木薯ERF转录因子调控的靶基因筛选与表达分析

为解析乙烯响应因子（ERF, Ethylene Response Factor）在木薯（Manihot esculenta）生长发育过程中的调控通路，本研究从木薯全基因组数据库中，筛选出启动子区含有GCC-box顺式作用元件的基因204个，利用生物信息学手段对这些基因进行染色体位置分布分析、病原菌侵染下表达模式分析以及启动子结构预测，部分候选基因的qRT-PCR结果表明:Manes.02G189600，Manes.03G039700，Manes.06G002000，Manes.09G063700，Manes.14G141600，Manes.15G181900可能参与调控植物的抗病途径，同时在乙烯介导的信号传递途径中也起重要作用。     

FSH处理对猪颗粒细胞中类固醇合成酶基因的表达及其调控区组蛋白H3修饰的影响

【目的】研究FSH处理对猪卵巢颗粒细胞类固醇合成酶、垂体激素受体、凋亡相关等基因表达的影响及此过程中组蛋白H3修饰的变化情况。【方法】首先,采集猪卵巢组织并用注射器抽取方法收集卵泡颗粒细胞,用含血清体系体外培养颗粒细胞至贴壁,血清饥饿16h后用终浓度5IU·mL~(-1)的FSH处理24h,并收集细胞。其次,提取细胞m RNA,采用qRT-PCR方法检测类固醇合成酶(STAR、CYP11A1、HSD3B和CYP19A1)、垂体激素受体(FSHR和LHR)、凋亡相关基因(XIAP和Fas L)m RNA的表达变化,最后,相同处理后固定细胞,采用染色质免疫沉淀结合q PCR(Ch IP-q PCR)方法检测类固醇合成酶基因STAR、CYP19A1和HSD3B上游转录调控区组蛋白H3修饰(H3K4me2、H3K4me3、H3K9ac和H3K14ac)状况。【结果】5IU·mL~(-1)的FSH处理引起类固醇合成酶基因STAR、CYP19A1和HSD3B分别为2倍(P0.01)、2.8倍(P0.01)和3.6倍(P0.05)的显著上调,而CYP11A1表达水平没有显著变化;FSH处理对垂体激素受体FSHR、LHR和凋亡相关基因XIAP、Fas L影响不显著。在上调的三个类固醇合成酶基因中,HSD3B调控区组蛋白H3修饰变化最为显著,H3K4me2、H3K4me3、H3K9ac和H3K14ac结合分别有14.7倍(P0.01)、13.6倍(P0.01)、19.7(P0.01)倍和2.5倍(P0.05)的显著上调;STAR基因调控区的H3K9ac在处理后有11.1倍的显著下降(P0.05);CYP19A基因调控区的H3K4me3和H3K9ac分别有0.5倍的上调(P0.01)和10.4倍(P0.01)的下降,其余组蛋白修饰在处理前后没有显著变化。【结论】FSH处理24h对颗粒细胞类固醇合成酶基因转录有显著上调作用,对其转录过程有H3组蛋白修饰参与,组蛋白修饰模式具有基因特异性。垂体激素受体和凋亡相关基因的应答可能需要FSH和其他因素的联合作用。     

植物中RNA介导的沉默及其应用

在植物中 ,双链RNA(dsRNA)可通过降解细胞质中与之同源的mRNA而诱导产生转录后基因沉默 (PTGS) ,或通过使同源的核DNA高度甲基化而产生转录基因沉默 (TGS ,启动子甲基化 )或PTGS(转录或编码区甲基化 )。RNA介导的沉默可在细胞间进行传递 ,从而使整个植株都表现出PTGS或TGS ,且PTGS的程度会在植物发育过程中逐渐加强 ,减数分裂后重置。植物病毒也会介导产生沉默现象 ,PTGS是植物天然的一种抗病毒机制。利用导入外源dsRNA可抑制基因表达或使基因超量表达 ,使用病毒载体 ,可提供功能启动子、暂时表达系统 ,并为植物功能基因组学研究提供新的工具。     

番茄质膜H+-ATPase家族基因的鉴定和表达分析

植物质膜H+-ATPase（Ec3.6.1.3）是一类普遍存在于细胞质膜上通过水解三磷酸腺苷（ATP）产生能量,将细胞质中的氢离子（H+）逆浓度泵出细胞的运输蛋白。植物中的质膜H+-ATPase由一个多基因家族所编码,其功能涉及到植物生长发育的多个生理过程。通过对全基因组检索在茄科Solanaceae植物番茄Solanum lycopersicum中共鉴定到8个编码质膜H+-ATPase的同源基因（LHA1~8）。生物信息学分析显示:这8个LHA基因具有较高的序列相似性和较为保守的外显子/内含子结构特征。实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应（qRT-PCR）分析显示,LHA1~4在所有被检测的组织器官中都有表达,LHA5~7几乎只在花器官中高量表达,而LHA8在正常培养和养分（氮、磷、钾和镁）缺乏以及高盐胁迫处理条件下几乎都不表达,但能够在被菌根真菌侵染的根系中强烈表达。将一段2 669 bp的LHA8的启动子融合GUS报告基因转入到烟草Nicotiana tabacum中发现,GUS基因几乎只在被菌根真菌菌丝侵入形成丛枝的根系细胞中特异性表达。图 5 表 2 参22     

Dependence of heterochromatic histone H3 methylation patterns on the Arabidopsis gene DDM1

The Arabidopsis gene DDM1 is required to maintain DNA methylation levels and is responsible for transposon and transgene silencing. However, rather than encoding a DNA methyltransferase, DDM1 has similarity to the SWI/SNF family of adenosine triphosphate-dependent chromatin remodeling genes, suggesting an indirect role in DNA methylation. Here we show that DDM1 is also required to maintain histone H3 methylation patterns. In wild-type heterochromatin, transposons and silent genes are associated with histone H3 methylated at lysine 9, whereas known genes are preferentially associated with methylated lysine 4. In ddm1 heterochromatin, DNA methylation is lost, and methylation of lysine 9 is largely replaced by methylation of lysine 4. Because DNA methylation has recently been shown to depend on histone H3 lysine 9 methylation, our results suggest that transposon methylation may be guided by histone H3 methylation in plant genomes. This would account for the epigenetic inheritance of hypomethylated DNA once histone H3 methylation patterns are altered.     

A complex with chromatin modifiers that occupies E2F- and Myc-responsive genes in G0 cells

E2F-6 contributes to gene silencing in a manner independent of retinoblastoma protein family members. To better elucidate the molecular mechanism of repression by E2F-6, we have purified the factor from cultured cells. E2F-6 is found in a multimeric protein complex that contains Mga and Max, and thus the complex can bind not only to the E2F-binding site but also to Myc- and Brachyury-binding sites. Moreover, the complex contains chromatin modifiers such as a novel histone methyltransferase that modifies lysine 9 of histone H3, HP1gamma, and Polycomb group (PcG) proteins. The E2F-6 complex preferentially occupies target promoters in G0 cells rather than in G1 cells. These data suggest that these chromatin modifiers contribute to silencing of E2F- and Myc-responsive genes in quiescent cells.     

小鼠胚胎干细胞核心转录因子nanog靶基因Zbtb9的生物信息学分析

通过特异性引物用RT-PCR方法扩增Zbtb9基因。利用生物信息学对小鼠的Zbtb9基因启动子进行生物信息学分析,预测Zbtb9基因启动子位置和启动子区内含有的转录因子结合位点,以及nanog在Zbtb9基因转录调控中的作用及Zbtb9蛋白的基本性质。Zbtb9基因启动子区可能定位于转录起始点上游790 bp至1024 bp之间。启动子区内含有15个转录调控因子结合位点,nanog的作用靶序列位于Zbtb9基因启动子区与转录起始位点之间,提示nanog在Zbtb9基因转录调控中起作用,小鼠Zbtb9蛋白二级结构可能以螺旋为主,富含疏水性氨基酸;对Zbtb9基因疏水区的氨基酸进行跨膜区分析,提示可能是跨膜蛋白。经SMART分析,Zbtb9蛋白含有BTB/POZ结构域。     

3个水稻RNAi载体的构建与应用

利用RNAi(RNA interference)干扰技术,构建了启动子和干涉区域不同的3种水稻干涉载体,通过农杆菌介导转化水稻粳稻品种中花11。表型和分子分析表明,3种载体都能有效降解靶基因OsUGP2,暗示pRNAi-ubi-UGP2载体能同时沉默OsUGP2家族基因,pRNAi-ubi-UGP2PRO载体能特异沉默OsUGP2,pRNAi-IP-UGP2载体对OsUGP2基因的沉默不具特异性,但其沉默具有人为可调控性。     

Vernalization-mediated epigenetic silencing by a long intronic noncoding RNA

Vernalization is an environmentally-induced epigenetic switch in which winter cold triggers epigenetic silencing of floral repressors and thus provides competence to flower in spring. In Arabidopsis, winter cold triggers enrichment of tri-methylated histone H3 Lys(27) at chromatin of the floral repressor, FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), and results in epigenetically stable repression of FLC. This epigenetic change is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved repressive complex, polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Here, we show that a long intronic noncoding RNA [termed COLD ASSISTED INTRONIC NONCODING RNA (COLDAIR)] is required for the vernalization-mediated epigenetic repression of FLC. COLDAIR physically associates with a component of PRC2 and targets PRC2 to FLC. Our results show that COLDAIR is required for establishing stable repressive chromatin at FLC through its interaction with PRC2.     

A histone acetyltransferase regulates active DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis

Active DNA demethylation is an important part of epigenetic regulation in plants and animals. How active DNA demethylation is regulated and its relationship with histone modification patterns are unclear. Here, we report the discovery of IDM1, a regulator of DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis. IDM1 is required for preventing DNA hypermethylation of highly homologous multicopy genes and other repetitive sequences that are normally targeted for active DNA demethylation by Repressor of Silencing 1 and related 5-methylcytosine DNA glycosylases. IDM1 binds methylated DNA at chromatin sites lacking histone H3K4 di- or trimethylation and acetylates H3 to create a chromatin environment permissible for 5-methylcytosine DNA glycosylases to function. Our study reveals how some genes are indicated by multiple epigenetic marks for active DNA demethylation and protection from silencing.