No genotoxic effect in exfoliated bladder cells of rat under the exposure of 1800 and 2100 MHz radio frequency radiation

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of 1800 and 2100?MHz Radio Frequency (RF) radiation on the number of micronucleus (MN) in exfoliated bladder cells of rat which shows the genotoxic damage. Exposure period was 30?min/day, 6 days/week for a month and two months exposure periods. Thirty male wistar albino rats were used for five groups: Group I (n?=?6): 1800?MHz RF exposed animals for one month, Group II (n?=?6): 2100?MHz RF exposed animals for one month, Group III (n?=?6): 2100?MHz RF exposed for two months, Group IV (n?=?6): control group for one month, Group V (n?=?6): control group for two months. Rats of the control groups were housed in their home cages during the entire experimental period without subjecting to any experimental manipulation. 1800 and 2100?MHz RF exposures did not result in any significant MN frequencies in rat bladder cells with respect to the control groups (p?>?0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between 2100?MHz RF exposed groups, either. Further studies are needed to demonstrate if there is any genotoxic effect, micronucleus formation in other tissues of rats.     

Mouse Lymphoma Thymidine Kinase Gene Mutation Assay: International Workshop on Genotoxicity Tests Workgroup Report—Plymouth, UK 2002

The Mouse Lymphoma Assay (MLA) Workgroup of the International Workshop on Genotoxicity Tests (IWGT) met on June 28th and 29th, 2002, in Plymouth, England. This meeting of the MLA group was devoted to discussing the criteria for assay acceptance and appropriate approaches to data evaluation. Prior to the meeting, the group conducted an extensive analysis of data from both the microwell and soft agar versions of the assay. For the establishment of criteria for assay acceptance, 10 laboratories (6 using the microwell method and 4 using soft agar) provided data on their background mutant frequencies, plating efficiencies of the negative/vehicle control, cell suspension growth, and positive control mutant frequencies. Using the distribution curves generated from this data, the Workgroup reached consensus on the range of values that should be used to determine whether an individual experiment is acceptable. In order to establish appropriate approaches for data evaluation, the group used a number of statistical methods to evaluate approximately 400 experimental data sets from 10 laboratories entered into a database created for the earlier MLA Workshop held in New Orleans [Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 40 (2002) 292]. While the Workgroup could not, during this meeting, make a final recommendation for the evaluation of data, a general strategy was developed and the Workgroup members agreed to evaluate this new proposed approach using their own laboratory data. This evaluation should lead to a consensus global approach for data evaluation in the near future.     

麦胚凝集素作用下膜血型糖蛋白A构象变化研究

为进一步验证麦胚凝集素作用下膜血型糖蛋白Ａ空间构象的变化,本文用傅里叶变换红外技术,定量测定了麦胚凝集素作用下,溶液血型糖蛋白Ａ和脂蛋白体膜血型糖蛋白Ａ的二级结构的改变,发现麦胚凝集素结合于血型糖蛋白Ａ导致血型糖蛋白Ａα—螺旋减少,β—结构增加,麦胚凝集素的抑制剂Ｎ—乙酰葡萄糖胺对麦胚凝集素诱导的血型糖蛋白Ａ二级结构的改变有抑制作用。本文同时用扫描隧道显微术直接观察了麦胚凝集素结合前后膜血型糖蛋白Ａ分子形态的变化。     

Unfolding a transmembrane helix dimer: A FRET study in mixed micelles

The exact nature of membrane protein folding and assembly is not understood in detail yet. Addition of SDS to a membrane protein dissolved in mild, non-polar detergent results in formation of mixed micelles and in subsequent denaturation of higher ordered membrane protein structures. The exact nature of this denaturation event is, however, enigmatic, and separation of an individual helix pair in mixed micelles has also not been reported yet. Here we followed unfolding of the human glycophorin A transmembrane helix dimer in mixed micelles by fluorescence spectroscopy. Energy transfer between differently labelled glycophorin A transmembrane helices decreased with increasing SDS mole fractions albeit without modifying the helicity of the peptides. The energetics and kinetics of the dimer dissociation in mixed micelles is analyzed and discussed, and the experimental data demonstrate that mixed micelles can be used as a general method to investigate unfolding of α-helical membrane proteins.     

麦胚凝集素作用下膜血型糖蛋白A构象变化研究

为进一步验证麦胚凝集素作用下膜血型糖蛋白Ａ空间构象的变化,本文用傅里叶变换红外技术,定量测定了麦胚凝集素作用下,溶液血型糖蛋白Ａ和脂蛋白体膜血型糖蛋白Ａ的二级结构的改变,发现麦胚凝集素结合于血型糖蛋白Ａ导致血型糖蛋白Ａα—螺旋减少,β—结构增加,麦胚凝集素的抑制剂Ｎ—乙酰葡萄糖胺对麦胚凝集素诱导的血型糖蛋白Ａ二级结构的改变有抑制作用。本文同时用扫描隧道显微术直接观察了麦胚凝集素结合前后膜血型糖蛋白Ａ分子形态的变化。     

逆转录法筛选mRNA靶点设计核酶对GPA的表达干预实验研究

采用自行设计5’固定3’随机的文库对基因mRNA进行杂交用于逆转录反应以筛选mRNA的寡核苷酸结合靶点。对人I型跨膜糖蛋白-血型糖蛋白A （glycophorin A,GPA）的mRNA筛选了4个反义寡核苷酸可结合靶点,分别设计反义核酸（Antisense）,分别加入mRNA中用RNase H验证各靶点的核酸结合和切割效率,最终确定2个高效结合和切割靶点。再设计Ribozyme,构建表达核酶（Ribozyme）质粒,利用慢病毒（Lentivirus）包装技术,感染人源红系白血病细胞株K562细胞,在细胞水平验证其下调GPA基因表达的效果,对转染细胞mRNA进行反转录和Real Time PCR分析mRNA表达水平,并在蛋白水平进行了Western Blot分析。结果表明文库结合逆转录方法筛选靶点设计的Ribozyme具有高效率下调膜受体表达的作用,GPA为I型跨膜糖蛋白,该实验为筛选mRNA靶点提供参考方法,并对膜受体表达干预有参考价值。     

Selective solubilization by melittin of glycophorin A and acetylcholinesterase from human erythrocyte ghosts

Melittin, the main basic and hydrophobic peptide of bee venom, has been used for solubilizing membrane components of the human erythrocyte ghost. Up to 1.0 mM, it does not extract any phospholipid. Between 0.1 and 1.0 mM, it solubilizes partially glycophorin A and acetylcholinesterase. When the membrane is first degraded by phospholipase A₂, the solubilization of both proteins by melittin is total, and 48% of the phospholipids are removed, mainly as lysoproducts, whereas phospholipase A₂, by itself, has no solubilizing properties. In its melittin-solubilized state, acetylcholinesterase is in a dimeric form and displays a slow time-dependent irreversible inactivation. Triton X-100 at 1.0% (v/v) interrupts the inactivation. We suggest that melittin binds to the hydrophobic site of acetylcholinesterase which anchors it in the lipid bilayer.     

Design and synthesis of an artificial ladder-shaped polyether that interacts with glycophorin A

Ladder-shaped polyether (LSP) compounds, such as brevetoxins and ciguatoxins, are thought to interact with transmembrane (TM) proteins. As a model LSP compound, we designed and synthesized an artificial tetracyclic ether (1) and evaluated its interaction with glycophorin A (GpA), a membrane protein known to dimerize or oligomerize between membrane-integral -helical domains. Model compound 1 was found to induce the dissociation of oligomeric GpA in a similar manner to natural LSPs when examined by SDS–PAGE. The results suggest that even an artificial tetracyclic ether possesses the ability to interact with TM proteins, presumably through the intermolecular hydrogen bonds (C–H  O) with the GXXXG motif.     

高稳定人胰岛素的晶体学研究:Ⅲ,A21-Asp突变体的结晶和初步晶体学分析

研究一系列有明确意义改性胰岛素的结构将有益于新型胰岛素分子的设计。经蛋白质工程制备的AspA21—人胰岛素(ADHI)基本保持了生物活力,而在酸性溶夜(pH3—4)中的稳定性比天然胰岛素在中性溶液中高5—10倍。本文报道ADHI的结晶、初步晶体学研究及中等分辨率衍射数据的收集。ADHI晶体属R3空间群:a_H=b_H=82.72埃,c_H=34.02埃。     

ARTP辐照对磷脂酶A1重组质粒的诱变效应

利用常压室温等离子体诱变技术(ARTP)处理磷脂酶A1重组质粒p ET28a-pla B,经琼脂糖凝胶电泳检测发现随着处理时间的延长,质粒超螺旋结构逐渐转变为开环及线性结构。对处理后的质粒转化到BL21宿主菌中,在特定选择培养基中检出突变株转化子,结果表明,质粒处理时间与转化率成反比,与突变率成正比,在60 S达到最优诱变值。挑选圈径比较大的转化子测定其酶活,结果显示突变株(12)最高酶活为12.8 U/ml,与原始菌株(CK)4.8 U/ml相比,提高了2.67倍。对两菌株测序比对,发现碱基突变率为0.74%,且大都集中在A→G和C→T。ARTP对离体质粒具有较好的诱变效应。     

高稳定人胰岛素的晶体学研究:Ⅲ,A21-Asp突变体的结晶和初步晶体学分析

研究一系列有明确意义改性胰岛素的结构将有益于新型胰岛素分子的设计。经蛋白质工程制备的AspA21—人胰岛素(ADHI)基本保持了生物活力,而在酸性溶夜(pH3—4)中的稳定性比天然胰岛素在中性溶液中高5—10倍。本文报道ADHI的结晶、初步晶体学研究及中等分辨率衍射数据的收集。ADHI晶体属R3空间群:a_H=b_H=82.72埃,c_H=34.02埃。     

A simple method for quantifying high density antigens in erythrocyte membrane by flow cytometry

RBC flow cytometric analysis is usually used to quantify antigen content. Calibration systems enable antigen content determination by relating mean fluorescence intensity with the number of bound antibody molecules (equivalent to the number of antigen molecules). For that reason, antibodies must be used at saturating concentration, which may lead to agglutination when working with high density antigens. Then, forward scattering, side scattering and fluorescence will be increased, thus obtaining wrong results. In this work, the simple Langmuir adhesion model was applied. Flow cytometry was used to quantify GPA, a transmembrane protein present at high density on RBC. The fluorescence intensity of samples at different anti-GPA sub-saturating concentrations was measured. Sometimes, agglutinates were present and two peaks of fluorescence were observed, the principal one corresponding to isolated cells and the secondary one corresponding to agglutinated cells. In those cases, the principal peak was taken into account for the analysis. The GPA antigen content obtained for nine analyzed samples ranged from 3 to 13 x 10(5) sites per cell, which is similar to those values found in literature. Therefore, the Langmuir adsorption model enables us to determine the antigen content for the anti-GPA/GPA system on RBC membrane. This model could be used to quantify high density antigens in RBC and in other cells.     

Co-localization of the immunoreactivities of corticotropin-releasing factor and arginine vasotocin in the brain and pituitary system of the teleost Catostomus commersoni

Summary Using the label-fracture technique, an ultrastructural comparison was made of the number and distribution of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-binding sites between human normal and sickle red blood cells. The WGA was adsorbed to colloidal gold, and quantitative analysis of the electron micrographs revealed that more binding sites were present on the sickle erythrocytes than on the normal erythrocytes. Moreover, the sites were more clustered on the sickle red cells than on the normal red cells. Use of another lectin, Bandieraea simplicifolia-II, revealed that it did not bind to normal or sickle red cells. Because of the affinity of the WGA for sialic acid residues, it is probable that the WGA is binding to a transmembrane sialoglycoprotein, glycophorin A. The conformation and/or distribution of the glycophorin A molecules may be altered by the sickle hemoglobin that binds to the red cell membrane. Hence, as detected by WGA, new surface receptors, which could play a role in the adhesion of sickle cells to endothelium may be exposed.     

Purification of HIV-1 wild-type protease and characterization of proteolytically inactive HIV-1 protease mutants by pepstatin A affinity chromatography

Recombinant wild-type protease of human immunodeficiency virus, type [(HIV-1) expressed in E. coli was purified by pepstatin A affinity chromatography. An 88-fold purification was achieved giving a protease preparation with a specific enzymatic activity of approximately 3700 pmol/min/μg. Two proteolytically inactive HIV-1 mutant proteases (Arg-87 → Lys; Asn-88 → Glu) were found to bind to pepstatin A agarose, and they were purified as the wild-type protease. A third mutant protease (Arg-87 → Glu) was apparently unable to bind to pepstatin A under similar conditions. Binding to pepstatin A indicates the binding ability of the substrate binding site and the ability to form dimers. These features may be used to purify and to characterize other mutated HIV-1 proteases.     

Early changes in concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes detected by the fluorescent probe N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine

Summary The hydrophobic fluorescent cell-membrane probe N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine (NPN) is a useful investigative tool for studies of early lymphocyte activation. NPN-labelled mouse thymus cells incubated with 5 g/ml concanavalin A (Con A) for 30 min at 37° C gave a reproducible increase in mean cell-fluorescence intensity measured by microfluorimetry on 100 single cells. The dose-response curve was similar to that obtained by ³H-thymidine assay.Increased fluorescence was not observed in the presence of 10 mM -methyl mannoside, 5mM sodium azide, 10^–5 M cytochalasin B, or Ca²⁺-free culture medium.However, incubation with 10^–5 M colchicine did not alter the probe response. Fluorescence change was also shown by spleen cells from a normal mouse but not from an athymic mouse, indicating T cell dependence of the response.Comparison with other lectins showed that increased fluorescence followed incubation with phytohaemagglutinin, and the non-mitogenic wheat germ lectin, but there was no change with succinyl-Con A, and decreased fluorescence with pokeweed mitogen. Use of fluorescent-labelled lectins showed that the NPN fluorescence change did not correlate with surface receptor patching and capping. Increased phospholipid-fatty acid turnover and subsequent increased membrane fluidity with alteration of molecular polarity are suggested as likely explanations of increased NPN fluorescence.Supported by a grant from the Anti-Cancer Council of VictoriaWe are grateful to Miss R. Jenkins and Mr. R. McGready for preparations of succinyl-Con A, to Dr. H.A. Ward for helpful discussion, and to Dr. M. Hohnes of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for providing BALB/c.nu mice