Taurine promotes connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression in osteoblasts through the ERK signal pathway

Summary. Taurine is found in bone tissue, but its function in skeletal tissue is not fully understood. The present study was undertaken to investigate regulation of gene expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and the roles of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in murine osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells treated with taurine. Western blot analysis showed taurine stimulated CTGF protein secretion in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Taurine induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), but not p38 and c-jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK), in osteoblasts. Furthermore, pretreatment of osteoblasts with the ERK inhibitor PD98059 abolished the taurine-induced CTGF production. These data indicate that taurine induces CTGF secretion in MC3T3-E1 cells mediated by the ERK pathway, and suggest that osteoblasts are direct targets of taurine.     

A comparative location database (CompLDB): map integration within and between species

We have adapted the Location Database (LDB) map-integration strategy of Morton et al. [Ann Hum Genet 56:223–232] (1992) as above to create an integrated map for each of several species for which fully annotated genome sequences are not yet available (sheep, cattle, pig, wallaby), using all types of partial maps for that species, including cytogenetic, linkage, somatic-cell hybrid, and radiation hybrid maps. An integrated map provides not only predictions of the kilobase location of every locus, but also predicts locations (in cM) and cytogenetic band locations for every locus. In this way a comprehensive linkage map and a comprehensive cytogenetic map are created, including all loci, irrespective of whether they have ever been linkage mapped or physically mapped, respectively. High-resolution physical maps from annotated sequenced species have also been placed alongside the integrated maps. This has created a powerful tool for comparative genomics. The LDB map-integration strategy has been extended to make use of zoo-FISH comparative information. It has also been extended to enable the creation of a “virtual” map for each species not yet sequenced by using mapping data from fully sequenced species. All of the partial maps, together with the integrated map, for each species have been placed in a database called Comparative Location Database (CompLDB), which is available for querying, browsing, or download in tabular form at . Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

反式作用干扰小RNA

反式作用干扰小RNA（trans—acting siRNA,tasiRNA）是植物中一类内源性siRNA,其成熟过程由miRNA所介导,而且不产生扩增效应。     

Microbial hydroxylation of 16α,17α-dimethyl-17β-(l-oxopropyl)androsta-l,4-dien-3-one to rimexolone by Curvularia lunata AS 3.4381

A novel synthetic route to rimexolone, a corticosteroid for treatment of ocular inflammation without significant elevation of intraocular pressure, was described. An investigation has been undertaken of the microbial transformation of 16α,17α-dimethyl-17β-(l-oxopropyl)androsta-l,4-dien-3-one by microorganisms known to hydroxylate conventional steroids, using Curvularia lunata AS 3.4381 gave rimexolone, the product of 11β-hydroxylation, respectively. The target compound was characterized with reference substance rimexolone by TLC, HPLC, elemental analysis, MS, IR, and NMR.     

Characterization of hypothetical proteins Cpn0146, 0147, 0284 &; 0285 that are predicted to be in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlamydia pneumoniae</Emphasis> inclusion membrane

Background  

Although more than 100 Chlamydia pneumoniae hypothetical proteins have been predicted to be inclusion membrane proteins, only a few have been experimentally demonstrated to be in the inclusion membrane. Using antibodies raised with fusion proteins, we characterized four such hypothetical proteins encoded by two gene clusters (Cpn0146-147 and Cpn0284-285) in the C. pneumoniae genome.     

Domain selection combined with improved cloning strategy for high throughput expression of higher eukaryotic proteins

Background  

Expression of higher eukaryotic genes as soluble, stable recombinant proteins is still a bottleneck step in biochemical and structural studies of novel proteins today. Correct identification of stable domains/fragments within the open reading frame (ORF), combined with proper cloning strategies, can greatly enhance the success rate when higher eukaryotic proteins are expressed as these domains/fragments. Furthermore, a HTP cloning pipeline incorporated with bioinformatics domain/fragment selection methods will be beneficial to studies of structure and function genomics/proteomics.     

"Schizophrenic" micellization associated with coil-to-helix transitions based on polypeptide hybrid double hydrophilic rod-coil diblock copolymer

A polypeptide hybrid double hydrophilic diblock copolymer (DHBC), poly( N-isopropylacrylamide)- b-poly( l-glutamic acid) (PNIPAM- b-PLGA), was synthesized via the ring-opening polymerization of gamma-benzyl- l-glutamate N-carboxyanhydride (BLG-NCA) using monoamino-terminated PNIPAM as the macroinitiator, followed by deprotection of benzyl groups under alkaline conditions. Containing a thermoresponsive PNIPAM block and a pH-responsive PLGA block, the obtained polypeptide hybrid diblock copolymer molecularly dissolves in aqueous solution at alkaline pH and room temperature but supramolecularly self-assembles into PNIPAM-core micelles at alkaline pH and elevated temperatures and PLGA-core micelles at acidic pH and room temperature accompanied with coil-to-helix transition of the PLGA sequence. The pH- and thermoresponsive "schizophrenic" micellization behavior of PNIPAM- b-PLGA diblock copolymer has been investigated by (1)H NMR, optical transmittance, fluorescence probe measurement, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic and static laser light scattering (LLS), and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Moreover, the micellization process was investigated employing stopped-flow light scattering technique. The pH-induced micelle growth of PNIPAM- b-PLGA in aqueous solution exhibits drastically different kinetics compared to that of conventional pH-responsive DHBCs, probably due to the stabilization effects exerted by the formed alpha-helix secondary structures within the PLGA core at low pH. Exhibiting "schizophrenic" micellization, the polypeptide sequence of PNIPAM- b-PLGA can either locate within micelle cores or stabilizing coronas. The incorporation of polypeptide block into DHBCs can endow them with structural versatility, tunable spatial arrangement of chain segments within self-assembled nanostructures, and broader applications in the field of biomedicines.     

Triterpenoids from <i>Uncaria rhynchophylla</i> and Their PTP1B Inhibitory Activity

Uncaria rhynchophylla (Gouteng) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine used for psychiatric and hypotensive purposes in China. In this study, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) part of U. rhynchophylla was revealed with protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitory activity. Subsequent investigation on the EtOAc part yielded one new triterpenoid, 3β-formyloxy-6β,19α-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (1) and four known ones, 3β,6β,19α-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (2), 2-oxopomolic acid (3), 3β,19α-dihydroxy-6-oxo-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (4) and sumaresinolic acid (5). The structure of compound 1 was determined by extensive HRESIMS, IR, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses. Two ursane-type triterpenoids (2 and 3) showed selective inhibition on PTP1B with IC₅₀ values of 48.2 and 178.7 μM. The enzyme kinetic study suggested that compounds 2 and 3 were mix-type inhibitors on PTP1B with K_i values of 15.6 and 132.5 μM. This investigation manifests the antidiabetic potency of U. rhynchophylla with triterpenoids as the active constituents.     

Hydrogen sulfide plays a potential alternative for the treatment of metabolic disorders of diabetic cardiomyopathy

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a cardiovascular complication that tends to occur in patients with diabetes, obesity, or insulin resistance, with a higher...