Endothelium-specific Cre recombinase activity in flk-1-Cre transgenic mice.

The use of the Cre-loxP recombination system allows the conditional inactivation of genes in mice. The availability of transgenic mice in which the Cre recombinase expression is highly cell type specific is a prerequisite to successfully use this system. We previously have characterized regulatory regions of the mouse flk-1 gene sufficient for endothelial cell-specific expression of the LacZ reporter gene in transgenic mice. These regions were fused to the Cre recombinase gene, and transgenic mouse lines were generated. In the resulting flk-1-Cre transgenic mice, specificity of Cre activity was determined by cross-breeding with the reporter mouse lines Rosa26R or CAG-CAT-LacZ. We examined double-transgenic mice at different stages of embryonic development (E9.5-E16.5) and organs of adult animals by LacZ staining. Strong endothelium-specific staining of most vascular beds was observed in embryos older than E11.5 in one or E13.5 in a second line. In addition, the neovasculature of experimental BFS-1 tumors expressed the transgene. These lines will be valuable for the conditional inactivation of floxed target genes in endothelial cells of the embryonic vascular system.     

Functional characterization of Lmo2-Cre transgenic zebrafish

Cre/loxP system is a powerful tool to manipulate the genome. Transgenic animals expressing Cre recombinase in specific tissues or cells have been widely used for conditional gene targeting, lineage tracing, and other genetic analyses. In zebrafish, the transgenic line with stable expression of Cre in specific tissues and cell subtypes has not been generated and its functional activity remains to be defined. Here we report the establishment of a stable transgenic fish Tg(zlmo2:Cre), which specifically expresses Cre in the primitive hematopoietic progenitors and vascular endothelial cells, under the control of lmo2 promoter. Our result shows that the Cre expression pattern recapitulates the endogenous lmo2 expression pattern during embryogenesis. Crossing of the Tg(zlmo2:Cre) line with another established transgenic reporter line Tg(zlmo2:loxP-DsRed-loxP-EGFP), induces a robust recombination activity in hematopoietic progenitors and vascular endothelial cells. Thus, the Tg(zlmo2:Cre) transgenic line provides an invaluable tool to dissect genetic pathways in hematopoietic development and diseases.     

Transgenic mice with hematopoietic and lymphoid specific expression of Cre

Bacteriophage P1 Cre/loxP based systems can be used to manipulate the genomes ofmice in vivo and in vitro, allowing the generation of tissue-specific conditional mutants. We have generated mouse lines expressing Cre recombinase in hematopoietic tissues using the vav regulatory elements, or in lymphoid cells using the hCD2 promoter and locus control region (LCR). The R26R-EYFP Cre reporter mouse line was used to determine the pattern of Cre expression in each line and enabled the assessment of Cre activity at a single-cell level. Analysis showed that the vav promoter elements were able to direct Cre-mediated recombination in all cells of the hematopoietic system. The hCD2 promoter and LCR on the other hand were able to drive Cre-mediated recombination only in T cells and B cells, but not in other hematopoietic cell types. Furthermore, in the appropriate tissues, deletion of the floxed target was complete in all cells, thereby excluding the possibility of variegated expression of the Cre transgene. Both of these Cre-transgenic lines will be useful in generating tissue-specific gene deletions within all the cells of hematopoietic or lymphoid tissues.     

Lineage tracing demonstrates the venous origin of the mammalian lymphatic vasculature

The origin of the mammalian lymphatic vasculature has been debated for more than 100 years. Whether lymphatic endothelial cells have a single or dual, venous or mesenchymal origin remains controversial. To resolve this debate, we performed Cre/loxP-based lineage-tracing studies using mouse strains expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the Tie2, Runx1, or Prox1 promoter elements. These studies, together with the analysis of Runx1-mutant embryos lacking definitive hematopoiesis, conclusively determined that from venous-derived lymph sacs, lymphatic endothelial cells sprouted, proliferated, and migrated to give rise to the entire lymphatic vasculature, and that hematopoietic cells did not contribute to the developing lymph sacs. We conclude that the mammalian lymphatic system has a solely venous origin.     

VE-cadherin-CreERT2 transgenic mouse: a model for inducible recombination in the endothelium.

To introduce temporal control in genetic experiments targeting the endothelium, we established a mouse line expressing tamoxifen-inducible Cre-recombinase (Cre-ERT2) under the regulation of the vascular endothelial cadherin promoter (VECad). Specificity and efficiency of Cre activity was documented by crossing VECad-Cre-ERT2 with the ROSA26R reporter mouse, in which a floxed-stop cassette has been placed upstream of the beta-galactosidase gene. We found that tamoxifen specifically induced widespread recombination in the endothelium of embryonic, neonatal, and adult tissues. Recombination was also documented in tumor-associated vascular beds and in postnatal angiogenesis assays. Furthermore, injection of tamoxifen in adult animals resulted in negligible excision (lower than 0.4%) in the hematopoietic lineage. The VECad-Cre-ERT2 mouse is likely to be a valuable tool to study the function of genes involved in vascular development, homeostasis, and in complex processes involving neoangiogenesis, such as tumor growth.     

IPO8基因启动子区rs35100176位点变异对基因表达的影响

 目的：研究人importin 8（IPO8）基因启动子区rs35100176多态性位点CCT插入/缺失对基因表达的影响。方法：PCR扩增IPO8基因启动子区包含rs35100176多态位点的342 bp序列,通过测序获得了49例DNA样本的基因多态性分布。以CCT/CCT插入纯合子或-/-缺失纯合子DNA样本为模板,扩增含有不同插入/缺失序列的IPO8基因启动子片段,插入萤光素酶报告质粒pGL3-Basic,构建pGL3-3N Insertion 和pGL3-3N Deletion重组表达载体。重组质粒经Fugene 6.0转染入细胞,采用双萤光素酶报告系统,检测携带不同多态性序列的重组质粒中报告基因的表达活性;real-time PCR检测各不同基因型细胞中IPO8 mRNA表达。结果：通过测序发现rs35100176多态位点存在CCT/CCT、CCT/-和-/- 3种表型,其基因分布频率分别为1837%、5510%和2653%。成功构建pGL3-3N Insertion和pGL3-3N Deletion重组表达载体。双萤光素酶报告基因活性检测结果显示,pGL3-3N Insertion启动下游报告基因表达的相对活性与pGL3-3N Deletion相比显著减弱,两者存在显著差异（P<005）;real-time PCR结果显示,CCT纯合插入的HEK293细胞中IPO8 mRNA的表达显著低于CCT纯合缺失的Saos-2细胞。结论：IPO8基因启动子区rs35100176位点的CCT碱基插入变异能显著抑制启动子活性,从而影响IPO8基因的转录。     

重组法国梧桐花粉过敏原2( rPla a2) 对诱导型一氧化氮合酶( NOS2)基因启动子活性及基因表达的影响

目的:构建人诱导型一氧化氮合酶(NOS2)基因启动子区,对NOS2 启动子序列进行鉴定并分析其活性;探索重组法国梧桐花粉过敏原2(rPla a2)对人NOS2 基因启动子活性及基因表达的影响。方法:利用PCR 扩增、限制性内切酶双酶切、DNA 连接酶连接、大肠杆菌转化等方法将NOS2 基因启动子区克隆至pGL3-Basic 载体上,将所构建重组报告质粒转染至人胚肾(HEK293T)细胞中,利用双荧光素酶活性分析检测该重组报告质粒启动子活性及检测rPla a2 对人NOS2 基因启动子活性的影响;用实时荧光定量PCR 法检测rPla a2 对人NOS2 基因mRNA 水平的影响。结果:成功构建含有NOS2 启动子的重组报告质粒,与对照(pGL3-Basic) 组相比,含NOS2 启动子区的重组质粒转染组荧光素酶活性显著增高;与不加刺激(NOS2)组相比,加入rPla a2 刺激后含NOS2 启动子区的重组报告质粒转染组荧光素酶活性显著增高,加入rPla a2 刺激后NOS2 mRNA 相对表达水平显著增高。结论:rPla a2 可增强人NOS2 基因启动子活性,并增加其基因表达。     

小鼠BCMA基因启动子活性研究

目的:探索B淋巴细胞成熟抗原(BCMA)基因5′上游序列的启动子活性, 为进一步研究BCMA基因的表达调控机制提供实验依据.方法:构建由BCMA基因5′上游-820～ 145、 -607～ 145、 -359～ 145、 -157～ 145、 -93～ 145 5个片段驱动的荧光素酶报告载体pGL3-B820、 pGL3-B607、 pGL3-B359、 pGL3-B157、 pGL3-B93, 通过转染J558L、 293T、 HeLa细胞检测荧光素酶的表达, 观察荧光素酶相对活性.结果:5种5′删除体的转录激活性由大到小为pGL3-B157>pGL3-B607>pGL3-B359>pGL3-B93>pGL3-B820.pGL3-B157在3种细胞中的转录激活能力为J558L>HeLa>293T, 且在J558L中的转录激活能力明显强于Hela和293T细胞.结论:BCMA基因5′上游序列"-820 bp～ 145 bp"具有启动子活性, 核心启动子可能位于-93～ 145区域中.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of embryonic pulmonary vessel formation

Vessel formation in the lung has been described as occurring by two mechanisms: proximal, or branch, pulmonary arteries develop via angiogenesis; and distal, smaller vessels form by vasculogenesis. Connections between the proximal and distal vessels establish the final vascular network. The preponderance of vessel formation has been suspected to occur during the canalicular stage of lung development. To test these hypotheses, reporter gene expression under control of the regulatory domain of fetal liver kinase-1 (flk), an early endothelial cell-specific marker, was used to evaluate mouse lungs from embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5) through 2 wk postnatal age. Morphologic assessment was performed after histochemical staining, and quantification of vessel development by a chemiluminescent assay was compared with overall embryonic lung growth. LacZ expression under flk promoter control allowed: (1) early identification of differentiating endothelial cells of the branch pulmonary arteries; (2) visualization of distal vessels forming in the lung mesenchyme (primary capillary network) with subsequent remodeling; (3) recognition of early continuity between proximal and distal vessels, occurring by E10.5; and (4) assessment of developing pulmonary veins and venous confluence. Quantitative analysis revealed increased flk regulated beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) activity of 12 ng beta-gal/lung at E12.5 to 3,215 ng beta-gal/lung at 2 wk, which corresponded to overall lung growth during this period as shown by an increase in total protein content per lung from 35 microg at E12.5 to 6,456 microg at 2 wk after birth. We identified endothelial cell precursors of the developing pulmonary vasculature before vessel lumen formation. Continuity between the proximal pulmonary artery and vessels forming in the distal mesenchyme was present even at the earliest stage evaluated, suggesting endothelial cell differentiation at the site of vessel formation (i.e., vasculogenesis) as occurs with development of the aorta. Finally, we demonstrated that lung vessel development was not accentuated during the canalicular stage, but occurred at all stages and directly corresponded to overall lung growth.     

The conserved lymphokine element 0 is a powerful activator and target for corticosteroid inhibition in human interleukin-5 transcription

The role of eosinophilia in allergic disorders indicates hIL-5 as a potential target for therapy. The conservation of hIL-5 gene proximal elements suggests they are important in controlling expression. Corticosteroids are important in the treatment of allergy, and are powerful inhibitors of IL-5 expression. This study aimed at understanding the role of hIL-5 conserved proximal elements, and elucidating the target of corticosteroid activity, in hIL-5 gene expression. Methods used include transient transfection of PBMC and PER117 cells with hIL-5 deletion constructs, EMSA, Western Blotting, and RT-PCR.The conserved proximal CLE0/TATA elements driving a reporter gene gave similar or higher expression than a 500 bp promoter in primary human T cells and a T-cell line. Two and three copies of IL-5 CLE0 upstream of the silent IL-4 minimal promoter gave 30-45 fold increases in expression in forward orientation, but little activity in reverse orientation. Consequently, CLE0 is a powerful activator but not a classical enhancer. Deletion analysis identified CLE0 as the key element in the inhibition of IL-5 reporter constructs by dexamethasone, and RT-PCR analysis indicated that GILZ expression correlated with dexamethasone-induced inhibition of IL-5. Ectopic expression of GILZ, confirmed by western blotting, gave a 90% inhibition of promoter constructs in absence of dexamethasone. CLE0 is a powerful activator sufficient for the inducible expression of IL-5, and functions when moved upstream in a heterologous promoter. CLE0 is also the main target for IL-5 inhibition by dexamethasone, and we present evidence consistent with a role of GILZ in this.