Objective To explore the role of HIV-1 tat gene variations in AIDS dementia complex （ADC） pathogenesis. Methods HIV-1 tat genes derived from peripheral spleen and central basal ganglia of an AIDS patient with ADC an...Objective To explore the role of HIV-1 tat gene variations in AIDS dementia complex （ADC） pathogenesis. Methods HIV-1 tat genes derived from peripheral spleen and central basal ganglia of an AIDS patient with ADC and an AIDS patient without ADC were cloned for sequence analysis. HIV-1 tat gene sequence alignment was performed by using CLUSTAL W and the phylogentic analysis was conducted by using Neighbor-joining with MEGA4 software. All tat genes were used to construct recombinant retroviral expressing vector MSCV-IRES-GFP/tat. The MSCV-IRES-GFP/tat was cotransfected into 293T cells with pCMV-VSV-G and pUMVC vectors to assemble the recombinant retrovirus. After infection of gliomas U87 cells with equal amount of the recombinant retrovirus, TNF-α, and IL-1β concentrations in the supernatant of U87 cells were determined with ELISA. Results HIV-1 tat genes derived from peripheral spleen and central basal ganglia of the AIDS patient with ADC and the other one without ADC exhibited genetic variations. Tat variations and amino acid mutation sites existed mainly at Tat protein core functional area （38-47aa）. All Tat proteins could induce ug7 cells to produce TNF-α and IL-1β, but the level of IL-1β production was different among Tat proteins derived from the ADC patient＇s spleen, basal ganglia, and the non-ADC patient＇s spleen. The level of Tat proteins derived from the ADC patient＇s spleen, basal ganglia, and the non-ADC patient＇s spleen were obviously higher than that from the non-ADC patient＇s basal ganglia. Conclusion Tat protein core functional area （38-47aa） may serve as the key area of enhancing the secretion of IL-1β. This may be related with the neurotoxicity of HIV-1 Tat.展开更多
Although the endogenous function of Tat has been elucidated in the past twenty years, the study of its exogenous activity has been hampered due to the difficulty of large scale preparation of the active Tat protein. T...Although the endogenous function of Tat has been elucidated in the past twenty years, the study of its exogenous activity has been hampered due to the difficulty of large scale preparation of the active Tat protein. To express the full-length Tat protein in E.coli, the tat gene was cloned from an HIV infected patient by overlapping PCR. Rare codon usage analysis showed that rare E.coli codons, especially consecutive rare codons for Arg, account for 14% (14 of 101) rare E.coli codons in the tat gene. The expression of the HIV-1 tat gene was verified to be very poor in strain BL21 (DE3) due to the abundance of rare codons; however, tat gene expression was found to be very efficient in the host strain of Rosetta-gami B (DE3), which was supplemented with six rare tRNAs for Arg, Leu, Ile and Pro. Subsequent purification revealed that the proteins are soluble and unusually, the tagged Tat can form dimers independent of cystine disulfide bonds. The purity, integrity and molecular weight of the Tat protein were demonstrated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Reporter gene activating assay was further confirmed by investigating the transactivation activity of the recombinant Tat protein. Our improved strategy for efficient high level expression and purification of soluble Tat protein has paved the way to fully investigate its exogenous function.展开更多
Chinese traditional medicine Danshen is the radix of the perennial herbs of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which has a variety of pharmacological effects and is traditionally and extensively applied clinically to treat ca...Chinese traditional medicine Danshen is the radix of the perennial herbs of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which has a variety of pharmacological effects and is traditionally and extensively applied clinically to treat cardiovascular disorders. In this research, the genomic genes for tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) of 38 cultivated populations of Danshen in China were cloned and bioinformatic analyses were conducted to reveal its genetic diversity and phylogeny. The full-length SmTAT was 2296 - 2444 bp including 6 exons (encoding 411 amino acids) and 5 introns. Overall, the SmTAT genes in cultivated Danshen populations are highly conserved with a relative low level of genetic diversity. The spliced exons (1236 bp) had 23 SNP variations with a rate of 1.86%, of which 22 occurred in the white flower S. miltiorrhiza Bge.f.alba population (W-SCHY-W-1) and led to 5 amino acid variations. The entire 290 SNP variations with a rate of 24% in the 5 introns occurred exclusively in W-SCHY-W-1. Phylogenetic trees based on the full-length, combined introns, the spliced exons, and the deduced amino acid sequences of SmTAT all showed a two-clade basic structure with W-SCHY-W-1 uniquely standing alone. The SmTAT gene of the white flower population (W-SCHY-W-1) is unique and especially rich in variations. The first time clarified genomic SmTAT gene structure and genetic diversity in cultivated Danshen populations laid an excellent foundation for further studies on the biosynthesis of bioactives and the molecular breeding of Danshen as well as in plant tyrosine metabolism.展开更多
Background Proteins or peptides can be directly transferred into cells when covalently linked to protein transduction domains （PTDs）. TAT is one of the most widely studied PTDs. The effect of fusion protein TAT and ...Background Proteins or peptides can be directly transferred into cells when covalently linked to protein transduction domains （PTDs）. TAT is one of the most widely studied PTDs. The effect of fusion protein TAT and heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） on liver sinusoidal endothelial cells （SECs） apoptosis during cold storage is unknown. The present study aimed to determine whether fusion protein TAT-HO-1 would transduce efficiently into liver during cold storage, and, if so, to determine whether TAT-HO-1 would attenuate SECs apoptosis during preservation injury in rat. Methods Livers of Sprague-Dawley rats were harvested and randomly assigned to group 1 （HTK solution） and group 2 （HTK solution containing TAT-HO-1 fusion protein） according to the type of the preservation solution. The transduction efficiency of TAT-HO-1 was examined and the impairment of SECs was assessed during the period of cold storage followed by 1 hour of reperfusion. Results TAT-HO-1 can transduce efficiently into liver during cold storage. A significantly lower apoptotic index of SECs was observed in group 2, at 6, 12 and 18 hours of cold storage after 1 hour reperfusion, when compared with group 1. TAT-HO-1 reduced HA and ET levels in liver at each time point. Both Bcl-2 and Bax protein were expressed in hepatocytes and SECs at the periphery of the sinusoidal space. Moreover, higher Bcl-2 expression and lower Bax expression were observed in group 2. Conclusions TAT-HO-1 can transduce efficiently into rat livers and shows a protective effect on SECs by attenuating apoptosis during cold ischemia/reperfusion injury. Protein transduction will be a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce the risk of preservation injury in liver transplantation.展开更多
目的:将HIV-1的转录反式激活蛋白(trans-activator of transcription protein,TAT)中的片段短肽(RKKRRQRRR)偶联于聚乙烯亚胺-β-环糊精(polyethylenimine-β-cyclodextrin,PEI-β-CyD)聚合物,构建出低毒性、高转染率的新型基因载体。方...目的:将HIV-1的转录反式激活蛋白(trans-activator of transcription protein,TAT)中的片段短肽(RKKRRQRRR)偶联于聚乙烯亚胺-β-环糊精(polyethylenimine-β-cyclodextrin,PEI-β-CyD)聚合物,构建出低毒性、高转染率的新型基因载体。方法:β-环糊精(β-CyD)和低分子量树枝状聚乙烯亚胺(PEI600)通过羰基二咪唑(1,1’-carbonyldiim idazole,CDI)聚合形成骨架结构,通过琥珀酰亚胺-3-(2-嘧啶二硫)丙酸酯[N-succinimidy-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate,SPDP]将TAT短肽偶联于PEI-β-CyD,构成新的聚合物TAT-PEI-β-CyD。采用1H-NMR和FT-IR对聚合物进行化学结构表征;凝胶电泳阻滞实验、粒径测定和透射电镜观察TAT-PEI-β-CyD对DNA的浓缩能力,以及浓缩质粒DNA后颗粒形态和粒径大小;MTT法测定载体在A293和B16细胞上的毒性,并对A293和B16细胞进行体外细胞转染实验,以PEI25kDa作为对照。结果:1H-NMR和FT-IR结果显示,TAT短肽已成功偶联到PEI-β-CyD。凝胶电泳阻滞试验显示,TAT-PEI-β-CyD在N/P为4∶1时可以完全阻滞DNA的迁移。粒径测定结果和透射电镜图像表明,TAT-PEI-β-CyD/pDNA(N/P=30∶1)复合物粒径在100nm左右。细胞毒性实验表明,在B16和A293两种不同细胞中,聚合物毒性低于PEI25kDa。体外转染结果表明,在N/P为30∶1时,聚合物在A293、B16和B16BL6细胞中的基因转染效率最高;TAT短肽的偶联能提高PEI-β-CyD在B16、B16BL6细胞上的基因转染效率。结论:实验成功构建了TAT短肽修饰的PEI-β-CyD新型基因载体。该载体毒性低,基因转染效率高。展开更多
基金supported by the Science&Technology Development Program of Shandong Province(Grant No.2007GG30002003)
文摘Objective To explore the role of HIV-1 tat gene variations in AIDS dementia complex （ADC） pathogenesis. Methods HIV-1 tat genes derived from peripheral spleen and central basal ganglia of an AIDS patient with ADC and an AIDS patient without ADC were cloned for sequence analysis. HIV-1 tat gene sequence alignment was performed by using CLUSTAL W and the phylogentic analysis was conducted by using Neighbor-joining with MEGA4 software. All tat genes were used to construct recombinant retroviral expressing vector MSCV-IRES-GFP/tat. The MSCV-IRES-GFP/tat was cotransfected into 293T cells with pCMV-VSV-G and pUMVC vectors to assemble the recombinant retrovirus. After infection of gliomas U87 cells with equal amount of the recombinant retrovirus, TNF-α, and IL-1β concentrations in the supernatant of U87 cells were determined with ELISA. Results HIV-1 tat genes derived from peripheral spleen and central basal ganglia of the AIDS patient with ADC and the other one without ADC exhibited genetic variations. Tat variations and amino acid mutation sites existed mainly at Tat protein core functional area （38-47aa）. All Tat proteins could induce ug7 cells to produce TNF-α and IL-1β, but the level of IL-1β production was different among Tat proteins derived from the ADC patient＇s spleen, basal ganglia, and the non-ADC patient＇s spleen. The level of Tat proteins derived from the ADC patient＇s spleen, basal ganglia, and the non-ADC patient＇s spleen were obviously higher than that from the non-ADC patient＇s basal ganglia. Conclusion Tat protein core functional area （38-47aa） may serve as the key area of enhancing the secretion of IL-1β. This may be related with the neurotoxicity of HIV-1 Tat.
基金This work was supported by a grant fromthe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (grantNo: 12510/R1) a grant from the Chinese NationalNatural Science Foundation (grant No: 30400120)
文摘Although the endogenous function of Tat has been elucidated in the past twenty years, the study of its exogenous activity has been hampered due to the difficulty of large scale preparation of the active Tat protein. To express the full-length Tat protein in E.coli, the tat gene was cloned from an HIV infected patient by overlapping PCR. Rare codon usage analysis showed that rare E.coli codons, especially consecutive rare codons for Arg, account for 14% (14 of 101) rare E.coli codons in the tat gene. The expression of the HIV-1 tat gene was verified to be very poor in strain BL21 (DE3) due to the abundance of rare codons; however, tat gene expression was found to be very efficient in the host strain of Rosetta-gami B (DE3), which was supplemented with six rare tRNAs for Arg, Leu, Ile and Pro. Subsequent purification revealed that the proteins are soluble and unusually, the tagged Tat can form dimers independent of cystine disulfide bonds. The purity, integrity and molecular weight of the Tat protein were demonstrated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Reporter gene activating assay was further confirmed by investigating the transactivation activity of the recombinant Tat protein. Our improved strategy for efficient high level expression and purification of soluble Tat protein has paved the way to fully investigate its exogenous function.
文摘Chinese traditional medicine Danshen is the radix of the perennial herbs of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which has a variety of pharmacological effects and is traditionally and extensively applied clinically to treat cardiovascular disorders. In this research, the genomic genes for tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) of 38 cultivated populations of Danshen in China were cloned and bioinformatic analyses were conducted to reveal its genetic diversity and phylogeny. The full-length SmTAT was 2296 - 2444 bp including 6 exons (encoding 411 amino acids) and 5 introns. Overall, the SmTAT genes in cultivated Danshen populations are highly conserved with a relative low level of genetic diversity. The spliced exons (1236 bp) had 23 SNP variations with a rate of 1.86%, of which 22 occurred in the white flower S. miltiorrhiza Bge.f.alba population (W-SCHY-W-1) and led to 5 amino acid variations. The entire 290 SNP variations with a rate of 24% in the 5 introns occurred exclusively in W-SCHY-W-1. Phylogenetic trees based on the full-length, combined introns, the spliced exons, and the deduced amino acid sequences of SmTAT all showed a two-clade basic structure with W-SCHY-W-1 uniquely standing alone. The SmTAT gene of the white flower population (W-SCHY-W-1) is unique and especially rich in variations. The first time clarified genomic SmTAT gene structure and genetic diversity in cultivated Danshen populations laid an excellent foundation for further studies on the biosynthesis of bioactives and the molecular breeding of Danshen as well as in plant tyrosine metabolism.
基金This study was supported by a grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China （No. 30672024）.
文摘Background Proteins or peptides can be directly transferred into cells when covalently linked to protein transduction domains （PTDs）. TAT is one of the most widely studied PTDs. The effect of fusion protein TAT and heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） on liver sinusoidal endothelial cells （SECs） apoptosis during cold storage is unknown. The present study aimed to determine whether fusion protein TAT-HO-1 would transduce efficiently into liver during cold storage, and, if so, to determine whether TAT-HO-1 would attenuate SECs apoptosis during preservation injury in rat. Methods Livers of Sprague-Dawley rats were harvested and randomly assigned to group 1 （HTK solution） and group 2 （HTK solution containing TAT-HO-1 fusion protein） according to the type of the preservation solution. The transduction efficiency of TAT-HO-1 was examined and the impairment of SECs was assessed during the period of cold storage followed by 1 hour of reperfusion. Results TAT-HO-1 can transduce efficiently into liver during cold storage. A significantly lower apoptotic index of SECs was observed in group 2, at 6, 12 and 18 hours of cold storage after 1 hour reperfusion, when compared with group 1. TAT-HO-1 reduced HA and ET levels in liver at each time point. Both Bcl-2 and Bax protein were expressed in hepatocytes and SECs at the periphery of the sinusoidal space. Moreover, higher Bcl-2 expression and lower Bax expression were observed in group 2. Conclusions TAT-HO-1 can transduce efficiently into rat livers and shows a protective effect on SECs by attenuating apoptosis during cold ischemia/reperfusion injury. Protein transduction will be a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce the risk of preservation injury in liver transplantation.
文摘目的:将HIV-1的转录反式激活蛋白(trans-activator of transcription protein,TAT)中的片段短肽(RKKRRQRRR)偶联于聚乙烯亚胺-β-环糊精(polyethylenimine-β-cyclodextrin,PEI-β-CyD)聚合物,构建出低毒性、高转染率的新型基因载体。方法:β-环糊精(β-CyD)和低分子量树枝状聚乙烯亚胺(PEI600)通过羰基二咪唑(1,1’-carbonyldiim idazole,CDI)聚合形成骨架结构,通过琥珀酰亚胺-3-(2-嘧啶二硫)丙酸酯[N-succinimidy-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate,SPDP]将TAT短肽偶联于PEI-β-CyD,构成新的聚合物TAT-PEI-β-CyD。采用1H-NMR和FT-IR对聚合物进行化学结构表征;凝胶电泳阻滞实验、粒径测定和透射电镜观察TAT-PEI-β-CyD对DNA的浓缩能力,以及浓缩质粒DNA后颗粒形态和粒径大小;MTT法测定载体在A293和B16细胞上的毒性,并对A293和B16细胞进行体外细胞转染实验,以PEI25kDa作为对照。结果:1H-NMR和FT-IR结果显示,TAT短肽已成功偶联到PEI-β-CyD。凝胶电泳阻滞试验显示,TAT-PEI-β-CyD在N/P为4∶1时可以完全阻滞DNA的迁移。粒径测定结果和透射电镜图像表明,TAT-PEI-β-CyD/pDNA(N/P=30∶1)复合物粒径在100nm左右。细胞毒性实验表明,在B16和A293两种不同细胞中,聚合物毒性低于PEI25kDa。体外转染结果表明,在N/P为30∶1时,聚合物在A293、B16和B16BL6细胞中的基因转染效率最高;TAT短肽的偶联能提高PEI-β-CyD在B16、B16BL6细胞上的基因转染效率。结论:实验成功构建了TAT短肽修饰的PEI-β-CyD新型基因载体。该载体毒性低,基因转染效率高。
