Exon Sequencing of PKD1 Gene in an Iranian Patient with Autosomal-Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Introduction: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common genetic kidney disorders with the incidence of 1 in 1,000 births. ADPKD is genetically heterogeneous with two genes identified: PKD1 (16p13.3, 46 exons) and PKD2 (4q21, 15 exons). Eighty five percent of the patients with ADPKD have at least one mutation in the PKD1 gene. Genetic studies have demonstrated an important allelic variability among patients, but very few data are known about the genetic variation among Iranian populations. Methods: In this study, exon direct sequencing of PKD1 was performed in a seven-year old boy with ADPKD and in his parents. The patient’s father was ADPKD who was affected without any kidney dysfunction, and the patient’s mother was congenitally missing one kidney. Results: Molecular genetic testing found a mutation in all three members of this family. It was a missense mutation GTG>ATG at position 3057 in exon 25 of PKD1. On the other hand, two novel missense mutations were reported just in the 7-year-old boy: ACA>GCA found in exon 15 at codon 2241 and CAC>AAC found in exon 38 at codon 3710. For checking the pathogenicity of these mutations, exons 15, 25, and 38 of 50 unrelated normal cases were sequenced. Conclusion: our findings suggested that GTG>ATG is a polymorphism with high frequency (60%) as well as ACA>GCA and CAC>AAC are polymorphisms with frequencies of 14% and 22%, respectively in the population of Southwest Iran. Key Words: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), Polycystic kidney diseases (PKD), PKD1 gene, Iran     

水稻ABC1基因家族的鉴定及在非生物胁迫下的表达分析

 ABC1（Activity of bc1 complex）家族属于蛋白质激酶家族,其成员普遍存在于原核和真核生物中。已有研究表明,几个植物ABC1基因参与非生物胁迫应答。为了解ABC1基因在水稻中的结构和功能,采用生物信息学方法分别在水稻和拟南芥上鉴定出15个和17个ABC1基因,并进行了系统发育和表达分析。结果表明,该家族在单、双子叶植物分离之前就已经发生了分化,其基本特征已经形成;单、双子叶植物分离之后,该家族在水稻和拟南芥中均以物种特异的方式进行了扩增。内含子/外显子结构分析显示多数直系同源基因之间外显子大小接近,而内含子差别较大,水稻含有更多大的内含子;内含子获得是近期伴随水稻ABC1家族进化的重要事件。多序列比对显示,ABC1结构域具有1个保守的氨基酸片段和4个保守的氨基酸残基。在线亚细胞定位预测9个水稻ABC1蛋白定位在叶绿体上。实时定量RT-PCR分析表明,水稻ABC1基因主要在叶片中表达,并且受多种非生物胁迫因素包括H₂O₂、脱落酸、低温、干旱、黑暗和高盐的调控。说明水稻ABC1家族不仅在逆境胁迫应答中发挥重要作用,可能还与水稻特定的生理过程有关。
     

不同发育特性小麦品种春化基因 VRN2的序列分析

为了明确小麦春化基因VRN2与春化发育表现型的关系,以6个不同春化发育特性的普通小麦品种为试验材料,采用PCR技术对春化基因VRN2的CCT保守区中43个氨基酸序列进行了分析。结果表明,不同品种间ZCCT-A1的CCT功能域的序列存在差异,肥麦有R35W突变,另外5个品种均有R39C突变;ZCCT-A2均存在R16C突变;B和D基因组中均未发现突变。这表明VRN2基因编码区的等位变异主要出现在A基因组上,而B和D基因组中的VRN2基因在目前大面积主栽品种中均为显性。     

玉米COBRA基因家族分析及重要成员ZmCOBL03基因编辑

利用生物信息学的方法分析玉米COBRA家族10个成员的序列特征、与其他物种的进化关系和组织特异性表达模式。结果表明,10个COBRA家族基因都含有CCVS保守结构域,并且均定位于细胞膜上。系统进化分析结果显示,该家族可以分为2个亚族,每个亚族内的基因具有相似的基因结构和理化性质。以ZmCOBL03为候选基因开展基因编辑,采用双靶标位点的设计思路,利用农杆菌介导的玉米遗传转化技术和CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑技术,成功获得ZmCOBL03基因靶向突变的玉米株系。表型分析证实,ZmCOBL03基因突变后严重影响了玉米的正常发育,表现为植株极端矮化且生殖生长受到抑制,证实ZmCOBL03基因在植物细胞壁纤维素合成中发挥重要作用。     

Three Novel Mutations in Iranian Patients with Tay-Sachs Disease

Background: Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), or GM2 gangliosidosis, is a lethal autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder, which is caused by a deficiency of beta-hexosaminidase A (HEXA), resulting in lysosomal accumulation of GM2 ganglioside. The aim of this study was to identify the TSD-causing mutations in an Iranian population. Methods: In this study, we examined 31 patients for TSD-causing mutations using PCR, followed by restriction enzyme digestion. Results: Molecular genetics analysis of DNA from 23 patients of TSD revealed mutations that has been previously reported, including four-base duplications c.1274_1277dupTATC in exon 11 and IVS2+1G>A, deletion TTAGGCAAGGGC in exon 10 as well as a few novel mutations, including C331G, which altered Gln>Glu in HEXB, A>G, T>C, and p.R510X in exon 14, which predicted a termination codon or nonsense mutation. Conclusion: In conclusion, with the discovery of these novel mutations, the genotypic spectrum of Iranian patients with TSD disease has been extended and could facilitate definition of disease-related mutations. Key Words: Tay-Sachs disease, β- hexosaminidase A, β- hexosaminidase B     

Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of Splicing Variant in CYP27A1 in an Iranian Family with Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis

Background:CTX is a rare congenital lipid-storage disorder, leading to a progressive multisystem disease. CTX with autosomal recessive inheritance is caused by a defect in the CYP27A1 gene. Chronic diarrhea, tendon xanthomas, neurologic impairment, and bilateral cataracts are common symptoms of the disease. Methods:Three affected siblings with an initial diagnosis of non-syndromic intellectual disability were recruited for further molecular investigations. To identify the possible genetic cause(s), WES was performed on the proband. Sanger sequencing was applied to confirm the final variant. The clinical and molecular genetic features of the three siblings from the new CTX family and other patients with the same mutations, as previously reported, were analyzed. The CYP27A1 gene was also studied for the number of pathogenic variants and their location. Results:We found a homozygous splicing mutation, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"NM_000784","term_id":"1519312912"}}NM_000784: exon6: c.1184+1G>A, in CYP27A1 gene, which was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Among the detected pathogenic variants, the splice site mutation had the highest prevalence, and the mutations were mostly found in exon 4. Conclusion:This study is the first to report the c.1184+1G>A mutation in Iran. Our findings highlight the other feature of the disease, which is the lack of relationship between phenotype and genotype. Due to nonspecific symptoms and delay in diagnosis, CYP27A1 genetic analysis should be the definitive method for CTX diagnosis. Key Words: Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis, CYP27A1, Intellectual disability, Iran, Whole exome sequencing     

甘蓝型油菜和甘蓝CRISPR/Cas9编辑效果的快速检测

CRISPR/Cas9系统是目前最常用的基因组定点编辑工具，通过瞬时表达试验提前验证Cas9/sgRNA载体诱导的突变效率，可以提高基因组定点编辑成功的几率，且显著节省费用及时间。本研究开发了一种利用农杆菌介导的操作简单、适用性好、成本低廉的叶片瞬时表达技术，可用于快速检测甘蓝型油菜和甘蓝中CRISPR/Cas9的编辑效果。针对甘蓝型油菜BnaC.WRKY11.a设计了2个靶位点Tgt1（Target 1）和Tgt2（Target 2），并构建了Cas9/sgRNA-Tgt1/2多重突变载体，在甘蓝型油菜叶片中瞬时表达后，2个靶位点都出现突变，突变效率达11.2%～82.2%。针对甘蓝BolPDS3基因设计了1个靶位点Tgt3（Target3），并构建了Cas9/sgRNA-Tgt3敲除载体，在甘蓝叶片瞬时表达后，Tgt3发生了突变，且大部分为碱基缺失突变，缺失的数目为1～18bp不等，同时还存在少量碱基插入以及碱基替换等突变类型。结果表明这种甘蓝型油菜和甘蓝的叶片瞬时表达技术操作简单、适用性好、成本低廉，CRISPR/Cas9的编辑效果快速易检测。     

Utilization of Whole Exome Sequencing in Non-Syndromic Premature Ovarian Failure: Ficolin-3 Gene Mutation in an Iranian Family

Background:Premature ovarian failure is a heterogeneous disorder, leading to early menopause. Several genes have been identified as the cause of non-syndromic POF. Our aim was to explore the genetic defects in Iranian patients with POF. Methods:We studied a family with three females exhibiting non-syndromic POF. WES was performed for one of the affected individuals after ruling out the presence of CGG repeat expansion at FMR1 gene in the family. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the candidate sequence variants in the proband, and screening of the detected mutation was performed for the other affected and unaffected members of the family. Results:A homozygous frameshift mutation, c.349delC, was identified in FCN3 gene in the proband and two other patients. The parents and two healthy brothers were heterozygous for the mutation, and an unaffected sister was homozygous for wild type. Conclusion:This is the first report of a mutation in FCN3 gene in a family with POF. Our findings can lead to the enhancement of genetic databases of patients with POF, specifically for families with high-risk background. Key Words: Ficolin-3, Premature ovarian failure, Whole exome sequencing     

Lower soil nitrous oxide emissions by a high lipid genetically modified perennial ryegrass line compared to its wild type

We describe an experiment where cattle urine was applied at a rate of 420 kg N ha⁻¹, equivalent to 10 L m⁻², to mesocosm swards of a high lipid genetically modified perennial ryegrass line (HME) and its wild type (WT). We measured N pools and fluxes in the plant and soil, soil microbial populations and N₂O production. HME plants produced 21% greater biomass than WT (p = .02), resulting in greater N uptake (27% higher in HME, p = .05). Urine N recovery in total plant biomass during the experiment in HME and WT swards were 54.7% and 33.9% respectively. The nitrification potential of soil was significantly lower (p = .01) in HME than WT. Partial least square-discriminant analysis using microbial gene abundance data indicated that HME and WT plant growth induced distinct microbial populations in the soil. These differences in plant soil microbial interactions between HME and WT swards resulted in significantly lower N₂O emissions from the HME sward. Total N₂O emissions over the 4 weeks after urine application was 38% lower (p < .03) in HME swards than in WT swards. The next step in this work is to identify the specific changes in HME traits that drive the reduction in N₂O.     

Identification of a Novel Stop Loss Mutation in P2RX2 Gene in an Iranian Family with Autosomal Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss

Background:Hearing loss, a congenital genetic disorder in human, is difficult to diagnose. WES is a powerful approach for ethiological disgnosis of such disorders. Methods:One Iranian family with two patients were attented in the study. Sequencing of known NSHL genes was carried out to recognize the genetic causes of HL. Results:Molecular analyses identified a novel stop loss mutation, c.1048T>G (p.Term350Glu), whitin the P2RX2 gene, causing a termination-site modification.This event would lead to continued translation into the 3'' UTR of the gene, which in turn may result in a longer protein product. The mutation was segregating with the disease phenotype and predicted to be pathogenic by bioinformatic tools. Conclusion:This study is the first Iranian case report of a diagnosis of ADNSHL caused by P2RX2 mutation. The recognition of other causative mutations in P2RX2 gene more supports the probable function of this gene in causing ADNSHL. Key Words: Autosomal dominant 41, Deafness, Mutation, P2RX2, Whole exome sequencing     

Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis in an Iranian Patient with Hereditary Spherocytosis

Background:Hereditary spherocytosis and hereditary dRTA are associated with mutations in the SLC4A1 gene encoding the AE1. In this study, some patients with clinical evidence of congenital HS and renal symptoms were investigated. Methods:Twelve patients with congenital HS and renal symptoms were recruited from Ali-Asghar Children’s Hospital (Tehran, Iran). A patient suspected of having dRTA was examined using WES method, followed by Sanger sequencing. Results:One patient (HS03) showed severe failure to thrive, short stature, frequent urinary infection, and weakness. A homozygote (rs571376371 for c.2494C>T; p.Arg832Cys) and a heterozygote (rs377051298 for c.466C>T; p.Arg156Trp) missense variant were identified in the SLC4A1 and SPTA1 genes, respectively. The compound heterozygous mutations manifested as idRTA and severe HS in patient HS03. Conclusion:Our observations, for the first time, revealed clinical and genetic characteristics of idRTA and severe HS in an Iranian patient HS03. Key Words: Erythrocyte membrane protein, Hereditary spherocytosis, Hemolytic anemia, Whole-exome sequencing     

大豆DELLA基因家族鉴定及分析

DELLA基因家族是调控植物与环境互作和植物发育的重要调控因子,可以促进微生物与植物共生关系建立过程中侵染线的形成,是参与赤霉素信号通路的负调控蛋白,在影响植物激素相关基因表达,调节植物与微生物共生固氮和生长发育方面具有重要的作用,但是在大豆中DELLA基因家族的结构特征还没有详细分析。本研究对大豆中DELLA基因家族的基因结构、定位信息、蛋白结构、保守基序分析、系统进化树、顺势作用元件、与拟南芥同源基因的共线性关系和基因表达模式进行了研究。结果发现,大豆基因组中共有7个DELLA基因家族成员,分布在7条不同的染色体上,这些基因都只有一个外显子,一个N端DELLA结构域,并且基序分布相似,证明其基因编码序列结构域高度保守。系统进化树分析表明DELLA家族有三个亚族,其启动子区域含有大量的顺式作用元件,这些元件参与植物激素反应、干旱诱导和光反应。大豆DELLA基因Glyma.11G216500、Glyma.18G040000、Glyma.08G095800和Glyma.05G140400与拟南芥中的AT1G14920、AT1G66350和AT2G01570呈共线性关系;其中Glyma.18G040000和Glyma.11G216500在大豆各个组织中都有表达,而且表达量相对较高。以上研究丰富了我们对大豆DELLA基因家族的理解,为后续大豆DELLA基因的功能研究奠定了基础。     

一种新的水稻香味基因功能标记的开发与应用

香味是影响稻米品质的一个重要性状,Badh2基因突变是水稻产生香味的主要原因,水稻香味产生主要有Badh2基因第2、4、5、7、8外显子突变类型,其中研究最多的是第7外显子突变类型.为了提高水稻香味性状检测的准确性、安全性和效率,本研究根据水稻Badh2基因突变(第7外显子8 bp缺失、3 bp突变)的序列设计开发了3...     

A Recessive Mutation in Rice Conferring Non-Race-Specific Resistance to Bacterial Blight and Blast

To understand the basis of broad-spectrum disease resistance in rice, we isolated a gamma-ray-induced IR64 mutant G978 that showed enhanced resistance to blast and bacterial blight. The resistance is quantitative and non-race specific against the bacterial and fungal pathogens. The mutation is inherited as a single recessive gene, designated as Bsdr1 and causes shorter stature relative to the wild type; however, it does not show lesion mimics phenotype under the conditions tested. The mutation was mapped as a quantitative trait locus to a 3.8-Mb region on chromosome 12. By comparing the gene expression profiles of the mutant and wild type, we identified a candidate gene encoding a U-box domain-containing protein. The disrupted gene showed a loss of expression in the mutant and co-segregated with mutant phenotype. The mutant provides a useful tool for investigating the important genes responsible for non-race specific resistance to two distinct diseases.     

矮秆小粒水稻潇湘矮的形态学与分子遗传学分析

【目的】研究揭示潇湘矮矮秆小粒的遗传机制,为潇湘矮的育种利用提供理论基础。【方法】利用水稻育种过程中自然突变而得到的稳定遗传的矮秆小粒水稻材料潇湘矮,对其进行农艺性状考查、赤霉素(GA_3)和油菜素内酯(BR)敏感性分析、遗传学分析,并利用潇湘矮与其近等基因系NIL(NIP)衍生的F_2群体对控制矮秆小粒的基因xxa进行图位克隆,最终利用转基因互补试验验证候选基因。【结果】潇湘矮除表现为矮秆小粒外,其穗长变短,穗型紧凑,千粒重极显著下降。不同浓度梯度的赤霉素(GA_3)和油菜素内酯(BR)处理,发现潇湘矮对GA_3部分敏感,而对BR不敏感。遗传分析发现其符合孟德尔3∶1分离规律。图位克隆将xxa基因定位于第5染色体In Del标记F81和F82之间约70 kb区间的物理距离内。该区间包含8个开放阅读框(ORF)。其中,第5个ORF(LOC_Os05g26890)被注释为水稻株高基因D1。序列分析发现,潇湘矮的D1基因在第5和12外显子分别有1个碱基的无义替换和3个碱基的缺失,其中第12外显子3个碱基的缺失导致1个赖氨酸的缺失。转基因互补显示D1可以恢复潇湘矮的表型。【结论】潇湘矮控制株高的途径可能与GA_3代谢有关;潇湘矮矮秆小粒表型符合单隐性核基因控制的遗传规律;潇湘矮矮秆小粒性状是由D1基因突变所致。     

The frequency of eight common point mutations in CYP21 gene in Iranian patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia

BACKGROUND: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH, the inherited inability to synthesize cortisol) is one of the most common (1 in 10000 to 1 in 15000) autosomal recessive disorders. More than 95% of cases of CAH are caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD). Females with severe, classic 21-OHD are exposed to excess androgens prenatally and are born with virilized external genitalia. Most patients cannot synthesize sufficient aldosterone to maintain sodium balance and may develop potentially fatal salt wasting crisis if not treated. METHODS: We applied allele specific PCR to detect the eight common mutations in the CYP21 gene in patients. Fifty unrelated patients with symptoms of classical CAH were studied. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Seventy percent of our subjects had these mutations. The most frequent mutations were found to be I2G and del-8 bp (28% and 13%, respectively). The frequencies of other alleles were as following: I172N, 9%; V281L, 3%; exon 6 cluster (I236N, V237E and M239K), 4%; Q318X, 9%; R356W, 5%; and P30L, 0%. The frequency of mutations did not differ substantially from other ethnics, however, a higher rate of del-8 bp (13%) was found in our population. The aim of this study was to detect common mutations for setting up a molecular method for prenatal diagnosis.     

玉米弯孢叶斑病菌PG基因家族鉴定与表达分析

采用生物信息学鉴定Clpg基因家族成员,利用实时荧光定量PCR技术分析玉米弯孢叶斑病菌多聚半乳糖醛酸酶基因(Clpg)在病原菌-寄主植物互作时期的表达情况,鉴定Clpg基因的家族成员,研究每个成员在侵染过程的表达水平,明确Clpg基因在玉米弯孢叶斑病菌致病性中的作用。结果表明,玉米弯孢叶斑病菌Clpg基因家族有4个成员,分别命名为Clpg1、Clpg2、Clpg3和Clpg4,均含有3个内含子和2个外显子,与其他真菌PG基因具有相同的NTD、DD、GHG、RIK保守结构域。Clpg1基因的表达趋势为先升高后下降,在3 h达最高值;Clpg2、Clpg3和Clpg4基因的表达趋势为逐渐上升,结果暗示Clpg基因可能参与病原菌与寄主植物的互作过程。     

Heparanase and Syndecan-4 Are Involved in Low Molecular Weight Fucoidan-Induced Angiogenesis

Induction of angiogenesis is a potential treatment for chronic ischemia. Low molecular weight fucoidan (LMWF), the sulfated polysaccharide from brown seaweeds, has been shown to promote revascularization in a rat limb ischemia, increasing angiogenesis in vivo. We investigated the potential role of two heparan sulfate (HS) metabolism enzymes, exostosin-2 (EXT2) and heparanase (HPSE), and of two HS-membrane proteoglycans, syndecan-1 and -4 (SDC-1 and SDC-4), in LMWF induced angiogenesis. Our results showed that LMWF increases human vascular endothelial cell (HUVEC) migration and angiogenesis in vitro. We report that the expression and activity of the HS-degrading HPSE was increased after LMWF treatment. The phenotypic tests of LMWF-treated and EXT2- or HPSE-siRNA-transfected cells indicated that EXT2 or HPSE expression significantly affect the proangiogenic potential of LMWF. In addition, LMWF increased SDC-1, but decreased SDC-4 expressions. The effect of LMWF depends on SDC-4 expression. Silencing EXT2 or HPSE leads to an increased expression of SDC-4, providing the evidence that EXT2 and HPSE regulate the SDC-4 expression. Altogether, these data indicate that EXT2, HPSE, and SDC-4 are involved in the proangiogenic effects of LMWF, suggesting that the HS metabolism changes linked to LMWF-induced angiogenesis offer the opportunity for new therapeutic strategies of ischemic diseases.     

甜菜Actin基因片段的克隆及序列分析

根据其它植物Actin基因设计一对简并性引物,以甜菜根总RNA为模板,采用RT-PCR的方法扩增出Actin基因片段并克隆到pUCm-T载体上,阳性克隆经PCR鉴定测序。序列分析表明,克隆得到Actin基因家族的两个成员,其片段长度均为598 bp,编码198个氨基酸,它们间的同源性为87%。将其分别命名为BvACT1和BvACT2,已在GenBank中注册,登录号为KF214784和KF214785。多重序列比较表明,Bv A CT1氨基酸序列与其他植物Actin基因的同源性在92%以上,而Bv A CT2则在93%以上。