Stem cell self-renewal controlled by chromatin remodeling factors

The self-renewing ability of a stem cell is controlled by its specialized micro-environment or niche, whereas epigenetic regulation of gene expression by chromatin remodeling factors underlies cell fate determination. Here we report that the adenosine triphosphate-dependent chromatin remodeling factors ISWI and DOM control germline stem cell and somatic stem cell self-renewal in the Drosophila ovary, respectively. The iswi mutant germline stem cells are lost rapidly because of defects in responding to bone morphogenetic protein niche signals and in repressing differentiation, whereas the dom mutant somatic stem cells are lost because of defective self-renewal. This work demonstrates that different stem cell types can use different chromatin remodeling factors to control cell self-renewal.     

Genetic dissection of transcriptional regulation in budding yeast

To begin to understand the genetic architecture of natural variation in gene expression, we carried out genetic linkage analysis of genomewide expression patterns in a cross between a laboratory strain and a wild strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Over 1500 genes were differentially expressed between the parent strains. Expression levels of 570 genes were linked to one or more different loci, with most expression levels showing complex inheritance patterns. The loci detected by linkage fell largely into two categories: cis-acting modulators of single genes and trans-acting modulators of many genes. We found eight such trans-acting loci, each affecting the expression of a group of 7 to 94 genes of related function.     

植物花青素生物合成转录调控研究进展

花青素是高等植物中发现的一种次生代谢物,能够决定花和果实的颜色,保护植物免受各种生物和非生物胁迫损伤。花青素生物合成由一系列结构基因编码的酶催化完成,属于类黄酮途径一个特异分支,其合成结构基因的表达受由MYB、bHLH和WD40 3类转录因子组成的MBW（MYB-bHLH-WD40）转录复合体协同调控。文章主要就MYB、bHLH和WD40 3类转录因子在调节结构基因表达和花青素合成中的功能和作用进行综述。     

小鼠胞内氯离子通道5基因启动子核心功能区域鉴定及转录调控分析

为研究胞内氯离子通道5基因(Chloride intracellular channel 5,CLIC5)广泛参与调节细胞内的各项生理活动与生化反应,并探讨该基因自身的表达调控机制,以小鼠基因组序列为模板,利用PCR技术扩增小鼠CLIC5基因5′上游调控序列,将其插入荧光素酶报告基因表达载体(pGL3-Basic)中,同时采用5′侧翼区缺失的方法构建了7个缺失不同DNA片段的荧光素酶表达载体。重组质粒与海肾荧光素酶载体(phRL-TK)共同瞬时转染HEK-293细胞,经双荧光素酶报告基因活性分析后,确定CLIC5基因的核心启动子区。利用生物信息学方法预测其中转录因子结合位点及启动子区甲基化状况。结果表明,CLIC5基因启动子缺乏TATA盒,但含有典型的GC盒及其他潜在转录因子结合位点;双荧光素酶报告基因活性分析表明,CLIC5基因-329～+1、-624～+1、-917～+1和-2 230～+1区域的启动子活性较高,其中-624～+1区域的启动子活性最强。进一步分析表明,启动子区-624～-329存在负性调控元件,预测存在转录因子结合位点RXR heterodimer binding sites与GC-Box factorsSp1/GC,-420～-283范围内存在CpG岛位点。     

ATP-driven exchange of histone H2AZ variant catalyzed by SWR1 chromatin remodeling complex

The conserved histone variant H2AZ has an important role in the regulation of gene expression and the establishment of a buffer to the spread of silent heterochromatin. How histone variants such as H2AZ are incorporated into nucleosomes has been obscure. We have found that Swr1, a Swi2/Snf2-related adenosine triphosphatase, is the catalytic core of a multisubunit, histone-variant exchanger that efficiently replaces conventional histone H2A with histone H2AZ in nucleosome arrays. Swr1 is required for the deposition of histone H2AZ at specific chromosome locations in vivo, and Swr1 and H2AZ commonly regulate a subset of yeast genes. These findings define a previously unknown role for the adenosine triphosphate-dependent chromatin remodeling machinery.     

小麦磷转运蛋白基因TaPT2的转录调控特征研究

在富集低磷逆境的根系cDNA差减文库中,获得了与小麦磷转运蛋白基因TaPT2具有相同序列的表达序列标签(EST).TaPT2的表达呈根系特异性,对外界低磷逆境呈明显应答,表明该基因在小麦抵御外界低磷逆境中可能发挥重要作用.采用基因组行走技术,克隆了长度为1 300 bp的TaPT2启动子,该启动子含有保守TATA盒、C...