An R2R3-type transcription factor gene AtMYB59 regulates root growth and cell cycle progression in Arabidopsis

MYB proteins play important roles in eukaryotic organisms. In plants, the R1R2R3-type MYB proteins function in cell cycle control. However, whether the R2R3-type MYB protein is also involved in the cell division process remains unknown. Here, we report that an R2R3-type transcription factor gene, AtMYB59, is involved in the regulation of cell cycle progression and root growth. The AtMYB59 protein is localized in the nuclei of onion epidermal cells and has transactivation activity. Expression of AtMYB59 in yeast cells suppresses cell proliferation, and the transfor- mants have more nuclei and higher anenpioid DNA content with longer cells. Mutation in the conserved domain of AtMYB59 abolishes its effects on yeast cell growth. In synchronized Arabidopsis cell suspensions, the AtMYB59 gene is specifically expressed in the S phase during cell cycle progression. Expression and promoter-GUS analysis reveals that the AtMYB59 gene is abundantly expressed in roots. Transgenic plants overexpressing AtMYB59 have shorter roots compared with wild-type plants （Arabidopsis accession Col-0）, and around half of the mitotic cells in root tips are at metaphase. Conversely, the null mutant myb59-1 has longer roots and fewer mitotic cells at metaphase than Col, suggesting that AtMYB59 may inhibit root growth by extending the metaphase of mitotic cells. AtMYB59 regulates many downstream genes, including the CYCB1;1 gene, probably through binding to MYB-responsive elements. These results support a role forAtMYB59 in cell cycle regulation and plant root growth.

Research progress on the relationship between BRCA1 and hereditary breast cancer

Breast cancer gene 1(BRCA1) gene was the first breast cancel susceptibility gene discovered in familial breast cancer.It has been revealed that BRCA1 can be combined with an array of important protein involved in cell cycle regulation,DNA repair,gene transcription control and apoptosis regulation.It plays a down-regulation effect on tumor growth and an important role in maintaining genomic stability.New research suggests that it also associate with the breast cancer stem cells and microRNA.Its mutations,promoter methylation and ectopic expression may one of the main reasons for the generation and development of hereditary breast cancer.

Expression of CD44v6 gene in normal human peripheral blood

AIM: To investigate if CD44v6 could be used as a molecular marker of cancer progression and metastasis through the detection of CD44v6 gene expression in normal human peripheral blood.METHODS: RNA was extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 50 healthy donors, the expression of CD44v6 was investigated using reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).RESULTS: CD44v6 mRNA was detected in 58% of healthy volunteers under the proper controls.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the measurement of CD44v6 expression in peripheral blood by RT-PCR is not suitable for detection of circulating tumor cells.

Establishment of a Technique to PCR Detection about Follistatin Transgenic Sheep by Injection of Lentivirus

[Objective] The aim was to establish a stable detection method of lentivirus transgenic sheep at DNA level.[Method] The cotyledons,umbilical cord,tail tissue of newborn transgenic lambs and the body tissues of dead lambs were collected and used to extract DNA for PCR with primers designed for N＋D1 fragment of follistatin gene.At the same time,we detected the CMV promoter,5＇-LTR and so many other structure elements of lentiviral vector.The body tissues of dead lambs and muscle tissues of transgenic lambs in vivo were used to extract RNA for RT-PCR.[Result]The results showed that the DNA Extraction Kit was faster and more efficient than conventional method in extracting DNA and the DNA extracted with kit was easier to be amplified than that with conventional method.In order to avoid false positive caused by the interference of endogenous gene,the primers were designed for amplifying the combination of upstream of vector gene and downstream of target gene,increasing the specificity of detection.Tail tissue of newborn transgenic lambs could be used for detection and the detected results were reliable and accurate.The detection of CMV promoter,5＇-LTR and so many other structure elements of lentiviral vector provided a data support for the biological safety of transgenic animals and verify the detected results of target gene of transgenic lambs.The transcription products of RNA extracted from three of the lambs were not detected.[Conclusion] The PCR method established in our research for detecting transgenic sheep was efficient,fast and accurate.It would provide experimental basis for further detection at protein level,lay a foundation for the establishment of multi-level and systematic detection method of transgenic sheep and provide a stable technology platform for safety monitoring of transgenic sheep.

Decreased mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid and increased oxidative damage in chronic hepatitis C

AIM： To determine whether alteration of the mito- chondria DNA （mtDNA） copy number and its oxidative damage index （mtDNA△CT） can be detected by analysis of peripheral blood cells in hepatitis C virus （HCV）- infected patients. METHODS： This study enrolled two groups of pa- tients aged 40-60 years： a control group and an HCV- infected group in Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Changhua Christian Hospital. Patients with co-infection with hepatitis B virus or human im- munodeficiency virus, autoimmune disease, malignant neoplasia, pregnancy, thyroid disease, or alcohol con- sumption 〉 40 g/d were excluded. HCV-infected pa- tients who met the following criteria were included： （1） positive HCV antibodies for 〉 6 mo; （2） alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels more than twice the upper lim- it of normal on at least two occasions during the past 6 mo; and （3） histological fibrosis stage higher than F1. The mtDNA copy number and oxidative damage index of HCV mtDNA （mtDNA△CT） were measured in periph- eral blood leukocytes. The association between mtDNA copy number and mtDNA△CT was further analyzed using clinical data. RESULTS： Forty-seven normal controls （male/female： 26/21, mean age 50.51 ± 6.15 years） and 132 HCV- infected patients （male/female： 76/61, mean age 51.65 ± 5.50 years） were included in the study. The geno- types of HCV-infected patients include type 1a （n = 3）, type 1b （n = 83）, type 2a （n = 32）, and type 2b （n = 14）. Liver fibrosis stages were distributed as follows： F1/F2/F3/F4 = 1/61/45/25 and activity scores were A0/ A1/A2/A3 = 7/45/55/25. There were no age or gender differences between the two groups. HCV-infected pa- tients had higher hepatitis activity （aspartate transami- nase levels 108.77 ± 60.73 vs 23.19 ± 5.47, P 〈 0.01; ALT levels 168.69 ± 93.12 vs 23.15 ± 9.45, P 〈 0.01） and lower platelet count （170.40±58.00 vs 251.24 ± 63.42, P 〈 0.01） than controls. The mtDNA copy num- ber was lower in HCV-infected patients than in controls （173.49 vs 247.93, P 〈 0.05）. The mtDNA△CT was higher in HCV-infected patients than in controls （2.92 vs 0.64, P 〈 0.05）. To clarify the clinical significance of these results in HCV-infected patients, their association with different clinical parameters among HCV-infected pa- tients was analyzed. A negative association was found between mtDNA copy number and elevated aspartate transaminase levels （r = -0.17, P 〈 0.05）. Changes in mtDNA copy number were not associated with HCV RNA levels, HCV genotypes, liver fibrosis severity, or inflammatory activity in the liver biopsy specimen. How- ever, a correlation was observed between mtDNA△CT and platelet count （r = -0.22, P 〈 0.01）, HCV RNA level （r = 0.36, P 〈 0.01）, and hepatitis activity （r = 0.20, P = 0.02）. However, no difference in the change in mtDNA△CT was observed between different fibrosis stages or HCV CONCLUSION： Oxidative stress and mtDNA dam- age are detectable in patient＇s peripheral leukocytes. Increased leukocyte mtDNA△CT correlates with higher HCV viremia, increased hepatitis activity, and lower platelet count.

Effects of acetylene at low concentrations on nitrification, mineralization and microbial biomass nitrogen concentrations in forest soils

Temperate forest surface soils at the varying distances from main trunks (e.g., Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica) were used to study the effects of acetylene (C2H2) at low concentrations on nitrification, mineralization and microbial biomass N concentrations of the soils, and to assess the contribution of heterotrophic nitrification to nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soils. The use of acetylene at partial pressures within a range from 10 to 100 Pa C2H2 in headspace gas gave a significant decrease in N2O emission at soil moisture of c. 45% water-filled porosity space, and the decrease was almost the same in each soil after exposure of C2H2 at low concentrations. Heterotrophic nitrification could account for 21%―48% of total N2O emission from each soil; the contribution would increase with increasing distances from the Pinus koraiensis trunks rather than from the Quercus mongolica trunks. Under the experimental conditions, the use of C2H2 at low concentrations showed no significant influ- ence on soil microbial biomass N, net N mineralization and microbial respiration. However, 100 Pa C2H2 in headspace gas could reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from soils. According to the rapid consumption of 10 Pa C2H2 by forest soils and convenience for laboratory incubations, 50 Pa C2H2 in headspace gas can be used to study the origin of N2O emissions from forest soils under aerobic con- ditions and the key associated driving mechanisms. The N2O and CO2 emissions from the soils at the same distances from the Quercus mongolica trunks were larger than those from the Pinus koraiensis trunks, and both emissions decreased as the distances from trunks increased. The stepwise regression analysis showed that 95% of the variability in soil CO2 emissions could be accounted for by the concentrations of soil total C and water soluble organic C and soil pH, and that 72% of the variability in soil N2O emissions could be accounted for by the concentrations of soil total N, exchangeable NH+4-N and microbial biomass N and 25% of the variability in heterotrophic nitrification by the soil microbial biomass N concentration. The emissions of N2O and CO2 from forest soils after exposure of C2H2 at low concentrations were positively related to the net nitrification of the soils.

Limited ecological risk of insect-resistance transgene flow from cultivated rice to its wild ancestor based on life-cycle fitness assessment

Ecological impact caused by transgene flow from genetically engineered （GE） crops to their wild rela- tives is largely determined by the fitness effect brought by a transgene. To estimate such impact is critical for the eco- logical risk assessment prior to the commercialization of GE crops. We produced F1 and F2 hybrid descendants from crosses of two insect-resistant GE rice lines （Bt, Bt/CpT1） and their non-GE rice parent with a wild rice （Oryza ruff- pogon） population to estimate the transgenic fitness. Insect damages and life-cycle fitness of GE and non-GE crop- wild hybrid descendants as well as their wild parent were examined in a common-garden experiment. No significant differences in insect damages were observed between the wild rice parent and GE hybrid descendants under high- insect pressure. The wild parent showed significantly greater relative survival-regeneration ratios than its GE and non-GE hybrid descendants under both high- and low-in- sect pressure. However, more seeds were produced in GE hybrid descendants than their non-GE counterparts under high-insect pressure. Given that the introduction of Bt and Bt/CpT1 transgenes did not provide greater insect resistance to crop-wild hybrid descendants than their wild parent, we predict that transgene flow from GE insect-resistant rice to wild rice populations may not cause considerable ecolog- ical risks.

HSV-1 stimulation-related protein HSRG1 inhibits viral gene transcriptional elongation by interacting with Cyclin T2

The protein encoded by HSRG1(HSV-1 stimulation-related gene 1) is a virally induced protein expressed in HSV-1-infected cells.We have already reported that HSRG1 is capable of interacting with transcriptional regulator proteins.To further analyze the effects of HSRG1 on the regulation of viral gene transcription,we expressed the HSRG1 protein in transfected cells and found that it postpones the proliferation of HSV-1.CAT(chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) assays also revealed that HSRG1 reduces transcription from HSV-1 promoters.Yeast two-hybrid and immunoprecipitation assays indicated that HSRG1 interacts with Cyclin T2,the regulatory subunit of P-TEFb,which is required for transcription elongation by RNA Pol II(RNAP II) ,and that amino acid residues 1-420 in Cyclin T2 are important for binding with HSRG1.Fluorescence assays suggested that the cellular localizations of those two proteins are influenced by their interaction.Further analyses with CAT assays revealed that HSRG1 inhibits the transcriptional activation by Cyclin T2 of viral promoters.Our results suggested that the inhibitory effects of HSRG1 on viral replication and proliferation are probably induced by its binding to Cyclin T2.Therefore,it is likely that HSRG1 inhibits viral gene transcriptional elongation by interacting with Cyclin T2.

Cellular adaptation to hypoxia and p53 transcription regulation

Tumor suppressor p53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human tumors. Meanwhile, under stress conditions, p53 also acts as a transcription factor, regulating the expression of a series of target genes to maintain the integrity of genome. The target genes of p53 can be classified into genes regulating cell cycle arrest, genes involved in apoptosis, and genes inhibiting angiogenesis, p53 protein contains a transactivation domain, a sequence-specific DNA binding domain, a tetramerization domain, a non-specific DNA binding domain that recognizes damaged DNA, and a later identified proline-rich domain. Under stress, p53 proteins accumulate and are activated through two mechanisms. One, involving ataxia telangiectasia-mutated protein （ATM）, is that the interaction between p53 and its down-regulation factor murine double minute 2 （MDM2） decreases, leading to p53 phosphorylation on Serl 5, as determined by the post-translational mechanism; the other holds that p53 increases and is activated through the binding of ribosomal protein L26 （RPL26） or nucleolin to p53 mRNA 5＇ untranslated region （UTR）, regulating p53 translation. Under hypoxia, p53 decreases transactivation and increases transrepression. The mutations outside the DNA binding domain of p53 also contribute to tumor progress, so further studies on p53 should also be focused on this direction. The subter- ranean blind mole rat Spalax in Israel is a good model for hypoxia-adaptation. The p53 of Spalax mutated in residue 172 and residue 207 from arginine to lysine, conferring it the ability to survive hypoxic conditions. This model indicates that p53 acts as a master gene of diversity formation during evolution.