原位杂交检测microRNA-205在乳腺癌中的表达

目的探讨microRNA-205表达与乳腺恶性病变的关系。方法乳腺疾病及癌组织芯片原位杂交分析microRNA-205的表达;实时定量RT-PCR方法检测正常乳腺细胞株、恶性程度不同的乳腺癌细胞株中microRNA-205的表达。结果原位杂交分析显示,36例正常与良性乳腺病变中,33例(91.67%)表达阳性;36例乳腺癌中,23例(63.89%)表达阳性。microRNA-205的表达在乳腺正常与良性病变中的表达较恶性病变中高且有统计学差异(P=0.011),但与乳腺癌TNM分期、临床分期无关(P0.05)。实时定量RT-PCR结果显示,四个高度恶性乳腺癌细胞株(MDA-MB-231、HS578T、BT549和SUM159PT)中microRNA-205的表达较永生化正常乳腺上皮细胞株MCF10A和四个低度恶性细胞株(MDA-MB-468、T-47D、ZR-75-1和SKBR3)中为低(P0.05)。结论原位杂交适用于microRNA-205的表达分析;组织芯片标本原位杂交与乳腺细胞株实时定量RT-PCR分析结果提示,microRNA-205可能参与了乳腺癌的发生、发展,并随着乳腺癌的演进呈下调趋势。     

肠出血性大肠杆菌毒力因子Z1444的原核表达及其丝/苏氨酸激酶活性验证

目的:在大肠杆菌中表达肠出血性大肠杆菌(EHEC)毒力岛上的毒力因子Z1444并纯化,对其丝/苏氨酸激酶活性进行初步检测。方法:根据GenBank中Z1444基因序列及pET-28a(+)载体的多克隆位点设计引物,以EHECO157∶H7全菌裂解液为模板,经PCR钓取1047 bp的目的片段,与表达载体pET-28a(+)连接,构建重组表达质粒pET-28a(+)-Z1444,将其转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中,IPTG诱导蛋白表达并经SDS-PAGE鉴定,利用体外反应体系鉴定重组蛋白的丝/苏氨酸激酶活性。结果:双酶切和测序鉴定表明,pET-28a(+)-Z1444原核表达质粒构建正确;诱导表达后经纯化,获得纯度在90%以上的可溶性重组Z1444,相对分子量约为38×103;体外酶活实验验证了Z1444的丝/苏氨酸激酶活性。结论:Z1444在大肠杆菌中获得高效可溶性表达,为后续功能验证奠定了基础。     

Disruption of the Myostatin Gene in Porcine Primary Fibroblasts and Embryos Using Zinc-Finger Nucleases

Myostatin represses muscle growth by negatively regulating the number and size of muscle fibers. Myostatin loss-of-function can result in the double-muscling phenotype and increased muscle mass. Thus, knockout of myostatin gene could improve the quality of meat from mammals. In the present study, zinc finger nucleases, a useful tool for generating gene knockout animals, were designed to target exon 1 of the myostatin gene. The designed ZFNs were introduced into porcine primary fibroblasts and early implantation embryos via electroporation and microinjection, respectively. Mutations around the ZFNs target site were detected in both primary fibroblasts and blastocysts. The proportion of mutant fibroblast cells and blastocyst was 4.81% and 5.31%, respectively. Thus, ZFNs can be used to knockout myostatin in porcine primary fibroblasts and early implantation embryos.     

Expression pattern analysis of Will Die Slowly genes in Arabidopsis

Leaf senescence is a developmental programmed cell death (PCD) that occurs as a response to external and internal signals. Several factors, such as the environment, plant hormones, and senescence-associated genes, regulate leaf senescence. In Drosophila melanogaster, Will Die Slowly (WDS) is a WD-repeat protein, which is closely related to PCD. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that eight genes are highly homologous to D. melanogaster WDS (DmWDS) in Columbia ecotype (Col) of Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, the expression patterns of three close homologues of DmWDS named WDS1, WDS2, and WDS3 were investigated. Real-time PCR revealed the spatio-temporal expression levels of these three genes. No tissue-specific expression of the three AtWDS genes was observed. These genes were expressed at every growth stage; the variation in their expression was similar: the expression of the three AtWDS reached the peak in leaves at the 37 days after sowing, at the time when the first pod initially appeared on the plant and the leaf 7 show 25 to 50% yellow; and the expression of the three AtWDS reached the peak in flowers at the 43.5 days after sowing, at the time when 50% of the flowers bloomed. In addition, the expression level of the three AtWDS peaked at the 48 h after the plants were treated with 0.5 mM salicylic acid (SA). WDS3 also exhibited a high expression at 24, 48, and 72 h. Taken together; these results suggest that AtWDS genes may be involved in plant PCD     

Methylcrotonyl-CoA Carboxylase Regulates Triacylglycerol Accumulation in the Model Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

The model marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum can accumulate high levels of triacylglycerols (TAGs) under nitrogen depletion and has attracted increasing attention as a potential system for biofuel production. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in TAG accumulation in diatoms are largely unknown. Here, we employed a label-free quantitative proteomics approach to estimate differences in protein abundance before and after TAG accumulation. We identified a total of 1193 proteins, 258 of which were significantly altered during TAG accumulation. Data analysis revealed major changes in proteins involved in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolic processes, glycolysis, and lipid metabolic processes. Subsequent quantitative RT-PCR and protein gel blot analysis confirmed that four genes associated with BCAA degradation were significantly upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels during TAG accumulation. The most significantly upregulated gene, encoding the β-subunit of methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (MCC2), was selected for further functional studies. Inhibition of MCC2 expression by RNA interference disturbed the flux of carbon (mainly in the form of leucine) toward BCAA degradation, resulting in decreased TAG accumulation. MCC2 inhibition also gave rise to incomplete utilization of nitrogen, thus lowering biomass during the stationary growth phase. These findings help elucidate the molecular and metabolic mechanisms leading to increased lipid production in diatoms.     

Mechanochemical regulation of oscillatory follicle cell dynamics in the developing Drosophila egg chamber

During tissue elongation from stage 9 to stage 10 in Drosophila oogenesis, the egg chamber increases in length by ∼1.7-fold while increasing in volume by eightfold. During these stages, spontaneous oscillations in the contraction of cell basal surfaces develop in a subset of follicle cells. This patterned activity is required for elongation of the egg chamber; however, the mechanisms generating the spatiotemporal pattern have been unclear. Here we use a combination of quantitative modeling and experimental perturbation to show that mechanochemical interactions are sufficient to generate oscillations of myosin contractile activity in the observed spatiotemporal pattern. We propose that follicle cells in the epithelial layer contract against pressure in the expanding egg chamber. As tension in the epithelial layer increases, Rho kinase signaling activates myosin assembly and contraction. The activation process is cooperative, leading to a limit cycle in the myosin dynamics. Our model produces asynchronous oscillations in follicle cell area and myosin content, consistent with experimental observations. In addition, we test the prediction that removal of the basal lamina will increase the average oscillation period. The model demonstrates that in principle, mechanochemical interactions are sufficient to drive patterning and morphogenesis, independent of patterned gene expression.     

Biochemical and biological properties of cortexillin III,a component of Dictyostelium DGAP1–cortexillin complexes

Cortexillins I–III are members of the α-actinin/spectrin subfamily of Dictyostelium calponin homology proteins. Unlike recombinant cortexillins I and II, which form homodimers as well as heterodimers in vitro, we find that recombinant cortexillin III is an unstable monomer but forms more stable heterodimers when coexpressed in Escherichia coli with cortexillin I or II. Expressed cortexillin III also forms heterodimers with both cortexillin I and II in vivo, and the heterodimers complex in vivo with DGAP1, a Dictyostelium GAP protein. Binding of cortexillin III to DGAP1 requires the presence of either cortexillin I or II; that is, cortexillin III binds to DGAP1 only as a heterodimer, and the heterodimers form in vivo in the absence of DGAP1. Expressed cortexillin III colocalizes with cortexillins I and II in the cortex of vegetative amoebae, the leading edge of motile cells, and the cleavage furrow of dividing cells. Colocalization of cortexillin III and F-actin may require the heterodimer/DGAP1 complex. Functionally, cortexillin III may be a negative regulator of cell growth, cytokinesis, pinocytosis, and phagocytosis, as all are enhanced in cortexillin III–null cells.     

H2AX phosphorylation regulated by p38 is involved in Bim expression and apoptosis in chronic myelogenous leukemia cells induced by imatinib

Increasing evidence suggests that histone H2AX plays a critical role in regulation of tumor cell apoptosis and acts as a novel human tumor suppressor protein. However, the action of H2AX in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells is unknown. The detailed mechanism and epigenetic regulation by H2AX remain elusive in cancer cells. Here, we report that H2AX was involved in apoptosis of CML cells. Overexpression of H2AX increased apoptotic sensitivity of CML cells (K562) induced by imatinib. However, overexpression of Ser139-mutated H2AX (blocking phosphorylation) decreased sensitivity of K562 cells to apoptosis. Similarly, knockdown of H2AX made K562 cells resistant to apoptotic induction. These results revealed that the function of H2AX involved in apoptosis is strictly related to its phosphorylation (Ser139). Our data further indicated that imatinib may stimulate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family member p38, and H2AX phosphorylation followed a similar time course, suggesting a parallel response. H2AX phosphorylation can be blocked by p38 siRNA or its inhibitor. These data demonstrated that H2AX phosphorylation was regulated by p38 MAPK pathway in K562 cells. However, the p38 MAPK downstream, mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase-1 and -2, which phosphorylated histone H3, were not required for H2AX phosphorylation during apoptosis. Finally, we provided epigenetic evidence that H2AX phosphorylation regulated apoptosis-related gene Bim expression. Blocking of H2AX phosphorylation inhibited Bim gene expression. Taken together, these data demonstrated that H2AX phosphorylation regulated by p38 is involved in Bim expression and apoptosis in CML cells induced by imatinib.