Immune role of MrNFκBI-α, an IκB family member characterized in prawn M. rosenbergii

NF kappa B inhibitor alpha (MrNFκBI-α) was sequenced from a freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. The MrNFκBI-α protein contains a long ankyrin repeat region circular domain between 193 and 413 along with its 6 repeats (ankyrin repeat 1,2,3,4,5 and 6). An IκB degradation motif and a putative PEST motif is present at 37-64 and 418-471 of the N- and C-terminal regions of MrNFκBI-α respectively. The gene expressions of MrNFκBI-α in healthy and infectious hematopoietic and hypodermal necrosis virus (IHHNV), poly I:C, Aeromonas hydrophila and Enterococcus faecium injected M.?rosenbergii were examined using quantitative real time PCR. The MrNFκBI-α is expressed in all the tissues taken for examination and the highest is observed in hemocytes. The MrNFκBI-α gene expression is strongly up-regulated in hemocytes of prawn after IHHNV, poly I:C, A.?hydrophila and E.?faecium infection. This result indicates an important role of MrNFκBI-α in M.?rosenbergii immune system. This, however, remains to be verified by further studies.     

苜蓿夜蛾中肠丝氨酸蛋白酶cDNA的克隆、序列分析及原核表达

【目的】本研究旨在从苜蓿夜蛾Heliothis viriplaca中肠克隆出丝氨酸蛋白酶（serine protease, SP）基因的cDNA序列,测定原核表达后的蛋白经纯化及复性后的活性。【方法】运用RT-PCR和cDNA末端快速扩增方法（rapid amplification of cDNA ends, RACE）克隆苜蓿夜蛾幼虫中肠丝氨酸蛋白酶cDNA全序列,用大肠杆菌Escherichia coli表达系统进行表达。重组蛋白经纯化后,利用梯度透析法进行复性,以BApNA为底物,进行活性测定。【结果】克隆获得的苜蓿夜蛾中肠丝氨酸蛋白酶基因命名为HvSP（GenBank登录号：JX866720）,该基因全长880 bp,开放阅读框长762 bp,编码254个氨基酸,推测分子量和pI值分别为26.9 kDa和9.49。由HvSP推导的氨基酸与鳞翅目昆虫SP氨基酸序列的一致性在52%~95%之间,其中与棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera SP（GenBank登录号：CAA72962）的氨基酸序列一致性最高,达95%。成功构建重组载体pET21b-HvSP进行原核表达,Western-blot鉴定确定为目的蛋白。蛋白可溶性分析发现重组蛋白为包涵体。在Glycine-NaOH缓冲液中,当pH为10.0时,复性的重组蛋白活性达到最高,为35.74 U/mL。【结论】本研究在苜蓿夜蛾体内获得了一个新的丝氨酸蛋白酶基因,且原核表达后的重组蛋白经过变性、纯化及复性后具有活性。该结果为进一步研究丝氨酸蛋白酶在鳞翅目昆虫体内的生理功能奠定了基础。     

深黄被孢霉苹果酸脱氢酶基因的克隆和表达

目的 通过对深黄被孢霉（Mortierella isabellina）M6-22中MDH基因的分离鉴定,为深入了解苹果酸脱氢酶（MDH）的生理特性、结构和功能奠定基础,并进一步探讨生物体中MDH的代谢作用。方法 通过基因克隆的方法以深黄被孢霉的cDNA为模板,PCR扩增获得苹果酸脱氢酶基因MIMDH1。结果 测序结果显示该序列长990 bp,分别编码329个氨基酸。序列分析表明该序列与瓜笄霉菌（Choanephora cucurbitarum）MDH的相同性高达77%。将MIMDH1片段连接到表达载体pET32a(+)中构建重组表达质粒pET32aMIMDH1并转化至大肠埃希菌BL21中诱导表达,SDS-PAGE电泳检测在50 kD左右有一条蛋白表达条带,经镍柱亲和层析纯化和酶活分析结果显示所纯化的重组蛋白酶活高达379.28 U/mg。结论克隆的cDNA序列MIMDH1是一个新的苹果酸脱氢酶基因,所编码的蛋白具有MDH的活性。     

Biosynthesis of riboflavin: an unusual riboflavin synthase of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum.

Riboflavin synthase was purified by a factor of about 1,500 from cell extract of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. The enzyme had a specific activity of about 2,700 nmol mg(-1) h(-1) at 65 degrees C, which is relatively low compared to those of riboflavin synthases of eubacteria and yeast. Amino acid sequences obtained after proteolytic cleavage had no similarity with known riboflavin synthases. The gene coding for riboflavin synthase (designated ribC) was subsequently cloned by marker rescue with a ribC mutant of Escherichia coli. The ribC gene of M. thermoautotrophicum specifies a protein of 153 amino acid residues. The predicted amino acid sequence agrees with the information gleaned from Edman degradation of the isolated protein and shows 67% identity with the sequence predicted for the unannotated reading frame MJ1184 of Methanococcus jannaschii. The ribC gene is adjacent to a cluster of four genes with similarity to the genes cbiMNQO of Salmonella typhimurium, which form part of the cob operon (this operon contains most of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of vitamin B12). The amino acid sequence predicted by the ribC gene of M. thermoautotrophicum shows no similarity whatsoever to the sequences of riboflavin synthases of eubacteria and yeast. Most notably, the M. thermoautotrophicum protein does not show the internal sequence homology characteristic of eubacterial and yeast riboflavin synthases. The protein of M. thermoautotrophicum can be expressed efficiently in a recombinant E. coli strain. The specific activity of the purified, recombinant protein is 1,900 nmol mg(-1) h(-1) at 65 degrees C. In contrast to riboflavin synthases from eubacteria and fungi, the methanobacterial enzyme has an absolute requirement for magnesium ions. The 5' phosphate of 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine does not act as a substrate. The findings suggest that riboflavin synthase has evolved independently in eubacteria and methanobacteria.     

Molecular cloning of HSP70 in Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and comparison with that of other mycoplasmas

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, a bacterial species that specifically affects ovine and goat, is the cause of ovine infectious pleuropneumonia. We cloned, sequenced and analyzed heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) (dnaK) gene of M. ovipneumoniae. The full length open reading frame of the M. ovipneumoniae HSP70 gene consists of 1812 nucleotides, with a G+C content of 34.16%, encoding 604 amino acids. Comparative analysis with the HSP70 sequences of 15 Mycoplasma species revealed 59 to 87% DNA sequence identity, with an amino acid sequence identity range of 58 to 94%. M. ovipneumoniae and M. hyopneumoniae shared the highest DNA and amino acid sequence identity (87 and 94%, respectively). Based on phylogenetic analysis, both the DNA and amino acid identities of M. ovipneumoniae with other mycoplasmal HSP70 were correlated with the degree of relationship between the species. The C-terminus of the HSP70 was cloned into a bacterial expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. The recombinant C-terminal portion of HSP70 protein strongly reacted with convalescent sera from M. ovipneumoniae-infected sheep, based on an immunoblotting assay. This indicates that HSP70 is immunogenic in a natural M. ovipneumoniae infection and may be a relevant antigen for vaccine development.     

Molecular cloning, expression and characterization of glutathione S-transferase from Mytilus edulis

The gene coding for glutathione S-transferase (GST) has been isolated from the Mytilus edulis hepatopancreas. Open reading frame analysis indicated that the M. edulis GST (meGST) gene encodes a protein of 206 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 23.68 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high sequence similarity with the sequence of the pi class GST. The meGST was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant meGST was purified by affinity chromatography and characterized. The recombinant meGST exhibited high activity towards the substrates ethacrynic acid (ECA) and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB). Kinetic analysis with respect to CDNB as substrate gave a K(m) of 0.68 mM and a V(max) of 0.10 mmol/min per mg protein. The recombinant meGST had a maximum activity at approximately pH 8.5, and its optimum temperature was 39 degrees C. The predicted three-dimensional structure of the meGST revealed the N-terminal domain possesses a thioredoxin fold and the six helices of the C-terminal domain make a alpha-helical bundle. These features indicate that the meGST belongs to pi class GST.     

Sip1Ab gene from a native Bacillus thuringiensis strain QZL38 and its insecticidal activity against Colaphellus bowringi Baly

In this study, we collected 540 soil samples from northeast China and isolated the wild-type strain of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) by identifying and cloning 9 Bt strains that expressed the secreted insecticidal protein (Sip) gene. We selected the strain QZL38 for further study. The sip gene was identified from the Bt strain QZL38 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We sequenced a 1095-base pair fragment of DNA that encodes 364 amino acid residues of a 41.18?kDa pro-toxin and compared it with the registered Sip1Ab protein amino acid residue sequence. The sequence was submitted to GenBank with the accession no. KP231523, and the gene was named sip1Ab. The Sip1Ab protein expressed in Escherichia coli showed insecticidal activity against Colaphellus bowringi Baly, with an LC50 of 1.051?μg?mL^?1. To identify the active fragment of the Sip1Ab toxin, four pairs of primers with different truncation positions were designed, and the recombinant proteins were expressed in E. coli. The truncated Sip protein expressed in E. coli showed insecticidal activity against C. bowringi Baly. The insecticidal activity of the recombinant proteins against C. bowringi Baly from the Sip1Ab signal peptide after removal of 30 amino acid residues showed an LC50 of 1.078?μg?mL^?1. Sip proteins may play an important role in the prevention and control of the C. bowringi Baly.     

管氏肿腿蜂毒液丝氨酸蛋白酶同源物SgSPH对寄主血淋巴酚氧化酶活性的影响

[目的]本研究旨在通过克隆表达管氏肿腿蜂Scleroderma guani毒液丝氨酸蛋白酶同源物(serine protease homologue,SPH)基因SgSPH,探索其编码的毒液蛋白对寄主血淋巴酚氧化酶活性的影响.[方法]利用RT-PCR技术克隆管氏肿腿蜂毒液SgSPH基因的开放阅读框(ORF),采用生物信...     

金龟子绿僵菌(Metarhizium anisopliae HN1)几丁质酶基因的克隆及高效表达

几丁质酶是昆虫病原真菌金龟子绿僵菌致病力的主要因子之一。本实验用RT-PCR方法,从本实验室分离筛选到的高毒力金龟子绿僵菌Metarhizium anisopliae HN1中,扩增得到几丁质酶基因全长,此基因全长为1275bp,登录号为DQ011865,经Blastn分析此基因序列与M. anisopliae E6的chi1基因（AF02749）同源率为96% 。以pET-22b(+)为基础载体,构建pET-chi重组表达载体,在大肠杆菌（Escherichia. coli ）BL 21中进行表达。经SDS-PAGE分析,获得了42kDa大小的重组目的蛋白,目的蛋白占表达总蛋白含量的63.3%。菌体经冷冻与超声波破碎后,按DNS法可测得几丁质酶的活性。     

Inhibition of a novel sperm gelatinase in prawn sperm by the male reproduction-related Kazal-type peptidase inhibitor

Previously, we have identified and characterized a male reproduction-related kazal-type peptidase inhibitor (MRPINK) gene from the prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. In the present study, MRPINK was discovered to have an inhibitory effect on the gelatinolytic activity of M. rosenbergii sperm and immunofluorescence analysis revealed it bound specifically onto the base of sperm. The proteolytic activity of sperm extracts to vitelline coat components was also detected to be interfered by MRPINK. Furthermore, a novel gelatinase on sperm was found to be specifically inhibited by MRPINK and was named M. rosenbergii sperm gelatinase (MSG). MSG was then isolated and purified by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography combining with gelatinolytic assay. By amino-terminal amino acid sequence analysis and molecular cloning, the primary structure of MSG was determined. The data presented in this study provided evidence that MRPINK has an inhibitory effect on the gelatinolytic activity as well as proteolytic activity of prawn sperm and specifically blocks the activity of MSG.     

大黄鱼肝表达抗菌肽2基因的克隆和原核表达

抗菌肽是在多种细胞中表达具有抗菌活性的肽类物质的总称,在免疫反应中发挥着非常重要的作用.通过同源克隆法克隆到大黄鱼肝脏表达的抗菌肽2(liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2,LEAP-2)基因的完整开放阅读框(Opening Reading Frame,ORF).克隆到的大黄鱼LEAP-2全长2236 bp,包含外显子Ⅰ78 bp,内含子Ⅰ880 bp,外显子Ⅱ179 bp,内含子Ⅱ1044 bp,外显子Ⅲ55 bp,编码序列312 bp,编码103个氨基酸.推断的氨基酸序列羧基端区域存在高度保守的4 个半胱氨酸残基,符合LEAP-2超家族的结构特征.同源性对比后显示LEAP-2基因在进化上高度保守,大黄鱼LEAP-2推断的氨基酸序列与牙鲆、黄颡鱼、蓝色鲶鱼和斑点叉尾鮰等鱼类之间的同源性均在95%以上.将大黄鱼LEAP-2 cDNA连接到pET-32a(+),构建了重组表达质粒pET-32a-LEAP-2,将其转化到大肠杆菌BL21上并用1.0 mmol/L IPTG诱导表达,获得了大小约为27 kDa的重组蛋白,与预期的一致.