Aminoterminal acetylation of synthetic Nα-desacetyl thymosin α1

A transacetylase associated with the ribosome fraction from wheat germ catalyzes the transfer of acetyl groups from acetyl CoA to synthetic N^α-desacetyl thymosin α₁. The product was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and by the isolation of a tryptic peptide containing the acetylated NH₂-terminus. In 20 min, with 13 μg of enzyme protein, 15% of the desacetyl thymosin α₁ added was converted to the acetylated form. Under the conditions employed only the α-NH₂ group was acetylated.     

Inhibition of cholesterol esterases by Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinol

Δ¹-Tetrahydrocannabinol was found to inhibit the action of esterases derived from rat adrenal and luteinized ovary on exogenous cholesteryl palmitate. The drug was effective at a dose of 3.2μM causing greater than 30% inhibition; at 16μM almost complete inhibition occured. These findings are similar to those we have recently reported with mouse Leydig cells (1) showing that this is an effect common to steroidogenic tissues and raising the possibility that a variety of endocrine effects of this drug may be due to direct action on these tissues.     

酵母PMT1和TED1基因在细胞壁应激反应中的作用

实验室前期研究表明,蛋白质O-甘露糖转移酶1 (Protein O-mannosyltransferase 1,Pmt1p) 和Ted1p（Traffcking of Emp24p/Erv25p-dependent cargo disrupted）在细胞寿命和内质网应激反应方面存在相互调控关系。进一步研究酵母Pmt1p和Ted1p在细胞壁应激反应中（诱导剂为荧光增白剂或刚果红）的作用。观察PMT1基因缺失（pmt1Δ）酵母菌株和TED1基因缺失（ted1Δ）酵母菌株,以及PMT1和TED1双基因缺失（pmt1Δ ted1Δ）酵母菌株在细胞壁应激反应条件下的克隆形成能力和细胞分裂增殖活性;qRT-PCR检测细胞壁应激反应通路中Slt2p、Ssd1p和Mpt5p等效应蛋白的转录水平。结果表明,在细胞壁应激反应条件下,与对照菌株的生长状态比较,pmt1Δ菌株生长缓慢,ted1Δ菌株生长较快;进一步缺失PMT1基因使得ted1Δ菌株生长缓慢。与对照菌株中效应蛋白的转录水平比较,pmt1Δ菌株和pmt1Δted1Δ菌株中SLT2、SSD1和MPT5基因的转录水平明显上调,ted1Δ菌株中的无明显变化;与pmt1Δ菌株比较,pmt1Δted1Δ菌株中SLT2和MPT5表达明显下调,SSD1表达无明显变化。缺失TED1基因增强酵母细胞对细胞壁应激反应的抵抗性;进一步缺失PMT1基因增强ted1Δ菌株对应激反应的敏感性,上调细胞壁应激反应通路中效应蛋白的转录表达水平。     

PKCγ过表达诱导C3H10T1/2细胞生长失控的初探

通过DNA重组构建蛋白激酶C_γ(PKC_γ)亚类的重组质粒并经基因转染技术和DNA印迹、蛋白质印迹与PKC活性分析,获得了过表达PKC_γ的C₃H₁₀T_1/2细胞——NCP4.NCP4细胞生长速率提高,流式细胞光度术检测表明,NCP4细胞G1期百分率下降,S期和G2+M期百分率升高,与对照组细胞相比,血清依赖性明显下降,贴壁依赖性降低,在软琼脂中形成小集落,出现部分转化表型.进一步检测,首次观察到NCP4细胞中癌基因c-sis表达明显增强,这可能是NCP4细胞血清依赖性下降的分子机理之一.实验表明,在正常C₃H₁₀T_1/2细胞中PKC_γ的过表达可直接导致细胞增殖加速并可诱导出现部分转化特征.     

Oxidation of [Ir(η-C5Me5)(C8H4S8)] and crystal structures of [IrI(η-C5Me5)(C8H4S8)](I3) and [IrI(η-C5Me5)(C8H4S8)](I3)1/2(I7)1/2

[Ir(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(C₈H₄S₈)] (1) [ = 2-{(4,5-ethylenedithio)-1,3-dithiole-2-ylidene}-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithionate(2−)] was reacted with iodine in dichloromethane to afford one-electron- and two-electron-oxidized species [IrI(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(C₈H₄S₈)] (2), [IrI(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(C₈H₄S₈)](I₃) (3) and [IrI(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(C₈H₄S₈)](I₅) (4). The oxidized species exhibit electrical conductivities of (1.1-5.0) × 10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ measured for compacted pellets at room temperature. The X-ray crystal structures of the two-electron-oxidized complexes 3 and 4 revealed the Ir-I bonds for both of them and the presence of for 3 and ions for 4 as the counter anions. They have many S-S and S-I non-bonding contacts to form two-dimensional molecular interaction sheets in the solid state.     

Single-Channel Monitoring of Reversible L-Type Ca Channel CaVα1-CaVβ Subunit Interaction

Voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels are heteromultimers of Ca_Vα₁ (pore), Ca_Vβ- and Ca_Vα₂δ-subunits. The stoichiometry of this complex, and whether it is dynamically regulated in intact cells, remains controversial. Fortunately, Ca_Vβ-isoforms affect gating differentially, and we chose two extremes (Ca_Vβ_1a and Ca_Vβ_2b) regarding single-channel open probability to address this question. HEK293α_1C cells expressing the Ca_V1.2 subunit were transiently transfected with Ca_Vα₂δ1 alone or with Ca_Vβ_1a, Ca_Vβ_2b, or (2:1 or 1:1 plasmid ratio) combinations. Both Ca_Vβ-subunits increased whole-cell current and shifted the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation to hyperpolarization. Time-dependent inactivation was accelerated by Ca_Vβ_1a-subunits but not by Ca_Vβ_2b-subunits. Mixtures induced intermediate phenotypes. Single channels sometimes switched between periods of low and high open probability. To validate such slow gating behavior, data were segmented in clusters of statistically similar open probability. With Ca_Vβ_1a-subunits alone, channels mostly stayed in clusters (or regimes of alike clusters) of low open probability. Increasing Ca_Vβ_2b-subunits (co-)expressed (1:2, 1:1 ratio or alone) progressively enhanced the frequency and total duration of high open probability clusters and regimes. Our analysis was validated by the inactivation behavior of segmented ensemble averages. Hence, a phenotype consistent with mutually exclusive and dynamically competing binding of different Ca_Vβ-subunits is demonstrated in intact cells.     

Thermodynamic Analyses of Nucleotide Binding to an Isolated Monomeric β Subunit and the α3β3γ Subcomplex of F1-ATPase

Rotation of the γ subunit of the F₁-ATPase plays an essential role in energy transduction by F₁-ATPase. Hydrolysis of an ATP molecule induces a 120° step rotation that consists of an 80° substep and 40° substep. ATP binding together with ADP release causes the first 80° step rotation. Thus, nucleotide binding is very important for rotation and energy transduction by F₁-ATPase. In this study, we introduced a βY341W mutation as an optical probe for nucleotide binding to catalytic sites, and a βE190Q mutation that suppresses the hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphate (NTP). Using a mutant monomeric βY341W subunit and a mutant α₃β₃γ subcomplex containing the βY341W mutation with or without an additional βE190Q mutation, we examined the binding of various NTPs (i.e., ATP, GTP, and ITP) and nucleoside diphosphates (NDPs, i.e., ADP, GDP, and IDP). The affinity (1/K_d) of the nucleotides for the isolated β subunit and third catalytic site in the subcomplex was in the order ATP/ADP > GTP/GDP > ITP/IDP. We performed van’t Hoff analyses to obtain the thermodynamic parameters of nucleotide binding. For the isolated β subunit, NDPs and NTPs with the same base moiety exhibited similar ΔH⁰ and ΔG⁰ values at 25°C. The binding of nucleotides with different bases to the isolated β subunit resulted in different entropy changes. Interestingly, NDP binding to the α₃β(Y341W)₃γ subcomplex had similar K_d and ΔG⁰ values as binding to the isolated β(Y341W) subunit, but the contributions of the enthalpy term and the entropy term were very different. We discuss these results in terms of the change in the tightness of the subunit packing, which reduces the excluded volume between subunits and increases water entropy.     

Negative Cooperativity between α3β1and α2β1Integrins in Human Mammary Carcinoma MDA MB 231 Cells

The α₃β₁integrin has been implicated as a receptor for several matrix components, including collagen, fibronectin, and laminins. The function of α₃β₁seems to be very versatile involving cell adhesion to or migration on ECM, establishment of cell–cell contacts in aggregates, as well as linkage to intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation cascades. Here we report a strong induction of attachment of α₃β₁integrin expressing human breast carcinoma cell line MDA MB 231 to matrix proteins by two α₃integrin subunit function-blocking monoclonal antibodies (P1B5 and ASC-1). In contrast, stimulation of adhesion to ECM by inhibitory α₃integrin-specific antibodies was not observed in the α₃β₁integrin-expressing nonmalignant human mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A or the human breast carcinoma cell line MDA MB 468 that expressed relatively low amounts of α₃β₁integrin at the cell surface. This increase was specific for collagens and not observed on fibronectin or laminin. Physiological concentrations of bivalent cations were not required. MAb P1B5 did not induce homotypic aggregation of MDA MB 231 cells. The P1B5-induced increase in cell attachment to collagens could be prevented but not reduced below control levels by blocking mAb to the α₂integrin subunit. Function blocking anti-α₅integrin subunit mAb was without effect while anti-β₁-mAb completely abolished adhesion. Our data indicate that negative cooperativity between integrins results in transdominant inhibition of α₂β₁function by α₃β₁in human MDA MB 231 but not MDA MB 468 tumor cells or nonmalignant MCF-10A cells.     

Mg2＋对阿霉素引起心肌线粒体F1F0变化的保护

抗肿瘤药物阿霉素(ADM)对心肌线粒体F₁F₀-复合体呈现抑制而对F₁-ATPase无抑制,这表明ADM可能是通过膜脂起作用的,适当浓度Mg²⁺能降低ADM对复合体的抑制.经 ³¹P-NMR和标记荧光探针NBD-PE,DPH,MC-540以及内源荧光等的测定,结果表明ADM可能首先通过诱导F₁F₀膜脂形成非双层脂结构,继而影响了膜脂的堆积程度和流动性,进而引起F₁F₀-复合体酶蛋白构象的改变,最终导致酶活力的降低.Mg^2＋则可能由于与ADM竞争与心磷脂的结合,而对ADM引起F₁F₀的变化产生保护作用.     

Chemical synthesis of [1β-3H]1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and [1α-3H]1β,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3: Biological activity of 1β,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

The simple three-step preparation of [1β-³H]1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ and [1α-³H]1β,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ from 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ is described. In the rat, 1β,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, when compared with its α-epimer, did not stimulate intestinal calcium transport or bone calcium mobilization at doses 1000-fold higher than the doses of the natural hormone, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃.     

拟南芥AtDAD1 超量表达植株对H2O2抗性的研究

构建拟南芥AtDAD1超量表达载体,以农杆菌介导的方法转化拟南芥哥伦比亚生态型,比较AtDAD1超量表达植株和野生型植株表现型的差异,以及两者对H2O2抗性的不同。实验显示,AtDAD1转基因拟南芥生长较野生型拟南芥更为强壮,对高浓度H2O2有较强的耐受力。测定两者糖含量,发现AtDAD1转基因拟南芥叶片糖的含量明显高于野生型拟南芥叶片。以上结果表明,AtDAD1基因可能参与植物生长发育,并可能在拟南芥抵抗凋亡的过程中发挥重要的作用。     

拟南芥AtDAD1超量表达植株对H2O2抗性的研究

构建拟南芥AtDAD1超量表达载体,以农杆菌介导的方法转化拟南芥哥伦比亚生态型,比较AtDAD1超量表达植株和野生型植株表现型的差异,以及两者对H₂O₂抗性的不同。实验显示,AtDAD1转基因拟南芥生长较野生型拟南芥更为强壮,对高浓度H₂O₂有较强的耐受力。测定两者糖含量,发现AtDAD1转基因拟南芥叶片糖的含量明显高于野生型拟南芥叶片。以上结果表明,AtDAD1基因可能参与植物生长发育,并可能在拟南芥抵抗凋亡的过程中发挥重要的作用。     

柞蚕抗菌肽CA1的分离

应用FPLC、HPLC系统配合MALDI TOF MS等技术 ,分离得到一个以灭活的Escherichiacoli诱导产生的具有明显杀菌活性的柞蚕抗菌肽CA₁。自动蛋白质序列分析仪测定其一级结构为WNPFKELERAGSRVRDAIISAGVAVATVAQATAILK ,含有 36个氨基酸残基 ,经联机检索 ,与cecropinD有 88%的同源性 ,仅有 4个氨基酸残基的差异 ,其中铰链区第 2 1～ 2 3位氨基酸为AGV ,与已知柞蚕抗菌肽A、D铰链区AGP有所不同 ,提示抗菌肽存在多态性。     

TMSG-1基因功能的初步研究

TMSG-1是用mRNA差异显示技术克隆的转移相关基因, 它在高转移肿瘤细胞系和有转移的肿瘤组织中表达下降. 以高转移的前列腺癌细胞系PC-3M-1E8为受体细胞, 通过基因转染技术观察了TMSG-1基因表达对细胞V-ATPase活性、细胞内pH值和细胞凋亡情况的影响, 同时利用GFP对TMSG-1细胞内定位进行了分析. 结果表明, V-ATPase在PC-3M-1E8细胞系, 转染空载体和转染反义TMSG-1细胞系的活性无明显差异. 在转染正义TMSG-1的细胞系中, V-ATPase的活性比PC-3M-1E8细胞系, 转染空载体和转染反义TMSG-1细胞系均有明显增高(P < 0.001). 利用pH敏感性荧光探针BCECF测定细胞内的pH值, 结果显示转染正义TMSG-1组的pHi值有明显提高. 细胞凋亡的检测结果表明, 转染正义TMSG-1组细胞凋亡明显增多(P < 0.01), BCL2的表达显著下降. TMSG-1蛋白的细胞内定位分析表明, TMSG-1是一个跨膜蛋白, 定位于内质网、线粒体等细胞质膜系统. 实验结果表明, 前列腺癌细胞系中TMSG-1的上调可以提高细胞V-ATPase的活性, 增加细胞内的pH值, 同时TMSG-1的上调还可抑制BCL2的表达, 促进细胞凋亡的发生.     

CYP1B1酶抑制剂的最新研究进展

细胞色素P450(CYP)1B1是CYP1家族的一个亚型,参与多环芳香烃等前致癌物的代谢活化,并在17-β-雌二醇诱导的乳腺癌发生与发展过程中起到了关键性作用。该酶在肿瘤组织中的特异性高表达及在肿瘤细胞耐药中的作用,也已被大量研究证实。该酶的特异性分布及在肿瘤发生与发展中的重要地位,使得它成为抗肿瘤药物研究中的新靶点。其抑制剂研究,在肿瘤预防及克服肿瘤耐药方面具有重要意义。本文综述了近二十年来发现的CYP1B1酶的强选择性抑制剂,同时分析了它们的构效关系,对发现具有肿瘤预防及逆转肿瘤耐药作用的酶抑制剂提供了理论依据。