SEMA3C/SEMA3D基因错义突变对蛋白稳定性和受体亲合力的影响

目的:明确先天性巨结肠患者携带的5个SEMA3C/SEMA3D基因错义突变对Semaphorin 3(Sema3)蛋白自身稳定性和受体亲合力的影响作用。方法:构建Sema3-Neuropilin-Plexin配体-受体复合物蛋白质模型,对全部5个错义突变进行定位,通过计算标准能量功能赋值(△△G)和复合物界面值(△I_sc)预测突变对Sema3的影响作用。将野生型和突变型AP-tagged Sema3质粒分别转染HEK293T细胞,72 h后收集含有融合蛋白的细胞培养液上清并与分别表达Neuropilin 1(Nrp-1)或Neuropilin 2(Nrp-2)的COS-7细胞孵育,洗脱未结合的蛋白后加入碱性磷酸酶底物显色拍片,或提取细胞总蛋白,利用融合蛋白N-末端含有的碱性磷酸酶在底物PNPP存在时可以发生颜色变化的特性,对与受体结合的野生型和突变型AP-Sema3蛋白进行定量。结果:5个错义突变中的4个都会不同程度地影响相应Semaphorin 3蛋白与其受体Neuropilin的结合(与Nrp-1的结合:SEMA3C S329G,V337M,SEMA3D H424Q,V457I,P615T分别与野生型相比:1.12±0.15,0.37±0.03,0.56±0.07,0.51±0.05,0.66±0.05;与Nrp-2的结合:SEMA3C S329G,V337M,SEMA3D H424Q,V457I,P615T分别与野生型相比:1.18±0.09,0.37±0.03,0.76±0.01,0.65±0.06,0.85±0.03,n=3,单因素方差分析,差异有统计学意义),说明它们可能通过严重影响分子通路的信号转导而妨碍蛋白功能的正常行使。结论:先天性巨结肠患者携带的SEMA3C/SEMA3D基因错义突变可不同程度影响蛋白与其受体的结合,提示Semaphorin 3这类经典的神经元轴突导向因子在功能失常的情况下可能参与先天性巨结肠的发生。     

小鼠Agouti基因变异及生物信息学分析

目的分析候选基因Agouti的多态性,揭示染色体工程小鼠毛色差异的分子机制。方法首先,用测色仪检测小鼠的毛色差异。其次,利用DNA芯片进行全基因组扫描确定候选基因Agouti。最后,运用生物信息学软件分析Agouti基因cDNA序列和氨基酸序列的多态性,预测突变对蛋白结构和功能产生的影响。结果发现Agouti基因cDNA序列上存在5个SNPs,使Agouti信号蛋白产生了3个错义突变。生物信息学分析发现,其中一个错义突变使该蛋白丢失了一个β折叠,并且其三级结构发生改变,最终导致与受体结合的能力相较于野生型有所下降。结论在毛色基因Agouti的编码区发现了一个新的错义突变,该突变使Agouti信号蛋白与受体结合能力下降,最终导致小鼠的毛色由浅灰色变为深灰色。     

EDNRB基因编码区点突变及多态性在浙江地区散发性先天性巨结肠症中的检测与分析

本实验应用聚合酶链反应-单链构象多态性(single strand confbrmation polymorphism analysis of polymerase chain reaction products,PCR-SSCP)和DNA直接测序技术,对75例浙江地区散发性先天性巨结肠病例EDNRB基因编码区的全部7个外显子,进行了点突变与单核苷酸多态性的检测与分析,探讨浙江地区先天性巨结肠患者EDNRB基因的突变特征,阐明EDNRB基因与散发性先天性巨结肠症发病之间可能存在的关系。结果有6例患者在第4外显子上检测到密码子277位点 CTG→CTA的置换,导致亮氨酸的同义突变(L277L),属于单核苷酸多态性,发生率为8％(6/75)。有 2例患者在第2外显子上检测到密码子185位点GTG→ATG的置换,导致缬氨酸到蛋氨酸的错义突变(V185M),此突变型未在国内外文献中报道过,认为是新的基因突变型,突变率2．7％(2/75)。研究结果表明,浙江地区先天性巨结肠群体可发生EDNRB基因的杂合性突变,提示EDNRB基因与先天性巨结肠症的发病存在一定程度的关联。     

Semaphorin4D的作用机制与功能

Semaphorins家族是一类以结构中具有sema区域为共同特征的蛋白,Semaphorin4D(Sema4D)是其成员之一.Sema4D与受体丛状蛋白B1(PlexinB1)和分化抗原簇72(cluster of differentiation antigen72,CD72)结合,通过多种信号转导途径,在神经系统的轴突导向,免疫系统中T、B细胞的活化和免疫调节中发挥关键作用.最近发现,Sema4D在许多人体肿瘤组织中高表达,且对血管发生及肿瘤侵袭转移起重要作用.本文旨在对Sema4D的结构、作用机制及生物学功能的研究最新进展作一综述.     

尼古丁受体CHRNA5 亚基突变对其功能影响的初步研究

摘要 目的：研究CHRNA5亚基突变对尼古丁受体功能的影响。方法：通过RT-PCR克隆CHRNA5基因片段,并通过重叠延伸PCR方法对CHRNA5亚基基因定点突变,从而构建CHRNA5突变型及野生型表达载体,然后转染至HEK293T细胞中,检测其基因表达。并将其分别与CHRNA3和CHRNB4共转至HEK293T细胞中,检测三质粒共转后的基因表达;通过采用尼古丁持续灌流细胞10 min,然后检测细胞内钙离子内流峰值的变化情况,接下来检测突变对转染后细胞活力的影响。结果：构建的CHRNA5表达载体在转染HEK293T细胞48 h后,能够检测到绿色荧光蛋白的表达,这证明重组载体已成功转染进HEK293T细胞;通过RT-PCR检测出转染细胞CHRNA5 mRNA表达,这证明CHRNA5突变型和野生型均在HEK293T细胞中成功进行了表达。通过尼古丁灌流细胞实验显示突变组和野生型组F340/F380峰值变化均值分别为0.865±0.048和0.447±0.127,突变体组峰值显著高于野生型组（P<0.05）。细胞活力检测实验发现0.01 mM和0.1 mM尼古丁刺激下突变组的细胞活力峰值分别为139%和137%,显著高于野生组的124%和126%,有显著差异（P<0.05）。结论：本研究成功构建了CHRNA5突变及野生型真核表达载体,发现CHRNA5的突变会导致其受体功能性改变,并影响细胞活力。     

中国人先天性巨结肠RET基因突变特征研究

为了研究中国人先天性巨结肠(HD)RET基因突变特征,从分子水平探讨先天性巨结肠症(HD)的发病机理,揭示中国人群HD与RET基因突变的关系。我们应用聚合酶链反应-单链构象多态性(PCR-SSCP)-DNA测序方法,对50例HD患儿和30例无便秘正常对照者,进行RET基因第13外显子突变筛查,并对第13外显子突变阳性患儿家系作研究。结果发现在50例HD患儿中,有7例第13外显子扩增片段在SSCP分析时出现泳动变位。经DNA测序证实,有3种点突变类型(错义、同义和移码),第13外显子突变率为14%(7/50)。在7例第13外显子突变的患儿中,发现2例患儿的父亲存在与其子相同的突变。实验表明中国先天性巨结肠人群存在着RET基因突变,且以杂和性点突变为主,HD具有一定的遗传性。     

中国人先天性巨结肠RET基因突变特征研究

为了研究中国人先天性巨结肠(HD)RET基因突变特征,从分子水平探讨先天性巨结肠症(HD)的发病机理,揭示中国人群HD与RET基因突变的关系。我们应用聚合酶链反应-单链构象多态性(PCR—SSCP)-DNA测序方法,对50例HD患儿和30例无便秘正常对照者,进行RET基因第13外显子突变筛查,并对第13外显子突变阳性患儿家系作研究。结果发现在50例HD患儿中,有7例第13外显子扩增片段在SSCP分析时出现泳动变位。经DNA测序证实,有3种点突变类型(错义、同义和移码),第13外显子突变率为14％(7／50)。在7例第13外显子突变的患儿中,发现2例患儿的父亲存在与其子相同的突变。实验表明中国先天性巨结肠人群存在着RET基因突变,且以杂和性点突变为主,HD具有一定的遗传性。     

人耳聋相关基因GJB3的结构特征及生物信息学分析

目的：对问隙连接蛋白Cx31编码基因GJB3的编码区进行生物信息学预测和分析。方法：利用C1ustalW2、MEGA5．05和VMDl．9等生物信息学软件对GJB3的保守性、系统进化、三维空间结构和错义突变角度进行分子结构预测和功能分析。结果：系统进化树的构建验证了脊椎动物各纲亲缘关系远近;保守性分析为GJB3致病性突变少于GJB2提供了可能的原因;三维结构预测和错义突变分析解释了GJB3突变的致病性机制。结论：对GJB3基因及其蛋白结构和功能的分析将为后续实验研究奠定基础。     

人副流感病毒3型HN蛋白十一肽重复序列保守氨基酸突变分析

为确定人副流感病毒3型(Human parainfluenza virus type 3,hPIV3)病毒包膜表面血凝素神经氨酸酶(Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase,HN)糖蛋白茎部区十一肽重复序列中保守氨基酸中具有关键性作用的位点,进一步探讨HN蛋白茎部区在融合机制中的重要作用。结合定点突变和同源重组技术将HN蛋白茎部区十一肽重复序列中5个保守氨基酸位点(I102、P111、L114、S119、I125)突变为丙氨酸(Alanine,A),通过痘苗病毒-T7聚合酶系统在BHK-21细胞中表达突变蛋白,定性定量检测各突变体蛋白的促细胞融合活性、受体结合活性、神经氨酸酶活性和半融合活性。突变体蛋白I102A、P111A、L114A、S119A、I125A的促细胞融合活性均有不同程度下降,依次为野生型的6%、16%、14%、87%和4%,除S119A外其余4个突变型与野生型相比差别均具有统计学意义(P0.01);突变体蛋白I102A、P111A、L114A、S119A、I125A的受体结合活性也出现不同程度下降,依次分别为野生型的32.2%、77.4%、74.2%、83.9%和38.7%,其中I102A和I125A的受体结合活性与野生型相比差别具有统计学意义(P0.01);突变体蛋白I102A、P111A、L114A、S119A、I125A的神经氨酸酶活性分别为野生型的66.5%、73.1%、69.1%、76.1%和72.8%,与野生型相比差别无统计学意义(P0.05)。结果表明:茎部区十一肽重复序列对hPIV3HN蛋白的促细胞融合活性和受体结合活性具有重要意义。该区域氨基酸I102、P111、L114、I125具有关键作用,推测其能通过影响头部区受体结合活性或是与融合蛋白的相互作用等不同方式导致HN蛋白结构功能发生改变。     

蟾蜍心肌肾上腺素能受体的类型和含量

用放射配基结合分析法,研究了不同温度条件下蟾蜍心脏各部位肾上腺素能受体的类型和含量。结果表明,常温蟾蜍心肌膜在37℃同β-受体的特异性标记配基~3H-双氢心得舒(~3H-DHA)的最大结合(B_(max))及Kd值分别为:全心,55.11±6.22fmol/mg蛋白及2.15±0.42nmol/L;窦房,55.80±7.03fmol/mg蛋白及2.65±0.37 nmol/L;心室,54.27±3.06 fmol/mg蛋白及1.84±0.14 nmol/L,同样温度条件下,窦房及心室心肌膜同α-受体的特异性标记配基~3H-双氢麦角隐亭(~3H-DHE)没有特异性结合,经过5—8℃,10d以上低温服习的蟾蜍,在10℃测试,其α-,β-受体的结合量和亲和力无异于常温蟾蜍。上述结果提示,蟾蜍心肌只有β-受体,温度对受体的类型和含量无明显影响,这种受体类型和含量在相当大的温度范围内保持不变。     

Hyaluronate degradation in 3T3 and simian virus-transformed 3T3 cells

The cellular control of hyaluronate levels was examined in cultures of simian virus 40-transformed 3T3 (SV3T3) and 3T3 cells which are known to differ in their metabolism of hyaluronate. When [3H]hyaluronate was added to cultures of the two cell lines, four times more ligand was bound per mg of protein by the SV3T3 cells than by the 3T3 cells. Of the bound [3H] hyaluronate, 40% was degraded by the SV3T3 cells to oligosaccharides characteristic of the breakdown of hyaluronate, but only 2% was degraded by 3T3 cells. Hyaluronidase activity was found in the cell layer and medium of the SV3T3 cultures, but was not detectable in 3T3 cells. The SV3T3 enzyme was active only at acidic pH, but at neutral pH the secreted SV3T3 hyaluronidase was thermally more stable then the cell-associated enzyme. In contrast, both cell lines were found to contain similar amounts of beta-glucuronidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. We conclude that the elevated capacity of SV3T3 cells to degrade hyaluronate may be partially responsible for their lack of the hyaluronate-containing pericellular coat which is prominent around 3T3 cells.     

Cell density and amino acid transport in 3T3, SV3T3, and SV3T3 revertant cells

The transport of selected neutral and cationic amino acids has been studied in Balb/c 3T3, SV3T3, and SV3T3 revertant cell lines. After properly timed preincubations to control the size of internal amino acid pools, the activity of systems A, ASC, L, and Ly⁺ has been discriminated by measurements of amino acid uptake (initial entry rate) in the presence and absence of sodium and of transportspecific model substrates. L-Proline, 2-aminoisobutyric acid, and glycine were primarily taken up by system A; L-alanine and L-serine by system ASC; L-phenylalanine by system L; and L-lysine by system Ly⁺ in SV3T3 cells. L-Proline and L-serine were also preferential substrates of systems A and ASC, respectively, in 3T3 and SV3T3 revertant cells. Transport activity of the Na⁺-dependent systems A and ASC decreased markedly with the increase of cell density, whereas the activity of the Na⁺-independent systems L and Ly⁺remained substantially unchanged. The density-dependent change in activity of system A occurred through a mechanism affecting transport maximum (V_max) rather than substrate concentration for half-maximal velocity (K_m). Transport activity of systems A and ASC was severalfold higher in transformed SV3T3 cells than in 3T3 parental cells at all the culture densities that could be compared. In SV3T3 revertant cells, transport activity by these systems remained substantially similar to that observed in transformed SV3T3 cells. The results presented here add cell density as a regulatory factor of the activity of systems A and ASC, and show that this control mechanism of amino acid transport is maintained in SV40 virus-transformed 3T3 cells that have lost density-dependent inhibition of growth, as well as in SV3T3 revertant cells that have resumed it.     

3-Bromo-3-deazaneplanocin and 3-bromo-3-deazaaristeromycin: Synthesis and antiviral activity

As an outgrowth of our program to explore 3-deazaadenine carbocyclic nucleosides, 3-bromo-3-deazaneplanocin (5) and 3-bromo-3-deazaaristeromycin (6) have been synthesized from a readily available cyclopentenol and cyclopentanone and either 4-amino- or 4-chloro-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine (6-amino- or 6-chloro-3-deazaadenine) in 5 steps and 7 steps, respectively. Antiviral analysis found 5 to display significant activity towards a number of (-)-ssRNA and a few dsDNA viruses. Compound 6 was less active than 5 against selected examples of those viruses affected by 5.     

Ether-linked lipids of Balb/c3T3, SV3T3 and concanavalin A-selected SV3T3 revertant cells

Ether-linked lipids were analyzed in Balb/c3T3, SV3T3 and Concanavalin A-selected SV3T3 revertant cells. The three cell lines were found to contain significant quantities of alk-1-enyl- and alkyl-linked phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) and small amounts of alkyldiacylglycerols. Compared to 3T3 cells, SV3T3 cells contain a higher amount of alk-1-enyl-linked PC, while in SV3T3 revertant cells the concentrations of the various ether lipids are similar to those of 3T3 cells. The major difference in the composition of ether groups of SV3T3 cells, compared to 3T3 cells, is an increase of 18:0 accompanied by a decrease of 18:1 in the alk-1-enyl-linked PE and PC. Alk-1-enyl-linked PC of SV3T3 revertant cells also shows an increase of 18:0, while the decrease of 18:1 was not statistically significant.     

Protein degradation in 3T3 cells and tumorigenic transformed 3T3 cells

To study the relation of overall rates of protein degradation in the control of cell growth, we determined if transformation of fibroblasts to tumorigenicity affected their rates of degradation of short- and long-lived proteins. Rates of protein degradation were measured in nontumorigenic mouse Balb/c 3T3 fibroblasts, and in tumorigenic 3T3 cells transformed by different agents. Growing 3T3 cells, and cells transformed with Moloney sarcoma virus (MA-3T3) or Rous sarcoma virus (RS-3T3), degraded short- and long-lived proteins at similar rates. Simian virus 40 (SV-3T3)- and benzo(a)pyrene (BP-3T3)-transformed cells had slightly lower rates of degradation of both short- and long-lived proteins. Reducing the serum concentration in the culture medium from 10% to 0.5%, immediately caused about a twofold increase in the rate of degradation of long-lived proteins in 3T3 cells. Transformed lines increased their rates of degradation of long-lived proteins only by different amounts upon serum deprivation, but none of them to the same extent as did 3T3. Greater differences in the degradation rates of proteins were seen among the transformed cells than between 3T3 cells and some transformed cells. Thus, there was no consistent change in any rate of protein degradation in 3T3 cells due to transformation to tumorigenicity.     

Endogenous hyaluronate-cell surface interactions in 3T3 and simian virus-transformed 3T3 cells

3T3 cells have a large, pericellular coat which contains 30 times more hyaluronate than the amount of cell surface hyaluronate associated with simian virus 40-transformed 3T3 (SV-3T3) cells. On the other hand, SV-3T3 cells have high affinity binding sites for exogenously added hyaluronate, whereas 3T3 cells have much lower affinity sites. Removal of cell surface hyaluronate from SV-3T3 cells by treatment with hyaluronidase caused a reproducible increase in their maximum binding capacity for exogenous hyaluronate but no significant change in binding affinity or specificity. For 3T3 cells, however, the maximum amount of binding decreased and the affinity of binding increased after hyaluronidase treatment. When endogenous cell surface hyaluronate was labeled metabolically and then the cells incubated in the presence of exogenous unlabeled hyaluronate, the labeled cell surface hyaluronate was quantitatively displaced from the SV-3T3 cells but was not displaced from the 3T3 cells. Chondroitin sulfate and heparin did not displace cell surface hyaluronate from either cell type. Membranes isolated from SV-3T3 cells bound hyaluronate specifically and with high affinity, whereas membranes from 3T3 cells did not consistently bind a significant amount of hyaluronate. We conclude from these studies that the retention of endogenous hyaluronate on the surface of SV-3T3 cells is mediated by binding sites similar to those detected by the addition of exogenous hyaluronate, and the mechanism of retention of endogenous hyaluronate on the surface of 3T3 cells differs from SV-3T3 cells.     

Synthesis and biological activity of 3 beta-fluorovitamin D3: comparison of the biological activity of 3 beta-fluorovitamin D3 and 3-deoxyvitamin D3

The alteration in the biologic activity of the vitamin D3 molecule resulting from the replacement of a hydrogen atom with a fluorine atom is a subject of fundamental interest. To investigate this problem we synthesized 3 beta-fluorovitamin D3 6 and its hydrogen analog, 3-deoxyvitamin D3 7, and tested the biologic activity of each by in vitro and in vivo methods. Contrary to previous reports which showed that 3 beta-fluorovitamin D3 was as active as vitamin D3 in vivo, we found that the fluoro-analog was less active than vitamin D3. With regard to stimulation of intestinal calcium transport and bone calcium mobilization in the D-deficient hypocalcemic rat, 3 beta-fluorovitamin D3 showed significantly greater biologic activity than its hydrogen analog, 3-deoxyvitamin D3. In the organ-cultured, embryonic chick duodenum, 3 beta-fluorovitamin D3 was approx 1/1000th as active as the native hormone, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, while 3-deoxyvitamin D3 was inactive even at microM concentrations, in the induction of the vitamin D-dependent, calcium-binding protein. With regard to in vitro activity in displacing radiolabeled 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 from vitamin D binding protein and radiolabelled 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 from a chick intestinal cytosol receptor, 3 beta-fluorovitamin D3 and 3 beta-deoxyvitamin D3 both showed very poor binding efficiencies when compared with vitamin D3. Our results show that the substitution of a fluorine atom for a hydrogen atom at the C-3 position of the vitamin D3 molecule results in a fluorovitamin 6 with significantly more biological activity than its hydrogen analog, 3-deoxyvitamin D3 7.