Specific Conditions that Maximize Formation of Lysinoalanine in Wheat Gluten and Fish Protein Concentrate

Wheat gluten (WG) and fish protein concentrate (FPC) were subjected to alkali treatment under various conditions. The optimum pH for forming lysinoalanine (LAL) was found to be in the neighborhood of 13 in WG and higher in FPC. LAL formation was maximized at 70°C in WG and 90°C in FPC. LAL formation in WG increased at a rapid rate during the initial course of heat treatment. The rate slowed reaching a plateau at a heating time of 2hr. In FPC, however, LAL formation continued to increase over a longer period of heating. In both cases the amount of LAL formed was not accounted for simply by the amount of cystine or cysteine consumed, and it was estimated that some second factor great contributed as another precursor of dehydroalanine (DHA).

A significant amount of LAL was found to appear by simultating alkali-treatment of performic acid-oxidized WG, which lacks half-cystine. Analysis of the present data indicated that LAL was formed in a severer condition when the second factor acted as a DHA precursor than when cystine and/or cysteine was the precursor.     

Simultaneous analysis of lysine, Nepsilon-carboxymethyllysine and lysinoalanine from proteins

Protein quality was assayed by simultaneous measurement of lysine (Lys), carboxymethyllysine (CML) and lysinoalanine (LAL). GC-FID analysis of N-tert-butyl dimethylsilyl (tBDMSi) derivatives of these amino acids was undertaken. tBDMSi derivates were separated on a CP-SIL 5CB commercially fused silica capillary column (25 m x 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 microm film thickness) employing a thermal gradient programmed from 200 to 300 degrees C. The identity of tBDMSi derivatives of Lys, CML and LAL was established by GC-MS while FID detection was employed for quantification. Analytical parameters such as linearity (lysine 350-4200 microM, LAL 3-81 microM, CML 16-172 microM), precision (1-13% variation coefficients), accuracy (85-108% average recovery) and limits of detection (lysine 0.4 mg/100 g protein, LAL 5.0 mg/100 g protein, CML 3.4 mg/100 g protein) and quantification (lysine 1.4 mg/100g protein, LAL 15.2 mg/100 g protein, CML 11.2 mg/100 g protein) were determined for validation of the analytical approach. Model systems and real foods have been studied. Kinetic of CML formation from different food proteins (BSA, soy protein, casein and gluten) was performed employing model systems. Carboxymethylation rate depended on the source of protein. Maillard reaction progressed to advanced stages damaging the protein quality of stored infant foods, soy drinks, boiled eggs and dry powdered crepes. CML values ranged from 62 to 440 mg/100 g protein were measured. LAL was also formed during boiling eggs (21-68 mg/100g protein) indicating additional damage by crosslinking reaction. In agreement, lysine content was affected by both food processing and storage.     

Novel intra- and inter-molecular sulfinamide bonds in S100A8 produced by hypochlorite oxidation.

Hypochlorite is a major oxidant generated when neutrophils and macrophages are activated at inflammatory sites, such as in atherosclerotic lesions. Murine S100A8 (A8) is a major cytoplasmic protein in neutrophils and is secreted by macrophages in response to inflammatory stimuli. After incubation with reagent HOCl for 10 min, approximately 85% of A8 was converted to 4 oxidation products, with electrospay ionization mass spectrometry masses of m/z 10354, 10388, 10354 +/- 1, and 20707 +/- 3. All were resistant to reduction by dithiothreitol. Initial formation of a reactive Cys sulfenic acid intermediate was demonstrated by the rapid conjugation of 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione (dimedone) to HOCl-treated A8 to form stable adducts. Matrix-assisted laser desorption-reflectron time of flight peptide mass fingerprinting of isolated oxidation products confirmed the mass additions observed in the full-length proteins. Both Met(36/73) were converted to Met(36/73) sulfoxides. An additional product with an unusual mass addition of m/z 14 (+/-0.2) was identified and corresponded to the addition of oxygen to Cys(41), conjugation to various epsilon-amines of Lys(6), Lys(34/35), or Lys(87) with loss of dihydrogen and formation of stable intra- or inter-molecular sulfinamide cross-links. Specific fragmentations identified in matrix-assisted laser desorption-post source decay spectra and low energy collisional-induced dissociation tandem mass spectroscopy spectra of sulfinamide-containing digest peptides confirmed Lys(34/35) to Cys(41) sulfinamide bonds. HOCl oxidation of mutants lacking Cys(41) (Ala(41)S100A8) or specific Lys residues (e.g. Lys(34/35), Ala(34/35)S100A8) did not form sulfinamide cross-links. HOCl generated by myeloperoxidase and H(2)O(2) and by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-activated neutrophils also formed these products(.) In contrast to the disulfide-linked dimer, oxidized monomer retained normal chemotactic activity for neutrophils. Sulfinamide bond formation represents a novel oxidative cross-linking process between thiols and amines and may be a general consequence of HOCl protein oxidation in inflammation not identified previously. Similar modifications in other proteins could potentially regulate normal and pathological processes during aging, atherogenesis, fibrosis, and neurogenerative diseases.     

Mass spectrometric evidence for long-lived protein adducts of 4-oxo-2-nonenal

Substantial work has been carried out to elucidate the nature of protein modification by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and its relatives. Its keto cousin, 4-oxo-2-nonenal (ONE), which arises from linoleic acid oxidation independently of HNE, was previously reported to form Michael adducts with His and Cys that can subsequently, in part, condense with Lys residues to give imidazolylpyrrole cross-links. Despite mass spectrometric evidence also for ONE-Lys Michael adducts, the latter do not accumulate in solution. A long-lived adduct that has the same mass as the ONE Lys Michael adduct is suggested instead to be the isomeric 4-ketoamide that arises, along with other adducts, from the reversibly-formed ONE Lys Schiff base. The Lys-ketoamide and His-Lys imidazolylpyrrole cross-links appear to be unusually prominent markers of stable protein modification by ONE.     

Relationship of advanced oxidative protein products in human saliva and plasma: age- and gender-related changes and stability during storage

Abstract The blood levels of advanced oxidative protein products (AOPP) elevate in aging and age-related diseases. However, saliva AOPP in healthy humans have been unexplored. Thus, we investigated 143 Chinese healthy adults to assay age- and gender-related changes in saliva and plasma AOPP levels and the stability of saliva AOPP stored both at -?20°C and -?80°C. We found the mean AOPP levels in saliva and plasma of 119 subjects were 7.51?±?3.20 and 28.31?±?5.53 μmol/L (μM). An age-dependent increase was observed in both saliva and plasma AOPP levels. This increase was particularly significant in the elderly subjects compared with that in the young and middle-aged ones. A significant positive correlation among age, saliva and plasma AOPP levels was observed. No gender-dependent difference was observed in either saliva or plasma AOPP levels during the aging process. Furthermore, AOPP levels in the 24 saliva samples showed no significant change at every successive determination during 4 weeks at -?80°C, whereas those levels significantly increased after 7 days of storage at -?20°C. These results indicate the feasibility to screen aging biochemical indicators using saliva AOPP as an alternative to blood AOPP. Saliva AOPP samples are suitable to be stored at -?80°C.     

C-Terminal Sequence Determination of Modified Peptides by MALDI MS

Peptides, cleaved by a mixture of carboxypeptidases CPP and CPY, can be detected by MALDI MS and the amino acid sequence thereby determined by calculation of the differences between consecutive peaks. In the present study we have used derivatizations of Lys and Cys to facilitate identification of these residues. Since the mass values do not readily distinguish Lys from Gln, we have converted Lys to homoarginine by guanidination, allowing simple detection of Lys. To identify the Cys positions in peptides that contain cystine, cysteic acid, or carboxymethylcysteine is not possible using CPY and CPP because of the lack of proteolytic cleavage. Instead we find that identification of Cys residues within the sequence can be achieved after conversion to a basic derivative, 4-thialaminine (Thi), by trimethylaminoethylation.     

Role of diagnostic factors associated with antioxidative status and expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in patients with cancer therapy induced ocular disorders

Background

Cancer patients when treated with different chemotherapeutic drugs often develop mild to severe sight threatening diseases during or after chemotherapy. The mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of ocular toxicities is poorly understood. Oxidative stress, inflammation and MMPs (angiogenic factor) are involved in the progression of chemotherapy related ocular disorders.

Improvement of 1,3-dihydroxyacetone production from Gluconobacter oxydans by ion beam implantation

Improvement of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) production by mutagenesis of ion beam implantation and medium optimization using response-surface methodology (RSM) were investigated in this work. More than 1000 mutant strains were selected through a mutagenesis method using N(+) ions implantation with a dose of 60?×?(2.6?×?10(13)) ions/cm(2) and energy of 10?keV. Several high-yield mutant strains were showed the potent application for DHA production and the genetically stable mutant strain G. oxydans ZJB09113 was selected for optimization of cultivation condition by RSM. The optimal medium for DHA fermentation is composed (in g/L) of yeast extract 4.88, CaCO(3) 2.00, and glycerol 52.86?mL/L (initial pH 4.89). The maximal DHA concentration of 40.0?g/L was achieved after 24?hr of shaken flask fermentation at 30°C with 150?rpm, and 196.3% increase in DHA production in comparison with unoptimized conditions.     

Helices VII and X in the lactose permease of Escherichia coli: proximity and ligand-induced distance changes.

By using functional lactose permease devoid of native Cys residues with a discontinuity in the periplasmic loop between helices VII and VIII (N(7)/C(5) split permease), cross-linking between engineered paired Cys residues in helices VII and X was studied with the homobifunctional, thiol-specific cross-linkers 1,1-methanediyl bismethanethiosulfonate (3 A), N,N'-o- phenylenedimaleimide (6 A) and N,N'-p-phenylenedimaleimide (10 A). Mutant Asp240-->Cys (helix VII)/Lys319-->Cys (helix X) cross-links most efficiently with the 3 A reagent, providing direct support for studies indicating that Asp240 and Lys319 are in close proximity and charge paired. Furthermore, cross-linking the two positions inactivates the protein. Other Cys residues more disposed towards the middle of helix VII cross-link to Cys residues in the approximate middle of helix X, while no cross-linking is evident with paired Cys residues at the periplasmic or cytoplasmic ends of these helices. Thus, helices VII and X are in close proximity in the middle of the membrane. In the presence of ligand, the distance between Cys residues at positions 240 (helice VII) and 319 (helix X) increases. In contrast, the distance between paired Cys residues more disposed towards the cytoplasmic face of the membrane decreases in a manner suggesting that ligand binding induces a scissors-like movement between the two helices. The results are consistent with a recently proposed mechanism for lactose/H(+) symport in which substrate binding induces a conformational change between helices VII and X, during transfer of H(+) from His322 (helix X)/Glu269 (helix VIII) to Glu325 (helix X).     

Effect of Copper on Levels of Collagen and Alkaline Phosphatase Activity from Chondrocytes in Newborn Piglets In Vitro

The effects of different concentrations of copper on collagen content and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity from chondrocytes in newborn piglets were measured. Chondrocytes were cultured in media containing 15% fetal calf serum supplemented with 0, 15.6, 31.2, and 62.5?μmol/L copper in a 12-well culture plate. Collagen content and AKP activity from the chondrocyte extracellular matrix increased significantly in the culture media with 15.6, 31.2, and 62.5?μmol/L copper and was the highest at 31.2?μmol/L copper (P?相似文献   

In vitro and in silico characterization of angiogenic inhibitors from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sophora interrupta</Emphasis>

Sophora interrupta Bedd, (Fabaceae) is used in Indian folk medicine to treat cancer. Angiogenesis is one of the crucial characteristics of cancer metastasis and is regulated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In this study, we examined the antiangiogenic properties of the root ethyl acetate extract of Sophora interrupta by various methods. In vitro antioxidant activity (100–600 μg/ml) of S. interrupta ethyl acetate (SEA) extract was evaluated by DPPH and ABTS, anti-inflammatory activity (50, 100 and 150 μg/ml) by estimating nitric oxide (NO) levels, anti-angiogenic activity (200 and 500 μg/ml) was validated by chorio allantoic membrane (CAM) assay and in silico molecular dynamic (MD) simulations analyses (25 ns) were performed to identify the anti-angiogenic compounds extracted from root extract. The antioxidative activity of SEA extract at IC₅₀ (200?±?0.6 μg/mL) is equal to that of ascorbic acid at IC₅₀ (50?±?0.6 μg/mL), and the anti-inflammatory activity of SEA extract at IC₅₀ (150?±?0.2 μg/mL) was inhibited significantly by nitric oxide (NO) production. The SEA extract significantly reduced the sprouting of new blood vessels at ID₅₀ 500?±?0.13 μg/mL in the CAM assay. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the SEA extract detected 34 secondary metabolites, of which 6a,12a-dihydro-6H-(1,3)dioxolo(5,6)benzofuro(3,2-c)chromen-3-ol (maackiain) and funiculosin formed strong hydrogen bond interactions with Lys 920, Thr 916 and Cys 919 (2H), as well as Glu 917 of VEGFR2, and these interactions were similar to those of the anti-angiogenic compound axitinib. Significant findings in all the assays performed indicate that SEA extract has potential anti-angiogenic compounds that may interfere with VEGF-induced cancer malignancy.     

Enhanced incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid in serum, heart, and brain of rats given microemulsions of fish oil

Long-chain n-3 fatty acids are essential for the development of cognitive functions and reducing the risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The present study was undertaken to prepare fish oil (FO) microemulsion and explore the possibility of enhancing the enrichment of long-chain n-3 PUFA in the heart and brain lipids. The bioavailability of encapsulated FO was compared with that of native oil in rats by utilizing the intestinal sac method and by an in vivo study giving microemulsions of FO through intubation for a period of 30 days. Microemulsions were prepared using chitosan, gum acacia, whey protein, and lipoid. The bioavailability of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from FO encapsulated in chitosan, gum acacia, whey protein, and lipoid was increased by 7, 9, 23, and 68 %, respectively, as compared to oil given without encapsulation in the everted intestinal sacs model. The DHA levels in serum lipids when FO was given as lipoid emulsion to rats were found to be 56 μg/ml, while rats given FO without encapsulation had a DHA level of 22 μg/ml. In the heart and brain lipids, the DHA levels were increased by 77 and 41 %, respectively, in rats given FO encapsulated with lipoid compared to those given native oil. These studies indicated that DHA from FO was taken up in a more efficient manner when given in an encapsulated form with lipoid. Thus, phospholipid-based binding materials such as Lipoid provide a good delivery system for FO and significantly enhance DHA levels in the serum, liver, heart, and brain tissues.     

Diepoxybutane induces the formation of DNA-DNA rather than DNA-protein cross-links, and single-strand breaks and alkali-labile sites in human hepatocyte L02 cells

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is an air pollutant and a known carcinogen. 1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane (DEB), one of the major in vivo metabolites of BD, is considered the ultimate culprit of BD mutagenicity/carcinogenicity. DEB is a bifunctional alkylating agent, being capable of inducing the formation of monoalkylated DNA adducts and DNA cross-links, including DNA-DNA and DNA-protein cross-links (DPC). In the present study, we investigated DEB-caused DNA cross-links and breaks in human hepatocyte L02 cells using comet assay. With alkaline comet assay, it was observed that DNA migration increased with the increase of DEB concentration at lower concentrations (10-200μM); however, at higher concentrations (200-1000μM), DNA migration decreased with the increase of DEB concentration. This result indicated the presence of cross-links at >200μM, which was confirmed by the co-treatment experiments using the second genotoxic agents, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and methyl methanesulfonate. At 200μM, which appeared as a threshold, the DNA migration-retarding effect of cross-links was just observable by the co-treatment experiments. At <200μM, the effect of cross-links was too weak to be detected. The DEB-induced cross-links were determined to be DNA-DNA ones rather than DPC through incubating the liberated DNA with proteinase K prior to unwinding and electrophoresis. However, at the highest DEB concentration tested (1000μM), a small proportion of DPC could be formed. In addition, the experiments using neutral and weakly alkaline comet assays showed that DEB did not cause double-strand breaks, but did induce single-strand breaks (SSB) and alkali-labile sites (ALS). Since SSB and ALS are repaired more rapidly than cross-links, the results suggested that DNA-DNA cross-links, rather than DPC, were probably responsible for mutagenicity/carcinogenicity of DEB.     

Epithelial�Cmesenchymal transition of rat peritoneal mesothelial cells via Rhoa/Rock pathway

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the RhoA/Rock signaling pathway in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of rat peritoneal mesothelial cells (RPMCs). Primary SD rat peritoneal mesothelial cells were cultured in vitro. RPMCs were randomly assigned to four groups: group A (control), group B (TGF-β1, 10?μg/L), group C (10?μg/L TGF-β1?+?10?μmol/L Y-27632, an inhibitor of Rock that was pre-applied for 2?h before TGF-β1 stimulation), and group D (Y-27632 alone, 10?μmol/L). Our results were as follows: (1) TGF-β1 stimulation elicited a robust increase in RhoA activity in a time-dependent manner; the increase was 2.57?±?0.52 times larger than the activity observed for the control group (P?相似文献   

硫化氢通过调控SIRT1抑制阿霉素诱导的H9c2细胞损伤

目的探讨硫化氢（H₂S）对阿霉素（DOX）诱导的H9c2细胞损伤的影响及其作用机制。 方法H₂S对DOX心肌毒性保护作用的实验分组为：对照组（Control组）,5?μmol/?L DOX处理组（A组）,5?μmol/L DOX和400?μmol/L NaHS共同处理组（B组）,400?μmol/L NaHS单独处理组（C组）,5?μmol/L DOX、400?μmol/L NaHS和15?μmol/L Sirtinol共同处理组（D组）,15?μmol/L Sirtinol单独处理组（E组）。SIRT1是否参与H₂S抗DOX心肌毒性作用机制的实验分组为：对照组（Control组）,5?μmol/L DOX处理组（F组）,5?μmol/L DOX和400?μmol/L NaHS共同处理组（G组）,5?μmol/L DOX、400?μmol/L NaHS和15?μmol/L Sirtinol共同处理组（H组）,15?μmol/L Sirtinol单独处理组（I组）。使用MTT法检测细胞活力;Elisa法检测细胞MDA以及SOD水平;DCFH-?DA荧光探针法检测ROS水平;采用Western Blot法检测SIRT1蛋白表达。使用单因素方差分析法进行统计学分析。 结果NaHS预处理可抑制DOX导致的H9c2细胞活力下降：Control组,A组、B组、C组细胞活力分别为100﹪、（54.58±1.58）﹪、（85.05±4.31）﹪、（100.22±4.46）﹪ （F = 134.9,P < 0.001）。NaHS预处理可减弱DOX引起的H9c2细胞ROS、MDA水平的增加以及SOD水平的降低：Control组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是100﹪、（34.18±1.56） μmol/g、（53.69±1.44） U/?mg;A组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是（174.90±12.65）﹪、（72.65±2.66） μmol/g、（31.80±2.05） U/?mg;B组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是（126.08±6.25）﹪、（44.59±1.92） μmol/g、（48.06±1.56） U/mg;C组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是（91.86±1.66）﹪、（32.93±1.56）?μmol/?g、（55.93±1.58）?U/?mg （F?= 83.26,P < 0.001;F = 271.4,P < 0.001;F = 127.0,P < 0.001）。F组（6、12、24?h）H9c2细胞SIRT1蛋白表达水平分别是（0.45±0.03）、（0.27±0.02）、（0.25±0.03）,较Control组（1.00±0.00）降低（F = 611.1,P < 0.001）。本研究还发现,NaHS预处理H9c2细胞能阻止DOX引起的SIRT1蛋白表达下调：Control组、F组、G组、H组的SIRT1蛋白表达水平分别是（1.00±0.00）、（0.31±0.03）、（0.60±0.04）、（1.09±0.09）（F = 123.4,P?2S对DOX诱导的H9c2细胞活力降低的抑制作用：Control组,F组、G组、H组、I组细胞活力分别为100﹪、（54.58±1.58）﹪、（85.37±3.62）﹪、（71.11±2.11）﹪、（97.53±1.45）﹪ （F = 238.2,P < 0.001）。Sirtinol预处理可明显逆转H₂S对DOX导致的H9c2细胞ROS和MDA含量增加及SOD水平降低的抑制作用：Control组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是100﹪、（35.84±2.22）μmol/?g、（53.03±3.16） U/mg;F组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是（184.6±11.33）﹪、（74.78±5.30）μmol/g、（29.26±0.85）U/mg;G组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是（126.5±7.57）﹪、（41.95±3.43）μmol/g、（52.61±2.26）U/mg;H组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是（174.7±5.50）﹪、（67.69±1.52） μmol/g、（35.33±1.95） U/mg,I组的ROS、MDA和SOD水平分别是（98.03±2.86）﹪、（37.66±2.49）μmol/g、51.14 U/mg（F = 112.0,P < 0.001;F = 93.73,P < 0.001;F = 84.92,P < 0.001）。 结论H₂S通过调控SIRT1抑制DOX诱导的H9c2细胞损伤。     

Optimization of production and reaction conditions of polygalacturonase from Byssochlamys fulva

In the present study, the optimization of production and reaction conditions of polygalacturonase produced by a fungus Byssochlamys fulva MTCC 505 was achieved. The production of polygalacturonase with a considerable activity of 1.28 IU/ml was found when the culture was shaken at 30°C for 5 days in 100 ml of medium containing (w/v) 10 g/l pectin, 2 g/l NaNO?, 1 g/l KH?PO?, 0.5 g/l KCl, 0.5 g/l MgSO?. 7H?O, 0.001 g/l FeSO?. 7H?O, 0.001 g/l CaCl?. The best carbon and nitrogen source for this enzyme were pectin (1%) and Ca(NO?)? (0.1%), respectively. The enzyme gave maximum activity at incubation time of 72 h, temperature of 30°C and pH 4.5. During the optimization of reaction conditions, the enzyme showed maximum activity in sodium citrate buffer (50 mM) of pH 5.5 at 50°C reaction temperature for 15 minutes of incubation. The enzyme showed greater affinity for polygalacturonic acid as substrate (0.5%). Km and Vmax values were 0.15 mg/ml and 4.58 μmol/ml/min. The effect of various phenolics, thiols, protein inhibitors and metal ions on the enzyme activity was investigated. The enzyme was quite stable at 4°C and 30°C. At 40°C the half life of the enzyme was 6 h and at 60°C it was 2 h.     

Redox properties of the tissue factor Cys186-Cys209 disulfide bond

TF (tissue factor) is a transmembrane cofactor that initiates blood coagulation in mammals by binding Factor VIIa to activate Factors X and IX. The cofactor can reside in a cryptic configuration on primary cells and de-encryption may involve a redox change in the C-terminal domain Cys(186)-Cys(209) disulfide bond. The redox potential of the bond, the spacing of the reduced cysteine thiols and their oxidation by TF activators was investigated to test the involvement of the dithiol/disulfide in TF activation. A standard redox potential of -278 mV was determined for the Cys(186)-Cys(209) disulfide of recombinant soluble TF. Notably, ablating the N-terminal domain Cys(49)-Cys(57) disulfide markedly increased the redox potential of the Cys(186)-Cys(209) bond, suggesting that the N-terminal bond may be involved in the regulation of redox activity at the C-terminal bond. Using As(III) and dibromobimane as molecular rulers for closely spaced sulfur atoms, the reduced Cys(186) and Cys(209) sulfurs were found to be within 3-6 ? (1 ?=0.1 nm) of each other, which is close enough to reform the disulfide bond. HgCl2 is a very efficient activator of cellular TF and activating concentrations of HgCl2-mediated oxidation of the reduced Cys(186) and Cys(209) thiols of soluble TF. Moreover, PAO (phenylarsonous acid), which cross-links two cysteine thiols that are in close proximity, and MMTS (methyl methanethiolsulfonate), at concentrations where it oxidizes closely spaced cysteine residues to a cystine residue, were efficient activators of cellular TF. These findings further support a role for Cys(186) and Cys(209) in TF activation.     

Allosteric modulation by S-nitrosation in the low-O₂ affinity myoglobin from rainbow trout

Myoglobin (Mb) serves in the facilitated diffusion and storage of O? in heart and skeletal muscle, where it also regulates O? consumption via nitric oxide (NO) scavenging or generation. S-nitrosation at reactive cysteines may generate S-nitroso Mb (Mb-SNO) and contribute further to NO homeostasis. In being a monomer, Mb is commonly believed to lack allosteric control of heme reactivity. Here, we test whether in rainbow trout, a fast swimmer living in well-aerated water, the Mb-O? affinity is regulated by ionic cofactors and S-nitrosation. O? equilibria showed the lowest O? affinity ever reported among vertebrate Mbs (P?? = 4.92 ± 0.29 mmHg, 25°C), a small overall heat of oxygenation (ΔH = -12.03 kcal/mol O?), and no effect of chloride, pH, or lactate. Although the reaction with 4,4'-dithiodipyridine (4-PDS) showed 1.3-1.9 accessible thiols per heme, the reaction of Mb with S-nitroso cysteine (Cys-NO) and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) to generate Mb-SNO yielded ～0.3-0.6 and ～0.1 SNO/heme, respectively, suggesting S-nitrosation at only one cysteine (likely Cys1?). At ～60% S-nitrosation, trout Mb-SNO showed a higher O? affinity (P?? = 2.23 ± 0.19 mmHg, 20°C) than unmodified Mb (3.36 ± 0.11 mmHg, 20°C). Total SNO levels measured by chemiluminescence in trout myocardial preparations decreased after hypoxia, but not significantly, indicating that transnitrosation reactions between thiols may occur in vivo. Our data reveal a novel, S-nitrosation-dependent allosteric mechanism in this low-affinity Mb that may contribute to targeted O?-linked SNO release in the hypoxic fish heart and be of importance in preserving cardiac function during intense exercise.     

Variations of hydrogen peroxide and catalase expression in Bombyx eggs during diapause initiation and termination

For diapause eggs of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, diapause initiation is prevented with hydrochloric acid (HCl) at around 20 h post-oviposition while diapause status is terminated with chilling around 5°C. To investigate whether hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and catalase expression are involved in diapause initiation and termination, the concentration of H(2)O(2), relatively higher levels of catalase mRNA and activity of catalase were compared between (1) 20-h-old diapause eggs and the HCl-treated diapause eggs, and (2) 10-day-old diapause eggs and the 5°C-chilled diapause eggs. Compared to diapause eggs, the HCl-treated eggs had significantly higher H(2)O(2) concentrations (up from approximately 1-3 μmol/g fresh mass to 5-8 μmol/g fresh mass), higher relative level of catalase mRNA (up from 0 to 35.2%) and higher catalase activity (up from 2.51 units/mg protein to 4.97 units/mg protein) at 96 h post-treatment. On the other hand, the 5°C chilling resulted in significant increases of H(2)O(2) concentration (up from 0.79 μmol/g fresh mass to 5.57 μmol/g fresh mass), relative level of catalase mRNA (up from 0 to 71.4%) and catalase activity (up from 0.88 units/mg protein to 3.42 units/mg protein) within 120 days. The results obtained in this work suggest that variations of H(2)O(2) and catalase expression in Bombyx eggs are involved in diapause initiation and termination.     

二氢青蒿素通过诱导铁死亡抑制肝癌细胞生长

二氢青蒿素（dihydroartemisinin,DHA）是青蒿素的一种衍生物,在多种肿瘤中表现出明显的抗肿瘤活性,但其具体机制不详。本文探讨了DHA对肝癌细胞的毒性作用机制。利用CCK-8试剂检测DHA对肝癌细胞株活力的影响,通过荧光探针染色及流式细胞术分析细胞内ROS及脂质过氧化物水平的变化;通过谷胱甘肽测定试剂盒检测细胞内还原型谷胱甘肽含量的变化,并通过免疫印迹分析DHA作用下细胞内铁死亡通路蛋白质中GPX4的变化。结果发现,DHA能显著抑制SMMC-7721及Huh-7细胞活力,其半数抑制浓度分别为23.74 μmol/L及26.92 μmol/L。 在35 μmol/L DHA 处理下,SMMC-7721及Huh-7细胞内ROS分别升高2.6倍和2.1倍,脂质过氧化物升高2.3倍和1.7倍。DHA可诱导细胞内GSH含量下降,并能下调铁死亡相关蛋白质GPX4蛋白水平。通过利用小分子抑制剂进行功能恢复实验发现,ROS抑制剂、铁螯合剂及铁死亡抑制剂都可不同程度恢复DHA引起的细胞活力下降。进一步检测发现,铁死亡抑制剂可抑制DHA诱导的脂质过氧化,并恢复GSH含量及GPX4蛋白水平。结果表明,在肝癌细胞中,DHA可通过诱导细胞发生铁死亡抑制肝癌细胞生长。