Differential distribution of the P1 and P2 protamine gene sequences in eutherian and marsupial mammals and a monotreme

At the protein level, the P1 protamine is the predominant form of mammalian protamine, present in all mammalian spermatozoa analyzed to date. An additional variant, the P2 protamine, has been detected only in spermatozoa of the mouse, hamster and human. Southern blot analysis of a group of restriction enzyme-digested mammalian DNAs has revealed the presence of sequences homologous to the P1 and the P2 mouse protamine genes in diverse species. In agreement with protein studies, nucleotide sequences homologous to the mouse P1 protamine cDNA are widespread, being present in the genomic DNAs of human, rat, dog, ram, horse, bull, hamster, baboon, flying fox (megabat), microbat, boar, North American opossum, and wallaby. Although we detect genomic sequences with strong homology to the mouse protamine 2 cDNA in rat and hamster, we also find weaker but reproducible hybridization to the genomic DNA of human, boar, dog, bull, microbat, wallaby, and platypus. With the exception of the human, the P2 protamine has not been detected in the spermatozoa of these latter species.     

小鼠胚胎附植前后瘦素长型受体在下丘脑及消化器官的表达

目的对长型瘦素受体在雌性昆明鼠生殖周期中的表达情况进行研究。方法采用蛋白免疫印迹实验方法对下丘脑、胃、十二指肠组织中的瘦素受体进行了分析,并用免疫组织化学染色法对雌性KM鼠生殖周期不同阶段的下丘脑、胃、十二指肠组织中表达的瘦素长型受体进行定位分析。结果与结论瘦素受体六个亚型的分子量大约分别为(120、90、77、66.2、54、47)×103;下丘脑神经元胞质中有棕褐色阳性颗粒,且数目随妊娠日龄增加而增加;胃底腺中下部分胞质和细胞核有棕褐色阳性颗粒,且阳性率随妊娠日龄的增加而增加;十二指肠腺中胞质和细胞核有棕褐色阳性颗粒,且阳性率随妊娠日龄的增加而增加。     

烟草天蛾几丁质酶的表达、纯化及多克隆抗体制备

将烟草天蛾Manduca sexta几丁质酶基因克隆入融合表达载体pET-28a,并在大肠杆菌E.coli BL21(DE3)中进行诱导表达。表达菌株经0.5 mmol/L IPTG诱导6～8 h后,几丁质酶表达并形成包涵体。在Ni²⁺-NTA亲和柱上经变、复性和纯化,得到可溶的几丁质酶。表达产物经Western 印迹鉴定。采用切胶回收的方法切割回收包涵体,并将回收产物免疫新西兰大白兔,ELISA检测抗体效价达1∶20 000。Western 印迹检测证明抗体特异性良好。     

Kozak序列+4G提高绿色荧光蛋白在HEK293细胞中的表达

构建含不同Kozak序列的绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)基因真核表达载体, 并检测它们在HEK293细胞中的表达差异。 通过设计突变的PCR引物改变目的基因GFP的Kozak序列, +4 位碱基分别为A和G, 且不改变氨基酸编码, 将PCR扩增的GFP片段与载体pcDNA3.1进行酶切、连接、转化、鉴定。成功构建的pHGFP-A, pHGFP-G质粒采用脂质体法转染HEK293细胞, 荧光显微镜下观察绿色荧光表达, 流式细胞术检测目的蛋白GFP的荧光表达阳性率, Western blot检测目的蛋白GFP的表达。构建的两质粒均能有效转染 HEK293细胞, 其中流式细胞术分析显示: pHGFP-A组GFP阳性率约为15%, pHGFP-G组GFP阳性率约为45%; Western blot 显示pHGFP-G的GFP表达量约为pHGFP-A的GFP表达量3.87倍。结果表明, Kozak序列+4G(?3位为嘌呤碱基时)在蛋白表达中发挥重要作用, 可以使绿色荧光蛋白GFP在HEK293细胞中的表达量提高约4倍。     

Astroglial-Conditioned Media and Growth Factors Modulate Proliferation and Differentiation of Astrocytes in Primary Culture

Astroglial conditioned media (ACM) influence the development and maturation of cultured nerve cells and modulate neuron-glia interaction. To clarify mechanisms of astroglial cell proliferation/differentiation in culture, incorporation of [methyl-³H]-thymidine or [5,6-³H]-uridine in cultured astrocytes was assessed. Cultures were pre-treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin (INS), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and subsequently with ACM. DNA labeling revealed a marked stimulatory effect of ACM from 15 days in vitro (DIV) cultures in 30 DIV astrocytes after12 h pre-treatment with growth factors. The main effects were found after INS or EGF pre-treatment in 30 DIV cultures. ACM collected from 15 or 60 or 90 DIV increased RNA labeling of 15 and 30 DIV astrocyte cultures, being the highest value that of 30 DIV cultures added with ACM from 90 DIV. The findings of increased DNA labeling after EGF or INS pre-treatment in 30 DIV cultures, followed by addition of ACM from 15 DIV cultures, suggest that these phenomena may depend by extra cellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) activation.     

Expression of swelling- and/or pH-regulated chloride channels (ClC-2, 3, 4 and 5) in human leukemic and normal immune cells

Chloride channels on immune cells reportedly play important roles in cell volume regulation, cell proliferation and immune functions, but they are not well characterized at the molecular level. We examined the expression of swelling-and/or pH-regulated chloride channels (ClC-2, 3, 4 and 5) in human leukemic cell lines [Jurkat and Hut-78 (T cells), Raji and Daudi (B cells), K-562 and HL-60 (myeloid cells)] and T cells, B cells and neutrophils from 8 normal subjects to clarify the difference of their expression among different cell types and maturity. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis showed that ClC-3 was most abundantly expressed in all cells regardless of the cell types and maturity, while expression of ClC-2 was weak in these cells. Expression of ClC-4 was observed mainly in leukemic B cell lines, and in B cells and neutrophils from normal subjects. ClC-5 was expressed in all cell lines, while it was observed in only T and B cells but not in neutrophils from normal subjects. Thus, these chloride channels (ClC-2, 3, 4 and 5) showed distinct distribution among human immune cells, suggesting that they have specific roles in these cells. Molecular identification of chloride channels in leukocytes of different types and maturity may provide a new approach for the treatment of leukemia.     

E-cadherin 在宫颈上皮内瘤变及宫颈癌中的表达及其与高危型HPV感染的相关性

目的:研究各级宫颈上皮内瘤变(CIN)及宫颈癌组织中E-cadherin的表达及其与高危型人乳头瘤病毒(high risk human papillomavirus,HR-HPV)感染的相关性探讨其在宫颈疾病发生、发展中的意义。方法:选取2008年1月至2014年12月我院收治的150例患者标本并将其分为CINⅠ级组、CINⅡ-Ⅲ级组及宫颈癌组用免疫组化法对E-cadherin的表达情况进行检测并于术前采用PCR-反向点杂交法检测患者高危型HPV感染情况所得结果:进行统计学分析。结果:(1)E-cadherin在CINⅠ级、CINⅡ-Ⅲ级及宫颈癌中的阳性表达率分别为40/50(80.0%),24/50(48.0%)、17/50(34.0%),随疾病的进展E-cadherin的表达明显减少,各组间差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。(2)高危型HPV在CINI级、CINⅡ-Ⅲ级及宫颈癌中的阳性感染率分别为21/50(42.0%)、38/50(76.0%),48/50(96.0%),各组间差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。(3)在CIN和宫颈癌中,HR-HPV阳性组中E-cadherin阳性率39.3%(42/107)低于HR-HPV阴性组中E-cadherin阳性率90.7%(39/43)(P0.05)。结论:E-cadherin的表达下降或缺失可能是HR-HPV导致宫颈癌发生、发展的机制之一。     

MRNA encoding a putative RNA helicase of the DEAD-box gene family is up-regulated in trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi

Differential display of mRNAs from Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote and metacyclic trypomastigote stages showed several mRNA species differing in their expression level. The cDNA corresponding to one of these mRNAs was used as a probe in Northern blots and identified a RNA product of 2.6 kb with an expression level eight or more times higher in trypomastigotes than in epimastigotes. This probe was also used to screen a genomic library of T. cruzi CL Brener clone prepared in lambda FIX. A clone of about 15 kb was selected that, after partial sequencing, revealed an open reading frame of 688 amino acids encoding a deduced protein with similarity to RNA helicases of the DEAD-box gene family. The presence of the eight conserved motifs characteristic of the DEAD protein family was observed in the T. cruzi sequence, indicating that it corresponds to a putative RNA helicase gene, which we named HelTc. Southern blot analysis indicated that HelTc is a single-copy gene. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis separation of chromosomes of several isolates of T. cruzi showed that this gene was localized in one or two chromosomal bands.