960 resultados para Mammalian
Resumo:
Type I interferon (IFN) exerts its pleiotropic effects mainly through the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, which is presently best described in mammals. By subtractive suppression hybridization, two fish signaling factors, JAK1 and STAT1, had been identified in the IFN-induced crucian carp Carassius auratus L. blastulae embryonic (CAB) cells after treatment with UV-inactivated grass carp hemorrhagic virus (GCHV). Further, the full-length cDNA of STAT1, termed CaSTAT1, was obtained. It contains 2926 bp and encodes a protein of 718 aa. CaSTAT1 is most similar to rat STAT1 with 59% identity overall and displays all highly conserved domains that the STAT family possesses. Like human STAT1beta, it lacks the C-terminus acting as transcriptional activation domain in mammals. By contrast, only a single transcript was detected in virus-induced CAB cells. Expression analysis showed that CaSTAT1 could be activated by stimulation of CAB cells with poly I:C, active GCHV, UV-inactivated GCHV or CAB IFN, and displayed diverse expression patterns similar to that of mammalian STATI. Additionally, the expression of an antiviral gene CaMx1 was also induced under the same conditions, and expression difference between CaSTAT1 and CaMx1 was revealed by induction of CAB IFN. These results provide molecular evidence supporting the notion that the fish IFN signaling transduction pathway is similar to that in mammals. Fish IFN exerts its multiple functions, at least antiviral action, through a JAK-STAT pathway. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Interferon (IFN) can induce an antiviral state via interferon-regulatory transcription factors (IRFs), which bind to and control genes directed by the interferon-stimulated response element (ISRE). Here we describe a fish IRF, termed CaIRF7, cloned from a subtractive cDNA library which is constructed with mRNAs obtained from crucian carp (Carassius auratus L.) blastulae embryonic (CAB) cells infected by UV-inactivated GCHV and mock-infected cells. CaIRF7 cDNA was found to be 1816 bp in length, with a 42 bp 5' UTR and a 508 bp 3' UTR. The open reading frame translates into 421 amino acids in which a DNA-binding domain (DBD) containing the repeated tryptophan motif and IRFs association domain have been identified. Like chicken GgIRF3, CaIRF7 was most similar to mammalian IRF7 with 27 to 30% identity overall and some 37% identity in their DBDs. A single transcript of 1.9 kb was detected in virally induced CAB cells by virtual Northern blotting. RT-PCR analysis revealed a wide tissue distribution of CaIRF7 constitutive expression, with detectable transcript in non-infected CAB cells and various tissues of healthy crucian carp. In addition, CaIRF7 expression was differentially increased by stimulation of the CAB cells with active GCHV, UV-inactivated GCHV or CAB IFN, indicating that the activation of CaIRF7 was directly regulated by IFN. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Resumo:
UV-inactivated grass carp hemorrhage virus (GCHV) can induce high titer of interferon in cultured CAB (crucian carp (Carassius auratus L.) blastulae) cells, and thus defend host cells against the virus invasion. The mechanism is proposed that an antiviral state should be established in the host cells by activating expression of a set of antiviral-relevant genes. In this study, suppressive subtractive hybridization is applied to constructing a subtracted cDNA library with mRNAs isolated from UV-inactivated GCHV infected and mock-infected CAB cells. 272 differential cDNA fragments are identified by both PCR and dot blot from the subtractive cDNA library. Sequencing analysis reveals 69 genes, including 46 known gene homologues, and 23 unknown putative genes. The known genes include the genes involved in interferon signaling pathways, such as Stat1 and Jak1, the antiviral genes, such as Mx and Viperin, and a set of interferon-stimulated genes observed in mammalian cells. Most of the unknown putative genes contain AU-rich element in their sequences. Differential expressions of these genes are further confirmed by virtual Northern blot and RT-PCR. The data imply that UV-inactivated GCHV is not only able to induce production of interferon in the infected CAB cells, but also leads to the expression of a series of antiviral-relevant genes or immune-relevant genes, and therefore reveals that the signaling pathway of interferon system and antiviral mechanism in fish are similar to those in mammals.
Resumo:
Although reovirus infection is one of the major virus diseases of grass carp in China, the available knowledge on the structure and function of genes and proteins of the virus is limited. The complete sequence of the S9 genome segment of grass carp hemorrhage virus (GCHV) was determined. The segment consists of 1130 nucleotides and has a large open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 352 amino acids with predicted molecular mass of 37.7 kDa. Amino acid sequence comparison revealed that the deduced protein encoded by GCHV S9 is closely related to the sigma NS proteins of mammalian reovirus (MRV) and avian reovirus (ARV). Secondary structure analysis displayed that the form of alpha -helices (40.1%) and beta -sheets (49.4%) are the richest two contents in the protein encoded by S9, and this protein is predicted to be a nonstructural protein. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Resumo:
The complete nucleotide sequence of the genome segment S8 of grass carp hemorrhage virus (GCHV) was determined from cDNA corresponding to the viral genomic RNA. It is 1,287 nucleotides in length and contains a large open reading frame that could encode a protein of 409 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 44 kD. The S8 was expressed using the pET fusion protein vector and detected by Western blotting analysis using the chicken egg IgY against intact GCHV particles, indicating that S8 encodes a virion protein. Amino acid sequence comparisons revealed that the protein encoded by S8 is closely related to protein alpha2 of mammalian reovirus, suggesting that the deduced protein of S8 is an inner capsid protein. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Resumo:
7The complete nucleotide sequence of M6 gene of grass carp hemorrhage virus (GCHV) was determined. It is 2039 nucleotides in length and contains a single large open reading frame that could encode a protein of 648 amino acids with predicted molecular mass of 68.7 kDa. Amino acid sequence comparison revealed that the protein encoded by GCHV M6 is closely related to the protein mul of mammalian reovirus. The M6 gene, encoding the major outer-capsid protein, was expressed using the pET fusion protein vector in Escherichia coli and detected by Western blotting using chicken anti-GCHV immunoglobulin (IgY). The result indicates that the protein encoded by M6 may share a putative Asn-42-Pro-43 proteolytic cleavage site with mul.
Resumo:
Hemorrhagic disease, caused by the grass carp reovirus (GCRV), is one of the major diseases of grass carp in China. Little is known about the structure and function of the gene segments of this reovirus. The S10 genome segment of GCRV was cloned and the complete nucleotide sequence is reported here. The S10 is 909 nucleotides long and contains a large open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 276 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of approximately 29.7 kDa. Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequence of GCRV S10 with those of other reoviruses revealed no significant homologies. However, GCRV S10 shared a putative zinc-finger sequence and a similar distribution of hydrophilic motifs with the outer capsid proteins encoded by Coho salmon aquareovirus (SCSV) S10, striped bass reovirus (SBRV) S10, and mammalian reovirus (MRV) S4. It was predicted that this segment gene encodes an outer capsid protein.
Resumo:
Members of the SR family of pre-mRNA splicing factors are phosphoproteins that share a phosphoepitope specifically recognized by monoclonal antibody (mAb) 104. Recent studies have indicated that phosphorylation may regulate the activity and the intracellular localization of these splicing factors. Here, we report the purification and kinetic properties of SR protein kinase 1 (SRPK1), a kinase specific for SR family members. We demonstrate that the kinase specifically recognizes the SR domain, which contains serine/arginine repeats. Previous studies have shown that dephosphorylated SR proteins did not react with mAb 104 and migrated faster in SDS gels than SR proteins from mammalian cells. We show that SRPK1 restores both mobility and mAB 104 reactivity to a SR protein SF2/ASF (splicing factor 2/alternative splicing factor) produced in bacteria, suggesting that SRPK1 is responsible for the generation of the mAb 104-specific phosphoepitope in vivo. Finally, we have correlated the effects of mutagenesis in the SR domain of SF2/ASF on splicing with those on phosphorylation of the protein by SRPK1, suggesting that phosphorylation of SR proteins is required for splicing.
Resumo:
Background: Flying lemurs or Colugos (order Dermoptera) represent an ancient mammalian lineage that contains only two extant species. Although molecular evidence strongly supports that the orders Dermoptera, Scandentia, Lagomorpha, Rodentia and Primates form a superordinal clade called Supraprimates (or Euarchontoglires), the phylogenetic placement of Dermoptera within Supraprimates remains ambiguous. Results: To search for cytogenetic signatures that could help to clarify the evolutionary affinities within this superordinal group, we have established a genome-wide comparative map between human and the Malayan flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus) by reciprocal chromosome painting using both human and G. variegatus chromosome-specific probes. The 22 human autosomal paints and the X chromosome paint defined 44 homologous segments in the G. variegatus genome. A putative inversion on GVA 11 was revealed by the hybridization patterns of human chromosome probes 16 and 19. Fifteen associations of human chromosome segments (HSA) were detected in the G. variegatus genome: HSA1/3, 1/10, 2/21, 3/ 21, 4/8, 4/18, 7/15, 7/16, 7/19, 10/16, 12/22 (twice), 14/15, 16/19 (twice). Reverse painting of G. variegatus chromosome-specific paints onto human chromosomes confirmed the above results, and defined the origin of the homologous human chromosomal segments in these associations. In total, G. variegatus paints revealed 49 homologous chromosomal segments in the HSA genome. Conclusion: Comparative analysis of our map with published maps from representative species of other placental orders, including Scandentia, Primates, Lagomorpha and Rodentia, suggests a signature rearrangement (HSA2q/21 association) that links Scandentia and Dermoptera to one sister clade. Our results thus provide new evidence for the hypothesis that Scandentia and Dermoptera have a closer phylogenetic relationship to each other than either of them has to Primates.
Resumo:
追溯生物界不同生物类型的起源及进化关系,即重建生物类群的系统发育树是进化生物学领域中一个十分重要的内容,并日益受到广泛的关注。美国和一些欧洲国家已率先启动了类似人类基因组计划的"生命之树,,计划(TreeofLife,TOL),将对生物学研究的发展产生深远影响。本研究瞄准了"生命之树"这一国际关注的焦点问题,选择具有重要进化理论意义和保护生物学价值的食肉目进行研究,除采用流行的多个线粒体基因外,还筛选多个有效的核基因标记,通过多基因序列数据的整合分析,构建可靠的食肉目分子系统树。此外,我们在食肉目部分物种的一个内含子区域发现了SINE家族的插入,考虑到这个内含子区域可能是SINE家族序列的一个插入热点,我们还增加了一些胎盘类哺乳动物目对这个内含子区域发生的多次SINE家族插入进行了详尽的进化研究。世界现生食肉目动物共计有11科280种,一般将它们归为两大超科,犬型超科(熊科,犬科,洗熊科,锄科,海狮科,海象科和海豹科)和猫型超科(灵猫科、猫科、鼠狗科和獴科)。犬型超科由于包含的物种种类繁多而且形态差异极"大,因此物种之间的系统发育关系方面争论颇多,难以解决。我们选用四个核基因序列片段和一个线粒体蛋白编码基因(共4417个碱基)对16个大型超科食肉目代表物种进行研究,探讨这一超科中科间的系统发育关系以及两个熊猫(大,小熊猫)的位置。结果表明不同基因在各分枝上表现出不同的解决能力,核基因和线粒体基因不含有冲突的,而是含有互补的系统发育信号,因而当把它们合并在一起进行系统发育分析时得到了一个大部分分枝都有很高支持程度的系统树拓扑结构。系统发育重建支持犬科是犬型超科中最早分歧的谱系,洗熊科和勃科的关系最近。小熊猫是洗熊科和触科的姐妹群,大熊猫是熊科中最早分歧的成员。鳍脚类(海狮科,海象科和海豹科)和熊科依次是由洗熊科,融科和小熊猫组成的进化枝最近的姐妹群。其中,鳍脚类和熊科的系统发育学位置在合并所有基因片段进行的ML和贝叶斯分析方法中都有较高的支持率和后验概率,但是在孵分析中的支持率却很低。因此,鳍脚类,熊科和由洗熊科,融科,小熊猫组成的进化枝三者之间的系统发育关系的解决将是以后食肉目犬型超科科水平系统发育学研究的趋势和重点。食肉目中不仅各科之间的进化关系扑朔迷离,科内的系统发育关系也很不清楚,尤其是熊科和猫科。因为这两个科都是在非常近期才发生物种分化的类群,代表了快速的进化辐射和间隔时间非常短的物种形成事件,因而重建科内各物种之间的系统发育关系对于系统学家来说是一项艰巨,极富挑战性的任务,也是造成熊科和猫科物种系统发育关系一直无法得到完全解决的重要原因。我们首次从两个核基因的角度,并与以前发表的五个线粒体基因数据进行单独和合并分析来探讨所有熊科物种(8个)的系统发育关系(约4kb)。结果不仅证实了目前普遍接受的观点,包括眼镜熊是除大熊猫以外最早分歧的熊科物种,以及棕熊和北极熊的姐妹群关系,而且进一步支持了亚洲黑熊和美洲黑熊之间的紧密关系,但是就在大多数以前的线粒体基因研究暗示懒熊极有可能是Ursus属中分歧最早的熊科物种时,我们的核基因分析提出新的假说,强烈支持懒熊和马来熊之间的姐妹群关系,使得懒熊和马来熊的系统发育位置又要成为将来熊科系统发育学研究中讨论的热点。另外,我们也探讨了核基因和线粒体基因表现出不一致系统发育信号的可能原因。猫科物种一般分成三大谱系:家猫谱系,豹谱系和虎猫谱系。其中由Panthera属和一些中等体型大小的猫类组成的豹谱系分化时间最近而且包含的物种最多,因此围绕它的系统发育学未解决的问题也最多。我们首次使用三个核基因对猫科中豹谱系部分物种系统发育关系进行探讨,同时还测定了两个完整线粒体编码基因,并结合以前发表的其它四个线粒体基因片段进行单独和结合分析,了解猫科豹谱系物种的进化历史。另外,我们还比较了这9个基因序列片段在进化特征和猫科系统发育关系应用价值方面的异同点。通过对14个猫科部分物种,主要为豹谱系物种的多个线粒体和核基因序列片段的综合分析,得到了一些非常有价值的重要结论,包括Panthera属的单源性以及Panthera属内部物种之间新的系统发育关系,云豹与Panthera属关系最近,美洲狮和猎豹是姐妹群,兔孙仍然属于家猫谱系等等。本研究中的核基因DNA在追溯如此近期才分化的猫科类群过程中积累的序列差异较少,因而贡献非常有限,它们可能会更适合用来解决食肉目中更高水平的物种之间系统发育关系。此外,当我们使用FGB基因第七内含子进行食肉目犬型超科各科和猫科部分物种的系统发育关系研究时,发现犬科代表物种和两个猫科物种中的不同位置上都发现了SINE片段的插入。我们又增加了除食肉目以外的部分哺乳动物目代表物种(共30个分类群)来进一步分析FGB基因第七内含子发生的多次SINEs家族插入事件。我们的结果表明:在所有哺乳动物内含子中的直源位置都发现了起源于tRNA的M琅元件,除了啮齿目。研究发现啮齿目小鼠中较高的序列变异速率以及大鼠中随着寄主DNA的大段丢失而发生了罕有的遗失是造成啮齿目中MIR缺失的原因。此外,在我们分析的12个哺乳动物目中,食肉目,偶蹄目和兔形目的FGB基因第七内含子不同位置还发现了至少五次谱系特异性SINE家族的独立插入事件。在食肉目中,三个独立的CANSINEs插入支持了这个SINE家族在食肉目所有类群中都有分布的假说(即"pan-camivores"假说)。研究中最重要的发现就是那些谱系特异的sINE家族有插入到己存在的MIRs内部或MIRs附近的强烈倾向,表明MIR很有可能是其它SINEs连续插入的"热点"区域,因而使这个内含子区域有如此多的逆转座子插入。我们认为SINEs要比以前所意识到的具有更大的插入"灵活性"和区域"特异性"。另外,本论文还重点介绍了现代系统发育学中常用的系统发育重建方法和策.略以及随着基因组时代的到来,"系统发育基因组学(P坤logenomics))'这门崭新的交叉学科在"重建生命之树"方面所具有的巨大优势和潜力。
Resumo:
进化生物学得益于近代分子生物学和当代基因组学的发展,已经脱 离了自达尔文时代起博物学式的观察和思辨性的研究状态。很多古老而又 经典的问题,因为在一些年轻的进化系统中的研究,绽放出其背后深刻的 机制。在本工作中,我们通过在模式物种果蝇和珍稀动物黑麂中的研究, 揭示了有关遗传的基本单位-- 基因是如何起源和消亡的,以及这些重要过 程背后的规律。 决定人类雄性的Y 染色体起源于一亿六千万年前X 染色体的同源 染色体。但现今Y 染色体上的基因数目仅仅是X 染色体的百分之一左 右。如此巨大的数目差异,是由于Y 染色体和X 染色体之间重组抑制以 后,大量的Y 染色体基因发生退化消亡所致。 由于哺乳动物的Y 染色体 大都非常古老,Y 退化的过程和机制一直以来无法得以深入研究。 在本工 作的前半部分,我们首次在中国特有的珍稀鹿科动物黑麂中报道鉴定了一 对行为和模式类似人类性染色体的常染色体。这对“新性染色体”(neosex) 仅仅起源于50 万年以内,由于雄性特异的染色体倒位,致使数以千计 的基因像Y 染色体连锁的基因那样,无法与其等位基因重组。对23 个新 Y 染色(neo-Y)体连锁的基因25kb 的蛋白编码区和它们35kb 的非编码区的 序列分析发现,与其他可重组区域相比,这些基因的遗传多态性显著降 低,并积累了改变氨基酸的有害突变。我们还首次用体内表达试验证明Y 染色体的基因在其顺式调控区域也发生了退化。这些积累在启动子或者非 翻译区域(UTR)的有害突变,将扰乱Y 染色体上基因的正常表达,并进一 步促进退化过程和剂量补偿效应以单个基因(gene-by-gene)的模式进化。 本论文的另外一部分工作主要研究了果蝇中新基因起源的总体模式 问题。对遗传新元件如何起源的兴趣,最早可以追溯到达尔文。近年来通 过对“年轻基因”的案例研究,我们已经知道通过基因重复,逆转座,水 平迁移和从头起源等机制可以产生新基因。但这些机制在全基因组水平对 新基因起源的贡献各自如何,以及以非编码区从头起源合成一个新的基因 是否普遍等重要问题一直未得到解答。我们利用比较基因组的手段,在6个果蝇全基因组中,通过12017 个黑腹果蝇基因序列,鉴定刻画了超过 300 个起源于不同时间点的新基因。我们对这些新基因的序列,结构和表 达模式的分析发现,串联重复在产生年轻的新基因过程中占了主导地位 (超过80%)。但是最后固定在群体内,有功能的新基因主要(44.1%)是散在 重复的形式。我们惊奇地发现非编码区从头起源的基因在新基因的起源过 程中也扮演了重要角色,产生了超过10%的有功能的新基因,并且大部分 都进化出了睾丸特异的表达模式。有大约30%的新基因通过招募其他基因 的编码区或者重复元件,形成了新的嵌合结构,暗示它们可能获得了新的 功能。最后,我们估计在果蝇中,每百万年将产生5 至11 个有功能的新 基因。
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题。 在已有的基础上,建立了基于单个植入前胚胎的逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)技术,成功实现了针对单个猕猴植入前胚胎进行可重复的,多个特定基因的表达检测。在此基础上,对一些重要的早期胚胎发育相关基因在猕猴体细胞核移植胚胎和体外受精胚胎中的表达进行了比较研究。这其中包括核仁相关蛋白基因nucleolin,nucleophosmin,fibrillarin,PAF53,UBF和mRNA早期装配相关蛋白snrpn,这些基因被认为与植入前胚胎的再程序化有着非常密切的关系。我们的研究结果发现,相对于体外受精胚胎,被检测基因在核移植胚胎中的转录出现了不同程度的异常,表现为表达丰度相对较低,这意味着体细胞核移植植入前胚胎的再程序化,或者说供体核的再程序化可能出现了异常。通过进一步对fibrillarin(胚胎合子基因组启动的标志基因)的表达研究,比较了合子基因组启动这一再程序化分子事件在核移植胚胎和体外受精胚胎中的发生时序。研究结果证实,体细胞核移植胚胎的合子基因组启动出现了明显的滞后。我们还发现这与核移植胚胎的异常卵裂速度有着一定的关联,同时说明某些源自核移植操作技术和方法的未知因素可能是造成核移植胚胎再程序化异常的主要原因。为了验证合子基因组滞后对核移植胚胎后续发育的影响,本论文研究分析了着床相关基因Mamu-AG在猕猴核移植胚胎中的表达。研究首次发现Mamu-AG mRNA只在囊胚期开始出现,这与在人类中的情况有所不同(始于8细胞时期)。在正常体外受精囊胚中,不论发育时间如何,第6和第7天的囊胚均正常表达Mamu-AG mRNA。而在核移植囊胚中,仅有第7天的囊胚检测到该mRNA,第6天的囊胚中则没有,这进一步说明了胚胎合子基因组启动的延迟是影响核移植胚胎发育的重要环节。 本研究从分子水平上对猕猴植入前胚胎基因转录和表达进行了分析研究,首次发现了在猕猴体细胞核移植胚胎中发育相关基因表达异常,以及合子基因组启动滞后的分子证据,这为我们改进现有的猕猴核移植操作程序提供了新的思路,同时也为进一步研究猕猴植入前胚胎发育的再程序化奠定了基础。
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细胞生物学研究的一个重要方向是动态地控制细胞在基底上的黏附。最近,随着表面化学的研究深入,尤其是对烷基硫醇在金基底上形成自组装单层膜(self-assembled monolayers, SAMs)这一体系的研究,使得人们能在分子水平的表面上控制细胞黏附。精氨酸-甘氨酸-天冬氨酸(arginine-glycine-aspartate, RGD)序列首先是从细胞外基质蛋白中分离出来的,能够识别并非共价结合细胞膜表面的整合素受体,从而促进细胞黏附。以前的一些工作已经证实,将含有RGD的肽链连接到SAMs表面之后,能够生物特异性地黏附动物细胞。已有的手段比如光照、电压、加热、微电极、微流控以及表面纳米形貌的梯度变化,都不能真正实现可逆地控制细胞黏附,原因是这些方法所用的化学有限;这些方法也不能得到完全抗拒细胞黏附的表面,原因是这些方法产生的表面缺陷等不完整。用两种不同波长的光(紫外光和可见光)照射偶氮苯,偶氮苯会发生可逆的光致异构变化,因此,偶氮苯的光致异构性质可以用来可逆地控制细胞在表面黏附。运用含有偶氮苯的混合SAMs,偶氮苯的末端连接GRGDS肽,混合SAMs中是以末端为六聚乙二醇的硫醇为背景,该SAMs修饰而成的表面能够黏附或者抗拒细胞黏附,其表面黏附性质取决于SAMs中偶氮苯的构象。该方法提供了一种在分子水平的表面上我们所了解到的唯一能可逆控制细胞黏附的方法,该方法需要用到的光源来自于标准荧光显微镜所配置的汞灯。 为了实现在金基底表面可逆的控制细胞黏附,我们合成了如下三个化合物: 由于化合物1的溶解性很差,几乎在所有溶剂里都不溶,所以不能直接用化合物1制备SAMs;化合物2能高效地抗拒细胞的黏附;化合物3的偶氮苯末端是活化酯,能够连接GRGDS肽,从而控制细胞黏附。 将化合物2和化合物3以一定的比例均匀混合在金基底表面形成SAMs,然后将GRGDS肽连接到偶氮苯(反式)的末端(通过GRGDS肽的甘氨酸上的伯胺基与偶氮苯末端的活化酯反应),从而得到细胞黏附的表面。用紫外光照射该细胞黏附表面5-10小时,随着偶氮苯的构象由反式变为顺式,偶氮苯末端的GRGDS肽淹没在化合物2的六聚乙二醇中,得到抗拒细胞黏附的惰性表面。再用可见光照射该惰性表面1个小时,随着偶氮苯的构象由顺式变为反式,原先埋没在六聚乙二醇中的GRGDS肽伸展至单层膜的末端,又得到了细胞黏附的表面。因此,该表面能完全可逆地控制细胞在金表面黏附。 An important area in cell biology is the dynamic control of cell adhesion on substrates. Recent advancements in surface chemistry, in particular, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols on gold substrates, have permitted unprecedented control of cell adhesion via molecularly defined surfaces. The tri-peptide sequence arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD), initially isolated from the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, can recognize and non-covalently bind with integrin receptors on cell membranes to promote cell adhesion. Some previous work has demonstrated that RGD peptide grafted on SAMs can allow bio-specific adhesion of mammalian cells that mimic natural adhesion. Existing technologies such as light, voltage, heat, microelectrodes, microfluidic systems and surface gradient of nanotopography, either cannot realize fully reversible control of cell adhesion, due to the limitation in the chemistry used, or cannot yield a surface completely resistant against cell adhesion, due to the imperfection of surfaces. Azobenzenes undergo reversible photo-induced isomerization rapidly at two different wavelengths of light (UV and visible light), it therefore potentially allows the reversible control of cell adhesion on a surface. By using a mixed SAMs presenting azobenzene groups terminated in GRGDS peptides in a background of hexa(ethylene glycol) groups, the surface can either accommodate or resist cell adhesion depending on the conformation of the azobenzene embedded in SAMs. This method provides the only means we know to control cell adhesion reversibly on a molecularly well-defined surface by using light generated by a mercury lamp equipped on standard fluorescence microscopes. To realize the reversible control of cell adhesion on gold surface, we synthesized three kinds of compounds as following, We found that it was difficult to obtain SAMs directly from compound 1 because of its poor solubility in almost all kinds of solvents; compound 2 can resist cell adhesion efficiently; compound 3 presents an azobenzene terminated with NHS-activated ester, which can couple with a GRGDS peptide to control cell adhesion. After coating a gold surface with compound 2 and 3 in appropriate ratios to form a SAM followed by coupling the GRGDS peptides with NHS-activated esters at the end of azobenzene (E configuration) resulted in a cell-adhesive SAM. Irradiating this cell-adhesive SAM with UV light for 5-10 h converted the E configuration of azobenzene into the Z form, the GRGDS peptides becoming masked in the PEG, resulting in a cell-resistant surface. These SAM could again support cell adhesion as a result of the conformational switch of azobenzene from Z to E with the irradiation of visible light for 1 h. This surface, therefore, allows completely reversible control of cell adhesion on a gold surface.