Bovine leukemia virus long terminal repeat: a cell type-specific promoter

The functional activity of the promoter unit contained within the long terminal repeat (LTR) of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) was examined by monitoring transient expression of a heterologous gene placed under its control. Various cell lines were transfected with recombinant plasmids carrying the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene coupled to the BLV LTR (pBL-cat). Transient expression of CAT activity directed by the BLV LTR was observed only in the established BLV-producer cell lines derived from fetal lamb kidney (FLK) cells and bat lung cells. The amount of CAT activity transiently expressed in FLK-BLV cells was decreased approximately tenfold by deletion of LTR sequences located within a region 100 to 170 nucleotides upstream of the RNA start site. Surprisingly, removal of the region 50 base pairs downstream of the RNA initiation site to the 3'-end of the LTR reduced the expression of CAT activity by 87 percent. The BLV LTR thus appears to be an unusual promoter unit, functioning in a cell type-specific manner and possessing sequences on both the 5' and 3' sides of the RNA start site that influence gene expression.     

A liver-specific enhancer in the core promoter region of human hepatitis B virus

An 88-base pair fragment in the core promoter of the human hepatitis B virus (HBV) contains a functional promoter and a strong liver-specific enhancer. This enhancer functions in human hepatoma cells, where it is much more active than the previously described HBV enhancer in stimulating expression of the linked bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expressed from heterologous promoters. Studies of the role of this enhancer-promoter in HBV may help to clarify mechanisms of gene expression in cells infected with HBV and the role of the virus in the pathogenesis of hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma.     

Activation of the HIV-1 LTR by T cell mitogens and the trans-activator protein of HTLV-I

To investigate the mechanism by which immune activation augments replication of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in infected T cells, four different classes of T cell mitogens were evaluated for their effects on the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR). Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), a mitogenic lectin; phorbol 12-myristic 13-acetate, a tumor promoter; ionomycin, a calcium ionophore; and tat-1, the trans-activator protein from the human T cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type I (HTLV-I) each stimulated the HIV-1 LTR. Studies of deleted forms of the LTR supported a central role in these responses for the HIV-1 enhancer, which alone was sufficient for mitogen inducibility, but also suggested that other 5' positive and negative regulatory elements contribute to the overall magnitude of the response. Synergistic activation of the HIV-1 LTR (up to several thousandfold) was observed with combinations of these mitogens and the HIV-1--derived tat-III protein. Cyclosporin A, an immunosuppressive agent, inhibited PHA-mediated activation of the HIV-1 LTR but was without effect in the presence of other mitogens. Thus, HIV-1 gene expression and replication appear to be regulated, via the HIV-1 LTR, by the same mitogenic signals that induce T cell activation.     

牛Sry启动子调控序列的鉴定

【目的】Sry是大多数哺乳动物雄性性别发育的决定基因,但人们仍未找到其表达的调控规律,本试验对牛Sry5′端调控序列作了初步的研究,为深入研究牛Sry的表达调控奠定了基础。【方法】克隆牛Sry5′端侧翼1056bp长的DNA序列,利用生物信息学方法对这一区域内潜在的转录起始位点进行了预测,并构建了10个不同长度的缺失牛Sry5′部分侧翼序列的报告基因载体;进一步分离了胎牛生殖嵴,进行生殖嵴细胞的原代培养,并对胎牛生殖嵴细胞进行了性别和特征鉴定;最后利用荧光素酶双报告基因分析系统,在生殖嵴细胞内检测了牛Sry核心启动子区域的位置。【结果】体外培养的生殖嵴细胞可以表达雄性生殖嵴细胞的特征基因Sry、Sox9、Sf-1和Dax1,牛Sry5′端-93、-419和-722处存在3个潜在的转录起始位点(TSS),-599—-565区域35bp内存在控制Sry基础转录活性的顺式调控元件,其中存在多个潜在的转录因子结合位点。【结论】牛Sry5′端UTR区-599—-565bp区域35bp存在部分调控序列。     

拟南芥DCL1启动子的分离及其表达特性分析

Dicer酶是类似于RNase Ⅲ的核酸内切酶,能够特异性地将双链RNA剪切成约20 nt的小RNA,在基因沉默途径中起到非常重要的作用。从拟南芥中分离出DCL1基因上游启动子序列2 kb及DCL1基因的5′端1 kb序列,构建了含有该启动子和GUS报告基因的植物表达载体,通过农杆菌介导法转化拟南芥,并对转基因植株进行GUS 组织化学染色及荧光定量分析,结果表明,在DCL1基因启动子的驱动下,报告基因GUS主要在拟南芥的叶片中表达,在幼嫩的叶片及茎尖中表达量也比较高,茎中的表达量较低,在根中只有微量的表达。     

橡胶树HbFCA启动子在转基因烟草中的功能缺失分析

利用5′缺失设计一系列引物,扩增HbFCA启动子质粒,获得5个启动子缺失片段,用这些片段分别替换PBI121载体中的CaMV35S启动子,得到5个HbFCA的5′缺失表达载体,即pA、pB、pC、pD和pE。利用农杆菌介导叶盘法进行烟草遗传转化,对组培瓶内生根较好的烟草叶片GUS染色,结果发现,长度为最小片段的276 bp的pE可以较好地实现HbFCA启动子的功能。对橡胶树体细胞胚瞬时表达检测发现,pE片段也能启动表达,有较好的GUS活性,可以实现HbFCA启动子的功能。     

Genetic polymorphism of the bovine leukemia virus in the Russian federation

Nucleotide sequence of a section of the Env 105 gene of bovine leukemia provirus isolates, obtained from farm animals in different regions of Russia, was determined. Conducted phylogenetic analysis has allowed us to assess heterogeneity of the studied population of the bovine leukemia virus (BLV). Based on results of BLV genetic diversity, four virus’s genotypes—I, II, IV, and VII with dominating genotype IV—were detected.     

猪生长激素cDNA克隆及在大肠杆菌中的表达

用逆转录－聚合酰链式反应（RT－PCR）方法，从猪脑垂体总RNA中扩增出编码猪生长激素（GH）成熟及基因序列，定向克隆至质粒pUC18，序列分析表明，克隆的猪GH cDNA长573bp，不含信号肽序列，并在该序列之前加入一起始密码子ATG。将猪GHcDNA定向克隆至原核表达载体pBV220，构建成重组GH基因表达载体pBVpGH7。SDS－PAGE和薄层扫描分析表明：经42℃诱导，pBVpGH7在大肠杆菌中可表达一分子量约2200的特异蛋白，表达量约占细胞总蛋白的20．5％。     

高尔基体驻膜糖蛋白GP73启动子克隆

[目的]寻找并克隆有活性的高尔基体膜蛋白GP73的启动子。[方法]对GP73基因转录起始位点上游1 000 bp至下游400 bp序列进行软件分析预测,以肝癌细胞系Huh7基因组DNA为模板,扩增目标片段,构建增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)为报告基因的重组质粒,转染细胞后在荧光显微镜下观察EGFP的表达,并采用流式细胞仪定量检测转染细胞的荧光强度。[结果]发现GP73转录起始位点上游980到下游330 bp长1 310 bp的序列具有启动子功能。该区域可能具有两个核心启动子序列和多个保守序列,包括TATA box和NF-κB、AP1、GC-SP1等DNA结合序列。[结论]该研究为探讨GP73的转录机制提供了参考。     

Phylogenetic analysis of a section of the provirus <Emphasis Type="Italic">pol</Emphasis> gene of bovine leukemia virus isolates from animals in various regions of the Russian Federation

The nucleotide sequence of a section of the provirus pol gene of 18 bovine leukemia virus (BLV) isolates from animals from some farms in the Russian Federation is determined. A phylogenetic analysis showed that all investigated isolates belong to the same group as BLV isolates from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and United States.     

Tissue-specific and ectopic expression of genes introduced into transgenic mice by retroviruses

Recombinant retroviruses containing the complete genomic human beta globin gene (under the control of its own promoter) and the bacterial neomycin phosphotransferase gene (under the control of the normal or enhancerless viral promoter) were used to derive transgenic mouse strains by infection of preimplantation embryos. Expression of the beta globin gene in hematopoietic tissues was observed in all transgenic strains. In addition, one strain showed ectopic expression of beta globin in the same tissues that also expressed high levels of RNA from the viral promoter. It is likely that expression from the long terminal repeat (LTR), in contrast to expression from the internal promoter, is dependent on the site of integration. Thus, retroviral vectors can be used for tissue-specific expression of foreign genes in transgenic mice, as well as for the identification of loci that allow developmental activation of a provirus.