猪sall4b基因的克隆及表达分析

sall4基因是sall基因家族的一个成员,在胚胎发育、器官形成和干细胞多能性的维持以及重建中都起到重要作用,有sall4a和sall4b两种剪切突变体类型。目前猪的sall4基因序列尚未获得。鉴于其在多能性细胞调控中的作用,对猪的sall4基因进行了克隆测序,并对其在各组织及胚胎中的表达进行了初步研究。通过5和3 RACE克隆得到猪sall4基因cDNA全长序列(2 372 bp),序列分析证明此基因编码的蛋白结构更接近于小鼠和人Sall4B亚型,同源性可达70%～80%,而与其他物种的Sall4A相比则缺少一段含锌指结构域的片段,同源性降至30%～55%。Real-time PCR证明猪sall4b基因广泛表达于猪的各种器官,其中除卵巢组织呈高量表达之外,脾、肺、心和睾丸表达量也相对较高;在早期胚胎发育过程中除4-细胞阶段相对表达量较低,其他阶段呈高量表达。免疫荧光跟踪Sall4在猪早期胚胎中的表达情况发现Sall4在着床前胚胎中全程表达并定位于细胞核中,在囊胚阶段基因表达趋向于定位在内细胞团中。表达分析证明sall4b基因与多能性紧密相关,预示着猪sall4b基因将可能作为新的重编程因子用于诱导猪多能干细胞的体系中。     

人胚鼻咽组织基因表达谱

以水囊引产５、６、７、８个月人胚胎鼻咽组织总ＲＮＡ逆转录标记ｃＤＮＡ探针,与代表５８８个基因的Ａｔｌａｓ＾ＴＭｃＤＮＡ阵列进行杂交,观察了这些基因在不同发育时期内的表达差异。结果发现与细胞分裂增殖及细胞生长相关的基因明显高表达,不同胎龄存在多个表达水平不同的基因及同一基因在不同时期表达水平也不一样,如早期生长反应蛋白１（ｅａｒｌｙ ｇｒｏｗｔｈ ｒｅｓｐｏｎｓｅ ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ１）基因ＥＧＲＰ１在     

小鼠早期胚胎发育过程中细胞凋亡及凋亡基因表达的检测

小鼠早期胚胎发育过程中凋亡现象大量存在,细胞凋亡与凋亡基因表达有关。应用彗星电泳法检测小鼠早期胚胎凋亡情况;应用巢式RT-PCR、免疫组化的方法检测了Bcl-2家族成员(Bax、Bcl-2、Bak、Bcl-xl)的表达变化情况。结果显示:随着胚胎细胞数目的增加,凋亡比率逐渐增大;Bax表达量在整个过程中基本不变,Bcl-2表达量逐渐上调,Bak、Bcl-xl的表达量逐渐降低。对小鼠早期胚胎发育过程中的基因表达研究对于揭示早期胚胎发育的机制有重大的意义。     

Gm2052基因在小鼠胚胎发育中表达的初步研究

目的:研究预测的编码蛋白基因Gm2052在小鼠胚胎发育阶段的表达模式,为进一步了解该基因的功能奠定基础。方法:通过全胚胎原位杂交技术、组织切片原位杂交技术及半定量RT-PCR方法,对预测的Gm2052基因在小鼠胚胎发育中后期及在新生小鼠中的表达情况进行初步分析。结果:全胚胎原位杂交显示,在E10.5小鼠胚胎中,Gm2052仅在脑中表达;当小鼠胚胎发育至E13.5时,Gm2052在脑、舌、肺、肝脏、胰腺等组织中均有表达。半定量RT-PCR结果显示,在小鼠胚胎中后期(E15.5和E18.5)及新生小鼠(出生后第9 d)中,Gm2052呈动态表达模式。结论:预测基因Gm2052与小鼠脑的发育密切相关,并可能参与小鼠肺、肝脏及胰腺等主要脏器胚期的发育。     

Transmission ratio distortion at the growth hormone gene (GH1) in bovine preimplantation embryos: An in vitro culture‐induced phenomenon?

The growth hormone gene (GH1) and its polypeptide product (GH) have a crucial role in reproduction, embryogenesis and general development. A polymorphism present in the fifth exon of the bovine GH1 gene (GH1 p.Leu127Val) has been associated with GH release and milk production in cattle. The objective of the present study was to examine the genotype frequencies of the GH1 p.Leu127Val polymorphism in bovine blastocysts produced in vitro and in vivo to determine if allelic variation of the GH1 gene affects embryo development and survival. A heterozygous (p.Leu127/Val127) sire was used for in vitro fertilization of oocytes of unknown maternal genotype (n = 104) and known maternal genotype (n = 115). PCR amplification and genotyping of the GH1 gene from Day 8 blastocysts derived from these fertilized oocytes demonstrated that there was significant over-representation from the expected Mendelian ratio of GH1 p.Leu127/Leu127 homozygotes from oocytes of known maternal genotype (P = 0.006). Contrary to this, analysis of in vivo-produced bovine blastocysts of known parental GH1 genotype (n = 69) did not reveal an overrepresentation of GH1 p.Leu127/Leu127 homozygotes. These results suggest that developing in vitro-produced embryos are exposed to a selection process, probably due to a less favorable culture environment, that acts to increase the number of GH1 p.Leu127/Leu127 homozygotes, thereby giving rise to the observed transmission ratio distortion (TRD) of GH1 genotypes when compared to in vivo produced embryos.     

Xenopus as a model to study alternative splicing in vivo

An increasing number of genes are being identified for which the corresponding mRNAs contain different combinations of the encoded exons. This highly regulated exon choice, or alternative splicing, is often tissue-specific and potentially could differentially affect cellular functions. Alternative splicing is therefore not only a means to increase the coding capacity of the genome, but also to regulate gene expression during differentiation or development. To both evaluate the importance for cellular functions and define the regulatory pathways of alternative splicing, it is necessary to progress from the in vitro or ex vivo experimental models actually used towards in vivo whole-animal studies. We present here the amphibian, Xenopus, as an experimental model highly amenable for such studies. The various experimental approaches that can be used with Xenopus oocytes and embryos to characterize regulatory sequence elements and factors are presented and the advantages and drawbacks of these approaches are discussed. Finally, the real possibilities for large-scale identification of mRNAs containing alternatively spliced exons, the tissue-specific patterns of exon usage and the way in which these patterns are modified by perturbing the relative amount of splicing factors are discussed.     

We are devo-evo

Workshop: Novartis Foundation Symposium No. 222: Homology, London, UK, 21–23 July 1998. Followed by an Open Meeting: Homology, Welcome Trust, London, UK, 24 July 1998.     

Quox-1基因同源序列在人胚早期发育中的表达

以Quox-1基因的特异性片段b_2为探针,与人基因组DNA作Southern杂交,结果显示,人基因组中存在Quox-1基因的同源序列。以抗Quox-1蛋白的抗体与早期人胚胎组织的切片作免疫组化反应研究了Quox-1基因同源序列在人胚早期发育过程中的表达,结果表明其表达有明显的时间和空间特异性。胚龄30天以前,Quox-1基因的同源序列在人胚包括神经管等许多部位表达,30天以后表达部位局限于脊索、心肌细胞、生肌节、消化道上皮及周皮等处。文中讨论了Quox-1基因同源顺序对人类胚胎早期发育过程可能的调控作用。