Dynamic regulation of uncoupling protein 2 content in INS-1E insulinoma cells

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) regulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells. UCP2 content, measured by calibrated immunoblot in INS-1E insulinoma cells (a pancreatic beta-cell model) grown in RPMI medium, and INS-1E mitochondria, was 2.0 ng/million cells (7.9 ng/mg mitochondrial protein). UCP2 content was lower in cells incubated without glutamine and higher in cells incubated with 20 mM glucose, and varied from 1.0-4.4 ng/million cells (2.7-14.5 ng/mg mitochondrial protein). This dynamic response to nutrients was achieved by varied expression rates against a background of a very short UCP2 protein half-life of about 1 h.     

Methionine sulfoximine supplementation enhances productivity in GS–CHOK1SV cell lines through glutathione biosynthesis

In Lonza Biologics' GS Gene Expression System?, recombinant protein‐producing GS–CHOK1SV cell lines are generated by transfection with an expression vector encoding both GS and the protein product genes followed by selection in MSX and glutamine‐free medium. MSX is required to inhibit endogenous CHOK1SV GS, and in effect create a glutamine auxotrophy in the host that can be complemented by the expression vector encoded GS in selected cell lines. However, MSX is not a specific inhibitor of GS as it also inhibits the activity of GCL (a key enzyme in the glutathione biosynthesis pathway) to a similar extent. Glutathione species (GSH and GSSG) have been shown to provide both oxidizing and reducing equivalents to ER‐resident oxidoreductases, raising the possibility that selection for transfectants with increased GCL expression could result in the isolation of GS–CHOKISV cell lines with improved capacity for recombinant protein production. In this study we have begun to address the relationship between MSX supplementation, the amount of intracellular GCL subunit and mAb production from a panel of GS–CHOK1SV cell lines. We then evaluated the influence of reduced GCL activity on batch culture of an industrially relevant mAb‐producing GS–CHOK1SV cell line. To the best of our knowledge, this paper describes for the first time the change in expression of GCL subunits and recombinant mAb production in these cell lines with the degree of MSX supplementation in routine subculture. Our data also shows that partial inhibition of GCL activity in medium containing 75 µM MSX increases mAb productivity, and its more specific inhibitor BSO used at a concentration of 80 µM in medium increases the specific rate of mAb production eight‐fold and the concentration in harvest medium by two‐fold. These findings support a link between the inhibition of glutathione biosynthesis and recombinant protein production in industrially relevant systems and provide a process‐driven method for increasing mAb productivity from GS–CHOK1SV cell lines. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:17–25, 2017     

Effect of H4R antagonist N-(2-aminoethyl)-5-chloro-1H-indol-2-carboxamides and 5-chloro-2-(piperazin-1-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazole on histamine and 4-methylhistamine-induced mast cell response

Context: The histamine plays a decisive role in acute and chronic inflammatory responses and is regulated through its four types of distinct receptors designated from H1 to H4. Recently histamine 4 receptor (H4R) antagonists have been reported to possess various pharmacological effects against various allergic diseases.

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effect of N-(2-aminoethyl)-5-chloro-1H-indol-2-carboxamide (Compound A) and 5-chloro-2-(piperazin-1-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazole (Compound L) on H4R-mediated calcium mobilization, cytokine IL-13 production, ERK1/2, Akt and NF-κB activation in human mastocytoma cells-1 (HMC-1).

Materials and methods: Compounds A and L were synthesized chemically and their inhibitory effect on intracellular calcium release was analyzed by Fluo-4 calcium assay, cytokine measurement through ELISA and activation of signaling molecules by western blot.

Results: Pre-treatment with compounds A and L significantly reduced the H4R-mediated intracellular calcium release. Histamine and 4-methylhistamine (4-MH) induced Th2 cytokine IL-13 production in HMC-1 cells, was inhibited by compound A (77.61%, 74.25% at 1?μM concentration) and compound L (79.63%, 81.70% at 1?μM concentration). Furthermore, histamine induced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, Akt and NF-κB was suppressed by compounds A and L at varying levels, ERK1/2 (88%, 86%), Akt (88%, 89%) and NF-κB (89%, 87%) in HMC-1 cells.

Discussion and conclusions: Taken together these data demonstrate that compound A and compound L may block H4R-mediated downstream signaling events.     

KINETICS OF AMMONIUM ASSIMILATION IN TWO SEAWEEDS, ENTEROMORPHA SP. (CHLOROPHYCEAE) AND OSMUNDARIA COLENSOI (RHODOPHYCEAE)

The kinetics of ammonium assimilation were investigated in two seaweeds from northeastern New Zealand, Enteromorpha sp. (Chlorophyceae, Ulvales) and Osmundaria colensoi (Hook. f. et Harvey) R.E. Norris (Rhodophyceae, Ceramiales), with the use of a recently developed method for measuring assimilation. In contrast to ammonium uptake, which was nonsaturable, ammonium assimilation exhibited Michaelis–Menten kinetics in both species. Maximum rates of assimilation (V_max) were 27 and 12 μmol·(g DW)⁻¹·h⁻¹ for Enteromorpha sp. and O. colensoi, respectively, with half-saturation (K_m) constants for assimilation of 18 and 41 μM. At environmentally relevant concentrations, assimilation accounted for all of the ammonium taken up by both species. The maximum rate of assimilation in Enteromorpha sp. resembled very closely that of the ammonium assimilatory enzyme, glutamine synthetase, when activities of the latter were measured in the presence of subsaturating substrate (glutamate and ATP) concentrations. Moreover, the initial rate of glutamine production (measured with HPLC) following ammonium enrichment was almost identical to the rates determined above. The rate of ammonium assimilation was therefore determined by three independent methods, two of which involve in vivo measurements, and it is suggested that the use of assimilation kinetics may be useful when examining the nutrient relations of seaweeds.     

Improving Compound Quality through in vitro and in silico Physicochemical Profiling

Many compounds entering clinical studies do not survive the numerous hurdles for a good pharmacological lead to a drug on the market. The reasons for attrition have been widely studied which resulted in more early attention to compound quality related to physical chemistry, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), and toxicology/safety. This paper will briefly review current physicochemical in vitro assays and in silico predictions to support compound and library design through to lead optimization. The most important physicochemical properties include lipophilicity (log P/D), pK_a, solubility, and permeability. These drive key ADMET properties such as absorption, cell penetration, access to the brain, volume of distribution, plasma protein binding, metabolism, and toxicity, as well as biopharmaceutical behavior. Much data are now available from medium‐ to high‐throughput physchem and ADMET in vitro assays, either in the public domain (see, e.g., PubChem, PubMed) or in drug companies' in‐house databases. Such data are increasingly being computer‐modelled and used in predictive chemistry. New pipelining technology makes it easier to build and update QSAR models so that such models can use the latest available data to produce robust local and global predictive in silico ADMET models.     

家族性高胆固醇血症患者低密度脂蛋白受体基因复合杂合突变分析

目的:对1例临床确诊为纯合型家族性高胆固醇血症(FH)先证者及其核心家系成员进行基因检测分析,探讨患儿发病的分子病理基础.方法:收集先证者及父母血标本及临床资料,酚氯仿法提取基因组DNA,DNA直接测序方法检测低密度脂蛋白受体(LDL-R)基因18个外显子和启动子及载脂蛋白B(ApoB100)R3500Q位点,核苷酸序列分析结果与Gen Bank比对寻找突变.结果:(1)先证者三尖瓣轻度关闭不全,先证者父母双侧颈总动脉内-中膜增厚,先证者母亲左侧颈内动脉起始处后壁多发混合回声斑块(2)该家系排除ApoB100基因R3500Q突变;(3)先证者LDL-R基因第13外显子发生A606T和D601Y复合杂合突变,前者第1879位G→A碱基置换,导致丙氨酸改变为苏氨酸,后者为1864位G>T碱基置换,导致天冬氨酸改变为酪氨酸,其父为携带A606T突变的杂合子,其母为携带D601Y突变的杂合子.结论:先证者LDL-R基因存在A606T和D601Y复合杂合突变,它们分别来源于父系及母系遗传.     

实验性大鼠溃疡性结肠炎菌群失调的诊断及复方树舌的治疗观察

目的探讨对溃疡性结肠炎厌氧菌菌群失调简便检查方法,寻找有效治疗溃疡性结肠炎的中药合剂。方法用冰乙酸诱发大鼠结肠炎模型,用复方树舌中药治疗,在治疗期间分别检测每组大鼠厌氧菌代谢产物、挥发性脂肪酸的含量、了解肠厌氧菌群改变,一般切片行HE染色,观察病理变化。结果（1）模型组大鼠挥发性脂肪酸明显低于正常组（P〈0．05）;pH从第2天起升高明显高于正常对照组（P〈0．05）,各治疗组与自然恢复组比较差异有显著性（P〈0．05）。（2）自然恢复组与各用药组间的炎症评分比较P〈0．01,各治疗组间比较,树舌加丽珠肠乐组组织损伤评分小（P〈0．05）。结论（1）测定厌氧菌的代谢产物挥发性脂肪酸含量,即可对肠内厌氧菌菌群失调做出判断。（2）实验证明,复方树舌中药可作为益生元调节肠道菌群失调及黏膜的修复,对溃疡性结肠炎疗效显著。     

Functional replacement of a primary metabolic pathway via multiple independent eukaryote‐to‐eukaryote gene transfers and selective retention

Although lateral gene transfer (LGT) is now recognized as a major force in the evolution of prokaryotes, the contribution of LGT to the evolution and diversification of eukaryotes is less understood. Notably, transfers of complete pathways are believed to be less likely between eukaryotes, because the successful transfer of a pathway requires the physical clustering of functionally related genes. Here, we report that in one of the closest unicellular relatives of animals, the choanoflagellate, Monosiga, three genes whose products work together in the glutamate synthase cycle are of algal origin. The concerted retention of these three independently acquired genes is best explained as the consequence of a series of adaptive replacement events. More generally, this study argues that (i) eukaryote‐to‐eukaryote transfers of entire metabolic pathways are possible, (ii) adaptive functional replacements of primary pathways can occur, and (iii) functional replacements involving eukaryotic genes are likely to have also contributed to the evolution of eukaryotes. Lastly, these data underscore the potential contribution of algal genes to the evolution of nonphotosynthetic lineages.     

麦套不同熟性棉复合群体的生产力及生理生态特性

1　引　　言为了进一步提高棉花单产 ,针对解决短季棉夏播晚熟和麦套高产棉田中后期群体过大 ,脱落严重等问题 ,有人从种植方式上进行了短季棉提早套种密矮早模式和短季棉与中熟棉间作模式的研究和探索[8,9,13 ] ,指出适宜的间套方式可获得显著增产 .研究表明 ,塑造具有更高生产潜力的优质群体 ,促使棉花群体早发快长 ,早现蕾早开花 ,延长开花结铃期 ,提高有效ＬＡＩ ,并延长其持续期 ,实现棉花高能期与高光能季节同步早、同步期长 ,是进一步提高棉花单产的关键[1,7,10 ,11] .本文试图通过 6 2 2式春季麦套早熟棉 ,麦收后再在麦畦上移栽两…     

草丁膦对转bar基因水稻GS酶活性和光合功能的影响

喷施草丁膦后,对草丁膦无抗性水稻Cypress(未转bar基因)叶片的谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活性先受到抑制,随后叶片内NH 4积累上升,叶绿素含量、PSⅡ原初光化学效率(Fv/Fm)、光能转化效率(ΦPSⅡ)和叶片叶绿素荧光的光化学猝灭系数(qp)下降,光合速率显著降低;最后引起植株死亡.另一方面,Cypress PB-6(转bar基因抗草丁膦水稻)的GS酶活性在喷施草丁膦后虽然先被抑制,但随后能恢复至正常水平,接着NH 4积累下降,草丁膦对叶绿素含量、荧光参数Fv/Fm、ΦPSⅡ、qp的影响被解除,光合速率恢复到正常水平,整个植株生长正常.