Cloning, mRNA Expression, and Chromosomal Mapping of Mouse and Human Preprocortistatin

Cortistatin is a 14-residue putative neuropeptide with strong structural similarity to somatostatin and is expressed predominantly in cortical GABAergic interneurons of rats. Administration of cortistatin into the brain ventricles specifically enhances slow-wave sleep, presumably by antagonizing the effects of acetylcholine on cortical excitability. Here we report the identification of cDNAs corresponding to mouse and human preprocortistatin and the mRNA distribution and gene mapping of mouse cortistatin. Analysis of the nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences from rat and mouse reveals that the 14 C-terminal residues of preprocortistatin, which make up the sequence that is most similar to somatostatin, are conserved between species. Lack of conservation of other dibasic amino acid residues whose cleavage by prohormone convertases would give rise to additional peptides suggests that cortistatin-14 is the only active peptide derived from the precursor. As in the rat, mouse preprocortistatin mRNA is present in GABAergic interneurons in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The preprocortistatin gene maps to mouse chromosome 4, in a region showing conserved synteny with human 1p36. The human putative cortistatin peptide has an arginine for lysine substitution, compared to the rat and mouse products, and is N-terminally extended by 3 amino acids.     

小鼠生精相关基因SRG4的cDNA克隆及在小鼠各发育阶段的表达

从大鼠精子尾部基因Spag4出发,在dbEST数据库中同源搜寻与大鼠Spag4基因编码氨基酸同源性较高的表达序列标签(Expressed Sequence Tag,EST),找到两个在小鼠精母细胞中表达的ESTs,BG101130和BG100990。通过电子杂交得到1155bp的片段,包含了小鼠假想基因AK006225的全部序列,定位于2H1-H2,其开放阅读框为87～1133bp,并被RT-PCR所证实,将该基因命名为小鼠生精相关基因4(Sperrnatogenesis Related Gene4,SRG4,GenBank登录号为AY307077)。SRG4基因推定编码348个氨基酸,有一个coiled-coil区,可能是一个跨膜蛋白。该基因与人类同源基因TSARG4同源性为74％(277／374),与大鼠Spag4同源性为45％(103／224)。多组织RT-PCR和Northern blot结果显示,SRG4在睾丸中特异性表达。RT-PCR结果发现,小鼠出生后2周内,SRG4表达量极低;3周开始时SRG4大量表达,到4∽5周时表达量最高。该结果提示。SRG4基因可能在小鼠精子形成过程中发挥着重要的作用。     

人牛精浆蛋白相关新基因的cDNA克隆、定位和表达

为了研究牛精浆 (bovineseminalplasma ,BSP)蛋白及其相关蛋白在受精及受精卵发育中的重要作用 ,寻找BSP蛋白相关新基因 .采用cDNA末端快速扩增 (RACE)技术 ,克隆了一个BSP蛋白相关基因的cDNA序列 .应用辐射杂种细胞系 (RH)技术进行了基因染色体定位 .通过RT PCR检测了该基因在人体各组织中的表达情况 .并将该基因编码的蛋白进行了原核表达 .新基因的cDNA长度为 10 5 2bp ,其开放阅读框架 (ORF)编码了一个含 2 2 3个氨基酸残基的蛋白质 ,氨基酸序列中含有 4个纤连蛋白Ⅱ结构域 ,与BSP蛋白在结构上具有一定的相似性 ,称其为人BSP相关蛋白 (humanBSP relatedproteins ,HBRP) .该基因定位于染色体 19q13,在大肠杆菌中表达为 5 2kD的融合蛋白 .研究结果提示 ,应用RACE方法克隆了一种新的人类与BSP蛋白相关的基因 ,推测其编码蛋白是与BSP蛋白功能相关的结合蛋白 ,通过基因重组技术大量获得表达蛋白 ,对进一步研究新蛋白的生物学功能具有重要的意义 .     

Bacterial Community Mapping of the Mouse Gastrointestinal Tract

Keeping mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract communities in balance is crucial for host health maintenance. However, our understanding of microbial communities in the GI tract is still very limited. In this study, samples taken from the GI tracts of C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequence-based analysis to examine the characteristic bacterial communities along the mouse GI tract, including those present in the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and feces. Further analyses of the 283,234 valid sequences obtained from pyrosequencing revealed that the gastric, duodenal, large intestinal and fecal samples had higher phylogenetic diversity than the jejunum and ileum samples did. The microbial communities found in the small intestine and stomach were different from those seen in the large intestine and fecal samples. A greater proportion of Lactobacillaceae were found in the stomach and small intestine, while a larger proportion of anaerobes such as Bacteroidaceae, Prevotellaceae, Rikenellaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae were found in the large intestine and feces. In addition, inter-mouse variations of microbiota were observed between the large intestinal and fecal samples, which were much smaller than those between the gastric and small intestinal samples. As far as we can ascertain, ours is the first study to systematically characterize bacterial communities from the GI tracts of C57BL/6 mice.     

中国林蛙Onconase样核糖核酸酶的基因克隆和表达

Onconase是从美洲豹蛙卵中提取的一种核糖核酸酶,由于其抗肿瘤活性而具有潜在的临床应用价值.以中国林蛙基因组为模板,克隆了一个新的RNase基因,并由此推导出了成熟林蛙RNase的氨基酸顺序.该酶是由103个氨基酸残基组成的,它保留了RNaseA家族成员酶催化活性必须的组氨酸和赖氨酸残基,以及CKXXNTF的序列特征,与Onconase具有73％的氨基酸顺序的相似性.林蛙酶比Onconue少一个氨基酸,成为选今为止发现的RNaseA家族中的最小成员;并且,林蛙酶拥有的精氨酸和酪氨酸残基比Onconase多3个.此外,在利用原核表达系统对林蛙RNase基因进行表达的过程中,表达产物对宿主显示出一定的细胞毒性.     

水稻抗白叶枯病基因的鉴定、定位和克隆进展

由水稻黄单胞菌水稻变种Xoo引起的水稻白叶枯病是全球性的重要病害之一。已有31个水稻白叶枯抗性基因被鉴定并报道,其中18个被定位到染色体上,5个被克隆。简要综述了水稻白叶枯抗性基因的鉴定、定位和克隆的进展,并讨论了合理利用抗性基因防治白叶枯病的前景。     

小鼠着床丝氨酸蛋白酶2cDNA的克隆、表达及抗体制备

以孕 4 .5天小鼠子宫着床位点总cDNA为模板 ,用PCR方法扩增获得着床丝氨酸蛋白酶 2 (ISP2 )的cDNA。序列分析表明 ,该cDNA序列中的开放阅读框编码 2 79个氨基酸 ,并与文献报道完全相同 ,但在 3′非翻译区多 2 0 4bp ,已登录于GenBank(登录号 :AF4 4 2 819)。为了获得重组ISP2 (rISP2 ) ,构建了pGEX 4T 2 ISP2表达质粒 ,进而在大肠杆菌BL2 1(DE3)中表达融合蛋白质GST ISP2 ,经SDS PAGE回收的融合蛋白质用牛凝血酶酶切 ,再经SDS PAGE回收获得rISP2。用rISP2作为免疫原免疫家兔获得ISP2多克隆抗血清。用该抗血清进行免疫组化研究表明 ,ISP2在妊娠早期的小鼠子宫内膜腺上皮有特异性的高表达。     

Structural, thermodynamic, and mutational analyses of a psychrotrophic RNase HI

Ribonuclease (RNase) HI from the psychrotrophic bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was overproduced in Escherichia coli, purified, and structurally and biochemically characterized. The amino acid sequence of MR-1 RNase HI is 67% identical to that of E. coli RNase HI. The crystal structure of MR-1 RNase HI determined at 2.0 A resolution was highly similar to that of E. coli RNase HI, except that the number of intramolecular ion pairs and the fraction of polar surface area of MR-1 RNase HI were reduced compared to those of E. coli RNase HI. The enzymatic properties of MR-1 RNase HI were similar to those of E. coli RNase HI. However, MR-1 RNase HI was much less stable than E. coli RNase HI. The stability of MR-1 RNase HI against heat inactivation was lower than that of E. coli RNase HI by 19 degrees C. The conformational stability of MR-1 RNase HI was thermodynamically analyzed by monitoring the CD values at 220 nm. MR-1 RNase HI was less stable than E. coli RNase HI by 22.4 degrees C in Tm and 12.5 kJ/mol in DeltaG(H2O). The thermodynamic stability curve of MR-1 RNase HI was characterized by a downward shift and increased curvature, which results in an increased DeltaCp value, compared to that of E. coli RNase HI. Site-directed mutagenesis studies suggest that the difference in the number of intramolecular ion pairs partly accounts for the difference in stability between MR-1 and E. coli RNases HI.     

Mapping of Unconventional Myosins in Mouse and Human

Myosins are molecular motors that move along filamentous actin. Seven classes of myosin are expressed in vertebrates: conventional myosin, or myosin-II, as well as the 6 unconventional myosin classes -I, -V, -VI, -VII, -IX, and -X. We have mapped in mouse 22 probes encompassing all known unconventional myosins and, as a result, have identified 16 potential unconventional myosin genes. These genes include 7 myosins-I, 2 myosins-V, 1 myosin-VI, 3 myosins-VII, 2 myosins-IX, and 1 myosin-X. The map location of 5 of these genes was identified in human chromosomes by fluorescencein situhybridization.     

Rapid Diversification of RNase A Superfamily Ribonucleases from the Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

We present sequences of five novel RNase A superfamily ribonuclease genes of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. All five genes encode ribonucleases that are similar to Onconase, a cytotoxic ribonuclease isolated from oocytes of R. pipiens. With amino acid sequence data from 14 ribonucleases from three Rana species (R. catesbeiana, R. japonica, and R. pipiens), we have constructed bootstrap-supported phylogenetic trees that reorganize these ribonucleases into five distinct lineages--the pancreatic ribonucleases (RNases 1), the eosinophil-associated ribonucleases (RNases 2, 3, and 6), the ribonucleases 4, the angiogenins (RNases 5) and the Rana ribonucleases--with the Rana ribonucleases no more closely related to the angiogenins than they are to any of the other ribonuclease lineages shown. Further phylogenetic analysis suggests the division of the Rana ribonucleases into two subclusters (A and B), with positive (Darwinian) selection (dN/dS > 1.0) and an elevated rate of radical nonsynonymous substitution (dR) contributing to the rapid diversification of ribonucleases within each cluster. This pattern of evolution-rapid diversification via positive selection among sequences of a multigene cluster-bears striking resemblance to what we have described for the eosinophil-associated ribonuclease genes of the rodent Mus musculus, a finding that may have implications with respect the physiologic function of this unique family of proteins.     

Human XPMC2H: cDNA Cloning, Mapping to 9q34, Genomic Structure, and Evaluation as TSC1

XPMC2 is a Xenopus gene identified on the basis of its ability to correct a mitotic defect in fission yeast. Here we report the identification of cDNA clones for human XPMC2H, its mapping to the tuberous sclerosis gene TSC1 region on 9q34, determination of genomic structure, and identification of several coding region polymorphisms. The predicted protein has strong sequence similarity to the Xenopus gene. Through SSCP and heteroduplex analysis of genomic DNA, we found two intragenic polymorphisms but no evidence for significant mutations in patients with tuberous sclerosis in this gene.     

小鼠白细胞介素4基因的化学合成、克隆与表达

利用381A型DNA合成仪,分29个寡聚核苷酸片段化学合成了小鼠IL-4全基因,共442bp。以pUC12质粒作为载体,将所有合成片段分前后两组进行磷酸化、退火、连接和克隆,经过菌落原位杂交、酶切鉴定和质粒DNA序列分析,分别得到了含有小鼠IL-4前后两半基因片段的两种重组质粒,回收前半基因片段,插入到含有后半基因重组质粒的EcoRI和PstI酶切位点之间,成功地得到了含有小鼠IL-4全基因的重组质粒pFR101。将全合成基因插入到质粒pSM53中,得表达质粒pFR105,转化大肠杆菌TAP106,根据IL-4对CTLL细胞的作用,肯定了TAP106(pFR105)细菌中有小鼠IL-4活性蛋白的表达。     

小鼠生精细胞凋亡相关基因的分子克隆

利用手术隐睾的方法建立小鼠生精细胞凋亡模型,通过光镜、电镜以及原位末端标记法（TUNEL）证实手术隐睾可成功诱导小鼠生精细胞凋亡;在此基础上应用抑制消减杂交法（suppression subtractive hybridization,SSH)对隐睾和对侧睾丸组织的基因表达进行研究,在隐睾组织中分离得到24个高表达cDNA片段,经克隆、PCR和酶切鉴定、测序及匹配分析,证实24个cDNA片段均为新的ESTs,已被GenBank接受并给予新序列编号。任选其中3个cDNA片段作为探针进行Northern印迹杂交,证实它们在隐睾和对侧睾丸组织有差异表达。上述结果提示手术隐睾是研究生精功能降低和睾丸组织凋亡过程中基因表达的适合实验模型,所分离的差异表达cDNA序列可能与生精细胞凋亡密切相关。     

肿瘤坏死因子相关的凋亡诱导配体(TRAIL)cDNA的克隆与表达

肿瘤坏死因子相关凋亡诱导配体（ｔｕｍｏｒｎｅｃｒｏｓｉｓｆａｃｔｏｒｒｅｌａｔｅｄａｐｏｐｔｏｓｉｓｉｎｄｕｃｉｎｇｌｉｇａｎｄ,ＴＲＡＩＬ）是新近发现的肿瘤坏死因子家族成员,亦称凋亡素２配体（Ａｐｏ２ｌｉｇａｎｄ,Ａｐｏ２Ｌ）［１,２］．由于ＴＮＦ参与机体的免疫调节和炎症反应,并发挥细胞毒作用,因而为世人所瞩目［３,４］．研究表明,ＴＲＡＩＬ与ＴＮＦ和Ｆａｓ／Ａｐｏ１配体一样,为典型的Ⅱ型跨膜蛋白,Ｃ端细胞外区域形成同源三聚体的亚结构,而Ｎ端１５～４０氨基酸为疏水区域并形成跨膜结…     

人vasostatin的克隆、表达、纯化及活性检测

从成人肝脏cDNA文库中,PCR扩增得到人vasostatin基因编码区序列,将此序列插入原核表达载体pQE30进行表达,SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE)测定表明产物以包涵体形式存在,表达量占菌体总蛋白量的50%以上.包涵体洗涤后溶于8 mol/L尿素溶液,在变性条件下通过镍-氨三乙酸(Ni-NTA)金属螯合亲和层析柱进行纯化后,再经透析进行复性.N端氨基酸序列、分子质量、等电点等理化指标的测定结果与理论值相符.用内皮细胞增殖试验、内皮细胞迁移试验以及鸡胚尿囊膜血管生成试验等方法进行活性检测,证实复性的表达产物具有抑制内皮细胞增殖和迁移、抑制鸡胚尿囊膜血管生成的功能.