生物法合成尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖的研究进展

尿苷二磷酸葡萄糖(UDPG)是一种重要的糖类物质合成前体.生物法合成具有低成本、无污染和高立体选择性等传统化学法不具备的优势.利用纯酶催化的生物法以基于Leloir途径改进的一锅法、蔗糖合酶催化的两步法以及糖合成反应可逆催化等产UDPG,实现了UDPG的高产.全细胞催化法利用稳定的胞内酶系产UDPG,胞内生成的UDPG作为底物直接参与产物的催化合成,可行性高且成本更低.综述了酶法和全细胞催化法合成UDPG这两种最主要生物法的研究进展.     

生物催化在手性药物合成中的应用

生物催化已成为药物合成的重要手段,目前以酶为核心的生物催化在手性药物合成中的应用日益广泛。总结了近年来生物催化在手性药物合成中取得的最新成果和主要反应类型,如碳氧双键的还原、碳氮键合成、碳氢键活化及多酶级联反应。     

合成生物催化中关键科学问题的研究进展

合成生物催化以多酶催化为特征,通过灵活选择不同功能的酶和反应路线设计,可以实现复杂生物基化学品的合成,在反应效率、原子经济性和环境友好方面有着不可替代性。但是其还存在两个关键科学问题:(1)氧化还原酶催化过程中辅酶的循环再生和重复利用;(2)酶在非水相和油水两相反应体系中如何实现稳定。以CO_2合成生物甲醇和天然油脂制备生物聚氨酯材料这两个具有代表性的多酶催化过程为例,介绍了合成生物催化关键科学问题的研究进展。其中,新型纳米材料与生物技术相结合在解决催化体系中辅酶再生、多酶协同以及酶的界面稳定方面有着广阔的发展前景。     

生物催化不对称还原制备氟代手性醇

由于氟原子的特殊性质，化合物中引入氟原子可显著改变其物理化学性质。因此，氟原子在药物中的应用越来越广。此外，80%药物分子结构属于手性分子。其中，氟代手性醇常见于手性药物结构中，该类结构的合成方法研究具有重要的意义。不对称还原含氟酮是合成此结构的常见方法。与化学还原方法相比，生物催化还原具有对映选择性强、产率高和易于分离纯化等优点。生物催化，特别是酶催化还原含氟酮类化合物成为手性药物合成领域的研究热点。本文从纯化酶催化和全细胞催化两个方面，综述了近年来含氟酮生物催化还原合成氟代手性醇的研究进展，并分析总结了氟代对酮生物催化还原的影响，最后对生物催化还原法未来的发展进行了展望。     

纳米粒子-生物分子复合体的合成及其在生物医药领域的应用

纳米粒子具有独特的光、电和催化性质;生物物质具有识别、催化和抑制的特性;纳米粒子连接生物分子从而合成了具有生物上的电、光性质的纳米粒子—生物分子复合体。本文介绍了纳米粒子-生物分子复合体系的合成,以及这些纳米粒子—生物分子复合体在生物医学领域的应用及研究进展。     

手性医药化学品生物催化合成进展与实践

手性生物催化是利用生物催化剂对手性分子构型的识别能力进行选择性催化的新型物质加工过程,具有催化效率高、选择性强和反应条件温和等优势。近十年来,生物催化技术快速崛起,树立了多个大品种原料药过程替代的成功范例,成为手性医药化学品绿色制造不可或缺的重要工具。笔者分析了生物催化商业和学术发展的新动向,并结合笔者在手性药物生物催化合成的产业化开发实践,指出了今后的发展方向。     

手性技术与生物催化

简要介绍了手性,手性技术与生物催化的基本概念。手性,是指一个有机分子具有不对称性,形成两种空间排布方式不同的对映异构体。手性技术即生产手性化合物的技术,手性化合物的制备方法主要有手性源、外消旋体拆分、不对称合成等几种。生物催化,即利用酶或微生物等生物材料催化进行某种化学反应,被认为是手性化合物生产取得突破的关健技术。文章还介绍了生物催化外消旋体拆分、生物催化不对称合成等几种生产手性化合物的应用实例。     

工业生物催化技术在绿色精细化学品合成中的机遇

生物催化技术具有反应条件温和、专一性强、环境友好等特点,是传统化学方法无法比拟的。本文从生物催化技术的特点及其在精细化学品合成中的应用现状出发,从产品战略、技术策略等方面提出生物催化技术应用的方向与目标：生物催化与有机合成技术的集成、交叉将会是未来生物催化技术发展的重要方向;有机合成技术为生物催化技术的发展、应用指明并提供了更多技术、产品及产业机会。     

双水相生物催化技术的研究进展

双水相生物催化是一种高效且易于放大的生物催化技术,可以有效解决传统生物催化过程中产物浓度低、产物和副产物的抑制、以及生物催化剂难以回收等缺点。介绍了该技术的操作工艺及设备研究及其在抗生素、激素、肽类和有机化舍物酶法合成中的应用研究现状,展望了该技术的可能发展方向。     

催化元件和途径的人工设计与组装

催化元件以及由多个催化元件组成的合成途径的设计与组装为人工合成体系的建立奠定了基础,是合成生物学的重要研究内容。除从自然生物中挖掘大量的天然酶和途径可供人工合成体系使用外,将计算生物学、蛋白质工程以及组合生物合成等技术相结合,理性地、有目的地进行催化元件和途径的人工设计与组装,将提供新功能酶以及新物质合成途径。介绍了催化元件和合成途径人工设计与组装的研究策略和最新进展。     

Effects of Actinomycin D and Cycloheximide on Zinc Status in Marginally Zinc-Deficient Rats

During deficient zinc intake, rats are liable to suffer zinc deficiency under the following conditions: higher protein diet, diet containing higher quality (higher nutritive value) protein, and higher dietary intake. This suggests that a higher protein nutritional status (rapid increase in body protein) in rats leads to a lower zinc nutritional status (higher zinc requirement). In contrast, it is expected that a lower protein nutritional status (lowered body protein biosynthesis) is not liable to result in a lower zinc nutritional status. Therefore, the effects of protein biosynthesis inhibitors on zinc status were studied. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide were administered to rats under a marginally zinc-deficient condition. The growth of rats was depressed and serum and femur zinc concentrations were increased by administration of protein biosynthesis inhibitors. The carcasses of rats administered protein synthesis inhibitors had a higher zinc/protein ratio than those of the respective pair-fed (calorically equivalent to the zinc-deficient group) rats. Results suggest that zinc deficiency in rats is mainly alleviated by decreased food intake with administration of protein synthesis inhibitors. Furthermore, protein biosynthesis inhibition alone alleviated zinc deficiency.     

Effect of orotic acid on reparative processes in the lungs following pneumonectomy]

The effect of orotic acid on pulmonary regeneration has been studied in mature rats after left-sided pneumonectomy. A complex morphometric analysis of the pulmonary parenchyma during the process of compensatory-hypertrophic rearrangement has been carried out; mitotic activity of cells in the interalveolar septae, peculiarities of DNA synthesis and those of enzymatic status in lymphocytes of the peripheral blood have been determined. As the investigations have demonstrated, the administration of orotic acid during the postoperative period contributes to a more complete regeneration of the lung volume, alveolar surface, results in formation of new alveoli, prevents the development of morphologic long-term decompensation following pneumonectomy. Activation of the alveolar cells proliferation and increased DNA synthesis are the main stimulating effects of orotic acid. Certain correlative connections are revealed between the course of pulmonary regenerative processes and the enzymic status of circulating lymphocytes.     

干旱与氧化胁迫对小麦根氧化还原状态和叶片ABA积累的影响

通过分析一氧化氮(nitric oxide,NO)、活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)和干旱胁迫对小麦根氧化还原状态和叶片脱落酸(abscisic acid,ABA)积累的影响,探讨了干旱胁迫下NO和H2O2调节ABA合成的可能机制。结果表明:干旱胁迫处理初期小麦根还原型谷胱甘肽含量降低、抗氧化酶活性发生振荡变化,细胞氧化还原状态向氧化型转变。NO和H2O2能模拟干旱胁迫的作用使细胞状态向氧化型转变,还可以使小麦叶片ABA积累量上升。干旱胁迫下NO和H2O2对ABA合成的调节作用可能是通过调节细胞氧化还原状态进行。     

Peptides as ‘Drugs’: The Journey so Far

Peptide based drugs are now a day fascinating application areas. This brief review focuses on the history of peptides, synthesis of peptides, their therapeutic applications and the current status of peptides in the market.     

GABA metabolism in the substantia nigra,cortex, and hippocampus during status epilepticus

The metabolism of GABA and other amino acids was studied in the substantia nigra, the hippocampus and the parietal cortex of rats following microinjections of GAMMA-vinyl-GABA during status epilepticus induced by lithium and pilocarpine. GABA metabolism showed striking regional variations. In controls, both GABA concentration and rate of GABA synthesis were highest in the substantia nigra and lowest in cortex, as expected. In substantia nigra, status epilepticus resulted in a 2 1/2 fold decline in the rate of GABA synthesis and in a 307% increase in the turnover time of the GABA pool. In hippocampus, the rate of GABA synthesis was not altered significantly, but the turnover time of the GABA pool was 284% of controls, and the size of that pool increased to 208% of controls. By contrast, in cortex, where seizure activity is limited in this model, the rate of GABA synthesis increased to 230% of controls while pool size and turnover time did not change. Aspartate concentration decreased in all three brain regions. These data suggest that the observed reduction of the rate of GABA synthesis in substantia nigra could play a key role in seizure spread in this model of status epilepticus.Special Issue dedicated to Claude Baxter.     

Effect of continuous far red on betaxanthin and betacyanin synthesis

Seedlings of Celosia plumosa under prolonged irradiation with far red light synthesize chlorophyll α and betaxanthin. Levulinic acid and 2,4-dinitrophenol, inhibitors of chlorophyll synthesis and cyclic photophosphorylation respectively, reduce betaxanthin synthesis. Pigment formation is also inhibited by actinomycin-D and puromycin, but is unaffected by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, an inhibitor of noncyclic photophosphorylation. These findings are evidence of the involvement of photosynthesis through cyclic photophosphorylation, in the far red HER associated with betaxanthin synthesis. Under continuous far red seedlings of Amaranthus tricolor synthesize only chlorophyll α. Lack of betacyanin formation is ascribed to the inactive status of the genes involved in the pigment synthesis.     

Ectopic expression of an amino acid transporter (VfAAP1) in seeds of Vicia narbonensis and pea increases storage proteins

Storage protein synthesis is dependent on available nitrogen in the seed, which may be controlled by amino acid import via specific transporters. To analyze their rate-limiting role for seed protein synthesis, a Vicia faba amino acid permease, VfAAP1, has been ectopically expressed in pea (Pisum sativum) and Vicia narbonensis seeds under the control of the legumin B4 promoter. In mature seeds, starch is unchanged but total nitrogen is 10% to 25% higher, which affects mainly globulin, vicilin, and legumin, rather than albumin synthesis. Transgenic seeds in vitro take up more [14C]-glutamine, indicating increased sink strength for amino acids. In addition, more [14C] is partitioned into proteins. Levels of total free amino acids in growing seeds are unchanged but with a shift toward higher relative abundance of asparagine, aspartate, glutamine, and glutamate. Hexoses are decreased, whereas metabolites of glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle are unchanged or slightly lower. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity and the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase-to-pyruvate kinase ratios are higher in seeds of one and three lines, indicating increased anaplerotic fluxes. Increases of individual seed size by 20% to 30% and of vegetative biomass indicate growth responses probably due to improved nitrogen status. However, seed yield per plant was not altered. Root application of [15N] ammonia results in significantly higher label in transgenic seeds, as well as in stems and pods, and indicates stimulation of nitrogen root uptake. In summary, VfAAP1 expression increases seed sink strength for nitrogen, improves plant nitrogen status, and leads to higher seed protein. We conclude that seed protein synthesis is nitrogen limited and that seed uptake activity for nitrogen is rate limiting for storage protein synthesis.