大戟甲羟戊酸途径关键酶基因hmgr的克隆与分析

通过比较6种植物8条甲羟戊酸途径关键酶3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶(HMGR)基因同源区域,设计简并引物,利用RT-PCR技术成功地从大戟(Euphorbia pekinensis)叶中扩增出458bp的基因片段。通过BlastP比较,所推断的大戟HMGR蛋白序列与杜仲Eucommia ulmoides(AAV54051)、穿心莲Andrographis paniculata(AAP14352)、胡黄连Picrorhiza kurrooa(ABC74565)、橡胶树Hevea brasiliensis(AAU08214)、海岛棉Gossypium barba-dense(ABC71314)、龙胆草Gentiana lutea(BAE92730)的一致性分别达到90%、86%、86%、92%、87%和88%。蛋白质保守区、特征区以及进化树分析,初步证实该基因为hmgr基因,这是首次报道从药用植物大戟中克隆到甲羟戊酸途径关键酶HMGR的基因片段。     

Genomic organization and expression analysis of a farnesyl diphosphate synthase gene (FPPS2) in apples (Malus domestica Borkh.)

A farnesyl diphosphate synthase gene (FPPS2), which contains 11 introns and 12 exons, was isolated from the apple cultivar “White Winter Pearmain”. When it was compared to our previously reported FPPS1, its each intron size was different, its each exon size was the same as that of FPPS1 gene, 30 nucleotide differences were found in its coding sequence. Based on these nucleotide differences, specific primers were designed to perform expression analysis; the results showed that it expressed in both fruit and leaf, its expression level was obviously lower than that of FPPS1 gene in fruit which was stored at 4 °C for 5 weeks. This is the first report concerning two FPPS genes and their expression comparison in apples.     

Computational study of conformational changes in human 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme reductase induced by substrate binding

Abstract

The enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) is mainly involved in the regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis. HMGR catalyses the reduction of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) to mevalonate at the expense of two NADPH molecules in a two-step reversible reaction. In the present study, we constructed a model of human HMGR (hHMGR) to explore the conformational changes of HMGR in complex with HMG-CoA and NADPH. In addition, we analysed the complete sequence of the Flap domain using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and principal component analysis (PCA). The simulations revealed that the Flap domain plays an important role in catalytic site activation and substrate binding. The apo form of hHMGR remained in an open state, while a substrate-induced closure of the Flap domain was observed for holo hHMGR. Our study also demonstrated that the phosphorylation of Ser872 induces significant conformational changes in the Flap domain that lead to a complete closure of the active site, suggesting three principal conformations for the first stage of hHMGR catalysis. Our results were consistent with previous proposed models for the catalytic mechanism of hHMGR.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

A serine involved in actin-dependent subcellular localization of a stress-induced tobacco BY-2 hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase isoform

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) is unique in the first part of the cytoplasmic isoprenoid pathway, as it contains a membrane domain that includes ER-specific retention motifs. When fused to GFP, this domain targets two tobacco BY-2 HMGR isoforms differentially. While the first isoform is ER-localized, a second stress-induced one forms globular structures connected by tubular structures. A serine positioned upstream of the ER retention motif seems to be implicated in this specific subcellular localization. Surprisingly, these structures are closely connected to F-actin, and their intactness is dependent upon the integrity of the filaments or the action of a calmodulin antagonist.     

植物萜类合成酶3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶的生物信息学分析

采用生物信息学的方法和工具对已在GenBank上注册的橡胶、烟草、辣椒、穿心莲等植物的萜类合成酶3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶的核酸及氨基酸序列进行分析,并对其组成成分、信号肽、跨膜拓朴结构域、疏水性/亲水性、蛋白质二级及三级结构、分子系统进化关系等进行预测和推断。结果表明该类酶基因的全长包括5′、3′非翻译区和一个开放阅读框,无信号肽,是一个跨膜的亲水性蛋白,包括两个功能HMG-CoA结合motif及两个功能NADPH结合motif,α-螺旋和不规则盘绕是蛋白质二级结构最大量的结构元件,β-转角和延伸链散布于整个蛋白质中,蛋白质的功能域在空间布局上折叠成“V”形,“V”形的两臂由螺旋状的N结构域和S结构域构成,中间部分由L结构域构成。     

Terpenoid aldehyde formation and lysigenous gland storage sites in cotton: variant with mature glands but suppressed levels of terpenoid aldehydes

A new cotton variant with reduced levels of terpenoid aldehydes (sesquiterpenoids and sesterterpenoids (heliocides)) was isolated from the progeny of hemizygous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum cv. Coker 312) transformed with antisense (+)-delta-cadinene synthase cDNA. Southern analysis of leaf DNA digested with HindIII, Pst or KpnI restriction endonucleases did not detect any antisense cdn1-C1 DNA in the genome of the variant. The gossypol content in the seed of the variant was markedly lower than in the seed of T1 antisense plants. Eighty-nine percent of the variant seed had a 71.1% reduction in gossypol and the foliage of the variant plants showed a 70% reduction in gossypol and a 31% reduction in heliocides. Compared to non-transformed plants there was no reduction in the number of lysigenous glands in the seed of the variant. The cotton variant shows uncoupling of terpenoid aldehyde synthesis and gland formation. The cotton variant may have resulted from somaclonal variation occurring in the callus tissue during the transformation-regeneration process.     

Natural products as modulators of the nuclear receptors and metabolic sensors LXR,FXR and RXR

Nuclear receptors (NRs) represent attractive targets for the treatment of metabolic syndrome-related diseases. In addition, natural products are an interesting pool of potential ligands since they have been refined under evolutionary pressure to interact with proteins or other biological targets.This review aims to briefly summarize current basic knowledge regarding the liver X (LXR) and farnesoid X receptors (FXR) that form permissive heterodimers with retinoid X receptors (RXR). Natural product-based ligands for these receptors are summarized and the potential of LXR, FXR and RXR as targets in precision medicine is discussed.     

马铃薯HMGR基因的克隆,序列分析及其表达特征

采用ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ技术,从马铃薯（Ｓｏｌａｎｕｍ ｔｕｂｅｒｏｓｕｍ Ｌ．）幼叶中克隆了一个约１．０ｋｂ的ｃＤＮＡ片段,序列分析结果表明,该ｃＤＮＡ与忆报道的马铃薯ＨＭＧＲ基因家族的三种类型基因具有较高核酸序列同源性,与ＨＭＧＲⅠ基因同源性为７７．０％,ＨＭＧＲⅡ基因为９３．２％,ＨＭＧＲⅢ基因为７７．１％。其中３’端非翻译区序列与ＨＭＧＲⅠ、ＨＭＧＲⅡ、ＨＭＧＲⅢ三种基因同源性分别为５０．２％,８     

橡胶草HMGR基因的克隆及表达分析

通过比较9种植物的9条甲羟戊酸途径关键酶3-羟基-3甲基戊二酸单酰辅酶A还原酶（HMGR）氨基酸同源区域,设计简并引物,利用RT-PCR和RACE技术首次从橡胶草（Taraxacum kok-saghyz）中克隆了一个HMGR基因,命名为TKHMGR。通过氨基酸序列同源性比对与系统进化分析表明,TKHMGR属于HMGR基因家族的新成员。同时,利用荧光定量方法分析了该基因在不同组织的表达情况。     

Structure and synthesis of polyisoprenoids used in N-glycosylation across the three domains of life

N-linked protein glycosylation was originally thought to be specific to eukaryotes, but evidence of this post-translational modification has now been discovered across all domains of life: Eucarya, Bacteria, and Archaea. In all cases, the glycans are first assembled in a step-wise manner on a polyisoprenoid carrier lipid. At some stage of lipid-linked oligosaccharide synthesis, the glycan is flipped across a membrane. Subsequently, the completed glycan is transferred to specific asparagine residues on the protein of interest. Interestingly, though the N-glycosylation pathway seems to be conserved, the biosynthetic pathways of the polyisoprenoid carriers, the specific structures of the carriers, and the glycan residues added to the carriers vary widely. In this review we will elucidate how organisms in each basic domain of life synthesize the polyisoprenoids that they utilize for N-linked glycosylation and briefly discuss the subsequent modifications of the lipid to generate a lipid-linked oligosaccharide.