An amdS-lacZ fusion for studying gene regulation in Aspergillus

A translational fusion has been constructed between the amdS gene of Aspergillus nidulans and the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli. Sequencing across the fusion junction confirmed the generation of an in-frame fusion at amino acid 34 of amdS and a novel protein has been detected in transformants carrying the fusion plasmid. Transformants of A. nidulans and Aspergillus niger carrying the fusion plasmid were obtained by co-transformation with a second selectable plasmid. These transformants were readily identified on media containing XGal. The intensity of the reaction on XGal media was indicative of the number of copies of the fusion plasmid carried by the transformants. The growth of highly expressing strains of A. nidulans was inhibited on XGal media. The fusion plasmid was used to develop a two-step gene replacement strategy in which the resident amdS gene was replaced with the fusion gene free of vector sequences. Plate tests and in vitro assays of the beta-galactosidase enzyme confirmed that expression of the fusion gene was regulated by amdS flanking sequences and trans-acting regulatory genes.     

表达双功能融合蛋白（sCAR-EGF）腺病毒载体的构建及其活性检测

为了提高腺病毒载体用于基因治疗的靶向性,采用PCR和体外连接的方法构建了柯萨奇病毒-腺病毒受体(Coxsackievirus-AdenovirusReceptor)胞外段sCAR和表皮生长因子(Epidermalgrowthfactor)EGF融合基因,然后将此融合基因插入穿梭质粒pDC315。利用Ad-MAX腺病毒系统,将重组质粒pDC315-sCAR-EGF与腺病毒骨架质粒pBHGloxΔE13cre共同转染AD-293细胞,成功包装出一种复制缺陷型腺病毒Ad5-CMV-sCAR-EGF。经PCR鉴定该病毒含有sCAR-EGF融合基因片段,Westernblotting证实该病毒能表达sCAR-EGF融合蛋白。体外试验证实该病毒感染细胞所产生的融合蛋白能够引导携带报告基因的腺病毒Ad5-CMV-luc高水平感染肿瘤细胞,为高水平表达EGFR的肿瘤的靶向性基因治疗提供了新的手段。     

The upstream region of the IPNS gene determines expression during secondary metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans

We have constructed a translational fusion between the isopenicillin-N-synthetase-encoding gene (IPNS) of Aspergillus nidulans and the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli. Recombinant strains carrying a single copy of the fusion integrated at the IPNS locus produced beta-galactosidase (beta Gal) during secondary metabolism. Integration of the fusion at the argB locus results in a situation in which the only 5'-flanking sequences of the IPNS gene upstream from the chimeric fused gene are those included in the transforming plasmid. Such a strain still expresses beta Gal activity during secondary metabolism, showing that a DNA fragment including sequences of the IPNS gene from nt -2000 to +35 (relative to the translation start codon) still contains sufficient information to drive expression of the fusion gene during secondary metabolism.     

Expression of a multidrug resistance-adenosine deaminase fusion gene

A novel fusion gene has been created in which the expression of a dominant selectable marker, the human multidrug resistance gene, is directly linked to the expression of human adenosine deaminase cDNA. The chimeric gene was inserted between the long terminal repeats of a Harvey murine sarcoma virus expression vector and used to transfect drug-sensitive human KB carcinoma cells. Transfectants were selected in increasing concentrations of colchicine and found to contain multiple copies of the intact fusion gene, which is stably and efficiently expressed. A membrane-associated 210-kDa human P-glycoprotein-adenosine deaminase fusion protein is synthesized which retains function of the multidrug transporter and also exhibits adenosine deaminase activity. The data indicate that the human multidrug resistance gene may be used as a dominant selectable marker to introduce other genes in the form of gene fusions into cultured cells.     

Complementation between avirulent Newcastle disease virus and a fusion protein gene expressed from a retrovirus vector: requirements for membrane fusion.

The cDNA derived from the fusion gene of the virulent AV strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was expressed in chicken embryo cells by using a retrovirus vector. The fusion protein expressed in this system was transported to the cell surface and was efficiently cleaved into the disulfide-linked F1-F2 form found in infectious virions. The cells expressing the fusion gene grew normally and could be passaged many times. Monolayers of these cells would plaque, in the absence of trypsin, avirulent NDV strains (strains which encode a fusion protein which is not cleaved in tissue culture). Fusion protein-expressing cells would not fuse if mixed with uninfected cells or uninfected cells expressing the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein. However, the fusion protein-expressing cells, if infected with avirulent strains of NDV, would fuse with uninfected cells, suggesting that fusion requires both the fusion protein and another viral protein expressed in the same cell. Fusion was also seen after transfection of the HN protein gene into fusion protein-expressing cells. Thus, the expressed fusion protein gene is capable of complementing the virus infection, providing an active cleaved fusion protein required for the spread of infection. However, the fusion protein does not mediate cell fusion unless the cell also expresses the HN protein. Fusion protein-expressing cells would not plaque influenza virus in the absence of trypsin, nor would influenza virus-infected fusion protein-expressing cells fuse with uninfected cells. Thus, the influenza virus HA protein will not substitute for the NDV HN protein in cell-to-cell fusion.     

RNA-driven JAZF1-SUZ12 gene fusion in human endometrial stromal cells

Oncogenic fusion genes as the result of chromosomal rearrangements are important for understanding genome instability in cancer cells and developing useful cancer therapies. To date, the mechanisms that create such oncogenic fusion genes are poorly understood. Previously we reported an unappreciated RNA-driven mechanism in human prostate cells in which the expression of chimeric RNA induces specified gene fusions in a sequence-dependent manner. One fundamental question yet to be addressed is whether such RNA-driven gene fusion mechanism is generalizable, or rather, a special case restricted to prostate cells. In this report, we demonstrated that the expression of designed chimeric RNAs in human endometrial stromal cells leads to the formation of JAZF1-SUZ12, a cancer fusion gene commonly found in low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas. The process is specified by the sequence of chimeric RNA involved and inhibited by estrogen or progesterone. Furthermore, it is the antisense rather than sense chimeric RNAs that effectively drive JAZF1-SUZ12 gene fusion. The induced fusion gene is validated both at the RNA and the genomic DNA level. The ability of designed chimeric RNAs to drive and recapitulate the formation of JAZF1-SUZ12 gene fusion in endometrial cells represents another independent case of RNA-driven gene fusion, suggesting that RNA-driven genomic recombination is a permissible mechanism in mammalian cells. The results could have fundamental implications in the role of RNA in genome stability, and provide important insight in early disease mechanisms related to the formation of cancer fusion genes.     

Immobilization and purification of enzymes with staphylococcal protein A gene fusion vectors.

Two improved plasmid vectors, containing the gene coding for staphylococcal protein A and adapted for gene fusions, have been constructed. These vectors allow fusion of any gene to the protein A moiety, giving fusion proteins which can be purified, in a one-step procedure by IgG affinity chromatography. One vector, pRIT2, is designed for temperature-inducible expression of intracellular fusion proteins in Escherichia coli and the other pRIT5, is a shuttle vector designed for secretion. The latter gives a periplasmatic fusion protein in E. coli and an extracellular protein in Gram-positive hosts such as Staphylococcus aureus. The usefulness of these vectors is exemplified by fusion of the protein A gene and the E. coli genes encoding the enzymes beta-galactosidase and alkaline phosphatase. High amounts of intact fusion protein are produced which can be immobilized on IgG-Sepharose in high yield (95-100%) without loss of enzymatic activity. Efficient secretion in both E. coli and S. aureus, was obtained for the alkaline phosphatase hybrid, in contrast to beta-galactosidase which was only expressed efficiently using the intracellular system. More than 80% of the protein A alkaline-phosphatase hybrid protein can be eluted from IgG affinity columns without loss of enzymatic activity.     

Measurement of gene expression by translational coupling: effect of copy mutations on pT181 initiator synthesis.

We have prepared and analyzed two types of gene fusion between the replication initiator gene, repC, and the reporter gene, blaZ, in order to investigate the relationship between pT181 plasmid copy number and RepC initiator protein production. A series of pT181 copy mutant plasmids, with copy numbers ranging from 70 to 800 copies per cell, were analyzed. In one type of gene fusion used in this study, blaZ was translationally coupled to the C-terminal end of the repC coding sequence such that native forms of both proteins were produced. This gene fusion arrangement, which permitted monitoring of RepC production (as BlaZ activity) by plasmids using the protein for their own replication, demonstrated a linear relationship, with one exception, between RepC production and plasmid copy number over a 20-fold range. In the second type of fusion, blaZ was translationally fused to the C-terminal end of repC. As the translational fusion did not produce active RepC protein, the fusion-containing pT181 derivatives were maintained in a strain which provided RepC in trans, and were thus analyzed at constant copy number. In contrast to previous analyses of this type, our translational fusion constructs expressed repC at levels proportional to the copy numbers of the plasmids from which the fusions were prepared. Using these data, we have calculated a minimum figure for the number of RepC molecules synthesized per replication event.     

hVEGF165 和嵌合水蛭肽融合基因的构建、表达和活性检测

根据抗 PTCA 或支架后再狭窄的基因治疗需要多基因治疗的特点,用基因重组技术构建了 hVEGF165 和嵌合水蛭肽 (fused hirudin , FH) 融合基因,并克隆到真核表达载体 pcDNA3.0 中,通过脂质体介导将 pcDNA3.0/hVEGF165 - FH 转染到人内皮细胞株 (ECV304) 中, RT-PCR 及蛋白质印迹证明融合基因 hVEGF165 - FH 在 ECV304 细胞中得到表达 ( 分子质量为 24 ku 左右 ). 通过体外活性检测——— MTT 法检测 hVEGF165 - FH 对 ECV304 细胞增殖的影响,通过体外血管生成分析 hVEGF165 - FH 对内皮细胞株 ECV304 增殖的影响 . 通过体外抗栓活性检测,表明表达产物具有促进内皮细胞株增殖及加快血管生成的作用,同时显著抑制了 ADP 诱导的血小板聚集率 (P < 0.05) 并显著延长 APTT 和 TT (P < 0.05) . 实验结果表明,融合基因在内皮细胞株中得到表达,表达的融合蛋白具有 hVEGF165 和嵌合水蛭肽 (FH) 的双重活性,这为以后的融合基因治疗再狭窄的动物实验打下了良好基础 .     

前列腺癌中TMPRSS2-ETS基因融合及机制研究进展

超过50%的前列腺癌中存在跨膜丝氨酸蛋白酶2(TMPRSS2)和E26(ETS)转录因子间的基因融合,其中TMPRSS2-ERG最为常见。TMPRSS2-ERG基因融合造成的ERG过表达参与了前列腺的癌变。雄激素受体结合和遗传毒性胁迫共同诱导了染色体的靠近和TMPRSS2-ETS的基因融合。TMPRSS2-ERG基因融合可作为前列腺癌诊断的一种生物标志物,并可通过病人尿液检测来实现。文章对TMPRSS2-ETS基因融合的特征、融合及致癌及临床应用进行了综述。     

化学切割重组融合蛋白制备人胸腺肽β_4

目的：在大肠杆菌中表达人胸腺肽β4（Tβ4）的融合蛋白,通过CDAP介导的化学切割将融合部分切除,获得人Tβ4。方法：分别以质粒pET-Tβ4和pET-L12为模板,扩增Tβ4和核糖体亚基蛋白L12的基因片段,再以这2段基因为模板进行重叠PCR,并在连接处引入一个半胱氨酸（Cys）密码子,将得到的融合蛋白Tβ4-Cys-L12基因片段与pET-22b载体连接,构建表达质粒,将其与N-末端乙酰转移酶质粒共转化至大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）并共表达,获得N端乙酰化修饰的融合蛋白Tβ4-Cys-L12;利用CDAP氰基化Cys的巯基,于pH10.0条件下在Cys残基N端完成切割,分离纯化获得Tβ4。结果：质谱分析目的产物相对分子质量为4962.70,与天然Tβ4一致,表明获得了Tβ4。结论：CDAP介导的化学法可以有效切割融合蛋白获得Tβ4,建立了一套Tβ4的生物制备方法。     

利用融合蛋白EDDIE在大肠杆菌中高效表达抗菌肽Cecropin AD

本研究采用猪瘟病毒(Classical swine fever virus,CSFV)定点突变外壳蛋白(EDDIE)为融合蛋白,对抗菌肽Cecropin AD(CAD)基因进行了高效融合表达,获得了有抗菌活性的抗菌肽CAD。首先采用重叠PCR基因合成技术将编码抗菌肽的CAD基因与猪瘟病毒定点突变外壳蛋白EDDIE编码基因合成为e-cad融合基因,接着将融合基因e-cad采用定点同源重组的方法连接到载体pET30a上,构建成pETED表达载体,然后转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)表达,表达的融合蛋白在大肠杆菌中主要以包涵体形式存在,表达量占菌体总蛋白的40%以上。蛋白质在体外复性,融合蛋白中EDDIE自我剪切,产生抗菌肽CAD。抑菌试验表明抗菌肽CAD能有效地抑制大肠杆菌和藤黄八叠球菌的生长,并且对酵母菌的生长也有微弱地抑制作用。以EDDIE为融合蛋白是在大肠杆菌中高效表达抗菌肽的一种好方法。     

Unique fusion of bcr and c-abl genes in Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, the product of t(9:22), is the cytogenetic hallmark of chronic myelogenous leukemia. The c-abl oncogene on chromosome 9 is translocated to the Ph chromosome and linked to a breakpoint cluster region (bcr), which is part of a large bcr gene. This results in the formation of a bcr-c-abl fusion gene, which is transcribed into an 8.5 kb chimeric mRNA encoding a 210 kd bcr-c-abl fusion protein. The Ph chromosome is also found in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). Although the c-abl is translocated and a new 190 kd c-abl protein has been identified, no breakpoints are observed in the bcr (Ph+bcr- ALL). Here we show that in Ph+bcr- ALL, breakpoints in chromosome 22 occur within the same bcr gene, but more 5' of the bcr. Cloning of a chimeric bcr-c-abl cDNA demonstrates that the fusion gene is transcribed into a 7 kb mRNA, encoding a novel fusion protein.     

A bifunctional exoglucanase-endoglucanase fusion protein

A fusion was constructed between the cex gene of Cellulomonas fimi, which encodes an exoglucanase, and the cenA gene of the same organism, which encodes an endoglucanase. The cex-cenA fusion was expressed in Escherichia coli to give a fusion protein with both exoglucanase and endoglucanase activities. The fusion protein, unlike the cex and the cenA gene products from E. coli, did not bind to microcrystalline cellulose, presumably because it lacked an intact substrate-binding region. The fusion protein was exported to the periplasm in E. coli.     

转基因小鼠中外源基因部分内含子序列的缺失及其对转录的影响

利用PCR扩增及PCR测序在显微注射法产生的转基因小鼠中发现,整合在小鼠染色体上的肌球蛋白轻链2启动子(myosinlightchain2promoter,MLC2)-糜酶(chymase)外源融合基因存在两种形式,一种为全长的融合基因,另一种在糜酶结构基因的第一内含子中缺失了213bp的序列。RT-PCR结果表明,缺失了部分内含子序列的外源融合基因不能在转基因小鼠心脏中表达.而全长的外源融合基因则能较高水平地表达,竞争性PCR定量实验表明在200ng心脏总RNA反转录产物中约含5.05(±1.38)×106个糜酶cDNA分子。上述结果表明,糜酶结构基因的第一内含子可能对MLC2-糜酶基因的表达具有调控作用。     

PCR一步法构建融合蛋白基因fpg

采用一种不需要限制核酸酶和连接酶的新方法——“PCR一步法”将芳香烃化合物降解的关键基因pheB和绿色荧光蛋白编码基因gfp融合,构建得到融合蛋白基因fpg。该方法在一个PCR反应体系中通过三个引物、两个模板扩增得到一个含有中间柔性肽段-Gly4Ser-的融合基因fpg。本文研究结果表明,PCR一步法是一种快速方便的构建融合基因的方法。Abstract: TP-PCR,a method developed for fusion gene construction without the use of endonuclease and ligase, was performed to construct a fused fpg gene. The TP-PCR reaction system contained three primers and two templates and resulting PCR product, fused fpg gene, consisted of three sections: pheB gene, which was responsible for catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, gfp gene for GFP protein and the intermediate ligation segment which was designed for the correct expression of the fusion gene. The result in this paper showed that the TP-PCR method is one of rapid and convenient methods for fused gene construction.     

利用苏云金芽胞杆菌细胞表面展示系统表达禽流感病毒NP蛋白

首次利用苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,Bt)S-层蛋白CTC表面展示系统研究在Bt细胞表面展示禽流感病毒NP蛋白的可行性和最佳方案,为研制能常温长期保藏和运输的禽用口服疫苗奠定基础。用全长np基因或部分np基因(npp)代替S-层蛋白ctc基因的3′-端或中部,构建了4个重组质粒pSNP(含ctc-np)、pCSA-SNP(csa-ctc-np)、pCTC-NPP(ctc-npp)和pCSNPP(csa-ctc-npp)。将重组质粒分别电转化入Bt受体菌株BMB171中,获得了5个重组菌株BN、BCN、C-S、BCCN和CN。用5个重组菌株的营养细胞做玻片凝集试验,结果显示5个重组菌株均成功地在细胞表面展示了NP蛋白。用5个重组菌株的营养细胞免疫小鼠,ELISA测定血清抗体效价,结果显示5个重组菌株均具有免疫原性,其中重组菌株CN的免疫原性最高,其含融合基因csa-ctc-npp,证明该种融合基因的构建方式最佳。这为利用S-层蛋白CTC表面展示系统构建展示其它禽类病原体抗原的重组菌株以研制禽用热稳定性口服疫苗奠定了基础。     

The negative regulator of β-lactamase induction AmpD is a N-acetyl-anhydromuramyl-L-alanine amidase

Abstract Construction of a malE-ampD gene fusion allowed purification of biologically active fusion protein by affinity chromatography. The cloned malE-ampD gene fusion complemented a chromosomal ampD mutation. Purified MalE-AmpD fusion protein was found to have murein amidase activity with a pronounced specificity for 1,6-anhydromuropeptides, the characteristic murein turnover products in Escherichia coli . Being a N-acetyl-anhydromuramyl-L-alanine amidase AmpD is likely to be involved in recycling of the turnover products. It is suggested that the negative regulatory effect of AmpD is due to the hydrolysis of anhydro-muropeptides which may function as signals for β-lactamase induction.