MiR-203 Suppresses ZNF217 Upregulation in Colorectal Cancer and Its Oncogenicity

Zinc finger protein 217 (ZNF217) is essential for cell proliferation and has been implicated in tumorigenesis. However, its expression and exact roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that ZNF217 expression was aberrantly upregulated in CRC tissues and associated with poor overall survival of CRC patients. In addition, we found that ZNF217 was a putative target of microRNA (miR)-203 using bioinformatics analysis and confirmed that using luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, in vitro knockdown of ZNF217 or enforced expression of miR-203 attenuated CRC cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Furthermore, combined treatment of ZNF217 siRNA and miR-203 exhibited synergistic inhibitory effects. Taken together, our results provide new evidences that ZNF217 has an oncogenic role in CRC and is regulated by miR-203, and open up the possibility of ZNF217- and miR-203-targeted therapy for CRC.     

Identifying Hfq-binding small RNA targets in Escherichia coli

The Hfq-binding small RNAs (sRNAs) have recently drawn much attention as regulators of translation in Escherichia coli. We attempt to identify the targets of this class of sRNAs in genome scale and gain further insight into the complexity of translational regulation induced by Hfq-binding sRNAs. Using a new alignment algorithm, most known negatively regulated targets of Hfq-binding sRNAs were identified. The results also show several interesting aspects of the regulatory function of Hfq-binding sRNAs.     

超积累植物伴矿景天镉耐受基因SpMT2的分离及功能鉴定

超积累植物由于其对重金属具有地上部超积累以及超耐受等特性,不仅是研究植物离子转运及毒性耐受的理想模式,而且在植物修复的发展和应用中具有不可替代的作用。伴矿景天是近年在我国境内发现的一种景天科镉(Cd)/锌(Zn)超积累植物。为鉴定其富集和耐受Cd的关键基因,笔者构建了其酵母表达cDNA文库,利用酵母的遗传互补系统筛选到一个极大提高了酵母抗Cd能力的基因SpMT2。SpMT2属于富含半胱氨酸(Cys)的金属硫蛋白(Metallothionein)家族。亚细胞定位表明SpMT2表达于酵母细胞质中,并特异地提高酵母对Cd的抗性。进一步研究发现SpMT2的表达显著降低了酵母液泡中Cd含量,但酵母吸收的总Cd含量无显著变化。推测抗性增加是由于SpMT2在酵母细胞质中通过螯合Cd从而降低Cd对酵母的毒害。qRT-PCR分析表明SpMT2在伴矿景天的根和地上部都高丰度表达,且不受Cd诱导变化。鉴于SpMT2也定位于植物细胞质中,结合上述结果,推测SpMT2可能在伴矿景天细胞质中螯合Cd,在降低Cd毒害的同时可能还保持Cd在细胞质中的流动性,从而在Cd长途转运过程中也发挥重要作用。     

来源于泗阳鞘氨醇杆菌的聚磷酸激酶的克隆表达及在ATP再生系统中的应用

聚磷酸激酶(polyphosphate kinase,PPK)在体外催化合成ATP的反应中有着重要作用。为寻找能利用短链聚磷酸盐(polyphosphate,polyP)为底物高效合成ATP的聚磷酸激酶,本文以来源于泗阳鞘氨醇杆菌(Sphingobacterium siyangensis)的聚磷酸激酶(PPK2)为研究目标,利用pET-29a构建重组质粒,在大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)BL21(DE3)中表达,并将其作为ATP再生系统的关键酶与l-氨基酸连接酶(YwfE)联用生产丙谷二肽(Ala-Gln)。ppk2长度为810bp,编码270个氨基酸;SDS-PAGE结果表明PPK2为可溶性表达,分子量为29.7kDa。对PPK2的最适反应条件进行了优化,结果发现其在22–42℃、pH7–10的范围内均可以保持较好活性,且在37℃、pH为7、镁离子(Mg²⁺)浓度为30mmol/L、底物ADP与六偏磷酸钠浓度分别为5mmol/L和10mmol/L时酶活最大,在0.5h时ATP产率可以达到理论值的60%以上。作为模式反应体系,当PPK2与YwfE联用生产Ala-Gln时,达到与直接添加ATP相同的效果。此聚磷酸激酶作为ATP再生系统具有较好的适用性,适用的温度和pH范围广,且能以廉价易得的短链polyP为底物高效合成ATP,为依赖ATP的催化反应体系的能量再生提供了新酶的来源。     

Structural and functional studies of cross-linked Go protein subunits

The guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) that couple hormone and other receptors to a variety of intracellular effector enzymes and ion channels are heterotrimers of alpha, beta, and gamma subunits. One way to study the interfaces between subunits is to analyze the consequences of chemically cross-linking them. We have used 1,6-bismaleimidohexane (BMH), a homobifunctional cross-linking reagent that reacts with sulfhydryl groups, to cross-link alpha to beta subunits of Go and Gi-1. Two cross-linked products are formed from each G protein with apparent molecular masses of 140 and 122 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Both bands formed from Go reacted with anti-alpha o and anti-beta antibody. The mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is anomalous since the undenatured, cross-linked proteins have the same Stokes radius as the native, uncross-linked alpha beta gamma heterotrimer. Therefore, each cross-linked product contains one alpha and one beta subunit. Activation of Go by guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S) does not prevent cross-linking of alpha to beta gamma, consistent with an equilibrium between associated and dissociated subunits even in the presence of GTP gamma S. The same cross-linked products of Go are formed in brain membranes reacted with BMH as are formed in solution, indicating that the residues cross-linked by BMH in the pure protein are accessible when Go is membrane bound. Analysis of tryptic peptides formed from the cross-linked products indicates that the alpha subunit is cross-linked to the 26-kDa carboxyl-terminal portion of the beta subunit. The cross-linked G protein is functional, and its alpha subunit can change conformation upon binding GTP gamma S. GTP gamma S stabilizes alpha o to digestion by trypsin (Winslow, J.W., Van Amsterdam, J.R., and Neer, E.J. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 7571-7579) and also stabilizes the alpha subunit in the cross-linked product. Cross-linked G o can be ADP-ribosylated by pertussis toxin. This ADP-ribosylation is inhibited by GTP gamma S with a concentration dependence that is indistinguishable from that of the control, uncross-linked G o. These two kinds of experiments indicate that alpha o is able to change its conformation even though it cannot separate completely from beta gamma. Thus, although dissociation of the subunits accompanies activation of G o in solution, it is not obligatory for a conformational change to occur in the alpha subunit.     

蛇伤胶囊对竹叶青蛇伤血管内皮细胞IL-8、VCAM-1、MIP-1α表达的影响

目的观察蛇伤胶囊对竹叶青蛇伤血管内皮细胞IL-8、VCAM-1、MIP-1α表达的影响。方法根据课题组前期实验方法制备蛇伤胶囊兔含药血清及复制竹叶青蛇伤细胞模型,设空白组(KB组)、模型组(MX组)和低、中、高浓度蛇伤胶囊药液治疗组(DY组、ZY组、GY组)5组,每组10个样本。在细胞实验中,KB组加入10%正常兔血清培养,MX组在KB组的基础上加入5μg/ml竹叶青蛇毒液培养,DY组、ZY组和GY组在MX组基础上培养6h后分别加入5%、10%和15%的含中药兔血清继续培养。各组分别培养72h后,收集细胞培养液,以酶联免疫吸附法检测细胞培养液中的IL-8、VCAM-1、MIP-1α含量。结果MX组的IL-8、VCAM-1及MIP-1α水平相对KB组均显著升高(均P0.01),蛇伤胶囊药液治疗组IL-8、VCAM-1及MIP-1α水平相对MX组均不同程度降低,其中ZY组变化有统计学意义(P0.01或P0.05)。结论蛇伤胶囊可通过降低IL-8、VCAM-1及MIP-1α表达治疗竹叶青蛇伤所致血管内皮炎症反应。     

单核细胞增多性李斯特菌氨基肽酶Lmo1711体外表达及其酶活分析

对单核细胞增多性李斯特菌(简称单增李斯特菌)lmo1711基因编码的氨基肽酶进行克隆表达与纯化,并研究该重组蛋白的体外酶学特性。首先通过生物信息学分析预测Lmo1711与氨基肽酶家族成员的亲缘关系及关键活性位点的保守性。利用SWISS-MODEL模拟预测该蛋白的空间结构;构建Lmo1711原核表达载体并转化入E.coli Rosetta中,诱导表达重组目的蛋白,并利用镍离子亲和层析方法纯化目的蛋白;以氨基酸-对硝基苯胺偶联物为底物,Lmo1711通过水解底物N端氨基酸残基产生游离对硝基苯胺单体,405 nm处检测吸光值对该产物进行检测从而分析Lmo1711的酶学特性。在此基础上系统研究Lmo1711对不同氨基酸残基底物的催化特异性,及不同金属离子对该酶活性的影响。经原核表达纯化获得49.3 kDa的重组Lmo1711蛋白,与预测分子量一致;生物信息学分析推测Lmo1711属于M29氨基肽酶家族,且存在保守关键氨基酸活性位点(Glu250、Glu316、His345、Tyr352、His378、Asp380);酶活分析显示,Lmo1711具有较强的氨基肽酶活性,针对不同底物的结合和催化能力差异较大,对亮氨酸残基的亲和程度最高;Lmo1711氨基肽酶活性具有金属离子依赖性,Co~(2+)、Cd~(2+)、Zn~(2+)等多种金属离子均能显著增强其活性,其中Co~(2+)的激活效应最显著。本试验首次发现并证实,单增李斯特菌Lmo1711属于M29氨基肽酶家族成员,具有较强的催化活性,且对金属离子具有不同程度的依赖性。     

小鼠MPI基因的打靶载体的构建和筛选

目的　构建小鼠MPI基因的基因打靶载体转染ES细胞 ,构建用于同源重组筛选的对照载体。方法根据计算机分析小鼠MPI基因的基因组序列 ,构建用于同源重组载体的长臂和短臂并且转染小鼠ES细胞 ,经抗性筛选后得到阳性克隆 ,抽提基因组DNA后用PCR的方法进行重组子的初步筛选。结果　成功构建了MPI基因的基因打靶载体并且摸索了用PCR的方法进行重组细胞初步筛选的方法。结论　这个载体的构建为MPI基因功能的研究打下了基础 ,同时用PCR方法进行初步筛选大大减少了Southern杂交的工作量 ;利用实验小鼠来研究印迹基因是非常有效的方法 ,它不仅能了解印迹基因在小鼠生长发育过程中的功能 ,而且进而有助于研究人的相应印迹区。     

The use of synthetic genes for the expression of ciliate proteins in heterologous systems

The common fish parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, expresses abundant glycosylated phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane proteins known as immobilization antigens, or i-antigens. These proteins are targets of the host immune response, and have been identified as potential candidates for recombinant subunit vaccine development. Nevertheless, because Ichthyophthirius utilizes a non-standard genetic code, expression of the corresponding gene products, either as subunit antigens in conventional protein expression systems, or as vector-encoded antigens in the case of DNA vaccines, is far from straightforward. To overcome this problem, we utilized 'assembly polymerase chain reaction' to manufacture synthetic versions of two genes (designated IAG52A[G5/CC] and IAG52B[G5/CC]) encoding approximately 52/55 kDa i-antigens from parasite strain G5. This approach made it possible to eliminate unwanted stop codons and substitute the preferred codon usage of channel catfish for the native sequences of the genes. To determine whether the synthetic alleles could be expressed in cells that use the standard genetic code, we introduced IAG52A[G5/CC] into a variety of heterologous cell types and tested for expression either by immunofluorescence light microscopy or Western blotting. When cloned downstream of appropriate promoters, IAG52A[G5/CC] was expressed in Escherichia coli, mammalian COS-7 cells, and channel catfish where it elicited antigen-specific immune responses. Interestingly, the localization pattern of the corresponding gene product in COS-7 cells indicated that while the protein was correctly folded, it was not present on the cell membrane, suggesting that the signal peptides required for GPI-anchor addition differ in ciliate and mammalian systems. Construction of synthetic alleles should have practical utility in the development of vaccines against Ichthyophthirius, and at the same time, provide a general method for the expression of ciliate genes in heterologous systems.     

人巨细胞病毒的生物素DNA探针的制备和应用

本研究用克隆的HCMV AD169株DNA片段,制备了生物素标记的DNA探针,建立了检测临床脐带血、尿标本中HCMV DNA的核酸探针杂交方法。该探针可测出100pg同源DNA,不与人胚肺细胞、Hep-2细胞DNA以及其他疱疹病毒的DNA发生反应。用核酸杂交方法检测了30份脐带血标本,有11例阳性,阳性率为33％。10例孕妇尿标本中,3例阳性,阳性率为30％。检测结果表明：我们建立的生物素标记的HCMV DNA探针的点杂交法,具有高度的特异性、敏感性,比分离病毒法更迅速,可用于HCMV感染的临床标本的病毒核酸检测。