斑马鱼一个IFIT 家族基因的鉴定及启动子分析

IFIT 家族由一类受干扰素诱导表达并具有TPR 结构域的蛋白组成, 但是在鱼类关于IFIT 基因的研究还很少。研究利用哺乳类IFIT 家族基因IFI56 的序列搜索斑马鱼基因组数据库鉴定出一个未知基因, 该基因具有哺乳类IFIT 家族保守的基因组结构, 编码蛋白具有保守的TPR 结构域, 暂命名为IFIT-A。RT-PCR 分析表明, Poly I:C 能够诱导IFIT-A 基因转录水平上调。与哺乳类IFIT 家族基因相似, 斑马鱼IFIT-A 启动子存在ISG 基因特有的典型ISRE 结构域。荧光素酶活性实验揭示Poly I:C 和重组IFN 蛋白能激活斑马鱼IFIT-A 启动子活性。此外, 过量表达IFN 调控因子IRF3 和IRF7 能诱导斑马鱼IFIT-A 启动子活性。实验结果证明IFIT-A基因是斑马鱼IFIT 家族成员, IRF3 和IRF7 在其诱导表中具有重要调控作用。       

斑马鱼神经介素S直系同源基因的克隆、序列分析及组织表达

旨在更深入和广泛了解脊椎动物NMS前体基因的结构、进化和生理功能,利用生物信息学和分子生物学技术从斑马鱼脑组织中克隆得到了NMS前体基因序列,并对其基因和蛋白结构以及组织表达等方面进行了分析。结果表明,斑马鱼NMS前体基因cDNA序列编码110个氨基酸组成的多肽,其中包含22个氨基酸的信号肽。脊椎动物NMS前体蛋白序列比对结果显示,与哺乳动物不同,硬骨鱼类NMS前体蛋白在C端缺失很大一部分序列,不能形成类似哺乳动物的NMS成熟肽,经蛋白酶切割可能形成同源性较高的34个氨基酸的多肽。进化树和基因组分析显示,斑马鱼和青NMS前体蛋白聚类在一起,位于NMS这一分支上。同时,NMS前体基因在斑马鱼、青和人基因组中具有同线性关系。半定量RT-PCR结果显示,NMS前体基因在所检测的斑马鱼各组织中均有表达,其中以脑中表达量为最高。     

斑马鱼fem-1c cDNA克隆与表达分析

为进一步探究鱼类性别决定的相关机理, 增加对鱼类性控基因表达和功能的认识, 克隆斑马鱼fem-1c 基因并对其进行表达分析。研究采用RACE-PCR方法从斑马鱼卵巢组织cDNA中克隆了fem-1c的cDNA全长序列, 其大小为2701 bp, 编码618个氨基酸。生物信息学分析显示, 斑马鱼FEM-1C蛋白包含9个ANK结构域、2个TPR结构域和2个低复杂性区域, 与其他脊椎动物的FEM-1C蛋白序列保守性较高。脊椎动物的fem-1c与tmed7、trim36等邻近的45个基因具有保守的同线性关系。半定量RT-PCR实验结果显示斑马鱼fem-1c在受精后17d开始表达, 并特异地表达于成体卵巢组织中。RNA原位杂交结果显示, fem-1c基因mRNA定位于卵巢组织的Ⅰ期和Ⅱ期卵母细胞胞质中。fem-1c的时空表达特征暗示其在斑马鱼卵巢分化中具有重要作用。       

香蕉Maasr1基因表达产物的亚细胞定位

利用SSH分离香蕉果实采后差异表达基因,获得香蕉的ASR基因,并将其命名为Maasr1。对该基因与香蕉采后成熟衰老进行相关性研究,发现其在果实采后早期表达上调。通过对Maasr1基因进行生物信息学分析表明,Maasr1基因编码的蛋白可能作为转录因子定位于细胞核或细胞质中。为进一步深入研究该基因功能,构建了香蕉Maasr1基因与绿色荧光蛋白基因融合的植物表达载体pCAMBIA1304-Maasr1。利用基因枪转化法将重组载体转入洋葱表皮细胞瞬时表达,荧光显微镜检测结果表明,Maasr1基因表达产物定位在细胞核中,符合转录因子特性。     

斑马鱼窖蛋白-1基因cDNA克隆及功能初步研究

窖蛋白-1(Cav-1)是胞膜窖的主要结构蛋白, 可与多种信号分子相互作用, 调节细胞的增殖、分化和凋亡, 其异常表达与多种人体疾病的发生和发展密切相关, 而在斑马鱼发育中的功能尚不很清楚。研究克隆出斑马鱼窖蛋白-1基因两个亚型的全长cDNA, 与其他物种窖蛋白-1的氨基酸序列进行比较, 发现该蛋白在脊椎动物中非常保守。利用逆转录多聚酶链反应检测发现, 在斑马鱼多个成年组织中窖蛋白-1的两个亚型均有转录表达。利用胚胎整体原位杂交检测组织或器官特异基因的时空表达变化发现, 过表达或利用Morpholino反义寡聚核苷酸(MO)抑制cav-1α的表达可影响脊索和体节的发育, 而过表达或MO抑制cav-1β可导致肝脏发育的异常;此外, 过表达或MO抑制cav-1α或-1β均可影响斑马鱼神经系统的发育。因此, 斑马鱼Cav-1在维持组织器官的生理功能和调控胚胎的正常发育中起着重要作用。       

斑马鱼TAK1正向调控IRF7介导的天然免疫反应

在鱼类中关于转化生长因子β-激活激酶1(TAK1)在天然免疫反应中的功能研究较少。为了探究TAK1在斑马鱼天然免疫中的功能,本文克隆并获得了一种斑马鱼tak1剪接异构体(Drtak1),其开放阅读框含有1737个核苷酸,编码578个氨基酸,其中包括N端的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶结构域和C端的卷曲螺旋结构部。通过免疫荧光试验,证实DrTAK1是一种胞质蛋白。双荧光素酶报告试验显现在EPC细胞中单转DrTAK1不能诱导IFN的产生,但与IRF7共转时能显著提高其诱导干扰素启动子表达的能力。本文研究结果首次在斑马鱼中发现TAK1能正向调控IRF7介导的天然免疫反应,为后续DrTAK1功能研究奠定了基础。     

小麦盐胁迫相关基因TabHLH13的克隆与分析

在对小麦全长cDNA克隆进行大规模测序及转录因子功能研究过程中,筛选到一个与盐胁迫相关的bHLH转录因子基因,将其命名为TabHLH13。TabHLH13的全长cDNA序列为1072 bp,开放阅读框为720 bp,编码一个具有240个氨基酸残基的bHLH转录因子;对TabHLH13的基因组和cDNA序列比较分析表明该基因包括5个外显子和4个内含子;同源序列分析发现,TabHLH13与来自大麦和短柄草中的bHLH蛋白序列相似性最高,分别为96.2%和90.5%;电子定位发现TabHLH13位于小麦第7同源群的7DL上;亚细胞定位结果表明,TabHLH13编码一个定位在细胞核中的蛋白;组织表达特性分析表明该基因在小麦根、茎、叶、颖壳、雌蕊和花药中均有较强的表达;半定量RT-PCR与qRT-PCR结果表明TabHLH13是一个受盐胁迫诱导表达的基因。     

藤茶香树脂醇合成酶基因编码区克隆及表达分析

为研究藤茶(Ampelopsis grossedentata)三萜类化合物的生物合成,采用RT-PCR方法,从藤茶叶片cDNA中扩增得到香树脂醇合成酶(amyrin synthase)基因,命名为AgAS。该基因编码区长2 250bp,编码750个氨基酸,与葡萄的同源蛋白亲缘关系最近。亚细胞定位和Southern blot结果表明,AgAS编码蛋白主要定位于细胞核与细胞膜,在藤茶基因组中存在2个拷贝。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,AgAS基因在紫芽藤茶的根、茎和叶均有表达,其中叶片中表达最高,茎次之,根中表达量最少,且随着叶片成熟程度的增加,表达量呈先升后降趋势;而在绿芽藤茶中,AgAS基因在叶片中的表达量随着成熟程度的增加呈上升趋势,根与茎中表达量相对较少。     

斑马鱼Gfi-1 基因结构和功能分析

目的:研究斑马鱼Gfi-1基因在物种间进化的保守性和功能分析。方法:运用生物信息学方法分析斑马鱼Gfi-1基因结构特征和保守性等。结果:斑马鱼Gfi-1基因在蛋白水平与小鼠、人高度保守;分析斑马鱼和人的Gfi-1基因外显子、内含子和ATG起始、终止密码子也具有高度相似性;从进化树分析斑马鱼Gfi-1基因与人、小鼠、犬、猴等在进化上高度保守;分析斑马鱼、人、小鼠Gfi-1基因在染色体上的位置和相邻基因,显示出惊人的相似性。结论:斑马鱼Gfi-1基因在进化上高度保守,为脊椎动物保守基因,为其后续在造血系统和造血微环境方面的研究提供了理论支持和铺垫。     

脊椎动物DMRT基因家族的系统发生及同线性分析

利用本室克隆的DMRT／Dmrt基因以及多个基因数据库中收集的DMRT／Dmrt基因全(或部分)序列,构建了DMRT／Dmrt基因的系统发生树,DMRT／Dmrt基因明显地聚为7类(DMRT／Dmrt1-DMRT／Dmrt7)。以已克隆的斑马鱼Dmrt1基因序列及数据库中人和小鼠的DMRT／Dmrt基因序列,结合基因组数据的比对分析,发现脊椎动物DMRT／Dmrt基因家族成员在基因组中的定位呈现高度保守的同线性,主要集中于两大同线群,即DM-RT／Dmrt1-3和DMRT／Dmrt5∽6。     

Dynamic changes in the gene expression of zebrafish Reelin receptors during embryogenesis and hatching period

The brain morphology of vertebrates exhibits huge evolutionary diversity, but one of the shared morphological features unique to vertebrate brain is laminar organization of neurons. Because the Reelin signal plays important roles in the development of the laminar structures in mammalian brain, investigation of Reelin signal in lower vertebrates will give some insights into evolution of vertebrate brain morphogenesis. Although zebrafish homologues of Reelin, the ligand, and Dab1, a cytoplasmic component of the signaling pathway, have been reported, the Reelin receptor molecules of zebrafish are not reported yet. Here, we sought cDNA sequence of zebrafish homologue of the receptors, vldlr and apoer2, and examined their expression patterns by in situ hybridization. Developmental gene expression pattern of reelin, dab1, vldlr, and apoer2 in the central nervous system of zebrafish was compared, and their remarkable expression was detected in the developing laminar structures, such as the tectum and the cerebellum, and also non-laminated structures, such as the pallium. The Reelin receptors exhibited different spatial and temporal gene expression. These results suggest a possibility that duplication and subsequent functional diversity of Reelin receptors contributed to the morphological and functional evolution of vertebrate brain.     

The Hox Paradox: More complex(es) than imagined

An understanding of the origin of different body plans requires knowledge of how the genes and genetic pathways that control embryonic development have evolved. The Hox genes provide an appealing starting point for such studies because they play a well-understood causal role in the regionalization of the body plan of all bilaterally symmetric animals. Vertebrate evolution has been characterized by gene, and possibly genome, duplication events, which are believed to have provided raw genetic material for selection to act upon. It has recently been established that the Hox gene organization of ray-finned fishes, such as the zebrafish, differs dramatically from that of their lobe-finned relatives, a group that includes humans and all the other widely used vertebrate model systems. This unusual Hox gene organization of zebrafish is the result of a duplication event within the ray-finned fish lineage. Thus, teleosts, such as zebrafish, have more Hox genes arrayed over more clusters (or "complexes") than do tetrapod vertebrates. Here, I review our understanding of Hox cluster architecture in different vertebrates and consider the implications of gene duplication for Hox gene regulation and function and the evolution of different body plans.     

Expansion of transducin subunit gene families in early vertebrate tetraploidizations

Hundreds of gene families expanded in the early vertebrate tetraploidizations including many gene families in the phototransduction cascade. We have investigated the evolution of the heterotrimeric G-proteins of photoreceptors, the transducins, in relation to these events using both phylogenetic analyses and synteny comparisons. Three alpha subunit genes were identified in amniotes and the coelacanth, GNAT1-3; two of these were identified in amphibians and teleost fish, GNAT1 and GNAT2. Most tetrapods have four beta genes, GNB1-4, and teleosts have additional duplicates. Finally, three gamma genes were identified in mammals, GNGT1, GNG11 and GNGT2. Of these, GNGT1 and GNGT2 were found in the other vertebrates. In frog and zebrafish additional duplicates of GNGT2 were identified. Our analyses show all three transducin families expanded during the early vertebrate tetraploidizations and the beta and gamma families gained additional copies in the teleost-specific genome duplication. This suggests that the tetraploidizations contributed to visual specialisations.     

Characterization of a cell line derived from zebrafish (brachydanio rerio) embryos

Summary During the last decade, zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) have emerged as a novel and attractive system to study embryogenesis and organogenesis in vertebrates. The main reason is that both extensive genetic studies and detailed embryologic analysis are possible using this small tropical fresh water teleost. However, in vitro analysis using cell culture or molecular genetics are still far less advanced than in other vertebrate systems. Here we report the generation and characterization of a fibroblast like cell line, ZF4, derived from 1-day-old zebrafish embryos. The hyperploid cell line has been stable in multiple passages for more than 2 yr now and is the first zebrafish cell line that can be maintained in conventional medium containing mammalian serum. Using a series of plasmids for expression of a marker gene, we evaluate in ZF4 cells the relative strength of expression from several different viral, fish, and mammalian promoters. Stable integration can be obtained by using G418 selection. We hope that our cell line will be a useful tool for the analysis of gene regulation in zebrafish.