UL48 plays essential role in replication of MDV genome and interacts with UL36 as well as other MDV tegument proteins.To investigate the interaction between UL48 and UL36 during MDV oncogenisis,antibody against UL48 was prepared and characterized in current study.UL48 gene was amplified from MDV-Ⅰ genome and then subcloned into pTYB1 and pGEX-4T3 vectors for UL48 expression with induction of IPTG in BL21(DE3) E..coli cells.Chitin-sepharose and Glutathion-sepharose were,respectively,used to purify fusion protein intein-UL48 and GST-UL48.Four subcutaneous injections of intein-UL48 fusion protein were done on the lower back and the thigh of rabbit and then other three injections with an interval 10 days.The titer of antibody was measured by the sandwich ELISA with UL48 protein isolated from GST-UL48 after cleavage of thrombin.Western blot was carried out for specificity analysis of antibody against UL48 protein.The results suggested that UL48 antibody was succesfully prepared,and its titer was 1 ∶ 512 000.

BACKGROUNDThe mitochondrial displacement loop (D-loop) accumulates mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at a higher frequency than other regions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We previously identified disease risk-associated SNPs in the D-loop of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients; in this study, we investigated the association of age-at-onset and D-loop SNPs in CKD patients.

METHODSThe D-loop region of mtDNA was sequenced in 119 CKD patients attending the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between 2002 and 2008. The age-at-onset curve of the CKD patients was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method at each SNP site, and compared using the log-rank test.

RESULTSThe mean age of 119 CKD patients was (55.6±14.2) years, and 56.3% were males. The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was (81.2±12.4) ml×min(-1)×1.73 m(-2), with 79.8% (n = 95) of patients having an eGFR <60 ml×min(-1)×1.73 m(-2). All participants had an eGFR >30 ml×min(-1)×1.73 m(-2). The age-at-onset for CKD patients who smoked was significantly lower than that of non-smoking CKD patients. The SNP sites of nucleotides 150C/T were identified for their association with age-at-onset using the log-rank test. The age-at-onset of patients with the minor allele T genotype was significantly lower than that of patients with the C genotype at the 150 SNP site (P = 0.010).

CONCLUSIONSGenetic polymorphisms in the D-loop appear to be predictive markers for age-at-onset in CKD patients. Accordingly, the analysis of genetic polymorphisms in the mitochondrial D-loop may help identify CKD patient subgroups at high risk of early onset disease.

Adult ; Aged ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; genetics