注射亲水性硅珠对棉铃虫血浆酚氧化酶活性的影响

昆虫通过细胞免疫和体液免疫的协同作用对入侵的异物做出防御反应。在不同时间向棉铃虫体内注射亲水性硅珠后,测定了血浆中酚氧化酶（PO）的活性,同时研究了不同抑制剂和激活剂对注射硅珠后的酚氧化酶活性的影响。结果表明,注射亲水性硅珠后,棉铃虫血浆中酚氧化酶的活性明显升高。分别以牛胰蛋白酶和昆布多糖作为酚氧化酶原（proPO）的激活剂,发现两者都可激活注射硅珠后血浆中的proPO。以牛胰蛋白酶激活时,随着注射硅珠后时间的延长,PO活性逐渐增高;而用昆布多糖激活后PO活性也明显升高,但注射硅珠后不同时间proPO被昆布多糖激活的情况基本相似。这些结果表明,在异物入侵后酚氧化酶原有很大程度的积累,并能被激活,协同细胞免疫抵御异物入侵。P-NPGB和PTU几乎能完全抑制酚氧化酶的活性。     

几种化学因子对三种赤眼蜂离体酚氧化酶活性的影响

为比较不同赤眼蜂酚氧化酶（PO）活性的大小, 明确赤眼蜂种间免疫防御能力强弱, 本研究通过研磨、离心提取松毛虫赤眼蜂Trichogramma dendrolimi、螟黄赤眼蜂T. chilonis、玉米螟赤眼蜂T. ostriniae匀浆液, 首次测定了几种化学因子（Ca²⁺、昆布多糖、纤维素、右旋糖酐、脂多糖和丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂）对3种供试赤眼蜂匀浆液中酚氧化酶原激活系统（proPO-AS）的激活程度。结果表明: 玉米螟赤眼蜂匀浆液PO活性最高, 螟黄赤眼蜂次之, 松毛虫赤眼蜂最低。Ca²⁺是激活供试赤眼蜂proPO的必需因子, 且在0.03 mol/L浓度下激活作用最强; 昆布多糖和脂多糖也能有效激活proPO, 0.01及0.05 mg/mL昆布多糖能强烈激活PO活性; 纤维素和右旋糖酐对PO活性存在显著抑制作用。结果证明了赤眼蜂种间存在明显的免疫能力差异。本研究建立了小型昆虫proPO-AS研究体系, 为研究Wolbachia-小型昆虫的免疫互作体系奠定了基础。     

红螯螯虾酚氧化酶原及其特性研究

采用同源克隆策略和RACE技术, 从红螯螯虾Cherax quadricarinatus血细胞中克隆得到酚氧化酶原基因的全长cDNA序列, 共2951 bp, 开放读码框为1995 bp, 编码665个氨基酸. 预测的分子量和等电点分别为75.7 kD和6.23. 酚氧化酶原含有两个推测的tyrosinase copper-binding motifs (带有六个组氨酸残基)和一个thiol-ester-like motif, 这些特征和其他甲壳动物的酚氧化酶原特征相同. 红螯螯虾酚氧化酶原氨基酸序列与通讯螯虾Pacifastacus leniusculus、欧洲龙虾Homarus gammarus、美洲龙虾Homarus americanus 和克氏原螯虾Procambarus clarkii 酚氧化酶原的相似率分别为68%、63%、63%和59%. 酚氧化酶原基因双酶切后连接入pET-28a原核表达载体, 转化到大肠杆菌BL21后重组表达酚氧化酶原蛋白. 在重组蛋白纯化后, 免疫新西兰大耳兔制备得到的酚氧化酶原多克隆抗体, 其效价大于1:12800. 红螯螯虾血淋巴、肝和鳃组织中的酚氧化酶原mRNA表达和酚氧化酶活性较高, 而神经、心、肠和肌肉中较低. 中华绒螯蟹螺原体和嗜水气单胞菌免疫红螯螯虾后, 血淋巴细胞、肝和鳃组织中的酚氧化酶原和酚氧化酶活性在免疫后的不同时间均出现了显著性的增加, 此结果表明酚氧化酶原和酚氧化酶在红螯螯虾对抗细菌感染的过程中起到重要的免疫作用. 此结果为进一步深入研究酚氧化酶原基因和酚氧化酶的功能及其调控机理奠定基础.       

饲料铜水平对斑节对虾血细胞中酚氧化酶原系统相关基因表达的影响

以不同铜离子添加水平(0 mg·kg-1、10 mg·kg-1、25 mg·kg-1、40 mg·kg-1、55 mg·kg-1和110 mg·kg-1)的饲料喂养斑节对虾Penaeus monodon 8周,测定对虾血细胞中酚氧化酶原系统相关基因(pro PO1、pro PO2、PE、PPAF和BGBP)表达水平的变化。结果显示,与对照组相比,当铜添加水平为40~55 mg·kg-1时,proPO1的表达量显著上升;当铜添加水平为25~55 mg·kg-1时,pro PO2、PE和PPAF的表达量显著上升;铜添加水平对BGBP的表达量没有显著影响。血清PO活力也在铜添加水平为25~55 mg·kg-1时显著提高。这些结果表明,饲料中添加一定量的铜离子可诱导pro PO1、pro PO2、PE和PPAF表达量的上调,从而提高血清PO活力。根据上述结果,针对提高酚氧化酶原系统免疫功能,在本基础饲料配方中适宜的铜添加水平为25~55 mg·kg-1。     

口虾蛄proPO基因全长cDNA的克隆与组织表达

口虾蛄是海湾底拖网渔业中具有重要经济价值的种类,分布广泛.其自然资源日渐衰退,人工育苗技术获得成功后,口虾蛄养殖过程中病害问题及其防治应引起足够的重视.为此,拟通过分子生物学手段研究口虾蛄免疫系统的核心酶——酚氧化酶(PO)的分子结构及该基因的组织表达,从而在分子水平上深入探究其免疫机理.采用反转录PCR(RT-PCR)与cDNA末端快速克隆(RACE)技术从口虾蛄血细胞中克隆了酚氧化酶原(O-proPO)基因,cDNA全长为2436bp,其中开放阅读框为2142bp,编码713个氨基酸.预测分子量为82446Da,等电点(pI)为8.78.该基因与Genbank上登录的斑节对虾、凡纳滨对虾、罗氏沼虾、短沟对虾、日本对虾proPO基因序列具有较高的同源性,分别为82％、76％、76％、72％、70％.序列分析表明O-proPO为proPO家族中的一个成员,其氨基酸序列中含有多个免疫调节作用位点.系统进化分析显示O-proPO与十足目种类的proPO为同一分支的2个亚群,而后于丰年虫的proPO形成一分支.O-proPO基因表达具有组织特异性,在血淋巴和肠中表达,但在血淋巴中表达量明显高于肠.     

棉铃虫不同虫态及虫龄血淋巴中酚氧化酶活力的比较

分别测定了棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigeraHübner不同虫态及虫龄血清和血细胞中酚氧化酶(phenoloxidase,PO)的活力。结果显示血清和血细胞中都有酚氧化酶活性,且血细胞中高于血清中。不同虫态及虫龄的血清和血细胞中酚氧化酶活力有很大的不同,血清和血细胞中酚氧化酶活力变化规律一致。3龄幼虫酶活力最高,5龄幼虫最低。酶活力大小依次为:3龄幼虫>预蛹>4龄幼虫>蛹>5龄幼虫     

棉铃虫血淋巴酚氧化酶活性的微量测定

昆虫血淋巴黑化的形成由激活酚氧化酶原的级联系统所引发 ,酚氧化酶在昆虫体液免疫中起着重要作用。用抗凝剂从棉铃虫血淋巴中分离获得了血浆及完整的血细胞 ,以L DOPA为底物 ,牛胰蛋白酶为激活剂 ,测定了血浆及血细胞裂解液中酚氧化酶及酚氧化酶原的活性。结果表明 ,血浆及血细胞中两者都有一定量的分布。这一昆虫血淋巴酚氧化酶的微量测定方法 ,所需样品量少 ,耗时短 ,简便易行。     

Catestatin——新的心血管保护肽

Catestatin是一种新的心血管保护肽由嗜铬蛋白A(CHGA)剪切产生,在肾上腺嗜铬细胞、肾上腺素能神经元及心肌内表达,通过自分泌/旁分泌的方式发挥多种心血管保护效应。Catestatin可负反馈调节儿茶酚胺释放、促进肥大细胞脱颗粒、调节自主神经系统功能,进而舒张血管、拮抗高血压病的发生;通过促进内皮细胞释放碱性成纤维细胞生长因子、激活丝裂原蛋白激酶(MAPK)信息传导途径促进血管新生。Catestatin也可激活磷酸肌醇-3激酶/蛋白激酶B(PI3K/Akt)信号传导途径拮抗心肌缺血再灌注损伤;或通过反向激动心肌β受体等多种机制,延缓充血性心力衰竭病程。     

根虫瘟霉不同菌株对小菜蛾幼虫血淋巴酚氧化酶原的激活作用

在对小菜蛾Plutella xylostella幼虫血淋巴酚氧化酶原的存在部位及免疫激活作用特点研究的基础上,比较了根虫瘟霉Zoophthora radicans不同菌株对酚氧化酶原激活系统的免疫激化及防御作用的差异。研究发现, 酚氧化酶原主要位于小菜蛾幼虫血细胞膜及血细胞裂解液中,极少存在于血浆中。在免疫激活剂昆布多糖存在下,分别测得小菜蛾幼虫血细胞碎片、血细胞裂解液和血浆的酚氧化酶活性为26.80 U,16.68 U和2.53 U。酚氧化酶原显著地受血浆和昆布多糖同时存在的激活,但两者单独存在时对酚氧化酶原的激活作用较弱。根虫瘟霉菌丝裂解液对酚氧化酶原有不同程度的激活作用,其激活作用在有血浆存在时显著增强,其酚氧化酶活性可提高2.9～3.4倍。各菌株间对酚氧化酶原的激活作用则以ARSEF1342菌株最强,ARSEF2699和F99101菌株次之,ARSEF1100菌株最弱。被激活的酚氧化酶可粘附于根虫瘟霉菌丝上并能产生黑化反应,各菌株间酚氧化酶粘附于ARSEF1342菌株的能力最强,粘附于ARSEF2699和F99101菌株的次之,粘附于ARSEF1100菌株的最弱。但酚氧化酶粘附于昆布多糖的能力显著强于各虫霉菌株,表明各菌株在一定程度上能逃避寄主的免疫识别;各菌株激活酚氧化酶原及酚氧化酶粘附于菌株强弱,与对小菜蛾毒力呈负相关性,表明高毒力菌株具有易逃避寄主免疫识别的趋向。     

绿僵菌侵染对椰心叶甲酚氧化酶活性的影响

对椰心叶甲Brontispa longissima(Gestro)成虫血淋巴中酚氧化酶的特性进行分析,并研究绿僵菌(Metarhizium anisopliae)侵染对血浆甲酚氧化酶活性的影响。结果显示,椰心叶甲成虫的血浆及血细胞裂解液中均检测到酚氧化酶活性,且昆布多糖及胰蛋白酶可显著提高其活性。绿僵菌MA-4侵染组在侵染后第1至第5d的血浆酚氧化酶活性高于未侵染组(P<0.05),但是椰心叶甲成虫体内注射10μg昆布多糖后,侵染组的酚氧化酶活性显著低于未侵染组(P<0.05),表明绿僵菌一方面对可激活椰心叶甲的酚氧化酶原激活系统,另一方面又可抑制昆布多糖对椰心叶甲酚氧化酶原激活系统的诱导作用。     

The expression of prophenoloxidase mRNA in red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, when it was challenged

The expression of the prophenoloxidase (proPO) gene was investigated in nine tissues of red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, by real-time PCR after challenges by CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN), Aeromonas hydrophila and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). The results can be summarized as follows: (i) the expression level of the proPO gene in haemocytes was highest among nine studied tissues before the challenge; (ii) the expression of proPO increased in all studied tissues after stimulation by CpG ODN and WSSV, and also increased in all tissues, except the ovary, after the A. hydrophila challenge; (iii) the whole expression profiles were different, suggesting that different immune mechanisms may exist for crayfish that are resistant to WSSV and A. hydrophila, although the expression in haemocytes was similar before and after the WSSV and A. hydrophila challenges.     

The immunostimulating effect of bacterial genomic DNA on the innate immune responses of bivalve mussel, Hyriopsis cumingii Lea

The genomic DNA of Escherichia coli, which contains the unmethylated CpG motif, was used to evaluate the immunostimulating effect of bacterial DNA on innate immune responses in the bivalve mussel Hyriopsis cumingii Lea. The results showed that the E. coli DNA had no significant effect on the production of superoxide anion (O(2-)) or acid phosphatase (AP) by haemocytes in vitro. However, the bactericidal activity of the haemocytes was significantly increased when the cells were incubated with 50 or 100mug/ml bacterial DNA for 12 and 24h. Antibacterial activity, lysozyme activity, and prophenoloxidase (proPO) production of haemolymph were also increased, when the bivalve molluscs were injected with 50 or 100mug/ml of bacterial DNA for 12 and 24h. These activities returned to the control level after 48h. This work showed the bacterial DNA with unmethylated CpG motif could activate some parameters of the immune system of bivalve molluscs in vivo and in vitro.     

Functional analysis of plasma prophenoloxidase system in the marine mussel Perna viridis

The role of prophenoloxidase (proPO) system in recognition and phagocytosis of yeast cells by hemocytes was examined in vitro using whole plasma and proPO system isolated from the plasma of the marine mussel, Perna viridis. The proPO was isolated from the plasma by ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration. The final proPO preparation was homogeneous in native PAGE, and could be activated by trypsin, α-chymotrypsin and pronase-E. Laminarin (a polymer of β-1, 3-glucan) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from diverse bacterial species effectively activated the isolated proPO, demonstrating the ability of this proenzyme to interact directly with microbial surface components. The susceptibility of proPO activation to inhibition by serine protease inhibitors such as soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) or p-nitrophenyl-p′-guanidinobenzoate (p-NPGB), indicates that the isolated fraction may contain an integral serine protease domain in an inactive state. The presence of laminarin- or LPS-activated whole plasma of P. viridis facilitated adherence of yeast cells to hemocyte surface as well as eventually stimulated phagocytic uptake of the target cells by hemocytes, and no such hemocytic response was recorded with STI controls. This and other results strongly suggest that the intermediary factors generated during activation of plasma proPO system by non-self molecules play a key role in recognition and opsono-phagocytosis by hemocytes. However, the proPO system isolated from P. viridis plasma, after activation with microbial surface components, failed to show an opsonic effect.     

Prophenoloxidase system and its role in shrimp immune responses against major pathogens

The global shrimp industry still faces various serious disease-related problems that are mainly caused by pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Understanding the host defense mechanisms is likely to be beneficial in designing and implementing effective strategies to solve the current and future pathogen-related problems. Melanization, which is performed by phenoloxidase (PO) and controlled by the prophenoloxidase (proPO) activation cascade, plays an important role in the invertebrate immune system in allowing a rapid response to pathogen infection. The activation of the proPO system, by the specific recognition of microorganisms by pattern-recognition proteins (PRPs), triggers a serine proteinase cascade, eventually leading to the cleavage of the inactive proPO to the active PO that functions to produce the melanin and toxic reactive intermediates against invading pathogens. This review highlights the recent discoveries of the critical roles of the proPO system in the shrimp immune responses against major pathogens, and emphasizes the functional characterizations of four major groups of genes and proteins in the proPO cascade in penaeid shrimp, that is the PRPs, serine proteinases, proPO and inhibitors.     

In the spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) the prophenoloxidase is located in plasma not in haemocytes

In the spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus), unlike other crustaceans most of the prophenoloxidase (proPO) was detected in cell-free plasma (86.3%). In spite of its location, lobster proPO activating system has a similar activation mechanism to other crustacean proPO systems. Haemocyte lysate was able to activate the plasma proPO indicating location of the prophenoloxidase activating enzyme (PPAE) in haemocytes. Lobster haemocyte PPAE was isolated by affinity chromatography and its participation as activating enzyme was demonstrated. This enzyme is a serine-proteinase that transforms the inactive form (proPO) to an active one (phenoloxidase). The PPAE was also present in the cell-free supernatant of haemocytes previously incubated with Vibrio alginolyticus.     

Signal transduction of the prophenoloxidase activating system of prawn haemocytes triggered by CpG oligodeoxynucleotides

Intracellular phenoloxidase (PO) activity in haemocyte lysate supernatant (HLS) of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) was shown to be enhanced by CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) 2006, but not by so-ODN13. When haemocytes were treated in vitro with 50 microg/ml of ODN2006 for 30 min, the increases in both intra- and extracellular stimulated PO activity (POS) and extracellular total PO activity (POT) and the reduction of POT suggest that the PO activity of haemocytes is enhanced by ODN2006 stimulation, but new prophenoloxidase (proPO) is not synthesised. In an attempt to determine which signal transduction pathway is involved in the activation of the proPO system, haemocytes were separately treated with activators or inhibitors of specific signalling components. The results show that there was an increase in both intra- and extracellular POT of haemocytes treated with sodium fluoride (a G-protein activator); the addition of phosphokinase A (PKA)-activating 8-bromo-cAMP to haemocytes only increased intracellular POT, and the addition of either phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA; a phosphokinase C (PKC) activator) or caffeine (a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) only increased extracellular POT. When PMA-stimulated haemocytes were treated with chelerythrine (a PKC inhibitor), the induced extracellular POT was significantly reduced. Furthermore, the study of ODN2006-stimulated haemocytes treated with chelerythrine or palmitoyl-DL-carnitine (a PKC inhibitor) showed that the enhancement effects of ODN2006 on the intra- and extracellular POS and extracellular POT were significantly decreased. ODN-stimulated haemocytes treated with genistein (an inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinase) showed a further increase in extracellular POT, but the other PO activities remained the same as those of the ODN-stimulated group. These results suggest that the activation of the proPO system of prawn haemocytes, including degranulation and PO activity, is induced by ODN2006 via a PKC-activating signalling pathway, but negatively regulated via the tyrosine kinase pathway.     

MAP kinases mediate phagocytosis and melanization via prophenoloxidase activation in medfly hemocytes

E. coli phagocytosis by medfly hemocytes, in contrast to mammalian macrophages, associates with E. coli-challenged hemocyte secretion by mitogen activating protein (MAP) kinases. In the present work, we examined whether this system links with the proteolytic activation of prophenoloxidase (proPO). ProPO and prophenoloxidase-activating proteinases (PAPs) were initially identified within freshly isolated medfly hemocytes. Moreover, flow cytometry and immunocytochemical analysis revealed the constitutive expression of proPO and its stable association with hemocyte surface. The expression level of hemocyte surface proPO is not affected by E. coli infection. In addition, flow cytometry analysis in freshly isolated hemocytes showed that E. coli phagocytosis is markedly blocked by antibodies against proPO or PAPs, as well as by several serine protease inhibitors, strongly supporting the involvement of proPO cascade in the phagocytosis process. Similarly, it was shown that melanization process depends on proPO activation. MAP kinases appeared to control both phagocytosis and melanization, since they regulate PAPs secretion, a prerequisite for the conversion of proPO to active PO. From this and previous studies, hemocytes appear to be central to immune response in medfly.