Fast species identification of mycobacterium by rpoB gene chip technology

Based on rpoB gene micro array as target gene, we are going to use gene chip technology to test 24 mycobacterium standard specimens, 8 non-mycobacterium specimens and 86 mycobacterium clinical isolated specimens. As a result, after mycobacterium and non-mycobacterium standard specimens were duplicated by PCR, mycobacterium standard specimens reproduced 360bp DNA fragments; on the other hand, non-mycobacterium specimens did not reproduce any fragments except for hemolytic streptococcus and corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum which had the same results as mycobacterium standard specimens. Sensitive test is able to detect lpg tuberculosis mycobacterium DNA. The probe test showed that, among 21 oligonucleotide probes, probe-M. fortuitum and M. marinum were cross-hybrid; the other probes were specific. We used the new method to identify 126 mycobacterium clinical isolated specimens. The test results of this new method matched with conventional method. In conclusion, compared to the traditional method, the use of rpob gene chip technology to identify mycobacterium species will be faster, more accurate and higher value in application.

Complex heterozygous mutations in hereditary spherocytosis:A case report

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the complex heterozygous mutations of ANK1 and SPTA1 in the same individual and improve our understanding of hereditary spherocytosis(HS)in children.We also hope to promote the application of gene detection technology in children with HS,with the goals of identifying more related gene mutations,supporting the acquisition of improved molecular genetic information to further reveal the pathogenesis of HS in children,and providing important guidance for the diagnosis,treatment,and prevention of HS in children.CASE SUMMARY A 1-year and 5-month-old patient presented jaundice during the neonatal period,mild anemia 8 months later,splenic enlargement at 1 year and 5 months,and brittle red blood cell permeability.Genetic testing was performed on the patient,their parents,and sister.Swiss Model software was used to predict the protein structure of complex heterozygous mutations in ANK1 and SPTA1.Genetic testing revealed that the patient harbored a new mutation in the ANK1 gene from the father and a mutation in the SPTA1 gene from the mother.Combined with the clinical symptoms of the children,it is suggested that the newly discovered complex heterozygous mutations of ANK1 and SPTA1 may be the cause,providing important guidance for revealing the pathogenesis,diagnosis,treatment,and promotion of gene detection technology in children with HS.CONCLUSION This case involves an unreported complex heterozygous mutation of ANK1 and SPTA1,which provides a reference for exploring HS.

Screening Helicobacter pylori genes induced during infection of mouse stomachs

AIM:To investigate the effect of in vivo environment on gene expression in Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) as it relates to its survival in the host.METHODS:In vivo expression technology(IVET) systems are used to identify microbial virulence genes.We modified the IVET-transcriptional fusion vector,pIVET8,which uses antibiotic resistance as the basis for selection of candidate genes in host tissues to develop two unique IVET-promoter-screening vectors,pIVET11 and pIVET12.Our novel IVET systems were developed by the fusion of random Sau3A DNA fragments of H.pylori and a tandem-reporter system of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and beta-galactosidase.Additionally,each vector contains a kanamycin resistance gene.We used a mouse macrophage cell line,RAW 264.7 and mice,as selective media to identify specific genes that H.pylori expresses in vivo.Gene expression studies were conducted by infecting RAW 264.7 cells with H.pylori.This was followed by real time polymerase chain reaction(PCR) analysis to determine the relative expression levels of in vivo induced genes.RESULTS:In this study,we have identified 31 in vivo induced(ivi) genes in the initial screens.These 31 genes belong to several functional gene families,including several well-known virulence factors that are expressed by the bacterium in infected mouse stomachs.Virulence factors,vacA and cagA,were found in this screen and are known to play important roles in H.pylori infection,colonization and pathogenesis.Their detection validates the efficacy of these screening systems.Some of the identified ivi genes have already been implicated to play an important role in the pathogenesis of H.pylori and other bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae.Transcription profiles of allivi genes were confirmed by real time PCR analysis of H.pylori RNA isolated from H.pylori infected RAW 264.7 macrophages.We compared the expression profile of H.pylori and RAW 264.7 coculture with that of H.pylori only.Some genes such as cag A,vac A,lpx C,mur I,tlp C,trx B,sod B,tnp B,pgi,rbf A and inf B showed a 2-20 fold upregulation.Statistically significant upregulation was obtained for all the above mentioned genes(P < 0.05).tlp C,cag A,vac A,sod B,rbf A,inf B,tnp B,lpx C and mur I were also significantly upregulated(P < 0.01).These data suggest a strong correlation between results obtained in vitro in the macrophage cell line and in the intact animal.CONCLUSION:The positive identification of these genes demonstrates that our IVET systems are powerful tools for studying H.pylori gene expression in the host environment.

Differential Expression of Genes in HepG2 Cells Caused by UC001kfo RNAi as Shown by RNA-seq

The differential expression of genes in HepG2 cells caused by UC001 kfo RNAi was investigated using RNA-seq. HepG2 cells were infected by Lenti-sh UC001 kfo lentivirus particles. The expression of UC001 kfo m RNA in the HepG2-sh UC001 kfo cell line was detected by real-time PCR. RNA-seq technology was used to identify the difference in the expression of genes regulated by lnc RNA UC001 kfo in the HepG2 cell line. Gene ontology and signaling pathway analysis were performed to reveal the biological functions of the genes encoding of significantly different m RNAs. The results showed that m RNAs were differentially expressed between the HepG2-sh UC001 kfo cell line and the HepG2 cell line. The UC001 kfo m RNA was significantly down-regulated in the stable cell line HepG2-sh UC001kfo（P〈0.001）. Additionally, we found 19 signaling pathways or functional classifications encompassing 30 genes that played a role in cancer characteristics, cell adhesion, invasion and migration. The results also showed that the expression of many genes associated with cancer cell invasion and metastasis was decreased with the down-regulation of the lnc RNA UC001 kfo. Lnc RNA UC001 kfo may play a role in regulating cancer cell invasion and metastasis. It was suggested that m RNAs were differentially expressed in the HepG2 cell line after the down-regulation of lnc RNA-UC001 kfo. Some took part in the extracellular matrix, cell adhesion, motility, growth, and localization. The genes encoding of differentially expressed m RNAs may participate in cell invasion and metastasis.

Application of Biological Nanopore Sequencing Technology in the Detection of Microorganisms

Environmental pollution and the spread of pathogenic microorganisms pose a significant threat to the health of humans and the planet.Thus,understanding and detecting microorganisms is crucial for maintaining a healthy living environment.Nanopore sequencing is a single-molecule detection method developed in the 1990s that has revolutionized various research fields.It offers several advantages over traditional sequencing methods,including low cost,label-free,time-saving detection speed,long sequencing reading,real-time monitoring,convenient carrying,and other significant advantages.In this review,we summarize the technical principles and characteristics of nanopore sequencing and discuss its applications in amplicon sequencing,metagenome sequencing,and whole-genome sequencing of environmental microorganisms,as well as its in situ application under some special circumstances.We also analyze the advantages and challenges of nanopore sequencing in microbiology research.Overall,nanopore sequencing has the potential to greatly enhance the detection and understanding of microorganisms in environmental research,but further developments are needed to overcome the current challenges.

Targeted Gene Manipulation in Plants Using the CRISPR/Cas Technology

The CRISPR/Cas technology is emerging as a revolutionary genome editing tool in diverse organisms including plants,and has quickly evolved into a suite of versatile tools for sequence-specific gene manipulations beyond genome editing.Here,we review the most recent applications of the CRISPR/Cas toolkit in plants and also discuss key factors for improving CRISPR/Cas performance and strategies for reducing the off-target effects.Novel technical breakthroughs in mammalian research regarding the CRISPR/Cas toolkit will also be incorporated into this review in hope to stimulate prospective users from the plant research community to fully explore the potential of these technologies.

Regulating CRISPR/Cas9 Using Streptavidin-Biotin Interactions

Comprehensive Summary Currently,CRISPR/Cas9 technology has found widespread applications across various domains.However,the utility of CRISPR/Cas9 is encumbered by issues pertaining to its reliability and safety,primarily stemming from the uncontrolled activity of the system.Therefore,the design and development of CRISPR/Cas9 systems with controllable activity is of paramount importance.Biotin,characterized by its small molecular weight,and streptavidin,distinguished by its substantial spatial steric hindrance,can be harnessed as an ideal OFF switch(termed a"bioactivity brake")due to their interaction characteristics.In this work,we present a strategy that employs the streptavidin-biotin interaction as a"brake system"for CRISPR/Cas9,effectively allowing for the shutdown of the enzymatic activity of CRISPR/Cas9.

Characteristic gene expression profiles in the progression from normal gastric epithelial cells to moderate gastric epithelial dysplasia and to gastric cancer

Background Gastric cancer ranks high among the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. This study was designed to explore key genes involved in the progression of normal gastric epithelial cells to moderate gastric epithelial dysplasia （mGED） and to gastric cancer. Methods Twelve pairs of mGED tissues, gastric cancer tissues, and normal gastric tissues were collected by gastroscopy. Total RNA was then extracted and purified. After the addition of fluorescent tags, hybridization was carried out on a Gene chip microarray slide. Significance analysis of microarrays was performed to determine significant differences in gene expression between the different tissue types. Results Microarray data analysis revealed totally 34 genes that were expressed differently： 18 highly expressed （fold change 〉2; P 〈0.01） and 16 down-regulated （fold change 〉2; P 〈0.01）. Of the 34 genes, 24 belonged to several different functional categories such as structural molecule activity, extracellular regions, structural formation, cell death, biological adhesion, developmental processes, locomotion, and biological regulation that were associated with cancer. The remaining 10 genes were not involved in cancer research. Of these genes, the expression levels of Matrix metalloproteinase-12 （MMP12）, Caspase-associated recruitment domain 14 （CARD14）, and Chitinase 3-like 1 （CHI3L1） were confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. A two-way clustering algorithm divided the 36 samples into three categories and the overall correct classification efficiency was 80.6% （29/36）. Almost all of these genes （31/34） showed constant changes in the process of normal gastric epithelial cells to mGED to gastric cancer. Conclusions The results of this study provided global gene expression profiles during the development and progression from normal gastric epithelial cells to mGED to gastric cancer. These data may provide new insights into the molecular pathology of gastric cancer which may be useful for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Application of CRISPR/Cas9 in plant biology

The CRISPR/Cas(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPRassociated proteins) system was first identified in bacteria and archaea and can degrade exogenous substrates. It was developed as a gene editing technology in 2013. Over the subsequent years, it has received extensive attention owing to its easy manipulation, high efficiency, and wide application in gene mutation and transcriptional regulation in mammals and plants. The process of CRISPR/Cas is optimized constantly and its application has also expanded dramatically. Therefore, CRISPR/Cas is considered a revolutionary technology in plant biology. Here, we introduce the mechanism of the type II CRISPR/Cas called CRISPR/Cas9, update its recent advances in various applications in plants, and discuss its future prospects to provide an argument for its use in the study of medicinal plants.