SPARC基因DNA甲基化与胰腺癌的研究进展

SPARC(Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine)蛋白是一种富含半胱氨酸(Cys)的酸性分泌蛋白,参与细胞增殖、迁移、凋亡及肿瘤血管生成等生物学过程。前期研究表明,DNA甲基化在胰腺癌中广泛地存在,其可能是胰腺癌等消化道恶性肿瘤中富含半胱氨酸的酸性分泌蛋白(SPARC)表达下调的机制之一。DNA甲基化通常导致某些抑瘤基因的高甲基化失活,SPARC基因是一种抑瘤基因,甲基化能够使其功能性的失活。而通过抑制DNA甲基化可以恢复SPARC的表达,DNA甲基化有望成为胰腺癌早期诊断的潜在生物学标记物以及治疗的靶点。因此,本文主要就SPARC的DNA甲基化在胰腺癌发生发展中的最新研究进展作一综述。     

血管内皮生长因子受体--结构与功能

血管内皮生长因子 (VEGF)的生物学效应是通过其特异的膜受体介导实现的。迄今发现VEGF有三种受体 ,受体的结构、功能 ,及VEGF的信号转导途径各不相同 ,也一直是VEGF研究的热点。本文主要综述了这方面的进展。     

植物GRAS蛋白结构和功能研究进展

GRAS蛋白是一类植物特有的蛋白家族,是许多重要生长发育过程中的关键调控蛋白,如赤霉素信号转导、光信号转导、根的发育、根瘤和菌根形成以及分生组织形成等。从蛋白分子结构、分类及生理功能等方面综述了植物GRAS蛋白的最新研究进展,并对未来的研究方向进行了讨论。     

IGFBP7基因的结构与功能的研究进展

胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白7（IGFBP7）是IGFBPs超家族的新成员,结构上除具有与IGFBPs相似的保守N端结构域外,还有特异的Kazal型丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制结构域和免疫球蛋白样C2结构域。除与IGFs结合发挥作用外,还能独立调控细胞凋亡、增殖和迁移等。而至今尚无对水生无脊椎动物IGFBP7的研究报道,结合本实验室的研究综述了目前IGFBP7基因结构和功能上的研究进展,并对今后的研究工作进行了展望。     

肝细胞生长因子结构和功能研究进展

肝细胞生长因子是一种能够促进肝细胞分裂增殖的多效性细胞因子．它是由一条重链和一条轻链组成的异二聚体,其中重链由N端和4个Kring1e区组成。目前,NKl的晶体结构已经解出,在N端有肝素糖蛋白结合区,HGF分子与肝素糖蛋白的相互作用对HGF分子二聚化和内吞清除都有重要意义。Kring1e区的空间取向对HGF分子与受体结合非常重要．其中K1、K2发挥重要作用,而K3、K4发挥辅助作用。轻链有促进受体酪氨酸磷酸化的作用。     

PTP的结构与功能

蛋白质分子中酪氨酸残基的可逆性磷酸化作为真核生物信号转导的一个重要组成部分,参与了多种细胞功能调节,包括细胞增殖、迁移以及细胞间相互作用等。目前认为这种可逆性的磷酸化调节主要是受控于蛋白酪氨酸激酶（PTK）及蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酯酶（PTP）这两种酶活性的动态平衡。因此,与PTK一样,PTP对于体内各种生命活动起着非常重要的生物学作用。文章综述了近年来PTP在信号转导中的调控作用,特别是其在肿瘤发生、发展过程中的作用、以及其本身的结构与调控的研究进展。     

成纤维细胞生长因子的结构与功能研究进展

成纤维细胞生长因子(FGF)是一种重要的多肽生长因子,它可分为酸性(aFGF)和碱性(bFGF)两类.这两类 FGF 在结构与功能的许多方面相似而又有所不同,特别是在肝素结合力以及肝素依赖性上的差异,引起人们的研究兴趣.文中从 FGF 功能区研究,肝素作用机理和结构特征等方面概述了 FGF 结构与功能关系的研究进展.FGF 结构与功能关系的阐明,不仅有助于揭示生物大分子的活性调节机理,也有助于推动 FGF 临床应用研究的开展.     

DEPDC超家族蛋白的结构与功能

DEP(Dishevelled, Egg-laying defective protein 10 and Pleckstrin)结构域由约90个保守的氨基酸残基组成,最早在DVL(Dishevelled)、EGL-10(Egg-laying defective protein 10)和PLEK(Pleckstrin)三个蛋白中被发现。越来越多的证据表明, DEPDC(DEP domain-containing)超家族蛋白在生物学中扮演着多种重要的角色,特别是与生物体内信号转导及癌症等相关。该文浅析了DEPDC超家族蛋白的结构与功能,以期为今后进一步揭开DEP结构域的结构与功能奠定基础。     

SPARC 在子宫内膜癌组织中的表达及意义

目的:探讨富含半胱氨酸的酸性分泌型蛋白(secreted protien,acidic and rich in cysteine,SPARC)在子宫内膜癌组织中的表达及其临床意义。方法:应用组织芯片技术研究SPARC在正常子宫内膜、增生的子宫内膜和子宫内膜癌组织中的表达情况。结果:SPARC在正常子宫内膜、增生的子宫内膜和子宫内膜癌组织中的阳性表达率分别为96.55%、76.79%、59.50%,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。在子宫内膜癌中,SPARC的表达强度与手术-病理分期、组织学分级、肌层浸润深度和淋巴结转移相关,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:SPARC表达的缺失与子宫内膜癌的发生、发展密切相关,检测SPARC可为子宫内膜癌的早期诊断、进一步治疗及预后判断提供一定的理论依据。     

PH结构域的结构和功能研究进展

PH结构域是一种存在于多种信号转导蛋白和细胞骨架蛋白中的大约由120个氨基酸组成的功能性区域.不同蛋白质中的PH结构域在一级结构上的同源性并不很高,但其空间结构中肽链主链的折叠方式基本相同,而主要差别存在于其中的三个可变环上,含有这些环的侧面带有正电荷,被认为可能是其配体的结合部位.目前已知的配体有G蛋白βγ亚单位（Gβγ）、蛋白激酶C（PKC）和磷脂酰肌醇衍生物（PIP₂或IP₃）,所以PH 结构域可能介导信号蛋白与这些分子间的相互作用,参与细胞信号转导网络的构成.     

Epidermal growth factor up-regulates transforming growth factor-beta receptor type II in human dermal fibroblasts via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway

TGF-beta receptors (TbetaRs) are serine/threonine kinase receptors that bind to TGF-beta and propagate intracellular signaling through Smad proteins. TbetaRs are repressed in some human cancers and expressed at high levels in several fibrotic diseases. We demonstrated that epidermal growth factor (EGF) up-regulates type II TGF-beta receptor (TbetaRII) expression in human dermal fibroblasts. EGF-mediated induction of TbetaRII expression was inhibited by the treatment of fibroblasts with a specific p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor, SB203580, whereas MEK inhibitor PD98059 did not block the up-regulation of TbetaRII by EGF. EGF induced the TbetaRII promoter activity, and this induction was significantly blocked by SB203580, but not by PD98059. The overexpression of the dominant negative form of p38alpha or p38beta significantly reduced the induction of TbetaRII promoter activity by EGF. These results indicate that the EGF-mediated induction of TbetaRII expression involves the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. The EGF-mediated induction of TbetaRII expression may participate in a synergistic interplay between EGF and TGF-beta signaling pathway.     

生长激素受体的研究进展

生长激素（GH）在促进动物生长、发育等代谢过程中起着重要作用,GH发挥生理作用的第一步是与靶细胞膜表面的生长激素受体（CHR）结合。现已基本阐明了CHR的结构及由CHR介导的信号转导途径,对GHR基因表达调节的机制也有了一定的了解。GHR是由约620个氨基酸组成的单链跨膜糖蛋白,其胞外区、跨膜区及胞区内分别由约245、25及350个氨基酸组成。由GHR介导的信号转导途径主要有：①酪氨酸激酶系统;②蛋白激酶C途径;③胰岛素受体底物途径。营养状况及GH等内分泌因子对GHR的表达也有调节作用。     

HGF: a multifunctional growth factor controlling cell scattering

Hepatocyte Growth Factor, also known as Scatter Factor, is a polypeptide that shows structural homology with enzymes of the blood coagulation cascade. It is a biologically inactive single chain precursor that is then cleaved by specific serine proteases to a fully active β heterodimer. All the biological responses induced by HGF/SF are elicited by binding to its receptor, a transmembrane tyrosine kinase encoded by the MET proto-oncogene. The signaling cascade triggered by HGF begins with the autophosphorylation of the receptor and is mediated by concomitant activation of different cytoplasmic effectors that bind to the same multifunctional docking site. During development, HGF function is essential: knock-out mice for both ligand and receptor show an embryonic lethal phenotype. HGF/SF displays a unique feature in inducing “branching morphogenesis”, a complex program of proliferation and motogenesis in a number of different cell types. Moreover, HGF is involved in the invasive behaviour of several tumor cells both in vivo and in vitro. The role of HGF as putative therapeutical agent in pathologies characterized by massive cell loss or deregulated cell proliferation is under investigation.     

根瘤菌NOD因子的感知与信号传导

根瘤菌是一类引起豆科植物结瘤固氮的土壤细菌。根瘤中的类菌体固定空气中的氮气为宿主植物提供充足的氮源。共生体系的建立始于细菌与宿主植物间复杂的信号交换过程。植物产生类黄酮诱导相应的根瘤菌合成分泌结瘤因子 ,后者进而诱导宿主植物根系形态变化以及早期根瘤素基因表达。以下将就宿主植物结瘤因子的特异识别和早期信号传导进行讨论。     

植物弱光逆境生理研究综述

弱光是目前影响设施生产的重要不利环境因素之一。本文综述了弱光对植物生长发育和光合特性的影响及其信号转导途径,并在此基础上讨论了植物对弱光的适应途径和今后植物弱光逆境生理的研究方向。     

A Ras protein from a phytopathogenic fungus causes defects in hyphal growth polarity, and induces tumors in mice

Ras is a low-molecular-weight guanine nucleotide (GDP/GTP)-binding protein that transduces signals for growth and differentiation in eukaryotes. In mammals, the importance of Ras in regulating growth is underscored by the observation that activating mutations in ras genes are found in many animal tumors. Colletotrichum trifolii is a filamentous fungal pathogen of alfalfa which causes anthracnose disease. To investigate signaling pathways that regulate growth and development in this fungus, a gene encoding a Ras homolog (CT-Ras) was cloned from C. trifolii. CT-Ras exhibited extensive amino acid similarity to Ras proteins from higher and lower eukaryotes. A single amino acid change resulting in mutationally activated CT-Ras induced cellular transformation of mouse (NIH 3T3) fibroblasts and tumor formation in nu/nu mice. In Colletotrichum, mutationally activated CT-Ras induced abnormal hyphal proliferation and defects in polarized growth, and significantly reduced differentiation in a nutrient-dependent manner. These results show that C. trifolii Ras is a functional growth regulator in both mammals and fungi, and demonstrate that proper regulation of Ras is required for normal fungal growth and development. Received: 20 October 1998 / Accepted: 23 April 1999     

Rapid Kinetic Analysis of Ethylene Growth Responses in Seedlings: New Insights into Ethylene Signal Transduction

Ethylene is a phytohormone that influences diverse processes in plants. Ethylene causes various changes in etiolated seedlings that differ between species and include reduced growth of shoots and roots, increased diameter of shoots, agravitropic growth, initiation of root hairs, and increased curvature of the apical hook. The inhibition of growth in etiolated seedlings has become widely used to screen for and identify mutants. This approach has led to an increased understanding of ethylene signaling. Most studies use end-point analysis after several days of exposure to assess the effects of ethylene. Recently, the use of time-lapse imaging has re-emerged as an experimental method to study the rapid kinetics of ethylene responses. This review outlines the historical use of ethylene growth kinetic studies and summarizes the recent use of this approach coupled with molecular biology to provide new insights into ethylene signaling.