生物信息学在发现新基因方面的应用

自生物信息学作为一门交叉学科诞生以来,其在计算机、农业和生命科学等各方面发挥了重要的作用,在后基因组时代,更是成为发现新基因的重要手段。对生物信息学的概况做了回顾与展望,并简述了生物信息学近年在发现新基因方面所取得的成果。     

荻幼苗对复合盐碱胁迫的生理响应

该研究以荻(Miscanthus sacchariflorus)幼苗为材料,模拟中国东北大庆盐碱地的低、中、高浓度盐碱土壤环境,考察不同盐碱处理浓度及其不同处理时间(0~25d)对荻幼苗各项生理指标的影响,以界定荻幼苗的复合盐碱耐受范围,为荻类能源植物的耐盐碱性筛选和在园林中的应用提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)随着复合盐碱胁迫时间的延长和胁迫程度加剧,荻幼苗叶绿素含量不断降低,根活力在低、中浓度处理下随时间不断升高,而在高浓度处理时先降低后上升再降低;同时,幼苗相对电导率和MDA含量则不断升高。(2)随着复合盐碱胁迫时间延长,荻幼苗SOD、POD、CAT、APX、GR活性和ASA、GSH含量一般在低浓度处理时缓慢升高,而高浓度处理时则呈先升高后降低的趋势。研究发现,荻幼苗能够通过调节自身保护酶系统活性和抗氧化物积累,清除体内过多活性氧和自由基,保护细胞结构,有效抵御外界低、中浓度的复合盐碱胁迫,但其对高浓度的复合盐碱胁迫基本没有抵抗能力。     

中朝边境地区林区鼠类几种重要蜱媒病原体感染的血清学调查

为了解东北林区啮齿动物蜱媒传染病感染状况,采用间接免疫荧光法对吉林省集安、辽宁省宽甸林区捕获的野鼠进行7种蜱媒病原体Ig G抗体检测,检测鼠血清75份,斑点热立克次体、粒细胞无形体、查菲埃立克体、伯氏疏螺旋体、蜱媒脑炎病毒、新布尼亚病毒、土拉弗菌抗体阳性率分别为13.33%、8.00%、14.67%、4.00%、1.33%、6.67%、1.33%,统计学处理差异非常显著(χ2=19.83,P=0.003)。不同鼠种对7种蜱媒病原体抗体检出阳性率各不相同,但差异无统计学意义。75份野鼠标本中,复合感染率为8%。调查地区野鼠中7种蜱媒病原体感染比较普遍,以斑点热立克次体和查菲埃立克体阳性率为高。     

秋葵AeMYB1R1转录因子基因克隆及对胁迫的响应北大核心CSCD

MYB转录因子家族广泛参与了植物对干旱、盐渍、冷害等非生物胁迫的应答。为了深入研究秋葵[Abelmoschus esculentus(L.) Moench]中的MYB类转录因子,该研究以‘北海道1号’秋葵为研究对象,采用PCR方法克隆AeMYB1R1基因,并借助生物信息学进行特征分析;采用qRT-PCR荧光定量方法分析其表达模式及其在非生物胁迫下的表达特性。结果表明:(1)成功克隆获得1个秋葵AeMYB1R1基因;该基因包含1个1 056 bp的开放阅读框,编码352个氨基酸;序列对比和系统进化树结果显示,AeMYB1R1在植物进化过程中具有较高的保守性;AeMYB1R1蛋白分子量为37 891.57 Da,等电点为8.75,含有较多的谷氨酸和较少的色氨酸,以及较多潜在的磷酸化位点和糖基化位点。(2)结构分析显示,AeMYB1R1蛋白主要由α螺旋和无规则卷曲构成,无信号肽和跨膜结构,为疏水性蛋白;同时,氨基酸序列在第104至第156位含有一个保守结构域,表明其属于SHAQKYF类MYB家族转录因子。(3)qRT-PCR结果显示,AeMYB1R1基因在秋葵叶中的表达量最高,其次是根和茎,具有组织表达特性;与高温和低温胁迫相比,在盐胁迫和干旱胁迫中AeMYB1R1表达量更高,说明AeMYB1R1可能是秋葵抗盐和抗旱的关键转录因子。研究结果为AeMYB1R1基因在秋葵生长发育和抗逆机制中的功能研究奠定了理论依据。     

香蕉MaASR1基因的抗干旱作用

ASR(ABA, stress, ripening induced protein)是一类响应植物干旱胁迫的关键转录因子, 在许多植物中已有报道, 然而尚未见香蕉(Musa acuminata)中ASR与抗旱作用的相关研究。该实验从香蕉果实cDNA文库中筛选出1个ASR基因, 即MaASR1(登录号为AY628102)。干旱胁迫下, 该基因在叶片中的表达量高于根部。将MaASR1转入拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana), Southern检测确定了两株独立表达的转基因株系(命名为L14和L38)。表型观察发现, 此两转基因株系的叶片变小且变厚; Northern和Western检测结果表明, MaASR1在L14和L38中表达。控水处理后, L14和L38的存活率及脯氨酸含量均高于野生型。经干旱胁迫和外源ABA处理后, 对MaASR1转基因株系中ABA/胁迫响应基因的表达分析, 发现MaASR1可增强转基因株系对ABA信号的敏感度, 但不能增强植株依赖于ABA途径的抗旱性。     

丙型肝炎病毒高变区1模拟表位的交叉反应性分析

研究丙型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis C virus,HCV)高变区1(Hypervariable region 1,HVR1)抗原表位的交叉反应性,获取高反应性的抗原表位.设计并合成5种HVR1模拟表位基因,构建编码HVR1模拟表位的表达载体,表达并纯化表位蛋白.ELISA法检测表位蛋白与35份HCV抗体阳性血清的交叉反应性.包装HCV假病毒(HCV pseudotype particles,HCVpp),评价表位蛋白免疫BALB/c鼠血清在假病毒感染Huh7.5细胞中的作用.结果表明,表达纯化的5种表位蛋白(P1、P2、P5、P6、P8)均可与HCV抗体阳性血清反应,阳性反应率分别为54.3%(P1)、62.9%(P2)、80%(P5)、68.6%(P6)、54.3%(P8).表位蛋白P6、P8免疫BALB/c鼠血清对HCV假病毒感染Huh7.5细胞具明显的抑制作用.结果提示,选取的HVR1模拟表位在HCV感染免疫与疫苗研制中可能具有潜在的价值.     

用PO4细胞为靶细胞检测人血清中Epstein-Barr病毒IgA/MA抗体以诊断鼻咽癌

近年来,常用未经丙酮固定的、由丁酸和巴豆油激活的B95-8细胞或P3HR-1细胞为靶细胞,检测人血清中EB病毒IgA/MA抗体以早期诊断鼻咽癌,效果良好。但由于B95-8细胞含有多种EB病毒抗原,不能用丙酮固定,需多次离心沉淀,在浮悬状态下检测,技术比较复杂。     

纯化膜蛋白质复合体Cytb6f的新方法

建立了纯化光合膜蛋白质复合体Ｃｙｔｂ６ｆ的新方法。与现有方法相比,新方法简单明了,只包括透析离心和用硫酸铵分级沉淀两个步骤,而且适于大批量制备。按此方法从菠菜叶绿体分离纯化的制剂含９．８ｎｍｏｌＣｙｔｆ·ｍｇ－１;ＳＤＳＰＡＧＥ显示４条主要区带及１条低分子量区带,背景干净;Ｃｙｔｂ６（ｂ型血红素）∶Ｃｙｔｆ＝２∶１（ｍｏｌ∶ｍｏｌ）,Ｃｈｌａ∶Ｃｙｔｆ＝１∶１（ｍｏｌ∶ｍｏｌ）;酶活性（ＰＱ２Ｈ２→Ｃｙｔｃ）８０μｍｏｌＣｙｔｃ·ｎｍｏｌＣｙｔｆ－１·ｈ－１左右;产率可达３８％。     

BMP2/7 heterodimer enhances osteogenic differentiation of rat BMSCs via ERK signaling compared with respective homodimers

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)2/7 heterodimer shows greater efficacy in enhancing bone regeneration. However, the precise mechanism and the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling network in BMP2/7-driven osteogenesis remain ambiguous. In this study, we evaluated the effects of BMP2/7 heterodimers on osteoblastic differentiation in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), with the aim to elaborate how MAPKs might be involved in this cellular process by treatment of rat BMSCs with BMP2/-7 with a special signal-pathway inhibitor. We found that BMP2/7 heterodimer induced a much stronger osteogenic response in rat BMSCs compared with either homodimer. Most interestingly, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) demonstrated a highly sustained phosphorylation and activation in the BMP2/7 heterodimer treatment groups, and inhibition of ERK cascades using U0126 special inhibitor that significantly reduced the activity of ALP and calcium mineralization to a substantial degree in rat BMSCs treated with BMP2/7 heterodimers. Collectively, we demonstrate that BMP2/7 heterodimer shows a potent ability to stimulate osteogenesis in rat BMSCs. The activated ERK signaling pathway involved in this process may contribute partially to an increased osteogenic potency of heterodimeric BMP2/7 growth factors.     

Proteomic Analysis Reveals that Odoroside A Triggers G2/M Arrest and Apoptosis in Colorectal Carcinoma Through ROS‐p53 Pathway

Odoroside A (OA) is an active ingredient extracted from the leaves of Nerium oleander Linn. (Apocynaceae). This study aims to examine the anticancer bioactivity of OA against CRC cells and to investigate the action mechanisms involved. As a result, OA can significantly inhibit cellular ability and induce apoptosis of CRC cells in a concentration‐dependent manner without any obvious cytotoxicity in normal colorectal epithelial cells. Then, quantitative proteomics combined with bioinformatics is adopted to investigate the alterations of proteins and signaling pathways in response to OA treatment. As suggested by the proteomic analysis, flow cytometry and Western blotting analyses validate that exposure of CRC cells to OA causes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, accompanied with the activation of the ROS/p53 signaling pathway. This observation demonstrates that OA, as a natural product, can induce oxidative stress to suppress tumor cell growth, implicating a novel therapeutic agent against CRC without obvious side effects.