Scid mouse Pre-B cells with intracellular {micro} chains: analysis of recombinase activity and IgH gene rearrangements

Four Pre-B cell clones with Intracellular µ chains wererecovered from individual leaky scid mice by transformationof bone marrow or peritoneal cells with Abelson murine leukemiavirus. Three clones were derived from independent bone marrowcell cultures. These express the defective scid recombinaseactivity and contain truncated µ chains resulting fromabnormal and/or incomplete (D to J only) gene rearrangements.A fourth clone was obtained from a peritoneal cell culture andmay represent a revertant. It expresses a recombinase activityindistinguishable from that of wild-type cells; one of its rearrangedIgH alleies (VDJ⁺) encodes a normal size µ chain, theother is non-productively rearranged (VDJ^–).     

Engineering mutations: deconstructing the mouse gene by gene.

Over the past years new vectors and methodologies have been developed to carry out large-scale genome-wide insertional mutagenesis screens in the mouse. Gene trapping, the most commonly used technique, is based on the insertion of a retroviral- or plasmid-based vector into a gene, resulting in a loss-of-function mutation, while simultaneously reporting its expression pattern and providing a molecular tag to facilitate cloning. The discovery of vertebrate DNA transposons in the mouse and recent improvements has also led to their increased use in insertional mutagenesis screens. Several public resources have been set-up recently by the academic community to distribute information and materials generated from these large-scale screens. These new resources should accelerate the study and understanding of biological and developmental processes.     

Characterization of the mouse collectin gene locus.

Three of the four known mouse collectin genes have been mapped to chromosome 14. To further characterize the spatial relationship of these genes, a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of mouse chromosome 14 was screened using mouse surfactant protein (SP)-A and -D complementary DNAs (cDNAs). One large clone hybridized to both SP-A and SP-D cDNAs and was found by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to contain sequences from one of the mouse mannose-binding lectin genes (Mbl1). We used Southern mapping and subcloning of overlapping restriction fragments to characterize the gene locus. Mapping was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization of fiber-stretched BAC DNA and by Southern hybridization of restriction endonuclease-digested and PCR-amplified genomic DNA. We found that the SP-A, Mbl1, and SP-D genes reside contiguously within a 55-kb region. The SP-A and Mbl1 genes are in the same 5' to 3' orientation and 16 kb apart. The SP-D gene is in the opposite orientation to the two other collectin genes, 13 kb away from the 3' end of the Mbl1 gene. The mouse SP-D gene had not previously been characterized. We found its size (13 kb) and organization to be similar to that of human SP-D. Exon I is untranslated. The second exon is a hybrid exon that contains signal for initiation of translation, signal peptide, N-terminal domain, and the first seven collagen triplets of the collagen-like domain of the protein. Four short exons (III through VI) encode the collagen-like domain of the protein, and exons VII and VIII the linking and the carbohydrate-recognition domains, respectively.     

Host MHC class I gene control of NK-cell specificity in the mouse

Summary: The missing self model predicts chat NK cells adapt somatically to the type as well as levels of MHC class I products expressed by their host, Transgenic and gene knock-out mice have provided conclusive evidence chat MHC class I genes control specificity and tolerance of NK cells. The article describes this control and discusses the POSSIBLE Mechanisms behind it. starting from a genetic model to study how natural resistance to tumors is influenced by MHC class I expression in the host as well as in the target cells. Data on host gene regulation of NK-cell functional specificity as well as Lγ49 receptor expression are reviewed, leading up to the central question: how does the system develop and maintain “useful” NK cells, while avoiding “harmful” and “useless” ones? The available data can be fitted with in each of two mutually non-exclusive models: cellular adaptation and clonal selection. Recent studies supporting cellular adaptation bring the focus on different possibilities within this general mechanism, such as energy, receptor calibration and, most importantly, whether the specificity of each NK cell is permanently fixed or subject to continuous regulation.     

小鼠白蛋白基因启动子的克隆及其在不同细胞系中转录活性的检测

目的：对比小鼠白蛋白（mouse albumin promoter, ALB）启动子调控下的增强型绿色荧光蛋白（enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP）在不同细胞系中的转录活性。方法：以小鼠全血基因组DNA为模板,聚合酶链反应（polymerase chain reaction, PCR）扩增ALB启动子序列,克隆至pEGFP-1中,构建重组体pALB-EGFP;在Lipofectamine介导下将pALB-EGFP、pEGFP-N1转染人胎肝细胞L02、人宫颈癌细胞HeLa、人结肠癌细胞SW480、人胰腺癌细胞Bxpc-3;荧光显微镜和流式细胞仪对各转染细胞中EGFP的表达进行检测。结果：pALB-EGFP构建成功;L02转染pALB-EGFP 72 h后,ALB启动子可起始EGFP的表达,转录活性为人巨细胞病毒（cytomegalovirus,CMV）启动子的1/4,其它转染细胞的ALB不能起始EGFP的转录;稳定筛选后,ALB的转录活性达到与CMV相当的水平。结论：构建的重组载体在肝脏来源细胞中具有较高的转录活性, 为建立肝脏特异性表达目的基因的转基因小鼠模型奠定了基础。     

The olfactory receptor gene superfamily of the mouse.

Olfactory receptor (OR) genes are the largest gene superfamily in vertebrates. We have identified the mouse OR genes from the nearly complete Celera mouse genome by a comprehensive data mining strategy. We found 1,296 mouse OR genes (including 20% pseudogenes), which can be classified into 228 families. OR genes are distributed in 27 clusters on all mouse chromosomes except 12 and Y. One OR gene cluster matches a known locus mediating a specific anosmia, indicating the anosmia may be due directly to the loss of receptors. A large number of apparently functional 'fish-like' Class I OR genes in the mouse genome may have important roles in mammalian olfaction. Human ORs cover a similar 'receptor space' as the mouse ORs, suggesting that the human olfactory system has retained the ability to recognize a broad spectrum of chemicals even though humans have lost nearly two-thirds of the OR genes as compared to mice.