Tissue remodeling of rat pulmonary artery in hypoxic breathing. I. Changes of morphology, zero-stress state, and gene expression

The remodeling of the pulmonary arterial tissue in response to a step change of the oxygen concentration in the gas in which a rat lives was recorded as function of time and function of O₂ concentration. Three steps of changing from 20.9% to 17.2%, 13.6%, and 10% O₂ were imposed. Earlier work in our laboratory has shown that pulmonary arterial tissue remodeling is significant in the first 24 h after a step change of oxygen tension. Hence we made measurements in this period. Furthermore, data were obtained for tissue remodeling of circumferential and axial lengths of the pulmonary arteries. We recorded the activities of gene expressions in the lung tissues by microarray, determined the dose response curves of gene expression in the homogenized whole lungs with respect to four levels of O₂ concentration, and obtained the time courses of gene expression in the lung parenchyma in 30 days after a step decrease of O₂ concentration from 20.9% to 10%. We would like to suggest that the correlation of gene expression with physiological function parameters, i.e., time, O₂ tension, blood pressure, opening angle, wall thicknesses, etc., is the way to narrow down the search for specific genes for specific physiological functions. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC01: 8719Uv     

Nucleotide sequence of dengue type 3 virus genomic RNA encoding viral structural proteins

Complementary DNAs to the 5 proximal region of the dengue virus type 3 RNA were cloned into bacterial plasmids and the nucleotide sequence of 3,000 bases from the 5 terminus of the genome were determined by DNA and RNA sequencing methods using dideoxy chain-termination reactions. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence thus obtained with those of other flavivirus genomes revealed significant homology existing in nucleotide sequence of the flavivirus genomes. When we compared amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence with those of other flaviviruses, this genome region was found to include sequences encoding three viral structural proteins C, M, and E and a part of the viral nonstructural protein NS1 in this order in addition to the 5-noncoding sequence. The characteristics and functions of these proteins were discussed based on the deduced amino acid sequences and their hydrophobic profiles. The genetic relationship of flaviviruses was also discussed based on the genetic variation observed in their genomes.     

Transcriptome analysis in blastocyst hatching by cDNA microarray

BACKGROUND: Hatching is an important process for early embryo development, differentiation and implantation. However, little is known about its regulatory mechanisms. By integrating the technologies of RNA amplification and cDNA microarrays, it has become possible to study the gene expression profile at this critical stage. METHODS: Pre-hatched and hatched ICR mouse embryos (25 blastocysts in each group were used in the triplicate experiments) were collected for RNA extraction, amplification, and microarray analysis (the mouse cDNA microarray, 6144 genes, including expressed sequence tags). RESULTS: According to cDNA microarray data, we have identified 85 genes that were expressed at a higher level in hatched blastocyst than in pre-hatched blastocysts. In this study, 47 hatching-related candidate genes were verified via re-sequencing. Some of these genes have been selected and confirmed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. These hatching-specific genes were also expressed at a lower level in the delayed growth embryos (morula or blastocyst without hatching at day 6 post hCG). These genes included: cell adhesion and migration molecules [E-cadherin, neuronal cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), lectin, galactose binding, soluble 7 (Lgals7), vanin 3 and biglycan], epigenetic regulators (Dnmt1, and SIN3 yeast homolog A), stress response regulators (heme oxygenase 1) and immunoresponse regulators [interleukin (IL)-2-inducible T-cell kinase, IL-4R, interferon-gamma receptor 2, and neurotrophin]. The immunostaining of E-cadherin and NCAM showed strong and specific localization in hatched blastocyst. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides important information for studying the mechanisms of blastocyst hatching and implantation. These hatching-specific genes may have potential as new drug targets for controlling fertility.     

Isolation of a peptide inhibitor of human rhinovirus

Cell culture-based transdominant genetic techniques provide new methods for discovering peptide/RNA modulators of cellular pathways. We applied this technology to isolate a peptide inhibitor of human rhinovirus. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-scaffolded library of cDNA fragments was expressed in HeLa cells from a retroviral vector and screened for inhibitors of rhinovirus-mediated cell killing. A DNA clone, I421, increased cell survival in an HRV14 challenge assay from less than 0.5% to greater than 60%. It encodes a 53-amino-acid C-terminal extension of the GFP scaffold. Particular subclones of Hela cells expressing I421 (exemplified by I421dp3) show a delay in virus production and a 50-fold decrease in viral RNA levels at 6-8 h postinfection. HRV2, HRV14, and HRV16 show a dramatic decrease in plaque-forming ability on I421dp3 while Coxsackievirus B3 showed a small reduction. Levels of ICAM-1, the receptor for the main rhinovirus serotype, are not altered in I421dp3.     

采用IL－6cDNA控针检测人IL－6基因表达

采用缺口平移技术对ＩＬ—６ｃＤＮＡ进行了生物素和同位素标记，证明两种标记的ＩＬ－６ｃＤＮＡ（３０ｎｇ／ｍｌ）均可检出低至５ｐｇ的同源ＤＮＡ，而模拟探针（５００μｇ／ｍｌ）对高达１００ｎｇ的同源序列无此反应。应用ＩＬ－６ｃＤＮＡ对富含ＩＬ－６ｍＲＮＡ的标本进行斑点杂交或Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ杂交，证明人参三醇皂甙促进了淋巴细胞ＩＬ—６基因表达（４倍），人胎脾单个核细胞、人胎脑组织匀浆和人胎胰岛细胞内均含有高浓度ＩＬ—６ｍＲＮＡ。     

伤寒减毒活疫苗Ty21a免疫前后小鼠肠细胞差异表达的基因

以基因表达谱芯片对Ty2 1a免疫前后小鼠肠细胞 (包括肠粘膜上皮细胞和肠上皮间淋巴细胞 )基因表达的差异性进行研究比较。将 490条经抑制消减杂交法筛选出的与小鼠Ty2 1a免疫相关的cDNA制备成表达谱芯片 ;利用免疫前后小鼠肠细胞的mRNA通过逆转录方法 ,将Cy3和Cy5两种荧光分别标记到两种组织的cDNA上 ,制备成cDNA探针 ,并与表达谱芯片进行杂交及扫描 ,单点重复 2次实验 ,通过计算机数据处理判定基因是否在上述两种细胞群中有表达差异。筛选出差异表达基因共 98条 ,其中 92条为表达上调基因 ,6条为表达降低基因。提示 ,基因表达谱芯片技术是高通量进行基因表达模式研究的方法 ,可同时定量研究大量的基因表达水平 ,从而鉴定可能参与免疫的基因。     

从卵巢癌cDNA文库中筛选新的肿瘤标志物

采用SEREX法筛选了自行构建的中国人卵巢癌cDNA表达文库 ,得到 2 7个阳性克隆 ,其中 3个为全长cDNA。序列分析和同源性比对结果表明所获得的 2 7个克隆分属于分化抗原、细胞结构蛋白及功能未知三类。选择其中一个全长cDNAMY OVA 13(该基因编码的蛋白是MAD2 ) ,利用基因工程方法克隆、表达和纯化得到目的蛋白 ,采用点杂交方法检测了MY OVA 13目的蛋白与正常人和肿瘤患者中的血清学反应。MY OVA 13抗体只在肿瘤组中检测到 (5 / 74 ) ,在正常组中均为阴性 ;间接ELISA测定结果显示 ,MY OVA 13抗体的水平在肿瘤组中均高于正常组 ,其中肝癌和前列腺癌组与正常组相比 ,在统计学上有显著差异 ,P值分别 <0 0 1和 <0 0 5。我们的初步结果表明MY OVA 13及其抗体具有一定的肿瘤特异性 ,有可能作为肿瘤诊断的标志物