Expressions of ICAM-1 and its mRNA in sera and tissues of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

INTRODUCTIONThe increased expression of ICAM-1 on a widerange of cells and in the sera of patients withmalignancies, chronic liver diseases andinflammation diseases has been described since thelate 1980s[1-22]. Recently rapid progress in studieson expression of ICAM-1 in patients withhepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) have beenachieved, including clinical and experimentalresearches[23-31].

High-throughput RNA interference screens integrative analysis: Towards a comprehensive understanding of the virus-host interplay

Viruses are extremely heterogeneous entities; the size and the nature of their genetic information, as well as the strategies employed to amplify and propagate their genomes, are highly variable. However, as obligatory intracellular parasites, replication of all viruses relies on the host cell. Having co-evolved with their host for several million years, viruses have developed very sophisticated strategies to hijack cellular factors that promote virus uptake, replication, and spread. Identification of host cell factors(HCFs) required for these processes is a major challenge for researchers, but it enables the identification of new, highly selective targets for anti viral therapeutics. To this end, the establishment of platforms enabling genome-wide high-throughput RNA interference(HT-RNAi) screens has led to the identification of several key factors involved in the viral lifecycle. A number of genome-wide HT-RNAi screens have been performed for major human pathogens. These studies enable first inter-viral comparisons related to HCF requirements. Although several cellular functions appear to be uniformly required for the life cycle of most viruses tested(such as the proteasome and the Golgi-mediated secretory pathways), some factors, like the lipid kinase Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase Ⅲα in the case of hepatitis C virus, are selectively required for individual viruses. However, despite the amount of data available, we are still far away from a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between viruses and host factors. Major limitations towards this goal are the low sensitivity and specificity of such screens, resulting in limited overlap between different screens performed with the same virus. This review focuses on how statistical and bioinformatic analysis methods applied to HTRNAi screens can help overcoming these issues thus increasing the reliability and impact of such studies.

Suppression of starch synthase I(SSI) by RNA interference alters starch biosynthesis and amylopectin chain distribution in rice plants subjected to high temperature

Based on known cDNAs of rice starch synthase isoforms,we constructed dsRNA interference vectors for starch synthase I(SSI)to produce transgenic plants containing starch with a moderately high amylose content.We investigated the effect of SSI suppression on grain quality traits,starch biosynthesis,and amylopectin chain distribution in rice plants exposed to two different temperature regimes.The activities and transcripts of BEs,DBEs,and other SS isoforms were further investigated to clarify the effect of SSI suppression on these key enzymes and their specific isoforms under different temperature treatments.Suppression of SSI by RNAi altered grain starch component and amylopectin chain distribution,but it exerted only a slight effect on total starch content(%)and accumulation amount(mg kernel?1)and on starch granule morphology and particle size distribution.Under normal temperature(NT),insignificant differences in kernel weight,chalky kernel proportion,chalky degree,and starch granule morphology between SSI-RNAi line and its wild type(WT)were observed.However,amylose content(AC)level and granule-bound starch synthase(GBSS)activity in rice endosperms were markedly increased by SSI-RNAi suppression.The chalky kernel proportion and chalky degree of SSIRNAi lines were significantly higher than those of WT under high temperature(HT)exposure at filling stage.Inhibition of SSI by RNAi affected amylopectin chain distribution and raised starch gelatinization temperature(GT)in two ways:directly from the SSI deficiency itself and indirectly by reducing BEIIb amounts in an SSI-deficient background.The deficiency of SSI expression led to an alteration in the susceptibility of grain chalkiness occurrence and starch gelatinization temperature to HT exposure,owing to a pleiotropic effect of SSI deficiency on the expression of other genes associated with starch biosynthesis.

Effect of siRNA interference on nerve growth factor in intervertebral disc inflammation rats

Objective:To investigate the inhibition effect of siRNA interference on NGF induced by inflammatory factor IL-6,and JUL—1 so as to provide novel targets for clinical treatment of discogenic low back pain.Methods:The intervertebral disc nucleus and annulus fibrosus cells of rats were separated-The cells were co-cultured with different concentrations(10 nmol/L,20nmol/L,50 nmol/L,100 nmol/L)of IL-6 and IL-1β.The NGF-siRNA was leaded into the cocultured cells with its import ability assessed by flow cytometry instrument tests,hefore and after which the NCF mRNA expression was detected by real-time Q-PCR and the NGF content was detected by ELISA.Results:Flow cytometry instrument test results showed that the NGFsiRNA cell conversion rate was 99.8%.Real-time Q-PCR detection results showed that compared with negative control group,the NGF mRNA expression of co-cultured cells treated by 10 nmol/L,20 nmol/L,50 nmol/L,100 nmol/L IL-6 and IL-1βwere respectively raised 3.4,3.7,4.7,3.7 times which were all significantly down-regulated after the import of NGF-siRNA.EILSA detection results showed that compared with negative control group,the NGF content of cocultured medium treated by 10 nmol/L,20 nmol/L,50 nmol/L,100 nmol/L I-L6 and IL-1βwere respectively raised 2.9,3.3,4.5,7.4 times which were all significantly decreased after the import of NGF-siRNA.Conclusions:These molecular biological results suggest that inflammatory factor IL-6 and IL-1βcould stimulate NCF on intervertebral disc cells in vitro culture model and its efficiency is concentration dependent,while siRNA interference can inhibit the stimulation effect of IL-6 and IL-1βon intervertebral disc cell,which provides a new targets for the clinical treatment of discogenic low back pain.

RNA复制子疫苗研究进展

最近兴起的RNA复制子疫苗,利用源自病毒的能够自主复制的RNA,其结构蛋白基因由外源抗原基因取代,保留了非结构蛋白(RNA复制酶)基因。RNA复制酶可使RNA载体在细胞质中高水平复制,并实现外源抗原基因的高水平表达,可同时诱导细胞免疫和体液免疫应答。大量双链RNA可诱导被感染细胞凋亡,宿主细胞的凋亡有利于免疫系统识别外源抗原。RNA复制子疫苗克服了传统疫苗和普通DNA疫苗存在的缺点,具有抗原表达效率高、安全性好、应用范围广等优点,因而被视为一种发展前景很好的疫苗形式。目前已对一些疾病模型基于复制子的治疗性和预防性疫苗进行了研究(涉及的对象包括病毒、肿瘤以及细菌毒素等),并对某些不足之处进行了改进。

Down-Regulated Expression of RACK1 Gene by RNA Interference Enhances Drought Tolerance in Rice

The receptor for activated C-kinase 1 （RACK1） is a highly conserved scaffold protein with versatile functions, and plays important roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. Transgenic rice plants, in which the expression of RACK1 gene was inhibited by RNA interference （RNAi）, were studied to elucidate the possible functions of RACK1 in responses to drought stress in rice. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of RACK1 in transgenic rice plants was inhibited by more than 50%. The tolerance to drought stress of the transgenic rice plants was higher as compared with the non-transgenic rice plants. The peroxidation of membrane and the production of malondialdehyde were significantly lower and the superoxide dismutase activity in transgenic rice plants was significantly higher than those in non-trangenic rice plants It is suggested that RACK1 negatively regulated the redox system-related tolerance to drought stress of rice plants.

短发卡状PTI-1(PC-3)基因特异性RNA干扰表达载体对PC-3细胞的体外效应

目的:通过基因克隆技术构建人前列腺癌PC3细胞系PTI1(PC3)基因[prostatecarcinomatumor inducinggene1(PC3)]的特异性短发卡shRNA(short hairpinRNA)真核表达载体,采用RNA干扰(RNAinterference,RNAi)技术,体外观察对PC3细胞系PTI1(PC3)基因的沉默作用以及干扰后对PC3细胞的体外效应.方法:采用基因克隆技术,将合成的短发卡样特异性PTI1(PC3)RNA干扰寡核苷酸序列插入真核表达载体pEGFP/U6,构建PTI1(PC3)shRNA的真核表达载体,体外转染人前列腺癌PC3细胞,48h后观察细胞生物学变化;提取转染细胞总RNA及总蛋白,行RT PCR以及West ernblot观测胞内PTI1(PC3)mRNA及蛋白水平.结果:①成功构建短发卡样PTI1(PC3)shRNA真核表达载体pEGFP/U6mPs;②转染(脂质体法)PC3细胞,48h后细胞大部分死亡;③转染48h后细胞内PTI1(PC3)mRNA水平下降;④转染48h后下调胞内PTI1(PC3)蛋白水平.结论:本实验成功构建的shRNA真核表达载体通过RNA干扰,能够干扰人前列腺癌PC3细胞内PTI1(PC3)基因的表达,抑制PTI1(PC3)蛋白的表达,降低了由PTI1蛋白可能发挥的“翻译失真性”作用,促进癌细胞的死亡,进一步揭示了PTI1在前列腺癌发生、发展过程中的显性癌基因作用.由于RNA干扰的特异性从而为临床上前列腺癌的基因治疗提供了新的可能的方法.

Construction of a lentiviral vector for RNA interference of human VIM gene and its silencing effect in pancreatic cancer cells

目的将为人的活力基因的 RNA 干扰(RNAi ) 构造 lentiviral 表示向量；并且在胰腺的癌症房间线 Panc-1 估计它的基因 silencing 效果。短发卡 RNA (shRNA ) 定序的三人的活力基因用联机的可得到的一个软件和一对被设计的方法来自文件。在合成以后并且退火，四双 stranded oligonucleotides (dsOligo ) 被克隆进 pGCL-GFP/U6 原生质标志，它被聚合酶链反应(PCR ) 和 DNA 定序分析随后证实。实时 PCR 并且西方弄污被用来在 293T 房间屏蔽有效 pGCL-GFP-shRNA 原生质标志，然后，最有效的被挤进有包装材料 pHelper 的 lentiviral 的 recombinant lentivirus Lv-VIM-shRNA 1.0 并且 pHelper 2.0 在 293T 房间。lentivirus 的 titer 被 hole-by-dilution titer 试金决定。在 Panc-1 房间的 Lv-VIM-shRNA 的 silencing 效果被即时 PCR 验证并且西方弄污。结果有效 Lv-VIM-shRNA 成功地被构造。lentivirus 的 titer 在 2 ×上被决定 10 9 TU/mL。活力 mRNA 和 vimentin 的表情是在感染 Lv-VIM-shRNA 的 Panc-1 房间的 down-regluated。有效 Lv-VIM-shRNA 能在 vitro 在 Panc-1 房间禁止活力基因的表示的结论，它为在发信号的小径调查活力基因的角色提供一个工具在胰腺的癌症和寻找的新治疗学的目标的 tumorigenesis 和前进包含了。

STUB1基因RNA干扰慢病毒载体的构建与鉴定

目的:构建人STUB1基因RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)慢病毒表达载体并进行鉴定。方法:针对筛选确定的人STUB1基因RNAi有效靶点序列,合成靶序列的Oligo DNA,退火形成双链DNA,与经AgeI和EcoRI酶切后的pMagic 4.0载体连接,产生短发卡RNA慢病毒载体。PCR筛选阳性克隆,测序鉴定,并包装成慢病毒颗粒。结果:PCR鉴定与DNA测序证实,合成的含STUB1 shRNA慢病毒载体寡核苷酸链插入正确。STUB1 shRNA慢病毒载体在293T细胞中成功包装成慢病毒颗粒。结论:成功构建人STUB1基因RNAi慢病毒载体以及包装成功慢病毒颗粒,为研究STUB1在胶质瘤发生发展过程中相关信号通路的作用,提供了稳定感染细胞的载体。

Down-regulation of IL-8 expression in human airway epithelial cells through helper-dependent adenoviral-mediated RNA interference

Interleukin (IL)-8 is a potent neutrophil chemotactic factor and a crucial mediator in neutrophil-dependent inflammation.Various cell types produce IL-8, either in response to external stimuli such as cytokines or bacterial infection, or aftermalignant transformation. Anti-IL-8 strategies have been considered for anti-inflammatory therapy. In this paper wedemonstrate that the RNA interference technique can be used to efficiently down-regulate IL-8 protein expression inairway epithelial cells. We used a helper-dependent adenoviral vector to express a small hairpin (sh)RNA targetinghuman IL-8 in cultured airway epithelial cells (IB3-1, Cftr-/-; C38, Cftr-corrected) stimulated with TNF-α, IL-1β orheat-inactivated Burkholderia cenocepacia. Stimulated IL-8 expression in IB3-1 and C38 cells was significantly reducedby shRNA expression. The shRNA targeting IL-8 had no effect on the activation of NF-κB, or on the protein levels ofIκB or IL-6, suggesting that this anti-IL-8 strategy was highly specific, and therefore may offer potential for thetreatment of inflammatory diseases.

Suppression of RNA Interference Pathway in vitro by Grass Carp Reovirus

The means of survival of genomic dsRNA of reoviruses from dsRNA-triggered and Dicer-initiated RNAi pathway remains to be defined. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Grass carp reovirus (GCRV) replication on the RNAi pathway of grass carp kidney cells (CIK). The dsRNA-triggered RNAi pathway was demonstrated unimpaired in CIK cells through RNAi assay. GCRV-specific siRNA was generated in CIK cells transfected with purified GCRV genomic dsRNA in Northern blot analysis; while in GCRV-infected CIK cells, no GCRV-specific siRNA could be detected. Infection and transfection experiments further indicated that replication of GCRV correlated with the increased transcription level of the Dicer gene and functional inhibition of in vitro synthesized egfp-siRNA in silencing the EGFP reporter gene. These data demonstrated that although only the genomic dsRNA of GCRV was sensitive to the cellular RNAi pathway, unidentified RNAi suppressor protein(s) might contribute to the survival of the viral genome and efficient viral replication.

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase,catalytic,alpha polypeptide RNA interference inhibits growth of colon cancer cell SW948

AIM:To investigate the gene knock-down effect by the phosphoinositide-3-kinase,catalytic,alpha polypeptide(PIK3CA)-targeted double-stranded RNA(dsRNA) and its effect on cell proliferation and cycle distribution in SW948.METHODS:Two PIK3CA-targeted dsRNAs were constructed and transfected into SW948 cells.Transfections were performed using lipofectamine TM 2000.The transfection effectiveness was calculated basing on the rate of fluorescence cell of SW948 at 6 h after transfection.Total messenger RNA was extracted from these cells using the RNeasy kit,and semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the down-regulation of PIK3CA,AKT1,MYC,and CCND1 gene expression.Cells were harvested,proteins were resolved,and western blot was employed to detect the expression levels of PIK3CA,AKT1,MYC,and CCND1 gene.Cell proliferation was assessed by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide assay and the inhibition rate was calculated.Soft agar colony formation assay was performed basing on colonies greater than 60 μm in diameter at ×100 magnification.The effect on cell cycle distribution and apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry.All experiments were performed in triplicate.RESULTS:Green fluorescence was observed in SW948 cell transfected with plasmid Pgenesil-1,and the transfection effectiveness was about 65%.Forty-eight hours post-transfection,mRNA expression of PIK3CA in SW948 cells was 0.51 ± 0.04 vs 0.49 ± 0.03 vs 0.92 ± 0.01 vs 0.93 ± 0.03(P = 0.001) in Pgenesil-CA1,Pgenesil-CA2,negative and blank group respectively.mRNA expression of AKT1 was 0.50 ± 0.03 vs 0.48 ± 0.01 vs 0.93 ± 0.04 vs 0.92 ± 0.02(P = 0.000) in Pgenesil-CA1,Pgenesil-CA2,negative and blank group respectively.mRNA expression of MYC was 0.49 ± 0.01 vs 0.50 ± 0.04 vs 0.90 ± 0.02 vs 0.91 ± 0.03(P = 0.001) in the four groups respectively.mRNA expression of CCND1 was 0.45 ± 0.02 vs 0.51 ± 0.01 vs 0.96 ± 0.03 vs 0.98 ± 0.01(P = 0.001) in the four groups respectively.The protein level of PIK3CA was 0.53 ± 0.01 vs 0.54 ± 0.02 vs 0.92 ± 0.03 vs 0.91 ± 0.02(P = 0.001) in Pgenesil-CA1,Pgenesil-CA2,negative and blank group respectively.The protein level of AKT1 in the four groups was 0.49 ± 0.02 vs 0.55 ± 0.03 vs 0.94 ± 0.03 vs 0.95 ± 0.04,P = 0.000).The protein level of MYC in the four groups was 0.51 ± 0.03 vs 0.52 ± 0.04 vs 0.92 ± 0.02 vs 0.95 ± 0.01(P = 0.000).The protein level of CCND1 in the four groups was 0.54 ± 0.04 vs 0.56 ± 0.03 vs 0.93 ± 0.01 vs 0.93 ± 0.03(P = 0.000).Both Pgenesil-CA1 and Pgenesil-CA2 plasmids significantly suppressed the growth of SW948 cells when compared with the negative or blank group at 48 h after transfec-tion(29% vs 25% vs 17% vs 14%,P = 0.001),60 h after transfection(38% vs 34% vs 19% vs 16%,P = 0.001),and 72 h after transfection(53% vs 48% vs 20% vs 17%,P = 0.000).Numbers of colonies in negative,blank,CA1,and CA2 groups were 42 ± 4,45 ± 5,8 ± 2,and 10 ± 3,respectively(P = 0.000).There were more than 4.5 times colonies in the blank and negative control groups as there were in the CA1 and CA2 groups.In addition,the colonies in blank and negative control groups were also larger than those in the CA1 and CA2 groups.The percentage of cells in the CA1 and CA2 groups was significantly higher in G 0 /G 1 phase,but lower in S and G 2 /M phase when compared with the negative and control groups.Moreover,cell apoptosis rates in the CA1 and CA2 groups were 5.11 ± 0.32 and 4.73 ± 0.32,which were significantly higher than those in negative(0.95 ± 0.11,P = 0.000) and blank groups(0.86 ± 0.13,P = 0.001).No significant difference was found between CA1 and CA2 groups in cell cycle distribution and apoptosis.CONCLUSION:PIK3CA-targeted short hairpin RNAs can block the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt signaling pathway and inhibit cell growth,increase apoptosis,and induce cell cycle arrest in the PIK3CA-mutant colon cancer SW948 cells.

RNA interference of pax2 inhibits growth of transplanted human endometrial cancer cells in nude mice

The development of human endometrial carcinoma(HEC) is a complex pathologic process involves several oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.The full-length paired-box gene 2(pax2),a recently discovered oncogene,promotes cell proliferation and growth and inhibits apoptosis of HEC cells.Here,we examined the effect of pax2 small interfering RNA(siRNA) on the growth of transplanted HEC cells in nude mice.The expression of Pax2 in 21 cases of normal endometrium and 38 cases of HEC was examined by immohistochemistry(IHC).HEC models were developed by subcutaneously transferring HEC cells into nude mice,followed by treatment with empty lentivirus vector,lentivirus vector-based pax2 siRNA,and phosphate buffered saline,respectively.Four weeks later,tumor size was measured,tumor inhibition rate was calculated,and histological analyses were conducted after staining with hematoxylin and eosin.The expression of Pax2 and Bcl-2 was detected by Western blot;proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) was detected by IHC.Significant differences were observed in the positive rate of Pax2 between normal endometrium and HEC(14.2% vs.60.5%,P<0.01).The expression index of Pax2 in well differentiated tumors was 1.88±1.68,much lower than that in tumors of moderate(3.07±1.96,P<0.05) or poor differentiation(5.45±2.76,P<0.01).Tumor necrosis increased,nuclear basophilia stain decreased,tumor growth was inhibited,and PCNA,Pax2,and Bcl-2 expression was reduced in HEC models treated with pax2 siRNA.These results indicate that Pax2 expression is related to HEC tumor biology with the increased expression of Pax2 correlated to malignancy.pax2 siRNA down-regulates Pax2 expression and inhibits tumorigenesis of HEC in nude mice,possibly due to cell apoptosis and the inhibition of tumor proliferation induced by down-regulation of Bcl-2.

抗黄瓜花叶病毒RNAi载体的构建及烟草的转化(摘要)(英文)

[目的]构建抗黄瓜花叶病毒RNAi载体,并将载体转入烟草。[方法]采用RT-PCR方法,扩增黄瓜花叶病毒NS04加工番茄分离物的RNA2基因组的序列。选取CMV RAN2基因组中的复制酶片段作为靶序列,构建pBi35SCR2真核表达载体,并对表达载体时行鉴定;通过农杆菌介导的方法将表达载体转入烟草,用PCR的方法检测载体是否转入。[结果]系统进化树分析结果表明,RNA2中编码CMV-2a的序列与中国浙江的DQ412731分离物有较高核苷酸及氨基酸同源性,分别达到98.0%和96.5%;PCR结果表明,试验成功构建了pBi35SCR2真核表达载体,并成功将表达载体转入烟草。[结论]试验获得的转基因烟草可作为后期攻毒试验的材料,并为研究加工番茄抗黄瓜花叶病毒奠定了基础。

Lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference targeting STAT3 inhibits human pancreatic cancer cell invasion

AIM: To investigate RNA interference targeting signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) on invasion of human pancreatic cancer cells. METHODS: We constructed three plasmids of RNA interference targeting the STAT3 gene. After LV (lentivirus)-STAT3siRNA (STAT3 small interfering RNA) the vector was transfected into the human pancreatic cell line, SW1990 and cell proliferation was measured by the MTT assay. Flow cytometry was used to assess cell cycle. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) mRNA and protein expression were examined by quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively. The invasion ability of SW1990 cells was determined by cell invasion assay. RESULTS: We successfully constructed the LVSTAT3siRNA lentivirus vector and proved that it can suppress expression of STAT3 gene in SW1990 cells. RNA interference of STAT3 by the LV-STAT3siRNA construct signifi cantly inhibited the growth of SW1990 cells, in addition to signifi cantly decreasing both VEGF and MMP-2 mRNA and protein expression. Moreover, suppression of STAT3 by LV-STAT3siRNA decreased the invasion ability of SW1990 cells.CONCLUSION: The STAT3 signaling pathway may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer since it inhibits the invasion ability of pancreatic cancer cells.

Adenovirus-mediated short hairpin RNA interference against p75 neurotrophin receptor in pheochromocytoma cells

Previous studies have confirmed that motor neuron apoptosis in the anterior horn of the lumbosacral spinal cord is positively correlated with p75 neurotrophin receptor （p75NTR） expression in rat models of cauda equina syndrome. This study used adenovirus to carry a short hairpin RNA （shRNA） for p75NTR gene silencing, to reduce p75NTR expression in the damaged phase and to decrease motor neuron apoptosis. Three p75 siRNA template oligonucleotide segments （shRNA） were designed, and cloned into the 1.0 CMV shuttle vector. HEK293 cells were cotransfected with shuttle vector （carrying shRNA） and an adenovirus vector framework expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein. Thus, this study successfully obtained adenovirus carrying p75shRNA. The obtained viruses were named Ad.shRNA1, Ad.shRNA2, and Ad.shRNA3. The recombinant adenoviruses were separately used to infect cultured pheochromocytoma cells （PC12）. Forty-eight hours later, p75NTR mRNA and total protein were analyzed from the PC12 cells. Compared with the negative controls, RNA interference rates were separately 98.49 ± 0.68%, 95.08 ± 1.79% and 96.60 ± 1.14% at the mRNA level, and 72.89 ± 2.17%, 58.83 ± 1.15% and 59.88 ± 0.44% at the protein level in the Ad.shRNA1, Ad.shRNA2, and Ad.shRNA3 groups, respectively. Thus, recombinant adenovirus shRNA-mediated gene silencing successfully suppressed p75NTR expression.

Inhibition of human La protein by RNA interference downregulates hepatitis B virus mRNA in 2.2.15 cells

AIM: To investigate the role of human La protein in HBV mRNA expression.METHODS: Three human La protein (hLa) specific siRNA expression cassettes (SECs) containing U6+1 promoter were prepared via one-step overlapping extension PCR. After transfection with SECs into HepG2 cells, inhibition effects on hLa expression were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Then, effective SECs were screened out and transfected into 2.2.15 cells, a stable HBV-producing cell line. HBV surface antigen(HBsAg) and e antigen (HBeAg) secretions into culture media were detected by microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) and HBs and HBe mRNA levels were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.RESULTS: SEC products containing U6+1 snRNA promoter,and 3 sites of hLa mRNA specific siRNA were obtained successfully by one-step overlapping extension PCR and could be directly transfected into HepG2 cells, resulting in inhibition of La protein expression in both mRNA and protein levels, among which U6+l-hLa833 was the most efficient,which reduced 18.6-fold mRNA and 89% protein level respectively. In 2.2.15 cells, U6+l-hLa833 was also efficient on inhibition of hLa expression. Furthermore, semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that HI3s and HBe mRNA levels were significantly decreased by 8-and 66-fold in U6+l-hLa833 transfected cells compared to control. Accordingly, HBsAg and HBeAg secretions were decreased partly posttransfection with SECs.CONCLUSION: PCR-based SECs can be used to mediate RNAi in mammalian cells and provide a novel approach to study the function of La protein. The inhibition of La protein expression can result in a significant decrease ofHBV mRNA, which implies that the hLa protein is also involved HBV RNA metabolism as one of the HBV RNA-stabilizing factors in human cells.

小汤山医院SARS病房内外空气中SARS病毒及其RNA的检测

目的:了解小汤山医院病区空气中的SARS病毒污染情况。方法:2003年6月4日～8日采用FA-II型空气微生物采样器在病房、内走廊、护士站和病房排气口下风向5m处4个地点连续采样4d。之后进行空气样本的洗脱、Vero-E6细胞培养、RT-PCR及序列测定。结果:小汤山医院每天采集19个空气样品,4d共采集76个空气样品。病房、内走廊、护士站和病房排气口下风向5m处4个地点均有病毒核酸检出,其中以病房排气口下风向5m处的阳性率最高(58.3%),护士站相对较低(25.0%);病房(52.1%)和内走廊(50.0%)的阳性率相当。结论:小汤山医院空气中SARS病毒的污染比较严重,急性后期的病患仍然从呼吸道大量排毒;但在病房室内外的空气中没有检测到活的SARS病毒,初步评估认为,SARS病人病房采取通风和消毒的措施对降低室内污染程度是非常有益的;而空气消毒和环境因素对SARS病毒的存活有较大的影响,故SARS病人病房排出的空气对周边环境造成的危害很小。

Lentivirual vector-mediated doxycycline-inducible iASPP gene targeted RNA interference in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background and Objective:iASPP, an inhibitory member of the apoptosis-stimulating proteins of p53 (ASPP) family, has been found to be up-regulated in various human tumor types.This study was to construct an efficient doxycycline-regulated, lentiviral vector-mediated knockdown system for iASPP that will allow for inducible down-regulation of iASPP gene expression and preliminary functional analysis.Methods:A pair of complementary oligos with hairpin structures targeting the iASPP gene and a negative control were synthesized, then ligated with pLVTHM vector and sequenced.The fragment containing the shRNA cassette was cloned to pLVCT-tTR-KRAB plasmid.The recombinant vectors were co-transfected with viral packaging mix into 293T cells, and viral supernatant was harvested to determine the titer.After treatment with or without doxycycline, HepG2 cells infected with virus were harvested and the expression of iASPP was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis.Its effects on tumor growth were characterized using MTS assay, soft agar colony formation, and flow cytometry analysis.Results:The lentiviral vector expressing shRNA that targets to the oncogene iASPP was constructed successfully.HepG2 infected with the lentivirus expressing shRNA against iASPP inhibited the expression of iASPP in the presence of doxycycline, which resulted in the repression of tumor cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth potential.Conclusions:The lentiviral vector-mediated tet-on system demonstrates efficient and inducible knockdown of iASPP in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.iASPP gene may be involved in tumorigenesis and progression of human tumors.

Influence of RNA interference on the mitochondrial subcellular localization of alpha-synuclein and on the formation of Lewy body-like inclusions in the cytoplasm of human embryonic kidney 293 cells induced by the overexpression of alphasynuclein

The specific and effective a-synuclein RNA interference （RNAi） plasmids, and the a-synuclein-pEGFP recombinant plasmids were co-transfected into human embryonic kidney 293 （HEK293） cells using the lipofectamine method. Using an inverted fluorescence microscope, a-synuclein proteins were observed to aggregate in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Wild-type a-synuclein proteins co-localized with mitochondria. Hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed round eosinophilic bodies （Lewy body-like inclusions） in the cytoplasm of some cells transfected with a-synuclein-pEGFP plasmid. However, the formation of Lewy body-like inclusions was not observed following transfection with the RNAi pSYN-1 plasmid. RNAi blocked Lewy body-like inclusions in the cytoplasm of HEK293 cells induced by wild-type a-synuclein overexpression, but RNAi did not affect the subcellular localization of wild-type a-synuclein in mitochondria.