\"杀手\"蛋白酶caspase

细胞凋亡(apoptosis)或称程序性细胞死亡(Programmed cell death,PCD)是多细胞生物正常发育、分化过程中进行细胞删除的一种基本机制,与组织自稳、衰老及细胞损伤密切相关。凋亡异常可引起人类难治性疾病,如Parkinson’s 和Huntington’s 病,AIDS、Alzheimer’s病、免疫缺陷、自身免疫紊乱、缺血性心血管疾病、神经系统疾病、秃发、白血病、淋巴瘤及其他癌症,并与肿瘤治疗抗性有关。虽然细胞凋亡时许多生化事件已被确认,但凋亡诱发、调控的分子生化机制仍不明     

鳞翅目昆虫血细胞鉴定与分离纯化的几种方法

昆虫的细胞免疫包括吞噬作用和包囊作用,要分析哪些血细胞参与其中的作用,就必须能准确鉴定血细胞的种类并将其予以分离、纯化.本文就鳞翅目Lepidoptera昆虫血细胞的鉴定与分离纯化的几种方法进行了简单的介绍.     

鳞翅目昆虫基因组中微卫星DNA的特征以及对其分离的影响

本文根据我们对鳞翅目昆虫棉铃虫和松毛虫以及其它动物 (筏蜘蛛、朱、鳕鱼和飞蝗 )的微卫星富集性基因组DNA文库的筛选和分析结果 ,结合其它实验室已发表的资料 ,对鳞翅目昆虫基因组中微卫星DNA的丰度和结构特点进行了较为系统的分析。结果表明 :与其它类群相比 ,尽管鳞翅目昆虫物种间存在差异 ,但其基因组中存在明显偏多的侧翼序列重复的、以多拷贝形式存在的微卫星位点 ,且其中相当一部分以基因家族的形式存在。微卫星DNA家族通常可以在序列分析阶段被识别出来 ,但很多多拷贝位点只有通过一系列后续分析才能被检查出来。这应是鳞翅目昆虫中微卫星位点的优化率相对偏低的主要原因。棉铃虫和松毛虫基因组中三相重复微卫星丰度相对较高 ,从而从某种程度上补偿了这些物种微卫星分离过程中因丰度低、多拷贝位点比例高所带来的困难。棉铃虫微卫星DNA家族侧翼序列中多聚T/A序列的存在表明 ,逆转录转座或逆转录侵染可能是在基因组中形成多拷贝微卫星位点和微卫星DNA家族的重要机制之一     

昆虫中肠Bt杀虫晶体蛋白毒素受体氨肽酶N的研究进展

鳞翅目昆虫中肠上皮细胞刷状缘膜(BBM)上的Bt杀虫晶体蛋白毒素受体氨肽酶N(APN)的结构和位点密度的改变是昆虫对Bt毒素的主要抗性机制之一,该文简要综述了APN受体的研究进展。每种昆虫中肠上皮细胞中有数种APNs,彼此间同源性较高,其中部分APNs为crylA家族毒素的功能性受体。不同种类昆虫的APNs受体,甚至同一种昆虫的不同类型APNs,其所结合的毒素种类可能不同。APNs决定该昆虫对crylA类毒素的敏感程度差异。有些抗性昆虫的APNs基因编码区发生了多个点突变。     

The IAP family：endogenous caspase inhibitors with multiple biological activities

IAPs (inhibitors of apoptosis) are a family of proteins containing one or more characteristic BIR domains.These proteins have multiple biological activities that include binding and inhibiting caspases,regulating cell cycle progression,and modulating receptor-mediated signal transduction.Our recent studies found the IAP family members XIAP and c-IAP1 are ubiquitinated and degraded in proteasomes in response to apoptotic stimuli in T cells,and their degradation appears to be important for T cells to commit to death.In addition to three BIR domains,each of these IAPs also contains a RING finger domain. We found this region confers ubiquitin protease ligase(E3) activity to IAPs,and is responsible for the auto-ubiquitination and degradation of IAPs after an apoptotic stimulus.Given the fact that IAPs can bind a variety of proteins,such as caspases and TRAFs,it will be of interest to characterize potential substrates of the E3 activity of IAPs and the effects of ubiquitination by IAPs on signal transduction,cell cycle,and apoptosis.     

鳞翅目昆虫抗病毒免疫反应的研究进展

鳞翅目昆虫种类繁多,对农业生产和人类生活产生重大影响,宿主昆虫与病毒相互关系的研究对于利用病毒杀虫剂进行害虫治理和益虫病毒性疾病的预防具有重要意义.因此,鳞翅目昆虫与病毒的互作研究显得尤为重要,宿主昆虫的免疫系统在抗病毒感染过程中发挥着关键作用,对病毒产生不同程度的免疫反应.本文综述了昆虫围食膜和中肠对病毒入侵的防御作用,病毒进入体腔后昆虫所产生的细胞免疫和体液免疫反应,以及RNAi、细胞的自噬与凋亡、Toll、Imd、JAK-STAT和STING信号通路等相关的抗病毒免疫途径,并对昆虫抗病毒免疫研究的制约因素和未来鳞翅目昆虫抗病毒免疫的研究重点进行了讨论,以期为害虫的生物防治和益虫疾病的防控提供理论依据.     

凋亡小体与炎症小体：Caspase蛋白酶的激活平台

多细胞生物的细胞凋亡(apoptosis)和炎症反应(inflammation)分别在内稳态维持和对抗外源微生物入侵的过程中具有重要作用.凋亡小体和炎症小体则是调节这两种生物学过程的关键复合物.凋亡小体和炎症小体的功能都是作为caspase的激活平台,但是前者激活caspase-9,而后者则是激活炎症性caspase-1.本文综述近年来关于这两类复合体激活机制的研究进展.     

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) rapidly suppresses apoptosis by acting upstream of the activation of caspases

The physiological role of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of peptides has recently been extended by emerging evidence of their cytoprotective effects. To determine whether CRF-mediated cytoprotection is linked to caspase-dependent apoptosis, the effect of CRF on the activation of caspases was investigated in detail in Y79 human retinoblastoma cells. The results presented here demonstrate that the cytoprotective effect of CRF against the actions of camptothecin (CT) was mediated by CRF receptor subtype 1, but not subtype 2. The observed CRF-mediated cytoprotection involved rapid and pronounced suppression of proteolytic processing and activation of procaspase-3, exerted even when CRF was added hours after the application of the cytotoxic agent. Surprisingly, activation of procaspase-3 preceded activation of the initiator procaspases 2, 8, 9 and 10 during CT-induced apoptosis of Y79 cells. The mechanism of the effect of CRF was examined using inhibitors of signalling pathways such as Wortmannin (Akt), cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), protein kinase c (PKC), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), phospholipase c (PLC), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaBeta) and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The involvement of PKA in the mediation of the anti-apoptotic effect of CRF has been established. Taken together, these results demonstrate for the first time that the cytoprotective effect of CRF involved suppression of pro-apoptotic pathways at a site upstream of activation of procaspase-3.     

Caspase signalling in the absence of apoptosis drives Jnk‐dependent invasion

Tumours evolve several mechanisms to evade apoptosis, yet many resected carcinomas show significantly elevated caspase activity. Moreover, caspase activity is positively correlated with tumour aggression and adverse patient outcome. These observations indicate that caspases might have a functional role in promoting tumour invasion and metastasis. Using a Drosophila model of invasion, we show that precise effector caspase activity drives cell invasion without initiating apoptosis. Affected cells express the matrix metalloprotinase Mmp1 and invade by activating Jnk. Our results link Jnk and effector caspase signalling during the invasive process and suggest that tumours under apoptotic stresses from treatment, immune surveillance or intrinsic signals might be induced further along the metastatic cascade.     

On the role of Hsp27 in regulating apoptosis

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) comprise several different families of proteins that are induced in response to a wide variety of physiological and environmental insults. One such protein which is highly induced during the stress response is a 27-kDa protein, termed Hsp27 whose expression is seen to correlate with increased survival in response to cytotoxic stimuli. It has been shown to prevent cell death by a wide variety of agents that cause apoptosis. Hsp27 is a molecular chaperone with an ability to interact with a large number of proteins. Recent evidence has shown that Hsp27 regulates apoptosis through an ability to interact with key components of the apoptotic signalling pathway, in particular, those involved in caspase activation and apoptosis. This article will review recent advances in the field and will address some of the potential mechanisms by which Hsp27 functions as an anti-apoptotic molecule.     

Hypericin-photodynamic therapy leads to interleukin-6 secretion by HepG2 cells and their apoptosis via recruitment of BH3 interacting-domain death agonist and caspases

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a capable therapeutic modality for the treatment of cancer. PDT is a targeted cancer therapy that reportedly leads to tumor cell apoptosis and/or necrosis by facilitating the secretion of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines and expression of multiple apoptotic mediators in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, PDT also triggers oxidative stress that directs tumor cell killing and activation of inflammatory responses. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the role of PDT in facilitating tumor cell apoptosis remain ambiguous. Here, we investigated the ability of PDT in association with hypericin (HY) to induce tumor cell apoptosis by facilitating the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secretion of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines in human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2) cells. To discover if any apoptotic mediators were implicated in the enhancement of cell death of HY-PDT-treated tumor cells, selected gene profiling in response to HY-PDT treatment was implemented. Experimental results showed that interleukin (IL)-6 was significantly increased in all HY-PDT-treated cells, especially in 1 μg/ml HY-PDT, resulting in cell death. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression of apoptotic genes, such as BH3-interacting-domain death agonist (BID), cytochrome complex (CYT-C) and caspases (CASP3, 6, 7, 8 and 9) was remarkably higher in HY-PDT-treated HepG2 cells than the untreated HepG2 cells, entailing that tumor destruction of immune-mediated cell death occurs only in PDT-treated tumor cells. Hence, we showed that HY-PDT treatment induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells by facilitating cytotoxic ROS, and potentially recruits IL-6 and apoptosis mediators, providing additional hints for the existence of alternative mechanisms of anti-tumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma, which contribute to long-term suppression of tumor growth following PDT.     

The role of Bax and caspase-3 in doppel-induced apoptosis of cerebellar granule cells

Doppel (Dpl) protein is a paralog of the prion protein (PrP) that shares 25% sequence similarity with the C-terminus of PrP, a common N-glycosylation site and a C-terminal signal peptide for attachment of a glycosylphophatidyl inositol anchor. Whereas PrP^C is highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), Dpl is detected mostly in testes and its ectopic expression in the CNS leads to ataxia as well as Purkinje and granule cell degeneration in the cerebellum. The mechanism through which Dpl induces neurotoxicity is still debated. In the present work, primary neuronal cultures derived from postnatal cerebellar granule cells of wild-type and PrP-knockout FVB mice were used in order to investigate the molecular events that occur upon exposure to Dpl. Treatment of cultured cerebellar neurons with recombinant Dpl produced apoptosis that could be prevented by PrP co-incubation. When primary neuronal cultures from Bax-deficient mice were incubated with Dpl, no apoptosis was observed, suggesting an important role of Bax in triggering neurodegeneration. Similarly, cell survival increased when recDpl-treated cells were incubated with an inhibitor of caspase-3, which mediates apoptosis in mammalian cells. Together, our findings raise the possibility that Bax and caspase-3 feature in Dpl-mediated apoptosis.     

The role of Bax and caspase-3 in doppel-induced apoptosis of cerebellar granule cells

Doppel (Dpl) protein is a paralog of the prion protein (PrP) that shares 25% sequence similarity with the C-terminus of PrP, a common N-glycosylation site and a C-terminal signal peptide for attachment of a glycosylphophatidyl inositol anchor. Whereas PrP^C is highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), Dpl is detected mostly in testes and its ectopic expression in the CNS leads to ataxia as well as Purkinje and granule cell degeneration in the cerebellum. The mechanism through which Dpl induces neurotoxicity is still debated. In the present work, primary neuronal cultures derived from postnatal cerebellar granule cells of wild-type and PrP-knockout FVB mice were used in order to investigate the molecular events that occur upon exposure to Dpl. Treatment of cultured cerebellar neurons with recombinant Dpl produced apoptosis that could be prevented by PrP co-incubation. When primary neuronal cultures from Bax-deficient mice were incubated with Dpl, no apoptosis was observed, suggesting an important role of Bax in triggering neurodegeneration. Similarly, cell survival increased when recDpl-treated cells were incubated with an inhibitor of caspase-3, which mediates apoptosis in mammalian cells. Together, our findings raise the possibility that Bax and caspase-3 feature in Dpl-mediated apoptosis.     

Biochemical properties of insect and crustacean proteasomes

Molecular Biology Reports -     

Development and characterization of insect cell lines

Conclusions With the wide availability of insect cell culture media, it can generally be considered a routine process to develop new cell lines. Exceptions to this statement do exist, of course. Difficulties may arise when attempting to culture a specific cell type. For example, while there are a few cell lines from insect fat body and at least one from the midgut, it may not be possible to obtain cell lines from these tissues from all insect species due to terminal differentiation and other factors. Also, researchers have desired cell lines from certain species, such as the honey bee, for which no success has been obtained. As in the early days of tissue culture, it is difficult to discern why negative results occur. However, as more is learned about the physiology and nutrition of various insects and tissues, we may get clues which will help solve these questions.The remaining chapters in this book will provide the reader with exciting uses for insect cell culture. As I mentioned earlier, the baculovirus expression vector system has provided a stimulus to the field of insect cell culture not seen previously.Abbreviations ICD Isocitrate dehydrogenase - ME malic enzyme - PGI phosphoglucose isomerase - PGM phosphoglucose mutase