Molecular Cloning, Sequence Analysis and Prokaryotic Expression of Ovine Activin Receptor Type IIB(ActRIIB) Gene

Objective] This study aimed to clone ovine activin receptor type llB （Ac-tRIIB） gene, construct the prokaryotic expression vector and express the target gene in vitro, thus providing basis for further function verification. [Method] The template cDNA which was reversely transcribed from total RNA of sheep liver tissue, was subjected to polymerase chain reaction （PCR） using specific primers of ActRIIB. The ful-length cDNA of ovine ActRIIB was obtained by pMD18-T cloning and sequencing for bioinformatics analysis. Ovine ActRIIB encoding sequence was subcloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET41a with restriction sites BamHl/Notl, and then transformed into BL21 （DE3）. The induced products by lPTG were analyzed with SDS-PAGE and Western Blot. [Result] The amplified ful-length cDNA of ovine Ac-tRllB gene was 1 564 bp in length （Genbank accession number： JX422071.1） with an open reading frame of 1 539 bp, encoding 512 amino acides. Ovine ActRllB shared the highest homology （99.6%） with bovine ActRllB. ActRllB had highly ho-mologous C-terminal domains and belonged to the TGFβ family. After prokaryotic expression, an approximately 92 kD His-tagged ActRllB recombinant protein was obtained, which was consistent with the excepted result. [Conclusion] Cloning and successful expression of ovine ActRIIB laid solid foundation for further investigation of its biological function.

Cloning, Sequence Analysis, and Prokaryotic Expression of the Porcine DECR1 Gene

2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase 1 （ DECR1 ） is the key rate-limiting enzyme in the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Although this protein has been studied in a variety of mammals, its role in por- cine is yet to be fully elucidated. However, it is a candidate determinant/indicator of meat quality, growth traits, and carcass quality. Here, we employed RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends （RACE） analysis to amplify the full-length cDNA of DECR1 from Mashen pig liver, and cloned it into the expression vector pET-32a＋. After confirmation by sequencing and restriction analysis, the recombinant plasmid was transformed into E. coli BL21 cells. The cDNA of pig DECR1 contained 2,352 nucleotides, including a 987 bp open reading frame flanked by a 53 bp 5＇-untranslated region （UTR） and a 1,312 bp 3＇-UTR. The pig DECR1 coding sequence encoded 328 amino acid residues, which shared 99%, 88%, 87%, 87%, 87%, 87%, and 83% identity with those of Sus scrofa （predicted）, Bos taurus, Homo sapiens, Macaca mulatta, Pan troglodytes, Equus caballus, Canis, and Mus musculus, respectively. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the recombinant protein was expressed and that the expression level reached its highest level after 4 h induction. Western blot analysis indicated that the molecular weight of the expressed protein was the same as that predicted, ap- proximately 35 kDa. Collectively these data provide the basis for further studies into the physiological functions and molecular mechanisms of the pig DE- CR1 gene.

Isolation and Sequence Analysis of HMW Glutenin Subunit 1Dy10.1 Ecoding Gene from Xinjiang Wheat (Triticum petropavlovskyi Udacz. et Migusch)

A novel HMW glutenin subunit gene 1Dy10. 1 was isolated and characterized from Xinjiang wheat （Triticum petropavlovskyi. Udacz. et Migusch） accession Daomai 2. The complete open reading frame （ORF） of 1Dy10. 1 was 1 965 bp, encoding 655 amino acids. The numbers and distribution of cysteines in 1Dy 10.1 were similar to those of 1Dy10 and other y-type subunits. In the N-terminal of 1Dy 10.1, an amino acid was changed from L （leucine） to P （proline） at position 55. The repetitive domain of 1Dy10.1 differed from those of known HMW subunits by substitutions, insertions or/and deletions involving single or more amino acid residues. In the repetitive domain of subunit 1Dyl 0.1, the deletion of tripeptide GQQ in the consensus unit PGQGQQ resulted in the appearance of the motif PGQ that have not been observed in other known y-type HMW subunits. In comparison with the subunit 1Dy 12, a deletion of dipeptide GQ, which occurred in subunit IDy10, was also observed in subunit 1Dy10.1. The cloned IDylO. 1 gene had been successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, and the expressed protein had the identical mobility with the endogenous subunit IDy10.1 from seed.

Single-cell network analysis reveals gene expression programs for Arabidopsis root development and metabolism

Single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets of Arabidopsis roots have been generated,but related comprehensive gene co-expression network analyses are lacking.We conducted a single-cell gene co-expression network analysis with publicly available scRNA-seq datasets of Arabidopsis roots using a SingleCellGGM algorithm.The analysis identified 149 gene co-expression modules,which we considered to be gene expression programs(GEPs).By examining their spatiotemporal expression,we identified GEPs specifically expressed in major root cell types along their developmental trajectories.These GEPs define gene programs regulating root cell development at different stages and are enriched with relevant developmental regulators.As examples,a GEP specific for the quiescent center(QC)contains 20 genes regulating QC and stem cell niche homeostasis,and four GEPs are expressed in sieve elements(SEs)from early to late developmental stages,with the early-stage GEP containing 17 known SE developmental regulators.We also identified GEPs for metabolic pathways with cell-type-specific expression,suggesting the existence of cell-type-specific metabolism in roots.Using the GEPs,we discovered and verified a columellaspecific gene,NRL27,as a regulator of the auxin-related root gravitropism response.Our analysis thus systematically reveals GEPs that regulate Arabidopsis root development and metabolism and provides ample resources for root biology studies.

Vitis amuerensis CBF3 Gene Isolation,Sequence Analysis and Expression

The full length cDNA sequence of CBF3 （CRT/DRE-binding factor） was cloned from Vitis amurensis by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） using the primers designed based on CBF genes available in GenBank. Sequence analysis showed that the gene had 854 bp long and its coding sequence contained 720 bp, encoding a protein with 239 amino acids and an AP2 structural domain. The molecular mass of CBF3 was predicted to be 25.9 kDa and its theoretical isoelectric point was 7.02 and aliphatic index was 59.29. The average hydropathicity of the protein was -0.551. The tertiary structures of CBF3 were also analyzed. The prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-4T-CBF3 containing CBF3 gene was constructed and CBF3 fusion protein （52 kDa） was produced in Escherichia coli after induction with 1 mmol L-1 IPTG. Further studies are needed to evaluate its potential application for improving plant resistance to cold and other stress condition such as drought and salinity.

Cloning and Expression Analysis of Mlo Gene from Pericallis hybrida B. Nord.

The full-length Mlo gene was obtained by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and RACE. The result of sequence analysis indicated that M/o gene from Pericallis hybrida B. Nord. contained about 1296bp open reading frame and encoded 431 amino acids. According to the comparison of the exogenous gene sequences by BLAST analysis and phylogenetic analysis, Mlo gene shared over 85% nucleotide homology and 98% amino acid homology. Finally, through semi-quantitative-PCR and fluorescence quantitative analysis, we found that Mlo gene showed the highest expression levels in leaves and the lowest in roots after inoculated with powdery mildew pathogen for different days.

Genome-wide analysis of the barley non-specific lipid transfer protein gene family

Non-specific lipid transfer proteins(nsLTPs) are small, basic proteins that are characterized by an eight-cysteine motif. The biological functions of these proteins have been reported to involve plant reproduction and biotic or abiotic stress response. With the completion of the barley genome sequence, a genome-wide analysis of nsLTPs in barley(Hordeum vulgare L.)(HvLTPs) will be helpful for understanding the function of nsLTPs in plants. We performed a genome-wide analysis of the nsLTP gene family in barley and identified 70 nsLTP genes,which can be divided into five types(1, 2, C, D, and G). Each type of nsLTPs shares similar exon and intron gene structures. Expression analysis showed that barley nsLTPs have diverse expression patterns, revealing their various roles. Our results shed light on the phylogenetic relationships and potential functions of barley nsLTPs and will be useful for future studies of barley development and molecular breeding.

Isolation of a Plasmalemma Aquaporin Encoding Gene StPIP1 from Solanum tuberosum L. and Its Expression in Transgenic Tobacco

Aquaporin （AQP） belongs to a highly conserved group of membrane proteins considered as major intrinsic proteins, which facilitate water transport across biological membranes. The discovery of AQPs in plants has resulted in a paradigm shift in the understanding of plant-water relations, however, the potential relationship between the role of aquaporins in regulating plant water balance and drought tolerance still remains elusive. In this study, the gene encoding potato AQP cDNA, StPIP1 （GenBank accession no. DQ999080）, was cloned from the leaf of potato cultivar Gannongshu 2 by reverse transcription-PCR （RT-PCR）. Sequence alignment was made by BLASTn in GenBank, the phylogenetic analysis was conducted using PHYLIPWY, the 3D structure was predicted in Swiss-Model server. Subcellular localization of StPIP1 was performed by constructing CaMV35S-StPIP1-GFP and rd29A-StPIP1-GFP fusion proteins and transient expression in onion epidermis. To understand StPIP1 physiological functions in potato under various stress conditions, the StPIP1 gene in a reverse orientation was transformed into tobacco driven by the Cauliflower mosaic virus （CMV） 35S promoter. The expression levels of transgenic and wild-type plants were assessed under various abiotic stress conditions using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and the morphological and physiological responses of transgenic plants to different stress conditions were investigated. The expression of StPIP1 mRNA decreased in transgenic plants under non-stress and stress conditions, however, the reduction was more severer under drought stress. In both non-stress and stress conditions, StPIP1 was expressed predominantly in root. The morphological and physiological investigation showed no significant differences in growth rate, germination rate, and root fresh weight （FW） between transgenic and wild-type plants when grown under favorable conditions. In contrast, under drought stress, the reduction in StPIPI expression leads to a delay in seed germination and seedling growth, accelerated seedling wilt, and leaf morphological abnormity. Under ＂enough＂ water conditions （i.e., water culture）, the aerial parts of anti-sense plants showed no differences. However, for the aerial parts to accumulate the same amount of biomass, transgenic plants needed about 3 times more abundant root system to transport water for plant growth than wild-type plants. Morphological investigation showed that the reduction in StPIP1 expression increased the root system in transgenic plants under drought stress. As a result, the increase of root mass might compensate the reduced cellular water permeability in order to ensure a sufficient water supply for the plant. Results demonstrated that StPIP1 plays an important role for water transportation in potato, especially under drought stress conditions. The reduced expression of StPIP1 decreases the cellular water transport and influences the expression of endogenous AQPs genes and thereby, has impacts on seed germination, seedling growth, and stress responses of potato to drought conditions.

Cloning of XET gene from Anthocephalus chinensis and its plant expression vector construction

A full-length cDNA sequence of xyloglucan endotransglycosylase gene （XET）, abundantly expressed in the cambium of Anthocephalus chinensis was cloned by conserved PCR, rapid-amplification of cDNA ends and by chromosome walking. Analytical results of the DNA sequence show that a 912 bp complete open reading frame （ORF） encoded a 303-amino acid protein was in the 1205 bp full cDNA sequence. The deduced amino acid sequence of AcXET, which contained the conserved specific EIDFE catalytic site sequence to XETs was homologous to the other known XET proteins. In order to study the gene function of AcXET and obtain transgenic plants, a plant expression vector pBIAcXET was constructed by recombinating the AcXET fragment from the cloning vector pMD19AcXET and the binary vector pBI121 between the XbaI and SmaI sites. The fragment ofAcXET gene was inserted between the CaMV 35S promotor and the coding region of the GUS gene in pBI121. The identification results show that the plant expression binary vector pBIAcXET was constructed successfully. These results lay the foundation for studying the molecular mechanism ofAcXET gene during wood formation.

Microarray-Based Differential Expression Monitoring of 79 Novel Genes in Human Fetal Tissues

ESTs fragments which represents corresponding novel genes were obtained by sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of human fet al kidney cDNA library. Microarray was prepared by using these novel EST fragmen ts by automatic spotting. Expression patters of 79 ESTs of novel genes from huma n fetal kidney were analyzed in fetal brain and fetal heart tissues of 20\|week\ | and 26\|week\|age fetus by performing of cDNA chip hybridization. This provide s clues for studying exact functions of the novel genes. 8 genes were obtained w hich were expressed differentially in the fetal brain and heart of 20\|week\| an d 26\|week\|age respectively. Then differentially expressed genes were identifie d by Northern analysis. The more exact function of the novel genes is under stud y.

Cloning and Sequencing of the Pokeweed Antiviral Protein Gene and Its Expression in E. coli

The total RNA was isolated from pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) leaves using the method of guanidine isothiocyanite and used as a template to amplify the deleted mutant pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) gene by RT-PCR and then the gene was cloned into the pGEMR-T vector. The sequencing results showed that the PAP gene consisted of 711nt, which was 99.6% identical to the PAP gene reported by Lin et al (1991). The IPTG-inducible expression vector containing the PAP gene was constructed and transferred into the E. coli strain BL21 (DE3)-plysS. A specific protein was produced after induction with 0.4m mol/L IPTG and its molecular weight was 26ku. The results of the double diffusion on the agar plate and the western blotting test showed that the protein produced in E. coli was highly identical with the PAP extracted by a Frenchman from French pokeweed leaves. These revealed that PAP gene was actually achieved and exactly expressed in E. coli.

Molecular Cloning of a Thiol Proteinase Inhibitor Gene and Its Expression in E.coli

A cDNA library was constructed with 1.5×10~6 pfu from rice immature seeds,fromwhich a cDNA clone for rice thiol proteinase inhibitor,oryzacystatin(OC),was isolated byscreening with synthesized oligodeoxynucleotide probe,which contained a 309bp open read-ing frame,84bp 5′-end noncoding region and a poly(A)signal AATAAA at the 3′-end fol-lowed by 31Nt poly(A).Then the coding region of OC was amplified and inserted into thedownstream of λP_RP_L promoter for thermal-inducible expression in E.coli.Shifting the cul-ture temperature from 30℃ to 42℃ led to a high level expression of OC,which exhibited adistinct band of 12.0 kDa and accounted for at least 10% of the total soluble proteins fromSDS-PAGE.The papain-inhibitory activity of the expressed OC was further confirmed.

RNA-Seq and Bulked Segregant Analysis of Genes Related to High Growth in <i>Ginkgo biloba</i>Half-Sibling Families

The lifetime of G. biloba is very long, and its growth is relatively slow. However, little is known about growth-related genes in this species. We combined mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) with bulked segregant analysis (BSA) to fine map significant agronomic trait genes by developing polymorphism molecular markers at the transcriptome level. In this study, transcriptome sequencing of high growth (GD) and low growth (BD) samples of G. biloba half-sib families was performed. After assembling the clean reads, 601 differential expression genes were detected and 513 of them were assigned functional annotations. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis identified SNPs associated with 119 genes in the GD and BD groups;58 of these genes were annotated. Two Homeobox-leucine zipper protein genes were up-regulated in the GD group compared with the BD group;therefore, these are very likely related to high growth of G. biloba. This study provides molecular level data that could be used for seed selection of high growth G. biloba half-sib families for future breeding programs.

Molecular Characterization of Four ADF Genes Differentially Expressed in Cotton

Actin depolymerizing factor （ADF）, highly conserved in all eukaryotic cells, is a low molecular mass of actin-binding protein, which plays a key role in modulating the polymerizing and depolymerizing of the actin filaments. Four cDNAs （designated GhADF2, GhADF3, GhADF4, and GhADF5, respectively） encoding ADF proteins were isolated from cotton （Gossypium hirsutum） fiber cDNA library. GhADF2 cDNA is 705 bp in length and deduces a protein with 139 amino acids. GhADF3 cDNA is 819 bp in length and encodes a protein of 139 amino acids. GhADF4 cDNA is 804 bp in length and deduces a protein with 143 amino acids. GhADF5 cDNA is 644 bp in length and encodes a protein of 141 amino acids. The molecular evolutionary relationship of these genes was analyzed by means of bioinformatics. GhADF2 is closely related to GhADF3 （99% identity） and PetADF2 （89% identity）. GhADF4 is closely related to AtADF6 （78% identity）, and GhADF5 is closely related to AtADF5 （83% identity）. These results demonstrated that the plant ADF genes are highly conserved in structure. RT-PCR analysis showed that GhADF2 is predominantly expressed in fiber, whereas, GhADF5 is mainly expressed in cotyledons. On the other hand, it seems that GhADF3 and GhADF4 have no tissue specificity. Expression levels of different ADF genes may vary considerably in the same cell type, suggesting that they might be involved in regulating tissue development of cotton and the each ADF isoform may diverge to form the functional difference from the other ADFs during evolution.

Applying a highly specific and reproducible cDNA RDA method to clone garlic up-regulated genes in human gastric cancer cells

AIM: To develop and optimize cDNA representational difference analysis (cDNA RDA) method and to identify and clone garlic up-regulated genes in human gastric cancer (HGC) cells. METHODS: We performed cDNA RDA method by using abundant double-stranded cDNA messages provided by two self-constructed cDNA libraries (Allitridi-treated and paternal HGC cell line BGC823 cells cDNA libraries respectively). Bam H I and Xho I restriction sites harbored in the library vector were used to select representations. Northern and Slot blots analyses were employed to identify the obtained difference products. RESULTS: Fragments released from the cDNA library vector after restriction endonuclease digestion acted as good marker indicating the appropriate digestion degree for library DNA. Two novel expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and a recombinant gene were obtained. Slot blots result showed a 8-fold increase of glia-derived nexin/protease nexin 1 (GDN/PN1) gene expression level and 4-fold increase of hepatitis B virus x-interacting protein (XIP) mRNA level in BGC823 cells after Allitridi treatment for 72h. CONCLUSION: Elevated levels of GDN/PN1 and XIP mRNAs induced by Allitridi provide valuable molecular evidence for elucidating the garlic's efficacies against neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. Isolation of a recombinant gene and two novel ESTs further show cDNA RDA based on cDNA libraries to be a powerful method with high specificity and reproducibility in cloning differentially expressed genes.

Cloning and expression of NS3 cDNA fragment of HCV genome of Hebei isolate in E.coli

AIM To obtain greater antigenicity of HCV NS3 protein. METHODS The HCV NS3 cDNA fragment was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction from the sera of the HCV infected patients. The DNA sequence was determined by dideoxy mediated chain termination method using T7 polymerase. HCV NS3 protein was expressed in E. coli . RESULTS Sequence analysis indicated that the HCV isolate of this study belongs to HCV Ⅱ; SDS PAGE demonstrated an M r 23800 and an M r 22000 recombinant protein band which amount to 14% and 11% of the total bacterial proteins separately. Western blotting and ELISA showed NS3 protein possessed greater antigenicity. CONCLUSION Recombinant HCV NS3 protein was expressed successfully, which provided the basis for developing HCV diagnostic reagents.

Identification and characterization of the BGR-like gene with a potential role in human testicular development/spermatogenesis

Aim: To investigate the roles of the BGR-like gene in testicular development/spermatogenesis. Methods: A human testis cDNA microarray was hybridized with probes from human adult testes and embryo testes. The differentially expressed clones were sequenced and analyzed. Expression of the BGR-like gene was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: A new gene exhibiting 50-fold difference in expression level between adult and fetal human testes was cloned and named the BGR-like gene. The cDNA consisted of 2500 nucleotides and had an open reading frame of 1437 nucleotides encoding a putative protein of 497 amino acid residues. Homologous comparison showed that the BGR-like gene was a new alternative splicing variant of the BGR gene and had sequence homology with the bubblegum gene of human, mouse, rat and Drosophilia. Protein motif analysis of the BGR-like gene revealed that it contained a conserved adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-binding domain and a fatty acyl-CoA synthetase signature motif which existed in all acyl-CoA synthetases. The BGR-like gene transcript was imperceptibly expressed in human fetal testes, highly in human adult testes and moderately in elderly testes and human Leydig cells. RT-PCR-based tissue distribution experiments showed that the BGR-like gene was exclusively expressed in testes and was a testes-specific isoform of the BGR gene. A BGR-like gene transcript was not detected in some azoospermic testes. Conclusion: The BGR-like gene may play an important role in spermatogenesis/testicular development and may be correlated with male infertility.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of the lateral organ boundaries domain gene family in Brassica rapa var.rapa

The Lateral Organ Boundaries Domain(LBD)genes encode highly conserved plant-specific LOB domain proteins which regulate growth and development in various species.However,members of the LBD gene family have yet to be identified in Brassica rapa var.rapa.In the present study,fifty-nine LBD genes were identified and distributed on 10 chromosomes.The BrrLBD proteins are predicted to encode hydrophobic polypeptides between 118 and 394 amino acids in length and with molecular weights ranging from 13.31 to 44.24 kDa;the theoretical pi for these proteins varies from 4.83 to 9.68.There were 17 paralogous gene pairs in the BrrLBD family,suggesting that the amplification of the BrrLBD gene family involved largescale gene duplication events.Members of the BrrLBD family were divided into 7 subclades(class I a to e,class II a and b).Analysis of gene structure and conserved domains revealed that most BrrLBD genes of the same subclade had similar gene structures and protein motifs.The expression profiles of 59 BrrLBD genes were determined through Quantitative Real-time fluorescent PCR(qRT-PCR).Most BrrLBD genes in the same subclade had similar gene expression profiles.However,the expression patterns of 7 genes differed from their duplicates,indicating that although the gene function of most BrrLBD genes has been conserved,some BrrLBD genes may have undergone evolutionary change.

Cloning of differentially expressed genes in human hepatocellular carcinoma and nontumor liver

INTRODUCTIONThe mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is still unclear,although some genes have been found to play a role in the transformation of liver cells,and a variety of studies have described differences in gene expression which distinguished tumor from nontumor[1-6].The new genes,especially the functional genes directly related with tumor are still worth being found.The purpose of our study is to find the different genes between human liver tumor and normal tissues using suppression subtractive hybridization.

GENOMIC STRUCTURE OF MOUSE TBXZ AND DETECTION OF EXPRESSION OF TBXZ IN NORMAL AND MALIGNANCE MELANOPHORE BY RT-PCR

Objective: Sequencing of mouse Tbx2 gene andobserving the expression of Tbx2 gene in normal andmalignant melanophore. Methods: The PCR productsof TbX2 cDNA were cloned into PUC18 vector andsequenced. The normal and malignant melanocytes wereused to extract total RNA. The expression of Tbx2 genewas detected by RT-PCR. Results: The TbXZ genome iscomposed of seven e-cons and six nitrons. No expressionof Tbx2 gene in the normal melanocytes was noted, butall malignant melanocytes showed expression of TbXZgene. Conclusion: The observation showed the analysisof the genomic structure of mouse TbX2. TbX2 plays acritical role during the development of the malignantmelanophore.