The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on the expression of cytokeratin mRNA in hamster cheek pouch epithelium

The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) on cytokeratin (CK) gene expression in hamster cheek pouch epithelium was studied with a hybridohistochemical technique. Using specific human anti-sense RNA probes, the plausible hamster mRNA counterparts for these human CK mRNAs were localized by detection of heterologous hybrids. In comparison with normal epithelium, the expression and distribution pattern of CK mRNAs in the hamster cheek pouch were obviously changed after application of SLS. There was a decreased expression of CK mRNAs in the hyperplastic basal layer, and increased expression in the hypertrophic granular layer. Strikingly, hybridization with the human CK 18 cRNA probe revealed an additionally expressed CK mRNA in the SLS-treated epithelium that was not found in the untreated epithelium. The present study indicates that cRNA probes for human CK mRNAs can be used successfully, not only to distinguish between different hamster CK mRNAs but also to investigate changes in CK gene expression upon the induction of non-neoplastic and neoplastic alterations in the hamster cheek pouch model. This may help elucidate the molecular changes involved in epithelial pathologies.     

Interaction of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein I405V polymorphism with alcohol consumption in smoking and non-smoking healthy men, and the effect on plasma HDL cholesterol and apoAI concentration

Three hundred and sixteen healthy Icelandic men and women were examined for the effect of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) I405V polymorphism on plasma triglycerides, HDL cholesterol (HDLC) and apoAI concentration. Genotyping was performed using an allele specific oligomelting assay and the frequency of the V allele was 0.31 (95 CI for men 0.23–0.33 and for women 0.29–0.39). In women no significant difference was associated with the V405 genotype for any plasma lipid trait. However, men who were homozygous for the V405 allele had 9% higher apoAI and 14% higher HDLC levels (p < 0.05) than those homozygous for the common 1405 allele. The genotype effect was seen only in the non-smokers (p = 0.07 and <0.05, respectively), and in those consuming alcohol (p < 0.05 for both). Analysis of interaction between the environmental, life-style factors and genotype in men for the traits of HDLC and apoAI showed statistically significant interaction of the genotype only with alcohol consumption. The non-smoking men who reported alcohol consumption and who were homozygous for the CETP V405 allele had 16% higher plasma apoAI concentration than those who carried the 1405 allele, and up to 20% higher apoAI level than smokers. On the basis of prospective studies carried out on the Icelandic population, non-smoking, alcohol-consuming men who are homozygous for the V405 allele could have from 32% to 40% lower risk of having a heart attack.     

SRY基因诊断在临床中的应用

应用聚合酶链式反应（ＰＣＲ）扩增技术，对１０例染色体核型为４６，ＸＹ和１例为４６，ＸＸ／４６，ＸＹ的性反转、睾丸女性化、两性畸形及男性生殖器发育不良的患者进行了性别决定区（ＳＲＹ）基因检测。结果表明９例４６，ＸＹ和１例４６，ＸＸ／４６，ＸＹ患者的ＳＲＹ基因存在，１例４６，ＸＹ女性患者的ＳＲＹ基因缺失。该结果表明能够用分子生物学技术对性反转、性发育异常的病因进行分析     

An Evolutionarily Conserved Region in the Second lntron of the Human Nestin Gene Directs Gene Exmession to CNS Progenitor Cells and to Early Neural Ciest Cells

Central nervous system (CNS) progenitor cells transiently proliferate in the embryonic neural tube and give rise to neurons and glial cells. A characteristic feature of the CNS progenitor cells is expression of the intermediate filament nestin and it was previously shown that the rat nestin second intron functions as an enhancer, directing gene expression to CNS progenitor cells. In this report we characterize the nestin enhancer in further detail. Cloning and sequence analysis of the rat and human nestin second introns revealed local domains of high sequence similarity in the 3' portion of the introns. Transgenic mice were generated with the most conserved 714 bp in the 3' portion of the intron, or with the complete, 1852 bp, human second intron, coupled to the reporter gene lacZ. The two constructs gave a very similar nestin-like expression pattern, indicating that the important control elements reside in the 714 bp element. Expression was observed starting in embryonic day (E)7.5 neural plate, and at E10.5 CNS progenitor cells throughout the neural tube expressed lacZ. At E12.5, lacZ expression was more restricted and confined to proliferating regions in the neural tube. An interesting difference, compared to the rat nestin second intron, was that the human intron at E10.5 mediated lacZ expression also in early migrating neural crest cells, which is a site of endogenous nestin expression. In conclusion, these data show that a relatively short, evolutionarily conserved region is sufficient to control gene expression in CNS progenitor cells, but that the same region differs between rodents and primates in its capacity to control expression in neural crest cells.     

人促红细胞生成素在大肠杆菌中融合高表达：稀有密码子对外源蛋白翻译速率的影响

本实验分别用两种融合表达载体（ｐＧＥＸ－２Ｔ及ｐＤＳ－６Ｈ）在大肠杆菌ＸＬ１－Ｂｌｕｅ中表达人促红细胞生成素（ｈ－ＥＰＯ）。结果发现，虽然ｈ－ＥＰＯ基因中大肠杆菌使用频率为０％或１％的密码子占密码子总量的１４．３％，但实验中却取得了较高的蛋白表达量。ｐＧＥＸ－２Ｔ和ｐＤＳ－６Ｈ中表达的融合蛋白（分子量：４４４００和２３８００）分别占细菌总蛋白的２９．７％和１７．５％。从而提示，一个基因中的密码子使用频率与翻译延长速率之间可能不是一种简单的对应关系。表达载体ｐＧＥＸ－２Ｔ中５＇融合基因长度达１３００ｂｐ，而ｐＤＳ－６Ｈ中仅为３６ｂｐ，而ｐＤＳ－６Ｈ但两者表达水平却无显著差异，因此作为翻译起始限制因素的翻译起始区的ＡＴＧ下游顺序仅需长约３６个核苷酸。     

赖型钩体flaB2与VR1012中的CpG基序分析

目的：对问号赖型钩端螺旋体（赖型钩体）DNA疫苗[包括内鞭毛蛋白基因（flaB2)和质粒DNA表达载体（VR1012）]的CpG基序（CpG motifs)进行分析，为DNA疫苗免疫机制的阐明和提高DNA疫苗的效能奠定基础。方法：以flaB2与VR1012构建重组DNA的免疫原，对flaB2及VR1012全核苷酸序列进行计算机分析（分类、计数和定位）。结果：CpG的“C”的侧翼为两个嘌呤，“G”的侧翼为两个嘧啶，在flaB2中共3个，分别为GACGCT，GACGTC和GACGCC；在VR1012中共11个，分别为GACGTC1个，GACGCT2个，GACGCC1个，GACGTT1个，GGCGTT2个，GGCGCT2个，GGCGCC1个，AACGCT1个，其中特别重要的TGACGTCA4个和TAACGCCA有1个，位于5'端456－463；509－516；592－599；778－785和486－493；4个TGACGTCA和1个TAACGCCA均位于5'端且相对集中。结论：赖型钩体flaB2与VR1012构成的DNA疫苗含有TGACGTCA等CpG，这些基序又称免疫刺激序列，构成了DNA疫苗中的佐剂。     

HyTK基因转移联合丙氧鸟苷对人膀胱癌细胞株EJ体外杀伤作用

为探索ＨｙＴＫ基因转移对人膀胱癌的治疗作用，采用单纯疱疹病毒胸苷激酶（ＨＳＶＴＫ）基因转移联合丙氧鸟苷（Ｇａｎｃｉｃｌｏｖｉｒ，ＧＣＶ）对通过逆转录病毒载体转导了ＨｙＴＫ基因的人膀胱癌细胞株ＥＪ细胞（ＥＪ／ＴＫ）进行体外杀伤。对分别培养及混合培养的ＥＪ细胞及ＥＪ／ＴＫ细胞，用不同浓度ＧＣＶ进行处理，然后观察细胞形态改变及测定活细胞数量。结果：在ＧＣＶ作用下，ＥＪ细胞形态及数量与对照组无明显变化；而ＥＪ／ＴＫ细胞受到ＧＣＶ明显杀伤，细胞形态破坏，细胞数量明显减少，含１０％ＥＪ／ＴＫ的混合培养细胞就可观察到很明显的杀伤作用。表明：转导ＨｙＴＫ基因的ＥＪ细胞获得了对ＧＣＶ的敏感性，并存在很强的“旁观者效应”。提示ＨｙＴＫ基因转移联合ＧＣＶ可能适用于人膀胱癌治疗。     

The Inhibition of Apoptosis of Hepatoma Cells Induced by HBx Is Mediated by Up-regulation of Survivin Expression

Abnormalityofproliferationandapoptosisinma lignanttumorsisubiquitousandinvolvedmanygenes.Studiesshowedthathepatocellularcarcinoma(HCC) ,oneofthemostcommonmalignancesinChi na ,hasmanyabnormalexpressionofgenesrelatedtoproliferationandapoptosis .Recentstudiesindicatedthatsurvivin ,whichbelongstothefamilyofapopto sisinhibitionprotein ,hadahighexpressionlevelinHCCandwasrelatedtothemechanismsofabnormalapoptosisofHCCcells[1] .PatientswithHCCinChi nashowedahighinfectiousrateofover 80 %ofhep atit…