Determinants of nucleosome organization in primary human cells

Nucleosomes are the basic packaging units of chromatin, modulating accessibility of regulatory proteins to DNA and thus influencing eukaryotic gene regulation. Elaborate chromatin remodelling mechanisms have evolved that govern nucleosome organization at promoters, regulatory elements, and other functional regions in the genome. Analyses of chromatin landscape have uncovered a variety of mechanisms, including DNA sequence preferences, that can influence nucleosome positions. To identify major determinants of nucleosome organization in the human genome, we used deep sequencing to map nucleosome positions in three primary human cell types and in vitro. A majority of the genome showed substantial flexibility of nucleosome positions, whereas a small fraction showed reproducibly positioned nucleosomes. Certain sites that position in vitro can anchor the formation of nucleosomal arrays that have cell type-specific spacing in vivo. Our results unveil an interplay of sequence-based nucleosome preferences and non-nucleosomal factors in determining nucleosome organization within mammalian cells.     

人IDE基因启动子生物信息学分析

对人IDE基因启动子进行生物信息学分析以获得人IDE基因启动子、CpG岛及转录因子结合位点特征.从UCSC基因组数据库成功获得人IDE基因5’调控区2 000 bp序列.Promoter 2.0、FPROM、NNPP预测人IDE基因分别有3个、2个、6个启动子.Relative profile score threshold选择80%、85%、90%、95%、100%时,JASPAR预测该序列存在5170、1771、454、87和5个可能的转录因子结合位点.Relative profile score threshold选择80%,搜索到6个潜在的TCF7L2转录因子结合位点.采用进化足迹法,LAGAN预测方法获得位于人和小鼠同源IDE基因启动子保守区域相同位置的转录因子结合位点为14个,包含转录因子SPI-1、cap、c-FOS、FREAC-3、c-ETS、Cdxa、HSF2等.发现一个CpG岛,位于1 303～1 705 bp 之间,大小为403 bp.人IDE基因启动子、CpG岛及转录因子结合位点的生物学信息学分析,为下一步基因表达调控实验奠定了基础.     

大豆降解组文库microRNAs的启动子分析

研究目的：创新要点：通过分析miRNA的核心启动子和顺式作用元件为进一步解析大豆（Glycinemax）miRNAs表达调控及其功能研究提供重要信息。利用生物信息学方法全面解析了大豆降解组文库miRNA的启动子特征,并依据顺式作用元件及靶基因构建了miRNA的表达与生长素响应因子、赤霉素响应因子之问存在潜在的负反馈调控网络。研究方法：本研究利用TSSP程序和PlantCARE数据库预测了来自大豆降解组文库的440个miRNA的核心启动子以及369个miRNAs的顺式作用元件,并依据顺式作用元件及靶基因构建miRNA调控网络。重要结论：83．86％的miRNA在其上游序列中含有启动子,8．64％的miRNA在其下游序列中含有启动子,21．59％的miRNA包含增强子。核心启动子的TATA盒与转录起始位点（TSSs）的分布相似（见图2）。此外,对转录起始位点5’端的顺式作用元件预测为miRNAs的可能功能和表达的时空性提供了线索。miRNAs的顺式作用元件和靶基因的分析显示,部分miRNA的表达与生长素响应因子、赤霉素响应因子之间存在潜在的负反馈调控（见图3）。     

Promoter activities of genes cpcT2 and cpcS2 in Nostoc PCC 7120

To study the promoter activities of genes cpcT 2 and cpcS 2,several upstream DNA fragments of these two genes with different lengths were selected.These fragments were fused with promoterless gfp(reporter gene) for constructing five recombinant plasmids.Then,these recombinant plasmids were transferred into Nostoc PCC 7120 by conjugation.The promoter activities of genes cpcT 2 and cpcS 2 were determined by observing the fluorescence of green fluorescent protein(GFP) with a fluorescence microscope.The result showed that the 1 300 bp(-1 300 to 0 bp) and 2 600 bp(-2 600 to 0 bp) upstream fragments of cpcT 2 had strong promoter activity and the promoter activity of the 680 bp(-680 to 0 bp) fragment was weaker than that of two above fragments of cpcT 2.The 2 000 bp(-2 000 to 0 bp) upstream fragment of cpcS 2 revealed weak promoter activity.This showed that a strong promoter of cpcT 2 was located in the upstream fragment between-680 and-1 300 bp.     

对于核小体定位检测方法的比较研究

在真核细胞中,核小体是组成染色质的基本结构单位,是由DNA紧密缠绕在组蛋白八聚体上所形成的一个复合体结构。而DNA与组蛋白的结合并不是固定不变的,没有核小体结合的DNA区域易于各种调节蛋白的接近与结合。因此人们怀疑核小体的定位与基因的转录调节之间存在某种内在联系。对现行的核小体定位的检测方法进行了归类,并对其优缺点进行了分析整理。对更深入的探索核小体定位检测方法的应用有一定意义。     

Interactions between HMG proteins (HMG1/2 and HMG14/17) and human ε-globin gene promoter (ε-promoter)

High mobility group (HMG) proteins are abundant non-histone proteins in the nuclei of eukaryocytes. It has been shown that HMG proteins may play important roles in the structure and function of chromatin. In the present study, thebinding of HMG proteins (HMG1/2 and HMG14/17) to the human ε-globin gene promoter (ε-promo- ter, -177-+1 bp) has been examined by using both the in vitro nucleosome reconstitution and the electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA). We found that HMG1/2 proteins could bind to the naked ε-promoter DNA, however, HMG14/17 could not. Using the in vitro nucleosome recons- titution, we revealed that HMG14/17 could bind to the mononucleosome reconstituted in vitro with ε-promoter,whi- le HMG1/2 could not. Those results indicate that the binding of HMG proteins to ε-promoter is dynamic as the nucleo- some assembling and disassembling. Wespeculated that this selective binding of HMG proteins to ε-promoter might playa critical role in the regulation of ε-globin gene expression.