Asn-linked sugar chain structures of recombinant human thrombopoietin produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Human thrombopoietin (TPO) that regulates the numbers of megakaryocytes and platelets is a heavily N- and O-glycosylated glycoprotein hormone with partial homology to human erythropoietin (EPO). We prepared recombinant human TPO produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and analyzed the sugar chain structures quantitatively using 2-aminobenzamide labeling, sequential glycosidase digestion and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS).We found bi-, tri- and tetraantennary complex-type sugar chains with one or two N-acetyllactosamine repeats, which are common to recombinant human EPO produced in CHO cells. On the other hand, there were triantennary sugar chains with one or two N-acetyllactosamine repeats that were specific to the recombinant human TPO, and their distributions of branch structures were also different. These results suggested that proximal protein structure should determine the branch structure of Asn-linked sugar chains in addition to the glycosyltransferases subset.     

Screening of proteins that interact with human thrombopoietin receptor c-Mpl using yeast two-hybrid system

Thrombopoietin (TPO) is the major cytokine involved in platelet production and exerts its effects via the receptor c-Mpl. The yeast two-hybrid system has been used to screen the proteins interacting with c-Mpl. First, the cDNA fragment of c-Mpl intracellular domain was cloned into two-hybrid vector pAS2, and the resulting plasmid is designated as pASMM. Then a human placenta cDNA library was screened using the pASMM as a target plasmid. Seven positive clones were isolated from 150 000 independent transformants. Sequence analysis of one of the positive clones demonstrates that a part of coding sequence of vimentin from 611 bp to 3′ end and flanking non-translation region was obtained. Therefore, there is an interaction between vimentin and TPO receptor. The results suggest that cytoskeletal protein may play an important role in TPO signal transduction pathway.     

人血小板生成素(hTPO)全长 cDNA 克隆及在 CHO 细胞中的表达

以人胎肝ｍＲＮＡ为模板,采用ＲＴ-ＰＣＲ扩增了人ＴＰＯ编码区全长ｃＤＮＡ,全序列测定结果表明与国外报道序列一致;进而构建了ｐｃＤＮＡ３-ＴＰＯ永久表达载体,转染ＣＨＯ细胞后经Ｇ４１８加压筛选、ＴＰＯ表达稳定性等项指标测试,获得了稳定分泌ＴＰＯ的工程细胞株。     

重组人血小板生成素在大肠杆菌中表达的研究

采用化学法全合成了编码人血小板生成素（ｔｈｒｏｍｂｏｐｏｉｅｔｉｎ,ＴＰＯ）成熟肽Ｎ端１５３氨基酸的基因序列,构建基于该合成基因的表达质粒,结果以谷胱甘肽转硫酶－ＴＰＯ１５３（ＧＳＴ－ＴＰＯ１５３）融合蛋白的方式获得了占全菌蛋白４０％的高效表达．进一步采用ＰＣＲ方法分别对ＴＰＯ合成基因及ＴＰＯｃＤＮＡ的翻译起始区（ＴＩＲ）序列进行定点突变,以降低这一区域的Ｇ－Ｃ含量．将突变序列分别插入到ｐＢＶ２２０表达载体中,重组质粒在转化大肠杆菌ＪＭ１０９后,均获得了表达,其中ＴＩＲ区突变后的合成基因表达产物约占全菌蛋白的１５％．为研究基因下游结构对表达的影响,在不改变氨基酸组成的基础上,构建了ＴＰＯ合成基因与ＴＰＯｃＤＮＡ的杂合序列表达质粒．研究结果表明翻译起始效率是影响ｒｈ－ＴＰＯ在大肠杆菌中表达的重要因素之一,同时基因下游序列的组成对表达水平也会产生影响．     

血小板生成素诱导胎肝CD34~ 造血干/祖细胞增殖分化与周期蛋白表达的关系

为了解胚胎时期巨核细胞增殖分化特有的内在机制 ,本研究观察了在体外培养体系中 ,胎肝源CD3 4 造血干 /祖细胞在血小板生成素 (thrombopoietin ,TPO)作用下增殖分化特征与相关周期蛋白B1、D1和D3表达及细胞内水平变化的关系。结果发现 :( 1)经 12d培养后 ,TPO使胎肝源CD3 4 细胞数从 1× 0 5个细胞 /ml增加到 13 12± 4 0 6× 10 5个细胞 /ml,CD4 1 细胞增加到了 95 % ,CD3 4 细胞下降到了 3 % ,大部分细胞的DNA倍性为 2N ,少数为 4N ,无大于 4N巨核细胞 ,TPO对MegaCultTm C胶原半固体培养体系中胎肝源CD3 4 细胞形成CFU Mk集落产率的影响呈明显的剂量效应关系 ;( 2 )在整个培养期间 ,周期蛋白B1表达逐渐增加 ,并保持在一个高水平上 ,培养后期 ,高水平的周期蛋白B1出现在G1期细胞上 ;( 3 )周期蛋白D1和D3表达先增加 ,培养后期细胞内水平下降 ,且以G2期细胞为主。该结果提示 :( 1)TPO通过上调周期蛋白B1和在所有细胞周期时限上调周期蛋白D1和D3表达 ,促进巨核细胞祖细胞的增殖分化 ;( 2 )周期蛋白B1在G2 M期的持续高水平和周期蛋白D1和D3在G2 M期的水平下降 ,可能导致胎肝源巨核细胞核内有丝分裂延迟或阻滞。     

人促血小板生成素受体c-Mpl编码区全长cDNA的克隆及其稳定表达的细胞株的构建

以人HEL细胞总RNA为模板,采用RT-PCR方法扩增了人促血小板生成素受体c-Mpl编码区全长1.9kb cDNA,测序结果表明与已报道的序列一致。然后构建了c-mpl的pcDNA3表达载体pcMPL,转染不表达cmpl的K562细胞后,经G418抗性筛选,Northern blot和Southern blot检测证实获得稳定表达cmpl的细胞株。为进一步研究cMpl的生物学功能提供有用的实验材料。     

TPO内含子Ⅴ可显著增强人血小板生成素基因在乳腺细胞中的表达

人血小板生成素（thrombopoietin,TPO）基因组包括6个外显子和5个内含子,内含子在其表达过程中可能扮演着重要作用.为了研究人TPO基因组中不同内含子对TPO表达的影响,构建可在转基因动物乳腺中高水平表达人TPO的乳腺特异性表达质粒.本研究以65 kb的山羊β-casein启动子为调控元件,构建了包括人TPO cDNA(pTPOA)、TPO intronⅠ-TPO cDNA (pTPOB)、ΔTPO intronⅠ-TPO cDNA (pTPOC)、TPO intronⅤ-TPO cDNA (pTPOD)和TPO gDNA (pTPOE)等5种TPO乳腺特异性表达质粒,并在人乳腺细胞HC-11细胞上进行了瞬间表达研究.在转染48 h后,通过双抗体夹心的ELISA方法定量分析上述质粒在HC-11细胞上的表达水平.结果表明,含有内含子Ⅴ的 pTPOD的表达量最高,而含有整个基因组TPO的pTPOE表达水平最低.为了进一步证实pTPOD可在乳腺细胞中高水平表达,将pTPOD经脂质体包埋后注射到泌乳期山羊的乳腺中.结果显示,在山羊乳汁中可连续14 d检测到人TPO的表达.上述实验证实,人TPO基因组中的内含子V可显著提高TPO在HC-11细胞内的表达水平,并提示内含子Ⅴ中可能含有特殊的调控序列.     

Multiple conformational states of a new hematopoietic cytokine (megakaryocyte growth and development factor): pH- and urea-induced denaturation

The effect of pH and urea on the conformation of recombinant human megakaryocyte growth and development factor (rHuMGDF) was determined by circular dichroism, intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, and equilibrium ultracentrifugation. The conformation of rHuMGDF was dependent on pH and urea concentration. Multiple folding forms were evidenced by multiple pH-induced transitions and urea-induced equilibrium transitions that deviated from a simple two-state process. In neutral to alkaline pH, rHuMGDF exists as a monomer, but an acid-induced conformational state self-associates to form a soluble aggregate. A folding intermediate(s) was observed with a more stable secondary structure than tertiary structure and was dependent on the pH of the urea-induced denaturation. The differences in the stabilities of the folding states were most distinct in the pH range of 4.5 to 6.5. The presence of intermediates in the folding pathway of rHuMGDF are similar to findings of previous studies of related growth factors that share a common three-dimensional structure. Proteins 32:495–503, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

In and out: Traffic and dynamics of thrombopoietin receptor

Thrombopoiesis had long been a challenging area of study due to the rarity of megakaryocyte precursors in the bone marrow and the incomplete understanding of its regulatory cytokines. A breakthrough was achieved in the early 1990s with the discovery of the thrombopoietin receptor (TpoR) and its ligand thrombopoietin (TPO). This accelerated research in thrombopoiesis, including the uncovering of the molecular basis of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and the advent of drugs to treat thrombocytopenic purpura. TpoR mutations affecting its membrane dynamics or transport were increasingly associated with pathologies such as MPN and thrombocytosis. It also became apparent that TpoR affected hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) quiescence while priming hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) towards the megakaryocyte lineage. Thorough knowledge of TpoR surface localization, dimerization, dynamics and stability is therefore crucial to understanding thrombopoiesis and related pathologies. In this review, we will discuss the mechanisms of TpoR traffic. We will focus on the recent progress in TpoR membrane dynamics and highlight the areas that remain unexplored.