GST family genes in jujube actively respond to phytoplasma infection

Jujube witches’broom(JWB)caused by phytoplasma has a severely negative effect on multiple metabolisms in jujube.The GST gene family in plants participates in the regulation of a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses.This study aims to identify and reveal the changes in the jujube GST gene family in response to phytoplasma infection.Here,70 ZjGSTs were identified in the jujube genome and divided into 8 classes.Among them,the Tau-class,including 44 genes,was the largest.Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Tau-class genes were highly conserved among species,such as Arabidopsis,cotton,chickpea,and rice.Through chromosome location analysis,37.1%of genes were clustered,and 8 of 9 gene clusters were composed of Tau class members.Through RT-PCR,qRT-PCR and enzyme activity detection,the results showed that the expression of half(20/40)of the tested ZjGSTs was inhibited by phytoplasma infection in field and tissue culture conditions,and GST activity was also significantly reduced.In the resistant and susceptible varieties under phytoplasma infection,ZjGSTU49-ZjGSTU54 in the cluster IV showed opposite expression patterns,which may be due to functional divergence during evolution.Some upregulated genes(ZjGSTU45,ZjGSTU49,ZjGSTU59,and ZjGSTU70)might be involved in the process of jujube against JWB.The yeast two-hybrid results showed that all 6 Tauclass proteins tested could form homodimers or heterodimers.Overall,the comprehensive analysis of the jujube GST gene family revealed that ZjGSTs responded actively to phytoplasma infection.Furthermore,some screened genes(ZjGSTU24,ZjGSTU49-52,ZjGSTU70,and ZjDHAR10)will contribute to further functional studies of jujube-phytoplasma interactions.

Protein Disulfide Isomerase and Its Potential Function on Endoplasmic Reticulum Quality Control in Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

PDI is a molecular chaperone and plays an important role in Endoplasmic Reticulum quality control (ERQC).PDI participates in the refolding of the misfolded/unfolded proteins to maintain cellular homeostasis under differentstresses. However, bioinformatic characteristics and potential functions of PDIs in diatom Phaeodactylumtricornutum (Pt) are still unknown so far. Hence, the genome-wide characteristics of PtPDI proteins in P. tricornutumwere first studied via bioinformatic and transcriptomic methods. 42 PtPDI genes were identified from thegenome of P. tricornutum. The motif, protein structure, classification, number of introns, phylogenetic relationship,and the expression level of 42 PtPDI genes under the tunicamycin stress were analyzed. A pair of tandemduplicated genes (PtPDI15 and PtPDI18) was observed in P. tricornutum. The 42 PtPDIs with different genecharacteristics were divided into three independent clades, indicating different evolutional relationships and functionsof these PtPDIs. The 14 up-regulated PtPDI genes under the tunicamycin treatment might have a positiveeffect on the ER quality control of the unfolded/misfolded proteins, while the 7 down-regulated PtPDIs mightnegatively affect the ERQC. The characteristics of all 42 PtPDIs and their proposed working model here providea comprehensive understanding of the PtPDIs gene family. The differential expression of 21 PtPDIs will be usefulfor further functional study in the ERQC.

Assessment of pathogenicity and functional characterization of APPL1 gene mutations in diabetic patients

BACKGROUND Adaptor protein,phosphotyrosine interacting with PH domain and leucine zipper 1(APPL1)plays a crucial role in regulating insulin signaling and glucose metabolism.Mutations in the APPL1 gene have been associated with the development of maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 14(MODY14).Currently,only two mutations[c.1655T>A(p.Leu552*)and c.281G>A p.(Asp94Asn)]have been identified in association with this disease.Given the limited understanding of MODY14,it is imperative to identify additional cases and carry out comprehensive research on MODY14 and APPL1 mutations.AIM To assess the pathogenicity of APPL1 gene mutations in diabetic patients and to characterize the functional role of the APPL1 domain.METHODS Patients exhibiting clinical signs and a medical history suggestive of MODY were screened for the study.Whole exome sequencing was performed on the patients as well as their family members.The pathogenicity of the identified APPL1 variants was predicted on the basis of bioinformatics analysis.In addition,the pathogenicity of the novel APPL1 variant was preliminarily evaluated through in vitro functional experiments.Finally,the impact of these variants on APPL1 protein expression and the insulin pathway were assessed,and the potential mechanism underlying the interaction between the APPL1 protein and the insulin receptor was further explored.RESULTS A total of five novel mutations were identified,including four missense mutations(Asp632Tyr,Arg633His,Arg532Gln,and Ile642Met)and one intronic mutation(1153-16A>T).Pathogenicity prediction analysis revealed that the Arg532Gln was pathogenic across all predictions.The Asp632Tyr and Arg633His variants also had pathogenicity based on MutationTaster.In addition,multiple alignment of amino acid sequences showed that the Arg532Gln,Asp632Tyr,and Arg633His variants were conserved across different species.Moreover,in in vitro functional experiments,both the c.1894G>T(at Asp632Tyr)and c.1595G>A(at Arg532Gln)mutations were found to downregulate the expression of APPL1 on both protein and mRNA levels,indicating their pathogenic nature.Therefore,based on the patient’s clinical and family history,combined with the results from bioinformatics analysis and functional experiment,the c.1894G>T(at Asp632Tyr)and c.1595G>A(at Arg532Gln)mutations were classified as pathogenic mutations.Importantly,all these mutations were located within the phosphotyrosinebinding domain of APPL1,which plays a critical role in the insulin sensitization effect.CONCLUSION This study provided new insights into the pathogenicity of APPL1 gene mutations in diabetes and revealed a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Effects of endotoxin on expression of ras, p53 and bcl-2 oncoprotein in hepatocarcinogenesis induced by thioacetamide in rats

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Analysis of the autophagy gene expression profile of pancreatic cancer based on autophagy-related protein microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3

BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is a highly invasive malignant tumor. Expression levels of the autophagy-related protein microtubule-associated protein 1 A/1 B-light chain 3(LC3) and perineural invasion(PNI) are closely related to its occurrence and development. Our previous results showed that the high expression of LC3 was positively correlated with PNI in the patients with pancreatic cancer. In this study, we further searched for differential genes involved in autophagy of pancreatic cancer by gene expression profiling and analyzed their biological functions in pancreatic cancer, which provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the pathophysiological mechanism of autophagy in pancreatic cancer and PNI.AIM To identify differentially expressed genes involved in pancreatic cancer autophagy and explore the pathogenesis at the molecular level.METHODS Two sets of gene expression profiles of pancreatic cancer/normal tissue(GSE16515 and GSE15471) were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus.Significance analysis of microarrays algorithm was used to screen differentially expressed genes related to pancreatic cancer. Gene Ontology(GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis were used to analyze the functional enrichment of the differentially expressed genes. Protein interaction data containing only differentially expressed genes was downloaded from String database and screened. Module mining was carried out by Cytoscape software and ClusterOne plug-in. The interaction relationship between the modules was analyzed and the pivot nodes between the functional modules were determined according to the information of the functional modules and the data of reliable protein interaction network.RESULTS Based on the above two data sets of pancreatic tissue total gene expression, 6098 and 12928 differentially expressed genes were obtained by analysis of genes with higher phenotypic correlation. After extracting the intersection of the two differential gene sets, 4870 genes were determined. GO analysis showed that 14 significant functional items including negative regulation of protein ubiquitination were closely related to autophagy. A total of 986 differentially expressed genes were enriched in these functional items. After eliminating the autophagy related genes of human cancer cells which had been defined, 347 differentially expressed genes were obtained. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the pathways hsa04144 and hsa04020 were related to autophagy. In addition,65 clustering modules were screened after the protein interaction network was constructed based on String database, and module 32 contains the LC3 gene,which interacts with multiple autophagy-related genes. Moreover, ubiquitin C acts as a pivot node in functional modules to connect multiple modules related to pancreatic cancer and autophagy.CONCLUSION Three hundred and forty-seven genes associated with autophagy in human pancreatic cancer were concentrated, and a key gene ubiquitin C which is closely related to the occurrence of PNI was determined, suggesting that LC3 may influence the PNI and prognosis of pancreatic cancer through ubiquitin C.

Expression of Foreign Gene in Mycobacterium Regulated by Human Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Heat Shock Protein 70 Promoter

The DNA fragments of 150bp length promoter 0f human Mycobacterium(M.) tuberculosis heat shock protein (hsp)7O and 650bp length foreign gene, the Schistosoma japonicum glutathione S-transferase(Sj26GST)gene,were obtained by amplification with polymerase chain reaction. And the 150p DNA sequence upstream initiation codon ATG of the human M. tuberculosis hsp7O promoter that contains the sequence TTGAG and ATCATA which consensus with E. coli promoter’s -35 and-10 region respectively, as well as ribosome binding site GGAGG at position-12-8 upstream the ATG were determined by SangerDideoxyribonucleotide-mediated chain-termination method-Then, the human M. tuberculosis hsp70 promoter and Sj26GST cDNA were cloned into E. coli-mycobacteria shuttle plasmid pBCG-2000 to construct E. coli-Mycobacterium expression shuttle plasmid pBCG- Sj26 that can express Sj26GST gene.The M. smegmatis were electroporated and the positivecolonies were selected by kanamycin-The M.smegmatis containing the vector pBCG-Sj26 can be induced by heating and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to express GST. The molecular weight of the recombinant GST(rGST) was 26000. The rGST contents that were about 10 percent of the total bacterial protein were analyzed by density scanning after running SDS-PAGE. This study would provide scientific evidences for application of hsp70 promoter in expressing foreign gene in mycobacterium and development of mycobacterium as multiple-valent vectoral vaccine.

Genome-wide analysis of the barley non-specific lipid transfer protein gene family

Non-specific lipid transfer proteins(nsLTPs) are small, basic proteins that are characterized by an eight-cysteine motif. The biological functions of these proteins have been reported to involve plant reproduction and biotic or abiotic stress response. With the completion of the barley genome sequence, a genome-wide analysis of nsLTPs in barley(Hordeum vulgare L.)(HvLTPs) will be helpful for understanding the function of nsLTPs in plants. We performed a genome-wide analysis of the nsLTP gene family in barley and identified 70 nsLTP genes,which can be divided into five types(1, 2, C, D, and G). Each type of nsLTPs shares similar exon and intron gene structures. Expression analysis showed that barley nsLTPs have diverse expression patterns, revealing their various roles. Our results shed light on the phylogenetic relationships and potential functions of barley nsLTPs and will be useful for future studies of barley development and molecular breeding.

Characterization and Expression Analysis of Protein Kinase C Gene from Dunaliella salina

Protein kinase C (PKC) has a crucial role in signal transduction for a variety of biologically active substances which activate cellular functions and proliferation. We previously isolated the full-length PKC gene from Dunaliella salina (DsPKC) using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and RT-PCR methods. And we submitted the mRNA sequence of DsPKC gene to NCBI (Genbank No. JN625213). In the present paper, the DsPKC gene open reading frame obtained by PCR was cloned into pGS-21a vector and transformed into Escherichia coli to generate the fusion protein. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that DsPKC gene was a member of serine/threonine kinase with two conserved domains and highly conserved motifs. The DsPKC was highly expressed upon induction with isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactoside (IPTG) at a final concentration of 0.2 mmol L 1 at 37℃. Under salt stress, the fu- sion protein Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)-DsPKC was transferred from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane. The expression pat- tern of DsPKC gene was analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR, and indicated that DsPKC gene was up-regulated by 3.0 mol L 1 NaCl at 12 h, which was significantly higher than in control values (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the DsPKC gene plays an important role in response to salt stress in D. salina.

Relationship between ras p53 gene RNA and protein expression and HCC metastasis

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Aberrant methylation of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine gene and its significance in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Aberrant methylation in DNA regulatory regions could downregulate tumor suppressor genes without changing the sequences.However,our knowledge of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine(SPARC)and its aberrant methylation in gastric cancer(GC)is still inadequate.In the present research,we performed fundamental research to clarify the precise function of methylation on SPARC and its significance in GC.AIM To investigate promoter methylation and the effects of the SPARC gene in GC cells and tissues and to evaluate its clinical significance.METHODS Plasmids that overexpressed the SPARC gene were transfected into human GC BGC-823 cells;non-transfected cells were used as a control group(NC group).Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting(WB)were then used to detect the expression of SPARC.Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was executed to analyze the gene promoter methylation status.Cell viability was measured by the cell counting kit-8 assay.The migration and invasion ability of cells were detected by scratch assays and transwell chamber assays,respectively.Cell cycle events and apoptosis were observed with a flow cytometer.RESULTS The expression of SPARC mRNA in GC tissues and cells was significantly lower and showed differing degrees of hypermethylation,respectively,than that in normal adjacent tissues and control cells.Treatment with 5-Aza-2’-deoxycytidine(5-Aza-Cdr)was able to restore the expression of SPARC and reverse promoter hypermethylation.Overexpression of the SPARC gene significantly inhibited proliferation,migration,and invasion of GC cells,while also causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis;the NC group exhibited the opposite effects.CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that SPARC could function as a tumor suppressor and might be silenced by promoter hypermethylation.Furthermore,in GC cells,SPARC inhibited migration,invasion,and proliferation,caused cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase,and promoted apoptosis.

Relationship between mismatch repair protein, RAS, BRAF, PIK3CA gene expression and clinicopathological characteristics in elderly colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is common in elderly patients.Mismatch repair(MMR)protein deletion is one of the causes of CRC.The RAS(KRAS/NRAS),BRAF,and PIK3CA genes are important gene targets in CRC treatment and are closely related to the prognosis and survival of patients.However,little is known regarding the relationship between the expression of MMR,RAS,BRAF,PIK3CA and the clinicopathological features in CRC patients.AIM To analyze the relationship between the expression of MMR,RAS,BRAF,PIK3CA and the clinicopathological features in CRC.METHODS A total of 327 elderly patients with CRC were enrolled,and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the MMR protein.Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the RAS(KRAS/NRAS),BRAF,and PIK3CA genes.The clinicopathological data of the patients were recorded and analyzed by SPSS 19.0 statistical software.RESULTS In 327 elderly patients with CRC,the rate of MMR protein loss was 9.79%(32/327),and the deletion rate of four MMR proteins(MSH2,MSH6,MLH1,PMS2)was 1.83%(6/327),3.06%(10/327),7.65%(25/327),and 7.65%(25/327),respectively.There were no significant differences between MMR protein deletion and sex,pathological type,tumor morphology,differentiation degree or lymph node metastasis(P>0.05),but there was a significant difference between MMR protein deletion and tumor diameter and tumor location(P=0.048/P=0.000).The mutation rates of the KRAS,NRAS,BRAF and PIK3CA genes in elderly CRC patients were 44.95%(147/327),2.45%(8/327),3.36%(11/327)and 2.75%(9/327),respectively;the KRAS gene mutation was closely related to tumor morphology(P=0.002)but not to other clinicopathological features(P>0.05),and there were no significant differences between NRAS gene mutation and clinicopathological features(P>0.05).The BRAF gene mutation showed a significant difference in pathological type,tumor location,differentiation degree and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05),but was not correlated with sex,tumor size and tumor morphology(P>0.05).The PIK3CA gene mutation showed no significant differences in the above clinicopathological characteristics(P>0.05).Significant differences were observed between MMR protein deletion and KRAS,BRAF,and PIK3CA gene mutations in elderly CRC patients(P=0.044,P=0.000,P=0.003,respectively),but there was no significant difference between MMR protein deletion and NRAS mutation(P>0.05).CONCLUSION In elderly CRC patients,the tumor is mainly located in the right colon,and the deletion rate of MMR protein is higher when the tumor diameter is greater than or equal to 5 cm;the deletion rate of MLH1 and PMS2 is more common;the mutation rate of KRAS gene is higher than that of the NRAS,BRAF and PIK3CA genes,the BRAF gene mutation has different degrees of correlation with clinicopathological characteristics;when the MMR protein is deleted,the BRAF and PIK3CA gene mutations are often present,and the KRAS gene mutation rate is low.

Studies on DNA Vaccine of the Conservative Region of Gene Encoding the Male-Specific Gynecophoral Canal Protein of Schistosoma japonicum (Chinese strain)

In order to observe the protective effect induced by vaccinating animals with the DNA vaccine of Sex-specific expression gene of Schistosoma, A 868 bp cDNA fragment amplified by RT-PCR from adult Schistosoma japonicum (Chinese strain) mRNA was cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3 and the recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3-SjGCP1 was directly injected into BALB/c mice intramuscularly 3 times with the interval of 3 weeks .Both the vaccinated and control group of mice were challenged with 40 cercariae of Sj 5 weeks after last injection and perfused 7 weeks post-challenge. The worm and egg reduction rate got from vaccinated mice was 32.4% and 46.9% respectively. The result indicated that pcDNA3-SjGCP1 DNA vaccine induces the significant protection in animal against Schistosoma japonicum infection.

Association of gene and protein expression and genetic polymorphism of CC chemokine ligand 4 in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Leukocytes,such as T cells and macrophages,play an important role in tumorigenesis.CC chemokine ligand(CCL)4,which is produced by lymphocytes and macrophages,has been found to be expressed in the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract and is a potent chemoattractant for various leukocytes.AIM To examine CCL4 expression and its genetic polymorphism rs10491121 in patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)and evaluate their prognostic significance.METHODS Luminex technology was used to determine CCL4 Levels in CRC tissue(n=98),compared with paired normal tissue,and in plasma from patients with CRC(n=103),compared with healthy controls(n=97).Included patients had undergone surgical resection for primary colorectal adenocarcinomas between 1996 and 2019 at the Department of Surgery,Ryhov County Hospital,Jönköping,Sweden.Reverse transcription quantitative PCR was used to investigate the CCL4 gene expression in CRC tissue(n=101).Paired normal tissue and TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism assays were used for the CCL4 rs10491121 polymorphism in 610 CRC patients and 409 healthy controls.RESULTS The CCL4 protein and messenger RNA expression levels were higher in CRC tissue than in normal paired tissue(90%,P<0.001 and 45%,P<0.05,respectively).CRC tissue from patients with localized disease had 2.8-fold higher protein expression levels than that from patients with disseminated disease.Low CCL4 protein expression levels in CRC tissue were associated with a 30%lower cancer-specific survival rate in patients(P<0.01).The level of plasma CCL4 was 11%higher in CRC patients than in healthy controls(P<0.05)and was positively correlated(r=0.56,P<0.01)with the CCL4 protein level in CRC tissue.The analysis of CCL4 gene polymorphism rs10491121 showed a difference(P<0.05)between localized disease and disseminated disease in the right colon,with a dominance of allele A in localized disease.Moreover,the rate of the A allele was higher among CRC patients with mucinous cancer than among those with nonmucinous cancer.CONCLUSION The present study indicates that the CRC tissue levels of CCL4 and CCL4 gene polymorphism rs10491121,particularly in the right colon,are associated with clinical outcome in CRC patients.

Pattern of expression of the CREG gene and CREG protein in the mouse embryo

Background The cellular repressor of ElA-stimulated genes(CREG) is a secreted glycoprotein that inhibits cell proliferation and/or enhances differentiation.CREG is widely expressed in adult tissues such as the brain,heart, lungs,liver,intestines and kidneys in mice.We investigated the level of CREG expression during mouse embryogenesis and its distribution at 18.5 days post coitus(dpc).Methods Immunohistochemical staining with diaminobenzidine,western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used.Results CREG expression was rst detected in mouse embryos at 4.5 dpc.It was expressed at almost all stages up to 18.5 dpc.The level of CREG was found to increase gradually and was highest at 18.5 dpc.Western blotting showed that the CREG protein was expressed at higher levels in the brain,heart,intestines and kidneys than in the lungs and liver at 18.5 dpc.In 9.5 dpc embryos,CREG was expressed only in the endothelial cells of blood vessels,after the vascular lumen had formed.With advanced differentiation, vascular smooth muscle cells developed in the embryonic vascular structures;the expression of smooth muscle a-actin protein and CREG were positive and increased gradually in 10.5 dpc embryonic vessels.CREG expression in the embryonic blood vessels peaked at 15.5 dpc and was reduced slightly at 18.5 dpc.Conclusions These results indicate that CREG is expressed during mouse embryogenesis and might participate in the differentiation of these organs during embryogenesis.

Gene and protein expression profiles of olfactory ensheathing cells from olfactory bulb versus olfactory mucosa

Olfactory ensheathing cells(OECs) from the olfactory bulb(OB) and the olfactory mucosa(OM) have the capacity to repair nerve injury. However, the difference in the therapeutic effect between OB-derived OECs and OM-derived OECs remains unclear. In this study, we extracted OECs from OB and OM and compared the gene and protein expression profiles of the cells using transcriptomics and non-quantitative proteomics techniques. The results revealed that both OB-derived OECs and OM-derived OECs highly expressed genes and proteins that regulate cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis and vascular endothelial cell regeneration. The differentially expressed genes and proteins of OB-derived OECs play a key role in regulation of nerve regeneration and axon regeneration and extension, transmission of nerve impulses and response to axon injury. The differentially expressed genes and proteins of OM-derived OECs mainly participate in the positive regulation of inflammatory response, defense response, cytokine binding, cell migration and wound healing. These findings suggest that differentially expressed genes and proteins may explain why OB-derived OECs and OM-derived OECs exhibit different therapeutic roles. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University(approval No. 2017-073) on February 13, 2017.

Genes for RNA-binding proteins involved in neuralspecific functions and diseases are downregulated in Rubinstein-Taybi iNeurons

Taking advantage of the fast-growing knowledge of RNA-binding proteins(RBPs)we review the signature of downregulated genes for RBPs in the transcriptome of induced pluripotent stem cell neurons(iNeurons)modelling the neurodevelopmental Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome(RSTS)caused by mutations in the genes encoding CBP/p300 acetyltransferases.We discuss top and functionally connected downregulated genes sorted to“RNA processing”and“Ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis”Gene Ontology clusters.The first set of downregulated RBPs includes members of hnRNHP(A1,A2B1,D,G,H2-H1,MAGOHB,PAPBC),core subunits of U small nuclear ribonucleoproteins and Serine-Arginine splicing regulators families,acting in precursor messenger RNA alternative splicing and processing.Consistent with literature findings on reduced transcript levels of serine/arginine repetitive matrix 4(SRRM4)protein,the main regulator of the neural-specific microexons splicing program upon depletion of Ep300 and Crebbp in mouse neurons,RSTS iNeurons show downregulated genes for proteins impacting this network.We link downregulated genes to neurological disorders including the new HNRNPH1-related intellectual disability syndrome with clinical overlap to RSTS.The set of downregulated genes for Ribosome biogenesis includes several components of ribosomal subunits and nucleolar proteins,such NOP58 and fibrillarin that form complexes with snoRNAs with a central role in guiding post-transcriptional modifications needed for rRNA maturation.These nucleolar proteins are“dual”players as fibrillarin is also required for epigenetic regulation of ribosomal genes and conversely NOP58-associated snoRNA levels are under the control of NOP58 interactor BMAL1,a transcriptional regulator of the circadian rhythm.Additional downregulated genes for“dual specificity”RBPs such as RUVBL1 and METTL1 highlight the links between chromatin and the RBP-ome and the contribution of perturbations in their cross-talk to RSTS.We underline the hub position of CBP/p300 in chromatin regulation,the impact of its defect on neurons’post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and the potential use of epidrugs in therapeutics of RBP-caused neurodevelopmental disorders.

Molecular cloning of a phosphotriesterase-related protein gene of silkworm and its expression analysis in the silkworm infected with Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus

Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus is one of the major viral pathogens for the silkworm. The immune response of silkworm to the virus infection is obscure. A phosphotriesterase-related protein gene of silkworm, Bombyx mori (BmPTERP) was found in our previous microarry analysis of the midgut infected with the virus. In the present study, we cloned and analyzed the full-length cDNA of BmPTERP gene by means of rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends (RACE) and bioinformatic analysis for exploring its functions in interaction between the silkworm and the virus. The nucleotide sequence of the gene is 1349-bp and contains a 131 bp 5’UTR and a 165 bp 3’UTR. The 1053 bp open reading frame encodes a 350 amino acid protein. The deduced protein contains specific hits of phosphotriesterase-related proteins and belongs to the amidohydrolase superfamily. RTPCR analysis revealed that BmPTERP gene was expressed in all the tissues tested, including midgut, hemocyte, gonad, fat body and silk gland. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the relative transcript of BmPTERP gene in the infected midgut was 19.32 fold lower than that in normal midgut at 72 hours post inoculation.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN LOW- DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN RECEPTOR- RELATED PROTEIN GENE, BUTYRYLCHOLINESTERASE GENE AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN CHINESE

Objective. To research the relations between low- density lipoprotein receptor- related protein gene (LRP) polymorphism, butyrylcholinesterase gene (BchE) polymorphism and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Chinese. Methods. The gene polymorphisms of LRP and BchE were genotyped in 38 AD cases and 40 controls with polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR- RFLP) methods. AD groups were classified according to the LRP C/C genotype and compared with matched controls. Results. AD group had higher frequencies of C/C homozygote (81.6％ vs 60.0％ , P< 0.05) and of C allele (89.5％ vs 76.3％ , P< 0.05),with no significant difference between any of these LRP genotypes classified AD groups and their respective control groups. Conclusions. A positive correlation was found between LRP gene polymorphism and AD, but not between BchE gene polymorphism and AD in Chinese AD cases.

Effect of Acupuncture on Uncoupling Protein 1 Gene Expression for Brown Adipose Tissue of Obese Rats

Objective: To explore the effects of acupuncture on the expression of uncoupling protein 1(UCP1) gene of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in obese rats. Methods: The expression of UCP1 gene of BAT was determined with RT-PCR technique. The changes of body weight, Lee′s index, body fat, and the expression of UCP1 gene of BAT in obese rats were observed before and after acupuncture. Resuits:The body weight, Lee′s index, body fat in obese rats were all markedly higher than those in normal rats,but the expression of UCP1 gene of BAT in obese rats was all lower than that in normal rats. There were negative correlation between the obesity index and the expression of UCP1 gene in BAT. After acupuncture the marked effect of weight loss was achieved while the expression of UCP1 gene of BAT obviously increased in obese rats. Conclusion: The abnormal reduction for expression of UCP1 gene of BAT might be an important cause for the obesity. To promote the expression of UCP1 in obese organism might be an important cellular and molecular mechanism in anti-obesity effect by acupuncture.

Effects of Dietary Corn Gluten Meal on Growth Performance and Protein Metabolism in Relation to IGF-I and TOR Gene Expression of Juvenile Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

A growth experiment was conducted on cobia(Rachycentron canadum,initial weight 108.2 g ± 3.0 g) to investigate the effects of dietary corn gluten meal(CGM) levels on the fish growth,whole body composition and protein metabolism in relation to specific gene expression.Five isonitrogenous(crude protein 45%) and isoenergetic(gross energy 20 kJ g 1) practical diets were formulated by replacing 0%(the control),17.5%,35.0%,52.5%,and 70.0% of fish meal(FM) protein with CGM protein.No significant differences were observed in the survival,feed intake(FI),specific growth rate(SGR),feed efficiency(FE) and protein productive value(PPV) among fish fed diets with 0%,17.5%,35.0%,and 52.5% of CGM protein.However,these indices were significantly lower in fish fed the diet with 70.0% of CGM protein than those in fish fed the control diet(P < 0.05).The whole-body crude protein and lipid contents were significantly lower while the whole-body moisture content was significantly higher in fish fed the diet with 70.0% of CGM protein compared with the control group(P < 0.05).When 70.0% of FM protein was replaced by CGM,plasma total protein and cholesterol contents were significantly lower than those in the control group(P < 0.05).Fish fed the diet with 70.0% of CGM protein had significantly lower hepatic insulin-like growth factor I(IGF-I) expression levels than those in the control group(P < 0.05).However,no significant differences were observed in hepatic target of rapamycin(TOR),dorsal muscle IGF-I and TOR expression levels among dietary treatments.Results of the present study indicated that 52.5% of FM protein could be replaced by CGM in the diets without significant influences on the growth,feed utilization and protein metabolism of juvenile cobia.The present results might be useful for developing cost effective and sustainable cobia dietary formulations.