Properties of the adenovirus type 40 E1B promoter that contribute to its low transcriptional activity

The adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) E1B promoter contains two elements essential for maximal activity, a TATA box and a GC box. The enteric adenovirus type 40 (Ad40) E1B promoter has a TATA box sequence identical to that of Ad5 and a GC box that fits the Sp1 binding site consensus. Nevertheless, Ad40 E1B RNA synthesis is severely impaired in HeLa cells, attributable in part at least to the weak transactivating activity of Ad40 E1A. However, the responsiveness of Ad40 early promoters to E1A transactivation has not been directly demonstrated. Using a transient expression assay with a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene, the Ad40 E1B promoter was very poorly transactivated by E1A of both Ad40 and Ad5 and showed only a limited response to the promiscuous varicella zoster virus transactivator p140. Construction of Ad5 recombinant viruses expressing the CAT gene under the control of the Ad5 or Ad40 E1B promoter allowed detection and measurement of expression from the Ad40 E1B promoter in a well-defined background and showed that overall activity is some 100-fold lower than for the Ad5 E1B promoter. Deletion analysis revealed that sequences upstream of the Sp1 binding site down-modulated Ad40 E1B promoter responsiveness, and two protein binding sites, identified by DNase footprinting and gel retardation assay, may be implicated in this effect. Gel shift analysis also showed that the Ad40 Sp1 binding site had a reduced affinity for Sp1 protein, relative to the Ad5 site, and that the context as well as the core sequence had an influence on Sp1 recognition.     

Single-cell PCR analysis of T helper cells in human lymph node germinal centers

The T helper cell population of human lymph node germinal centers (GCs) was analyzed for clonality and signs of antigen selection. Frozen sections of lymph node biopsies taken from three different individuals were used to micromanipulate single T cells from one particular GC for each of the specimens. T cell receptor (TCR) beta gene rearrangements were amplified from these single cells and directly sequenced. Although only unique rearrangements were amplified from T cells of GC2 and GC3, 11 of 28 potentially functional rearrangements amplified from GC1 originated from four different clones. In all three GCs, TCR gene rearrangements neither showed obvious biases in gene segment usage nor similarities in complementarity determining region 3 amino acid sequence. Thus, it appears that T lymphocytes in human GCs usually represent a diverse population of cells. Sequence analysis of V region genes did not provide evidence that in the human the process of somatic hypermutation acts on the TCRbeta loci. For one of the GCs (GC3), immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangements were amplified and sequenced from single micromanipulated GC B cells. The detection of clonal expansions accounting for more than half of the sampled B cells in addition to ongoing somatic hypermutation of Ig V region genes suggested that GC3 was a fully developed GC.     

CD2相关蛋白启动子区域保守序列的功能分析

目的 在不同物种间通过保守序列分析和荧光素酶功能测定的方法寻找发现CD2相关蛋白(cD2AP)基因启动子重要的调节成分.方法 用BLAST分析软件进行序列比较和同源分析不同种系CD2AP启动子序列,构建人CD2AP启动子不同的缺失变异载体,转染来自不同种类的细胞,测定荧光素酶活性,并用全反式维甲酸处理,观测其对CD2AP启动子活性的影响.结果 在人、牛、猪的CD2AP推断的启动子区域进行同源比较发现推断的sp1(specific protein 1)和下游启动子成分高度进化保守,进行性缺失荧光素酶分析表明在人胚肾细胞株HEK-293、非洲绿猴肾细胞株Vero、仓鼠肾细胞株BHK-21中人CD2AP启动子活性有相似的形式,ATG上游500 bp有基本的启动子活性,再向上100 bp启动子活性增加10倍,两个推断的Sp1位点位于该100 bp区域内,全反式维甲酸可下调CD2AP启动子的活性.结论 我们初步发现推断的Sp1位点和下游启动子成分在CD2AP启动子调控中起重要作用.     

Ongoing hypermutation in the Ig V(D)J gene segments and c-myc proto-oncogene of an AIDS lymphoma segregates with neoplastic B cells at different sites: implications for clonal evolution

To investigate the role of somatic Ig hypermutation in the evolution of AIDS-associated B cell lymphomas, we analyzed the Ig V(D)J and c-myc genes expressed by neoplastic B cells in two extranodal sites, testis and orbit, and clonally related cells in the bone marrow. Testis and orbit B cells expressed differentially mutated but collinear V_HDJ_H, VκJκ and c-myc gene sequences. Shared mutations accounted for 10.2%, 8.4%, and 4.3% of the overall V_HDJ_H, VκJκ, and c-myc gene sequences. Tumor-site specific V_HDJ_H, VκJκ, and c-myc mutations were comparable in frequency, and a single point-mutation gave rise to an EcoRI site in the testis c-myc DNA. Both shared and tumor site-specific V_HDJ_H, VκJκ, and c-myc mutations displayed predominance of transitions over transversions. The “neoplastic” V_HDJ_H sequence was expressed by about 10⁻⁵ cells in the bone marrow, and contained two of the three orbital, but none of the testicular V_HDJ_H mutations. The nature and distribution of the Ig V(D)J mutations found in the κ chain suggested a selection by antigen in testis and orbit. Our data suggest that, in AIDS-associated B cell lymphomas, the Ig hypermutation machinery targets V_HDJ_H, VκJκ, and c-myc genes with comparable efficiency and modalities.     

流体剪切力调节内皮细胞组织因子表达的初步探讨

目的探讨流体剪切力调节内皮细胞组织因子(tissue factor,TF)表达的机制。方法将脐静脉内皮细胞置于平行板流动腔中接受1．2 Pa(1 dyn／cm2=0．1 Pa)剪切力作用20 min后,采用凝胶电泳迁移率改变法(electorohoretic mobility shift analysis,EMSA)和蛋白免疫印迹分析(Western Blot,WB)检测转录因子Egr-1和Sp1在TF基因表达过程中的表达情况。结果 (1)静止组可见Sp1表达而无Egr-1表达;(2)剪切力组Sp1磷酸化水平和Egr-1表达水平均明显增高;(3)EMSA显示,对于Sp1／Egr-1结合位点,Egr-1对Sp1具有较强的竞争抑制作用。结论流体剪切力调节TF基因表达过程中,不同转录因子起着不同的作用:Sp1主要维持内皮细胞TF基因的基础表达;Egr-1竞争靶位点上的Sp1和磷酸化Sp1可能共同参与流体剪切力诱导TF基因表达。