Characterization of Flavin-Containing Opine Dehydrogenase from Bacteria

Opines, in particular nopaline and octopine, are specific compounds found in crown gall tumor tissues induced by infections with Agrobacterium species, and are synthesized by well-studied NAD(P)H-dependent dehydrogenases (synthases), which catalyze the reductive condensation of α-ketoglutarate or pyruvate with L-arginine. The corresponding genes are transferred into plant cells via a tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid. In addition to the reverse oxidative reaction(s), the genes noxB-noxA and ooxB-ooxA are considered to be involved in opine catabolism as (membrane-associated) oxidases; however, their properties have not yet been elucidated in detail due to the difficulties associated with purification (and preservation). We herein successfully expressed Nox/Oox-like genes from Pseudomonas putida in P. putida cells. The purified protein consisted of different α-, β-, and γ-subunits encoded by the OdhA, OdhB, and OdhC genes, which were arranged in tandem on the chromosome (OdhB-C-A), and exhibited dehydrogenase (but not oxidase) activity toward nopaline in the presence of artificial electron acceptors such as 2,6-dichloroindophenol. The enzyme contained FAD, FMN, and [2Fe-2S]-iron sulfur as prosthetic groups. On the other hand, the gene cluster from Bradyrhizobium japonicum consisted of OdhB ₁ -C-A-B ₂, from which two proteins, OdhAB₁C and OdhAB₂C, appeared through the assembly of each β-subunit together with common α- and γ-subunits. A poor phylogenetic relationship was detected between OdhB₁ and OdhB₂ in spite of them both functioning as octopine dehydrogenases, which provided clear evidence for the acquisition of novel functions by “subunit-exchange”. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to have examined flavin-containing opine dehydrogenase.     

溴氰菊酯中毒引起家蝇神经系统环腺苷酸(cAMP)含量的改变

环腺苷酸(cAMP)可在神经传递物刺激腺苷酸环化酶的作用下产生,而坏腺苷酸又可促成神经传递物的产生.用溴氰菊酯(deltamethrin)处理家蝇后,发现酪胺大量增加,主要由于酪氨酸脱羧酶受到诱导、活性增高所致.处理后一小时,cAMP也有增加,并与酶活性的增加相平行,但酪氨酸脱羧酶活性增高的曲线与cAMP量增加的曲线,实际上并不平行,因酪氨酸脱羧酶的活性是先增加,然后下降,而cAMP的量则是在开始时有一个小的下降,接着一直上升,而此时酶的诱导已下降,cAMP含量在诱导开始时出现下降的原因尚不明,可能与环鸟苷酸(cGMP)有关.但随后的上升显然是由于酪胺或章鱼胺的增加所造成.目前已证实,酪胺可经β-羟化作用形成章鱼胺,后者再刺激章鱼胺受体,而使腺苷酸环化酶活化,产生大量的cAMP.酪胺本身也可能就是章鱼胺受体的激活剂.     

电刺激杏仁复合体诱发心律失常及其下行神经通路的初步探讨

电刺激杏仁复合体能诱发心律失常。心律失常的类型为心动过缓伴室性或结性期外收缩。刺激杏仁复合体不同亚核均能诱发心律失常,不同类型的心律失常在核内具有相应的代表点。心律失常发作与杏仁局部区域诱发的爆发性后放电有关。推测杏仁复合体内神经元过度激活可能通过杏仁-迷走神经运动背核及杏仁-下丘脑外侧区等通路下行,使心率减慢、房室传导阻滞而导致心律失常。     

清醒狗短暂缺血心肌复灌注时舒缩功能的变化

在狗的心脏上装入微超声探头和高精度微压力传感器,手术后两星期,在清醒状态下给予左冠状动脉旋支阻断三分钟。在复灌注过程中,观察到血液动力学指标与收缩期心室壁厚度(WT)迅速恢复正常;但在 dWT/dt—WT 环形图上出现舒张早期异常相,其形状与缺血过程不同。低氧和急遽冠状动脉过度充盈可以产生此种异常图形。我们推测,心肌缺血可能促使一些产物的形成,复灌注时它使冠脉过度舒张,冠脉灌注增加,从而造成舒张早期急遽充盈而形成了此种异常的形图。     

肾神经在扩张心房时对尿量和尿钠排出的作用

单侧肾去神经的麻醉狗,用乳胶小囊扩张肺静脉-心房连接部,观察到神经完好肾的尿流量与排钠量均显著增加(P<0.01);去神经肾的尿流量仍显著增加(P<0 01),但排钠量无明显变化(P>0.05);两侧肾的肾小球滤过率(GFR)及肾血浆流量(RPF)均保持稳定;神经完好肾的静脉血浆肾素活性(PRA)及血管紧张素Ⅱ水平(PAⅡ)均明显降低,PAⅡ降低的幅度与尿流量增加的幅度无相关(r=-0.2975,P>0.05);与排钠量增加的幅度也无相关(r=-0.2359,P>0.05);去神经肾的PRA和PAⅡ都没有显著变化。说明在刺激心房感受器引起的利尿与尿钠排泄的反应中,肾神经主要促进肾对尿钠的排出。肾神经的这种作用既不是通过改变GFR和RPF,也不是抑制肾素的释放,而可能是由于直接影响肾小管对钠的重吸收。     

马铃薯Y病毒外壳蛋白基因的克隆及序列分析

本文报道应用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)技术,在体外扩增马铃薯 Y 病毒外壳蛋白基因及其克隆和序列分析的结果。病毒 RNA 从马铃薯 Y 病毒感染的烟草叶片中提取,用合成的PCR 3引物及 AMV 逆转录酶合成了单链的 cDNA。利用 PCR 技术,经30个循玎的扩增。得到了一特异的0.8kb 片段。克隆后对此片段进行了限制性内切酶物理图谱分析,并测定了其全序列。实验结果证明,我们克隆到的是完整的马铃薯 Y 病毒的外壳蛋白基因。与国外报道的马铃薯 Y 病毒 N 株相比,其核苷酸序列及推测的氨基酸序列的同源率分别为97.8%和97%。将该基因导入马铃薯以期获得抗 Y 病毒马铃薯的工作正在进行。本文还对 PCR 技术用于扩增植物 RNA 病毒的方法以及用基因工程方法培育抗病毒作物新品种的可行性等进行了讨论。