区别滞后酶解离和聚合过程的动力学方法

分析了滞后酶解离-聚合的动力学过程,提出了区分解离和聚合机制的动力学方法。这一方法不仅可用于滞后酶本身的研究,确定滞后酶解离态和聚合态的动力学常数,也可以用于判别变性剂引起寡聚酶的失活过程是否由亚基的解离或聚合所致。     

牛肝L-谷氨酸脱氢酶在压力下的解离

运用荧光光谱方法研究了牛肝Ｌ－谷氨酸脱氢酶（ＧＤＨ）在压力下的解离。研究表明,在２ｋｂａｒ时ＧＤＨ由六聚体解离成亚基,标准解离体积变化为－２９３ｍｌ／ｍｏｌ,解离自由能为４８ｋｃａｌ／ｍｏｌ（１０℃）。ＧＤＨ在压力下的解离还显示出异常的浓度依赖性,表明在天然寡聚蛋白的布居中存在着自由能不同的单体聚合。不同温度下的ＧＤＨ解离研究结果表明,由亚基－六聚体的聚合是一熵增驱动过程。ｂｉｓ－ＡＮＳ存在时观察到的现象,暗示谷氨酸脱氢酶的亚基解离过程中发生了构象漂移（ｃｏｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎａｌｄｒｉｆｔ）。此外还研究了底物结合对解离的影响     

干旱过程中露花叶片PEPCase酶蛋白量的变化

干旱和盐胁迫使露花叶片中PEPCase活性水平提高数倍。经双相电泳和蛋白免疫印溃(Western immunoblot)发现干旱后露花叶片中PEPCase蛋白量有明显增多。火箭免疫电泳定量分析结果表明,干旱过程中,PEPCase活性水平的提高主要基于其酶蛋白量的增加。干旱引起的这些变化是可逆的,在恢复供水一定时间后可以完全恢复。RubisCO蛋白量在干旱处理的露花叶片中明显减少,恢复供水后又回复到原初水平。PEPCase蛋白量增多,RubisCO蛋白量减少可能是露花叶片CAM途径诱导的生化特征之一。露花叶片中PEPCase活性水平及蛋白量受到叶片发育状况的控制,干旱引起的这两者的变化在中部成熟叶片中最明显,在幼嫩叶片中最小。     

Ca~(2+)对植物磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶的抑制作用

低浓度Ca~(2+)明显抑制高粱、马齿苋及大叶伽兰菜叶片PEPCase活性。Ca~(2+)对马齿苋及大叶伽兰菜PEPCase的抑制程度大于对高粱PEPCase的。Ca~(2+)对PEPCase的抑制作用因底物PEP浓度提高而加强,因必需金属离子Mg~(2+)的浓度增加而减弱。提高Mg~(2+)浓度可解除高粱PEPCase的Ca~(2+)抑制作用,但不能完全解除马齿苋PEPCase的抑制作用。G6P、gly可消除Ca~(2+)对高粱PEPCase的抑制作用,但G6P不能消除Ca~(2+)对马齿苋PEPCase的抑制作用。     

病毒衣壳蛋白的解离和重组

在生物微观世界中,某些病毒的结构形态是迄今为止研究得比较透彻的一种。病毒的衣壳蛋白在完成其生物功能——即和病毒核酸的相互作用,而后形成包裹衣壳,是自然界中蛋白质聚合成高级结构(四级结构)的一种典型的有序模型。目前,为数不少的病毒,包括植物、动物及细菌病毒的衣壳蛋白一级结构已经阐明,因此病毒的衣壳蛋白是研究蛋白质的解离、聚合、装配和重组,蛋白质各级结构之间的关系及蛋白质和核酸之间相互作用等问题的一个极好对象。对于病毒衣壳蛋白的解离和重组过程,已有不少研究报道、综述和专著     

肌球蛋白微丝在高压力下的解离和重组

高压力下肌球蛋白微丝的解离研究表明,在１－６５０ｂａｒ压力下肌球蛋白微丝的解离是完全可逆的,在５℃时其解离平衡常数的对数ｌｇＫ＝－１２９,解离标准体积变化为２０８８ｍｌ／ｍｏｌ。研究还指出,由肌球蛋白聚合成肌球蛋白微丝的熵是＋１４８．５ｋｃａｌ／ｍｏｌ（２０℃）,表明这是一熵驱动的自发过程,连续二次加压解离动力学研究结果暗示,肌球蛋白二体是肌球蛋白微丝解离过程中的中间体。     

偶联法测定PEPCase活性时OAA非酶催化脱羧引起的误差及其在一定范围内的校正

PEPCase(EC4.1.1.31)广泛存在于植物与微生物中。自1953年被发现以来,尤其是近10年,作为C_4双羧酸途径和景天科植物酸代谢途径的关键酶,PEPCase得到了广泛的研究。在这些研究中人们主要应用了4种活性测定方法:1.苹果酸脱氢酶(EC1.1.1.37,简称MDH)偶联测定法;2.H~(14)CO_3~-放射化学测定法;3.草酰乙酸检     

去B链羧端五肽胰岛素的结构研究——Ⅲ.高分辨核磁共振研究

研究了胰岛素(Ins)和去B链羧端五肽胰岛素(DPI)的250兆周核磁共振,发现DPI、Ins核磁共振谱之间存在着差异。这说明胰岛素分子羧端五肽的切除引起在溶液中局部构象变化。这种构象变化似乎不影响Ins分子的生物活性。许多研究表明Ins分子在溶液中存在着解离聚合平衡,聚合状态与溶液浓度、pH有密切关系。如果改变DPI和Ins溶液的浓度及pH,前者波谱变化不明显,后者随溶液浓度、pH增加而增加。Ins波谱中的缬氨酸、亮氨酸、异亮氨酸CH_3部分与芳香环质子部分共振峰均加宽。这些说明DPI在无Zn~( )溶液中不存在解离聚合平衡,而可能以单体形式存在。     

马齿苋叶片PEP羧化酶的分子特性

马齿苋叶片PEPCase由四个相同的亚基组成,亚基分子量为83kD。远紫外CD光谱分析表明,此酶含有36.6％α—螺旋结构。马齿苋叶片PEPCase可被G6P激活,但不能被Gly、Ser激活。G6P可防止酶的尿素变性和枯草杆菌蛋白酶的作用。这种保护效应与G6P诱导的酶构象变化有关。 从酶对低温、高温及尿素的反应来看,马齿苋叶片PEPCase的稳定性高于高粱叶片PEP—Case,两者的免疫特性和电泳特性亦不同。     

光/暗对高粱叶片磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶基因表达的调节

高粱幼苗黄化叶片经照光转绿后,其PEP-Case活性提高4～15倍,mRNA含量提高了1.03倍,并测定出PEPCase mRNA的分子量为3.4kb。以等量的总RNA及mRNA进行体外翻译,发现转绿后PEPCase专一性翻译活性提高了51％～53％。这表明光照可以在转录水平上调节PEP-Case的基因表达。     

烟蚜自然种群聚集与扩散趋势的初步研究

本文采用空间格局分析方法,从烟草移载到烟叶采收,对烟蚜Ｍｙｚｕｓ ｐｅｒｓｉｃａｅ在烟株和烟株上,中,下三个部位的聚集和扩散趋势,采用Ｍｏｎｔ Ｌｏｌｙｄ给出的方法,并结合Ｉｗａｏ的ｍ－ｍ回归分析法和ｍ－ｍ的改进模型进行判断分析。结果表明,六月下旬和七月中旬是烟蚜在烟株上的两个聚集高峰期。烟蚜在烟株不同部位的聚集和扩散趋势有所不同。整株烟株和上,中,下部烟蚜都呈聚集分布。分析结果对指导烟蚜防治有一     

Measurement by electrical impedance aggregometry of porcine platelets response to selected physiological agonists

Although the domestic swine is commonly employed for physiological studies of the coronary circulation, there is relatively little data available concerning the responsiveness in whole blood of normal porcine platelets to standard physiological agonists. Such information is essential if the domestic swine is to be used as an animal model for studying potential interactions between platelets and the coronary circulation. Accordingly, the present study was undertaken to characterize the responses (aggregation and ATP release) observed in whole blood of normal porcine platelets to selected physiological agonists. The responses of platelets from 10 normal human volunteers also were studied with this system for comparison. Agents tested included ADP, arachidonic acid, collagen, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and thrombin. Studies were conducted with the Chronolog impedance aggregometer. The results demonstrate that platelets of domestic swine are reactive to ADP, arachidonic acid, and collagen. In contrast, neither epinephrine nor norepinephrine alone induced aggregation or release. Norepinephrine, however, caused modest potentiation of aggregation in response to ADP only. At 1 mM concentration each catecholamine inhibited the release response to collagen while at 10 mM each inhibited aggregation and release in response to either ADP or collagen. The data obtained indicate the domestic swine may be employed as a useful model to examine interactions between platelets and the coronary circulation.     

Characterization of full-length p53 aggregates and their kinetics of formation

Mutations in the TP53 gene are common in cancer with the R248Q missense mutation conferring an increased propensity to aggregate. Previous p53 aggregation studies showed that, at micromolar concentrations, protein unfolding to produce aggregation-prone species is the rate-determining step. Here we show that, at physiological concentrations, aggregation kinetics of insect cell-derived full-length wild-type p53 and p53R248Q are determined by a nucleation-growth model, rather than formation of aggregation-prone monomeric species. Self-seeding, but not cross-seeding, increases aggregation rate, confirming the aggregation process as rate determining. p53R248Q displays enhanced aggregation propensity due to decreased solubility and increased aggregation rate, forming greater numbers of larger amorphous aggregates that disrupt lipid bilayers and invokes an inflammatory response. These results suggest that p53 aggregation can occur under physiological conditions, a rate enhanced by R248Q mutation, and that aggregates formed can cause membrane damage and inflammation that may influence tumorigenesis.     

Effect of fluid mechanical stresses and plasma constituents on aggregation of LDL

LDL aggregates when exposed to even moderate fluid mechanical stresses in the laboratory, yet its half-life in the circulation is 2-3 days, implying that little aggregation occurs. LDL may be protected from aggregation in vivo by components of plasma, or by a qualitative difference in flows. Previous studies have shown that HDL and albumin inhibit the aggregation induced by vortexing. Using a more reproducible method of inducing aggregation and assessing aggregation both spectrophotometrically and by sedimentation techniques, we showed that at physiological concentrations, albumin is the more effective inhibitor, and that aggregation is substantially but not completely inhibited in plasma. Heat denatured and fatty-acid-stripped albumin were more effective inhibitors than normal albumin, supporting the idea that hydrophobic interactions are involved. Aggregation of LDL in a model reproducing several aspects of flow in the circulation was 200-fold slower, but was still inhibited by HDL and albumin, suggesting similar mechanisms are involved. Within the sensitivity of our technique, LDL aggregation did not occur in plasma exposed to these flows. Thus, as a result of the characteristics of blood flow and the inhibitory effects of plasma components, particularly albumin, LDL aggregation is unlikely to occur within the circulation.     

Effect of homocysteine, cysteine, and their derivatives on the platelet link of hemostasis system

The influence of homocysteine, homocysteine thiolactone, cysteine and their derivatives on activation and aggregation of human platelets was investigated using the model systems in vitro. It was established that homocysteine and cysteine increased platelet aggregation induced by ADP, epinephrine, or collagen. Their action began in a range of concentrations such as their physiological blood levels (10 microM) and was increasing with the rise of their concentrations. Cysteine increased ADP-induced platelet aggregation, hardly any affect on epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation and depressed collagen-induced platelet aggregation in the highest concentration (1000 microM). Their disulfides and thioethers did not influence platelet aggregation.     

Molecular characterization of an aggregation-prone variant of alpha-synuclein used to model synucleinopathies

The misfolding and aggregation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) are thought to be central events in synucleinopathies. The physiological function of aSyn has been related to vesicle binding and trafficking, but the precise molecular mechanisms leading to aSyn pathogenicity are still obscure. In cell models, aSyn does not readily aggregate, even upon overexpression. Therefore, cellular models that enable the study of aSyn aggregation are essential tools for our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern such processes. Here, we investigated the structural features of SynT, an artificial variant of aSyn that has been widely used as a model of aggregation in mammalian cell systems, since it is more prone to aggregation than aSyn. Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy we performed a detailed structural characterization of SynT through a systematic comparison with normal, unmodified aSyn. Interestingly, we found that the conformations adopted by SynT resemble those described for the unmodified protein, demonstrating the usefulness of SynT as a model for aSyn aggregation. However, subtle differences were observed at the N-terminal region involving transient intra and/or intermolecular interactions that are known to regulate aSyn aggregation. Importantly, our results indicate that disturbances in the N-terminal region of SynT, and the consequent decrease in membrane binding of the modified protein, might contribute to the observed aggregation behavior of aSyn, and validate the use of SynT, one of the few models of aSyn aggregation in cultured cells.     

Characterization of regulatory pathways in Xylella fastidiosa: genes and phenotypes controlled by algU

Many virulence genes in plant bacterial pathogens are coordinately regulated by "global" regulatory genes. Conducting DNA microarray analysis of bacterial mutants of such genes, compared with the wild type, can help to refine the list of genes that may contribute to virulence in bacterial pathogens. The regulatory gene algU, with roles in stress response and regulation of the biosynthesis of the exopolysaccharide alginate in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and many other bacteria, has been extensively studied. The role of algU in Xylella fastidiosa, the cause of Pierce's disease of grapevines, was analyzed by mutation and whole-genome microarray analysis to define its involvement in aggregation, biofilm formation, and virulence. In this study, an algU::nptII mutant had reduced cell-cell aggregation, attachment, and biofilm formation and lower virulence in grapevines. Microarray analysis showed that 42 genes had significantly lower expression in the algU::nptII mutant than in the wild type. Among these are several genes that could contribute to cell aggregation and biofilm formation, as well as other physiological processes such as virulence, competition, and survival.     

植物光合生产力与冠层蒸散模拟研究进展

植物的光合与蒸腾的模拟已经从经验模型发展到过程模型的时代。概括地论述叶片和冠层尺度上,植物生理生态的基本过程,分析近年来几个有代表性的模型在模拟光合作用,蒸腾作用时,对这些听参数化处理的方法,即在叶片水平上,以Ｆａｒｑｕｈａｒ的叶片光合作用的生化模型,Ｂａｌｌ－Ｂｅｒｒｙ的气孔导度模型等为基础。     

The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and glomalin in soil aggregation: comparing effects of five plant species

Soil aggregation and soil structure are fundamental properties of natural and managed ecosystems. However, most of our knowledge on the role of plant species in soil aggregation is derived from work in agroecosystems or with agriculturally important plants. Here we examined the effects of five plant species on soil aggregate water stability. The five species (three grasses, one forb, and a legume) were from the same natural grassland, and were grown in monoculture plots in the field. Our first goal was to test if productivity-related or species-specific factors would prevail in determining soil aggregation. We also tested what the relative importance of the soil protein glomalin (produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, AMF) in soil aggregation is, compared to other factors, including AMF hyphal and root length and percent plant cover. We found significant differences in soil aggregate water stability (1–2 mm size class) for the five plant species examined, and corresponding differences in plant cover, root weight and length, AMF soil hyphal length, and glomalin concentrations. A structural equation modeling approach (path analysis) was used to distinguish direct from indirect effects of factors on soil aggregation based on covariance structures. Root length, soil glomalin, and percent cover contributed equally strong paths to water-stable aggregation. The direct effect of glomalin was much stronger than the direct effect of AMF hyphae themselves, suggesting that this protein is involved in a very important hypha-mediated mechanism of soil aggregate stabilization, at least for the 1–2-mm size class of aggregates.     

Aggregation of normal and sickle hemoglobin in high concentration phosphate buffer

Sickle cell disease is caused by a mutant form of hemoglobin, hemoglobin S, that polymerizes under hypoxic conditions. The extent and mechanism of polymerization are thus the subject of many studies of the pathophysiology of the disease and potential treatment strategies. To facilitate such studies, a model system using high concentration phosphate buffer (1.5 M-1.8 M) has been developed. To properly interpret results from studies using this model it is important to understand the similarities and differences in hemoglobin S polymerization in the model compared to polymerization under physiological conditions. In this article, we show that hemoglobin S and normal adult hemoglobin, hemoglobin A, aggregate in high concentration phosphate buffer even when the concentration of hemoglobin is below the solubility defined for polymerization. This phenomenon was not observed using 0.05 M phosphate buffer or in another model system we studied that uses dextran to enhance polymerization. We have used static light scattering, dynamic light scattering, and differential interference contrast microscopy to confirm aggregation of deoxygenated and oxygenated hemoglobins below their solubility and have shown that this aggregation is not observable using turbidity measurements, a common technique for assessing polymerization. We have also shown that the aggregation increases with increasing temperature in the range of 15 degrees -37 degrees C and that it increases as the concentration of phosphate increases. These studies contribute to the working knowledge of how to properly apply studies of hemoglobin S polymerization that are conducted using the high phosphate model.