GLI3、EN1基因在单纯性马蹄内翻足发生中的功能研究

为了探讨人类GLI3基因在单纯性马蹄内翻足(Idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus, ICTEV)发生时所起的作用, 文章构建了大鼠Gli3基因启动子区域荧光素酶报告基因表达载体来分析Gli3基因启动子的活性, 并利用P-Match软件预测大鼠Gli3基因启动子区域可能的调控元件, 应用ChIP实验加以验证。并利用RT-PCR、免疫组化和Western blotting的方法分析大鼠En1与ICTEV的相关性。经P-Match软件预测, Gli3基因启动子区域有３个转录因子En1的可能结合位点, 经ChIP实验证实位点1是真正结合位点。RT-PCR、免疫组化和Western blotting方法都证实En1基因在马蹄内翻足模型鼠中表达下降。结果提示大鼠的转录因子 En1可能是Gli3基因的上游负调控元件。在ICTEV患者中, 很可能是由于EN1基因表达水平的下降导致了GLI3基因表达水平的上升, 最终导致ICTEV的发生。     

Structure of T4 pyrimidine dimer glycosylase in a reduced imine covalent complex with abasic site-containing DNA

The base excision repair (BER) pathway for ultraviolet light (UV)-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers is initiated by DNA glycosylases that also possess abasic (AP) site lyase activity. The prototypical enzyme known to catalyze these reactions is the T4 pyrimidine dimer glycosylase (T4-Pdg). The fundamental chemical reactions and the critical amino acids that lead to both glycosyl and phosphodiester bond scission are known. Catalysis proceeds via a protonated imine covalent intermediate between the alpha-amino group of the N-terminal threonine residue and the C1' of the deoxyribose sugar of the 5' pyrimidine at the dimer site. This covalent complex can be trapped as an irreversible, reduced cross-linked DNA-protein complex by incubation with a strong reducing agent. This active site trapping reaction is equally efficient on DNA substrates containing pyrimidine dimers or AP sites. Herein, we report the co-crystal structure of T4-Pdg as a reduced covalent complex with an AP site-containing duplex oligodeoxynucleotide. This high-resolution structure reveals essential precatalytic and catalytic features, including flipping of the nucleotide opposite the AP site, a sharp kink (approximately 66 degrees ) in the DNA at the dimer site and the covalent bond linking the enzyme to the DNA. Superposition of this structure with a previously published co-crystal structure of a catalytically incompetent mutant of T4-Pdg with cyclobutane dimer-containing DNA reveals new insights into the structural requirements and the mechanisms involved in DNA bending, nucleotide flipping and catalytic reaction.