MicroRNA­20a promotes inflammation via the nuclear factor­κB signaling pathway in pediatric pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a common respiratory disease worldwide, which is preventable and treatable; however, it is recognized as a leading cause of mortality in children. The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of microRNA (miR)­20a in inflammation in pediatric pneumonia. Clinical serum samples were collected from children with pneumonia and healthy children. Initially, the serum expression levels of miR­20a were detected by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, A549 cells were randomly divided into four groups: Control group; lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 µg/ml) group; LPS + miR­20a group; and LPS + miR­20a + pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC; 100 mmol/l) group. The concentrations of interleukin­6 (IL­6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)­α and C­reactive protein (CRP) in clinical serum samples and A549 cells were determined by ELISA. In addition, the protein expression levels of inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)­κB α (IκBα) and phosphorylated (p)­NF­κB were measured by western blotting. The results demonstrated that miR­20a was upregulated in children with pneumonia and in lung cells with LPS­induced inflammatory injury (P<0.01). In addition, compared with the LPS group, cells in the LPS + miR­20a group exhibited increased expression levels of IL­6, TNF­α and CRP (P<0.05). Overexpression of miR­20a also resulted in upregulation of the expression levels of IκBα and p­NF­κB compared with in the LPS group (P<0.05). Furthermore, treatment with the NF­κB inhibitor PDTC inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors compared with in the LPS + miR­20a group (P<0.05). In conclusion, the present study indicated that miR­20a is upregulated in pediatric pneumonia, and overexpression of miR­20a may promote inflammation through activation of the NF­κB signaling pathway.

Forced miR-146a expression causes autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome in mice via downregulation of Fas in germinal center B cells.

By inhibiting target gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) play major roles in various physiological and pathological processes. miR-146a, a miRNA induced upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation and virus infection, is also highly expressed in patients with immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, and psoriasis. Whether the high level of miR-146a contributes to any of these pathogenesis-related processes remains unknown. To elucidate the function of miR-146a in vivo, we generated a transgenic (TG) mouse line overexpressing miR-146a. Starting at an early age, these TG mice developed spontaneous immune disorders that mimicked human autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) with distinct manifestations, including enlarged spleens and lymph nodes, inflammatory infiltration in the livers and lungs, increased levels of double-negative T cells in peripheral blood, and increased serum immunoglobulin G levels. Moreover, with the adoptive transfer approach, we found that the B-cell population was the major etiological factor and that the expression of Fas, a direct target of miR-146a, was significantly dampened in TG germinal center B cells. These results indicate that miR-146a may be involved in the pathogenesis of ALPS by targeting Fas and may therefore serve as a novel therapeutic target.

Altered microRNA expression profile with miR-146a upregulation in CD4+ T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

INTRODUCTION: Increasing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression pattern and function of miRNAs in CD4+ T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The expression profile of miRNAs in CD4+ T cells from synovial fluid (SF) and peripheral blood of 33 RA patients was determined by microarray assay and validated by qRT-PCR analysis. The correlation between altered expression of miRNAs and cytokine levels was determined by linear regression analysis. The role of miR-146a overexpression in regulating T cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. A genome-wide gene expression analysis was further performed to identify miR-146a-regulated genes in T cells. RESULTS: miRNA expression profile analysis revealed that miR-146a expression was significantly upregulated while miR-363 and miR-498 were downregulated in CD4+ T cells of RA patients. The level of miR-146a expression was positively correlated with levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and in vitro studies showed TNF-alpha upregulated miR-146a expression in T cells. Moreover, miR-146a overexpression was found to suppress Jurkat T cell apoptosis. Finally, transcriptome analysis of miR-146a overexpression in T cells identified Fas associated factor 1 (FAF1) as a miR-146a-regulated gene, which was critically involved in modulating T cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: We have detected increased miR-146a in CD4+ T cells of RA patients and its close correlation with TNF-alpha levels. Our findings that miR-146a overexpression suppresses T cell apoptosis indicate a role of miR-146a in RA pathogenesis and provide potential novel therapeutic targets.

Oligo-microarray based on oligonucleotide immobilization on glass surface modified with activated acrylic acid-co-acrylamide copolymer.

Oligo-microarray can be fabricated on modified surface of glass slides involving immobilization of oligonucleotides. In this study, glass slides were modified with acrylic acid-co-acrylamide copolymer and EDC (1-ethyl-3(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide)/NHS (N-hydroxysuccinimide) by covalent linkage method, and covalent immobilization of unmodified oligonucleotide on the glass surface was achieved. The platform with binding of stable and sensitive oligonucleotides was prepared for oligo-microarray fabrication. An optimum concentration of 0.5 g/L was used for spotting. The lengths of 26 to 70 mer oligonucleotides were immobilized on the surface efficiently. The spots were approximately 160 nm in diameter and their mean value of fluorescent intensity was measured in the range of 3.2 x 10(4) to 7.3 x 10(4) after hybridization. The modified glass surface was scanned by SEM and the dendritic structure was observed. Results showed that the process of preparation of the modified glass surface was simple and cost effective, and the modified surface can be used for the oligo-microarray fabrication and also attachment of protein, PNA etc.

[Preparation of small interfering RNA expression cassette based on PCR technique].

OBJECTIVE: To modify the current PCR-based method for rapid and efficient preparation of small interfering RNA (siRNA) expression cassette to improve the efficiency of RNA interference. METHODS: The U6 promoter sequence was amplified by PCR using the genomic DNA of K562 cells as the template, and cloned into pMD18-T vector which served as the template for further PCR amplification with the primers on the plasmid. The amplified product was directly used as the template for preparing siRNA expression cassette. The siRNA expression cassette targeting p53 gene was amplified, verified by sequencing, and transfected into SH-SY5Y cells. After a 48-hour transfection, the cells were harvested and the total RNA was for RT-PCR for evaluating the effect of RNA interference. RESULTS: The sequencing result confirmed the correct U6 promoter sequence cloned from K562 cells. After transfection of SH-SY5Y cells for 48 h with siRNA expression cassette, the p53 gene expression was inhibited at the mRNA level in comparison with the control cells as demonstrated by RT-PCR detection. CONCLUSION: The siRNA expression cassette prepared using the established method described hereby can be well applicable in RNA interference research.

[Application of oligonucleotide microarray primer extension to detection of p53 single nucleotide polymorphisms].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidences imply that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are involved in etiopathology, individual therapy, and prognosis of many diseases. Rapid and accurate SNPs detection in disease genes is vitally important for genomic research. To detect p53 SNPs, the method of an arrayed primer extension based on oligonucleotide microarray was developed. METHODS: Twelve extension primers were designed in exon 3 of p53 gene. These primers were synthesized and printed onto a microarray with 7x8 spots. The fragments of p53 DNA were extracted from K562 cells by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and hybridized with the microarray. After hybridization, the primer extension reactions were carried out with DNA polymerase Klenow, labeled with Cy3-dUTP or Cy5-dCTP; the product was washed and scaned, and the fragments of p53 was sequenced by ABI3730 DNA Analyzer. RESULTS: The scanning result showed that the primer extension reactions were successful, and single base labeled with Cy3 or Cy5 was extended correctly at the end of 3'primers. The results of microarray SNPs detection were consistent with the results of sequencing verification, while much less complicated. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the arrayed primer extension techniques are useful in parallel detecting SNPs of genes of interest, which is not only sensitive and accurate but also miniaturized the assays when analyzing multiple DNA targets with minimal reagents.

[Oligonucleotide microarray preparation using enhanced poly-L-lysine glass slides].

OBJECTIVE: To modify conventional poly-L-lysine coating for oligonucleotide microarray preparation so as to enhance the sensitivity of the microarray. METHOD: The proposed chemical approaches included silanizing the slides with 3-glycid-oxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOPS) after cleaning, followed by slide coating with polymers (poly-L-lysine) that was covalently bound to the modified glass. Subsequent attachment of the oligonucleotide to the modified slide surface was achieved after 1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate (PDITC) activation of the surface. Various experiments were carried out, such as the immobilization efficiency and hybridization assays to test the modified slides, which were then used tentatively in the preparation of microarrays for SARS coronavirus detection. RESULTS: The improved surface had high immobilization efficiency, good uniformity and satisfactory hybridization efficiency, better than those slides with conventional poly-L-lysine coating. In addition, such modified slides rendered the microarrays more resistant to consecutive probing/stripping cycles. CONCLUSION: The modified slide surface is satisfactory to immobilize unmodified oligonucleotide by covalent binding, which enhances not only the sensitivity of the prepared oligonucleotide microarray but also the binding of the oligonucleotide to the slide surface.

[Isolation of the target gene from cDNA restriction fragments using 70-mer oligo microarray].

OBJECTIVE: To study the method for using a 70-mer oligo microarray as the probe to isolate target genes from the cDNA restriction fragments. METHOD: Samples of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mRNA was extracted after heat shock culture and reversely transcribed into the double-stranded cDNAs, which were prepared into restriction cDNA fragments using restriction display (RD) method. The microarray was printed using a single 70-mer specific oligo designed to according to the SSA1 gene of yeast. The cDNA restriction fragments were labeled by PCR method with the Cy5 universal primer before hybridization with the microarray. The microarray was stripped after washing and scanning, and the strip solution was collected for another round of PCR amplification using the universal primer without fluorescence. The PCR product was then cloned into PUC18 T vector and transformed into to E.coli JM109 cells for amplification, and the plasmids were extracted and sequenced for identification. RESULTS: BLAST results showed that the target gene was cloned successfully. CONCLUSION: The target gene can be isolated directly using the 70-mer oligo microarray as the probe from the cDNA fragments prepared by RD method, without the necessity of building a cDNA library. This method can also be used in further research to acquire the differentially expressed genes after the oligo microarray hybridization.

[Analysis of gene expression patterns of leukemia K562 cells after cytochalasin B treatment].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The advanced technique of DNA microarray makes it possible to monitor the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously in one hybridization experiment. This technique accelerates demonstration of anti-tumor drug mechanisms and discovery of new drug targets. This study was designed to investigate the differential gene expression of K562 cells after cytochalasin B treatment using cDNA microarray. METHODS: Restriction display polymerase chain reaction (RD-PCR) products of 277 human genes were spotted on a glass slide in microarray. K562 cells grew in RPMI 1640 medium with 10 microg/ml cytochalasin B. After 24 hours, the total RNA was isolated from K562 cells, and mRNA was purified. Both mRNA from the treated K562 cells and the controlled K562 cells were reversely transcribed into cDNA and labeled with two different fluorescence dyes: Cy5 or Cy3, using a method of restriction digestion and PCR labeling (RD-PCR). The probes were hybridized to the cDNA microarrays. After high-stringent washing,the cDNA microarray was scanned for the fluorescent signals and showed difference between the two cells. RESULTS: Among the 277 target genes, 18 down-regulated genes were identified after cytochalasin B treatment. CONCLUSION: There is a consistent tendency toward lower-expressed genes in partial K562 cells after cytochalasin B treatment. Most down-regulated genes were correlated with cell proliferation, signal transduction, and transcription factor.

Design and application of 60mer oligonucleotide microarray in SARS coronavirus detection.

The 60mer oligonucleotide microarray was designed and applied to detecting of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) coronavirus. Thirty 60mer specific oligos were designed to cover the whole genome of the first submitted coronavirus strain, according to the sequence of TOR2 (GENEBANK Accession: AY274119). These primers were synthesized and printed into a microarray with 12 ×12 spots. RNAs were extracted from the throat swab and gargling fluid of SARS patients and reverse-transcripted into the double strand cDNAs. The cDNAs were prepared as restricted cDNA fragments by the restriction display (RD) technique and labeled by PCR with the Cy5-universal primer. The labeled samples were then applied to the oligo microarray for hybridization. The diagnostic capability of the microarray was evaluated after the washing and scanning steps. The scanning result showed that samples of SARS patients were hybridized with multiple SARS probes on the microarray, and there is no signal on the negative and blank controls. These results indicate that the genome of SARS coronavirus can be detected in parallel by the 60mer oligonucleotide microarray, which can improve the positive ratio of the diagnosis. The oligo microarray can also be used for monitoring the behavior of the virus genes in different stages of the disease status.

[Construction and identification of cDNA library of E.coli mRNA with poly(A) tracts].

OBJECTIVE: To construct and identify the cDNA library of E.coli mRNA with poly(A) tracts. METHODS: The cDNA library of E.coli was constructed by restriction display-PCR (RD-PCR) technique, followed by sequencing and bioinformatics analyses. RESULTS: cDNA library of E.coli mRNA with poly(A) tracts was successfully constructed, and 66 gene fragments were sequenced. CONCLUSION: The constructed cDNA library of E.coli mRNA with poly(A) tracts contains a low rate of repetition and is of high quality.

[Purification of PCR products with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for purifying PCR products with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). METHOD: Selective precipitation of the PCR product was performed using CTAB, which forms compound with DNA fragment in salt solution of appropriate concentration, but not with single strain oligonucleotide or dNTPs. The precipitation could be dissolved in 1.2 mol/L NaCl while the addition of ethanol caused the desired PCR product to precipitate so as to be recovered. RESULT: The primers and small-molecule dNTP could be effectively eliminated after this procedure. Although the output of the purification process reached only 80% that by current reagent kit, it reduces the cost to as low as 1/8 of that normally required by the kit. CONCLUSION: CTAB is applicable for purification of the PCR product.

[Cloning E. coli mRNAs with poly (A) tails by restriction digest polymerase chain reaction].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the polyadenylation at the 3' terminal of the mRNAs in E.coli. METHODS: mRNAs of E.coli was enriched from total RNA with oligo (dT)-cellulose, and reverse transcription was performed using oligo(dT)18 as primer prior to synthesis of double strands cDNA which was digested with Sau 3A I to produce multiple gene fragments that were then ligated with adapters. Restriction digest-polymerase chain reaction (RD-PCR) was employed to divide the fragments into 10 groups using 10 different combinations of the 4 primers, and the products were cloned into T-vectors. RESULTS: More than 100 gene fragments were cloned, 30 of which were sequenced. CONCLUSION: Polyadenylation of E.coli mRNA is not a biochemical curiosity, and very likely, it is a general attribute of the mRNAs of bacteria.

[Detection of cell apoptosis by MTT assay].

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility of using MTT assay to detect cell apoptosis. METHODS: K562 cells were grown in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% calf serum and 4 micromol/L arsenic trioxide. Apoptosis was induced in the cultured cells by As2O3, and the cells were detected with optical microscope, DNA gel electrophoresis and MTT staining respectively. RESULT: MTT staining could also accurately detect cell apoptosis, by which the apoptotic cells were easily distinguished from normal cells and dead cells. CONCLUSION: MTT staining is simple, convenient and practical for detecting cell apoptosis.

[Analysis with DNA chips of the changes of gene expressions in K562 cells in response to As2O3 treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differential gene expression in apoptotic cells induced by As(2)O(3), and identify novel apoptosis-related genes. METHOD: Apoptosis of K562 cells cultured in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10 % calf serum was induced by As(2)O(3). Total RNA of the apoptotic and normal cells were then extracted, purified and subject to reverse transcription into first-strand cDNA, labeled with Cy3/Cy5. Placenta DNA microarrays containing 348 DNA fragments were used to analyze the changes in gene expressions in the cells treated with As(2)O(3). RESULT: Eleven differentially expressed genes were identified in the apoptotic cells in comparison with the normal cells, 3 of which were associated with apoptosis, while the others were related to cell growth and proliferation. CONCLUSION: The placenta DNA microarrays we constructed may well apply to the analysis of the differentially expressed genes.

Cloning and sequence analysis of HIV-1 gene fragments isolated by restriction digest polymerase chain reaction method.

OBJECTIVE: To clone and analyze the HIV-1gene fragments isolated by restriction digest polymerase chain reaction (RD-PCR). METHOD: All the HIV-1 gene fragments were divided into 10 subgroups and amplified by RD-PCR. The PCR products of each subgroup were purified and cloned into the T-vectors, then identified rapidly. The plasmids were extracted from positive clones and the target gene fragments were amplified and sequenced. RESULTS: Sequences analysis showed that all the fragments amplified were HIV gene. CONCLUSION: A method for cloning and identifying multiple fragments has been improved and used for restriction fragments.

[Study on Methylation of p15(INK4B) Gene in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia]

In order to explore the role of p15(INK4B) gene with highly methylated CpG island in the pathogenesis of leukemia, the expression levels of p15(INK4B) gene was detected in patients with AML and CML. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) assay was employed in the experiments. The methylation incidence was 83.9% (26/31) in AML and 0% (0/28) in CML. The results showed that methylation of p15(INK4B) gene was the one of the major ways for inactivation of the gene, and the methylation could be appeared in clinical development of the disease and patients condition worsened. Methylation of p15(INK4B) did not occur and its function probably is normal in CML.