Comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of key genes and signaling pathways in glioma

The identification of specific survival-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) is a method for uncovering therapeutic approaches for various cancers, including glioma. However, the key target genes associated with the occurrence and development of gliomas remain unknown. In this study, we performed bioinformatics analysis on 17 GSE datasets and identified DEGs correlated with glioma. A total of 74 mutual-DEGs with downregulated expression in gliomas compared with that in normal brain tissues were found in 17 datasets. These DEGs were related to GABAergic synaptic transmission, chloride transmembrane transport, glutamate secretion, and gamma-aminobutyric acid signaling pathway. Gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor subunit gamma 2 (GABRG2) was identified as a hub gene in the protein-protein interaction network. GABRG2 exhibited lower expression in IDH wild-type astrocytoma than that in IDH mutant astrocytoma and indicated poor prognosis in glioma patients. GABRG2 may contribute to the progression of glioma by affecting GABA receptor-related pathways and is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of glioma.     

Isolation and characterization of genomic and cDNA clones of human erythropoietin

The glycoprotein hormone erythropoietin regulates the level of oxygen in the blood by modulating the number of circulating erythrocytes, and is produced in the kidney or liver of adult and the liver of fetal or neonatal mammals. Neither the precise cell types that produce erythropoietin nor the mechanisms by which the same or different cells measure the circulating oxygen concentration and consequently regulate erythropoietin production are known. Cells responsive to erythropoietin have been identified in the adult bone marrow, fetal liver or adult spleen. In cultures of erythropoietic progenitors, erythropoietin stimulates proliferation and differentiation to more mature red blood cells. Detailed molecular studies have been hampered, however, by the impurity and heterogeneity of target cell populations and the difficulty of obtaining significant quantities of the purified hormone. Highly purified erythropoietin may be useful in the treatment of various forms of anaemia, particularly in chronic renal failure. Here we describe the cloning of the human erythropoietin gene and the expression of an erythropoietin cDNA clone in a transient mammalian expression system to yield a secreted product with biological activity.     

Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height

Most common human traits and diseases have a polygenic pattern of inheritance: DNA sequence variants at many genetic loci influence the phenotype. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified more than 600 variants associated with human traits, but these typically explain small fractions of phenotypic variation, raising questions about the use of further studies. Here, using 183,727 individuals, we show that hundreds of genetic variants, in at least 180 loci, influence adult height, a highly heritable and classic polygenic trait. The large number of loci reveals patterns with important implications for genetic studies of common human diseases and traits. First, the 180 loci are not random, but instead are enriched for genes that are connected in biological pathways (P = 0.016) and that underlie skeletal growth defects (P?相似文献   

Functional genomic screen reveals genes involved in lipid-droplet formation and utilization

Eukaryotic cells store neutral lipids in cytoplasmic lipid droplets enclosed in a monolayer of phospholipids and associated proteins. These dynamic organelles serve as the principal reservoirs for storing cellular energy and for the building blocks for membrane lipids. Excessive lipid accumulation in cells is a central feature of obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis, yet remarkably little is known about lipid-droplet cell biology. Here we show, by means of a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen in Drosophila S2 cells that about 1.5% of all genes function in lipid-droplet formation and regulation. The phenotypes of the gene knockdowns sorted into five distinct phenotypic classes. Genes encoding enzymes of phospholipid biosynthesis proved to be determinants of lipid-droplet size and number, suggesting that the phospholipid composition of the monolayer profoundly affects droplet morphology and lipid utilization. A subset of the Arf1-COPI vesicular transport proteins also regulated droplet morphology and lipid utilization, thereby identifying a previously unrecognized function for this machinery. These phenotypes are conserved in mammalian cells, suggesting that insights from these studies are likely to be central to our understanding of human diseases involving excessive lipid storage.     

Driver mutations in histone H3.3 and chromatin remodelling genes in paediatric glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal brain tumour in adults and children. However, DNA copy number and gene expression signatures indicate differences between adult and paediatric cases. To explore the genetic events underlying this distinction, we sequenced the exomes of 48 paediatric GBM samples. Somatic mutations in the H3.3-ATRX-DAXX chromatin remodelling pathway were identified in 44% of tumours (21/48). Recurrent mutations in H3F3A, which encodes the replication-independent histone 3 variant H3.3, were observed in 31% of tumours, and led to amino acid substitutions at two critical positions within the histone tail (K27M, G34R/G34V) involved in key regulatory post-translational modifications. Mutations in ATRX (α-thalassaemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked) and DAXX (death-domain associated protein), encoding two subunits of a chromatin remodelling complex required for H3.3 incorporation at pericentric heterochromatin and telomeres, were identified in 31% of samples overall, and in 100% of tumours harbouring a G34R or G34V H3.3 mutation. Somatic TP53 mutations were identified in 54% of all cases, and in 86% of samples with H3F3A and/or ATRX mutations. Screening of a large cohort of gliomas of various grades and histologies (n = 784) showed H3F3A mutations to be specific to GBM and highly prevalent in children and young adults. Furthermore, the presence of H3F3A/ATRX-DAXX/TP53 mutations was strongly associated with alternative lengthening of telomeres and specific gene expression profiles. This is, to our knowledge, the first report to highlight recurrent mutations in a regulatory histone in humans, and our data suggest that defects of the chromatin architecture underlie paediatric and young adult GBM pathogenesis.     

水稻广陆矮4号基因文库的构建及U2snRNA基因的筛选

水稻广陆矮４号黄化苗总ＤＮＡ经Ｓａｕ３Ａ部分酶切，回收１２－２３ｋｂ片段，经ＣＩＰ脱磷后克隆于ＥＭＢＬ３载体，建立了水稻基因文库。以拟南芥的Ｕ２．２ｓｎＲＮＡ基因为探针，从基因文库中筛选到１３个阳性克隆，经不同酶切鉴定，初步判断有８种不同的克隆，对其中一个克隆ＦＤＲＧＵ２－３的重组ＤＮＡ构建了物理图谱，Ｕ２ｓｎＲＮＡ的一个基因已经定位在该克隆中１．５ｋｇ的Ｓａｌ－Ｉ－ＢａｍＨＩ酶片段上。     

植物类异戊二烯生物合成相关酶基因研究进展

类异戊二烯化合物是自然界广泛存在的一大类天然化合物,具有重要的生物学功能及经济价值．在植物体内,类异戊二烯化合物的生物合成主要有2条代谢途径：甲羟戊酸（MVA）途径和2-甲基-D-赤藓糖醇-4-磷酸（MEP）途径．综述了国内外对植物中这2条代谢途径中相关酶基因的功能、分离情况、表达特性,以及2条代谢途径之间中间产物的交换等方面的研究进展．     

The genomic and epidemiological dynamics of human influenza A virus

The evolutionary interaction between influenza A virus and the human immune system, manifest as 'antigenic drift' of the viral haemagglutinin, is one of the best described patterns in molecular evolution. However, little is known about the genome-scale evolutionary dynamics of this pathogen. Similarly, how genomic processes relate to global influenza epidemiology, in which the A/H3N2 and A/H1N1 subtypes co-circulate, is poorly understood. Here through an analysis of 1,302 complete viral genomes sampled from temperate populations in both hemispheres, we show that the genomic evolution of influenza A virus is characterized by a complex interplay between frequent reassortment and periodic selective sweeps. The A/H3N2 and A/H1N1 subtypes exhibit different evolutionary dynamics, with diverse lineages circulating in A/H1N1, indicative of weaker antigenic drift. These results suggest a sink-source model of viral ecology in which new lineages are seeded from a persistent influenza reservoir, which we hypothesize to be located in the tropics, to sink populations in temperate regions.     

Comprehensive study on genetic pathways and parent materials of secondary biogenic gas in coalbeds

The types of substances in coal rock used by microbes,the specific ways in which microbes produce secondary biogenic gas(SBG)and whether substances exist in the coal seam for the formation of a large amount of SBG are important basic scientific issues.This paper conducts a systematic and comprehensive research study on the above issues using methods such as the isotopic tracing of gas,the analysis of coal organic geochemistry,and gas-producing simulation experiments of coal.Results show that the formation of SBG is by the microbial reduction of CO2and the SBG-producing coal seam undergoes microbial degradation.The thermogenic heavy gaseous hydrocarbons have also been degraded by microorganisms and possibly transformed into microbialoriginated CO2.A large amount of CO2,a relatively large amount of H2and a certain amount of heavy gaseous hydrocarbons may form in the thermal evolution of coal.These substances and the microbial-originated CO2and coal seam water can finally become parent materials of SBG.These components are rich in coal seams of medium–low thermal evolution,which should be the main coal seams for SBG formation and exploration.     

Normal human mammary epithelial cells spontaneously escape senescence and acquire genomic changes

Senescence and genomic integrity are thought to be important barriers in the development of malignant lesions. Human fibroblasts undergo a limited number of cell divisions before entering an irreversible arrest, called senescence. Here we show that human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) do not conform to this paradigm of senescence. In contrast to fibroblasts, HMECs exhibit an initial growth phase that is followed by a transient growth plateau (termed selection or M0; refs 3-5), from which proliferative cells emerge to undergo further population doublings (approximately 20-70), before entering a second growth plateau (previously termed senescence or M1; refs 4-6). We find that the first growth plateau exhibits characteristics of senescence but is not an insurmountable barrier to further growth. HMECs emerge from senescence, exhibit eroding telomeric sequences and ultimately enter telomere-based crisis to generate the types of chromosomal abnormalities seen in the earliest lesions of breast cancer. Growth past senescent barriers may be a pivotal event in the earliest steps of carcinogenesis, providing many genetic changes that predicate oncogenic evolution. The differences between epithelial cells and fibroblasts provide new insights into the mechanistic basis of neoplastic transformation.     

Linkage of human apolipoproteins A-I and C-III genes

It has recently been suggested that polymorphisms in the human apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) gene locus may be related to the development of premature atherosclerosis and hypertriglyceridaemia. To understand if and how these polymorphisms affect apo A-I gene expression, we studied the genomic sequences flanking the apo A-I gene. Here we show the presence of another apolipoprotein gene, apolipoprotein C-III (apo C-III), approximately 2.6 kilobases (kb) downstream of the 3' end of the apo A-I gene. We also show that the apo A-I and apo C-III genes are convergently transcribed and that a polymorphism previously reported to be associated with hypertriglyceridaemia may be due to a single base pair substitution in the 3'-noncoding region of apo C-III mRNA.     

新型含芳香核柔性双咪唑配体及其配合物的合成与结构表征

基于含氮杂环配体的金属配位聚合物的独特性能,以取代位置不同的苯二酚、萘二酚、萘醌和蒽醌为起始原料,与1,2-二溴乙烷反应生成芳烃的双溴取代物,然后再与咪唑在碱性条件下发生取代反应,合成得到六种含芳香环的双咪唑类配体(Ⅰ-Ⅵ).结果表明,所有产物的结构均经熔点、IR、1H NMR和元素分析表征,所得数据与结构完全吻合,并对配体Ⅲ与Zn(NO3)2·6H2O形成的配位聚合物晶体结构进行了测定.     

适冷菌Pseudomonas extremaustralis PF中海藻糖的合成途径及TreS基因的克隆

通过对一株高寒冰缘植物内生适冷假单胞菌Pseudomonas extremaustralis PF的研究,发现该菌中同时存在TPS/TPP,TreY/TreZ和neS三种海藻糖合成途径,其中TreS途径的合成酶活性最高.对该菌的海藻糖合成酶TreS的基因进行克隆,得到一个新的TreS基因PFTreS,该基因与已报道的细菌TreS基因在核酸序列上表现出较高的同源性(最高达80.2%).根据基因序列预测的PFTreS氨基酸序列具有TreS酶的催化功能保守区,与假单胞菌P.fluorescens Pf-5的TreS有很高的同源性.这些结果表明了Pseudomonas extremaustralis中海藻糖的合成特性,为进一步揭示海藻糖的合成与Pseudomonas extremaustralis PF的低温响应机制的关系奠定了基础.     

Cloning and characterization of two putative seven-transmembrane receptor genes from cotton

Using rapid amplification of cDNA ends （RACE）-PCR, two full-length cDNAs encoding putative seven-transmembrane receptors （designated Gh7TMpR1 and Gh7TMpR2） were cloned from cotton plants. Southern blot and an ApaL1 restriction site polymorphism analyses revealed that Gh7TMpR1 was derived from the ancestral A diploid genome, while Gh7TMpR2 was from the D subgenome. Northern blot hybridization indicated that both Gh7TMpR1 and Gh7TMpR2 were expressed preferentially in the elongation phase of fiber development. Majority of the Gh7TMpR1 proteins were located within the membrane structure and displayed a punctuate pattern of distribution. Overexpression of Gh7TMpR1 in fission yeast disrupted the polar growth and caused the formation of rounded cells. These results suggest that GhT7MpR1 may play a critical role in cotton fiber development, perhaps as a signaling receptor that is involved in controlling fiber elongation.     

Discrete cis-active genomic sequences dictate the pituitary cell type-specific expression of rat prolactin and growth hormone genes

The anterior pituitary gland, which is derived from a common primordium originating in Rathke's pouch, contains phenotypically distinct cell types, each of which express discrete trophic hormones: adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin, growth hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)/luteinizing hormone (LH). The structurally related prolactin and growth hormone genes, which are evolutionarily derived from a single primordial gene, are expressed in discrete cell types--lactotrophs and somatotrophs, respectively--with their expression virtually limited to the pituitary gland. The pituitary hormones exhibit a temporal pattern of developmental expression with rat growth hormone and prolactin characteristically being the last hormones expressed. The reported co-expression of these two structurally related neuroendocrine genes within single cells prior to the appearance of mature lactotrophs, in a subpopulation of mature anterior pituitary cells, and in many pituitary adenomas raises the possibility that the prolactin and growth hormone genes are developmentally controlled by a common factor(s). We now report the identification and characterization of nucleotide sequences in the 5'-flanking regions of the rat prolactin and growth hormone genes, respectively, which act in a position- and orientation-independent fashion to transfer cell-specific expression to heterologous genes. At least one putative trans-acting factor required for the growth hormone genomic sequence to exert its effects is apparently different from those modulating the corresponding enhancer element(s) of the prolactin gene because a pituitary 'lactotroph' cell line producing prolactin but not growth hormone selectively fails to express fusion genes containing the growth hormone enhancer sequence.