Analysis of the mouse Scnn1a promoter in cortical collecting duct cells and in transgenic mice

We have isolated and characterised the promoter of the mouse Scnn1a (alpha ENaC) gene. Using transient transfections of serial deletion mutants into Scnn1a-expressing cells, we demonstrate that 1.56 kb of 5' upstream sequence is required for cell-specific expression and corticosteroid-mediated regulation. These 5' sequences are not sufficient to drive expression of a lacZ reporter gene or a rat Scnn1a cDNA in transgenic mice, where they failed to rescue Scnn1a deficiency.     

人载脂蛋白A1基因转基因小鼠的建立

目的建立系统性表达人载脂蛋白A1(APOA1)基因的转基因小鼠。方法 将人APOA1基因插入系统性表达启动子下游,构建转基因表达载体,通过显微注射法建立人APOA1转基因C57BL/6J小鼠。并利用特异引物PCR法鉴定转基因小鼠的基因型,Western blot检测基因表达水平,血生化分析检测不同月龄转基因小鼠与同龄野生型小鼠的血脂指标。结果建立了2个不同表达水平的人APOA1基因的转基因小鼠品系;转入的人APOA1基因在血液、肝脏、心脏、肾脏、脾脏、血管组织中均有明显表达;血生化分析结果显示不同月龄转基因小鼠的血浆高密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平高于同龄的野生型小鼠,甘油三酯水平低于同龄野生型小鼠。结论成功建立了系统性表达人APOA1基因的转基因小鼠,为研究高血脂以及高血脂相关的心血管病提供了工具。     

Regulation of gene expression by the CYP27B1 promoter-study of a transgenic mouse model

The enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) is the rate limiting enzyme in the two-step activation process of Vitamin D to its active form 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D) and is located in the mitochondrial fraction of the proximal tubular cells of the kidney. More recently CYP27B1 activity and expression have also been identified in a number of non-renal cells, which is suggestive of new, previously unidentified roles for Vitamin D in the human body. Although the regulation of CYP27B1 activity and expression has been a major focus of interest over the past decades, the exact molecular mechanism behind the regulation of CYP27B1 activity and expression and the role of the CYP27B1 promoter, herein, are still poorly understood. In this study, we created a transgenic mouse model that expresses the luciferase reporter gene under the control of the full-length, 1.5kb, human CYP27B1 promoter. This animal model allows us to study in vivo the tissue-specific, CYP27B1 promoter-controlled, regulation of the expression of the CYP27B1 gene.     

Analysis of ubiquitination in vivo using a transgenic mouse model

The primary pathway for the proteolytic destruction of cellular proteins is through ubiquitin-mediated targeting to the proteasome. This pathway is pivotal not only in the elimination of damaged or misfolded proteins but also in the temporal, developmental, or signal-mediated destruction of normal cellular substrates. The list of known substrates of the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway is long, but most substrates have been identified in yeast or, more recently, in cultured mammalian cells. It is likely that many mammalian substrates with developmental or disease relevance have yet to be identified because their ubiquitination occurs in tissue or organ systems that cannot be adequately modeled in vitro. We have developed a transgenic mouse model that will allow the isolation and identification of these substrates. The human UbC promoter was used to drive expression of a hexahistidine-tagged version of human ubiquitin in a variety of mouse tissues from early embryonic stages, as assessed by a green fluorescent protein marker. Cleavage of the fusion protein by endogenous enzymes produced epitope-tagged ubiquitin that was detected both in monomeric form and conjugated to cellular proteins. This mouse model should facilitate in the analysis of normal and disease-related ubiquitination events in vivo.     

Analysis of an ABA-responsive rice gene promoter in transgenic tobacco

We have analyzed in transgenic tobacco the expression of a chimeric gene containing 5 sequences of the rice rab-16B gene fused to the -glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. This construct, a translational fusion (–482 to +184) including 14 amino acids of the RAB-16B protein, is expressed only in zygotic and pollen-derived embryos. In zygotic embryos, GUS activity begins to accumulate 10 days after flowering (daf), and increases until seed maturation at 25 daf. Immunological measurements of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in these seeds showed a close parallel between hormone levels and GUS activity. However, GUS activity could not be reproducibly induced by treatment of immature embryos with ABA (10 M). Neither GUS activity nor GUS mRNA could be detected in leaves of transgenic tobacco even after ABA treatment. In contrast, GUS activity could be induced to high levels in pollen-derived embryos by treatment with ABA. Our results show that 482 bp of 5 sequences of the rice rab-16B promoter can confer in transgenic tobacco developmentally regulated expression in embryos but not ABA-responsive expression in vegetative tissues.     

Characterization of the root-predominant gene promoter HPX1 in transgenic rice plants

Gene promoter(s) specialized in root tissues is an important component for crop biotechnology. In our current study, we report results of promoter analysis of the HPX1, a gene expressed predominantly in roots. The HPX1 promoter regions were predicted, linked to the gfp reporter gene, and transformed into rice. Promoter activities were analyzed in various organs and tissues of six independent transgenic HPX1:gfp plants using the fluorescent microscopy and q-RT-PCR methods. GFP fluorescence levels were high in root elongation regions but not in root apex and cap of the HPX1:gfp plants. Very low levels of GFP fluorescence were observed in anthers and leaves. Levels of promoter activities were 16- to 190-fold higher in roots than in leaves of the HPX1:gfp plants. The HPX1 promoter directs high levels of gene expression in root tissues producing GFP levels up to 0.39 % of the total soluble protein. Thus, the HPX1 promoter is predominantly active in the root elongation region during the vegetative stage of growth.     

Induction of clonal monocyte-macrophage tumors in vivo by a mouse c-myc retrovirus: rearrangement of the CSF-1 gene as a secondary transforming event.

A mouse retrovirus containing the c-myc oncogene was found to induce tumors of mononuclear phagocytic cells in vivo. All tumors expressed the c-myc retroviral gene but not the endogenous c-myc gene (with one exception), and virtually all tumors were clonal with a unique proviral integration. This observation, coupled with a lag time in tumor formation, suggests that a second event, in addition to c-myc proviral integration, is necessary for the generation of neoplastic cells in vivo. All of the tumor cells expressed high levels of mRNA for both the putative colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) receptor (c-fms proto-oncogene product), as well as the c-fos proto-oncogene. Although all of the tumor cells proliferated in culture without the addition of exogenous CSF-1, which is required for the proliferation of primary macrophages partially transformed by the same c-myc retrovirus, several phenotypes were observed with respect to the expression of CSF-1 and granulocyte-macrophage CSF and to their growth factor responsiveness. The proliferation of one tumor, which secreted high levels of CSF-1, was blocked by specific anti-CSF-1 serum. This tumor was found to express altered CSF-1 mRNA and to have a DNA rearrangement at the CSF-1 locus. In this particular case, the data indicate that a CSF-1 gene rearrangement was the secondary event in development of the tumor. The pleiotropy of phenotypes among the other tumors indicated that there are a variety of other mechanisms for such secondary events which can be investigated with this system.     

Analysis of p53 inactivation in a human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax transgenic mouse model

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). The HTLV-1 Tax protein has been strongly linked to oncogenesis and is considered to be the transforming protein of this virus. A Tax transgenic mouse model was utilized to study the contribution of p53 inactivation to Tax-mediated tumorigenesis. These mice develop primary, peripheral tumors consisting of large granular lymphocytic (LGL) cells, which also infiltrate the lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, liver, and lungs. Primary Tax-induced tumors and tumor-derived cell lines exhibited functional inactivation of the p53 apoptotic pathway; such tumors and tumor cell lines were resistant to an apoptosis-inducing stimulus. In contrast, p53 mutations in tumors were found to be associated with secondary organ infiltration. Three of four identified mutations inhibited transactivation and apoptosis induction activities in vitro. Furthermore, experiments which involved mating Tax transgenic mice with p53-deficient mice demonstrated minimal acceleration in initial tumor formation, but significantly accelerated disease progression and death in mice heterozygous for p53. These studies suggest that functional inactivation of p53 by HTLV-1 Tax, whether by mutation or another mechanism, is not critical for initial tumor formation, but contributes to late-stage tumor progression.     

MTA1转基因小鼠的构建及鉴定

目的将人的MTAl外源基因整合到C57BL／6J小鼠中,构建稳定高表达MTAl的小鼠模型。方法通过RT—PCR方法克隆人的MTAl编码序列,将MTAl插入真核表达载体pcDNA3．1构建pcDNA3．1-MTAl载体,回收片段后利用显微注射技术将目的基因片段注入到受精卵的雄原核中,使用MTAl特异性的引物经PCR鉴定出基因型阳性的转基因小鼠,再利用Western—blot及免疫组化方法检测MTAl在转基因小鼠全身级织表达情况。结果成功构建了MTAl转基因注射片段。在320枚显微注射受精卵中挑选出300枚存活卵移植到10只ICR小鼠假孕受体的输卵管中,10只ICR小鼠均怀孕,移植成功率为100％,共生出子代鼠80只,经PCR检测其中共有9只整合了MTAl基因,整合率为11．25％。经PCR鉴定MTAl整合阳性的F1代小鼠,再经Western—blot和免疫组化分析检测MTAl表达水平在脑、肺、肝、肠等组织中表达明显增高,肾、骨骼肌表达无差异。结论成功构建了脑、肝、肺、结肠高表达MTAl的转基因小鼠,为进一步MTAl研究奠定了良好的研究模型。