树鼩作为丙型肝炎动物模型的HCV受体研究进展

丙型肝炎病毒(hepatitis C virus,HCV)全球流行、危害严重,合适的小动物模型的缺乏严重阻碍了药物和疫苗的研发。该文介绍丙型肝炎危害与病毒复制特点,以HCV入胞受体为重点,通过比较现有丙型肝炎动物模型,从分子水平探讨树鼩作为丙型肝炎动物模型的可能性。     

Multiple modalities converge on a common gate to control K2P channel function

Members of the K_2P potassium channel family regulate neuronal excitability and are implicated in pain, anaesthetic responses, thermosensation, neuroprotection, and mood. Unlike other potassium channels, K_2Ps are gated by remarkably diverse stimuli that include chemical, thermal, and mechanical modalities. It has remained unclear whether the various gating inputs act through separate or common channel elements. Here, we show that protons, heat, and pressure affect activity of the prototypical, polymodal K_2P, K_2P2.1 (KCNK2/TREK‐1), at a common molecular gate that comprises elements of the pore‐forming segments and the N‐terminal end of the M4 transmembrane segment. We further demonstrate that the M4 gating element is conserved among K_2Ps and is employed regardless of whether the gating stimuli are inhibitory or activating. Our results define a unique gating mechanism shared by K_2P family members and suggest that their diverse sensory properties are achieved by coupling different molecular sensors to a conserved core gating apparatus.     

8-异戊烯基柑橘素促进体外培养成骨细胞成熟矿化的研究

研究8-异戊烯基柑橘素对体外培养大鼠颅骨成骨细胞(rat skull osteoblasts,ROB)的分化成熟及生物矿化的影响.取新生大鼠颅骨多次酶消化法得到成骨细胞,培养于含10%FBS的MEM培养液中,3天后首次换液,待细胞铺满皿底传代培养.以碱性磷酸酶(alkaline phosphatase,ALP)为检测指标,96孔板梯度筛选作用最佳浓度,在最佳浓度作用并成骨性诱导培养的第3、6、9、12天测ALP活性、钙盐沉积量;第12天进行ALP和钙化结节组织化学染色及计数;成骨性诱导后不同时间点提取Total RNA,RT real-time PCR法检测成纤维细胞生长因子(bFGF)、胰岛素样生长因子-1(IGF-1)、成骨相关转录因子Osterix、Runx-2和骨形态发生蛋白-2(BMP-2)的基因表达情况;成骨性诱导的第4、8、12天裂解获得细胞总蛋白,蛋白质印迹法检测人Ⅰ型胶原蛋白(COL-Ⅰ)的蛋白质表达量.研究结果表明:1×10-6 mol/L能显著促进成骨细胞的成熟分化,表现为提高ROB的ALP活性、促进钙盐沉积、增加钙化结节数量;提高bFGF、IGF-1、Osterix、Runx-2和BMP-2 mRNA表达水平;促进COL-Ⅰ的合成.由此可知终浓度为1×10-6 mol/L 8-异戊烯基柑橘素能显著促进ROB的分化成熟及生物矿化,证明8-异戊烯基柑橘素能促进成骨细胞的分化成熟及生物矿化,作为促进骨修复和抗骨质疏松的有效成分具有较大的药用价值.     

大黄素、维生素C及其配伍对团头鲂抗拥挤胁迫的影响

选取1200尾健康的团头鲂(Megalobrama amblycephala Yih),体重为(133.44±2.11)g,随机分成4组,其中1组为对照组,投喂基础日粮(含50.3 mg/kg维生素C,以L-抗坏血酸-2-多聚磷酸酯为Vc源),另外3组为试验组,投喂饲料是在基础日粮中分别添加60 mg/kg大黄素、700 mg/kg Vc、60 mg/kg大黄素+700 mg/kg Vc。饲养60d后,从各池中取25尾规格基本一致的鱼,进行连续48h的拥挤胁迫(100 g/L)实验,分别于0h、12h、24h、48h取样分析团头鲂血液和肝脏的生化指标以及肝脏两种HSP70s mRNA的表达水平,并统计各组鱼的累积死亡率。结果表明,在拥挤胁迫前,与对照组相比,大黄素、Vc组显著提高了团头鲂血清总蛋白(TP)、溶菌酶(LSZ)和碱性磷酸酶(AKP)的水平,肝脏超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)的活性和诱导型HSP70 mRNA的表达水平,降低了血清皮质醇(COR)、甘油三酯(TG)以及肝脏丙二醛(MDA)的含量(P<0.05),且大黄素组还显著提高了肝脏过氧化氢酶(CAT)的活性(P<0.05);配伍组虽然血清TP、LSZ以及肝脏HSP70 mRNA的水平显著升高,肝脏MDA的含量也显著降低(P<0.05),但均未表现出协同增效作用。在拥挤胁迫后,与对照组相比,大黄素、Vc组不同程度地提高了团头鲂血清TP和AKP的水平,肝脏SOD和CAT的活性以及HSC70和HSP70 mRNAs的表达水平,降低了血清COR、葡萄糖(GLU)、谷丙转氨酶(GPT)、谷草转氨酶(GOT)、TG以及肝脏MDA的水平,而LSZ活性表现为先下降后升高;在配伍组中,这些指标虽然有类似以上的变化趋势,但大多差异不显著(P>0.05),且同样未表现出协同增效作用。统计表明,大黄素和Vc组鱼的累积死亡率在拥挤胁迫24h、48h均显著低于对照组(P<0.05),而配伍组与对照组的差异均不显著(P>0.05)。由此可见,在基础日粮中添加大黄素60 mg/kg或Vc 700 mg/kg,可提高团头鲂的非特异性免疫力、抗氧化能力以及两种HSP70s mRNA的表达水平,增强鱼体的抗应激能力。二者配伍则效果不佳,其相互作用的机理还有待于进一步研究。     

银胶浓度对电穿孔获取细胞内表面增强拉曼光谱的影响

探究了银胶浓度对于电穿孔导入银纳米粒子获取细胞内表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)的影响.对6组含有不同浓度银胶的鼻咽癌细胞C666进行电穿孔,测量电穿孔后活细胞内表面增强拉曼光谱.以测得的SERS信号、光谱强度积分值和谱线重复性为指标,研究银胶浓度对电穿孔获取细胞内SERS的影响,对电穿孔后活性C666细胞内SERS平均光谱进行初步谱峰归属.在脉冲电场强度875 V/cm,脉冲持续时间1 ms,电脉冲2次的条件下,每500μl电击缓冲液中含有50μl银胶时测得的细胞内SERS光谱信噪比高,且光谱具有较好的重复性.结果说明,正确选择银胶浓度可以提高电穿孔-SERS效果,获取高质量的活细胞内SERS信号.此研究有助于扩展表面增强拉曼光谱的应用,包括实时检测分析活细胞内生化成分及分布,实时监测细胞生化变化过程等.     

Functional characterization of human myosin-binding protein C3 variants associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy reveals exon-specific cardiac phenotypes in zebrafish model

Myosin-binding protein C 3 (MYBPC3) variants are the most common cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM is a complex cardiac disorder due to its significant genetic and clinical heterogeneity. MYBPC3 variants genotype–phenotype associations remain poorly understood. We investigated the impact of two novel human MYBPC3 splice-site variants: V1: c.654+2_654+4dupTGG targeting exon 5 using morpholino MOe5i5; and V2: c.772+1G>A targeting exon 6 using MOe6i6; located within C1 domain of cMyBP-C protein, known to be critical in regulating sarcomere structure and contractility. Zebrafish MOe5i5 and MOe6i6 morphants recapitulated typical characteristics of human HCM with cardiac phenotypes of varying severity, including reduced cardiomyocyte count, thickened ventricular myocardial wall, a drastic reduction in heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output. Analysis of all cardiac morphological and functional parameters demonstrated that V2 cardiac phenotype was more severe than V1. Coinjection with synthetic human MYBPC3 messenger RNA (mRNA) partially rescued disparate cardiac phenotypes in each zebrafish morphant. While human MYBPC3 mRNA partially restored the decreased heart rate in V1 morphants and displayed increased percentages of ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and area change, it failed to revert the V1 ventricular myocardial thickness. These results suggest a possible V1 impact on cardiac contractility. In contrast, attempts to rescue V2 morphants only restored the ventricular myocardial wall hypertrophy phenotype but had no significant effect on impaired heart rate, suggesting a potential V2 impact on the cardiac structure. Our study provides evidence of an association between MYBPC3 exon-specific cardiac phenotypes in the zebrafish model providing important insights into how these genetic variants contribute to HCM disease.     

Cholesterol sensing by CD81 is important for hepatitis C virus entry

CD81 plays a central role in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Recent structural analysis of CD81 indicates that it contains an intramembrane cholesterol-binding pocket and that interaction with cholesterol may regulate a conformational switch in the large extracellular domain of CD81. Therefore, CD81 possesses a potential cholesterol-sensing mechanism; however, its relevance for protein function is thus far unknown. In this study we investigate CD81 cholesterol sensing in the context of its activity as a receptor for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Structure-led mutagenesis of the cholesterol-binding pocket reduced CD81–cholesterol association but had disparate effects on HCV entry, both reducing and enhancing CD81 receptor activity. We reasoned that this could be explained by alterations in the consequences of cholesterol binding. To investigate this further we performed molecular dynamic simulations of CD81 with and without cholesterol; this identified a potential allosteric mechanism by which cholesterol binding regulates the conformation of CD81. To test this, we designed further mutations to force CD81 into either the open (cholesterol-unbound) or closed (cholesterol-bound) conformation. The open mutant of CD81 exhibited reduced HCV receptor activity, whereas the closed mutant enhanced activity. These data are consistent with cholesterol sensing switching CD81 between a receptor active and inactive state. CD81 interactome analysis also suggests that conformational switching may modulate the assembly of CD81–partner protein networks. This work furthers our understanding of the molecular mechanism of CD81 cholesterol sensing, how this relates to HCV entry, and CD81''s function as a molecular scaffold; these insights are relevant to CD81''s varied roles in both health and disease.     

CARD14/CARMA2sh and TANK differentially regulate poly(I:C)–induced inflammatory reaction in keratinocytes

CARD14/CARMA2sh (CARMA2sh) is a scaffold protein whose mutations are associated with the onset of human genetic psoriasis and other inflammatory skin disorders. Here we show that the immunomodulatory adapter protein TRAF family member-associated NF-κB activator (TANK) forms a complex with CARMA2sh and MALT1 in a human keratinocytic cell line. We also show that CARMA2 and TANK are individually required to activate the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) response following exposure to polyinosinic-polycytidylic (poly [I:C]), an agonist of toll-like receptor 3. Finally, we present data indicating that TANK is essential for activation of the TBK1/IRF3 pathway following poly (I:C) stimulation, whereas CARMA2sh functions as a repressor of it. More important, we report that two CARMA2sh mutants associated with psoriasis bind less efficiently to TANK and are therefore less effective in suppressing the TBK1/IRF3 pathway. Overall, our data indicate that TANK and CARMA2sh regulate TLR3 signaling in human keratinocytes, which could play a role in the pathophysiology of psoriasis.