High-throughput analysis of gene expression on tissue sections by in situ hybridization

Genome-scale sequencing projects, high-throughput RNAi screens, systematic gene targeting, and system-biology-based network predictions all depend on a validation of biological significance in order to understand the relevance of a particular finding. Such validation, for the most part, rests on low-throughput technologies. This article provides protocols that, in combination with suitable instrumentation, make possible a semi-automated analysis of gene expression on tissue sections by means of in situ hybridization. Knowledge of gene expression localization has the potential to aid, and thereby accelerate, the validation of gene functions.     

新疆伊犁地区马匹亨德拉病毒脑内感染情况调查

目的检测新疆伊犁地区天然牧场放养马群脑组织中亨德拉病毒（Hendra Virus,HeV）的核酸片段,调查该地区马群中枢神经系统HeV感染流行状况。方法针对HeV高度保守区核蛋白（N）基因设计特异性引物和探针,采用一步法实时荧光定量RT-PCR检测中枢神经系统感染样本中低浓度HeV RNA的方法,检测新疆伊犁草原地区天然放养且未接种HeV疫苗的183例马匹脑组织。结果最低特异性检出浓度可低至2.6×102copies/μL,与其他单股负链RNA病毒如同属的尼帕病毒（NiV）无交叉反应,对183例马脑组织进行一步法实时荧光定量RT-PCR检测,未检出阳性样本。结论初步流行病学研究尚未发现我国新疆伊犁地区天然牧场放养马匹中存在HeV感染的证据,提示该地区短时间内爆发亨德拉病毒感染的可能性小。     

副溶血性弧菌基因敲除方法的建立及应用

目的摸索出一套副溶血性弧菌基因敲除的可靠方案,副溶血性弧菌致病相关基因的敲除对深入研究其致病机制有重要意义。方法通过融合PCR技术将目的基因上下游同源臂融合并克隆到自杀载体pDS132上,将重组质粒转化大肠杆菌S17λpir中,再接合转移到副溶血性弧菌菌株内,经pDS132质粒上sacB基因的反向筛选得到突变株。结果成功构建了副溶血性弧菌RIMD2210633菌株ΔopaR,ΔtoxR和ΔaphA三个基因突变株。结论通过自杀载体同源重组成功获得精确敲除的无痕突变株更有利于基因功能的研究,使后续副溶血性弧菌突变株与野生株的对比研究成为可能。     

版纳微型猪近交系TNF-α基因mRNA实时荧光定量PCR检测方法的建立

目的快速、灵敏、可靠的检测与临床多种疾病密切相关的重要基因TNF-α的表达情况,构建TNF-α基因及内参GAPDH基因荧光定量PCR质粒标准品。方法利用版纳微型猪近交系4～6月龄猪建立动物模型,提取皮肤创面总RNA,设计特异引物,进行RT-PCR扩增。纯化目的片段与pMD18-T载体连接,转化宿主菌DH5α,提取重组质粒DNA,并经酶切、PCR和测序鉴定,计算重组质粒原液拷贝数浓度并制备梯度浓度标准品,进行实时荧光定量PCR,生成标准曲线。结果建立的TNF-α基因和GAPDH内参基因mRNA表达实时荧光定量PCR检测方法灵敏度分别可达103和105拷贝,线性范围分别为103～109和105～109拷贝,阈值循环数(Ct)与PCR体系中起始模板量的对数值之间存在的线性关系R2分别为0.993和0.999,扩增效率E分别为111.073%和95.948%。结论成功的构建了版纳微型猪近交系TNF-α基因质粒标准品和标准曲线,并用内参基因GAPDH进行校正,此方法可为探讨TNF-α基因在临床多种疾病中所发挥的分子机理奠定基础。     

Total Chemical Synthesis,Assembly of Human Torque Teno Virus Genome

Torque teno virus(TTV) is a nonenveloped virus containing a single-stranded,circular DNA genome of approximately 3.8kb.We completely synthesized the 3 808 nucleotides of the TTV(SANBAN isolate) genome,which contains a hairpin structure and a GC-rich region.More than 100 overlapping oligonucleotides were chemically synthesized and assembled by polymerase chain assembly reaction(PCA),and the synthesis was completed with splicing by overlap extension(SOEing).This study establishes the methodological basis of t...     

Deletion of fucose residues in plant N‐glycans by repression of the GDP‐mannose 4,6‐dehydratase gene using virus‐induced gene silencing and RNA interference

Production of pharmaceutical glycoproteins in plants has many advantages in terms of safety and reduced costs. However, plant‐produced glycoproteins have N‐glycans with plant‐specific sugar residues (core β‐1,2‐xylose and α‐1,3‐fucose) and a Lewis a (Le^a) epitope, i.e., Galβ(1‐3)[Fucα(1‐4)]GlcNAc. Because these sugar residues and glycan structures seemed to be immunogenic, several attempts have been made to delete them by repressing their respective glycosyltransferase genes. However, until date, such deletions have not been successful in completely eliminating the fucose residues. In this study, we simultaneously reduced the plant‐specific core α‐1,3‐fucose and α‐1,4‐fucose residues in the Le^a epitopes by repressing the Guanosine 5′‐diphosphate (GDP)‐D‐mannose 4,6‐dehydratase (GMD) gene, which is associated with GDP‐L‐fucose biosynthesis, in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Repression of GMD was achieved using virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) and RNA interference (RNAi). The proportion of fucose‐free N‐glycans found in total soluble protein from GMD gene‐repressed plants increased by 80% and 95% following VIGS and RNAi, respectively, compared to wild‐type plants. A small amount of putative galactose substitution in N‐glycans from the NbGMD gene‐repressed plants was observed, similar to what has been previously reported GMD‐knockout Arabidopsis mutant. On the other hand, the recombinant mouse granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) with fucose‐deleted N‐glycans was successfully produced in NbGMD‐RNAi transgenic N. benthamiana plants. Thus, repression of the GMD gene is thus very useful for deleting immunogenic total fucose residues and facilitating the production of pharmaceutical glycoproteins in plants.     

Gene expression profiling to examine the thyroid hormone-disrupting activity of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls in metamorphosing amphibian tadpole

Hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls are the metabolites produced from parent compounds by the drug-metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450. These compounds are suspected to disrupt postembryonic neural development in the brains of mammals including humans. We studied the effects of these compounds on thyroid hormone function in the brain by using metamorphosing tadpoles of the African clawed toad (Xenopus laevis) as a model for mammalian postembryonic development. The metamorphosis assay revealed that these compounds inhibit thyroid hormone-induced metamorphosis. Genome-wide gene expression analysis in the brain following short-term exposure demonstrated that delayed metamorphosis could partially be caused by disruption of thyroid hormone-induced gene expression. Furthermore, we associated the terms of functional ontology with the genes, whose expression was disrupted by these compounds. We suggest that the use of a genome-wide analysis coupled with bioinformatics might provide an overview of the molecular mechanism underlying thyroid-disrupting activities in vivo.     

利用与PKD1紧密连锁的微卫星多态性对黑龙江省汉族人群进行ADPKD的症前诊断

目的：利用与PKD1紧密连锁的微卫星的多态性对黑龙江省汉族人群常染色体显性遗传性多裳肾病（autosomal dominant polycystic diseaseADPKD）家系成员进行症状前诊断。方法：扩增PKD1基因内部（KG8）及基因两侧（AC2．5、CW4）共三个微卫星遗传标记,并采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳进行检测,银染,最后进行家系连锁分析。结果：家系1中一名男孩携带了PKD1突变基因,处于发病前期。结论：通过连锁分析ADPKD进行连锁分析能高效、快捷、准确地进行早期诊断.     

新疆哈萨克族脑梗塞与ICAM-1基因G241R多态性的关系

目的：探讨新疆哈萨克族脑梗死与细胞黏附分子1（ICAM-1）G241R基因多态性的关系。方法：采用多聚酶链式反应法及限制性内切酶片段长度多态性技术,对新疆哈萨克族100例脑梗死患者及110例健康者（对照组）进行ICAM-1基因G241R多态性检测,比较不同基因型与哈萨克族脑梗塞发病风险的关系。结果：脑梗塞患者ICAM-1基因G41R多态性的基因型频率和等位基因频率与健康对照组相比无明显差异。结论：ICAM-1基因G214R多态性可能不是新疆哈萨克族脑梗塞发病的遗传学危险因素。