Caspases 3 and 7: key mediators of mitochondrial events of apoptosis

The current model of apoptosis holds that upstream signals lead to activation of downstream effector caspases. We generated mice deficient in the two effectors, caspase 3 and caspase 7, which died immediately after birth with defects in cardiac development. Fibroblasts lacking both enzymes were highly resistant to both mitochondrial and death receptor-mediated apoptosis, displayed preservation of mitochondrial membrane potential, and had defective nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). Furthermore, the early apoptotic events of Bax translocation and cytochrome c release were also delayed. We conclude that caspases 3 and 7 are critical mediators of mitochondrial events of apoptosis.     

龙眼ELF4同源基因的克隆与功能研究

以‘红核子’龙眼（Dimocarpus longan）叶芽为材料,克隆了ELF4同源基因DlELF4-1和DlELF4-2的cDNA全长序列,对序列进行了生物信息学分析,并通过转化拟南芥以及实时荧光定量PCR研究基因功能。蛋白序列比对结果表明,DlELF4-2与AtELF4-L1有较高相似度,而DlELF4-1与AtELF4相似度更高;构建两个基因的植物表达载体转化拟南芥,转基因植株都表现出延迟开花以及不定根生长的现象,表明DlELF4-1和DlELF4-2可能有抑制开花和促进生长素合成功能;DlELF4-1和DlELF4-2在龙眼花芽分化过程的表达模式不同,推测其在龙眼花芽分化过程中有不同的功能。