农杆菌介导的单子叶植物早熟禾的转化

利用种子和胚分别在两种培养基K3和K5诱导产生了早熟禾(Poa pratensis L.)一个品种Mado的胚性愈伤组织.K3培养基含有10.0μmol/L的二氯苯氧乙酸(2,4-D)、0.5μmol/L的苄氨基嘌呤(BAP).K5培养基是K3另加0.5μmol/L的硫酸铜.光照条件为20～30 μmol.m-2.s、16 h光照、8 h黑暗.温度保持在24℃.用携有bar基因和gus基因的pDM805质粒转化的农杆菌AGL1对胚性愈伤组织进行转化.共得到4个转基因株系.影响转基因效率的主要因素有愈伤组织的胚性、光照条件、共转化时间、抗生素浓度、选择压力.本研究建立了单子叶早熟禾农杆菌介导的转基因方案.     

Retigeric acid B exhibits antitumor activity through suppression of nuclear factor-κB signaling in prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Previously, we reported that retigeric acid B (RB), a natural pentacyclic triterpenic acid isolated from lichen, inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in androgen-independent prostate cancer (PCa) cells. However, the mechanism of action of RB remains unclear. In this study, we found that using PC3 and DU145 cells as models, RB inhibited phosphorylation levels of IκBα and p65 subunit of NF-κB in a time- and dosage-dependent manner. Detailed study revealed that RB blocked the nuclear translocation of p65 and its DNA binding activity, which correlated with suppression of NF-κB-regulated proteins including Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), cyclin D1 and survivin. NF-κB reporter assay suggested that RB was able to inhibit both constitutive activated-NF-κB and LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced activation of NF-κB. Overexpression of RelA/p65 rescued RB-induced cell death, while knockdown of RelA/p65 significantly promoted RB-mediated inhibitory effect on cell proliferation, suggesting the crucial involvement of NF-κB pathway in this event. We further analyzed antitumor activity of RB in in vivo study. In C57BL/6 mice carrying RM-1 homografts, RB inhibited tumor growth and triggered apoptosis mainly through suppressing NF-κB activity in tumor tissues. Additionally, DNA microarray data revealed global changes in the gene expression associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis in response to RB treatment. Therefore, our findings suggested that RB exerted its anti-tumor effect by targeting the NF-κB pathway in PCa cells, and this could be a general mechanism for the anti-tumor effect of RB in other types of cancers as well.     

Purification and characterization of a novel chlorpyrifos hydrolase from Cladosporium cladosporioides Hu-01

Chlorpyrifos is of great environmental concern due to its widespread use in the past several decades and its potential toxic effects on human health. Thus, the degradation study of chlorpyrifos has become increasing important in recent years. A fungus capable of using chlorpyrifos as the sole carbon source was isolated from organophosphate-contaminated soil and characterized as Cladosporium cladosporioides Hu-01 (collection number: CCTCC M 20711). A novel chlorpyrifos hydrolase from cell extract was purified 35.6-fold to apparent homogeneity with 38.5% overall recovery by ammoniumsulfate precipitation, gel filtration chromatography and anion-exchange chromatography. It is a monomeric structure with a molecular mass of 38.3 kDa. The pI value was estimated to be 5.2. The optimal pH and temperature of the purified enzyme were 6.5 and 40°C, respectively. No cofactors were required for the chlorpyrifos-hydrolysis activity. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by Hg2?, Fe3?, DTT, β-mercaptoethanol and SDS, whereas slight inhibitory effects (5-10% inhibition) were observed in the presence of Mn2?, Zn2?, Cu2?, Mg2?, and EDTA. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed various organophosphorus insecticides with P-O and P-S bond. Chlorpyrifos was the preferred substrate. The Km and Vmax values of the enzyme for chlorpyrifos were 6.7974 μM and 2.6473 μmol·min?1, respectively. Both NH2-terminal sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF-MS) identified an amino acid sequence MEPDGELSALTQGANS, which shared no similarity with any reported organophosphate-hydrolyzing enzymes. These results suggested that the purified enzyme was a novel hydrolase and might conceivably be developed to fulfill the practical requirements to enable its use in situ for detoxification of chlorpyrifos. Finally, this is the first described chlorpyrifos hydrolase from fungus.     

双效表达载体的构建及其U6启动子的功能效率鉴定

利用pBudcE4.1双表达载体构建shRNA与蛋白共表达载体,为双效疫苗的研制提供新的研究思路.以含U6启动子的载体为模板,PCR扩增得到U6启动子,用其置换载体pBudcE4.1内的CMV启动子的核心部分构建shRNA与蛋白共表达载体.用干扰绿色荧光蛋白表达的方法鉴定重组载体中的U6启动子能否启动shRNA的表达.经PCR扩增、双酶切鉴定及DNA测序证明成功构建了载体pBudcE4.1-U6.用干扰载体pBudcE4.1-U6-eGFPshRNA与含eGFP的载体共转染293T细胞后,荧光显微镜观察显示eGFP的表达量下降;流式细胞仪检测细胞的转染效率降低.研究结果证明U6启动子正常发挥作用. 成功构建RNAi与蛋白共表达载体,为利用该载体研制动物双效疫苗奠定了基础.     

STEME系统:一种助力体内定向进化的新工具

通过定向进化(directed evolution)可以快速进行蛋白工程改良及重要基因功能研究,以获得新型农艺性状突变体。近期,中国科学院遗传与发育生物学研究所高彩霞团队和李家洋团队合作构建了新型的饱和靶向内源诱变编辑器(saturated targeted endogenous mutagenesis editors, STEMEs),并在植物中实现了基因的定向进化和功能筛选。该系统融合了现有的2种单碱基编辑技术,成功实现在植物体内同时诱导C:G>T:A、A:T>G:C双碱基编辑,通过靶向OsACC羧基转移酶结构域编码序列定向进化出水稻除草剂抗性植株。这种在体内进行基因定向进化的新方法,对于今后农作物重要农艺性状的筛选和功能基因研究具有重要作用。本文对STEME系统的组成、编辑效率和应用原理进行介绍,并与已有的定向进化方法进行比较,为加速作物种质资源创新研究提供参考。     

Arrhythmia and sudden death associated with elevated cardiac chloride channel activity

The identification and analysis of several cationic ion channels and their associated genes have greatly improved our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmia. Our objective in this study was to examine the involvement of anionic ion channels in cardiac arrhythmia. We used a transgenic mouse model to overexpress the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes a cAMP-regulated chloride channel. We used RNase protection and in situ hybridization assays to determine the level of CFTR expression, and radiotelemetry and in vivo electrophysiological study in combination with pharmacological intervention to analyse the cardiac function. Cardiac CFTR overexpression leads to stress-related sudden death in this model. In vivo intracardiac electrophysiological studies performed in anaesthetized mice showed no significant differences in baseline conduction parameters including atrial-His bundle (AH) or His bundle-ventricular (HV) conduction intervals, atrioventricular (AV) Wenckebach or 2:1 AV block cycle length and AV nodal functional refractory period. However, following isoproterenol administration, there was marked slowing of conduction parameters, including high-grade AV block in transgenic mice, with non-sustained ventricular tachycardia easily inducible using programmed stimulation or burst pacing. Our sudden death mouse model can be a valuable tool for investigation of the role of chloride channels in arrhythmogenesis and, potentially, for future evaluation of novel anti-arrhythmic therapeutic strategies and pharmacological agents.     

Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2)-prostanoid pathway and liver diseases

Cycloocygenases 2 (COX2)-prostanoid pathway plays important and complex roles in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases. Most studies indicated that COX2-prostanoid pathway might suppress hepatic fibrogenesis by decreasing proliferation, migration, and contractility of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In animal model, COX2-prostanoid pathway increases portal hypertension, which can be reduced by treatment with COX2 inhibitor. In cirrhosis, COX2-prostanoid pathway may reduce formation of ascites by enhancing free water excretion, and protect gastric mucosa from ulcerative insults. Aberrant expression of COX2 has been well associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. COX2 inhibitors can effectively suppress proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. This provided rationale for further testing COX2 inhibitors as clinical agents for HCC chemoprovention. Further studies will be needed to examine how COX2 inhibitors affect pathogenesis of various liver diseases.