Molecular modeling of the amphipathic helices of the plasma apolipoproteins.

In this paper we propose a classification of the amphipathic helical repeats occurring in the plasma apolipoprotein sequences. It is based upon the calculation of the molecular hydrophobicity potential around the helical segments. The repeats were identified using a new autocorrelation matrix, based upon similarities of hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of the amino acid residues within the apolipoprotein sequences. The helices were constructed by molecular modeling, the molecular hydrophobicity potential was calculated, and isopotential contour lines drawn around the helices yielded a three-dimensional visualization of the hydrophobicity potential. Two classes of apolipoproteins could be differentiated by comparing the hydrophobic angles obtained by projection of the isopotential contour lines on a plane perpendicular to the long axis of the helix. The isopotential contour lines around apo AI, AIV, and E are more hydrophilic than hydrophobic, whereas they are of similar intensity for apo AII, CI, and CIII. In both cases discoidal lipid-protein complexes are generated, with the amphipathic helices around the edge of the lipid core. The long axis of the helices is oriented parallel to the phospholipid acyl chains and the hydrophilic side of the helix toward the aqueous phase. As a result of the differences in hydrophobicity potential, the contact between the hydrophobic side of the helices and the phospholipid acyl chains is larger for apo AII, CI, and CIII than for the other apolipoproteins. This might account for the greater stability of the discoidal complexes generated between phospholipids and these apoproteins.     

癌症新型的诊疗靶点－APOBEC

APOBEC（“载脂蛋白质B mRNA编辑催化多肽”）是一类进化保守的胞苷脱氨酶家族。在人体内,已知含有保守的DNA胞嘧啶脱氨酶结构域的基因共有11种,包括AID、APOBEC1、APOBEC2、APOBEC3基因家族APOBEC3A、APOBEC3B、APOBEC3C、APOBEC3DE、APOBEC3F、APOBEC3G、APOBEC3H（分别称为A3A、A3B、A3C、A3D、A3F、A3G和A3H）和APOBEC4。APOBEC利用其脱氨酶活性通过与RNA和/或DNA结合,催化mRNA或使DNA中的胞嘧啶核苷酸转变为尿嘧啶,或者胞嘧啶核苷酸转变为胸腺嘧啶核苷酸,进而完成各自不同的功能。目前研究发现,AID及APOBEC3（A3s）的7种脱氨酶在人类的天然免疫和适应性免疫防御过程中发挥重要的作用,且在口腔癌,肺癌（腺癌和鳞状细胞癌）,结直肠癌和乳腺癌等的诊疗过程中具有重要的潜在应用价值。AID可以通过将胞嘧啶脱氨基成尿嘧啶,来启动SHM (体细胞超突变)和CSR (类别转换重组),进而在抗体多样性方面发挥作用。它的异常表达能够使B细胞淋巴瘤等恶性肿瘤的发病频率显著增加。而A3A、A3B通过胞嘧啶到尿嘧啶转换,以及自身表达量上调而在乳腺癌和肺癌诊疗中起作用。A3G通过APOBEC3G/miR 29/MMP2为了解结直肠癌肝转移和开发治疗晚期结肠癌的有效疗法开辟了新的途径。综上所述,本文将以AID,A3A,A3B,A3G为例子,对APOBEC在癌症诊断和治疗方面的应用进行综述,以期为进一步药物研究和临床应用等提供参考。     

Immunohistochemical characteristics of the constituents of senile plaques and amyloid angiopathy in aged cynomolgus monkeys

Abstract: In this study, we immunohistochemically examined the several constituents of senile plaques (SPs) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in aged cynomolgus monkeys. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) deposited in all mature plaques and CAA, and in half of the diffuse plaques. Alpha-1-antichymotripsin (αACT) deposited in half of the mature plaques and in one third of the CAA. Amyloid precursor protein (APP), ubiquitin (Ub), and microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) accumulated in the swollen neurites of mature plaques. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was detected in the astrocytes and their processes surrounding the mature plaques. Tau was detected in neither the SPs nor CAA. Therefore, mature plaques involved extracellular Aβ, apoE, and αACT, and also astrocytes and swollen neurites. However, diffuse plaques involved only extracellular Aβ and apoE. Since these features, except for tau, were consistent with those in humans, this animal model will be useful for studying the pathogenesis of cerebral amyloid deposition.     

The molecular genetics of Alzheimer's disease

The major pathological characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the abnormal deposition of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) in the brain. In some early onset cases, the disease develops because of mutations in the gene coding for β-amyloid precursor protein (βAPP). However, the majority of AD families in the early onset subgroup are linked to a locus on chromosome 14. The genetic analysis and age of onset correlates of both the βAPP gene and the chromosome 14 locus are discussed. We speculate on the mechanisms by which the βAPP mutations cause the disease and discuss recent advances in βAPP processing that may be relevant to the pathogenesis of the late-onset (common) form of the disease. In addition, we review the association of theAPOE locus with late-onset familial and nonfamilial disease. Further work is required to establish the effects of this locus on disease occurrence, age of onset, and progression. The molecular pathology of ApoE in relation to AD development and the identification of the chromosome 14 gene will greatly contribute to a general pathogenic model of AD, and will clarify the role of βAPP and its derivatives.     

Antimicrobial activity of lipoprotein particles containing apolipoprotein Al

Human plasmain vitro inhibits the growth of coagulase negative staphylococci,S. epidermidis, which may be pathogenic in the immunocompromised host. To determine the antimicrobial components, serum was fractionated by column chromatography, which revealed that elution areas where lipoproteins can be yielded had high antimicrobial activity againstS. epidermidis. Therefore, lipoprotein fractions, including very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL), were separated by ultracentrifugation and incubated withS. epidermidis. All 3 lipoprotein fractions suppressed bacterial growth within the first 3 h but VLDL enhanced bacterial growth after 9 h of incubation compared with the control. HDL, however, inhibited bacterial growth throughout 21 h of incubation.To confirm these results, serum from healthy volunteers was separated by ion exchange column chromatography and again by HPLC to purify the antimicrobial fraction. In the protein analysis with gradient polyacrylamide-SDS gel, apolipoprotein Al (apo Al), which is a major apolipoprotein of HDL, was detected in the antimicrobial fraction. Therefore, this fraction was loaded onto an immunoaffinity column coupled with the anti-apo Al monoclonal antibody (Mab). Unbound fraction had no antimicrobial activity, but anti-S. epidermidis activity was recovered from the bound fraction which consisted mainly of apo Al, All and apo C in protein composition.These results indicated that the antimicrobial activity was associated with the apo Al-containing lipoprotein particles (HDL). This property of HDL may directly affect bacterial growth and promote the self-defense mechanisms of normal and immunocompromised individuals.     

氯喹导致大鼠肌组织载脂蛋白E大量表达

载脂蛋白E(ApoE)与迟发的家族性及孤发性阿尔茨海默(Alzheimer)病密切相关. 氯喹慢性中毒可诱发某些肌病理改变, 出现β淀粉样蛋白(βAP)与tau蛋白等的沉积, 与Alzheimer脑中见到的病理改变类似. 为分析这一改变的机制, 用逆转录结合多聚酶链反应技术(RT-PCR)对氯喹处理的大鼠肌肉中ApoE表达的改变进行了研究. 在PCR定量中采用了一种稳定表达的内源性甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶mRNA作为内部参照. PCR扩增在很宽的循环数范围内成线性, 且靶mRNA与参照mRNA的扩增效率相当. 氯喹处理后大鼠肌肉中ApoE mRNA的表达从第6周开始增加, 第8周后超过对照组的20多倍. 结果提示, ApoE在氯喹慢性中毒所致的大鼠肌病理改变中发挥某些作用.     

Suppression of the degradation of recombinant human apolipoprotein E by a protease inhibitor obtained from fetal bovine serum in serum-free culture

The recombinant human apolipoprotein E (Apo-E) produced by Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-322 cells) in serum free culture was degraded to 24K and 23K fragments that contained N-terminal amino acid. The degradation site of Apo-E to 24K fragment was between Arg180 and Leu181 and the C-terminal amino acid of 23K fragment was Gly169. In fetal bovine serum (FBS)-containing culture, the degradation was inhibited. However, in calf serum (CS) the inhibitory activity was not detected. Thus, we attempted the purification of the factor with this inhibitory activity from FBS. A protease inhibitor was purified to give a single peak from FBS by ammonium sulfate precipitation and combination of several column chromatographies. When this FBS-derived protease inhibitor (FBS-d-PI) was added to serum-free culture of CHO-322 cells, degradation of recombinant Apo-E to the 24K and 23K fragments was dose-dependently suppressed and accumulation of intact Apo-E in culture supernatant was observed. FBS-d-PI was found to be a glycoprotein with relative molecular size of 75K daltons under reducing condition, and 85K daltons under nonreducing condition by SDS-PAGE. A complex of FBS-d-PI and a cellular protease was also detected in culture supernatant by western blot analysis using mouse monoclonal antibodies against FBS-d-PI.     

Induction of avian serum apolipoprotein II and vitellogenin by tamoxifen

Apo II and vitellogenin were detected in sera of nonestrogenized roosters by radioimmunoassay. Tamoxifen (30mg/kg) raised basal serum apo II more than 50 fold and vitellogenin more than 15 fold. Serum accumulation of apo II was biphasic in response to increasing doses of tamoxifen. This biphasic response was reflected in the relative rates of hepatic apo II synthesis. The tamoxifen metabolites, hydroxytamoxifen and desmethyltamoxifen, and the triphenylethylene antiestrogen, CI 628, also increased serum apo II. These studies show that the expression of vitellogenin and apo II genes occurs at a basal rate prior to exogenous estrogen treatment. These experiments also demonstrate that the triphenylethylene antiestrogens have agonist activity in the chicken when very sensitive techniques are used to measure estrogen-regulated proteins.