一个新C2H2型锌指蛋白的功能的初步研究

通过筛选人18周胎脑cDNA文库,得到一条编码332AA的全长新基因,生物信息学研究表明,该蛋白质序列有2个C2H2型锌指结构,其中1个锌指结构有RNA－binding蛋白特异锌指的特征,虽然同源比较发现与多种蛋白质精氨酸N端转甲基酶（protein arginine N-methyltransferase) 有一定的同源性,但新锌指蛋白不含转甲基酶的活性功能区域,属功能未知的基因,利用芯片研究功能未知基因的表达是一种较好的手段,通过代谢增强剂PMA（phorbol myristae acetate)刺激培养的血管内皮细胞,观察细胞受激活后新锌指蛋白基因的表达变化,结果表明新基因表达量提高了11倍以上,证实新基因属内皮细胞的极早期应答基因（Immediate early response gene,ERG)。     

一个新的PMA诱导相关基因在Pichia Pastoris酵终系统中的表达

利用包含4096条各种人类基因的DNA芯片研究了代谢增强剂PMA（phorbol myristate acetate)激活的人单核巨噬细胞HTP－1的早期应答基因，根据已有的旧基因信息，实验结果基本反映了人单核巨噬细胞早期应答基因的表达谱，选取其中一条候选早期应答基因为后续研究对象，并进行蛋白质的酵母表达，为下游的基因功能研究奠定了一定的基础。     

P38α对人血管内皮一氧化氮合酶(eNOS)基因启动子转录活性的影响

目的:研究P38α对人血管内皮细胞一氧化氮合酶(eNOS)基因启动子转录活性的影响.方法:利用硝酸还原酶法检测不同浓度氯化钴作用下人脐静脉血管内皮细胞-12(HUVEC-12)上清中的一氧化氮(NO)的含量.以pRL-TK为内参照,将已经构建好的pGL2-eNOS-p质粒分别与pGL3-BASIC、pcDNA3、p38a、及p38a(AF)共转染HUVEC-12细胞,利用双荧光素酶报告基因技术检测eNOS基因启动子转录活性,并在共转染的基础上加氯化钴刺激,并检测eNOS基因启动子转录活性.结果:氯化钴刺激下HUVEC-12细胞培养上清的NO含量随氯化钴作用浓度增加而提高,成功建立化学缺氧模型;p38a在正常和缺氧条件下均明显降低eNOS基因启动子的活性,可被无活性诱变体p38a(AF)逆转.结论:P38et下调人血eNOS基因启动子转录活性.     

日本鳗鲡COX-2基因的克隆、鉴定及表达分析

应用PCR及RACE技术从日本鳗鲡(Anguilla japonica)中克隆获得一个2463 bp环氧化酶基因(Cyclooxygenase-2,AjCOX-2)的cDNA序列.AjCOX-2前体为606肽,含有脊椎动物COX-2的保守结构域,以及加氧酶和过氧化物酶的活性位点.在正常生理条件下,AjCOX-2基因在日本鳗鲡的鳃、鳔和皮肤中高水平转录表达.脂多糖刺激后8 h,AjCOX-2基因在皮肤和鳔中的转录表达显著上调(P0.05);多聚胞苷酸刺激后8 h,AjCOX-2在皮肤、鳔和鳃中的转录表达显著上调(P0.05);迟缓爱德华氏菌(Edwardsiella tarda)刺激后8 h,AjCOX-2在鳔中的转录表达也极显著上调(P0.01).结果表明,AjCOX-2基因是对外来病原刺激的早期响应基因,参与机体抵抗外来刺激物的先天免疫应答.     

一个新的PMA诱导相关基因在Pichia pastoris酵母系统中的表达

利用包含 40 96条各种人类基因的DNA芯片研究了代谢增强剂PMA(phorbolmyristateacetate)激活的人单核巨噬细胞HTP 1的早期应答基因 ,根据已有的旧基因信息 ,实验结果基本反映了人单核巨噬细胞早期应答基因的表达谱 .选取其中一条候选早期应答基因为后续研究对象 ,并进行蛋白质的酵母表达 ,为下游的基因功能研究奠定一定的基础 .     

植物AP2/ERF转录因子及其在非生物胁迫应答中的作用

APETALA2/ethylene-response factor(AP2/ERF)类转录因子在植物中广泛存在,在调节植物生长发育及响应外界胁迫中发挥重要作用。鉴于此类调节蛋白的可塑性和该家族个体成员的特异性,AP2/ERF转录因子作为优异调控抗性基因在基因工程育种中日益受到重视。综述了AP2/ERF类转录因子的发现、结构特征、调控机理及非生物胁迫应答机理,以期为深入挖掘和研究AP2/ERF家族基因提供参考。     

氯化钴对人的eNOS基因启动子SP1改构体转录活性的影响

目的:构建改造的人血管内皮细胞一氧化氮合酶(eNOS)基因启动子,利用氯化钴诱导的人脐静脉血管内皮细胞-12缺氧模型研究其基因启动子活性的变化.方法:用不同剂量的氯化钴体外处理细胞复制缺氧模型,PCR点突变技术构建突变启动子pGL2-eNOS-insSP1,分别将pGL2-eNOS-insSP1和pGL2-eNOS-p载体导入HUVEC-12细胞,双荧光素酶报告基因技术用于检测启动子转录活性的变化.结果:DNA测序显示人的eNOS基因启动子SP1改构体的序列正确;改构体eNOS启动子活性在一定范围内随氯化钴刺激剂量的增加而升高.结论:SP1插入改造的方法显著提高了eNOS基因启动子的转录活性.     

植物MYB转录因子研究

转录因子是通过转录水平或转录后水平上调控目的基因的表达来调控植物生长发育及生理代谢的.MYB(v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog)转录因子是最大的植物转录因子家族成员之一,参与了细胞分化、细胞周期的调节,激素和环境因子应答,并对植物次生代谢以及叶片等器官形态建成具有重要的调节作用.文章对MYB的发现及其结构特征和功能研究进展进行综述,为进一步开展MYB基因的克隆、功能研究和利用提供参考.     

植物MYB转录因子研究

转录因子是通过转录水平或转录后水平上调控目的基因的表达来调控植物生长发育及生理代谢的.MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog)转录因子是最大的植物转录因子家族成员之一,参与了细胞分化、细胞周期的调节,激素和环境因子应答,并对植物次生代谢以及叶片等器官形态建成具有重要的调节作用.文章对MYB的发现及其结构特征和功能研究进展进行综述,为进一步开展MYB基因的克隆、功能研究和利用提供参考.     

雌激素刺激脑血管内皮细胞分泌VEGF及新血管形成

为了探讨雌激素对脑血管形成的影响,本实验利用体外培养的种植在matrigel上的脑血管内皮细胞作为模型,对雌激素刺激形成的新生血管进行照相记录,计算机软件分析.结果显示:雌激素呈剂量依赖性地刺激培养的脑血管内皮细胞分泌VEGF和新血管形成,而雄激素对培养的脑血管内皮细胞新血管形成没有任何影响;VEGF可以显著地促进内皮细胞新血管的形成.以上结果说明,雌激素通过刺激VEGF的分泌作用进而促进脑血管内皮细胞新血管的形成.     

特异性提高TNFR55在内皮细胞中的表达量的研究

以KDRp为启动子 ,实现TNFR5 5基因在内皮细胞中的特异表达 ,提高其表达量 .构建特异表达TNFR5 5的逆转录病毒载体pLXN D2 99 KDRp TNFR5 5 ,将编码TNFR5 5的cDNA转入内皮细胞中 ,检测感染后的内皮细胞中TNFR5 5表达量的变化及其对TNF细胞毒作用的影响 .结果显示 ,TNFR5 5在内皮细胞中的表达量有显著提高 (P <0 .0 1) ,TNF对内皮细胞的细胞毒作用增强 .而同样经病毒感染的NIH3T3细胞表面TNFR的表达量无明显变化 .编码TNFR5 5的cDNA能够在KDRp指导下实现在内皮细胞中的特异表达 ;内皮细胞表面TNFR数量提高后能加强TNF对其的细胞毒作用 .     

Vascular endothelial growth factor is a potential tumour angiogenesis factor in human gliomas in vivo.

Clinical and experimental studies suggest that angiogenesis is a prerequisite for solid tumour growth. Several growth factors with mitogenic or chemotactic activity for endothelial cells in vitro have been described, but it is not known whether these mediate tumour vascularization in vivo. Glioblastoma, the most common and most malignant brain tumour in humans, is distinguished from astrocytoma by the presence of necroses and vascular proliferations. Here we show that expression of an endothelial cell-specific mitogen, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is induced in astrocytoma cells but is dramatically upregulated in two apparently different subsets of glioblastoma cells. The high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptor for VEGF, flt, although not expressed in normal brain endothelium, is upregulated in tumour endothelial cells in vivo. These observations strongly support the concept that tumour angiogenesis is regulated by paracrine mechanisms and identify VEGF as a potential tumour angiogenesis factor in vivo.     

Blocking VEGFR-3 suppresses angiogenic sprouting and vascular network formation

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is a key process in several pathological conditions, including tumour growth and age-related macular degeneration. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) stimulate angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis by activating VEGF receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinases in endothelial cells. VEGFR-3 (also known as FLT-4) is present in all endothelia during development, and in the adult it becomes restricted to the lymphatic endothelium. However, VEGFR-3 is upregulated in the microvasculature of tumours and wounds. Here we demonstrate that VEGFR-3 is highly expressed in angiogenic sprouts, and genetic targeting of VEGFR-3 or blocking of VEGFR-3 signalling with monoclonal antibodies results in decreased sprouting, vascular density, vessel branching and endothelial cell proliferation in mouse angiogenesis models. Stimulation of VEGFR-3 augmented VEGF-induced angiogenesis and sustained angiogenesis even in the presence of VEGFR-2 (also known as KDR or FLK-1) inhibitors, whereas antibodies against VEGFR-3 and VEGFR-2 in combination resulted in additive inhibition of angiogenesis and tumour growth. Furthermore, genetic or pharmacological disruption of the Notch signalling pathway led to widespread endothelial VEGFR-3 expression and excessive sprouting, which was inhibited by blocking VEGFR-3 signals. Our results implicate VEGFR-3 as a regulator of vascular network formation. Targeting VEGFR-3 may provide additional efficacy for anti-angiogenic therapies, especially towards vessels that are resistant to VEGF or VEGFR-2 inhibitors.     

Glioblastoma stem-like cells give rise to tumour endothelium

Glioblastoma (GBM) is among the most aggressive of human cancers. A key feature of GBMs is the extensive network of abnormal vasculature characterized by glomeruloid structures and endothelial hyperplasia. Yet the mechanisms of angiogenesis and the origin of tumour endothelial cells remain poorly defined. Here we demonstrate that a subpopulation of endothelial cells within glioblastomas harbour the same somatic mutations identified within tumour cells, such as amplification of EGFR and chromosome 7. We additionally demonstrate that the stem-cell-like CD133(+) fraction includes a subset of vascular endothelial-cadherin (CD144)-expressing cells that show characteristics of endothelial progenitors capable of maturation into endothelial cells. Extensive in vitro and in vivo lineage analyses, including single cell clonal studies, further show that a subpopulation of the CD133(+) stem-like cell fraction is multipotent and capable of differentiation along tumour and endothelial lineages, possibly via an intermediate CD133(+)/CD144(+) progenitor cell. The findings are supported by genetic studies of specific exons selected from The Cancer Genome Atlas, quantitative FISH and comparative genomic hybridization data that demonstrate identical genomic profiles in the CD133(+) tumour cells, their endothelial progenitor derivatives and mature endothelium. Exposure to the clinical anti-angiogenesis agent bevacizumab or to a γ-secretase inhibitor as well as knockdown shRNA studies demonstrate that blocking VEGF or silencing VEGFR2 inhibits the maturation of tumour endothelial progenitors into endothelium but not the differentiation of CD133(+) cells into endothelial progenitors, whereas γ-secretase inhibition or NOTCH1 silencing blocks the transition into endothelial progenitors. These data may provide new perspectives on the mechanisms of failure of anti-angiogenesis inhibitors currently in use. The lineage plasticity and capacity to generate tumour vasculature of the putative cancer stem cells within glioblastoma are novel findings that provide new insight into the biology of gliomas and the definition of cancer stemness, as well as the mechanisms of tumour neo-angiogenesis.     

Tumour vascularization via endothelial differentiation of glioblastoma stem-like cells

Glioblastoma is a highly angiogenetic malignancy, the neoformed vessels of which are thought to arise by sprouting of pre-existing brain capillaries. The recent demonstration that a population of glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) maintains glioblastomas indicates that the progeny of these cells may not be confined to the neural lineage. Normal neural stem cells are able to differentiate into functional endothelial cells. The connection between neural stem cells and the endothelial compartment seems to be critical in glioblastoma, where cancer stem cells closely interact with the vascular niche and promote angiogenesis through the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal-derived factor 1 (refs 5-9). Here we show that a variable number (range 20-90%, mean 60.7%) of endothelial cells in glioblastoma carry the same genomic alteration as tumour cells, indicating that a significant portion of the vascular endothelium has a neoplastic origin. The vascular endothelium contained a subset of tumorigenic cells that produced highly vascularized anaplastic tumours with areas of vasculogenic mimicry in immunocompromised mice. In vitro culture of GSCs in endothelial conditions generated progeny with phenotypic and functional features of endothelial cells. Likewise, orthotopic or subcutaneous injection of GSCs in immunocompromised mice produced tumour xenografts, the vessels of which were primarily composed of human endothelial cells. Selective targeting of endothelial cells generated by GSCs in mouse xenografts resulted in tumour reduction and degeneration, indicating the functional relevance of the GSC-derived endothelial vessels. These findings describe a new mechanism for tumour vasculogenesis and may explain the presence of cancer-derived endothelial-like cells in several malignancies.     

一种基于Propidium Monoazide与PCR结合的选择性检测细菌活细胞的方法

建立了一种PMA与PCR结合的细菌活细胞检测的方法,可有效抑制微生物死细胞DNA的PCR扩增,从而排除死细胞对微生物活细胞检测的影响．结果表明,PMA浓度大于3 μg/ml时可抑制死细胞DNA的PCR扩增,PMA浓度高达50 μg/ml时仍不影响活细胞DNA的PCR扩增;并且得出曝光时间大于3 min可使PMA与死细胞DNA分子共价交联,抑制其PCR扩增;浊度影响PMA交联的结果表明浊度小于10 NTU时,PMA仍能有效地抑制死细胞DNA的PCR扩增,而当浊度大于100 NTU时,PMA失去效果．     

Sequence modification of merB gene and high organo-mercurial resistance of transgenic tobacco plants

Mercury pollution has caused severe damage to environment and great attention has been paid to its control. Phytoremediation may become one of the most efficient measures to recover the polluted soil since it is economical, highly efficient and friendly to environment. In this report, plant genetic engineering methods were employed to modify the DNA sequence of merB genes that catalyze the conversion of organomercurals into ionic mercury. The modified merBhe genes were introduced into tobacco by Agrobacterium, and the resultant transgenic plants were verified by Southern and Northern hybridization. High level of organomercurial resistance was detected on progenies of transgenic plants, some of which were resistant to PMA (phenyl mercury acetate) of 2.5 ?mol/L whereas 0.1 ?mol/L PMA killed the seedlings of wild-type tobacco in soiless culrure. With the increase of PMA concentration, the inhibition of the seedling growth became apparent. This result makes it possible to breed mercury-resistant tobacco for phytoremediation of mercury-polluted soil.     

A microRNA regulon that mediates endothelial recruitment and metastasis by cancer cells

Metastatic progression of cancer is a complex and clinically daunting process. We previously identified a set of human microRNAs (miRNAs) that robustly suppress breast cancer metastasis to lung and bone and which display expression levels that predict human metastasis. Although these findings revealed miRNAs as suppressors of cell-autonomous metastatic phenotypes, the roles of non-coding RNAs in non-cell-autonomous cancer progression processes remain unknown. Here we reveal that endogenous miR-126, an miRNA silenced in a variety of common human cancers, non-cell-autonomously regulates endothelial cell recruitment to metastatic breast cancer cells, in vitro and in vivo. It suppresses metastatic endothelial recruitment, metastatic angiogenesis and metastatic colonization through coordinate targeting of IGFBP2, PITPNC1 and MERTK--novel pro-angiogenic genes and biomarkers of human metastasis. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) secreted by metastatic cells recruits endothelia by modulating IGF1-mediated activation of the IGF type-I receptor on endothelial cells; whereas c-Mer tyrosine kinase (MERTK) receptor cleaved from metastatic cells promotes endothelial recruitment by competitively antagonizing the binding of its ligand GAS6 to endothelial MERTK receptors. Co-injection of endothelial cells with breast cancer cells non-cell-autonomously rescues their miR-126-induced metastatic defect, revealing a novel and important role for endothelial interactions in metastatic initiation. Through loss-of-function and epistasis experiments, we delineate an miRNA regulatory network's individual components as novel and cell-extrinsic regulators of endothelial recruitment, angiogenesis and metastatic colonization. We also identify the IGFBP2/IGF1/IGF1R and GAS6/MERTK signalling pathways as regulators of cancer-mediated endothelial recruitment. Our work further reveals endothelial recruitment and endothelial interactions in the tumour microenvironment to be critical features of metastatic breast cancer.