人抑胃肽的研究：合成和性质

人抑胃肽的研究：合成和性质崔大敷,崔恒苒,徐明华,曹蕙婷,朱尚权（中国科学院上海生物化学研究所,２０００３１）陈可靖,邓华云（上海医科大学附属中山医院,２０００３２）关键词人抑胃肽,合成,生物活性抑胃肽（简称ＧＩＰ）最早由Ｂｒｏｗｎ等’”从猪小肠分离...     

单抗在人铁蛋白免疫亲和纯化中的应用

抗人铁蛋白单抗６Ｄ６和Ａ－ｈＦ－Ｃ与肝型铁蛋白和心型铁蛋白的反应性有所不同。６Ｄ６对两种铁蛋白的反应性相似;而Ａ－ｈＦ－Ｃ单抗与肝型铁蛋白的反应性较强。我们将６Ｄ６和Ａ－ｈＦ－Ｃ分别制成了亲和凝胶,用来纯化人肝脏和心脏粗抽提物中的铁蛋白。此法具有操作简便,产率和产品纯度高等优点。     

中华蜜蜂气味结合蛋白AcerOBP14的表达及配体结合特性分析

【目的】气味结合蛋白(odorant binding proteins, OBPs)在昆虫寄主定位、产卵地选择等行为中发挥着重要作用,明确中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana AcerOBP14与配体的结合特性有助于阐明中华蜜蜂嗅觉识别的分子机制。【方法】通过qRT-PCR测定OBP14在20日龄中华蜜蜂成年工蜂、20日龄中华蜜蜂成年雄蜂、中华蜜蜂采粉蜂和意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica采粉蜂触角中的表达量。构建原核表达载体pET28a/AcerOBP14,表达并分离纯化重组蛋白AcerOBP14。利用荧光竞争结合实验检测AcerOBP14与37 种气味配体化合物的结合特性。【结果】qRT-PCR分析发现, OBP14在中华蜜蜂采粉蜂触角中的表达量极显著高于20日龄中华蜜蜂成年工蜂和雄蜂以及意大利蜜蜂采粉蜂中的。荧光竞争结合实验表明,AcerOBP14与蜂王信息素、告警信息素、那氏信息素及多种植物挥发物都具有结合能力,其中与β 罗勒烯的结合能力最强,解离常数 Ki=0.297 μmol/L。【结论】AcerOBP14的配体结合谱较宽,暗示其可能参与了中华蜜蜂的多种生理行为反应,且在中华蜜蜂的采粉行为中发挥着重要作用。     

中华蜜蜂气味受体基因AcerOR58的序列与时空表达分析

[目的]通过分析中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana气味受体基因AcerOR58编码蛋白的理化性质、结构特征,明确AcerOR58时空表达特性,为该基因后续的功能研究奠定基础.[方法]利用多种生物信息学软件预测分析AcerOR58序列及其编码蛋白的结构特性,采用邻接法构建系统进化树.利用实时荧光定量PCR技术分析AcerOR58在不同发育阶段工蜂触角及采集蜂不同组织的表达差异.[结果]AcerOR58基因的开放阅读框(ORF)长1 230 bp,编码409个氨基酸,成熟蛋白分子量为47.147 ku,理论等电点8.46,无信号肽,含有6个跨膜结构且N端位于胞内,31个潜在的磷酸化位点,在第80-405位氨基酸之间存在一个昆虫气味受体家族7tm_6 superfamily保守结构域.AcerOR58与西方蜜蜂Apis mellifera的AmelOR58亲缘关系最近,核苷酸序列一致性高达96.67％,氨基酸序列一致性高达97.31％.AcerOR58在采集蜂(15-25日龄)阶段的表达量较高,且在触角中的表达量极显著高于其他组织(P＜0.01).[结论]AcerOR58具有昆虫气味受体的结构特征,该基因特异性高表达于中华蜜蜂采集蜂触角中,推测其功能与识别外界蜜粉源的花香气味物质有关.     

Reversible folding of cysteine-rich metallothionein by an overcritical reaction path

A first-order-like state transition is considered to be involved in the restoration of the activities of a few proteins by correctly folding the protein [Phys. Rev. E 66 (2002) 021903]. In order to understand the general applicability of this mechanism, we studied a metallothionein (MT) protein with an unconventional structure, i.e., without any alpha-helix or beta-sheet. MT is a 61 amino-acid peptide. There are 6-7 Zn(2+) ions, which bind avidly to 20 conserved cysteines (Cys) of MT. These properties indicate that the structure of MT is quite different from those of the other proteins. Similar to our previous findings, the denatured MT can be folded without any aggregation via a designated stepwise quasi-static process (an over-critical reaction path). The particle size of folded MT intermediates, determined by dynamic light scattering, shrank right after the first folding stage. It is consistent with a collapse-model. In addition, results from both atomic absorption and circular dichroism (CD) indicate that the stable intermediates may fold to the native conformation but with only partial Zn(2+) binding, which in turn implies that those folding intermediates are in a molten globular state. These reversible unfolding and folding processes indicate that Cys-rich protein, MT, may also be folded by way of a first-order-like state transition mechanism. We suspect that this process may likely be involved in the reaction of the metal substitution process in metal containing enzymes.     

Evaluation of antifungal properties of octyl gallate and its synergy with cinnamaldehyde

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using octyl gallate alone or with organic biocides as a preservative against wood decay fungi. Antifungal activities of three antioxidants, propyl gallate, octyl gallate and butylated hydroxyltoluene (BHT) were tested against four wood decay fungi, Lenzites betulina, Trametes versicolor, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Laetiporus sulphureus. Octyl gallate was found to be the only active compound with IC50 values of 0.47, 0.16, 0.24 and 0.04 mM against L. betulina, T. versicolor, G. trabeum and L. sulphureus, respectively. A synergistic effect was also found when octyl gallate was combined with cinnamaldehyde. Results obtained herein demonstrated that octyl gallate by itself exhibited an excellent antifungal property and enhanced protection was further observed by combining it with cinnamaldehyde.     

A novel peptide ELISA for universal detection of antibodies to human H5N1 influenza viruses

Background

Active serologic surveillance of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in humans and poultry is critical to control this disease. However, the need for a robust, sensitive and specific serologic test for the rapid detection of antibodies to H5N1 viruses has not been met.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Previously, we reported a universal epitope (CNTKCQTP) in H5 hemagglutinin (HA) that is 100% conserved in H5N1 human isolates and 96.9% in avian isolates. Here, we describe a peptide ELISA to detect antibodies to H5N1 virus by using synthetic peptide that comprises the amino acid sequence of this highly conserved and antigenic epitope as the capture antigen. The sensitivity and specificity of the peptide ELISA were evaluated using experimental chicken antisera to H5N1 viruses from divergent clades and other subtype influenza viruses, as well as human serum samples from patients infected with H5N1 or seasonal influenza viruses. The peptide ELISA results were compared with hemagglutinin inhibition (HI), and immunofluorescence assay and immunodot blot that utilize recombinant HA1 as the capture antigen. The peptide ELISA detected antibodies to H5N1 in immunized animals or convalescent human sera whereas some degree of cross-reactivity was observed in HI, immunofluorescence assay and immunodot blot. Antibodies to other influenza subtypes tested negative in the peptide-ELISA.

Conclusion/Significance

The peptide-ELISA based on the highly conserved and antigenic H5 epitope (CNTKCQTP) provides sensitive and highly specific detection of antibodies to H5N1 influenza viruses. This study highlighted the use of synthetic peptide as a capture antigen in rapid detection of antibodies to H5N1 in human and animal sera that is robust, simple and cost effective and is particularly beneficial for developing countries and rural areas.     

Comparison of human and soil Candida tropicalis isolates with reduced susceptibility to fluconazole

Infections caused by treatment-resistant non-albicans Candida species, such as C. tropicalis, has increased, which is an emerging challenge in the management of fungal infections. Genetically related diploid sequence type (DST) strains of C. tropicalis exhibiting reduced susceptibility to fluconazole circulated widely in Taiwan. To identify the potential source of these wildly distributed DST strains, we investigated the possibility of the presence in soil of such C. tropicalis strains by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and DST typing methods. A total of 56 C. tropicalis isolates were recovered from 26 out of 477 soil samples. Among the 18 isolates with reduced susceptibility to fluconazole, 9 belonged to DST149 and 3 belonged to DST140. Both DSTs have been recovered from our previous studies on clinical isolates from the Taiwan Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance of Yeasts (TSARY) program. Furthermore, these isolates were more resistant to agricultural azoles. We have found genetically related C. tropicalis exhibiting reduced susceptibility to fluconazole from the human hosts and environmental samples. Therefore, to prevent patients from acquiring C. tropicalis with reduced susceptibility to azoles, prudent use of azoles in both clinical and agricultural settings is advocated.     

Thermodynamic contributions of the reactions of DNA intramolecular structures with their complementary strands

One focus of our research is to further our understanding of the physico-chemical properties of unusual DNA structures and their interaction with complementary oligonucleotides. We have investigated three types of reactions involving the interaction of intramolecular DNA complexes with their complementary single strands of varied length. Specifically, we have used a combination of isothermal titration (ITC) and differential scanning (DSC) calorimetry and spectroscopy techniques to determine standard thermodynamic profiles for the reaction of an i-motif, G-quadruplex, and triplex with their complementary strands. The enthalpies for each reaction are measured directly in ITC titrations and compared with those obtained indirectly from Hess cycles using DSC unfolding data. All reactions investigated yielded favorable free energy contributions, indicating that each single strand is able to invade and disrupt the corresponding intramolecular DNA complex. These favorable free energy terms are enthalpy driven, which result from a compensation of exothermic contributions, due to the formation of additional base-pair stacks (or base-triplet stacks) in the duplex product (or triplex product), immobilization of electrostricted water by the base-pair and base-triplet stacks, and the removal of structural water from the reactant single strands; and endothermic contributions from the disruption of base-base stacking interactions of the reactant single strands. This investigation of nucleic acid reactions has provided new methodology, based on physico-chemical principles, to determine the molecular forces involved in the interactions between DNA nucleic acid structures. This methodology may be used in targeting reactions for the control of gene expression.