Pip, a novel activator of phenazine biosynthesis in Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391

Secondary metabolites are important factors for interactions between bacteria and other organisms. Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391 produces the antifungal secondary metabolite phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN) that inhibits growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radius lycopersici the causative agent of tomato foot and root rot. Our previous work unraveled a cascade of genes regulating the PCN biosynthesis operon, phzABCDEFGH. Via a genetic screen, we identify in this study a novel TetR/AcrR regulator, named Pip (phenazine inducing protein), which is essential for PCN biosynthesis. A combination of a phenotypical characterization of a pip mutant, in trans complementation assays of various mutant strains, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays identified Pip as the fifth DNA-binding protein so far involved in regulation of PCN biosynthesis. In this regulatory pathway, Pip is positioned downstream of PsrA (Pseudomonas sigma factor regulator) and the stationary-phase sigma factor RpoS, while it is upstream of the quorum-sensing system PhzI/PhzR. These findings provide further evidence that the path leading to the expression of secondary metabolism gene clusters in Pseudomonas species is highly complex.     

Brain-targeted chemical delivery of [Leu2, Pip3]-TRH: synthesis and biological evaluation

A chemical targeting system for [Leu2, Pip3]-TRH (Gln,Leu,Pip) was synthesized in order to allow its specific delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). Sequential metabolism of the obtained 'packaged' chemical delivery system, (CDS), DHT-Pro-Pro-Gln-Leu-Pip-OCh, should yield a 'locked-in' precursor following the oxidative conversion of the dihydrotrigonellyl (DHT) to the trigonellyl (T+) moiety, followed by removal of the cholesteryl function and cleavage of the T+-Pro-Pro by prolyl endopeptidase. The antagonism of barbiturate-induced sleeping time was used to assess the activity of the CDS. The sleeping time after administration of vehicle and [Leu2]-TRH was 100.5 +/- 6.3 min, and 78.2 +/- 4.7 min, respectively. The [Leu2, Pip3]-TRH-CDS showed a significant decrease in sleeping time (58.2 +/- 3.4 min) compared to the vehicle or [Leu2]-TRH. These results indicate successful brain delivery of the precursor construct, and an effective release of the active GlnLeuPip in the brain.     

Homogeneous oxidative coupling catalysts: stoichiometry and characterization of the first stable oxotetranuclear solids [(Pip)nCuX]4O2 (n=1 or 2, Pip=piperidine, X=Cl, Br, I)

Copper(I) halides react quantitatively with piperidine (Pip) in dioxygen-free methylene chloride or nitrobenzene to form tetranuclear copper(I) complexes [(Pip)_nCuX]₄; n=1 or 2, X=Cl, Br or I. These complexes are very soluble and completely reduce dioxygen to dioxo bridging ligand, with stoichiometry, Δ[Cu(I)]/Δ[O₂]=4.0. The stable oxo solids [(Pip)_nCuX]₄O₂ mimic tyrosinase copper protein. They act as a homogeneous oxidative coupling catalysts for phenols. Electronic transition spectra in the near infrared with high molecular absorptivity are diagnostic for tetranuclear “Cu₄X₄” core structure. The electronic transitions are more likely due to charge transfer between a minimum of three halo ligands and copper(II) center. The room temperature EPR spectra of [(Pip)_nCuX]₄O₂ in methylene chloride are isotropic with four hyperfine lines. The room temperature solid-state EPR spectra of [PipCuX]₄O₂ show an axial spectra with d_x²−y² ground state, suggesting square pyramidal arrangement of the five coordinated ligands around copper(II) centers. Cyclic voltammetry measurements show that they are more likely irreversible in character and show slight quasi-reversability when X=Br or I. Constant potential electrolysis indicate that the number of electrons consumed are equal to four electrons which will be due to the reduction of four copper(II) to copper(I).     

Pip介导铜绿假单胞菌吩嗪基因簇phz2的表达

[目的]为了确定铜绿假单胞菌调控因子Pip对两个不同吩嗪合成基因簇(phz1和phz2)的具体调控方式与可能的调控机制.[方法]根据基因比对结果,采用同源重组技术构建Pip调控因子缺失突变株PA-PG以及克隆ip基因作互补分析;再以已构建的吩嗪基因簇缺失突变株PA-Z1G和PA-Z2K为受体菌,构建突变株PA-PD-Z1G和PA-PG-Z2K,测定并比较野生株及相关突变株的吩嗪-1-羧酸和绿脓菌素的合成量,推定Pip对两个不同吩嗪合成基因簇的调控方式.[结果]在GA培养基中,突变株PA-PG的吩嗪-1-羧酸和绿脓菌素都比野生型明显减少;互补分析显示,突变株PA-PG的吩嗪-1-羧酸和绿脓菌素都显著提高并恢复到野生株PAO1水平;突变株PA-Z1G的吩嗪-1-羧酸和绿脓菌素合成量因Pip缺失而显著减少;而突变株PA-Z2K的吩嗪-1-羧酸和绿脓菌素合成量在Pip缺失后仍保持不变.[结论]初步推定,转录调控因子Pip对铜绿假单胞菌吩嗪合成代谢的确具有促进作用;Pip通过正向调控吩嗪基因簇phz2的合成功能实现对吩嗪合成代谢的调控.     

系统获得性抗性移动信号Pip/NHP研究进展

系统获得性抗性(SAR)是一种因病原微生物初次侵染植物局部叶片而被激活的整株水平上的持久广谱抗性。在初次侵染部位快速产生的抗性信号,可通过韧皮部传输到植物其它部位,从而激活SAR。哌啶酸/N-羟基哌啶酸(Pip/NHP)作为新发现的移动信号分子,在SAR信号通路中具有重要作用。该文综述了Pip/NHP的合成、转运以及对SAR调控作用的最新研究进展。     

Subcellular location of phage infection protein (Pip) in Lactococcus lactis

The amino acid sequence of the phage infection protein (Pip) of Lactococcus lactis predicts a multiple-membrane-spanning region, suggesting that Pip may be anchored to the plasma membrane. However, a near-consensus sortase recognition site and a cell wall anchoring motif may also be present near the carboxy terminus. If functional, this recognition site could lead to covalent linkage of Pip to the cell wall. Pip was detected in both plasma membranes and envelopes (plasma membrane plus peptidoglycan) isolated from the wild-type Pip strain LM2301. Pip was firmly attached to membrane and envelope preparations and was solubilized only by treatment with detergent. Three mutant Pip proteins were separately made in which the multiple-membrane-spanning region was deleted (Pip-Deltammsr), the sortase recognition site was converted to the consensus (Pip-H841G), or the sortase recognition site was deleted (Pip-Delta6). All three mutant Pip proteins co-purified with membranes and could not be solubilized except with detergent. When membranes containing Pip-Deltammsr were sonicated and re-isolated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, Pip-Deltammsr remained associated with the membranes. Strains that expressed Pip-H841G or Pip-Delta6 formed plaques with near unit efficiency, whereas the strain that expressed Pip-Deltammsr did not form plaques of phage c2. Both membranes and cell-free culture supernatant from the strain expressing Pip-Deltammsr inactivated phage c2. These results suggest that Pip is an integral membrane protein that is not anchored to the cell wall and that the multiple-membrane-spanning region is required for productive phage infection but not phage inactivation.     

Pip92: a short-lived, growth factor-inducible protein in BALB/c 3T3 and PC12 cells.

pip92 is a cellular immediate-early gene inducible by serum growth factors in fibroblasts. It is also induced in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 by agents that cause proliferation, neuronal differentiation, and membrane depolarization. We show that the pip92-encoded polypeptide is a proline-rich protein of 221 amino acids, has an extremely short half-life, and is localized in the cytoplasm. We hypothesize that Pip92 plays a role in mediating the cellular responses to a variety of extracellular signals.     

Mechanistic studies of amide bond scission during acidolytic deprotection of Pip containing peptide.

Unusual TFA catalyzed cleavage reaction is reported for peptide containing pipecolic acid residues. Although the use of TFA under standard cleavage conditions is sufficiently mild to prevent degradation of the desired products, the amide bond between consecutive pipecolic acid residues is unexpectedly hydrolyzed by standard TFA treatment. The hydrolysis is proposed to proceed via an oxazolinium ion intermediate. This mechanism is supported by H/D exchange as observed by ESI-MS and NMR experiments. Copyright (c) 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cellular trafficking determines the exon skipping activity of Pip6a-PMO in mdx skeletal and cardiac muscle cells

Cell-penetrating peptide-mediated delivery of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) has shown great promise for exon-skipping therapy of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Pip6a-PMO, a recently developed conjugate, is particularly efficient in a murine DMD model, although mechanisms responsible for its increased biological activity have not been studied. Here, we evaluate the cellular trafficking and the biological activity of Pip6a-PMO in skeletal muscle cells and primary cardiomyocytes. Our results indicate that Pip6a-PMO is taken up in the skeletal muscle cells by an energy- and caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Interestingly, its cellular distribution is different in undifferentiated and differentiated skeletal muscle cells (vesicular versus nuclear). Likewise, Pip6a-PMO mainly accumulates in cytoplasmic vesicles in primary cardiomyocytes, in which clathrin-mediated endocytosis seems to be the pre-dominant uptake pathway. These differences in cellular trafficking correspond well with the exon-skipping data, with higher activity in myotubes than in myoblasts or cardiomyocytes. These differences in cellular trafficking thus provide a possible mechanistic explanation for the variations in exon-skipping activity and restoration of dystrophin protein in heart muscle compared with skeletal muscle tissues in DMD models. Overall, Pip6a-PMO appears as the most efficient conjugate to date (low nanomolar EC₅₀), even if limitations remain from endosomal escape.     

内蒙古欧李果肉和果仁中营养成分分析

对内蒙古欧李果肉及果仁中营养成分进行研究,结果表明,欧李中维生素、矿物质、蛋白质等营养成分丰富,其中VC的质量分数为590.1 mg.kg-1,远远高于苹果、草莓、葡萄、柑橘、西红柿等水果的VC含量;矿物质元素Ca质量分数在果肉中达428.1 mg.kg-1,是其它水果Ca含量的2~10倍;果仁中达3.743 g.kg-1,其含量与杏仁中相当;蛋白质含量丰富,氨基酸种类齐全,必需氨基酸在果肉和果仁中所占比例达氨基酸总量的1/3以上,为以后的研究开发利用提供了理论依据。     

Curcumin-mediated oxidative stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans is modulated by age-1, akt-1, pdk-1, osr-1, unc-43, sek-1, skn-1, sir-2.1, and mev-1

Abstract

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a pharmacologically active substance derived from turmeric, exhibits anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antioxidant properties. We examined the modulation of oxidative-stress resistance and associated regulatory mechanisms by curcumin in a Caenorhabditis elegans model. Our results showed that curcumin-treated wild-type C. elegans exhibited increased survival during juglone-induced oxidative stress compared with the control treatment. In addition, curcumin reduced the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species in C. elegans. Moreover, curcumin induced the expression of the gst-4 and hsp-16.2 stress response genes. Lastly, our findings from the mechanistic study in this investigation suggest that the antioxidative effect of curcumin is mediated via regulation of age-1, akt-1, pdk-1, osr-1, unc-43, sek-1, skn-1, sir-2.1, and mev-1. Our study elucidates the diverse modes of action and signaling pathways that underlie the antioxidant activity exhibited by curcumin in vivo.     

Common polymorphisms in CYP1A1, GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 and XPD genes and endogenous DNA damage

Endogenous DNA damage levels were analyzed in relation to polymorphisms in genes encoding phase I detoxifying enzyme—CYP1A1, phase II detoxifying enzymes—GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 and enzyme involved in nucleotide excision repair-XPD. The study group consisted of 220 healthy non-smoking volunteers; 90 men and 130 woman, 25–60 years old (44 ± 10 years). The level of DNA damage (% DNA in tail) was evaluated by alkaline comet assay. The genetic variants were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism PCR. The highest level of DNA damage (6.7%) was found in carriers of both: AA variant of XPD gene and M1 null variant of GSTM1 gene. The lowest level of DNA breaks (3.7%) was associated with the genotype GSTP1-AA/GSTM1 (+).