斑马鱼二价体制备与多重带显带的方法学探讨

采用碱性低渗结合高氯仿一步显带技术获得了斑马鱼二价体高分辨多重G带,所出现的带纹丰富,反差明显。采用地高辛为标记的以限制性内切酶AfuⅠ介导的原位切口平移技术使斑马鱼二价体上呈现出类G带的多重带,获得了明暗反差强烈的带纹结果。通过比较多个不同分裂相的多条染色体,发现带纹的分布具明显特征性．并且特征一致,带纹数目基本吻合。首次从方法学上对斑马鱼二价体的制备过程及多重带显带技术进行了分析、探讨和总结,力求将该技术程序化、系统化,使其具有可重复性和可操作性,并对显带的可能机理进行了讨论。     

神经元限制性沉默因子对人胰岛素基因转录调控作用的研究

为了研究神经元限制性沉默因子(NRSF)调控神经元及胰岛细胞中神经特异性基因的表达,进一步寻找胰岛细胞中可能存在的其他NRSF调控基因.先用生物信息学手段对相关基因进行了分析.筛选及序列比对发现,人胰岛素核心启动子区有一段与NRSE相似的序列,提示,它可能受NRSF调控.构建了含NRSF基因的慢病毒载体,将其稳定转染于INS-1细胞.构建了3种荧光素酶报告载体:含有人胰岛素启动子-荧光素酶(hInsP-LUC)的慢病毒载体,pGL3-Basic载体和含有2拷贝NRSE样基序-荧光素酶(NRSE-LUC)的报告载体.利用稳定转染及瞬时转染实验观察NRSF对报告载体中荧光素酶活性的影响.利用电泳迁移率变动分析实验观察NRSE样基序与NRSF蛋白的结合情况,并通过竞争结合实验、引入特异性抗体实验证实探针与蛋白质结合的特异性.RT-PCR检测证实,感染空病毒的INS-1细胞不表达NRSF,感染含目的基因慢病毒的INS-1细胞能表达NRSF.将含有hInsP-LUC的慢病毒载体稳定转染于上述2种细胞,荧光素酶活性分析结果显示,NRSF的过表达能明显降低胰岛素启动子的活性.瞬时转染hInsP-LUC报告系统于上述2种细胞,结果也显示NRSF能明显抑制胰岛素启动子-荧光素酶的活性.将含有NRSE-LUC的报告载体瞬时转染于上述2种细胞,结果表明过表达NRSF的INS-1细胞组的荧光素酶相对值比对照组有明显下降.电泳迁移率变动分析实验进一步证实,此NRSE样序列可以与NRSF蛋白特异结合,这种特异结合可以被标准的NRSE序列所竞争.结果表明,人胰岛素启动子中含有NRSE样序列,该序列通过与NRSF蛋白结合从而抑制人胰岛素启动子的转录活性.这一研究工作有助于进一步了解NRSF在胰岛细胞中的调控作用.     

NRSF慢病毒干涉载体的构建及功能初步检测

为研究神经元限制性沉默因子(NRSF)负调控神经元及胰岛细胞中神经特异性基因的表达,拟通过RNAi的方法降低NRSF表达以进一步观察其调控的下游基因的表达情况.构建含人胰岛素启动子-荧光素酶(HIP-LUC)的pcDNA3.1报告载体.通过RNAi序列设计软件进行NRSF干涉片段及脱靶对照片段的设计,然后构建慢病毒干涉载体.包装产生慢病毒干涉毒液,用其感染HeLa细胞获得稳定干涉NRSF的细胞株,利用RT-PCR、实时定量PCR、蛋白质免疫印迹、免疫荧光染色等方法检测NRSF的干涉效果及其下游基因的表达情况,观察干涉NRSF后胰岛素启动子报告载体荧光素酶活性的变化.构建具有NRSF干涉效果的慢病毒干涉载体成功,并获得了稳定干涉NRSF及脱靶对照的HeLa细胞株,RT-PCR及实时定量PCR检测结果表明,NRSF干涉片段的干涉效率为56%(n=6,P<0.01),蛋白质免疫印迹、免疫荧光染色方法检测证实干涉后NRSF蛋白表达水平明显降低.RT-PCR实验表明干涉NRSF后下游基因开始表达,荧光素酶活性分析表明,干涉NRSF后胰岛素启动子活性增强了2.4倍(n=3,P<0.01).上述结果表明,成功构建NRSF的慢病毒干涉载体并获得稳定干涉NRSF的HeLa细胞株,干涉NRSF后,其下游基因特别是胰岛素基因开始表达.这一研究工作有助于我们进一步了解NRSF在胰岛细胞发育分化中的调控作用.     

Functional Effects of a Restrictive-Cardiomyopathy-Linked Cardiac Troponin I Mutation (R145W) in Transgenic Mice

The human cardiac troponin I (hcTnI) mutation R145W has been associated with restrictive cardiomyopathy. In this study, simultaneous measurements of ATPase activity and force in skinned papillary fibers from hcTnI R145W transgenic mice (Tg-R145W) were explored. Tg-R145W fibers showed an ∼ 13-16% increase in maximal Ca²⁺-activated force and ATPase activity compared to hcTnI wild-type transgenic mice. The force-generating cross-bridge turnover rate (g) and the energy cost (ATPase/force) were the same in all groups of fibers. Also, the Tg-R145W fibers showed a large increase in the Ca²⁺ sensitivity of both force development and ATPase. In intact fibers, the mutation caused prolonged force and intracellular [Ca²⁺] transients and increased time to peak force. Analysis of force and Ca²⁺ transients showed that there was a 40% increase in peak force in Tg-R145W muscles, which was likely due to the increased Ca²⁺ transient duration. The above cited results suggest that: (1) there would be an increase in resistance to ventricular filling during diastole resulting from the prolonged force and Ca²⁺ transients that would result in a decrease in ventricular filling (diastolic dysfunction); and (2) there would be a large (approximately 53%) increase in force during systole, which may help to partly compensate for diastolic dysfunction. These functional results help to explain the mechanisms by which these mutations give rise to a restrictive phenotype.     

基于地形限制特征的泾河流域遥感地表覆被分类

由于在分类方法和空间分辨率等方面存在局限性,基于粗分辨率遥感数据的传统非监督分类结果在不同地物过渡带内往往误差较大。该文提出了基于地形限制特征的分类方法,在非监督分类的基础上,将非监督分类结果按照像元进行细分,并运用地形限制条件对细分后的像元进行二次判别分类。结果表明,分类精度明显提高,其中,农田和居民点分类精度的提高最为明显。这一方法使得完全同质的单元可以进行属性的变更,改善了像元空间分辨率差造成的误差;而地形限制特征的引入减少了传统非监督分类的不确定性,使模糊区域的分类有了较为明确的区分特征,提高了分类的精度。     

SMIM: A unified framework of survival sensitivity analysis using multiple imputation and martingale

Censored survival data are common in clinical trial studies. We propose a unified framework for sensitivity analysis to censoring at random in survival data using multiple imputation and martingale, called SMIM. The proposed framework adopts the δ-adjusted and control-based models, indexed by the sensitivity parameter, entailing censoring at random and a wide collection of censoring not at random assumptions. Also, it targets a broad class of treatment effect estimands defined as functionals of treatment-specific survival functions, taking into account missing data due to censoring. Multiple imputation facilitates the use of simple full-sample estimation; however, the standard Rubin's combining rule may overestimate the variance for inference in the sensitivity analysis framework. We decompose the multiple imputation estimator into a martingale series based on the sequential construction of the estimator and propose the wild bootstrap inference by resampling the martingale series. The new bootstrap inference has a theoretical guarantee for consistency and is computationally efficient compared to the nonparametric bootstrap counterpart. We evaluate the finite-sample performance of the proposed SMIM through simulation and an application on an HIV clinical trial.     

A mimetic of the mSin3-binding helix of NRSF/REST ameliorates abnormal pain behavior in chronic pain models

The neuron-restrictive silencing factor NRSF/REST binds to neuron-restrictive silencing elements in neuronal genes and recruits corepressors such as mSin3 to inhibit epigenetically neuronal gene expression. Because dysregulation of NRSF/REST is related to neuropathic pain, here, we have designed compounds to target neuropathic pain based on the mSin3-binding helix structure of NRSF/REST and examined their ability to bind to mSin3 by NMR. One compound, mS-11, binds strongly to mSin3 with a binding mode similar to that of NRSF/REST. In a mouse model of neuropathic pain, mS-11 was found to ameliorate abnormal pain behavior and to reverse lost peripheral morphine analgesia. Furthermore, even in the less well epigenetically defined case of fibromyalgia, mS-11 ameliorated symptoms in a mouse model, suggesting that fibromyalgia is related to the dysfunction of NRSF/REST. Taken together, these findings show that the chemically optimized mimetic mS-11 can inhibit mSin3-NRSF/REST binding and successfully reverse lost peripheral and central morphine analgesia in mouse models of pain.     

Embryonic expression of the common progeroid lamin A splice mutation arrests postnatal skin development

Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) and restrictive dermopathy (RD) are two laminopathies caused by mutations leading to cellular accumulation of prelamin A or one of its truncated forms, progerin. One proposed mechanism for the more severe symptoms in patients with RD compared with HGPS is that higher levels of farnesylated lamin A are produced in RD. Here, we show evidence in support of that hypothesis. Overexpression of the most common progeroid lamin A mutation (LMNA c.1824C>T, p.G608G) during skin development results in a severe phenotype, characterized by dry scaly skin. At postnatal day 5 (PD5), progeroid animals showed a hyperplastic epidermis, disorganized sebaceous glands and an acute inflammatory dermal response, also involving the hypodermal fat layer. PD5 animals also showed an upregulation of multiple inflammatory response genes and an activated NF‐kB target pathway. Careful analysis of the interfollicular epidermis showed aberrant expression of the lamin B receptor (LBR) in the suprabasal layer. Prolonged expression of LBR, in 14.06% of the cells, likely contributes to the observed arrest of skin development, clearly evident at PD4 when the skin had developed into single‐layer epithelium in the wild‐type animals while progeroid animals still had the multilayered appearance typical for skin at PD3. Suprabasal cells expressing LBR showed altered DNA distribution, suggesting the induction of gene expression changes. Despite the formation of a functional epidermal barrier and proven functionality of the gap junctions, progeroid animals displayed a greater rate of water loss as compared with wild‐type littermates and died within the first two postnatal weeks.