5-Azacytidine-induced reactivation of a herpes simplex thymidine kinase gene

Mouse cells transformed with herpes simplex virus and containing the viral thymidine kinase (TK) gene in an inactive state were treated with 5-azacytidine. The result was the reexpression of the viral TK gene. Two days of exposure to 5-azacytidine followed by 2 days of expression time was sufficient for maximal induction of the TK+ phenotype. The induction of TK expression by 5-azacytidine was concentration-dependent, with maximal induction at 10 micromoles per liter. 5-Azacytidine also inhibited the decay of TK expression in TK+ transformants removed from selective conditions. Analysis of the methylation patterns of the viral TK gene with restriction endonucleases Hpa II and Msp I showed the active gene to be unmethylated, the inactive gene methylated, and the 5-azacytidine-induced gene unmethylated.     

Chromatin structure and de novo methylation of sperm DNA: implications for activation of the paternal genome

The chromatin structure characteristic of constitutively expressed genes, tissue-specific genes, and inactive genes is absent in chicken sperm chromatin. However, point sites of undermethylation in sperm DNA within constitutively expressed genes, but not within globin genes or an inactive gene, correspond to the location of regions of altered chromatin structure (hypersensitive sites) in somatic tissue and spermatogonial cells. A de novo methylation process whereby regions within and flanking these genes become methylated, but which excludes the methylation of sequences within hypersensitive sites, occurs between the spermatogonial stage and the first meiotic prophase. These undermethylated regions may play a role in the activation of the paternal genome during embryogenesis.     

Biologic features of HIV-1 that correlate with virulence in the host

Individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) may be asymptomatic or have AIDS-related complex or the acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Little is known about the factors that influence progression of infection to AIDS. In this study of isolates of HIV-1 obtained at intervals during the infection of four individuals, the development of disease was found to be correlated with the emergence of HIV-1 variants that were more cytopathic in vitro as the disease progressed and that replicated more efficiently in a wide variety of different human cells. The biologic properties of HIV-1 in vitro thus appear to reflect its virulence in the host. Further studies of such sequentially isolated viruses may lead to the identification of viral genes that govern pathogenesis.     

环形泰勒虫感染细胞抑制性消减文库的构建及ESTs分析

【目的】环形泰勒虫（Theileria annulata）可以感染牛B淋巴细胞、树突状细胞和巨噬细胞,并可使被感染细胞发生转化,体外培养时可获得类似肿瘤样细胞的无限增殖能力。本研究通过构建环形泰勒虫转化和非转化宿主细胞抑制性消减文库,筛选环形泰勒虫裂殖体基因及转化细胞与宿主正常细胞之间的差异表达基因。【方法】以环形泰勒虫裂殖体转化细胞和非感染牛外周血单个核细胞（即非转化宿主细胞）为试验材料,提取总RNA和mRNA,反转录合成cDNA;然后分别作为tester和driver,进行抑制性消减杂交（SSH）,构建环形泰勒虫转化和非转化宿主细胞抑制性消减文库;对随机挑取的阳性克隆进行测序及生物信息学分析,并利用实时荧光定量PCR对文库部分差异基因进行验证。【结果】通过对文库454个阳性克隆进行测序,共获得了有效表达序列标签（ESTs）364条,大小主要分布在350-1 200 bp之间;将这些ESTs序列在GenBank中进行BLASTn网上序列比对,其匹配于192条基因序列;其中包括环形泰勒虫序列60条(11条为虫体蛋白酶基因序列、10条为膜蛋白基因序列、7条为假设蛋白基因序列、5条为凋亡相关虫体蛋白基因序列、5条为核糖体蛋白基因序列、4条为细胞周期蛋白基因序列、4条为虫体抗原基因序列和虫体其它基因序列14条)、牛基因序列131条（其中19条为肿瘤相关蛋白基因序列）和1条未知序列;其中已有功能注释的ESTs 285条,再将已知功能的ESTs通过WEGO软件从生物学过程（biological process）、细胞组成（cellular component）和分子功能（molecular function）3个部分进行GO聚类分析,结果表明,宿主细胞差异基因主要集中在细胞、细胞进程、结合、催化、代谢进程、生物调节等功能方面。另外,通过对部分环形泰勒虫裂殖体转化宿主细胞差异基因进行荧光定量PCR分析,结果表明,肿瘤相关基因HCLS1和SENP5在转化宿主细胞中转录水平分别是非感染牛PBMCs(非转化宿主细胞)的2.06和1.32倍。【结论】利用SSH技术,成功构建了环形泰勒虫感染宿主细胞的抑制性消减文库,筛选获得了转化宿主细胞和环形泰勒虫裂殖体的表达基因,并通过荧光定量PCR分析获得了2个可能参与宿主细胞转化的基因,为进步探索环形泰勒虫与宿主细胞相互作用的分子机制奠定了基础。     

CRISPR provides acquired resistance against viruses in prokaryotes

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are a distinctive feature of the genomes of most Bacteria and Archaea and are thought to be involved in resistance to bacteriophages. We found that, after viral challenge, bacteria integrated new spacers derived from phage genomic sequences. Removal or addition of particular spacers modified the phage-resistance phenotype of the cell. Thus, CRISPR, together with associated cas genes, provided resistance against phages, and resistance specificity is determined by spacer-phage sequence similarity.     

巴西橡胶树表观遗传研究进展

表观遗传是指在不涉及基因组DNA序列改变的情况下,基因功能发生了可逆的、可遗传的改变。研究表明,表观遗传调控在植物的生长发育及逆境胁迫应答反应中起着重要的作用。目前,表观遗传学研究主要集中在DNA甲基化、小RNA调控、组蛋白修饰、染色质重塑及基因组印迹等。与模式植物相比,橡胶树表观遗传的研究相对滞后,主要涉及DNA甲基化及miRNAs研究这2个方面。本文就橡胶树DNA甲基化及miRNAs的相关研究进行了简要综述,并对表观遗传在橡胶树中的研究前景提出展望。     

成肌细胞成脂过程中PPARγ、C/EBPα和Myogenin 基因启动子的甲基化变化

【目的】利用C2C12成肌细胞探讨肌源性干细胞成脂过程与调控成脂和成肌分化的关键转录因子PPARγ（peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma）、C/EBPα（CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha）和Myogenin启动子区甲基化的关系。【方法】分别用2%马血清和三联诱导剂诱导C2C12细胞成肌和成脂分化,在马血清促进的成肌分化第0、1、3和5天收集细胞进行姬姆萨染色观察肌管形成情况;在三联诱导的成脂分化第0、2、4、6和10天收集细胞进行油红O染色观察脂滴形成情况;提取成肌诱导第0、1、3、5天和成脂诱导第0、2、4、6天的RNA和DNA,分别采用qRT-PCR检测成肌和成脂分化相关基因的表达,采用重亚硫酸盐测序的方法检测PPARγ、C/EBPα和Myogenin启动子区甲基化的变化,并分析基因表达与甲基化状态的相关关系。【结果】①C2C12细胞经马血清诱导形成了多核肌管,表达成肌相关基因,但不表达脂肪特异性基因;三联诱导使C2C12细胞自主分化的肌管中沉积了脂滴,同时表达成脂和成肌相关基因;②重亚硫酸盐测序结果表明,在未分化的成肌细胞中,PPARγ基因启动子的甲基化水平是61%,在三联诱导第2、4和6天,其甲基化程度依次为49%、39%和42%,呈逐渐去甲基化趋势,与PPARγ基因转录负相关;在马血清诱导第3和5天,甲基化水平为56%和48%,与未分化的成肌细胞相比差异不显著,同时PPARγ基因的表达水平也没有显著变化;③Myogenin基因在马血清促进的成肌过程中甲基化水平不断降低（49%、42%、35%和34%）,转录水平急剧增加;在三联诱导过程中,Myogenin启动子的甲基化水平由0天的49%下降为第1天的37%、第3天的41%和第5天的38%,但下降幅度弱于马血清诱导的成肌过程,这一结果与降低的Myogenin转录上调相吻合;④C/EBPα基因在未分化的C2C12细胞中呈低甲基化状态,甲基化程度仅为1.6%,在成肌分化和脂肪沉积过程中均未发生显著变化,与基因表达无显著关联。【结论】成脂和成肌关键转录因子PPARγ和Myogenin启动子区的DNA甲基化变化参与了成肌细胞的分化和脂肪沉积的调控。     

G418处理核供体细胞对猪克隆胚胎体外发育效率的影响

【目的】探索G418处理供体细胞对其核移植胚胎发育效率的影响。【方法】利用G418单独处理猪成体成纤维细胞6 d后,收集细胞,利用荧光定量PCR的方法检测处理前后细胞中抗氧化应激、细胞凋亡相关基因的表达水平,运用亚硫酸盐结合测序法分别检测基因组重复序列LINE-1、微卫星的DNA甲基化状态,以及其核移植胚胎体外发育的能力。【结果】经不同质量浓度G418处理的供体细胞的抗氧化应激酶相关基因及细胞凋亡基因表达发生显著变化(P0.05),但其DNA甲基化水平没有发生改变(P0.05);经G418处理的供体细胞的核移植胚胎的体外发育效率显著低于对照组(P0.05)。【结论】G418处理供体细胞可能对其克隆胚胎体外发育效率有抑制作用。     

The Helper Activities of Different Avian Viruses for Propagation of Recombinant Avian Adeno-Associated Virus

To compare the helper activities of different avian viruses for propagation of recombinant avian adeno-associated virus （rAAAV）, AAV-293 cells were cotransfected with the AAAV vector pAITR-GFP containing green fluorescent protein （GFP） gene, the AAAV helper vector pcDNA-ARC expressing the rep and cap genes, and the adenovirus helper vector pHelper expressing Ad5 E2A, E4, and VA-RNA genes. Chicken embryonic fibroblast （CEF） or chicken embryonic liver （CEL） cells were cotransfected with the AAAV vector and the AAAV helper vector, followed by infection with Marek＇s disease virus （MDV）, avian adenovirus, chicken embryo lethal orphan （CELO） virus or infectious bursal disease virus （IBDV）. Infectious rAAAV particles generated by the two strategies were harvested and titrated on CEF and CEL cells. A significantly higher viral titer was obtained with the helper activity provided by the pHelper vector than by MDV or CELO virus. Further experiments showed that rAAAV-mediated green fluorescent protein （gfp） expression was overtly enhanced by MDV or CELO virus super infection or treatment with sodium butyric acid, but not by IBDV super infection. These data demonstrated that MDV and CELO viruses could provide weak helper activity for propagation of rAAAV, and rAAAV- mediated transgene expression could be enhanced by super infection with the helper viruses.     

A common onc gene sequence transduced by avian carcinoma virus MH2 and by murine sarcoma virus 3611

A common cellular sequence was independently transduced by avian carcinoma virus MH2 (v-mht) and murine sarcoma virus (MSV) 3611 (v-raf). Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of v-mht and v-raf revealed a region of homology that extends over 969 nucleotides. The homology between the corresponding amino acids was about 95 percent with only 19 of 323 amino acids being different. With this example, 5 of the 19 known different viral onc genes have been observed in viruses of different taxonomic groups. These data indicate that (i) the number of cellular proto-onc genes is limited because, like other viruses of different taxonomic groups, MH2 and MSV 3611 have transduced the same onc gene-specific sequences from different cell species and (ii) that specific deletion and linkage of the same proto-onc sequences to different viral vector elements affect the oncogenic potential of the resulting viruses. The difference in transformation capabilities of MH2 and MSV 3611 serves as an example.     

The DNA-binding properties of the major regulatory protein alpha 4 of herpes simplex viruses

The transition from the expression of alpha, the first set of five herpes simplex virus genes expressed after infection, to beta and gamma genes, expressed later in infection, requires the participation of infected cell protein 4 (alpha 4), the major viral regulatory protein. The alpha 4 protein is present in complexes formed by proteins extracted from infected cells and viral DNA fragments derived from promoter domains. This report shows that the alpha 4 protein forms specific complexes with DNA fragments derived from 5' transcribed noncoding domains of late (gamma 2) genes whose expression requires viral DNA synthesis as well as functional alpha 4 protein. Some of the DNA fragments to which alpha 4 binds do not contain homologs of the previously reported DNA binding site consensus sequence, suggesting that alpha 4 may recognize and interact with more than one type of DNA binding site. The alpha 4 proteins can bind to DNA directly. A posttranslationally modified form of the alpha 4 protein designated alpha 4c differs from the alpha 4a and alpha 4b forms with respect to its affinity for DNA fragments differing in the nucleotide sequences of the binding sites.     

Mutator诱导的玉米白化突变体插入位点的遗传分析及代谢途径的构建

【目的】利用Mutator(Mu)诱变群体获得、验证叶色白化突变体的Mu因子插入位点;解析玉米叶色变异相关基因及其代谢网络。【方法】以含有活性MuDR转座子的W22∷Mu为父本,与玉米自交系综31(Z31)杂交产生的M2和M3家系群体为材料,经表型性状的遗传分析和Mu插入位点的分离获得白化突变体,经生物信息学方法解析白化突变体产生的相关基因,同时构建产生白化突变代谢网络。【结果】对870个M2家系的16000余单株和M3种植的36个家系近700单株进行考察,获得了遗传稳定的白化突变体41株。经Mu-TAIL-PCR分析获得35条Mu因子插入序列;对靶位点序列分析,获得的14个靶位点可能与叶绿素合成及光合作用有关;利用其中6个靶位点构建了5条玉米叶色突变产生白化的叶绿素代谢网络途径。【结论】初步证实了Mu转座子插入的27个靶位点与叶色白化突变体的关联;建立了6个靶位点的玉米叶色突变产生白化的叶绿素代谢网络途径。