Effect of Bcl—2 and caspase—3 on calcium distribution in apoptosis of HL—60 cells

Apoptosis manifests in two major execution programs downstream of the death signal:the caspase pathway and organelle dysfunction.An important antiapoptosis factor,Bcl-2 protein,contributes in caspase pathway of apoptosis.Calcium,an important intracellular signal element in cells,is also observed to have changes during apoptosis,which maybe affected by Bcl-2 protein.We have previously reported that in Harringtonine (HT) induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells,there‘s change of intracellular calcium distribution,oving from cytoplast especially Golgi‘s apparatus to nucleus and accumulating there with the highest concentration.We report here that caspase-3 becomes activated in HT-induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells,which can be inhibited by overexpression of Bcl-2 protein.No sign of apoptosis or intracellular calcium movement from Golgi‘s apparatus to nucleus in HL-60 cells overexpressing Bcl-2 or treated with Ac-DEVD-CHO,a specific inhibitor of caspase-3.The results indicate that activated caspase-2 can promote the movement of intracellular calcium from Golgi‘s apparatus to nucleus,and the process is inhibited by Ac-DEVD-CHO(inhibitor of caspase-3),and that Bcl-2 can inhibit the movement and accumulation of intracellular calcium in nucleus through its inhibition on caspase-3.Calcium relocalization in apoptosis seems to be irreversible,which is different from the intracellular calcium changes caused by growth factor.     

Expression of Bcl—2 inhibited Fas—mediated apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL—7404 cells

Apoptosis plays an important role in embryonic development,tissue remodeling,immune regulation and tumor regression.Two groups of molecules(Bcl-2 family and “Death factor” family) are involved in regulating apoptosis.In order to know about the effect of Bcl-2 on apoptosis induced by Fas,a typical member of “Death factor” family,the transfection experiments with expression vectors pcDNA3-fl and pcDNA3-bcl-2 were performed in BEL-7404 cells,a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line which expresses endogenous Fas,but not FasL and Bcl-2.The data showed that the expression of FasL in pcDNA3-fl transfected hepatoma cells obviously induced the apoptosis of the cells.However,the overexpression of Bcl-2 in pcDNA3-bcl-2 transfected 7404/b-16 cells counteracted pcDNA3-fl transient transfection mediated apoptosis.Further study by cotransfection experiments indicated that Bid but not Bax (both were pro-apoptotic proteins of Bcl-2 family) blocked the inhibitory effect of Bcl-2 on Fas-mediated apoptosis.These results suggested that Fas-mediated apoptosis in human hepatoma cells is possibly regulated by Bcl-2 family proteins via mitochondria pathway.     

Induction of apoptosis and change of bcl—2 expression in macrophage Ana—1 cells by all—trans retinoic acid

Macrophage cells play an important role in the initiation and regulation of the immune response.All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and its natural and synthetic analogs (retinoids)affect a large number of biological processes.Recently,retinoids have been shown promise in the therapy and prevention of various cancers.However,many interesting questions related to the activities of retinoids remain to be answered:(I) Molecular mechanisms by which retinoids exert their effects;（Ⅱ)why the clinical uses of retinoids give undesirable side effects of varying severity with a higher frequency of blood system symptoms;(Ⅲ)little is known for its impacts on macrophage cells etc.We set up this experiment,therefore,to examine the apoptosis of ATRA on macrophage Ana-1 cell line.Apoptosis of the cells was quantitated,after staining cells with propidium iodide(PI),by both accounting nuclear condensation and flow cytometry.When the cells were treated with ATRA at or higher than 1μM for more than 24h,significant amount of the apoptotic cells was observed.Induction of apoptosis of Ana-1 cells by ATRA was in time-and dose-dependent manners,exhibiting the similar pattern as the apoptosis induced by actinomycin D (ACTD).ATRA treatment of Ana-1 cells also caused the changes of the mRNA levels of apoptosis-associated gene bcl-2,as detected by Northern blot analysis.The temporal changes of bcl-2 expression by ATRA was also parallel to that by ACTD.In conclusion,ATRA can induce apoptosis in macrophage cells,which may be helpful in understanding of immunological functions retinoids.     

The kinetics of IL—4 and IFN—γ gene expression in Mice after Trichosansin immunization

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a potent allergen to mice.According to our previous experiments,it could bring out the IgE response to ovabumin (OVA) if TCS was given one day before OVA immunization,while OVA alone could not induce IgE to it.In this work,the kinetics of interleukin 4(IL-4) and interferon γ(IFN-γ) gene expression in the mesenteric lymph node (MLN) of TCS-immunized mice was investigated using a semi-quantitative RT-PCR method.It indicated that TCS induced significant IL-4 gene expression and the peaks of IL4 gene expression were on day one after TCS immunization in both primary and secondary response.In contrast,the IFN-γ gene expression was suppressed.Furthermor,the IL-4 gene expression in the secondary response was lower than that in the primary response.Thus the presence of IgE memory B cells were studied.Results showed that the amount of mature IgE mRNA arose significantly and rapidly one day after TCS restimulation,while in the MLN of the mice primed 30 days before and without boost,it was almost as the same amount of the unimmunized control.These findings suggest the existence of the IgE memory B cells in the mice after the primary TCS immunization.     

Evidence for a mouse brain—specific variant of α—tubulin

While studying the neural precursor cell intermediate filament protein known as nestin in the developing mouse brain,we observed a strong cross-reaction of our nestin antibody with a 50kDa protein that appeared on embryonic day 10 and continued to accumulate until postnatal day 1.Here we report evidence that this protein is a brain-specific variant form of α-tubulin and discuss its implications.     

人白细胞介素家族的新成员—IL—19，IL—20，IL—21，IL—22，IL—23

白细胞介素是激活的T细胞分泌的一类细胞因子,它们在免疫调节中发挥重要作用,具有很高的临床应用价值。迄今为止,已有23种人白细胞介素被发现,构成了一个庞大的家族,其中2000－2001年间,就有5种人白细胞介素家族最新成员的序列被阐明,本文简单介绍了它们的结构,诱导表达方式,功能,及其信号相关受体等各个方面的最新研究进展。     

玉米果糖—6—磷酸，2—激酶／果糖—2，6—二磷酸酶基因的结构与表达分析

通过RT-PCR,结果RACE技术,得到了玉米（Zea maysL.)果糖-6-磷酸,2-激酶/果糖-2,6-二磷酸酶的全长cDNA克隆。命名为mF2KP,氨基酸序列同源性比较发现,mF2KP蛋白可以分为两个部分;C端包含高度保守的催化功能区。N端为植物中特有的多肽,将mF2KP基因中一段包含完整催化功能区的片段在大肠杆菌（Escherichia coli)中表达,融合蛋白具有果糖-6-磷酸,2-激酶/果糖-2,6-二磷酸酶活性,Northern杂交证明在种子活力不同的幼苗中,mF2KP的转录水平存在明显差异。种子活力越高,幼苗中mF2KP的转录水平越低。     

Effects of laminin glycopeptides on metastasis—related behaviors of cancer cells

Our previous reports have shown that lamininglycopeptides (LN-GPs),the total glycopeptides prepared from laminin (LN),can prevent the experimental lung metastasis and liver metastasis of mouse cancer cells.In order to explore the anti-metastatic mechanism of LN-GPs,we studied the effects of LN-GPs on metastasisrelated behaviors of cancer cells in vitro.LN-GPs did not affect cell survival.However,LN-GPs inhibited cell attachment and spreading of S180 cells on LN-and Matrigelsubstrate in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners.Moreover,inhibition of cell attachment and spreading on Matrigel substrates were much greater on Matrigel substrate than on LN substrate.In the gresence of LN-GPs,S180 cells on LN substrate changed from a flattened polygonal shape to a round one,the migration of S180 cells on LN substrate decreased,and the number of a highly invasive human pulmonary giant carcinoma PG cells invading Matrigel filter in a Boyden chamber was reduced.LN-GPs thus have multiple inhibitory effects on cancer metastasisrelated behaviors.     

An electron microscopic—cytochemical localization of plasma membrane Ca^2＋—ATPase activity in poplar apical bud cells during the induction of dormancy by short—day photoperiods

Plasma membrane(PM) Ca^2 -ATPase activity in poplar apical bud meristematic cells during short-day(SD)-induced dormancy development was examined by a cerium precipitation EM-cytochemical method.Ca^2 -ATPase activity,indicated by the status of cerium phosphate precipitated grains,was localized mainly on the interior face(cytoplasmic side) of the PM when plants were grown under long days and reached a deep dormancy.A few reaction products were also observed on the nuclear envelope.When plant buds were developing dormancy after 28 to 42 d of SD exposure,almost no reaction products were present on the interior face of the PM.In contrast,a large number of cerium phosphate precipitated grains were distributed on the exterior face of the PM.After 70 d of SD exposure,when buds had developed a deep dormancy,the reaction products of Ca^2 -ATPase activity again appeared on the interior face of the PM.The results seemed suggesting that two kinds of Ca^2 -ATP ases may be present on the PM during the SD-induced dormancy in poplar.One is the Ca^2 -pumping ATPase,which is located on the interior face of the PM,for maintaining and restoring the Ca^2 homeostasis.The other might be and ecto-Ca^2 -ATPase,which is located on the exterior face of the PM,for the exocytosis of cell wall materials as suggested by the fact of the cell wall thickening during the dormancy development in poplar.     

Studies on DNA—protein interactions in the upstream regulatory region of the human ε—globin gene promoter

The erythroid- and developmental stage-specific expression of the human ε-globin gene is controlled,in part,by the 5‘-flanking DNA sequence of this gene.In the present study,we have used DNA-protein binding assays to identify trans-acting factors which regulate the temporal expression of the human ε-globin gene during development.Using gel mobility shift assays and DNaseI footprinting assays,a nuclear protein factor (termed ε-SSF1) in the nuclear extracts from mouse haematopoietic tissues at d 11 and d 13 of gestation was identified.It could specifically bind to the positive control region (between-535 and -453bp) of the human ε-globin gene.We speculated that the ε-SSF1 might be an erythroid-and developmental stage-specific activator.In addition,we found another nuclear protein factor (terned ε-R1) in the nuclear extract from mouse fetal liver at d18 of gestation,which could strongly bind to the silencer region (between-392 and -177bp) of this gene.Therefore,we speculated that the ε-R1 might be an erythroid-and developmental stagespecific repressor.Our data suggest that both ε-SSF1 and ε-R1 might play important roles in developmental regulation of the human ε-globin gene expression during the early embryonic life.On the hand,we observed that the binding patterns of nuclear proteins from three cell lines (K562,HEL and Raji) to these regulatory regions were partially different.These results suggest that different trans-acting factors in K562,HEL and Raji cells might be responsible for activating or silencing the human ε-globin gene in three different cell lines.     

Effect of ConA—receptor interaction on the structure of cell membrane

Recently,the effect of ligand receptor interaction on the membrane structure of liposomes has been studied extensively,However,little is known about how it exists on biological membranes,In this paper,the effect of Concanavalin A(ConA) receptorinteratcion on the structure of cell membranes was studied by Circular DIchrosim(CD) and 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance(NMR).CD results of both the purified macrophage membranes and human erythrocyte hgosts(EG) showed that the conformation of membrane proteins changed after ConA binding.For further research,31P-NMR was used to detect the orgainzation of phosp[holipid molecules on macrophage membranes.After ConA binding,the tendercy to form non bilayer structure increased with the amount of ConA.The changes of 31P-NMR spectra of living macrophages might be partly due to the above stated reason too.In addition,ConA-receptor interaction also induced similar results of 31P-NMR spectra in EG.In contrast,wheat germ agglutinin (WGA),another kind of lectin,rarely showed the same influence.     

Activation of phospholipase D activity in transforming growth factor—beta—induced cell growth inhibition

Cells regulate phospholipase D(PLD) activity in response to numerous extracellular signals.Here,we investigated the involvement of PLD activity in transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β1)-mediated growth inhibition of epithelial cells.TGF-β1)-mediated growth inhibition of epithelial cells.TGF-β1 inhibits the growth of MDCK,Mv1Lu,and A-549 cells.In the presence of 0.4% butanol,TGF-β1 induces an increase in the formation of phosphatidylbutanol,a unique product catalyzed by PLD.TGF-β1 also induces an increase in phosphatidic acid (PA) level in A-549 and MDCK cells.TGF-β1 induces an increase in the levels of DAG labeled with [^3H]-myristic acid in A-549 and MDCK cells but not in Mv1Lu cells.No increase of DAG was observed in cells prelabeled with [^3H]-arachidonic acid.The data presented suggest that PLD activation is involved in the TGF-β1-induced cell growth inhibition.     

信号蛋白质14—3—3研究进展

14－3－3信号蛋白质家族是一组高度保守,分布十分广泛的多功能真核生物蛋白质,具有7个亚型,与各种信号肽分子包括激酶、磷酸酶、膜转移受体等结构,参与细胞内信号传导包括有丝分裂信号转导、细胞周期调节、细胞凋亡等,并对朊蛋白病有重要诊断价值。     

反义c—fos和c—jun抑制IL—1诱导阿片肽分泌

白细胞介素（ＩＬ－１）及阿片肽作为神经调质参与了神经细胞兴奋性毒性作用,以大鼠大脑皮层神经细胞为研究对象,探讨了ＩＬ－１、阿片肽和ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｊｕｎ表达产物之间的关系,结果表明,ＩＬ－１β能诱导大脑皮层神经细胞ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｊｕｎ ｍＲＮＡ瞬时短暂表达,１５ｍｉｎ增高,３０ｍｉｎ达高峰,ｃ－ｆｏｓ ｍＲＮＡ ２ｈ回至基线水平,ｃ－ｊｕｎ ｍ ＲＮＡ ８ｈ回至基线水平;联合应用ｃ－ｆｏｓ,ｃ－