Intensive RNAi with lentiviral vectors in mammalian cells

RNAi is a powerful technology for analyzing gene function in human cells. However, its utility can be compromised by inadequate knockdown of the target mRNA or by interpretation of effects without rigorous controls. We review lentiviral vector-based methods that enable transient or stable knockdowns to trace mRNA levels in human CD4+ T cell lines and other targets. Critical controls are reviewed, including rescue of the pre-knockdown phenotype by re-expression of the targeted gene. The time from thinking about a potential knockdown target to analysis of phenotypes can be as short as a few weeks.     

Short hairpin RNAs against eotaxin or interleukin‐5 decrease airway eosinophilia and hyper‐responsiveness in a murine model of asthma

Background

Eosinophilia plays the major role in the pathogenesis of asthma and correlates with the up‐regulation of eotaxin, which, together with interleukin (IL)‐5, is important for differentiation, chemo‐attraction, degranulation, and survival of eosinophils in local tissue. In a previous study, we found that administration of lentivirus‐delivered short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to suppress the expression of IL‐5 inhibited airway inflammation. The present study aimed to investigate the role of eotaxin shRNA and the synergistic effect of eotaxin and IL‐5 shRNAs on airway inflammation in an ovalbumin (OVA)‐induced murine model of asthma.

Methods

Lentivirus‐delivered shRNAs were used to suppress the expression of eotaxin and/or IL‐5 in local tissue in an OVA‐induced murine asthma model.

Results

Intra‐tracheal administration of lentivirus containing eotaxin shRNA expressing cassette (eoSEC3.3) efficiently moderated the characteristics of asthma, including airway hyper‐responsiveness, cellular infiltration of lung tissues, and eotaxin and IL‐5 levels in bronchio‐alveolar lavage fluid. Administration of lentiviruses expressing IL‐5 or eotaxin shRNAs (IL5SEC4 + eoSEC3.3) also moderated the symptoms of asthma in a mouse model.

Conclusions

Local delivery of lentiviruses expressing IL‐5 and eotaxin shRNAs provides a potential tool in moderating airway inflammation and also has the potential for developing clinical therapy based on the application of shRNAs of chemokines and cytokines involved in T helper 2 cell inflammation and eosinophilia. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Beclin-1 shRNA对低氧诱导的SH-SY5Y细胞自噬的影响

目的：构建Beclin-1基因短发夹干扰RNA（shRNA）慢病毒载体,感染人SH-SY5Y细胞,观察沉默Beclin-1基因后低氧对SH-SY5Y细胞自噬的影响。方法：构建特异性靶向Beclin-1基因的shRNA慢病毒表达载体和阴性对照序列慢病毒载体;再将载体转染入SH-SY5Y细胞;RT-PCR检测Beclin-1的mRNA表达;Western blot检测Beclin-1蛋白表达;CCK-8法测定Beclin-1 shRNA对SH-SY5Y细胞活力的影响。再将空白对照、阴性对照、转染型三种细胞分别以21%常氧及5%低氧培养,Western blot检测各组细胞LC3蛋白表达;电镜观察自噬小体。结果：Beclin-1 shRNA能明显抑制SH-SY5Y细胞Beclin-1的mRNA及蛋白的表达;沉默Beclin-1基因后,Beclin-1 shRNA组细胞存活率与阴性对照组相比无差异;成功建立了稳定表达Beclin-1 shRNA的SH-SY5Y细胞。5%低氧处理后,与阴性对照组相比较,Beclin-1 shRNA组细胞中LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ比值下调,细胞内自噬小体数量减少。结论：慢病毒介导的Beclin-1shRNA对SH-SY5Y细胞的活力无影响,但可以抑制低氧诱导的自噬。     

siRNA制备技术的研究进展

近年来,siRNA(small interfering RNA)被广泛用于诱导哺乳动物体系中的RNA干扰。目前有五种siRNA制备方法：化学合成法、体外转录法、RNase Ⅲ家族体外消化法、表达载体法和表达框架法。在这些方法中siRNA序列的选择至关重要。随着药物研究和基因组研究的进展,siRNA的制备技术需要在高通量筛选、稳定性、基因导入和调控等方面进一步发展与完善。作者综述了siRNA序列的选择原则和哺乳动物系统中的siRNA产生方法,并简要讨论了其发展前景。     

肿瘤转移抑制蛋白MTss1shRNA慢病毒载体的构建与鉴定

肿瘤转移抑制蛋白MTss1在小脑浦肯野神经元发育中表达受到调控,然而功能并不清楚.拟通过RNAi的方法降低内源MTss1的表达,为MTss1在神经元中的功能研究建立基础.针对小鼠MTss1基因(Mtss1)的mRNA序列,设计合成三对shRNA序列,克隆到pSuper-Retro-Puro质粒中,瞬间转染GFP-Mts...     

Heat Shock Protein 72 Is Associated with the Hepatitis C Virus Replicase Complex and Enhances Viral RNA Replication

The NS5A protein of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an integral component of the viral replicase. It also modulates cellular signaling and perturbs host interferon responses. The multifunctional characteristics of NS5A are mostly attributed to its ability to interact with various cellular proteins. This study aimed to identify the novel cellular factors that interact with NS5A and decipher the significance of this interaction in viral replication. The NS5A-interacting proteins were purified by the tandem affinity purification (TAP) procedure from cells expressing NS5A and identified by mass spectrometry. The chaperone protein Hsp72 was identified herein. In vivo protein-protein interaction was verified by co-immunoprecipitation and an in situ proximity ligation assay. In addition to NS5A, Hsp72 was also associated with other members of the replicase complex, NS3 and NS5B, suggesting that it might be directly involved in the HCV replication complex. Hsp72 plays a positive regulatory role in HCV RNA replication by increasing levels of the replicase complex, which was attributed either to the increased stability of the viral proteins in the replicase complex or to the enhanced translational activity of the internal ribosome entry site of HCV. The fact that the host chaperone protein Hsp72 is involved in HCV RNA replication may represent a therapeutic target for controlling virus production.     

条件性缺氧诱导因子-1α RNAi转基因小鼠模型的建立

缺氧诱导因子1a (hypoxia inducible factor-1 a, HIF-1 a)是细胞在缺氧等条件下稳定表达的具有转录活性的蛋白,通过与多种靶基因调控区的缺氧反应元件(hypoxia response element, HRE)结合, 调控靶基因表达, 使机体对缺氧、缺血等病理生理过程产生适应性反应。为从整体动物水平研究HIF-1 a的作用, 需要建立HIF-1 a相关遗传修饰小鼠。分别针对HIF-1 a mRNA序列的两个靶位点合成两对互补的寡核苷酸链, 构建可诱导的RNA干扰真核表达载体HIF-AB和HIF-CD。分别将CRE重组酶真核表达载体CRE-ERT2与HIF-AB或HIF-CD转染入RAW264.7细胞, 筛选得到稳定表达CRE-ERT2与HIF-AB, 或CRE-ERT2与HIF-CD的稳定细胞系。在用4-HT诱导去除上述细胞系中HIF-AB或HIF-CD所含的Neo基因后, 用CoCl2诱导HIF-1 a表达, 采用半定量RT-PCR检测HIF-AB或HIF-CD对HIF-1 a 基因表达的影响。结果发现干扰载体(HIF-AB和HIF-CD)对HIF-1 a mRNA序列的沉默效果分别为85%和72%。选择干扰效率较高的表达载体HIF-AB经显微注射获得HIF-1 a基因敲低小鼠模型, 经PCR以及测序验证获得2个转基因阳性小鼠(Founders, G0代)。G0代雄鼠与FVB/N雌鼠交配后获得2只F1代(first filial generation)转基因阳性小鼠, 经与EIIA-Cre转基因小鼠交配, 得到EIIA-Cre; HIFRNAiflox/+小鼠, RT-PCR结果显示, EIIA-Cre; HIFRNAiflox/+小鼠肝、肺、肾等组织的HIF-1 a mRNA水平明显降低, 分别约为正常对照的44%、38.2%和23.5%。该小鼠模型的建立为进一步研究HIF-1 a的功能及作用机制提供了新的手段。     

The role of erythropoietin and its receptor in growth,survival and therapeutic response of human tumor cells: From clinic to bench — a critical review

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) has been used clinically to alleviate cancer- and chemotherapy-related anemia. However, recent clinical trials have reported that rhEPO also may adversely impact disease progression and survival. The expression of functional EPO receptors (EPOR) has been demonstrated in many human cancer cells where, at least in vitro, rhEPO can stimulate cell growth and survival and may induce resistance to selected therapies.     

Silencing of HIV-1 Gene Expression by Sirnas in Transduced Cells

The RNA interference (RNAi) phenomenon is a recently observed process in which the introduction of a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into cells causes the specific degradation of an mRNA containing the same sequence. To study dsRNA-mediated gene interference targeted to the env gene (NL4-3: 7490-7508) in HIV-1 infected cells, we constructed tandem-type and hairpin-type siRNA expression vectors, which were under the control of two U6 promoters. We also constructed lentiviral-based siRNA expression vectors for further assessment of their antiviral activity in transduced cells. At both the transient plasmid and lentiviral-mediated RNA expression levels, the siRNA encoding the env fragment exhibited sequence-specific suppression of target gene expression and strongly inhibited (≥90%) HIV-1 infection in the cells, as compared to the antisense RNA expression vector. Targeting the HIV-1 env gene with siRNAs encoding the env gene fragment (7490–7508) might be an effective strategy for gene therapy applications in HIV-1/AIDS treatment and management.