甲型流感病毒基因组进化事件检测软件的实现

目的流感病毒通过跨宿主迁移和基因组重配作用等进化事件引起抗原转换是造成流感大流行的主要原因;传统上利用系统发生树通过进化分析检测这些事件,而进化分析过程复杂并且算法参数较难设定。方法作者曾提出了一种利用基因型谱检测甲型流感病毒基因组进化事件的新方法,弥补了进化分析的这些缺陷。在本文中,利用C++Builder开发工具在Windows平台上实现了基因型谱分析方法。结果利用甲型流感病毒进化事件检测软件,可以快速的检测跨宿主迁移和基因组重配作用等甲型流感病毒基因组进化事件。结论甲型流感病毒进化事件检测软件可以作为流感病毒疫情监测控制中进化分析的辅助工具,无论在病毒基因组进化的基础研究和疾控实践中都将具有很强的应用价值。

UGT1A1 predicts outcome in colorectal cancer treated with irinotecan and fluorouracil

AIM:To evaluate effects of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase1A1(UGT1A1) and thymidylate synthetase(TS) gene polymorphisms on irinotecan in metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC).METHODS:Two irinotecan-and fluorouracil-based regimens,FOLFIRI and IFL,were selected as second-line therapy for 138 Chinese mCRC patients.Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples before treatment.UGT1A1 and TS gene polymorphisms were determined by direct sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism,respectively.Gene polymorphisms of UGT1A1*28,UGT1A1*6 and promoter enhancer region of TS were analyzed.The relationship between genetic polymorphisms and clinical outcome,that is,response,toxicity and survival were assessed.Pharmacokinetic analyses were performed in a subgroup patients based on different UGT1A1 genotypes.Plasma concentration of irinotecan and its active metabolite SN-38 and inactive metabolite SN-38G were determined by high performance liquid chromatography.Differences in irinotecan and its metabolites between UGT1A1 gene variants were compared.RESULTS:One hundred and eight patients received the FOLFIRI regimen,29 the IFL regimen,and one irinotecan monotherapy.One hundred and thirty patients were eligible for toxicity and 111 for efficacy evaluation.One hundred and thirty-six patients were tested for UGT1A1*28 and *6 genotypes and 125 for promoter enhancer region of TS.Patients showed a higher frequency of wild-type UGT1A1*28(TA6/6) compared with a Caucasian population(69.9% vs 45.2%).No significant difference was found between response rates and UGT1A1 genotype,although wild-type showed lower response rates compared with other variants(17.9% vs 24.2% for UGT1A1*28,15.7% vs 26.8% for UGT1A1*6).When TS was considered,the subgroup with homozygous UGT1A1*28(TA7/7) and non-3RG genotypes showed the highest response rate(33.3%),while wild-type UGT1A1*28(TA6/6) with non-3RG only had a 13.6% response rate,but no significant difference was found.Logistic regression showed treatment duration was closely linked to clinical response.In toxicity comparison,UGT1A1*28 TA6/6 was associated with lower incidence of grade 2-4 diarrhea(27.8% vs 100%),and significantly reduced the risk of grade 4 neutropenia compared with TA7/7(7.8% vs 37.5%).Wild-type UGT1A1*6(G/G) tended to have a lower incidence of grade 3/4 diarrhea vs homozygous mutant(A/A) genotype(13.0% vs 40.0%).Taking UGT1A1 and TS genotypes together,lower incidence of grade 2-4 diarrhea was found in patients with non-3RG TS genotypes,when TA6/6 was compared with TA7/7(35.3% vs 100.0%).No significant association with time to progression(TTP) and overall survival(OS) was observed with either UGT1A1 or TS gene polymorphisms,although slightly longer TTP and OS were found with UGT1A1*28(TA6/6).Irinotecan PK was investigated in 34 patients,which showed high area under concentration curve(AUC) of irinotecan and SN-38,but low AUC ratio(SN-38G /SN-38) in those patients with UGT1A1*28 TA7/7.CONCLUSION:A distinct distribution pattern of UGT1A1 genotypes in Chinese patients might contribute to relatively low toxicity associated with irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil in mCRC patients.

Role of H3K27 methylation in the regulation of IncRNA expression

Once thought to be transcriptional noise, large non-coding RNAs （IncRNAs） have recently been demonstrated to be functional molecules. The cell-type-specific expression patterns of lncRNAs suggest that their transcription may be regulated epigenetically. Using a custom-designed microarray, here we examine the expression profile of IncRNAs in embryonic stem （ES） cells, lineage-restricted neuronal progenitor cells, and terminally differentiated fibroblasts. In addition, we also analyze the relationship between their expression and their promoter H3K4 and H3K27 methyla- tion patterns. We find that numerous lncRNAs in these cell types undergo changes in the levels of expression and promoter H3K4me3 and H3K27me3. Interestingly, lncRNAs that are expressed at lower levels in ES cells exhibit higher levels of H3K27me3 at their promoters. Consistent with this result, knockdown of the H3K27me3 methyltransferase Ezh2 results in derepression of these IncRNAs in ES cells. Thus, our results establish a role for Ezh2-mediated H3K27 methylation in lncRNA silencing in ES cells and reveal that lncRNAs are subject to epigenetic regulation in a similar manner to that of the protein-coding genes.

Study on the Genotype of Extended-spectrum Beta-lactamases Mediated by Plasmid in Southern China

To investigate the prevalence and genotype of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) mediated by plasmid in Gram-negative bacteria found in southern China, a total of 1184 clinical isolates of non-repetitive strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected in 2001 from 5 different cities in southern China. The ESBLs-producing isolates were distinguished by means of the phenotype confirmatory test based on the NCCLS criteria and were subjected to plasmid conjugation and electroporation experiments. Those clinical isolates succeeded in plasmid transfers had undergone plasmid conjugation and electro-transformation, plasmid DNA extraction and PstⅠ digest finger-printing analysis, as well as the universal primer PCR amplification of the TEM, SHV, CTX-M, VEB, PER and SFO genes and the DNA sequencing in order to determine the genotypes of ESBLs and their plasmid locations. It was found that the incidence of the ESBLs-producing strains of Gram-negative bacteria was 14.6% (173/1184) with 67 strains of transconjugants and 11 strains of electro-transformants, in which CTX-M-14 type was 33.3% (26/78); CTX-M-3 type was 23.1% (18/78); CTX-M-9 type was 14.1% (11/78); CTX-M-5 type was 6.4% ( 5/78); CTX-M-13 type was 2.6% (2/78); SHV-5 type was 7.7% (6/78); SHV-12 type was 5.1% (4/78), SHV-2a type was 2.6% (2/78) and unidentified type was 5.1% (4/78). 29.5% of the wild strains also carried broad-spectrum beta-lactamases TEM-1 and SHV-1 types. The above mentioned ESBLs genes were located on transferable plasmids with variable sizes (from 35 to 190?kb). The CTX-M type ESBLs was characterized by high-level of resistance to cefotaxime. It concluded that the CTX-M-type was the most prevalent genotype in clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria in southern China, and the SHV-type ranks in the second place. TEM-, VEB-, Toho- and PER-types were not found in these isolates.

Understanding auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder： a system- atic review in transgenic mouse models

Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder is a unique group of hearing dysfunctions characterized by preserved outer hair cell function and abnormal neural conduction of the auditory pathway. However, the pathogenic mechanism underlying this disorder is not clear. We therefore performed a systematic review of genetic mouse models with different gene mutations to provide a valuable tool for better understanding of the process and the possible molecular mechanisms. Of the 18 articles retrieved, nine met the required criteria. All biochemical, histological, and electrophysiological results were recorded for each of the mouse models, as was the transgenic technology. This review provides a summary of different mouse models that may play an important role in the diagnosis and management of auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder in the future.