Genomic Analysis of MicroRNA Promoters and Their Cis-Acting Elements in Soybean

MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are derived from distinct loci in the genome and play crucial roles in RNA-mediated gene silencing mechanisms that regulate cellular processes during development and stress responses of plants. The miRNAs are approximately 21 nucleotides long and code for the complementary strand to a larger genic mRNA. They are often found within the complementary primary transcript （pri-miRNAs）. In the past few years, a growing number of soybean miRNAs have been discovered, however, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of these miRNAs. In this study, promoters and cis-acting elements of soybean miRNAs were analyzed using the genomic data for the first time. A total of 82 miRNAs were located among 122 loci in genome, some were present as double or multiple copies. Five clusters that included ten miRNAs were found in genome, and only one cluster share the same promoter. A total of 191 promoters from 122 loci of the soybean miRNA sequences were found and further analyzed. The results indicated that the conserved soybean miRNA genes had a greater proportion of promoters than that of non-conserved ones, and the distribution of the transcript start sites （TSSs） and TATA-boxes found had different motif styles between conserved and non-conserved miRNA genes. Furthermore, the cis-acting elements 5＇ of the TSSs were analyzed to obtain potential function and spatiotemporal expression pattern of miRNAs. The data obtained here may lead to the identification of specific sequences upstream of pre-miRNAs and the functional annotation of miRNAs in soybean.

Genome-wide Characterization of cis-acting Elements in the Promoters of Key Carotenoid Pathway Genes from the Main Species of Genus Citrus

Carotenoids are indispensable for both human health and plant survival.Citrus,is one of the fruit crops richest in carotenoid compounds,with approximately 115 kinds of carotenoids;tremendous diversity in carotenoids composition and concentration exists among various species,showing different colors from nearly white to crimson.The carotenoid biosynthetic pathway and the key carotenogenic genes have been identified in citrus;however,the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unclear.In this study,among the main species of genus Citrus(primitive,wild,and cultivated),we detected carotenoids in flavedo using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography,and analyzed variations in cis-acting elements in the promoters of key carotenoid pathway genes.Intriguingly,both carotenoid composition and content were generally increased during the evolution of citrus,and the corresponding variations in the promoters were identified,including the gain or loss of critical environmental stress-responsive elements and hormone-responsive elements,which are closely associated with carotenoid enhancement.In addition,pummelo has the most heat-responsive elements,but the Mangshan mandarin does not have this element in the promoters of PSY,which is highly related to their geographical origin and indicate that temperature is a critical environmental signal influencing carotenoid accumulation.Moreover,the abscisic acid-responsive motif was rich in almost all the seven species,but the ethylene-responsive motif was deficient,which demystified the unique phytohormone regulation mechanism of carotenoid accumulation in citrus.Overall,our study provides new insights into the molecular regulatory mechanism of carotenoid enhancement in the evolution of citrus,which can facilitate breeding and cultivation efforts to improve the nutritional quality and esthetic value in citrus and hopefully other fruit crops.

Enhanced extracellular production of alpha-lactalbumin from Bacillus subtilis through signal peptide and promoter screening

Alpha-lactalbumin(α-LA)is a major whey protein found in breast milk and plays a crucial role in the growth and development of infants.In this study,Bacillus subtilis RIK1285 harboring AprE signal peptide(SP)was selected as the original strain for the production ofα-LA.It was found thatα-LA was identified in the pellet after ultrasonic disruption and centrifugation instead of in the fermentation supernatant.The original strain most likely only producedα-LA intracellular,but not extracellular.To improve the expression and secretion ofα-LA in RIK1285,a library of 173 homologous SPs from the B.subtilis 168 genome was fused with target LALBA gene in the pBE-S vector and expressed extracellularly in RIK1285.SP YjcN was determined to be the best signal peptide.Bands in supernatant were observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and purified by nickel column to calculate the highest yield signal peptide.In addition,different promoters(P_(aprE),P_(43),and P_(glv))were compared and applied.The results indicated that the strain RIK1285-pBE-P_(glv)-YjcN-LALBA had the highestα-LA yield,reaching 122.04μg/mL.This study demonstrates successful expression and secretion of humanα-LA in B.subtilis and establishes a foundation for simulating breast milk for infant formulas and developing bioengineered milk.

Understanding the catalytic performance and deactivation behaviour of second-promoter doped Pt/WO_(χ)/γ-Al_(2)O_(3) catalysts in the glycerol hydrogenolysis for selective and cleaner production of 1,3-propanediol

The selective aqueous-phase glycerol hydrogenolysis is a promising reaction to produce commercially useful 1,3-propanediol(1,3-PDO).The Pt-WOx bifunctional catalyst can catalyse the glycerol hydrogenol-ysis but the catalyst deactivation via sintering,metal leaching,and coking can predominantly occur in the aqueous phase reaction.In this work,the effect of reaction temperature,pressure and second promoter(Cu,Fe,Rh,Mn,Re,Ru,Ir,Sn,B,and P)on catalytic performance and deactivation behaviour of Pt/WOx/-Al2O3 was investigated.When doped with Rh,Mn,Re,Ru,Ir,B,and P,the second promoter boosts catalytic activity by promoting great dispersion of Pt on support and increasing Pt surface area.The increased Bronsted acid sites lead to selective synthesis of 1,3-PDO than 1,2-propanediol(1,2-PDO).The characterization studies of fresh and spent catalysts reveal that the main cause of catalyst deactivation is the Pt sintering,as interpreted based on XRD,CO chemisorption,and TEM analyses.The Pt sintering is affected depending on the second promoter that can either or reduce the interaction between Pt,WO_(χ)/γ and Al_(2)O_(3).As an electron acceptor of Pt in Pt/WO_(χ)/γ-Al_(2)O_(3),Re and Mn as second promoters resulted in increased Pt^(2+) on the catalytic surface,which strengthens the contact between Pt andγ-Al_(2)O_(3) and WO_(χ),resulting in a decrease in Pt sintering.The metal leaching and coking are not affected by the presence of second promoter.The catalyst modified with a second promoter possesses improved catalytic activity and 1,3-PDO production,however the stability continues to remain a challenge.The present work unrav-elled the determining parameters of catalytic activity and deactivation,thus providing a promising pro-tocol toward effective catalysts for glycerol hydrogenolysis.

Revisiting the mitigation of coke formation:Synergism between support&promoters'role toward robust yield in the CO_(2)reformation of methane

CO_(2)reformation of methane(CRM)and CO_(2)methanation are two interconnected processes with significant implications for greenhouse gas reduction and sustainable energy production for industrial purposes.While Nibased catalysis suffers from poor stability due to coke formation or sintering,we report a super stable remedy.The active sites of mesoporous MgO were loaded using wet impregnation.The incorporation of Ni and promoters altered the physical features of the catalysts.Sm–Ni/MgO showed the smallest crystallite size,specific surface area,and pore volume.The Sm–Ni/MgO catalyst was selected as the most suitable candidate for CRM,with 82%CH4 and H2/CO ratio of approximately 100%and also for CO_(2)methanation with the conversion of carbon dioxide(82%)and the selectivity toward methane reaches 100%at temperatures above 300ᵒC.Furthermore,the Sm–Ni/MgO catalyst was stable for 900 min of continuous reaction,without significant carbon deposition.This stability was largely due to the high oxygen mobility on the catalyst surface in the presence of Sm.Overall,we demonstrated the efficacy of using promoted Ni catalysts supported by mesoporous magnesia for the improved reformation of greenhouse gases.

Molecular cloning,characterization and promoter analysis of LbgCWIN1 and its expression profiles in response to exogenous sucrose during in vitro bulblet initiation in lily

Lily(Lilium spp.) is an important ornamental flower, which is mainly propagated by bulbs. Cell wall invertases(CWINs), which catalyze the irreversibly conversion of sucrose into glucose and fructose in the extracellular space, are key enzymes participating in sucrose allocation in higher plants. Previous studies have shown that CWINs play an essential role in bulblet initiation process in bulbous crops, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, a CWIN gene of Lilium brownii var. giganteum(Lbg) was identified and amplified from genomic DNA. Quantitative RT-PCR assays revealed that the expression level of LbgCWIN1 was highly upregulated exactly when the endogenous starch degraded in non-sucrose medium during in vitro bulblet initiation in Lbg. Phylogenetic relationship, motif, and domain analysis of LbgCWIN1 protein and CWINs in other plant species showed that all sequences of these CWIN proteins were highly conserved. The promoter sequence of LbgCWIN1 possessed a number of alpha-amylase-, phytohormone-, light-and stress-responsive cis-elements. Meanwhile, β-glucuronidase(GUS) assay showed that the 459 bp upstream fragment from the translational start site displayed maximal promoter activity. These results revealed that LbgCWIN1 might function in the process of in vitro bulblet initiation and be in the response to degradation of endogenous starch.

Cloning of BjNAC102 Promoter and Construction of Expression Vector in Brassica juncea

Transcription factor NAC102 plays an important role in the abiotic stress responses of plants.In this study,the promoter sequence of 3000 bp located in the upstream of the BjNAC102 gene was cloned from Brassica juncea‘Sichuan Yellow Seed’by using the homologous cloning method.The expression vector of the GUS gene driven by the BjNAC102 promoter was constructed by seamless cloning technology.The results showed that the sequence of the promoter of the BjNAC102 gene contained many cis-acting elements involved in light responsiveness,gibberellinresponsive element,and auxin-responsive element.It was speculated that BjNAC102 played an important role in the abiotic stress response in Brassica juncea.The expression vector of the promoter of the BjNAC102 gene was constructed,which layed a foundation for further studies of the expression pattern of the BjNAC102 gene in Brassica juncea.

Lineage-Specific Genome Architecture Links Enhancers and Non-coding Disease Variants to Target Gene Promoters

Long-range interactions between regulatory elements and gene promoters play key roles in transcriptional regulation.The vast majority of interactions are uncharted,constituting a major missing link in understanding genome control.Here,we use promoter capture Hi-C to identify interacting regions of 31,253 promoters in 17 human primary hematopoietic cell types.We show that promoter interactions are highly cell type specific and enriched for links between active promoters and epigenetically marked enhancers.Promoter interactomes reflect lineage relationships of the hematopoietic tree,consistent with dynamic remodeling of nuclear architecture during differentiation.Interacting regions are enriched in genetic variants linked with altered expression of genes they contact,highlighting their functional role.We exploit this rich resource to connect non-coding disease variants to putative target promoters,prioritizing thousands of disease-candidate genes and implicating disease pathways.Our results demonstrate the power of primary cell promoter interactomes to reveal insights into genomic regulatory mechanisms underlying common diseases.

牙鲆GHR基因Promoter区微卫星序列多态性与生长性状关系的初步研究

采用牙鲆GHR基因5’端Promoter区的1个微卫星标记,对胶南和日照2个牙鲆养殖群体进行了群体遗传多样性的研究,并探索该基因多态性位点与牙鲆生长性状之间的相关性。结果表明,2个群体在该座位的等位基因数为12和9个,有效等位基因数为6.26和5.04个,多态信息含量为0.84和0.80。2个群体该座位的Hardy-Weinberg遗传偏离指数均为正值,并没有显示出杂合子缺失,但各基因型分布频率都在一定程度上偏离Hardy-Weinberg平衡(P<0.01)。连锁分析中发现,在胶南群体中,IM基因型对应的个体在全重、全长、体长、头长、体高和眼径形态学数据中均是最大的;在日照群体中,BC基因型对应的个体在全重、全长、体高、尾柄高、尾柄长和眼径数据中均是最大的;而CJ基因型对应的个体在体长和头长这两组数据中是最大的。该结果为研究GHR基因的变异对鱼类生长发育的影响及探索将该基因作为生长遗传标记的可行性奠定了实验基础。

Cloning of the Promoter Regions of Golgi Membrane Glycoprotein GP73

[Objective] The aim of this study is to clone the active promoter of golgi membrane glycoprotein GP73. [Method] The sequence within the range of upstream 1 000 bp and downstream 400 bp of transcription initiation site was analyzed, the genomic DNA of hepatoma cell line Huh-7 was regarded as template for PCR amplification. The amplified fragment was cloned into recombinant construct with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) report gene. The expression of EGFP in recombinants were observed under fluorescence microscope after transfection, with the assistant of flow cytometry. [Result] The 1 310 bp ranging between upstream 980 bp and downstream 330 bp of transcription initiation site assumed promoter function. The region contains two core promoters and several conserved sequences including TATA box and many DNA binding sites such as NF-κB, AP1, GC-SP1. [Conclusion] The cloning of the promoter provides a reference for the study of the transcription mechanism of GP73.

Isolation and Analysis of Rubber Hevein Gene and Its Promoter Sequence

Hevein, a lectin_like protein, is a major factor of lutoids in the latex of rubber trees ( Hevea brasiliensis Muell._Arg.). This factor is involved in coagulation of the latex and has the ability to bind chitin. The hevein gene with a length of 680 bp was cloned by the method of RT_PCR. Its promoter region with 1 306 bp of this gene was also isolated by genome walking, and its sequence included the typical TATA and CAAT boxes as well as the homologous sequence of abscisic acid (ABA) response elements. Expression of the hevein gene in the latex and leaves was detected by Northern blot. After treatment of the trees with ethylene and ABA, the results showed that the hevein gene was expressed principally in latex, and the expression could be induced by ethylene and ABA.

Study on Cloning and Polymorphism of Porcine Adiponectin Promoter

[ Objective] The aim of this study was to provide a basis for study on adiponectin as a candidate gene for fat deposition. [ Method] The promoter sequence of adiponectin was obtained by porcine BAC library screening and primer-walking method. The polymorphisms of adiponectin promoter from 290 pigs, including 5 breeds of Lantang pig, Large spotted pig, Large white pig, Landrace and Duroc, were analyzed with PCR-RFLP. [ Result] At SNP site of adiponectin 5＇-flanking region -1 010 bp （G/A）, GG genotype frequency in Chinese indigenous pigs was significantly higher than that in exotic pigs. At SNP site of adiponectin 5＇-flanking region -394 bp （T/C）, the genotype distribution of Chi- nese indigenous pigs was abundant, while no CC genotype was detected in exotic pigs, and T allele frequency was higher in exotic pigs. [ Conclusion] SNP site mutation of - 1 010 bp （G/A） may lead to changes of the gene transcription level, while SNP site of -394 bp （T/C） properly has no relationship with gene transcription level and fat deposition.

Isolation of a Genomic DNA for Gastrodia Antifungal Protein and Analyses of Its Promoter in Transgenic Tobacco

A genomic DNA containing 5'-upstream region and complete open reading frame of a Gastrodia antifungal protein was isolated by screening of a genomic library from Gastrodia elata B1. To investigate the promoter activity, the 5'-flanking region - 1 157 lip upstream from the putative transcription start site was fused to the coding sequence of beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and transformed into Nicotiana tabacum. The strongest GUS activity was detected in the roots of transgenic tobacco, followed by stems. The leaves only showed a low GUS activity. Furthermore, the promoter established inducible expression pattern in transgenic tobacco upon fungus Trichoderma viride inoculation and jasmonic acid and salicylic acid treatments.

Effects of Supports and Promoters on in situ Hydrogenation of o-Cresol over Ni-based Catalysts

We investigated the effects of supports （CMK-3, SiO2ZrO2, MgO, Al2O3） and promoters （Cu, Ce, Fe） on textual properties of Ni based catalysts. o-Cresol was used as a probe to test the activity of these catalysts under the condition of 230 ℃ and nitrogen pres-sure of 0.1 MPa. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, H2 temperature programmed reduction ammonium programmed desorption, and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The results showed that the catalytic performance of Ni/CMK-3 （the conversion of o-cresol reached 45.4%） was significantly better than the other three kinds of supports. The modification of Ni/CMK-3 was also investigated and over 60% conversion of o-cresol was obtained after the addition of Ce （64.6%）and Cu （66.8%） in Ni/CMK-3, whereas the addition of Fe led to a decrease of conversion. In the meantime, Cu changed the products dis-tribution. The appearance of toluene indicated that another pathway existed in the reaction.Accompanied by the ascension of conversion in both sides, side effects also occurred and got more serious. The apparent order of activity for all the tested catalysts was NiCe/CMK-3〉NiCu/CMK-3〉Ni/CMK-3〉NiFe/CMK-3〉Ni/Al2O3Ni/SiO2ZrO2〉Ni/MgO. The reac-tion pathway, involving three routes, was also mentioned in this study.

Isolation and Characterization of CMO Gene Promoter from Halophyte Suaeda liaotungensis K.

The 5＇-flanking proximal region of stress-induced gene encoding choline monooxygenase （CMO） was isolated by Adaptor-PCR and TAIL-PCR from halophyte Suaeda liaotungensis K. A total of 2,204 bp DNA sequence was obtained. The transcription start site, which is located at 128 bp upstream to the start ATG, was predicted by the TSSP-TCM program. The functional elements were analysed by PLACE program. The obtained SICMO gene promoter contains the basic elements： TATA-box, CAAT-box, and stress-induced elements, for example, salt responsive element （GAAAAA）, cold responsive elements （CANNTG）, ABA （Abscisic Acid） responsive elements （NAACAA）, water stress element （CGGTTG）, and WUN responsive elements （GTTAGGTTC）. Isolation and analysis of the promoter of the CMO gene from S. liaotungensis lays a foundation for characterising the stress-induced promoter elements, studying the relationship between the structure and function of the promoter, and investigating the molecular mechanism of CMO gene regulation.

Obtaining High Pest_resistant Transgenic Upland Cotton Cultivars Carrying cry1Ac3 Gene Driven by Chimeric OM Promoter

Hypocotyl segments from aseptic seedlings of two important cultivars of upland cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Northwest China, 'Xinluzao_1', 'Jinmian_7', 'Jinmian_12' and 'Jihe_321' were transformed respectively by two efficient plant expression plasmids pBinMoBc and pBinoBc via Agrobacterium tumefaciens . In pBinMoBc, cry 1Ac3 gene, which encodes the Bt toxin, is under the control of chimeric OM promoter. In pBinoBc, it is under control of CaMV 35S promoter. After co_cultivation with Agrobacterium tumefimpfaciens LBA4404 (containing pBinMoBc or pBinoBc), kanamycin_resistant selection, somatic embryos were induced and regenerated plants were obtained. Then the regenerated plantlets were grafted to untransformed stocks in greenhouse to produce descendants. The integration of cry 1Ac3 gene and its expression in T 2 generation of transgenic cotton plants were confirmed by Southern hybridization and Western blotting. The analyses of insect bioassay indicated that the transgenic plants of both constructions have significant resistance to the larvae of cotton bollworm ( Heliothis armigera ) and that cry 1Ac3 gene driven by chimeric OM promoter could endue T 2 generation cotton with high pest_resistant ability, implicating that it has a profound application in genetic engineering to breed new pest_resistant cotton varieties.

Expression Activity of CLCuV Bidirectional Promoter in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) belongs to the subgroup III of geminiviruses with single strand DNA genome. Study demonstrated that the bidirectional promoter of CLCuV had activity in Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith et Townsend) Conn. This is the first report for the activity of the bidirectional promoter of geminivirus in A. tumefaciens. Results showed that the activity of the complementary sense promoter was stronger than that of virion sense promoter, and was detected 2-fold higher than that of CaMV 35S promoter in A. tumefaciens. Moreover, the promoter 5' deletion analysis indicated that the mean GUS activity driven by a 287 nucleotides complementary sense promoter fragment (from-287 to the translation initiation site) is 4 times higher than that driven by the whole complementary sense promoter in A. tumefaciens. This result suggested that there might exist negative regulatory elements in this deleted fragment. The function of other cis-elements included in CLCuV complementary sense promoter was also discussed in this paper.

Cloning and Functional Analysis of the Porcine Growth Hormone Gene Promoter

[Objective] This study aimed to clone the porcine growth hormone gene promoter and determine the core promoter sequences and the cis-acting elements. [Method] Sequence of the 5＇flanking region of porcine growth hormone gene was searched out and downloaded from the NCBI website. According to the targeted se- quence, primers were designed and synthesized for the PCR amplification. The 1 882 bp （-1 821 bp-＋61 bp） fragment was amplified by PCR. Nine promoter frag- ments with different lengths were obtained by genome-walking deletion method and then cloned into luciferase reporter vectors. Relative transcriptional activities of these 5＇ terminal-deleted plasmids in pituitary and non-pituitary cells were determined by transient transfection of the rat pituitary adenoma cell （GH3）, porcine lilac endotheli- um cell （PIEC） and porcrne Kidney-15 （PK15） with the constructed dual-luciferase vectors. [Result] Result of DNA sequencing showed that the 1 882 bp fragment of GH 5＇ promoter was successfully cloned. Nine luciferase reporter gene plasmids were constructed. DuaI-Luciferase reporter assay indicated that the promoter inserted into reporter gene vector had very strong cell specificity. [Conclusion] Porcine growth hormone gene specifically expresses in pituitary cells. The minimal promoter of the porcine growth hormone gene is mapped at the region -110 bp-＋61 bp. Promoter regions 218 bp--110 bp and -429 bp--218 bp contain positive regulatory elements.

种子特异性启动子(napinB promoter)分离、表达载体构建及转基因植物获得

利用PCR技术从油菜BrassicanapusH1 65基因组DNA中分离了napinB启动子。序列分析表明 ,扩增片段 (nap30 0 )与文献报道的napinB启动子相应区域的同源性为 97%。将其与gus连接构建种子特异性表达载体 ,农杆菌介导转化烟草。PCR、Southern结果显示 ,nap30 0已整合到烟草基因组DNA中 ,获得了转基因植株。

Association of RELN promoter SNPs with schizophrenia in the Chinese population

Previous research on gene expression analysis and association tests have suggested that RELN is a risk gene for schizophrenia in world populations.Based on the reported down-regulation of RELN in schizophrenia patients compared with normal subjects,we speculated that variants in the RELN promoter region may confer risk for schizophrenia.In this study,we investigated the associations of three SNPs in the promoter region of RELN with schizophrenia in a case-control sample from southwestern China（940 cases and 13 69 controls）.The results suggested that none of the SNPs showed significant associations in our sample,indicating the risk variants for schizophrenia in RELN may not be located in the promoter region.We also performed meta-analysis by combining our data with previously reported data on the Chinese population with a total sample size of 2 843 individuals,and the result remained nonsignificant.Collectively,our results suggested variants in the RELN promoter may not harbor risk SNPs associated with schizophrenia in the Chinese population.