Construction of shuttle, expression vector of human tumor necrosis factor alpha (hTNF-alpha) gene and its expression in a cyanobacterium, Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

The construction of the shuttle, expression vector of human tumor necrosis factor alpha (hTNF-alpha) gene and its expression in a cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 was reported. The 700-bp hTNF cDNA fragments have been recovered from plasmid pRL-rhTNF, then inserted downstream of the promoter PpsbA in the plasmid pRL439. The resultant intermediary plasmid pRL-TC has further been combined with the shuttle vector pDC-8 to get the shuttle, expression vector pDC-TNF. The expression of the rhTNF gene in Escherichia coil has been analyzed by SDS-PAGE and thin-layer scanning, and the results show that the expressed TNF protein with these two vectors is 16.9 percent (pRL-TC) and 15.0 percent (pDC-TNF) of the total proteins in the cells, respectively, while the expression level of TNF gene in plasmid pRL-rhTNF is only 11.8 percent. Combined with the participation of the conjugal and helper plasmids, pDC-TNF has been introduced into Anabaena sg PCC 7120 by triparental conjugative transfer, and the stable transgenic strains have been obtained. The existence of the introduced plasmid pDC-TNF in recombinant cyanobacterial cells has been demonstrated by the results of the agarose electrophoresis with the extracted plasmid samples and Southern blotting with alpha-(32)p labeled hTNF cDNA probes, while the expression of the hTNF gene in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 has been confirmed by the results of Western blotting with extracted protein samples and human TNF-alpha monoclonal antibodies. The cytotoxicity assays using the mouse cancer cell line L929 proved the cytotoxicity of the TNF in the crude extracts from the transgenic cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

TNFa在鱼腥藻7120中的高效表达和对宿主光合作用的影响

蓝藻分子生物学的飞速发展已使其成为生物学的前沿。近几年来，以蓝藻为宿主的基因工程发展迅速，使转基因蓝藻已有希望制备药物或处理环境问题。但迄今为止，国内外用蓝藻表达外源基因的表达效率都不高。为了使转基因蓝藻在应用上产生较好的社会效益和经济效益，必须进一步提高外源基因在蓝藻中的表速效率，以及提高光合效率、加速生长。 本研究用人肿瘤坏死因子a（Human Tumor Necrosis Factora简称hTNFa）作为外源目的基因。它是由巨噬细胞和单核细胞受到刺激后产生的一种多功能蛋白质细胞因子。hTNFcc多种生物学效应并作为信号传导体，其中最引人注目的是它对肿瘤组织和肿瘤细胞直接地、特异性和广谱性地杀伤作用，极有希望制成抗癌剩的天然因子之一。但是用大肠杆菌得到的重组产物需要严格纯化，通常用于静脉注射，但由于毒副作用大，十几年来国内外一直停留在临床实验阶段，我们研究组建议用蓝藻为宿主表达hTNFa制备口服剂，来减缓毒副作用，已经得到了转基因鱼腥藻，并测得产物具有抑瘤的生物学活性。但是表达效率一直不高，并且它的表达对蓝藻生长有些抑制。 由于蓝藻是原核生物，基因的表达调控主要是在转录水平和翻译水平。因此，寻找在蓝藻中高效的启动子，改变SD序列的结构是提高外源基因在蓝藻中表达效率的有效手段。本研究将连有不同SD序列的TNFa cDNA克隆到穿梭表达载体pRL-489的启动子（PpsbA）下游，构建2个鱼腥藻7120的穿梭表达载体（pMD-489-TNF1，2），通过三亲接合转移法分别导八鱼腥藻7120细胞。用放射免疫法定量分析TNFa在转基因蓝藻中的表达效率。结果表明，有效地提高了TNFa在鱼腥藻7120中的表达。TNFa的表达量占总可溶性蛋白的2.1 - 2.9%和0.15%，表达效率分别提高到原来的21 - 29倍和1.5倍。 在培养转基因鱼腥藻中，观测到它们在形态和生理上都发生了变化，这反应了TNFcc基因的转入和表达对宿主光合作用的影响。 光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜的观察发现：转基因鱼腥藻比野生型异形胞数目减少约30%。转入空质粒的营养细胞比野生型略大，转TNFa基因的鱼腥藻异形胞体积明显增加，而营养细胞比正对照和野生型小。到了生长后期，转TNFa因的鱼腥藻营养细胞体积明里增大，多与异形胞相当，有的甚至比异形胞大。转pMD-489-TNFI的鱼腥藻细胞内出现明显的空腔。通过透射电子显微镜的观察发现：转基因藻中的类囊体膜片屡结构更加明显。转基因藻和野生藻的生长曲线的比较表明，转入空质粒pRL-489对宿主的生长几乎没有影响，甚至还略快于野生型;TNFa的表达对细胞的生长有一定副作用，胞内TNFa的含量高时，细胞数增长缓慢，并且平台期时细胞数有一定下降。 从光合作用光强曲线的分析可见，转TNFa因的鱼腥藻有较低的光饱和点，暗示了TNFa的表达可以增强宿主对光的敏感性;同时，TNFa的转入使宿主的呼吸作用加强，几乎比野生型和转空质粒的正对照高一倍，显示了TNFa基因的转入和表达可能给宿主带来更大的代谢负荷;在光饱和点以上，几种藻的真实光合放氧能力大致相同，表明TNFa的表达没有破坏宿主的光合反应中心。 从室温吸收光谱分析可见，转基因蓝藻有相对较高的类胡萝卜素和叶绿素a蓝峰，转TNF谌因的鱼腥藻显示了藻蓝蛋白含量有所降低。因为蓝藻的主要天线色素为藻胆蛋白，藻蓝蛋白相对含量的下降可能与宿主对光更敏感有关。 从低温荧光发射光谱分析可见，转TNFa基因的鱼腥藻7120光系统II能量分配较高。可能是TNFa基因的转入提高了藻胆蛋白的吸收和传递光能的效率。 从叶绿素荧光动力学分析可见，鱼腥藻7120在生长的过程中PSII的活性存在一个变化的过程。TNFa的转入和表达在对数后期提高了宿主的光系统II原初光能转化效率。 从转基因藻光系统I和光系统II光合放氧活性分析与TNFa表达随培养时间变化曲线表明，转TNFcc基因鱼腥藻的光合放氧活性比野生型和正对照高，尤其是显著地提高了宿主的Psn活性。 用自然界中原来不存在的转基因鱼腥藻作上述研究表明：原来只存在于高等、异养的人类和哺乳动物中的TNFa基因，一旦转入最古老的放氧光合生物后，其表达可被调控;同时TNFa的表达又能影响宿主的光合作用。它提高了宿主对光的敏感性、光系统II的活性和对光能的利用率。这似乎都表明TNFa在蓝藻细胞中起信号传导体的作用。而且，这些数据的积累，还有助于我们优化培养条件，提高TNFa的表达效率，为产业化做好准备。

U19/Eaf2 knockout causes lung adenocarcinoma, B-cell lymphoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia

Upregulated gene 19 (U19)/ELL-associated factor 2 (Eaf2) is a potential human tumor suppressor that exhibits frequent allelic loss and downregulation in high-grade prostate cancer. U19/Eaf2, along with its homolog Eaf1, has been reported to regulate transcriptional elongation via interaction with the eleven-nineteen lysine-rich leukemia (ELL) family of proteins. To further explore the tumor-suppressive effects of U19/Eaf2, we constructed and characterized a murine U19/Eaf2-knockout model. Homozygous or heterozygous deletion of U19/Eaf2 resulted in high rates of lung adenocarcinoma, B-cell lymphoma, hepato cellular carcinoma and prostate intraepithelial neoplasia. Within the mouse prostate, U19/Eaf2 defficiency enhanced cell proliferation and increased epithelial cell size. The knockout mice also exhibited cardiac cell hypertrophy. These data indicate a role for U19/Eaf2 in growth suppression and cell size control as well as argue for U19/Eaf2 as a novel tumor suppressor in multiple mouse tissues. The U19/Eaf2 knockout mouse also provides a unique animal model for three important cancers: lung adenocarcinoma, B-cell lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.

电离辐射对不同肿瘤细胞细胞周期进程的影响

Human tumor cell lines of SMMC-7721 (liver cancer), hepG2 (liver cancer), HO-8910 (ovary cancer), and Hela (cervix cancer) were irradiated to 3Gy by Co γ rays and different cell cycle responses were found. The re- 60 sults showed that the SMMC-7721, hepG2 and HO-8910 cells displayed G2 / M phase arrest and S phase tempo- rally delayed after the irradiation. The Hela cells had an increased number of cells in both G2 / M and S phase, which indicated that the G2 / M and S checkpoints were both activated.

DNA损伤检验点蛋白表达对肿瘤细胞辐射敏感性的影响

本论文应用X射线和12C6+离子对不同肿瘤细胞：HL-60、K562、SMMC-7721和HepG2进行辐照，用克隆形成率和四唑盐比色法(MTT)测定四种细胞的辐射敏感性；通过流式细胞术测定细胞周期分布、细胞凋亡、ATM和SMC1蛋白的表达变化。应用免疫细胞化学法与流式检测相结合研究了γ-H2AX蛋白表达的时间效应与剂量效应之间的关系。实验结果表明，四种细胞的辐射敏感性由强到弱依次为HL-60>K562>SMMC-7721>HepG2。即ATM表达量越低的细胞对辐射越敏感，周期阻滞水平越低，细胞凋亡越明显，但辐照后ATM蛋白的表达无显著增加，说明ATM的表达量和功能状态与细胞辐射敏感性有关，但其表达水平不能完全反映ATM蛋白激酶的活性。对ATM表达量差异最显著的HepG2和HL-60细胞来说,辐照前SMC1的表达水平与细胞S期的含量没有直接关系，辐照后SMC1蛋白的上调表达在S期阻滞修复中发挥明显的作用。辐照后1h,HL-60和HepG2细胞的H2AX磷酸化水平随吸收剂量的增加呈线性正相关,但曲线斜率与细胞辐射抗性的差异没有直接的联系。γ-H2AX的消失率与存活分数存在良好的相关性，HepG2细胞抗辐射能力强，这一时间短，HL-60细胞抗辐射能力弱，这一时间长。可以用γ-H2AX的消失速率来评估细胞的辐射敏感性。 以SMMC-7721细胞为同步化细胞模型发现，与其它同步化方法相比，步进电机旋转同步化培养法对细胞损伤最小，同步化效率最高，达到M期＞90%，GO/G1期＞80%，S期＞60%，G2/M>50%。同种射线辐照，GO/G1期SMMC-7721细胞的存活相对G2/M期来说较高。12C6+离子辐照明显减小了二者敏感度的差异性

染色体断裂预测肿瘤细胞辐射敏感性

恶性肿瘤（癌症）是危及人类生命健康最严重的疾病之一，放射治疗是一种较为有效的治疗手段。不同种类细胞对射线的敏感性有很大区别，即使同一细胞在不同的细胞周期时相、同一器官的不同部位其辐射敏感性也存在着明显的差异。为了认识人类不同种类月γ瘤细胞对γ射线的辐射敏感性的差异以及正常人细胞接受Y射线照射后染色体的损伤及修复，本研究以染色体断裂为预测指标，应用CalyculinA诱导的早熟染色体凝集技术对肝癌细胞系SMMC-7721、胃癌细胞系BGC-823、宫颈癌细胞系HeL。、黑色素瘤细胞系A375、肝细胞系L02等五种人类肿瘤细胞对Y射线的辐射敏感性及人类正常肝细胞染色体损伤的动态修复过程进行了研究。发现：1．Y射线照射后，肿瘤细胞染色体断裂与吸收剂量及染色体断裂和细胞存活率之间存在正相关关系，其中，在相同吸收剂量下染色单体断裂数目远较等点染色单体数目多；2．正常肝细胞在经过射线照射后染色体断裂数目也与吸收剂量和细胞存活率之间存在正相关关系，经过4昆小时的修复，染色单体断裂85％以上得到了有效修复，等点染色单体断裂修复率小于15％。结果提示：γ射线诱导产生的染色体断裂可以作为预测细胞辐射敏感性的可靠指标；辐射诱发正常细胞的癌变可能与等点染色单体的不能有效修复存在着密切的联系。这不仅对于具有个案针对性的临床放射治疗有着极为重要的指导意义，而且对于恶性肿瘤的发病机理也有重要意义。

T-Muurolol Sesquiterpenes from the Marine Streptomyces sp M491 and Revision of the Configuration of Previously Reported Amorphanes

Two new sesquiterpenes, 15-hydroxy-T-muurolol (3d) and 11,15-dihydroxy-T-muurolol (3e), along with the plant cadinenes T-muurolol (3f) and 3 alpha-hydroxy-T-muurolol (3g), were isolated from the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. M491. Their absolute configuration was established via NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography of 3-oxo-T-muurolol (3a), which was reisolated from this strain. In addition, the absolute configuration of further sesquiterpenes previously reported from this strain was revised. These products were tested for their cytotoxicity against 37 human tumor cell lines using the MTT method. Only 3d was cytotoxic against a range of human tumor cell lines with a mean IC50 of 6.7 mu g/mL.

Co-expression of CD173 (H2) and CD174 (Lewis Y) with CD44 suggests that fucosylated histo-blood group antigens are markers of breast cancer-initiating cells

Histo-blood group antigens CD173 (H2) and CD174 (Lewis Y) are known to be developmentally regulated carbohydrate antigens which are expressed to a varying degree on many human carcinomas. We hypothesized that they might represent markers of cancer-initiating cells (or cancer stem cells, CSC). In order to test this hypothesis, we examined the co-expression of CD173 and CD174 with stem cell markers CD44 and CD133 by flow cytometry analysis, immunocytochemistry, and immunohistochemistry on cell lines and tissue sections from breast cancer. In three breast cancer cell lines, the percentage of CD173(+)/CD44(+) cells ranged from 17% to > 60% and of CD174(+)/CD44(+) from 21% to 57%. In breast cancer tissue sections from 15 patients, up to 50% of tumor cells simultaneously expressed CD173, CD174, and CD44 antigens. Co-expression of CD173 and CD174 with CD133 was also observed, but to a lesser percentage. Co-immunoprecipitation and sandwich ELISA experiments on breast cancer cell lines suggested that CD173 and CD174 are carried on the CD44 molecule. The results show that in these tissues CD173 (H2) and CD174 (LeY) are associated with CD44 expression, suggesting that these carbohydrate antigens are markers of cancer-initiating cells or of early progenitors of breast carcinomas.

Molecular modeling on human CCR5 receptors and complex with CD4 antigens and HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120

AIM: To investigate the interaction between human CCR5 receptors (CCR5) and HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 (HIV-1 gp120) and HIV-1 receptor CD4 antigens (CD4). METHODS: The structurally con served regions (SCR) of human CCR5 was built by the SYBYL/Biopolymer module using the corresponding transmembrane (TM) domain of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) as the template. The coordinates for amino-ter minal residue sequence, and carboxyl-terminal residue sequence, extracellular and cytoplasmic loops were generated using LOOP SEARCH algorithm. Subsequently the structural model was merged into the complex with HIV-1 gp120 and CD4. RESULTS: Human CCR5 interacted with both an HIV-1 gp120 and CD4. The N-terminal residues (especially Met1 and Gln4) of human CCR5, contacted with CD4 residues, mainly 7Nith one span (56 - 59) of CD4 in electrostatic interaction and hydrogen-bonds. The binding sites of human CCR5 were buried in a hydrophobic center surrounded by a highly basic periphery. On the other hand, direct interatomic contacts were made between ? CCR5 residues and 6 gp120 amino-acid residues, which included van der Waals contacts, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen bonds. CONCLUSION: The interaction model should be helpful for rational design of novel anti-HIV drugs.

A Proteomic Study on Cell Cycle Progression of Endothelium Exposed to Tumor Conditioned Medium and the Possible Role of Cyclin D-1/E

This study was designed to comprehensively analyze the differential expression of proteins from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to tumor conditioned medium (TCM) and to identify the key regulator in the cell cycle progression. The HUVECs were exposed to TCM from breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231, then their cell cycle distribution was measured by flow cytometer (FCM). The role of protein in cell cycle progression was detected via two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and western blotting. Following the stimulation of TCM, HUVECs showed a more cells in the S phase than did the negative control group (ECGF-free medium with 20% FBS), but the HUVECs' level was similar to the positive control group (medium with 25 mug/ml ECGF and 20% FBS). Increased expression of cyclin D-1/E and some changes in other related proteins occurred after incubation with TCM. From our results, we can conclude that breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231 may secrete soluble pro-angiogenic factors that induce the HUVEC angiogenic switch, during which the expression of cell cycle regulator cyclin D-1/E increases and related proteins play an important role in this process.

The Mitogenic and Anti-Apoptotic Activity of Tumor Conditioned Medium on Endothelium

This study was designed to observe the effect of tumor conditioned medium (TCM) on the proliferation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were exposed to TCM from breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231, then we measured their proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution by MTT and flow cytometery (FCM). Following the stimulation of TCM, HUVECs showed higher pro-mitogenic and anti-apoptotic ability than did the negative control group (ECGF-free medium with 20% FBS), but a similar ability to the positive control group (medium with ECGF and 20% FBS). From these results, we can conclude that breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231 could secret soluble pro-angiogenic factors that induce HUVEC angiogenic switching, including cell cycle progression, proliferation and growth. The role and character of these factors remain to be further studied.

Winter Temperature and UV Are Tightly Linked to Genetic Changes in the p53 Tumor Suppressor Pathway in Eastern Asia

The tumor suppressor p53 is a master sensor of stress. Two human-specific polymorphisms, p53 codon 72 and MDM2 SNP309, influence the activities of p53. There is a tight association between cold winter temperature and p53 Arg72 and between low UV intensity

Pseudogenization of the tumor-growth promoter angiogenin in a leaf-eating monkey

Physiological functions of human genes may be studied by gene-knockout experiments in model organisms such as the mouse. This strategy relies on the existence of one-to-one gene orthology between the human and mouse. When lineage-specific gene duplication occurs and paralogous genes share a certain degree of functional redundancy, knockout mice may not provide accurate functional information on human genes. Angiogenin is a small protein that stimulates blood-vessel growth and promotes tumor development. Humans and related primates only have one angiogenin gene, while mice have three paralogous genes. This makes it difficult to generate angiogenin-knockout mice and even more difficult to interpret the genotype-phenotype relation from such animals should they be generated. We here show that in the douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus), an Asian leaf-eating colobine monkey, the single-copy angiogenin gene has a one-nucleotide deletion in the sixth codon of the mature peptide, generating a premature stop codon. This nucleotide deletion is found in five unrelated individuals sequenced, and therefore is likely to have been fixed in the species. Five colobine species that are closely related to the douc langur have intact angiogenin genes, suggesting that the pseudogenization event was recent and unique to the douc langur lineage. This natural knockout experiment suggests that primate angiogenin is dispensable even in the wild. Further physiological studies of douc largurs may offer additional information on the role of this cancer-related gene in normal physiology of primates, including humans. Our findings also provide a strong case for the importance of evolutionary analysis in biomedical studies of gene functions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

A single amino acid defines cross-species reactivity of tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) CD1d to human invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells

P>The non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule CD1d presents lipid antigens to invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, which are an important part of the innate immune system. CD1d/iNKT systems are highly conserved in evoluti

SECRETORY MONOCLONAL IGA ANTIBODY TO HUMAN SPERM PRODUCED BY GASTROINTESTINAL IMMUNIZATION INHIBITS HUMAN SPERM ACTIVITY AND MOUSE INVITRO FERTILIZATION

BALB/c mice were immunized intragastrically with human sperm. Cells from the Peyer's patches and spleens of the immunized mice were for the preparation of hybridomas secreting antisperm monoclonal IgA (mcIgA). The specific ratio of IgA-secreting cells in Peyer's patches was much higher than that in spleen. The binding site on human sperm of 9 of 19 mcIgA was in the post-acrosomal region using an immunofluorescent assay. Two of eight selected mcIgA caused strong human sperm agglutination and three of them produced significant inhibition of mouse in vitro fertilization. No mcIgA tested caused obvious human sperm immobilization or inhibited mouse in vivo fertilization. In vitro assembly of selected mcIgA in ascites with mouse secretory component (SC) caused no significant changes in effects on sperm function and in vitro fertilization. By use of Western blotting, dimer or higher polymers were demonstrated in all selected mcIgAs and corresponding protein antigens in 6 of 8 selected mcIgAs. These results suggest that human sperm function may be inhibited and fertilization rate reduced by specific secretory IgA to human sperm and that secretory immunity to protein antigens of human sperm could be induced by intragastrointestinal immunization.