质粒介导RNAi靶向hTERT抑制K562细胞端粒酶活性的研究

本研究探讨质粒载体介导的RNAi靶向hTERT对白血病细胞株K562 hTERT基因封闭、端粒酶活性抑制的作用。针对hTERT mRNA化学合成3条siRNA链转染K562细胞,筛选2条高效特异的siRNA链,构建靶向hTERT mRNA的质粒载体pSUPER-U6-Kanr-hTERT-1、pSUPER-U6-Kanr-hTERT-2,在脂质体介导下转染K562细胞;48、72小时后分析靶基因hTERT mRNA的表达量,检测细胞端粒酶活性,同时检测细胞凋亡率。结果表明：3条siRNA链中,48小时目的基因表达抑制,但抑制率有差异,72小时后抑制作用渐消失;转染质粒pSUPER-U6-Kanr-hTERT-1（P-1组）、pSUPER-U6-Kanr-hTERT-2（P-2组）的K562细胞hTERT mRNA表达均下降,P-1组48小时时为0.39±0.13,72小时时为0.57±0.32,P-2组48小时时为0.55±0.20,72小时时为0.88±0.23;端粒酶活性P-1组48小时时为0.42±0.07,72小时时为0.31±0.08;P-2组48小时时为0.49±0.27,72小时时为0.39±0.03;两组均较阴性对照明显下降,且以P-1组作用明显。48小时细胞凋亡率P-1组为18.39±3.08%,P-2组为15.5±3.59%,与阴性对照组7.64±3.73%相比有显著性差异,72小时细胞凋亡率P-1组为13.2±1.18%、P-2组为12.86±3.09%,与阴性对照组8.07±0.19%相比无统计学差异。结论：靶向hTERT的RNAi可抑制目的基因hTERT mRNA表达,进而抑制端粒酶活性。此抑制作用与靶位点选择密切相关,实验中si-hTERT-1优于si-hTERT-2;si-hTERT-3几乎无作用。由质粒载体介导RNAi作用时间明显长于化学合成siRNA,前者72小时甚至更长,后者仅48小时。端粒酶活性被抑制后,48小时的细胞凋亡较对照组有所增加,72小时时与对照组无差别,推测端粒酶活性下调后部分细胞可能被诱导分化。

Plasmid-Mediated RNAi Targeting hTERT Inhibits Telomerase Activity in K562 Cell Line

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of plasmid-mediated RNAi targeting hTERT on blocking hTERT gene and inhibiting telomerase activity in leukemia cell line K562. For inhibiting hTERT mRNA, three siRNA strands were chemosynthesized and transfected into K562 cells, two effective and specific siRNA strands were chosen. Then plasmid pSUPER-U6-Kan rhTERT-1, pSUPER-U6-Kan rhTERT-2 targeting hTERT mRNA were constructed and transfected into K562 cells by liposome. The expression of hTERT mRNA, telomerase activity and cell apoptosis were detected at 48 hours and 72 hours. The results showed that three chemosynthesized strands began to significantly inhibit target gene expression at 48 hours, but the inhibiting rates were different. The inhibiting effect disappeared after 72 hours. After plasmid pSUPER-U6-Kan rhTERT -1 (P-1 group) and pSUPER-U6-Kan rhTERT -2 (P-2 group) were transfected into K562 cells, the expressions of hTERT mRNA both decreased in the two groups. The expression of hTERT mRNA in P-1 group was 0.39+/-0.13 at 48 hours, 0.57+/-0.32 at 72 hours. The expression of hTERT mRNA in P-2 group was 0.55+/-0.20 at 48 hours, 0.88+/-0.23 at 72 hours. Telomerase activity in P-1 group was 0.42+/-0.07 at 48 hours, 0.31+/-0.08 at 72 hours; the telomerase activity in group P-2 was 0.49+/-0.27 at 48 hours, 0.39+/-0.03 at 72 hours while telomerase activities in both groups were significantly lower than that in negative control group (0.88+/-0.30, 0.88+/-0.32). At 48 hours, the apoptosis rates in P-1 group (18.39+/-3.08%) and P-2 group (15.5+/-3.59%) were significantly higher than that in negative control group (7.64+/-3.73%). At 72 hours the apoptosis rate in P-1 group (13.2+/-1.18%) and in P-2 group (12.86+/-3.09%) had no significant difference as compared with negative control group (8.07+/-0.19%). It is concluded that RNAi targeting hTERT inhibits the expression of hTERT mRNA, and therefore inhibits telomerase activity. The inhibiting effect is closely correlated with target site. The si-hTERT-1 effect is better than si-hTERT-2, while si-hTERT-3 almost has no effect at all. The effective time of plasmid-induced RNAi is obviously longer than that of chemosynthesized siRNA. The former is longer than 72 hours, while the latter is only 48 hours. After the telomerase activity is inhibited, cell apoptosis increases a little than control group at 48 hours. At 72 hours cell apoptosis has no difference with control group. It is supposed that some cells can be induced to differentiation when telomerase activity has been down regulated.