核糖核酸酶A超家族：不仅仅是一组降解RNA的酶

核糖核酸酶A超家族(ribonuclease A superfamily; RNase A superfamily),也称脊椎动物分泌型核糖核酸酶超家族(vertebrate secreted ribonucleases superfamily),是二十世纪蛋白质结构、酶学和分子进化领域研究最多最广泛的核糖核酸酶家族。自上世纪初期从牛胰腺中分离鉴定第一个成员以来，已从哺乳动物、两栖动物、爬行动物、鸟和鱼等几百种动物中鉴定了几千个成员。早期对该家族成员的研究不仅促进了蛋白质化学技术的发展，而且为现代生物学研究奠定了基础。目前已知人的核糖核酸酶A超家族成员包括8个典型成员(RNase 1～RNase 8)和5个非典型成员(RNase 9～RNase 13)。功能方面，曾一度以为该家族成员只具有降解核糖核酸的能力。随着血管生成素(angiogenin; RNase 5)、嗜酸性粒细胞衍生神经毒素(eosinophils-derived neurotoxin, EDN; RNase 2)、嗜酸性粒细胞阳离子蛋白(eosinophils cationic protein, ECP; RNase ...     

人类核糖核酸酶A家族

核糖核酸酶A（RNase A）是脊椎动物所特有的蛋白质家族。除了水解RNA以外,它们还参与细胞成熟、细胞凋亡、血管生成以及宿主防御等过程,在疾病的诊断和治疗方面表现出重要的应用价值。随着人类基因组计划的完成,人们已经发现了13个RNase A基因。本文综述了人类RNase A的酶活性和结构特点,特别论述了其特殊的生物学活性,以及酶活性与特殊生物学活性之间的关系,为进一步的研究和应用提供信息。     

猪白细胞介素17A基因的克隆与鉴定

猪白细胞介素17A(IL-17A)是猪白介素17家族的重要成员,在猪体内发挥重要作用的细胞因子。本研究将猪的外周血单核细胞分离后,用Con A刺激22 h后提取细胞的总RNA,RT-PCR方法扩增出猪IL-17A基因,将其PCR产物回收纯化克隆至p MD-18T载体上,转化至大肠杆菌DH5α,PCR和双酶切鉴定筛选阳性重组克隆质粒。结果显示,筛选的重组克隆质粒为阳性克隆质粒,基因片段为目的基因。克隆获得的猪IL-17A基因的序列与Gen Bank上公布的猪IL-17A基因序列同源性高,为99.4%。本研究成功克隆了IL-17A基因,有助于研究其在猪病毒性疾病中的作用。     

梯棱羊肚菌AA1_2家族多铜氧化酶基因的异源表达与生化鉴定

典型的漆酶通常属于辅助活性酶第一家族第一亚族（auxiliary activity family 1 subfamily 1,简称AA1_1家族）,而AA1_2家族的多铜氧化酶通常拥有将二价铁氧化成三价铁的活性,部分AA1_2家族酶蛋白兼具漆酶活性。梯棱羊肚菌全基因组只有一个AA1_2家族酶基因,该基因编码的酶蛋白是否拥有漆酶功能尚未清楚。本研究主要从酶生化特性的角度,结合酶基因的表达规律,对该基因的功能进行初探。对该AA1_2家族基因在梯棱羊肚菌生长发育不同阶段的表达水平进行实时定量PCR检测;将该基因编码序列克隆到表达载体中在大肠杆菌中异源表达,层析获得纯化的酶蛋白,对酶蛋白的生化特性进行了鉴定。发现该AA1_2多铜氧化酶基因在外源营养袋和土壤中的营养菌丝里低表达,在菇原基和子实体中表达较活跃。异源表达获得纯化的酶蛋白分子量约64kDa,表现出亚铁氧化酶（EC 1.16.3.1）与漆酶（EC 1.10.3.2）双重活性。其亚铁氧化酶活性在pH 4最高,漆酶活性在pH 6最高。亚铁氧化酶活性与漆酶活性的最适温度均为30℃左右,在30℃温育16h后仍保留70%以上活性。亚铁氧化酶和漆酶活性受Mn ²⁺、Hg ²⁺和Pb ²⁺抑制。对蛋白质变性剂SDS、尿素的耐受性较强。本研究通过酶学证据证实了梯棱羊肚菌AA1_2家族多铜氧化酶基因编码的酶蛋白具有亚铁氧化酶-漆酶双重活性,系在子囊菌大型真菌中首次发现,为进一步研究铁元素代谢与漆酶活性在羊肚菌子实体形成与发育过程中的作用提供了启示。     

细胞毒性RNase及其抗肿瘤活性

核糖核酸酶(ribonuclease,RNase)是一类核酸水解酶,它们广泛存在于动植物中,除了具有水解RNA的活性外,有的还有一定的细胞毒性。根据结构的相似性,这些RNase属于RNase A超家族(RNase A superfamily)。RNaseA超家族包含了以牛胰核糖核酸酶为原型的不同来源的脊椎动物核糖核酸酶。细胞毒性RNase显示出抑制肿瘤细胞生长的活性,因而有望应用于肿瘤治疗中。本文对RNase A超家族中的几个成员棗核糖核酸酶A(ribonuclease A,RNaseA)、豹蛙抗癌酶(onconase,ONC)、牛蛙核糖核酸酶(Rana catesbeiana ribonuclease,RC-RNase)、牛精液核糖核酸酶(bovine seminal ribonuclease,BS-RNase)和amphinase(Amph)的结构及抗肿瘤活性进行了综述。     

凡纳滨对虾DNaseⅠ基因的克隆及原核表达

利用RT-PCR和RACE技术,从凡纳滨对虾(Litopenaeus vannamei)肝胰腺中克隆了DNaseⅠ基因的全长cDNA序列。该序列全长1614bp,包含1209bp的开放阅读框,编码一个含403个氨基酸的蛋白;5′非翻译区为116bp,3′非翻译区为289bp。实时定量PCR分析结果表明,DNaseⅠ基因在肝胰腺的表达量是其他器官表达量的16～162倍,表明凡纳滨对虾DNaseⅠ基因属于胰腺型表达。本研究还利用酶切重组构建原核表达载体,并在大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)中成功表达出了有活性的重组DNaseⅠ蛋白。     

中国林蛙Onconase样核糖核酸酶的基因克隆和表达

Onconase是从美洲豹蛙卵中提取的一种核糖核酸酶,由于其抗肿瘤活性而具有潜在的临床应用价值.以中国林蛙基因组为模板,克隆了一个新的RNase基因,并由此推导出了成熟林蛙RNase的氨基酸顺序.该酶是由103个氨基酸残基组成的,它保留了RNaseA家族成员酶催化活性必须的组氨酸和赖氨酸残基,以及CKXXNTF的序列特征,与Onconase具有73％的氨基酸顺序的相似性.林蛙酶比Onconue少一个氨基酸,成为选今为止发现的RNaseA家族中的最小成员;并且,林蛙酶拥有的精氨酸和酪氨酸残基比Onconase多3个.此外,在利用原核表达系统对林蛙RNase基因进行表达的过程中,表达产物对宿主显示出一定的细胞毒性.     

人核糖核酸酶A家族生物学功能的结构基础

人核糖核酸酶A(ribonuclease A, RNaseA)家族成员有13个，分别为RNase1-RNase13,它们具有很高的序列相似性，大多含有6～8个半胱氨酸并形成分子内二硫键，以维持特有的空间结构。其中，RNase1-RNase8具有多种生物活性，可概括为3类：涉及核糖核酸转录后的剪切、修饰和降解；具有抗细菌、抗真菌和抗病毒活性；以及机体免疫调节作用。而RNase9-RNase13不具有核糖核酸酶活性。因此，本文将重点对RNaseA家族成员RNase1-RNase8的结构与功能研究进行综述，重点概述决定RNaseA生物学功能的结构特征，以期指导以RNaseA为基础的抗微生物药物开发及RNaseA在机体免疫中的功能研究。     

人核糖核酸酶A超家族抗微生物活性及其作用机制

人核糖核酸酶A(human RNase A)超家族包含13个具有不同生物活性的成员(RNase 1～RNase 13),其蛋白质结构除具有催化保守序列外，还具有显著多样性的序列，决定了人类核糖核酸酶A可发挥核糖核酸酶活性之外的生物学功能。人核糖核酸酶A超家族成员在多种免疫细胞例如嗜酸性粒细胞、中性粒细胞、单核细胞和巨噬细胞中表达，并可被分泌以发挥多种多样的生物学功能，包括抗微生物活性、促进宿主防御、参与血管生成及精子成熟等。其中，人核糖核酸酶A超家族部分成员，可通过水解病毒RNA、抑制病毒复制、破坏细菌细胞壁、促进微生物凝集、损伤寄生虫细胞膜和线粒体膜等直接作用，以及通过宿主天然免疫细胞介导的间接作用，发挥抗微生物及寄生虫活性，参与宿主防御。本文对人核糖核酸酶A的抗微生物(包括病毒、细菌、真菌)和抗寄生虫活性及其作用机制进行综述，并对人核糖核酸酶A作为抗微生物活性物质和天然免疫分子，用于治疗严重和耐药微生物感染的前景进行展望。     

桔青霉木聚糖酶基因克隆及其在毕赤酵母中的表达及活性分析

通过同源序列PCR克隆的方法,获得桔青霉(Penicillium citrinum)CR-2菌株的木聚糖酶编码基因xyl,该基因全长984 bp,编码327个氨基酸,无内含子序列,具有完整开放阅读框。其编码的氨基酸序列N端具有一段包含19个氨基酸的信号肽序列,并具有糖基水解酶第10家族(GH10)的保守催化域特征,推测该酶属于第10家族成员。将该基因与毕赤酵母表达载体pPIC9相连接构建重组载体pPIC9-XYL,电击转化至毕赤酵母GS115菌株中。挑选阳性重组子经测序、酶活性以及SDS电泳分析表明,xyl基因成功在毕赤酵母中分泌表达,重组酶活性可达214.15 IU/mL。该重组酶最适温度与最适pH分别为50℃和4.5,且具有良好的pH和热稳定性。     

Effective expression and purification of recombinant onconase, an antitumor protein

Several members of the RNase A superfamily are endowed with antitumor activity, showing selective cytotoxicity toward several tumor cell lines. One of these is onconase, the smallest member of the RNase A superfamily, which is at present undergoing phase III clinical trials. We report here the expression of recombinant onconase in Escherichia coli inclusion bodies, the correct processing of the protein, followed by its purification in high yields. The recombinant protein has biological and catalytic properties identical to those of the natural enzyme.     

RNase 8, a novel RNase A superfamily ribonuclease expressed uniquely in placenta

We report the identification and characterization of the gene encoding the eighth and final human ribonuclease (RNase) of the highly diversified RNase A superfamily. The RNase 8 gene is linked to seven other RNase A superfamily genes on chromosome 14. It is expressed prominently in the placenta, but is not detected in any other tissues examined. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that RNase 7 is the closest relative of RNase 8 and that the pair likely resulted from a recent gene duplication event in primates. Further analysis reveals that the RNase 8 gene has incorporated non-silent mutations at an elevated rate (1.3 × 10^–9 substitutions/site/year) and that orthologous RNase 8 genes from 6 of 10 primate species examined have been deactivated by frameshifting deletions or point mutations at crucial structural or catalytic residues. The ribonucleolytic activity of recombinant human RNase 8 is among the lowest of members of this superfamily and it exhibits neither antiviral nor antibacterial activities characteristic of some other RNase A ribonucleases. The rapid evolution, species-limited deactivation and tissue-specific expression of RNase 8 suggest a unique physiological function and reiterates the evolutionary plasticity of the RNase A superfamily.     

Isolation of a cDNA clone encoding the RNase-superfamily-related gene highly expressed in chicken bone marrow cells.

The RNase gene superfamily combines functionally divergent proteins which share statistically significant sequence similarity. Known members assigned to this family include secretory and nonsecretory RNases; angiogenin; eosinophil cationic protein; eosinophil-derived neurotoxin; sialic-acid binding lectin and anti-tumor protein P-30. We report the cDNA cloning of the chicken RNase Super Family Related (RSFR) gene that is specifically overexpressed in normal bone marrow cells and bone marrow-derived AMV transformed monoblasts. It codes for a 139 amino acid protein with a putative signal peptide and remarkable conservation of active-site residues, other residues known to be important for substrate binding and catalytic activity and half-cystine residues common for all RNase family members. Phylogenetic tree analysis shows that RSFR defines a new group of genes within the family. We also conclude that an amino acid sequence block CKXXNTF(X) 11C is a "shortest RNase superfamily signature" which is both necessary and sufficient to identify all previously recognized family members as well as chicken RSFR.     

RNase A及其链亲和素融合蛋白在pET系统中的表达

在大肠杆菌中用pET28a表达载体表达重组RNaseA。变性条件下,利用His-Resin亲和纯化,得到60mg／L电泳纯的RNaseA。纯化的RNaseA复性后,利用含大量RNA分子的碱法抽提质粒为底物,测定重组RNaseA活性,与商品化的RNaseA活性相当。同时在RNaseA活性测定体系中加入4mol／L尿素会使RNA分子切割效率提高10倍左右。在此基础上,成功表达RNaseA与链亲和素(streptavidjn)的融合蛋白,经纯化复性后,该融合蛋白同时具有核酸酶、biotin结合活性,在分子生物学中具有重要的应用价值。     

A Novel Cationic Ribonuclease with Antimicrobial Activity from Rana dybowskii

A novel ribonuclease (RNase) A superfamily gene (Rdronc) has been cloned from the frog Rana dybowskii. The deduced amino acid sequence shows that it belongs to the ribonuclease A superfamily, with the highest identity, 73%, to Rana pipiens onconase. Adaptive evolution analysis based on maximum likelihood models of codon substitution has been conducted on 10 members of the Rana RNases of subcluster B. Rapid adaptive evolution and multiple positive selection sites have been detected, which indicates that these genes may be evolving under positive selection pressure. Functional assay demonstrates that the recombinant Rdronc protein possesses antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and weaker antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and yeast Candida albicans. Our findings support the hypothesis that ribonuclease A superfamily members may function in host defense of early-diversified vertebrates.     

A novel type of RNase III family proteins in eukaryotes

The RNase III family of double-stranded RNA-specific endonucleases is characterized by the presence of a highly conserved 9 amino acid stretch in their catalytic center known as the RNase III signature motif. We isolated the drosha gene, a new member of this family in Drosophila melanogaster. Characterization of this gene revealed the presence of two RNase III signature motifs in its sequence that may indicate that it is capable of forming an active catalytic center as a monomer. The drosha protein also contains an 825 amino acid N-terminus with an unknown function. A search for the known homologues of the drosha protein revealed that it has a similarity to two adjacent annotated genes identified during C. elegans genome sequencing. Analysis of the genomic region of these genes by the Fgenesh program and sequencing of the EST cDNA clone derived from it revealed that this region encodes only one gene. This newly identified gene in nematode genome shares a high similarity to Drosophila drosha throughout its entire protein sequence. A potential drosha homologue is also found among the deposited human cDNA sequences. A comparison of these drosha proteins to other members of the RNase III family indicates that they form a new group of proteins within this family.     

LOC 390443 (RNase 9) on chromosome 14q11.2 is related to the RNase A superfamily and contains a unique amino-terminal preproteinlike sequence

A new member of the human RNase A superfamily is reported. Identified in the human genome assembly as LOC 390443, this locus is located 128 kb telomeric to the established RNase A gene family cluster on chromosome 14q11.2. The amino acid sequence of this locus is sufficiently similar to the eight previously identified gene family members to warrant a designation as RNase 9. RNase 9 is expressed in a wide range of human tissues. In addition, a 30-amino acid sequence lying between a 26-amino acid putative signal peptide and the last 148 amino acids that align with the other RNases A is not seen in other members of the RNase A superfamily in any species. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of RNase 9 in 13 nonhuman primate species were determined and indicate several conserved sites but, also, an excess of nonsynonymous substitutions, about one-third of which are radical substitutions. This suggests that RNase 9, similar to several other human RNases A, has been under diversifying selection in the primates. Data from the mouse and rat genomes indicate that RNase 9 is also present in rodents, thus making it older than most of the established members of the human RNase A superfamily. Many of the human RNases A have been shown to have antimicrobial, antiviral, or antiparasitic functions involved in host-defense mechanisms. The features of RNase 9 described here suggest that it, too, may be involved in host defense and that it, along with the rest of the superfamily, may prove to have played an important role in anthropoid evolution.     

Expression,purification and characterization of the interferon-inducible,antiviral and tumour-suppressor protein,human RNase L

The interferon (IFN)-inducible, 2′,5′-oligoadenylate (2-5A)-dependent ribonuclease L (RNase L) plays key role in antiviral defense of mammalian cells. Induction by IFN and activation by double-stranded RNA lead to 2-5A cofactor synthesis, which activates RNase L by causing its dimerization. Active RNase L degrades single-stranded viral as well as cellular RNAs causing apoptosis of virus-infected cells. Earlier, we had reported that expression of recombinant human RNase L caused RNA-degradation and cell-growth inhibition in E. coli without the need for exogenous 2-5A. Expression of human RNase L in E. coli usually leads to problems of leaky expression, low yield and degradation of the recombinant protein, which demands number of chromatographic steps for its subsequent purification thereby, compromising its biochemical activity. Here, we report a convenient protocol for expression of full-length, soluble and biochemically active recombinant human RNase L as GST-RNase L fusion protein from E. coli utilizing a single-step affinity purification with an appreciable yield of the highly purified protein. Recombinant RNase L was characterized by SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting and MALDI-TOF analysis. A semi-quantitative agarose-gel-based ribonuclease assay was developed for measuring its 2-5A-dependent RNase L activity against cellular large rRNAs as substrates. The optimized expression conditions minimized degradation of the protein, making it a convenient method for purification of RNase L, which can be utilized to study effects of various agents on the RNase L activity and its protein–protein interactions.