q3的开放阅读框(ORF)长780 bp,编码259个氨基酸。序列G+C含量为41.5%,与大部分Ⅰ型RIP基因相近。q3编码的蛋白质命名为Q3,理论分子量为28.16 kD,pI为9.44,均与Ⅰ型核糖体失活蛋白相近;包含由23个氨基酸组成的信号肽。功能结构域分析发现,该蛋白含有3个蛋白激酶磷酸化位点、4个络氨酸蛋白激酶磷酸化位点和7个N-肉豆蔻酰化位点。三级结构预测发现,有35.52%的氨基酸残基参与了α螺旋,24.32%的氨基酸残基组成延伸链,40.15%的氨基酸残基随机缠绕其中。基于繁缕及其近缘种核糖体失活蛋白的氨基酸序列构建的系统发育树显示,其结构与经典分类结果基本一致。     

A cDNA homologue of Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc5(+) from the mushroom Lentinula edodes: characterization of the cDNA and its expressed product

A cDNA homologue of Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc5(+) was isolated from the basidiomycete mushroom Lentinula edodes and it was named Le.cdc5 cDNA. The deduced Le.CDC5 (842 amino acid residues) possessed N-terminal amino acid sequence highly homologous to those of S. pombe cdc5(+) gene product (Sp.cdc5p) and Sp.cdc5p-related proteins (SPCDC5RPs). The N-terminal 185 amino acid peptide of Le.CDC5 (Le.CDC5(1-185) peptide) produced in Escherichia coli was subjected to random binding-site selection analysis, revealing that Le.CDC5(1-185) peptide binds to a 7-bp sequence with the consensus sequence of 5'GCAATGT3' (complementary; 5'ACATTGC3'). Genomic binding-site (GBS) cloning by using Le.CDC5(1-185) peptide resulted in an isolation of the DNA fragment that contained three sets of 7-bp consensus-like sequence and TATA box. The Le.CDC5 protein contained two putative phosphorylation sites of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A kinase) in its C-terminus. There exists a possible leucine zipper between the two phosphorylation sites. The Le.CDC5 fragment containing the two phosphorylation sites was actually phosphorylated by commercially available A kinase. Yeast two-hybrid analysis suggested the homodimerization of Le.CDC5 protein probably through the leucine zipper. Northern blot analysis showed that Le.cdc5 gene is most actively transcribed in primordia and small immature fruiting bodies of L. edodes, implying that Le.cdc5 may play a role in the beginning and early stage of fruiting-body formation.