内含肽介导PHB纯化人源抗菌肽LL-37体系的构建

新颖的内含肽介导PHB纯化蛋白体系,是一种高效表达、自动切割、纯化方便、费用低廉的蛋白表达纯化体系,有利于蛋白规模化纯化。选用对原核细胞具有毒害作用的小肽——人源抗菌肽LL-37作为纯化对象,通过基因工程技术,构建内含肽介导PHB纯化人源抗菌肽LL-37体系,并利用该体系纯化LL-37。结果表明,构建的内含肽介导PHB纯化人源抗菌肽LL-37体系可高效表达LL-37融合蛋白,利用构建的纯化体系能对目的蛋白进行纯化。

Construction of Vectors to Express Foreign Protein within Potato Starch Grains

[Objective] The aim is to study the construction of vectors expressing foreign protein in potato starch grains specifically, and provide some reference for solving industrialized core problem of high cost and low expression level of foreign protein. [Method] By using molecular biological techniques of RT-PCR and nested PCR, plant expression vector for the foreign protein locating in the potato starch grains was constructed. [ Result] Coding sequence （ GC20 ） of potato starch grains that was located and expressed by GBSSI promoter was cloned. Plant expression vector was screened out through connection, transformation and enzyme digestion identification. [ Conclusion] This result laid a foundation for further screening the foreign protein on the potato starch grains.

The VP2 protein of grass carp reovirus(GCRV) expressed in a baculovirus exhibits RNA polymerase activity

The double-shelled grass carp reovirus （GCRV） is capable of endogenous RNA transcription and processing.Genome sequence analysis has revealed that the protein VP2,encoded by gene segment 2 （S2）,is the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase （RdRp）.In previous work,we have ex-pressed the functional region of VP2 that is associated with RNA polymerase activity （denoted as rVP2390-900） in E.coil and have prepared a polyclonal antibody against VP2.To characterize the GCRV RNA polymerase,a recombinant full-length VP2 （rVP2） was first constructed and expressed in a baculovirus system,as a fusion protein with an attached His-tag.Immunofluorescence （IF） assays,together with immunoblot （IB） analyses from both expressed cell extracts and purified Histagged rVP2,showed that rVP2 was successfully expressed in Sf9 cells.Further characterization of the replicase activity showed that purified rVP2 and GCRV particles exhibited poly（C）-dependent poly（G） polymerase activity.The RNA enzymatic activity required the divalent cation Mg2＋,and was optimal at 28 ℃.The results provide a foundation for further studies on the RNA polymerases of aquareoviruses during viral transcription and replication.

Effect of Temperature on Gene Expression in the Pearl Oyster Pinctada fucata

In this study, we examined the effect of elevated temperature on the expression patterns of genes, i.e., nacrein, irr, n16, n19, and hsp70 in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. The experiment was carried out at 4 temperatures, i.e., 20℃(ambient, control), 24, 28℃, and 32℃. The expression levels of target genes in P. fucata were assayed at 0, 6, 24, 48, and 96 h via real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that the expression levels of nacrein and irr had no significant variations among different time points below 28℃, but significantly increased over time at 32℃. The expression levels of n16 and n19 did not change markedly at 20℃. The former increased significantly at 6 h and 24 h while the latter substantially decreased during 6–96 h at 24, 28 and 32℃. Among different temperatures, the level of n16 was significantly lower at 20℃ than at other temperatures during 6–96 h, and the level of n19 significantly varied among different temperatures at 48 h and 96 h. The expression level of hsp70 was significantly higher at 32℃ than at 20, 24 and 28℃ at 24 h. These results demonstrated that elevated temperature impacted the physiological processes of P. fucata and potentially influenced its adaptability to thermal stress.

MiRNA profile in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma:Downregulation of miR-143 and miR-145

AIM:To investigate the expression profile of miRNA in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).METHODS:The expression profile of miRNA in ESCC tissues was analyzed by miRNA microarray.The expression levels of miR-143 and miR-145 in 86 ESCC patients were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR) using TaqMan assay.The mobility effect was estimated by wound-healing using esophageal carcinoma cells transfected with miRNA expression plasmids.RESULTS:A set of miRNAs was found to be deregulated in the ESCC tissues,and the expression levels of miR-143 and-145 were significantly decreased in most of the ESCC tissues examined.Both miR-143 and miR-145 expression correlated with tumor invasion depth.The transfection of human esophageal carcinoma cells with miR-143 and miR-145 expression plasmids resulted in a greater inhibition of cell mobility,however,the protein level of the previously reported target of miR-145,FSCN1,did not show any significant downregulation.CONCLUSION:These findings suggest that the deregulation of miRNAs plays an important role in the progression of ESCC.Both miR-143 and miR-145 might act as anti-oncomirs common to ESCC.

Expression and Purification of Enterovirus Type 71 Polyprotein P1 using Pichia pastoris system

Enterovirus type 71（EV71） causes severe hand-foot-and-mouth disease （HFMD） resulting in hundreds of deaths of children every year; However, currently, there is no effective treatment for EV71. In this study, the EV71 poly-protein （EV71-P1 protein） gene was processed and cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pPIC9k and then expressed in Pichia pastoris strain GSll5. The EV71 P1 protein with a molecular weight of 100 kD was produced and secreted into the medium. The soluble EV71 P1 protein was purified by column chromatography with a recovery efficiency of 70%. The result of the immunological analysis showed that the EV71 P1 protein had excellent immunogenicity and could stimulate the production of EV71-VP1 IgG antibody in injected rabbits. We suggest that EV71-P1 protein is an ideal candidate for an EV71 vaccine to prevent EV71 infection.

Nectin-like Molecule 1 Inhibits the Migration and Invasion of U251 Glioma Cells by Regulating the Expression of An Extracellular Matrix Protein Osteopontin

Objective To investigate the molecular mechanism of nectin-like molecule 1(NECL1) inhibiting the migration and invasion of U251 glioma cells.Methods We infected U251 glioma cells with adeno-nectin-like molecule 1(Ad-NECL1) or empty adenovirus(Ad).Transwell and wound healing assays were performed to observe the migration of U251 cells incubated with the cell supernatant from Ad-NECL1 or Ad infected U251 cells.DNA microarray was applied to screen the gene expression profile after the restoration of NECL1 in U251 glioma cell lines.The differential expression of osteopontin(OPN),a gene related to migration and invasion,was further analyzed with semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),Western blot,and immunohistochemistry.Results The restoration of NECL1 inhibited migration of U251 cells significantly(P<0.05).Altogether 195 genes were found differentially expressed by microarray,in which 175 were up-regulated and 20 down-regulated,including 9 extracellular matrix proteins involved in the migration of cells.Both mRNA and protein expressions of OPN,the most markedly reduced extracellular matrix protein,were found decreased in U251 cells after restoration of NECL1.Immunohistochemical assay also detected an increase of OPN in glioma tissues,related with the progressing of malignant grade.Conclusion A link might exist between NECL1 and the extracellular matrix protein OPN in inhibiting the migration and invasion of U251 glioma cells.

Influence of CXCR4/SDF-1 axis on E-cadherin/β-catenin complex expression in HT29 colon cancer cells

AIM： To study the influence of CXCR4/stromal cell- derived factor-1 （SDF-1） axis on E-cadherin/β-catenin complex expression in HT29 colon cancer ceils and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS： Effect of SDF-1 on E-cadherin/β-catenin expression was detected by immunocytochemistry. E-cadherin and/3-catenin mRNA expression levels were measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. SDF-l-induced phosphorylation of phosphati- dylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/AKT and β-catenin was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS： The E-cadherin and β-catenin mRNA ex-pression levels in HT29 cells were lower 48 h after incubated with SDF-1 at the concentrations of 20 and 40 ng/mL （P 〈 0.05）. SDF-l-induced significant phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT and β-catenin. AMD3100 and LY294002 inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT and β-catenin. CONCLUSION： SDF-1 down-regulates the E-cadherin/ β-catenin complex expression in HT29 cells by decreasing mRNA synthesis and increasing β-catenin phosphorylation.

Analysis of the Cellular Localization of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Immediate-early Protein ICP22

Nuclear proteins often form punctiform structures, but the precise mechanism for this process is unknown. As a preliminary study, we investigated the aggregation of an HSV-1 immediate-early protein, infected-cell protein 22 （ICP22）, in the nucleus by observing the localization of ICP22-EGFP fusion protein Results showed that, in high-level expression conditions, ICP22-EGFP gradually concentrates in the nucleus, persists throughout the cell cycle without disaggregation even in the cell division phase, and is finally distributed to daughter cells. We subsequently constructed a mammalian cell expression system, which had tetracycline- dependent transcriptional regulators. Consequently, the location of ICP22-EGFP in the nucleus changed with distinct induction conditions. This suggests that the cellular location of ICP22 is also influenced by promoter regulation, in addition to its own structure. Our findings provide new clues for the investigation of transcriptional regulation of viral genes. In addition, the non-protease reporter system we constructed could be utilized to evaluate the role of intemal ribosome entry sites （IRES） on transcriptional regulation.

Effect of Nitric Oxide on Esophageal Cancer Cell Line TE-1

Objective To investigate the radiosensitizing effect of nitric oxide(NO) combined with radiation on esophageal cancer cell line TE-1.Methods Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay was used to assess the effects of NO and radiation on TE-1 cells regarding inhibition of cell proliferation.Flow cytometry was used to examine the effect of NO and radiation on cell apoptosis and cycle.Reverse transcription polymerase chine reaction and Western blot were used to evaluete the effect of NO on mRNA and protein expression of manganese superoxide dismutase(MnSOD).Results NO inhibited the proliferation of TE-1 cells while significantly enhancing their radiosensitivity.The application of NO combined with radiation significantly increased the apoptosis rate and G2/M phase proportion of TE-1 cells,with substantial decreases in the MnSOD mRNA and protein expression levels.Conclusions NO reduces the MnSOD mRNA and protein expression levels by affecting TE-1 cell cycle,further inhibiting the apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells and enhancing the killing effect of radiation on esophageal cancer cells.

Decreased prolactin-inducible protein expression exhibits inhibitory effects on the metastatic potency of breast cancer cells

Objective:The aim of the research was to study the effects of prolactin-inducible protein(PIP) downregulation on metastatic abilities of human breast cancer MDA-MB-453 cells.Methods:PIP-siRNA was transfected into human breast cancer MDA-MB-453 cells through liposome.Reverse transcription PCR and immunocytochemistry were employed to detect the downregulated expression of PIP.Cell migration,adhesion and invasion assays were performed to assess the impacts of PIP downregulation on cell migration,adhesion and invasion respectively.Results:Knockdown of PIP obviously inhibited cell migration,the migrated cells were decreased by 83.1% compared with the negative control group.Cell adhesion was also reduced,the adhesion rates at 30 min and 60 min were decreased by 42.6% and 48.5% respectively compared with the negative control group.Moreover,PIP downregulation resulted in decreased invasion rate by 73.9%.Conclusion:Reduced PIP expression in MDA-MB-453 cells can inhibit the abilities of migration,adhesion and invasion,which suggests that PIP plays an important role in the metastatic potency of breast cancer cells.

Artemisinin ameliorated proteinuria in rats with adriamycin-induced nephropathy through regulating nephrin and podocin expressions

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of artemisinin against proteinuria and glomerular filtration barrier damage in rats with adriamycin-induced nephropathy,and the potential mechanism underpinned the action.METHODS:Forty adriamycin rats were randomly divided into two groups with the ratio of 1︰3;the small-number group served as control group(n=10),and the rats in the large-number group were treated with adriamycin to induce nephropathy;then they were further randomly assigned into 3subgroups:benazepril group(n=10),artemisiningroup(n=10),and adriamycin group(n=10).The benazepril group and artemisinin group were treated with benazepril suspl(5.0 mg/kg daily)and artemisinin suspl(150 mg/kg daily)respectively after being modeled;those in the control group and adriamycin group were intragastrically administered an equivalent volume of distilled water every day.The treatment after model establishment lasted for a total of 4 weeks.The 24 h uric protein,blood biochemicals,renal pathological changes,renal ultrastrutural changes,Nephrin and Podocin proteins and gene expressions were measured by Coomassie brilliant blue assay,completely automatic biochemical analyzer,light microscope,electron microscopy,Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction,respectively.RESULTS:The rats in adriamycin group showed a significant increase in 24 h uric protein excretion,serum total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),serum creatinine(Scr)and decrease in albumin(Alb)(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with adriamycin group,artemisinin could reduce uric protein excretion,decrease the serum TC,TG elevation,increase the serum Alb level,up-regulate the expressions of Nephrin and Podocin(P<0.05 or P<0.01),but no statistical significance effects on the levels of BUN,Scr in artemisinin group(P>0.05).The renal pathological and ultrastrutural observation indicate that artemisinin could attenuate the severity of foot process effacement and fusion in the nephropathic rats.CONCLUSION:Artemisinin might have an effect on the nephropathy in rats caused by adriamycin,which may be at least partly correlated with attenu-ation of the severity of foot process effacement and fusion,up-regulation of the expressions of Nephrin and Podocin in the glomeruli in the rats.

Influence of Bushenhuoxue on podocytes of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis mice

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects and mechanisms of Bushenhuoxue on desmin and nephrin expression in mice podocytes, and to investigate its effects on wt1 expression in Wilms' tumor.METHODS: Adriamycin(ADR) was used to induce focal segmental glomerulous sclerosis(FSGS) in mice. Bushenhuoxue was used to treat FSGS for 6 weeks. We measured body mass and right renal mass, and determined serum albumin(ALB) levels,protein content in urine, and urinary protein and albumin creatinine ratio(UACR). Changes in renal tissue morphology were evaluated by microscopy.wt1 and nephrin expression in podocytes were detected using immunofluorescence. Expression levels of desmin, wt1 and nephrin m RNAs in renal tissue were determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays.RESULTS: Protein levels in urine and UACR were significantly increased in FSGS model mice compared with Bushenhuoxue-treated and control mice.Body mass and ALB levels were decreased in FSGS mice compared with control and Bushenhuoxue-treated mice. Expression of the wt1 protein was observed in control mice. Compared with controls,wt1 expression levels were reduced in Bushenhuoxue-treated mice, and to a greater extent in FSGS mice. Nephrin protein expression was widespread in FSGS mice, and significantly reduced in control and Bushenhuoxue mice. Expression levels of wt1 and nephrin m RNAs in FSGS mice were lower compared with those in control and Bushenhuoxue-treated mice. Desmin m RNA levels in FSGS mice were reduced compared with those in control and Bushenhuoxue-treated mice.CONCLUSION: Bushenhuoxue ameliorated albuminuria in FSGS mice; this was possibly related to the up-regulation of wt1 and nephrin, and down-regulation of desmin.