In order to study the functional structure of the transcription terminators and the mechanism of temination,a survey of the chromatin structure,including the location of DNase I hypersensitive sites and the nucleosome...In order to study the functional structure of the transcription terminators and the mechanism of temination,a survey of the chromatin structure,including the location of DNase I hypersensitive sites and the nucleosome arrangement,of yeast ADH1 and FLP terminators was made.The results show that there is no relationship between the function of the terminators and the existence of DNase I hypersensitive sites.However,it is found that there is always a nucleosmoe at the immediate upstream of the transcriptional termination sites.As a control,the chromatin structures of the pBR322 DNA fragments on the yeast shutter vectors are also investigated at the same time.The random nucleosome arrangement on the bacterial DNA in yesast agrees with the published reports.A new hypothesis,about the mechanism of transcriptional termination is put forward and the reason of different nucleosome arrengement on the DNAs which are originally from different species in yeast is discussed.展开更多
TBX5, as a member of the T-box-containing transcription factor family, encodes a protein of 518 amino acids and is expressed in the embryonic heart and developing limb tissues.1 The coding region of TBX5 cDNA is 1.5 k...TBX5, as a member of the T-box-containing transcription factor family, encodes a protein of 518 amino acids and is expressed in the embryonic heart and developing limb tissues.1 The coding region of TBX5 cDNA is 1.5 kb with eight exons including the N-terminal portion, the DNA binding domain and C-terminal region. We reported that the abnormality in transcription level of the TBX5 gene might be the mechanism underlying human simple congenital heart disease in the absence of TBX5 mutations.展开更多
I. INTRODUCTIONEukaryotic DNA-dependent RNA polymerase cannot transcribe DNA faithfully in vitro in the absence of protein factors. Most surprisingly, however, RNA polymerase Ⅱ of plant origin is capable of transcrib...I. INTRODUCTIONEukaryotic DNA-dependent RNA polymerase cannot transcribe DNA faithfully in vitro in the absence of protein factors. Most surprisingly, however, RNA polymerase Ⅱ of plant origin is capable of transcribing viroid RNA into full length展开更多
The mechanism of the nucleotidyl transfer reaction catalyzed by yeast RNA polymerase I1 has been investigated using molec- ular mechanics and quantum mechanics methods. Molecular dynamics （MD） simulations were carri...The mechanism of the nucleotidyl transfer reaction catalyzed by yeast RNA polymerase I1 has been investigated using molec- ular mechanics and quantum mechanics methods. Molecular dynamics （MD） simulations were carried out using the TIP3 water model and generalized solvent boundary potential （GSBP） by CHARMM based on the X-ray crystal structure. Two models of the ternary elongation complex were constructed based on CHARMM MD calculations. All the species including reactants, transition states, intermediates, and products were optimized using the DFT-PBE method coupled with the basis set DZVP and the auxiliary basis set GEN-A2. Three pathways were explored using the DFT method. The most favorable reaction pathway involves indirect proton migration from the RNA primer 3＇-OH to the oxygen atom of a-phosphate via a solvent water mole- cule, proton rotation from the oxygen atom of a-phosphate to the 13-phosphate side, the RNA primer 3＇-O nucleophilic attack on the a-phosphorus atom, and P-O bond breakage. The corresponding reaction potential profile was obtained. The rate limit- ing step, with a barrier height of 21.5 kcal/mol, is the RNA primer 3＇-0 nucleophilic attack, rather than the commonly consid- ered proton transfer process. A high-resolution crystal structure including crystallographic water molecules is required for fur- ther studies.展开更多
Single-guide RNA(sg RNA) is one of the two core components of the CRISPR(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)/Cas(CRISPR-associated) genome-editing technology. We established an in vitro Traffic L...Single-guide RNA(sg RNA) is one of the two core components of the CRISPR(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)/Cas(CRISPR-associated) genome-editing technology. We established an in vitro Traffic Light Reporter(TLR) system, which is designated as the same colors as traffic lights such as green, red and yellow were produced in cells. The TLR can be readily used in maize mesophyll protoplast for a quick test of promoter activity. The TLR assay indicates the variation in transcription activities of the seven Pol III promoters, from 3.4%(U6-1) to over 21.0%(U6-6). The U6-2 promoter, which was constructed to drive sg RNA expression targeting the Zm Wx1 gene, yielded mutation efficiencies ranging from 48.5% to 97.1%. Based on the reported and unpublished data, the in vitro TLR assay results were confirmed to be a readily system and may be extended to other plant species amenable to efficient genome editing via CRISPR/Cas. Our efforts provide an efficient method of identifying native Pol III-recognized promoters for RNA guide-based genome-editing systems in maize.展开更多
The double-shelled grass carp reovirus （GCRV） is capable of endogenous RNA transcription and processing.Genome sequence analysis has revealed that the protein VP2,encoded by gene segment 2 （S2）,is the putative RNA...The double-shelled grass carp reovirus （GCRV） is capable of endogenous RNA transcription and processing.Genome sequence analysis has revealed that the protein VP2,encoded by gene segment 2 （S2）,is the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase （RdRp）.In previous work,we have ex-pressed the functional region of VP2 that is associated with RNA polymerase activity （denoted as rVP2390-900） in E.coil and have prepared a polyclonal antibody against VP2.To characterize the GCRV RNA polymerase,a recombinant full-length VP2 （rVP2） was first constructed and expressed in a baculovirus system,as a fusion protein with an attached His-tag.Immunofluorescence （IF） assays,together with immunoblot （IB） analyses from both expressed cell extracts and purified Histagged rVP2,showed that rVP2 was successfully expressed in Sf9 cells.Further characterization of the replicase activity showed that purified rVP2 and GCRV particles exhibited poly（C）-dependent poly（G） polymerase activity.The RNA enzymatic activity required the divalent cation Mg2＋,and was optimal at 28 ℃.The results provide a foundation for further studies on the RNA polymerases of aquareoviruses during viral transcription and replication.展开更多
Library construction is a common method used to screen target genes in molecular biology.Most library constructions are not suitable for a small DNA library(<100 base pair(bp))and low RNA library output.To maximize...Library construction is a common method used to screen target genes in molecular biology.Most library constructions are not suitable for a small DNA library(<100 base pair(bp))and low RNA library output.To maximize the library’s complexity,error-prone polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to increase the base mutation rate.After introducing the DNA fragments into the competent cell,the library complexity could reach 109.Library mutation rate increased exponentially with the dilution and amplification of error-prone PCR.The error-prone PCR conditions were optimized including deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate(dNTP)concentration,Mn^(2+)concentration,Mg^(2+)concentration,PCR cycle number,and primer length.Then,a RNA library with high complexity can be obtained by in vitro transcription to meet most molecular biological screening requirements,and can also be used for mRNA vaccine screening.展开更多
Total 40 natural compounds were selected to perform the molecular docking studies to screen and identify the potent antiviral agents specifically for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 that causes coronav...Total 40 natural compounds were selected to perform the molecular docking studies to screen and identify the potent antiviral agents specifically for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 that causes coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).The key targets of COVID-19,protease(PDB ID:7BQY)and RNA polymerase(PDB ID:7bV2)were used to dock our target compounds by Molecular Operating Environment(MOE)version 2014.09.We used 3 different conformations of protease target(6M0K,6Y2F and 7BQY)and two different score functions to strengthen the probability of inhibitors discovery.After an extensive screening analysis,20 compounds exhibit good binding affinities to one or both COVID-19 targets.7 out of 20 compounds were predicted to overcome the activity of both targets.The top 7 hits are,flacourticin(3),sagerinic acid(16),hordatine A(23),hordatine B(24),N-feruloyl tyramine dimer(25),bisavenanthramides B-5(29)and vulnibactins(40).According to our results,all these top hits was found to have a better binding scores than remdesivir,the native ligand in RNA polymerase target(PDB ID:7bV2).Hordatines are phenolic compounds present in barley,were found to exhibit the highest binding affinity to both protease and polymerase through forming strong hydrogen bonds with the catalytic residues,as well as significant interactions with other receptor-binding residues.These results probably provided an excellent lead candidate for the development of therapeutic drugs against COVID-19.Eventually,animal experiment and accurate clinical trials are needed to confirm the preventive potentials of these compounds.展开更多
T7 RNA polymerase can transcribe DNA to RNA by translocating along the DNA. Structural studies suggest that the pivoting rotation of the O helix in the fingers domain may drive the movement of the O helix C-terminal T...T7 RNA polymerase can transcribe DNA to RNA by translocating along the DNA. Structural studies suggest that the pivoting rotation of the O helix in the fingers domain may drive the movement of the O helix C-terminal Tyr639 from pre- to post-translocation positions. In a series of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the movement of Tyr639 is not tightly coupled to the rotation of the O helix, and that the two processes are only weakly dependent on each other. We also show that the internal potential of the enzyme itself generates a small difference in free energy （△E） between the post- and pre-translocation positions of Tyr639. The calculated value of △E is consistent with that obtained from single-molecule experimental data. These findings lend support to a model in which the translocation takes place via a Brownian ratchet mechanism, with the small free energy bias △E arising from the conformational change of the enzyme itself.展开更多
Phage T7 RNA polymerase is a single-subunit transcription enzyme, transcribing template DNA to RNA. Nucleoside triphosphate （NTP） selection and translocation are two critical steps of the transcription elongation. H...Phage T7 RNA polymerase is a single-subunit transcription enzyme, transcribing template DNA to RNA. Nucleoside triphosphate （NTP） selection and translocation are two critical steps of the transcription elongation. Here, using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we found that between pre- and post-translocation states of T7 RNA polymerase an intermediate state exists, where the O helix C-terminal residue tyrosine 639, which plays important roles in translocation, locates between its pre- and post-translocation positions and the side chain of the next template DNA nucleotide has moved into the active site. NTP selection in this intermediate state was studied, revealing that the selection in the intermediate state can be achieved relying on the effect of Watson-Crick interaction between NTP and template DNA nucleotide, effect of stability of the components near the active site such as the nascent DNA-RNA hybrid and role of tyrosine 639. This indicates that another NTP-selection pathway can also exist besides the main pathway where NTP selection begins at the post-translocation state upon the entry of NTE展开更多
Full gene sequence of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase （RdRp） from Bombyx mori infectious flacherie virus isolated in Zhejiang Province, China （Zhejiang01/CHN/2002） was cloned. The sequence was 1 920 nucleotides in le...Full gene sequence of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase （RdRp） from Bombyx mori infectious flacherie virus isolated in Zhejiang Province, China （Zhejiang01/CHN/2002） was cloned. The sequence was 1 920 nucleotides in length coding 639 amino acid residues. Sequences comparison of RdRp showed Zhejiang01/CHN/2002 was 99.7% nucleotide sequence and 99.1% amino acids sequence homology with Japanese strain. The RdRp sequence was aligned with 8 representative picorna（-like） viruses and 8 highly conserved regions were detected. The result indicated their relevance function. Phylogenetic tree of 14 picorna（-like） viruses which RdRp presumed protein sequences revealed that the viruses from Iflavirus genus formed an independent clade. The RdRp was successfully expressed in BmN cells using Bac-to-Bac expression system.展开更多
Proteins are crucial to most biological processes, such as enzymes, and in various catalytic processes a dynamic motion is required. The dynamics of protein are embodied as a conformational change, which is closely re...Proteins are crucial to most biological processes, such as enzymes, and in various catalytic processes a dynamic motion is required. The dynamics of protein are embodied as a conformational change, which is closely related to the flexibility of protein. Recently, nanopore sensors have become accepted as a low cost and high throughput method to study the features of proteins. In this article, we used a SiN nanopore device to study the flexibility of T7 RNA polymerase（RNAP） and its complex with DNA promoter. By calculating full-width at half-maximum（FWHM） of Gaussian fits to the blockade histograms, we found that T7 RNAP becomes more flexible after binding DNA promoter. Moreover, the distribution of fractional current blockade suggests that flexibility alters due to a breath-like change of the volume.展开更多
文摘In order to study the functional structure of the transcription terminators and the mechanism of temination,a survey of the chromatin structure,including the location of DNase I hypersensitive sites and the nucleosome arrangement,of yeast ADH1 and FLP terminators was made.The results show that there is no relationship between the function of the terminators and the existence of DNase I hypersensitive sites.However,it is found that there is always a nucleosmoe at the immediate upstream of the transcriptional termination sites.As a control,the chromatin structures of the pBR322 DNA fragments on the yeast shutter vectors are also investigated at the same time.The random nucleosome arrangement on the bacterial DNA in yesast agrees with the published reports.A new hypothesis,about the mechanism of transcriptional termination is put forward and the reason of different nucleosome arrengement on the DNAs which are originally from different species in yeast is discussed.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （No.30400485）.
文摘TBX5, as a member of the T-box-containing transcription factor family, encodes a protein of 518 amino acids and is expressed in the embryonic heart and developing limb tissues.1 The coding region of TBX5 cDNA is 1.5 kb with eight exons including the N-terminal portion, the DNA binding domain and C-terminal region. We reported that the abnormality in transcription level of the TBX5 gene might be the mechanism underlying human simple congenital heart disease in the absence of TBX5 mutations.
基金Project Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘I. INTRODUCTIONEukaryotic DNA-dependent RNA polymerase cannot transcribe DNA faithfully in vitro in the absence of protein factors. Most surprisingly, however, RNA polymerase Ⅱ of plant origin is capable of transcribing viroid RNA into full length
基金supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (10174)the Project-sponsored by SRF for ROCS,SEM
文摘The mechanism of the nucleotidyl transfer reaction catalyzed by yeast RNA polymerase I1 has been investigated using molec- ular mechanics and quantum mechanics methods. Molecular dynamics （MD） simulations were carried out using the TIP3 water model and generalized solvent boundary potential （GSBP） by CHARMM based on the X-ray crystal structure. Two models of the ternary elongation complex were constructed based on CHARMM MD calculations. All the species including reactants, transition states, intermediates, and products were optimized using the DFT-PBE method coupled with the basis set DZVP and the auxiliary basis set GEN-A2. Three pathways were explored using the DFT method. The most favorable reaction pathway involves indirect proton migration from the RNA primer 3＇-OH to the oxygen atom of a-phosphate via a solvent water mole- cule, proton rotation from the oxygen atom of a-phosphate to the 13-phosphate side, the RNA primer 3＇-O nucleophilic attack on the a-phosphorus atom, and P-O bond breakage. The corresponding reaction potential profile was obtained. The rate limit- ing step, with a barrier height of 21.5 kcal/mol, is the RNA primer 3＇-0 nucleophilic attack, rather than the commonly consid- ered proton transfer process. A high-resolution crystal structure including crystallographic water molecules is required for fur- ther studies.
基金supported by the National Science Foundation of China(31771808)Ministry of Science and Technology(2015BAD02B0203)+1 种基金National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breedingthe Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(Y2017XM03)
文摘Single-guide RNA(sg RNA) is one of the two core components of the CRISPR(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)/Cas(CRISPR-associated) genome-editing technology. We established an in vitro Traffic Light Reporter(TLR) system, which is designated as the same colors as traffic lights such as green, red and yellow were produced in cells. The TLR can be readily used in maize mesophyll protoplast for a quick test of promoter activity. The TLR assay indicates the variation in transcription activities of the seven Pol III promoters, from 3.4%(U6-1) to over 21.0%(U6-6). The U6-2 promoter, which was constructed to drive sg RNA expression targeting the Zm Wx1 gene, yielded mutation efficiencies ranging from 48.5% to 97.1%. Based on the reported and unpublished data, the in vitro TLR assay results were confirmed to be a readily system and may be extended to other plant species amenable to efficient genome editing via CRISPR/Cas. Our efforts provide an efficient method of identifying native Pol III-recognized promoters for RNA guide-based genome-editing systems in maize.
基金supported by funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants: 31172434, 31372565)
文摘The double-shelled grass carp reovirus （GCRV） is capable of endogenous RNA transcription and processing.Genome sequence analysis has revealed that the protein VP2,encoded by gene segment 2 （S2）,is the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase （RdRp）.In previous work,we have ex-pressed the functional region of VP2 that is associated with RNA polymerase activity （denoted as rVP2390-900） in E.coil and have prepared a polyclonal antibody against VP2.To characterize the GCRV RNA polymerase,a recombinant full-length VP2 （rVP2） was first constructed and expressed in a baculovirus system,as a fusion protein with an attached His-tag.Immunofluorescence （IF） assays,together with immunoblot （IB） analyses from both expressed cell extracts and purified Histagged rVP2,showed that rVP2 was successfully expressed in Sf9 cells.Further characterization of the replicase activity showed that purified rVP2 and GCRV particles exhibited poly（C）-dependent poly（G） polymerase activity.The RNA enzymatic activity required the divalent cation Mg2＋,and was optimal at 28 ℃.The results provide a foundation for further studies on the RNA polymerases of aquareoviruses during viral transcription and replication.
基金Shanghai Science and Technology Commission’s“Belt and Road Initiative”International Cooperation Project,China(No.19410741800)。
文摘Library construction is a common method used to screen target genes in molecular biology.Most library constructions are not suitable for a small DNA library(<100 base pair(bp))and low RNA library output.To maximize the library’s complexity,error-prone polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to increase the base mutation rate.After introducing the DNA fragments into the competent cell,the library complexity could reach 109.Library mutation rate increased exponentially with the dilution and amplification of error-prone PCR.The error-prone PCR conditions were optimized including deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate(dNTP)concentration,Mn^(2+)concentration,Mg^(2+)concentration,PCR cycle number,and primer length.Then,a RNA library with high complexity can be obtained by in vitro transcription to meet most molecular biological screening requirements,and can also be used for mRNA vaccine screening.
文摘Total 40 natural compounds were selected to perform the molecular docking studies to screen and identify the potent antiviral agents specifically for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 that causes coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).The key targets of COVID-19,protease(PDB ID:7BQY)and RNA polymerase(PDB ID:7bV2)were used to dock our target compounds by Molecular Operating Environment(MOE)version 2014.09.We used 3 different conformations of protease target(6M0K,6Y2F and 7BQY)and two different score functions to strengthen the probability of inhibitors discovery.After an extensive screening analysis,20 compounds exhibit good binding affinities to one or both COVID-19 targets.7 out of 20 compounds were predicted to overcome the activity of both targets.The top 7 hits are,flacourticin(3),sagerinic acid(16),hordatine A(23),hordatine B(24),N-feruloyl tyramine dimer(25),bisavenanthramides B-5(29)and vulnibactins(40).According to our results,all these top hits was found to have a better binding scores than remdesivir,the native ligand in RNA polymerase target(PDB ID:7bV2).Hordatines are phenolic compounds present in barley,were found to exhibit the highest binding affinity to both protease and polymerase through forming strong hydrogen bonds with the catalytic residues,as well as significant interactions with other receptor-binding residues.These results probably provided an excellent lead candidate for the development of therapeutic drugs against COVID-19.Eventually,animal experiment and accurate clinical trials are needed to confirm the preventive potentials of these compounds.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11374352 and 11274374)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2016YFA0301500)
文摘T7 RNA polymerase can transcribe DNA to RNA by translocating along the DNA. Structural studies suggest that the pivoting rotation of the O helix in the fingers domain may drive the movement of the O helix C-terminal Tyr639 from pre- to post-translocation positions. In a series of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the movement of Tyr639 is not tightly coupled to the rotation of the O helix, and that the two processes are only weakly dependent on each other. We also show that the internal potential of the enzyme itself generates a small difference in free energy （△E） between the post- and pre-translocation positions of Tyr639. The calculated value of △E is consistent with that obtained from single-molecule experimental data. These findings lend support to a model in which the translocation takes place via a Brownian ratchet mechanism, with the small free energy bias △E arising from the conformational change of the enzyme itself.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11374352 and 11674381)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2016YFA0301500)
文摘Phage T7 RNA polymerase is a single-subunit transcription enzyme, transcribing template DNA to RNA. Nucleoside triphosphate （NTP） selection and translocation are two critical steps of the transcription elongation. Here, using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we found that between pre- and post-translocation states of T7 RNA polymerase an intermediate state exists, where the O helix C-terminal residue tyrosine 639, which plays important roles in translocation, locates between its pre- and post-translocation positions and the side chain of the next template DNA nucleotide has moved into the active site. NTP selection in this intermediate state was studied, revealing that the selection in the intermediate state can be achieved relying on the effect of Watson-Crick interaction between NTP and template DNA nucleotide, effect of stability of the components near the active site such as the nascent DNA-RNA hybrid and role of tyrosine 639. This indicates that another NTP-selection pathway can also exist besides the main pathway where NTP selection begins at the post-translocation state upon the entry of NTE
基金supported by the National 863 Program of China (2006AA10A119)the Key Project of Science and Technology Commission of Zhejiang Province,China (2003C22013)
文摘Full gene sequence of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase （RdRp） from Bombyx mori infectious flacherie virus isolated in Zhejiang Province, China （Zhejiang01/CHN/2002） was cloned. The sequence was 1 920 nucleotides in length coding 639 amino acid residues. Sequences comparison of RdRp showed Zhejiang01/CHN/2002 was 99.7% nucleotide sequence and 99.1% amino acids sequence homology with Japanese strain. The RdRp sequence was aligned with 8 representative picorna（-like） viruses and 8 highly conserved regions were detected. The result indicated their relevance function. Phylogenetic tree of 14 picorna（-like） viruses which RdRp presumed protein sequences revealed that the viruses from Iflavirus genus formed an independent clade. The RdRp was successfully expressed in BmN cells using Bac-to-Bac expression system.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51622201,91733301,and 61571015)
文摘Proteins are crucial to most biological processes, such as enzymes, and in various catalytic processes a dynamic motion is required. The dynamics of protein are embodied as a conformational change, which is closely related to the flexibility of protein. Recently, nanopore sensors have become accepted as a low cost and high throughput method to study the features of proteins. In this article, we used a SiN nanopore device to study the flexibility of T7 RNA polymerase（RNAP） and its complex with DNA promoter. By calculating full-width at half-maximum（FWHM） of Gaussian fits to the blockade histograms, we found that T7 RNAP becomes more flexible after binding DNA promoter. Moreover, the distribution of fractional current blockade suggests that flexibility alters due to a breath-like change of the volume.
