低表达线粒体蛋白ISCA2对线粒体功能影响的机制研究

该文探讨了ISCA2蛋白低表达对细胞内铁硫蛋白和能量代谢的影响。在HeLa细胞内将ISCA2基因敲低,通过免疫印迹、顺乌头酸酶胶内酶活性分析法分析线粒体内外铁硫蛋白水平和活性改变;用紫外–可见分光光度法检测细胞线粒体内氧化磷酸化复合体活性;用海马能量分析仪分析细胞内能量代谢的改变。结果表明,ISCA2蛋白低表达后,氧化磷酸化复合体中各铁硫蛋白亚基都出现不同程度的下调,且对于线粒体[4Fe-4S]型铁硫蛋白亚基影响显著,但对线粒体[2Fe-2S]型铁硫蛋白亚基以及胞质[4Fe-4S]型铁硫蛋白亚基影响较小。同时,ISCA2蛋白低表达后对线粒体复合体活性和线粒体能量代谢影响显著,细胞有氧呼吸降低,细胞外乳酸含量增加。这些结果表明,ISCA2蛋白低表达后抑制铁硫簇的组装,导致铁硫蛋白功能障碍,影响线粒体复合体活性和氧化磷酸化系统,使得细胞能量代谢紊乱。     

‘鸭梨’ב京白梨’杂交后代果实有机酸积累差异及相关酶活性的研究

该研究以‘鸭梨’ב京白梨’杂交后代高酸个体(GS-Y14)和低酸个体(DS-Y182)为试材,系统分析了果实发育过程中有机酸积累动态及相关酶活性的变化特征。结果表明:(1)GS-Y14属于苹果酸优势型果实,DS-Y182属于柠檬酸优势型果实,且成熟时两者在总酸含量上表现出的差异主要是由于苹果酸含量的差异所致。(2)苹果酸酶(NADP-ME)是苹果酸形成的关键酶,在梨果实发育过程中NADP-ME起分解作用,且该酶活性在两类个体果实发育后期差异显著,即NADP-ME是引起GS-Y14和DS-Y182中苹果酸含量不同的主要原因,进而导致成熟时两类个体果实酸积累的差异。(3)梨果实磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶(PEPC)活性的升高有利于其柠檬酸的合成,而柠檬酸合酶(CS)是影响其柠檬酸含量变化的关键酶;细胞质乌头酸酶(Cyt-ACO)和线粒体乌头酸酶(Mit-ACO)早期对果实柠檬酸的含量变化影响较小,后期异柠檬酸脱氢酶(NAD-IDH)活性对柠檬酸在后代个体中的积累有一定影响。     

铁硫蛋白的生物合成及相关疾病

铁硫蛋白是以铁硫簇为辅基,相对分子质量较小的一类蛋白质．它广泛存在于各种生物体内,参与电子传递、能量代谢以及基因表达调控等重要生理过程．其生物合成过程复杂,并且从细菌到人类高度保守．在真核细胞内,铁硫蛋白的组装由线粒体铁硫簇组装系统（mitochondrial iron sulfur cluster assembly system,mitochondrial ISC assembly system）和细胞质铁硫簇组装器（cytosolic iron sulfur cluster assembly,CIA）完成．研究发现,铁硫蛋白的合成异常可导致弗里德赖希共济失调(friedreich ataxia,FRDA)、遗传性肌病和铁粒幼细胞性贫血等多种罕见疾病,这些疾病严重影响个体的生活质量和寿命．因此,深入了解铁硫蛋白的结构和生物合成过程,对研究其生物学功能与相关疾病的诊断和治疗有重要意义．     

小麦叶片顺乌头酸酶对NO和H2 O2 的敏感性

外源一氧化氮（nitric oxide,NO)供体硝普钠（sodium nitroprusside,SNP)和过氧化氢（hydrogen peroxide,H2O2)处理抑制小麦（Triticu aestivum L.)叶片顺乌头酸酶活性,抑制呈明显的浓度及时间效应;同时外源NO衍生代谢物过氧亚硝酸阴离子（peroxynitrite,ONOO^-)的供体3－morpholinosydnonimine hydrochlloride(SIN-1)和水杨酸（salicylic acid,SA)对酶活性也具有抑制作用,而且小麦叶片线粒体顺乌头酸酶对H2O2和SIN－1更敏感。分别以SNP与过氧化氢酶（catalase,CAT)专一性抑制剂氨基三唑（3－amino-1,2,4-triazole,3-AT)处理离体小麦叶片,发现在其内源H2O2含量上升的同时,顺乌头酸酶活性均呈浓度与时间依赖性下降趋势。表明NO除直接抑制顺乌头酸酶活性外,还可能经H2O2介导间接对顺乌头酸酶产生抑制作用。     

铜对线粒体中铁硫蛋白功能的毒性机制研究

该文探讨了铜对线粒体内铁硫蛋白的毒性机理。通过包装慢病毒将Hep G2细胞中铜转运蛋白ATP7B(ATPase copper transporting beta)基因敲低,并用铜离子处理构建高铜细胞模型。通过免疫印迹、胶内酶活、紫外–可见光分光光度法检测细胞线粒体内铁硫蛋白、非铁硫蛋白及铁硫簇组装蛋白量和活性的改变;用电镜观察高铜模型中线粒体的形态改变;用海马能量代谢分析仪检测铜离子对细胞能量代谢的影响。结果发现,高铜细胞模型线粒体内铁硫簇组装蛋白ISCA2(ironsulfur cluster assembly 2)及ISCU(iron-sulfur cluster assembly enzyme)水平下降,抑制了铁硫簇的组装,并进一步影响了线粒体内[2Fe-2S]型及[4Fe-4S]型铁硫蛋白功能,但并不影响非铁硫蛋白。高铜状态也影响了呼吸链复合体活性及线粒体能量代谢,并导致线粒体形态发生改变。这些结果表明,异常累积的铜离子也会通过抑制线粒体中铁硫簇的组装,影响线粒体内铁硫蛋白的功能。     

线粒体铁代谢与人类疾病的研究进展

线粒体铁代谢的研究主要包括两个方面：铁在胞质和线粒体之间的转运和调控;铁硫簇和血红素在线粒体内的合成与转运。目前认为线粒体铁的转入主要是与mitoferrinl／2（MFRNl和MFRN2）和ABCBl0有关,运出可能与ABCB6和／或ABCB7有关,转运和调控的具体机制不是很清楚,推测与某种含有铁硫簇的信号分子有关。哺乳动物铁硫簇的合成可以发生在胞质和线粒体内,但以线粒体为主;真核生物中与铁硫簇合成相关的蛋白达二十多种,其中FXN、ISCS、ISDll和ISCU及其同系物被认为是核心组分。血红素的合成起始和终止发生在线粒体内,终止步骤为亚铁螯合酶将铁插入原卟啉IX,该酶活性又依赖于铁硫簇。因此,铁硫簇的合成与调控是线粒体铁代谢的核心,也是整个细胞铁运作的核心。本文主要围绕线粒体铁代谢特别是铁硫簇的合成异常引起的疾病做一简单的综述。     

灵芝孢子和L-NNA对脊髓损伤后背核线粒体细胞色素氧化酶活性的影响

目的探讨灵芝孢子和一氧化氮合酶 (NOS)抑制剂L-NNA联合应用对大鼠脊髓半横断后受损伤的背核线粒体细胞色素氧化酶活性的影响.方法将20只SD成年雌性大鼠(200-250g)行右侧T11脊髓半横断30d后,对受损伤脊髓做细胞色素氧化酶酶组化染色;用图像分析方法检测L1脊髓段背核线粒体细胞色素氧化酶活性的变化,用酶组化电镜技术观察L1脊髓段背核细胞色素氧化酶活性的分布位置.结果与对照组相比,L-NNA组和灵芝孢子组L1脊髓损伤侧背核线粒体细胞色素氧化酶活性有所提高,灵芝孢子 L-NNA组损伤侧背核线粒体细胞色素氧化酶活性最大.各组L1脊髓背核细胞色素氧化酶活性均出现在线粒体内,具有细胞色素氧化酶活性的线粒体存在所有神经元胞体及其树突和轴突内,也存在于神经胶质细胞胞体及其突起内.结论灵芝孢子和L-NNA均可提高大鼠脊髓半横断后受损伤的脊髓背核线粒体细胞色素氧化酶的活性,两者联合应用更能提高受损伤的背核线粒体细胞色素氧化酶的活性.     

ATP依赖的人Lon蛋白酶的表达、纯化及其活性鉴定

ATP依赖的人Lon蛋白酶是一种同质寡聚、环状的蛋白酶,主要位于细胞线粒体基质中。许多研究表明,Lon蛋白酶对于维护细胞的内环境稳定起着重要作用,并参与线粒体蛋白质量控制和代谢调控。将pPROEX1 His6-Lon重组质粒在Escherichia coli Rosetta 2菌株中诱导表达用Ni2＋柱亲和层析法纯化,获得纯度较高的目的蛋白。经纯化后,Lon蛋白酶的比酶活达到0.17 U/mg。通过多肽底物Rhodamine 110、bis-（CBZ-L-alanyl-L-alanine amide）[（Z-AA）2 Rh110]的降解检测显示,Lon蛋白酶具有肽酶活性,并被ATP所刺激。Casein和线粒体转录因子A降解实验表明,纯化的Lon蛋白酶具有蛋白水解活性,而且蛋白水解活性依赖于ATP。     

生物磁受体蛋白MagR/IscA研究进展

铁硫簇蛋白是一类重要的线粒体功能蛋白,在细胞能量代谢、电子传递、底物结合与激活、铁/硫存储、酶促反应、基因表达调控等诸多过程中均发挥了关键作用.铁硫簇蛋白质组装及转运过程一旦发生障碍,必将严重影响细胞内铁的稳态及铁硫蛋白的功能.分子质量约11 ku的铁硫簇蛋白IscA,是铁硫蛋白亚家族hesB高保守性成员之一,能结合铁离子及[2Fe-2S]簇,参与铁硫簇蛋白质合成,因此IscA在铁硫簇组装蛋白与级联反应系统中具有重要的作用.更值得关注的是,2015年谢灿和张生家两个研究组发现IscA1具有磁受体(MagR/MAR)作用,此外,谢灿课题组揭示MagR能与Cry形成磁感应复合物行使磁感应器(magnetic sensor,MagS)功能.尤为重要的是,体内实验表明通过外磁场刺激活化MagR能调控相关磁基因表达,影响神经活动及行为定位.鉴于MagR磁受体的独特功能,张生家等将磁受体的基因定位与远程磁刺激相结合,发明了一种非损伤性的神经调控方法,称之为磁遗传学.本文简要介绍MagR/IscA及其同源基因的始初发现与鉴定历程、进化保守性、独特的生理生物学功能,并凝练出磁遗传假说机制调控模型,以解释MagR/IscA的磁遗传学功能.     

嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌硫氰酸酶的表达、纯化及其性质鉴定

目的:嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌(Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans)硫氰酸酶是硫代谢中极其重要的酶,其作用主要包括氰化物的解毒,铁-硫蛋白的合成,以及硫胺、硫尿苷或烟碱乙酸胆碱的生物合成,硫氰酸酶的研究对揭示生物冶金机理具有重要的推动作用.方法:以A.ferrooxidans ATCC23270基因组为模板设计引物,通过PCR扩增得到编码硫氰酸酶的基因,目的基因片段与原核表达载体PLM1构建重组体,然后转入大肠杆菌(Eschcrichia coli,E.coli)DH5a感受态中,基因测序正确后,重组质粒再转入E.coli BL21感受态中,加IPTG诱导蛋白表达,用一步亲和层析法纯化出浓度和纯度都较高的硫氰酸酶.结果:SDS-PAGE分析证实蛋白分子量为21kD,紫外可见光分析,确定硫氰酸酶中含有铁硫簇,酶活测定发现重组硫氰酸酶在体外不具有酶活性,可能与酶反应条件及信号肽的切断有关.结论:体外成功克隆.表达,纯化出重组体硫氰酸酶,其基本性质也得到阐述.     

The major iron-containing protein of Legionella pneumophila is an aconitase homologous with the human iron-responsive element-binding protein.

Legionella pneumophila has high iron requirements, and its intracellular growth in human monocytes is dependent on the availability of intracellular iron. To learn more about iron metabolism in L. pneumophila, we have undertaken an analysis of the iron proteins of the bacterium. We first developed an assay to identify proteins by 59Fe labelling and nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The assay revealed seven iron proteins (IPs) with apparent molecular weights of 500, 450, 250, 210, 150, 130, and 85. IP150 comigrates with superoxide dismutase activity and is probably the Fe-superoxide dismutase of L. pneumophila. IP210 is the major iron-containing protein (MICP). To identify and characterize MICP, we purified the protein and cloned and sequenced its gene. MICP is a monomeric protein containing 891 amino acids, and it has a calculated molecular mass of 98,147 Da. Analysis of the sequence revealed that MICP has two interesting homologies. First, MICP is highly homologous with the human iron-responsive element-binding protein, consistent with the hypothesis that this critical iron-regulatory molecule of humans has a prokaryotic ancestor. Second, MICP is highly homologous with the Escherichia coli aconitase and to a lesser extent with porcine heart mitochondrial aconitase. Consistent with this, we found that MICP exhibits aconitase activity. In contrast to other aconitases, MICP has a single amino acid change of a potentially deleterious type at a site thought to be critical for substrate binding and enzymatic activity. However, the specific activity of MICP is roughly comparable to that of other aconitases, suggesting that the mutation has at most a mild effect on the aconitase activity of MICP. The abundance of MICP in L. pneumophila suggests either that L. pneumophila requires high aconitase and perhaps tricarboxylic acid cycle activity or that the bacterium requires large amounts of this protein to serve an additional role in bacterial physiology. A need for large amounts of MICP, which contains four Fe atoms per molecule when fully loaded, could at least partly explain L. pneumophila's high metabolic requirement for iron.     

Metabolic regulation of citrate and iron by aconitases: role of iron–sulfur cluster biogenesis

Iron and citrate are essential for the metabolism of most organisms, and regulation of iron and citrate biology at both the cellular and systemic levels is critical for normal physiology and survival. Mitochondrial and cytosolic aconitases catalyze the interconversion of citrate and isocitrate, and aconitase activities are affected by iron levels, oxidative stress and by the status of the Fe–S cluster biogenesis apparatus. Assembly and disassembly of Fe–S clusters is a key process not only in regulating the enzymatic activity of mitochondrial aconitase in the citric acid cycle, but also in controlling the iron sensing and RNA binding activities of cytosolic aconitase (also known as iron regulatory protein IRP1). This review discusses the central role of aconitases in intermediary metabolism and explores how iron homeostasis and Fe–S cluster biogenesis regulate the Fe–S cluster switch and modulate intracellular citrate flux.     

A developmentally regulated aconitase related to iron-regulatory protein-1 is localized in the cytoplasm and in the mitochondrion of Trypanosoma brucei

Mitochondrial energy metabolism and Krebs cycle activities are developmentally regulated in the life cycle of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Here we report cloning of a T. brucei aconitase gene that is closely related to mammalian iron-regulatory protein 1 (IRP-1) and plant aconitases. Kinetic analysis of purified recombinant TbACO expressed in Escherichia coli resulted in a K(m) (isocitrate) of 3 +/- 0.4 mM, similar to aconitases of other organisms. This was unexpected since an arginine conserved in the aconitase protein family and crucial for substrate positioning in the catalytic center and for activity of pig mitochondrial aconitase (Zheng, L., Kennedy, M. C., Beinert, H., and Zalkin, H. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 7895-7903) is substituted by leucine in the TbACO sequence. Expression of the 98-kDa TbACO was shown to be lowest in the slender bloodstream stage of the parasite, 8-fold elevated in the stumpy stage, and increased a further 4-fold in the procyclic stage. The differential expression of TbACO protein contrasted with only minor changes in TbACO mRNA, indicating translational or post-translational mechanisms of regulation. Whereas animal cells express two distinct compartmentalized aconitases, mitochondrial aconitase and cytoplasmic aconitase/IRP-1, TbACO accounts for total aconitase activity in trypanosomes. By cell fractionation and immunofluorescence microscopy, we show that native as well as a transfected epitope-tagged TbACO localizes in both the mitochondrion (30%) and in the cytoplasm (70%). Together with phylogenetic reconstructions of the aconitase family, this suggests that animal IRPs have evolved from a multicompartmentalized ancestral aconitase. The possible functions of a cytoplasmic aconitase in trypanosomes are discussed.     

Recycling of RNA binding iron regulatory protein 1 into an aconitase after nitric oxide removal depends on mitochondrial ATP

Iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) control iron metabolism by specifically interacting with iron-responsive elements (IREs) on mRNAs. Nitric oxide (NO) converts IRP-1 from a [4Fe-4S] aconitase to a trans-regulatory protein through Fe-S cluster disassembly. Here, we have focused on the fate of IRE binding IRP1 from murine macrophages when NO flux stops. We show that virtually all IRP-1 molecules from NO-producing cells dissociated from IRE and recovered aconitase activity after re-assembling a [4Fe-4S] cluster in vitro. The reverse change in IRP-1 activities also occurred in intact cells no longer exposed to NO and did not require de novo protein synthesis. Likewise, inhibition of mitochondrial aconitase via NO-induced Fe-S cluster disassembly was also reversed independently of protein translation after NO removal. Our results provide the first evidence of Fe-S cluster repair of NO-modified aconitases in mammalian cells. Moreover, we show that reverse change in IRP-1 activities and repair of mitochondrial aconitase activity depended on energized mitochondria. Finally, we demonstrate that IRP-1 activation by NO was accompanied by both a drastic decrease in ferritin levels and an increase in transferrin receptor mRNA levels. However, although ferritin expression was recovered upon IRP-1-IRE dissociation, expression of transferrin receptor mRNA continued to rise for several hours after stopping NO flux.     

Folding and turnover of human iron regulatory protein 1 depend on its subcellular localization

Aconitases are iron-sulfur hydrolyases catalysing the interconversion of citrate and isocitrate in a wide variety of organisms. Eukaryotic aconitases have been assigned additional roles, as in the case of the metazoan dual activity cytosolic aconitase-iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1). This human protein was produced in yeast mitochondria to probe IRP1 folding in this organelle where iron-sulfur synthesis originates. The behaviour of human IRP1 was compared with that of genuine mitochondrial (yeast or human) aconitases. All enzymes were functional in yeast mitochondria, but IRP1 was found to form dense particles as detected by electron microscopy. MS analysis of purified inclusion bodies evidenced the presence of human IRP1 and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex component 1 (KGD1), one of the subunits of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. KGD1 triggered formation of the mitochondrial aggregates, because the latter were absent in a KGD1(-) mutant, but it did not efficiently do so in the cytosol. Despite the iron-binding capacity of IRP1 and the readily synthesis of iron-sulfur clusters in mitochondria, the dense particles were not iron-rich, as indicated by elemental analysis of purified mitochondria. The data show that proper folding of dual activity IRP1-cytosolic aconitase is deficient in mitochondria, in contrast to genuine mitochondrial aconitases. Furthermore, efficient clearance of the aggregated IRP1-KGD1 complex does not occur in the organelle, which emphasizes the role of molecular interactions in determining the fate of IRP1. Thus, proper folding of human IRP1 strongly depends on its cellular environment, in contrast to other members of the aconitase family.     

The phosphinomethylmalate isomerase gene pmi, encoding an aconitase-like enzyme, is involved in the synthesis of phosphinothricin tripeptide in Streptomyces viridochromogenes

Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 produces the antibiotic phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT). In the postulated biosynthetic pathway, one reaction, the isomerization of phosphinomethylmalate, resembles the aconitase reaction of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. It was speculated that this reaction is carried out by the corresponding enzyme of the primary metabolism (C. J. Thompson and H. Seto, p. 197-222, in L. C. Vining and C. Stuttard, ed., Genetics and Biochemistry of Antibiotic Production, 1995). However, in addition to the TCA cycle aconitase gene, a gene encoding an aconitase-like protein (the phosphinomethylmalate isomerase gene, pmi) was identified in the PTT biosynthetic gene cluster by Southern hybridization experiments, using oligonucleotides which were derived from conserved amino acid sequences of aconitases. The deduced protein revealed high similarity to aconitases from plants, bacteria, and fungi and to iron regulatory proteins from eucaryotes. Pmi and the S. viridochromogenes TCA cycle aconitase, AcnA, have 52% identity. By gene insertion mutagenesis, a pmi mutant (Mapra1) was generated. The mutant failed to produce PTT, indicating the inability of AcnA to carry out the secondary-metabolism reaction. A His-tagged protein (Hispmi*) was heterologously produced in Streptomyces lividans. The purified protein showed no standard aconitase activity with citrate as a substrate, and the corresponding gene was not able to complement an acnA mutant. This indicates that Pmi and AcnA are highly specific for their respective enzymatic reactions.