HIV-1基因表达的转录调控

高效抗逆转录病毒治疗（HAART）可以有效地抑制人类免疫缺陷病毒Ⅰ型（HIV-1）的复制及血浆病毒载量,延缓发病进程,改善、提高患者的生活质量和存活时间。但是,一旦停止治疗就会导致血浆病毒血症迅速反弹,HIV-1以原病毒的形式在静息记忆CD4⁺T等细胞中的持续存在是清除HIV-1的一个障碍。HIV-1基因转录的激活与阻抑决定了受感染细胞进入产毒性感染或潜伏感染。本文从原病毒整合位置与转录干扰、细胞转录因子与HIV-1启动子相互作用招募RNA聚合酶起始转录、转录的表观遗传调控和反式激活因子Tat及其相关蛋白促进转录延伸等方面探讨了HIV-1原病毒转录调控机制。     

胰岛素基因的转录调控

胰岛素基因的转录是一个十分复杂的网络式调控过程,主要通过该基因上游调控序列的启动子、增强子与转录因子复合物的相互作用来实现;多种证据表明胰岛因子1可能参与其中,对其具体机制的研究将是该领域的研究方向之一。     

神经系统特异表达基因调控机理的研究进展

神经系统特异性基因正确的时空表达受细胞内外信号的调控,信号传导途径最终的靶位点是能结合特异转录因子的DNA序列.目前发现的决定神经系统基因特异性表达的顺式作用元件既有增强子,也有沉默子.它们可以特异性地增强基因在神经系统的表达,或特异性抑制基因在非神经系统的表达. 顺式元件要发挥这些作用,依赖于与其结合的反式因子,而这些反式因子又能与其他蛋白质或DNA序列发生互动, 通过协调作用,共同决定基因的时空表达顺序.     

Pervasive Divergence of Transcriptional Gene Regulation in Caenorhabditis Nematodes

Because there is considerable variation in gene expression even between closely related species, it is clear that gene regulatory mechanisms evolve relatively rapidly. Because primary sequence conservation is an unreliable proxy for functional conservation of cis-regulatory elements, their assessment must be carried out in vivo. We conducted a survey of cis-regulatory conservation between C. elegans and closely related species C. briggsae, C. remanei, C. brenneri, and C. japonica. We tested enhancers of eight genes from these species by introducing them into C. elegans and analyzing the expression patterns they drove. Our results support several notable conclusions. Most exogenous cis elements direct expression in the same cells as their C. elegans orthologs, confirming gross conservation of regulatory mechanisms. However, the majority of exogenous elements, when placed in C. elegans, also directed expression in cells outside endogenous patterns, suggesting functional divergence. Recurrent ectopic expression of different promoters in the same C. elegans cells may reflect biases in the directions in which expression patterns can evolve due to shared regulatory logic of coexpressed genes. The fact that, despite differences between individual genes, several patterns repeatedly emerged from our survey, encourages us to think that general rules governing regulatory evolution may exist and be discoverable.     

G-box和G-box结合蛋白在植物基因诱导表达中的转录调控作用

文章就G-box与其它顺式作用元件的组合调控作用,以及G-box结合蛋白通过二聚体化、磷酸化、亚细胞定位等调控方式在植物基因诱导表达中的调控作用作了评述。     

牛组织中MBD1基因表达及其DNA甲基化调节

DNA甲基化是主要的表观遗传调节方式,在转录水平调节基因的表达,甲基化CpG结合蛋白MBD1能够结合甲基化及非甲基化的DNA,通过抑制域抑制基因的转录,在DNA甲基化和转录抑制之间起重要作用,但DNA甲基化对MBD1自身的调节作用还不清楚.本研究首先利用RT-PCR检测成年牛心脏、肾脏、肝脏、睾丸及卵巢5种组织中MBD1基因mRNA的表达;并根据牛MBD1调节区序列,针对其中的12个CpG位点设计引物,利用甲基化PCR测序分析方法,分析该调节区的DNA甲基化状态在牛5种组织中的变化.结果表明,在牛的5种组织中,MBD1基因在心脏和肾脏的表达量低于肝脏、睾丸及卵巢,且差异显著(P＜0.05);DNA甲基化检测显示,心脏和肾脏MBD1调节区的甲基化比率较肝脏、睾丸及卵巢甲基化低,说明调控区DNA甲基化与MBD1基因的组织特异性表达相关.