Rb、P53调控平滑肌细胞c-fos和c-jun基因表达

为研究外源性Rb和P53基因导入血管平滑肌细胞后对c-fos和c-jun基因表达的调控作用,将Rb基因或P53基因重组腺病毒载体转染人脐动脉血管平滑肌细胞,应用RT-PCR和免疫组化法检测c-fos、c-jun的mRNA及蛋白质表达水平,以DNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳和β-半乳糖苷酶染色分别观察细胞凋亡和细胞衰老.结果显示,野生型P53基因导入可诱导平滑肌细胞凋亡,c-fos和c-jun mRNA及蛋白质表达水平显著增高.外源性Rb基因导入能促进细胞衰老,下调c-fos基因表达,但对c-jun基因表达没有明显影响.     

拟南芥DTX31基因表达研究

以模式植物拟南芥为材料,通过PCR和RT-PCR在DNA和RNA水平上筛选鉴定了DTX31基因对应的T-DNA插入突变体,对其表型变化进行了观察.通过半定量RT-PCR分析检测了DTX31基因在拟南芥不同器官及环境胁迫响应中的表达情况,结果发现:DTX31基因在根中表达最高,而在茎、叶、叶柄、花中的表达则较弱;盐和赤霉素使DTX31基因的表达迅速升高,盐胁迫2 h后的表达量达到最高峰,GA处理1 h时就达到最高峰,热激使DTX31基因的表达变化不明显.因此,推测该基因可能是盐和GA信号传导通路中的一个重要调控因子.     

The Relationship between Gene Network Structure and Expression Variation among Individuals and Species

Variation among individuals is a prerequisite of evolution by natural selection. As such, identifying the origins of variation is a fundamental goal of biology. We investigated the link between gene interactions and variation in gene expression among individuals and species using the mammalian limb as a model system. We first built interaction networks for key genes regulating early (outgrowth; E9.5–11) and late (expansion and elongation; E11-13) limb development in mouse. This resulted in an Early (ESN) and Late (LSN) Stage Network. Computational perturbations of these networks suggest that the ESN is more robust. We then quantified levels of the same key genes among mouse individuals and found that they vary less at earlier limb stages and that variation in gene expression is heritable. Finally, we quantified variation in gene expression levels among four mammals with divergent limbs (bat, opossum, mouse and pig) and found that levels vary less among species at earlier limb stages. We also found that variation in gene expression levels among individuals and species are correlated for earlier and later limb development. In conclusion, results are consistent with the robustness of the ESN buffering among-individual variation in gene expression levels early in mammalian limb development, and constraining the evolution of early limb development among mammalian species.     

Meta-Analysis of Gene Expression Signatures Reveals Hidden Links among Diverse Biological Processes in Arabidopsis

The model plant Arabidopsis has been well-studied using high-throughput genomics technologies, which usually generate lists of differentially expressed genes under various conditions. Our group recently collected 1065 gene lists from 397 gene expression studies as a knowledgebase for pathway analysis. Here we systematically analyzed these gene lists by computing overlaps in all-vs.-all comparisons. We identified 16,261 statistically significant overlaps, represented by an undirected network in which nodes correspond to gene lists and edges indicate significant overlaps. The network highlights the correlation across the gene expression signatures of the diverse biological processes. We also partitioned the main network into 20 sub-networks, representing groups of highly similar expression signatures. These are common sets of genes that were co-regulated under different treatments or conditions and are often related to specific biological themes. Overall, our result suggests that diverse gene expression signatures are highly interconnected in a modular fashion.     

Herbicide Safener-Inducible Gene Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana

The potential use of a new chemical-inducibie gene expressionsystem in Arabidopsis thaliana has been examined. The systemis based on the maize In2-2 promoter which is activated by benzenesulfonamideherbicide safe-ners. Plants transformed with the ß-glucuronidase(gus) reporter gene under the control of the In2-2 promoterwere grown in the presence of different safeners and the inducedGUS activity pattern was studied histochemically. In the absenceof safeners, the In2-2 promoter was not active. Applicationof different safeners induced distinct gus expression patterns,including expression in the root, hy-dathodes, and the shootapical meristem. Plants maintained continuously on inducingconcentrations of the safeners were retarded in growth. Thegrowth inhibition effects of the Sa5 safener could be overcomein a sul-fonylurea-resistant background. In2-2 promoter activitycould also be induced by the sulfonylurea herbicide chlor-sulfuron.In the sulfonylurea-resistant background, which derives fromherbicide-resistant acetolactate synthase activity, inductionof the In2-2 promoter by chlorsulfuron was lower. Furthermore,branched-chain amino acids, known to inhibit acetolactate synthaseactivity, also induced In2-2 promoter activity. Our data suggesta strong correlation between In2-2 expression and inhibitionof the acetolactate synthase activity. (Received November 12, 1996; Accepted February 21, 1997)     

Rb、P53调控平滑肌细胞c-fos和c-jun基因表达

为研究外源性Rb和P₅₃基因导入血管平滑肌细胞后对c-fos和c-jun基因表达的调控作用,将Rb基因或P₅₃基因重组腺病毒载体转染人脐动脉血管平滑肌细胞,应用RT-PCR和免疫组化法检测c-fos、c-jun的mRNA及蛋白质表达水平,以DNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳和β-半乳糖苷酶染色分别观察细胞凋亡和细胞衰老.结果显示,野生型P₅₃基因导入可诱导平滑肌细胞凋亡,c-fos和c-jun mRNA及蛋白质表达水平显著增高.外源性Rb基因导入能促进细胞衰老,下调c-fos基因表达,但对c-jun基因表达没有明显影响.     

拟南芥CIPK1基因的功能初步分析

以模式植物拟南芥为材料,采用RT-PCR分析、基因克隆、转化等方法对CIPK1基因功能进行了研究.结果发现,CIPK1(CBL-interacting protein kinase 1)基因在拟南芥茎和花中表达量最高,在叶中表达量最低;ABA能迅速诱导CIPK1基因的表达,GA则抑制该基因的表达,但2,4-D和6-BA对该基因的表达无明显影响;通过对CIPK1基因转基因突变体进行ABA处理,发现转基因拟南芥种子的萌发率明显高于野生型.以上结果表明CIPK1基因的表达具有组织特异性,并且该基因参与ABA和GA信号传导,尤其在ABA促进种子休眠的信号传导途径中具有非常重要的作用.     

Regulation of Gene Expression in Higher Plants

The study on regulation of gene expression in higher plants has attracted attention of many scientists and is also one of the major scientific research areas in modern biological studies. With advancement of the technology of genetic engineering, more and more details of gene regulation are revealed and it has been found that regulatory zones of most genes are located at the 5' upstream promoter regions. Now,the study on regulation of gene expression is mainly focused on light regulated genes, tissue specific genes, environmental stress induced genes, bormone-induced genes and so on. This article gives a more or less comprehensive review on the several aspects mentioned above.