丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白6号结合蛋白基因启动子序列的确定及转录活性鉴定

目的研究丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）核心蛋白6号结合蛋白基因（Hcbp6）序列表达的调控机制。方法根据软件对启动子的预测，选取翻译起始密码子ATG上游3256bp及下游180bp的DNA序列，分成5段活性区域，分别以聚合酶链反应技术（PCR），肝母细胞瘤细胞系HePG2基因组DNA为模板，扩增该启动子DNA片段，将其克隆至PCAT3中，构建PCAT3-Hcbp6-P报告基因表达载体，将该质粒分别转染HePG2，NIH3T3细胞，用酶联免疫吸附法检测报告基因编码产物氯霉素乙酰转移酶（CAT）的表达活性。结果发现质粒pCAT3-Hcbp6-1066p和pCAT3-Hcbp6-240p能够指导CAT的表达，其平均吸光度值（4）是PCAT3-basic对照质粒的3．1倍和6．4倍。结论本研究克隆的启动子DNA序列具有转录活性，这一结果为研究HcbP6的调节机制，进一步阐明HCV核心蛋白的作用机制奠定了基础。     

人肠癌RKO细胞周期依赖性激抑制因子基因启动子区甲基化状态的研究

目的 探讨人结肠癌RKO细胞周期依赖性激酶抑制因子(CKIs)家族启动子区CpG岛甲基化状态及其甲基化可逆性特征.方法 应用特异性DNA甲基转移酶(DNMTs)抑制剂5-Aza-2]-deoxycytidine(5-Aza-CdR)处理肠癌细胞,甲基特异性聚合酶链反应(Methylation-Specific PCR,MSP)、T-A克隆及DNA测序法分析RKO细胞CKIs家族抑癌基因p15ink4b、p16ink4a/CDKN2、p21/cip、p27/kip启动子CpG岛甲基化状态.结果 未经5-Aza-CdR作用的肠癌RKO细胞,其p15ink4b、p16ink4a/CDKN2基因组DNA胞嘧啶(C)保持不变,这提示在其单链DNA中胞嘧啶呈甲基化状态;而经5-Aza-CdR作用的肠癌RKO细胞,其p15ink4b、p16ink4a/CDKN2、p21/cip和p27/kip基因组DNA胞嘧啶均已变为胸腺嘧啶,表明在DNA单链中胞嘧啶已呈去甲基化状态.结论 肠癌RKO细胞周期INK4家族(p15ink4b和p16ink4a/CDKN2)基因的启动子区处于异常的高甲基化状态,而KIP/CIP家族(p21/cip和p27/kip)基因未处于高甲基化状态;5-Aza-CdR能较好地逆转肿瘤细胞INK4家族基因DNA高甲基化状态.     

Expression of nonclassical MHC class Ib genes

Peptide binding proteins of the major histocompatibility complex consist of the “classical” class Ia and “nonclassical” class Ib genes. The gene organization and structure/function relationship of the various exons comprising class I proteins are very similar among the class Ia and class Ib genes. Although the tissue-specific patterns of expression of these two gene families are overlapping, many class Ib genes are distinguished by relative low abundance and/or limited tissue distribution. Further, many of the class Ib genes serve specialized roles in immune responses. Given that the coding sequences of the class Ia and class Ib genes are highly homologous we sought to examine the promoter regions of the various class Ib genes by comparison to the well characterized promoter elements regulating expression of the class Ia genes. This analysis revealed a surprising complexity of promoter structures among all class I genes and few instances of conservation of class Ia promoter regulatory elements among the class Ib genes.     

WT1基因增强子构建位点对WT1基因启动子转录活性的影响

目的：以WT1基因启动子和增强子的功能片段为研究对象，探讨增强子构建在质粒的不同位点对基因启动子转录活性的影响。方法: 利用基因重组技术将WT1基因增强子的功能片段分别插入在已含有WT1基因启动子的质粒，pEWP的不同位点（MCS中的BamH I、EGFP 终止密码后的Not I和SV40polyA位点后的AflⅡ）中，将重组质粒转染慢粒白血病红白急变细胞株K562细胞、乳腺癌细胞株MCF-7细胞和人类胚胎肾转化细胞株293细胞，通过检测转基因细胞中EGFP的平均荧光强度来评估增强子对启动子的转录促进作用。结果: 通过基因重组技术分别构建了含有WT1基因启动子的载体，即pEWP，和含有WT1基因启动子和增强子的载体，即pEWPE、pEWPD和pEWPA。流式细胞仪检测EGFP的平均荧光强度，发现pEWPA在293细胞和K562细胞中能够增强WT1启动子的转录活性，而pEWPE和pEWPD则无增强作用。3者均不能在MCF7细胞中增强WT1启动子的转录活性。结论: SV40polyA位点后插入增强子能够有效地增强启动子的转录活性，且具有细胞特异性。     

人α2（I）型胶原基因启动子活性研究

目的 探索器官纤维化形成中调控I型胶原基因高水平转录的启动片段及TGF-β、PDGF－BB、IGF－1等细胞因子对其活性的影响。方法 从人α2（I）胶原基因转录起始点上游－2.4kb至＋58bp的片段中，取长度不等的片段作为启动子与含氯霉素乙酰基转移酶（CAT）报告基因的质粒组成5个重组体，转染上述重组体至正常人原代培养皮肤成纤维细胞，测定细胞CAT表达水平以比较各重组体的启动子活性，同时加入细胞因子，以测定其对I型胶原启动序列的影响。结果 除－129～＋58bp序列外，其余4个重组体CAT表达水平均较高，其中－2292～＋58bp、－1476～ 58bp序列具较强启动CAT表达活性，－339～ 58bp、－616～ 58bp片段次之。TGF－β、IGF－1均能在一定程度上调人α2（I）胶原基因启动活性。结论 人α2（I）胶原基因片段－2292～ 58bp、－1476～ 58bp、－339～ 58bp有高启动活性，是进一步研究纤维化相关DNA结合蛋白的重要调控靶序列。TGF－β、IGF－1促进胶原表达，与其上调胶原基因启动活性有关。     

Chromatin interactions in differentiating keratinocytes reveal novel atopic dermatitis– and psoriasis-associated genes

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Genetic and epigenetic alterations of the PTEN gene in soft tissue sarcomas

The PTEN/MMAC1 ( PTEN ) gene was identified as a tumor suppressor gene encoding a cytoplasmic protein that controls cellular processes. To investigate the potential role and the alteration of the PTEN gene in soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), we searched for homozygous deletion and promoter hypermethylation in a series of 48 STSs that was composed of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, leiomyosarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, including 2 cases with a mutation that we previously reported; differential polymerase chain reaction and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, respectively, were used for the analyses. Furthermore, to determine whether PTEN gene alterations are involved in the down-regulation of PTEN expression, we examined the expression of PTEN protein in 38 cases in which paraffin-embedded tissues were available for immunohistochemical analysis. In addition to our previous results showing that 2 (4%) of 51 cases had a PTEN mutation, promoter methylation was recognized in 6 (13%) of 48 cases, and homozygous deletion was detected in 1 (2%) of 48 cases in the current study. Of 6 cases with promoter methylation of PTEN gene, 5 were malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Decreased expression of PTEN protein was recognized in 11 (29%) of 38 STS cases. Of 9 cases with PTEN alterations (6 cases with promoter methylation, 2 with mutation, and 1 with homozygous deletion), 3 (33%) showed decreased expression of PTEN protein. Furthermore, decreased expression of the PTEN gene showed a statistically significant correlation with high MIB-1 labeling index in 38 STS cases examined ( P = .0441). In conclusion, promoter methylation and homozygous deletion of the PTEN gene were found to be relatively rare events in cases of STS, as is mutation of the gene. Of 9 cases with a PTEN alteration, 3 (33%) showed a decrease in PTEN expression, indicating that PTEN gene alterations seem to play a minor role in the inactivation of PTEN in these tumors. Furthermore, although a further detailed analysis of a larger number of cases is still necessary, the present results suggest that PTEN expression may be a useful indicator of cell proliferation in patients with STS.     

肝脏特异性表达载体Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B 的构建及表达

目的：构建小鼠白蛋白启动子引导下携带野 生及常见突变型Arg778Leu、His1069Gln的人ATP7B cDNA的肝脏特异 性表达载体Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B，并检测其表达情况。方法:定点突变法获取人群中常见的Arg778Leu及His1069Gln两种ATP7B突变体，定向克隆将小鼠白蛋白启动子Alb序列及野生和突变的ATP7B cDNA依次亚克隆至转基因载体Kbpala上，得到可在肝脏特异性表达的正常及突变型人 ATP7B的转基因载体Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B。将其 短暂转染BRL细胞及BHK细胞，通过Western blotting检测其蛋白表达情况。结果:经酶切鉴定及定点测序证实，转基因载体Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B 构建成功；Western blotting显示仅在肝脏细胞实现表达。结论:带 有人类ATP7B cDNA的野生及常见致病突变型的转基因载体Kbpala/Alb -ATP7B构建成功并在肝脏细胞特异性表达。