CpG 雙核苷酸的甲基化和去甲基化在哺乳動(dòng)物的基因表達(dá)中有重要的調(diào)控作用。真核生物的基因調(diào)控包括DNA水平,轉(zhuǎn)錄水平,轉(zhuǎn)錄后,翻譯水平及翻譯后調(diào)控五種形式。而轉(zhuǎn)錄水平調(diào)控中有堿基修飾作用,DNA中主要的修飾堿基是5-甲基胞嘧啶(5mC)。DNA中的5mC大約90%以上在其3’端與鳥嘌呤(G)相鄰,所以常以5mCpG的形式出現(xiàn)。
PSA-NCAM的表達(dá)調(diào)控是一個(gè)復(fù)雜的機(jī)制。從本文研究結(jié)果表明,PSA的表達(dá)可能受CpG甲基化的調(diào)控。研究結(jié)果表明,PST基因轉(zhuǎn)錄起始區(qū)在胚胎鼠體內(nèi)可能被甲基化,但是隨著神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的發(fā)育成熟,甲基化發(fā)生了變化,只在大腦和小腦中存在甲基化,而基底核和海馬甲基化消失。這個(gè)現(xiàn)象說明在生物進(jìn)化過程中,DNA甲基化在神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的發(fā)育起重要的調(diào)控作用。但是在神經(jīng)細(xì)胞和神經(jīng)膠質(zhì)細(xì)胞的原代培養(yǎng),PST基因在神經(jīng)膠質(zhì)細(xì)胞發(fā)現(xiàn)少許甲基化,提示基因外調(diào)控-CpG甲基化在大腦的高級(jí)功能,如與記憶的形成有很大關(guān)系。但是在小鼠成纖維母細(xì)胞瘤細(xì)胞株-Neuron2A,PST基因啟動(dòng)子有高度的甲基化,甲硫氨酸和丙戊酸作用的不一致性是合理的,故可得出這樣的結(jié)論:PST基因啟動(dòng)子甲基化可能促進(jìn)基因外的調(diào)控。最近,有丙戊酸增加聚唾液酸表達(dá)的報(bào)道,而且在人類腫瘤細(xì)胞,只增加PST mRNA的表達(dá),而沒有增加STX mRNA的表達(dá)[8]。這個(gè)報(bào)道支持了我們的發(fā)現(xiàn)。眾所周知,在胚胎時(shí)期,多聚唾液酸的合成,STX基因的表達(dá)是主要的,而出生以后,PST基因的表達(dá)是主要的[9]。因此,多聚唾液酸的基因外調(diào)控在出生后比在胚胎時(shí)期對(duì)于突觸形成可能更為重要。
總之,與突觸形成有關(guān)的分子多聚唾液酸的表達(dá)可能受PST基因啟動(dòng)子甲基化的調(diào)控。新的研究表明,大腦異常DNA甲基化可能促進(jìn)神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的異常,例如精神分裂癥[1],雙極病變[1]和自閉癥都有報(bào)道。另一方面,多聚唾液酸的過度表達(dá)能誘導(dǎo)神經(jīng)通路的異常。本項(xiàng)研究結(jié)果表明多聚唾液酸表達(dá)的精確調(diào)控—基因外調(diào)控,可能有助于正常大腦發(fā)育的形成,有待進(jìn)一步深入研究。
【參考文獻(xiàn)】
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