乙型肝炎病毒前-S2蛋白下调诱导型一氧化氮合酶基因启动子的转录活性

目的探讨乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)前-S2(pre-S2)蛋白对诱导型一氧化氮合酶(iNOS)基因启动子转录的调节作用。方法利用生物信息学技术确定iNOS基因的启动子区域(iNOSp)和3个缺失突变体的基因序列,聚合酶链反应(PCR)分别扩增iNOSp和3个缺失突变体的基因序列,分别克隆至报告基因表达载体pCAT3-Basic中,构建pCAT3-iNOSp载体;以构建的这4种报告基因表达载体,分别转染人肝母细胞瘤细胞系HepG2,用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测氯霉素乙酰转移酶(CAT)的表达活性;并与真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(-)-HBV pre-S2共转染HepG2细胞系,用ELISA法检测CAT的表达活性。结果成功获得iNOS基因启动子和3个缺失突变体的正确克隆,p1-iNOSp、p3-iNOSp启动子和pcDNA3.1 (-)-HBV pre-S2瞬时共转染HepG2细胞时,iNOS启动子的转录活性明显下降,HBV pre-S2蛋白对p1- iNOSp、p3-iNOSp表达活性的抑制率分别是54.7%和79.5%,p2-iNOSp、p4-iNOSp与pcDNA3.1(-)-HBV pre-S2共转染HepG2细胞后,HBV pre-S2蛋白对p2-iNOSp、p4-iNOSp表达活性没有明显的调节作用。重复试验得到了相似的结果。结论HBV pre-S2蛋白在细胞内的表达对iNOS启动子的转录活性具有明显的下调作用。

A study of the down-regulation effect of hepatitis B virus pre-protein S2 on inducible nitric oxide synthase gene promoter

Objective To investigate the regulating effect of HBV pre-S2 protein on iNOS gene promoter and the molecular biological mechanisms of pre-S2 protein in HBV pathogenicity. Methods Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was employed to amplify the sequence of iNOS promoter and 3 deletion mutants using HepG2 genomic DNA as the template, and the products were cloned into the pGEM-T vector. The iNOS gene and 3 deletion mutants were cut from T- iNOS by Kpn I and Xho I, and then cloned into pCAT3-Basic. The resulting vectors were named pl1iNOSp, p2-iNOSp, p3-iNOSp, and p4-iNOSp. Each of the reporter vectors was transfected into the HepG2 cell line and cotransfected into HepG2 cells with pcDNA3.1(-)-pre-S2 by FuGENE 6 transfection reagents. The HepG2 cells transfected with pCAT3-Basic were used as a negative control. The activity of CAT in HepG2 cells transfected was detected by an ELISA kit 48 hours after the transfection, which reflected the regulating effect of HBV pre-S2 protein on iNOS gene promoter activity. Results The expressive vector pcDNA3.1(-)-pre-S2 and report vector pCAT3-iNOSp were constructed and confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing. The expression of pcDNA3.1(-)-pre-S2 in HepG2 cells could down-regulate the activity of pl-iNOSp, p3-iNOSp, and the inhibition rate was 54.7% and 79.5%, respectively. The expression of pcDNA3.1(-)-pre-S2 in HepG2 cells had no regulatory effects on p2-iNOSp and p4-iNOSp. Conclusion It is suggested that HBV pre-S2 protein can down-regulate iNOS gene promoter.