Use of Green Fluorescent Protein To Detect Expression of an Endopolygalacturonase Gene of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum during Bean Infection

The 5′ noncoding region of clpg2, an endopolygalacturonase gene of the bean pathogen Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, was fused to the coding sequence of a gene encoding a green fluorescent protein (GFP), and the construct was introduced into the fungal genome. Detection of GFP accumulation by fluorescence microscopy examination revealed that clpg2 was expressed at the early stages of germination of the conidia and during appressorium formation both in vitro and on the host plant.     

SV40PolyA顺式活化基因元件中不完整茎环结构的发现和序列研究

研究室的前期工作发现,Alu串连序列插入pEGFP-C1质粒的GFP基因下游,瞬时转染HeLa细胞抑制GFP基因表达,2F2R(来自SV40PolyA反序5′端的第2个60 bp)插入GFP和Alu串连序列之间可以解除Alu序列对GFP基因的抑制作用。文章通过删减2F2R发现,45R(2F2R 5′端的45 bp)、30R和22R可以活化基因,且二串连体活化基因作用高于单体。Secloop(2F2R近中部的22 bp)和Poly4(2F2R 3′端的30 bp)不能活化基因。30R与Poly4用9碱基连接形成30R-Poly4,其活化基因作用低于2F2R,两个22R之间连接碱基数对活化GFP基因作用没有明显的影响。22R(5′-GTGAAAAAAATGCTTTATTTGT-3′)含有不完整的回文序列,可以形成不完整的茎环结构,包括一个3碱基loop、3 bp第一茎、2碱基泡和3 bp第二茎。改变22R茎环结构的碱基突变明显影响其活化GFP基因的作用,过多互补和过少互补的茎环结构均不利于活化基因,提示适当的不完整茎环结构与活化基因有关。     

RNA干扰技术抑制内源性绿色荧光蛋白的表达

目的建立稳定表达绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)的细胞株;构建短发夹RNA(shRNA)表达质粒并观察其对内源性GFP的抑制作用。方法转染pEGFP-N1至HepG2细胞,利用G418筛选获得稳定表达GFP的细胞株(HepG2.GFP);设计合成针对GFP基因的siRNA对应的DNA片段,插入转录载体pTZU6 1,构建shRNA表达载体pSHGFP,转染HepG2.GFP,荧光显微镜观察细胞荧光强度,以western blot检测GFP蛋白水平,以RT-PCR检测mRNA水平。结果利用PCR方法从HepG2.GFP细胞基因组DNA中检测到GFP基因;pSHGFP能够显著抑制该细胞中GFP的表达。结论GFP基因成功整合至HepG2细胞基因组中,pSHGFP能够显著抑制内源性GFP的表达,该系统能够用于RNA干扰机制等研究中。     

表达绿色荧光蛋白的重组CVI988病毒的构建及特性

提取马立克氏病毒Ⅰ型疫苗毒株CVI988的总DNA为模板,利用PCR技术扩增出病毒生长非必需的US2基因并克隆入T—easy载体。将CMV启动子和增强子控制的含GFP基因表达盒克隆入US2基因中,成功构建了含GFP基因的转移质粒载体pGUS2GFP。用脂质体将其与CVI988株共转染CEF细胞,用96孔板稀释法得到纯化的表达绿色荧光蛋白的重组CVI988病毒株rCVIGFP,并分别测定其在体内和体外的生长情况。表达EGFP基因的重组病毒在细胞上生长曲线与亲本毒CVI988类似,体外实验表明,1日龄腹腔接种该重组毒后,可以从鸡体内分离到表达绿色荧光的病毒。     

绿色荧光蛋白基因作为报告基因在水稻基因转化中的应用研究

本研究中 ,构建了含有编码绿色荧光蛋白的改进型基因质粒pJPM5。用基因枪法分别把pJPM5和另一带有绿色荧光蛋白基因的质粒pSBG70 0转入水稻TNG6 7愈伤组织。用South ern杂交法证实了转基因的存在 ,而且表明多数转基因植株含有 1到 8个拷贝的转基因。取 2个月的转基因植株上的叶片用于分析绿色荧光蛋白基因表达。用SLM - 80 0 0荧光分析仪定量测定绿色荧光蛋白。多数转基因植株具有很高的绿色荧光蛋白信号。虽然水稻植株有少量自发荧光 ,但是绿色荧光蛋白基因表达出的绿色荧光蛋白信号比植株的自发荧光强得多 ,其测定不会受自发荧光的太大影响。在荧光显微镜下观察到了绿色荧光蛋白基因的表达。借助观察分析绿色荧光蛋白基因的瞬时表达 ,本研究还发现基因枪法转化中 ,如果两枪的气压为90 0psi& 135 0psi,比两枪的气压都为 90 0psi或者 135 0psi更好 ,因其能使质粒进入更多的细胞。研究结果表明 ,绿色荧光蛋白基因可以作为水稻 (甚至小麦、玉米 )转基因研究中的报告基因。研究还显示 ,MAR序列能明显增强绿色荧光蛋白基因的表达能力 (这一结果在另文讨论 ) .     

Expression of GFP in nuclear transplants generated by transplantation of embryonic cell nuclei from GFP-transgenic fish into nonenucleated eggs of medaka, Oryzias latipes

In order to investigate whether foreign genes can be used as genetic markers of donor nuclei in fish nuclear transplantation, expression of the GFP gene derived from donor nuclei was examined in nuclear transplants in medaka (Oryzias latipes). Embryonic nuclei were obtained from blastula embryos produced by crossing of transgenic fish of the wild-type strain heterozygous for the GFP gene with nontransgenic ones or by mutual crossing between transgenic fish. The GFP gene was driven by the promoter of the medaka elongation factor gene, EF-1alpha-A, which is known to induce GFP expression in many tissues except for the muscle in the transgenic fish. The nuclei were transplanted into nonenucleated unfertilized eggs of the orange-red strain. Adult nuclear transplants were successfully obtained at the rate of about 2% of the operated eggs. They were triploid and had no reproductive potential. The GFP gene was expressed in embryos, fry, and adults of nuclear transplants in a pattern similar to that in the transgenic fish. These results indicate that GFP is useful as a foreign genetic marker of donor nuclei in fish nuclear transplantation.     

Identification of choriogenin cis-regulatory elements and production of estrogen-inducible, liver-specific transgenic Medaka

Choriogenins (chg-H, chg-L) are precursor proteins of egg envelope of medaka and synthesized in the spawning female liver in response to estrogen. We linked a gene construct chg-L1.5 kb/GFP (a 1.5 kb 5'-upstream region of the chg-L gene fused with a green fluorescence protein (GFP) gene) to another construct emgb/RFP (a cis-regulatory region of embryonic globin gene fused with an RFP gene), injected the double fusion gene construct into 1- or 2-cell-stage embryos, and selected embryos expressing the RFP in erythroid cells. From the embryos, we established two lines of chg-L1.5 kb/GFP-emgb/RFP-transgenic medaka. The 3-month-old spawning females and estradiol-17beta (E2)-exposed males displayed the liver-specific GFP expression. The E2-dependent GFP expression was detected in the differentiating liver of the stage 37-38 embryos. In addition, RT-PCR and whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that the E2-dependent chg expression was found in the liver of the stage 34 embryos of wild medaka, suggesting that such E2-dependency is achieved shortly after differentiation of the liver. Analysis using serial deletion mutants fused with GFP showed that the region -426 to -284 of the chg-L gene or the region -364 to -265 of the chg-H gene had the ability to promote the E2-dependent liver-specific GFP expression of its downstream gene. Further analyses suggested that an estrogen response element (ERE) at -309, an ERE half-site at -330 and a binding site for C/EBP at -363 of the chg-L gene played important roles in its downstream chg-L gene expression. In addition, this transgenic medaka may be useful as one of the test animals for detecting environmental estrogenic steroids.     

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。     

Development and application of unstable GFP variants to kinetic studies of mycobacterial gene expression

Unstable variants of green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged with C-terminal extensions, which are targets for a tail specific protease, have been described in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida [Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 64 (1998) 2240]. We investigated whether similar modifications to flow cytometer optimised GFP (GFPmut2) could be used to generate unstable variants of GFP for gene expression studies in mycobacteria. We constructed GFP variants in a mycobacterial shuttle vector under the control of the regulatory region of the inducible Mycobacterium smegmatis acetamidase gene. GFP expression was induced by the addition of acetamide and the stability of the GFP variants in M. smegmatis, following the removal of the inducer to switch off their expression, was determined using spectrofluorometry and flow cytometry. We demonstrate that, compared to the GFPmut2 (half-lives>7 days), the modified GFP variants exhibit much lower half-lives (between 70 and 165 min) in M. smegmatis. To investigate their utility in the measurement of mycobacterial gene expression, we cloned the promoter region of a putative amino acid efflux pump gene, lysE (Rv1986), from Mycobacterium tuberculosis together with the divergently transcribed, putative lysR-type regulator gene (Rv1985c) upstream of one of the unstable GFP variants. We found that the expression kinetics of the lysRE-gfp fusion were identical throughout the M. smegmatis growth curve to those measured using a conventional lysRE-xylE reporter fusion, peaking upon entry into stationary phase. In addition, it was established that the tagged GFP variants were also unstable in Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Thus, we have demonstrated that unstable GFP variants are suitable reporter genes for monitoring transient gene expression in fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria.     

Engineering of a Sagiyama alphavirus RNA-based transient expression vector

Sagiyama virus (SAGV), a strain of Getah virus in the genus Alphavirus in the family Togaviridae, has a broad host range in vertebrates and invertebrates but is not pathogenic for humans. We engineered the SAGV genome as an efficient transient expression vector using the full-length infectious cDNA clone pSAG2 as the background. A green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene was used as a reporter gene and expressed from a subgenomic mRNA. When the GFP gene was placed downstream of the intact capsid protein gene or an internally deleted capsid protein gene encoding the N-terminal 9 amino acids and C-terminal 149 amino acids, autoproteolysis occurred efficiently at the boundary site to release GFP from the N-terminally-fused capsid-protease domain. GFP was also expressed efficiently without the 5'-terminal region of the capsid protein gene, suggesting that SAGV capsid protein gene does not have a translation enhancer sequence. To provide structural proteins for pseudovirion formation, a nonviable mutant construct, pSAG2.3L, which contains a Gly-to-Leu substitution at the - 2 position of the nsP3/4 cleavage site, was used as a helper. GFP was expressed up to 50 pg from 1 X 10(6) BHK21 cells after inoculation of pseudovirions. The C6/36 mosquito cell was also a suitable host for a large scale expression of GFP using pseudovirions. In addition to high-level transient expression, safeness of SAGV should give an advantage over other alphavirus expression vectors.     

小鼠白蛋白启动子的组织特异性功能研究

以绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)基因作为报告基因,通过对比小鼠白蛋白启动子在不同来源细胞系中启动HGFP基因的转录活性,对小鼠白蛋白启动子的组织特异性进行了研究。结果发现,小鼠白蛋白启动子在小鼠肝癌细胞系Hepa 1—6和人肝癌细胞系：HepG2均有很强的转录起始功能,荧光显微镜下可以观察到IGFP表达。Hepa 1—6细胞在转染早期的48h内,CMV的启动子和增强子序列是小鼠白蛋白启动子转录活性的4倍。G418加压筛选2周后,CMV的启动子的转录活性下降到只有小鼠白蛋白启动子活性的1／2。转染人肝癌细胞系HepG2 2周后,荧光显微镜下可以观察到GFP表达。其他的细胞如中华仓鼠卵巢细胞系CHO和人肺癌细胞系PLA 801中转染的小鼠白蛋白启动子不能启动GFP的表达,而对照CMV启动子控制下的GFP基因可在CHO和PLA 801中表达。以上结果说明,小鼠白蛋白启动子仅在肝脏来源的细胞中可以起始下游基因的转录,在其他组织来源的细胞中不能起始转录,这表明小鼠白蛋白启动子具有肝脏组织特异的转录活性,但没有种属特异性。     

Endosperm-specific expression of green fluorescent protein driven by the hordein promoter is stably inherited in transgenic barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants

The expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and its inheritance were studied in transgenic barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants transformed with a synthetic green fluorescent protein gene [sgfp(S65T)] driven by either a rice actin promoter or a barley endosperm-specific d-hordein promoter. The gene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (bar), driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter and intron, was used as a selectable marker to identify transgenic tissues. Strong GFP expression driven by the rice actin promoter was observed in callus cells and in a variety of tissues of T0 plants transformed with the sgfp(S65T)-containing construct. GFP expression, driven by the rice actin promoter, was observed in 14 out of 17 independent regenerable transgenic callus lines; however, expression was gradually lost in T0 and later generation progeny of diploid lines. Stable GFP expression was observed in T2 progeny from only 6 out of the 14 (43%) independent GFP-expressing callus lines. Four of the 8 lines not expressing GFP in T2 progeny, lost GFP expression during T0 plant regeneration from calli; one lost GFP expression in the transition from the T0 to T1 generations and three lines were sterile. Similarly, expression of bar driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter was lost in T1 progeny; only 21 out of 26 (81%) independent lines were Basta-resistant. In contrast to actin-driven expression, GFP expression driven by the d-hordein promoter exhibited endosperm-specificity. All seven lines transformed with d-hordein-driven GFP (100%) expressed GFP in the T1 and T2 generations, regardless of ploidy levels, and expression segregated in a Mendelian fashion. We conclude that the sgfp(S65T) gene was successfully transformed into barley and that GFP expression driven by the d-hordein promoter was more stable in its inheritance pattern in T1 and T2 progeny than that driven by the rice actin promoter or the bar gene driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter.     

Jellyfish green fluorescent protein as a useful reporter for transient expression and stable transformation in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Medicago sativa</Emphasis> L.

The aim of the experiments reported herein was to transiently test different gene constructs using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter gene for a future localization of the maize -zein in the chloroplast of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The transient expression of two GFP genes was compared in alfalfa leaves to determine which of these two mutants is the easier to detect. Based on the intensity of fluorescence emitted, the GFP S65C gene was used to assemble a chloroplast-targeted GFP to verify the efficiency of the transit peptide for chloroplast targeting. A chloroplast-targeted fusion protein between -zein and GFP was then assembled, and this protein was observed to accumulate in small aggregates into the chloroplasts of transiently transformed cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the GFP S65C gene being used to obtain transformed alfalfa plants expressing GFP.Communicated by D. Dudits     

绿色荧光蛋白基因在转基因小鼠体内的表达

建立绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）转基因小鼠,继而传代建系。采用显微注射法,将GFP基因注入FVB／NJ小鼠受精卵原核内,获得子代鼠。分娩后3周剪取仔鼠尾,提取基因组DNA,应用PCR、Southern印迹技术进行整合检测。结共用雌性小鼠200只,注射受精卵1586枚,移植卵数386枚,受体鼠32只,怀孕鼠4只,子代鼠18只,有4只为阳性：取2只首建鼠的胚胎,在荧光显微镜下观察GFP表达明显,表明初步获得了转绿色荧光蛋白基因小鼠,     

Identification and characterization of two critical sequences in SV40PolyA that activate the green fluorescent protein reporter gene

Alu repeats or Line-1-ORF2 (ORF2) inhibit expression of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene when inserted downstream of this gene in the vector pEGFP-C1. In this work, we studied cis-acting elements that eliminated the repression of GFP gene expression induced by Alu and ORF2 and sequence characteristics of these elements. We found that sense and antisense PolyA of simian virus 40 (SV40PolyA, 240 bp) eliminated the repression of GFP gene expression when inserted between the GFP gene and the Alu (283 bp) repeats or ORF2 (3825 bp) in pAlu14 (14 tandem Alu repeats were inserted downstream of the GFP gene in the vector pEGFP-C1) or pORF2. Antisense SV40PolyA (PolyAas) induced stronger gene expression than its sense orientation (PolyA). Of four 60-bp segments of PolyAas (1F1R, 2F2R, 3F3R and 4F4R) inserted independently into pAlu14, only two (2F2R and 3F3R) eliminated the inhibition of GFP gene expression induced by Alu repeats. Deletion analysis revealed that a 17 nucleotide AT repeat (17ntAT; 5'-AAAAAAATGCTTTATTT-3') in 2F2R and the fragment 3F38d9 (5'-ATAAACAAGTTAACAACA ACAATTGCATT-3') in 3F3R were critical sequences for activating the GFP gene. Sequence and structural analyses showed that 17ntAT and 3F38d9 included imperfect palindromes and may form a variety of unstable stem-loops. We suggest that the presence of imperfect palindromes and unstable stem-loops in DNA enhancer elements plays an important role in GFP gene activation.     

Green fluorescent protein causes mitochondria to aggregate in the presence of the Bcl-2 family proteins

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been widely used in a variety of experiments in cell biology. When cells were co-transfected with the GFP gene and the bcl-2 family genes bcl-2, bcl-x(L), and bax, mitochondria appeared to aggregate at the periphery of the nucleus specifically where GFP was expressed. Little aggregation was seen in the presence of other members of the GFP family, EGFP (enhanced GFP), ECFP (enhanced cyan variant), and EYFP (enhanced yellow-green variant). GFP but not EGFP seemed to promote cell death induced by pro-apoptotic Bax. Thus, GFP specifically promotes the aggregation of mitochondria when co-expressed with a member of the Bcl-2 family in association with apoptosis.     

利用反式剪接核酶修复突变绿色荧光蛋白mRNA

为构建修复突变绿色荧七蛋白（GFP）基因的反式剪接核酶,分别构建包含突变的GFP基因的XYQ5／10-pGEM重组质粒、XYQ5／10—pEGFP—C2重组质粒及用于修复该突变基因的反式剪接核酶载体trans—rib—CMV2。通过对体外共转录XYQ5／10—pGEM和trans—rib—CMV2重组质粒的RNA产物进行RT—PCR检测核酶细胞外剪接效果;通过XYQ5／10-pEGFP-C2和trans—rib—CMV2重组质粒共转染HeLa细胞检测核酶细胞内的剪接效果。结果显示,XYQ5／10—pGEM、XYQ5／10-pEGFP-C2及trans—rib—CMV2重组质粒构建成功,反式剪接核酶在细胞外及细胞内都可以修复突变基因。虽然效率不高,但为今后更大规模地研究设计反式剪接核酶打下了基础。     

Expression of the green fluorescent protein gene in conifer tissues

The gene coding for the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from jellyfish was introduced into conifer tissues by microprojectile bombardment and its transient expression was detected. Two versions of the GFP gene, wild-type GFP and modified GFP with a cryptic intron removed, were directly compared for their expression in black spruce pollen. While the wild-type GFP gene resulted in a low level of expression, the modified GFP gene gave a dramatic increase in amount of expression (>100 times). The expression of GFP was detected in all the tissues tested : pollen, embryonal masses, suspension culture, and somatic embryos. Also, the GFP gene was introduced and expressed in three different conifer species (black spruce, white spruce, and white pine). The successful expression of the GFP gene in various tissues and different species suggests that it will be a useful reporter/marker gene for conifers.Abbreviations GUS -glucuronidase - NOS nopaline synthase - NPTII neomycin phosphotransferase - CaMV cauliflower mosaic virus Communicated by S. Gleddie