光学方法分析GABA及GABAA受体在脑干听觉传入通路的作用

目的旨在探讨脑干听觉传入通路中GABA能神经递质及GABAA受体对电刺激位听神经传入冲动的影响.方法使用出生后0～5 d的ddy/ddy小鼠制备脑干切片.脑片经电压敏感染料NK3041染色,电刺激与脑片相连的位听神经残端.使用16×16像素的硅光电二极管阵列测量光学信号.所采集的数据使用ARGUS50/PDA软件分析.结果多部位的光学记录方法显示了从位听神经到耳蜗核和前庭核的兴奋性传导的时间-空间分布.其中每一个光学成分由快峰电位样反应和慢反应组成.抑制性神经递质GABA可降低诱发的光学信号的快反应和慢反应,GABAA受体拮抗剂荷包牡丹碱可增强这些反应.结论16×16像素的硅光电二极管阵列可记录位听神经刺激诱发的多部位光学信号,每一个光学信号含有突触前及突触后电位成分.抑制性神经递质GABA和GJBAA受体拮抗剂可调节光学信号的兴奋性传导.     

Structure-based substitutions for increased solubility of a designed protein

Manipulation of protein solubility is important for many aspects of protein design and engineering. Previously, we designed a series of consensus ankyrin repeat proteins containing one, two, three and four identical repeats (1ANK, 2ANK, 3ANK and 4ANK). These proteins, particularly 4ANK, are intended for use as a universal scaffold on which specific binding sites can be constructed. Despite being well folded and extremely stable, 4ANK is soluble only under acidic conditions. Designing interactions with naturally occurring proteins requires the designed protein to be soluble at physiological pH. Substitution of six leucines with arginine on exposed hydrophobic patches on the surface of 4ANK resulted in increased solubility over a large pH range. Study of the pH dependence of stability demonstrated that 4ANK is one of the most stable ankyrin repeat proteins known. In addition, analogous leucine to arginine substitutions on the surface of 2ANK allowed the partially folded protein to assume a fully folded conformation. Our studies indicate that replacement of surface-exposed hydrophobic residues with positively charged residues can significantly improve protein solubility at physiological pH.     

LINC00205 modulates the expression of EPHX1 through the inhibition of miR-184 in hepatocellular carcinoma as a ceRNA

Several studies have shown that low expression of epoxide hydrolase 1 (EPHX1) is closely associated with varying human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to explore the potential mechanism of EPHX1 silencing and revealed a novel regulatory pathway in the pathogenesis of HCC. In this study, micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-184 was predicted and validated to be a regulator of EPHX1 through experiments, and its expression was negatively correlated with the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of EPHX1 in primary tumors. Elevation of EPHX1 suppressed cell proliferation and migration as well as cell cycle progression, and induced apoptosis, while downregulation of miR-184 exhibited the opposite effect on cellular processes. Moreover, LINC00205 interacted with miR-184 and was markedly downregulated in tumors. The effects of the miR-184 inhibitor on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration were reversed in part by the transfection with LINC00205 small interfering RNAs. In addition, LINC00205 acted as a molecular sponge to positively regulate the mRNA and protein levels of EPHX1 via regulating miR-184. The tumorigenicity of HCC cells was enhanced by LINC00205 shRNA but diminished by overexpression of EPHX1 in vivo. Clinically, the EPHX1 expression in patients with HCC was markedly downregulated. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that as a competing endogenous RNA, LINC00205 may regulate EPHX1 by inhibiting miR-184 in the progression of HCC and that targeting the LINC00205/miR-184/EPHX1 axis may provide a treatment protocol for patients.     

武汉东湖隐藻门植物的分类学研究

隐藻门植物在各种淡水水体中很常见,其中卵形隐藻、啮蚀隐藻在国内被多次报道过。但是由于缺乏分类学的资料,国内关于隐藻门植物的报告并不完全准确,其类群也常常被忽视。我们在2009年6月到2010年3月间,不定期从武汉东湖的各个区域采集水样,共鉴定隐藻门植物4属8种：卵形隐藻、啮蚀隐藻、蛋白核隐藻、四蛋白核隐藻、马索隐藻、反曲弯隐藻、犀角织隐藻、具尾逗隐藻。其中四蛋白核隐藻和犀角织隐藻为中国新记录。作为具尾逗隐藻的异名,尖尾蓝隐藻此前也曾在国内被报道。     

Solution structures of the core light-harvesting alpha and beta polypeptides from Rhodospirillum rubrum: implications for the pigment-protein and protein-protein interactions

We have determined the solution structures of the core light-harvesting (LH1) alpha and beta-polypeptides from wild-type purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum using multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. The two polypeptides form stable alpha helices in organic solution. The structure of alpha-polypeptide consists of a long helix of 32 amino acid residues over the central transmembrane domain and a short helical segment at the N terminus that is followed by a three-residue loop. Pigment-coordinating histidine residue (His29) in the alpha-polypeptide is located near the middle of the central helix. The structure of beta-polypeptide shows a single helix of 32 amino acid residues in the membrane-spanning region with the pigment-coordinating histidine residue (His38) at a position close to the C-terminal end of the helix. Strong hydrogen bonds have been identified for the backbone amide protons over the central helical regions, indicating a rigid property of the two polypeptides. The overall structures of the R.rubrum LH1 alpha and beta-polypeptides are different from those previously reported for the LH1 beta-polypeptide of Rhodobacter sphaeroides, but are very similar to the structures of the corresponding LH2 alpha and beta-polypeptides determined by X-ray crystallography. A model constructed for the structural subunit (B820) of LH1 complex using the solution structures reveals several important features on the interactions between the LH1 alpha and beta-polypeptides. The significance of the N-terminal regions of the two polypeptides for stabilizing both B820 and LH1 complexes, as clarified by many experiments, may be attributed to the interactions between the short N-terminal helix (Trp2-Gln6) of alpha-polypeptide and a GxxxG motif in the beta-polypeptide.     

银杉遗传多样性的RAPD分析

用随机扩增多态 DNA(RAPD)标记方法对银杉(Chthaya argyrophylla)75个个体(采自湖南和四川)进行了遗传多样性检测. 21个 10 mer -的寡核苷酸引物共检测106个位点,其中多态位点34个,占32％.相对于其它裸子植物,银杉的遗传变异水平偏低.湖南居群和四川居群的多态位点百分率分别为 18％和 25％,两居群间的遗传变异量占总变异量的 7. 99％,这一数值高于裸子植物居群间遗传差异的平均值(6.8％).同时,发现遗传变异水平的高低与生境的复杂程度有一定的相关性.由于点突变和随机遗传漂变,银杉的部分亚居群间有较强烈的分化,亚居群间的遗传差异最高可达 16. 23％.此外,提出了度量遗传多样性水平的分化指数概念及其计算方法,并指出低水平的遗传多样性可能是银杉濒危的原因之一.     

SRp38基因研究进展

SR蛋白在前体mRNA可变剪接调控中发挥重要作用。可变剪接调节因子SRp38作为一种新近发现的具有神经及生殖组织特异性的SR蛋白,有典型的SR蛋白结构特征并能够调控GluR-B、TRK-C以及NCAML1等基因的可变剪接,但与其他SR蛋白不一致的是,SRp38可以在一定条件下(有丝分裂M期,热休克)抑制前体mRNA剪接,从而防止错误剪接的出现。SRp38的RRM结构域可以识别特殊的RNA序列并跟U1snRNP结合,而其RS结构域则参与调控前体mRNA剪接。SRp38的磷酸化状态可以影响其调控功能的发挥,在有丝分裂M期及热休克时,该蛋白质均呈去磷酸化状态。SRp38在爪蟾胚胎神经发育过程中发挥作用并且可以同TLS(translocation liposarcoma)蛋白相互作用,提示其可能通过调节前体mRNA可变剪接在神经系统的发育分化以及在肿瘤的发生中扮演角色。     

3种念珠藻多糖对自由基的清除作用

研究了地木耳（Nostoc commune）、葛仙米（N．sphaerohies）和发菜（N．flagelliforme）3种念珠藻多糖对自由基的清除作用。结果表明,3种念珠藻多糖对超氧阴离子自由基和羟自由基具有很强的清除作用,且呈量效关系,地木耳清除超氧自由基作用最强,最高清除率达72．3％,葛仙米和发菜分别为46．7％、35．5％;发菜清除羟自由基效果最强,最高清除率达74．3％,葛仙米和地木耳清除率分别为49．0％、46．7％;3种念珠藻多糖对DPPH自由基的清除作用不显著。     

三峡库区藻类水华调查及其毒理学研究

三峡水库一期工程蓄水近两年(2003年7月—2005年4月)期间,库区发生过多次藻类“水华”,尤其在阳光充足、气温回升的春季。经鉴定形成水华的藻类主要有拟多甲藻(Peridiniopsissp1,sp2),新星形冠盘藻(Stephanodiscusneoastraea),里海小环藻(Cyclotella caspia),湖沼红胞藻(Rhodomonas lacustris),实球藻(Pandorina morum)和空球藻(Eudorina elegans);其中以拟多甲藻水华涉及面积最大,持续时间最久,污染程度最为严重。通过对拟多甲藻水华水及其藻细胞提取液的生物毒性测试,表明其对其他水生生物和小白鼠没有明显的生物毒性。