Molecular Characterization of the Rice Pathogenesis-related Protein, OsPR-4b, and Its Antifungal Activity Against Rhizoctonia solani

We cloned and identified a new rice pathogenesis‐related (PR)‐4 gene, OsPR‐4b. OsPR‐4b encodes a 151 amino acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 16.47 kDa and pI of 4.42. The putative OsPR‐4b shows high similarity to PR‐4 type proteins from various plant species and belongs to the Barwin family. Like other PR‐4s from monocot plants, OsPR‐4b contains a conserved Barwin domain and has a signal peptide at its N‐terminus. Recombinant OsPR‐4b protein expressed in Escherichia coli showed antifungal activity in vitro against the sheath blight fungus, Rhizoctonia solani. The results suggest that the OsPR‐4b may play a role in the disease resistance responses of rice against pathogen attacks through its antifungal activity.     

Expression pattern, genomic structure, and promoter analysis of the gene encoding stilbene synthase from Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata

The gene encoding stilbene synthase (STS) plays a central role in many biochemical and physiological actions, and its metabolite resveratrol possesses broad-spectrum resistance to pathogens, as well as diverse pharmacological properties, notably an anticancer effect. Here, we report the expression analysis of the gene encoding STS and its promoter function from a powdery mildew (PM)-resistant Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata, and compare it with two PM-susceptible cultivated grapevines, Vitis vinifera cvs. Carignane and Thompson Seedless. We show an unusual expression pattern of STS in V. pseudoreticulata, which differs markedly from that of the cultivated species. Sequence comparisons reveal that the genomic DNA sequences encoding STS in the three grapevines are highly conserved, but a novel residue mutation within the key motif of STS is solely present in V. pseudoreticulata. Moreover, the STS promoter in V. pseudoreticulata displays a significantly different structure from that found in the two V. vinifera. The three promoter-driven GUS differential expression patterns in transformed tobacco plants induced with Alternaria alternata, methyl jasmonate, and wounding indicated that the structurally different STS promoter of V. pseudoreticulata is responsible for its specific regulatory function. We also demonstrate that the expression of STS genes from their native promoters are functional in transformed tobacco and retain pathogen inducibility. Importantly, the genomic DNA-2 of V. pseudoreticulata under its native promoter shows good induction and the maximum level of resveratrol content. These findings further our understanding of the regulation of STS expression in a resistant grapevine and provide a new pathogen-inducible promoter system for the genetic improvement of plant disease resistance.     

蛋白磷酸酶2A的结构、功能和活性调节

蛋白磷酸酶 2A(proteinphosphatase 2A ,PP2A)是主要的丝 /苏氨酸蛋白磷酸酶 ,拥有众多不同基因编码的亚基 ,分别组成多种不同的PP2A全酶 ,参与细胞周期、DNA复制、信号转导、细胞分化和细胞恶性转化等多种细胞生物学事件 ,并和神经退行性疾病、肿瘤等多种疾病的发生、发展有关。PP2A调节亚基的组织特异性表达和细胞内定位 ,催化亚基羧基末端的磷酸化和甲基化 ,第二信使神经酰胺 (ceramide)、天然小分子抑制剂等都能够调节PP2A的活性。     

Antifungal Activity of Isothiocyanates and Related Compounds: II. Mononuclear Aromatic Isothiocyanates

Antifungal activity on Aspergillus niger, Penicillium cyclopium, and Rhizopus oryzae, as well as on additional saprophytic and parasitic fungi, was determined in 57 substituted derivatives of phenylisothiocyanate. Most of the investigated compounds displayed rather equal activity against the three mentioned fungi, in contradistinction to the analogues of natural benzyl- and beta-phenylethylisothiocyanate with their characteristic low activity against R. oryzae. Differences occurred in the type of activity of compounds in which the -NCS group is directly bound on the aromatic moiety, as compared with those compounds in which this group is bound to the aliphatic radical or to the aromatic moiety indirectly by means of the methyl group or by a longer aliphatic chain. The results obtained confirm the negative influence of ionized substituents on the aromatic moiety, i.e., of -COOH, -CH(2)- COOH, and -SO(3)H groups, as well as of substituents which cause an extreme increase in reactivity of the -NCS group resulting in a high instability of the entire isothiocyanate molecule.     

Influence of Chirality of Crizotinib on Its MTH1 Protein Inhibitory Activity: Insight from Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Binding Free Energy Calculations

As a promising target for the treatment of lung cancer, the MutT Homolog 1 (MTH1) protein can be inhibited by crizotinib. A recent work shows that the inhibitory potency of (S)-crizotinib against MTH1 is about 20 times over that of (R)-crizotinib. But the detailed molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free energy calculations were used to elucidate the mechanism about the effect of chirality of crizotinib on the inhibitory activity against MTH1. The binding free energy of (S)-crizotinib predicted by the Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA) and Adaptive biasing force (ABF) methodologies is much lower than that of (R)-crizotinib, which is consistent with the experimental data. The analysis of the individual energy terms suggests that the van der Waals interactions are important for distinguishing the binding of (S)-crizotinib and (R)-crizotinib. The binding free energy decomposition analysis illustrated that residues Tyr7, Phe27, Phe72 and Trp117 were important for the selective binding of (S)-crizotinib to MTH1. The adaptive biasing force (ABF) method was further employed to elucidate the unbinding process of (S)-crizotinib and (R)-crizotinib from the binding pocket of MTH1. ABF simulation results suggest that the reaction coordinates of the (S)-crizotinib from the binding pocket is different from (R)-crizotinib. The results from our study can reveal the details about the effect of chirality on the inhibition activity of crizotinib to MTH1 and provide valuable information for the design of more potent inhibitors.     

A Novel Insight into the Oxidoreductase Activity of Helicobacter pylori HP0231 Protein

Background

The formation of a disulfide bond between two cysteine residues stabilizes protein structure. Although we now have a good understanding of the Escherichia coli disulfide formation system, the machineries at work in other bacteria, including pathogens, are poorly characterized. Thus, the objective of this work was to improve our understanding of the disulfide formation machinery of Helicobacter pylori, a leading cause of ulcers and a risk factor for stomach cancer worldwide.

Methods and Results

The protein HP0231 from H. pylori, a structural counterpart of E. coli DsbG, is the focus of this research. Its function was clarified by using a combination of biochemical, microbiological and genetic approaches. In particular, we determined the biochemical properties of HP0231 as well as its redox state in H. pylori cells.

Conclusion

Altogether our results show that HP0231 is an oxidoreductase that catalyzes disulfide bond formation in the periplasm. We propose to call it HpDsbA.     

Antifungal Activity and Action Mechanism Study of Coumarins from Cnidium monnieri Fruit and Structurally Related Compounds

The increasing resistance of plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi highlights the need for highly effective and environmentally benign agents. The antifungal activities of Cnidium monnieri fruit extracts and five isolated compounds as well as structurally related coumarins against five plant pathogenic fungi were evaluated. The acetone extract, which contained the highest amount of five coumarins, showed strongest antifungal activity. Among the coumarin compounds, we found that 4-methoxycoumarin exhibited stronger and broader antifungal activity against five phytopathogenic fungi, and was more potent than osthol. Especially, it could significantly inhibit the growth of Rhizoctonia solani mycelium with an EC₅₀ value of 21 μg mL⁻¹. Further studies showed that 4-methoxycoumarin affected the structure and function of peroxisomes, inhibited the β-oxidation of fatty acids, decreased the production of ATP and acetyl coenzyme A, and then accumulated ROS by damaging MMP and the mitochondrial function to cause the cell death of R. solani mycelia. 4-Methoxycoumarin presented antifungal efficacy in a concentration- dependent manner in vivo and could be used to prevent the potato black scurf. This study laid the foundation for the future development of 4-methoxycournamin as an alternative and friendly biofungicide.     

棕榈花序中抗真菌蛋白质的分离及特性

棕榈花序用盐溶液提取,硫酸铵沉淀,透析,DEAE—Cellulose DE—52离子交换,超滤,再经 Ultrostl AcA—44柱过滤,上 Bio—Gel P—6柱后,分离到一个相对分子量为25.6 kD的蛋白质(TP—1)。TP—1在浓度低于1.0mg/ml即可明显抑制绿色木霉菌丝的生长,对赤霉菌、棉花枯萎菌及稻瘟菌都有抑制作用。TP—1无几丁酶和β—1,3—葡聚糖酶活性.也无血球凝集活性。但经蒽酮法及PAS反应证明是一个糖蛋白。氨基酸成分分析表明,TP—1富含A_(sD)、Gly、Ala和Leu。     

深海放线菌08A4的鉴定及其抗真菌活性产物研究

从南海深海分离得到1株放线菌08A4,其发酵产物具有抗植物病原真菌活性,分离纯化得到3个化合物,通过1H-NMR初步鉴定为抗霉素类物质。结合形态学鉴定方法与16S rDNA序列分析方法,鉴定该菌株为微白黄链霉菌(Streptomyces albidoflavus)。     

Expression and functional analysis of two genes encoding transcription factors, VpWRKY1 and VpWRKY2, isolated from Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata

In this study, two WRKY genes were isolated from Erysiphe necator-resistant Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata W. T. Wang ‘Baihe-35-1’, and designated as VpWRKY1 (GenBank accession no. GQ884198) and VpWRKY2 (GenBank accession no. GU565706). Nuclear localization of the two proteins was demonstrated in onion epidermal cells, while trans-activation function was confirmed in the leaves of ‘Baihe-35-1’. Expression of VpWRKY1 and VpWRKY2 was induced rapidly by salicylic acid treatment in ‘Baihe-35-1’. Expression of VpWRKY1 and VpWRKY2 was also induced rapidly by E. necator infection in 11 grapevine genotypes; the maximum induction of VpWRKY1 was greater in E. necator-resistant grapevine genotypes than in susceptible ones post E. necator inoculation. Furthermore, ectopic expression of VpWRKY1 or VpWRKY2 in Arabidopsis enhanced resistance to powdery mildew Erysiphe cichoracearum, and enhanced salt tolerance of transgenic plants. VpWRKY2 also enhanced cold tolerance of transgenic plants. In addition, the two proteins were shown to regulate the expression of some defense marker genes in Arabidopsis and grapevine. The data suggest that VpWRKY1 and VpWRKY2 may underlie the resistance in transgenic grapevine to E. necator and tolerance to salt and cold stresses.     

枯草芽孢杆菌TF26抗菌蛋白抑菌活性的初步研究

目的:研究枯草芽孢杆菌TF26抗菌蛋白的抑菌活性和生物稳定性,为菌株及抗菌蛋白的应用提供理论依据.方法:采用硫酸铵盐析方法提取抗菌蛋白,采用菌丝生长速率法检测其对13种植物病原真菌的抑菌活性,采用抑菌圈方法对其生物稳定性进行分析.结果:抗菌蛋白粗提物能够抑制13种植物病原真菌的生长,平皿抑制率为74.3％ ～91.3％,对葵花菌核病菌、番茄和黄瓜枯萎病菌、黄瓜菌核病菌和立枯病菌、水稻恶苗病菌和大豆根腐病菌抑制作用较强.抗菌蛋白在100℃以下,pH＜ 10范围内抑菌活性稳定,对紫外线照射不敏感,室温(20℃)和4℃储存150d抑菌活性稳定.结论:抗菌蛋白具有较强的热、酸碱、紫外和储存稳定性以及广谱的抑菌活性.     

嗜铬粒蛋白N端片段基因在枯草杆菌中的表达及表达产物的活性分析

嗜铬粒蛋白(CGA)是存在于分泌细胞的由439个氨基酸组成的可溶性蛋白。近年的研究发现CGA的N端具有抗血管收缩、抗细菌和抗真菌的功能。为了寻找高效低毒的抗真菌片段,利用PCR技术扩增了编码人嗜铬粒蛋白N端1-76位氨基酸（CGA1-76）的DNA片段,并将之克隆进本实验构建的枯草杆菌诱导型表达载体pSBPTQ,获得含CGA1-76基因的重组质粒pSVTQ,转化蛋白酶三缺陷的枯草杆菌DB403。经蔗糖诱导后,CGA1-76片段在枯草杆菌DB403（pSVTQ）中获得表达,产物分泌到细胞外,分泌量约为5mg/L,占总分泌蛋白的133% 。测试了表达产物对几种丝状真菌和酵母的抑制作用,发现在4μmol/L的浓度下,枯草杆菌表达的重组CGA1-76对镰刀菌、链格孢霉及白假丝酵母有明显的抑制作用。     

Antifungal Activity of Isothiocyanates and Related Compounds: I. Naturally Occurring Isothiocyanates and Their Analogues

Data are presented concerning the antifungal activity of 11 natural isothiocyanates and 27 synthetized analogues in Aspergillus niger, Penicillium cyclopium, and Rhizopus oryzae, as well as in 13 additional saprophytic and parasitic fungi. A remarkable antifungal activity was observed in some analogues of benzylisothiocyanate and β-phenylethylisothiocyanate. The latter-mentioned compounds have not been described previously. In the group of benzylisothiocyanates, a correlation, which was inversely proportional, was detected between ed₁₀₀ values for A. niger and R. oryzae and the corresponding molar solubilities of compounds in water. In contradistinction, no relationship was observed between antifungal activity and chemical reactivity of investigated derivatives.     

Antifungal Activity of Isothiocyanates and Related Compounds: III. Derivatives of Diphenyl, Stilbene, Azobenzene, and Several Polycondensed Aromatic Hydrocarbons

This paper presents the results of a study on the antifungal activity of isothiocyanates-derivatives of biphenyl (group "A"), of stilbene ("B"), of azobenzene and benzeneazonaphthalene ("C"), of naphthalene ("D"), and of further polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons ("E"). From a total of 48 investigated compounds, antifungal activity was observed only in A and D group compounds. B, C, and E group derivatives are extremely insoluble in water, and the molecules are very large; as a result, they probably cannot pass into spores or mycelium of fungi. Thus, the -NCS group cannot manifest its reactivity.     

A New Isoflavone with Antifungal Activity from Immature Fruits of Lupinus luteus

A new isoflavone having antifungal activity was isolated from immature fruits of Lupinus luteus (Leguminosae), and named luteone. The structure was shown to be 5,7,2′,4′-tetrahy-droxy-6-(3,3-dimethylallyl)-isoflavone by degradative and spectroscopic studies.     

Molecular Cloning of GAFP-1, an Antifungal Protein from Gastrodia elata

The cloning and sequencing of a full length cDNA of GAFP-1 ( Gastrodia antifungal protein), an antifungal protein from Gastrodia elata BI. f. fiavida S. Chow is reported. Degenerate primers were designed based on the N-terminal partial sequence from purified GAFP-1 to amplify the corresponding cDNA by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). A cDNA was obtained that contains an open reading frame for a peptide of 171 amino acids which matches the known peptide sequences. A 5'UTR (untranslated region) of 55 bp was found upstream from the translation initiation site. Two poly(A) adenylation sites were located downstream the stop codon. GAFP-1 cDNA and its deduced amino acid sequence share high homology with the mannose binding lectins from Epipactis helloborine, Listera ovata and snowdrop ( Galanthus nivalis ). The cDNA can now be used for testing the potential of GAFP-1 for engineering fungal resistance in crop plants.