作物叶酸生物强化

叶酸(folates)是一类水溶性B族维生素,包括四氢叶酸(tetrahydrofolate,THF)及其衍生物,是动植物体中参与C1转移反应的重要辅酶,在嘌呤、胸苷酸、DNA、氨基酸和蛋白质的生物合成以及甲基循环中发挥重要作用,也是动植物体生长发育所必需的微量营养素。由于人类不具备自身合成叶酸的能力,因此,需要从植物和微生物中摄取。人类缺乏叶酸会增加许多疾病风险,全球叶酸缺乏的人群仍比较普遍,利用生物强化提高作物的叶酸含量是一个解决全球性叶酸缺乏问题的有效方法,对人类生存与健康具有重要意义。现综述了近年来国内外叶酸代谢和作物叶酸生物强化的主要研究成果,并对叶酸生物强化分子设计育种的未来发展方向进行了展望。     

叶酸与食管癌关系的研究进展

叶酸在DNA合成、修复和甲基化过程中有重要作用,可能与肿瘤的发生发展相关。目前国内外有关叶酸与食管癌关系的研究越来越多,研究的角度和方法有所不同,但有关叶酸与食管癌发生的内在机理研究较少,大部分研究集中在叶酸代谢关键酶亚甲基四氢叶酸还原酶（MTHFR）基因多态性与食管癌的关联性,目前研究结果存在不确定性,需要进一步的探讨。本文综述近年来国内外有关食管癌与叶酸关系的研究进展。     

叶酸-阿霉素连接物的制备及其抗肿瘤活性研究

目的:合成具有酸敏特性的叶酸-氨基己酸-阿霉素连接物,并观察其抗肿瘤活性以及对肿瘤细胞的靶向性。方法:首先将叶酸与氨基己酸连接,然后利用腙键与阿霉素连接,采用核磁共振、质谱等方法鉴定其结构;采用MTT法观察连接物对叶酸受体表达阳性的口腔表皮样癌细胞KB细胞及叶酸受体表达阴性肺癌A549细胞的毒性作用。结果:在氮羟基琥珀酰亚胺和二环己基碳二亚胺的催化作用下,合成了叶酸-氨基己酸-阿霉素连接物,波谱分析提示为目标产物。与游离阿霉素相比,连接物对KB细胞具有更强的细胞毒性,而且细胞毒性作用可被外源性叶酸抑制;而连接物对A549细胞的毒性弱于游离阿霉素,而且外源性游离叶酸对其细胞毒性没有显著影响。结论:叶酸-氨基己酸-阿霉素连接物能经叶酸受体介导靶向于叶酸受体丰富的肿瘤细胞,是一种潜在的新型抗肿瘤药物。     

叶酸-阿霉素连接物的制备及其抗肿瘤活性研究

目的:合成具有酸敏特性的叶酸-氨基己酸-阿霉素连接物,并观察其抗肿瘤活性以及对肿瘤细胞的靶向性.方法:首先将叶酸与氨基己酸连接,然后利用腙键与阿霉素连接,采用核磁共振、质谱等方法鉴定其结构;采用MTT法观察连接物对叶酸受体袁达阳性的口腔表皮样癌细胞KB细胞及叶酸受体表达阴性肺癌A549细胞的毒性作用.结果:在氮羟基琥珀酰亚胺和二环己基碳二亚胺的催化作用下,合成了叶酸-氨基己酸-阿霉素连接物,波谱分析提示为目标产物.与游离阿霉素相比,连接物对KB细胞具有更强的细胞毒性,而且细胞毒性作用可被外源性叶酸抑制;而连接物对A549细胞的毒性弱于游离阿霉素,而且外源性游离叶酸对其细胞毒性没有显著影响.结论:叶酸-氨基己酸-阿霉素连接物能经叶酸受体介导靶向于叶酸受体丰富的肿瘤细胞,是一种潜在的新型抗肿瘤药物.     

高山被孢霉亚甲基四氢叶酸脱氢酶的克隆、表达和功能鉴定

叶酸代谢途径中的亚甲基四氢叶酸脱氢酶（MTHFD）可将5,10-亚甲基四氢叶酸氧化为5,10-甲炔基四氢叶酸,此过程会生成NADH或NADPH。对高山被孢霉中的MTHFD基因进行克隆、表达和功能鉴定,可进一步阐明脂质合成所需还原力NADPH的来源。首先对MTHFD序列进行分析,并以pET28a（+）质粒为载体构建了MTHFD的表达载体,然后转化至大肠杆菌BL21中进行诱导表达。进一步利用Ni金属螯合层析纯化目的蛋白,采用比色法分析酶反应产物,表明纯化蛋白质具有MTHFD活性。高山被孢霉MTHFD对NAD⁺和NADP⁺均具有催化能力,但更偏好于将NADP⁺转化为NADPH。最后对高山被孢霉进行发酵培养,发现MTHFD的转录水平在脂质开始积累后发生了明显的上调,表明MTHFD在高山被孢霉脂质合成过程中发挥重要作用,很可能是脂质合成所需NADPH的关键来源。这为对高山被孢霉进行分子改造,使之成为高产各种多不饱和脂肪酸的细胞工程提供了理论依据。     

叶酸在植物体内功能的研究进展

叶酸(folates)是一类水溶性B族维生素, 包括四氢叶酸(THF)及其衍生物, 是植物体中参与C1转移反应的重要辅酶。其在嘌呤、胸苷酸、DNA、氨基酸和蛋白质的生物合成以及甲基循环中发挥重要作用。近年来, 人们对叶酸在植物体内的功能又有了新发现。例如, 叶酸可通过结合核糖开关实现基因表达调控; 叶酸在苯丙氨酸转化为酪氨酸过程中可作为电子供体; 光裂合酶和植物隐花色素的叶酸辅酶可捕获光能; 此外, 叶酸还参与叶绿素的生物合成以及种子抗氧化胁迫等过程。该文详细综述了上述新发现, 并对植物体内叶酸功能的主要研究方向进行了展望。     

乳酸菌合成叶酸的研究进展

叶酸普遍存在于各类食物中,但由于叶酸的不稳定性以及饮食习惯的差异性,各国叶酸缺乏现象普遍存在。叶酸是参与核酸合成及细胞分裂分化的重要物质,叶酸缺乏引起机体功能的混乱,由此引发癌症等一系列的疾病。大部分乳酸菌是叶酸缺陷型菌株,但越来越多的研究表明其很多种类都具有叶酸合成能力。本文主要概述产叶酸乳酸菌的分类,乳酸菌生物合成叶酸的机制,以及利用乳酸菌进行的叶酸基因工程研究进展。     

中药大黄的综合研究——Ⅷ.蒽醌衍生物抗菌作用的机制(2)对金黄色葡萄球菌含氮化合物代谢的影响

本实驗初步观察了大黃酸和大黃素对金黄色葡萄球菌核酸与蛋白质的合成,氨氮的同化利用,氨基酸的氧化脫氨和轉氨作用的影响。(1)大黄酸和大黄素对金黃色葡萄球菌在葡萄糖-肉湯培养基中RNA、DNA和蛋白质的合成具有很强的抑制作用。1抑菌单位濃度的大黄酸(15微克/毫升),其抑制百分率分別为90、84和72;大黄素(10微克/毫升)分別为100、100和93。(2)叶酸对大黄素抑制金黄色葡萄球菌核酸的合成有拮抗作用,大黃素在最低抑菌濃度(3.6×10~(-5)M),叶酸濃度为5.6×10~(-4)M时,可使RNA和DNA的合成分別恢复47&和40%。(3)大黄素对金黄色葡萄球菌在含葡萄糖和硫酸銨培养基中氨氮的同化也有抑制作用,在最低抑菌濃度抑制率为92%。(4)大黄素即使高至200微克/毫升的濃度,对金黃色葡萄球菌谷氨酸-丙氨酸轉氨作用的影响不明显。(5)大黄素对金黄色葡萄球菌氨基酸的氧化脫氨具有抑制作用,对谷氨酸和精氨酸的抑制最强,甘氨酸和丙氨酸次之,門冬氨酸和絲氨酸最弱。对耗氧和脫氨的抑制有平行的关系。     

L-色氨酸对肝脏合成和酶诱导的作用

<正> 肝脏蛋白质合成及多核蛋白体聚集色氨酸是哺乳动物肝脏蛋白质中含量比较低的一种氨基酸。色氨酸在转录水平调节肝脏蛋白质合成。特别因饥饿不能合成蛋白质时,色氨酸就显得更为重要。Feigelson等观察到喂大白鼠色氨酸,肝脏合成蛋白质的速度加快,食物中没有色氨酸,氨基酸掺入蛋白质减少略喂大白鼠完全的混合氨基酸(即含有各种氨基酸),色氨酸在5-10分钟之内到达肝脏,并促进肝脏蛋白质合成。当肝脏中色氨酸的浓度比较高时,色氨酸促进蛋白质合成的作用就     

植物丝氨酸羟甲基转移酶基因研究进展

丝氨酸羟甲基转移酶(SHMT)是一个含有磷酸吡哆醛(PLP)的四聚体的蛋白质,在亚甲基四氢叶酸(CH2-THF)存在时催化丝氨酸和四氢叶酸生成甘氨酸和N5,N10-甲基四氢叶酸的可逆反应.SHMT在高等植物的一碳代谢和光呼吸中起着非常重要的作用,最近随着植物SHMT纯化技术的进步和重要模式植物基因组测序的完工,使很多植物SHMT基因被克隆出来,并对它们的结构和功能及表达调控进行研究.     

Folic Acid Acts Through DNA Methyltransferases to Induce the Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells into Neurons

The present study investigated the roles of folic acid and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) in the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Neonatal rat NSCs were grown in suspended neurosphere cultures and identified by their expression of SOX2 protein and capacity for self-renewal. Then NSCs were assigned to five treatment groups for cell differentiation: control (folic acid-free differentiation medium), low folic acid (8 μg/mL), high folic acid (32 μg/mL), low folic acid and DNMT inhibitor zebularine (8 μg/mL folic acid and 150 nmol/mL zebularine), and high folic acid and zebularine (32 μg/mL folic acid and 150 nmol/mL zebularine). After 6 days of cell differentiation, immunocytochemistry and western blot analyses were performed to identify neurons by β-tubulin III protein expression and astrocytes by GFAP expression. We observed that folic acid increased DNMT activity which may be regulated by the cellular S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and the abundance of neurons but decreased the number of astrocytes. Zebularine blocked these effects of folic acid. In conclusion, folic acid acts through elevation of DNMT activity to increase neuronal differentiation and decrease astrocytic differentiation in NSCs.     

Combined supplementation of folic acid and vitamin E diminishes diabetes-induced embryotoxicity in rats

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress and enhanced apoptosis may be involved in the induction of embryonic dysmorphogenesis in diabetic pregnancy. Administration of folic acid or vitamin E diminishes embryonic dysmorphogenesis. We aimed to evaluate the effect of combined treatment with folic acid and vitamin E on the disturbed development in embryos of diabetic rats. METHODS: Pregnant nondiabetic and diabetic rats were treated with daily injections of 15 mg/kg folic acid or with 5% vitamin E in the diet. A third group received combined treatment. Day 10 and day 11 embryos were evaluated for development and apoptotic profile. RESULTS: We found increased malformations, resorptions, and profound growth retardation in embryos of diabetic rats compared to control embryos. Vitamin E or folic acid alone, or the 2 compounds combined, normalized embryonic demise. Maternal diabetes caused decreased nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein level, and increased Bcl-2-associated x proteins (Bax) in embryos. Supplementation of vitamin E alone normalized the Bax protein level in a diabetic environment. Administration of folic acid to diabetic rats increased NF-kappaB activity and Bcl-2 protein level. Combined treatment normalized Bcl-2 and Bax protein level in a diabetic environment. CONCLUSIONS: Combined supplementation of folic acid and vitamin E to pregnant diabetic rats diminished diabetes-induced malformations and resorptions, concomitant with normalization of apoptotic protein levels. No treatment completely abolished the embryonic demise; therefore, other mechanisms than oxidative stress and apoptosis are likely to be involved in diabetic embryopathy.     

Preparation of a stable folate-sepharose complex for affinity chromatography.

A stable folic acid affinity gel has been developed for the purification of nanograms of protein that bind folic acid or its derivatives. The affinity gel was prepared by first coupling folic acid covalently to bovine serum albumin, followed by covalent coupling of the albumin to p-benzoquinone-activated Sepharose. After the albumin-folic acid complex was formed, it was treated with charcoal to remove ionically bound folate which would otherwise elute from the gel and decrease the recovery of the binding protein. The p-benzoquinone activation resulted in a more stable binding of the albumin to the Sepharose.     

Folic acid delivery by serum proteins: loading efficacy and protein morphology

The loading efficacy of folic acid with serum proteins human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and beta-lactoglobulin (β-LG) was analyzed and the effect of acid conjugation on protein morphology was determined. Structural analysis showed that folic acid binds HSA, BSA, and β-LG via hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and H-bonding contacts with BSA forming more stable conjugates than HSA and β-LG. Molecular modeling showed the presence of several H-bonding systems, stabilizing acid–protein conjugates. Folic acid conjugation alters protein conformation by major alterations of α-helix and β-sheet. TEM images showed major protein morphological changes inducing protein aggregation upon acid interaction. The results show that serum proteins can deliver folic acid to target molecules.     

Differential binding of folates by rat renal cortex brush border and basolateral membrane preparations

The binding of radioactive 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and folic acid was found to be greater in brush border than in basolateral membrane preparations of rat renal cortex. This appeared to be due to an increased amount of a specific folate binding protein in the brush border membrane preparations as compared to those of the basolateral membrane. The binding was saturable and inhibited by nonradioactive folic acid and, therefore, a specific, rather than nonspecific process. The Km's for folic acid binding in brush border and basolateral membrane preparations were similar and involved a single high-affinity binding site. In contrast, methotrexate was found to bind equally well to both brush border and basolateral membrane preparations. Moreover, folic acid binding was not inhibited by an equimolar amount of methotrexate. A folate binding protein could be extracted from either membrane preparation with 1% Triton X-100 and, to a lesser extent, with 0.6 M NaCl. These different extraction procedures resulted in different apparent molecular weights for folate binding protein (greater than 160,000 for Triton X-100-extracted samples and 40,000 for NaCl-extracted samples). The membrane preparation pellets remaining after NaCl extraction were able to rebind tritiated folic acid and also the 40,000-Da folate binding protein. On the other hand, membrane preparations extracted with Triton X-100 lost the ability to bind folic acid or the 40,000-Da folate binding protein. These differences in molecular weight and rebinding capacity may be explained by the existence of a receptor for folate binding protein which was extracted by Triton X-100, but not by NaCl. The greater concentration of folate binding protein in the renal tubule cell brush border membrane preparations as compared to those from basolateral membranes ascribes, for the first time, a functional role for folate binding protein in the renal reabsorption of folates which is required to prevent loss of folate in the urine and perhaps in the membrane transport of folates in general.     

Reducing reagent-induced activation of guanylate cyclase in the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum.

Binding of folic acid (an intrinsic agonist) to the cell surface receptors evokes transmembrane signals for activation and adaptation of guanylate cyclase in Dictyostelium discoideum. The activation signal activates this enzyme and then the adaptation signal terminates the activation. As a result, these two signals cooperatively induce a transient activation of guanylate cyclase. We investigated transmembrane signal transduction for guanylate cyclase using 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol (BAL, a thiol-reducing reagent) since BAL induces or modifies the transmembrane signal(s). We found that BAL induced prolonged or continuous activation of guanylate cyclase. Thus, the mode of the activation is drastically different (transient versus continuous) between folic acid and BAL. We also found that the BAL-induced continuous activation was not observed when the cells were stimulated with BAL + folic acid, while folic acid + BAL transiently induced more cGMP accumulation than folic acid alone. We lastly showed that K252a, a protein kinase inhibitor, enhanced both the folic acid-induced and the BAL-induced activation of guanylate cyclase. Our results suggest that BAL induces or mimics the activation signal for guanylate cyclase. The lack of termination in the BAL-induced activation suggests that BAL does not induce the adaptation signal or that the adaptation does not inhibit the BAL-induced activation. The former possibility is more likely since folic acid suppresses the BAL-induced continuous activation. The effect of K252a suggests that protein phosphorylation plays a role in suppression of guanylate cyclase.     

Decreased TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 protein expression in rat embryo skull bone in folic acid-restricted diet

Folic acid deficiency during conception up to the end of the third month of gestation is believed to play the most important factor in neural tube defects (NTDs). However, the exact molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated. It has been suggested that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta1) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) play a critical role in supporting bone formation. Therefore, folic acid deficiency may contribute to NTD occurrence via decreased TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 expression. This study aimed to determine the correlation between folic acid deficiency and the expression of TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 in rat skull bone. Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. Purified diet containing 5 (restricted), 15 (low) and 30 microg (normal) of folic acid was given to the first, second and third groups, respectively. At 16 weeks of a given diet, blood samples were taken to examine folic acid (folate immunoassay method), TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method) levels. After forced mating, on the 18th-19th day of gestation (E18-19), the pregnant rats were subjected to hysterectomy. The skull bone samples of E18-19 rats were taken to examine the TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. The folic acid-restricted diet (5 microg) resulted in decreased serum TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 levels. Furthermore, protein expression of TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 in E18-19 rat skull bones was also significantly lower in the folic acid-restricted diet than in the normal diet. Folic acid deficiency could result in reduction of TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 protein levels and might contribute to formation of defects in the skull bone as observed in mengingocele patients.     

Effects of B group vitamins and choline chloride on the development and protein synthesis in the male larvae of Pimpla turionellae L. (Hym., Ichneumonidae)

The effects on the development and protein levels in the larvae of male Pimpla turionellae L. of different amounts of B group vitamins namely thiamin, riboflavin, Ca-pantothenate, nicotinic acid, pyridoxine-HCl, folic acid and biotin and a growth factor choline chloride in the meridic diet were investigated. Among the vitamins tested, choline chloride and biotin were found to have quantitatively critical values in the diet and increased amounts of nicotinic acid and folic acid individually in the control diet showed positive effects on development and protein levels. A decrease in the levels of Ca-pantothenate and pridoxine-HCl caused decreases in protein levels, whereas variations in the levels of thamin and riboflavin did not have any significant effect.     

Bacteriophage T4 baseplate components. I. Binding and location of the folic acid.

Two different proteins with high affinities for the pteridine ring of folic acid have been used to determine the location of this portion of the folate molecule in the tail plate of T4D and other T-even bacteriophage particles. The two proteins used were (i) antibody specific for folic acid and (ii) the folate-binding protein from bovine milk. Both proteins were examined for their effect on various intact and incomplete phage particles. Intact T2H was weakly inactivated by the antiserum but not by the milk protein. No other intact T-even phage, including T4D, was affected by these two proteins. When incomplete T4D particles were exposed in an in vitro morphogenesis system, it was found that neither of the two proteins affected either the addition of the long tail fibers to fiberless particles or the addition of tail cores to tail plates. On the other hand, these two proteins specifically blocked the addition of T4D gene 11 product to the bottom of T4D baseplates. After the addition of the gene 11 protein, these two reagents did not inhibit the further addition of the gene 12 protein to the baseplate. It can be concluded that the phage folic acid is a tightly bound baseplate constituent and that the pteridine portion of the folic acid is largely covered by the gene 11 protein.     

Folic acid deficiency anemia caused by therapy in chronic renal insufficiency

The turbidimetric determination of folic acid concentration in serum and erythrocytes was made by means of a spectrophotometer multiscan in 35 conservatively treated patients with chronic renal failure with a minimum creatine retention of 309 mumol/l and in 63 hemodialysed patients with terminal renal insufficiency. The result showed a statistically significant diminution of serum folic acid concentration in those patients treated in a conservative manner and a significant diminution of plasmatic and erythrocytic folate++ activity in patients under hemodialysis. There was a correlation between the folic acid concentration and the hemoglobin level in both groups of patients, whereas there was no correlation to the number of leukocytes and thrombocytes. A protein deficiency diet or loss of dialysis through the capillary membrane could be found to be the cause for the loss of folic acid. The possibility of folate++ substitutive therapy and its performance was discussed and recommended for selected indications.