Endothelial progenitor cells derived from the peripheral blood of halfpipe- snowboarding athletes display specific functional properties.

In this study, we compared the functional properties of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from halfpipe-snowboarding athletes who train under hyperoxic conditions with those derived from normal subjects who lived under normoxic conditions. Peripheral blood-derived EPCs were isolated from both halfpipe-snowboarding athletes and normal humans. Cellular growth dynamics, lipoprotein transport, and gene expression of cultured EPCs were compared between the two groups of cells. Results indicate that cytoactivity of EPCs from athletes was higher than that of EPCs from control subjects. This study suggests that function of EPCs from snowboarding athletes may be better than that of EPCs from normal humans, which demonstrates the benefits of training under hyperoxic conditions.

Construction of a full-length cDNA library and preliminary analysis of expressed sequence tags from lymphocytes of half-pipe snowboarding athletes.

The genes of top athletes are a valuable genetic resource for the human race, and could be exploited to identify novel genes related to sports ability, as well as other functions. We analyzed the expressed sequence tags from top half-pipe snowboarding athletes using the SMART complementary DNA (cDNA) library construction method to elucidate the characteristics of the athlete genome and the differential expression of the genes it contains. Overall, we established a full-length cDNA library from the lymphocytes of half-pipe snowboarding athletes and analyzed the inserted gene fragments. We also classified those genes according to molecular function, biological characteristics, cellular composition, protein types, and signal paths. A total of 201 functional genes were noted, which were distributed in 27 pathways. TXN, MDH1, ARL1, ARPC3, ACTG1, and other genes measured in sequence may be associated with physical ability. This suggests that the SMART cDNA library constructed from the genetic material from top athletes is an effective tool for preserving genetic sports resources and providing genetic markers of physical ability for athlete selection.

Biological characterization of liver fatty acid binding gene from miniature pig liver cDNA library.

Liver fatty acid binding proteins (L-FABP) are a family of small, highly conserved, cytoplasmic proteins that bind to long-chain fatty acids and other hydrophobic ligands. In this study, a full-length enriched cDNA library was successfully constructed from Wuzhishan miniature pig, and then the L-FABP gene was cloned from this cDNA library and an expression vector (pEGFP-N3-L-FABP) was constructed in vitro. This vector was transfected into hepatocytes to test its function. The results of western blotting analysis demonstrated that the L-FABP gene from our full-length enriched cDNA library regulated downstream genes, including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor family in hepatocytes. This study provides a theoretical basis and experimental evidence for the application of L-FABP for the treatment of liver injury.

Construction and characterization of a cDNA expression library from the endangered Hu sheep.

Hu sheep is one of the most important species in China; it is also listed as one of the 78 nationally protected domestic animals by the Chinese government in 2000. The construction of cDNA expression library of Hu sheep is of great significance for protecting individual genomes, generating transgenic sheep, and conducting clinical research using cDNA from Hu sheep. In this study, the total RNA from the ear tissue of Hu sheep was extracted, and a cDNA expression library was constructed using the SMART(TM) technique. The titer of amplified cDNA library was 1.09 x 10(10) PFU/mL, the rate of recombination was above 91.6%, and the average size of fragments was 1.1 kb. This study has an important significance for the preservation of Hu sheep resources at the genome level.

Screening and analyzing genes associated with Amur tiger placental development.

The Amur tiger is a unique endangered species in the world, and thus, protection of its genetic resources is extremely important. In this study, an Amur tiger placenta cDNA library was constructed using the SMART cDNA Library Construction kit. A total of 508 colonies were sequenced, in which 205 (76%) genes were annotated and mapped to 74 KEGG pathways, including 29 metabolism, 29 genetic information processing, 4 environmental information processing, 7 cell motility, and 5 organismal system pathways. Additionally, PLAC8, PEG10 and IGF-II were identified after screening genes from the expressed sequence tags, and they were associated with placental development. These findings could lay the foundation for future functional genomic studies of the Amur tiger.