V型羊毛硫肽雷可肽的抑菌机制

【背景】雷可肽(Lexapeptide)为首例V型羊毛硫肽家族化合物,具有较好的抗革兰氏阳性菌活性,对耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus,MRSA)和表皮葡萄球菌(Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis,MRSE)的抑制作用强于广泛应用的食品防腐剂乳酸链球菌素,其对pH和高温的稳定性也优于乳酸链球菌素,具有较好的应用前景。由于抑菌机制不明确,限制了雷可肽的开发应用。【目的】探究雷可肽抑菌作用特征以及作用机制,为雷可肽开发应用奠定基础。【方法】通过菌落计数法与Mg2+试验表征雷可肽抑菌动力学曲线;采用流式细胞仪和透射电子显微镜研究雷可肽在靶细胞表面的成孔性;利用高效液相色谱与基质辅助激光解吸电离的时间飞行质谱分析雷可肽处理对革兰氏阳性菌肽聚糖前体积累的影响。【结果】雷可肽在抑菌动力学上与乳酸链球菌素没有显著差别,但在更宽的Mg2+浓度范围内仍可保持抑菌活性。雷可肽处理后的细胞具有透过荧光染料的能力,生物型透射电镜观察到细胞发生破损。此外,在雷可肽作用后的细胞中检测到肽聚糖合成的前体尿嘧啶核苷二磷酸-N-乙酰胞壁酸五肽。【结论】雷可肽能够通过抑制细胞壁肽聚糖生物合成并造成细胞损伤进而获得通透性,以此来抑制革兰氏阳性菌生长。     

丙泊酚对全肝缺血再灌注大鼠脑损伤的保护作用及机制研究

目的:探究丙泊酚对全肝缺血再灌注(THIR)大鼠脑损伤的保护作用及机制。方法:选取72只健康成年雄性SD大鼠,将其按照抽签法分成假手术组、对照组以及丙泊酚组。所有大鼠予以12h禁食处理,采用3%戊巴比妥钠行腹腔注射麻醉处理,常规消毒后取上腹部正中切口进入腹腔。假手术组仅暴露肝门,不予以阻断处理。对照组与丙泊酚组则以无创动脉夹阻断肝固有动脉、门静脉和胆总管,在右肾动脉水平处阻断肝下下腔静脉,膈肌水平阻断肝上下腔静脉,进入全肝缺血阶段,阻断30 min后去除动脉夹恢复肝血流。其中丙泊酚组在全肝缺血前10 min予以丙泊酚50 mg/kg腹腔注射干预,假手术组与对照组则予以等量的生理盐水腹腔注射干预。比较三组大鼠再灌注24h后的脑组织细胞凋亡率、特异性半胱氨酸蛋白酶-3(Caspase-3)蛋白表达水平,脑组织超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、丙二醛(MDA)、一氧化氮(NO)水平,血清白介素-6(IL-6)以及肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)水平。结果:对照组与丙泊酚组大鼠的细胞凋亡率及Caspase-3相对表达量均高于假手术组,而丙泊酚组细胞凋亡率及Caspase-3相对表达量均低于对照组(均P<0.05)。对照组与丙泊酚组大鼠脑组织SOD水平均低于假手术组,而丙泊酚组脑组织SOD水平高于对照组;对照组与丙泊酚组大鼠脑组织MDA、NO水平均高于假手术组,而丙泊酚组脑组织MDA、NO水平低于对照组(均P<0.05)。对照组与丙泊酚组大鼠血清IL-6、TNF-α水平均高于假手术组,而丙泊酚组血清IL-6、TNF-α水平均低于对照组(均P<0.05)。结论:丙泊酚可有效抑制THIR大鼠脑损伤引起的细胞凋亡,其主要机制可能与抑制Caspase-3表达、炎症反应以及抗自由基损伤有关。     

姜黄素通过抑制凋亡信号调节激酶1减弱PM2.5短期暴露致大鼠子宫损伤

细颗粒物(PM2.5)是空气动力学直径 ≤ 2.5 μm的颗粒物,能诱发多种疾病。已有大量的流行病学调查证实,PM2.5能够损伤生殖系统,但其致病机制不明确,相关的研究也非常有限。为研究PM2.5短期暴露对大鼠子宫的损伤,以及姜黄素（curcumin, CRC）对其保护作用,本研究将50只雌性SD大鼠随机分为生理盐水对照组、PM2.5暴露组、低剂量姜黄素组（PM2.5+CRC-L）、高剂量姜黄素组（PM2.5+CRC-H）和维生素E干预组（PM2.5+VE）,连续暴露30 d。经PM2.5短期暴露,暴露组雌鼠子宫内膜上皮细胞萎缩,组织结构模糊,内膜腺体细胞和基质细胞排列混乱。给予姜黄素和VE后,子宫内膜损伤明显降低。TUNEL检测凋亡结果显示,PM2.5暴露组子宫组织细胞凋亡率 (48.81±8.27)%明显高于对照组凋亡率（P<0.05）。与PM2.5暴露组相比,姜黄素能降低PM2.5诱发的子宫细胞凋亡,且PM2.5+CRC-H组细胞凋亡率(20.79±3.63)%明显低于暴露组（P<0.05）。与对照组相比,PM2.5暴露组子宫组织活性氧（ROS）含量明显升高（P<0.05）,总抗氧化能力（T-AOC）含量明显降低（P<0.05）;给予姜黄素和VE,能不同程度地缓解子宫氧化应激反应。Western印迹结果显示,与PM2.5暴露组相比,姜黄素和VE能够明显抑制因PM2.5暴露诱导的凋亡信号调节激酶1(ASK1)、c-Jun氨基末端激酶(JNK)、p38 蛋白激酶(p38)磷酸化,以及胱天蛋白酶-3（caspase-3）的活化 (P<0.05)。由此可见,姜黄素能够明显减轻PM2.5短期暴露诱发的子宫损伤,这可能与其抑制ASK1介导的JNK-p38-caspase-3细胞凋亡信号通路有关。     

Predictive markers of safety and immunogenicity of adjuvanted vaccines

Vaccination represents one of the greatest public health triumphs; in part due to the effect of adjuvants that have been included in vaccine preparations to boost the immune responses through different mechanisms. Although a variety of novel adjuvants have been under development, only a limited number have been approved by regulatory authorities for human vaccines. This report reflects the conclusions of a group of scientists from academia, regulatory agencies and industry who attended a conference on the current state of the art in the adjuvant field. Held at the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) in Rockville, Maryland, USA, from 18 to 19 April 2013 and organized by the International Association for Biologicals (IABS), the conference focused particularly on the future development of effective adjuvants and adjuvanted vaccines and on overcoming major hurdles, such as safety and immunogenicity assessment, as well as regulatory scrutiny. More information on the conference output can be found on the IABS website, http://www.iabs.org/.     

Structural and Functional Comparison of Polysaccharide-Degrading Enzymes

Sugar molecules as well as enzymes degrading them are ubiquitously present in physiological systems, especially for vertebrates. Polysaccharides have at least two aspects to their function, one due to their mechanical properties and the second one involves multiple regulatory processes or interactions between molecules, cells, or extracellular space. Various bacteria exert exogenous pressures on their host organism to diversity glycans and their structures in order for the host organism to evade the destructive function of such microbes. Many bacterial organism produce glycan-degrading enzymes in order to facilitate their invasion of host tissues. Such polysaccharide degrading enzymes utilize mainly two modes of polysaccharide-degradation, a hydrolysis and a β-elimination process. The three-dimensional structures of several of these enzymes have been elucidated recently using X-ray crystallography. There are many common structural motifs among these enzymes, mainly the presence of an elongated cleft transversing these molecules which functions as a polysaccharide substrate binding site as well as the catalytic site for these enzymes. The detailed structural information obtained about these enzymes allowed formulation of proposed mechanisms of their action. The polysaccharide lyases utilize a proton acceptance and donation mechanism (PAD), whereas polysaccharide hydrolases use a direct double displacement (DD) mechanism to degrade their substrates.     

An Extracellullar Nuclease from Bacillus Firmus VKPACU-1: Specificity and Mode of Action

An extracellular nuclease from Bacillus firmus VKPACU-1 was multifunctional enzyme, this nuclease hydrolyzed poly U rapidly and more preferentially than the other homopolyribonucleotides. Hydrolysis of RNA this enzyme released mononucleotides in the order 5′UMP > 5′AMP > 5′GMP where as in hydrolysis of DNA the mononucleotides in the order of 5′dAMP > 5′dGMP > 5′dTMP and oligonucleotides. Uridylic linkages in RNA and adenylic linkages in DNA were preferentially cleaved by the nuclease. Nuclease produced oligonucleotides having only 3’ hydroxyl and 5’ phosphate termini. Present nuclease hydrolyzed RNA and DNA released oligonucleotides as major end products and mononucleotides, suggesting an endo mode of action.     

Estrogen Receptor β Signaling Induces Autophagy and Downregulates Glut9 Expression

Glut9 is highly expressed in the human kidney proximal convoluted tubular and plays a crucial role in the regulation of plasma urate levels. The gene effects were stronger among women. Our results show that 17-β-estradiol (E2) through ER (estrogen receptor) β downregulates Glut9 protein expression on human renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK2). Intriguingly, E2 does not affect the expression of Glut9 mRNA. ERβ is linked to PTEN, the PTEN gene negatively regulates the PI3K/AKT pathway, and the PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition may lead to autophagy. Further study indicates that ERβ may affect the expression of Glut9 though autophagy.     

Characterization of bacteriocin bificin C6165: a novel bacteriocin

Aims

To purify and primarily characterize an anti‐Alicyclobacillus bacteriocin produced by Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis CICC 6165, suggested to be named bificin C6165.

Methods and Results

During purification of the bificin C6165, optimal recovery was achieved with ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by two chromatographic steps. Mass spectrometry analyses revealed a distinctive peak corresponding to a molecular mass of 3395·1 Da. This bacteriocin was heat stable, effective after refrigerated storage and freeze–thaw cycles. The primary mode of action of bificin C6165 is most probably due to pore formation, as indicated by the efflux of K⁺ from metabolically active cells of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris. In the presence of 10 mmol l^?1 gadolinium, bificin C6165 did not affect cells of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris. This suggests that the mode of action of bificin C6165 relies on a net negatively charged cell surface.

Conclusions

Bificin C6165 is indeed a novel bacteriocin and it exhibited remarkable potency for Alicyclobacillus control.

Significance and Impact of the Study

Application of bacteriocins in preservation of fruit juices has seldom been studied. Bificin C6165 may be an alternative method to control juice spoilage by this Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and meet increasing consumer demand for nature and artificial chemical additive‐free food products.     

Subtype Identification in Acutely Dissociated Rat Nodose Ganglion Neurons Based on Morphologic Parameters

Nodose ganglia are composed of A-, Ah- and C-type neurons. Despite their important roles in regulating visceral afferent function, including cardiovascular, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal homeostasis, information about subtype-specific expression, molecular identity, and function of individual ion transporting proteins is scarce. Although experiments utilizing the sliced ganglion preparation have provided valuable insights into the electrophysiological properties of nodose ganglion neuron subtypes, detailed characterization of their electrical phenotypes will require measurements in isolated cells. One major unresolved problem, however, is the difficulty to unambiguously identify the subtype of isolated nodose ganglion neurons without current-clamp recording, because the magnitude of conduction velocity in the corresponding afferent fiber, a reliable marker to discriminate subtypes in situ, can no longer be determined. Here, we present data supporting the notion that application of an algorithm regarding to microscopic structural characteristics, such as neuron shape evaluated by the ratio between shortest and longest axis, neuron surface characteristics, like membrane roughness, and axon attachment, enables specific and sensitive subtype identification of acutely dissociated rat nodose ganglion neurons, by which the accuracy of identification is further validated by electrophysiological markers and overall positive predictive rates is 89.26% (90.04%, 76.47%, and 98.21% for A-, Ah, and C-type, respectively). This approach should aid in gaining insight into the molecular correlates underlying phenotypic heterogeneity of nodose ganglia. Additionally, several critical points that help for neuron identification and afferent conduction calibration are also discussed.