RNA干扰在植物抗根结线虫病基因工程应用中的研究进展

植物根结线虫病对农业生产的危害连年加重,以轮作和化学农药为主的传统防治难以满足现代农业生产的需要.以常规的抗性育种和表达外源蛋白为主的抗线虫转基因育种主要受限于抗性基因的匮乏.而近来RNA干扰技术的应用为抗线虫基因工程带来新的突破,通过构建RNA干扰载体,在转基因植物中表达寄生线虫重要基因的dsRNA或siRNA,并经口针取食被导入线虫体内,并引发线虫的系统性RNA干扰反应,导致其出现寄生、发育、代谢、运动等障碍甚至致死,从而使转基因植物实现对寄生线虫的抗性.本文综述了RNAi介导的抗根结线虫基因工程方面的研究进展,分析探讨了这种新的策略的特点并展望了它的应用前景.     

Dietary vitamin A can improve immune function in heat-stressed broilers

This experiment was undertaken to evaluate the effect of dietary vitamin A on the performance and immune competence of broilers under heat stress (HS). A total of 180 birds, at 22 days of age, were randomly assigned to be reared either at 24°C (thermoneutral, TN, 24°C, constant) or 24°C to 38°C (heat stress, HS, cycling) until the age of 42 days. Birds were then supplemented with vitamin A at 750, 1500, 15 000 IU/kg. Each of the 2 × 3 factorially arranged treatments were replicated in six cages, each containing five birds. Humoral immunity was assessed by intravenous injection of 7% sheep red blood cells (SRBC) followed by evaluation of serum for antibody titers in primary and secondary responses. Cell-mediated immunity was assessed by using a Sephadax stimulation method to recruit abdominal exudate cells (AEC) to evaluate macrophage phagocytic ability. Body weight (BW) and feed conversion were significantly affected by dietary vitamin A (P < 0.05). HS significantly reduced BW, feed intake and feed conversion (P < 0.05). Numbers of AEC, percentage of macrophages in AEC, phagocytic macrophages, internalized opsonized and unopsonized SRBC were increased by dietary vitamin A (P < 0.05). Both primary and secondary antibody responses were characterized by increasing titers of antibody to SRBC by dietary vitamin A when birds were exposed to HS (P < 0.05). Lymphoid organ weights, antibody responses, incidence of macrophages in AEC and phagocytic ability of macrophages were all significantly reduced under HS. These results indicated that HS severely reduced performance and immunocompetence of broilers, whereas the immune response of broilers improved by dietary vitamin A supplementation under HS.     

Crystal Structure of the C-Terminal Cytoplasmic Domain of Non-Structural Protein 4 from Mouse Hepatitis Virus A59

Background

The replication of coronaviruses takes place on cytoplasmic double membrane vesicles (DMVs) originating in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Three trans-membrane non-structural proteins, nsp3, nsp4 and nsp6, are understood to be membrane anchors of the coronavirus replication complex. Nsp4 is localized to the ER membrane when expressed alone but is recruited into the replication complex in infected cells. It is revealed to contain four trans-membrane regions and its N- and C-termini are exposed to the cytosol.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We have determined the crystal structures of the C-terminal hydrophilic domain of nsp4 (nsp4C) from MHV strain A59 and a C425S site-directed mutant. The highly conserved 89 amino acid region from T408 to Q496 is shown to possess a new fold. The wild-type (WT) structure features two monomers linked by a Cys425-Cys425 disulfide bond in one asymmetric unit. The monomers are arranged with their N- and C-termini in opposite orientations to form an “open” conformation. Mutation of Cys425 to Ser did not affect the monomer structure, although the mutant dimer adopts strikingly different conformations by crystal packing, with the cross-linked C-termini and parallel N-termini of two monomers forming a “closed” conformation. The WT nsp4C exists as a dimer in solution and can dissociate easily into monomers in a reducing environment.

Conclusions/Significance

As nsp4C is exposed in the reducing cytosol, the monomer of nsp4C should be physiological. This structure may serve as a basis for further functional studies of nsp4.     

双抗体夹心ELISA定量检测IFNβ-HSA融合蛋白方法的建立

为了建立β干扰素与人血清白蛋白融合蛋白(IFNβ-HSA)的酶联免疫定量分析方法,以抗IFNβ单克隆抗体为包被抗体,IFNβ-HSA融合蛋白为夹心抗原,辣根过氧化酶(HRP)标记抗HSA单克隆抗体为检测抗体,建立了一种定量测定IFNβ-HSA融合蛋白的双抗体夹心ELISA方法.并进行了检测限、精密度、准确度和稳定性等方法学考核.结果表明,包被抗体和检测抗体的最佳工作浓度均为2μg/ml,抗原浓度在51.88-3320 ng/ml范围内呈良好线性关系,相关系数R2>0.99.检测限为10ng/m1.经方法学考核,批内、批间变异系数分别为4.86%和8.08%,回收率为91.9%～110.4%,与IFN-B、IFN-α、HSA、IFNα2b-HSA基本无交叉反应.健全性分析表明发酵液稀释倍数对该方法无影响,8 d连续检测标准曲线表明稳定性良好.这种定量检测IFNβ-HSA融合蛋白的双抗体夹心ELISA方法,灵敏度高,重复性好,为当前融合蛋白发酵优化、分离纯化研究提供了定量检测的方法,并为后期药代动力学、临床研究提供了思路和备选方法.     

含绿色荧光蛋白标记的木霉表达载体的构建

ACCC 30150是由本实验室筛选的一株对黄瓜枯萎病、青椒疫病等多种土传病害具有较好防治效果的长柄木霉生防菌,为研究其在蔬菜根际的定殖情况,本试验将含绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)和潮霉素B抗性的融合基因交换整合到真核表达骨架载体pNOM102上.通过酶切鉴定和测序鉴定证明目的片段与载体片段连接正确,木霉表达载体pNOM102-HygEGFP构建成功,为下一步进行生防木霉根际定殖研究奠定基础.     

两种缢蛏线粒体基因全序列扩增方法的比较

介绍了应用长PCR技术扩增缢蛏线粒体全序列的两种方法,并进行了比较.一种方法是使用通用引物扩增COI基因和16S基因并测序后,在两基因的两端分别设计两对引物扩增两基因中间的大片段,分别得到了9.7 kb和7.3 kb的扩增产物.另一种方法是在COI基因序列两端设计一对引物,扩增整个线粒体全序列,得到了17.1 kb的扩增产物.两种方法在缢蛏的研究中进行比较后发现,前一种方法在操作实用性和后期测序方面都比后者好.     

High yield and purification of recombinant human apolipoprotein E3 in Pichia pastoris

Apolipoprotein E3 (ApoE3) is an important apolipoprotein in plasma and plays a critical role in lipid transport and cholesterol homeostasis. As the only natural source of this protein, human blood cannot provide large-scale ApoE3 for research and applications. Therefore, in our study, a Pichia pastoris expression system was first used to obtain a high-level expression of secreted, recombinant human ApoE3 (rhApoE3).The full-length sequence encoding ApoE3, gained by RT-PCR, was inserted into the pPICZαC vector and transformed into P. pastoris strain X33, and then the high expression transformants with zeocin resistance were obtained. The growth conditions of the transformant strains were optimized in 50 ml conical tubes including pH and inducing time. After induction with methanol, the expression level of rhApoE3 was 120 mg/L in 80 L fermentor. RhApoE3 was purified more than 94% purity using SP Sepharose ion exchange chromatography and source™ 30RPC. A preliminary biochemical characterization of purified rhApoE3 was performed by analyzing the ability of inhibiting PDGF-induced proliferation of rat coronary artery smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and the results demonstrated that the function of purified rhApoE3 was similar to natural human ApoE3.     

Protein profile in hepatitis B virus replicating rat primary hepatocytes and HepG2 cells by iTRAQ‐coupled 2‐D LC‐MS/MS analysis: Insights on liver angiogenesis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and in particular Hepatitis B Virus X Protein have been shown to modulate angiogenesis. However, a comprehensive and coordinated mechanism in the HBV‐induced angiogenesis remains to be established. In this study, transient transfection of replicative HBV genome was carried out in rat primary hepatocytes (RPHs) as well as HepG2 cells. Angiogenesis was assessed by tube formation assay. 2‐D LC‐MS/MS analysis was used to detect differentially expressed proteins in cells, supporting HBV replication compared with those transfected with the empty vector. A cell‐based HBV replication was established in both RPHs and HepG2 cells. HBV replication‐induced angiogenesis was indicated by tube formation of endothelial cells cultured in condition medium from RPHs or HepG2 cells supporting HBV replication. Enzymes associated with angiogenesis, namely fumarate hydratase and tryptophanyl‐tRNA synthetase, were identified by 2‐D LC‐MS/MS analysis in HBV replicating RPHs and HepG2 cells. Our results indicated that the application of quantitative proteomics based on iTRAQ can be an effective approach to evaluate the effects of HBV replication on liver angiogenesis. The angiogenesis‐associated proteins identified in our study may eventually lead to novel anti‐angiogenic hepatocellular carcinoma cancer therapy based on tumor vascular targeting or be the markers for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis.