2-Cys peroxiredoxin function in intracellular signal transduction: therapeutic implications

H(2)O(2) is a reactive oxygen species that has drawn much interest because of its role as a second messenger in receptor-mediated signaling. Mammalian 2-Cys peroxiredoxins have been shown to eliminate efficiently the H(2)O(2) generated in response to receptor stimulation. 2-Cys peroxiredoxins are members of a novel peroxidase family that catalyze the H(2)O(2) reduction reaction in the presence of thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase and NADPH. Several lines of evidence suggest that 2-Cys peroxiredoxins have dual roles as regulators of the H(2)O(2) signal and as defenders of oxidative stress. In particular, 2-Cys peroxiredoxin appears to provide selective, specific and localized control of receptor-mediated signal transduction. Thus, the therapeutic potential of 2-Cys peroxiredoxins is clear for diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, that involve reactive oxygen species.     

Molecular and biochemical characterization of juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase from the silkworm, Bombyx mori

One major route of insect juvenile hormone (JH) degradation is epoxide hydration by JH epoxide hydrolase (JHEH). A full-length cDNA (1536 bp) encoding a microsomal JHEH was isolated from the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Bommo-JHEH cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding a 461-amino acid protein (52 kDa), which reveals a high degree of similarity to the previously reported insect JHEHs. The residues Tyr298, Tyr373, and the HGWP motif corresponding to the oxyanion hole of JHEHs and the residues Asp227, His430, and Glu403 in the catalytic triad are well conserved in Bommo-JHEH. Bommo-JHEH was highly expressed in the fat body, where its mRNA expression pattern was in contrast to the pattern of hemolymph levels of JH during the larval development, suggesting that Bommo-JHEH plays an important role in JH degradation. Recombinant Bommo-JHEH (52 kDa) expressed in Sf9 insect cells was membrane-bound and had a high level of enzyme activity (300-fold over the control activity). This Bommo-JHEH study provides a better understanding of how JH levels are regulated in the domesticated silkworm.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of a 2-Cys peroxiredoxin from Taenia solium

A Taenia solium 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (Ts2-CysPrx) clone was isolated from a T. solium adult cDNA library. The clone encodes a polypeptide comprising 197 amino acids with a predictive Mr = 21,836. It has the 2 classical cysteine domains from the typical 2-Cys peroxiredoxins, and its primary amino acid sequence shows higher identity with 2 Echinococcus 2-Cys peroxiredoxins. Northern and Southern blot hybridizations exhibit an mRNA with a size of -1.0 kb, encoded by 1 gene. Ts2-CysPrx was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by anion-exchange chromatography. Biochemical analysis showed Ts2-CysPrx is a dimer composed by monomers of -22 kDa that presented activity with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and cumene hydroperoxide. It presented the catalytic mechanism for a typical 2-CysPrx because the homodimeric oxidized form is reduced to a monomeric form by thioredoxin (Trx) and by dithiothreitol (DTT) and was converted to a homodimeric oxidized form by H2O2. Western blot studies using antibodies against Ts2-CysPrx revealed that the protein is expressed during the entire T. solium life cycle, as in other Taenia species. Immunohistochemical studies indicated that Ts2-CysPrx is localized on the tegument and in tegumentary and muscle cells of cysticerci. We also show that T. crassiceps cysticerci can tolerate H2O2 levels of 2.5 mM for 2.5 hr.     

Vibrio cholerae thiol peroxidase-glutaredoxin fusion is a 2-Cys TSA/AhpC subfamily acting as a lipid hydroperoxide reductase

Recently, novel hybrid thiol peroxidase (TPx) proteins fused with a glutaredoxin (Grx) were found from some pathogenic bacteria, cyanobacteria, and anaerobic sulfur-oxidizing phototroph. The phylogenic tree analysis that was constructed from the aligned sequences showed two major branches. Haemophilus influenzae TPx.Grx was grouped in one branch as a 1-Cys subfamily of the thiol-specific antioxident protein/AhpC family. Most TPx.Grx proteins, including Vibrio cholerae TPx.Grx, were grouped in the 2-Cys subfamily. To explain the existence of two subgroups in novel hybrid TPx proteins, we have compared the kinetics given by V. cholerae TPx.Grx, H. influenzae TPx.Grx, their separated TPx domains, and a set of mutants devoid of the redox-active cysteines. The kinetic study described here demonstrates clearly that V. cholerae TPx.Grx is a 2-Cys TPx subfamily. For the first time, we also demonstrate the lipid peroxidase activity of V. cholerae TPx.Grx fusion and suggest the in vivo function of 2-Cys TPx.Grx fusion serving as a lipid peroxidase.     

Cloning and expression of a fat body-specific chitinase cDNA from the spider, Araneus ventricosus

A fat body-specific chitinase cDNA was cloned from the spider, Araneus ventricosus. The cDNA encoding A. ventricosus chitinase (AvChit1) is 1515 bp long with an open reading frame (ORF) of 431 amino acid residues. AvChit1 possesses the chitinase family 18 active site signature and one N-glycosylation site. The deduced amino acid sequence of AvChit1 cDNA showed 43% identity to both Glossina morsitans morsitans chitinase and a human chitotriosidase, and 30-40% to some insect chitinases which lack both the serine/threonine and chitin binding domains. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA suggested the presence of AvChit1 gene as a single copy. Northern and Western blot analysis and enzyme activity assay showed the tissue-specific expression of AvChit1 in the A. ventricosus fat body. The AvChit1 cDNA was expressed as a 61 kDa polypeptide in baculovirus-infected insect Sf9 cells and the recombinant AvChit1 showed activity in the chitinase enzyme assay using 0.1% glycol chitin as a substrate. Treatment of recombinant virus-infected Sf9 cells with tunicamycin, a specific inhibitor of N-glycosylation, revealed that AvChit1 is N-glycosylated, but the carbohydrate moieties are not essential for chitinolytic activity.     

家蚕miR-2769靶基因的鉴定及表达分析

【目的】MiRNAs在昆虫变态发育过程中发挥非常重要的作用。对家蚕Bombyx mori miRNAs及靶基因的研究将有助于阐明miRNAs参与调控家蚕变态发育的分子机制。【方法】往家蚕5龄第2天幼虫血淋巴注射蜕皮激素20E后,qRT-PCR检测miR-2769在家蚕脂肪体中的表达;通过生物信息学方法预测家蚕miR-2769的靶基因;利用双荧光酶报告载体系统分析miR-2769与预测靶基因BmE75B的互作;qRT-PCR检测miR-2769及其靶基因BmE75不同剪接体在家蚕不同发育时期(幼虫、蛹和成虫)和幼虫不同组织(头、表皮、丝腺、脂肪体、精巢、卵巢、马氏管、中肠和血淋巴)中的表达量。【结果】研究结果表明,miR-2769可通过与家蚕BmE75B的3′UTR区结合位点的互作,显著抑制荧光素酶报告基因的表达。qRT-PCR结果表明,miR-2769和BmE75A/BmE75B在20E诱导家蚕脂肪体中表达趋势相反。时空表达分析结果表明,miR-2769与BmE75的不同剪接体在家蚕不同发育时期和不同组织中均具有特异性表达特征。在家蚕变态发育的不同阶段,miR-2769和BmE75A的表达量均较低,而BmE75B在蛹期表达量较高,BmE75C在5龄末幼虫和蛹早期有极高表达水平。此外,miR-2769与BmE75不同剪接体均存在一定程度的表达负相关。在家蚕5龄幼虫血淋巴中miR-2769可促进BmE75A的表达,在脂肪体中miR-2769可促进BmE75B的表达,而在其他组织中miR-2769抑制BmE75不同剪接体的表达。【结论】家蚕miR-2769可通过与BmE75B的3′UTR区的互作对BmE75不同剪接体的表达进行负调控。     

Hyphantria cunea ferritin heavy chain homologue: cDNA sequence and mRNA expression

We have sequenced a cDNA clone encoding a 26-kDa ferritin subunit, which was heavy chain homologue (HCH), in fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea. The HCH cDNA was obtained from the screening of a cDNA library using a PCR product. H. cunea ferritin is composed of 221 amino acid residues and their calculated mass is 26,160 Da. The protein contains the conserved motifs for the ferroxidase center typical for heavy chains of vertebrate ferritin. The iron-responsive element sequence with a predicted stem-loop structure is present in the 5'-untranslated region of ferritin HCH mRNA. The sequence alignment of ferritin HCH shows 68.9 and 68.7% identity with Galleria mellonella HCH (26 kDa ferritin) and Manduca sexta HCH, respectively. While G type insect ferritin vertebrate light chain homologue (LCH) is distantly related to H. cunea ferritin HCH (17.2-20.8%), the Northern blot analysis revealed that H. cunea ferritin HCH was ubiquitously expressed in various tissues and all developmental stages. The ferritin expression of midgut is more responsive to iron-fed, compared to fat body in H. cunea.     

Comparative study of two thioredoxin peroxidases from disk abalone (Haliotis discus discus): cloning, recombinant protein purification, characterization of antioxidant activities and expression analysis

Thioredoxin peroxidase (TPx), also named peroxiredoxin (Prx), is an important peroxidase, which can protect organisms against various oxidative stresses. Two TPxs were isolated from a disk abalone (Haliotis discus discus) cDNA library, named as AbTPx1 and AbTPx2, respectively. AbTPx1 and AbTPx2 consist of 1315 and 1045 bp full-length cDNA with 753 and 597 bp open reading frames encoding 251 and 199 amino acids, respectively. The TPx signature motif 1 (FYPLDFTFVCPTEI) and motif 2 (GEVCPA) were conserved in both AbTPx1 and AbTPx2 amino acid sequences. Purified recombinant abalone TPx fusion proteins catalyzed the reduction of H2O2 and butyl hydroperoxide in peroxidase assays. Furthermore, both AbTPx fusion proteins were shown to protect super-coiled DNA from damage by metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) in vitro. Escherichia coli cells transformed with AbTPx1 and AbTPx2 coding sequences in pMAL-c2x showed resistance to H2O2 at 0.8 mM concentration by in vivo H2O2 tolerance assay. AbTPx1 and AbTPx2 mRNA were constitutively expressed in gill, mantle, abductor muscle and digestive tract in a tissue specific manner. Additionally, both TPxs mRNA were up-regulated in gill and digestive tract tissues against H2O2 at 3h post injection. The results indicate that AbTPx1 and AbTPx2 gene expressions are induced by oxidative stress and their respective proteins function in the detoxification of different ROS molecules to maintain efficient antioxidant defense in disk abalone.     

Isolation and nucleotide sequence of cecropin B cDNA clones from the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Two cDNA clones encoding cecropin B, an antibacterial protein, were isolated from a fat body cDNA library of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Amino acid sequences of these clones, deduced from nucleotide sequences, were identical, including signal peptide regions. However, the nucleotide sequences were different at 30 positions. Deduced amino acid sequences of Bombyx mori cecropin B showed higher homology with cecropins from Lepidoptera than with those from Diptera.