哺乳类C型凝集素超级家族

C型凝集素超级家族根据其糖识别域(CRD)的一级结构分为蛋白聚糖、Ⅱ型跨膜受体、胶原凝素、选凝素、自然杀伤细胞受体及多CRDⅠ型跨膜受体等6个家族. 每一家族的成员具有同源的氨基酸序列、相同的总体分子结构及类似的生物学功能.从CRD的一级结构至三级结构水平确定了C型凝集素选择性糖识别的分子基础.     

家蚕半乳糖凝集素BmGalectin-4的表达、纯化及性质分析

【目的】鉴定一种新的家蚕Bombyx mori半乳糖凝集素(galectin)基因,分析其序列和结构特征,测定其在微生物感染后的表达变化,分析其重组表达蛋白与微生物及微生物表面多糖分子的结合特性。【方法】利用TBlastN从家蚕基因组数据库中搜索得到一种新的半乳糖凝集素基因,命名为BmGalectin-4。利用生物信息学分析其序列和结构特征,用半定量RT-PCR检测家蚕分别感染病原菌绿脓杆菌Pseudomonas aeruginosa、金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcus aureus和白色念珠菌Candidiasis albicans后BmGalectin-4在不同组织中的表达变化,采用原核表达技术对该基因进行重组表达,并利用亲和层析得到纯化的蛋白。通过ELISA检测BmGalectin-4与细菌和真菌的结合;通过Western blot检测它与多糖的结合。【结果】序列分析显示,BmGalectin-4是一种串联重复型半乳糖凝集素,含有2个糖识别结构域,其结构非常保守。RT-PCR检测表明,BmGalectin-4在家蚕脂肪体、血细胞和中肠中都有表达,且感染细菌和真菌后其表达有显著变化。纯化的重组BmGalectin-4与革兰氏阳性菌、阴性菌和真菌有较强的结合,与微生物表面多糖的结合试验表明其识别有较高的特异性。【结论】BmGalectin-4 是一个典型的串联重复型半乳糖凝集素,可能参与家蚕对病原微生物的免疫防御反应。本研究为进一步研究昆虫中半乳糖凝集素的功能奠定了基础。     

天花粉凝集素糖结合专一性Ⅱ.

本文报道一些糖类、糖苷、糖蛋白和几种外源凝集素对标记天花粉凝集素和酸处理交联琼脂糖或胎盘细胞膜结合的影响。在低浓度时,所用的糖类中,乳糖是最强的抑制剂,蜜二糖和棉籽糖的抑制能力和乳糖相仿,而纤维二糖、蔗糖、麦芽糖,则无明显影响。三个所用的糖蛋白,它们的抑制活性以下列顺序递减:猪甲状腺球蛋白,人血清转铁蛋白,鸡卵白蛋白。未标记的天花粉凝集素和蓖麻凝集素,两者都专一地和半乳糖结合,它们都能竞争标记天花粉凝集素,而伴刀豆球蛋白A和半夏凝集素则不能竞争。由此,我们推测天花粉凝集素主要是和半乳糖结合,但与乳糖的结合能力最强,故推测其结合部位能容纳半乳糖和另一个单糖。     

天花粉凝集素糖结合专一性Ⅱ.

本文报道一些糖类、糖苷、糖蛋白和几种外源凝集素对标记天花粉凝集素和酸处理交联琼脂糖或胎盘细胞膜结合的影响。在低浓度时,所用的糖类中,乳糖是最强的抑制剂,蜜二糖和棉籽糖的抑制能力和乳糖相仿,而纤维二糖、蔗糖、麦芽糖,则无明显影响。三个所用的糖蛋白,它们的抑制活性以下列顺序递减:猪甲状腺球蛋白,人血清转铁蛋白,鸡卵白蛋白。未标记的天花粉凝集素和蓖麻凝集素,两者都专一地和半乳糖结合,它们都能竞争标记天花粉凝集素,而伴刀豆球蛋白A和半夏凝集素则不能竞争。由此,我们推测天花粉凝集素主要是和半乳糖结合,但与乳糖的结合能力最强,故推测其结合部位能容纳半乳糖和另一个单糖。     

H7N2禽流感病毒HA的分离纯化及其糖链谱研究

血凝素(HA)是位于流感病毒囊膜表面的一种Ⅰ型跨膜糖蛋白,是流感病毒结合宿主细胞表面受体,介导病毒入胞的关键分子,也是中和抗体以及疫苗研制的重要靶标.HA表面糖基化与病毒毒力、感染宿主范围等密切相关,且其表面糖链变化会影响其结构与功能.然而目前关于流感病毒HA糖基化的研究主要集中在其糖基化位点上,而对于HA上详细的糖链结构知之甚少.本文应用禽流感病毒特异识别的唾液酸糖链(SAα2-3Gal)受体,制备特异的糖链磁性微粒复合物,进而从H7N2禽流感病毒中分离纯化HA,并采用SDS-PAGE及质谱技术进行鉴定.确定提取物系HA后,进一步利用凝集素芯片联合质谱技术研究禽流感病毒H7N2的HA表面糖型,结果显示H7N2禽流感病毒HA表面主要含有岩藻糖、半乳糖、N-乙酰半乳糖胺、甘露糖、N-乙酰葡糖胺等糖链结构,共获得16个糖链结构较为准确的寡糖,这些糖链可能与HA生物学功能相关.本研究有助于揭示禽流感病毒感染宿主的糖链作用机制,有助于设计制备针对HA相关的糖链疫苗.     

用定位突变方法对人脑己糖激酶活性位点的研究

哺乳动物己糖激酶Ⅰ的分子量是１００ｋＤ．目前已经认为是由分子量５０ｋＤ酵母型己糖激酶通过基因复制和融合进化来的．己糖激酶Ⅰ的Ｃ端半分子包含了底物葡萄糖的结合位点即催化位点．Ｘ射线衍射结构的结果已经推测在酵母型的己糖激酶分子中Ｓｅｒ－１５８、Ａｓｐ－２１１是和葡萄糖的结合及催化活性有关,这些氨基酸残基相当于人脑己糖激酶Ⅰ分子中的Ｓｅｒ－６０３、Ａｓｐ－６５７,它们正好位于该酶分子的Ｃ端半分子中．定位突变这两个氨基酸残基得到４个该酶的Ｃ端半分子酶（ｍｉｎｉ－ＨＫⅠ）的突变体,它们是Ｓｅｒ－６０３→Ｃｙｓ,Ｓｅｒ－６０３→Ｔｈｒ,Ａｓｐ－６７５→Ｇｌｕ,Ａｓｐ－６７５→Ｖａｌ．实验结果指出４个突变体酶的Ｋｍ值变化不大,但酶活性只保留野生型酶的０．２８％～１１％,园二色谱分析４个突变体的ＣＤ谱与野生型酶基本一致,因此说明二级结构没有变化．这些研究结果和Ｘ射线衍射结构的推断是一致的,显示了Ｓｅｒ－６０３和Ａｓｐ－６５７氨基酸残基在该酶结合底物葡萄糖或催化作用上起了重要的作用．     

人干细胞生长因子Ca2+依赖糖识别结构域缺失突变体的重组表达及生物学活性的初步探讨

本作已有的研究结果证明,完整的人干细胞生长因子(hSCGF)没有种属特异性,即可以作用于小鼠骨髓造血细胞。这一点与在Ca^2 依赖糖识别结构域(CRD)缺失了78个氨基酸残基的截短分子(hSCGFβ)有所不同。本研究从hSCGF全长cDNA中完全删除了CRD结构域编码序列,进一步探讨CRD结构域的生物学功能。由于该突变体序列GC含量较高．因此将该缺失突变体序列克隆在GST融合表达载体中进行融合表达。通过低温(28℃)诱导,表达产物主要以可溶蛋白的形式存在。利用亲和层析纯化CRD结构域完全缺失的hSCGF突变体融合蛋白,通过检测重组突变分子的协同刺激造血活性有无改变来初步探讨CRD结构域在hSCGF分子中的生物学功能。研究结果表明,去掉完整CRD结构域的突变分子仍然具有造血刺激活性。据此推断CRD结构域在hSCGF分子中可能对于受体配体结合起辅助作用。     

猴头菌水溶性多糖的分离纯化与结构表征

从猴头菌子实体中分离得到一种新型的水溶性杂多糖HEPF2,分子量大小为1.66′104Da,该多糖由岩藻糖、半乳糖和葡萄糖以1.00:3.69:5.42比例构成,同时也含有微量的3-O-甲基鼠李糖。进一步利用傅立叶变换红外光谱法、糖组成分析、甲基化分析、部分酸水解法和核磁共振法等方法进行结构鉴定,检测结果表明,该杂多糖中包含1→4、1→6结合的葡萄糖和1→6结合的半乳糖残基,连接于主链的侧链残基,包括岩藻糖残基、少数的端基葡萄糖和半乳糖残基。核磁共振法检测结果还表明,1→4结合葡萄糖为β构型,(1→6)结合半乳糖、(1→2,6)结合半乳糖和端基葡萄糖均为α构型。     

肿瘤与正常细胞表面糖链结构的流式细胞术分析

为了比较正常与肿瘤细胞表面的糖链结构差异,凝集素用荧光素标记后作为研究细胞膜糖链结构的探针,采用流式细胞技术在分子水平上分析。结果显示正常与肿瘤肝细胞与同一浓度的凝集素探针结合量有明显的不同。与凝集素ConA-FITC结合后,正常肝细胞的荧光峰较肿瘤肝细胞的荧光峰明显右移;与凝集素WGA-FITC、PHA-FITC结合后,正常肝细胞的荧光峰较肿瘤肝细胞的荧光峰明显左移。由于凝集素可识别特定糖链结构,该方法说明肿瘤肝细胞的糖链结构与正常肝细胞相比具有特征变化,即平分型糖链和唾液酸含量丰富,可能出现偏二天线以及天线数的增加。     

糖微阵列技术在糖组学研究中的进展

聚糖多以蛋白质和脂配基形式存在,在生物体内的信息传递、细胞识别和蛋白质折叠等生物过程中具有十分重要作用,是继核酸和蛋白质之后被发现的第三类生物信息分子.但聚糖结构复杂,并存在大量异构体,无法象DNA一样进行合成和测序.根据聚糖分子能够与凝集素或糖结合蛋白特异性结合,提出并发展了糖微阵列技术.此技术在聚糖结构与功能研究中已显示出优越性.通过对糖微阵列构建方式及检测方法的探讨,对近些年来糖微阵列技术的发展进行了综述.     

Changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity in chicken tissues in hyperthyreosis in ontogenesis

The lactate dehydrogenase activity in reactions of lactate oxidation and synthesis was studied in subfractions of the chicken brain, heart and liver at the embryonal, early postembryonal and adult stages of development after thyroxine administration. It has been shown that during embryogenesis thyroxine predominantly enhanced the rate of lactate oxidation in the mitochondrial tissues. A marked increase in the lactate synthesis was found in cytoplasm of the adult chicken tissues. Specificity of enzyme activity alterations was detected in the chicken brain during ontogenesis after thyroxine administration.     

Role for dopamine in malonate-induced damage in vivo in striatum and in vitro in mesencephalic cultures

Defects in mitochondrial energy metabolism have been implicated in the pathology of several neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the reactive metabolites generated from the metabolism and oxidation of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) are thought to contribute to the damage to neurons of the basal ganglia. We have previously demonstrated that infusions of the metabolic inhibitor malonate into the striata of mice or rats produce degeneration of DA nerve terminals. In the present studies, we demonstrate that an intrastriatal infusion of malonate induces a substantial increase in DA efflux in awake, behaving mice as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Furthermore, pretreatment of mice with tetrabenazine (TBZ) or the TBZ analogue Ro 4-1284 (Ro-4), compounds that reversibly inhibit the vesicular storage of DA, attenuates the malonate-induced DA efflux as well as the damage to DA nerve terminals. Consistent with these findings, the damage to both DA and GABA neurons in mesencephalic cultures by malonate exposure was attenuated by pretreatment with TBZ or Ro-4. Treatment with these compounds did not affect the formation of free radicals or the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation resulting from malonate exposure alone. Our data suggest that DA plays an important role in the neurotoxicity produced by malonate. These findings provide direct evidence that inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase causes an increase in extracellular DA levels and indicate that bioenergetic defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases through a mechanism involving DA.     

Scurvy in capybaras bred in captivity in Argentine

In order to determine if the absence of vitamin C in the diet of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) causes scurvy, a group of seven young individuals were fed food pellets without ascorbic acid, while another group of eight individuals received the same food with 1 g of ascorbic acid per animal per day. Animals in the first group developed signs of scurvy-like gingivitis, breaking of the incisors and death of one animal. Clinical signs appeared between 25 and 104 days from the beginning of the trial in all individuals. Growth rates of individuals deprived of vitamin C was considerably less than those observed in the control group. Deficiency of ascorbic acid had a severe effect on reproduction of another population of captive capybaras. We found that the decrease in ascorbic acid content in the diet affected pregnancy, especially during the first stages. The results obtained suggest that it is necessary to supply a suitable quantity of vitamin C in the diet of this species in captivity.     

SSTR5 ablation in islet results in alterations in glucose homeostasis in mice

Somatostatin (SST) peptide is a potent inhibitor of insulin secretion and its effect is mediated via somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) in the endocrine pancreas. To investigate the consequences of gene ablation of SSTR5 in the mouse pancreas, we have generated a mouse model in which the SSTR5 gene was specifically knocked down in the pancreatic beta cells (betaSSTR5Kd) using the Cre-lox system. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSTR5 gene expression was absent in beta cells at three months of age. At the time of gene ablation, betaSSTR5Kd mice demonstrated glucose intolerance with lack of insulin response and significantly reduced serum insulin levels. Insulin tolerance test demonstrated a significant increase of insulin clearance in vivo at the same age. In vitro studies demonstrated an absence of response to SST-28 stimulation in the betaSSTR5Kd mouse islet, which was associated with a significantly reduced SST expression level in betaSSTR5Kd mice pancreata. In addition, betaSSTR5Kd mice had significantly reduced serum glucose levels and increased serum insulin levels at 12 months of age. Glucose tolerance test at an older age also indicated a persistently higher insulin level in betaSSTR5Kd mice. Further studies of betaSSTR5Kd mice had revealed elevated serum C-peptide levels at both 3 and 12 months of age, suggesting that these mice are capable of producing and releasing insulin to the periphery. These results support the hypothesis that SSTR5 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of insulin secretion in the mouse pancreas.     

Polymorphism in Cepaea Hortensis in marginal populations in Spain

Cepaea hortensis (Mull) is found in Spain only in the western part of the Iberian mountain range. This is the southernmost limit of its range. The most frequent colour is yellow, brown being very rare. The most frequent band patterns are 12345, fused banded and unbanded. There are associations between maximum and minimum temperatures and pink and effectively unbanded yellow phenotypes. The populations may be grouped into two zones, one located in the north and the other in the south of the sampled area. Visual predation was not observed. The marginal populations studied by us were compared with others from Northern Europe, and it was observed that pink snails are more frequent at the southern limit, and unbanded ones at the northern limit. This was interpreted as a climatic selection.