重组大肠杆菌合成聚(3-巯基丙酸)和聚(3-羟基丁酸-3-巯基丙酸)的研究

利用Clostridium acetobutylicum的丁酸激酶基因 (buk) 和磷酸转丁酰基酶基因(ptb),以及Thiocapsa pfennigii的PHA合成酶基因,设计了一条能够合成多种聚羟基烷酸的代谢途径,用构建的质粒转化大肠杆菌,获得了重组大肠杆菌菌株.前期的研究表明,在合适的前体物条件下,该重组大肠杆菌能够合成包括聚羟基丁酸、聚(羟基丁酸-戊酸)等多种生物聚酯[Liu and Steinbüchel, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66739-743].利用该重组大肠杆菌,通过生物催化作用合成了3-巯基丙酸的同型共聚酯,同时利用该重组大肠杆菌还获得了含3-巯基丙酸单体的多种异型共聚物.实验首先研究了3-巯基丙酸对大肠杆菌生长的影响,在此基础上优化了培养过程中添加3-巯基丙酸的时机和浓度,结果表明,在实验的条件下,细胞合成聚(3-巯基丙酸)可达6.7%(占细胞干重),合成聚(3-羟基丁酸-3-巯基丙酸)(分子中3-巯基丙酸3-羟基丁酸=31)可达24.3%.实验进一步研究了同时或分别表达以上3个基因的重组大肠杆菌合成聚合物的能力,结果表明只有当3个基因同时表达时才能合成聚合物,说明3个基因对合成过程是必须的,从而表明了合成途径是按照设计的路线进行的.还通过GC/MS、GPC、IR等手段对合成的化合物进行了定性的研究.聚(3-巯基丙酸)或聚(3-羟基丁酸-3-巯基丙酸)等聚酯属于一类新型生物聚合物,它在分子骨架中含有硫酯键,不同于聚羟基烷酸酯的氧酯键,从而具有显著不同的物理、化学、光学等性质和具有重要的潜在应用价值.     

多聚ADP-核糖聚合酶抑制剂对高浓度锌损伤 PC12细胞的保护作用

探讨多聚ADP-核糖聚合酶(PARP)抑制剂3-氨基苯甲酰胺(3-AB)对400μmo1/L氯化锌损伤PC12细胞的保护作用及其对锌造成的细胞死亡类型的影响.应用MTT法,免疫细胞化学和Western印迹分别测定PC12细胞的存活率和PARP活性;用Hoechst 33342/PI荧光双染色、膜联蛋白V结合实验及DNA断裂分析等方法检测细胞死亡类型.结果表明在400μmol/L氯化锌的作用下,细胞存活率降至(22.7±4.6)%,PARP活性增强,坏死、凋亡和正常细胞百分比分别为(58.4±6.3)%、(18.0±5.6)%及(23.6±4.2)%;3-AB使细胞存活率提高至(76.9±4.7)%,PARP活性减弱,坏死细胞百分数降至(19.2±5.2)%,而正常和凋亡细胞百分数增加到(43.3±1.9)%和(37.5±6.5)%.实验证明,PARP参与了高浓度锌诱导的PC12细胞损伤,抑制PARP活性可提高细胞的存活率,而这种保护作用在于减少细胞的坏死而非凋亡.     

Nonenzymatic Template-Directed Condensation of Short-Chained Oligouridylates on a Poly(A) Template

An oligouridylate with chain-length of more thanthree was condensed on a polyadenylate [poly(A)]template with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDAC) in imidazole buffer. The condensation reactionproceeds via the phosphorimidazolide of theoligouridylate as an intermediate. Pentauridylate[(pU)₅] was converted to decauridylate[(pU)₁₀] in 10% yield at 0 °C for 7 daysin the presence of the poly(A) template, while nocoupling product was obtained in the absence of thepoly(A) template. The resulting linkage of the(pU)₁₀ was mainly 2–5 linkage.     

Poly(ethylenimine)-reinforced liquid-core capsules for the cultivation of hybridoma cells

The mechanical stability of liquid-core alginate-poly-L-lysine (PLL) capsules used for encapsulation of hybridoma cells can be greatly enhanced by the inclusion of poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) in the hardening solution containing calcium chloride. The PEI can also reinforce the PLL-coated carboxymethyl-celluose liquid-core capsules. The cultivation of murein hybridoma CT04 in these two capsules was carried out. Cell concentrations higher than 10(8) cells/mL per capsule were obtained with ca. 80% of the specific antibody productivity as the freely suspended cells. These capsules could withstand severe agitation and aeration in an air-lift reactor over a period of 3 weeks with minimal damage. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Immobilization of Lipase from Mucor Miehei Onto Poly (Ethylene) Based Graft Copolymers

Lipase from Mucor miehei was immobilized covalently onto hydrolyzed poly(ethylene)-g.co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PE-HEMA). This hydrolysis of the copolymer was achieved using 0.1 M NaOH over different periods of time, under controlled conditions. The graft copolymers and their hydrolyzed equivalents were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC). Water sorption studies were undertaken to provide a measure of relative hydrophobicity of the samples.

The lipase immobilization reaction was studied in order to assess the effects of controlling various important parameters. These include the nature of the buffering medium, the time over which the immobilization was allowed to occur, the concentration of the activating and coupling agent used (CMC) and the concentration of enzyme employed during attempts at effective immobilization. The immobilized lipase was used in the hydrolysis of triolein (glycerol trioleate). From this study, the apparent K_M, the optimum pH for hydrolysis and the optimum temperature for hydrolysis were revealed.

The suitability of hydrolyzed poly(ethylene)-g.co-HEMA as a support in the immobilization of lipase was assessed by determination of the amount of lipase coupled to the support and by assessment of the retention of activity of the immobilized lipase after its exposure to the immobilization reagents, procedure and conditions.     

Poly(gamma-L-diaminobutanoic acid), a novel poly(amino acid), coproduced with poly(epsilon-L-lysine) by two strains of Streptomyces celluloflavus

Two poly(ɛ- l -lysine) (ɛ-PL) producer strains of Streptomyces celluloflavus secreted a novel polymeric substance into their culture broths along with ɛ-PL. Three types of HPLC analysis plus one- and two-dimensional ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance experiments revealed that the secreted substance was poly(γ- l -diaminobutanoic acid) (γ-PAB), an l -α,γ-diaminobutanoic acid ( l -DAB) homopolymer linking between γ-amino and α-carboxylic acid functional groups. The γ-PABs from the two strains had an identical chemical structure, and the same number-average molecular weight of 2100–2200. No copolymers composed of the two amino acids l -DAB and l- lysine were found in either of the broths from the producers. Both strains coproduced high levels of the two poly(amino acid)s in the presence of SO₄²⁻ at pH 4.0 and 4.5 L min⁻¹ aeration in a 5-L jar fermentor. γ-PAB exhibited strong inhibitory activities against various yeasts and weaker actions against bacteria than ɛ-PL. γ-PAB may have various biological functions similar to ɛ-PL, and the use of γ-PAB along with ɛ-PL would be advantageous for technical applications in various fields.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase 1 Modulates Interaction of the Nucleotide Excision Repair Factor XPC-RAD23B with DNA via Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a reversible post-translational modification that plays an essential role in many cellular processes, including regulation of DNA repair. Cellular DNA damage response by the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) is mediated mainly by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1). The XPC-RAD23B complex is one of the key factors of nucleotide excision repair participating in the primary DNA damage recognition. By using several biochemical approaches, we have analyzed the influence of PARP1 and PAR synthesis on the interaction of XPC-RAD23B with damaged DNA. Free PAR binds to XPC-RAD23B with an affinity that depends on the length of the poly(ADP-ribose) strand and competes with DNA for protein binding. Using ³²P-labeled NAD⁺ and immunoblotting, we also demonstrate that both subunits of the XPC-RAD23B are poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated by PARP1. The efficiency of XPC-RAD23B PARylation depends on DNA structure and increases after UV irradiation of DNA. Therefore, our study clearly shows that XPC-RAD23B is a target of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation catalyzed by PARP1, which can be regarded as a universal regulator of DNA repair processes.     

Recognition of Adenosine Residues by the Active Site of Poly(A)-specific Ribonuclease

Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN) is a mammalian 3′-exoribonuclease that degrades poly(A) with high specificity. To reveal mechanisms by which poly(A) is recognized by the active site of PARN, we have performed a kinetic analysis using a large repertoire of trinucleotide substrates. Our analysis demonstrated that PARN harbors specificity for adenosine recognition in its active site and that the nucleotides surrounding the scissile bond are critical for adenosine recognition. We propose that two binding pockets, which interact with the nucleotides surrounding the scissile bond, play a pivotal role in providing specificity for the recognition of adenosine residues by the active site of PARN. In addition, we show that PARN, besides poly(A), also quite efficiently degrades poly(U), ∼10-fold less efficiently than poly(A). The poly(U)-degrading property of PARN could be of biological significance as oligo(U) tails recently have been proposed to play a role in RNA stabilization and destabilization.     

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 stimulates the AP-site cleavage activity of tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1

The influence of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP1) on the apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP)-site cleavage activity of tyrosyl–DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) and interaction of PARP1 and TDP1 were studied. The efficiency of single or clustered AP-site hydrolysis catalysed by TDP1 was estimated. It was shown that the efficiency of AP-site cleavage increases in the presence of an additional AP-site in the opposite DNA strand depending on its position. PARP1 stimulates TDP1; the stimulation effect was abolished in the presence of NAD⁺. The interaction of these two proteins was characterized quantitatively by measuring the dissociation constant for the TDP1–PARP1 complex using fluorescently-labelled proteins. The distance between the N-termini of the proteins within the complex was estimated using FRET. The data obtained suggest that PARP1 and TDP1 bind in an antiparallel orientation; the N-terminus of the former protein interacts with the C-terminal domain of the latter. The functional significance of PARP1 and TDP1 interaction in the process of DNA repair was demonstrated for the first time.     

Translation of poly(U) on ribosomes from Streptomyces aureofaciens

Slowly cooled cells of Streptomyces aureofaciens contained mainly tight-couple ribosomes. Maximum rate of polyphenylalanine synthesis on ribosomes of S. aureofaciens was observed at 40°C, while cultures grew optimally at 28°C. Ribosomes of S. aureofaciens differed from those of E. coli in the amount of poly(U) required for maximum synthetic activity. The polyphenylalanine-synthesizing activity of E. coli ribosomes was about 3-times higher than that of S. aureofaciens ribosomes. The addition of protein S1 of E. coli or the homologous protein from S. aureofaciens had no stimulatory effect on the translation of poly(U). In order to localize alteration(s) of S. aureofaciens ribosomes in the elongation step of polypeptide synthesis we developed an in vitro system derived from purified elongation factors and ribosomal subunits. The enzymatic binding of Phe-tRNA to ribosomes of S. aureofaciens was significantly lower than the binding to ribosomes of E. coli. This alteration was mainly connected with the function of S. aureofaciens 50 S subunits. These subunits were not deficient in their ability to associate with 30 S subunits or with protein SL5 which is homologous to L7/L12 of E. coli.     

Fractionation of plant Polyadenylated RNA on the basis of poly(A) size

Polyadenylated RNA from Vicia faba meristematic root cells was fractionated on the basis of mean poly(A) size by a thermal stepwise elution from poly(U) Sepharose. Such a procedure allowed the elimination of contaminating RNA at 30° and the collection of two populations of purified polyadenylated RNA at 40° and 50°, respectively. RNA eluting at the higher temperature carried a poly(A) segment (mean size of 100 nucleotides), twice as large as the RNA eluting at the lower temperature.     

Neoglycoconjugates Based on Dendrimer Poly(aminoamides)

Neoglycoconjugates containing 4, 8, 32, and 64 terminal residues of B-disaccharide (B_DI) or N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) attached to poly(aminoamide)-type dendrimers (PAMAMs) were synthesized. The ability of B_DI conjugates to bind natural xenoantibodies (anti-B_DI antibodies) and the ability of Neu5Ac conjugates to inhibit the hemagglutinin-mediated adhesion of influenza virus were studied. The biological activity of PAMAM conjugates turned out to be higher than that of free carbohydrate ligands, but less than that of multivalent glycoconjugates based on other types of synthetic polymeric carriers. A conformational analysis of PAMAM matrices and resulting conjugates was performed to determine the statistical distances between carbohydrate ligands. The computations revealed the tendency of the PAMAM chains toward compaction and formation of dense globules. The process results in a decrease in the distances between the carbohydrate ligands in the conjugates and, hence, could affect the ability of glycoconjugates to efficiently bind the polyvalent carbohydrate-recognizing proteins.     

Interaction of copper(II) complexes with bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate: Structural and spectral studies

When the complexes [Cu(L1)(H₂O)](ClO₄)₂1, where L1 = 4-methyl-1-(pyrid-2-ylmethyl)-1,4-diazacycloheptane, and [Cu(L2)Cl₂] 2, where L2 = 4-methyl-1-(quinol-2-ylmethyl)-1,4-diazacycloheptane are interacted with one/two equivalents of bis(p-nitrophenylphosphate, (p-NO₂Ph)₂PO₂, BNP), no hydrolysis of BNP is observed. From the solution the adducts of copper(II) complexes [Cu₂(L1)₂((p-NO₂Ph)₂PO₂)₂]-(ClO₄)₂3 and [Cu(L2)((p-NO₂Ph)₂PO₂)₂]·H₂O 4 have been isolated and structurally characterised. The X-ray crystal structure of 3 contains two Cu(L1) units bridged by two BNP molecules. The Cu···Cu distance (5.1 Å) reveals no Cu-Cu interaction. On the other hand, the complex 4 is mononuclear with Cu(II) coordinated to the 3N ligand as well as BNP molecules through phosphate oxygen. The trigonality index (τ, 0.37) observed for 4 is high suggesting the presence of significant trigonal distortion in the coordination geometry around copper(II). The complexes are further characterized by spectral and electrochemical studies.     

Association of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase with nuclear subfractions catalyzed with sodium tetrathionate and hydrogene peroxide crosslinks

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a nuclear enzyme which catalyzes the transfer of ADP-ribose units from NAD⁺ to a variety of nuclear proteins under the stimulation of DNA strand break. To examine its role in DNA repair, we have been studying the interaction of PARP with other nuclear proteins using disulfide cross-linking, initiated by sodium tetrathionate (NaTT). Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells were extracted sequentially with Nonidet P40 (detergent), nucleases (DNase + RNase), and high salt (1.6 M NaCl) with and without the addition of a sulfhydryl reducing agent. The residual structures are referred to as the nuclear matrix, and are implicated in the organization of DNA repair and replication. Treatment of the cells with NaTT causes the crosslinking of PARP to the nuclear matrix. Activating PARP by pretreating the cells with H₂O₂ did not increase the cross-linking of PARP with the nuclear matrix, suggesting a lack of additional interaction of the enzyme with the nuclear matrix during DNA repair. Both NaTT and H₂O₂ induced crosslinks of PARP that were extractable with high salt. To shorten the procedure, these crosslinks were extracted from cells without nucleases and high salt treatment, using phosphate buffer. Using western blotting, these crosslinks appeared as a smear of high molecular weight species including a possible dimer of PARP at 230 kDa, which return to 116 kDa following reduction with -mercaptoethanol.     

Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens Trigger the Formation of U Small Nuclear RNA Bodies (U Bodies) through Metabolic Stress Induction

Invasive bacterial pathogens induce an amino acid starvation (AAS) response in infected host cells that controls host defense in part by promoting autophagy. However, whether AAS has additional significant effects on the host response to intracellular bacteria remains poorly characterized. Here we showed that Shigella, Salmonella, and Listeria interfere with spliceosomal U snRNA maturation in the cytosol. Bacterial infection resulted in the rerouting of U snRNAs and their cytoplasmic escort, the survival motor neuron (SMN) complex, to processing bodies, thus forming U snRNA bodies (U bodies). This process likely contributes to the decline in the cytosolic levels of U snRNAs and of the SMN complex proteins SMN and DDX20 that we observed in infected cells. U body formation was triggered by membrane damage in infected cells and was associated with the induction of metabolic stresses, such as AAS or endoplasmic reticulum stress. Mechanistically, targeting of U snRNAs to U bodies was regulated by translation initiation inhibition and the ATF4/ATF3 pathway, and U bodies rapidly disappeared upon removal of the stress, suggesting that their accumulation represented an adaptive response to metabolic stress. Importantly, this process likely contributed to shape the host response to invasive bacteria because down-regulation of DDX20 expression using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) amplified ATF3- and NF-κB-dependent signaling. Together, these results identify a critical role for metabolic stress and invasive bacterial pathogens in U body formation and suggest that this process contributes to host defense.     

Study on Interaction of DNA from Calf Thymus with 1,10-phenanthrolinehexyldithiocarbamatopalladium(II) nitrate as Potential Antitumor Agent

Abstract

A novel palladium(II) complex has been synthesized with hexyldithiocarbamate (Hex-dtc) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) by the reaction of [Pd(phen)(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₂ with sodium salt of hexyldithiocarbamate and a complex of type [Pd(Hex-dtc) (phen)]NO₃ has been obtained. The complex has been characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, ¹H NMR, IR and electronic spectroscopic studies. The dithiocarbamate ligand acts in bidentate fashion. This water-soluble complex was screened against chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line, K562, for cytotoxic effects and showed significant antitumor activity much lower than that of cisplatin. The interaction of this complex with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was extensively investigated by a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Absorbance titration experiments imply the interaction of 4 Pd(II) complex molecules per 1000 nucleotides on DNA with positive cooperativity in the binding process and the complex denature the DNA at very low concentration (～14.3 μM). Fluorescence titration spectra and fluorescence Scatchard plots suggest that the Pd(II) complex intercalate in DNA. The gel chromatograms obtained from Sephadex G-25 column experiments showed that the binding of metal complex with DNA is so strong that it does not readily break. Furthermore, some thermodynamic and binding parameters found in the process of UV-Visible studies are described. They may provide specificity of the compound with ctDNA.     

Design and Characterization of an Adhesive Matrix Based on a Poly(Ethyl Acrylate, Methyl Methacrylate)

The main issue in the development of transdermal patches made of poly(ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate) (Eudragit NE 40D, PMM) is the shrinkage phenomenon during the spreading of the latex onto the release liner. To solve this problem, the latex is usually freeze-dried and then re-dissolved in an organic solvent (method 1). To simplify the production process, we prepared an adhesive matrix by adding to the commercial PMM latex a plasticizer and an additive (anti-shrinkage agent) that avoids the shrinkage of the water dispersion spread onto the release liner (method 2). In some cases the active ingredient itself, such as potassium diclofenac (DK) and nicotine (NT), works as anti-shrinkage agent. In this work, the effects of the preparation method, types and concentrations of the plasticizer (triacetin and tributyl citrate) on the adhesive properties of the transdermal patches were investigated. The adhesive properties of the prepared patch were determined by texture analysis, peel adhesion test and shear adhesion. The PMM/plasticizer interactions were evaluated by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the in vitro skin permeation profiles of DK and NT released from the patch were determined by Franz cell method. Generally speaking, the variables that mainly modify the adhesive properties are the concentration and type of the plasticizer. The skin permeation profiles of DK and NT from the patch prepared by method 2 overlapped with those obtained with the commercial products. The results underline that the PMM latex can be used conveniently in the development of transdermal patches.     

Amperometric glucose sensor based on coimmobilization of glucose oxidase and Poly(p-phenylenediamine) at a platinum microdisk electrode

A miniaturized glucose biosensor in which glucose oxidase (GOD) and poly(p-phenylenediamine) (poly-PPD) were coimmobilized at the surface of a platinum microdisk electrode was developed and used successfully for amperometric determination of glucose. The performance of sensors prepared at different monomer concentrations and polymerization potentials with different media was investigated in detail. It was found that similarly to poly(o-phenylenediamine) (poly-OPD), (poly-PPD) noticeably eliminated the electrochemical interference of ascorbic acid, uric acid, and l-cysteine. The amperometric response of glucose with the biosensor under optimal conditions exhibited a linear relationship in the range of 5.0 x 10(-5) to 3.0 x 10(-3) M with correlation coefficient 0.9995. According to the Michaelis-Menten equation, the apparent Michaelis constant for glucose and the maximum steady-state current density of the poly-PPD/GOD-modified microelectrode were 3.94 mM and 607.5 microA cm(-2), respectively. The current density of the sensor responding to glucose in the linear range can reach 160 microA cm(-2) mM(-1), which is far greater than that obtained using poly-OPD and poly(phenol) film. In addition, the stability of the sensor was examined over a 2-month period.     

Biochemical Analysis of the Yeast Proteinase Inhibitor (IC) Homolog ICh and Its Comparison with IC

Carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) inhibitor (I^C) and its homologous protein (I^Ch) are thought to be members of the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The biochemical characterization of I^C and its inhibition mode toward CPY were recently reported, but I^Ch has not been characterized. The molecular mass of I^Ch was determined to be 22,033.7. The N-terminal Met1 was cleaved and the amino group of Ser2 was acetylated. I^Ch is folded as a monomeric β-protein and is devoid of disulfide bonds. It has no inhibitory activity toward CPY, and it does not form a complex with CPY. I^Ch was exclusively expressed in the early log phase, whereas I^C was expressed in the logarithmic and stationary phase. The intracellular localization of I^Ch was different from that of I^C. These findings provide insights into the physiological functions of I^Ch.