CHB2, a member of the SWI3 gene family,is a global regulator in Arabidopsis

The SWI/SNF complex is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex that plays an important role in the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. Very little is known about the function of SWI/SNF complex in plants compared with animals and yeast. SWI3 is one of the core components of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes in yeast. We have identified a putative SWI3-like cDNA clone, CHB2 (AtSWI3B), from Arabidopsis thaliana by screening the expressed sequence tag database. CHB2 encodes a putative protein of 469 amino acids and shares 23% amino acid sequence identity and 64% similarity with the yeast SWI3. The Arabidopsis genome contains four SWI3-like genes, namely CHB1 (AtSWI3A), CHB2 (AtSWI3B), CHB3 (AtSWI3C) and CHB4 (AtSWI3D). The expression of CHB2, CHB3 and CHB4 mRNA was detected in all tissues analyzed by RT-PCR. The expression of CHB1 mRNA, however, could not be detected in the siliques, suggesting that there is differential expression among CHB genes in different Arabidopsis tissues. To investigate the role of CHB2 in plants, Arabidopsis plants were transformed with a gene construct comprising a CHB2 cDNA in the antisense orientation driven by the CaMV 35S promoter. Repression of CHB2 expression resulted in pleiotropic developmental abnormalities including abnormal seedling and leaf phenotypes, dwarfism, delayed flowering and no apical dominance, suggesting a global role for CHB2 in the regulation of gene expression. Our results indicate that CHB2 plays an essential role in plant growth and development.     

金钱鱼毒腺cDNA表达文库的构建及EST序列分析

以金钱鱼 (Scatophagusargus)毒腺为出发材料 ,构建以真核表达载体pcDNA3 0为基础的金钱鱼毒腺cDNA表达文库 .应用SMARTTM cDNALibraryConstruction技术和生物信息学分析等方法 ,通过对文库克隆的序列测定和初步生物信息学分析 ,获得了 2 0 1个金钱鱼新表达序列标签 (ESTs) ,其中已确定全长cDNA的克隆有 2 7个 ,包括多个核糖体大小亚基蛋白 (ribosomalprotein)、细胞凋亡相关蛋白 (programmedcelldeath 10 ) ,G蛋白信号调控子 (Gproteinsignalingregulator)、胸腺素(thymosinbeta 4 )、延伸因子 (translationelongationfactor 1 alpha)和泛素 (ubiquitin)等 .金钱鱼毒腺cDNA表达文库的成功构建 ,为研究金钱鱼毒腺的活性组分及其作用机制奠定了基础 ,也是分离新基因不可多得的重要资源     

日本鬼鲉毒腺cDNA表达文库的构建和初步分析

以海洋生物日本鬼鲉毒腺为材料,应用SMART^TM cDNA Library Construction技术,构建以真核表达载体pcDNA3.0为基础的日本鬼鲉毒腺cDNA表达文库.通过对文库克隆的序列测定和初步生物信息学分析,获得94个日本鬼鲉毒腺新表达序列标签（ESTs）,其中已确定全长cDNA的克隆有35个,包括溶细胞素基因、类短链神经毒素蛋白、C型凝集素、巨噬细胞迁移抑制因子、致病相关基因等,这些基因在日本鬼鲉中绝大多数为首次发现.日本鬼鲉毒腺cDNA表达文库的成功构建,为深入研究日本鬼鲉毒腺的组分及其分子作用机理奠定了基础.     

玫瑰红绿海葵触手cDNA表达文库的构建和初步分析

海葵共有 10 0 0多种 ,栖息于世界各地的海洋中 ,从极地到热带、从潮间带到深海都有分布 ,我国地处温带和亚热带 ,海葵种类较多[1 ] 。海葵的单体呈圆柱状 ,柱体开口端为口盘 ,口盘周围环生众多触手 ,触手上有被称为刺丝囊的毒腺结构 ,能分泌毒液 ;柱体下端为基盘 ,海葵以其基盘吸附于甲壳、海藻等物体上 ,较少运动。海葵毒液成分主要是蛋白质和多肽 ,它们对甲壳类动物有较大毒性 ,对人或其它高等动物的毒性则相对较小。现代研究表明 ,海葵多肽毒素有多种药理效果 ,这些毒素主要作用于神经及心血管系统 ,可引起强心、降低血压、麻痹肌肉等多…     

草豆蔻cDNA文库的构建及鉴定

以草豆蔻花序原基为材料,构建了cDNA文库。原始文库滴度为0.8×106pfu/mL,扩增后滴度为4.23×1011pfu/mL。插入片段大小在500bp～1.5kb之间,重组率为95.3%。以水稻RAP1A基因中包含MADS-box保守区段的序列为探针对该文库进行筛选,获得的阳性克隆经测序及序列比对分析,确认其中共有10个含MADS-box的阳性克隆。     

Immunological identification of rat tissue kallikrein cDNA and characterization of the kallikrein gene family

A tissue kallikrein cDNA was identified by direct immunological screening with affinity-purified anti-rat tissue kallikrein antibody from a rat submandibular cDNA library constructed with the expression vector pUC8. Sequence analysis of the kallikrein cDNA revealed an encoded protein 97% homologous to the partial amino acid sequence of rat submandibular kallikrein. This cDNA was used to hybrid-select kallikrein-specific RNA from submandibular gland. Translation of the hybrid-selected RNA in a cell-free assay system resulted in the production of a 37 kDa peptide representing the preproenzyme. In addition, hybrid-selection of RNA under less stringent conditions showed cross-hybridization with other submandibular gland mRNA species. In correlation with these results, analysis of rat genomic DNA showed extensive hybridization, suggesting a family of closely related kallikrein-like genes. Consequently, a Charon 4A rat genomic library was screened for kallikrein genes by hybridization with rat tissue kallikrein cDNA. Thirty-four clones were isolated and found to be highly homologous by hybridization and restriction enzymes analyses. Fourteen unique clones were identified by restriction enzyme site polymorphisms within DNA segments which hybridized to the kallikrein cDNA probe and it was estimated that at least 17 different kallikrein-like genes are present in the rat. Sequence and structural analysis of one of the genomic clones revealed a gene structure similar to that of other serine proteinases. Comparison of the partially sequenced exon regions of the gene with the sequence of rat tissue kallikrein cDNA reveals 89% identity when aligned for the greatest homology. However, the genomic sequence predicts termination codons in all three translational reading frames, implying that this gene is nonfunctional, i.e., a pseudogene. Comparison of the rat genomic sequence to a kallikrein-like gene from the mouse reveals extensive preservation of exons, less identity within introns and no significant homology between extragenic regions.     

Comparison of chimpanzee and human leukocyte Ig-like receptor genes reveals framework and rapidly evolving genes.

The leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) on human chromosome 19 contains related Ig superfamily killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) and leukocyte Ig-like receptor (LIR) genes. Previously, we discovered much difference in the KIR genes between humans and chimpanzees, primate species estimated to have approximately 98.8% genomic sequence similarity. Here, the common chimpanzee LIR genes are identified, characterized, and compared with their human counterparts. From screening a chimpanzee splenocyte cDNA library, clones corresponding to nine different chimpanzee LIRs were isolated and sequenced. Analysis of genomic DNA from 48 unrelated chimpanzees showed 42 to have all nine LIR genes, and six animals to lack just one of the genes. In structural diversity and functional type, the chimpanzee LIRs cover the range of human LIRs. Although both species have the same number of inhibitory LIRs, humans have more activating receptors, a trend also seen for KIRs. Four chimpanzee LIRs are clearly orthologs of human LIRs. Five other chimpanzee LIRs have paralogous relationships with clusters of human LIRs and have undergone much recombination. Like the human genes, chimpanzee LIR genes appear to be organized into two duplicated blocks, each block containing two orthologous genes. This organization provides a conserved framework within which there are clusters of faster evolving genes. Human and chimpanzee KIR genes have an analogous arrangement. Whereas both KIR and LIR genes can exhibit greater interspecies differences than the genome average, within each species the LIR gene family is more conserved than the KIR gene family.     

一个东亚钳蝎蝎毒素BmTXKβ基因的克隆及其基因表达调控

从东亚钳蝎 (ButhusmartensiiKarsch ,BmK)毒腺组织cDNA文库中分离的长链钾通道毒素BmTXKβcDNA序列 ,克隆了BmTXKβ基因组序列 .BmTXKβ基因含有一个长度为 886bp的内含子 ,定位于BmTXKβ成熟肽中 ,与其它蝎毒素基因内含子定位于信号肽的基因结构不同 .并且 ,BmTXKβ基因的内含子特征也与其它蝎毒素基因不同 .研究结果从基因水平上证实了BmTXKβ是一个新的蝎毒素样肽 .以BmTXKβcDNA序列为探针与蝎基因组DNASouthern杂交出现 2条特异性杂交带 .杂交结果为蝎毒素基因可能通过DNA重排、多拷贝或多基因家族来调控基因表达提供了证据 .     

Genes that code for T cell signaling proteins establish transcriptional regulatory networks during thymus ontogeny

Gene expression profiling by cDNA microarrays during murine thymus ontogeny has contributed to dissecting the large-scale molecular genetics of T cell maturation. Gene profiling, although useful for characterizing the thymus developmental phases and identifying the differentially expressed genes, does not permit the determination of possible interactions between genes. In order to reconstruct genetic interactions, on RNA level, within thymocyte differentiation, a pair of microarrays containing a total of 1,576 cDNA sequences derived from the IMAGE MTB library was applied on samples of developing thymuses (14-17 days of gestation). The data were analyzed using the GeneNetwork program. Genes that were previously identified as differentially expressed during thymus ontogeny showed their relationships with several other genes. The present method provided the detection of gene nodes coding for proteins implicated in the calcium signaling pathway, such as Prrg2 and Stxbp3, and in protein transport toward the cell membrane, such as Gosr2. The results demonstrate the feasibility of reconstructing networks based on cDNA microarray gene expression determinations, contributing to a clearer understanding of the complex interactions between genes involved in thymus/thymocyte development.     

Characterization of a Human Fovea cDNA Library and Regional Differential Gene Expression in the Human Retina

The primate fovea is the region of the retina responsible for acute vision. This region constitutes less than 5% of the total area of the retina and has not been intensely studied at the molecular level. As a first step in the molecular characterization of the fovea, we have constructed a primary human fovea cDNA library. Experiments confirm that our cDNA library reflects a nonbiased distribution of foveal expressed sequences. Single-pass sequencing was performed on 209 randomly isolated clones from this library. Analysis of the sequences generated reveals that the distributions of fovea clones with either human mitochondrial gene sequences or repetitive elements are different than those observed in cDNA libraries made from other tissues. A significant number of the fovea expressed sequence tags (ESTs) (88, 42.1%) represent novel human ESTs. This suggests that the library will be useful in identifying new human genes. Northern analysis of specific fovea ESTs defined in this study suggests that there are significant quantitative differences in gene expression that distinguish the fovea from the rest of the retina.     

Allelic variation in gene expression identified through computational analysis of the dbEST database

Differential expression between the two alleles of an individual and between people with different genotypes has been commonly observed. Quantitative differences in gene expression between people may provide the genetic basis for the phenotypic difference between individuals and may be the primary cause of complex diseases. In this paper, we developed a computational method to identify genes that displayed allelic variation in gene expression in human EST libraries. To model allele-specific gene expression, we first identified EST libraries in which both A and B alleles were expressed and then identified allelic variation in gene expression based on the EST counts for each allele using a binomial test. Among 1107 SNPs that had a sufficient number of ESTs for the analysis, 524 (47%) displayed allelic variation in at least one cDNA library. We verified experimentally the allelic variation in gene expression for 6 of these SNPs. The frequency of allelic variation observed in EST libraries was similar to the previous studies using the SNP chip and primer extension method. We found that genes that displayed allelic variation were distributed throughout the human genome and were enriched in certain chromosome regions. The SNPs and genes identified in this study will provide a rich source for evaluating the effects of those SNPs and associated haplotypes in human health and diseases.     

cDNA(EST)文库的高通量生物信息学分析体系的构建与应用

应用生物信息学方法,构建了一套针对cDNA或EST文库的高通量、自动化分析体系,CLASP(cDNA Library Analysis SystemPrimary)。CLASP基于Linux操作系统,主要由Perl程序构成。它以cDNA文库(ESTs)序列为分析对象,具有自动查找序列同源基因并进行染色体定位(包括细胞遗传学定位和SIS定位)、EST自动延伸等功能;并对不同来源序列进行聚类分析。应用该体系对3对肺癌相关抑制性消减杂交(SSH)cDNA文库进行了分析。结果在所有3对文库的2083条EST中有1492条找到了同源基因,其中1365条得到染色体定位。对所余591条未知基因的EST进行了电子延伸,其中有214条EST得到不同程度的延伸。对上述cDNA文库中已知基因的EST以及电子延伸后的EST再分别进行聚类分析,而后综合两个聚类分析的结果,由此可发现不同文库间的共同与差异表达基因,可用于特定性状相关的基因功能预测。     

Cloning of the bovine major histocompatibility complex class II genes

Class II genes of the bovine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been cloned from a genomic library. The library was constructed in the bacteriophage lambda vector EMBL3 and comprises approximately 10 times the equivalent of the haploid genome. Half the library was screened with the human DQA, DQB, DRA and DRB cDNA probes. Of the 100 positively hybridizing phage clones, 37 were eventually fully characterized and mapped by means of Southern blot analysis. The exons encoding the first, second and transmembrane domain of all different A and B genes were subcloned and mapped in more detail. These analyses showed that these 37 clones were derived from five different A and 10 different B genes. The hybridization studies indicate that we have cloned and mapped two DQA genes, one DRA gene, two other A genes, four DQB genes, three DRB genes and three other B genes. Since the library was made from a heterozygous animal, this would suggest that there are at least one DQA, one DRA one other undefined A, two DQB, two DRB and one or two other undefined B genes in the haploid genome of Holstein Friesian cattle.