GENE EXPRESSION OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR β_1 TYPEII RECEPTOR IN HCC AND ITS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Objective: Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGF-β1)plays a central role in the process of . growth suppressionof the hepatocytes, and its type II receptor (TGF-β1R II)transfers the signal of growth suppression. In this study,the gene expression of TGF-β1R II in HCC and itsclinical significance was investigated. Methods: Theexpression of TGF-β1R II mRNA in 30 cases Of HCCtissue and the surrounding liver tissue was separatelydetected using reverse transcription-PCR. Results:The positive expression rate of TGF-β1R II mRNA wassignificantly lower in HCC tissue (11/30) than that in thesurrounding liver tissue (23/30) (P<0.01). Further, theless the cancer tissue expressed TGF-β1R II mRNA, themore poorly the tumoral hepatocyte differentiated(P<0.01) and the more portal vein cancer embolusexisted (p=0.0465). Conclusion: The decreaseexpression of TGF-β1 R II mRNA by tumoral hepatocyteresults in the defect of its negative growth regulation,and this may be one of the most important reasons forits carcinogenesis and uncontrolled growth.

Congenital expression of mdr-1 gene in tissues of carcinoma and its relation with patho morphology and prognosis

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Down-Regulated Expression of RACK1 Gene by RNA Interference Enhances Drought Tolerance in Rice

The receptor for activated C-kinase 1 （RACK1） is a highly conserved scaffold protein with versatile functions, and plays important roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. Transgenic rice plants, in which the expression of RACK1 gene was inhibited by RNA interference （RNAi）, were studied to elucidate the possible functions of RACK1 in responses to drought stress in rice. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of RACK1 in transgenic rice plants was inhibited by more than 50%. The tolerance to drought stress of the transgenic rice plants was higher as compared with the non-transgenic rice plants. The peroxidation of membrane and the production of malondialdehyde were significantly lower and the superoxide dismutase activity in transgenic rice plants was significantly higher than those in non-trangenic rice plants It is suggested that RACK1 negatively regulated the redox system-related tolerance to drought stress of rice plants.

Expression,deleton and mnutation of ρ16 gene in human gastric cancer

AIM To investigate the relationship between the expression of p16 gene and the gastric carcinogenesis,depth of invasion and lymph node metastases, and to evaluate the deletion and mutation of exon 2 in p16 gene in gastric carcinoma.METHODS The expression of P16 protein was examined by streptavidin-peroxidase conjugated method (S-P); the deletion and mutation of p16 gene were respectively examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis (PCR-SSCP) in gastric carcinoma.RESULTS Expression of P16 protein was detected in 96.25% (77/80) of the normal gastric mucosa, in 92.00% (45/50) of the dysplastic gastric mucosa and in 47.54% (58/122) of the gastric carcinoma. The positive rate of P16 protein expression in gastric carcinoma was significantly lower than that in normal gastric mucosa and dysplastic gastric mucosa (P＜0.05). The positive rate of P16 protein expression in mucoid carcinoma 10.00% (1/ 10) was significantly lower than that in poorly differentiated carcinoma 51.22% ( 21/ 41 ),undifferentiated carcinoma 57.69% (15/26) and signet ring cell carcinoma 62.50% (10/ 16) (P＜0.05). The positive rate of p16 protein in 30 cases paired primary and lymph node metastatic gastric carcinoma: There was 46.67% (14/30) in primary gastric carcinoma, 16.67% (5/30) in lymph node metastatic gastric carcinoma. The positive rate of lymph node metastatic carcinoma was significantly lower than that of primary carcinoma (P＜0.05). There was of p16 gene mutation in exon 2, but 5 cases displayed deletion of p16 gene in exon 2 in the 25 primary gastric carcinomas.CONCLUSIONS The expression loss of P16 protein related to the gastric carcinogenesis, gastric carcinoma histopathological subtypes and lymph metastasis. The mutation of p16 gene in exon 2 may not be involved in gastric carcinogenesis. But the deletion of p16 gene in exon 2 may be involved in gastric carcinogenesis.

Transferring a Gene Expression Cassette Lacking the Vector Backbone Sequences of the 1Ax1 High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunit into Two Chinese Hexaploid Wheat Genotypes

1Ax1 high molecular weight glutenin subunit （HMW-GS） gene expression cassette （GEC） lacking vector backbone sequences together with selectable marker Bar GEC were co-transformed into Chinese hexaploid cultivars Een 1 and Emai 12 to test the feasibility and the efficiency of explant regeneration, transformation frequency and transgene expression comparing with whole vector transformation by the approaches of plasmid extraction and excision, immature embryo isolation, particle co-bombardment, tissue culture, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, southern hybridization, leaf-painting test and SDS-PAGE etc. No significant difference was shown in tissue culture response of the proportion of embryogenic calli, somatic embryogenesis and regeneration frequency between GEC and whole plasmid bombarded embryos, but both regenerated less well than non-bombarded control. Total 56 plantlets that survived PPT selection had insertion of at least the Bar gene, 18 were from the GEC treatment and 38 from the whole plasmid treatment, the escape ratio averaged 0.23. Six independent transplants f230 - f235 with GEC transformation from genotype Emai 12 presented clear PCR amplification bands of Bar and 1Ax1 gene. The transformation and co-transformation frequency were 3.51 and 100% respectively. PCR amplification using a primer-pair specific for ampicillin resistant gene indicated the existence of Amp^R gene in whole vectors but the removal in GECs and transplants. Southern blot of total DNA and PCR products from transgenic plants of 1Ax1 GEC confirmed the integration of the transgene 1Ax1 and the absence of the EcoR Ⅰ recognition site at both ends of the 1Ax1 GEC when integrated. SDS-PAGE showed the expression of 1Ax1 GEC and un-expression of whole plasmid. The length of integrated fragment, the proportion of the gene of interest （GOI） and the selectable marker （MG）, bombardment pressure and genotypes are vital for the expression of a transformed GEC.

Differences of aroma development and metabolic pathway gene expression between Kyoho and 87-1 grapes

Aroma is an important quality trait of grapes and often the focus of consumers,viticulturists and grapevine breeders.Kyoho is a hybrid between Vitis vinifera and Vitis labrusca with a strawberry-like scent,while 87-1 is an early-ripening mutant of Muscat hamburg,belonging to Vitis vinifera,with a rose scent.In this study,we compared their aroma compositions and concentrations during berry development by headspace-SPME combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS),and analyzed the expression differences of enzyme-encoding genes in the LOX-HPL,MEP and MVA metabolic pathways by qRT-PCR.Twelve esters were detected in Kyoho during the whole berry development and they were abundant after veraison,but no esters were detected in 87-1 berries.Linalool was the dominant terpene among the 14 terpenes detected in 87-1 berries,while limited amounts of terpenes were detected in Kyoho berries.qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the low expression of VvAAT might explain the low content of ester volatiles in 87-1 berries,and the low expression of coding genes in the MEP pathway,especially VvPNLin Ner1,might be the reason for the low content of volatile terpenes in Kyoho berries.The results from this work will promote our understanding of aroma metabolic mechanisms of grapes,and offer some suggestions for grape aromatic quality improvement.

TfR1 Extensively Regulates the Expression of Genes Associated with Ion Transport and Immunity

Transferrin receptor 1(TfR1),encoded by the TFRC gene,is the gatekeeper of cellular iron uptake for cells.A variety of molecular mechanisms are at work to tightly regulate TfR1 expression,and abnormal TfR1 expression has been associated with various diseases.In the current study,to determine the regulation pattern of TfR1,we cloned and overexpressed the human TFRC gene in HeLa cells.RNA-sequencing(RNA-seq)was used to analyze the global transcript levels in overexpressed(OE)and normal control(NC)samples.A total of 1669 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified between OE and NC.Gene ontology(GO)analysis was carried out to explore the functions of the DEGs.It was found that multiple DEGs were associated with ion transport and immunity.Moreover,the regulatory network was constructed on basis of DEGs associated with ion transport and immunity,highlighting that TFRC was the node gene of the network.These results together suggested that precisely controlled TfR1 expression might be not only essential for iron homeostasis,but also globally important for cell physiology,including ion transport and immunity.

PGC-1α differentially regulates the mRNA expression profiles of genes related to myofiber type specificity in chicken

Previous studies on mammals showed that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α(PGC-1α)played a prominent role in regulating muscle fiber type transition and composition.However,the role of PGC-1αin chicken muscle has seldom been explored.To investigate the effect of PGC-1αon chicken skeletal muscles in this study,the PGC-1αgene was overexpressed or silenced in chicken primary myoblasts by using lentivirus,and then the effects of the PGC-1αgene overexpression and knockdown on the mRNA expression profile of genes related to myofiber type specificity were examined during fiber formation.The results showed that overexpression of PGC-1αfrom proliferation to differentiation was accompanied by the up-regulated expression of Pax7,MyoD,and CnAα,which was significantly(P<0.01)increased after one day of transfection(1 I).The enhancement of MyoG,MEF2 c,and MyHC SM expression lagged,which was improved significantly(P<0.01)after four days of transfection(1 I3 D).Overexpression of PGC-1αdecreased(P<0.01)the MyHC FWM expression after four days of transfection(1 I3 D),and it had no significant impact(P>0.05)on the expression of CnB1,NFATc3,and MyHC FRM during myofiber formation.The effective silence(P<0.01)of PGC-1αby lentivirus mediating short hairpin RNA(shRNA)was detected after four days of transfection(1 I3 D)in cultures,and the lack of its function in chicken primary myoblasts significantly(P<0.01)down-regulated the expression of Pax7,MyoD,CnAα,MyoG,MEF2 c,and MyHC SM,significantly(P<0.01)up-regulated the expression of MyHC FWM,and had no significant impact(P>0.05)on the expression of CnB1,NFATc3,and MyHC FRM.These results indicated that the role of PGC-1αin regulating the fiber type specificity of chicken skeletal muscles might be similar to that in mammals,which interplayed with key genes related to myocyte differentiation and calcineurin signaling pathway.

EXPRESSION OF mdr-1 GENE IN CANCER TISSUE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH MORPHOLOGICAL INDEXES OF ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA IN ANYANG

Objective: Overexpression of mdr-1 gene is associated with multidrug resistance (MDR) and aggressive characteristics of malignance. Our purposewas to detect the levels of P-gp expression in fresh untreated esophageal carcinomas, and to correlate these levels to current prognostic indicators of morphology.Methods: Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to investigate mdr-1 gene expression of 46 samples from untreated esophageal carcinoma, and compared the positive incidences among differentiated grades, TNM stages and macroscopic types.Results: All 46 samples were pathologically squamous cell carcinoma. The positive' incidences of mdr-1 gene expression were 37% (17/46) in whole group,35% (6/17), 40% (8/20), 33% (3/9), for Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲdifferentiated grades, respectively. The expression rates of 33% (6/18), 40% (5/12), and 37% (6/16), were found in Ⅱa, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ stage of TNM, respectively. In macroscopic type view, the positive incidence was 37%(3/8) in constrictive, 33% (5/15) in fungating, 40% (6/14)in marrowlike, 33% (319) in ulcerative type. There were no statistically significant differences among each category system of morphology.Conclusion: The result, high level expression of mdr-1 gene in untreated esophageal carcinoma, suggested the poor efficacy of chemotherapy for some esophageal carcinoma patients. And we should cautiously choose cases who will receive chemotherapy. Surgery is still the best treatment for carcinoma of esophagus. Besides, the data also revealed that the expression of mdr-1 gene in untreated esophageal cancer was independent of morphologic prognostic indexes, and that there were no correlation between mdr-1 gene expression and morphological indexes.

CHANGES OF ENDOTHELIN－1 GENE EXPRESSION IN RAT BRAINS DURING ISCHEMIA AND ISCHEMIC REPERFUSION

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Lipopolysaccharide triggers nuclear import of Lpcat1 to regulate inducible gene expression in lung epithelia

AIM:To report that Lpcat1 plays an important role in regulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inducible gene tran-scription. METHODS:Gene expression in Murine Lung Epithelial MLE-12 cells with LPS treatment or Haemophilus influenza and Escherichia coli infection was analyzed by employing quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction techniques. Nucleofection was used to deliver Lenti-viral system to express or knock down Lpcat1 in MLE cells. Subcellular protein fractionation and Western blotting were utilized to study Lpcat1 nuclear relocation. RESULTS:Lpcat1 translocates into the nucleus from thecytoplasm in murine lung epithelia (MLE) after LPS treatment. Haemophilus influenza and Escherichia coli , two LPS-containing pathogens that cause pneumonia, triggered Lpcat1 nuclear translocation from the cytoplasm. The LPS inducible gene expression profile was determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction after silencing Lpcat1 or overexpression of the enzyme in MLE cells. We detected that 17 out of a total 38 screened genes were upregulated, 14 genes were suppressed, and 7 genes remained unchanged in LPS treated cells in comparison to controls. Knockdown of Lpcat1 by shRNA dramatically changed the spectrum of the LPS inducible gene transcription, as 18 genes out of 38 genes were upregulated, of which 20 genes were suppressed or unchanged. Notably, in Lpcat1 overex-pressed cells, 25 genes out of 38 genes were reduced in the setting of LPS treatment.CONCLUSION:These observations suggest that Lpcat1 relocates into the nucleus in response to bacterial infection to differentially regulate gene transcriptional repression.

Over-expression of Testis-specific Expressed Gene 1 Attenuates the Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis of GC-1spg Cells

The effects of over-expression of testis-specific expressed gene 1（TSEG-1） on the viability and apoptosis of cultured spermatogonial GC-1spg cells were investigated, and the immortal spermatogonial cell line GC-1spg（CRL-2053？） was obtained as the cell model in order to explore the function of TSEG-1. We transfected the eukaryotic vector of TSEG-1, named as pEGFP-TSEG-1 into cultured spermatogonial GC-1spg cells. Over-expression of TSEG-1 inhibited the proliferation of GC-1spg cells, and arrested cell cycle slightly at G0/G1 phase. Transfection of TSEG-1 attenuated the transcript levels of Ki-67, PCNA and cyclin D1. In addition, over-expression of TSEG-1 induced early and late apoptosis, and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of GC-1spg cells. Moreover, transfection of TSEG-1 significantly enhanced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and transcript levels of caspase 9, and decreased the expression of Fas and caspase 8 in GC-1spg cells. These results indicated over-expression of TSEG-1 suppresses the proliferation and induces the apoptosis of GC-1spg cells, which establishes a basis for further study on the function of TSEG-1.

THE ROLE OF IGF-1 GENE EXPRESSION ABNORMALITY IN PATHOGENESIS OF DIABETIC PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY

Objective. To explore the role of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)gene expression abnormality in neurotrophic causes of diabetic peripheral neurophathy.Methods. Diabetes was induced in Sprague Dawley rats by alloxan. The parameters were measured as follows: IGF-1 mRNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); IGF-1 peptide by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); electrophysiological parameters of nerves by evoked electromyogram; morphometric evaluation of sciatic nerves under light microscope and transmission electron microscope.Results. During early diabetic stage, IGF-1 mRNA [(0.430±0.031)vs. (0.370±0.016), P ＜0.01,(0.430 ± 0.031 ) vs. (0.280 ± 0.010) , P ＜0.001, respectively], IGF - 1 peptide contents [ (38.44 ± 3.60)ng/mgvs. (30.06±2.41) ng/mg, P ＜0.01, (38.44±3.6) ng/mgvs. (3.71 +2.70) ng/mg, P ＜0.001,respectively] in sciatic nerve tissue reduced in diabetic rats with hyperglycemia and varied with severity of diabetic state when compared with non-diabetic control rats, and further gradually down-regulated in the diabetic rats with duration of diabetes [IGF-1 mRNA (0. 320 ± 0. 021) ～ (0. 230 + 0. 060); IGF-1 peptide (28.80 ± 3.30) ～(19. 51 + 1.80)ng/mg]. Furthermore, they correlated with nerve functional (sensory nerve conduction velocity:r = 0. 741, P ＜0. 001; amplitude ofevokedpotential: r = 0. 716, P ＜0. 001, respectively)andstructuralabnormality (axonal areas r = 0. 81, P ＜ 0. 001 ) of sciatic nerve. No difference was found in the above parameters between diabetic rats with euglycemia and non-diabetic control group.Conclusion. IGF-1 gene expression in tissues was down-regulated from early diabetic stage, and varied with the severity and duration of diabetic state. The decrement in IGF-1 level might contribute to the initiation and development of diabetic neuropathy via autocrine or paracrine pathway.

Cloning and expression of the preS1 gene of hepatitis B virus in yeast cells

Objective: To investigate the complex functions of HBV preS1 protein, we constructed HBV preS1 gene expression vector and expressed it in yeast cells. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was per- formed to amplify the gene of HBV preS1 from the plasmid pCP10 containing the whole DNA fragment of HBV ayw subtype as template and the PCR prod- uct was cloned into the pGEM-T vector for sequen- cing. After being identified, the HBV preSl gene was cut from the pGEM-T vector by EcoR I and Pst I restriction enzymes, and cloned into yeast expres- sive plasmid pGBKT7 to constructe pGBKT7-preS1 recombinant expressive plasmid. This plasmid was transformed into yeast cell AH109 and expressed in it. The yeast protein was isolated and analyzed with sodium dodecyl suifate-polyacrylamide gel electro- phoresis(SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting. Results: The HBV preS1 gene was amplified success- fully and identified by DNA sequencing. The PCR products were coincided completely with the reported sequence. The digested fragments were cloned into the pGBKT7 vector and transformed into yeast cell AH109. The results of SDS-PAGE and Western blot- ting assay showed: (1) The HBV preS1 protein was expressed and existed in yeast cells; (2) The molecu- lar weight of the expression product was about 30 000 D. Conclusion: The HBV preS1 gene was successfully cloned and expressed in yeast cells.

Expression Analysis of HMW-GS 1Bx14 and 1By15 in Wheat Varieties and Transgenic Research of 1By15 Gene

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits （HMW-GSs）, one class of seed storage proteins in wheat, play an important role in determining bread-making quality of flour. More and more proves support that HMW-GS- 1Bx 14 and - 1Bx 15 subunits are strongly positively associated with good bread-making and excellent noodle-making quality. The two subunits are encoded by two genes, Glu-1Bx14 and Glu-1Bx15, which are tightly linked and located on the 1BL. Protein assay by SDS-PAGE indicated that the expression of Glu-1Bx14 gene was always much stronger than that of Glu-1By15 in the same variety. But, variation of expression level for Glu-1By15 gene existed among varieties, such as in Xiaoyan 54, Xiaoyan 6, Yanzhan 1 and Shanyou 225. We also investigated the transcription difference of Glu-1By14 and Glu-1By15 genes in Xiaoyan 54 and Shanyou 225 by semi-quantitative RT-PCR method. The Glu-1By14 always transcripts much more than the Glu-1By15. This was basically consistent with the translation difference between the two genes. Promoters of 1Bx14, 1By15, 1By8, 1Dx2 and 1Dy12 were cloned from Xiaoyan 54, Chinese Spring and Aegilops tauschii. Sequence analysis indicated that the HMW-GS genes had high homology at their promoter regions. However, significant difference existed between sequence of 1Bx14 promoter and those of other HMW-GS genes. The transient expression experiment showed that the promoter of 1By15 has lower activity than that of 1Bx14, which was consistent with their transcription level of the two genes in varieties. In addition, transient expression of the gus driven by the promoter （P2） of HMW-GS 1Dx2 gene was higher than by other HMW-GS promoters. Therefore, we constructed 1By15 gene expression vector driven by the 1Dx2 promoter, and transformed the 1By15 gene into wheat commercial variety, Jimai 20 by pollen tube method. Of 45 independent transgenic lines identified by PCR, 3 were confirmed to contain the HMW-GS 1By15 gene via Southern hybridization. The delivered 1By15 gene expressed the expected HMW-GS protein in the seeds of transgenic plants.

BTG1 as a New Candidate Gene for Muscle Growth in Pigs: Cloning,Expression and Association Analysis

BTG1 （B-cell Translocation Gene 1） , a member of the BTG / TOB （Transducer of ErbB-2） family of anti-proliferation factors,has been proven to have an unfavorable effect on muscle fiber growth in several species. The porcine BTG1 gene was cloned and its 5＇ flanking promoter region sequence, and characterized the expression patterns in different tissues of adult pigs and in fetal skeletal muscle at different developmental stages in two breeds. The tissue distribution pattern analyses revealed that the mRNA of porcine BTG1 was ubiquitously expressed in the six tissues of both Landrace and Tongcheng pigs. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR results showed that BTG1 mRNA expression levels were significantly different among the three fetal ages in Tongcheng pigs,while no significant differences were found among the three ages in Landrace pigs. Furthermore,the expression of BTG1 in Landrace pigs was significantly lower than in Tongcheng pigs at all three ages. The temporal expression profiles of the BTG1 gene in mouse myoblast C 2 C 12 cells were shown to be consistent with those of the myogenin gene. A single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） ,g. 281C 〉 T,was identified in the 3＇UTR and allele frequencies were detected in seven pig breed populations. Significant associations were found between the g. 281C 〉 T polymorphism and growth and meat quality traits. Our results indicate that the porcine BTG1 gene could play a potential role in markerassisted selection and as such may be a gene of economic importance.

Molecular cloning and expression patterns of the cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme(CYP11A1) gene during the reproductive cycle in goose(Anas cygnoides)

Background： CYP11A1, a gene belonging to the family 11 of cytochrome P450, encodes a crucial steroidogenic enzyme that catalyzes the initial step in the production of all classes of steroids. Many studies show that CYP11A1 plays a role in ovary function. However, the role of CYP11A1 in goose reproductive cycle remains largely unknown.Results： In this study, full-length CYP11A1 c DNA of Zhedong goose was obtained using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR） and rapid amplification of c DNA ends（RACE）. The c DNA consisted of a 96-base pair（bp） 5′untranslated region（UTR）, a 179-bp 3′UTR and a 1509-bp open reading frame. The open reading frame encodes a putative 503 amino acid protein that shares high homology with CYP11A1 of other birds. The amino acid sequence possesses conserved domains of the P450 superfamily, which include the steroid-binding domain and the heme-binding region. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（q PCR） analysis revealed CYP11A1 mR NA was expressed ubiquitously in every Zhedong goose tissue analyzed, including the heart, liver, glandular stomach,lung, spleen, kidney, intestinum tenue, intestinum crassum, cerebrum, cerebellum, muscle, oviduct, pituitary,hypothalamus and ovary.. The relatively low levels of CYP11A1 m RNA were detected in pituitary, ovary and oviduct tissues at ovulation when compared with levels at oviposition. Interestingly, higher expression was observed in ovary and oviduct tissues during brooding. Lastly, higher m RNA expression of Yangzhou geese was detected during the ovulation period than that of Zhedong geese.Conclusions： Our findings reveal the sequence characterization and expression patterns of the CYP11A1 gene during the goose reproductive cycle, which may provides correlative evidence that CYP11A1 expression is important in reproduction activity.

Expression of <i>T4HR1</i>, a 1,3,6,8-Tetrahydroxynaphthalene Reductase Gene Involved in Melanin Biosynthesis, Is Enhanced by Near-Ultraviolet Irradiation in <i>Bipolaris oryzae</i>

Bipolaris oryzae is the causal agent of brown spot disease in rice and produces the dark pigment melanin. We isolated and characterized T4HR1 gene encoding 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalene (1,3,6,8-THN) reductase, which converted 1,3,6,8-THN to scytalone in the melanin biosynthesis from B. oryzae. A sequence analysis showed that the T4HR1 gene encoded a putative protein of 268 amino acids showing 50% - 99% sequence identity to other fungal 1,3,6,8-THN reductases. Targeted disruption of the T4HR1 gene showed a different phenotype of mycelial color due to an accumulation of shunt products compared to those of wild-type on PDA plates using tricyclazole as a melanin biosynthesis inhibitor. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of T4HR1 transcripts was enhanced by near-ultraviolet (NUV) irradiation and regulated by transcriptional factor BMR1, similar to three other melanin biosynthesis genes (polyketide synthase gene [PKS1], scytalone dehydratase gene [SCD1], and 1,3,8-THN reductase gene [THR1]) in the melanin biosynthesis of B. oryzae. These results suggested that common transcriptional mechanisms could regulate the enhanced gene expression of these melanin biosynthesis genes by NUV irradiation in B. oryzae.

Inhibiting effect of antisense oligonucleotides phosphorthioate on gene expression of TIMP-1 in rat liver fibrosis

AIM To observe the inhibition of antisenseoligonucleotides (asON) phosphorthioate to thetissue inhibitors metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1)gene and protein expression in the liver tissue ofimmunologically induced hepatic fibrosis rats.The possibility of reversing hepatic fibrosisthrough gene therapy was observed.METHODS Human serum albumin (HSA) wasused to attack rats, as hepatic fibrosis model, inwhich asONs were used to block the gene andprotein expressing TIMP-1. According to theanalysis of modulator, structure protein, codingseries of TIMP-1 genome, we designed fourdifferent asONs. These asONs were injected intothe hepatic fibrosis models through coccygealvein. The results was observed by RT-PCR formeasuring TIMP-1 mRNA expression,immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridizationfor collagen Ⅰ, Ⅲ, special staining of collagenfiber, and electron microscopic examination.RESULTS Hepatic fibrosis could last within 363days in our modified model. The expressinglevel of TIMP-1 was high during hepatic fibrosisprocess. It has been proved by theimmunohistochemical and the electronmicroscopic examination that the asONphosphorthioate of TIMP-1 could exactly expressin vivo. The effect of colchicine wasdemonstrated to inhibit the expressing level ofmRNA and the content of collagen Ⅰ, Ⅲ in theliver of experimental hepatic fibrosis rats.However, the electron microscopy research andthe pathologic grading of hepatic fibrosisshowed that there was no significant differencebetween the treatment group and the modelgroup (P>0.05).CONCLUSION The experimental rat model ofhepatic fibrosis is one of the preferable modelsto estimate the curative effect of anti-hepaticfibrosis drugs. The asON phosphorthioate ofTIMP-1 could block the gene and proteinexpression of TIMP-1 in the liver of experimentalhepatic fibrosis rats at the mRNA level. It ispossible to reverse hepatic fibrosis, and it isexpected to study a new drug of anti-hepaticfibrosis on the genetic level. Colchicine has verylimited therapeutic effect on hepatic fibrosis,furthermore, its toxicity and side effects areobvious.

CONGENITAL EXPRESSION OF mdr-1 GENE IN FRESH CANCER TISSUES FROM SEVERAL HIGH-INCIDENCE NEOPLASMS WITHOUT PREOPERATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY

Objective: The purpose of the present study is to detect characteristics of primary expression of mdr 1 gene in several neoplasms which has high morbidity in clinic. Methods: 151 resected samples, which are pathologically malignant and clinically untreated before operation, were obtained from Anyang Cancer Hospital. All of them were investigated with RT PCR for the expression of mdr 1 gene and correlated each other. Besides, we evaluated the advantages of RT PCR in this study. Results: The mdr 1 gene expression rate of these 151 samples, including cancers of stomach and gastric cardia (n=51), esophagus (n=46), colorectum (n=16), breast (n=15), thyroid (n=10), lung (n=9), uterine cervix (n=4), was 33.3%, 37%, 31.3%, 13.2%, 40%, 55%, 0%, respectively. Conclusion: Compared with other methods, RT PCR for studying mdr 1 gene expression had certain advantages in simplicity, reliability, and accuracy. Overexpression of mdr 1 gene in these neoplasms suggested that cases should be distinguished before treatment according to MDR of tumor and to choose effective drugs for individual cancer patient.