Cloning, Tissue Expression Pattern, and Chromosome Location of a Novel Human Gene BRI3BP

A novel cDNA fragment was identified from a human fetal brain cDNA library by using the coding sequence of human BRI3 gene (Accession No. NM015379) as bait in a yeast two-hybrid screening. Then by 5'-RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA end) and electronic hybridization, we obtained a 1.9 kb contig which consists of a novel gene. It was designated as BRI3BP by the HUGO Nomenclature Committee. It contains an open reading frame encoding 251 amino acids. The calculated molecular weight of the deduced protein is 27.8 kU. The predicted isoelectric point is 9.48. Northern hybridization showed its mRNA was highly expressed in brain, kidney, and liver. By RH mapping, the BRI3BP gene was mapped to human chromosome 12q24.2-qter     

The Human Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3/Fork Head Gene FKHL13: Genomic Structure and Pattern of Expression

We describe the isolation and characterization of the cDNA for FKHL13, the human homologue of the mouse hepatocyte nuclear factor 3/fork headhomologue 4 (HFH-4) gene, a member of the HNF-3/fork head(also called winged helix) gene family. Members of this gene family contain a conserved DNA binding region of approx. 110 amino acids and are thought to play an important role in cell-specific differentiation. Previous analysis of the mouse and rat HFH-4 cDNAs revealed a distinct pattern of expression for this gene, suggesting that the gene plays an important role in the differentiation of lung and oviduct/ampulla epithelial cells and testicular spermatids. Analysis of the human FKHL13 gene confirmed this pattern of expression. We also found expression in adult human brain cortex, which we were able to confirm for the mouse. The expression pattern of FKHL13/HFH-4, confined to cilia/flagella-producing cells, leads us to believe that the gene plays an important role in the regulation of axonemal structural proteins. We show that the human gene for FKHL13 lies on chromosome 17 (comparison with the chromosomal location of the mouse gene strongly suggests 17q22–q25) and that the gene, which is approx. 6 kb, contains a single intron disrupting thefork headDNA binding domain. Such a disruption of a functional unit provides strong evidence for the theory of intron insertion during gene evolution. The expression of the gene is probably controlled by the CpG island, which is located in the promoter region of the gene. We also demonstrate that the FKHL13 gene is highly conserved among a wide variety of species, including birds.     

一个新的人类睾丸特异基因的cDNA克隆和表达分析

运用“数据库消减杂交”(DigitalDifferentialDisplay)方法筛选人类睾丸特异表达新基因 ,获得了有差异显示的代表新基因的克隆重叠群 ,挑选其中一个克隆重叠群HS .12 9794进行多组织RT PCR ,初步证实该重叠群在人睾丸中有高表达。然后从包含该重叠群的IMAGE克隆出发 ,采用生物信息学的方法快速克隆了一个人类新基因的全长cDNA序列 ,其全长 2 4 30bp ,开放阅读框为 6 76～ 12 4 8bp ,定位于 3p2 1 1,编码由 190个氨基酸组成 ,分子量为 2 0 4 17 8Da ,等电点为 5 2 3的一个偏酸性蛋白质 ,该蛋白与已知蛋白质无明显同源性。克隆实验验证该基因阅读框完全正确 ,半定量RT PCR进一步显示该基因在人不同发育时期的睾丸及精子细胞中有表达 ,推测其可能与精子生成相关 ,暂命名为SRG5 (TestisSpermatogenesisRelatedGene 5 ,SRG5 ) (GenBank登录号 :AY2 2 1117)。SRG5基因的成功克隆表明 ,“数据库消减杂交”与实验验证相结合的技术路线是一种快捷高效的发现更多人类功能新基因的新策略。     

Human Artificial Chromosome with a Conditional Centromere for Gene Delivery and Gene Expression

Human artificial chromosomes (HACs), which carry a fully functional centromere and are maintained as a single-copy episome, are not associated with random mutagenesis and offer greater control over expression of ectopic genes on the HAC. Recently, we generated a HAC with a conditional centromere, which includes the tetracycline operator (tet-O) sequence embedded in the alphoid DNA array. This conditional centromere can be inactivated, loss of the alphoid^tet-O (tet-O HAC) by expression of tet-repressor fusion proteins. In this report, we describe adaptation of the tet-O HAC vector for gene delivery and gene expression in human cells. A loxP cassette was inserted into the tet-O HAC by homologous recombination in chicken DT40 cells following a microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT). The tet-O HAC with the loxP cassette was then transferred into Chinese hamster ovary cells, and EGFP transgene was efficiently and accurately incorporated into the tet-O HAC vector. The EGFP transgene was stably expressed in human cells after transfer via MMCT. Because the transgenes inserted on the tet-O HAC can be eliminated from cells by HAC loss due to centromere inactivation, this HAC vector system provides important novel features and has potential applications for gene expression studies and gene therapy.     

Affected Kindred Analysis of Human X Chromosome Exomes to Identify Novel X-Linked Intellectual Disability Genes

X-linked Intellectual Disability (XLID) is a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders caused by mutations in genes on the X chromosome. Deleterious mutations in ~10% of X chromosome genes are implicated in causing XLID disorders in ~50% of known and suspected XLID families. The remaining XLID genes are expected to be rare and even private to individual families. To systematically identify these XLID genes, we sequenced the X chromosome exome (X-exome) in 56 well-established XLID families (a single affected male from 30 families and two affected males from 26 families) using an Agilent SureSelect X-exome kit and the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. To enrich for disease-causing mutations, we first utilized variant filters based on dbSNP, the male-restricted portions of the 1000 Genomes Project, or the Exome Variant Server datasets. However, these databases present limitations as automatic filters for enrichment of XLID genes. We therefore developed and optimized a strategy that uses a cohort of affected male kindred pairs and an additional small cohort of affected unrelated males to enrich for potentially pathological variants and to remove neutral variants. This strategy, which we refer to as Affected Kindred/Cross-Cohort Analysis, achieves a substantial enrichment for potentially pathological variants in known XLID genes compared to variant filters from public reference databases, and it has identified novel XLID candidate genes. We conclude that Affected Kindred/Cross-Cohort Analysis can effectively enrich for disease-causing genes in rare, Mendelian disorders, and that public reference databases can be used effectively, but cautiously, as automatic filters for X-linked disorders.     

CREB4基因的表达谱分析和功能初步研究

cAMP反应元件结合蛋白(cAMPresponseelement-bindingproteins,CREB)是一个哺乳动物转录因子家族,通过cAMP反应元件(cAMPresponseelement,CRE)介导cAMP和钙离子依赖性基因表达。CREB4是CREB转录家族的新成员。人肿瘤MTCpanel结果显示,CREB4在人肺癌LX-1、结肠腺癌CX-1、前列腺癌PC-3、结肠癌G1-112和胰腺癌G1-103中有表达。构建表达CREB4-LexA和CREB215~395aa-LexA的pLexA融合质粒分别转化含p8opLacZ报告质粒的酵母EGY48菌株,诱导表达后发现CREB4蛋白为转录激活因子,N端决定其转录激活活性。亚细胞定位结果显示,全长CREB4蛋白定位于细胞质,而缺失C端假定转膜结构域的CREB41~275aa蛋白突变体则转移至细胞核内。表达谱结果显示CREB4蛋白可能在人多种肿瘤组织的基因表达调控中起作用,其C端假定的转膜结构域与其转录激活功能密切相关。     

人类新基因ANKZF1的克隆与表达研究

心脏发育是一个非常复杂的过程,受一系列基因的精确调控.研究表明,许多锌指蛋白参与心脏的形成和疾病的发生.为了鉴定新的与心脏发育有关的人类锌指基因,运用同源基因克隆法,通过PCR技术扩增获得一个新的人类基因,其cDNA全长2459bp,其编码的蛋白由342个氨基酸残基组成(相对分子质量约为7.45kD).经国际人类基因命名委员会批准被命名为ANKZF1.该基因是哺乳动物物种特有基因.利用RTP-CR技术分析表明,该基因在胚胎的心脏、胃、肾和脑组织中有特异性的表达,提示该基因可能与心脏等组织的发育有关.     

一个新的猪肌肉组织EST的分离、定位与表达

利用mRNA差异显示技术,从猪骨骼肌组织中分离到一个新的表达序我标签（expressed sequence tag ,EST)ESThp9-1(其GenBan登录号：BI596262）,其序列长196bp,经BLAST程序与GenBank中存在的序列比对后,发现与猪的所有序列无同源性,但与大鼠的U3A核内小RNA基因及小鼠的U3B．4核内小RNA基因同源性分别为87％（93个碱基）和85％（96个碱基）。半定量RT－PCR表明,此EST在猪的多数组织中均有表达。通过体细胞杂种板（somatic cell hybrid panel,SCHP)及辐射杂种板（radiation hybrid panel,RH)分析,EST hp9-1被定位于猪的12号染色体长臂,与微卫星标记S0090连锁。根据同源性比对和物理定痊结果,推测EST hp9-1为猪的U3基因家族中一员。     

人类新基因Bzw2的克隆、抗体制备及表达分析

Bzw2( basic leucine zipper and W2 domains 2)基因是人类心脏发育候选基因,它由bzip结构域和W2结构域构成.为了研究该基因在心脏发育过程中的作用,利用生物信息学信息克隆了人类Bzw2基因全长,将所得的片段插入到原核表达载体pGEXT-4T-1载体中,利用BL21菌株表达该重组...     

新vip3Aa基因的克隆、表达及其序列分析

克隆了Bt9816C的vip3A基因,并将测序结果提交到GenBank(序列号:AY945939)。该基因是一个新的vip3Aa基因,Bt杀虫晶体蛋白命名委员会将其命名为vip3Aa18。在大肠杆菌BL21中表达了该基因,生物测定结果表明纯化的Vip3Aa18蛋白对棉铃虫和甜菜夜蛾具有很高的杀虫活性。序列分析结果显示Vip3Aa18C端536至667位氨基酸残基间是一个糖类结合域,推测可能参与Vip3Aa18与敏感昆虫中肠受体结合;N端272至292位氨基酸残基间存在一个跨膜螺旋,可能与Vip3Aa18形成穿孔有关。此外,Vip3Aa18还可能具有一个二硫键。这些特殊区域和位点可能与其功能密切相关。