Regulation of leukocyte degranulation by cGMP-dependent protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase: potential roles in phosphorylation of target membrane SNARE complex proteins in rat mast cells

We examined the roles of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) and PI3K in degranulation induced by fMLF and by FcepsilonRI cross-linking. In rat basophilic leukemia-2H3 cells expressing formyl peptide receptor, the PKG inhibitors KT5823 and Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMP, as well as the PI3K inhibitor LY294002, reduced agonist-stimulated beta-hexosaminidase release in a dose-dependent manner. These inhibitors also abolished vesicular fusion with the plasma membrane, as evidenced by diminished annexin V staining. Agonist-induced degranulation was completely blocked when LY294002 was applied together with one of the PKG inhibitors, suggesting an additive and possibly synergistic effect. In contrast, the PKG inhibitors did not affect fMLF-induced intracellular calcium mobilization and Akt phosphorylation. Likewise, LY294002 did not alter fMLF-induced elevation of intracellular cGMP concentration, and the inhibitory effect of LY294002 was not reversed by a cell-permeable analog of cGMP. Treatment with fMLF induced phosphorylation of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-attachment protein (SNAP)-23, syntaxins 2, 4, and 6, and Monc18-3. The induced phosphorylation of SNAP-23 and syntaxins 2 and 4 was blocked by Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMP and LY294002. However, LY294002 was less effective in inhibiting Munc18-3 phosphorylation. The induced phosphorylation of syntaxin 6 was not effectively blocked by either Rp-8-Br-PET-cGMP or LY294002. Treatment of human neutrophils with the PKG inhibitors and LY294002 reduced enzyme release from primary, secondary, and tertiary granules. These results suggest that PKG and PI3K are involved in degranulation, possibly through phosphorylation of target membrane SNAP receptor proteins and their binding proteins.     

一株降解N-酰基高丝氨酸内酯酵母菌菌株的分离鉴定及其降解特性

利用N酰基高丝氨酸内酯(N-acyl-homoserine lactone,简称AHL)为唯一碳源和能源,筛选得到一株能够降解AHL的菌株R1。常规鉴定和18S rDNA序列分析表明,菌株R1属于红冬孢酵母菌(Rhodosporidium toruloides),定名为R.toruloidesR1。结果显示R.toruloidesR1能利用所测试的3种AHL作为唯一碳源和能源生长,具有降解AHL的能力,其对AHL依赖型胡萝卜欧文氏软腐病菌(Erwinia carotovora subsp.carotovora)的致病有一定的抑制作用。     

细极链格孢菌peaT2基因在毕赤酵母中的表达及蛋白功能确定

从细极链格孢菌表达文库获得阳性克隆子,序列分析表明,克隆的DNA片段中含有完整的开放阅读框架,将该基因命名为peaT2(GenBank登录号为EF212880)。用PCR法扩增peaT2基因的编码序列并亚克隆到毕赤酵母表达系统的表达载体pPIC9K上,得到重组质粒pPIC9K/peaT2。重组质粒经SacⅠ线性化后用电穿孔法导入到毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)GS115中,采用MD、G418-YPD平板和PCR法筛选Mut 表型,获得了分泌表达的重组毕赤酵母。随机挑取一菌株作为表达菌,用甲醇诱导PeaT2蛋白表达。SDS-PAGE及Western blot检测结果均表明PeaT2在毕赤酵母中成功地分泌表达。用peaT2基因的表达蛋白处理小麦种子,生物测定表明,表达蛋白能明显促进小麦的生长,具有蛋白激发子作用。     

产卵于温暖且热稳定巢内的蜥蜴具有相对较高但较窄范围的孵化温度

作者用蜡皮蜥(Leiolepis reevesii)为模型动物,检验产卵于温暖且热稳定巢内的蜥蜴应有相对较高但较窄的孵化温度的假设。卵在三个恒定温度(27、30和33℃)、一个波动温度处理下孵化。温度的平均值而非方差影响孵化期,27、30和33℃的平均孵化期分别为101.1、69.6和55.3d。幼体性别不受孵化温度影响。不同处理孵出的幼体仅有稍许形态差异,但运动表现差异显著。27℃孵出幼体在跑道上的表现比其它处理孵出幼体差。卵能在27℃和33℃下孵化,但这两个孵化温度并不适宜。蜡皮蜥适宜的孵化温度范围可能处于最频繁的巢温变化范围(28℃-32℃)内。与其它在低温生境或温暖生境但产卵于浅巢的有鳞类爬行动物相比较,蜡皮蜥有相对较高但较窄适宜的卵孵化温度。因此,作者的数据支持上述假设。     

Cardiovascular responses to intrathecal administration of endomorphins in anesthetized rats

Endomorphins (EMs), the endogenous, potent and selective mu-opioid receptor agonists, have been shown to decrease systemic arterial pressure (SAP) in rats after intravenous (i.v.) administration. In the present study, cardiovascular responses to intrathecal (i.t.) injection of EMs were investigated in urethane-anesthetized rats. It is noteworthy that EMs elicited decreases in SAP and heart rate (HR) in a dose-dependent manner; 10-300nmol/kg were injected intrathecally. Furthermore, these vasodepressor and bradycardic effects were significantly antagonized by naloxone (0.5mg/kg, i.t.). Interestingly, i.t. (5mg/kg) or i.v. (50mg/kg) administrations of N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methylester (l-NAME) attenuated the vasodepressor and bradycardic effects. Moreover, pretreatment of the rats with muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (2mg/kg, i.v.) and alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine (1mg/kg, i.v.) significantly reduced the vasodepressor effects of EMs. Nevertheless, pretreatment with beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (2mg/kg, i.v.) could only block the bradycardia effects induced by EMs, but had no significant effects on the hypotension. In summary, all the results suggested that i.t. administration of EMs decreased SAP and HR which were possibly mediated by the activation of opioid receptors in the rat spinal cord. In addition, nitric oxide (NO) release in both the spinal cord and in peripheral tissues might regulate the cardiovascular activities of EMs, and the muscarinic receptor and adrenoceptor played an important role in the regulation of the cardiovascular responses to i.t. administration of EMs.     

In vitro and in vivo characterization of opioid activities of endomorphins analogs with novel constrained C-terminus: evidence for the important role of proper spatial disposition of the third aromatic ring

In the present study, the C-terminus of endomorphin (Tyr(1)-Pro(2)-Trp/Phe(3)-Phe(4)-NH(2), EMs) analogs [Xaa(4)-R]EMs, modified by substitution of a non-aromatic residue for Phe(4) and ending up with -NH-benzyl, were designed to generate an atypical conformationally constrained peptide set. We investigated the effects of these analogs on the opioid receptors affinity, guinea pig ileum (GPI) and mouse vas deferens (MVD) activity, system arterial pressure (SAP), heart rate (HR), antinociception and colonic motility. Analogs 5 ([D-V(4)-Bzl]EM1) and 10 ([D-V(4)-Bzl]EM2), which exhibit appropriate spatial orientations of the third aromatic ring, were about 3-4 times more potent than their parents both in vivo and in vitro. However, a drastic loss of activity was found in analogs 2 ([A(4)-Bzl]EM1) and 7 ([A(4)-Bzl]EM2), which possess improper spatial orientations of the third aromatic ring. Interestingly, analog 7 or 3 ([G(4)-Bzl]EM1), when injected intravenously (i.v.), produced significantly different changes in SAP from their parents. Surprisingly, analog 4 displayed relatively higher vasodepressor activity but significantly less potent colonic contractile activity than analog 5. This may be elicited by the differences in the spatial disposition of the third aromatic ring, which were verified by molecular modeling. Our results indicate that the proper spatial disposition of the third aromatic ring plays an important role in the regulation of pharmacological activities of EMs.     

持久性有机污染物γ-六六六生物降解研究进展

γ-六六六(γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane,γ-HCH)是一种有机氯杀虫剂,由于它具有持久性和很高的毒性,成为顽固性的世界性污染物。目前从世界上不同的受HCH污染的地区中已经分离出许多能够降解HCH的微生物,其中一些微生物对γ-HCH的降解途径得到了阐明,降解基因/酶也得到了鉴定。综述了γ-HCH降解菌的多样性、降解途径、降解基因和酶,为γ-HCH的生物修复提供了参考。