蝎毒素多肽致/抗痛的靶离子通道机制

疼痛调控是多通道、多受体和多系统介导的复杂生命医学热点问题。诸多靶通道特异性工具药的普遍缺乏,致使其机制解析和临床诊疗转化任重道远。蝎毒是多种毒素多肽的集合体,用于捕食和防御天敌,蛰伤诱致长时程炎症和疼痛。通常认为,类α长链肽类蝎毒素作用于钠通道,延缓钠通道失活,产生致痛效应,而类β长链多肽蝎毒素则相反。短链肽类蝎毒素作用于钾通道、氯通道和钙通道,呈现疼痛相关的功能多样化。因此,开发应用极具潜力的靶向蝎毒素,是解析疼痛调制新机制的重要工具分子。现对蝎毒素与疼痛相关离子通道互作的工作做一综述,并探讨蝎毒素多肽致/抗痛的分子功能多样性。     

新芋螺毒素基因的克隆及其遗传进化分析

全世界有约800种芋螺,每种芋螺产生多达2 000种的肽类毒素,这些毒素可以作用于电压门控离子通道(Na+,K+,Ca2+)、配体门控离子通道(n ACh Rs,5-HT3R,NMDAR)、G蛋白偶联受体(神经降压素和血管加压素)和神经递质转运蛋白。虽然已有大量的芋螺毒素通过毒液分离、c DNA克隆和转录组测序获得,但已发现的芋螺毒素不足其总量的0.5%。A-超家族中α-芋螺毒素基因结构包含了一个内含子和被该内含子分开的两个外显子,成熟肽具有标准的4个半胱氨酸骨架(CC-C-C)。本研究利用具有保守性的α-芋螺毒素基因内含子序列,采用多个PCR退火温度,从海南产疣缟芋螺中克隆到了1个新的具有6个半胱氨酸骨架(CC-C-C-CC)的M-超家族芋螺毒素基因和1个含有5个半胱氨酸新颖骨架(CC-C-C-C)的未知新家族芋螺毒素,并对它们的基因结构、成熟肽序列,以及与其他M-超家族芋螺毒素的遗传进化关系进行了深入分析。首次证实保守的α-芋螺毒素基因内含子序列可能存在于其他超家族中。     

新型α-芋螺毒素Di1.1的克隆、合成及功能研究

目的：从中国南海长距芋螺中克隆出新的芋螺毒素序列并用固相方法合成该毒素,测定其折叠后的二硫键配对方式并初步研究其药理学特性。方法：根据芋螺毒素A超家族保守的信号肽序列设计引物,通过3＇-RACE扩增,从芋螺毒腺管中克隆出新的毒素基因;采用Fmoc-固相法合成线性多肽,通过空气氧化折叠获得含二硫键的折叠产物,用两步氧化折叠法测定多肽的二硫键连接方式;用双电极电压钳技术初步研究其药理学特性。结果：发现-种新的α-芋螺毒素Dil．1的cDNA序列,其成熟肽序列为CcVIESCHSNHIDECES;该肽二硫键连接方式以C1-C4、C2-C3为主,以C1-C3、C2-C4连接为辅,对烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体各亚型活性较弱。结论：Dil．1是-种新的α4／7型芋螺毒素,其折叠方式以C1-C4、C2-C3连接为主。     

中国南海堂皇芋螺毒素基因克隆及两个毒素的合成及活性研究

目的 研究中国南海堂皇芋螺(Conus imperialis)毒素基因序列,为毒素功能研究奠定基础。方法 采用Trizol法提取堂皇芋螺毒腺管的总RNA,应用3’端快速扩增cDNA末端(3’RACE)及巢式PCR技术,获得A、O、J超家族芋螺毒素新序列;或以A家族高度保守的内含子及3’端非翻译区(3’UTR)设计引物,克隆出新的α-芋螺毒素新序列。选择合成毒素ImIIA及Im1.2,测定ImIIA二硫键的连接方式,并测定两种毒素对神经型烟碱乙酰胆碱受体(nAChR)的抑制活性。结果 获得11条毒素前体肽序列,分属A、O1、O2、J3等超家族,其中Im1.95为已报道芋螺毒素,其余为新发现芋螺毒素。ImIIA二硫键连接方式为少见的“C1-C2,C3-C4”,10μmol/L Im1.2、ImIIA对α2β2、α2β4、α4β2、α3β2、α3β4 5个nAChR亚型抑制活性较低。结论 通过基因克隆方法,从堂皇芋螺中获得了11个芋螺毒素,其中10个为新序列,属于A、O1、O2、J3等超家族毒素,Im1.2、ImIIA对神经型nAChR各受体亚型活性较低。     

东亚钳蝎蝎毒素BmKBT基因组序列的克隆及其分析

东亚钳蝎 (ButhusmartensiiKarsch ,BmK)蝎毒素BmKBT(又名BmKabT)是一个在初级结构上相似于β类哺乳动物毒素和功能接近于α类哺乳动物毒素的Na+ 通道毒素 .基于从毒腺cDNA文库中筛选得到的全长BmKBT前体核苷酸序列设计引物 ,以蝎基因组总DNA为模板进行聚合酶链式反应 (PCR) ,将PCR产物克隆至T载体、测序 .序列分析表明 :在BmKBT信号肽编码区的 3′端的- 4位Gly密码子的第 1位与第 2位碱基中有 1个长 2 2 5nt的内含子 ,插入位点距离该基因的起始密码子 4 6nt ,AT含量为 78 7% ,其内含子可能的剪接分枝位点距离 3′剪接受体位点 4 7nt.内含子的大小及其基因组织结构分析表明 :BmKBT具有与α类哺乳动物毒素类似的基因组织结构 ,进一步说明BmKBT是一个介于α类和β类Na+ 通道毒素之间的中间型蝎毒素 ,可以作为研究蝎毒素分子进化的合适材料     

芋螺毒素ImI的化学合成及其杀虫活性研究

为研究芋螺毒素Im I的杀虫活性,本研究采用化学方法合成芋螺毒素线性肽,经氧化折叠后质谱鉴定获得芋螺毒素Im I,采用MTT法和昆虫注射法研究其杀虫活性。结果表明采用化学合成法可以成功合成芋螺毒素线性肽,经氧化折叠后质谱鉴定形成2个二硫键;活性实验表明芋螺毒素Im I具有抑制昆虫细胞sf9生长的活性,半数有效量为0. 13 n M;对黄粉虫具有杀虫活性,半数致死剂量为0. 11μg/mg。通过化学合成法可以有效合成芋螺毒素Im I,其具有良好的杀虫活性,可为研发新型多肽类生物杀虫剂奠定基础。     

作用于烟碱乙酰胆碱受体的α~*-芋螺毒素研究进展

芋螺毒素(conotoxin,conopeptide,CTx)是由热带海洋中的肉食性软体动物芋螺分泌产生的一大类生物活性肽,它们相对分子质量小,能特异地作用于动物体内各种离子通道和受体,具有巨大的药物开发价值。其中,A-超家族的α-芋螺毒素(α-CTx)是发现最早的且最重要的一类成员,它能特异性作用于烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体(nicotinic acetylcholine receptors,nAChRs),是肌肉或神经型nAChRs的选择性阻断剂。nAChRs与中枢神经系统紊乱如疼痛、成瘾、癌症等多种疾病密切相关。近年来,人们陆续发现其他超家族的芋螺毒素中也有成员可阻断nAChRs,如αA-、αB-、αO-、αC-、αD-、αS-等家族的芋螺毒素。上述能阻断nAChRs的芋螺毒素统称为α~*-芋螺毒素(α~*-CTx)。α~*-芋螺毒素对nAChRs阻断活性的差别与它们的结构有着密切的联系。结合国内外研究现状,对α~*-CTx与nAChRs相互作用的关键位点以及结构与功能的关系进行综述,可为相关研究提供参考。     

织锦芋螺毒素的研究进展

芋螺毒素是来源于芋螺的毒液的活性多肽,由于其分子质量小、结构多样、作用靶点广泛、功能专一、组织特异性强等优点,广泛地被用作细胞中各种具有重要生理功能靶点的探针,以及作为新药的先导化合物甚至直接作为新药开发.芋螺可以分为食鱼、食软体动物和食虫3种类型,织锦芋螺是一种分布广泛的食软体动物芋螺.作为毒性最强的芋螺品种之一,织锦芋螺毒素成为食软体动物类芋螺毒素研究的代表.现对20世纪90年代末至今的织锦芋螺毒素方面的研究进行了综述.     

芋螺毒素MrIA的串联表达、纯化及生物活性鉴定

芋螺毒素(Conotoxins,CTxs)是一类特异作用于离子通道和膜受体的小分子多肽,是研究受体结构和功能及其相关疾病的重要工具。MrIA是进入临床研究可用于镇痛治疗的一种T超家族的芋螺毒素。传统获取芋螺毒素是通过化学合成的方法,成本高、产量低。实验利用串联表达技术,构建原核表达载体,在大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli,E. coli)中成功表达了芋螺毒素MrIA(recombinant MrIA,rMrIA)。通过溴化氰切割和纯化,最终1L菌液可获得纯度高达95%的rMrIA 30mg。小鼠热板实验表明,rMrIA具有较好的镇痛活性。这为大量获得MrIA以及其他芋螺毒素小肽的表达提供了方法。     

重组芋螺毒素GeXIVAWT的表达、纯化和鉴定

芋螺毒素GeXIVAWT是来自食虫将军芋螺(Conus generalis Lonnaeus)毒管中,具有两对二硫键的28肽.通过化学合成这种芋螺毒素产量低、成本高、难以纯化.利用简单快速的重组表达来生产富含二硫键的芋螺毒素有可能成为有效的新途径.通过对芋螺毒素GeXIVAWT的基因进行密码子优化,人工合成引物来构建表达载体pET22b(+)/pelB-GeXIVAWT.融合了信号肽的重组芋螺毒素以包涵体的形式在大肠杆菌中获得了高效表达.利用低浓度尿素洗涤和超滤管进行纯化无组氨酸标签的重组芋螺毒素pelB-GeXIVAWT,再利用稀释复性的方法将无活性的包涵体转变成具有活性的重组芋螺毒素.复性后的重组蛋白采用反相高效液相色谱进一步纯化后进行了质谱鉴定.活性实验表明重组芋螺毒素pelB-GeXIVAWT具有抑制昆虫细胞Sf-9的生长,为研究芋螺毒素作为生物杀虫剂奠定基础.     

Distribution of N,P, K,Ca, Mg,S, Zn,Fe, Mn and Cu in groundnut

Summary Concentration of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S in summer groundnut crop was higher than in kharif while Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu contents were higher in summer crop. Kernel's N, P and Zn; Leaflet's Ca and Mn; Stem's K and Fe; Root's S and Cu and Petiole's Mg contents were highest. Shell's N, P, K, Mg, S, Zn and Cu; Kernel's Ca, Fe and Mn contents were the least. N, P, K, S, Zn and Cu concentrations decreased linearly as the crop grew. Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn concentrations did not display any distinct pattern. Ca concentration was positively correlated with pod yield in both the seasons.     

Uniform hypothesis of cell behavior--movement, contact inhibition of movement, adhesion, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, pinocytosis, division, contact inhibition of division, fusion.

The cell has been represented as a charged liquid drop. Contrary to the DLVO-theory, the effect of the surface potential upon the value of the interfacial tension of the cell membrane has also been taken into consideration. The cell membrane has visco-elastic properties and its constituents may move against each other. Cell movement is caused by the appearance of a small number of the electrically charged constituents of the cell membrane on the leading edge of the cell. This produces a local decrease in the surface tension and the cell membrane expansion. At the moment of contact between two cells proton transfers occur between the strongly negatively charged microvilli of one cell and the body of the other, analogous to a condenser breakdown. This, through the effect on the surface tension, causes contact inhibition of movement. The distribution of the proton dissociable groups modifies the interaction between the cells (differentiation) and between the cell and the substratum (adhesion). Adsorption of the charged compounds at the surface of the cell membrane, decreasing the surface potential and increasing the surface tension, causes the phenomena of chemotaxis, phagocytosis and pinocytosis. Cell division, considered in the terms of the surface energy, requires an adequate supply of considerable quantities of energy inversely proportional to the surface potential value. In case of a reduction of the distance between the cells, their surface potential and the energetic barrier of the cell division processes increases, and causes contact inhibition of cell division. Due to their high charge, division of neoplastic cells is inhibited much later than division of normal cells, or is completely ininhibited due to geometric conditions. Fusion of the cell membrane in the intra-cellular and intercellular processes is a reverse process in relation to the cell division.     

The effect of malathion,diazinon, and various concentrations of zinc,copper, nickel,lead, iron,and mercury on fish

Acute and chronic toxicity tests for malathion, diazinon, copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and iron (Fe) were conducted. Mortalities ofBarilius vagra andCyprinus carpio (common carp) were variable but LC50-96 hr were similar for pesticides. AdultB. vagra seem to be more sensitive to malathion than juvenile carp. Both juvenile carp and adultB. vagra were extremely sensitive to diazinon. Long-term exposure to pesticides modified morphology and behavior. The LC50-96 values for Cu, Hg, and Pb were 0.3, 0.16, and 0.44, respectively, for smaller fish and 1.0, 0.77, and 1.33, respectively, for larger fish. Replicate LC50 values for Zn, Ni, and Fe were somewhat variable, and for these metals, the size of the fish seemed to affect response because LC50 values increased as fish size increased. Cooper, Pb, Zn, and Fe residues following exposure to sublethal concentrations of these metals for 15 d were significantly greater in whole juvenile common carp than in controls.     

The Effect of Age and Gender on Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Sr, V, and Zn Contents in Rib Bone of Healthy Humans

The effect of age and gender on major, minor, and trace element contents in the intact rib bone of 80 relatively healthy 15–55-year-old women and men was investigated. Contents or upper limit of contents of 16 chemical elements in the rib bone were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Mean values (M?±?SΕΜ) for the mass fraction of Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Na, P, S, Sr, and Zn (milligram per kilogram of dry bone) were as follows: 2.54?±?0.16, 171,400?±?4,050, 1.35?±?0.22, 140?±?11, 1,874?±?71, 0.049?±?0.011, 2,139?±?38, 5,378?±?88, 75,140?±?1,660, 1,881?±?51, 291?±?20, and 92.8?±?1.5, respectively. The upper limits of contents of Al, B, Mn, and V were <7.20, <0.65, <0.36, and <0.03, respectively. Statistically significant tendency for the Ca, Mg, and P content to decrease with age was found in the human rib bone, regardless of gender. The mass fraction of Fe in the male rib bone increases with age. It was shown that higher Ca, Mg, Na, P, and Sr mass fractions as well as lower Fe content were typical of female ribs as compared to those in male ribs.     

Further studies of the sieve-element plastids of theCaryophyllales includingBarbeuia,Corrigiola, Lyallia,Microtea, Sarcobatus,andTelephium

The sieve-element plastids of 69 species of theCaryophyllales were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. All contained the specific subtype-P3 plastids characterized by a peripheral ring of protein filaments. The presence or absence of an additional central protein crystal and their shape being either polygonal or globular as well as the average sizes of the sieve-element plastids are useful features in the characterization of some families.—Barbeuia contains sieve-element plastids that confirm its placement within thePhytolaccaceae. Lyallia differs fromHectorella by including small starch grains in their sieve-element plastids, which otherwise by their globular crystals negate a closer connection to theCaryophyllaceae. The lack of a central protein crystal in its form-P3fs plastids placesMicrotea best within theChenopodiaceae. Sarcobatus, a so far uncontested member of theChenopodiaceae, contains form-P3cf plastids, i.e., including a central crystal not found elsewhere in this family.Telephium andCorrigiola, shifted back and forth betweenMolluginaceae andCaryophyllaceae, have form-P3cf(s) plastids with a polygonal crystal which favor their placement within theCaryophyllaceae.     

Translocation of radionuclides of Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Y, Tc, and Re into organs of tomato plant via roots

The translocation of the radionuclides of Co, Zn, Se, Rb, Y, Tc, and Re into red and green fruits, flesh, seeds, rind, calyxes, flower, leaves, and stems via the root of the tomato plant at two different growth stages was studied by a multitracer technique. The contents (%/g) of Co, Zn, Se, and Y in the roots were the highest among the organs, but only small amounts of them were translocated into the aerial parts after 5 d cultivation with a multitracer. In contrast, Rb, Tc, and Re showed rapid translocation into the stems and leaves from the root. In the plants cultivated for 95 d with a multitracer, Zn, Se, and Rb distributed in all of the organs, Co in the organs except for flowers, and Y, Tc, and Re in the limited organs. The translocation ratio of the elements for the edible part of the plants cultivated for 95 d decreased in the order of Rb>Zn>Co≈Se>Tc≈Y>Re. The transfer factor of the elements for tomato fruit was determined to be in the range of 10⁻⁵–10⁻². The characteristic translocation behavior of the elements gives us fundamental information on the assessment of pollutant uptake by the tomato plant.     

Simultaneous measurement of the trace elements Al, As, B, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Rb, Se, Sr, and Zn in human serum and their reference ranges by ICP-MS

The goal of this article was to establish reference ranges of the concentration of trace elements in human serum and to compare these results with those reported by other authors. We describe the sample preparation and measurement conditions that allow the rapid, precise, and accurate determination of Al, As, B, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Rb, Se, Sr, and Zn in human serum samples (n=110) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Accuracy and precision were determined by analyzing three reconstituted reference serum samples by comparison with other methods and by the standard addition procedure. The advantages of the ICP-MS method include short time of analysis of the elements mentioned, low detection limit, high precision, and high accuracy. Disadventages include a high risk of contamination due to the presence of some of the elements of interest in the environment, the relatively delicate sample handling, and the high cost of the equipment.