蛇毒的核磁共振氢谱研究

本文对不同产地的蝮蛇毒和眼镜蛇毒、五步蛇毒等十六个冻干样品,进行了核磁共振氢谱测试.列出了具有代表性的的氢谱图。从谱图中可看出:每种种属蛇毒均有其特征的核磁共振氢谱,此法在准分子水平上是鉴定蛇毒的一种有效而可靠的方法.     

如何改造蛋白质

1.前言 蛋白质是由20种L-α-氨基酸通过肽键接连起来的多肽链组成的。不同的蛋白质,其氨基酸的组成数目、种类、顺序也不一样。蛋白质的氨基酸顺序(也称一级结构)是由每种蛋白质的基因(DNA)的核苷酸序列决定的。生物机体产生的蛋白质是生物个体维持其生命、进行繁殖不可缺少的物质。     

蛋白质分子的结构与功能

讨论蛋白质分子的结构特征。蛋白质分子是由约20种氨基酸残基组成的多肽。蛋白质的分子结构有4个层次,即一级、二级、三级和四级结构。蛋白质分子高度有序的结构是其执行特定生理功能基础。     

一种新的烙铁头蛇毒肌肉毒素

用分子筛和快速蛋白质液相色谱从烙铁头（ＴＲｒｉｍｅｒｅｓｕｒｕｓ ｍｕｃｒｏｓｑｕａｍａｔｕｓ）蛇毒中分离了一个新的碱性肌肉毒素,命名为ＴＭＰＢ。它的分子量为１６０００,等电点为９．２．用蛋白质序列仪测定了其Ｎ端２４个氨基酸残基,ＴＭＰＢ与其他两个从同种蛇毒中分离到的碱性磷酯酶Ａ２的同源性分别为４１．７％和５４．２％《     

不同年龄,性别的眼镜蛇毒等电聚焦电泳及氨基酸分析

观察对不同年龄,不同性别的眼镜蛇毒分离和鉴定效果。方法等电聚焦电泳和氨基酸分析法。结果幼龄雄性眼镜蛇毒区带数远比成年者多,其氨基酸组成亦有不同。结论幼龄蛇与成年蛇蛇毒所含蛋白质种类和含量有所不同。     

蛋白质-核酸复合物界面氨基酸与核苷酸偏好性分析

蛋白质-核酸相互作用机制到目前还不是很清楚,尤其是蛋白质与RNA的相互作用。目前,可得到的蛋白质-核酸复合物结构数据不断增多,作者收集了Protein Data Bank数据库中所有的蛋白质-核酸复合物结构数据,对复合物中结合残基和结合核苷酸的偏好性进行了统计分析。发现：1）不同功能的蛋白质-核酸复合物间的结合残基数量存在显著差异;2）在蛋白 质-DNA和蛋白质-RNA复合物界面,碱性氨基酸都是最受欢迎的;3）氨基酸的极性大小及方向在决定它是否与RNA分子进行结合时起到重要的作用,同时发现氨基酸侧链形成的空间位阻会影响氨基酸残基与RNA分子的相互作用;4）随着定义结合残基距离阈值的增大,其氨基酸使用的特异性降低,而受欢迎与不受欢迎的氨基酸种类均没有变化。     

固有无序蛋白与蛋白质相互作用位点残基特征分析

本文对固有无序蛋白(IDPs)与其他蛋白质相互作用位点残基特征进行了研究.首先在数据库中选出满足条件的109条IDPs蛋白质链及与其他配体蛋白形成的299个IDPs-蛋白质复合物,然后提取复合物中作为相互作用位点的IDPs-蛋白质残基.这109条IDPs链中共含有50 031个氨基酸残基,其中处于作用位点的残基有4 822个.通过分析发现,20种氨基酸在形成IDPs-蛋白质相互作用位点残基时具有不同的倾向性,根据形成作用位点残基的倾向性,20种氨基酸可分成三大类:倾向型氨基酸(ILE、LEU、ARG、PHE、TYR、MET、TRP)、中间型氨基酸(GLN、GLU、THR、LYS、VAL、ASP、HIS)、非倾向型氨基酸(PRO、SER、GLY、ALA、ASN、CYS).研究结果还进一步表明,不同氨基酸在有序区域与无序区域形成IDPs-蛋白质作用位点残基的倾向性不同.其中,氨基酸TRP、LEU、ILE、CYS在有序和无序区域形成作用位点残基的差异性尤为明显,而氨基酸GLU、PHE、HIS、ALA则基本没有多大差别.对IDPs-蛋白质相互作用位点残基理化特征进行分析发现:疏水性强、侧链净电荷量较少、极性较小、溶剂可及性表面积较大、侧链体积较大、极化率较大的氨基酸比较倾向于形成作用位点残基.主成分分析结果显示,残基的极化率、侧链体积和溶剂可及表面积对作用位点残基影响最大.     

关于蛋白质二级结构α-螺旋中氢键构成的准确表述

在介绍蛋白质二级结构α-螺旋中的氢键构成时,宜强调"从N端往C端方向",以及"每个氨基酸残基的C=O上的氧和它前面的第4个氨基酸残基的N-H上的氢形成氢键"这2点,这有助于学生准确理解α-螺旋结构的特点。     

蛇毒锯鳞蝰素基因Leul4－Lys15－Glu16的定点突变

本研究的目的是利用蛋白质工程定点突变的方法,在蛇毒锯鳞蝰素基因分子上增加另一个保守序列ＲＧＤ（１４位精氨酸残基,１５位甘氨酸残基,１６位天冬氨酸残基）,以其增加该分子的生物活性,并探讨蛋白质一级结构,空间结构和功能的关系。在质粒ｐＪＣ２６４的基础上,利用ＰＣＲ定点突变方法,对蛇毒锯鳞蝰素基因Ｌｅｕ１４－Ｌｙｓ１５－Ｇｌｕ１６进行定点突变,使相应的ＤＮＡ片段变成表达Ａｒｇ１４－Ｇｌｙ１５－Ａｓｐ１６的核苷酸顺序,经酶切和ＤＮＡ测序鉴定正确。ＣＮＢｒ裂解后,用反相ＨＰＬＣ分析,分离制备突变体蛇毒锯鳞蝰素,制备的突变体蛇毒锯鳞蝰素的Ｎ－末端１０个氨基酸残基与天然蛇毒锯鳞蝰素的相同。在人的富含血小板血浆测活体系中,经１０μｍｏｌ／Ｌ的ＡＤＰ诱导,突变体蛇毒锯鳞蝰素的ＩＣ５０为３．０×１０~（－７）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ;重组野生型蛇毒锯鳞蝰素的ＩＣ５０为４．０×１０~（－７）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ;天然蛇毒锯鳞蝰素的ＩＣ_（５０）为２．８×１０~（－７）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ。此外,就蛇毒锯鳞蝰素中保守序列Ａｒｇ－Ｇｌｙ－Ａｓｐ以及其空间构象对蛇毒锯鳞蝰素抑制血小板凝集之间的关系进行了讨论。     

淀粉酶的同源性研究

对α－淀粉酶、麦芽四糖淀粉酶和葡萄糖淀粉酶进行的氨基酸序列比较表明,它们之间的氨基酸等同性相当低。本文在对这三种淀粉酶的氨基酸残基进行疏水性分析的基础上,采用国际上近期发展的疏水簇分析方法对这三种淀粉酶的氨基酸序列进行了二维描述,其结果清楚地显示了它们之间的同源性差异。这也被测定的三维结构所证实。这一研究结果表明,与蛋白质三维结构密切相关的蛋白质的二级结构及其相互配置主要取决于蛋白质序列中不同类型氨基酸残基的排列。     

Sequence analysis and phylogenetic study of some toxin proteins of snakes and related non-toxin proteins of chordates

Snakes are equipped with their venomic armory to tackle different prey and predators in adverse natural world. The venomic composition of snakes is a mix of biologically active proteins and polypeptides. Among different components snake venom cytotoxins and short neurotoxin are non-enzymatic polypeptide candidates with in the venom. These two components structurally resembled to three-finger protein superfamily specific scaffold. Different non-toxin family members of three-finger protein superfamily are involved in different biological roles. In the present study we analyzed the snake venom cytotoxins, short neurotoxins and related non-toxin proteins of different chordates in terms of amino acid sequence level diversification profile, polarity profile of amino acid sequences, conserved pattern of amino acids and phylogenetic relationship of these toxin and nontoxin protein sequences. Sequence alignment analysis demonstrates the polarity specific molecular enrichment strategy for better system adaptivity. Occurrence of amino acid substitution is high in number in toxin sequences. In non-toxin body proteins there are less amino acid substitutions. With the help of conserved residues these proteins maintain the three-finger protein scaffold. Due to system specific adaptation toxin and non-toxin proteins exhibit a varied type of amino acid residue distribution in sequence stretch. Understanding of Natural invention scheme (recruitment of venom proteins from normal body proteins) may help us to develop futuristic engineered bio-molecules with remedial properties.     

Accelerated evolution of small serum proteins (SSPs)-The PSP94 family proteins in a Japanese viper

Five small serum proteins (SSPs) with molecular masses of 6.5-10 kDa were detected in Habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis) serum; this included two novel proteins SSP-4 and SSP-5. The amino acid sequences of these proteins and of SSP-1, SSP-2, and SSP-3, which were reported previously, were determined on the basis of the nucleotide sequences of their cDNAs. Although these proteins exhibited only limited sequence identity to mammalian prostatic secretory protein of 94 amino acids (PSP94), the topological pattern of disulfide bonds in SSPs was identical to that of the mammalian proteins. SSP-3 and SSP-4 lacked approximately 30 residues at the C-terminal. Each of the full-length cDNAs encoded a mature protein of 62-90 residues and a highly conserved signal peptide. The evolutionary distances between SSPs estimated on the basis of the amino acid changes were significantly greater than those of the synonymous nucleotide substitutions; these finding, together with results from analyses of nonsynonymous to synonymous rates of change (dN/dS) suggest that snake SSPs have endured substantial accelerated adaptive protein evolution. Such accelerated positive selection in SSPs parallels other findings of similar molecular evolution in snake venom proteins and suggests that diversifying selection on both systems may be linked, and that snake SSP genes may have evolved by gene duplication and rapid diversification to facilitate the acquisition of various functions to block venom activity within venomous snakes.     

Snake venom components and their cross-reactivity: a review

Snake venoms are complex mixtures of organic and inorganic compounds, many of which display biological activity. It has been demonstrated that antisera raised against whole venom or a single purified venom protein from one species of snake will react with proteins in the venom of other species. This cross-reactivity between species may have applications in determining snake phylogeny, but recent studies on the variation of venom components within a species make these evolutionary conclusions questionable.     

Purification, characterization, and cDNA cloning of a new fibrinogenlytic venom protein, Agkisacutacin, from Agkistrodon acutus venom

Agkisacutacin is a new fibrinogenlytic protein from Agkistrodon acutus venom. It consists of two heterologous subunits linked by an intersubunit disulfide bond. The cDNAs encoding the two chains of Agkisacutacin were cloned from a lambdagt11 cDNA library of the snake venom gland and sequenced, including the leader peptides (23/23 amino acid residues) and mature subunits (129/123 amino acid residues). It is structurally related to the family of IX/X-binding protein (IX/X-bp)-like proteins and shows high similarity (alpha-70%/beta-64%) to habu IX/X-bp from Trimeresurus flavoridis, but displays distinct biological activity with direct action on fibrinogen.     

Characterization and cDNA cloning of dipeptidyl peptidase IV from the venom of Gloydius blomhoffi brevicaudus

Dipeptidyl peptidase activity was investigated in snake venoms from Gloydius blomhoffi brevicaudus, Gloydius halys blomhoffii, Trimeresurus flavoviridis and Crotalus atrox. The strongest dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) activity was found in venom from G. blomhoffi brevicaudus. The substrate specificity, susceptibility to inhibitors, and pH optimum of the partially purified enzyme were similar to those of known DPP IVs from bacteria and eukaryotes. The G. blomhoffi brevicaudus venom gland cDNA library was screened to isolate cDNA clones using probes based on amino acid sequences highly conserved in known DPP IVs. Two cDNA species encoding DPP IV were obtained, and designated as DPP IVa and DPP IVb. This is the first study to report the primary structure of DPP IV from a reptile. The deduced amino acid sequences for DPP IVa and DPP IVb both consist of 751amino acid residues and are highly homologous to each other. A putative catalytic triad for serine proteases, Ser-616, Asp-694, and His-726, is present. It is of particular interest that the deduced NH(2)-terminal sequence associated with the characteristic signal peptide is identical to that determined from the purified DPP IV. This indicates that the signal peptide of snake venom DPP IV is not cleaved off during biosynthesis, unlike those of other snake venom proteins.     

Solution structure of crotamine, a Na+ channel affecting toxin from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom.

Crotamine is a component of the venom of the snake Crotalus durissus terrificus and it belongs to the myotoxin protein family. It is a 42 amino acid toxin cross-linked by three disulfide bridges and characterized by a mild toxicity (LD50 = 820 micro g per 25 g body weight, i.p. injection) when compared to other members of the same family. Nonetheless, it possesses a wide spectrum of biological functions. In fact, besides being able to specifically modify voltage-sensitive Na+ channel, it has been suggested to exhibit analgesic activity and to be myonecrotic. Here we report its solution structure determined by proton NMR spectroscopy. The secondary structure comprises a short N-terminal alpha-helix and a small antiparallel triple-stranded beta-sheet arranged in an alphabeta1beta2beta3 topology never found among toxins active on ion channels. Interestingly, some scorpion toxins characterized by a biological activity on Na+ channels similar to the one reported for crotamine, exhibit an alpha/beta fold, though with a beta1alphabeta2beta3 topology. In addition, as the antibacterial beta-defensins, crotamine interacts with lipid membranes. A comparison of crotamine with human beta-defensins shows a similar fold and a comparable net positive potential surface. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the structure of a toxin from snake venom active on Na+ channel.     

Primary structure of a protein C activator from Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix venom

The amino acid sequence of a protease, protein C activator, from Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix venom was determined. Peptide fragments obtained by chemical or enzymatic cleavage of the S-carboxymethylated protein were purified by gel filtration and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The present study demonstrates that protein C activator from A. contortrix contortrix venom is a trypsin-type serine protease that is composed of 231 residues with a molecular weight of 25,095 for the polypeptide portion of the molecule. By analogy to the mammalian serine proteases, the catalytic triad in venom protein C activator consists of His-40, Asp-85, and Ser-177. The protein also contains three N-linked glycosylation sites at Asn-21, Asn-78, and Asn-129. The amino acid sequence of protein C activator exhibits a high degree of sequence identity with other snake venom proteases: 73% with batroxobin, 68% with flavoxobin, and 55% with Russell's viper venom factor V activator.     

Purification, characterization and cytokine release function of a novel Arg-49 phospholipase A(2) from the venom of Protobothrops mucrosquamatus

Group IIA phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) are major components in Viperidae/Crotalidae venom. In the present study, a novel PLA(2) named promutoxin with Arg at the site 49 has been purified from the venom of Protobothrops mucrosquamatus by chromatography. It consists of 122 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 13,656 Da assessed by MALDI-TOF. It has the structural features of snake venom group IIA PLA(2)s, but has no PLA(2) enzymatic activity. Promutoxin shows higher amino acid sequence identity to the K49 PLA(2)s (72-95%) than to D49 PLA(2)s (52-58%). Promutoxin exhibits potent myotoxicity in the animal model with as little as 1 microg of promutoxin causing myonecrosis and myoedema in the gastrocnemius muscle of mice. Promutoxin is also able to stimulate the release of IL-12, TNFalpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta from human monocytes, and induce IL-2, TNFalpha and IL-6 release from T cells, indicating that this snake venom group IIA PLA(2) is actively involved in the inflammatory process in man caused by snake venom poisoning.     

Amino acid sequences of three phospholipases A I, III and IV from the venom of the sea snake Laticauda semifasciata.

Amino acid sequences of three phospholipases A, I, III and IV, from the venom of the sea snake Laticauda semifasciata were elucidated. Each protein consisted of a single chain of 118 amino acid residues, including 14 half-cystine residues. They showed high homology among themselves, and with the other snake-venom phospholipases A and with the enzymes from mammalian pancreas. Phospholipases A III and IV were especially similar to each other, with only four differences out of their 118 amino acid residues. Phospholipase A I contained one tryptophan residue at position 64, which was important for enzymic activity, whereas III and IV did not contain tryptophan residues and their corresponding positions were occupied by leucine residues. The substitution by leucine resulted in a decreased, but definite, phospholipase A activity. The substituted enzymes have a more potent neuromuscular blocking activity. Full experimental details and evidence for the amino acid sequences of the proteins have been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50118 (39 pages) at the British Library Lending Division, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem.J. (1981) 193, 5.