猪CuZnSOD基因启动子的克隆鉴定及分析

猪铜锌超氧化物歧化酶(CuZnSOD)是一种重要的抗氧化酶,其功能已被广泛研究,但CuZnSOD基因的转录调控尚不明确。为了研究猪CuZnSOD基因的核心启动子区域,并对其转录调控机制进行探讨,运用PCR方法从猪基因组克隆CuZnSOD基因5′上游调控区853 bp的片段,然后通过巢式PCR方法获得5′末端逐渐缺失的启动子系列片段,并将这些片段定向插入到荧光素酶报告基因表达载体(pGL3-Basic)中。瞬时转染小鼠胚胎细胞(NIH/3T3),利用双荧光素酶报告基因检测不同长度启动子活性。检测结果显示,在CuZnSOD基因5′上游调控区-87 bp和-266 bp处分别存在2个潜在转录起始位点,-383 bp~+67 bp启动区活性最强,进一步缺失分析发现-75 bp~-32 bp区域内含有猪CuZnSOD基因转录所必需的基础启动子序列,其中存在多个潜在的转录因子结合位点,研究结果提示这些转录因子结合位点可能是参与CuZnSOD基因转录的重要调控序列。     

利用优化的5′-RACE实验定位副溶血弧菌基因的转录起始位点

目的:优化5′-cDNA末端快速扩增(5′-RACE)实验平台,用于定位副溶血弧菌(VP)基因的转录起始位点。方法:提取VP的总RNA,用rDNaseⅠ消化去除可能污染的基因组DNA;利用T4 RNA连接酶将已知序列的寡核苷酸片段连接至RNA的5′端,进而将其逆转录成cDNA;以cDNA为模板,采用巢式PCR技术扩增目的基因DNA片段,并将其直接克隆入T载体;最后通过测序比对的方法确定靶基因的转录起始位点。利用引物延伸实验进一步研究VPA1027的转录起始位点,以检验5′-RACE实验结果的可靠性。结果:5′-RACE实验结果表明,VPA1027、scrG、scrA、cpsA及VPA0198的转录起始位点分别为G(-103)、G(-70)、T(-205)、C(-129)和G(-238)(翻译起始位点为+1);引物延伸结果显示,VPA1027的转录起始位点也为G(-103)。结论:优化后的5′-RACE实验可以精确定位VP基因的转录起始位点。     

基于EST和GSS序列的玉米未知微RNA的数据挖掘

miRNAs通过与靶基因互补位点配对结合,在转录后水平负性调控靶基因的表达.根据miRNA进化上的保守性,以拟南芥、水稻等已知的植物miRNAs为探针,与相关数据库中玉米表达序列标签(EST)和基因组序列(GSS)中的非编码序列比对,采用一系列的标准进行筛选,最后预测得到24个玉米miRNA前体,通过靶基因的预测共得到61个靶基因.通过生物信息学方法大大提高了人们发现miRNAs及其靶基因的效率,补充了玉米miRNA数据库的不足.     

空间飞行水稻pi-hit-1基因启动子功能分析

pi-hit-1基因是本实验室通过空间诱变找到的一个水稻新基因。为了对pi-hit-1基因启动子结构和功能进行研究,首先使用植物启动子分析数据库(PlantProm DB-TSSP,TFSEARCH,PLACE及PlantCARE)对该基因转录调控区序列进行预测分析,结果显示该基因上游调控区存在多个顺式元件,主要集中在翻译起始位点前300bp的区域,转录起始位点位于翻译起始位点前100bp,在转录起始位点前132bp存在TATA box元件。凝胶电泳迁移率实验(EMSA)发现翻译起始位点上游约300bp存在转录因子特异结合位点,为该基因的核心启动子,这与预测结果一致。采用系统生物学的方法研究水稻新基因pi-hit-1启动子结构,发现了该基因的核心启动子元件,为研究空间环境如何影响基因的转录调控提供了重要依据。     

鲫鱼Rag基因的克隆及表达分析

DNA重组激活基因(Recombination activating genes RAG)是脊椎动物特异性免疫反应的关键基因,也是脊椎动物进化分析的标记基因之一.鲫鱼具有很强的适应性和抗病能力,是我国广泛养殖的重要经济淡水鱼;由于具有不同的倍性和丰富的遗传多样性,又是研究鱼类基因组进化的独特材料.本研究用PCR方法扩增、克隆了鲫鱼的Rag基因.鲫鱼Rag1基因从起始密码到终止密码总长4188bp,由三个外显子和两个内含子组成,其中开放阅读框长3192bp,编码1063个氨基酸.Rag2基因从起始密码到终止密码总长1593bp,没有内含子,只有单一的编码区,编码530个氨基酸.Rag1和Rag2基因的ORF和氨基酸序列在不同鱼类中的对比结果表明其在进化过程中非常保守.不同鱼类Rag1基因的第二内含子也是高度保守的,转录因子结合位点分析表明在第二内含子的保守区域中有许多转录因子的可能结合位点.其中有一段在所有已知鱼类中都存在的保守区域是与性腺发育相关的转录因子SRY和SOX5的可能结合位点,提示Rag1基因的表达可能与性腺发育具有相关性.用RT-PCR方法进行的组织特异性表达分析表明Rag1基因在鲫鱼成体的头肾和精巢都能检测到表达,提示Rag基因不仅主导了免疫组织中的DNA重组,也可能参与了生殖细胞的DNA重组.RT-PCR检测证明Rag1基因在鲫鱼胚胎发育至第5天开始表达,在第7天鲫鱼胚胎的胸腺原基中可检测到Rag1基因mRNA的杂交信号,在第9天鲫鱼胚胎的胸腺原基中可以检测到很强的Rag1 mRNA原位杂交信号,说明该时期可能是鲫鱼免疫基因重组的活跃时期.     

真核生物基因组转录诱导融合基因的研究进展

真核生物的基因组由基因和基因间区组成.基因转录时,从转录起始点开始到该基因的转录终止点结束,形成独立的转录单元.然而有少量的文献表明,转录有时会通读基因间区,产生包含上游基因、基因间区和下游基因的融合基因转录本.融合转录本经基因间剪接而成为有功能的成熟转录本.对真核生物转录诱导融合基因的基因间剪接方式、产生机制和意义进行了综述.     

PTC下游翻译的重新起始导致NMD途径的逃逸

无义突变介导的mRNA降解（nonsense mediated mRNA decay, NMD）途径是真核生物体内一种重要的mRNA监督质控机制, 它降解含有由无义突变、错误剪接、移码突变等产生的提前终止翻译密码子（premature translation termination codon, PTC）的mRNA, 从而防止这种mRNA翻译产生的截短型蛋白质对机体造成的伤害. 研究发现, 一些含有PTC的mRNA发生了NMD途径逃逸, 但具体机制仍不清楚.本研究将成视网膜细胞瘤基因1 (retinoblastoma gene 1, RB1)作为NMD途径的靶基因, 构建mini-RB1基因,包括外显子1～14(cDNA)、内含子14 外显子15 内含子15和外显子16～27(cDNA) 的三部分序列, 将其构建到真核表达载体pcDNA 3.1(-)中.根据人类基因组突变数据库选择3个突变位点W99X、G310X和R467X, 构建相应无义突变体.分别将mini RB1基因野生型和无义突变体转入HeLa细胞进行表达.用qRT-PCR检测发现, W99X无义突变体与野生型相比mRNA的水平无显著差异.为了进一步证实mini- RB1（W99X）发生了NMD逃逸, 利用NMD途径抑制剂放线菌酮和转录抑制剂放线菌素D, 分别处理转入野生型的mini RB1基因及其无义突变体mini-RB1（W99X）的哺乳动物细胞, 发现mini-RB1基因无义突变体的mRNA水平与野生型无明显差异, 说明含有W99X无义突变的mini-RB1基因的mRNA发生了NMD逃逸.Western印迹检测mini-RB1基因的蛋白质表达发现, 在无义突变位点W99X下游重新起始了蛋白质的翻译, 因此,PTC下游蛋白质翻译的重新起始可能是导致无义mRNA逃逸NMD途径监控的主要原因.     

C-myc基因表达调控的研究

本文利用cDNA探针,以Southern杂交在C-myc 5′上游区域发现了一段活跃转录的序列(文中称“旁侧基因”)。对该基因克隆及进一步分析表明,能与cDNA杂交的序列存在于距C-myc 5′端约2.4kb的Sma Ⅰ片段中。Northern杂交显示,该旁侧基因在不同组织均有表达,产物为5.8kb,推断该基因为15～3.5kb。以旁侧基因部分序列为探针,在不同种属的基因组中检测出单拷贝序列,提示该基因在进化上的保守性。RNase Mapping分析发现此旁侧基因与C-myc转录方向相同,转录终止在C-myc5’上游约2.4～3.4kb区域。根据基因领域效应及本文结果,我们推测,在正常细胞中,由于旁侧基因的领域效应,使C-myc保持相对静止状态,而在肿瘤细胞中,染色体转位或原病毒插入,破坏了旁侧基因的领域效应,使C-myc表达增高。     

RNA:诱导基因沉默

在生物体中,双链RNA(double-strand RNA,dsRNA)裂解后的小RNA可以诱导细胞质和基因组水平外源基因沉默。所谓基因沉默(gene silencing)是指生物体中特定基因由于种种原因不表达。小RNA能诱导互补信使RNA在转录后降解。RNA沉默是基因组水平的免疫现象,代表了进化过程中原始的基因组对抗外源基因序列表达的保护机制,在动植物进化中起着重要作用,RNA沉默具有抵抗病毒入侵、抑制转座子活动等作用,并调控蛋白编码基因的表达,具有十分诱人的应用前景。     

猪POU1F1基因5’侧翼区克隆及序列分析

POU1F1基因是POU基因家族的成员之一,对哺乳动物的早期发育和相关基因启动表达起重要的调控作用。本文利用染色体步移技术,从长白猪基因组中首次克隆到了约1．5kb的POU1F1基因5’侧翼区序列,并利用相关软件对其进行了序列分析和物种间POU1F1基因5’侧翼区序列比对及进化树构建。结果表明所克隆的片段中含典型的TATA盒（-57）和类CAAT盒序列（-87）。TESS软件分析发现在启动子附近有一系列潜在的重要的转录因子结合位点。序列比对结果表明不同物种POU1F1基因的转录起始点上游-150bp区域保守性较强,可能是启动子的核心序列。其中猪与牛的同源性最高,其次是黑猩猩、人、狗,与大鼠、小鼠和鸡同源性较低,与斑马鱼序列同源性最低。同源序列主要集中在转录起始点上游-150bp至-1000bp区域。Vista中的MLAGAN程序构建的系统进化树真实反应了物种间进化关系。     

Identification of the pathogenic Aspergillus species by nested PCR using a mixture of specific primers to DNA topoisomerase II gene

For PCR-based identification of Aspergillus species, a common primer of the DNA topoisomerase II genes of Candida, Aspergillus and Penicillium, and species-specific primers of the genomic sequences of DNA topoisomerase II of A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. flavus (A. oryzae), A. nidulans and A. terreus were tested for their specificities in PCR amplifications. The method consisted of amplification of the genomic DNA topoisomerase II gene by a common primer set, followed by a second PCR with a primer mix consisting of 5 species-specific primer pairs for each Aspergillus species. By using the common primer pair, a DNA fragment of approximately 1,200 bp was amplified from the Aspergillus and Penicillium genomic DNAs. Using each species-specific primer pair, unique sizes of PCR products were amplified, all of which corresponded to a species of Aspergillus even in the presence of DNAs of several fungal species. The sensitivity of A. fumigatus to the nested PCR was found to be 100 fg of DNA in the reaction mixture. In the nested PCR obtained by using the primer mix (PsIV), the specific DNA fragment of A. fumigatus was amplified from clinical specimens. These results suggest that this nested PCR method is rapid, simple and available as a tool for identification of pathogenic Aspergillus to a species level.     

猕猴巨细胞病毒(RhCMV)nested PCR检测方法的建立与初步应用

目的建立猴巨细胞(RhCMV)病毒的nested PCR检测方法,并初步应用。方法根据GenBank中报道的RhCMV全基因序列,针对其中的保守区域Rh85设计两对引物进行nested PCR反应,利用此方法对20份猕猴全血标本进行检测,将检测到的猕猴阳性标本扩增片段进行克隆测序。结果利用保守区域Rh85设计的引物可对人HCMV阳性对照进行扩增。用此方法检测的20份猕猴全血标本,出现2例阳性。其中一例扩增片段经纯化、回收克隆测序后用BLAST软件进行同源性对比,与GenBank中报道的RhCMV序列基本相同。结论建立了从猴全血中直接检测猴RhCMV病毒DNA的敏感、特异的nested PCR方法。     

Association of CHI3L1 gene variants with YKL-40 levels and hypertension incidence: A population-based nested case-control study in China

YKL-40 was reported to be associated with the risk of hypertension. Whether the variants of CHI3L1 gene were associated with both YKL-40 levels and hypertension needs to be further elucidated. In a 1:1 matched case-control study of 507 pairs with available YKL-40 levels and DNA samples nested in a prospective cohort of Chinese subjects, the 15 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CHI3L1 gene were genotyped. The levels of YKL-40 among different genotypes of each SNP were compared after false discovery rate adjustment. Multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between the genotypes and the risk of hypertension. Subjects with the genetic variants for rs10399931, rs1538372, rs2071580, rs2297839 and rs4950928 had lower YKL-40 levels. The genetic variant for rs10399805 was associated with higher YKL-40 level. Subjects with the genotype of GA/AA of rs10399805 had a 1.34-fold risk of hypertension compared with those with GG genotype in the total population (P = .05). Subjects with heterozygote/rare homozygote genotype of rs4950928 and rs2297839 both had a significantly lower risk of hypertension compared with those with major homozygote genotype among men. The ORs (95% CIs) were 0.46 (0.23-0.89) and 0.49 (0.26-0.91), respectively. The above three SNPs could significantly improve the accuracy of risk prediction for hypertension based on the conventional factors. The genotypes of rs10399805, rs4950928 and rs2297839 may hopefully become stable biomarkers for predicting the risk of hypertension.     

相关遗传力抽样方差的估计

本文给出了单因子组和系统模型下有关相关传力及相关环境力抽样方差的估计方法。有关该参数在育种中的潜在应用其它与遗传相关之产间的相互关系也给予了一定的讨论。概括地来讲,相关遗传力具有遗传力和遗传相关的双重特征。遗传力是相关遗传力的一个特例而相关遗传力则是遗传力概念本身的扩展。用相关遗传力来表达性状间的相关遗传变异要比通常所用的遗传相关更准确一些。     

利用巢式PCR技术和人类基因组草图搜索法快速获得人类睾丸生精细胞凋亡相关基因TSARG2

从已获得的在隐睾和正常睾丸对照中表达量有明显差异的EST片段 (BE6 44 5 42 )入手 ,设计了基因特异性引物和载体特异性引物进行巢式PCR扩增 ,结合人类基因组草图搜索法 ,从睾丸cDNA文库中快速分离出人类睾丸凋亡相关基因TSARG2的 5′末端而获得全长cDNA ,GenBank登录号为AY0 40 2 0 4(保密期为 1年 ) ,同时应用生物信息学的方法克隆了该基因在小鼠中的同源基因 ,GenBank登录号为AF395 0 83。TSARG2基因的cDNA全长为 12 33bp ,包含 6个外显子 ,基因组跨越 115kb ,编码由 30 5个氨基酸组成的、分子量为 34 75 1的蛋白质 ,与已知蛋白质无明显同源性。查询最新的人类基因组工作草图 ,该基因定位在染色体 4q33～ 34 .1。     

应用激光显微切割技术检测单个结肠细胞的基因表达

目的：探讨检测单个结肠细胞的基因表达的方法。方法：应用激光显微切割技术(1aser micmdissection)从冰冻切片上将单个结肠细胞切下,提取总RNA,将RNA逆转录成cDNA,采用巢式逆转录聚合酶链反应(nested RT—PCR)检测mRNA的表达。结果：在显微镜下用紫外激光显微切割机,将单个结肠细胞成功切下,提取RNA后,逆转录成cDNA,经过巢式RT—PCR扩增后,扩增产物在琼脂糖凝胶上清晰可见。结论：联合应用激光显微切割和巢式RT—PCR可以检测单个结肠细胞的基因表达。     

Genetic structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal populations in fallow and cultivated soils

The impact of fallowing on the genetic structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was studied by hierarchical sampling of spores from four plots in a fallow and a cultivated field. A nested multiplex PCR approach was used to assign the spores to genotypes. Variable introns of the two protein-coding genes GmFOX2 and GmTOR2 were used as co-dominant genetic markers together with the large subunit (LSU) rDNA. The gene diversity and genetic structure of Glomus mosseae, Glomus geosporum and Glomus caledonium were compared within and between the fields. Spores of G. caledonium and G. geosporum were more abundant in the cultivated field, whereas G. mosseae was more frequent in the fallow field. The number of genotypes was not different between the two fields. Analysis of gene diversity of G. caledonium in the fallow field indicated that a larger part of the heterogeneity could be attributed to variation between plots rather than subplots, suggesting that the lack of soil cultivation resulted in more heterogeneous population genetic structures. Analyses of haplotype networks of the fungi suggested a subdivision of G. mosseae haplotypes between the two fields, whereas no such division was seen in G. geosporum and G. caledonium. The results show that agricultural practices differently affect both the abundance and the population structure of different AMF species.     

Nested clade analysis of the freshwater shrimp, Caridina zebra (Decapoda: Atyidae), from north-eastern Australia

The freshwater shrimp, Caridina zebra, is endemic to montane rainforest streams of the Atherton Tableland, north-eastern Australia. As the confluences of many of the headwater streams are in unsuitable habitat, dispersal is expected to be highly restricted. Results from a previous allozyme survey for this species suggested that historical dispersal between separate river drainages had occurred due to rearrangements of the drainage lines at some stage in the recent past. The aim of this study was to use temporal information from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (CO-I) gene to determine whether the observed genetic structure was a result of historical processes, or alternatively, due to low levels of terrestrial dispersal. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data were analysed using nested clade analysis, which can differentiate between historical fragmentation and range expansion vs. contemporary restricted gene flow. The results displayed three divergent clades that were likely to have arisen in allopatry. One widespread clade, with individuals in more than one river drainage, reflected a pattern of restricted gene flow. This suggests that this species is capable of terrestrial dispersal.     

Gene flow, dispersal, and nested clade analysis among populations of the stonefly Peltoperla tarteri in the southern Appalachians

We examined the genetic structure and phylogeography of populations of the stonefly Peltoperla tarteri in the Southern Appalachians to determine the extent and likely mechanism for dispersal of this stream insect. A 454-base-pair (bp) portion of the mitochondrial control region was sequenced from a minimum of 20 individuals from eight populations. Pairwise FST and exact tests showed high levels of differentiation among almost all populations except those on the same stream. amova analysis detected significant genetic differentiation between streams within drainages (phi(SD) = 0.14, P < 0.001), and there was a slight positive correlation between aquatic distance and genetic distance (r = 0.295, P = 0.03). According to nested clade analysis, the present day pattern of genetic variation in P. tarteri is the result of a historical range expansion coupled with restricted gene flow with isolation by distance. Together, these analyses suggest that adult dispersal is limited and that movement by larvae is the primary dispersal mechanism for P. tarteri.