人WDR79基因启动子表达载体的构建及鉴定

人WDR79是一种重要的支架蛋白,在端粒酶组装、卡哈尔体(Cahar body)形成和DNA损伤修复等过程中发挥着重要作用。采用PCR扩增技术获得人WDR79基因启动子上游DNA序列,构建人WDR79基因启动子荧光素酶报告基因载体pGL3-WDR79-promoter;通过双酶切、琼脂糖凝胶电泳、DNA测序和荧光素酶活性测定等实验手段,验证质粒pGL3-WDR79-promoter构建的正确性及其表达活性。本研究结果为进一步探讨人WDR79基因表达的调控机制奠定实验基础。     

甘蓝型油菜FAE1基因启动子的克隆和瞬时表达载体的构建及功能分析

油菜脂肪酸延长酶基因FAE1是广泛存在于植物中并定位于内质网上的一种能催化脂肪酸碳链延长的酮脂酰CoA合成酶,根据GenBank上已知的植物FAE1基因启动子序列设计引物,以从甘蓝型油菜(Braccica napus.L)叶片中提取的总DNA为模板,进行PCR扩增,获得了1 328 bp的片段.回收该片段,并连接到pMD18-T载体测序.序列在NCBI进行blast比对,同源性为99.78%,说明该片段与植物中已知的FAE1基因的启动子序列有极高的相似性.将该片段替换掉改造后的pBI221上面的35S启动子从而构建了原生质体瞬时表达载体.然后通过PEG介导的方式将含有FAE1启动子驱动的荧光素酶报告基因(LUC)表达载体导入油菜原生质体中,研究报告基因表达量,证明出脱落酸(ABA)影响了报告基因的表达,随着ABA浓度的不断增加,LUC的表达量呈现逐步下降的趋势.     

Microbial starch-binding domains are superior to granule-bound starch synthase I for anchoring luciferase to potato starch granules

Microbial starch-binding domains (SBD) and granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) are proteins which are accumulated in potato starch granules. The efficiency of SBD and GBSSI for targeting active luciferase reporter proteins to granules during starch biosynthesis was compared. GBSSI or SBD sequences were fused to the N- or C-terminus of the luciferase (LUC) gene, via an artificial Pro-Thr encoding linker sequence. The genes were introduced into an amylose-free (amf) potato mutant. It appeared that SBD was superior to GBSSI as a targeting sequence, mainly because the luciferase retained higher activity in the SBD-containing fusion proteins than in the GBSSI-containing ones.     

MEK5$\alpha $ 和 MEK5$\beta $ 调控 ${\bf Beclin}$ 1 启动子

Beclin 1是哺乳动物自噬相关基因, 调控自噬起始和自噬体成熟. 在肌肉分化过程中, Beclin 1 基因表达上调, 自噬增加; 此外 MEK5-ERK5 信号活化并调控成肌细胞分化. 因此, 在肌肉分化过程中, MEK5-ERK5 信号通路可能调控 Beclin 1 基因表达. 目的是阐明 MEK5 对成肌细胞 Beclin 1 基因启动子活性的调控. 将不同长度 Beclin 1 启动子片段克隆至荧光素酶报告基因载体pGL3-Basic并转染成肌细胞C2C12. 双荧光素酶报告基因检测实验结果显示, 含 Beclin 1 基因起始密码子上游 586 碱基对 DNA 片段的载体(p-354)具有强荧光素酶活性. MEK5$\alpha $显著增加 p-354 荧光素酶活性, 并有剂量依赖性; 而 MEK5$\beta $ 显著降低 p-354 荧光素酶活性. MEK5$\beta $能够拮抗 MEK5$\alpha $对 p-354 荧光素酶活性的调控. 与 MEK5 对 Beclin 1 基因启动子调控结果一致, MEK5$\alpha $CA 上调细胞Beclin 1 mRNA 表达, MEK5$\beta $DD 下调 Beclin 1 mRNA 表达, 并且 MEK5$\beta $DD 抑制 MEK5$\alpha $CA 对 Beclin 1 mRNA 表达的促进作用. 此外, 转录因子 CREB 家族成员 CREB3, CREBP 和 CREBL1 能够显著上调 p-354 荧光素酶活性. CREB3 呈剂量依赖性显著上调 p-354 荧光素酶活性, 并与 MEK5$\alpha $ 具有协同效应. MEK5$\alpha $ 和 MEK5$\beta $ 对 Beclin 1 启动子具有不同调控作用, CREB 可能是其下游效应因子.     

自发光转录激活子样效应因子的功能分析

目的:对转录激活子样效应因子(TALE)蛋白进行特异性标记.方法:通过分子生物学技术,在TALE蛋白的C-端融合了一种具有优异光学性能的萤光素酶.结果:融合蛋白不仅可对目的 DNA进行特异性识别,还可产生萤光素酶的特征光谱.结论:萤光素酶的融合不影响TALE蛋白的正常功能,其光谱信息有望成为分析TALE蛋白与DNA相互作用的特异性检测信号.     

虫荧光素酶N末端缺失

目的是通过虫荧光素酶Ｎ末端氨基酸的缺失,研究缺失对酶活性的影响。采用聚合酶链式反应的方法,构建虫荧光素酶Ｎ－末端缺失７,８,９个氨基酸残基的突变体,导入大肠杆菌ＤＨ５α菌株中直接得到表达,再分离纯化粗酶,并检测酶活。结果表明,Ｎ末端缺失７个氨基酸的突变体几乎没有活性（小于天然活性的０．５％）,Ｎ末端缺失８个以上氨基酸残基的突变体则完全丧失活性。由于Ｎ末端缺失６个氨基酸的突变体保持了７７％的酶活性,因而萤火虫荧光素酶Ｎ末端第７个氨基酸与酶的催化活性密切相关。     

拟南芥PSAL基因启动子的克隆和瞬时表达载体的构建及功能分析

将含有PSA-L启动子驱动的荧光素酶报告基因(LUC)表达载体导入拟南芥原生质体中,研究报告基因表达量,证明出脱落酸(ABA)影响了报告基因的表达.在有ABA存在的时候,启动子驱动作用减弱.     

光诱导RNAi系统的构建及优化

利用光诱导基因表达系统,构建光诱导RNAi系统,并对系统转染比例、转录因子的表达量和shRNAmir表达载体的核心启动子进行优化。通过构建不同启动子的光敏转录因子GAVPO表达载体和不同核心启动子的shRNAmir表达载体,分析它们对报告基因的干扰效果的影响。结果表明,GAVPO的表达量对报告基因沉默效果和shRNAmir的背景表达水平至关重要。低表达量的GAVPO能够实现对报告基因的微调控,报告基因的表达量下降到约60%;而高表达量的GAVPO能够高效抑制报告基因表达,报告基因的表达量下降到34%。     

Luciferase a light source for the silica-based optical waveguides (spicules) in the demosponge Suberites domuncula

Two classes of sponges (animal phylum Porifera) possess a siliceous skeleton which is composed of spicules. Studying the optical fiber-mechanical properties of large spicules from hexactinellid sponges (> 5 cm) it was demonstrated that they are effective light-collecting optical fibers. Here, we report that the demosponge Suberites domuncula is provided with a biosensor system composed of the (organic) light producing luciferase and the (inorganic) light transducing silica spicules. The light transmission feature of these smaller spicules (200 μm) has been demonstrated and the ability of sponge tissue to generate light has been proven. Screening for a luciferase gene in S. domuncula was successful; the recombinant luciferase was prepared and shown to be bioactive. The luciferase protein is abundantly present in the close neighborhood of the spicules. The expression of the luciferase gene is under the control of light. Received 14 August 2008; received after revision 09 November 2008; accepted 26 November 2008     

Synthesis of dinucleoside tetraphosphates in transfected cells by a firefly luciferase reporter gene

The firefly luciferase gene is widely used as a reporter gene and its expression is generally considered to be non-toxic. In addition to its light-producing reaction, luciferase can synthesise dinucleoside polyphosphates, intracellular signalling molecules, in vitro. Here we show that COS-7 cells transfected with a luciferase expression vector accumulate up to 0.5 mM adenine-containing dinucleoside tetraphosphates (Ap₄N) during the 24 h following luciferin addition. The optimal external concentration of luciferin was 0.4–0.6 mM. In agreement with its poor ability to synthesise adenine-containing dinucleoside triphosphates in vitro, the level of these compounds did not increase after transfection. Consequently, the results of experiments involving luciferase-mediated light production by live cells should now be viewed in the light of the possible effects of an increased intracellular Ap₄N concentration on the properties of the system under investigation. This observation also points to a useful non-invasive procedure for the specific enhancement of intracellular Ap₄N for studies directed at understanding the functions of these compounds.Received 12 November 2003; received after revision 10 December 2003; accepted 12 December 2003