Human acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 (acat1) sequences located in two different chromosomes (7 and 1) are required to produce a novel ACAT1 isoenzyme with additional sequence at the N terminus

A rare form of human ACAT1 mRNA, containing the optional long 5'-untranslated region, is produced as a 4.3-kelonucleotide chimeric mRNA through a novel interchromosomal trans-splicing of two discontinuous RNAs transcribed from chromosomes 1 and 7. To investigate its function, we express the chimeric ACAT1 mRNA in Chinese hamster ovary cells and show that it can produce a larger ACAT1 protein, with an apparent molecular mass of 56 kDa on SDS-PAGE, in addition to the normal, 50-kDa ACAT1 protein, which is produced from the ACAT1 mRNAs without the optional long 5'-untranslated repeat. To produce the 56-kDa ACAT1, acat1 sequences located at both chromosomes 7 and 1 are required. The 56-kDa ACAT1 can be recognized by specific antibodies prepared against the predicted additional amino acid sequence located upstream of the N-terminal of the ACAT1(ORF). The translation initiation codon for the 56-kDa protein is GGC, which encodes for glycine, as deduced by mutation analysis and mass spectrometry. Similar to the 50-kDa protein, when expressed alone, the 56-kDa ACAT1 is located in the endoplasmic reticulum and is enzymatically active. The 56-kDa ACAT1 is present in native human cells, including human monocyte-derived macrophages. Our current results show that the function of the chimeric ACAT1 mRNA is to increase the ACAT enzyme diversity by producing a novel isoenzyme. To our knowledge, our result provides the first mammalian example that a trans-spliced mRNA produces a functional protein.     

Human acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) gene organization and evidence that the 4.3-kilobase ACAT-1 mRNA is produced from two different chromosomes

Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) plays important roles in cellular cholesterol homeostasis. Four human ACAT-1 mRNAs (7.0, 4.3, 3.6, and 2.8 kilobases (kb)) share the same short 5'-untranslated region (exon 1) and coding sequence (exons 2-15). The 4.3-kb mRNA contains an additional 5'-untranslated region (1289 nucleotides in length; exons Xa and Xb) immediately upstream from the exon 1 sequence. One ACAT-1 genomic DNA insert covers exons 1-16 and a promoter (the P1 promoter). A separate insert covers exon Xa (1277 base pairs) and a different promoter (the P7 promoter). Gene mapping shows that exons 1-16 and the P1 promoter sequences are located in chromosome 1, while exon Xa and the P7 promoter sequence are located in chromosome 7. RNase protection assays demonstrate three different protected fragments, corresponding to the 4.3-kb mRNA and the two other mRNAs transcribed from the two promoters. These results are consistent with the interpretation that the 4.3-kb mRNA is produced from two different chromosomes, by a novel RNA recombination mechanism involving trans-splicing of two discontinuous precursor RNAs.     

细胞因子对人μ链转基因小鼠抗体表达的调节

带有人μ基因的转基因小鼠可表达由转基因的可变区和内源恒定区构成的嵌合抗体。本研究表明嵌合抗体的恒定区类型可受多种因子调节:LPS主要诱导γ2b型嵌合抗体、LPS+IL_4主要诱导γ1型、LPS+TGF-β主要诱导α型嵌合抗体的表达;确定了各型嵌合抗体mRNA的结构;嵌合抗体mRNA表达前都有相应恒定区基因的基因组无义转录物表达增加。这些结果提示反式拼接有可能参与了抗体基因的表达。     

Decreased extrachromosomal fixation of chimeric plasmid in strain N19 ofHaemophilus influenzae Rd.

Chromosomal DNAcarrying closely-linked genetic marker allelesstrrnovr produces roughly equivalent number of Str^R (streptomycin-resistant) and Nov^R (novobiocin-resistant) transformants from wild type strain but widely differnt ratios (Str^R50: Nov^R1) from a mutant strain N19. Reduction in Amp^R (vector marker) extra chromosomal transformants is observed in N19 with chimeric plasmids carrying chromosomal DNA inserts fromnov region. Thus, Amp^R transformants with chimeric plasmid DNA pJl-8N2 and pJl-8N19 are two to three orders of magnitude lower in N19 than in wild type. However, pJl-8NaI^R33, pKuvrl, p3 and p10 DNA transform N19 and Rd with near-equal efficiency. Reduction in Amp^R transformants is intermediate (30 to 100-fold lower) in strain N19 with pJ18Str^R38 and pD7. These data are interpreted to suggest the presence of a small “aberration” in thenov region.     

嵌合RNA的形成机制及生物学意义

传统观念认为,嵌合RNA只是由染色体重排导致的基因融合,且融合基因及其产物(RNA和蛋白质)曾被认为是癌症的独有特征。然而,随着测序技术的进步和生物信息学软件工具的开发,通过对RNA-Seq数据库分析,越来越多的嵌合RNA被分离和鉴定出来。近年的研究表明,嵌合RNA并不是癌症所特有的现象,它广泛存在于人类多种正常组织和细胞中。除了染色体重排之外,嵌合RNA还有多种不同的分子形成机制,包括相邻基因的顺式剪接和反式剪接等。未发生染色体改变的嵌合RNA在转录水平上受到调控,从而呈现出独特的调控模式,其失调可能影响细胞分化并诱导肿瘤的发生。此外,嵌合RNA还发挥特定的生理功能,包括影响正常细胞生长和迁移能力,调控细胞周期及凋亡。通过影响染色体重排从而诱导基因组畸变,亦可作为潜在的竞争性内源RNA,以及影响干细胞的分化等。了解嵌合RNA在组织和细胞发育不同阶段的特异性表达,将有助于发掘潜在的临床诊疗生物标志物。深入且准确地对嵌合RNA的组织学图谱进行研究,可能实现从崭新的视角对特定细胞类型进行嵌合RNA治疗。越来越多的实验数据表明,嵌合RNA广泛存在于癌症和正常组织中,且具有重要的生理功能,其表达水平和模式也是高等动物拓展基因组功能的方式之一。     

Molecular Epidemiology of Antimicrobial-Resistant Commensal Escherichia coli Strains in a Cohort of Newborn Calves

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to investigate the dissemination and diversity of ampicillin-resistant (Amp^r) and nalidixic acid-resistant (Nal^r) commensal Escherichia coli strains in a cohort of 48 newborn calves. Calves were sampled weekly from birth for up to 21 weeks and a single resistant isolate selected from positive samples for genotyping and further phenotypic characterization. The Amp^r population showed the greatest diversity, with a total of 56 different genotype patterns identified, of which 5 predominated, while the Nal^r population appeared to be largely clonal, with over 97% of isolates belonging to just two different PFGE patterns. Distinct temporal trends were identified in the distribution of several Amp^r genotypes across the cohort, with certain patterns predominating at different points in the study. Cumulative recognition of new Amp^r genotypes within the cohort was biphasic, with a turning point coinciding with the housing of the cohort midway through the study, suggesting that colonizing strains were from an environmental source on the farm. Multiply resistant isolates dominated the collection, with >95% of isolates showing resistance to at least two additional antimicrobials. Carriage of resistance to streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline was the most common combination, found across several different genotypes, suggesting the possible spread of a common resistance element across multiple strains. The proportion of Amp^r isolates carrying sulfamethoxazole resistance increased significantly over the study period (P < 0.05), coinciding with a decline in the most common genotype pattern. These data indicate that calves were colonized by a succession of multiply resistant strains, with a probable environmental source, that disseminated through the cohort over time.     

Transfer of the UAP56 interaction motif of human cytomegalovirus pUL69 to its murine cytomegalovirus homolog converts the protein into a functional mRNA export factor that can substitute for pUL69 during viral infection

Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and interaction with the cellular mRNA export factor UAP56 are prerequisites for the mRNA export activity of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) pUL69. Although the murine cytomegalovirus homolog pM69 shuttles, it fails to export mRNAs due to its inability to recruit UAP56. However, chimeric proteins comprising pM69 fused to N-terminal pUL69 fragments, including its UAP56 interaction motif, acquire mRNA export activity. Importantly, growth curves of recombinant HCMVs illustrate that such a chimeric protein, but not pM69, substitutes for pUL69 during HCMV infection.