Expression of POU2F2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and its effects on the biological behavior of the cancer cells / 现代泌尿外科杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the expression of transcription factor POU domain class 2 transcription factor 2 (POU2F2) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and human renal cancer cell lines (786-O and ACHN) and its effects on the cells’ biological behaviors such as proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. 【Methods】 The mRNA expressions of POU2F2 in ccRCC tissues, adjacent normal tissues, cell lines 786-O and ACHN were detected with real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The protein expression of POU2F2 in ccRCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected with immunohistochemistry. The effects of knockdown of POU2F2 on the mRNA and protein expressions of epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT)-related tumor markers were detected with qRT-PCR and Western blot. 【Results】 The mRNA expression of POU2F2 in ccRCC tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues, and was correlated with patients’ gender, WHO/ISUP nuclear grade and TNM stage. The protein expression of POU2F2 was significantly higher in ccRCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues, and was correlated with tumor pathological grade and TNM stage. The mRNA expression of POU2F2 was significantly decreased in 786-O cells after sh-POU2F2-1013 plasmid transfection (P<0.05); the proliferation ability, clonal formation rate, migration ability and invasion ability were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Knockdown of POU2F2 down-regulated the mRNA and protein expressions of MMP2, MMP9 and Twist in 786-O cells, while up-regulated E-ca expression. 【Conclusion】 The mRNA expression of POU2F2 was significantly up-regulated in ccRCC tissues and renal cancer cells. Knockdown of POU2F2 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of cells in vitro, and slowed or inhibited the occurrence and development of renal cancer.

Identification and analysis of the TALE transcription factor family in radish / 生物工程学报

Three-amino acid loop extension (TALE) transcription factors play important roles in plant growth and cell differentiation. There are plenty of studies on TALE transcription factors in several model plants, but not in radish (Raphanus sativas). A genome-wide bioinformatics analysis identified 33 TALE family genes in the Xiang-Ya-Bai (XYB) radish, These genes, are distributed on nine chromosomes and all contain 4-6 exons. The 33 TALE genes in radish showed a co-linearity relationship with the 17 homologous genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, a large number of stress response cis-elements were found in the promoter regions of these genes. Expression analysis showed that four genes in the BELL subfamily were highly expressed in roots, and two genes in the KNOX subfamily were highly expressed in shoots of bolting plants and callus. All radish TALE genes contain sequences encoding the conserved HOX domain, except for the gene RSA10037940, which is homologous to Arabidopsis KNATM. The deduced 3D structures of the TALE proteins irrespective of subtypes are highly similar. All the encoded proteins were weakly acidic and hydrophilic. The radish TALE gene family is relatively evolutionarily conserved, which was consistent with results from Arabidopsis, but quite different from that of rice. This study provides important clues for studying the biological functions of TALE transcription factors in radish.

Quantitative Study of Yang-tonifying Herbs Distributing to Kidney Meridian by Using Maximum Similarity Algorithm / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To set a criterion for determining whether herbs distribute to kidney meridian from the perspective of tissue expression of protein receptors, so as to provide new ideas and a new method for the quantitative study of meridian tropism. Method: The 9 Yang-tonifying herbs were selected as the training set, and 2 Yang-tonifying herbs were used as the verification set. The TCMSP2.3,PubChem,Uniprot and other database were used to collect the active compounds and targets of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The core target proteins of Yang-tonifying herbs were obtained by using the Maximum Similarity Algorithm for TCM in the training set. The THPA database was used to collect expressions of tissues and target proteins. The empirical regression equation was constructed to explore the tissue distribution of the receptors in the training set, and the criterion for determining whether herbs distribute to kidney meridian was established. The criteria model was tested through validation set data. Result: The herb-active ingredient-protein receptor-tissue expression data library was constructed. A total of 39 core target proteins of Yang-tonifying herbs were acquired. The equations in the training set were highly consistent, with no statistical difference (P=0.999 7). The data of the combined training set was finally fitted to a judgment equation. The model was successfully tested with herbs in the validation set. The accuracy of the model was 100%. Conclusion: This study explored a new method for judging whether TCM distributes to kidney meridian, established an effective criterion model and verified the reliability of the new method. It provides a theoretical basis for the modernization of meridian tropism of traditional Chinese medicine, and is of great significance for the rapid development of traditional Chinese medicine.

Expression of RTCB in different tissues of mice / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the expression and distribution of RTCB in various tissues of mice. Methods We detected the expression of RTCB by Western blotting and the location of the expression of RTCB in each tissue by immunohistochemistry. Results RTCB protein was all expressed in 17 tissues of mice. The relative expressions of oviduct, skeletal muscle and kidney were high, while the relative expressions of bladder and small intestine were low. In addition, the immunostaining of RTCB was different in different tissues or in different cells of the same tissue. The immunostaining was stronger in some specific cells of testis, epididymis, ovary, uterus, fallopian lube and small intestine. Conclusion RTCB may participate in the maintenance of reproductive function in mice.

Relation between gene polymorphisms and the expression in colonic tissues of solute-linked carrier family 26 member A3 and Crohn's disease / 中华消化杂志

Objective To explore the relation between genetic polymorphisms and the expression in colonic tissues of solute-linked carrier family 26 member A3 (SLC26A3) and susceptibility of Crohn's disease (CD) in Han population of Zhejiang Province.Methods A total of 265 CD patients and 566 gender-and age-matched healthy individuals were enrolled.Alleles and genotypes of SLC26A3 (rs17154444,rs7810937,rs7785539,rs2108225,rs6951457) were examined by SNaPshot.The linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype were also analyzed.Eight patients with colonic CD and eight genderand age-matched patients with benign colonic polyps (control group) were selected.The expression level of SLC26A3 protein in the colonic tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry.T test and rank-sum test were performed for statistical analysis.Unconditional Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the distributions of SLC26A3 polymorphisms and their effects on the clinicopathological features of CD patients.Results The frequencies of mutant allele of rs2108225,rs7785539 and rs6951457 of the CD group were 53.77％ (285/530),4.72％ (25/530) and 2.83％ (15/530),and the frequencies of mutant genotype were 76.23 ％ (202/265),9.43 ％ (25/265) and 5.66 ％ (15/265),which were lower than those of the control group (60.95％,690/1 132;8.13％,92/1 132;6.10％,69/1 132;83.92％,475/566;15.37％,87/566 and 11.84％,67/566),and the differences were statistically significant (all P＜0.05).The frequencies of mutant allele of rs17154444 and rs7810937 of the CD group were 10.19％ (54/530) and 34.91 ％ (185/530),and the frequencies of mutant genotype were 18.49 ％ (49/265) and 56.23 ％ (149/ 265),compared with those of the control group (8.30％,94/1 132;30.92％,350/1 132;15.55％,88/566 and 51.77％,293/566),the differences were not statistically significant (all P＞0.05).The frequency of mutant allele G of rs2108225 in patients with ileal CD was 47.89 ％ (91/190),and the frequency of mutant genotypeAG+GG was 65.26％(62/95),which were both lower than those of colonic CD (61.62％,122/198 and 85.86％,85/99),and the differences were statistically significant (both P＜0.012 5).rs7810937,rs7785539 and rs2108225 were in a strong linkage disequilibrium.The frequencies of haplotypes AGG and ACA of the CD group were 53.96％ (286/530) and 4.34％ (23/530),which were lower than those of the control group (60.07％,680/1 132 and 7.51％,85/1 132),and the differences were statistically significant (52 =5.534,P=0.019;x2 =5.967,P=0.015).And the frequency of haplotype AGA of the CD group was 8.30％ (44/530),which was higher than that of the control group (1.15％,13/1 132),and the difference was statistically significant (x2 =7.793,P＜0.01).Furthermore,the expression level of SLC26A3 protein in colonic tissues of eight colonic CD patients was 0.19±0.07,which was lower than that of patients with benign colonic polyps (0.26 ±-0.03),and the difference was statistically significant (t=2.55,P=0.023).In addition,the expression levels of SLC26A3 protein in patients carrying genotype GG or AG of rs2108225 were 0.19±0.03 and 0.10±0.01,respectively,which were lower than that of patients carrying genotype AA (0.26± 0.02),and the differences were statistically significant (t=3.19,P=0.033;t=9.06,P=0.003).Conclusions The genetic polymorphismns and their haplotypes of SLC26A3 (rs7785539,rs2108225 and rs6951457) are associated with the susceptibility of CD,and SLC26A3 (rs2108225) polymorphism may affect the expression level of SLC26A3 protein in the colonic tissues.

Cloning, mRNA expression and protein functional bioinformatics analysis of SLA-DOA in Banna mini-pig inbred line / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To clone swine leukocyte antigen,class II,DO alpha (SLA-DOA) gene from Banna mini-pig inbred line (BMI) and detect its mRNA expression level in 19 important tissues.Methods:The complete eDNA sequence of SLA-DOA gene was cloned by RT-PCR method from BMI and the mRNA expression pattern in BMI important tissues was examined by semi-quantative RT-PCR method.Nucleotide and protein sequences of SIA-DOA were used to carry out bioinformatics analysis and construct the phylogenetic tree.Results:The eDNA length of BMI SLA-DOA was 1 079 bp,which encoded a protein of 250 amino acids with molecular weight (Mw) 27.81 kD,and isoelectric point (pI) 6.48.Genome structure analysis showed it localized to Sus scrofa chromosomes 7 and consisted of four exons and three introns.Semi-quantitative expression analysis showed that SLA-DOA gene expressed highly in the lymph nodes and stomach;weakly in the heart,skin and duodenum and none in other 14 tissues.Functional bioinformatics analysis indicated that SLA-DOA protein contained one signal poptide,one transmembrane region,three conserved domains,four O-GlcNAc glycosylation sites,18 potential phosphorylation sites and to be located in the cytoplasm with 94.1％ certainty.Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that BMI (pig) had the closest relationship with cattle.Conclusion:This study have successfully cloned the SLA-DOA gene of Banna mini-pig inbred line,performed bioinformatics analysis and tissue expression profile analysis.It will provide a basis for the studies of BMI xenotransplantation.

Gene clone, eukaryotic expression vector and tissue expression profile analysis of porcine BST-2 gene / 中国兽医学报

In order to study the biological function of pig BST-2 gene,the BST-2 gene was amplified with specific primers from porcine kidney tissue,and molecular characterization of BST-2 nuclectide and amino acid sequence were analyzed with bioinformatics tools and online server.Then the prokaryotic expression and tissue expression profile analysis was carried out.The results showed that the full length of pig BST-2 gene was 851 bp and contained 23 bp of 5'-UTR,294 bp of 3'-UTR and 534 bp of CDS and the gene encoded 177 aa.Amino acid sequence analysis of pig BST-2 protein showed 46.1％ identity with gorilla gorilla,41.7％ with cricetulus griseus,39.5％ with mus musculus,35.4％ with equus asinus,42.0％ with felis catus,40.5％ with bos mutus,44.4％ with macaca mulatta,38.7％ with ovis aries and 46.8％ with homo sapiens.BST-2 protein contained 2 transmembrane structure (27-49 aa and 154-176 aa),2 glycosylation sites and 14 potential phosphorylation sites including ATM,CK Ⅱ,PKA,PKC binding sites.The pig BST-2 protein was expressed in Vero cells after translated the recombinant plasmid FLAG-BST-2.Semiquantitative PCR results showed that BST-2 gene was expressed in all the tissues,especially in lymph nodes,thymus,tonsils,spleen,large intestine and small intestine.This study provide a foundation for further understanding the antiviral mechanism of pig BST-2 protein.

Expression analysis of three immune genes Interferon-gamma, Mx and Interferon regulatory factor-1 of Japanese flounder ( Paralichthys olivaceus )

ABSTRACT IFN-γ (Interferon-gamma), Mx and IRF-1 (Interferon regulatory factor-1) are main immune-related genes and they play important roles in the innate immune system of vertebrates. In this study, the expression level of the three immune-related genes in twelve tissues of normal adult Japanese flounder was detected using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Thirteen time points (3h, 6h, 9h, 12h, 24h, 36h, 48h, 60h, 72h, 84h, 96h, 108h, 120h) were selected to analyze the expression of IFN-γ, Mx and IRF-1 in spleen, head kidney, liver of Japanese flounder infected with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The Japanese flounder IFN-γ, Mx and IRF-1 genes were differently expressed in these tissues and had high expression levels in classical fish immune organs like spleen and head kidney. It was found that the highest expression levels of the Japanese flounder IFN-γ were detected at 24h in spleen, 36h in head kidney and 48h in liver after challenge with LPS. Interestingly, the highest expression levels of Mx in spleen and head kidney were both at 36h and IRF-1 in spleen and liver were both at 24h. The highest expression level of Mx in liver was at 48h and IRF-1 in head kidney was at 12h. The study provides a basis for further research on immune mechanism of IFN-γ, Mx, IRF-1 and the production of recombinant IFN-γ, Mx or IRF-1 used in Japanese flounder cultivation in future.

Molecular cloning and functional identification of sterol C24-methyltransferase gene from

Sterol C24-methyltransferase (SMT) plays multiple important roles in plant growth and development. SMT1, which belongs to the family of transferases and transforms cycloartenol into 24-methylene cycloartenol, is involved in the biosynthesis of 24-methyl sterols. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding a sterol C24-methyltransferase from().(GenBank access number KU885950) is a 1530 bp cDNA with a 1041 bp open reading frame predicted to encode a 346-amino acid, 38.62 kDa protein. The polypeptide encoded by thecDNA was expressed and purified as a recombinant protein from() and showed SMT activity. The expression ofwas highly up-regulated incell suspension cultures treated with methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Tissue expression pattern analysis showed higher expression in the phellem layer compared to the other four organs (leaf, stem, xylem and phloem), which is about ten times that of the lowest expression in leaf. The results are meaningful for the study of sterol biosynthesis ofand will further lay the foundations for the research in regulating both the content of other main compounds and growth and development of

Characterization of tissue expression of ginsenoside biosynthetic gene expression in Panax ginseng / 中国中药杂志

The study is aimed to characterize the tissue expression of 10 key ginsenoside biosynthetic genes using bioinformatics method and real-time quantitative PCR. Heatmap and cluster analysis of 10 ginsenoside biosynthetic genes were performed in four-year-old Jilin ginseng. Using real-time quantitative PCR, the expression correlation of 10 key genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis was analyzed in different organs of four-year-old Jilin ginseng including, tissue culture seedling and adventitious root. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the relation between those 10 key genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis. The results showed that β-AS and CYP716A52v2 were expressed highly in root of Jilin ginseng and ginseng culture seedling, which was consistent with Ro distribution. In addition, CYP716A53v2 and CYP716A47 which involved in dammarane type ginsenoside biosynthesis were positively correlated, which revealed that the difference of ginsenoside distribution was caused by transport system.

Identification and expression analysis of two Wnt4 genes in the spotted scat (Scatophagus argus)

Background: WNT4 is a protein that plays a crucial role in ovarian differentiation and development in mammals, with a relatively well understood function in mammalian gonadal differentiation. The role of WNT4 in teleost fish; however, remains unclear. In the present study, cDNAs of Wnt4a and Wnt4b were cloned and characterized in the spotted scat. The expression patterns of two Wnt4 genes in the gonads at different stages of development and in fish after treatment with 17a-methyltestosterone (MT) were investigated. Results: The tissue distribution showed that Wnt4a was expressed in various tissues, including the gonads, gills, spleen, brain, and fin. Interestingly, Wnt4b not only was expressed in the gills, brain, and spleen, but also was obviously expressed in the ovary. During gonad development, Wnt4a was highly expressed in the testis at stage I and Wnt4b was mainly expressed in the ovary at stages II-III. After MT treatment, the mRNA expression of Wnt4a increased significantly up to 40 d, and the transcript level of Wnt4b decreased at 20 d. Conclusions: These results suggest that Wnt4a may be involved in gonad development and plays a role in the process of spermatogonial proliferation. Our results also demonstrate that Wnt4b is not only expressed in the nervous system, but also in the ovary and it may be involved in ovary development of the spotted scat.

Prokaryotic expression and purification of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg AsMYC2 protein / 药学学报

The MYC2 transcription factor is a member of the important plant bHLH transcription factor families, and it is also the core regulatory elements in jasmonate (JA) signaling pathway. However, there is a little information about AsMYC2 gene in Aquilaria sinensis. In this study, with the total RNA isolated from A. sinensis leave as template, the full-length coding sequence (CDS) of AsMYC2 gene was amplified using RT-PCR method and subcloned into pGEX-4T-1 vector by the gene recombination technique. The recombinant vector pGEX-4T-1-AsMYC2 was verified by restriction enzyme digestion and nucleotide sequencing, and was transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) to express the protein. A maximum expression of soluble protein was observed with induction by 0.1 mmol·L-1 IPTG at 37℃ for 4 hours. The fusion protein was purified through a Sepharose-Glutathione column, and verified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using an anti-GST polyclonal antibody. We successfully constructed the GST-AsMYC2 plasmid, produced and purified the GST-AsMYC2 fusion protein, which would provide the basic material for polyclonal antibody preparation, interactive factors screening and gene function research. According to the tissue-specific expression pattern analysis by qRT-PCR method, the AsMYC2 gene in A. sinensis tissues is mainly expressed in roots and stems, the main agarwood formation parts, and lowest expressed in leaves. These results indicate that AsMYC2 gene likely play some roles in agarwood formation in A. sinensis.

Molecular characterization and expression pattern of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) apoplastic invertase gene / Caracterização molecular e padrão de expressão do gene da invertase do apoplasto em Nicotiana tabacum

The complete mRNA sequence of one tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) gene- apoplastic invertase, was amplified using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends methods based on some tobacco ESTs. The full-length tobacco apoplastic invertase gene mRNA was 1,985bp containing an 1,740 bp open reading frame, which encodes a protein of 579 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed that the apoplastic invertase of tobacco shares high homology with the apoplastic invertase of potato (82%), Lycopersicon esculentum (81%) and Lycopersicon pennellii (78%). Results also showed that tobacco apoplastic invertase gene has a closer genetic relationship with the apoplastic invertase gene of Lycopersicon esculentum. The prediction of transmembrane helices showed that tobacco apoplastic invertase might be a transmembrane protein. The expression profile was studied and the results indicated that tobacco apoplastic invertase gene was differentially expressed in detected tobacco tissues including leaf, stem, root and flower. Our experiment established the foundation for further research on this tobacco gene.

A sequência complete do mRNA em fumo (Nicotiana tabacum) do gene da invertase apoplástica que foi amplificado usando a amplificação rápida da sua terminação pelo método usando cDNA. A sequência completa do mRNA foi de 1.985bp compreendo uma ORF ("open reading frame") de 1.740 pb que codificou 579 aminoácidos. Foi demonstrado uma homologia de 82 % nas sequências obtidas com a invertase apoplástica da batateira, 81 % com o tomateiro da espécie Lycopersicon esculentum e 78 % com Lycopersicon pennellii. Os resultados demonstraram uma homologia e relacionamento genético entre as espécies estudadas.A análise das hélices das transmembranas da invertase do apoplasto demosntraram que a mesma pode ser uma proteína da transmembrana. O padrão da expressão gênica estudado indicou que a invertase apoplástica dos tecidos do fumo incluindo, folha, caule, raiz e flor foi diferente. Novas pesquisas serão realizadas deste gene do fumo bem como sua fundamentação biológica.

cDNA cloning, Phylogenic Analysis and Gene Expression Pattern of Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)

The aim of the present study was to clone and characterize a full length cDNA of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (SoPAL). Differential tissue expression pattern of the SoPAL transcript and its enzyme activity was also analyzed during the tillering stage of growth. The full-length of SoPAL cDNA was 2118 bp long and contained a protein with 706 amino acids, determined by encoding technique. The amino acid sequence and phylogenic analysis of the cloned SoPAL showed high similarity to PAL from other monocotyledonous such as sorghum (96%), maize (93%) and Bamboos (87.12%). The highest levels of SoPAL transcript were observed in the root and stem, while its minimal gene expression levels were in the leaves and sheath, respectively. The highest level of SoPAL enzyme activity was in the leaves. These results helped to understanding the characteristics of PAL biosynthesis and its regulation at the molecular level in sugarcane. This information could be critical for the manipulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in the plant using biotechnological processes.

Molecular cloning, sequence characterization and mRNA tissue expression analysis of TDRP1 gene from the Banna minipig inbred line (BMI) / 中国实验动物学报

Objective To get TDRP1 gene of sterile and fertile boar of the Banna minipig inbred line (BMI), predict its function by bioinformatics analysis, and detect its expression patterns in the fertile boar.Methods Based on the NM_001198925 sequence, we designed specific primers and amplified BMI TDRP1 using RT-PCR method for sequen-cing and bioinformatics analysis.Meanwhile, the expression of TDRP1 in 17 organ tissues ( heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, thymus, lymph nodes, skin, duodenum, stomach, cerebrum, cerebellum, testis, epididymis, seminal vesicle, prostate, and bulbourethral gland) of fertile BMI boar and in the testis of sterile and fertile BMI boars was analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.Results The experiment obtained 680 bp cDNA sequence ( GenBank accession number:KJ186786) of BMI TDRP1, which encodes a protein of 186 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight (Mw) of 20.49 kDa and isoelectric point (pI) 5.86, and no signal peptide.It was a nuclear protein with a probability of 94.1%and had a leucine-rich nuclear export signals.Homology analysis of protein sequences revealed that BMI TDRP1 showed high identi-ty with that of humans, macaca mulatta, mouse and rat.The RT-PCR analysis showed that TDRP1 had a similar expression in the testes of sterile and fertile BMI boars.It was highly abundant in the seminal vesicle and prostate, moderately ex-pressed in cerebellum and testis and weakly expressed in cerebrum and kidney, while undetected in other 11 organ tissues. Conclusions We have cloned TDRP1 complete coding sequence, and found 2 SNPs,showing no difference in sequences and the testis mRNA expression levels between the fertile and sterile BMI boars.The multi-tissue transcription profile shows different expression levels in different organ tissues, being high in the seminal vesicle and prostate.The results of this study provide a foundation for further insight into the role of this gene in spermatogenesis.

Cloning and analysis of tissue expression of PGC-1αgene in Guangxi Bama mini-pigs / 中国实验动物学报

Objective To clone the coding sequence of Guangxi Bama mini-pig PGC-1αgene, and to analyze the expression of PGC-1αgene in various tissues of mini-pigs using RT-PCR and QRT-PCR techniques.Methods The PGC-1αgene coding sequence ( CDS) was amplified by PCR from the cDNA of longissimus muscle of Guangxi Bama mini-pig. The PCR products were inserted into pEASY-T5 vector, transfected E.coli, identified and sequenced.The PGC-1αgene expression in different tissues of the Bama mini-pigs was detected by RT-PCR and QRT-PCR assays.Results The PGC-1αgene CDS of Guangxi Bama mini-pig was cloned.It was 2391 bp in length.It had 99.9%homology with the reference sequence, and had two synonymous mutations that were C-A1105 and G-A1524.The expression level of PGC-1αgene was higher in the heart and kidney, followed by liver, subcutaneous fat and longissimus muscle, but the expression was not de-tected in pancreas of Guangxi Bama mini-pig.Conclusions We have successfully cloned the PGC-1αgene of Guangxi Bama mini-pig, and detected this gene expression in six tissues.The results of this study will provide a basis for studying the effect of PGC-1αon type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Bama mini-pigs.

Molecular cloning, sequence identification and tissue expression profile of three novel sheep (Ovis aries) genes - BCKDHA, NAGA and HEXA

The complete coding sequences of three sheep genes- BCKDHA, NAGA and HEXA were amplified using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), based on the conserved sequence information of the mouse or other mammals. The nucleotide sequences of these three genes revealed that the sheep BCKDHA gene encodes a protein of 313 amino acids which has high homology with the BCKDHA gene that encodes a protein of 447 amino acids that has high homology with the Branched chain keto acid dehydrogenase El, alpha polypeptide (BCKDHA) of five species chimpanzee (93 percent), human (96 percent), crab-eating macaque (93 percent), bovine (98 percent) and mouse (91 percent). The sheep NAGA gene encodes a protein of 411 amino acids that has high homology with the alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (NAGA) of five species human (85 percent), bovine (94 percent), mouse (91 percent), rat (83 percent) and chicken (74 percent). The sheep HEXA gene encodes a protein of 529 amino acids that has high homology with the hexosaminidase A(HEXA) of five species bovine (98 percent), human (84 percent), Bornean orangután (84 percent), rat (80 percent) and mouse (81 percent). Finally these three novel sheep genes were assigned to GenelDs: 100145857, 100145858 and 100145856. The phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the sheep BCKDHA, NAGA, and HEXA all have closer genetic relationships to the BCKDHA, NAGA, and HEXA of bovine. Tissue expression profile analysis was also carried out and results revealed that sheep BCKDHA, NAGA and HEXA genes were differentially expressed in tissues including muscle, heart, liver, fat, kidney, lung, small and large intestine. Our experiment is the first to establish the primary foundation for further research on these three sheep genes.

Chromosomal Losses are Associated with Hypomethylation of the Gene-Control Regions in the Stomach with a Low Number of Active Genes

Transitional-CpG methylation between unmethylated promoters and nearby methylated retroelements plays a role in the establishment of tissue-specific transcription. This study examined whether chromosomal losses reducing the active genes in cancers can change transitional-CpG methylation and the transcription activity in a cancer-type-dependent manner. The transitional-CpG sites at the CpG-island margins of nine genes and the non-island-CpG sites round the transcription start sites of six genes lacking CpG islands were examined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The number of active genes in normal and cancerous tissues of the stomach, colon, breast, and nasopharynx were analyzed using the public data in silico. The CpG-island margins and non-island CpG sites tended to be hypermethylated and hypomethylated in all cancer types, respectively. The CpG-island margins were hypermethylated and a low number of genes were active in the normal stomach compared with other normal tissues. In gastric cancers, the CpG-island margins and non-island-CpG sites were hypomethylated in association with high-level chromosomal losses, and the number of active genes increased. Colon, breast, and nasopharyngeal cancers showed no significant association between the chromosomal losses and methylation changes. These findings suggest that chromosomal losses in gastric cancers are associated with the hypomethylation of the gene-control regions and the increased number of active genes.

Characterization of esterases in tetragonisca angustula and tetragona clavipes (Hymenoptera Meliponinae)

Esterases form a large, diverse group of enzymes with wide, overlapping substrate specificities and patternsof inhibition. These enzymes occur in a large variety of isoforms encoded by distinct gene loci with ahigh genetic variability and temporal differences in expression that make them appropriate for studyingpopulation structure. In this work, we investigated the substrate specificity and pattern of esterase expressionin body parts of the stingless bees Tetragonisca angustula and Tetragona clavipes. Fourteen hives of T.angustula were collected in Cianorte and T. clavipes were collected from three colonies in Maringá, twocities in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná. The esterase electrophoretic patterns were determinedusing polyacrylamide gels. Seven bands of esterase activity were detected in T. clavipes (EST-1 to EST-7)and two bands in T. angustula (EST-1 and EST-2). There was variation in the tissue esterase activity of T.clavipes, with EST-6 occurring in the abdomen of workers and EST-7 occurring in cephalic/thoracic extracts.The differences in the number of esterase bands and substrate specificity were attributed to the number ofesterase loci involved in each species, and/or variation in substrates specificities. The variation seen hereshould be useful for determining the role of esterases in intermediate metabolism in the Trigonini, as wellas to use esterases as a genetic marker for this stingless bee.

Cloning of 3-dehydroquinate synthase cDNA from Echinacea angustifolia and its tissue expression characteristics / 中草药

Objective To clone 3-dehydroquinate synthase cDNA from Echinacea angustifolia and investigate its tissue expression characteristics in various tissues.Methods By using homology cloning and RACE-PCR,the cDNA encoding 3-dehydroquinate synthase was amplified with cDNA library of cultured plantlets as the template.The specificity expression profile in different tissues including roots,stems, leaves,and flowers of E.angustifolia was investigated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR as well.Results The full length cDNA of 3-dehydroquinate synthase(named as EanaroB) had 1 424 bp with an open reading frame encoding 442 amino acids of protein and its EanaroB was around 80%homologous with the sequences of 3-dehydroquinate synthase from other plants.The sequence was reported to the GeneBank and coded as EU293857.The results of semi-quantitative RT-PCR indicated that the expression of EanaroB was detected in different tissues,while only the expression in leaves and flowers reached to a high level. Conclusion The cDNA encoding EU293857 from E.angustifolia is cloned and reported.This work underlays the first step for exploring the pathway of caffeic acid derivatives biosynthesis and improving the content of caffeic acid derivatives including phenylethanoid glycosides.