延龄草皂苷类成分及其药理活性、资源保育的研究进展

延龄草是土家族四大名药之一，具有活血祛瘀、镇静安神、治疗跌打损伤等功效，现代药理研究表明其在改善阿尔茨海默症等中枢神经退化性疾病方面具有一定疗效。由于早年的大量采挖及现代保育工作尚未完善，延龄草资源稀缺，已被列为国家三级珍稀濒危保护植物。本文归纳了延龄草皂苷类成分及其结构分类、药理活性以及资源保育方面的研究进展，剖析了目前延龄草资源发展中亟待解决的问题，旨在为延龄草资源的可持续利用和产业发展提供基础和依据。     

延龄草皂苷抗肿瘤作用机制的研究进展

延龄草皂苷是从延龄草属植物中提取分离的甾体皂苷,是发挥生物活性作用的主要成分。其通过抑制肿瘤细胞增殖,诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡,抑制肿瘤细胞转移,逆转耐药性,调节机体免疫力,增强化疗药物疗效等发挥抗肿瘤的作用。本综述主要分析和总结延龄草皂苷抗肿瘤作用的主要途径和机制。     

气候变化对我国7种植物潜在分布的影响

利用CART(分类和回归树)模型及A2和B2气候情景,模拟分析气候变化对瘿椒树、岩高兰、延龄草、星叶草、天麻、蝟实和秃杉分布范围及空间格局影响.结果显示:气候变化下,就目前适宜分布范围,瘿椒树呈增加趋势,其它植物呈缩小趋势;就新适宜及总适宜分布范围,蔚实、延龄草和瘿椒树呈增加趋势,星叶草和岩高兰呈减小趋势,天麻和秃杉在...     

延龄草(Trillium tschonoskii Maxim.)的胚胎学研究(二)——胚乳发育的研究

多年来,由于对延龄草的营养叶的脉序和花被片的分化趋势的研究,引起众多学者对延龄草的系统位置发生了兴趣。我们已发表过延龄草的大孢子发生及雌配子体的形成,本文发表的是延龄草的胚乳发育,并在此基础上,对延龄草的系统位置谈一些看法。延龄草的胚乳发育始于合点端。受精极核第一次分裂形成二个子细胞,两细胞间由一弧形壁将胚囊分隔成珠孔端室与合点端室,前者大于后者。通常珠孔端室核先于合点端室核分裂。游离核沿胚囊边缘向中央分布,且由珠孔端开始形成胚乳细胞,其速度也快于合点端。胚乳发育为沼生目型。     

延龄草苷对过氧化氢诱导的PC12细胞氧化损伤和炎症因子表达的影响

探讨延龄草苷对过氧化氢(H_2O_2)诱导的PC12细胞氧化损伤和炎症因子表达的影响。采用MTT法和LDH活性测定观察延龄草苷对PC12细胞模型的影响,采用相关试剂盒检测活性氧(ROS)和丙二醛(MDA)含量,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)活力,Western blot检测Sirt1、NF-κB和TNF-α的蛋白表达。延龄草苷(5~20μM)能够显著提高H_2O_2损伤的PC12细胞的活力,提高细胞抗氧化能力,并上调Sirt1的表达,下调NF-κB和TNF-α的表达,其保护作用可能与提高抗氧化能力,降低炎症因子损伤,调控Sirt1/NF-κB信号通路有关。     

植物ms 级叶绿素荧光动力学数据采集和分析软件

本文介绍了一套可在IBM PC(兼容)微机上运行的植物ms级荧光动力学数据采集和分析软件。本软件用C语言写成,具有汉化界面、菜单驱动、彩色人机对话窗口、操作简便、灵活,兼容性好等优点。本文着重讨论了本软件如何减少荧光动力学测量中的误差、在不过分占用内存的情况下扩大采样时间范围以及如何精确测量固定荧光(Fo)和偏转荧光(Fi)等问题。本软件和我们自行组装的植物ms级动力学荧光计——植物产量荧光计PFM-101型可广泛应用于农业、植物生态学及植物生理学的光合测量和研究。     

超富集植物遏蓝菜对重金属吸收、运输和累积的机制

遏蓝菜Thlaspi caerulescens可以在其地上部累积大量重金属如锌、镉等,是公认的超富集植物。由于该植物生物量小,不宜直接用于重金属污染的土壤植物修复,而被广泛作为一种模式植物来进行重金属富集机制研究。遏蓝菜对重金属离子的累积大致经过螯合剂解毒、地上部长距离运输以及在液泡中的储存等生理过程。已经发现的植物体内的金属螯合剂——有机酸、氨基酸、植物络合素(PCs)、金属硫蛋白(MT)和尼克烟酰胺NA等,区室化以及长距离运输相关的转运蛋白——ZIP(ZRT/IRTlike protein)、CDF(Cation diffusion facilitator)、Nramp(Natural resistance and macrophage protein)和HMA(Heavy metal ATPase)等家族,以上各种基因、多肽与蛋白等共同参与了植物对金属累积与耐受过程并发挥各自重要的作用。以下主要介绍了遏蓝菜重金属超富集相关的基因、多肽和蛋白,以及它们在重金属螯合作用和运输过程中的功能。     

植物分子系统地理学及其研究进展

系统地理学这个概念框架来源于早期对线粒体DNA(mitochondrial DNA,mtDNA)的研究。随着系统地理学研究方法的不断拓展和分子生物学实验技术的渗透,出出了一门新的交叉学科——分子系统地理学(Mokcular phylogeography)。本文简述了分子系统地理学的发展简史和植物分子系统地理学研究常用的分子标记,回顾了近年来植物分子系统地理学方面的研究进展以及存植物研究中的应用。并对植物分子系统地理学研究进行了展望。     

重楼属和延龄草核型的一致性

本文报道的重楼属3个种和变种与延龄草的核型基本一致,表明它们之间的亲缘关系很近,其核型简式为:延龄草(T. tschonoskii)2n=10=4m 2m(SAT) 2st(SAT) 2t(SAT) 1B;五指莲(Paris axialis)2n=10=6m 2t 2t(SAT) 2B;狭叶重楼(P. polyphylla var. stenophylla)2n=10=2m(SAT) 4m 2st 2t;小重楼(P.polyphylla var.minora)2n=10=4m 2sm 4t.     

延龄草科四属花粉形态的研究

对延龄草科重楼属Paris L.延龄草属Trillium L.Medeola L.属和Scoliopus Torr.属以及百合科百合属Ｌilium L.和萱草属Ｈemerocallis L.花粉进行了光镜和电镜的观察和比较。结果表明,在延龄草科中,重楼属,Medeola属和Scoliopus属花粉具有较多的相似性：具单一远极沟,极面观椭圆形,外壁为网状纹饰或皱波－网状纹饰。而延龄草属花粉与它们的差异则较大,为圆形,无萌发孔,外壁非网状纹饰,而是颗粒状,疣状,芽孢状,星状和微刺状等纹饰。百合属中的Lilium michauxii和萱草属中的金针菜Hemerocallis citrina花粉均为单一远极沟,外壁表面为网状纹饰。但其网脊特别粗,具不规则突起并形成棱角（H.citina)或由许多排列成念珠状的、形状不一的分子组成（Lilium michauxii),结构特别复杂。就其萌发孔类型和纹饰特征看,它们与延龄草科中的重楼属,Medeola属和Scoliopus属花粉具有较多的性。花粉外壁的层次结构在延龄草科各属之间（延龄草属除外）,甚至在延龄草科与百合科之间均没有多大的差异。     

Enhanced protein fold recognition using secondary structure information from NMR.

NMR offers the possibility of accurate secondary structure for proteins that would be too large for structure determination. In the absence of an X-ray crystal structure, this information should be useful as an adjunct to protein fold recognition methods based on low resolution force fields. The value of this information has been tested by adding varying amounts of artificial secondary structure data and threading a sequence through a library of candidate folds. Using a literature test set, the threading method alone has only a one-third chance of producing a correct answer among the top ten guesses. With realistic secondary structure information, one can expect a 60-80% chance of finding a homologous structure. The method has then been applied to examples with published estimates of secondary structure. This implementation is completely independent of sequence homology, and sequences are optimally aligned to candidate structures with gaps and insertions allowed. Unlike work using predicted secondary structure, we test the effect of differing amounts of relatively reliable data.     

Structure of a cell wall polysaccharide isolated from Hypocrea gelatinosa.

The structure of a polysaccharide isolated from the cell wall of Hypocrea gelatinosa has been investigated by means of chemical analyses and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The polysacharide has an irregular structure, idealized as follows: [carbohydrate structure in text].     

The conformation of adenovirus VAI-RNA in solution

The secondary structure of an adenovirus associated low molecular weight RNA (VAI-RNA) has been studied by partial digestion with T1-RNase and S1-endonuclease followed by T1-fingerprint analysis. The empirical secondary structure has been compared with two computer generated models based on minimal free energy of the structure. The results suggest that VAI-RNA in solution has a compact structure with a free energy of around -60 kcal with two stems and four bulge regions. The implication of this structure for the function of VAI-RNA is discussed.     

Structure of Petunia hybrida defensin 1, a novel plant defensin with five disulfide bonds

The structure of a novel plant defensin isolated from the flowers of Petunia hybrida has been determined by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. P. hybrida defensin 1 (PhD1) is a basic, cysteine-rich, antifungal protein of 47 residues and is the first example of a new subclass of plant defensins with five disulfide bonds whose structure has been determined. PhD1 has the fold of the cysteine-stabilized alphabeta motif, consisting of an alpha-helix and a triple-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet, except that it contains a fifth disulfide bond from the first loop to the alpha-helix. The additional disulfide bond is accommodated in PhD1 without any alteration of its tertiary structure with respect to other plant defensins. Comparison of its structure with those of classic, four-disulfide defensins has allowed us to identify a previously unrecognized hydrogen bond network that is integral to structure stabilization in the family.     

Molecular structure of (m5 dC-dG)3: the role of the methyl group on 5-methyl cytosine in stabilizing Z-DNA.

The hexamer (m5 dC-dG)3 has been synthesized and its three-dimensional structure determined by a single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The structure has been refined to a final R value of 15.6% at 1.3 A resolution. The molecule forms a left-handed Z-DNA helix which is similar to the unmethylated Z-DNA structure. The presence of the methyl group has resulted in slight changes in the twist angle between successive base pairs and modification of some of the interatomic contacts. Methylation of cytosine in the C5 position is associated with a relative destabilization of the B-DNA structure and a stabilization through hydrophobic bonding of the Z-DNA structure.     

Probing the structure of Leishmania major DHFR TS and structure based virtual screening of peptide library for the identification of anti-leishmanial leads

Leishmaniasis, a multi-faceted ethereal disease is considered to be one of the World's major communicable diseases that demands exhaustive research and control measures. The substantial data on these protozoan parasites has not been utilized completely to develop potential therapeutic strategies against Leishmaniasis. Dihydrofolate reductase thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) plays a major role in the infective state of the parasite and hence the DHFR-TS based drugs remains of much interest to researchers working on Leishmaniasis. Although, crystal structures of DHFR-TS from different species including Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma cruzi are available, the experimentally determined structure of the Leishmania major DHFR-TS has not yet been reported in the Protein Data Bank. A high quality three dimensional structure of L.major DHFR-TS has been modeled through the homology modeling approach. Carefully refined and the energy minimized structure of the modeled protein was validated using a number of structure validation programs to confirm its structure quality. The modeled protein structure was used in the process of structure based virtual screening to figure out a potential lead structure against DHFR TS. The lead molecule identified has a binding affinity of 0.51?nM and clearly follows drug like properties.     

Protein structure prediction

The prediction of protein structure, based primarily on sequence and structure homology, has become an increasingly important activity. Homology models have become more accurate and their range of applicability has increased. Progress has come, in part, from the flood of sequence and structure information that has appeared over the past few years, and also from improvements in analysis tools. These include profile methods for sequence searches, the use of three-dimensional structure information in sequence alignment and new homology modeling tools, specifically in the prediction of loop and side-chain conformations. There have also been important advances in understanding the physical chemical basis of protein stability and the corresponding use of physical chemical potential functions to identify correctly folded from incorrectly folded protein conformations.     

1H-NMR assignment and secondary structure of a herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D-1 antigenic domain

The peptide alpha Ahx-Met-Ala-Asp-Pro-Asn-Arg-Phe-Arg-Gly-Lys-Asp-Leu-Pro-Val-Leu- Asp-Gln-Leu-Thr-Asp-Pro-Pro-alpha Ahx (epsilon Ahx = 6-aminohexanoyl), the antigenic sequence 11-32 from Herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D-1, has been synthesised. Its 1H-NMR spectrum has been assigned by a combination of two-dimensional techniques in H2O and 2H2O. Its secondary structure has been defined by nuclear Overhauser effects and amide proton exchange rates, and also to some extent chemical shifts, coupling constants and amide proton temperature coefficients. These latter parameters are shown to be less reliable as guides to secondary structure. The peptide has a helical (type I/III) turn at residues Pro-14-Asn-15 and helical structure at residues Lys-20-Val-24, in rapid equilibrium with random-coil structure. A beta-turn at residues Arg-18-Gly-19 may be present as a minor component. These locations of secondary structure correspond with previously determined regions of antigenic activity.     

The crystal structure of yeast phenylalanine tRNA at 1.93 A resolution: a classic structure revisited

The crystal structure of the monoclinic form of yeast phenylalanine tRNA has been redetermined at a resolution of 1.93 A. The structure of yeast tRNAphe described here is more accurate than its predecessors not only because it incorporates higher resolution data, but also because it has been refined using techniques that had not been developed when its predecessors were determined more than 20 years ago. The 1.93 A resolution version of this structure differs interestingly from its predecessors in its details. In loop regions particularly, the backbone torsion angles in the new structure are not the same as those reported earlier. Several new divalent cation binding sites have been identified, and the water structure that has emerged is also different.     

An information measure of the quality of protein secondary structure prediction.

We describe an information-theory-based measure of the quality of secondary structure prediction (RELINFO). RELINFO has a simple yet intuitive interpretation: it represents the factor by which secondary structure choice at a residue has been restricted by a prediction scheme. As an alternative interpretation of secondary structure prediction, RELINFO complements currently used methods by providing an information-based view as to why a prediction succeeds and fails. To demonstrate this score's capabilities, we applied RELINFO to an analysis of a large set of secondary structure predictions obtained from the first five rounds of the Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction (CASP) experiment. RELINFO is compared with two other common measures: percent correct (Q3) and secondary structure overlap (SOV). While the correlation between Q3 and RELINFO is approximately 0.85, RELINFO avoids certain disadvantages of Q3, including overestimating the quality of a prediction. The correlation between SOV and RELINFO is approximately 0.75. The valuable SOV measure unfortunately suffers from a saturation problem, and perhaps has unfairly given the general impression that secondary structure prediction has reached its limit since SOV hasn't improved much over the recent rounds of CASP. Although not a replacement for SOV, RELINFO has greater dispersion. Over the five rounds of CASP assessed here, RELINFO shows that predictions targets have been more difficult in successive CASP experiments, yet the predictions quality has continued to improve measurably over each round. In terms of information, the secondary structure prediction quality has almost doubled from CASP1 to CASP5. Therefore, as a different perspective of accuracy, RELINFO can help to improve prediction of protein secondary structure by providing a measure of difficulty as well as final quality of a prediction.