降钙素基因相关肽的合成

降钙素基因相关肽是一个包含有37个氨基酸残基的具有较强降血压生理功能的活性多肽。我们采用常规的固相合成方法,以简单的装置最后经无水氟化氢处理,将肽从树脂上切下,同时脱除所有侧链保护基。粗产物在30％乙酸溶液中用碘作为氧化剂使二个半胱氨酸氧化,形成二硫键。合成的α-人降钙素基因相关肽经反向高效液相层析分离,获得在高效液相层析为单一峰的产物。经酸水解氨基酸分析证明与理论值相符并具有全部生理活性。     

中药合剂CB在晶状体白内障形成中对巯基及二硫键的作用

用白内障诱发剂三硝基甲苯、平阳霉素、亚硒酸钠和半乳糖分别加入大鼠晶状体培养基中,共同培养２４ｈ,同时在各培养基中分别加入中药合剂ＣＢ,以观察其药效,用维生素Ｃ作对照。结果表明中药合剂ＣＢ能够保护非蛋白质巯基免致氧化,抑制蛋白质巯基交联,降低晶状体不溶性蛋白质中二硫键含量,故中药合剂ＣＢ有可能作为抗白内障药物应用于临床。     

单增李斯特菌二硫键形成蛋白DsbG介导酸耐受及鞭毛运动性调控

【目的】本研究旨在通过构建单增李斯特菌(Listeria monocytogenes)二硫键形成蛋白编码基因dsbG缺失株和回补株,探究该蛋白在酸耐受和鞭毛介导的运动性中发挥的生物学功能。【方法】利用同源重组方法构建单增李斯特菌dsbG缺失株和回补株,比较野生株和突变株在不同pH梯度培养基条件下的生长速率和存活率;通过实时荧光定量PCR方法,比较致死酸应激条件下野生株和缺失株酸耐受基因转录水平。通过半固体培养基、荧光定量PCR方法和鞭毛负染色透射电镜观察,比较野生株和突变株的运动能力、鞭毛相关基因转录水平变化和鞭毛形态差异。【结果】与野生株相比,dsbG缺失株的生长能力和速率差异不显著;在pH 3.5(盐酸和柠檬酸)培养条件下,存活率显著降低;精氨酸合成途径基因argD和argF转录水平分别下调2.4和3.7倍。同时,dsbG缺失株的运动能力减弱,且鞭毛形成相关的flaA、flgB和flgD等基因转录水平显著下调(分别为29.7、6.7和6.9倍),鞭毛形成能力减弱。【结论】本研究首次证实了单增李斯特菌二硫键形成蛋白DsbG能感应低pH应激,并形成耐受;证实了DsbG通过调控鞭毛相关基因的转录进而影响细菌的鞭毛形成和运动性。本研究有助于深入了解二硫键形成蛋白家族介导单增李斯特菌环境适应的分子机制,为食源性致病菌的防控提供理论基础。     

中国南海新α芋螺毒素Mr1.8的合成及二硫键测定

目的:采用固相方法合成新型α4/7芋螺毒素Mr1.8(PECCTHPACHVSNPELC-NH2),并测定其折叠后的二硫键配对方式。方法:采用Fmoc-固相法合成线性肽Mr1.8,通过空气氧化折叠获得含二硫键的折叠产物,利用两步折叠法测定其二硫键连接方式。结果:Mr1.8线性肽经折叠生成2种产物Ⅰ和Ⅱ,质谱和二硫键分析结果显示Mr1.8-Ⅱ为正确折叠产物,其二硫键框架为(Cys1-Cys3,Cys2-Cys4)。结论:Mr1.8是一种新的α4/7型芋螺毒素,其一种主要折叠产物的二硫键框架为(Cys1-Cys3,Cys2-Cys4)。     

单核细胞增生李斯特菌二硫键形成蛋白DsbA调控胞间迁移的机制

【目的】 实验室前期研究发现单核细胞增生李斯特菌(单增李斯特菌,Listeria monocytogenes)二硫键形成蛋白DsbA缺失后,细菌胞间迁移能力增强,本研究旨在深入解析DsbA介导该生物学过程的具体机制。【方法】 通过荧光定量PCR和蛋白质免疫印迹(Western blotting)方法比较单增李斯特菌野生株和dsbA缺失株毒力基因的转录和表达水平差异;利用免疫荧光共定位方法观察DsbA缺失后对单增李斯特菌胞间迁移相关毒力因子ActA招募宿主肌动蛋白能力的影响(分析ActA与肌动蛋白共定位在细菌一侧形成“彗星状尾巴”的长短和数量);通过等温滴定量热法(isothermal titration calorimetry, ITC)研究DsbA与ActA互作情况。【结果】 dsbA缺失后,毒力基因转录水平无显著差异,但毒力因子InlA、InlB、PlcA和PlcB的分泌均显著降低,而ActA、溶血素O (listeriolysin O, LLO)分泌量显著升高。缺失株形成的彗星尾巴数量显著高于野生株且平均长度也较野生株增加,说明dsbA缺失导致细菌招募肌动蛋白能力明显增强。ITC试验发现DsbA与ActA结合存在吸热反应,说明二者互作。【结论】 本研究证实单增李斯特菌DsbA通过调控毒力蛋白减弱了对肌动蛋白募集,进而影响细菌胞间迁移。研究结果有助于系统理解单增李斯特菌在宿主感染过程中的毒力调控机制,对人兽共患胞内病原菌的污染控制具有重要公共卫生学意义。     

谷胱甘肽的合成与其活性初步评价北大核心CSCD

先采用Fmoc固相多肽合成法,以2-Chlorotrityl chloride(2-CTC)树脂做载体,DIC/HOBt做缩合剂,逐步缩合得到全保护谷胱甘肽树脂,以TFA/EDT/m-Cresol为裂解液脱除保护基团,粗肽经半制备反相高效液相色谱法纯化得α-GSH、γ-GSH纯品,后将所得γ-GSH纯品分别采用空气,双氧水,碘氧化得GSSG,经纯化得GSSG纯品,合成的α-GSH、γ-GSH纯品纯度达99%,GSSG纯度达98%,利用标准品,经外标法计算总收率分别为60%、64%、57%。并观察三者对CCl4诱导的小鼠急性肝损伤的治疗效果结果显示都能显著降低ALT与AST的活性,且与注射用γ-GSH没有显著性差异,可以为工业化生产提供借鉴。     

层析辅助体外复性含有多对二硫键的融合蛋白质

为建立一种基于阴离子交换介质辅助的含多对二硫键的抗凝溶栓双功能水蛭素12肽-瑞替普酶融合蛋白质 (HV12p-rPA) 的复性方法,采用Q Sepharose XL作为层析复性介质,通过正交实验考察蛋白质上样量、流速、脲梯度、洗脱液中精氨酸浓度、脲浓度、pH、还原型及氧化型谷胱甘肽等因素对复性过程的影响,探索最佳层析复性条件。结果表明：脲梯度、上样量及精氨酸浓度是影响复性的3个主要因素。脲梯度是复性成功的关键,上样量增大时复性蛋白质比活降低,精氨酸辅助HV12p-rPA复性的最佳浓度为1 mol/L。创建了脲、pH双梯度下的阴离子交换层析辅助HV12p-rPA的复性方法,复性后蛋白质的溶栓比活达到46 520 IU/mg,抗凝比活达到9 980 ATU/mg,与稀释复性方法相比,该方法能使复性蛋白质的溶栓比活提高14~15倍,抗凝比活提高7~8倍。     

外生菌根合成的条件及形成机制

文章综述了生态、土壤生物等对外生菌根合成的影响,并且进一步论述了菌根合成的内在机制,提出菌根的形成是一个外部生态条件和内在机制的统一及各种因素综合作用的同步的动态过程。     

Isolation, renaturation, and formation of disulfide bonds of eukaryotic proteins expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies

Expression of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli often results in the formation of insoluble inclusion bodies, In case of expression of eukaryotic proteins containing cysteine, which may form disulfide bonds in the native active protein, often nonnative inter- and intramolecular disulfide bonds exist in the inclusion bodies. Hence, several methods have been developed to isolate recombinant eukaryotic polypeptides from inclusion bodies, and to generate native disulfide bonds, to get active proteins. This article summarizes the different steps and methods of isolation and renaturation of eukaryotic proteins containing disulfide bonds, which have been expressed in E. coli as inclusion bodies, and shows which methods originally developed for studying the folding mechanism of naturally occurring proteins have been successfully adapted for reactivation of recombinant eukaryotic proteins. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Generation of two isomers with the same disulfide connectivity during disulfide bond formation of human uroguanylin

Summary In a two-step selective disulfide-bond-forming reaction of human uroguanylin, a 16-residue peptide with two intramolecular disulfide bonds, two compounds (I and II) were formed, which could be detected by RP-HPLC after the second disulfide-bond-forming reaction and were isolated as single entities. Their primary structures, molecular weights, and disulfide connectivities proved to be identical, but their optical rotation values were different, suggesting that they are topological isomers. Only compound I was found to increase the cGMP levels in cultured T84 cells significantly. The ratio of these compounds was affected by the order of the disulfide-bond-forming reactions, but not by the solvent used. The presence of a carboxyl-terminal leucine residue seems to be crucial for stabilizing the conformation of the two isomers.     

Efficient disulfide bond formation in virus-like particles

Virus-like particles (VLPs) consist of a virus's outer shell but without the genome. Similar to the virus, VLPs are monodisperse nano-capsules which have a known morphology, maintain a high degree of symmetry, and can be engineered to encapsidate the desired cargo. VLPs are of great interest for vaccination, drug/gene delivery, imaging, sensing, and material science applications. Here we demonstrate the ability to control the disulfide bond formation in VLPs by directly controlling the redox potential during or after production and assembly of VLPs. The open cell-free protein synthesis environment, which has been reported to produce VLPs at yields comparable or greater than traditional in vivo technologies, was employed. Optimal conditions for disulfide bond formation were found to be VLP dependent, and a cooperative effect in the formation of such bonds was observed.     

RNase activity requires formation of disulfide bonds and is regulated by the redox state

The activity of many RNases requires the formation of one or more disulfide bonds which can contribute to their stability. In this study, we show that RNase activity and, to a much lesser extent, nuclease activity, are redox regulated. Intracellular RNase activity was altered in vitroby changes in the glutathione redox state. Moreover, RNase activity was abolished following exposure to reducing agents such as -ME or DTT. Following reduction with glutathione (GSH), RNase activity could be fully reactivated with oxidized glutathione (GSSG). In contrast, RNase activity could not be reactivated when reduced with DTT. Decreasing the level of glutathione in vivoin wheat increased RNase activity. Tobacco engineered to have an increased glutathione redox state exhibited substantially lower RNase activity during dark-induced senescence. These results suggest that RNase activity requires the presence of one or more disulfide bonds that are regulated by glutathione and demonstrate for the first time that RNase activity can be altered with an alteration in cellular redox state.     

OX133, a monoclonal antibody recognizing protein-bound N-ethylmaleimide for the identification of reduced disulfide bonds in proteins

In vivo, enzymatic reduction of some protein disulfide bonds, allosteric disulfide bonds, provides an important level of structural and functional regulation. The free cysteine residues generated can be labeled by maleimide reagents, including biotin derivatives, allowing the reduced protein to be detected or purified. During the screening of monoclonal antibodies for those specific for the reduced forms of proteins, we isolated OX133, a unique antibody that recognizes polypeptide resident, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-modified cysteine residues in a sequence-independent manner. OX133 offers an alternative to biotin-maleimide reagents for labeling reduced/alkylated antigens and capturing reduced/alkylated proteins with the advantage that NEM-modified proteins are more easily detected in mass spectrometry, and may be more easily recovered than is the case following capture with biotin based reagents.     

Solvent assistance in regiospecific disulfide formation in dimethylsulfoxide

Summary This paper describes a convenient oxidative refolding method that exploits the dual property of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as an oxidant and a solvent ‘chaperon’ in assisting disulfide formation in peptides. Synthetic peptides with preferred secondary structures were used as models. For β-sheet peptides, an active fragment of fibroblast growth factor containing the tetrapeptide Arg-Ser-Arg-Arg at a reverse turn was used. A disulfide scan consisting of 16 analogs is designed in which different pairs of amino acids on the antiparallel β-sheets flanking the active determinants are replaced with cysteine. DMSO in aqueous buffer at pH 6 or 8 was found to minimize aggregation due to β-sheet formation in all 16 β-stranded peptides and provided monocyclic disulfide peptides within 7 h. In contrast, air oxidation required a significantly longer duration for completion under similar conditions, and only 8 of 16 peptides formed intramolecular disulfides. Rate accelerations at pH 8 were found in exo-disulfide formation involving peptides with amino terminal cysteine, irrespective of oxidation conditions. The exo-disulfide effect in accelerating disulfide formation may be useful for regiospecific disulfide formation. For α-helix peptides, the twodisulfide endothelin (ET) was used as a model. DMSO in combination with trifluoroethanol (TFE) was found to favor the desired bicyclic 1,4-disulfide bridged ET (1,4-ET) over the incorrectly folded 1,3-ET. Under aqueous conditions at pH 5–11, 1,4-ET to 1,3-ET was formed in the ratio of approximately 3:1, while the use of DMSO and TFE increased the ratio to 11:1. This solvent combination may stabilize an α-helical stretch found in ET and contribute to enhanced selectivity. Thus, our results show that DMSO in disulfide formation in an aqueous or helix-promoting solution may serve as an oxidant and a ‘chaperon’ solvent system to provide regiospecificity for oxidative disulfide formation.     

Intradomain disulfide bonds impede formation of the alternatively folded state of antibody chains

Antibodies undergo significant conformational changes upon acidification, leading to the formation of an alternatively folded state. Here, we analyzed the conformation of MAK 33 Fab and its light chain at acidic pH, both in the reduced and oxidized form. At acidic pH, the proteins exhibited a highly structured, but non-native conformation, corresponding to the alternatively folded state, previously described for the intact antibody. However, the requirements to form this alternative structure were different for the oxidized and reduced protein. Whereas in the oxidized form of the immunoglobulin light chain the alternatively folded state could only be detected at pH<1.4, the reduced light chain already adopted this structure at pH 2. Thermal denaturation measurements revealed that, surprisingly, the alternatively folded state of the reduced light chain was more stable than that of the oxidized protein at pH 1.4. This indicates that the intradomain disulfide bonds, which stabilize the native state of antibody domains, impede the formation of the alternatively folded state.     

Determination of disulfide bond arrangement in bombyxin-IV, an insulin superfamily peptide from the silkworm,Bombyx mori, by combination of thermolysin digestion of natural peptide and selective synthesis of disulfide bond isomers

The mode of disulfide linkages in bombyxin-IV, an insulin superfamily peptide consisting of A- and B-chains, was determined as A6–A11, A7–B10, and A20–B22. An intermolecular bond of A20–B22 was identified by sequencing and mass spectrometric analysis of the fragments generated by thermolysin digestion of natural bombyxin-IV. The mode of the remaining two bridges was determined by chemical and selective synthesis of three possible disulfide bond isomers of bombyxin-IV. A- and B-chains were synthesized by solid-phase method, and three disulfide bonds were bridged stepwise and in a fully controlled manner. Retention time on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thermolysin digests, and biological activity of the synthetic [A6–A11, A7–B10, A20–B22-cystine]-bombyxin-IV revealed that it was identical with the natural bombyxin-IV. Two other isomers with respect to disulfide bond arrangement, [A6–A7, A11–B10, A20–B22-cystine]- and [A6–B10, A7–A11, A20–B22-cystine]-bombyxin-IVs, were distinguishable from the natural one by use of HPLC, thermolysin digestion, and bioassay.     

Synthesis of bombyxin-IV, an insulin superfamily peptide from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, by stepwise and selective formation of three disulfide bridges.

We report the synthesis of bombyxin-IV, a disulfide-linked, heterodimeric, insulin superfamily peptide from the silkworm,Bombyx mori. The two chains (A- and B-chains) were synthesized separately by the solid-phase method using fluoren-9-ylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) group as a protecting group for -amino group. Three disulfide bonds were bridged step by step (A6–A11, A20–B22, and A7–B10) in a good yield. Synthetic bombyxin-IV was identical with natural one with regard to the retention time on a reversed-phase column and the molecular weight measured by mass spectrometry. Circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of the synthetic bombyxin-IV was very similar to that of the natural one. The specific activity of synthetic bombyxin-IV is equal to that of natural one (0.1 ng/Samia unit). These results suggest that the synthetic bombyxin-IV has the tertiary structure identical with the natural peptide. Our method developed for synthesis of bombyxin-IV would be generally applicable to the synthesis of insulin-like heterodimeric peptides.