Transcriptional analysis of differentially expressed genes in response to stem inclination in young seedlings of pine

The gravitropic response in trees is a widely studied phenomenon, however understanding of the molecular mechanism involved remains unclear. The purpose of this work was to identify differentially expressed genes in response to inclination using a comparative approach for two conifer species. Young seedlings were subjected to inclination and samples were collected at four different times points. First, suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) was used to identify differentially regulated genes in radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don). cDNA libraries were constructed from the upper and lower part of inclined stems in a time course experiment, ranging from 2.5 h to 1 month. From a total of 3092 sequences obtained, 2203 elements were assembled, displaying homology to a public database. A total of 942 unigene elements were identified using bioinformatic tools after redundancy analysis. Of these, 614 corresponded to known function genes and 328 to unknown function genes, including hypothetical proteins. Comparative analysis between radiata pine and maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) was performed to validate the differential expression of relevant candidate genes using qPCR. Selected genes were involved in several functional categories: hormone regulation, phenylpropanoid pathway and signal transduction. This comparative approach for the two conifer species helped determine the molecular gene pattern generated by inclination, providing a set of Pinus gene signatures that may be involved in the gravitropic stress response. These genes may also represent relevant candidate genes involved in the gravitropic response and potentially in wood formation.     

实验性变态反应性脑脊髓炎大鼠发病中脑组织血红素氧合酶-1基因和蛋白表达的动态变化

为探讨脑组织血红素氧合酶-1(hemeoxygenase-1,HO-1)对实验性变态反应性脑脊髓炎(experimental allergic encephalomyelitis,EAE)的作用,分别应用逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)和免疫组化技术测定了豚鼠脊髓生理盐水匀浆 完全福氏佐剂诱导EAE大鼠1、7、14、21d时,脑组织HO-1基因和蛋白表达的动态变化,并观察与症状之间的关系。结果显示：对照组大鼠脑组织仅有少量HO-1基因和蛋白表达：诱导EAE后,伴随着大鼠EAE症状及脑组织病理损伤的出现和进行性加重,脑组织HO-1基因和蛋白表达量逐渐增高。在豚鼠脊髓生理盐水匀浆 完全福氏佐剂诱导7d后,HO-1 mRNA上升至高峰。14d时,HO-1蛋白表达至高峰,HO-1阳性细胞主要位于脉络丛、穹隆下器、血管“套袖样”病灶的周围,与EAE病变部位一致。此时大鼠的病情最重、体重减轻最显著、脑组织病理改变最明显。21d时脑组织HO-1基因和蛋白表达量逐渐下降,大鼠EAE症状也逐渐减轻。应用HO-1特异性抑制剂锡原卟啉-9以抑制脑内HO-1蛋白表达后,大鼠EAE症状和脑组织损伤明显减轻,说明脑组织HO-1的动态变化与EAE症状及脑组织损伤密切相关。提示脑组织HO-1基因和蛋白过表达对EAE发病起着重要的作用,应用HO-1抑制剂可能是防治该病的有效方法之一。     

抑癌候选基因NDRG2在甲状腺癌组织中的表达及其意义

目的:研究抑癌候选基因NDRG2在人类甲状腺癌组织及其癌旁组织中的表达情况.方法:收集30例甲状腺癌组织及其癌旁组织,提取总RNA,应用半定量RT-PCR方法检测NDRG2 mRNA的表达水平.分别提取30例组织的总蛋白,应用蛋白印迹技术检测其NDRG2的蛋白表达水平.结果:RT-PCR结果显示,30例甲状腺癌组织中,有25例NDRG2的mRNA水平明显降低,蛋白印迹结果显示,30例甲状腺癌组织中发现25例NDRG2的蛋白水平明显下降,与RT-PCR检测结果一致.结论:NDRG2在甲状腺癌组织中呈低表达,提示其可能对甲状腺癌的发生或发展有重要作用影响.     

Rat hippocampal GABAergic molecular markers are differentially affected by ageing

We previously reported that the pharmacological properties of the hippocampal GABAA receptor and the expression of several subunits are modified during normal ageing. However, correlation between these post-synaptic modifications and pre-synaptic deficits were not determined. To address this issue, we have analysed the mRNA levels of several GABAergic molecular markers in young and old rat hippocampus, including glutamic acid decarboxylase enzymes, parvalbumin, calretinin, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). There was a differential age-related decrease in these interneuronal mRNAs that was inversely correlated with up-regulation of the alpha1 GABA receptor subunit. Somatostatin and neuropeptide Y mRNAs were most frequently affected (75% of the animals), then calretinin and VIP mRNAs (50% of the animals), and parvalbumin mRNA (25% of the animals) in the aged hippocampus. This selective vulnerability was well correlated at the protein/cellular level as analysed by immunocytochemistry. Somatostatin interneurones, which mostly innervate principal cell distal dendrites, were more vulnerable than calretinin interneurones, which target other interneurones. Parvalbumin interneurones, which mostly innervate perisomatic domains of principal cells, were preserved. This age-dependent differential reduction of specific hippocampal inteneuronal subpopulations might produce functional alterations in the GABAergic tone which might be compensated, at the post-synaptic level, by up-regulation of the expression of the alpha1 GABAA receptor subunit.     

从肿瘤病人少量外周血淋巴细胞克隆抗体基因

建立杂交瘤单抗亲和层析纯化抗原、体外抗原致敏淋巴细胞和RT-PCR克隆人抗体基因的技术.将亲和层析纯化的大肠癌相关抗原CA-Hb3经SDS-PAGE和免疫印迹鉴定后,与IL-2和丝裂原于体外致敏大肠癌病人10 ml外周血淋巴细胞(PBL),出现淋巴母细胞化和集落形成现象.致敏PBL的总RNA比未致敏PBL的量增加了2.5倍.致敏后RT-PCR扩增的人抗体VH-CH1(IgG)和VL-CL(κ)基因的量比未致敏者多1.3倍.该技术可将鼠源杂交瘤单抗人源化.