High-Efficiency Targeted Editing of Large Viral Genomes by RNA-Guided Nucleases

A facile and efficient method for the precise editing of large viral genomes is required for the selection of attenuated vaccine strains and the construction of gene therapy vectors. The type II prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas)) RNA-guided nuclease system can be introduced into host cells during viral replication. The CRISPR-Cas9 system robustly stimulates targeted double-stranded breaks in the genomes of DNA viruses, where the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR) pathways can be exploited to introduce site-specific indels or insert heterologous genes with high frequency. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas9 can specifically inhibit the replication of the original virus, thereby significantly increasing the abundance of the recombinant virus among progeny virus. As a result, purified recombinant virus can be obtained with only a single round of selection. In this study, we used recombinant adenovirus and type I herpes simplex virus as examples to demonstrate that the CRISPR-Cas9 system is a valuable tool for editing the genomes of large DNA viruses.     

Phylogeography of Pinus armandii and Its Relatives: Heterogeneous Contributions of Geography and Climate Changes to the Genetic Differentiation and Diversification of Chinese White Pines

Geographic barriers and Quaternary climate changes are two major forces driving the evolution, speciation, and genetic structuring of extant organisms. In this study, we used Pinus armandii and eleven other Asian white pines (subsection Strobus, subgenus Pinus) to explore the influences of geographic factors and Pleistocene climatic oscillations on species in South China, a region known to be centers of plant endemism and biodiversity hotspots. Range-wide patterns of genetic variation were investigated using chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA markers, with extensive sampling throughout the entire range of P. armandii. Both cpDNA and mtDNA revealed that P. armandii exhibits high levels of genetic diversity and significant population differentiation. Three geographically distinct subdivisions corresponding to the Qinling-Daba Mountains (QDM), Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains (HHM) and Yungui Plateau (YGP) were revealed in mainland China by cpDNA. Their break zone was located in the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). A series of massive mountains, induced by the QTP uplift, imposed significant geographic barriers to genetic exchange. The disjunct distribution patterns of ancestral haplotypes suggest that a large continuous population of the white pines may have existed from southwest to subtropical China. Repeated range shifts in response to the Pleistocene glaciations led to the isolation and diversification of the subtropical species. The two Taiwanese white pines share a common ancestor with the species in mainland China and obtain their chloroplasts via long-distance pollen dispersal from North Asian pines. Distinct genetic patterns were detected in populations from the Qinling-Daba Mountains, Yungui Plateau, Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains, and subtropical China, indicating significant contributions of geographic factors to the genetic differentiation in white pines. Our study depicts a clear picture of the evolutionary history of Chinese white pines and highlights the heterogeneous contributions of geography and Pleistocene climatic fluctuations to the extremely high plant species diversity and endemism in South China.     

Herpes simplex virus 1 infection alters the mRNA translation processing in L-02 cells

HSV-1 infection-mediated regulation of mRNA translation in host cells is a systematic and complicated process. Investigation of the details of this mechanism will facilitate understanding of biological variations in the viral replication process and host cells. In this study, a comparative proteomics technology platform was applied by two-dimension electrophoresis of HSV-1 infected normal human L-02 cell and control cell lysates. The observed protein spots were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by the PDQuest software package. A number of the different observed protein spots closely associated with cellular protein synthesis were identified by matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The expression levels of the RPLP1 protein, which is required for mRNA translation, and KHSRP protein, which is involved in rapid decay of mRNA, were up-regulated, whereas the expression level of RNP H2, which is involved in positive regulation on the mRNA splicing process, was down-regulated. All of these results suggest that HSV-1 infection can influence cellular protein synthesis via modulation of cellular regulatory proteins involved in RNA splicing, translation and decay, resulting in optimisation of viral protein synthesis when cellular protein synthesis is shut off. Although there is need for further investigations regarding the detailed mechanisms of cellular protein control, our studies provide new insight into the targeting of varied virus signaling pathways involved in host cellular protein synthesis.     

水稻对褐飞虱抗性相关蛋白的双向电泳分析

以药用野生稻(Oryza officinalis)的转育后代B5(高抗褐飞虱(Nilaparvata lugens Stl))与感虫品种明恢63 (Oryza sativa L.)为亲本,构建了一个重组自交系群体.通过抗褐飞虱鉴定,筛选出极端抗虫株系和极端感虫株系,运用分群分析法(bulked segregant analysis,BSA)分别建成了极端抗虫集团(resistant bulk)和极端感虫集团(susceptible bulk)的蛋白质池.利用双向电泳技术,分别分析了极端抗虫集团和极端感虫集团受虫害与未受虫害的秧苗蛋白质的变化.结果发现,虫害48 h后,感虫集团的一个分子量为40 kD的蛋白质P40 (pI=6.3)的表达明显减弱甚至消失,而在抗虫集团中,P40的表达未受影响.与褐飞虱为害后抗虫株系和感虫株系不同的生理反应相联系,推测P40与水稻受褐飞虱虫害后引起的应答反应相关.     

蛋白质代谢、折叠、运输、定位、装配相关基因在大鼠肝再生中表达变化

为在基因转录水平了解蛋白质代谢、折叠、运输、定位、装配相关基因在大鼠肝再生中表达情况和作用,本文用搜集网站资料和查阅相关论文等方法获得上述基因,用Rat Genome 2302.0芯片检测它们在大鼠再生肝中表达情况,用真、假手术比较方法确定肝再生相关基因。初步证实上述基因中1147个基因与肝再生相关。其中,参与蛋白质代谢、折叠、运输、定位和装配的基因以上调表达为主;参与蛋白质代谢的基因主要在部分肝切除（partial hepatectomy,PH）后0.5-1h和16-30h起始表达;0.5-12h表达的促进蛋白降解基因数多于促进蛋白积累基因数,而16-48h表达的促进蛋白质积累基因数显著多于促进蛋白质降解基因数;蛋白质合成相关基因在肝再生的16、24、42和66h表达上调较多,在42h最多;几乎在整个肝再生中蛋白质降解相关基因表达上调,在早、前期较多,在后期较少;蛋白质折叠相关基因在2、16-24、42、66、72和168h表达上调较多,在66h最多;蛋白质运输和定位相关基因在整个肝再生中表达上调,在66h表达上调最多;蛋白质装配相关基因在96h前均表达上调,其中,12h表达上调基因最多。根据上述结果推测,在肝再生中期蛋白质合成旺盛,几乎整个肝再生中蛋白质降解、折叠、运输定位和装配活动活跃。     

蛋白酪氨酸激酶在类风湿性关节炎滑膜细胞中的表达和功能

克隆类风湿性关节炎（RA）滑膜细胞（FLS）中的蛋白酪氨酸激酶（PTKs）,并研究它们在RA滑膜细胞异常增殖和侵软骨中的作用。根据巳知的PTKs氨基酸序列保守区设计简并引物,采用3'快速末端扩增法（3'RACE)扩增滑膜细胞中PTKs cDNAs的3'末端,将所得序列与Genebank中序列进行比较,以鉴定其是否为巳知的PTKs或与PTKs同源的新序列,然后通过RNA点杂交方法分别观察这些PTKs在RA和骨性关节炎（OA）病人滑膜细胞中的表达水平。结果表明,从RA FLS中克隆到6种巳知PTKs的cDNAs片段,分别为血小板衍生生长因子受体A（PDGFRA）、胰岛素生长因子-1受体（IGF1R）、含discoidin结构域的受体型酪氨酸激酶（DDR2）、Lyn、Janus激酶1（JAK1）和TYK2。RNA点杂交结果显示,在4个RA病人和2个OA病人的滑膜细胞中,PDGFRA、IGF-1R和DDR2在RA滑膜细胞中的表达水平高于OA滑膜细胞,其它几处激酶在两种细胞中的表达水平相同。说明RI滑膜细胞中至少表达PDGFR、IGF1R、Lyn、DDR2、JAK1和TYK2等6种PTKs,其中PDGFRA、IGF1R和DDR2可能与RA滑膜细胞的过度增殖和对软骨的侵蚀性相关。     

Expression of a cytotoxic cationic antibacterial peptide in Escherichia coli using two fusion partners

It has been reported that it is difficult to express cationic antibacterial peptides in engineered bacteria because such peptides are highly toxic to the host bacteria cells and sensitive to intracellular proteases. Antibacterial peptide CM4 (ABP-CM4) is a small cationic peptide with broad-spectrum activities against bacteria, fungi and tumor cells, which may possibly be used as an antimicrobial agent. Here we tried to express ABP-CM4 in Escherichia coli cells using either the GST fusion system or the intein-mediated fusion expression system. In order to investigate the possible use of these two fusion partners in cationic small peptide expression and purification, a mutant ABP-CMt, which is a highly positively charged peptide with +9 charges at neutral pH, was designed. In the present study, we have shown that both ABP-CM4 and ABP-CMt peptides can be expressed and purified by the intein-mediated expression system but not by the GST fusion expression system. Thus the intein-mediated peptide expression and purification system potentially could be employed for the production of recombinant protease-sensitive and cytotoxic peptides.     

Diallyl trisulfide induces apoptosis and inhibits proliferation of A549 cells in vitro and in vivo

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality all over the world. In recent years, pulmonary adenocarcinoma has surpassed squamous cell carcinoma in frequency and is the predominant form of lung cancer in many countries. Epidemiological investigations have shown an inverse relationship between garlic (Allium sativum) consumption and death rate from many cancers. Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is one of the garlic-derived compounds (also known as: organosulfer compounds, OSC). DATS can induce apoptosis and inhibit the growth of many cancer cell lines. Our study demonstrated that the apoptotic incidents induced by DATS were a mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade through a significant decrease of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 that resulted in up-regulation of the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and the activity of caspase-3, -8, and -9. Eventually, DATS induced the apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, by establishing an animal model of female BALB/c nude mice with A549 xenografts, we found that oral gavage of DATS significantly retarded growth of A549 xenografts in nude mice without causing weight loss or any other side effects compared with the control group. All the evidence both in vitro and in vivo suggested that DATS could be an ideal anti-cancer drug.     

结核分枝杆菌16-kDa α晶体蛋白的原核表达及纯化

目的:利用基因工程技术原核表达并纯化结核分枝杆菌α晶体蛋白(Acr)。方法:以结核分枝杆菌H37Rv株基因组DNA为模板,通过PCR方法扩增Acr的编码基因,以pCold为载体构建重组质粒,再转化到表达宿主菌大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中,用IPTG诱导表达,经SDS-PAGE和Western印迹分析和纯化该表达产物。结果:构建了具有正确基因序列的Acr重组表达质粒,重组Acr在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中经低温诱导得到可溶性表达;分别用6×His的单克隆抗体和16-kDa单克隆抗体对表达产物进行Western印迹分析,结果显示在相对分子质量约19 000处均有特异性条带,与预计大小吻合;纯化后蛋白纯度达90%,浓度达0.8 mg/mL。结论:表达了重组可溶性Acr,为深入研究该蛋白的生物学、免疫学活性奠定了基础。