人类1号染色体DNA序列8-mer的相对模体数分布及8-mer使用的进化分离

以人类1号染色体DNA序列为样本,分别计算了CDS、5'UTR、3'UTR、内含子和基因间五类序列中8-mer出现的频数,并得到8-mer相对模体数随频数的分布。发现内含子和基因间序列是明显的三峰分布,CDS是单峰分布,5'UTR和3'UTR是近似单峰分布。为了揭示这些分布出现差异的原因,将8-mer集合按照8-mer中包含两个或两个以上某二核苷酸(XY2)、包含一个某二核苷酸(XY1)和包含0个某二核苷酸(XY0)进行分类。发现16种分类中,只有CGj分类的三个子集分别形成独立的单峰分布。表明DNA序列是由三类CGj子集组成的,它们出现的频数是独立进化的结果;实际的8-mer频数分布是这三个CGj频数分布的叠加;由于这三个分布的距离不同,才造成了五类序列中8-mer分布的差异。对五类序列CGj三个子集中二核苷酸和三核苷酸出现的相对频数进行分析,发现CG2模体的相对频数在五类序列中基本相同,CG1模体的相对频数可将五类序列明显区分,CG0模体的相对频数可将编码序列和非编码序列明显区分。总之,CGj模体集合在DNA序列的组成上具有特定的规律性,在DNA序列进化上扮演了重要的角色。     

Polymerase η suppresses telomere defects induced by DNA damaging agents

Telomeres at chromosome ends are normally masked from proteins that signal and repair DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Bulky DNA lesions can cause DSBs if they block DNA replication, unless they are bypassed by translesion (TLS) DNA polymerases. Here, we investigated roles for TLS polymerase η, (polη) in preserving telomeres following acute physical UVC exposure and chronic chemical Cr(VI) exposure, which both induce blocking lesions. We report that polη protects against cytotoxicity and replication stress caused by Cr(VI), similar to results with ultraviolet C light (UVC). Both exposures induce ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase and polη accumulation into nuclear foci and localization to individual telomeres, consistent with replication fork stalling at DNA lesions. Polη-deficient cells exhibited greater numbers of telomeres that co-localized with DSB response proteins after exposures. Furthermore, the genotoxic exposures induced telomere aberrations associated with failures in telomere replication that were suppressed by polη. We propose that polη''s ability to bypass bulky DNA lesions at telomeres is critical for proper telomere replication following genotoxic exposures.     

Promiscuous DNA synthesis by human DNA polymerase θ

The biological role of human DNA polymerase θ (POLQ) is not yet clearly defined, but it has been proposed to participate in several cellular processes based on its translesion synthesis capabilities. POLQ is a low-fidelity polymerase capable of efficient bypass of blocking lesions such as abasic sites and thymine glycols as well as extension of mismatched primer termini. Here, we show that POLQ possesses a DNA polymerase activity that appears to be template independent and allows efficient extension of single-stranded DNA as well as duplex DNA with either protruding or multiply mismatched 3'-OH termini. We hypothesize that this DNA synthesis activity is related to the proposed role for POLQ in the repair or tolerance of double-strand breaks.     

Recombination in human mitochondrial DNA?

The possibility of recombination in human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been hotly debated over the last few years. In this study, a general model of recombination in circular molecules is developed and applied to a recently published African sample (n = 21) of complete mtDNA sequences. It is shown that the power of correlation measures to detect recombination in circular molecules can be vanishingly small and that the data are consistent with the given model and no recombination only if the overall heterogeneity in mutation rate is <0.09.     

《反义RNA和DNA》

《反义RNA和DNA》(Antisense RNA and DNA)由James A.H.Murray编著,1992年 Wiley-Liss出版社出版,401页。反义RNA和DNA是对基因活动进行高度选择性操作的技术。“反义”顺序互补编码链,能特殊地阻断基因表达。反义顺序通过碱基配对,同编码RNA结合,干扰蛋白质的翻译,从而降低蛋白质生产总量。该技术同选择作用相结合,有着广泛应用,可以降低或完全阻断任何基因表达。它对在生物体内,操纵基因功能,进行科研、医药或农业活动,都具有巨大潜力。     

Effects of cisplatin on telomerase activity and telomere length in BEL—7404 human hepatoma cells

INTRODUCTIONPrimary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHCC), oneof the most common malignancies in the world, isan aggressive cancer. The mean survival time fromestablishment of diagnosi8 is only about 4 months(2 months if the diagnosis is made 1ate). It causesab…     

Structure of an 11-mer DNA Duplex Containing the Carbocyclic Nucleotide Analog: 2′-Deoxyaristeromycin

Abstract

2′-deoxyaristeromycin (dAr) is a nucleoside analogue that is resistant to the action of DNA glycosylases. High-resolution NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations were used to determine the three-dimensional structure of an 11-mer DNA containing a single dAr?T base pair at its center. Analysis of the spectra revealed the existence of a right-handed duplex in solution, stabilized by Watson-Crick hydrogen bonding and base-stacking interactions. The carbocyclic sugar adopted a C1′-exo conformation and sugars of the 3′-flanking base pair had puckers in the O4′—endo range. The dAr?T base pair was mildly propeller twisted, and the dAr analogue showed a positive roll with the 3′-flanking base. Our findings indicate that the observed resistance of dAr-containing oligodeoxynucleotides to the catalytic action of DNA glycosylases relates to its electronic properties rather than structure, and validate the use of dAr and related carbocyclic nucleoside analogues for biological and structure/function relationship studies.     

RNA聚合酶监视的DNA修复机制

生物体在正常生命过程中面临内/外因来源的DNA损伤,DNA损伤不仅影响基因正确复制,也阻碍其正常转录.为避免DNA损伤带来的灾难性后果,生物体进化出一整套修复机制,以保证复制和转录的正确性、基因组的完整性和遗传的稳定性.本文重点综述了RNA聚合酶监视(RNA polymerase-surveilled,RNAP-S)的DNA修复机制.首先从RNA聚合酶(RNA polymerase,RNAP)的结构出发介绍了RNAP对DNA损伤的感知机制;其次讨论了滞留RNAP的回溯、与其模板DNA的解离以及后续修复机制的启动,真核细胞科凯恩综合征B蛋白(Cockayne syndrome protein B,CSB)及其泛素化和8-氧代鸟嘌呤DNA糖基化酶1 (8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase1,OGG1)介导的RNAP-S修复;最后探讨了RNAP-S损伤修复的生物学意义并展望其前景.     

Silent DNA: speaking RNA language?

The sequence of silent DNA in the human genome (intergenic spacers, introns and synonymous codon positions of protein-coding genes) was found here to have the higher thermostability of corresponding RNA/RNA and RNA/DNA duplexes as compared with randomized sequence. This difference increased with elevation of GC content. The revealed effect was not due to correlation of RNA/RNA and RNA/DNA thermostabilities with thermostability of the DNA/DNA duplex, which, on the contrary, was lower than in the randomized sequence and lagged behind the elevation of GC content. The same picture was observed in the genomes of other warm-blooded vertebrates but not in the lower organisms. This finding suggests that RNA-RNA and RNA-DNA interactions could be involved in the putative function of silent DNA.     

依赖于DNA的RNA聚合酶的研究

真核细胞转录是一个极为复杂的过程,有很多迄 今尚未研究清楚的因子参加。依赖于DNA的RNA 聚合酶^{(E. C. 2.7.7.6）}直接或间接地和转录的调节 过程有关。真核细胞有三种结构不同的RNA聚合 酶^5,6,8,10,11),它们有不同的转录功能。因此,研究真 核细胞RNA聚合酶的结构对弄清酶对转录和调节显 得十分重要。     

分光光度法测定DNA或RNA含量

若样品纯度较高(即蛋白质、酚、琼脂糖或其他核酸的污染量不大),用紫外分光光度法即简便又准确。测定时,于260 nm与280nm两个波长下读数。通过260nm的读数可计算出样品中核酸的浓度,即10.D.260相当于50 μg/ml双链DNA,40μg/ml单链RNA或     

RNA介导的植物DNA甲基化研究进展

RNA介导的DNA甲基化作用(RNA-directed DNA Methylation,RdDM)是首次在植物中发现的基因组表观修饰现象,RdDM通过RNA-DNA序列相互作用直接导致DNA甲基化。植物中的RdDM和siRNA介导的mRNA降解现象,都是通过RNA使序列特异性基因发生沉默,它们对于植物的染色体重排、抵御病毒感染、基因表达调控和发育的许多过程起到了非常重要的作用。在植物中有很多的文献报道RdDM现象,但是对于其具体调控机理还不是很清楚。这里对RNA介导的植物DNA甲基化的基本特征进行了简要概述,主要对RdDM机理的研究进展进行了综述,其中包括RdDM过程中的DNA甲基转移酶的种类及其作用机理,DNA甲基化与染色质修饰之间的关系,以及与RdDM相关的重要蛋白质的研究等。在植物中,转录和转录后水平都可能发生RdDM,诱发基因沉默,前者常涉及靶基因启动子的甲基化,后者则牵涉到编码区的甲基化。RdDM的发生依赖于RNAi途径中相似的siRNA和酶,如DCL3、RdR2、SDE4和AGO4。植物中至少含有三类DNA甲基转移酶DRM1/2、MET1和CMT3,其作用部位是与RNA同源的DNA区域中的所有胞嘧啶,而组蛋白H3第九位赖氨酸的甲基化影响着胞嘧啶的甲基化。     

Efficient DNA ligation in DNA–RNA hybrid helices by Chlorella virus DNA ligase

Single-stranded DNA molecules (ssDNA) annealed to an RNA splint are notoriously poor substrates for DNA ligases. Herein we report the unexpectedly efficient ligation of RNA-splinted DNA by Chlorella virus DNA ligase (PBCV-1 DNA ligase). PBCV-1 DNA ligase ligated ssDNA splinted by RNA with k_cat ≈ 8 x 10⁻³ s⁻¹ and K_M < 1 nM at 25°C under conditions where T4 DNA ligase produced only 5′-adenylylated DNA with a 20-fold lower k_cat and a K_M ≈ 300 nM. The rate of ligation increased with addition of Mn²⁺, but was strongly inhibited by concentrations of NaCl >100 mM. Abortive adenylylation was suppressed at low ATP concentrations (<100 µM) and pH >8, leading to increased product yields. The ligation reaction was rapid for a broad range of substrate sequences, but was relatively slower for substrates with a 5′-phosphorylated dC or dG residue on the 3′ side of the ligation junction. Nevertheless, PBCV-1 DNA ligase ligated all sequences tested with 10-fold less enzyme and 15-fold shorter incubation times than required when using T4 DNA ligase. Furthermore, this ligase was used in a ligation-based detection assay system to show increased sensitivity over T4 DNA ligase in the specific detection of a target mRNA.     

Polymorphisms in the human DNA polymerase β gene

Recently, evidence has accumulated that mutations in DNA repair genes might be associated with certain steps in carcinogenesis. The DNA polymerase gene is one of the DNA repair genes, and mutations in it have been detected in 83% of human colorectal cancers. To assess the involvement of polymerase gene mutations in the development of human prostate cancers, we performed sequence analyses of human DNA samples. Unexpectedly, we found six regions that were polymorphic. This information should be taken into consideration at the time of sequence analysis of the DNA polymerase gene.s     

Interferon Induction: DNA–RNA Hybrid or Double Stranded RNA?

Interferon inducing capacity resides solely with double stranded RNA.     

同时抽提DNA和RNA的简便方法

同时抽提ＤＮＡ和ＲＮＡ的简便方法刘定干（中国科学院上海生物化学研究所,２０００３１）关键词ＤＮＡＲＮＡ抽提在研究工作中,常同时需要培养细胞的ＤＮＡ和ＲＮＡ,从同一样品中同时提取ＤＮＡ和ＲＮＡ。目前,已有好几种同时抽提ＤＮＡ和ＲＮＡ的方法［１～４］。作...