Deliberately infecting healthy volunteers with malaria parasites: Perceptions and experiences of participants and other stakeholders in a Kenyan-based malaria infection study

Controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) studies involve the deliberate infection of healthy volunteers with malaria parasites under controlled conditions to study immune responses and/or test drug or vaccine efficacy. An empirical ethics study was embedded in a CHMI study at a Kenyan research programme to explore stakeholders’ perceptions and experiences of deliberate infection and moral implications of these. Data for this qualitative study were collected through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and non-participant observation. Sixty-nine participants were involved, including CHMI study volunteers, community representatives and research staff. Data were managed using QSR Nvivo 10 and analysed using an inductive-deductive approach, guided by ethics literature. CHMI volunteers had reasonable understanding of the study procedures. Decisions to join were influenced by study incentives, trust in the research institution, their assessment of associated burdens and motivation to support malaria vaccine development. However, deliberate malaria infection was a highly unusual research strategy for volunteers, community representatives and some study staff. Volunteers’ experiences of physical, emotional and social burdens or harms were often greater than anticipated initially, and fluctuated over time, related to specific procedures and events. Although unlikely to deter volunteers' participation in similar studies in furture, we argue that the dissonance between level of understanding of the burdens involved and actual experiences are morally relevant in relation to community engagement, informed consent processes, and ongoing support for volunteers and research staff. We further argue that ethics oversight of CHMI studies should take account of these issues in deciding whether consent, engagement and the balance of benefits and harms are reasonable in a given context.     

光合细菌产氢条件的研究

从被有机物污染的土壤及水域中分离得到13株属于红螺菌科的光合细菌,对其在苹果酸、乳酸、葡萄糖、乙酸、丙酸及丁酸中的光致产氢现象进行了研究。最高产氢量为39.8ml·20ml菌液~(-1)·48h~(-1),产氢活性为7.8ml·g生物量~(-1)·h~(-1)”。底物对不同菌株的产氢量与产氢活性均具有影响,pH对产氢过程也有明显的作用,大于6000lx的光强度对提高产氢活性已无明显作用。固定化细胞在静态培养条件下也能提高产氢能力,但延长产氢时间的作用不明显。     

Calcium-dependent binding of annexin 12 to phospholipid bilayers: stoichiometry and implications

Annexins (ANXs) are a superfamily of proteins whose functional hallmark is Ca2+-dependent binding to anionic phospholipids. Their core domains are usually composed of a 4-fold repeat of a conserved amino acid sequence, with each repeat containing a type II Ca2+ binding site that is generally thought to mediate Ca2+-dependent binding to the membrane. We now report that ANX12 binding to phospholipid vesicles is highly cooperative with respect to Ca2+ concentration (Hill constant approximately 7), thereby suggesting that more than the four well-characterized type II Ca2+ binding sites are involved in phospholipid binding. Two independent approaches, a novel 45Ca2+ copelleting assay and isothermal titration calorimetry, indicate a stoichiometry of approximately 12 mol of Ca2+/mol of ANX12 for binding to phospholipid vesicles. On the basis of the "low-affinity" Ca2+-binding sites in a number of ANX X-ray crystal structures, we propose a model for ANX12 bilayer binding that involves three types of Ca2+ sites in each of the four repeats. In this model, there is a complementarity between the spacing of the ANX12 Ca2+ binding sites and the spacing of the phospholipid headgroups in bilayers. We tested the implications of the model by manipulating the physical state of vesicles composed of phospholipids with saturated acyl chains with temperature and measuring its influence on ANX12 binding. ANX12 bound to vesicles in a Ca2+-dependent manner when the vesicles were in the liquid crystal phase but not when the phospholipid was in the gel phase. Furthermore, ANX12 bound initially to fluid bilayers remained bound when cooled to 4 degrees C, a temperature that should induce the gel phase transition. Overall, these studies suggest that ANX12 is well suited to being a Ca2+ sensor for rapid all-or-none intercellular membrane-related events.     

The conserved core domains of annexins A1, A2, A5, and B12 can be divided into two groups with different Ca2+-dependent membrane-binding properties

The hallmark of the annexin super family of proteins is Ca(2+)-dependent binding to phospholipid bilayers, a property that resides in the conserved core domain of these proteins. Despite the structural similarity between the core domains, studies reported herein showed that annexins A1, A2, A5, and B12 could be divided into two groups with distinctively different Ca(2+)-dependent membrane-binding properties. The division correlates with the ability of the annexins to form Ca(2+)-dependent membrane-bound trimers. Site-directed spin-labeling and Forster resonance energy transfer experimental approaches confirmed the well-known ability of annexins A5 and B12 to form trimers, but neither method detected self-association of annexin A1 or A2 on bilayers. Studies of chimeras in which the N-terminal and core domains of annexins A2 and A5 were swapped showed that trimer formation was mediated by the core domain. The trimer-forming annexin A5 and B12 group had the following Ca(2+)-dependent membrane-binding properties: (1) high Ca(2+) stoichiometry for membrane binding ( approximately 12 mol of Ca(2+)/mol of protein); (2) binding to membranes was very exothermic (> -60 kcal/ mol of protein); and (3) binding to bilayers that were in the liquid-crystal phase but not to bilayers in the gel phase. In contrast, the nontrimer-forming annexin A1 and A2 group had the following Ca(2+)-dependent membrane-binding properties: (1) lower Ca(2+) stoichiometry for membrane binding (相似文献   

Multiple Modes of Endophilin-mediated Conversion of Lipid Vesicles into Coated Tubes: IMPLICATIONS FOR SYNAPTIC ENDOCYTOSIS*

Endophilin A1 is a BAR (Bin/amphiphysin/Rvs) protein abundant in neural synapses that senses and induces membrane curvature, contributing to neck formation in presynaptic endocytic vesicles. To investigate its role in membrane remodeling, we used cryoelectron microscopy to characterize structural changes induced in lipid vesicles by exposure to endophilin. The vesicles convert rapidly to coated tubules whose morphology reflects the local concentration of endophilin. Their diameters and curvature resemble those of synaptic vesicles in situ. Three-dimensional reconstructions of quasicylindrical tubes revealed arrays of BAR dimers, flanked by densities that we equate with amphipathic helices whose folding and membrane insertion were attested by EPR. We also observed the compression of bulbous coated tubes into 70-Å-wide cylindrical micelles, which appear to mimic the penultimate (hemi-fission) stage of endocytosis. Our findings suggest that the adaptability of endophilin-lipid interactions underlies dynamic changes of endocytic membranes.     

Membrane Curvature Induction and Tubulation Are Common Features of Synucleins and Apolipoproteins

Synucleins and apolipoproteins have been implicated in a number of membrane and lipid trafficking events. Lipid interaction for both types of proteins is mediated by 11 amino acid repeats that form amphipathic helices. This similarity suggests that synucleins and apolipoproteins might have comparable effects on lipid membranes, but this has not been shown directly. Here, we find that α-synuclein, β-synuclein, and apolipoprotein A-1 have the conserved functional ability to induce membrane curvature and to convert large vesicles into highly curved membrane tubules and vesicles. The resulting structures are morphologically similar to those generated by amphiphysin, a curvature-inducing protein involved in endocytosis. Unlike amphiphysin, however, synucleins and apolipoproteins do not require any scaffolding domains and curvature induction is mediated by the membrane insertion and wedging of amphipathic helices alone. Moreover, we frequently observed that α-synuclein caused membrane structures that had the appearance of nascent budding vesicles. The ability to function as a minimal machinery for vesicle budding agrees well with recent findings that α-synuclein plays a role in vesicle trafficking and enhances endocytosis. Induction of membrane curvature must be under strict regulation in vivo; however, as we find it can also cause disruption of membrane integrity. Because the degree of membrane curvature induction depends on the concerted action of multiple proteins, controlling the local protein density of tubulating proteins may be important. How cellular safeguarding mechanisms prevent such potentially toxic events and whether they go awry in disease remains to be determined.     

The host defense peptide LL‐37 activates the tumor‐suppressing bone morphogenetic protein signaling via inhibition of proteasome in gastric cancer cells

The human cathelicidin LL‐37, a pleiotropic host defense peptide, is down‐regulated in gastric adenocarcinomas. We therefore investigated whether this peptide suppresses gastric cancer growth. LL‐37 lowered gastric cancer cell proliferation and delayed G₁‐S transition in vitro and inhibits the growth of gastric cancer xenograft in vivo. In this connection, LL‐37 increased the tumor‐suppressing bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, manifested as an increase in BMP4 expression and the subsequent Smad1/5 phosphorylation and the induction of p21^Waf1/Cip1. The anti‐mitogenic effect, Smad1/5 phosphorylation, and p21^Waf1/Cip1 up‐regulation induced by LL‐37 were reversed by the knockdown of BMP receptor II. The activation of BMP signaling was paralleled by the inhibition of chymotrypsin‐like and caspase‐like activity of proteasome. In this regard, proteasome inhibitor MG‐132 mimicked the effect of LL‐37 by up‐regulating BMP4 expression and Smad1/5 phosphorylation. Further analysis of clinical samples revealed that LL‐37 and p21^Waf1/Cip1 mRNA expressions were both down‐regulated in gastric cancer tissues and their expressions were positively correlated. Collectively, we describe for the first time that LL‐37 inhibits gastric cancer cell proliferation through activation of BMP signaling via a proteasome‐dependent mechanism. This unique biological activity may open up novel therapeutic avenue for the treatment of gastric cancer. J. Cell. Physiol. 223: 178–186, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Structural elucidation of phosphoglycolipids from strains of the bacterial thermophiles Thermus and Meiothermus

The structures of two major phosphoglycolipids from the thermophilic bacteria Thermus oshimai NTU-063, Thermus thermophilus NTU-077, Meiothermus ruber NTU-124, and Meiothermus taiwanensis NTU-220 were determined using spectroscopic and chemical analyses to be 2'-O-(1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho) -3'-O-(alpha-N-acetyl-glucosaminyl)-N-glyceroyl alkylamine [PGL1 (1)] and the novel structure 2'-O-(2-acylalkyldio-1-O-phospho)-3'-O-(alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyl)-N-glyceroyl alkylamine [PGL2 (2)]. PGL2 (2) is the first phosphoglycolipid identified with a 2-acylalkyldio-1-O-phosphate moiety. The fatty acids of the phosphoglycolipids are mainly iso-C(15:0), -C(16:0), and -C(17:0) and anteiso-C(15:0) and -C(17:0). The ratios of PGL2 (2) to PGL1 (1) are significantly altered when grown at different temperatures for three strains, T. thermophilus NTU-077, M. ruber NTU-124, and M. taiwanensis NTU-220, but not for T. oshimai NTU-063. Accordingly, the ratios of iso- to anteiso-branched fatty acids increase when grown at the higher temperature.     

Computer modeling of nitroxide spin labels on proteins

Electron paramagnetic resonance using site‐directed spin labeling can be used as an approach for determination of protein structures that are difficult to solve by other methods. One important aspect of this approach is the measurement of interlabel distances using the double electron–electron resonance (DEER) method. Interpretation of experimental data could be facilitated by a computational approach to calculation of interlabel distances. We describe an algorithm, PRONOX, for rapid computation of interlabel distances based on calculation of spin label conformer distributions at any site of a protein. The program incorporates features of the label distribution established experimentally, including weighting of favorable conformers of the label. Distances calculated by PRONOX were compared with new DEER distances for amphiphysin and annexin B12 and with published data for FCHo2 (F‐BAR), endophilin, and α‐synuclein, a total of 44 interlabel distances. The program reproduced these distances accurately (r² = 0.94, slope = 0.98). For 9 of the 11 distances for amphiphysin, PRONOX reproduced the experimental data to within 2.5 Å. The speed and accuracy of PRONOX suggest that the algorithm can be used for fitting to DEER data for determination of protein tertiary structure. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 97: 35–44, 2012.     

Membrane Binding and Self-Association of the Epsin N-Terminal Homology Domain

Epsin possesses a conserved epsin N-terminal homology (ENTH) domain that acts as a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate‐lipid‐targeting and membrane‐curvature‐generating element. Upon binding phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate, the N-terminal helix (H₀) of the ENTH domain becomes structured and aids in the aggregation of ENTH domains, which results in extensive membrane remodeling. In this article, atomistic and coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to investigate the structure and the stability of ENTH domain aggregates on lipid bilayers. EPR experiments are also reported for systems composed of different ENTH-bound membrane morphologies, including membrane vesicles as well as preformed membrane tubules. The EPR data are used to help develop a molecular model of ENTH domain aggregates on preformed lipid tubules that are then studied by CG MD simulation. The combined computational and experimental approach suggests that ENTH domains exist predominantly as monomers on vesiculated structures, while ENTH domains self-associate into dimeric structures and even higher‐order oligomers on the membrane tubes. The results emphasize that the arrangement of ENTH domain aggregates depends strongly on whether the local membrane curvature is isotropic or anisotropic. The molecular mechanism of ENTH‐domain-induced membrane vesiculation and tubulation and the implications of the epsin's role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis resulting from the interplay between ENTH domain membrane binding and ENTH domain self-association are also discussed.