植物中铵转运蛋白的研究进展

铵转运蛋白在众多生物中被克隆与鉴定,它是一种广泛存在于微生物、植物细胞及动物的细胞膜上主动转运铵离子的载体,分子量约为48kD,含有10～11个跨膜域.本文阐述了植物铵转运蛋白分离鉴定的过程,对于铵转运蛋白的结构、功能、基因表达调控等方面作了较详细叙述.不同氮素条件下,铵转运蛋白基因通过转录调控表现了对铵离子吸收转运的不同特点,使植物根系在较宽的浓度范围中吸收铵离子,为细胞内铵离子库的内稳态提供了理论依据.铵转运蛋白有助于作物更有效的吸收氮素,为农业生产粮食增收提供了有利保障.     

高粱SUT基因家族的生物信息学分析

蔗糖转运蛋白(sucrose transporters,SUTs)属于跨膜转运蛋白,大多数参与蔗糖的吸收和转运。迄今为止,对高粱蔗糖转运蛋白知之甚少,为进一步研究高粱蔗糖转运蛋白家族(SbSUTs),本研究利用生物信息学方法对SbSUTs的6个成员(编号SbSUT1~SbSUT6)进行蛋白理化性质、基因结构、蛋白结构、同源性及系统进化树构建等分析。结果表明:SbSUTs是一种无信号肽、定位于质膜和叶绿体类囊膜上的疏水性膜蛋白;SbSUTs均具有GPH结构功能域,是高度保守的蛋白;α-螺旋和无规卷曲是主要的二级结构元件,其三级结构较为相似。本研究为探究SbSUTs蛋白家族在高粱的蔗糖吸收及转运中的功能提供理论依据。     

乙型肝炎病毒逆转录酶区基因序列准种与变异特点

乙型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis B Virus,HBV)P基因编码产物从功能上分为末端蛋白(1～178aa)、间隔区(179～336aa)、逆转录酶区(337～682aa)和RNA酶H区(683～816aa),各区有相应的生物学功能;逆转录酶区包含S基因主蛋白编码区.近年来的研究提出HBV感染者体内存在有准种[1,2]的假说.我们以逆转录酶区序列为研究靶区域,应用聚合酶链反应(PCR)技术扩增慢性乙型肝炎患者血清中的靶基因序列,随机选择克隆测序,比较其结果,证明了HBV准种特点的存在,并发现多种基因突变形式.     

植物单价阳离子：质子逆向转运蛋白-1基因家族研究进展

植物的单价阳离子:质子逆向转运蛋白-1(CAP1)基因家族是一类在盐胁迫中起重要作用的基因,分为液泡膜单价阳离子:质子逆向转运蛋白和质膜单价阳离子:质子逆向转运蛋白两大类,在植物的发育和生长过程中起到很重要的作用.不同的成员在植物中的表达特性不同.主要综述了此类基因的结构、启动子活性、表达情况及其主要功能.     

嗜水气单胞菌丝氨酸蛋白酶基因克隆与序列分析

目的:克隆嗜水气单胞菌丝氨酸蛋白酶(Ahp)基因,进一步分析序列、预测三级结构。方法:设计Ahp基因特异性引物,利用PCR方法扩增基因序列,亚克隆至pMD18-T载体,进行DNA测序及生物信息学分析。结果:获得Ahp基因大小为1 645bp,推导编码548aa,含有天冬氨酸(82-93aa)、组氨酸(123-133aa)和丝氨酸活性位点(342-352aa)。Ahp蛋白三级结构与模板(PDB:3HJR_A)相似性达81.48%,预测60-392aa区域为肽酶S8结构域(PF00082)、480-548aa区域为前蛋白转化酶P结构域(PF01483),其中3个氨基酸活性位点分布于三级结构N端,与拉马钱德兰图检测分析Ahp蛋白的空间结构基本一致。结论:该研究对嗜水气单胞菌Zf1菌株Ahp基因编码蛋白进行结构预测,有助于理解嗜水气单胞菌丝氨酸蛋白酶的作用机理。     

水通道蛋白的生理功能 ——水通道基因敲除小鼠表型研究进展

水通道蛋白 (aquaporin, AQP) 是一族细胞膜上选择性高效转运水分子的特异孔道. 自从 Agre 等于 1992 年从红细胞膜发现第一个水通道蛋白 AQP1以来,有关水通道蛋白结构与功能的研究取得了迅速的、系列性的进展 . 已报道的哺乳动物 AQP 家族已有 11 个在蛋白质序列上有同源性成员 (AQP0~AQP10). AQP 在体内各系统组织中广泛表达,除了在与体液分泌和吸收密切相关的多种上皮和内皮细胞高表达外,在一些与体液转运无明显关系的组织细胞如红细胞、白细胞、脂肪细胞和骨骼肌细胞等处也有表达,提示 AQP 可能在多种器官生理和病理中发挥重要作用. 基因打靶技术是研究特定基因在体内生理功能的有力手段. 目前 AQP1、3、4、5 基因敲除和 AQP2 基因点突变的基因敲入小鼠模型 ( 模拟人类常染色体隐性遗传尿崩症 ) 已成功建立并广泛用于表型研究,在 AQP 水通道蛋白生理功能方面获得许多重要进展.     

草苷膦抗性新基因的克隆、序列分析及其蛋白高级结构预测

利用错误倾向PCR（error-prone PCR）突变技术,以可变盐单胞菌（Halomonas variabilis）HTG7的5-烯醇丙酮莽草酸-3-磷酸(EPSP)合酶基因为模板进行随机PCR扩增,得到目的基因片段（约1.35 kb）.将该基因片段与pACYC184载体连接后转化EPSP合酶缺陷型菌株大肠杆菌ER2799.利用功能互补筛选法得到了2株不具有草苷膦抗性的EPSP合酶阳性克隆突变株,记为Pmu1和Pmu2.序列分析表明,突变体Pum1的EPSP合酶编码区与突变前基因相比,核苷酸有2处发生突变,导致氨基酸残基1处发生了改变;突变体Pmu2的EPSP合酶编码区与突变前基因相比,核苷酸有5处发生突变,导致氨基酸残基2处发生了改变.对突变前后EPSP合酶进行比较预测发现,其三级结构及蛋白中心骨架是大致相同的,但突变前后氨基酸位点肽平面和Cα相连的N键之间形成的扭转角度存在一定的差别.这些结果表明,酶的功能主要由蛋白的构象决定,二肽链形成后肽平面和N键之间角度的变化,造成高级结构构象细微的差别,致使草苷膦抗性功能丢失.     

嗜水气单胞菌bamA、bamB、bamD突变株的构建及其对外膜蛋白转运的影响

革兰氏阴性细菌的BAM(β-barrel assembly machinery)系统一般由BamA-E等5个亚基组成,以β-桶状外膜蛋白的结构对细菌的转运和正确折叠中起重要作用。目前对于BAM系统的研究大多集中在大肠杆菌、脑膜炎双球菌等细菌中,而在其他细菌中的相关功能还有待进一步研究。以嗜水气单胞菌为研究对象,首先利用同源重组技术,分别构建完成bamA、bamB、bamD的缺失突变株。尔后,利用SDS-PAGE检测技术对相应突变株差异外膜蛋白进行比较,并对这些差异蛋白进行质谱分析,共鉴定到7个差异蛋白,其中5个为外膜蛋白,2个为位于内膜上的蛋白酶。此外,还通过Western blotting对部分突变株外膜蛋白的表达进行验证。研究结果发现,嗜水气单胞菌BAM系统的突变不仅改变了其外膜蛋白表达,还影响了微生物的蛋白转运进程;且在系统中不同亚基对不同外膜蛋白的转运和表达效果也有所不同,结果提示了嗜水气单胞菌BAM转运系统的不同亚基存在特定外膜蛋白转运的特性。     

云锦杜鹃NRT基因序列的生物信息学分析

通过转录组测序,获得在接种 ERM 真菌的云锦杜鹃苗根系中显著差异表达的基因,其中硝酸根转运蛋白(NRT )基因是硝态氮吸收转运的关键基因。利用生物信息学方法,分析云锦杜鹃根转录组的硝酸根转运蛋白(NRT )基因序列,对其推导的氨基酸的理化性质、亲水性/疏水性、跨膜结构、导肽、二级结构、高级结构进行预测,并对硝酸根转运蛋白的氨基酸做进化发育分析。为进一步了解 NRT 基因在云锦杜鹃接种苗根系氮素吸收的作用奠定了基础。     

海洋真菌灰绿曲霉地标蛋白编码基因AgTeaA的克隆与序列分析

为考察灰绿曲霉中地标蛋白AgTeaA对菌丝极化生长的作用,首先需要获得AgTeaA基因序列的相关信息.通过简并PCR的方法得到AgTeaA基因编码区的一段序列,以已知序列为基础通过染色体步移的方法获得基因全长及两端侧翼序列,然后通过逆转录PCR的方法确定出氨基酸序列,并利用相关生物学软件进行蛋白结构域的分析和系统进化树的构建.结果显示,AgTeaA基因编码区全长4 706 bp,对应氨基酸全长为l 477 aa,在256-320 bp,733-780bp,1 064-1 150 bp处各有一个内含子.与粟酒裂殖酵母Teal蛋白和构巢曲霉TeaA蛋白相似的是,AgTeaA在290-339aa,340-390 aa处各有一个Kelch结构域,在818-899aa,938-999aa,1 021-1 116aa,1 183-1 335aa处各有一个卷曲螺旋(coiled coil)结构域.     

Oviposition by Lobesia botrana is stimulated by sugars detected by contact chemoreceptors

Abstract.  The influence of glucose, fructose and sucrose on oviposition site selection by Lobesia botrana is studied by combining behavioural and electrophysiological experiments. Oviposition choice assays, using surrogate grapes treated with grape berry surface extracts of Vitis vinifera cv. Merlot at different development stages, show that L. botrana females are most stimulated by extracts of mature berries containing the highest concentrations of glucose and fructose. Choice assays reveal that the oviposition response to these sugars is dose-dependant (with a threshold of the applied solution = 10 m m and a maximum stimulation at 1  m ) and that females are more sensitive to fructose than to glucose. Tarsal contact-chemoreceptor sensilla are unresponsive to stimulation with sugars but the ovipositor sensilla contain at least one neurone most sensitive to fructose and sucrose with a threshold of approximately 0.5 m m . Corresponding to the behavioural data, glucose is significantly less stimulatory to sensilla than fructose or sucrose. It is argued that fructose may be of special importance for herbivorous insects exploiting fruit as an oviposition site.     

Inch by inch, row by row

Bacterial chemotaxis systems have cooperatively interacting clusters of transmembrane receptors and signaling proteins to detect, amplify, integrate and adapt to environmental signals. A recent study provides experimental data to construct a new model of the signaling complex.     

Log colonization by Ips sexdentatus prevented by increasing host unsuitability signaled by verbenone

Sudden increments of breeding material after windstorms, forest fires, or inappropriate management practices help bark beetles such as Ips sexdentatus Boerner (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) increase in numbers and colonize standing healthy pine trees. Preventing bark beetles from arriving to susceptible trees or logs may have great relevance for bark beetle management. Recent studies have reported inhibition of the aggregation response of I. sexdentatus using verbenone. Two field experiments were conducted to examine the effect of verbenone on the colonization pattern of this beetle. The first experiment tested the combined effect of trans‐conophthorin, a non‐host bark volatile with known repellent effect, and verbenone on Pinus sylvestris L. (Pinaceae) log piles of two sizes, but failed to protect them against I. sexdentatus attack when these two infochemicals were released at low rates. The results of this experiment suggested an interaction with the associated secondary bark beetle Orthotomicus erosus (Wollaston). A second experiment examined the response of I. sexdentatus and O. erosus to log piles that released verbenone at 0, 2, 10, or 40 mg day^?1. Although I. sexdentatus colonization of Pinus nigra Arnold logs was completely prevented at 40 mg day^?1, O. erosus could be found at all tested verbenone release rates. Besides verbenone, O. erosus colonization density and the height from which logs originated were the variables that best explained I. sexdentatus log colonization pattern. In addition, I. sexdentatus and O. erosus were rarely recorded colonizing the same log, and niche breadth analyses suggested that they excluded each other. The role of verbenone in the colonization process and its potential use in the prevention of population buildups of damaging bark beetles such as I. sexdentatus are discussed.     

Reactivation by copper of phenolase pre-inactivated by oxalate

The activity of spinach chloroplast phenolase which had been repressed by ammonium oxalate was restored by adding copper. Oxalate appears to bind to the enzyme at a single site, the binding paralleling the inhibition produced at neutral pH. The inhibition of oxalate is due to its binding with copper at the active centre to form an inactive complex, the oxalate moiety of which is releasable when more copper is added. Similar reactivation by copper was obtained with pure mushroom phenolase.     

Collagen phagocytosis by fibroblasts is regulated by decorin

Decorin is a small, leucine-rich proteoglycan that binds to collagen and regulates fibrillogenesis. We hypothesized that decorin binding to collagen inhibits phagocytosis of collagen fibrils. To determine the effects of decorin on collagen degradation, we analyzed phagocytosis of collagen and collagen/decorin-coated fluorescent beads by Rat-2 and gingival fibroblasts. Collagen beads bound to gingival cells by alpha2beta1 integrins. Binding and internalization of decorin/collagen-coated beads decreased dose-dependently with increasing decorin concentration (p < 0.001). Inhibition of binding was sustained over 5 h (p < 0.001) and was attributed to interactions between decorin and collagen and not to decorin-collagen receptor interactions. Both the non-glycosylated decorin core protein and the thermally denatured decorin significantly inhibited collagen bead binding (approximately 50 and 89%, respectively; p < 0.05). Mimetic peptides corresponding to leucine-rich repeats 1-3, encompassed by a collagen-binding approximately 11-kDa cyanogen bromide fragment of decorin and leucine-rich repeats 4 and 5, previously shown to bind to collagen, were tested for their ability to inhibit collagen bead binding. Although the synthetic peptide 3 alone exhibited saturable binding to collagen, neither peptides 3 nor 1 and 2 markedly inhibited phagocytosis. Leucine-rich repeat 3 bound to a triple helical peptide containing the alpha2 integrin-binding site of collagen. When collagen beads were co-incubated with peptides 3 and 4, inhibition of collagen phagocytosis (55%) was equivalent to intact native/recombinant core protein. Thus a novel collagen binding domain in decorin acts cooperatively with leucine-rich repeat 4 to mask the alpha2beta1 integrin-binding site on collagen, an important sequence for the phagocytosis of collagen fibrils.     

Separation by capillary electrophoresis followed by dynamic elution

In this study we have explored the behaviour of peptides after capillary electrophoresis (CE) followed by elution under pressure. The use of D2O- rather than H2O-based buffer solutions appears to restrict the diffusion of peptides after CE, resulting in little loss of resolution when peptides are eluted by dynamic flow. In this paper we present results showing that a simple two-step process, involving CE at a low voltage, switching off the power supply, and connecting the fused capillary at the anode end to a syringe pump for dynamic flow, can retain separation characteristics and can be used for the isolation of picomole quantities of peptides for sequence determination.     

Polarity induced by chloramphenicol and relief by suA

The suA allele, known to relieve polarity in Escherichia coli, also relieves a unique polar effect on E. coli tryptophan operon messenger RNA produced by chloramphenicol.