主要组织相容性复合体单倍型鸭抗原处理相关转运体单抗的制备

目的制备鸭抗原处理相关转运体(TAP)特异性单抗,为深入利用实验鸭开展免疫学研究提供实验材料。方法利用大肠埃希菌诱导表达主要组织相容性复合体(MHC)单倍型HBW-SPF鸭TAP蛋白肽结合区片段,表达产物经镍柱纯化后免疫BALB/c小鼠,采用ELISA技术筛选特异性单抗分泌杂交瘤细胞株。将阳性细胞株制备小鼠腹水,作为一抗,与多次截短表达TAP蛋白肽结合区进行蛋白免疫印迹试验,鉴定单抗针对的抗原表位。通过间接免疫荧光试验比较该单抗对实验鸭和鸡外周血淋巴细胞的反应性,利用免疫组织化学技术检测对SPF鸡、SPF鸭、鹌鹑、鹅和SPF猪的特异性。结果获得一株鸭TAP单抗1A6,抗原表位位于²⁹⁷NARHQMLQQAVLDATAGTGMVVQEAI³²²,对鸡和鸭外周血淋巴细胞具有免疫荧光反应性;在鸡和鸭的肠黏膜固有层检测到大量特异性信号,在猪、鹌鹑和鹅没有检测到信号。结论获得了一株具有鸡和鸭反应性的抗原转运相关体特异性的单抗,可运用于禽类实验动物在禽病学和禽免疫学方面的研究。     

新模式植物短柄二叶草SGT1 和RAR1 基因沉默和蛋白纯化载体构建

短柄二叶草作为一种新型的模式植物,已成为当前研究热点.其具有基因组小、生长周期短、生存环境简单和容易人工转化等重要生理和遗传特性,被认为是一种潜力巨大的人类研究能源和粮食作物的重要模式植物.SGT1和RAR1基因是高度保守的并与植物抗病功能紧密相关的重要基因.本文采用Gateway克隆技术构建了SGT1和RAR1的基因沉默表达载体.阳性克隆载体经PCR、酶切和测序鉴定.为进一步研究SGT1和RAR1互作蛋白及其功能,采用该克隆技术将基因cDNA全长克隆至串联亲和纯化蛋白表达载体pEarleyGate205中,为纯化SGT1和RAR1及其互作蛋白提供了基础.正确的阳性克隆载体经农杆菌介导转化至短柄二叶草Bd21获得转化株,以期进一步研究SGT1和RAR1基因及蛋白互作对于短柄二叶草抗病功能的影响.     

Comparative Multiplexed Mass Spectrometric Analyses of Endogenously Expressed Yeast Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Exosomes

Here we combined tandem affinity purification with several mass-spectrometry-based approaches to gain more insight into the composition and structure of the yeast nuclear-cytoplasmic exosome protein complex. The yeast exosome fulfills several different functions in RNA metabolism and can be localized in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. These two exosome complexes differ in protein composition, although they share several constituents. We focused on these differences in composition by selecting a nuclear-specific exosome protein (Rrp6) and a cytoplasmic-specific protein (Ski7) as the tandem-affinity-purification-tagged affinity bait protein. First, we investigated both these purified exosome assemblies by macromolecular mass spectrometry (MS) to determine the stability and mass of the intact protein complexes and to obtain information on composition and core constituents. We used tandem MS on these intact protein complexes to further probe the composition and to obtain insight into the peripheral nature of some of the constituents. Finally, we combine stable isotope labeling with MS to quantitate differences in exosome composition and posttranslational modifications. We identified a few phosphorylation sites that are differentially regulated between the cytoplasmic exosome and the nuclear exosome. From all of these data, we conclude that the yeast nuclear exosome and the cytoplasmic exosome share a common stable core complex, but are decorated with quite a few differing peripheral proteins. We show that the nuclear exosome selectively copurifies with the α/β importin heterodimer, which is known to be involved in the transport of proteins across the nuclear membrane.     

An Ion-channel Modulator from the Saliva of the Brown Ear Tick has a Highly Modified Kunitz/BPTI Structure

Ra-KLP, a 75 amino acid protein secreted by the salivary gland of the brown ear tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus has a sequence resembling those of Kunitz/BPTI proteins. We report the detection, purification and characterization of the function of Ra-KLP. In addition, determination of the three-dimensional crystal structure of Ra-KLP at 1.6 Å resolution using sulphur single-wavelength anomalous dispersion reveals that much of the loop structure of classical Kunitz domains, including the protruding protease-binding loop, has been replaced by β-strands. Even more unusually, the N-terminal portion of the polypeptide chain is pinned to the ”Kunitz head” by two disulphide bridges not found in classical Kunitz/BPTI proteins. The disulphide bond pattern has been further altered by the loss of the bridge that normally stabilizes the protease-binding loop. Consistent with the conversion of this loop into a β-strand, Ra-KLP shows no significant anti-protease activity; however, it activates maxiK channels in an in vitro system, suggesting a potential mechanism for regulating host blood supply during feeding.     

蛋白质相互作用研究方法及其应用

过去10年来,蛋白质组学得到迅速发展,蛋白质间的相互作用作为蛋白质组学的重要内容,更是成为国内外竞相研究的重点,研究方法的快速发展为蛋白质间相互作用的研究奠定了坚实基础。着重就经典的噬菌体展示、酵母双杂交以及新近发展起来的串联亲和纯化、荧光共振能量转移技术和表面等离子共振等蛋白质相互作用研究方法的原理及应用作一综述并展望其发展前景。     

Transport and transporters in the endoplasmic reticulum

Enzyme activities localized in the luminal compartment of the endoplasmic reticulum are integrated into the cellular metabolism by transmembrane fluxes of their substrates, products and/or cofactors. Most compounds involved are bulky, polar or even charged; hence, they cannot be expected to diffuse through lipid bilayers. Accordingly, transport processes investigated so far have been found protein-mediated. The selective and often rate-limiting transport processes greatly influence the activity, kinetic features and substrate specificity of the corresponding luminal enzymes. Therefore, the phenomenological characterization of endoplasmic reticulum transport contributes largely to the understanding of the metabolic functions of this organelle. Attempts to identify the transporter proteins have only been successful in a few cases, but recent development in molecular biology promises a better progress in this field.     

Investigating nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling of the human DEAD-box helicase DDX3

The human DEAD-box helicase DDX3 is a multi-functional protein involved in the regulation of gene expression and additional non-conventional roles as signalling adaptor molecule that are independent of its enzymatic RNA remodeling activity. It is a nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling protein and it has previously been suggested that dysregulation of its subcellular localization could contribute to tumourigenesis. Indeed, both tumour suppressor and oncogenic functions have been attributed to DDX3. In this study, we investigated the regulation of DDX3’s nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. We confirmed that an N-terminal conserved Nuclear Export Signal (NES) is required for export of human DDX3 from the nucleus, and identified three regions within DDX3 that can independently facilitate its nuclear import. We also aimed to identify conditions that alter DDX3’s subcellular localisation. Viral infection, cytokine treatment and DNA damage only induced minor changes in DDX3’s subcellular distribution as determined by High Content Analysis. However, DDX3’s nuclear localization increased in early mitotic cells (during prophase) concomitant with an increase in DDX3 expression levels. Our results are likely to have implications for the proposed use of (nuclear) DDX3 as a prognostic biomarker in cancer.