乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白的优势氨基酸序列与热点突变位点的生物信息学分析

乙型肝炎病毒X蛋白(hepatitis B virus X protein,HBx)全长154个氨基酸,与肝癌发生密切相关.为确定HBx的优势氨基酸序列和热点突变位点,在GenBank中下载所有HBx的氨基酸序列13950条,剔除插入突变、缺失突变和起始密码子非甲硫氨酸的序列,最后保留7126条.通过分析这7126条序列,计算出HBx每个位点的氨基酸分布情况,出现频率最高的氨基酸为该位点的优势氨基酸,其他氨基酸为突变氨基酸.154个位点的优势氨基酸组成HBx优势氨基酸序列.突变率>10.0%的热点突变位点有32个.其中第36、42、44、87、88和127位氨基酸有4种(突变率>1.0%)以上突变形式,具有较高的多态性.与肝癌密切相关的K130M/V131I双突变率为34.7%.通过7126条HBx序列与优势序列的同源性比较,随机选出其中50条序列(2条与优势序列同源性<75%,48条同源性为76%~99%),与23条参考序列及优势序列共同构建系统发生树.结果显示,HBx优势氨基酸序列属于基因型C,这与基因型C为全球主要流行型一致.本研究首次系统性分析了GenBank中HBx的优势序列,确定了32个HBx热点突变位点和6个多态性较高的位点,为基于HBx突变的基础和应用研究奠定了基础.     

白细胞介素23 受体基因rs6682925 多态与冠心病发病的相关关系

目的:本研究探讨白细胞介素23受体(Interleukin 23 Receptor,IL23R)基因单核苷酸多态位点(rs1884444与rs6682925)与中国北方汉族人群冠心病发病的相关关系。方法:本研究采用病例-对照的设计方法,收集568名冠心病患者以及45岁以上、年龄及性别匹配的524名正常对照个体为研究对象,采用测序法检测IL23R rs1884444与rs6682925单核苷酸多态性基因型,分析IL23R基因rs1884444与rs6682925单核苷酸多态位点的基因型及等位基因的分布情况。结果:IL23R rs6682925与rs1884444单核苷酸多态位点的基因型频率符合Hardy-Weinberg定律。IL23R基因rs6682925单核苷酸多态位点的三种基因型分布频率(CC型,TC型和TT型)在冠心病组为22.9%,39.6%和37.5%,在对照组分别为41.7%,47.2%和11.1%,IL23R基因rs6682925单核苷酸多态位点C等位基因是冠心病发病的一个独立的危险因素(P0.05);IL23R基因rs1884444单核苷酸位点的基因型和等位基因的频率在对照组和冠心病组之间不存在统计学差异(P0.05)。Logistic回归校正性别、年龄、体重指数、吸烟、高血压、高脂血症、糖尿病等冠心病的易患因素后,IL23R基因rs6682925 C等位基因仍是冠心病发病一个独立危险因素。结论:在中国北方汉族人群中,IL23R基因rs6682925 C等位基因可能是冠心病发病的独立危险因素。     

生长因子颗粒蛋白前体和肿瘤坏死因子受体基因启动子区改变与阿尔茨 海默病的相关性研究

目的:探讨生长因子颗粒蛋白前体(PGRN)、肿瘤坏死因子受体(TNFR)基因启动子区改变以及全基因组DNA甲基化与阿尔茨海默病的相关性。方法:收集阿尔茨海默病患者血液样本80例以及健康对照血液样本80例,PCR扩增PGRN和TNFR基因启动子区并进行测序,观察两组间的单核苷酸多态性位点是否有差异。同时,用甲基化特异性PCR法检测启动子区DNA甲基化情况以及用ELISA法检测全基因组DNA甲基化水平。结果:在TNFR基因启动子区域发现阿尔茨海默病和对照组之间在多态性位点rs4149570和rs4149569有显著性差异(P0.001和P=0.033)。阿尔茨海默病患者全基因组甲基化水平为(0.79±0.29)%,显著低于对照组的(1.00±0.36)%(P0.001)。结论:TNFR基因多态性位点rs4149570和rs4149569的变异可能与阿尔茨海默病相关,全基因组甲基化水平降低可能与阿尔茨海默病相关。     

动脉粥样硬化大鼠心肌梗死时钙敏感受体表达的变化及其作用机制

目的:探讨动脉粥样硬化大鼠心肌梗死时钙敏感受体表达的变化及其作用机制。方法:Wistar大鼠随机分为4组:正常对照组(Control);异丙肾上腺组(ISO);动脉硬化组(AS);动脉硬化+异丙肾上腺素组(AS/ISO)。采用腹腔注射VD3和高脂饮食及大剂量异丙肾上腺素(ISO 200 mg/kg)皮下注射复制大鼠在体动脉粥样硬化心肌梗死模型,应用RT-PCR测定心肌组织中Ca SR、Bax、Bcl-2和caspase-3 m RNA的表达变化;TUNEL染色观察心肌细胞凋亡情况;光镜观察心肌形态学变化;紫外分光法检测血清肌酸激酶(CK)、电化学免疫发光法检测肌钙蛋白T(c Tn T)水平。结果:与正常组比较,ISO组CK活性、c Tn T水平以及Ca SR、Bax和caspase-3的表达均增加,同时Bcl-2表达减少,心肌细胞损伤严重,AS/ISO的心肌损伤进一步加重。结论:Ca SR的表达增多参与了动脉硬化大鼠心肌梗死的发生,其机制可能与促进心肌细胞凋亡有关。     

Comparison of the Morphology Development of Polymer–Fullerene and Polymer–Polymer Solar Cells during Solution‐Shearing Blade Coating

In this work, the detailed morphology studies of polymer poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT):fullerene(PCBM) and polymer(P3HT):polymer naphthalene diimide thiophene (PNDIT) solar cell are presented to understand the challenge for getting high performance all‐polymer solar cells. The in situ X‐ray scattering and optical interferometry and ex situ hard and soft X‐ray scattering and imaging techniques are used to characterize the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) ink during drying and in dried state. The crystallization of P3HT polymers in P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction shows very different behavior compared to that of P3HT:PNDIT BHJ due to different mobilities of P3HT in the donor:acceptor glass. Supplemented by the ex situ grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction and soft X‐ray scattering, PNDIT has a lower tendency to form a mixed phase with P3HT than PCBM, which may be the key to inhibit the donor polymer crystallization process, thus creating preferred small phase separation between the donor and acceptor polymer.     

Rendomab B4, a monoclonal antibody that discriminates the human endothelin B receptor of melanoma cells and inhibits their migration

Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognostic, and the design of new targeted drugs to treat melanoma is a therapeutic challenge. A promising approach is to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the endothelin B receptor (ETB), which is known to be overexpressed in melanoma and to contribute to proliferation, migration and vasculogenic mimicry associated with invasiveness of this cancer.

We previously described rendomab-B1, a mAb produced by DNA immunization. It is endowed with remarkable characteristics in term of affinity, specificity and antagonist properties against human ETB expressed by the endothelial cells, but, surprisingly, had poor affinity for ETB expressed by melanoma cells. This characteristic strongly suggested the existence of a tumor-specific ETB form. In the study reported here, we identified a new mAb, rendomab-B4, which, in contrast to rendomab-B1, binds ETB expressed on UACC-257, WM-266-4 and SLM8 melanoma cells. Moreover, after binding to UACC-257 cells, rendomab-B4 is internalized and colocalizes with the endosomal protein EEA-1. Interestingly, rendomab-B4, despite its inability to compete with endothelin binding, is able to inhibit phospholipase C pathway and migration induced by endothelin. By contrast, rendomab-B4 fails to decrease ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by endothelin, suggesting a biased effect on ETB.

These particular properties make rendomab-B4 an interesting tool to analyze ETB-structure/function and a promising starting point for the development of new immunological tools in the field of melanoma therapeutics.     

The calcium‐sensing receptor and integrins modulate cerebellar granule cell precursor differentiation and migration

In the developing cerebellum granule cell precursors (GCPs) proliferate in the external granule cell layer before differentiating and migrating to the inner granule cell layer. Aberrant GCP proliferation leads to medulloblastoma, the most prevalent form of childhood brain cancer. Here, we demonstrate that the calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR), a homodimeric G‐protein coupled receptor, functions in conjunction with cell adhesion proteins, the integrins, to enhance GCP migration and cell homing by promoting GCP differentiation. During the second postnatal week a robust peak in CaSR expression was observed in GCPs; reciprocal immunoprecipitation experiments conducted during this period established that the CaSR and β1 integrins are present together in a macromolecular protein complex. Analysis of cell‐surface proteins demonstrated that activation of the CaSR by positive allosteric modulators promoted plasma membrane expression of β1 integrins via ERK2 and AKT phosphorylation and resulted in increased GCP migration toward an extracellular matrix protein. The results of in vivo experiments whereby CaSR modulators were injected i.c.v. revealed that CaSR activation promoted radial migration of GCPs by enhancing GCP differentiation, and conversely, a CaSR inhibitor disrupted GCP differentiation and promoted GCP proliferation. Our results demonstrate that an ion‐sensing G‐protein coupled receptor acts to promote neuronal differentiation and homing during cerebellar maturation. These findings together with those of others also suggest that CaSR/integrin complexes act to transduce extracellular calcium signals into cellular movement, and may function in this capacity as a universal cell migration/homing complex in the developing brain. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 375–389, 2016     

Cannabinoid receptor 1 ligands revisited: Pharmacological assessment in the ACTOne system

In vitro cannabinoid pharmacology has evolved over time from simple receptor binding to include [³⁵S]GTPγ, β-arrestin, and cAMP assays. Each assay has benefits and drawbacks; however, no single functional system has been used for high-throughput evaluation of compounds from binding to pharmacological functionality and antagonist assessment in a well-characterized human cell line. In this study, we evaluated and validated one system—ACTOne human embryonic kidney cells transfected with a cyclic nucleotide gated channel and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)—and compared human CB1 affinity, functional, and antagonistic effects on cAMP with previously published results. The study was conducted on a diverse group of CB1 ligands, including endocannabinoids and related compounds, 2-AG, AEA, MAEA, and ACEA, the phytocannabinoid Δ⁹ THC, and synthetic cannabinoids CP 55,940, WIN 55,212-2, SR 141716A, CP 945,598, and WIN 55,212-3. Our results were compared with literature values where human CB1 was used for affinity determination and cAMP was used as a functional readout. Here we report the first detailed evaluation of the ACTOne assay for the pharmacological evaluation of CB1 ligands. The results from the study reveal some interesting deviations from previously reported functional activities of the aforementioned ligands.