长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)在氧化型低密度脂蛋白诱导血管内皮细胞损伤中表达谱的变化

目的:探讨长链非编码RNA(long noncoding RNA,lnc RNA)在氧化型低密度脂蛋白(oxidized low-density lipoprotein,ox-LDL)诱导的损伤人脐静脉内皮细胞(human umbilical vein endothelial cells,HUVEC)与正常HUVEC中表达谱的差异。方法:采用lnc RNA芯片检测ox-LDL诱导的损伤HUVEC与正常HUVEC中lncRNA及mRNA的表达差异,筛选出HUVEC损伤相关的lncRNA。结果:相对于正常HUVEC,在ox-LDL诱导的损伤HUVEC中表达上调和下调超过2倍的lncRNAs和m RNAs分别有139种和113种,上调和下调超过4倍的lncRNAs和mRNAs分别有35种和28种。结论:与正常HUVEC比较,ox-LDL诱导的损伤HUVEC中lncRNA的表达谱显著变化,lncRNA可能在血管内皮细胞损伤过程中发挥一定作用。     

PEI-CS/siRNA复合颗粒对肝癌耐药细胞BEL7402/5-FU中MRE11表达的影响

目的:探讨聚乙烯亚胺-壳聚糖(PEI-CS)/si RNA复合颗粒对肝癌耐药细胞BEL7402/5-FU中MRE11表达的影响。方法:采用复凝聚法将PEI-CS(100μg/m L)与不同浓度的MRE11 si RNA-FAM形成PEI-CS/si RNA复合颗粒,并转染BEL7402/5-FU细胞,用荧光显微镜和Real-time PCR检测转染效率和沉默效率。结果:荧光显微镜观察结果显示:转染细胞48 h后,3.125、6.25、12.5、25、50μg/m L的si RNA与PEI-CS形成的复合颗粒的转染率分别为62.31%、76.09%、79.99%、86.49%、96.59%。转染细胞48、72、96 h后,12.5μg/m L的si RNA与PEI-CS形成的复合颗粒的转染率分别为78.22%、55.76%、42.85%,25μg/m L的si RNA与PEI-CS形成的复合颗粒的转染率分别为83.67%、74.23%、67.45%。Real-time PCR检测结果显示:25μg/m L的si RNA与PEI-CS形成的复合颗粒转染48小时后,对BEL7402/5-FU细胞中MRE11基因的沉默效率为35.4%。结论:聚乙烯亚胺-壳聚糖/si RAN复合颗粒能有效转染肝癌耐药细胞Bel7402/5-FU,并对BEL7402/5-FU细胞中MRE11基因表达有一定抑制作用。     

An RNA chaperone,AtCSP2, negatively regulates salt stress tolerance

Cold shock domain (CSD) proteins are RNA chaperones that destabilize RNA secondary structures. Arabidopsis Cold Shock Domain Protein 2 (AtCSP2), one of the 4 CSD proteins (AtCSP1-AtCSP4) in Arabidopsis, is induced during cold acclimation but negatively regulates freezing tolerance. Here, we analyzed the function of AtCSP2 in salt stress tolerance. A double mutant, with reduced AtCSP2 and no AtCSP4 expression (atcsp2–3 atcsp4–1), displayed higher survival rates after salt stress. In addition, overexpression of AtCSP2 resulted in reduced salt stress tolerance. These data demonstrate that AtCSP2 acts as a negative regulator of salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.     

Different Dicer-like protein components required for intracellular and systemic antiviral silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana

Eukaryotes employ RNA silencing as an innate defense system against invading viruses. Dicer proteins play the most crucial role in initiating this antiviral pathway as they recognize and process incoming viral nucleic acids into small interfering RNAs. Generally, 2 successive infection stages constitute viral infection in plants. First, the virus multiplies in initially infected cells or organs after viral transmission and then the virus subsequently spreads systemically through the vasculature to distal plant tissues or organs. Thus, antiviral silencing in plants must cope with both local and systemic invasion of viruses. In a recent study using 2 sets of different experiments, we clearly demonstrated the differential requirement for Dicer-like 4 (DCL4) and DCL2 proteins in the inhibition of intracellular and systemic infection by potato virus X in Arabidopsis thaliana. Taken together with the results of other studies, here we further discuss the functional specificity of DCL proteins in the antiviral silencing pathway.     

InSAC: A novel sub-nuclear body essential for Interleukin-6 and -10 RNA processing and stability

Dysregulation of cytokine expression causes inflammatory diseases or chronic infection conditions. We have identified that Tat-activating regulatory DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is involved in cytokine RNA processing in order to promote an optimal immune response. The interaction of TDP-43 with spliceosomal components from the Cajal body leads to the formation of a novel sub-nuclear body called the Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 Splicing Activating Compartment (InSAC). TDP-43 binds to the IL-6 and IL-10 RNAs in a sequence-dependent manner. In cell-based studies, we observed that lipopoly-saccharide (LPS) stimulation induces the formation of the InSAC through TDP-43 ubiquitination, thereby influencing the processing and expression levels of IL-6 RNA. Moreover, TDP-43 knockdown in vivo results in a decrease in IL-6 production and its RNA splicing and stability. Thus, these findings demonstrate that the InSAC is linked to the activation and modulation of the immune response. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(5): 239-240]     

油茶CoSAD基因载体的构建、鉴定及功能分析

为揭示油茶( Camellia oleifera Abel)硬脂酰-ACP脱饱和酶( SAD)基因(即CoSAD基因)的功能,构建了该基因的原核表达载体pET28b-CoSAD、植物表达载体pBI121-CoSAD和RNA干扰载体pBI121-CoSAD RNAi,并采用PCR扩增及双酶切方法对3类载体进行鉴定;在此基础上,对原核表达载体中的CoSAD基因进行诱导表达分析,并对pBI121-CoSAD转化的拟南芥〔Arabidopsis thaliana ( Linn.) Heynh.〕sad突变体植株和pBI121-CoSAD RNAi转化的拟南芥野生型植株进行转基因鉴定和主要脂肪酸成分含量分析。 PCR扩增和双酶切结果显示：从 pET28b-CoSAD、pBI121-CoSAD和pBI121-CoSAD RNAi 载体的阳性克隆中均可获得目的条带,表明这3类载体均构建成功;用1 mmol·L-1 IPTG分别诱导0.5、1.0、2.0、3.0、4.0和5.0 h,CoSAD基因均能够在pET28b-CoSAD转化的大肠杆菌BL21感受态细胞中正常表达,能够获得与预测结果相符的相对分子质量约47000的特异目的蛋白条带,且蛋白活性随诱导时间的延长而升高。从pBI121-CoSAD转化的拟南芥突变体植株和pBI121-CoSAD RNAi转化的拟南芥野生型植株中也均可扩增出目的条带。 GC-MS分析结果显示：与拟南芥野生型植株相比,其突变体植株的硬脂酸和棕榈酸含量较高、油酸和棕榈油酸含量较低;但突变体植株经pBI121-CoSAD转化后,硬脂酸和棕榈酸含量降低而油酸和棕榈油酸含量提高;野生型植株经过pBI121-CoSAD RNAi转化后,硬脂酸和棕榈酸含量提高、油酸和棕榈油酸含量降低,表明pBI121-CoSAD转化能够促进拟南芥sad突变体植株体内饱和脂肪酸向不饱和脂肪酸转化,而pBI121-CoSAD RNAi转化对拟南芥SAD基因的表达有明显的抑制作用,这2种重组质粒均可影响拟南芥植株的脂肪酸含量。研究结果表明：油茶CoSAD基因具有调控饱和脂肪酸(硬脂酸和棕榈酸)向不饱和脂肪酸(油酸和棕榈油酸)转化的功能,对茶油的脂肪酸组成具有关键的调控作用。     

Determination of relative rate constants for in vitro RNA processing reactions by internal competition

Studies of RNA recognition and catalysis typically involve measurement of rate constants for reactions of individual RNA sequence variants by fitting changes in substrate or product concentration to exponential or linear functions. A complementary approach is determination of relative rate constants by internal competition, which involves quantifying the time-dependent changes in substrate or product ratios in reactions containing multiple substrates. Here, we review approaches for determining relative rate constants by analysis of both substrate and product ratios and illustrate their application using the in vitro processing of precursor transfer RNA (tRNA) by ribonuclease P as a model system. The presence of inactive substrate populations is a common complicating factor in analysis of reactions involving RNA substrates, and approaches for quantitative correction of observed rate constants for these effects are illustrated. These results, together with recent applications in the literature, indicate that internal competition offers an alternate method for analyzing RNA processing kinetics using standard molecular biology methods that directly quantifies substrate specificity and may be extended to a range of applications.