Development of a GFP reporter gene for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast

Reporter genes have been successfully used in chloroplasts of higher plants, and high levels of recombinant protein expression have been reported. Reporter genes have also been used in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, but in most cases the amounts of protein produced appeared to be very low. We hypothesized that the inability to achieve high levels of recombinant protein expression in the C. reinhardtii chloroplast was due to the codon bias seen in the C. reinhardtii chloroplast genome. To test this hypothesis, we synthesized a gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) de novo, optimizing its codon usage to reflect that of major C. reinhardtii chloroplast-encoded proteins. We monitored the accumulation of GFP in C. reinhardtii chloroplasts transformed with the codon-optimized GFP cassette (GFPct), under the control of the C. reinhardtii rbcL 5'- and 3'-UTRs. We compared this expression with the accumulation of GFP in C. reinhardtii transformed with a non-optimized GFP cassette (GFPncb), also under the control of the rbcL 5'- and 3'-UTRs. We demonstrate that C. reinhardtii chloroplasts transformed with the GFPct cassette accumulate approximately 80-fold more GFP than GFPncb-transformed strains. We further demonstrate that expression from the GFPct cassette, under control of the rbcL 5'- and 3'-UTRs, is sufficiently robust to report differences in protein synthesis based on subtle changes in environmental conditions, showing the utility of the GFPct gene as a reporter of C. reinhardtii chloroplast gene expression.     

A simple and visualized method to screen for effective siRNAs by using green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a reporter

To screen for effective small interference RNA (siRNA), a simple and visualized method was developed using the green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a reporter. Candidate siRNAs targeting macrophage migration inhibition factor genes (MIF) were identified. By using the pEGFP-N3 vector, the MIF-GFP expression plasmid, pEGFP-MIF, was constructed with the same Kozak consensus translation initiation site and start code ATG for the MIF-EGFP coding sequence. Based on the siRNA expression vector pSilencer-4.1, 3 candidate MIF siRNA expression plasmids were constructed and co-transfected with the pEGFP-MIF into the HEK293 cells, respectively. The GFP expression in HEK293 cells could be viewed by fluorescence microscopy and the MIF mRNA expressions were determined by real-time quantitative PCR. The 3 candidate MIF siRNA expression plasmids were also co-transfected with the MIF expression plasmid into the HEK293 cells, respectively, and the MIF mRNA expressions were determined by real-time quantitative PCR. The results show that the down-regulated expression of the MIF mRNA was consistent with the GFP expression and the same effective MIF siRNAs were screened by using the pEGFP-MIF or MIF expression plasmid with the candidate MIF siRNAs expression plasmids. Therefore, by using the GFP as a reporter, a useful method was provided to screen for effective siRNAs targeting specific genes co-expressed with the GFP. This may be a good strategy for screening for effective siRNAs targeting different genes. __________ Translated from Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2007, 23(3): 231–235 [译自: 中国生物化学与分子生物学报]     

A simple and visualized method to screen for effective siRNAs by using green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a reporter

To screen for effective small interference RNA (siRNA), a simple and visualized method was developed using the green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a reporter. Candidate siRNAs targeting macrophage migration inhibition factor genes (MIF) were identified. By using the pEGFP-N3 vector, the MIF-GFP expression plasmid, pEGFP-MIF, was constructed with the same Kozak con-sensus translation initiation site and start code ATG for the MIF-EGFP coding sequence. Based on the siRNA expression vector pSilencer-4,1,3 candidate MIF siRNA expression plasmids were constructed and co-transfected with the pEGFP-MIF into the H EK293 cells, respectively. The GFP expression in HEK293 cells could be viewed by fluorescence microscopy and the MIF mRNA expressions were determined by real-time quantitative PCR. The 3 candidate MIF siRNA expression plasmids were also co-transfected with the MIF expression plasmid into the HEK293 cells, respectively, and the MIF mRNA expres-sions were determined by real-time quantitative PCR. The results show that the down-regulated expression of the MIF mRNA was consistent with the GFP expression and the same effective MIF siRNAs were screened by using the pEGFP-MIF or MIF expression plasmid with the candidate MIF siRNAs expression plasmids. Therefore, by using the GFP as a reporter, a useful method was provided to screen for effective siRNAs tar-geting specific genes co-expressed with the GFP. This may be a good strategy for screening for effective siRNAs tar-geting different genes.     

马铃薯立枯丝核菌拮抗菌QHZ11的实时荧光定量PCR快速检测与应用

【背景】植物根际促生菌(plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria,PGPR)在根际的定殖是其发挥作用的基础,直观有效的跟踪技术和定量方法是研究PGPR在根际原位分布规律的重要工具。【目的】建立一种马铃薯黑痣病病原菌——立枯丝核菌拮抗菌QHZ11的实时荧光定量PCR快速检测体系,并检测拮抗菌QHZ11在马铃薯根际的动态变化。【方法】根据GenBank中登录的类芽孢杆菌及近源菌株gyrB基因序列差异筛选特异性引物,优化反应条件;通过盆栽试验对马铃薯根际拮抗菌进行快速检测。盆栽试验设3个处理,T1:对照(无菌水,CK);T2:QHZ11菌悬液灌土(QHZ11);T3:将功能菌在有机肥中进行二次固体发酵制成生物有机肥(BOF11)。【结果】筛选出拮抗菌QHZ11的专用引物为gyrB-F/gyrB-R;建立的拮抗菌QHZ11实时荧光定量PCR检测方法特异性好、灵敏度高且重复性较好,线性相关系数为0.999 8,检测组内变异系数均在1%以内,扩增效率为0.9,可检测出1×103-1×1010copies/g-soil的拮抗菌,具有检出限低和扩增效率高的特点。盆栽试验...     

Evaluation of a rapid microbial detection method via phage lytic amplification assay coupled with Live/Dead fluorochromic stains

AIMS: To develop a method for rapid detection of bacteria via bacteriophage amplification coupled with exogenous fluorochromic stains. METHODS AND RESULTS: A method for the rapid detection of bacteria was developed which consisted of exposing the sample suspected to contain target cells to host-specific phage. After at least one infection cycle, bacteria known to be infected by the phage (helper cells) were added and the number of nascent phage particles was estimated using the Live/Dead BacLight Bacterial Viability kit. Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa, it was shown that the dead helper cell population following phage infection was proportional to the initial number of target cells present in the original sample. Approximately 1 x 10(1) CFU per ml of P. aeruginosa could be detected within 4 h without the need for enrichment. CONCLUSIONS: The phage lytic amplification assay coupled with exogenous fluorochromic stains was able to detect approx. 1 x 10(1) CFU per ml of the target bacterium within 4 h. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A method to detect low number of bacterial cells in a sample within 4 h without the need for enrichment was developed.     

Quantitative export of a reporter protein,GFP, by the twin-arginine translocation pathway in Escherichia coli

The Tat system mediates the transport of folded proteins across the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. To study the properties of the Escherichia coli Tat-system, we used green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to the twin-arginine signal peptide of TMAO reductase (TorA). In the presence of arabinose, low levels of this protein rapidly saturate the translocase and cause the accumulation of inactive, membrane-bound TorA-GFP; fluorescence microscopy also showed active TorA-GFP to be distributed throughout the cytoplasm. However, the efficiency of export can be massively increased by alteration of the growth conditions, and further increased by overexpression of the tatABC genes. Under these conditions, the levels of GFP in the periplasm are raised over 20-fold and the export efficiency nears 100%. These results show that the Tat-system is relatively inactive under some growth conditions and the data suggest that the system may be applicable for the larger-scale export of heterologous proteins.     

四环素-绿色荧光蛋白融合蛋白的构建及其活性测定

将来源于水母的绿色荧光蛋白基因 (gfp)和来源于E .coli转座子Tn10的四环素阻遏蛋白基因 (tetR)共同构建到E .coli表达载体pET_30a +上 ,获得TetRC_端与GFPN_端融合蛋白。对经诱导表达并纯化后的融合蛋白 (TR∷GFP)进行荧光发射光谱分析表明 ,该融合蛋白保留了GFP的荧光特性 ,即在 395nm激发下 ,可在 5 10nm附近有特征发射峰。在加入四环素后 ,融合蛋白在 395nm激发下 ,在400nm～700nm范围内的发射光谱发生明显变化 ,荧光强度普遍增加 ,且以 510nm处最大发射峰增幅最大 ,由原来 1132增至 2214 ,而四环素对相同浓度的GFP与TetR荧光影响不大 ,结果表明该融合蛋白 ,能感受外界四环素 ,并产生一定的荧光变化。     

Rapid identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of Yersinia pestis using bioluminescent reporter phage

The rapid identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of Yersinia pestis is paramount for a positive prognosis. We previously engineered a Y. pestis-specific 'bioluminescent' reporter phage for the identification of Y. pestis. In this study, we generated an improved reporter phage and evaluated the ability of this phage to provide direct and rapid susceptibility testing. Compared to the first generation reporter, the second generation reporter exhibited a 100-fold increase in signal strength, leading to a 10-fold increase in assay sensitivity. Y. pestis antimicrobial testing in the presence of the reporter elicited bioluminescent signals that were drug concentration-dependent, and produced susceptibility profiles that mirrored the standard CLSI method. The phage-generated susceptibility profiles, however, were obtained within hours in contrast to days with the conventional method.     

Monitoring the colonization of sugarcane and rice plants by the endophytic diazotrophic bacterium Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus marked with gfp and gusA reporter genes

Aims: To evaluate the colonization process of sugarcane plantlets and hydroponically grown rice seedlings by Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus strain PAL5 marked with the gusA and gfp reporter genes. Methods and Results: Sugarcane plantlets inoculated in vitro with PAL5 carrying the gfp::gusA plasmid pHRGFPGUS did not present green fluorescence, but β‐glucuronidase (GUS)‐stained bacteria could be observed inside sugarcane roots. To complement this existing inoculation methodology for micropropagated sugarcane with a more rapid colonization assay, we employed hydroponically grown gnotobiotic rice seedlings to study PAL5–plant interaction. PAL5 could be isolated from the root surface (10⁸ CFU g^?1) and from surface‐disinfected root and stem tissues (10⁴ CFU g^?1) of inoculated plants, suggesting that PAL5 colonized the internal plant tissues. Light microscopy confirmed the presence of bacteria inside the root tissue. After inoculation of rice plantlets with PAL5 marked with the gfp plasmid pHRGFPTC, bright green fluorescent bacteria could be seen colonizing the rice root surface, mainly at the sites of lateral root emergence, at root caps and on root hairs. Conclusion: The plasmids pHRGFPGUS and pHRGFPTC are valid tools to mark PAL5 and monitor the colonization of micropropagated sugarcane and hydroponic rice seedlings. Significance and Impact of the Study: These tools are of use to: (i) study PAL5 mutants affected in bacteria–plant interactions, (ii) monitor plant colonization in real time and (iii) distinguish PAL5 from other bacteria during the study of mixed inoculants.     

A highly sensitive and rapid method for the detection of DNA fragments using the photoprotein obelin as a reporter

The recombinant Ca²⁺-activated photoprotein obelin was used as a reporter protein in a solid-phase bioluminescent hybridization DNA assay. Oligonucleotide probes were immobilized on the surface of polymer methacrylate beads or microbiological plates of different types. A 30-mer oligonucleotide or its derivative with the biotin residue on the 3′-terminus, as well as a denatured double-stranded PCR fragment of the hepatitis C virus with the sequence of the 30-mer oligonucleotide was used as a DNA template. The probe in the hybridization complex was labeled by the elongation of the chain using a Taq DNA polymerase in the presence of biotinylated deoxyuridine triphosphate. The results of the bioluminescent assay were compared with the results of colorimetric analysis obtained with alkaline phosphatase as a reporter protein. It was shown that the use of the bioluminescent obelin label substantially accelerates the DNA detection procedure, provides a high sensitivity of the assay (no less than 10^?15 mol of DNA template), and ensures a quantitative determination of the amount of DNA template in the tested sample.     

基于量子点标记的赭曲霉毒素A快速、高灵敏荧光免疫层析检测方法的建立及应用

赭曲霉毒素A（ochratoxin A,OTA）具有肾毒性、致畸性、致癌性和免疫毒性,广泛存在于各种粮食作物及其副产品中,是食品和饲料原料的重要污染物,可在人类及动物体内蓄积,在已知发现的真菌毒素中,重要性和危害性仅次于黄曲霉毒素。本研究通过采用量子点荧光微球（quantum dots,QDs）标记OTA单克隆抗体,并基于免疫层析原理,优化、建立了OTA高灵敏荧光免疫层析检测方法（FICGA）,15min即可实现对农产品中OTA污染的快速定量检测。该方法检测下限（IC₁₀）达到0.04ng/mL,检测区间（IC₂₀-IC₈₀）为0.05-0.59ng/mL,半数抑制率（IC₅₀）为0.18ng/mL。与OTA类似物OTB、OTC交叉反应性为7.3%和11.9%,对其他常见真菌毒素AFB₁、ZEN、FB₁和DON均无交叉反应。在玉米、面粉和大豆样本中的加标回收率可达83.2%-117.8%,与LC-MS/MS同时对天然样本中OTA含量的检测结果表明,两种方法相关性良好。本研究建立的FICGA快速、灵敏,可满足基层单位和现场的快速检测需求,具有很好的应用前景。     

Rapid and sensitive detection of retrovirus entry by using a novel luciferase-based content-mixing assay

We describe a novel assay that permits measurement of entry of murine leukemia virus and pseudotypes with greater sensitivity and more rapidly than previously possible. To achieve this, we encapsulated a sensitive reporter enzyme, luciferase, directly into fully infectious, intact viral particles. The enzyme is specifically targeted to the viral lumen, as a C-terminal fusion on the viral envelope protein. Only when the incorporated luciferase is released from the viral lumen and gains access to its substrates is light emitted and readily detected. When cells are perfused with luciferin, quantitative measurements of entry can be made in real time on live cells. Uniquely, the amount of cell-bound virus can be determined in the same assay by addition of detergent to expose the luciferase. We demonstrate that virus carrying a mutation in the fusion peptide binds normally to cells but is unable to infect them and gives no entry signal. Using this assay, we show that inhibitors of endosomal acidification inhibit signal from vesicular stomatitis virus pseudotypes but not murine leukemia virus, consistent with a pH-independent mode of entry for the latter virus. Additionally, the fusion kinetics are rapid, with a half-life of 25 min after a delay of 10 to 15 min. The future use of this assay will permit a detailed examination of the entry mechanism of viruses and provide a convenient platform to discover novel entry inhibitors. The design also permits packaging of potential therapeutic protein cargoes into functional virus particles and their specific delivery to cellular targets.     

Impact of copy number of distinct SV40PolyA segments on expression of a GFP reporter gene

The presence of Alu repeats downregulates the expression of the green fluorescent protein(GFP) gene.We found that SV40PolyA(PolyA,240 bp),in either orientation,eliminated the inhibition of GFP gene expression induced by Alu repeats when it was placed between the GFP gene and the Alu repeats.In this study,4 different segments(each 60 bp) were amplified from antisense PolyA(PolyAas) by PCR,and inserted upstream of Alu14 in pAlu14 plasmid(14 Alu repeats inserted downstream of the GFP gene in vector pEGFP-C1 in...     

Rapid and sensitive detection of b-galactosidase-producing yeasts by using microtiter plate assay

Yeast b-galactosidase activity was detected by a microtiter plate assay using pNPG or Xgal as substrate in 30 minutes. The detection gave a clear result which is well correlated with the specific b-galactosidase activity present in each strain studied. The microtiter plate assay is an effective method to improve the detection and quantify the b-galactosidase gene in recombinant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

Design of FRET-based GFP probes for detection of protease inhibitors

In this study, tandem Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins were designed to detect proteolytic activity of thrombin based on the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The thrombin-specific recognition sequence, LVPR, was strategically placed in between a cyan-emitting mutant of the green fluorescent protein and an enhanced yellow-emitting fluorescent protein to allow thrombin-specific cleavage with detectable changes of FRET signal. A 4.6-fold increase of fluorescence emission ratio was observed upon addition of thrombin. This FRET-based probe was further tested for dose-dependent effects of thrombin specific inhibitor, hirudin. Our result showed a nice correlation between fluorescence emission ratios and concentrations of hirudin with subnanomolar sensitivity. We propose that FRET-based GFP probes can be used for high-throughput screening of protease inhibitors.     

Rapid, sensitive and simple detection method for koi herpesvirus using loop-mediated isothermal amplification

New methods were developed for the detection of koi herpesvirus (KHV, CyHV-3) by LAMP, which were compared with the PCR for specificity and sensitivity. We designed two primer sets targeting a specific sequence within the 9/5 PCR amplicon (9/5 LAMP) and the upper region of the Sph I-5 PCR amplicon ( Sph I-5 LAMP), including a sequence highly conserved among the strains. The amplification was monitored in real-time based on the increase in turbidity, with magnesium pyrophosphate as the by-product. The reactions were carried out under isothermal conditions at 65°C for 60 min. The detection limit of both LAMP was six copies, equal to the modified Sph I-5 PCR. No cross-reactivity with other fish pathogenic viruses and bacteria was observed. Sph I-5 LAMP was found to have a quicker response in terms of the reaction velocity than 9/5 LAMP. Therefore, we consider Sph I-5 LAMP to be superior for routine use. Additionally, LAMP was found applicable to crude extract from gills and other organs. LAMP methods are superior in terms of sensitivity, specificity, rapidity and simplicity, and are potentially a valuable diagnostic tool for KHV infections.     

Soil biosensor for the detection of PAH toxicity using an immobilized recombinant bacterium and a biosurfactant

A biosensor for detecting the toxicity of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminated soil has been successfully constructed using an immobilized recombinant bioluminescent bacterium, GC2 (lac::luxCDABE), which constitutively produces bioluminescence. The biosurfactant, rhamnolipids, was used to extract a model PAH, phenanthrene, and was found to enhance the bioavailability of phenanthrene via an increase in its rate of mass transfer from sorbed soil to the aqueous phase. The monitoring of phenanthrene toxicity was achieved through the measurement of the decrease in bioluminescence when a sample extracted with the biosurfactant was injected into the minibioreactor. The concentrations of phenanthrene in the aqueous phase were found to correlate well with the corresponding toxicity data obtained by using this toxicity biosensor. In addition, it was also found that the addition of glass beads to the agar media enhanced the stability of the immobilized cells. This biosensor system using a biosurfactant may be applied as an in-situ biosensor to detect the toxicity of hydrophobic contaminants in soils and for performance evaluation of PAH degradation in soils.     

Systematic optimization of active protein expression using GFP as a folding reporter

Many recombinant proteins have been used as drugs; however, human proteins expressed using heterologous hosts are often insoluble. To obtain correctly folded active proteins, many optimizations of expression have been attempted but usually are found to be applicable only for specific targets. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) has a key role in many severe disorders including autoimmune diseases, and therapeutic approaches using IL-18 have been reported. However, production of IL-18 in Escherichia coli resulted in extensive inclusion body formation and previous conventional screenings of expression conditions could obtain only a condition with a low yield. To address the problem, we applied a folding reporter system using green fluorescent protein (GFP) for screening of the expression conditions for hIL-18. The established system efficiently screened many conditions, and optimized conditions for the expression of hIL-18 significantly enhanced the final yield of the active protein. Systematic screening using a GFP reporter system could be applied for the production of other proteins and in other organisms.