一种高效的单质粒模式四环素诱导表达系统的构建

现有的四环素诱导调控系统基于两个单独的质粒分别表达反式结合蛋白和外源基因.其缺点是在建立转基因定量表达动物模型时,需要制备和维持两个动物品系,再进行杂交才有可能获得双转基因后代,步骤繁琐,难度较大.针对上述缺陷,本研究尝试将反式蛋白rtTA表达框和低背景响应元件Ptight组装到同一个载体上,构建为严谨型单载体模式的诱导表达系统pTRE-Tight-rtTA,并通过两种报告基因的表达对其调控活性进行了研究.含有荧光素酶和绿色荧光蛋白的pTRE-Tight-rtTA-Luc和pTRE-Tight-rtTA-EGFP报告载体分别转染猪肾PK15细胞并经强力霉素处理,均可成功诱导报告基因的定量表达.在等摩尔转染条件下,单载体系统的诱导效率明显高于双载体系统（Dox-1 000 ng,10 倍;Dox-10 000 ng,8 倍）.该诱导型单载体系统的成功构建为外源基因的定量表达提供了新手段,为转基因定量表达动物模型的研究提供了新策略.     

大鼠髓核细胞原代培养及表型鉴定

目的:探讨Ⅱ型胶原酶联合透明质酸酶消化分离培养髓核细胞及免疫细胞化学表型鉴定的可行性。方法:无菌条件下分离SD大鼠凝胶状髓核,采用Ⅱ型胶原酶联合透明质酸酶消化分离髓核细胞并连续培养,倒置相差显微镜下观察,随后进行免疫细胞化学染色检测不同代次髓核细胞HIF-1、Ⅰ、Ⅱ型胶原、MMP2及蛋白聚糖的表达情况,并给予MTT法测定髓核细胞生长曲线。结果:Ⅱ型胶原酶联合透明质酸酶分离培养原代髓核细胞需要12 d左右贴壁,达95%融合需要34 d,而传代髓核细胞贴壁速率明显增快至10 h,且其倍增时间约为2.5 d;免疫细胞化学显示髓核细胞均表达HIF-1、Ⅰ、Ⅱ型胶原、MMP2和蛋白聚糖,且随着髓核细胞传代其HIF-1α、HIF-1β、Ⅰ型胶原及MMP2表达均增加,但Ⅱ型胶原表达降低,而蛋白聚糖表达无明显差异;MTT法显示随着髓核细胞传代其增殖有所减缓。结论:Ⅱ型胶原酶联合透明质酸酶可成功分离髓核细胞,提高培养效率,且HIF-1α、HIF-1β、Ⅰ、Ⅱ型胶原及MMP2可作为髓核细胞表型分子用于髓核细胞的鉴定。     

Aquaporin 1 - a novel player in spinal cord injury

The role of water channel aquaporin 1 (AQP-1) in uninjured or injured spinal cords is unknown. AQP-1 is weakly expressed in neurons and gray matter astrocytes, and more so in white matter astrocytes in uninjured spinal cords, a novel finding. As reported before, AQP-1 is also present in ependymal cells, but most abundantly in small diameter sensory fibers of the dorsal horn. Rat contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) induced persistent and significant four- to eightfold increases in AQP-1 levels at the site of injury (T10) persisting up to 11 months post-contusion, a novel finding. Delayed AQP-1 increases were also found in cervical and lumbar segments, suggesting the spreading of AQP-1 changes over time after SCI. Given that the antioxidant melatonin significantly decreased SCI-induced AQP-1 increases and that hypoxia inducible factor-1α was increased in acutely and chronically injured spinal cords, we propose that chronic hypoxia contributes to persistent AQP-1 increases after SCI. Interestingly; AQP-1 levels were not affected by long-lasting hypertonicity that significantly increased astrocytic AQP-4, suggesting that the primary role of AQP-1 is not regulating isotonicity in spinal cords. Based on our results we propose possible novel roles for AQP-1 in the injured spinal cords: (i) in neuronal and astrocytic swelling, as AQP-1 was increased in all surviving neurons and reactive astrocytes after SCI and (ii) in the development of the neuropathic pain after SCI. We have shown that decreased AQP-1 in melatonin-treated SCI rats correlated with decreased AQP-1 immunolabeling in the dorsal horns sensory afferents, and with significantly decreased mechanical allodynia, suggesting a possible link between AQP-1 and chronic neuropathic pain after SCI.     

CONDITIONAL PRODUCTION OF A FUNCTIONAL FISH GROWTH HORMONE IN THE TRANSGENIC LINE OF NANNOCHLOROPSIS OCULATA (EUSTIGMATOPHYCEAE)1

Plasmid phr‐YPGHc, containing the fish growth hormone (GH) cDNA driven by a heat shock protein 70A promoter and a RUBISCO SSU 2 promoter, was transferred into the protoplast of marine microalga Nannochloropsis oculata (Droop) D. J. Hibberd by electroporation. Four transgenic clones were obtained in which the transferred phr‐YPGHc was integrated into the genome and existed stably at least until the 50th generation. When we treated these transgenic microalgae by heat shock, the heterologous fish GH was produced in the amount of 0.42 to 0.27 μg · mL^?1 from the 50 mL of medium. We incubated artemia with the wildtype and transgenic N. oculata for 6 h and then fed these microalgae‐treated artemia to red‐tilapia larvae. After feeding, the growth of larvae that were fed artemia incubated with transgenic microalgae was greater (i.e., statistically significant: P < 0.05) than that of larvae that were fed artemia incubated with nontransgenic microalgae: 316% versus 104% in weight gain, and 217% versus 146% in body length increase, respectively. Therefore, the N. oculata enables production of functional GH, and we propose that it might be an excellent bioreactor material.     

Predator-induced changes in morphology of a prey fish: the effects of food level and temporal frequency of predation risk

In a series of experiments, we investigated the effects of food availability and risk frequency on the dynamics of predator-induced changes in growth and morphology of prey fish using goldfish (Carassius auratus) as our test species. In experiment 1, we fed goldfish high or low food rations and exposed them to either alarm cues from conspecifics, cues from swordtails or a water control. After 60 days, goldfish in the alarm cue treatment significantly increased their body depth and body weight but had smaller body length than goldfish exposed to swordtails cues or water, likely reducing their vulnerability to gape-limited predators. Importantly, food level had an impact on the amplitude of the morphological changes. In experiment 2, goldfish were exposed to two different frequencies of predation cues or a water control for 50 days. The cues were either continued or discontinued from day 51 to 100, and all cues were resumed from day 101 to 150. We found that goldfish exposed to predation cues increased their depth and weight at a faster rate than did the goldfish exposed to water, and of particular significance was the fact that frequency of risk had an effect on the amplitude of the change. When the cues were interrupted, the increase in growth rate parameters was reduced to the level of the goldfish exposed to water. However, when the cues were resumed, the rate increased to match the growth rate of the goldfish that were continuously exposed to the cues. Finally, we staged encounters between goldfish of differing morphologies and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and found that deep-bodied goldfish had better survival than the shallow-bodied ones. These experiments illustrate the dynamic nature of inducible morphological defences.     

铁过载促进小鼠肝组织发生蛋白质酪氨酸硝化

蛋白质酪氨酸硝化是一种蛋白质翻译后的修饰,其存在会影响酶的催化活性,细胞信号转导和细胞骨架结构．在铁过载情况下,存在引起蛋白质酪氨酸硝化的有利环境,但目前尚无实验证实．本文运用腹腔注射右旋糖苷铁造成小鼠铁过载模型,通过免疫印迹法发现,在铁过载情况下,肝中诱导型一氧化氮合酶表达显著高于正常对照小鼠;铁过载小鼠肝中总体蛋白质硝化程度高于正常小鼠;铁过载引起的蛋白质酪氨酸硝化有一定的选择性,在铁过载小鼠肝中发现一些新的被硝化蛋白质条带（约 57 kD、 35 kD）．上述结果证实,铁过载会促进肝蛋白质酪氨酸硝化．     

电针诱导心肌缺血大鼠延髓头端腹外侧区nNOS和iNOS差异表达

许多研究表明,延髓头端腹外侧区(rostral ventrolateml medulla,RVLM)的NO/NOS系统参与心血管活动的中枢调节.本实验以结扎Wistar大鼠左冠状动脉前降支法建立急性心肌缺血(acute myocardial ischemia,AMI)动物模型,观察针刺"内关"穴改善AMI大鼠的心功能作用,同时检测大鼠RVLM区神经元型一氧化氮合酶(neuronal nitric oxide synthase,nNOS)和诱导型一氧化氮合酶(inducible nitric oxide synthase,iNOS)表达的变化,进而探讨针刺治疗AMI的中枢机制.实验观察显示,AMI大鼠心功能各项指标减弱,伴随外周血去甲肾上腺素(norepinephrine,NE)和脑钠肽(brain natriuretic peptide,BNP)水平显著升高,同时RVLM区nNOS阳性神经元数和nNOS mRNA表达升高,而iNOS水平则降低.针刺"内关"穴(Pe 6)(每天30 min,连续5天)改善心功能,降低AMI大鼠血清中NE和BNP的水平,同时升高iNOS并降低nNOS在RVLM的表达.以上结果提示,针刺治疗心肌缺血的同时可以调节iNOS/NO和nNOS/NO在RVLM的变化,这可能与针刺通过调节RVLM区的NO含量进而降低交感传出,从而改善AMI大鼠的心功能有关.     

Regulation of CREB-mediated gene expression by salt inducible kinase

Salt inducible kinase (SIK) was identified as a molecule induced in the adrenal glands of rats fed with a high-salt diet. A major downstream of SIK is regulation of camp-responsive element (CRE)-dependent gene expression. SIK represses the activity of CRE-binding protein (CREB) by phosphorylating a CREB-specific co-activator transducer of regulated CREB activity (TORC). When TORC is dephosphorylated it activates CREB in a CREB-phosphorylation independent manner. The importance of the dephosphorylation of TORC has been suggested by the fact that a kinase inhibitor staurosporine induces dephosphorylation of TORC and upregulates the gene expression of CYP11A, CYP11B1, CYP11B2 and StAR in adrenocortical cells. The identification of SIK caused a stir in the field of CREB studies and led to disclosure of cascades hidden behind the classical mechanism for CREB activity.     

大麦β-1，3-葡聚糖酶基因（GIII）启动子在转基因水稻中的诱导表达

将大麦β-1,3-葡聚糖酶同功酶基因(GIII)启动子(PGIII)与其报告基因gus(β-葡聚糖酸醛苷酶基因)耦联,构建植物表达载体,通过衣杆菌介导法转化水稻。PCR、DNA印迹法结果显示,构建的pGIII-gus表达载体已整合到水稻基因组DNA中。GUS组织化学染色、RNA印迹法及荧光法结果显示,该启动子驱动的gus在水稻叶片中为低水平表达;而用水扬酸(SA)与稻瘟菌来源的激发子处理,可诱导gus的高水平表达。T1代种子的GUS组织化学染色结果也表明,SA与激发子可以诱导高水平的PGIII活性。这些结果表明PGIII是一种强诱导型启动子,并可能是一种病原菌诱导型的启动子。