短发夹状双链RNA抑制丙型肝炎病毒IRES介导的基因表达

目的研究载体表达的短发夹状双链RNA（shRNA）对丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）IRES介导的基因表达的特异性抑制作用。方法构建HCV IRES调控的绿色荧光蛋白表达载体（pIRES—GFP）和虫荧光索酶表达载体（p5′ UTR—Luc），以及针对HCV IRES的shRNA表达载体（pshRNA-HCV）。共转染HepG2细胞，于转染后24、48、72h观察绿色荧光的强弱，用Western blot检测绿色荧光蛋白的表达，半定量逆转录聚合酶链反应法检测GFP的mRNA水平。双荧光索酶系统检测虫荧光索酶活性。结果pshRNA-HCV作用组绿色荧光强度明显弱于未干扰组，GFP蛋白表达量及虫荧光素酶活性降低60％～70％，半定量逆转录聚合酶链反应显示pshRNA-HCV导致了GFP基因mRNA水平的降低。结论针对HCV IRES的shRNA能够显著和特异地抑制该区域调控的蛋白表达水平及mRNA水平，该研究结果为利用RNA干扰技术治疗HCV感染进行了初步探索。

Inhibition of HCV IRES controlled reporter gene expression by RNA interference

Objective To develop a RNAi approach that specifically targets the HCV IRES sequence by vector-expressed short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in vitro, and to assess the inhibitory effect of the shRNA on reporter gene expression. Methods Eukaryotic expressing plasmids, pIRES-GFP and p5' UTR-Luc containing GFP or luciferase gene controlled by HCV IRES were cotransfected into HepG2 cells with either a RNAi plasmid pshRNA-HCV or a control plasmid pTZU6+1. At 24,48, 72 hours post transfection, the fluorescence in the transfected cells was studied using fluorescence microscopy. The levels of GFP RNA were determined using RT-PCR and those of protein were determined using Western blot. The activities of luciferase were assayed using a dual luciferase assay system. Results The introduction of RNAi plasmid efficiently and specifically down-regulated the expression of the reporter gene. RT-PCR showed that the RNAs of GFP gene were distinctly reduced (about 60%) when the pIRES-GFP was cotransfected with pshRNA-HCV, whereas the control vector did not exhibit inhibitory effect on the mRNA level, according to Western blot assay. The luciferase activity also decreased by 60%-70% in comparison to the control plasmid. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the shRNA targeting HCV IRES shows a strong inhibitive effect on the expression of the reporter gene controlled by this sequence, suggesting that RNAi-based anti-HCV strategy may represent a potential approach in the therapy of HCV infection.