Construction and Characterization of a Replication-Competent Retroviral Shuttle Vector Plasmid

We constructed two versions of an RCASBP-based retroviral shuttle vector, RSVP (RCASBP shuttle vector plasmid), containing either the zeocin or blasticidin resistance gene. In this vector, the drug resistance gene is expressed in avian cells from the long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter, whereas in bacteria the resistance gene is expressed from a bacterial promoter. The vector contains a bacterial origin of replication (ColE1) to allow circular viral DNA to replicate as a plasmid in bacteria. The vector also contains the lac operator sequence, which binds to the lac repressor protein, providing a simple and rapid way to purify the vector DNA. The RSVP plasmid contains the following sequence starting with the 5" end: LTR, gag, pol, env, drug resistance gene, lac operator, ColE1, LTR. After this plasmid was transfected into DF-1 cells, we were able to rescue the circularized unintegrated viral DNA from RSVP simply by transforming the Hirt DNA into Escherichia coli. Furthermore, we were able to rescue the integrated provirus. DNA from infected cells was digested with an appropriate restriction enzyme (ClaI) and the vector-containing segments were enriched using lac repressor protein and then self-ligated. These enriched fractions were used to transform E. coli. The transformation was successful and we did recover integration sites, but higher-efficiency rescue was obtained with electroporation. The vector is relatively stable upon passage in avian cells. Southern blot analyses of genomic DNAs derived from successive viral passages under nonselective conditions showed that the cassette (drug resistance gene-lac operator-ColE1) insert was present in the vector up to the third viral passage for both resistance genes, which suggests that the RSVP vectors are stable for approximately three viral passages. Together, these results showed that RSVP vectors are useful tools for cloning unintegrated or integrated viral DNAs.     

链霉菌和大肠杆菌穿梭质粒载体的构建

本文报道了链霉菌和大肠杆菌穿梭质粒载体pSE-3的构建;把具有双启动子的大肠杆菌的质粒pGEM-3与新霉素抗性基因启动子缺失的链霉菌的探针质粒pIJ486分别用BamHI和BglⅡ酶切,T4 DNA连接酶连接后转化到E.coli HB101(Amp(?),Neo(?)),所得重组质粒能强启动pIJ486质粒上的氨基糖苷磷酸转移酶基因(aph),并使新霉素抗性基因在大肠杆菌中得到强表达。此重组质粒被命名为pSE-3,当其转化到变青链霉菌TK54(Tsr(?),Neo(?))的原生质体前,新霉素抗性基因亦能得到强表达。酶切结果表明,构建的具有两个启动子的穿梭质粒载体pSE-3上有HindⅢ和EcoRI的单酶位点,拷贝数约为39。经再转化和传代50代等研究表明,穿梭质粒载体pSE-3在链霉菌和大肠杆菌中均是稳定的。为某些有应用价值的目的基因在大肠杆菌和链霉菌中的克隆与表达提供了一个有价值的穿梭质粒载体。     

一种高效的单质粒模式四环素诱导表达系统的构建

现有的四环素诱导调控系统基于两个单独的质粒分别表达反式结合蛋白和外源基因.其缺点是在建立转基因定量表达动物模型时,需要制备和维持两个动物品系,再进行杂交才有可能获得双转基因后代,步骤繁琐,难度较大.针对上述缺陷,本研究尝试将反式蛋白rtTA表达框和低背景响应元件Ptight组装到同一个载体上,构建为严谨型单载体模式的诱导表达系统pTRE-Tight-rtTA,并通过两种报告基因的表达对其调控活性进行了研究.含有荧光素酶和绿色荧光蛋白的pTRE-Tight-rtTA-Luc和pTRE-Tight-rtTA-EGFP报告载体分别转染猪肾PK15细胞并经强力霉素处理,均可成功诱导报告基因的定量表达.在等摩尔转染条件下,单载体系统的诱导效率明显高于双载体系统（Dox-1 000 ng,10 倍;Dox-10 000 ng,8 倍）.该诱导型单载体系统的成功构建为外源基因的定量表达提供了新手段,为转基因定量表达动物模型的研究提供了新策略.     

大肠杆菌-分枝杆菌分泌型穿梭表达质粒pBCG-SP-HSP65的构建及人结核杆菌HSP65的表达

用PCR技术从Bacillus Calmetteguérin(BCG)基因组中扩增出抗原85B(Ag85B)的信号肽(SP)DNA序列,从pCMVMTHSP65质粒中扩增出人结核杆菌HSP65全长基因。利用DNA重组技术将以上两个片段插入质粒pBCG2100的人结核杆菌HSP70启动子下游,构建成分泌型原核穿梭表达质粒(pBCGSPHSP65)。酶切鉴定、PCR和测序分析结果均表明分泌型原核穿梭表达质粒pBCGSPHSP65构建成功。利用电穿孔将该质粒转入耻垢分枝杆菌(Mycobacterial smegmatis, MS)中,用卡那霉素筛选出阳性重组子。经热诱导后用SDS-PAGE观察到在耻垢分枝杆菌中65kD蛋白占总蛋白的20%,而在重组耻垢分枝杆菌表达的65kD蛋白占菌体总蛋白的34.46%,占裂解物上清总蛋白的68.56%,表明重组的HSP65基因能在耻垢分枝杆菌中高效表达,表达的蛋白大部分以可溶状态存在。通过Westernblot证实分泌的该蛋白能与结核杆菌HSP65的抗体特异性结合,说明该重组蛋白具有HSP65的生物学活性。     

芘高效降解菌的分离鉴定及其降解特性的研究

以芘为惟一碳源.采用寓集培养方法,从沈抚灌区石油污染土壤中分离得到一株芘降解菌B05.根据形态学观察、生理牛化鉴定和16S rDNA序列分析结果.将菌株B05鉴定为Aminobacter ciceronei.在芘初始浓度为1mg/L的液体无机盐培养基中,培养10d,菌株B05对芘的降解率为51%;在芘初始浓度为1mg/kg的土壤培养基条件下,培养30d,菌株B05对芘的降解率可达51%;在芘初始浓度为50mg/L的乙醇液体培养基条件下,培养5d,菌株B05对芘的降解率可达25.9%.对菌株培养条件进行优化,经SlideWrite统计软件拟合,菌株B05在牛肉膏蛋白胨液体培养基上的最适生长pH值为7.3,最适生长温度为32.5℃,最适装液量为25.4mL(150mL三角瓶).     

GFP为报告基因的酵母哺乳动物细胞穿梭载体的构建及其在人血管内皮细胞中的表达

为研究酵母作为载体在口服基因治疗及免疫中的作用 ,需要一种能够在酵母中复制而在哺乳动物细胞中表达的穿梭载体 .利用通用载体质粒融合系统 (UPS)构建了一种以GFP为报告基因的新载体 ,以常规的氯化锂法对酿酒酵母进行转化 ,证明该载体能够在酵母中复制 ;以脂质体介导向人血管内皮细胞进行了转染 ,有绿色荧光 ,证明该载体能够在哺乳动物细胞中表达 .所获得的新型的穿梭载体为口服酵母在基因治疗中的应用提供了物质准备     

Construction and Characterization of Shuttle Vectors for Succinic Acid-Producing Rumen Bacteria

Shuttle vectors carrying the origins of replication that function in Escherichia coli and two capnophilic rumen bacteria, Mannheimia succiniciproducens and Actinobacillus succinogenes, were constructed. These vectors were found to be present at ca. 10 copies per cell. They were found to be stably maintained in rumen bacteria during the serial subcultures in the absence of antibiotic pressure for 216 generations. By optimizing the electroporation condition, the transformation efficiencies of 3.0 × 10⁶ and 7.1 × 10⁶ transformants/μg DNA were obtained with M. succiniciproducens and A. succinogenes, respectively. A 1.7-kb minimal replicon was identified that consists of the rep gene, four iterons, A+T-rich regions, and a dnaA box. It was found that the shuttle vector replicates via the theta mode, which was confirmed by sequence analysis and Southern hybridization. These shuttle vectors were found to be suitable as expression vectors as the homologous fumC gene encoding fumarase and the heterologous genes encoding green fluorescence protein and red fluorescence protein could be expressed successfully. Thus, the shuttle vectors developed in this study should be useful for genetic and metabolic engineering of succinic acid-producing rumen bacteria.     

底泥中芘高效降解菌株的富集分离及特性研究

从辽河流域浑河沈阳段采集底泥样品,利用吸附性载体,以芘为唯一碳源,筛选到一株芘高效降解菌F8,根据形态。生理生化特性及测序结果鉴定该菌为产碱杆菌(Alcaligenes sp.)。对菌株F8降解率进行测定,结果表明,菌株F8在32℃振荡培养条件下,7d后对50 mg·L~(-1)的芘降解率为62.75%,芘的降解与细菌浓度的增长呈正相关关系?通过对其培养条件优化,确定其生长的最适温度和pH分别为36℃和6.5。对菌株F8在重金属离子胁迫下的生长研究发现,Cd~(2+)对菌株F8有毒性;Zn~(2+)对菌株有一定的抑制作用;Cu~(2+)对菌株生长影响很小。研究了植物-微生物联合修复作用,结果显示水稻促进了菌株F8对芘的降解,使降解率增加了11.85%。     

两种pUC18高效T载体的构建

T载体是用于直接克隆PCR产物的线性载体.在此之前,克隆PCR片段时一般先用Klenow片段酶或T4DNA聚合酶削平PCR产物两端,克隆过程中又大都不能使用碱性磷酸酶为载体片段脱磷,因为绝大多数PCR引物5’端未磷酸化,T载体的诞生使分子生物学工作者摆脱了这一窘境,而且,T载体的3’端突出的T碱基与PCR产物3’端由于Taq酶非模板依赖的末端转移酶活性而添加的A碱基[1]互补,使载体与PCR产物的连接效率大大提高.由于具有上述优点,T载体从一产生就引起人们极大的兴趣,很多公司也相继推出了各自的T载体系统,并运用该技术改造了很多传统载体.本…     

Characterization of the Minimal Replicon of a Cryptic Deinococcus radiodurans SARK Plasmid and Development of Versatile Escherichia coli-D. radiodurans Shuttle Vectors

The nucleotide sequence of a 12-kb fragment of the cryptic Deinococcus radiodurans SARK plasmid pUE10 was determined, in order to direct the development of small, versatile cloning systems for Deinococcus. Annotation of the sequence revealed 12 possible open reading frames. Among these are the repU and resU genes, the predicted products of which share similarity with replication proteins and site-specific resolvases, respectively. The products of both genes were demonstrated using an overexpression system in Escherichia coli. RepU was found to be required for replication, and ResU was found to be required for stable maintenance of pUE10 derivatives. Gel shift analysis using purified His-tagged RepU identified putative binding sites and suggested that RepU may be involved in both replication initiation and autoregulation of repU expression. In addition, a gene encoding a possible antirestriction protein was found, which was shown to be required for high transformation frequencies. The arrangement of the replication region and putative replication genes for this plasmid from D. radiodurans strain SARK is similar to that for plasmids found in Thermus but not to that for the 45.7-kb plasmid found in D. radiodurans strain R1. The minimal region required for autonomous replication in D. radiodurans was determined by sequential deletion of segments from the 12-kb fragment. The resulting minimal replicon, which consists of approximately 2.6 kb, was used for the construction of a shuttle vector for E. coli and D. radiodurans. This vector, pRAD1, is a convenient general-purpose cloning vector. In addition, pRAD1 was used to generate a promoter probe vector, and a plasmid containing lacZ and a Deinococcus promoter was shown to efficiently express LacZ.     

Construction of Plasmid Vectors for Screening Replicons from Gram-Positive Bacteria and Their Use as Shuttle Cloning Vectors

Plasmids play a central role in engineering recombinant bacteria because they are the primary vehicles used to manipulate targeted sequences. In some cases, bacteria of interest are poorly provided with suitable tools for these molecular or genetic manipulations. In this context, we constructed from two shuttle cloning vectors, pUCB2871 and pUCB2872, the basic vectors pUCB30 and pUCB31, which could represent suitable tools to isolate replicons from Gram-positive bacteria. These plasmid vectors are characterized by the following after-features: (a) the pUC origin of replication is unable to replicate in Gram-positive bacteria; (b) an erythromycin-resistance encoding gene that is functional in both Gram-negative and -positive bacteria; (c) the pUC19 multiple cloning site (MCS) within the lacZα reporter gene; and (4) an additional multiple cloning site (MCS). Cloning replicons from Gram-positive bacteria in this additional MCS would allow the derivative vectors to function directly as shuttle cloning vectors.     

Characterization of a Highly Efficient Blue-shifted Channelrhodopsin from the Marine Alga Platymonas subcordiformis

Rhodopsin photosensors of phototactic algae act as light-gated cation channels when expressed in animal cells. These proteins (channelrhodopsins) are extensively used for millisecond scale photocontrol of cellular functions (optogenetics). We report characterization of PsChR, one of the phototaxis receptors in the alga Platymonas (Tetraselmis) subcordiformis. PsChR exhibited ∼3-fold higher unitary conductance and greater relative permeability for Na⁺ ions, as compared with the most frequently used channelrhodopsin-2 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrChR2). Photocurrents generated by PsChR in HEK293 cells showed lesser inactivation and faster peak recovery than those by CrChR2. Their maximal spectral sensitivity was at 445 nm, making PsChR the most blue-shifted channelrhodopsin so far identified. The λ_max of detergent-purified PsChR was 437 nm at neutral pH and exhibited red shifts (pK_a values at 6.6 and 3.8) upon acidification. The purified pigment undergoes a photocycle with a prominent red-shifted intermediate whose formation and decay kinetics match the kinetics of channel opening and closing. The rise and decay of an M-like intermediate prior to formation of this putative conductive state were faster than in CrChR2. PsChR mediated sufficient light-induced membrane depolarization in cultured hippocampal neurons to trigger reliable repetitive spiking at the upper threshold frequency of the neurons. At low frequencies spiking probability decreases less with PsChR than with CrChR2 because of the faster recovery of the former. Its blue-shifted absorption enables optogenetics at wavelengths even below 400 nm. A combination of characteristics makes PsChR important for further research on structure-function relationships in ChRs and potentially useful for optogenetics, especially for combinatorial applications when short wavelength excitation is required.     

两种高效 RNA 干涉载体系统的构建及应用

在真核细胞基因功能研究中, RNA 干涉 (RNAi) 已成为一种强有力的选择性沉默基因表达的实验工具. 建立一套可在哺乳动物培养细胞中高效、经济地表达 siRNA 的载体系统是 RNA 干涉研究的必要前提之一. 从 HepG2 细胞基因组 DNA 中克隆得到 H1 全长启动子 (374 bp),以之为基础构建了两套 RNA 干涉载体系统, pSL 和带有绿色荧光蛋白 (EGFP) 标签的 pESL ,并对 p53 基因进行了相应的 RNA 干涉研究. 干涉质粒瞬时转染 HepG2 细胞后,分别利用半定量 RT-PCR 和蛋白质印迹检测 p53 表达水平. 与商品化载体 pSilencer^TM 3.1-H1 hygro 相比, pSL 和 pESL 对 p53 基因表达具有更高的干涉效率. 结果显示：干涉载体 pSL 和 pESL 能高效特异地下调目的基因表达,可作为哺乳动物中基因功能分析的有效工具.     

Characterization and application of a glucose-repressible promoter in Francisella tularensis

Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is a category A biodefense agent. The examination of gene function in this organism is limited due to the lack of available controllable promoters. Here, we identify a promoter element of F. tularensis LVS that is repressed by glucose (termed the Francisella glucose-repressible promoter, or FGRp), allowing the management of downstream gene expression. In bacteria cultured in medium lacking glucose, this promoter induced the expression of a red fluorescent protein allele, tdtomato. FGRp activity was used to produce antisense RNA of iglC, an important virulence factor, which severely reduced IglC protein levels. Cultivation in glucose-containing medium restored IglC levels, indicating the usefulness of this promoter for controlling both exogenous and chromosomal gene expression. Moreover, FGRp was shown to be active during the infection of human macrophages by using the fluorescence reporter. In this environment, the FGRp-mediated expression of antisense iglC by F. tularensis LVS resulted in reduced bacterial fitness, demonstrating the applicability of this promoter. An analysis of the genomic sequence indicated that this promoter region controls a gene, FTL_0580, encoding a hypothetical protein. A deletion analysis determined the critical sites essential for FGRp activity to be located within a 44-bp region. This is the first report of a conditional promoter and the use of antisense constructs in F. tularensis, valuable genetic tools for studying gene function both in vitro and in vivo.     

Conjugative Type 4 Secretion System of a Novel Large Plasmid from the Chemoautotroph Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis and Construction of Shuttle Vectors for Alcaligenaceae

Tetrathiobacter spp. and other members of the Alcaligenaceae are metabolically versatile and environmentally significant. A novel, ∼60-kb conjugative plasmid, pBTK445, from the sulfur chemolithoautotroph Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis, was identified and characterized. This plasmid exists at a low copy number of 2 to 3 per host chromosome. The portion of pBTK445 sequenced so far (∼25 kb) harbors genes putatively involved in replication, transfer functions, partition, and UV damage repair. A 1,373-bp region was identified as the minimal replicon. This region contains a repA gene encoding a protein belonging to the RPA (replication protein A) superfamily and an upstream, iteron-based oriV. A contiguous 11-gene cluster homologous to various type 4 secretion systems (T4SSs) was identified. Insertional inactivation demonstrated that this cluster is involved in the conjugative transfer functions of pBTK445, and thus, it was named the tagB (transfer-associated gene homologous to virB) locus. The core and peripheral TagB components show different phylogenetic affinities, suggesting that this system has evolved by assembling components from evolutionarily divergent T4SSs. A virD4 homolog, putatively involved in nucleoprotein transfer, is also present downstream of the tagB locus. Although pBTK445 resembles IncP plasmids in terms of its genomic organization and the presence of an IncP-specific trbM homolog, it also shows several unique features. Unlike that of IncP, the oriT of pBTK445 is located in close proximity to the oriV, and a traL homolog, which is generally present in the TraI locus of IncP, is present in pBTK445 in isolation, upstream of the tagB locus. A significant outcome of this study is the construction of conjugative shuttle vectors for Tetrathiobacter and related members of the Alkaligenaceae.The genus Tetrathiobacter includes environmentally important betaproteobacteria belonging to the family Alcaligenaceae. Members of this family inhabit diverse habitats, ranging from animals and humans to soil, sewage, and sludge. They are also metabolically diverse and include facultative chemolithotrophs, versatile heterotrophs, xenobiotic degraders, fastidious parasites, and pathogens (15). While the type species, Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis, isolated from a temperate orchard soil, has been recognized as a thiosulfate- and tetrathionate-oxidizing facultative chemolithoautotroph (11, 15), Tetrathiobacter mimigardefordensis, isolated from compost, can utilize the organic disulfide 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid for growth (42). More recently isolated soil-dwelling strains of T. kashmirensis can detoxify selenite by reducing it to insoluble elemental red selenium (18). Strains identified as T. kashmirensis on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (GenBank accession number {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"EU523111","term_id":"170674436","term_text":"EU523111"}}EU523111) are allegedly involved in the biodegradation of thiodiglycol, the hydrolysis product of yperite, a highly hazardous derivative of mustard gas used in chemical weapons. In addition, bacteria isolated from a deep-sea environment and phylogenetically identified as T. kashmirensis (GenBank accession number {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"EF619402","term_id":"148751435","term_text":"EF619402"}}EF619402) have been observed to degrade alkanes.Species of Alcaligenaceae possess a wide repertoire of plasmids (21, 32), a feature pertinent to their biodegradative and biogeochemical roles in the environment. Many of these plasmids are well known for harboring genes involved in biodegradation (14, 39, 44). However, not many of them have been studied at the molecular level. In the present study, we have identified, partially sequenced, and characterized a large (∼60-kb), low-copy-number, self-transmissible, novel plasmid, designated pBTK445, from T. kashmirensis strain WGT. We have characterized the minimal replication region of this plasmid and have subsequently constructed shuttle vectors that could be used for diverse members of the Alcaligenaceae, including Tetrathiobacter. A major part of the sequenced region was found to be occupied by genes homologous to constituents of various type 4 secretion systems (T4SSs) (5-7, 9). This locus was found to be involved in the conjugal transfer function of the new plasmid. Many features of pBTK445 resemble those of IncP plasmids, but the new plasmid also possesses several characteristics distinct from those of IncP plasmids. We discuss in detail those characteristics of pBTK445 that make it an interesting model for the study of the diversity and evolution of large plasmids.