低氧与表观遗传学互作的研究进展

表观遗传学是指基因组DNA序列不发生改变的情况下,基因表达水平发生变化从而导致的可遗传表型变化的现象.表观遗传可通过与低氧诱导因子(HIF)家族协同作用,以促使细胞适应低氧环境,从而参与到低氧应答的调控过程中.现就表观遗传学通过以下四个方面与低氧应答进行综述:1)VHL与PDH3调控HIF稳定性;2)通过影响HIF-1α共激活复合物的活性、HRE位点的修饰、HIF结合位点或附近区域的染色质活性,阻止HIF与HRE位点结合;3)组蛋白脱甲基酶对低氧应答相关基因的转录调控;4)低氧环境引起细胞内整体的组蛋白修饰程度和DNA甲基化水平改变.     

PiggyBac 转座子在肝脏中的活性研究

本实验运用高压尾静脉注射的方法将PB转座系统导入小鼠肝脏,研究其在肝脏中的转座活性,系统中PB转座子携带表达红色荧光蛋白的基因以指示转座的发生.注射10个月后取出小鼠肝脏,体视荧光显微镜观察肝脏是否有红色荧光,并通过基因组PCR、splinkerette PCR分析PB转座子在肝脏中的插入情况.实验结果表明,PB转座子在肝脏内发生高效转座,检测的68个PB插入位点中有34个位于基因序列,使得PB系统可以作为有效的基因诱变工具来研究基因功能.     

蛋白酶结构基因及其克隆

为探明重要毒力因子玫烟色棒束孢几丁质酶基因Ifupr1的表达调控机理,以Ifupr1基因组全长核苷酸序列为基础,采用基因组步移方法,获得Ifupr1的5′-上游区序列(总长为2402bp)。分析其结构基因中无内含子,该序列含有启动子的核心结构序列CAAT框、特异的反应元件和转录因子结合位点。CAAT框是调控转录速率的元件,而其他一些转录因子结合位点则可能具有特异性调节基因转录的功能。     

hUPF1的两个功能位点对调控ZNF268基因转录活性的影响

h UPF1是人类无义介导mRNA降解途径的关键因子,前期研究结果显示h UPF1能够调控ZNF268基因的转录活性.为研究h UPF1的两个功能位点对调控ZNF 268转录活性的影响,使用双荧光报告实验体系,在He La细胞中转染R1R-DE637AA、R1R-RR857AA或质粒组合,然后测量ZNF 268启动子报告质粒p GL3(-37/1234)和p GL3(589/760)的活性.结果显示h UPF1的任何一个功能位点缺失都导致ZNF 268转录活性下降.为排除内源性h UPF1对实验结果的影响,使用RNA干扰的方法降解内源性h UPF1,再转染R1R-DE637AA或R1R-RR857AA质粒.实验结果得到进一步证实.研究表明h UPF1的两个功能位点对调控ZNF 268基因的启动子活性都是必要的.     

赤狐ESR1基因启动子的克隆及生物信息学分析

对赤狐ESR1基因启动子区转录因子结合位点进行了预测,为今后研究其转录调控机制提供参考依据。以赤狐基因组DNA为模板,通过PCR技术扩增克隆ESR1基因启动子序列,并构建至双荧光素酶报告基因载体;利用生物信息学方法对ESR1基因核心启动子区的关键转录因子结合位点进行预测。成功克隆出赤狐ESR1基因5’上游1 880 bp的片段。通过在线软件分析预测发现,2个候选核心启动子位于转录起始位点上游634～842 bp;多种在线软件预测到赤狐ESR1基因启动子区存在Sp1,cEBP及NF-1等多个转录因子结合位点。推测这些转录因子可能对赤狐ESR1基因转录活性具有重要的调控作用。     

利用Tn5转座子构建杆状病毒AcMNPV随机突变体的初步研究

以杆状病毒模式种AcMNPV为研究对象,应用基于Tn5转座子的随机转座的方法,构建杆状病毒突变体库将果蝇hsp70启动子后接绿色荧光蛋白基因后插入Tn5转座子,构建了可以在昆虫细胞中表达,易于跟踪的转座载体．利用体外转座系统将转座子随机插入AcMNPV基因组,并用转座反应液转染Sf21细胞,得到了表达绿色荧光蛋白的病毒突变体库进一步纯化了两株病毒B9F和Li6A,进行了转座子插入位点的分析,确定两株病毒中,转座子分别插入了94K基因和p10基因．该方法将为杆状病毒功能基因组研究提供重要的手段。     

Pax5启动子的克隆及其在人淋巴瘤细胞系HL-60中转录因子的确定

克隆Pax5基因的启动子,插入荧光素酶报告基因载体中,并检测其活性;采用PCR技术从人淋巴瘤细胞系HL-60基因组中扩增出Pax5启动子,插入荧光素酶报告基因载体pGL3-basic中,确定所扩增的DNA序列,在293T细胞中检测其活性;测序结果表明扩增的Pax5启动子序列正确,活性实验表明构建的报告基因具有启动子活性,转录因子SP1和Runx1能以剂量依赖的方式提高Pax5报告基因的转录活性;克隆了Pax5启动子,并发现转录因子SP1和Runx1能够调控Pax5的转录。     

TET双加氧酶和TDG糖苷酶介导的DNA主动去甲基化

<正>DNA甲基化是表观遗传修饰的一种重要方式。哺乳动物中DNA甲基化主要发生在Cp G双核苷酸中胞嘧啶的五位碳原子上,可以引起染色质结构和基因活性的改变,在基因印迹、X染色体失活、发育调控以及转座子沉默和基因组稳定性的维持等方面发挥重要作用。有人把基因组甲基化比作细胞的记忆,当分化成生殖细胞和精卵结合产生下一代时就要抹去"前世"的记忆,涅槃重生。这么比喻是由于在哺乳动物中,基因组甲基化水平随着个体发育和繁殖呈现周期性的变化,其     

gpd1基因莱茵衣藻表达载体构建及农杆菌介导转化莱茵衣藻

甘油3-磷酸酰基转移酶基因(gpd1)可以调控植物脂质代谢中关键酶甘油-3-磷酸脱氢酶(GPDH)的活性,能促进植物脂质合成。本研究以莱茵衣藻FACHB-479为受体,通过克隆酵母gpd1基因,构建莱茵衣藻的农杆菌双元表达载体pRI-Ble-GPD1,首次以农杆菌介导法将携带在农杆菌LBA4404的gpd1基因转移到FACHB-479基因组。在含有10μg/m L博莱霉素的TAP平板筛选得到抗性藻体细胞。经过分子生物学PCR及RTPCR鉴定,获得转基因藻FACHB-GPD。尼罗红染色法鉴定分析FACHB-GPD细胞中油脂含量增高1.3~1.52倍。该研究表明农杆菌介导外源gpd1基因在莱茵衣藻FACHB-479基因组的过表达能增加脂肪酸含量,从而提高其产油能力。     

莲ACOs基因家族的全基因组鉴定和表达分析

1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸氧化酶(ACOs)是乙烯合成通路的限速酶,对于研究乙烯在调控高等植物生长发育过程中的作用具有重要意义.本研究从子莲(Nelumbo nucifera)“太空莲36号”基因组中鉴定出8个NnACOs基因,即NnACO、NnACOlike、NnACO1X1、NnACO 1X2、NnACO1X3、NnACO1like、NnACO5和NnACO5like.其编码蛋白都含有Fe (Ⅱ)(His177-X-Asp179Xn-His234)和抗坏血酸(Arg244-X-Ser246)特异性的结合位点,以及ACOs酶活必需的保守性氨基酸位点(Lys297和Arg300).进一步分析了NnACOs外显子的剪切方式、系统进化关系和保守性基序,对NnACO进行同源模型.RT PCR结果表明,NnACO和NnACOlike基因主要表达于莲的花和地下茎.在莲开花和地下茎膨大过程中,NnACO和NnACOlike表达量随之升高.此外,低温胁迫也可诱导NnACO和NnACOlike的表达.该研究为未来阐明NnACOs在调控莲的生长发育和抗逆方面的作用奠定了理论基础.     

An Arabidopsis hAT-like transposase is essential for plant development

A significant proportion of the genomes of higher plants and vertebrates consists of transposable elements and their derivatives. Autonomous DNA type transposons encode a transposase that enables them to mobilize to a new chromosomal position in the host genome by a cut-and-paste mechanism. As this is potentially mutagenic, the host limits transposition through epigenetic gene silencing and heterochromatin formation. Here we show that a transposase from Arabidopsis thaliana that we named DAYSLEEPER is essential for normal plant growth; it shares several characteristics with the hAT (hobo, Activator, Tam3) family of transposases. DAYSLEEPER was isolated as a factor binding to a motif (Kubox1) present in the upstream region of the Arabidopsis DNA repair gene Ku70. This motif is also present in the upstream regions of many other plant genes. Plants lacking DAYSLEEPER or strongly overexpressing this gene do not develop in a normal manner. Furthermore, DAYSLEEPER overexpression results in the altered expression of many genes. Our data indicate that transposase-like genes can be essential for plant development and can also regulate global gene expression. Thus, transposases can become domesticated by the host to fulfil important cellular functions.     

Activation of a transposable element in the germ line but not the soma of Caenorhabditis elegans

The genetic activity of transposable elements is tightly controlled in many species. Transposons that are relatively quiescent under certain circumstances can excise or transpose at greatly increased rates under other circumstances. For example, 'genomic shock' can activate quiescent maize transposons, 'cytotype' and tissue-specific splicing regulate Drosophila P factors, copy number controls Tn5 transposition in bacteria, and developmental timing affects the production of transposon-like intracisternal A-particles in mouse embryos. The Caenorhabditis elegans transposable element Tc1 is subject to both strain-specific and tissue-specific control. Multiple copies of Tc1 are present in the genome of all C. elegans strains collected from nature. However, these elements are genetically active in only certain isolates. For example, in C. elegans variety Bristol transposition and excision of Tc1 are undetectable, but in variety Bergerac transposition and excision are frequent. Moreover, in variety Bergerac, Tc1 is about 1,000-fold more active in somatic cells than in germ cells. We have investigated the genetic basis for the germ/soma regulation of Tc1 activity. We have isolated mutants that exhibit increased frequencies of Tc1 excision in the germ line. The frequencies of Tc1 excision in the soma are unaltered in these mutants. These mutants also exhibit high frequencies of Tc1 germ-line transposition, and this results in a mutator phenotype. Nearly all mutator-induced mutations are caused by insertion of Tc1.     

DNA sequence at the end of IS1 required for transposition

The insertion sequence IS1 belongs to a class of bacterial transposable genetic elements that can form compound transposons in which two copies of IS1 flank an otherwise non-transposable segment of DNA. IS1 differs from other known elements of this class (such as IS10, IS50 and IS903) in several respects. It is one of the smallest known insertion elements, exhibits a relatively complex array of open reading frames, is present in the chromosomes of various Enterobacteria, in some cases in many copies, and its insertion can result in the duplication of either 8 or 9 base pairs (bp) in the target DNA. Furthermore, although, like other members of the compound class, it seems to undergo direct transposition, IS1 also promotes replicon fusion (co-integrate formation) at a relatively high frequency. Like all other elements studied to date, the integrity of the extremities of IS1 are essential for efficient transposition. We have constructed a test system to determine the minimal DNA sequences at the extremities of IS1 required for transposition. Sequential deletions of the end sequences reveal that 21-25 bp of an isolated extremity are sufficient for transposition. A specific sequence 13-23 bp from the ends, defining the edge of the minimal sequence, is implicated as an essential site. The sites, symmetrically arrayed at both ends of IS1, correspond to the apparent consensus sequence of the known binding sites for the Escherichia coli DNA-binding protein (called integration host factor or IHF) which is required for the site-specific recombination that leads to integration of bacteriophage lambda into the bacterial genome. The sites at the ends of IS1 may thus bind a host protein, such as JHF or a related protein, that is involved in regulating the transposition apparatus.