Three new insertion sequence elements ISLdl2, ISLdl3, and ISLdl4 in Lactobacillus delbrueckii: isolation,molecular characterization,and potential use for strain identification

A group of new insertion sequence (IS) elements, ISLdl2, ISLdl3, and ISLdl4, from Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis ATCC 15808 was isolated, characterized, and used for strain identification together with ISLdl1, recently characterized as an L. delbrueckii IS element belonging to the ISL3 family. ISLdl2 was 1367 bp in size and had a 24 bp IR and an 8 bp DR. The single ORF of ISLdl2 encoded a protein of 392 aa similar to transposases of the IS256 family. ISLdl3 had a single ORF encoding a protein of 343 aa similar to transposases of the IS30 family. Finally, ISLdl4 had a single ORF encoding a protein of 406 aa and displayed homology to the transposases of the IS110 family. ISLdl4 was only slight different from ISL4 (Accession No. AY040213). ISLdl1, ISLdl2, and ISLdl4 were present in all of the 10 L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis and subsp. delbrueckii strains tested, as well as in three of the 11 L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains tested. ISLdl3 was present only in four closely related strains of L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis. These IS elements were not observed in Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, or Lactobacillus plantarum. A cluster of IS elements, ISLdl1, ISLdl2, ISLdl3, ISLdl4, and ISL6, was observed in L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis strain ATCC 15808. Within this cluster, ISLdl4 was inserted into ISLdl1 between the left IR and the start codon of ORF455, encoding a putative transposase. Most of the integration sites of the IS elements were strain-specific. We have observed that IS elements can migrate from one strain to another as integral parts of bacterial DNA by using phage LL-H as a vehicle. We demonstrate for the first time that inverse PCR and vectorette PCR methods with primers based on sequences of the IS elements could be used for identification of L. delbrueckii strains.     

基于Cre/loxP系统的睾丸组织特异性敲除Elovl4基因小鼠模型的构建及敲除效率检测

极长链多不饱和脂肪酸(very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids,VLC-PUFAs)是哺乳动物视网膜、睾丸等极少数组织中特有的脂肪酸,其生物合成的关键酶为极长链脂肪酸延长酶4(very long chain fatty acid elongase 4,Elovl4)。建立组织特异性敲除Elovl4基因的动物模型有利于深入研究VLC-PUFAs的生物学功能,因此,本研究基于Cre/loxP系统,先分别构建了Stra8-Cre小鼠和Elovl4 floxed小鼠,通过杂交获得(Elovl4[flox/+],Stra8-Cre)杂合子基因敲除小鼠,再选择雌鼠与Elovl4 floxed纯合子雄鼠即Elovl4 [flox/flox]雄鼠杂交,通过基因型鉴定筛选获得(Elovl4[flox/flox], Stra8-Cre)纯合子小鼠。利用RT-PCR、qRT-PCR、Western blotting、免疫组化和免疫荧光检测Elovl4在睾丸组织中的敲除效率,结果表明,无论是杂合子还是纯合子基因敲除小鼠,其睾丸组织中Elovl4的表达在mRNA及蛋白水平显著下调,但其他组织未受影响。本研究成功构建了睾丸组织特异性敲除Elovl4基因小鼠,为后续研究VLC-PUFAs对雄性小鼠生殖功能的影响及相关分子机制提供可靠的动物模型。     

rhIL-12二硫键、N-糖基化位点及C端氨基酸序列分析

重组人白细胞介素12（rhIL-12）是一种已经用于治疗肿瘤,寄生虫、病毒性感染及造血障碍等疾病研究的异二聚体糖蛋白。结构确证是质量控制的重要内容,此研究对CHO细胞表达的rhIL-12二硫键配对方式、N-糖基化位点以及C端氨基酸序列进行了分析,使用Trypsin、Chymotrypsin和Glu-C三种酶分别对rhIL-12进行非还原酶解,尽可能地在其所有半胱氨酸残基之间断裂而形成二硫键相连的肽段,然后使用LC-MS/MS对酶解后的肽段样品进行分析,确定了rhIL-12样品中存在和理论配对方式相符的7对二硫键。将rhIL-12二硫键还原后并烷基化修饰保护,分别采用Trypsin,Chymotrypsin和GluC进行酶解,并用LC-MS/MS对酶解后肽段进行了质谱肽图及C端氨基酸序列分析,确定了rhIL-12 p35亚基C端氨基酸序列的8个氨基酸、p40亚基C端氨基酸序列的15个氨基酸。对rhIL-12样品还原及烷基化后用Trypsin变性酶解,所得肽段在H₂O及H₂¹⁸O水中分别用PNGase F糖苷酶处理酶切产物。并通过二级质谱分析脱糖后糖肽段分子量变化,从而确定了rhIL-12的3个N糖基化修饰位点,分别为p35亚基的71位和85位以及p40亚基的200位。通过建立酶解结合二级质谱鉴定的方法,证明了新药rhIL-12的二硫键位点、C端氨基酸序列和糖基化位点与理论一致。     

Plasmodium vivax: molecular cloning, expression and characterization of glutathione S-transferase

Malaria parasite glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are postulated to be essential for parasite survival by protecting the parasite against oxidative stress and buffering the detoxification of heme-binding compounds; therefore, GSTs are considered potential targets for drug development. In this study, we identified a Plasmodium vivax gene encoding GST (PvGST) and characterized the biochemical properties of the recombinant enzyme. The PvGST contained 618 bp that encoded 205 amino acids and shared a significant degree of sequence identity with GSTs from other Plasmodium species. The recombinant homodimeric enzyme had an approximate molecular mass of 50kDa and exhibited GSH-conjugating and GSH-peroxidase activities towards various model substrates. The optimal pH for recombinant PvGST (rPvGST) activity was pH 8.0, and the enzyme was moderately unstable at 37 degrees C. The K(m) values of rPvGST with respect to GSH and CDNB were 0.17+/-0.09 and 2.1+/-0.4mM, respectively. The significant sequence homology and similar biochemical properties of PvGST and Plasmodium falciparum GST (PfGST) indicate that they may have similar molecular structures. This information may be useful for the design of specific inhibitors for plasmodial GSTs as potential antimalarial drugs.     

A neural network model of attention-modulated neurodynamics

Visual attention appears to modulate cortical neurodynamics and synchronization through various cholinergic mechanisms. In order to study these mechanisms, we have developed a neural network model of visual cortex area V4, based on psychophysical, anatomical and physiological data. With this model, we want to link selective visual information processing to neural circuits within V4, bottom-up sensory input pathways, top-down attention input pathways, and to cholinergic modulation from the prefrontal lobe. We investigate cellular and network mechanisms underlying some recent analytical results from visual attention experimental data. Our model can reproduce the experimental findings that attention to a stimulus causes increased gamma-frequency synchronization in the superficial layers. Computer simulations and STA power analysis also demonstrate different effects of the different cholinergic attention modulation action mechanisms.     

The in vivo construction of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol assimilatory bacteria

Pseudomonas sp. N31 was isolated from soil using 3-nitrophenol and succinate as sole source of nitrogen and carbon respectively. The strain expresses a nitrophenol oxygenase and can use either 2-nitrophenol or 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol as a source of nitrogen, eliminating nitrite, and accumulating catechol and 4-chlorocatechol, respectively. The catechols were not degraded further. Strains which are able to utilize 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen were constructed by transfer of the haloaromatic degrading sequences from either Pseudomonas sp. B13 or Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134 (pJP4) to strain N31. Transconjugant strains constructed using JMP134 as the donor strain grew on 3-chlorobenzoate but not on 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate. This was due to the non-induction of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate monooxygenase and 2,4-dichlorophenol hydroxylase. Transfer of the plasmid from the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate negative transconjugant strains to a cured strain of JMP134 resulted in strains which also had the same phenotype. This indicates that a mutation has occurred in pJP4 to prevent the expression of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate monooxygenase and 2,4-dichlorophenol hydroxylase.     

利用环形染色体构象捕获技术对Bci11b基因座位在细胞核内空间组织的研究

环形染色体构象捕获（4c）技术实现了在全基因组范围内捕获与4c靶位点发生相互作用的基因座位,因而通过4C相关技术可以进一步研究靶基因座位在细胞核内的空间组织形式。该文以ABclllb基因座位作为4C分析的靶位点,通过优化4C分析的反向巢式PCR扩增条件,实现4C分析PCR的高效扩增：并通过有限克隆筛选与普通测序分析相结合的方法,在全基因组范围内捕获到一些与BcHlb基因座位发生潜在相互作用的基因座位。这些基因座位与靶位点间的相互作用既有发生在相同染色体内的,也有发生在不同染色体之间的。这些基因座位间的相互作用表明了Bclllb基因座位在细胞核内复杂的空间组织形式。     

抗芽殖酵母端粒G4-DNA结构的单克隆抗体和基因工程单链抗体片段的制备和定性研究

大多数真核生物端粒3'末端由富含鸟苷酸的重复序列组成,并可以在体外形成四链G4- DNA结构。为了解这种结构是否在体内存在,本文中我们以芽殖酵母作为研究对象,将G4-DNA作为抗原免疫BALB／c小鼠,制备抗G4-DNA的单克隆抗体,结果显示该抗体能够特异性识别富含鸟苷酸重复序列DNA。为了提高抗体的特异性,我们通过基因工程制备抗体:利用RT-PCR的方法,得到抗体重链和轻链可变区的基因,然后克隆到载体pET22b中得到表达质粒pET22b-scFv,转入大肠杆菌进行表达。在细胞周质中我们检测并纯化到了目的基因的表达产物。另外,我们还利用该基因序列进行了初步的结构分析。基因工程抗体在大肠杆菌中的成功表达及结构分析为今后利用该抗体进行定点突变来研制高特异性和亲和力的抗G4-DNA抗体奠定了基础。     

小型猪葡萄糖转运子4外显子4a的基因多态性分析

目的分析我国特有的3个小型猪品系巴马小型猪、中国农大小型猪、五指山小型猪葡萄糖转运子4基因外显子4a的单核苷酸多态性（SNPs）分布特点,为我国小型猪在糖尿病和代谢性疾病研究中提供基础资料。方法以3个品系小型猪基因组DNA为模板,应用特异性引物进行PCR扩增,扩增产物纯化测序,进行BLAST比对分析。结果在小型猪GLUT-4基因外显子4a上有2个SNP位点：SNP1：GCT→GCC（Ala133 Ala）,3个品系均发生了变化,均为纯合突变,其突变率为（22/22,100%）。SNP2：GGC→GGT（Gly146 Gly）,巴马小型猪突变率为（6/6,100%）,均为纯合突变;五指山小型猪突变率为（6/6,100%）,均为纯合突变;中国农大小型猪突变率为（10/10,100%）,其中包括6例纯合突变（6/10,60%）和4例杂合突变（4/10,40%）。结论SNPs1,在所有测定的小型猪品系中检出,这可能是所测小型猪的共有特征。SNPs2可能是小型猪品系之间的差异。     

H-13木霉对水稻硝酸还原酶及氮、磷、钾的影响

采用离子束对哈茨木霉进行注入并筛选出H-13菌株,该菌株发酵液含有对水稻生长有显促进作用的物质;经对喷施该菌株发酵液后的水稻硝酸还原酶(NR)活力及其N、P和K含量的测定,发现该菌株发酵液促进水稻生长与提高NR活力、增强对N、P和K的吸收有关。