GAS41蛋白的表达、抗体制备及其亚细胞定位

GAS41是新发现的与神经胶质瘤密切相关的基因。为了对该基因进行深入的功能研究,成功地将GAS41基因构建于原核表达载体pQE—N3,转化BL21（DE3）获得融合表达产物。对含融合蛋白的包含体进行溶解和复性,通过免疫新西兰大白兔获得兔抗GAS41多克隆抗体。采用Western印迹技术,用该抗体检测GAS41基因的原核和真核表达产物,证明该抗体有较好的针对GAS41蛋白的专一性,可用于对GAS41的结构和功能研究。同时,用该抗体通过荧光免疫细胞进行定位分析发现,GAS41蛋白均匀分布于COS7细胞的细胞核中,提示GAS41可能是一个重要的转录因子。     

Towards an in vitro model of cystic fibrosis small airway epithelium: characterisation of the human bronchial epithelial cell line CFBE41o-

The CFBE41o- cell line was generated by transformation of cystic fibrosis (CF) tracheo-bronchial cells with SV40 and has been reported to be homozygous for the DeltaF508 mutation. A systematic characterisation of these cells, which however, is a pre-requisite for their use as an in vitro model, has not been undertaken so far. Here, we report an assessment of optimal culture conditions, the expression pattern of drug-transport-related proteins and the stability/presence of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutation in the gene and gene product over multiple passages. The CFBE41o- cell line was also compared with a wild-type airway epithelial cell line, 16HBE14o-, which served as model for bronchial epithelial cells in situ. The CFBE41o- cell line retains at least some aspects of human CF bronchial epithelial cells, such as the ability to form electrically tight cell layers with functional cell-cell contacts, when grown under immersed (but not air-interfaced) culture conditions. The cell line is homozygous for DeltaF508-CFTR over multiple passages in culture and expresses a number of proteins relevant for pulmonary drug absorption (e.g. P-gp, LRP and caveolin-1). Hence, the CFBE41o- cell line should be useful for studies of CF gene transfer or alternative treatment with small drug molecules and for the gathering of further information about the disease at the cellular level, without the need for primary culture.     

The chromatin structure of the lysozyme GAS41 origin of DNA replication changes during the cell cycle

We used a rapid and simple protocol using lysolecithin for mapping HS sites in vivo. The protocol is based on partial digestion with DNase I of exponentially growing cells following permeabilization by short treatment with lysolecithin. Using this protocol, we analyzed the chromatin structure of the region surrounding two overlapping elements, an origin of bidirectional DNA replication and the GAS41 promoter, in chicken myelomonocytic HD11 cells arrested in G0, G1 and S phases as well as at the G1/S border. The results show that the chromatin of this region became more nuclease sensitive when cells were arrested in G1 phase and that this change in chromatin structure was reversible after the cells began to enter S phase.     

Growth-Regulatory Activity of the Growth Arrest-Specific Gene, GAS1, in NIH3T3 Fibroblasts

The growth arrest-specific gene, Gas-1, is preferentially expressed in quiescent NIH3T3 cells and inhibits DNA synthesis, suggesting that Gas-1 may be a tumor suppressor gene. When GAS1 cDNA, under the control of the strong constitutive CMV promoter, was transfected into NIH3T3 cells, no stable transfectant cell lines were produced, confirming that high levels of expression of GAS1 mRNA inhibit proliferation. GAS1, under the control of a dexamethasone-inducible promoter, was also transfected into NIH3T3 cells, resulting in normal numbers of transfectant clones. When expression of GAS1 mRNA was induced with dexamethasone, the growth rate was greatly inhibited. Morphological changes characteristic of growth arrest were also observed. To determine if antisense inhibition of expression of Gas-1 will transform normal fibroblasts, GAS1 cDNA, cloned in the antisense orientation, was transfected into NIH3T3 cells and expression of endogenous Gas-1 mRNA was inhibited. The GAS1-antisense cells had altered morphology and grew to a much higher saturation density than control cell lines with a loss of contact inhibition. However, there was no change in requirements for serum or any development of anchorage-independence. Antisense inhibition of expression of GAS1 is therefore insufficient to transform the cells, suggesting that additional genetic events are required for a fully malignant phenotype.     

Production of homozygous mutant ES cells with a single targeting construct.

We have developed a simple method for producing embryonic stem (ES) cell lines whereby both alleles have been inactivated by homologous recombination and which requires a single targeting construct. Four different ES cell lines were created that were heterozygous for genes encoding two guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunits, alpha i2 and alpha i3, T-cell receptor alpha, and beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain. When these heterozygous cells were grown in high concentrations of G418, many of the surviving cells were homozygous for the targeted allele and contained two copies of the G418 resistance gene. This scheme provides an easy method for obtaining homozygous mutationally altered cells, i.e., double knockouts, and should be generally applicable to other genes and to cell lines other than ES cells. This method should also enable the production of cell lines in which more than one gene have had both alleles disrupted. These mutant cells should provide useful tools for defining the role of particular genes in cell culture.