Role of myosin light chain kinase in regulation of basal blood pressure and maintenance of salt-induced hypertension

Vascular tone, an important determinant of systemic vascular resistance and thus blood pressure, is affected by vascular smooth muscle (VSM) contraction. Key signaling pathways for VSM contraction converge on phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain (RLC) of smooth muscle myosin. This phosphorylation is mediated by Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) but Ca(2+)-independent kinases may also contribute, particularly in sustained contractions. Signaling through MLCK has been indirectly implicated in maintenance of basal blood pressure, whereas signaling through RhoA has been implicated in salt-induced hypertension. In this report, we analyzed mice with smooth muscle-specific knockout of MLCK. Mesenteric artery segments isolated from smooth muscle-specific MLCK knockout mice (MLCK(SMKO)) had a significantly reduced contractile response to KCl and vasoconstrictors. The kinase knockout also markedly reduced RLC phosphorylation and developed force. We suggest that MLCK and its phosphorylation of RLC are required for tonic VSM contraction. MLCK(SMKO) mice exhibit significantly lower basal blood pressure and weaker responses to vasopressors. The elevated blood pressure in salt-induced hypertension is reduced below normotensive levels after MLCK attenuation. These results suggest that MLCK is necessary for both physiological and pathological blood pressure. MLCK(SMKO) mice may be a useful model of vascular failure and hypotension.     

Novel Bacillus thuringiensis δ-endotoxin active against Locusta migratoria manilensis

A novel δ-endotoxin gene was cloned from a Bacillus thuringiensis strain with activity against Locusta migratoria manilensis by PCR-based genome walking. The sequence of the cry gene was 3,432 bp long, and it encoded a Cry protein of 1,144 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 129,196.5 kDa, which exhibited 62% homology with Cry7Ba1 in the amino acid sequence. The δ-endotoxin with five conserved sequence blocks in the amino-terminal region was designated Cry7Ca1 (GenBank accession no. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"EF486523","term_id":"1121787749","term_text":"EF486523"}}EF486523). Protein structure analysis suggested that the activated toxin of Cry7Ca1 has three domains: 227 residues forming 7 α-helices (domain I); 213 residues forming three antiparallel β-sheets (domain II); and 134 residues forming a β-sandwich (domain III). The three domains, respectively, exhibited 47, 44, and 34% sequence identity with corresponding domains of known Cry toxins. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis showed that Cry7Ca1, encoded by the full-length open reading frame of the cry gene, the activated toxin 1, which included three domains but without the N-terminal 54 amino acid residues and the C terminus, and the activated toxin 2, which included three domains and N-terminal 54 amino acid residues but without the C terminus, could be expressed in Escherichia coli. Bioassay results indicated that the expressed proteins of Cry7Ca1 and the activated toxins (toxins 1 and 2) showed significant activity against 2nd instar locusts, and after 7 days of infection, the estimated 50% lethal concentrations (LC₅₀s) were 8.98 μg/ml for the expressed Cry7Ca1, 0.87 μg/ml for the activated toxin 1, and 4.43 μg/ml for the activated toxin 2. The δ-endotoxin also induced histopathological changes in midgut epithelial cells of adult L. migratoria manilensis.     

The affinity of human RANK binding to its ligand RANKL

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) and its ligand, RANKL play critical roles in bone re-modeling, immune function, vascular disease and mammary gland development. To study the interaction of RANK and RANKL, we have expressed both extracellular domain of RANK and ectodomain of RANKL using Escherichia coli expression system. RANK was expressed as an inclusion body first which properly refolded later, while RANKL was initially produced as a GST fusion protein, after which the GST was removed by enzyme digestion. Soluble RANK existed as a monomer while RANKL was seen as a trimer in solution, demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and cross-linking experiment. The recombinant RANK and RANKL could bind to each other and the binding affinity of RANKL for RANK was measured with surface plasmon resonance technology and K_D value is about 1.09 × 10⁻¹⁰ M.     

大鼠运动性肥大心脏心肌血管内皮生长因子及其基因表达的研究

目的和方法：血管内皮生长因子（ｖａｓｃｕｌａｒｅｎｄｏｔｈｅｌｉａｌｇｒｏｗｔｈｆａｃｔｏｒ,ＶＥＧＦ）是新近确定的一种特异作用于血管内皮细胞的活性肽。最近发现正常心肌细胞可表达ＶＥＧＦ,高血压肥大心脏心肌ＶＥＧＦ及基因表达增强,但对运动性心肌肥大时的变化尚不清楚。本实验采用免疫组化和分子杂交方法,对游泳运动１０周大鼠稳定期肥大心脏心肌ＶＥＧＦ及其基因表达进行研究。结果：ＷｉｓｔａｒＫｙｏｔｏ（ＷＫＹ）大鼠、自发性高血压大鼠（ｓｐｏｎｔａｎｅｏｕｓｌｙｈｙｐｅｒｔｅｎｓｉｖｅｒａｔｓ,ＳＨＲ）和运动大鼠心肌细胞浆内均有特异性ＶＥＧＦ染色颗粒,但运动大鼠心肌细胞胞浆内染色颗粒增加最明显。Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ分子杂交结果表明三组大鼠心肌均有ＶＥＧＦｍＲＮＡ表达,其中ＳＨＲ表达最强,运动大鼠比ＷＫＹ大鼠增强,但低于ＳＨＲ。结论：目前对这一结果的生理意义还不清楚,推测可能与心肌肥大时细胞间质血管增生有关。     

微生物群落结构探针杂交评价不同培养基从活性污泥分离优势菌群的能力

用ERICPCR （Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic ConsensusPCR）、苯酚羟化酶大亚基基因(LmPHs)扩增和群落结构探针分子杂交检测技术对LB、dCGY、MP和FWM 4种培养基从焦化废水处理厂2个曝气池活性污泥中分离优势功能菌群的能力进行了比较研究。LmPHs扩增显示7种回收菌群中均有以多亚基苯酚羟化酶为代谢途径的苯酚降解菌存在。用代表苯酚降解高峰期活性污泥优势菌组成的总DNA的ERICPCR产物经地高辛标记作为群落结构的混合探针M1和M8,对8种回收菌群的ERICPCR指纹图谱进行杂交检测,不同培养基回收优势菌的能力不同,以废水为基础的FWM培养基从活性污泥中回收到的优势菌种群最多(30.8%～42.9%)。本文建立了用微生物群落结构探针杂交技术对不同培养基回收分离优势菌能力进行评价的方法。     

Phylogenetic analysis of Nosema antheraeae (Microsporidia) isolated from Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi

The microsporidian Nosema antheraeae is a pathogen that infects the Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi. We sequenced the complete small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of N. antheraeae, and compared the SSU rRNA sequences in other microsporidia. The results indicated that Nosema species, including N. antheraeae, formed two distinct clades, consistent with previous observations. Furthermore, N. antheraeae is clustered with N. bombycis with high bootstrap support. The organization of the rRNA gene of N. antheraeae is LSU-ITS1-SSU-ITS2-5S, also following a pattern similar to the Nosema type species, N. bombycis. Thus, N. antheraeae is a Nosema species and has a close relationship to N. bombycis.