芍药乙烯受体PlETR1基因过表达载体的构建及烟草转化

芍药是乙烯敏感型花卉,乙烯受体感知并传导乙烯信号,在乙烯信号转导途径中发挥重要作用。芍药PlETR1基因cDNA全长序列已分离,为了鉴定芍药PlETR1基因的功能,本研究基于PlETR1基因和表达载体序列,应用Primer Premier 5.0软件设计了一对特异性PCR引物,采用RT-PCR技术扩增出了PlETR1编码区片段,进一步构建了芍药PlETR1基因过表达载体。基于优化的模式植物烟草的组培体系和筛选出的潮霉素抗性浓度,应用农杆菌介导的叶盘法开展了芍药PlETR1基因转化烟草的研究,对转基因抗性烟草植株进行了PCR检测,结果表明HPT基因和芍药PlETR1基因已导入到烟草基因组中,且芍药PlETR1基因转录表达成功,为下一步鉴定芍药PlETR1基因的功能提供科学依据。     

SIRT3激动剂对乙肝病毒转录和复制的影响

该文探讨了SIRT3激动剂(Honokiol,HKL)对乙肝病毒(Hepatitis B virus,HBV)转录和复制的影响。培养HepG2-NTCP和人原代肝细胞(primary human hepatocytes,PHH),感染HBV颗粒后,用Honokiol(5μmol/L、10μmol/L、20μmol/L)处理细胞后继续培养10天,通过荧光定量PCR检测细胞内HBV DNA、cccDNA和HBV RNAs水平,Southern blot实验进一步检测胞内HBV DNA水平。构建SIRT3-KO细胞,检测敲除SIRT3后,Honokiol对细胞内HBV DNA、cccDNA和HBV RNAs的影响。通过小鼠尾静脉高压注射pCMV-KRAB-Cre质粒和precccDNA质粒构建持续感染小鼠模型,一周后腹腔注射Honokiol持续20天。荧光定量PCR检测小鼠血清中HBV DNA拷贝数,肝组织内HBV DNA、cccDNA和HBV RNAs水平。结果表明,Honokiol浓度依赖性地抑制HepG2-NTCP和PHH细胞内HBV DNA以及HBV RNAs水平,此外,Honokiol可以降低cccDNA的转录活性;敲除SIRT3后,Honokiol不能发挥抗病毒作用;小鼠模型中,Honokiol能够降低血清中HBV DNA和肝组织内HBV DNA拷贝数,以及能够显著抑制肝组织内HBV RNAs水平和cccDNA的转录活性。该研究结果表明,Honokiol能够抑制乙肝病毒转录和复制。     

An innovative protein expression system using RNA polymerase I for large-scale screening of high-nucleic-acid content Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the preferred source of RNA derivatives, which are widely used as supplements for foods and pharmaceuticals. As the most abundant RNAs, the ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) transcribed by RNA polymerase I (Pol I) have no 5′ caps, thus cannot be translated to proteins. To screen high-nucleic-acid content yeasts more efficiently, a cap-independent protein expression system mediated by Pol I has been designed and established to monitor the regulatory changes of rRNA synthesis by observing the variation in the reporter genes expression. The elements including Pol I-recognized rDNA promoter, the internal ribosome entry site from cricket paralytic virus which can recruit ribosomes internally, reporter genes (URA3 and yEGFP3), oligo-dT and an rDNA terminator were ligated to a yeast episomal plasmid. This system based on the URA3 gene worked well by observing the growth phenotype and did not require the disruption of cap-dependent initiation factors. The fluorescence intensity of strains expressing the yEGFP3 gene increased and drifted after mutagenesis. Combined with flow cytometry, cells with higher GFP level were sorted out. A strain showed 58% improvement in RNA content and exhibited no sequence alteration in the whole expression cassette introduced. This study provides a novel strategy for breeding high-nucleic-acid content yeasts.     

Toxoplasma gondii α-amylase deletion mutant is a promising vaccine against acute and chronic toxoplasmosis

Individuals with inhibited immunity may develop lethal toxoplasmosis; thus, a safe and effective vaccine is urged to be developed. Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) α-amylase (α-AMY) is one of the enzymes responsible for starch digestion. In the present study, we first generated a ME49Δα-amy mutant and discovered that loss of α-AMY robustly grew in vitro but contributed to significant virulence attenuation in vivo. Therefore, we established a mouse model to explore the protective immunity of Δα-amy mutant against acute and chronic toxoplasmosis. The results indicated that the survival rates of short-term or long-term immunized mice re-infected with the tachyzoites of multiple T. gondii strains were nearly 100%. ME49Δα-amy not only could provide protective immunity against tachyzoites infection but also could resist the infection of tissue cysts. Furthermore, we detected that ME49Δα-amy vaccination could effectively eliminate the proliferation of parasites in mice and prevent the formation of cysts. The significant increases of Th1-type cytokines, Th2-type cytokines and specific total IgG and IgG subclasses (IgG2a and IgG1) confirmed efficiency of a combination of cellular and humoral immunity against infection. In conclusion, ME49Δα-amy attenuated strain can produce strong immune responses to provide efficient protection against toxoplasmosis, which signifies that ME49Δα-amy mutant may be a potential vaccine candidate.     

The essential effector SCRE1 in Ustilaginoidea virens suppresses rice immunity via a small peptide region

The biotrophic fungal pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens causes rice false smut, a newly emerging plant disease that has become epidemic worldwide in recent years. The U. virens genome encodes many putative effector proteins that, based on the study of other pathosystems, could play an essential role in fungal virulence. However, few studies have been reported on virulence functions of individual U. virens effectors. Here, we report our identification and characterization of the secreted cysteine-rich protein SCRE1, which is an essential virulence effector in U. virens. When SCRE1 was heterologously expressed in Magnaporthe oryzae, the protein was secreted and translocated into plant cells during infection. SCRE1 suppresses the immunity-associated hypersensitive response in the nonhost plant Nicotiana benthamiana. Induced expression of SCRE1 in rice also inhibits pattern-triggered immunity and enhances disease susceptibility to rice bacterial and fungal pathogens. The immunosuppressive activity is localized to a small peptide region that contains an important ‘cysteine-proline-alanine-arginine-serine’ motif. Furthermore, the scre1 knockout mutant generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system is attenuated in U. virens virulence to rice, which is greatly complemented by the full-length SCRE1 gene. Collectively, this study indicates that the effector SCRE1 is able to inhibit host immunity and is required for full virulence of U. virens.