Purification of Cytosine Deaminase from Pseudomonas aureofaciens

Cytosine deaminase from Pseudomonas aureofaciens was purified about 480-fold by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation, ethyl alcohol fractionation, chromatography on columns of DEAE-Sephadex A–50 and hydroxylapatite and by gel filtration on a Sephadex G–200 column. The enzyme was homogeneous by the criteria of sedimentation and electrophoretic analysis. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 630,000 by gel filtration and consisted of twelve to sixteen identical subunits having a molecular weight of about 45,000. The enzyme catalyzed the deamination of cytosine and 5-methylcytosine.     

Knockout of a putative ergothioneine transporter in Caenorhabditis elegans decreases lifespan and increases susceptibility to oxidative damage

Abstract

In addition to excretion of metabolic waste products, organic ionic transporters facilitate uptake of specific compounds of physiological importance. In animals, the organic cation transporter, OCTN1 was found to enable the specific uptake of the unique amino acid, ergothioneine (EGT). EGT can accumulate in the body at up to millimolar concentrations and is believed to function as a physiological antioxidant. However the main function of EGT and the reasons for its active accumulation in the body remain obscure. Through bioinformatic approaches, we identified an analogous EGT transporter in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. The present study investigated and characterized deletion mutants of this gene, OCT-1, in the nematodes. Gene deletion mutations of the OCT-1 transporter were shown to decrease overall lifespan of the worms and increase oxidative damage. However the absence of impaired EGT uptake and the inability of excess EGT to rescue the debilitating phenotype indicate that EGT transport does not explain the deleterious effects of the gene deletion.     

A deuterohemin peptide extends lifespan and increases stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

This group has invented a novel deuterohemin containing peptide deuterohemin-AlaHisThrValGluLys (DhHP-6), which has various biological activities including protection of murine ischemia reperfusion injury, improving cell survival and preventing apoptosis. It was hypothesized that DhHP-6 is beneficial on the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and increases their resistance to heat and oxidative stress. C. elegans were treated with different concentrations of DhHP-6. Survival time and sensitivity to heat and paraquat were investigated. The data demonstrated that the mean survival time of C. elegans was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the DhHP-6 treated group compared with the control group. The maximum lifespan was not affected by DhHP-6 treatment. DhHP-6 improved the survival rate of C. elegans in the acute heat stress (35°C) and rescued the C. elegans' sensitivity to paraquat in acute oxidative stress. Superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD-3) protein was up-regulated by DhHP-6 treatment. It was further demonstrated that stress resistance genes such as hsp-16.1, hsp-16.49 and sir-2.1 were regulated by DhHP-6. DAF-16 and SIR-2.1 genes are essential for the beneficial effect of DhHP-6. Therefore, the investigation into the beneficial effect of DhHP-6 on C. elegans' lifespan has the potential to develop novel drugs to prevent ageing.     

A liquid-based method for the assessment of bacterial pathogenicity using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans has previously been used as an alternative to mammalian models of infection with bacterial pathogens. We have developed a liquid-based assay to measure the effect of bacteria on the feeding ability of C. elegans. Using this assay we have shown that Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Yersinia pestis were able to inhibit feeding of C. elegans strain N2. An increase in sensitivity of the assay was achieved by using C. elegans mutant phm-2, in place of the wild-type strain. Using this assay,P. aeruginosa PA01 inhibited the feeding of C. elegans mutant phm-2. Such liquid-based feeding assays are ideally suited to the high-throughput screening of mutants of bacterial pathogens.     

连翘花黄色素对线虫在氧化应激下的保护作用

自由基过度引起的氧化应激是多种疾病发生的因素。连翘花黄色素(forsythia flower yellow pigment, FFYP)中含有大量的抗氧化活性物质,但其对氧化应激的抵抗性仍不清楚。本文首先通过化学方法检测FFYP的体外抗氧化活性;用细胞内抗氧化活性（cellular antioxidant activity,CAA）方法检测FFYP细胞内抗氧化活性;然后以秀丽隐杆线虫（Caenorhabditis elegans,C. elegans）为模型,检测FFYP对线虫氧化应激抵抗力及体内抗氧化指标的影响;用Daf 16和Skn 1突变体线虫和qRT PCR实验探究其作用机制。研究结果表明,FFYP具有1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼(1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH)自由基清除能力,铁离子还原能力和活性氧自由基(reactive oxygen species, ROS）清除能力,并且具有浓度依赖性。用500 μmol/L的胡桃醌提供氧化应激压力时,FFYP能显著提高线虫在氧化应激下的寿命,表明FFYP可以提高线虫对氧化应激的抵抗力。进一步研究发现,FFYP可显著降低线虫体内ROS自由基含量,提高超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase, SOD)和过氧化氢酶(catalase, CAT)活性,增加还原型谷胱甘肽(glutathione, GSH)含量,表明FFYP通过提高线虫体内抗氧化防御系统活性清除自由基来提高线虫对氧化应激的抵抗力。突变体线虫实验显示,FFYP对线虫延长氧化应激下寿命的效应在Skn-1突变体线虫中完全消失,在Daf-16突变体中效应被减弱。qRT-PCR实验也显示,Daf-16和Skn-1靶基因的表达量均被提高。表明FFYP对线虫氧化应激抵抗力提高的作用是通过Daf-16和Skn-1共同作用。这预示着FFYP具有很好的抗氧化及抗应激药用价值,有潜力成为一种新的有生物活性的天然色素。     

雄性秀丽隐杆线虫能提高热胁迫下种群生存优势

秀丽隐杆线虫的性别包括自体受精的雌雄同体以及可以与雌雄同体交配的雄性,实验室培养的线虫种群中雄性比例很低,目前尚未发现雌雄同体与雄性线虫杂交后代的遗传优势.为了探讨雄性线虫个体存在的生态意义,本研究比较了热胁迫下两性线虫的生活史变化,以及有无雄性存在的线虫种群应对热胁迫的耐受程度.结果表明:虽然雄性线虫对热胁迫更为敏感,然雨当有雄性存在的情况下,整个线虫种群数量在热胁迫后得以更快地恢复,而且与常温培养相比,经常受到热胁迫的线虫种群中雄性的比例可维持在一个较高的水平.这些结果暗示,在多变的自然状态下,秀丽隐杆线虫雄性性别的保留对种群数量的维持有重要的进化意义.     

DNA endonuclease- and active oxygen-associated degradation of chloroplast DNA in response to paraquat-induced oxidative stress

Activity of chloroplast-localized DNA endonuclease was observed in detached tobacco leaves that had been treated with paraquat and light The DNA endonuclease was able to cleave the chloroplast, plasmid, and single-stranded DNA, as estimated on an agarose gel. Activity was sensitive to two endonuclease inhibitors: aurintricarboxylic acid and ZnSO₄. The time course for activity showed a peak 4 h after the stress treatment These results suggest that this enzyme plays a specific physiological role during oxidative stress. Probable roles for this enzyme are also discussed.     

Multiple Molecular Forms of Acetylcholinesterase in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract: Extracts of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans contain five molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity that can be separated by a combination of selective solubilization, velocity sedimentation, and ion-exchange chromatography. These are called form IA (5.2s), form IB (4.9.s), form II (6.7s), form III (11.3s), and form IV (13.0s). All except form III are present in significant amounts in rapidly prepared extracts and are probably native; form III is probably derived autolytically from form IV. Most of forms IA and IB can be solubilized by repeated extractions without detergent, whereas forms II, III, and IV require detergent for effective solubilization and may therefore be membrane-bound. High salt concentrations are not required for, and do not aid in, the solubilization of these forms. For all forms, molecular weights and frictional ratios have been estimated by a combination of gel permeation chromatography and velocity sedimentations in both H₂O and D₂O. The molecular weight estimates range from 83,000 to 357,000 and only form II shows extensive asymmetry. The separated forms have been characterized with respect to substrate affinity, substrate specificity, inhibitor sensitivity, thermal inactivation, and detergent sensitivity. Judging by these properties, C. elegans is like other invertebrates in that none of its cholinesterase forms resembles either the “true” or the “pseudo” cholinesterase of vertebrates. However, internal comparison of the C. elegans forms clearly distinguishes forms IA, III, and IV as a group from forms IB and II; the former are therefore designated “class A” forms, the latter “class B” forms. Genetic evidence indicates that separate genes control class A and class B forms, and that these two classes overlap functionally. Several factors, including kinetic properties, molecular asymmetry, molecular size, and solubility, all suggest that a molecular model of the multiple cholinesterase forms observed in vertebrate electric organs probably does not apply in C. elegans. Potential functional roles and subunit structures of the multiple AChE forms within each C. elegans class are discussed.     

Oxytocin promotes heat stress tolerance via insulin signals in Caenorhabditis elegans

ABSTRACT

Oxytocin, has various physiological functions that have been well studied and many that remain unknown. Here, we aimed to determine new physiological functions of oxytocin using Caenorhabditis elegans. Oxytocin treatment promoted the restoration of movement after heat stress and enhanced the viability under heat stress. However, oxytocin had no effect on the life span and only little effect on the oxidative stress tolerance. In contrast, oxytocin treatment didn’t promote the restoration of movement or enhance the viability of deficient mutants of ntr-1/2, which is the gene encoding the oxytocin receptor. In addition, for mutants of daf-16, daf-2, tax-4, and some insulin-like peptides, the heat stress tolerance effect by oxytocin was canceled. Furthermore, oxytocin increased the expression levels of the DAF-16 target genes. Our results suggest that oxytocin treatment promoted the heat stress tolerance of C. elegans via the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway.     

Role of NF-κB/IL-1β Pathway and Caspase 3 in Mediating the Hepatoprotective Effect of Rutin against Paraquat-Induced Liver Toxicity in Male Rats

One of the most common bipyridinium herbicides that can lead to liver toxicity is paraquat. Rutin is a bioflavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hepatotoxic, and antimicrobial properties. The effect of rutin on paraquat-induced liver toxicity was examined in this study. 48 male rats were divided into six groups: the control group was given a normal diet; the non-treated group was given paraquat; the positive control group was given paraquat, and silymarin and the treatment groups were given paraquat and rutin at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg. After fourteen days, the rats were anesthetized by xylazine-ketamine, and fasting blood samples were obtained from their hearts to measure alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), malondialdehyde (MDA), creatinine, lipid profile, antioxidant capacity, and carbonyl protein. The liver tissue was removed to measure the levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total protein, vitamin C, plus NF-κB, IL1β, and caspase-3 gene expressions. Paraquat gavage in the untreated group (group 2) for 14 days in comparison with the control group induced a significant augmentation (p<0.05) in levels of lipid profile, AST, ALP, ALT, MDA, carbonyl protein, and also NF-κB, IL1β, Caspase3 expressions. Treatment with rutin reduced the factors as mentioned above. Paraquat poisoning induced a substantial decline (p<0.05) in HDL content, FRAP level, CAT, and SOD activity of the liver compared to the control group. However, rutin oral treatment led to a substantial increase (p<0.05) in the level of these factors compared to the paraquat-only treated group. Based on the findings of the present study, it was found that rutin can be significantly effective in improving hepatotoxicity caused by paraquat.     

Influence of oxidative stressors on the photosynthetic apparatus of the methyl viologen-resistant mutant Prq20 of cyanobacterium <Emphasis Type=Italic>Synechocystis</Emphasis> sp. PCC 6803

Delayed Chl a fluorescence and the CO₂-dependent O₂ exchange were measured to assess the effect of oxidative stress inducers methyl viologen and benzyl viologen, cumene hydroperoxide, menadione, and H₂O₂ as well as high irradiance on the photosynthetic apparatus of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 wild type and its methyl viologen-resistant mutant Prq20 with impaired regulatory gene prqR. The extent of damage upon exposure to viologens proved much smaller in the mutant; the causes of this are analyzed.     

A nematode microtubule-associated protein,PTL-1, closely resembles its mammalian counterparts in overall molecular architecture*

The mammalian microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), MAP2, MAP4, and τ, are structurally similar and considered to be evolutionarily related. The primary structure of a nematode MAP, PTL-1, also reportedly resembles those of the MAPs, but only in a small portion of the molecule. In this study, we elucidated the overall domain organization of PTL-1, using a molecular dissection technique. Firstly, we isolated nematode microtubules and proved that the recombinant PTL-1 binds to nematode and porcine microtubules with similar affinities. Then, the recombinant PTL-1 was genetically dissected to generate four shorter polypeptides, and their microtubule-binding and assembly promoting activities were assessed, using porcine microtubules and tubulin. PTL-1 was found to consist of two parts, microtubule-binding and projection domains, with the former further divided into three functionally distinct subdomains. The molecular architecture of PTL-1 was proved to be quite analogous to its mammalian counterparts, MAP2, MAP4, and τ, strongly supporting their evolutionary relationships.