乙酰辅酶A与内质网乙酰化

乙酰辅酶A是细胞内物质和能量代谢的重要中间物，同时也是蛋白质乙酰化的乙酰基供体。蛋白质乙酰化包括Nα-乙酰化和Nε-乙酰化，由不同的酶进行催化。蛋白质乙酰化发生在多个亚细胞部位，如细胞基质、细胞核、线粒体和内质网腔等。不同细胞器和区室内乙酰辅酶A的波动可调控内质网蛋白质的乙酰化水平。本文从柠檬酸转运蛋白SLC25A1和SLC13A5、乙酰辅酶A转运蛋白AT-1以及乙酰转移酶ATase1和ATase2的功能出发，以相关人类疾病、内质网乙酰化失调小鼠模型和柠檬酸/乙酰辅酶A通量失调小鼠模型为背景进行分析，阐述了乙酰辅酶A和内质网乙酰化以及内质网乙酰化功能失调与退行性疾病之间的关系，旨在为靶向治疗相关疾病提供一定的策略。     

植物3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶基因研究进展

细胞分裂素、赤霉素、脱落酸、叶绿素、萜类等类异戊二烯物质,是植物中广泛存在的一类代谢产物,在植物生长发育过程中起着非常重要的作用。一些萜类化合物作为药物的合成前体或有效的药用成分在工农业及医药生产上具有重要的经济价值。类异戊二烯物质主要通过甲羟戊酸代谢途径中的一系列酶催化合成,其中,3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, HMGR)是该代谢途径中的第一个关键限速酶,能够将3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A转化成中间代谢产物甲羟戊酸。对植物HMGR基因的克隆、酶结构和功能分析、基因组织表达及调控等方面进行了综述,旨在为其在重要农作物的遗传改良、代谢产物工程植物创制以及植物亲缘关系分析中的应用等研究提供理论依据。     

丙酮酸脱氢酶活性调控在线粒体代谢与生长平衡中的作用

丙酮酸脱氢酶多酶复合体(PDC)催化丙酮酸生成乙酰辅酶 A(acetyl-CoA)的反应是线粒体代谢与生长的调控枢纽.丙酮酸脱氢酶激酶 (PDK)/丙酮酸脱氢酶磷酸酶(PDP)对丙酮酸脱氢酶(PDH)的磷酸化 /脱磷酸化作用以及丙酮酸/乙酰辅酶A对PDH底物产物水平的调控是线粒体适应不同生理环境的代谢调节方式,而调控 PDK基因转录的上游信号恰好也是线粒体生长或生物发生的调控机制.过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体 (PPAR)/过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体g共激活因子-1(PGC-1) 信号通路可能是线粒体代谢与生长在基因转录水平的共同调控通路.线粒体代谢与生长经共同通路调节可维持线粒体功能与结构之间的平衡.     

羟基肉桂酰基转移酶的结构、功能与应用

羟基肉桂酰基转移酶（hydroxycinnamoyl transferase,HCT）属于植物酰基转移酶家族的一个重要分支,具有“HXXXD”和“DFGWG”两个保守序列,以多种酰基辅酶A（肉桂酰辅酶A、对香豆酰辅酶A、咖啡酰辅酶A、阿魏酰辅酶A和芥子酰辅酶A等）作为酰基供体,催化多种底物（莽草酸、奎尼酸、4 羟基苯乳酸、龙胆酸和4 羟基苯乙胺等）形成酯类或酰胺化合物。其酰基化产物可改善植物次生代谢产物的理化性质和生物活性,因此HCT被广泛应用于开发生物质能源、改良作物品种和研制抗炎药物,对植物次生代谢产物的合成与后修饰具有重要意义。本文系统介绍了HCT的序列特点、蛋白质结构特征、酰基化反应机制和其在工业、农业及医药行业的应用,并对HCT的未来发展前景进行了展望。     

虎杖苯亚甲基丙酮合酶PcPKS2的表达纯化和晶体生长

植物类型Ⅲ聚酮合酶超家族(PKSs),又称查尔酮合酶(Chalcone synthase,CHS)超家族,催化合成多种植物次生代谢产物的分子骨架。苯亚甲基丙酮合酶(Benzalacetone synthase,BAS)催化4-香豆酰辅酶A与丙二酰辅酶A通过一步脱羧缩合反应生成苯亚甲基丙酮,是一系列具有重要生物学活性苯丁烷类化合物及其衍生物的前体化合物。前期工作从虎杖中分离出苯亚甲基丙酮合酶BAS(PcPKS2)和1个具有CHS和BAS活性的双功能酶(PcPKS1)。两者与超家族其他成员序列经比较,在包括门卫氨基酸Phe215和Phe265在内的重要氨基酸序列存在一定差异。已有蛋白晶体学研究结果表明,PKSs家族不同成员的功能多样性来自于酶催化位点的非常微小的构象变化。为了能够从结构上比较PcPKS2和Pc PKS1双功能酶活性差异可能产生的机制,以确定其高效BAS活性的分子机理,研究利用了大肠杆菌原核表达系统过量表达了C-端融合有His6标签的重组蛋白,经纯化得到了高纯度蛋白。经过对其晶体生长条件进行摸索和优化,得到了能用于X-射线衍射的单晶,为其结构解析、催化机理研究、了解虎杖聚酮类化合物生物合成机制和该类酶在基因工程中的应用提供了基础。     

刺芹侧耳不同发育时期的转录组差异分析

为了探讨刺芹侧耳子实体生长发育时期的基因表达变化,本文利用高通量测序技术对刺芹侧耳不同发育时期（菌丝期、原基期、子实体时期）进行RNA-Seq分析,在转录水平上解析差异表达基因在刺芹侧耳生长发育过程中的作用和功能。KEGG功能富集显示,菌丝期差异表达基因主要富集在碳代谢和氨基酸代谢中,其中三羧酸循环中编码柠檬酸合酶、乌头酸水合酶、异柠檬酸脱氢酶、琥珀酰辅酶A合成酶、琥珀酸脱氢酶、苹果酸脱氢酶的基因表达量均上调,说明碳代谢和氨基酸代谢是菌丝时期的主要能量来源;原基期上调的差异表达基因主要富集在脂肪酸代谢,其中RT-PCR定量结果显示原基期编码脂肪酸合酶的基因和编码脂酰辅酶A合成酶的基因下调,编码超氧化物酶的基因和编码过氧化氢酶的基因上调,表明脂肪酸代谢和抗氧化酶对刺芹侧耳原基期维持机体的稳定和生物应激方面起着重要作用。子实体时期上调的差异表达基因主要富集在剪接体、类固醇的生物合成以及AMPK信号通路中,说明环境因子对子实体时期有一定的影响。     

沉默HDGF基因抑制HepG2细胞的增殖和脂质代谢

目的:探讨肝癌衍生生长因子(HDGF)对HepG2细胞增殖和脂质代谢的影响。方法:用脂质体包裹si RNA的方法沉默HDGF基因,用实时荧光定量PCR法和蛋白质免疫印迹法检测HDGF在mRNA和蛋白水平的变化,检测细胞总甘油三酯、胆固醇含量并用油红O染色,CCK-8检测及琼脂糖凝胶克隆形成,实时荧光定量PCR法检测脂质代谢相关酶的mRNA表达。结果:将靶向HDGF小干扰(si RNA-HDGF)转染到HepG2细胞后,可明显抑制HDGF的mRNA表达(P0.001)和蛋白表达。HDGF蛋白抑制后,细胞增殖在48 h(P0.01)、72 h(P0.001)和96 h(P0.001)均明显降低;细胞内总甘油三酯及胆固醇水平也明显降低(P0.05,P0.01)。此外,油红O染色显示细胞内脂滴有明显的减少。脂质代谢相关酶脂肪酸合成酶(FASN)、羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶(HMGCR)、硬脂酰辅酶A去饱和酶(SCD)及ATP-柠檬酸裂解酶(ACLY)的mRNA表达均明显降低(P0.001,P0.001,P0.001,P0.01)。结论:抑制HDGF的表达可明显降低HepG2细胞内脂质代谢水平并抑制其增殖。     

强化乙酰辅酶A供应对裂殖壶菌合成二十二碳六烯酸的影响

细胞液中乙酰辅酶A的持续供应是脂肪酸高效积累的必要条件。考虑到甲羟戊酸和脂肪酸合成途径共用相同的前体乙酰辅酶A,抑制甲羟戊酸途径可能促使更多的乙酰辅酶A流向脂肪酸合成。通过添加前体物质或/和甲羟戊酸途径酶的抑制剂以强化乙酰辅酶A的供应,即在裂殖壶菌发酵起始或/和后期添加乙酸、发酵起始添加甲羟戊酸途径酶的抑制剂辛伐他汀或柠檬酸、发酵起始同时添加乙酸和辛伐他汀或柠檬酸并考察其对裂殖壶菌合成二十二碳六烯酸 (DHA)的影响,结果发现发酵起始同时添加6mmol/L的乙酸和1μmol/L的辛伐他汀时,DHA产量最高,达到13.21g/L,比对照提高了46.61%。     

白藜芦醇合酶的研究进展

白藜芦醇是一种重要的植物抗毒素,具有多种医疗保健作用,因此其应用前景 非常广泛,已引起多方关注。白藜芦醇合酶是白藜芦醇生物合成途径中的关键酶之一,它催化1分子4-香豆酰辅酶A和3分子丙二酰辅酶A反应合成白藜芦醇,它是白藜芦醇生物合成中惟一必需的酶,关于它的研究已广泛开展起来。本文综述了白藜芦醇的药理活性、白藜芦醇合 酶的酶学性质、诱导途径和机制以及分子生物学方面的研究进展。     

基于前体供给途径遗传改造提高褐黄孢链霉菌纳他霉素的产量

纳他霉素(natamycin)是一种高效、广谱、安全的抗真菌剂,广泛应用于食品防腐与医药领域。纳他霉素可由多种链霉菌发酵产生。它是以乙酰辅酶A、丙二酰辅酶A及甲基丙二酰辅酶A为前体经Ⅰ型聚酮合酶(polyketide synthase,PKS)催化合成的多烯大环内酯类化合物。本研究以纳他霉素产生菌——褐黄孢链霉菌为研究材料,分别对不同前体分子供给途径中的关键酶进行过表达,并确定影响纳他霉素产量的关键前体供给途径。研究结果发现：通过过表达乙酰辅酶A合成酶(acetyl-CoA synthase,ACS)加强乙酰辅酶A合成途径,以及通过过表达甲基丙二酰辅酶A变位酶(methylmalonyl-CoA mutase,MCM)加强甲基丙二酰辅酶A合成途径,重组菌株纳他霉素产量分别比野生型菌株提高了44.19%和20.51%。共过表达ACS和MCM,重组菌株纳他霉素产量获得进一步提升(达1123.34mg/L),比野生型菌株提高了66.29%。上述发现为通过前体代谢工程的策略构建纳他霉素工业高产菌株提供了参考,也为其他聚酮类天然产物高产工程菌株的构建提供了借鉴。     

Immunological mapping of fine molecular surface structures of citrate synthase enzymes from different cell types.

Citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7), which is present in all living organisms as a key enzyme in aerobic energy metabolism, is one of the most highly phylogenetically conserved enzymes known in terms of its primary and active site structure. However, in terms of other parameters such as in vitro stability, tolerance to changes in pH, degree of self-polymerization, etc., citrate synthases from different sources are markedly different. These divergences can be observed even between isoforms of the enzyme within the same species. Data documenting these diversities suggest that a high degree of difference in tertiary structures may occur. Therefore, the surface profiles of citrate synthase enzymes from yeast, pig, rat, tomato and Escherichia coli were investigated with immunological methods using monoclonal antibody families generated against either pig citrate synthase (alpha-PCS) or yeast citrate synthase-2 (alpha-YCS-2). A high degree of homology of enzyme epitopes was detected on the mitochondrial citrate synthases originating from yeast, tomato, pig and rat cells. Major differences were found between the hexameric citrate synthase originating from E. coli compared with those dimeric forms prepared from eukaryotic cells. Only modest similarities were detected between the highly homologous peroxisomal and mitochondrial yeast citrate synthases. Furthermore, a point mutation of one of the catalytic residues (H274R on recombinant pig and H313R on yeast enzyme) of mitochondrial citrate synthase (CS-1) resulted in a significant increase in immunological similarity with the peroxisomal isoenzyme (CS-2). These findings are discussed in terms of the possible mechanism of evolution of CS-2 in yeast.     

Reduction of nuclear encoded enzymes of mitochondrial energy metabolism in cells devoid of mitochondrial DNA

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndromes are generally associated with reduced activities of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) enzymes that contain subunits encoded by mtDNA. Conversely, entirely nuclear encoded mitochondrial enzymes in these syndromes, such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme citrate synthase (CS) and OXPHOS complex II, usually exhibit normal or compensatory enhanced activities. Here we report that a human cell line devoid of mtDNA (HEK293 ρ(0) cells) has diminished activities of both complex II and CS. This finding indicates the existence of a feedback mechanism in ρ(0) cells that downregulates the expression of entirely nuclear encoded components of mitochondrial energy metabolism.     

The proline synthesis enzyme P5CS forms cytoophidia in Drosophila

Compartmentation of enzymes via filamentation has arisen as a mechanism for the regulation of metabolism.In 2010,three groups independently reported that CTP synthase (CTPS) can assemble into a filamentous structure termed the cytoophidium.In searching for CTPS-interacting proteins,here we perform a yeast two-hybrid screening of Drosophila proteins and identify a putative CTPS-interacting protein,△~1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS).Using the Drosophila follicle cell as the in vivo model,we confirm that P5CS forms cytoophidia,which are associated with CTPS cytoophidia.Overexpression of P5CS increases the length of CTPS cytoophidia.Conversely,filamentation of CTPS affects the morphology of P5CS cytoophid ia.Finally,in vitro analyses confirm the filament-fo rming property of P5CS.Our work links CTPS with P5CS,two enzymes involved in the rate-limiting steps in pyrimidine and proline biosynthesis,respectively.     

Small heat shock proteins prevent aggregation of citrate synthase and bind to the N-terminal region which is absent in thermostable forms of citrate synthase

Citrate synthase (CS) is often used in chaperone assays since this thermosensitive enzyme aggregates at moderately increased temperatures. Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are molecular chaperones specialized in preventing the aggregation of other proteins, termed substrate proteins, under conditions of transient heat stress. To investigate the mechanism whereby sHsps bind to and stabilize a substrate protein, we here used peptide array screening covering the sequence of porcine CS (P00889). Strong binding of sHsps was detected to a peptide corresponding to the most N-terminal α-helix in CS (amino acids Leu₁₃ to Gln₂₇). The N-terminal α-helices in the CS dimer intertwine with the C-terminus in the other subunit and together form a stem-like structure which is protruding from the CS dimer. This stem-like structure is absent in thermostable forms of CS from thermophilic archaebacteria like Pyrococcus furiosus and Sulfolobus solfatacarium. These data therefore suggest that thermostabilization of thermosensitive CS by sHsps is achieved by stabilization of the C- and N-terminae in the protruding thermosensitive softspot, which is absent in thermostable forms of the CS dimer.     

Citrate Synthase Expression Affects Tumor Phenotype and Drug Resistance in Human Ovarian Carcinoma

Citrate synthase (CS), one of the key enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, catalyzes the reaction between oxaloacetic acid and acetyl coenzyme A to generate citrate. Increased CS has been observed in pancreatic cancer. In this study, we found higher CS expression in malignant ovarian tumors and ovarian cancer cell lines compared to benign ovarian tumors and normal human ovarian surface epithelium, respectively. CS knockdown by RNAi could result in the reduction of cell proliferation, and inhibition of invasion and migration of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. The drug resistance was also inhibited possibly through an excision repair cross complementing 1 (ERCC1)-dependent mechanism. Finally, upon CS knockdown we observed significant increase expression of multiple genes, including ISG15, IRF7, CASP7, and DDX58 in SKOV3 and A2780 cells by microarray analysis and real-time PCR. Taken together, these results suggested that CS might represent a potential therapeutic target for ovarian carcinoma.     

Metabolic studies on citrate synthase mutants of yeast. A change in phenotype following transformation with an inactive enzyme

We have studied the growth on acetate, the metabolism of acetate enzymes, and respiration of a series of citrate synthase mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results confirmed and extended our previous observation that cytosolic citrate synthase is not necessary for growth on acetate. Deletion of mitochondrial citrate synthase (CS1) protein resulted in changes in metabolites, decrease in the amounts of pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes, reduced mitochondrial respiration of citrate and isocitrate, and an inability to grow on acetate. Using site-directed mutagensis, we constructed two separate CS1 proteins with mutations in the enzyme's active site. The mitochondria of cells carrying either site-directed mutagenized CS1 contained the inactive citrate synthase protein. With one mutant in which His313 was replaced with a glycine (CS1/H313G), growth on acetate was restored, and mitochondrial respiration of citrate and isocitrate increased toward parental levels as did the levels of several enzymes. With the other mutant CS1 in which Asp414 was replaced with a glycine (CS1/D414G), no growth on acetate or changes in other parameters was observed. We propose that the characteristics of the strain carrying the CS1 with a H313G mutation result from the formation of an intact Krebs cycle complex by the inactive but structurally unchanged H313G protein.     

A mechanistic model of the cysteine synthase complex

Plants and bacteria assimilate and incorporate inorganic sulfur into organic compounds such as the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine biosynthesis involves a bienzyme complex, the cysteine synthase (CS) complex. The CS complex is composed of the enzymes serine acetyl transferase (SAT) and O-acetyl-serine-(thiol)-lyase (OAS-TL). Although it is experimentally known that formation of the CS complex influences cysteine production, the exact biological function of the CS complex, the mechanism of reciprocal regulation of the constituent enzymes and the structure of the complex are still poorly understood. Here, we used docking techniques to construct a model of the CS complex from mitochondrial Arabidopsis thaliana. The three-dimensional structures of the enzymes were modeled by comparative techniques. The C-termini of SAT, missing in the template structures but crucial for CS formation, were modeled de novo. Diffusional encounter complexes of SAT and OAS-TL were generated by rigid-body Brownian dynamics simulation. By incorporating experimental constraints during Brownian dynamics simulation, we identified complexes consistent with experiments. Selected encounter complexes were refined by molecular dynamics simulation to generate structures of bound complexes. We found that although a stoichiometric ratio of six OAS-TL dimers to one SAT hexamer in the CS complex is geometrically possible, binding energy calculations suggest that, consistent with experiments, a ratio of only two OAS-TL dimers to one SAT hexamer is more likely. Computational mutagenesis of residues in OAS-TL that are experimentally significant for CS formation hindered the association of the enzymes due to a less-favorable electrostatic binding free energy. Since the enzymes from A. thaliana were expressed in Escherichia coli, the cross-species binding of SAT and OAS-TL from E. coli and A. thaliana was explored. The results showed that reduced cysteine production might be due to a cross-binding of A. thaliana OAS-TL with E. coli SAT. The proposed models of the enzymes and their complexes provide mechanistic insights into CS complexation.     

Ecophysiological studies on citrate synthase: (II) enzyme regulation of selected crustaceans with regard to life-style and the climatic zone

Citrate synthase is a regulatory enzyme of the energy metabolism pathway controlling the citric acid cycle. It was studied in order to determine modes of enzyme regulation with regard to the life-style of the investigated species. Citrate synthase from crustaceans with different life-styles were compared: the pelagic euphausiids Euphausia superba from the Antarctic and Meganyctiphanes norvegica from the Scandinavian Kattegat and the Mediterranean were compared to the benthic isopods Serolis polita from the Antarctic and Idotea baltica from the Baltic. Citrate synthase was partly purified chromatographically and the influence of adenosine 5′-triphosphate on enzyme activity was examined. Mechanisms of inhibition and inhibitor constants were determined. Two different mechanisms of enzyme regulation by ATP were found. Citrate synthase from isopods was only competitively inhibited, while citrate synthase from euphausiids showed not only competitive inhibition but also activation by low concentrations of ATP. This activation is equivalent to the reversed methanism of uncompetitive inhibition. The ecophysiological relevances of the coupling of these mechanisms are discussed. The degree of competitive inhibition was different in the two groups of investigated crustaceans. Inhibitor constants were similar within the euphausiids but not in isopods, which showed higher or lower inhibition depending on the climatic zone: the colder the ambient temperature the lower the ATP inhibition. A possible mechanism of temperature adaptation through effects of varying inhibition constants is concluded.     

Light-limitation on predator-prey interactions: consequences for metabolism and locomotion of deep-sea cephalopods

The present study attempts to correlate the metabolism and locomotory behavior of 25 species of midwater Cephalopoda from California and Hawaii with the maximal activities of key metabolic enzymes in various locomotory muscle tissues. Citrate synthase (CS) and octopine dehydrogenase (ODH) activities were used as indicators of aerobic and anaerobic metabolic potential respectively. CS activity in mantle muscle is highly correlated with whole-animal rates of oxygen consumption, whereas ODH activity in mantle muscle is significantly correlated with a species' ability to buffer the acidic end-products of anaerobic metabolism. Both CS and ODH activities in mantle muscle declined strongly with a species' habitat depth. For example, CS and ODH activities ranged respectively from 0.04 units g(-1) and 0.03 units g(-1) in the deep-living squid Joubiniteuthis portieri, to 8.13 units g(-1) and 420 units g(-1) in the epipelagic squid Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis. The relationships between enzymatic activities and depth are consistent with similar patterns observed for whole-animal oxygen consumption. This pattern is believed to result from a relaxation, among deep-living species, in the need for strong locomotory abilities for visual predator/prey interactions; the relaxation is due to light-limitation in the deep sea. Intraspecific scaling patterns for ODH activities may, for species that migrate ontogenetically to great depths, reflect the counteracting effects of body size and light on predator-prey detection distances. When scaled allometrically, enzymatic activities for the giant squid, Architeuthis sp., suggest a fairly active aerobic metabolism but little burst swimming capacity. Interspecific differences in the relative distributions of enzymatic activities in fin, mantle, and arm tissue suggest an increased reliance on fin and arm muscle for locomotion among deep-living species. We suggest that, where high-speed locomotion is not required, more efficient means of locomotion, such as fin swimming or medusoid arm propulsion, are more prevalent.