cDNA cloning and overexpression of acidic ribosomal phosphoprotein P1 gene (RPLP1) from the Giant Panda

RPLP1 is one of acidic ribosomal phosphoproteins encoded by RPLP1 gene, which plays an important role in the elongation step of protein synthesis. The cDNA of RPLP1 was cloned successfully for the first time from the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) using RT-PCR technology, which was also sequenced, analyzed preliminarily and expressed in E. coli. The cDNA fragment cloned is 449bp in size, containing an open reading frame of 344bp encoding 114 amino acids. Alignment analysis indicated that the nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence are highly conserved to other five species studied, including Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Bos Taurus and Sus scrofa. The homologies for nucleotide sequences of Giant Panda PPLP1 to that of these species are 92.4%, 89.8%, 89.0%, 91.3% and 87.5%, while the homologies for amino acid sequences are 96.5%, 94.7%, 95.6%, 96.5% and 88.6%. Topology prediction showed there are three Casein kinase II phosphorylation sites and two N-myristoylation sites in the RPLP1 protein of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The RPLP1 gene was overexpressed in E. coli and the result indicated that RPLP1 fusion with the N-terminally His-tagged form gave rise to the accumulation of an expected 18kDa polypeptide, which was in accordance with the predicted protein and could also be used to purify the protein and study its function.

水稻I型酪蛋白激酶的分离及生理功能研究

（第二部分的摘要） 酪蛋白激酶在许多物种的细胞分裂及分化过程中都有重要作用。在水稻中，以经过油菜素内酯处理的水稻幼苗为材料，通过cDNA微矩阵的方法得到了一个全长1939bp的基因OsCKI1（Accession number AJ487966）。该基因编码的蛋白产物属I型酪蛋白激酶（CKIs），含463个氨基酸。RT-PCR及Northern blot结果显示，基因OsCKI1在水稻各组织中表现为组成型表达，并且其表达受油菜素内酯（BR）及脱落酸（ABA）的诱导。在大肠杆菌中对该基因进行原核表达，并用表达后的蛋白粗提物进行酶活测定，显示该蛋白产物可磷酸化CKIs的特异性底物酪蛋白。通过构建OsCKI1的反义载体并转化水稻，对该基因的生理功能进行了研究。对转基因植株的纯系表型进行了观察，显示其根部发育异常，表现为具有较短的初生根、侧根及不定根数目少于对照。进一步研究显示初生根的变短是由于细胞延伸受抑制引起的。以CKI的特异性抑制剂，CKI-7处理野生型植株，也对OsCKI1缺失引起的表型进行了确认。值得注意的是，以外源生长素（IAA）处理转基因及经CKI-7处理过的野生型植株，都能恢复根部表型，使其生长正常。对反义植株初生根及次生根的游离生长素含量测定结果显示，OsCKI1可能在IAA的代谢途径中发挥作用。转基因植株的种子在萌发时对ABA及BR的处理都表现为不敏感，暗示该基因可能在各种激素信号转导途径中都有作用。OsCKI1-GFP双元表达载体的亚细胞定位的研究显示该基因主要定位于核中，可能参与了基因表达的调节。同时，以该反义转基因植株为材料，通过cDNA芯片的技术研究了受OsCKI1调节的基因的表达谱，结果显示该基因的缺失的确影响了参与信号转导及激素代谢途径的许多基因的表达。 （第四部分的摘要） 以OsCKI1反义转基因植株对照植株为材料，研究它们处于4℃低温胁迫下的反应情况。植株种子在室温下萌发并生长一段时间后，移入4℃低温下进一步生长。取对照及低温处理后的材料，对其表型进行观察，显示低温下转基因植株初生根生长受抑制程度小于对照，其生长的延缓程度低;相对电导率测定结果显示，经低温处理后，转基因植株相对电导率变化较小，质膜受害程度小;微管观察结果也显示在短期低温处理下对照根部延伸区细胞的皮层微管解聚，而转基因植株其根部延伸区细胞的皮层微管仍能保持正常状态。基因OsCKI1在低温下的表达模式表现为先升高之后又降低，推测其在低温信号的转导途径中发挥作用。通过总结以上结果，我们认为基因OsCKI1的反义转基因植株虽然在短期冷害下具有一定的抗冷能力，但其不具备形成长期稳定的冷适应的能力。

Coupling between NMDA receptor and acid-sensing ion channel contributes to ischemic neuronal death

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) composed of ASIC1a subunit exhibit a high Ca2+ permeability and play important roles in synaptic plasticity and acid-induced cell death. Here, we show that ischemia enhances ASIC currents through the phosphorylation at Ser478 and Ser479 of ASIC1a, leading to exacerbated ischemic cell death. The phosphorylation is catalyzed by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity, as a result of activation of NR2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of glutamate receptors (NMDARs) during ischemia. Furthermore, NR2B-specific antagonist, CaMKII inhibitor, or overexpression of mutated form of ASIC1a with Ser478 or Ser479 replaced by alanine (ASICla-S478A, ASIC1a-S479A) in cultured hippocampal neurons prevented ischemia-induced enhancement of ASIC currents, cytoplasmic Ca2+ elevation, as well as neuronal death. Thus, NMDAR-CaMKII cascade is functionally coupled to ASICs and contributes to acidotoxicity during ischemia. Specific blockade of NMDAR/CaMKII-ASIC coupling may reduce neuronal death after ischemia and other pathological conditions involving excessive glutamate release and acidosis.

cDNA cloning and mRNA expression of the translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) gene from Japanese sea perch (Lateolabrax japonicus)

A homologue of the lower vertebrates translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) was cloned from the marine fish Japanese sea perch (Lateolabrax japonicus) by the technology of homology cloning. The full-length cDNA sequence of the sea perch TCTP gene contained a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 47 bp, a 3' UTR of 433 bp, and a putative open reading frame (ORF) of 510 bp encoding a polypeptide of 170 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of the sea perch TCTP gene showed a high similarity to that of zebrafish, rohu, rabbit, chicken and human. Sequence analysis revealed there were a signature sequence of TCTP family, an N-glycosylation site, and five Casein kinase phosphorylation sites in the sea perch TCTP. The temporal expression of TCTP genes in healthy and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenged fishes was measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). The results indicated that LPS could up-regulate the expression of sea perch TCTP in the examined tissues, including head-kidney, spleen and liver.

Cloning and structure analysis of hydrogenase gene from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii SE

The cDNA of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii SE encoding hydrogenase (HydA2) was obtained from the total RNA of C reinhardtii SE by RT-PCR. The DNA of hydrogenase was amplified by PCR from the genomic DNA of C reinhardtii SE. The cDNA and DNA of hydrogenase were sequenced, respectively. The structure of hydrogenase gene was analyzed by biology software. The open reading frame predicts that the hydrogenase is composed of 3584 bp encoding 505 amino acids in length with a predicted M.W. of 53.69 kDa. Ten exons (including 1518 bp) and nine introns (including 2066 bp) have been found in the hydrogenase, and there were two potential N-glycosylate sites, eight protein kinase C phosphorylation site, eight casein kinase H phosphorylation site and one sulphorylation in the sequence. The theory pI was 6.15. Total number of negatively charged residues (Asp + Glu) and positively charged residues (Arg + Lys) were 55 and 61, respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional domains and the antiviral effect of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR from Paralichthys olivaceus

The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase PKR is thought to mediate a conserved antiviral pathway by inhibiting viral protein synthesis via the phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2 alpha). However, little is known about the data related to the lower vertebrates, including fish. Recently, the identification of PKR-like, or PKZ, has addressed the question of whether there is an orthologous PKR in fish. Here, we identify the first fish PKR gene from the Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus (PoPKR). PoPKR encodes a protein that shows a conserved structure that is characteristic of mammalian PKRs, having both the N-terminal region for dsRNA binding and the C-terminal region for the inhibition of protein translation. The catalytic activity of PoPKR is further evidence that it is required for protein translation inhibition in vitro. PoPKR is constitutively transcribed at low levels and is highly induced after virus infection. Strikingly, PoPKR overexpression increases eIF2 alpha phosphorylation and inhibits the replication of Scophthalmus maximus rhabdovirus (SMRV) in flounder embryonic cells, whereas phosphorylation and antiviral effects are impaired in transfected cells expressing the catalytically inactive PKR-K421R variant, indicating that PoPKR inhibits virus replication by phosphorylating substrate eIF2 alpha. The interaction between PoPKR and eIF2 alpha is demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation assays, and the transfection of PoPKR-specific short interfering RNA further reveals that the enhanced eIF2 alpha phosphorylation is catalyzed by PoPKR during SMRV infection. The current data provide significant evidence for the existence of a PKR-mediated antiviral pathway in fish and reveal considerable conservation in the functional domains and the antiviral effect of PKR proteins between fish and mammals.