Differential expression of myc family genes during murine development

The myc family of cellular oncogenes contains three known members. The N-myc and c-myc genes have 5'-noncoding exons, strikingly homologous coding regions, and display similar oncogenic potential in an in vitro transformation assay. The L-myc gene is less well characterized, but shows homology to N-myc and c-myc (ref. 6; also see below). c-myc is expressed in most dividing cells, and deregulated expression of this gene has been implicated in the development of many classes of tumours. In contrast, expression of N-myc has been found only in a restricted set of tumours, most of which show neural characteristics; these include human neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). L-myc expression has so far been found only in SCLC. Activated N-myc and L-myc expression has been implicated in oncogenesis; for example, although N-myc expression has been found in all neuroblastomas tested, activated (greatly increased) N-myc expression, resulting from gene amplification, is correlated with progression of the tumour. We now report that high-level expression of N- and L-myc is very restricted with respect to tissue and stage in the developing mouse, while that of c-myc is more generalized. Furthermore, we demonstrate that N-myc is not simply a neuroectoderm-specific gene; both N- and L-myc seem to be involved in the early stages of multiple differentiation pathways. Our findings suggest that differential myc gene expression has a role in mammalian development and that the normal expression patterns of these genes generally predict the types of tumours in which they are expressed or activated.     

真核生物上游刺激因子家族的分子进化

氨基酸序列和基因结构的系统发育分析表明,上游刺激因子家族usf1和usf2基因的产生是基因复制的结果,同时,usf1和usf2的内含子位置以及插入相位分析揭示在不同进化地位的物种中,可独立地发生内含子的插入或删除,因此,看似同源的内含子不一定是同源的,这说明在以内含子为基础进行同源性分析时应谨慎.与低等动物相比,脊椎动物中的usf基因序列高度相似,对比usf1和usf2的各个选择性剪接变体发现,二者的剪接模式都很保守,而新的变体是由点突变或内含子中额外序列的插入造成的.另外,以前的研究均认为所有usf中均有亮氨酸拉链,然而本研究发现,该结构域是新近插入到该蛋白家族中的.     

菠菜SoSWEET蛋白家族基因鉴定与表达分析

以现有菠菜基因组信息为基础,通过生物信息学方法筛选鉴定16个菠菜SoSWEET蛋白家族成员,命名为SoSWEET1~SoSWEET16.氨基酸残基数量在648~1 140之间,分子质量在54 070.32~95 868.64 u之间,理论等电点（pI）在5.06~5.19之间.亚细胞定位预测有6个SoSWEET蛋白定位于细胞膜,5个SoSWEET蛋白定位于内质网,5个SoSWEET蛋白定位于细胞膜、内质网.系统进化分析将菠菜SoSWEET蛋白家族分成4个亚族,在此基础上对基因结构、保守基序、顺式作用调控元件等进行分析.共鉴定了10个高度保守基序,其中所有菠菜SoSWEET蛋白都包含基序1,2和4,是构成菠菜SoSWEET蛋白中最高度保守的部分.所有菠菜SoSWEET蛋白家族成员都含MtN3_slv和PQ-loop superfamily结构域.大多数SoSWEET蛋白家族的基因含有5个内含子.顺式作用元件预测结果表明,菠菜SoSWEET基因启动子上包含光响应、生长发育、植物激素响应和逆境胁迫响应等顺式作用元件.组织表达分析表明,所有SoSWEET基因在根、茎、叶和叶柄中都有表达,霜霉病胁迫处理后16个基因表现出不同响应变化.本研究为后续深入研究菠菜SoSWEET蛋白家族成员的功能提供了重要参考.     

Structure of Arc repressor in solution: evidence for a family of beta-sheet DNA-binding proteins

The Arc repressor, which is involved in the switch between lysis and lysogeny of Salmonella bacteriophage P22, does not belong to any of the known classes of DNA-binding proteins. Mutagenesis studies show that the DNA-binding region is located in the 15 N-terminal amino-acid residues. We have now determined the three-dimensional structure of the Arc dimer from an extensive set of interproton-distance data obtained from 1H NMR spectroscopy. A priori, intra- and inter-monomer nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) cannot be distinguished for a symmetric dimer. But by using the homology with the Escherichia coli Met repressor we could interpret the NOEs unambiguously in an iterative structure refinement procedure. The final structure satisfies a large set of NOE constraints (1,352 for the dimer). It shows a strongly intertwined dimer, in which residues 8-14 of different monomers form an antiparallel beta-sheet. A model for the Arc repressor-operator complex can account for all available biochemical and genetic data. In this model two Arc dimers bind with their beta-sheet regions in successive major grooves on one side of the DNA helix, similar to the Met repressor interaction. Thus, Arc and Met repressors are members of the same family of proteins, which contain an antiparallel beta-sheet as the DNA-binding motif.     

Structure and function of Rac genes in higher plants

As the sole ubiquitous signal GTP-binding protein in higher plants, Rac genes act as pivotal molecular switches and participate in regulations of many life activities, such as cell morphogenesis and polarity growth, programmed cell death, production of H2O2, cell differentiation, and hormone reaction. Based on our work on rice Rac genes, this paper summarizes the researches on Rac genes in higher plant of the last ten years. It will help us to understand the relation between the signal tranduction and the biological functions of plant Rac.     

A family of structural genes for human lymphoblastoid (leukocyte-type) interferon

Amino acid sequences of tryptic and chymotryptic peptides from human lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN-alpha) have been determined. The results show that IFN-alpha consists of a family of proteins with at least five different, but homologous, primary structures. There appears to be little, if any, glycosylation of the major components of IFN-alpha.     

Structure of mouse kallikrein gene family suggests a role in specific processing of biologically active peptides

The glandular kallikrein gene family comprises 25-30 highly homologous genes that encode specific proteases involved in the processing of biologically active peptides. In the mouse all the members of this family are closely linked on chromosome 7. The 9.5-kilobase nucleotide sequence of a mouse genomic clone contains one complete kallikrein gene (mGK-1), which is expressed in the male mouse submaxillary gland, and the 3' end of another (mGK-2). Differences in the coding potential of these genes and the amino acid sequences of other known kallikreins seem to be functionally related to the substrate specificity of the different enzymes.     

拟南芥PAL基因家族鉴定及表达模式分析

为研究苯丙氨酸解氨酶（PAL）作为苯丙烷类代谢途径的关键酶,在植物响应环境胁迫过程中的重要作用,本研究利用HMMER、Pfam与SMART等工具,从拟南芥全基因组中筛选获得 9 个PAL成员,分析其编码酶蛋白的理化性质、二级结构与保守基序等信息.同时,结合转录组与定量PCR分析PAL成员在干旱与盐胁迫条件下的表达模式.结果表明,拟南芥PAL成员的二级结构主要由α-螺旋和无规则卷曲组成;亮氨酸和丙氨酸为含量较高的氨基酸残基;拟南芥PAL成员含有 20 种不同的保守基序,其中motif6含有ASG活性位点,为所有PAL成员所共有;较多PAL成员具有光响应、激素响应、胁迫响应和生长发育相关的顺式调控元件.转录组学与定量PCR分析发现,AT3G53260.1、AT3G53260.2与AT3G47660.1的mRNA表达水平在干旱与盐胁迫后发生显著变化,推测这 3 条基因可能参与拟南芥对干旱及盐胁迫的响应过程,表明PAL基因在调控植物生长发育与非生物胁迫响应过程中发挥重要作用.     

The mec-4 gene is a member of a family of Caenorhabditis elegans genes that can mutate to induce neuronal degeneration.

Three dominant mutations of mec-4, a gene needed for mechanosensation, cause the touch-receptor neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans to degenerate. With deg-1, another C. elegans gene that can mutate to induce neuronal degeneration and that is similar in sequence, mec-4 defines a new gene family. Cross-hybridizing sequences are detectable in other species, raising the possibility that degenerative conditions in other organisms may be caused by mutations in similar genes. All three dominant mec-4 mutations affect the same amino acid. Effects of amino-acid substitutions at this position suggest that steric hindrance may induce the degenerative state.     

簸箕柳AP2/ERF家族基因的全基因组分析

为了研究簸箕柳AP2/ERF转录因子家族的成员和分类,及后续深入探究其在簸箕柳生长发育过程中的功能,本文基于簸箕柳基因组数据,利用生物信息学技术和方法,对簸箕柳的AP2/ERF家族基因进行鉴定、分类及染色体定位,并对其理化性质、基因结构、保守结构域、表达模式等进行分析.结果表明,簸箕柳含有178个AP2/ERF家族基因,并根据AP2/ERF保守域的数量与拟南芥AP2/ERF家族基因的进化关系将其划分成AP2、ERF、RAV和Soloist亚家族4类.此外组织表达模式分析结果显示,簸箕柳AP2/ERF家族基因的表达具有明显的组织特异性,且在leaf、root、shoot、flower中表达较强,在其他组织中表达较弱.     

大鼠海马发育过程中CRMPs家族mRNA的表达

目的:探讨大鼠海马发育过程中坍塌反应调节蛋白(CRMPs)家族mRNA的表达规律.方法:用RT-PCR方法检测大鼠发育不同阶段CRMPs家族mRNA的表达.结果:RT-PCR实际扩增长度与设计长度相吻合.内参照β-actin电泳条带在发育各时期灰度无明显差异.CRMP-1 mRNA以新生鼠和幼年鼠表达最多,成年大鼠弱表达(P<0.05).CRMP-2从胚胎鼠至幼年鼠呈现逐渐增加的趋势,成年鼠相对较低(P<0.05).CRMP-3以幼鼠和成年大鼠表达较多,其中幼鼠表达最多(P<0.05),新生鼠表达最少(P<0.05).CRMP-4在胎鼠、新生鼠和幼年鼠表达量接近,成年鼠表达相对较低(P<0.05).CRMP-5在各个阶段均呈较高表达,以新生鼠和成年鼠表达较多,其中成年大鼠表达最多(P<0.05),胎鼠表达最弱(P<0.05).结论:从胚胎期至幼年期,CRMPs家族除CRMP-4稳定于高表达水平外,其余成员表达量均逐渐增多,其中CRMP-3和CRMP-5区别于其他成员,在成年期表达量继续增高.     

A gene mapping to the sex-determining region of the mouse Y chromosome is a member of a novel family of embryonically expressed genes

A gene mapping to the sex-determining region of the mouse Y chromosome is deleted in a line of XY female mice mutant for Tdy, and is expressed at a stage during male gonadal development consistent with its having a role in testis determination. This gene is a member of a new family of at least five mouse genes, related by an amino-acid motif showing homology to other known or putative DNA-binding domains.