Recent advances in proteomic technologies applied to cardiovascular disease

In recent years, the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has increased its potential, also thanks to mass spectrometry (MS) proteomics. Modern MS proteomics tools permit analyzing a variety of biological samples, ranging from single cells to tissues and body fluids, like plasma and urine. This approach enhances the search for informative biomarkers in biological samples from apparently healthy individuals or patients, thus allowing an earlier and more precise diagnosis and a deeper comprehension of pathogenesis, development and outcome of CVD to further reduce the enormous burden of this disease on public health. In fact, many differences in protein expression between CVD‐affected and healthy subjects have been detected, but only a few of them have been useful to establish clinical biomarkers because they did not pass the verification and validation tests. For a concrete clinical support of MS proteomics to CVD, it is, therefore, necessary to: ameliorate the resolution, sensitivity, specificity, throughput, precision, and accuracy of MS platform components; standardize procedures for sample collection, preparation, and analysis; lower the costs of the analyses; reduce the time of biomarker verification and validation. At the same time, it will be fundamental, for the future perspectives of proteomics in clinical trials, to define the normal protein maps and the global patterns of normal protein levels, as well as those specific for the different expressions of CVD. J. Cell. Biochem. 114: 7–20, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Proteomic investigation of 5-fluorouracil resistance in a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle towards a successful treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The mechanisms of MDR are intricate and have not been fully understood. Therefore, we employed a cell-line model consisting of the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistant BEL7402/5-FU cell line and its parental BEL7402 cell line. Using relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-coupled 2D LC-MS/MS, a successfully exploited high-throughput proteomic technology, in total, 660 unique proteins were identified and 52 proteins showed to be differentially expressed in BEL7402/5-FU compared with BEL7402. Several differentially expressed proteins were further validated by Western blot and real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Furthermore, the association of MDR with ANXA3, one of the highly expressed proteins in BEL7402/5-FU, was verified. Our study represents the first successful application of iTRAQ technology for MDR mechanisms analysis in HCC. Many of the differentially expressed proteins identified had not been linked to MDR in HCC before, which provide valuable information for further understanding of MDR.     

人肿瘤坏死因子与人γ干扰素重组双功能融合蛋白的研制

肿瘤坏死因子与γ干扰素具有非常相似的生物学活性,并在一些主要的生物活性方面表现有较强的协同作用。本文采用寡核苷酸指导下的定位缺失-插入体外基因突变技术,删除了干扰素与肿瘤坏死因子串联基因之间的非编码区,去徐了γ干扰素的翻译终止信号,插入了一个人工设计的连接肽,使γ干扰素与肿瘤坏死因子基因在不改变读码框架的条件下融合起来,并在大肠杆菌表达系统中表述了兼有γ干扰素和肿瘤坏死因子功能的融合蛋白。     

Comparison of the SuperARMS and Droplet Digital PCR for Detecting EGFR Mutation in ctDNA From NSCLC Patients

BACKGROUND: Liquid biopsy is emerging as an important approach for tumor genotyping in non-small cell lung cancer, ddPCR and SuperARMS are both methods with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting EGFR mutation in plasma. We aimed to compare ddPCR and SuperARMS to detect plasma EGFR status in a cohort of advanced NSCLC patients. METHOD: A total of 79 tumor tissues and paired plasma samples were collected. The EGFR mutation status in tissue was tested by ADx-ARMS, matched plasma was detected by ddPCR and SuperARMS, respectively. RESULTS: The EGFR mutation rates were identified as 64.6% (tissue, ARMS), 55.7% (plasma, ddPCR), and 49.4% (plasma, Super ARMS), respectively. The sensitivity of ddPCR was similar with Super-ARMS in plasma EGFR detection (80.4% vs 76.5%), as well as the specificity (89.3% vs 100%). And the McNemar’s test showed there was no significant difference (P = .125). The concordance rate between SuperARMS and ddPCR was 91.1%. A significant interaction was observed between cfDNA EGFR mutation status and EGFR-TKIs treatment tested by both methods. CONCLUSION: Super-ARMS and ddPCR share the similar accuracy for EGFR mutation detection in plasma biopsy; both methods predicted well the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs by detecting plasma EGFR status.     

Methodological Issues in Studies of Rhythms in Human Performance

In this review various sources of measurement error are considered in the context of investigating rhythms in human performance. The reproducibility of performance in any exercise task is an important factor if rhythmic variations are to be detectable. Available physical performance tests range from simple efforts lasting only a couple of seconds to sustained endurance exercise. When measuring muscle strength, the options include static or dynamic actions, slow or fast movements, voluntary or electrically stimulated contractions and maximal force or maximal power output. For studies of circadian rhythms the researcher has to choose between using nychthemeral or controlled conditions, and the number of times a day to be used for observations, and to decide how to control for loss of sleep, diet and prior activity. The need to recover energy between tests has led research groups to employ diurnal rhythm models in preference to cosinor analysis of circadian designs. The use of male subjects has also been favoured due to difficulties of controlling for menstrual cycle phase. Nevertheless recent attention has been given to research models for investigating the effects of rhythmic variations in female steroid hormones and on interactions between circadian and circamensal rhythms. There are real challenges in exploring seasonal variations in human performance and in examining how the body adjusts after desynchronisation as occurs during nocturnal shift-work and travelling across multiple time zones. The methods adopted must accommodate flexibility between laboratory-based and field-studies depending on the context of the research questions being pursued.     

人类疱疹病毒7型体外生长特点的研究

研究了人类疱疹病毒7型(HHV-7)南京株YY5在脐血单个核细胞(CBMCs)及SUPT1细胞株上生长特点.观察病毒感染细胞后不同时间病变效应程度,记数死亡细胞百分率,间接免疫荧光染色记数抗原表达阳性细胞数,并用透射电镜观察病毒感染细胞超微结构变化及病毒复制不同时期的特点.结果发现:HHV-7在CBMCs及SUPT1上出现CPE时间迟于HHV-6,且CPE程度也低于HHV-6;HHV-7在SUPT1细胞上尽管有CPE及抗原表达,但很难找到成熟的病毒颗粒;电镜下,病毒主要存在于肿胀的病变细胞内,且病毒感染细胞常出现核染色质聚集,核固缩,及胞浆细胞器空泡化,细胞裂解等特点;成熟的HHV-7颗粒直径约170-190 nm,核衣壳约90-100 nm,核衣壳内致密核心约40 nm,核衣壳与包膜之间是丰富的被膜约30-35 nm,包膜上有刺突.HHV-7常发现无核心的病毒颗粒.     

人类疱疹病毒7型体外生长特点的研究

研究了人类疱疹病毒７型（ＨＨＶ－７）南京株ＹＹ５在脐血单个核细胞（ＣＢＭＣｓ）及ＳＵＰＴ１细胞株上生长特点。观察病毒感染细胞后不同时间病变效应程度,记数死亡细胞百分率,间接免疫荧光染色记数抗原表达阳性细胞数,并用透射电镜观察病毒感染细胞超微结构变化及病毒复制不同时期的特点。结果发现：ＨＨＶ－７在ＣＢＭＣｓ及ＳＵＰＴ１上出现ＣＰＥ时间迟于ＨＨＶ－６,且ＣＰＥ程度也低于ＨＨＶ－６;ＨＨＶ－７在ＳＵＰＴ     

Secreted phosphoprotein‐24 kDa (Spp24) attenuates BMP‐2‐stimulated Smad 1/5 phosphorylation and alkaline phosphatase induction and was purified in a protective complex with alpha2‐Macroglobulins From Serum

Secreted phosphoprotein‐24 kDa (Spp24) binds cytokines of the bone morphogenetic protein/transforming growth factor‐β (BMP/TGFβ) superfamily and is one of the most abundant serum phosphoproteins synthesized by the liver. Little is known about how Spp24 binding affects BMP signal transduction and osteoblastic differentiation or how this labile protein is transported from the liver to remote tissues, such as bone. When Spp24 was administered to W‐20‐17 mesenchymal stem cells with rhBMP‐2, short‐term Smad1/5 phosphorylation was inhibited, intermediate‐term alkaline phosphatase (ALP) induction was blunted, and long‐term mineralization was unaffected. This supports the hypothesis that Spp24 proteolysis restricts the duration of its regulatory effects, but offers no insight into how Spp24 is transported intact from the liver to bone. When Spp24 was immunopurified from serum and subjected to native PAGE and Western blotting, a high molecular weight band of >500 kDa was found. Under reducing SDS–PAGE, a 24 kDa band corresponding to monomeric Spp24 was liberated, suggesting that Spp24 is bound to a complex linked by disulfide bonds. However, such a complex cannot be disrupted by 60 mM EDTA under non‐reducing condition or in purification buffers containing 600 mM NaCl and 0.1% Tween‐20 at pH 2.7–8.5. LC–MS/MS analysis of affinity‐purified, non‐reducing SDS–PAGE separated, and trypsin digested bands showed that the Spp24 was present in a complex with three α₂‐macroglobulins (α₂‐macroglobulin [α₂M], pregnancy zone protein [PZP] and complement C3 [C3]), as well as ceruloplasmin and the protease inhibitor anti‐thrombin III (Serpin C1), which may protect Spp24 from proteolysis. J. Cell. Biochem. 114: 378–387, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

人丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制因子抗肿瘤作用的研究进展

丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制因子在不同的生命活动调节中均具有重要意义,可调节凝血(血栓形成和血栓溶解)、血管再生、神经生长、激素转运、血压、补体和炎症。不同的丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制因子与对应的不同恶性肿瘤的进展和缓解有一定关联,使之在肿瘤治疗和诊断中具有一定意义。开展对丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制因子介导抗肿瘤活性的疗效和机制的进一步研究,有望发展成为肿瘤治疗的新方法。     

From Proteomics to Structural Studies of Cytosolic/MitochondriaI-Type Thioredoxin Systems in Barley Seeds

Thioredoxins （Trx） are ubiquitous proteins that participate in thiol disulfide reactions via two active site cysteine residues, allowing Trx to reduce disulfide bonds in target proteins. Recent progress in proteome analysis has resulted in identification of a wide range of potential target proteins for Trx, indicating that Trx plays a key role in several aspects of cell metabolism. In contrast to other organisms, plants contain multiple forms of Trx that are classified based on their primary structures and sub-cellular localization. The reduction of cytosolic and mitochondrial types of Trx is dependent on NADPH and catalyzed by NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase （NTR）. In barley, two isoforms each of Trx and NTR have been identified and investigated using proteomics, gene expression, and structural studies. This review outlines the diverse roles suggested for cytosolic/mitochondrial-type Trx systems in cereal seeds and summarizes the current knowledge of the barley system including recent data on function, regulation, interactions, and structure. Directions for future research are discussed.     

Model-Guided Mutagenesis Drives Functional Studies of Human NHA2, Implicated in Hypertension

Human NHA2 is a poorly characterized Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter recently implicated in essential hypertension. We used a range of computational tools and evolutionary conservation analysis to build and validate a three-dimensional model of NHA2 based on the crystal structure of a distantly related bacterial transporter, NhaA. The model guided mutagenic evaluation of transport function, ion selectivity, and pH dependence of NHA2 by phenotype screening in yeast. We describe a cluster of essential, highly conserved titratable residues located in an assembly region made of two discontinuous helices of inverted topology, each interrupted by an extended chain. Whereas in NhaA, oppositely charged residues compensate for partial dipoles generated within this assembly, in NHA2, polar but uncharged residues suffice. Our findings led to a model for transport mechanism that was compared to the well-known electroneutral NHE1 and electrogenic NhaA subtypes. This study establishes NHA2 as a prototype for the poorly understood, yet ubiquitous, CPA2 antiporter family recently recognized in plants and metazoans and illustrates a structure-driven approach to derive functional information on a newly discovered transporter.     

人三叶因子3在毕赤酵母中表达条件的研究

为提高人三叶因子 3 (HumanTrefoilfactor 3 ,hTFF3 )在毕赤酵母中的表达量 ,研究了转化子生长的培养条件 ,包括不同碳源对转化子生长的影响和接种量、甲醇浓度、pH值、摇瓶转速及不同诱导时间对人三叶因子 3表达的影响。结果表明转化子在生长阶段加入葡萄糖生长旺盛 ,培养 14h后OD₆₀₀ 就可达到 50。在 100mL生长培养基上的菌液以 1∶1接入诱导培养基时蛋白表达量最高 ;转化子在 1%的甲醇、pH60、摇瓶转速240r/min的条件下诱导4 8h ,菌体密度OD₆₀₀为 15 ,目的蛋白表达量达到 20mg L。用 5L发酵罐进行了高密度发酵 ,经2%甲醇32h诱导 ,最终菌体密度OD₆₀₀ 达到 120 ,每升发酵液中含目的蛋白100mg。     

人白细胞介素2受体(IL-2R)cDNA在哺乳类细胞中表达的初步研究

按DNA-磷酸钙共沉淀法将人白细胞介素2受体(IL-2R)cDNA转染小鼠成纤维细胞L929,经RNA点渍杂交分析、荧光标记IL-2染色和抗Tac(人IL-2受体α链)特异性玫瑰花环试验,均证明转入的IL-2R cDNA在L929细胞中表达,其产物具有结合IL-2和抗Tac抗体的能力。本文还报道了T细胞白血病Jukat细胞和Molt-4等细胞系异常表达IL-2R的结果,并对此作了分析和讨论。     

From Demographic Strategies to Mathematical Models: Trends in Population Dynamics Studies of Aquatic Oligochaeta

The existence of a negative relationship between fine sediment infiltration during the incubation period and salmonid embryo survival has often been discussed in the literature. However, few studies have specifically addressed this relationship in the field. We conducted a field experiment to examine the relationship between survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) embryos contained in incubation baskets and the patterns of fine sediment infiltration into the baskets during the incubation period. The results indicate that survival to pre-eyed (STPE), eyed (STE) and hatched (STH) stages of development were all negatively correlated with the percentage of fine sediment entering the baskets. STPE and STE were most strongly affected by silts and clays (<0.063 mm) although this size class represented only a small fraction of the grain size distribution inside the incubation baskets (0.03–0.41%). STH was most strongly correlated with the infiltration of medium sand (0.25–0.50 mm) material. On average, 66% of the implanted embryos survived to the pre-eyed stage of development compared to 63% for the eyed and 48% for the hatched stages of development.     

Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells c1 Mediates p21-activated Kinase 1 Activation in the Modulation of Chemokine-induced Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell F-actin Stress Fiber Formation,Migration, and Proliferation and Injury-induced Vascular Wall Remodeling

Recent literature suggests that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) mediate cell migration. However, the mechanisms were not known. Therefore, the objective of this study is to test whether cyclin/CDKs activate Pak1, an effector of Rac1, whose involvement in the modulation of cell migration and proliferation is well established. Monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1) induced Pak1 phosphorylation/activation in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) in a delayed time-dependent manner. MCP1 also stimulated F-actin stress fiber formation in a delayed manner in HASMCs, as well as the migration and proliferation of these cells. Inhibition of Pak1 suppressed MCP1-induced HASMC F-actin stress fiber formation, migration, and proliferation. MCP1 induced cyclin D1 expression as well as CDK6 and CDK4 activities, and these effects were dependent on activation of NFATc1. Depletion of NFATc1, cyclin D1, CDK6, or CDK4 levels attenuated MCP1-induced Pak1 phosphorylation/activation and resulted in decreased HASMC F-actin stress fiber formation, migration, and proliferation. CDK4, which appeared to be activated downstream of CDK6, formed a complex with Pak1 in response to MCP1. MCP1 also activated Rac1 in a time-dependent manner, and depletion/inhibition of its levels/activation abrogated MCP1-induced NFATc1-cyclin D1-CDK6-CDK4-Pak1 signaling and, thereby, decreased HASMC F-actin stress fiber formation, migration, and proliferation. In addition, smooth muscle-specific deletion of NFATc1 led to decreased cyclin D1 expression and CDK6, CDK4, and Pak1 activities, resulting in reduced neointima formation in response to injury. Thus, these observations reveal that Pak1 is a downstream effector of CDK4 and Rac1-dependent, NFATc1-mediated cyclin D1 expression and CDK6 activity mediate this effect. In addition, smooth muscle-specific deletion of NFATc1 prevented the capacity of vascular smooth muscle cells for MCP-1-induced activation of the cyclin D1-CDK6-CDK4-Pak1 signaling axis, affecting their migration and proliferation in vitro and injury-induced neointima formation in vivo.     

在人类胚胎发育过程中表达的新锌指蛋白基因ZNF359的研究

kriipple型锌指蛋白是一类具有重要功能的转录调节因子。初步克隆了一个新的人类kriipple型锌指蛋白基因,经国际基因命名委员会批准命名为ZNF359。此基因长3271个碱基,含6个外显子,在基因组DNA上长18kb。它编码的蛋白质全长643个氨基酸,含一个KRAB框,16个C2H2型的锌指,在两者之间还有一个典型的中间重复序列。Northern Bolt分析表明该基因在人类早期胚胎的各个组织中普遍表达,且在肾、心脏和肺的表达水平最强。其结构和表达特征预示着它编码的是一个具DNA结合功能的转录调控因子。