Purification and characterization of the N gene product of bacteriophage lambda

The N protein (pN) specified by bacteriophage λ is an antitermination factor and is required for phage development. pN can be assayed by making use of the observation that the in vitro synthesis of trp mRNA in a reaction programmed with DNA template from λtrp transducing phage bearing N

Mutation induction by thymine deprivation in Escherichia coli B/R. II. Mutation in the repressed and derepressed tryptophan operon.

True Trp⁺ reversions are induced by thymine deprivation in cells with repressed trp operons as efficiently as in derepressed cells. At least part of the mutations are fixed during thymine starvation, i.e. in the absence of net DNA synthesis. The hypothesis is put forward that thymineless mutagenesis is due to repair-replication under limited concentrations of 5′-dTTP, performed by an inducible error-prone “DNA-polymerizing activity” on single-strand gaps.     

The gene S promoter of hepatitis B virus confers constitutive gene expression.

The properties of the promoter of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were studied using recombinants containing either this promoter or the SV40 early promoter. Mouse L cells were transfected with these recombinants and the levels of gene expression obtained with the two promoters were compared. The level of expression of a cellular gene, the human fibroblast interferon gene, obtained with the HBsAg promoter was comparable to that obtained with the SV40 early promoter. Similarly when the HBsAg gene was controlled by the SV40 early promoter the level of HBsAg synthesis is in the same range as that observed with its own promoter. Together these results suggest that although the HBsAg gene codes for a structural viral protein, its expression is constitutive as for an early gene. The implications of these observations on the synthesis of HBV particles in vivo are discussed.     

Gene cloning of an NADPH-dependent menadione reductase from Candida macedoniensis, and its application to chiral alcohol production

The gene encoding an NADPH-dependent menadione reductase of Candida macedoniensis AKU4588 was cloned and sequenced. A 1035 bp nucleotide fragment (mer) was confirmed to be the gene encoding the enzyme based on the agreement of N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences. The mer encodes 345 amino acid residues, and the deduced amino acid sequence shows high similarity with those of hypothetical proteins from Debaryomyces, Candida and Saccharomyces, and ketoreductase from Zygosaccharomyces. It includes NADPH-binding motif GXXGXXA in its N-terminal region. These findings suggest that the enzyme belongs to the dihydroflavonol-4-reductase superfamily. An expression vector, pETMER, which contains the full length of the mer, was constructed. Escherichia coli cells harboring pETMER exhibits a 127-fold increase in specific menadione-reducing activity under the control of T7 promoter as compared with that of C. macedoniensis.

The asymmetric reduction of 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate ethyl ester to (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate ethyl ester (CHBE) with E. coli cells, in which both the mer and the glucose dehydrogenase gene were co-expressed, as a catalyst was investigated. The (S)-CHBE formed amounted to 1680 mM (281 mg/ml), the molar yield being 92.2%. The optical purity of the product was 91.6% enantiomeric excess for the (S)-isomer. The calculated turnover number of NADP⁺ added to CHBE formed was 12,900 mol/mol.     

Cloning and identification of the promoter of the tobacco Sar8.2b gene,a gene involved in systemic acquired resistance

Expression of the Sar8.2 gene family is induced by salicylic acid (SA) in tobacco during induction of systemic acquired resistance. Expression of Sar8.2b, one member of this 12-member family, was detected as early as 12 h after treatment with SA and was maximal 36 h after SA treatment. In NahG transgenic tobacco plants, benzothiadiazole and dichloroisonicotinic acid induced expression of Sar8.2b but SA did not, suggesting that expression of the Sar8.2b gene is SA-dependent. Several putative cis-acting elements were found in the Sar8.2b gene promoter region, including an as-1 element and GT-1 and Dof binding sequences. We constructed a series of progressive deletion mutations in the Sar8.2b promoter region linked to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) coding region and analyzed GUS activities by stable expression in transformants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Deletions between −728 and −927 bp or between −351 and −197 bp of the promoter region resulted in a significant reduction in GUS activity induced by SA treatment as shown in stable transformants of A. thaliana. The −197 bp fragment of the promoter region was found to confer a relatively low level of GUS activity induced by SA treatment in stable expression of transformants in A. thaliana. The results suggest that 927 bp of the Sar8.2b gene promoter confers full promoter activity and that cis-acting elements required for high-level SA-inducible expression of the Sar8.2b gene may exist within the regions −728 to −927 bp and −197 to −351 bp.     

Expression of hepatitis B surface antigen in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris using the GAP promoter

High-level expression and efficient assembly of Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) particles have been reported in Pichia pastoris by integrating a single copy of the HBsAg gene under the control of the alcohol oxidase (AOX1) promoter. However, the time taken to reach peak product concentration is usually very long ( approximately 240 h). In this paper, we describe the expression of HBsAg in P. pastoris using the recently described glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAP) promoter. Unlike the previously described AOX1 promoter based system (in which biomass is generated first followed by methanol-induced antigen production), biomass generation and antigen production occur simultaneously in medium containing glycerol or glucose. Maximal levels of HBsAg expression in case of the single copy AOX1 integrant (attained after 6 days of induction) exceeded the levels of antigen produced by the single copy GAP integrant. However, this was offset by continuous antigen production by the GAP clone. In an attempt to further enhance antigen production levels of the GAP clones, we isolated multicopy Pichia integrants containing up to four copies of the GAP promoter-driven constitutive expression cassette using the Zeocin screening procedure. The data demonstrated a direct correlation between the gene dosage and the levels of HBsAg expressed by the GAP clones. The effect of copy number was additive and the four copy clone resulted in about four-fold higher yield of HBsAg. The majority of HBsAg produced in the constitutive expression system was found to be of particulate form, based on sedimentation behaviour and particle-specific ELISA, suggesting that it has the potential to serve as an effective immunogen. These particles were sensitive to thiol reagents. We also explored the possibility of secreting the GAP expressed HBsAg in P. pastoris. In-frame fusion of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor secretion signal under the constitutive GAP promoter resulted in secretion of approximately 20 nm HBsAg particles as evidenced by electron microscopy. However, the levels of secreted HBsAg particles were very low, presumably due to the inherent hydrophobicity of the HBsAg molecule and the consequent propensity for membrane association. Our studies show that secretion is not a good strategy for expression of HBsAg in P. pastoris. The data also suggests that intracellular production of HBsAg under the GAP promoter using multicopy expression cassettes can indeed serve as an effective alternative to the AOX1 promoter. Further, the GAP promoter based system obviates the need to use and extensively monitor methanol during recombinant antigen production. Finally, this constitutive system has the potential for continuous culture wherein several batches of recombinant protein-containing biomass can be harvested from a single initial fermentation.     

小菜蛾NanosO基因启动子的克隆及功能验证

【目的】克隆小菜蛾Plutella xylostella NanosO基因PxnosO启动子,并验证其具有生殖腺特异性活性,以期应用于基因功能研究或转基因昆虫的构建,为小菜蛾等农业害虫的综合治理提供新的研究思路。【方法】根据小菜蛾基因组序列信息,利用PCR技术克隆NanosO的启动子并进行序列分析。构建PxnosO-EGFP表达质粒,利用脂质体细胞转染技术将PxnosO-EGFP和IE1-EGFP表达质粒转入到小菜蛾胚胎细胞系(Px-6)和草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda卵巢细胞系(Sf9)中,通过激光共聚焦荧光显微镜观察和qRT-PCR技术分别定性和定量分析EGFP基因的表达,验证小菜蛾NanosO启动子的活性。【结果】克隆获得小菜蛾PxnosO (Px004767)启动子区序列,长1 743 bp。对启动子序列进行分析,发现该序列不仅包含启动子共有核心元件TATA box以及上游启动子成分CAAT box和GC box等,还包含有数十个转录因子结合位点。利用细胞转染技术,在PxnosO启动子驱动下成功地在Px-6和Sf9细胞系中表达外源基因EGFP。【结论】克隆了小菜蛾NanosO基因PxnosO启动子,在细胞水平上验证其能驱动外源EGFP基因的表达,为分析PxnosO在小菜蛾不同发育时期的表达模式和PxnosO启动子在体内的功能验证奠定基础。     

不同启动子调控外源基因在斑玉蕈中的表达分析

启动子是控制基因转录的重要顺式元件,也是遗传转化实验中驱动外源基因表达的重要工具。在同一真菌中,不同启动子驱动外源基因表达水平可能存在明显差异。因此,选择合适的启动子是提高外源基因表达水平的关键。本研究分别应用花椰菜病毒35S RNA（cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA,CaMV35S）和斑玉蕈甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶（Hypsizygus marmoreus glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase,HmGPD）基因的启动子构建了两个遗传转化质粒,在斑玉蕈中分别驱动外源的植物花青素合成基因表达,并利用来自刺芹侧耳的萎锈灵抗性基因进行转基因筛选。两个质粒通过农杆菌介导转化斑玉蕈单核菌株后,对具有萎锈灵抗性的转化子经PCR方法进行转基因验证,并运用实时荧光定量PCR对阳性转化子中外源基因的表达水平进行比较分析。结果表明,CaMV35S和HmGPD基因的启动子均成功驱动了植物花青素合成基因在斑玉蕈中转录,为增强基因表达而引入的内含子在转录过程中均被正确切割。其中,HmGPD启动子驱动外源基因表达水平比CaMV35S启动子驱动外源基因表达水平强22-36倍。     

Changes in the promoter of a defender against apoptotic cell death gene affect its expression in upland cotton

The DAD1 (defender against apoptotic cell death) gene is a negative regulator of programmed cell death. It plays important roles in plant growth, development, environmental adaptation, and aging. We examined whether and how the expression of DAD1 gene is affected by the promoter changes in the allotetraploid upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). We compared the expression status of the genes in the leaves of an elite cultivar and a wild variety of G. hirsutum, and cloned and analyzed a 1.3-kb promoter region of the genes in two cotton types. Results revealed that the expression of a subgenomic homoeolog of DAD1 (DAD1 _At ) was significantly upregulated in leaves of the cultivated cotton when compared with that in a wild cotton. In addition, we identified 18 variations, including 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms and four indels between the promoters of the two cotton types. We detected at least 10 of 18 variations in the promoters related to possible cis-regulatory elements. Further transient tobacco assays using heterogeneous DAD1 _At promoter::GUS fusion showed that the activity of the DAD1 _At promoter in the cultivated cotton was stronger than that in the wild cotton, which suggested a dynamic change in the DAD1 _At promoter during genetic divergence of the two cottons. This study provides an example of how gene expression could be affected by specific changes in the gene promoter.     

白桦CESA7基因启动子的克隆与表达分析

克隆得到了一个白桦纤维素合成酶基因（CESA7）GenBanK登录号（EU591531）启动子序列,通过序列分析发现该启动子含有多个不同功能的顺式作用元件,包括光响应元件、激素响应元件、叶片形态发育元件等,推测该启动子在白桦生长发育过程中具有关键作用。将BpCESA7启动子克隆至带有GUS报告基因的植物表达载体,命名为proBpCESA7-121-GUS,并利用农杆菌介导方法侵染白桦和拟南芥,然后通过GUS组织化学染色观察BpCESA7基因启动子的组织表达特性。结果在白桦的根、茎、叶和拟南芥的根,叶,萼片、雌蕊中检测到了GUS活性,说明BpCESA7基因启动子具有启动子活性,并且在白桦的根和叶中染色最深,表明BpCESA7基因在白桦根和叶中表达量较高,并且其存在组织表达特异性。     

Controlled fed-batch fermentation of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce hepatitis B surface antigen

We have performed controlled fed-batch fermentation experiments to compare the production level of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by recombinant yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (YNN27/pYBH-1, YNN27/ p2mu-S11, YNN27/pDCB-S2) containing plasmid vector with alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1), acid phosphatase (PHO5), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter, respectively. Yeast cell concentrations of 15-35 g dry cell weight/L were obtained. By limiting phosphorous concentration, HBsAg expression level for the YNN27/p2mu-S11 strain with inducible PHO5 promoter reached 0.2-0.3 mg/L. By controlling nutrient addition rate and dissolved oxygen concentration, HBsAg concentrations of 3-10 mg/L were achieved in 60-70 h fermentation using the YNN27/pDCB-S2 strain with the constitutive GPD promoter.     

Expression and Characterization of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Transgenic Potato Plants

Transgenic potato plants expressing the gene of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) under the control of the double promoter of 35S RNA of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 35SS) and the promoter of patatin gene of potato tubers have been obtained. Biochemical analysis of the plants was performed. The amount of HBsAg in leaves, microtubers, and tubers of transgenic potatoes growing in vitro and in vivo was 0.005-0.035% of the total soluble protein. HBsAg content reached 1 microg/g in potato tubers and was maximal in plants expressing the HBsAg gene under the control of CaMV 35SS promoter. In transgenic plants expressing HBsAg gene under the control of tuber-specific patatin promoter, HBsAg was found only in microtubers and tubers and was absent in leaves. Western blot analysis of HBsAg eluted from immunoaffinity protein A-Sepharose matrix has been performed. The molecular weight of HBsAg peptide was approximately 24 kD, which is in agreement with the size of the major protein of the envelope of hepatitis B virus. Using gel filtration, it was determined that the product of HBsAg gene expression in potato plants is converted into high-molecular-weight multimeric particles. Therefore, as well as in recombinant HBsAg-yeast cells, assembling of HBsAg monomers into immunogenic aggregates takes place in HBsAg-transgenic potato, which can be used as a source of recombinant vaccine against hepatitis B virus.     

白桦BpSPL2基因启动子的克隆及表达分析

SPL(SQUAMOSA promoter-binding protein-like)是植物特有的转录因子,研究表明其在参与发育阶段转变、花和果实发育等方面起着重要作用。利用PCR技术从白桦基因组DNA中扩增获得BpSPL2基因上游1 960 bp启动子序列,使用PLACE和Plant CARE在线软件分析序列,发现BpSPL2基因启动子序列中含有与开花、非生物胁迫及激素响应等相关的顺式作用元件,暗示其在植物的生长发育和胁迫应答中起重要作用。进而构建了BpSPL2基因启动子驱动GUS报告基因的植物表达载体,并利用农杆菌介导将其瞬时转化至白桦和拟南芥,通过GUS组织化学染色检测BpSPL2基因启动子的组织表达特性,结果表明BpSPL2基因启动子具有启动子活性,能够驱动GUS基因在白桦和拟南芥中表达;而其表达活性在白桦的叶片、芽及根部中较强,在拟南芥的花药、雌蕊和叶片较强,为进一步研究白桦BpSPL2基因的表达调控及其功能分析提供参考。     

Sucrose-inducible expression of hepatitis B surface antigen using potato granule-bound starch synthase promoter

NT-1 cells of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were transformed with pGBSSHBS and pGBSSHER expression cassettes wherein expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was driven by potato granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) promoter. The transformed nature of the cells was confirmed by PCR analysis. Expression of HBsAg was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blotting and levels of expression were assayed by ELISA. Transformed cell lines exhibited a sucrose-inducible pattern of HBsAg expression. NT-1 medium supplemented with 175 mmol L⁻¹ sucrose gave the highest HBsAg expression of 198 ng g⁻¹ FW after 8 days of induction. Different sugars, for example glucose, fructose, and palatinose, were also tested to study the inducible nature of GBSS promoter. The results demonstrate that potato GBSS promoter can be used in heterologous host systems like tobacco NT-1 cell suspension cultures for sucrose-inducible expression of recombinant proteins.