端粒酶活性检测研究进展

端粒酶是细胞内常见的一种逆转录酶,其功能在于维持细胞内染色体末端端粒的长度。端粒酶活性的异常升高通常与肿瘤细胞的产生以及生长相关。端粒酶的活性已经成为了癌症诊疗领域中非常重要的生物标志物。因此,对于端粒酶活性准确且高效的定量分析检测方案是当今分析科学,临床医学等相关学科领域研究的重点之一。随着分析测试技术的发展,提出了一系列具有超高性能的端粒酶活性检测方案。总结了近5年来端粒酶活性检测方案的发展全貌并且预估了端粒酶活性检测的未来发展方向。     

三氧化二砷对肝癌BEL-7402细胞生长及端粒酶活性的影响

目的：观察不同浓度三氧化二砷作用不同时间对肝癌BEL—7402细胞生长及端粒酶活性的影响并探讨其作用机理。方法：应用不同浓度三氧化二砷作用于肝癌细胞系BEL—7402不同时间后，观察肝癌细胞的存活；用端粒酶检测试剂盒检测端粒酶活性的变化。结果：三氧化二砷可显抑制肝癌细胞系BEL—7402的生长；经三氧化二砷作用后肝癌细胞端粒酶活性下降；抑制作用与时间、剂量有关。结论：三氧化二砷可明显抑制肝癌细胞系BEL—7402的生长，其机理可能是降低细胞端粒酶活性和其他的机制。     

人端粒酶逆转录酶核酶抑制端粒酶活性的实验研究

目的　为有效地切割端粒酶逆转录酶mRNA以降低端粒酶活性 ,从而使肿瘤细胞生长变慢 ,凋亡增加 .方法　设计并合成了 2个针对端粒酶逆转录酶mRNA的锤头状核酶基因htertRZ及htert 5’RZ ,构建了核酶基因的体外转录和真核表达质粒 ;并将核酶转染致肿瘤细胞中 ,检测其对肿瘤细胞端粒酶活性和生物学性状的影响 .结果　 2种核酶在细胞内均能明显地抑制端粒酶活性 ;核酶htertRZ稳定转染细胞后 ,使细胞生长变慢 ,倍增时间延长 ,但无明显促细胞凋亡作用 .结论　 2种核酶可望成为有效的端粒酶抑制剂 ,在抑制肿瘤生长中发挥作用 .     

端粒,端粒酶与细胞衰老

细胞衰老是指正常细胞的有限增殖性,放多因素影响或控制着细胞衰老的发生,发展。端粒是染色体的末端,具有保护端粒ＤＮＡ的功能,随着ＤＮＡ不断复制和细胞分裂,端粒长度会逐渐缩短,而细胞衰老的过程也就开始,端粒酶活性和端粒长度呈正相关,间接地影响了细胞的衰老过程。     

三氧化二砷抑制肝癌细胞端粒酶活性的实验研究

目的：观察三氧化二砷对肝癌细胞株BEL-7402和SMMC-7721端粒酶活性的影响。方法：应用端粒酶多聚酶联反应一酶联免疫测定(PCR-ELISA)方法，检测三氧化二砷作用后，肝癌细胞系BEL-7402和SMMC-7721细胞端粒酶活性的变化并比较两种细胞端粒酶对三氧化二砷敏感性的差异。结果：0．25～2．00μmol／L三氧化二砷(24～96h)可抑制肝癌细胞系BFL-7402的端粒酶活性，抑制作用与时间、剂量呈依赖性关系；0．25～0．50μmol／L三氧化二砷对SMMC-7721细胞端粒酶活性没有影响(96h以内)，1．00～2．00μmol/L三氧化二砷可抑制SMMC-7721细胞端粒酶活性(4H8～96h)，有时间、剂量依赖关系。结论：三氧化二砷可以抑制肝癌细胞系BEL-7402和SMMC-7721细胞端粒酶的活性；BEL-7402细胞端粒酶对三氧化二砷的敏感性较SMMC-7721细胞端粒酶高。     

溴化乙锭—TRAP法检测端粒酶活性

端粒酶是一种核蛋白，在真核生物体内，通过将端粒重复顺序转移到染色体末端面维持染色体的稳定。端粒酶活性存在于生殖细胞和永生癌细胞，但在正常细胞中却极低乃至无法检测，我们使用ＥＢ染色简化了端粒酶活性检测的传统的ＴＲＡＰ法。     

稳定表达Cytoglobin的肝细胞株LO-2的建立及生长增殖的变化

目的:建立过表达细胞珠蛋白Cytoglobin(CYGB)的人肝细胞LO-2稳定株,初步探究CYGB对LO-2细胞生长增殖的影响.方法:采用PCR法扩增CYGB编码基因,并通过GATEWAY克隆技术构建慢病毒重组表达载体Plenti-N-GFP-CYGB;酶切、测序鉴定后,与包装质粒三质粒共转人肾上皮细胞(HEK293T),收集、浓缩含病毒上清,获得病毒颗粒;感染LO-2细胞并采用流式细胞分选技术筛选稳定细胞株,Western blot检测表达情况;使用CCK-8试剂盒检测过表达CYGB对LO-2细胞增殖的影响,通过流式细胞技术检测过表达CYGB对LO-2细胞凋亡的影响.结果:慢病毒重组表达载体Plenti-N-GFP-CYGB双酶切鉴定以及基因序列比对鉴定均正确.三质粒共转HEK293T细胞后,荧光显微镜下观察大部分细胞出现绿色荧光;收集病毒颗粒并感染LO-2细胞后,经流式细胞分选技术筛选获得稳定表达CYGB的细胞,Western blot鉴定显示,LO-2稳定株组的CYGB表达条带明显,阴性对照组未出现条带.CCK-8法绘制的细胞生长曲线显示,稳定表达细胞组的细胞生长速率低于阴性对照组,有统计学差异(P0.01).流式细胞技术检测各组LO-2细胞凋亡情况结果显示,稳定表达细胞组的细胞凋亡百分比高于阴性对照组(P0.05).结论:成功构建慢病毒重组表达载体Plenti-N-GFP-CYGB;建立稳定表达CYGB的人肝细胞株LO-2-GFP-CYGB以及阴性对照组细胞株LO-2-GFP;稳定表达CYGB的肝细胞生长速率较阴性对照组肝细胞降低,稳定表达CYGB的肝细胞凋亡百分比高于阴性对照组肝细胞;为CYGB与其蛋白的相互关系研究提供了细胞模型.     

外周血白细胞端粒DNA长度与肺癌的关系

外周血白细胞端粒DNA长度与肺癌之间的关系研究有助于肺癌的早期诊断和治疗。本研究采用实时荧光定量PCR法对肺癌患者和健康对照组外周血白细胞端粒DNA的长度进行检测,研究肺癌与外周血白细胞端粒DNA长度的关系。结果表明,肺癌组的端粒长度小于健康对照(normal control,NC)组(P0.05),小细胞肺癌(small cell lung carcinoma,SCLC)组端粒长度短于非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)组(P0.05),Ⅲ+Ⅳ期较Ⅰ+Ⅱ期端粒DNA明显缩短(P0.05)。多元线性回归分析结果显示,SCLC和NSCLC组中年龄与是否吸烟两个因素与端粒的长度具有相关性(P0.05),且前者与端粒长度的关系呈负相关;腺癌组中与端粒长度具有相关性的因素是性别和年龄(P0.05),且后者与端粒长度的关系也呈负相关。     

PCR-ELISA和PCR-PAGE法检测血液肿瘤细胞株的端粒酶活性

目的：通过端粒酶聚合酶链反应—酶联免疫测定(PCR—ELISA)和聚合酶链反应—聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(PCR—PAGE)方法检测血液肿瘤细胞株HL—60、K562、Raji的端粒酶活性，探讨其临床应用价值。方法：PCR—ELISA方法是将端粒重复序列PCR变性产物与地高辛标记且对端粒重复片段特异的探针杂交，杂交产物通过ELISA进行测定。PCR—PAGE法是将端粒重复序列PCR产物直接进行聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳，通过硝酸银染色测定端粒酶活性。结果：在端粒酶PCR—ELISA方法检测中，PCR在25-35次循环之间，吸光度A值与循环次数呈线性关系，35-45次循环己达到平台期。PCR—ELISA法检测显示HL—60、K562、Raji细胞均表达高水平的端粒酶活性，吸光度A均值分别为2．362、2．336、2．145。对HL—60、K562、Raji细胞的端粒重复序列扩增的PCR产物直接进行PAGE电泳、银染均呈现3条以上间隔6bP的特征性阶梯状条带。结论：对端粒重复序列PCR产物可同时进行ELISA检测和PAGE—银染，两种方法均可用于恶性肿瘤的临床诊断，ELISA法更为灵敏而简单，且可相对定量。     

The changes in telomerase activity and telomere length in HeLa cells undergoing apoptosis induced by sodium butyrate

The changes in telomerase activity and telomere length during apoptosis in HeLa cells as induced by sodium butyrate (SB) have been studied. After a 48 h SB treatment, HeLa cells demonstrated characteristic apoptotic hallmarks including chromatin condensation, formation of apoptotic bodies and DNA Laddering which were caused by the cleavage and degradation of DNA between nucleosomes. There were no significant changes in telomerase activity of apoptotic cells, while the telomere length shortened markedly. In the meanwhile, cells became more susceptible to apoptotic stimuli and telomere became more vulnerable to degradation after telomerase activity was inhibited. All the results suggest that the apoptosis induced by SB is closely related to telomere shortening, while telomerase enhances resistance of HeLa cells to apoptotic stimuli by protecting telomere.     

POT1 as a terminal transducer of TRF1 telomere length control

Human telomere maintenance is essential for the protection of chromosome ends, and changes in telomere length have been implicated in ageing and cancer. Human telomere length is regulated by the TTAGGG-repeat-binding protein TRF1 and its interacting partners tankyrase 1, TIN2 and PINX1 (refs 5-9). As the TRF1 complex binds to the duplex DNA of the telomere, it is unclear how it can affect telomerase, which acts on the single-stranded 3' telomeric overhang. Here we show that the TRF1 complex interacts with a single-stranded telomeric DNA-binding protein--protection of telomeres 1 (POT1)--and that human POT1 controls telomerase-mediated telomere elongation. The presence of POT1 on telomeres was diminished when the amount of single-stranded DNA was reduced. Furthermore, POT1 binding was regulated by the TRF1 complex in response to telomere length. A mutant form of POT1 lacking the DNA-binding domain abrogated TRF1-mediated control of telomere length, and induced rapid and extensive telomere elongation. We propose that the interaction between the TRF1 complex and POT1 affects the loading of POT1 on the single-stranded telomeric DNA, thus transmitting information about telomere length to the telomere terminus, where telomerase is regulated.     

Defects in mismatch repair promote telomerase-independent proliferation

Mismatch repair has a central role in maintaining genomic stability by repairing DNA replication errors and inhibiting recombination between non-identical (homeologous) sequences. Defects in mismatch repair have been linked to certain human cancers, including hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) and sporadic tumours. A crucial requirement for tumour cell proliferation is the maintenance of telomere length, and most tumours achieve this by reactivating telomerase. In both yeast and human cells, however, telomerase-independent telomere maintenance can occur as a result of recombination-dependent exchanges between often imperfectly matched telomeric sequences. Here we show that loss of mismatch-repair function promotes cellular proliferation in the absence of telomerase. Defects in mismatch repair, including mutations that correspond to the same amino-acid changes recovered from HNPCC tumours, enhance telomerase-independent survival in both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a related budding yeast with a degree of telomere sequence homology that is similar to human telomeres. These results indicate that enhanced telomeric recombination in human cells with mismatch-repair defects may contribute to cell immortalization and hence tumorigenesis.     

The human CST complex is a terminator of telomerase activity

The lengths of human telomeres, which protect chromosome ends from degradation and end fusions, are crucial determinants of cell lifespan. During embryogenesis and in cancer, the telomerase enzyme counteracts telomeric DNA shortening. As shown in cancer cells, human telomerase binds the shelterin component TPP1 at telomeres during the S phase of the cell cycle, and adds ~60 nucleotides in a single round of extension, after which telomerase is turned off by unknown mechanisms. Here we show that the human CST (CTC1, STN1 and TEN1) complex, previously implicated in telomere protection and DNA metabolism, inhibits telomerase activity through primer sequestration and physical interaction with the protection of telomeres 1 (POT1)–TPP1 telomerase processivity factor. CST competes with POT1–TPP1 for telomeric DNA, and CST–telomeric-DNA binding increases during late S/G2 phase only on telomerase action, coinciding with telomerase shut-off. Depletion of CST allows excessive telomerase activity, promoting telomere elongation. We propose that through binding of the telomerase-extended telomere, CST limits telomerase action at individual telomeres to approximately one binding and extension event per cell cycle. Our findings define the sequence of events that occur to first enable and then terminate telomerase-mediated telomere elongation.     

TPP1 is a homologue of ciliate TEBP-beta and interacts with POT1 to recruit telomerase

Telomere dysfunction may result in chromosomal abnormalities, DNA damage responses, and even cancer. Early studies in lower organisms have helped to establish the crucial role of telomerase and telomeric proteins in maintaining telomere length and protecting telomere ends. In Oxytricha nova, telomere G-overhangs are protected by the TEBP-alpha/beta heterodimer. Human telomeres contain duplex telomeric repeats with 3' single-stranded G-overhangs, and may fold into a t-loop structure that helps to shield them from being recognized as DNA breaks. Additionally, the TEBP-alpha homologue, POT1, which binds telomeric single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), associates with multiple telomeric proteins (for example, TPP1, TIN2, TRF1, TRF2 and RAP1) to form the six-protein telosome/shelterin and other subcomplexes. These telomeric protein complexes in turn interact with diverse pathways to form the telomere interactome for telomere maintenance. However, the mechanisms by which the POT1-containing telosome communicates with telomerase to regulate telomeres remain to be elucidated. Here we demonstrate that TPP1 is a putative mammalian homologue of TEBP-beta and contains a predicted amino-terminal oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide binding (OB) fold. TPP1-POT1 association enhanced POT1 affinity for telomeric ssDNA. In addition, the TPP1 OB fold, as well as POT1-TPP1 binding, seemed critical for POT1-mediated telomere-length control and telomere-end protection in human cells. Disruption of POT1-TPP1 interaction by dominant negative TPP1 expression or RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in telomere-length alteration and DNA damage responses. Furthermore, we offer evidence that TPP1 associates with the telomerase in a TPP1-OB-fold-dependent manner, providing a physical link between telomerase and the telosome/shelterin complex. Our findings highlight the critical role of TPP1 in telomere maintenance, and support a yin-yang model in which TPP1 and POT1 function as a unit to protect human telomeres, by both positively and negatively regulating telomerase access to telomere DNA.     

Conditional telomerase induction causes proliferation of hair follicle stem cells

TERT, the protein component of telomerase, serves to maintain telomere function through the de novo addition of telomere repeats to chromosome ends, and is reactivated in 90% of human cancers. In normal tissues, TERT is expressed in stem cells and in progenitor cells, but its role in these compartments is not fully understood. Here we show that conditional transgenic induction of TERT in mouse skin epithelium causes a rapid transition from telogen (the resting phase of the hair follicle cycle) to anagen (the active phase), thereby facilitating robust hair growth. TERT overexpression promotes this developmental transition by causing proliferation of quiescent, multipotent stem cells in the hair follicle bulge region. This new function for TERT does not require the telomerase RNA component, which encodes the template for telomere addition, and therefore operates through a mechanism independent of its activity in synthesizing telomere repeats. These data indicate that, in addition to its established role in extending telomeres, TERT can promote proliferation of resting stem cells through a non-canonical pathway.     

端粒酶核酶抑制肿瘤细胞生长的研究

已证明有84.7%的人类恶性肿瘤组织细胞中端粒酶表达异常增高.端粒酶的作用是合成染色体末端端粒重复序列维持染色体稳定及细胞永生化的关键因素.因此,端粒酶在肿瘤发生发展中起重要作用,是目前最广泛的肿瘤标志物.核酶是一种具有内切酶活性的RNA分子,只要满足一定的空间结构就能定点切割RNA底物.切割端粒酶的核酶(简称为端粒酶核酶)主要针对端粒酶的两个亚单位hTR和hTERT抑制两基因的表达,降低端粒酶的活性,抑制肿瘤细胞的生长.