On the structure of AP-4 responsive element in the LTR of Jembrana disease virus

As a bovine lentivirus,Jembrana disease virus (JDV) is genetically similar to the bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV). Unlike other lentiviruses which always have a long incubation period, e.g. 8—10 years for HIV, JDV infection causes an acute illness with shorter incubationpreriod and higher mortality. In the experimentally inocu-lated cattle, the incubation period varied from 8 to 12 d before the onset of clinical symptoms, which is very simi-lar to bovine plague with a high titer of J…     

Mutational effect of the “- 35” element of sorghumpsbA gene promoter

Mutations of the first position T and the third position G in TTGACA, the " - 35" element of sorghum psbA gene promoter, were induced using chemically synthesized 20 nt oligonucleotide primer. Three mutants were produced: ATTACA, GTGACA, and ATGACA. Then the protein binding affinity of the mutants and the wild type sorghum psbA gene promoter was tested in a spinach chloroplast protein extract system. Gel retardation assay of the wild type showed a strong protein-binding band. On the other hand, the protein-binding band of the mutant resulting from single base mutation, ATGACA or GTGACA, showed reduced intensity, while that of the mutant resulting from double base mutation, ATTACA, showed increased intensity. It is thus shown that the " - 35" element plays an important role in controlling the binding between psbA gene promoter and the specific chloroplast proteins; mutation of a single base may exert a substantial influence on the binding affinity.     

The locus of sequence-directed and protein-induced DNA bending

The bending locus of trypanosome kinetoplast DNA, identified by gel electrophoresis, has tracts of a simple repeat sequence (CA5-6 T) symmetrically distributed about it, with a repeat interval of 10 base pairs. The analogous bending induced when catabolite gene activating protein binds to its recognition sequence near the promoter of the Escherichia coli lac operon is centred on a site about 5-7 base pairs away from the centre of the protein binding site.     

北京棒杆菌天冬氨酸激酶突变体A380H的酶学性质

同源序列比对和蛋白质结构分析表明,A380为天冬氨酸激酶(aspartate kinase,AK)的绝对保守位点,对该位点进行定点突变、分离纯化和性质表征.结果表明:与野生型(WT)相比,突变体A380H的V_(max)提高4.28倍;突变体A380H的最适温度由28℃提高至35℃,最适pH值仍为7.5,半衰期由4.5h缩短至3.5h;底物抑制剂对WT和突变体均有抑制作用,苏氨酸和赖氨酸呈协同抑制作用,苏氨酸单独存在时对A380H具有激活或抑制减弱作用;Mg~(2+),Ni ~(2+)对WT有激活作用,1,5mmol/L的Cu~(2+)对A380H有激活作用;与WT相比,甲醇和异丙醇对A380H的抑制作用增强,正丁醇和乙腈对A380H的抑制作用减弱且表现出激活作用.     

Transcriptome analysis of Sinorhizobium meliloti nodule bacteria in nifA mutant background

Sinorhizobium meliloti is one genus of gram-nega- tive soil bacteria that can fix atmospheric nitrogen in root nodules of its symbiotic leguminous host plants[1]. Specific recognition and progressive differentiation ofboth bacteria and host cells are requ…     

纳米谷氨酸壳聚糖制备及其体外质粒转染研究

采用表面修饰方法制备出谷氨酸修饰的壳聚糖纳米基因载体。对样品进行红外分析、粒度分析、zeta电位分析、生物相容性、凝胶阻滞分析、DNA保护性试验、体外细胞转染研究。结果显示所制得的谷氨酸修饰的壳聚糖纳米颗粒平均粒径为170nm,其zeta电位为 4.7mV。红外分析显示谷氨酸已通过酰胺键结合在壳聚糖上。MTT实验结果显示纳米颗粒与细胞有良好的生物相容性。凝胶阻滞分析和DNA保护试验结果表明纳米载体可与DNA通过电性结合作用而结合,并可以有效保护DNA,防止核酸酶对其的降解作用。而体外细胞转染的结果表明,谷氨酸修饰的纳米粒能介导pEGFP-N1质粒转染HepG2细胞并在细胞中表达绿色荧光蛋白。因此,谷氨酸修饰的壳聚糖纳米颗粒可作为一种新型非病毒基因载体介导核酸类生物大分子进入细胞内。     

Functional significance of the Kunitz-type inhibitory domains of lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor

Blood coagulation can be initiated when factor VII or VIIa, a plasma protease, binds to its essential cofactor, tissue factor (TF), and proteolytically activates factors IX and X, triggering a cascade of events which eventually leads to the formation of thrombin and a fibrin clot. Plasma contains a lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor (LACI) which inhibits activated factor X (Xa) directly and, in a Xa-dependent way, inhibits VII(a)/TF activity, presumably by forming a quaternary Xa/LACI/VII(a)/TF complex. Sequence analysis of complementary DNA clones has shown that LACI contains three tandemly repeated Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitory domains. To investigate the relationship between these Kunitz structures and LACI function, we have used site-directed mutagenesis to produce altered forms of LACI in which the residue at the active-site cleft of each Kunitz domain has been individually changed. The second Kunitz domain is required for efficient binding and inhibition of Xa, and both Kunitz domains 1 and 2 are required for the inhibition of VIIa/TF activity; but alteration of the active-site residue of the third Kunitz domain has no significant effect on either function. We propose that in the putative inhibitory complex, Kunitz domain 1 is bound to the active site of VII(a)/TF and that Kunitz domain 2 is bound to Xa's active site.     

猪生长激素受体(GHR)基因启动子的 克隆及功能分析

本研究以猪作为研究模型, 对GHR基因启动子区开展了克隆 、转录因子结合位点分析和启动子活性鉴定.结果表明: 家猪GHR基因或由两个启动子(GHR P1和GHR P2)控制.GHR P1的部分核苷酸序列与牛、羊对应核苷酸序列具有较高的同源性, 但功能分析显示其启动子活性较低.针对GHR P2的实验结果表明其具有典型的GHR组成型启动子特征, 荧光素酶报告实验表明其具有启动子活性, 因此我们推测本次克隆获得的GHR P2是猪GHR的组成型启动子.     

TIAR通过在DNA和RNA之间的穿梭机制调控DNA的转录活性

应用体外转录模型,即通过构建T7 及T7 TIAR 的碱基序列及部分退火的双链模型,合成了一段ODN,其包含单链的TIAR结合位点和1个T7的起始位点.通过进行RNA转录分析,TIAR的结合和替代实验,证明了TIAR可与富含T的单链DNA结合,并且TIAR与DNA的结合可因DNA的转录活性而解离.这一发现为TIAR可在DNA与RNA之间穿梭提供了证据.     

反式激活HIV-1 LTR的HHV-6基因片段B701的缺失研究

ＨＨＶ－６在体外可以激活ＨＩＶＬＴＲ引导的基因表达［１］，其基因组中一基因片段Ｂ７０１已被证明与这种激活作用有关［２］．Ｂ７０１编码１４３个氨基酸的蛋白质，可与ＨＨＶ－６基因组中其它基因片段协同作用提高对ＨＩＶＬＴＲ的激活效力．对Ｂ７０１进行缺失突变，得到突变体ＲＳＶ－Ｂ７０１－ｄ１（３′端缺失１８１个ｂｐ）、ＲＳＶ－Ｂ７０１－ｄ６（３′端缺失３５３个ｂｐ），将这两个缺失突变体分别与ＨＩＶ－Ｌｕｃ共转染受体细胞，通过ＬＵＣ活性分析发现，缺失突变体ｄ１、ｄ６不但仍具有激活能力，而且ｄ６的激活能力要远远大于ｄ１．二级结构预测初步揭示了Ｂ７０１对ＨＩＶ－ＬＴＲ的反式激活作用机制，为阐明ＨＨＶ－６基因产物与ＡＩＤＳ的病理关系提供了依据．     

荆豆(Ulex europaeus L.)凝集素Ⅰ的细胞表面受体研究

从Ulex europaeus L.种子中纯化的荆豆凝集素I(UEH I),不仅专一地凝集人O型血细胞,也能凝集牛精细胞,表明这些细胞表面存在有UEH I的受体.应用经FITC或~(125)I标记的UEH I与牛精细胞结合,研究受体在精细胞表面的分布;Glc、Con A、PHA和Fuc的浓度对~(125)I-UEH I与O型血细胞结合的影响;O型血细胞和牛精细胞与~(125)I-UEH I的饱和实验,获得饱和结合曲线或竞争性结合曲线,得出各自的Scatchard图,分别计算出O型血细胞和牛精细胞表面的UEH I受体的数目。