蛋白质的氧化重折叠

经过近几十年来广泛而深入的研究,蛋白质氧化重折叠的机制已得到相当详细的阐明。1在已研究过的蛋白质中,大多数蛋白质都是沿着多途径而非单一、特定的途径进行氧化重折叠,这与折叠能量景观学说是一致的。2正是氨基酸残基间的天然相互作用而不是非天然的相互作用控制蛋白质的折叠过程。这一结论与含非天然二硫键的折叠中间体在牛胰蛋白酶抑制剂（BPTI）折叠中所起的重要作用并非相互排斥,因为后者仅仅是进行链内二硫键重排的化学反应所必需,与控制肽链折叠无直接关系。3根据对BPTI的研究,二硫键曾被认为仅仅具有稳定蛋白质天然结构的作用,既不决定折叠途径也不决定其三维构象。这一观点不适用于其它蛋白质。对凝乳酶原的研究表明,天然二硫键的形成是恢复天然构象的前提。天然二硫键的形成与肽键的正确折叠相辅相成,更具有普遍意义。4在氧化重折叠的早期,二硫键的形成基本上是一个随机过程,随着肽链的折叠二硫键的形成越来越受折叠中间体构象的限制。提高重组蛋白质的复性产率是生物技术领域中的一个巨大的挑战。除了分子聚集外,在折叠过程中所形成的二硫键错配分子是导致低复性率的另一个主要原因。氧化重折叠机制的阐明为解决此问题提供了有益的启示。如上所述,在折叠的后期,二硫键的形成决定于折叠中间体的构象,类天然、有柔性的结构有利于天然二硫键形成和正确折叠,具有这类结构的分子为有效的折叠中间体,最终都能转变为天然产物;而无效折叠中间体往往具有稳定的结构,使巯基、二硫键内埋妨碍二硫键重排,并因能垒的障碍不利于进一步折叠。因此,降低无效折叠中间体的稳定性使之转变为有效折叠中间体是提高含二硫键蛋白质复性率的一条基本原则,实验证明,碱性pH、低温、降低蛋白质稳定性的试剂、蛋白质二硫键异构酶、改变蛋白质一级结构是实现这一原则的有效手段。此外,这里还就氧化重折叠的基础和应用研究的前景进行了讨论。     

重组单链胰岛素在含有巯基试剂的变性剂中的解折叠

重组单链胰岛素(PIP)含有3对二硫键。在含有巯基试剂的变性剂中,PIP产生二硫键交换从而形成一系列具有不同解折叠程度的二硫键异构体混合物。分别用高压液相色谱（HPLC）和圆二色性（CD）光谱分析了PIP在含有0．2mmol/L2－巯基乙醇的尿素和盐酸胍中的解中的解折叠程度。PIP二硫键异构体混合物通过胰蛋白酶酶解并用质谱测定酶解片段的分子量,证明PIP确实产生了二硫键交换。同时还分离纯化了PIP的一种主要非天然二硫键异构体并研究了它重新折叠成天然构象的情况。观察到PIP只有一种热力学稳定的二硫键配对方式,PIP的非天然二硫键异构体在巯基试剂存在的条件下可以高效转化为天然二硫键配对。还将PIP解折叠和再折叠的情况与胰岛素样生长因子－I（IGF－I）及胰岛素做了比较：胰岛素和PIP只折叠成一种热力学稳定的三级结构,IGF－I却折叠成两种热力学稳定的二硫键异构体;胰岛素的双链重组需缓慢进行,而PIP却可以快速折叠。     

包涵体蛋白体外复性的研究进展

外源基因在大肠杆菌中高水平表达时 ,通常会形成无活性的蛋白聚集体即包涵体。包涵体富含表达的重组蛋白 ,经分离、变性溶解后须再经过一个合适的复性过程实现变性蛋白的重折叠 ,才能够得到生物活性蛋白。近年来 ,发展了许多特异的策略和方法来从包涵体中复性重组蛋白。最近的进展包括固定化复性以及用一些低分子量的添加剂等来减少复性过程中蛋白质的聚集 ,提高活性蛋白的产率。     

Unfolding of hirudin characterized by the composition of denatured scrambled isomers

The native core structure of hirudin, a thrombin specific inhibitor, contains 24 hydrogen bonds, two stretches of -sheet and three disulfide bonds. Hirudin unfolds in the presence of denaturant and thiol catalyst by shuffling its native disulfide bonds and converting to scrambled structures that consist of 11 identified isomers. The composition of scrambled isomers, which characterizes the structure of denatured hirudin, varies as a function of denaturing conditions. The unfolding pathway of hirudin has been constructed by quantitative analysis of scrambled isomers unfolded under increasing concentrations of various denaturants. The results demonstrate a progressive expansion of the polypeptide chain and the existence of a structurally defined stable intermediate along the pathway of unfolding.     

Sphingolipid Metabolism and Interorganellar Transport: Localization of Sphingolipid Enzymes and Lipid Transfer Proteins

In recent decades, many sphingolipid enzymes, sphingolipid‐metabolism regulators and sphingolipid transfer proteins have been isolated and characterized. This review will provide an overview of the intracellular localization and topology of sphingolipid enzymes in mammalian cells to highlight the locations where respective sphingolipid species are produced. Interestingly, three sphingolipids that reside or are synthesized in cytosolic leaflets of membranes (ceramide, glucosylceramide and ceramide‐1‐phosphate) all have cytosolic lipid transfer proteins (LTPs). These LTPs consist of ceramide transfer protein (CERT), four‐phosphate adaptor protein 2 (FAPP2) and ceramide‐1‐phosphate transfer protein (CPTP), respectively. These LTPs execute functions that affect both the location and metabolism of the lipids they bind. Molecular details describing the mechanisms of regulation of LTPs continue to emerge and reveal a number of critical processes, including competing phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions and binding interactions with regulatory proteins and lipids that influence the transport, organelle distribution and metabolism of sphingolipids.      

Conformational stability of pGEX-expressed Schistosoma japonicum glutathione S-transferase: a detoxification enzyme and fusion-protein affinity tag.

A glutathione S-transferase (Sj26GST) from Schistosoma japonicum, which functions in the parasite's Phase II detoxification pathway, is expressed by the Pharmacia pGEX-2T plasmid and is used widely as a fusion-protein affinity tag. It contains all 217 residues of Sj26GST and an additional 9-residue peptide linker with a thrombin cleavage site at its C-terminus. Size-exclusion HPLC (SEC-HPLC) and SDS-PAGE studies indicate that purification of the homodimeric protein under nonreducing conditions results in the reversible formation of significant amounts of 160-kDa and larger aggregates without a loss in catalytic activity. The basis for oxidative aggregation can be ascribed to the high degree of exposure of the four cysteine residues per subunit. The conformational stability of the dimeric protein was studied by urea- and temperature-induced unfolding techniques. Fluorescence-spectroscopy, SEC-HPLC, urea- and temperature-gradient gel electrophoresis, differential scanning microcalorimetry, and enzyme activity were employed to monitor structural and functional changes. The unfolding data indicate the absence of thermodynamically stable intermediates and that the unfolding/refolding transition is a two-state process involving folded native dimer and unfolded monomer. The stability of the protein was found to be dependent on its concentration, with a delta G degree (H2O) = 26.0 +/- 1.7 kcal/mol. The strong relationship observed between the m-value and the size of the protein indicates that the amount of protein surface area exposed to solvent upon unfolding is the major structural determinant for the dependence of the protein's free energy of unfolding on urea concentration. Thermograms obtained by differential scanning microcalorimetry also fitted a two-state unfolding transition model with values of delta Cp = 7,440 J/mol per K, delta H = 950.4 kJ/mol, and delta S = 1,484 J/mol.     

Conformational Isomers of Denatured and Unfolded Proteins: Methods of Production and Applications

Conformational isomers of denatured-unfolded proteins are rich in numbers and varied in shapes. They represent an opulent resource of biological molecules that have remained unexploited. The major obstacle in utilizing this untapped potential is that it is inherently difficult to isolate and characterize pure conformational isomers, not only because of the excessive large number, but also because of their instability and rapid inter-conversion. Our lab has developed a method for trapping selected conformational isomers of denatured proteins that are amenable to isolation, characterization and further applications. The method has potential usefulness, ranging from the comprehensive structural characterization of denatured proteins, to the elucidation of pathways of protein unfolding–folding, to the production of unlimited structurally defined non-native protein isomers for biomedical applications.     

Facile measurement of protein stability and folding kinetics using a nano differential scanning fluorimeter

With advancements in high‐throughput generation of phenotypic data on mutant proteins, it has become important to individually characterize different proteins or their variants rapidly and with minimal sample consumption. We have made use of a nano differential scanning fluorimetric device, from NanoTemper technologies, to rapidly carry out isothermal chemical denaturation and measure folding/unfolding kinetics of proteins and compared these to corresponding data obtained from conventional spectrofluorimetry. We show that using sample volumes 10‐50‐fold lower than with conventional fluorimetric techniques, one can rapidly and accurately measure thermodynamic and kinetic stability, as well as folding/unfolding kinetics. This method also facilitates characterization of proteins that are difficult to express and purify.     

Partial destabilization of native structure by a combination of heat and denaturant facilitates cold denaturation in a hyperthermophile protein

Cold denaturation is a phenomenon seen in many different proteins. However, there have been no reports so far of its occurrence in hyperthermophile proteins. Here, using a recombinant triosephosphate isomerase (PfuTIM) from the hyperthermophile archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus, we show that the heating of this protein through the low temperature side of its thermal unfolding transition in the presence of guanidinium hydrochloride (GdmCl) results in the formation of partially-disordered conformational ensembles that retain considerable native-like secondary and tertiary structure. Unlike PfuTIM itself, these thermochemically obtained partially-disordered PfuTIM ensembles display cold denaturation as they are cooled to room temperature. The protein thus shows hysteresis, adopting different structural states in a manner dependent upon the nature of the heating and cooling treatment, rather than upon the initial and final conditions of temperature and GdmCl concentration, indicating that some sort of a kinetic effect influences structure adoption and retention. The structure lost through cooling of partially-disordered PfuTIM is found to be regained through heating. The ability of GdmCl to thus apparently destabilize the highly thermodynamically and kinetically stable structure of PfuTIM (sufficiently, to cause it to display observable cold-denaturation and heat-renaturation transitions, in real-time, with cooling and heating) offers support to current ideas concerning the how hyperthermophile proteins achieve their high kinetic stabilities, and suggests that desolvation-solvation barriers may be responsible for high kinetic stability.     

水稻非特异性脂质转移蛋白的原核表达、纯化及抑菌功能

将编码水稻非特异性脂质转移蛋白 (nonspecificlipidtransferprotein ,nsLTP)基因 (LTP110 )的克隆到硫氧还蛋白融合表达载体PET32a( )中 ,在BL2 1(DE3)trxB-宿主菌中实现了融合蛋白的高表达。通过Ni2 chelatingSepharosefastflow柱纯化融合蛋白后 ,通过肠激酶酶切再过该亲和柱得到了重组LTP110。CD谱扫描表明重组蛋白质与体内提取的nsLTP二级结构相似 ;荧光脂质结合实验表明该蛋白质具有结合脂肪酸分子的活性。对该蛋白质的抑菌功能进行研究后表明 ,LTP110具有抑制稻瘟病菌孢子萌发的功能 ,在较低浓度即能发挥活性     

白菜转脂蛋白CaMBP10分子中钙调素结合结构域的鉴定

植物转脂蛋白(LTPs)是多基因编码的蛋白家族, 广泛分布于高等植物,其确切的生理功能至今仍不清楚. 本室从白菜中分离的钙调素结合蛋白-10 (CaMBP10) 经序列分析 被鉴定为植物转脂蛋白家族成员,体外实验证明钙调素(CaM)调节其脂质结合活性.为了深入了解转脂蛋白与CaM的相互作用机制,本文通过删除、缺失和定点突变等分子生物学手段确定了白菜转脂蛋白CaMBP10分子中的钙调素结合结构域.该结构域位于分子C末端 64~83位氨基酸残基之间,其中疏水氨基酸的分布具有1-5-8-10 的CaM结合模序特征.     

Equilibrium and kinetics of the unfolding and refolding of Escherichia coli Malate Synthase G monitored by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy

The equilibrium and kinetics studies of an 82 kDa large monomeric Escherichia coli protein Malate Synthase G (MSG) was investigated by far and near-UV CD, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and extrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. We find that despite of its large size, folding is reversible, in vitro. Equilibrium unfolding process of MSG exhibited three-state transition thus, indicating the presence of at least a stable equilibrium intermediate. Thermodynamic parameters suggest this intermediate resembles the unfolded state. However, the equilibrium intermediate exhibits pronounced secondary structure as measured by far-UV CD, partial tertiary structure as delineated by near-UV CD, compactness (m value) and exposed hydrophobic surface area as assessed by ANS binding, typically depicting a molten globule state. The stopped-flow kinetic data provide clear evidence for the presence of a burst phase during the refolding pathway due to the formation of an early Intermediate, within the dead time of the instrument. Refolding from 4 M to various lower concentrations until 0.4 M of GdnHCl follow biphasic kinetics at lower concentrations of GdnHCl (<0.8 M), whereas monophasic kinetics at concentrations above 1.5 M. Also, rollover in the refolding and unfolding limbs of chevron plot verifies the presence of a fast kinetic intermediate at lower concentration of GdnHCl. Based upon the above observations we hereby propose the folding pathway of a large multi-domain protein Malate Synthase G.     

丹参非特异性脂质转移蛋白基因（SmLTP1）的克隆及其表达分析

对丹参EST序列进行Blast分析,获得一个新的非特异性脂质转移蛋白基因,命名为SmLTP1（GenBank注册号为EF187461）。该基因cDNA全长593bp,包含一个长为357bp的开放读码框,编码118个氨基酸。生物信息学结构分析表明,该蛋白具有植物nsLTP的典型结构,即4对二硫键,4个a-螺旋,1个可结合和容纳脂肪酸分子的类似口袋状的疏水结构。实时荧光定量PCR分析结果表明,SmLTP1基因在丹参不同组织器官中差异表达,其表达受病原菌和茉莉酸甲酯的诱导,显示SmLTP1基因在植物防御反应中发挥作用。     

钙调素对钙调素结合蛋白-10和玉米非特异性脂转移蛋白与脂质结合活性的影响

荧光标记的脂质结合实验表明,钙调素结合蛋白-10（CaMBP-10）具有典型的植物非特异性脂质转移蛋白与脂质结合的特性。进一步实验研究了钙调素（calmodulin,CaM）对CaMBP-10和玉米nsLTP与脂质结合的活性的影响,结果显示无论在有钙和无钙条件下,CaM对两者的影响均有不同之处,W-7和TFP能消除CaM的影响。提示CaM不仅与CaMBP-10和玉米nsLTP特异性相互作用,而且对2种脂转移蛋白可能具有不同的调节机制。     

Unfolding and refolding of hen egg-white riboflavin binding protein

The unfolding and refolding of riboflavin-binding protein (RfBP) from hen egg-white induced by addition of guanidinium chloride (GdnHCl), and its subsequent removal by dialysis have been studied by c.d. and fluorescence for both the native and reduced protein. The reduction of its nine disulphide bonds causes a reduction in the secondary structure (alpha-helix plus beta-sheet) from 63% to 33% of the amino acid residues. Unfolding of the native protein occurred in two phases; the first involving a substantial loss of tertiary structure, followed by a second phase involving loss of secondary structure at higher GdnHCl concentrations. By contrast this biphasic behaviour was not discernible in the reduced protein. The loss of ability to bind riboflavin occurred after the first phase of unfolding. Comparison of unfolding of the holoprotein and apoprotein suggested that riboflavin has only a small stabilizing effect on the unfolding process. After removal of GdnHCl, the holoprotein, apoprotein and reduced protein assumed their original conformation. The significance of the results in relation to various models for protein folding is discussed.     

The contribution of cross-links to protein stability: A normal mode analysis of the configurational entropy of the native state

The vibrational entropy of native BPTI, with three disulfide bonds, was determined by use of normal mode calculations and compared with that of folded variants having either one less disulfide bond or lacking a peptide bond at the trypsin-reactive site. Favorable contributions to the free energy of 2.5–5.1 kcal/mol at 300 K were calculated for the reduction of disulfide bonds in the folded state, whereas no favorable contribution was found for the hydrolysis of the peptide bond cleaved by trypsin. This is on the order of the effect of disulfides in the unfolded state. The implications of these results for the stabilization of a folded protein by the introduction of crosslinks are discussed. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Two Bacterial Small Heat Shock Proteins,IbpA and IbpB,Form a Functional Heterodimer

Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a conserved class of ATP-independent chaperones which in stress conditions bind to unfolded protein substrates and prevent their irreversible aggregation. Substrates trapped in sHsps-containing aggregates are efficiently refolded into native structures by ATP-dependent Hsp70 and Hsp100 chaperones. Most γ-proteobacteria possess a single sHsp (IbpA), while in a subset of Enterobacterales, as a consequence of ibpA gene duplication event, a two-protein sHsp (IbpA and IbpB) system has evolved. IbpA and IbpB are functionally divergent. Purified IbpA, but not IbpB, stably interacts with aggregated substrates, yet both sHsps are required to be present at the substrate denaturation step for subsequent efficient Hsp70-Hsp100-dependent substrate refolding. IbpA and IbpB interact with each other, influence each other’s expression levels and degradation rates. However, the crucial information on how these two sHsps interact and what is the basic building block required for proper sHsps functioning was missing. Here, based on NMR, mass spectrometry and crosslinking studies, we show that IbpA-IbpB heterodimer is a dominating functional unit of the two sHsp system in Enterobacterales. The principle of heterodimer formation is similar to one described for homodimers of single bacterial sHsps. β-hairpins formed by strands β5 and β7 of IbpA or IbpB crystallin domains associate with the other one's β-sandwich in the heterodimer structure. Relying on crosslinking and molecular dynamics studies, we also propose the orientation of two IbpA-IbpB heterodimers in a higher order tetrameric structure.     

Emulsifying Properties of a Mixture of Peptides Derived from the Enzymatic Hydrolyzates of Bovine Caseins

β-CN(f193–209), a hydrophobic peptide of 17 residues obtained from the chymosin hydrolyzate of β-casein, had little emulsifying activity (EA) at a neutral pH. When mixed with a hydrophilic glycomacropeptide (GMP) derived from κ-casein however, the EA of β-CN(f193-209) increased greatly. The mixing ratio of the peptides affected the EA as well as the adsorption of the peptides to oil droplets. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the peptide film surrounding the emulsified oil droplets was thick and rough compared to the protein film. An amphipathic structure formed by some interaction between the hydrophilic GMP and the hydrophobic β-CN(f193-209) might contribute to the formation of the thick peptide film and stabilize the emulsified oil.     

Role of Flippases,Scramblases and Transfer Proteins in Phosphatidylserine Subcellular Distribution

It is well known that lipids are heterogeneously distributed throughout the cell. Most lipid species are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and then distributed to different cellular locations in order to create the distinct membrane compositions observed in eukaryotes. However, the mechanisms by which specific lipid species are trafficked to and maintained in specific areas of the cell are poorly understood and constitute an active area of research. Of particular interest is the distribution of phosphatidylserine (PS), an anionic lipid that is enriched in the cytosolic leaflet of the plasma membrane. PS transport occurs by both vesicular and non‐vesicular routes, with members of the oxysterol‐binding protein family (Osh6 and Osh7) recently implicated in the latter route. In addition, the flippase activity of P4‐ATPases helps build PS membrane asymmetry by preferentially translocating PS to the cytosolic leaflet. This asymmetric PS distribution can be used as a signaling device by the regulated activation of scramblases, which rapidly expose PS on the extracellular leaflet and play important roles in blood clotting and apoptosis. This review will discuss recent advances made in the study of phospholipid flippases, scramblases and PS‐specific lipid transfer proteins, as well as how these proteins contribute to subcellular PS distribution.