昆虫海藻糖与海藻糖酶的特性及功能研究

海藻糖作为昆虫的血糖,对昆虫的能量代谢、滞育、抗逆等具有重要作用。海藻糖酶是海藻糖代谢过程中一个重要的酶类,特异性地将一分子海藻糖水解为两分子葡萄糖而被昆虫利用,其基因表达和酶活性与昆虫各项生理过程密切相关。本文从昆虫海藻糖与海藻糖酶的特性、代谢途径以及它们在昆虫体内的重要作用进行综述,并对海藻糖和海藻糖酶在授粉昆虫方面的研究作了展望。     

海藻糖酶抑制剂--一种新型农药先导结构

海藻糖是细菌、真菌以及许多无脊椎动物主要的能源供应物质之一,它可以被海藻糖酶水解成为两分子葡萄糖单体,进而参与氧化供能。因此,海藻糖酶可以作为创新农药的作用靶点。该扼要介绍了几种海藻糖酶抑制剂,讨论了它们的结构一活性关系,以期对研发新型海藻糖酶抑制剂有所帮助。     

海藻糖——昆虫的血糖

海藻糖(trehalose)是由2个葡萄糖分子通过α,α-1,1糖苷键连接的一种非还原性双糖。海藻糖作为昆虫的血糖,对于生物的能量代谢和抗逆等方面具有重要的作用。文章从昆虫海藻糖的发现、海藻糖的化学性质、昆虫中海藻糖的生理作用、代谢途径等方面进行综述,并对昆虫中海藻糖的进一步研究作了展望。     

产海藻糖酿酒酵母培养基优化及生理学研究

采用单因子和均匀试验对酿酒酵母产海藻糖的培养基组成进行初步研究,并对发酵过程作了分析。结果表明,培养基组成、碳源浓度以及氮源的浓度比等都对细胞生物量和海藻糖积累有影响。在初步优化培养基条件下,酒酵母产海藻糖的细胞干重8g／L,海藻糖的含量为10％。通过观测发酵过程生理现象的变化,认为海藻糖的产生是对数生长期后期的稳定期,呈现不规律变化。     

海藻糖载入血小板的研究

将不可渗透型的保护剂海藻糖有效地载入血小板内部是用冷冻干燥法保存血小板重要的第一步。研究血小板对海藻糖的载入量随外部海藻糖浓度、孵化时间、孵化温度改变的变化规律,发现在细胞外海藻糖浓度为50mmol/L、孵化温度37℃、孵化时间4h的条件下,血小板能有效地吸收海藻糖,细胞内海藻糖浓度达到15mmol/L以上。对孵化后的血小板进行形态观察、血液学分析和膜联蛋白(annexin)V结合活化分析,结果表明孵化后的血小板保持了正常血小板的形态和功能。     

海藻糖的生物合成与分解途经及其生物学功能

海藻糖是一类在干旱、低温、热击或脱水等逆境环境下具有独特抗逆保护作用的二糖,广泛分布于藻类、细菌、真菌和动植物体内。近年来,随着对海藻糖研究的深入,海藻糖已经被广泛应用到食品、医药、化妆品和分子生物学研究等领域。该文简述了海藻糖在生物体内的代谢途径、生物学功能和研究进展,并对灭蚊真菌Pythiumsp.GY1938菌株海藻糖代谢酶基因的研究前景加以展望。     

昆虫海藻糖代谢及其影响因素的研究进展

海藻糖广泛存在于细菌、真菌、动物和植物中。它不仅作为能量储备物质,在外界环境胁迫或内部代谢紊乱时,也可作为保护因子,保护其生命体度过逆境。昆虫海藻糖合成酶与海藻糖酶分别是海藻糖合成与分解的关键酶,合成的海藻糖在海藻糖转运蛋白的帮助下由胞内进入胞外。胰岛素与脂动激素直接参与昆虫糖代谢,保幼激素与蜕皮激素通过和胰岛素与脂动激素通路偶联,间接参与调控昆虫海藻糖代谢。海藻糖代谢途径和昆虫生长发育密切相关,昆虫海藻糖代谢信号通路为开发害虫控制的新靶标提供理论依据。     

棉铃虫可溶型海藻糖酶的化学修饰

【目的】本研究旨在通过分析化学修饰剂对棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera可溶型海藻糖酶活性的影响,以明确海藻糖酶活性中心的结构特点和氨基酸构成。【方法】采用化学修饰方法,测定不同修饰剂处理后棉铃虫5龄幼虫海藻糖酶催化活性的变化,进而通过化学修饰反应失活常数来推测酶活性中心的特定氨基酸残基数量。【结果】采用8 mmol/L水溶性碳二亚胺(carbodiimide,EDC)溶液和25 mmol/L苯甲酰甲醛(phenylglyoxal,PG)溶液分别对棉铃虫5龄幼虫海藻糖酶羧酸基团和精氨酸残基进行修饰后,其活性分别减少81.58%和54.14%,这表明对羧酸基团和精氨酸残基的修饰可有效抑制海藻糖酶活性。底物海藻糖可保护海藻糖酶不受修饰剂的影响。修饰动力学结果显示,海藻糖酶活性中心可能包含1个羧酸基团和2个精氨酸残基。【结论】结果表明,含有羧基的谷氨酸和天冬氨酸是海藻糖酶活性中心的催化残基,精氨酸是维持海藻糖酶活性的必要残基。本研究结果可为开发新型农药提供理论支持。     

海藻糖对微生物谷氨酰氨转胺酶热稳定性研究

本实验目的是研究海藻糖对微生物谷氨酰胺转胺酶（TGase）热稳定性的作用。糖类对TGase的保护作用根据糖种类不同有所差异,海藻糖和蔗糖的保护作用优于葡萄糖对TGase的保护作用。在45℃、50℃、55℃、60℃、65℃下研究了海藻糖对TG酶的保护作用。结果表明,在50～65℃下海藻糖使谷氨酰胺转胺酶受热时的稳定性提高了约20％。海藻糖与酶复合的最合适浓度约为14％,浓度低时保护作用不明显,加入过高浓度的糖对酶的活性维持不利。50℃下处理一段时间内,海藻糖对酶的保护作用随时问变化很小。     

海藻糖毒性的研究

海藻糖（ｔｒｅｈａｌｏｓｅ）作为一种保护剂,其安全性是一项重要的质量指标。本文通过对酵母中提取的海藻糖进行最大耐受量、急性毒性及过敏性的研究,证明海藻糖对动物无毒无害,无副作用,从而推测出海灌糖在人体全地产生不良反应,即是安全的。     

Characterization of SotA and SotB, two Erwinia chrysanthemi proteins which modify isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside and lactose induction of the Escherichia coli lac promoter

The expression, in Escherichia coli, of variants of the Erwinia chrysanthemi secretion genes outB and outS under the Ptac promoter is toxic to the cells. During attempts to clone E. chrysanthemi genes able to suppress this toxicity, I identified two genes, sotA and sotB, whose products are able to reduce the isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) induction of the E. coli lac promoter. SotA and SotB belong to two different families of the major facilitator superfamily. SotA is a member of the sugar efflux transporter family, while SotB belongs to the multidrug efflux family. The results presented here suggest that SotA and SotB are sugar efflux pumps. SotA reduces the intracellular concentration of IPTG, lactose, and arabinose. SotB reduces the concentration of IPTG, lactose, and melibiose. Expression of sotA and sotB is not regulated by their substrates, but sotA is activated by the cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP), while sotB is repressed by CRP. Lactose is weakly toxic for E. chrysanthemi. This toxicity is increased in a sotB mutant which cannot efficiently efflux lactose. This first evidence for a physiological role of sugar efflux proteins suggests that their function could be to reduce the intracellular concentration of toxic sugars or sugar metabolites.     

Influence of media composition on the production of delta-endotoxin by Bacillus thuringiensis var. thuringiensis

Powders of edible leguminous seeds, greengram (Vigna radiata) or soybean (Glycine max), were used as the major protein source with different combinations of soluble starch and/or cane sugar molasses as the major carbohydrate source for the production of delta-endotoxin by Bacillus thuringiensis var. thuringiensis serotype 1 in submerged fermentation. The primary product (lyophilized with 6 g of lactose) yield was 8.7 to 9.1 g/liter from media with dehusked greengram powder and 9.7 to 10.3 g/liter from media with defatted soybean powder in basal medium. The toxicity of primary products was assayed against fifth-instar Bombyx mori larvae by force-feeding. The primary product from the medium containing defatted soybean powder and soluble starch gave a maximum viable spore count of 91.3 x 10(6)/mg, with a corresponding potency of 35,800 IU/mg, whereas the medium containing dehusked greengram powder and cane sugar molasses gave a spore count of 49.5 x 10(6)/mg, with a highest potency of 38,300 IU/mg. Either legume protein in combination with cane sugar molasses yielded primary product 2.1 to 2.4 times more potent than the U.S. standard. The combined carbohydrate source consisting of soluble starch and cane sugar molasses, irrespective of the source of protein in the media, drastically reduced delta-endotoxin production, thereby reducing the potency of the primary products compared to the U.S. standard.     

Modulation of a lectin insecticidal activity by carbohydrates

Lectins from plants present an insecticidal activity most probably through their carbohydrate binding properties; as a consequence, their toxicity should vary with the presence of a competitive sugar in the ingested food. In order to test this hypothesis, we performed competition experiments between insecticidal activity and carbohydrate binding. For this purpose, we used a lectin from Lathyrus ochrus and the specific carbohydrate for this protein, glucose. In toxicological tests with Drosophila melanogaster, we observed a decrease of lectin toxicity when glucose was added to the larva-rearing medium. This result suggests that the toxicity of the lectin is correlated to its ability to bind sugar in the insect digestive tract and stresses the importance of sugar composition of the nutriment used for toxicological testing of lectins or in genetically modified plants.     

Production of algal gels from the brown alga, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Laminaria japonica</Emphasis> Aresch., and their biotechnological applications

Alginic acid is localised in the cell walls and intercellular spaces of the brown alga, Laminaria japonica Aresch., and the salts of this compound occur mainly as calcium alginates. However, the alginates in this alga do not have the viscosity and the ability to create and stabilise structural products. Hence, the structure and properties of the alginates in Laminaria were changed by chemical modification to produce new products such as sodium alginates and other substances capable of forming gels. The rheological properties of the algal gel from Laminaria depended on the properties of the sodium alginate. Heating the algal product up to 90°C did not change its physical and chemical properties; the viscosity did not differ from that of the initial product. The viscosity and molecular weight of the sodium alginate isolated from the algal gel were stable from 20°C up to 95°C. However, about 30% of the viscosity was lost at 100°C. Recipes and various methods of preparing the gel products as fish sauces, jelly-like fish products, fruit jellies, drinks, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products are presented. The algal gel and the gel products did not lose their integrity with heat processing. Presented at the 6th Meeting of the Asian Pacific Society of Applied Phycology, Manila, Philippines.     

Larval Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) mortality after topical application of antibiotics and dusts

Beekeepers apply various dusts to honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies to dislodge parasitic mites and control bacterial brood diseases. Anecdotal reports by beekeepers indicate that the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) can be toxic when applied in powdered sugar to cells containing immature bee brood, but it was not known whether the purported toxicity is caused by the antibiotic or the sugar carrier. Additionally, the toxicity of various dusts, proposed for parasitic mite control, is poorly known. In the current studies, we tested OTC and two other antibiotics (tylosin and lincomycin, candidate compounds for use in honey bee colonies) in a powdered sugar carrier for larval toxicity. We also tested for larval toxicity, several dusts that have been proposed for mite control. OTC caused significant brood mortality of approximately 80% at the concentrations used in the hive (200 mg in 20 g sugar). In contrast, tylosin and lincomycin at the 200 mg dose were both similar to untreated controls, and only five times that concentration (1000 mg) caused significant brood mortality of approximately 65%. The addition of dusts, wheat flour, talc, and a commercially available protein supplement, BeePro, resulted in mortality levels between 65 and 80%, similar to that seen with OTC. The common antibiotic carrier, powered confectioners sugar, was nontoxic. The use of 100 unsealed brood cells was demonstrated to be a reliable means of assessing potential adverse affects of dry compounds on larval honey bees. Two new candidate antibiotics for use in honey bee colonies were less toxic to larval bees than the currently labeled antibiotic, OTC.     

Isolation and characterization of four type 2 ribosome inactivating pulchellin isoforms from Abrus pulchellus seeds

Abrus pulchellus seeds contain at least seven closely related and highly toxic type 2 ribosome-inactivating pulchellins, each consisting of a toxic A-chain linked to a sugar binding B-chain. In the present study, four pulchellin isoforms (termed P I, P II, P III and P IV) were isolated by affinity, ion exchange and chromatofocusing chromatographies, and investigated with respect to toxicity and sugar binding specificity. Half maximal inhibitory concentration and median lethal dose values indicate that P I and P II have similar toxicities and that both are more toxic to cultured HeLa cells and mice than P III and P IV. Interestingly, the secondary structural characteristics and sugar binding properties of the respective pairs of isoforms correlate well with the two toxicity levels, in that P I/P II and P III/P IV form two specific subgroups. From the deduced amino acids sequences of the four isoforms, it is clear that the highest similarity within each subgroup is found to occur within domain 2 of the B-chains, suggesting that the disparity in toxicity levels might be attributed to subtle differences in B-chain-mediated cell surface interactions that precede and determine toxin uptake pathways.     

Microbial production of a biofuel (acetone–butanol–ethanol) in a continuous bioreactor: impact of bleed and simultaneous product removal

Acetone butanol ethanol (ABE) was produced in an integrated continuous one-stage fermentation and gas stripping product recovery system using Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 and fermentation gases (CO₂ and H₂). In this system, the bioreactor was fed with a concentrated sugar solution (250–500 g L^?1 glucose). The bioreactor was bled semi-continuously to avoid accumulation of inhibitory chemicals and products. The continuous system was operated for 504 h (21 days) after which the fermentation was intentionally terminated. The bioreactor produced 461.3 g ABE from 1,125.0 g total sugar in 1 L culture volume as compared to a control batch process in which 18.4 g ABE was produced from 47.3 g sugar. These results demonstrate that ABE fermentation can be operated in an integrated continuous one-stage fermentation and product recovery system for a long period of time, if butanol and other microbial metabolites in the bioreactor are kept below threshold of toxicity.     

Susceptibility ofEuseius addoensis addoensis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) to field-weathered residues of insecticides used on citrus

Comparisons of the toxicities of field-weathered residues of insecticides to adult femaleEuseius addoensis addoensis (McMurtry) were conducted by bioassay using leaf disks. The products tested are registered for the control of certain insect pests on citrus in South Africa. The treatments which caused the highest mortality, in order of decreasing toxicity, were: methiocarb plus sugar, cypermethrin plus profenofos, fenpropathrin plus phenthoate, methomyl, methidathion, phenthoate, prothiofos plus oil, and profenofos. Most of these treatments also had prolonged residual effects. Endosulfan, which caused only intermediate mortality to adult female mites, had a very persistent residue. Sublethal effects of insecticide residues on mite fecundity were negligible in most cases.     

Polysaccharide and lipid composition of the brown seaweed Laminaria gurjanovae

Polysaccharide and lipid composition of the Pacific brown seaweed Laminaria gurjanovae is determined. Alginic acid is shown to be the main polysaccharide of its biomass (about 28%); it consists of mannuronic and guluronic acid residues at a ratio of 3 : 1. The yield of water-soluble polymannuronic acid is low and does not exceed 1.1% of dry biomass. High laminaran content (about 22%) is found, whereas the yield of fucoidan is no more than 3.6%. Laminaran consists of two fractions, soluble and insoluble in cold water, their ratio is 2.5 : 1. Practically, insoluble laminaran is a linear 1,3-beta-D-glucan, and the soluble fraction was shown to be 1,3;1,6- 3-D-glucan. The oligosaccharide products of desulfation or partial acidic hydrolysis of fucoidan were studied by MALDI TOF MS; they were found to be fuco- and galactooligosaccharides. The fucoidan is suggested to be a highly sulfated partially acetylated galactofucan (Fuc/Gal is -1 : 1). The main lipid components of the dried L. gurjanovae are neutral lipids and glyceroglycolipids, whereas phospholipids are found in minor amounts. The main fatty acid components of lipids are 14 : 0, 16 : 0, 16 : 1 n-7, 18 : 1 n-7, and 18 : 2 n-6 acids.     

'Sweetening' natural products via glycorandomization

In an effort to explore the contribution of the sugar constituents of pharmaceutically relevant glycosylated natural products, chemists have developed glycosylation methods for the generation of 'glycorandomized' libraries. Each member of these libraries is uniquely differentiated by an attached carbohydrate. Recently, two complementary glycorandomization strategies have emerged: chemoenzymatic glycorandomization, a biocatalytic approach dependent upon the substrate promiscuity of enzymes to activate and attach sugars to natural products, and neoglycorandomization, an efficient one-step chemical sugar ligation reaction that does not require prior sugar protection or activation. These strategies are likely to have a significant impact on fundamental glycoscience and drug discovery.