Nephrin 信号转导机制研究进展

Nephrin作为肾小球足细胞膜上的跨膜蛋白,是足细胞裂隙膜重要的结构分子。近来发现,nephrin分子细胞内段的酪氨酸残基在被酪氨酸激酶fyn（属Src激酶家族成员）磷酸化后,能激活下游信号分子,形成足细胞内特有的信号转导通路,如nephrin—podocin—MAPK—AP-1、nephrin—CD2AP-P13K-Akt／PKB、nephrin-Nck—Rac／CDC42等。这些信号通路参与了足细胞胚胎发生、细胞生存与细胞骨架重组等许多重要生理病理过程的调节。同样,nephrin蛋白及mRNA的表达也受许多因素的调节。研究nephrin及其信号转导机制对了解并防治肾小球硬化有重要意义。     

Smad通路UPP依赖性的蛋白质降解机制

Smad通路是TGF—β信号转导的主要通路。Smad是细胞内信号转导通路中的胞液递质,调节细胞生长、分化。它由配体结合的跨膜受体激活,随机通过细胞质进入细胞核,在细胞核中作为转录因子激活TGF-β靶基因的表达。泛素-蛋白酶体通路（ubiquitin proteasome pathway,UPP）是一种细胞胞质和核内蛋白ATP依赖性的非溶酶体降解机制．具有高度选择性地进行细胞内蛋白质的降解。该文重点介绍Smad通路的泛素-蛋白酶体通路依赖性的蛋白质降解机制。     

低分子量透明质酸寡糖片段介导内皮细胞增殖的信号通路

为研究低分子量透明质酸寡糖片段(hyaluronan oligosaccharides, o-HA)对血管内皮细胞生长与迁移的影响,及透明质酸（hyaluronan,HA）受体（CD44与RHAMM）在此过程中的作用,首先通过细胞计数、MTT实验、细胞周期分布及单层细胞损伤模型修复实验,观察o-HA对血管内皮细胞（猪髂总动脉内皮细胞,porcine vascular endothelial cell line,PIEC）增殖及创伤愈合的影响．结果显示,o-HA明显促进血管内皮细胞生长,并且能够促进内皮细胞向创伤区迁移.蛋白质免疫印迹分析证明,o-HA作用于PIECs后,细胞Src激酶、ERK-1/2的磷酸化程度增强,c-Myc蛋白、周期蛋白D1表达水平增高.Src 激酶特异性的化学抑制剂PP2可轻度抑制ERK-1/2磷酸化;进而通过抗-CD44与抗-RHAMM抗体分别预先封闭细胞表面相应的特异性受体位点后,再用o-HA刺激细胞,探讨HA受体在o-HA介导PIECs信号传导过程中的作用．结果显示,抗CD44抗体不能抑制o-HA介导的ERK-1/2磷酸化;而抗RHAMM抗体可轻度抑制o-HA介导的ERK-1/2磷酸化．结果提示,o-HA具有促进血管内皮细胞增殖及创伤愈合的作用,其机制可能是通过血管内皮细胞表面受体RHAMM实现的.该作用可能通过激活Src激酶及细胞内MAPK（ERK-1/2）信号通路,启动早期反应基因转录,诱使c-Myc蛋白高表达,从而促进血管内皮细胞生长．该作用也可能与上调细胞周期蛋白 D1的表达有关．     

ABCA1调控与动脉粥样硬化

ATP结合盒转运体A1(ABCA1)在细胞内胆固醇流出中起着重要作用,增加它的表达可促进细胞内胆固醇流出,降低动脉粥样硬化风险.ABCA1的表达受到多种因素的调控,包括肝X受体、过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体、钙蛋白酶抑制剂和miRNA等.本文主要综述ABCA1的表达与调控,以及它对动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病发生发展的影响,...     

Src激酶的功能研究新进展

Src激酶家族是具有酪氨酸蛋白激酶活性的蛋白质,作为连接许多细胞外和细胞内重要信号途径的膜结合开关分子,Src激酶在受体介导的信号传递及细胞间通讯中具中心调节作用。最近发现它在淋巴因子介导的细胞存活及血管内皮生长因子介导的血管发生中也具有重要作用。     

胶质细胞系来源的神经营养因子家族配体研究现状

胶质细胞系来源的神经营养因子家族配体(GFLs)通过受体酪氨酸激酶激活靶细胞内特定的信号转导途径,从而促进多种外周和中枢发育神经元的存活、再生、损伤修复及生长和分化,并维持其正常功能,保证神经元间的正确连接。     

谷胱甘肽S-转移酶Pi在MAPK途径中的调节作用

谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(glutathione S-transferases,GSTs)是细胞内降解生物异源物质(xenbiotics)的一类酶,GSTπ／GSTpi／GSTp是人体内的一种重要活性亚型;有丝分裂原激活的蛋白激酶(mitogen—activated protein kinase,MAPK)途径能够调节真核细胞凋亡、增殖、分化和应激。1999年国际上首次报道GSTpi能够在MAPK信号途径中起调节作用,其作用机制如下：在正常生长条件下,GSTpi以单体形式与JNK(c—Jun N—terminal kinase)形成复合物,抑制JNK活性;UV照射或H2O2处理细胞后,GSTpi自身形成二聚体／多聚体,导致GSTpi—JNK复合物解离,JNK的抑制被解除,JNK被磷酸化激活后激活转录因子c—Jun,c—Jun的激活能进一步促进GSTpi基因的转录,进而合成新的GSTpi蛋白单体,该单体又能反馈抑制JNK。后续研究发现GSTpi也能够抑制JNK激酶的上游激酶ASK1的活性。上述研究揭示GSTpi酶在细胞内除能通过降低异源物质而改变细胞的ROS平衡外,其蛋白本身还具有特异性地抑制MAPK信号转导途径中JNK激酶和JNK上游激酶的新功能。     

瘦蛋白介导的AMPK信号转导途径

瘦蛋白(leptin)介导的腺苷酸激活蛋白激酶(AMP-activated protein kinase,AMPK)信号转导途径在脂肪代谢的调节中起重要作用。瘦蛋白与其受体结合使AMPK信号转导途径激活,最终激活肉碱脂酰转移酶-1,通过促进脂肪酸氧化而参与脂肪代谢的调节。本文主要介绍近年来关于瘦蛋白介导的AMPK信号转导途径的组成、活性调节及其作用机制的最新研究进展。     

钙调蛋白的构效关系及其与药物的相互作用

钙调蛋白(calmodulin,CaM)作为环核苷酸磷酸二酯酸(PDE)的内源性活化因子,于六十年代后期由张怀耀首先发现,它是细胞内Ca~(2+)的重要受体,与Ca~(2+)结合后发生构象变化而激活,又调节着细胞内Ca~(2+)的浓度。它不具有酶的活性,却能通过激活细胞内广泛的酶谱,调控细胞的基本功能。二价阳离子竞争性地取代Ca~(2+)的结合后能影响CaM活性,组织内还存在有CaM的内源性抑制因子,竞争性地与CaM结合而抑制CaM的活性。CaM与靶酶的相互作用也能被很多药物所抑制,这或许与药物的作用机制有关。     

Src-MAPK信号通路参与透明质酸寡糖片段诱导PIEC细胞的增殖

探讨透明质酸小片段(Hyaluronan oligosaccharides,o-HA)对血管内皮细胞生长的影响及机制。采用细胞计数、流式细胞术、Western blot等方法,检测o-HA作用于内皮细胞后,Src激酶、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶MAPK(ERK-1/2)的磷酸化程度及细胞周期蛋白D1的表达水平。o-HA在10μg/ml浓度时可明显地促进血管内皮细胞的增殖,包括细胞周期水平及细胞数量。继续增加o-HA的浓度及延长培养时间均未出现进一步的变化;细胞增殖在12h开始出现,72h达到高峰。1μg/ml的o-HA作用于细胞2min后,胞内Src激酶、ERK-1/2的磷酸化程度即增强,并在3h后检测到周期蛋白D1的表达水平增高。o-HA具有促进血管内皮细胞增殖的作用,其机制可能是通过激活Src激酶及细胞内MAPK信号通路,从而促进血管内皮细胞生长;该作用也可能与上调周期蛋白D1的表达有关。     

Role for dopamine in malonate-induced damage in vivo in striatum and in vitro in mesencephalic cultures

Defects in mitochondrial energy metabolism have been implicated in the pathology of several neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the reactive metabolites generated from the metabolism and oxidation of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) are thought to contribute to the damage to neurons of the basal ganglia. We have previously demonstrated that infusions of the metabolic inhibitor malonate into the striata of mice or rats produce degeneration of DA nerve terminals. In the present studies, we demonstrate that an intrastriatal infusion of malonate induces a substantial increase in DA efflux in awake, behaving mice as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Furthermore, pretreatment of mice with tetrabenazine (TBZ) or the TBZ analogue Ro 4-1284 (Ro-4), compounds that reversibly inhibit the vesicular storage of DA, attenuates the malonate-induced DA efflux as well as the damage to DA nerve terminals. Consistent with these findings, the damage to both DA and GABA neurons in mesencephalic cultures by malonate exposure was attenuated by pretreatment with TBZ or Ro-4. Treatment with these compounds did not affect the formation of free radicals or the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation resulting from malonate exposure alone. Our data suggest that DA plays an important role in the neurotoxicity produced by malonate. These findings provide direct evidence that inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase causes an increase in extracellular DA levels and indicate that bioenergetic defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases through a mechanism involving DA.     

Scurvy in capybaras bred in captivity in Argentine

In order to determine if the absence of vitamin C in the diet of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) causes scurvy, a group of seven young individuals were fed food pellets without ascorbic acid, while another group of eight individuals received the same food with 1 g of ascorbic acid per animal per day. Animals in the first group developed signs of scurvy-like gingivitis, breaking of the incisors and death of one animal. Clinical signs appeared between 25 and 104 days from the beginning of the trial in all individuals. Growth rates of individuals deprived of vitamin C was considerably less than those observed in the control group. Deficiency of ascorbic acid had a severe effect on reproduction of another population of captive capybaras. We found that the decrease in ascorbic acid content in the diet affected pregnancy, especially during the first stages. The results obtained suggest that it is necessary to supply a suitable quantity of vitamin C in the diet of this species in captivity.     

Changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity in chicken tissues in hyperthyreosis in ontogenesis

The lactate dehydrogenase activity in reactions of lactate oxidation and synthesis was studied in subfractions of the chicken brain, heart and liver at the embryonal, early postembryonal and adult stages of development after thyroxine administration. It has been shown that during embryogenesis thyroxine predominantly enhanced the rate of lactate oxidation in the mitochondrial tissues. A marked increase in the lactate synthesis was found in cytoplasm of the adult chicken tissues. Specificity of enzyme activity alterations was detected in the chicken brain during ontogenesis after thyroxine administration.     

SSTR5 ablation in islet results in alterations in glucose homeostasis in mice

Somatostatin (SST) peptide is a potent inhibitor of insulin secretion and its effect is mediated via somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) in the endocrine pancreas. To investigate the consequences of gene ablation of SSTR5 in the mouse pancreas, we have generated a mouse model in which the SSTR5 gene was specifically knocked down in the pancreatic beta cells (betaSSTR5Kd) using the Cre-lox system. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSTR5 gene expression was absent in beta cells at three months of age. At the time of gene ablation, betaSSTR5Kd mice demonstrated glucose intolerance with lack of insulin response and significantly reduced serum insulin levels. Insulin tolerance test demonstrated a significant increase of insulin clearance in vivo at the same age. In vitro studies demonstrated an absence of response to SST-28 stimulation in the betaSSTR5Kd mouse islet, which was associated with a significantly reduced SST expression level in betaSSTR5Kd mice pancreata. In addition, betaSSTR5Kd mice had significantly reduced serum glucose levels and increased serum insulin levels at 12 months of age. Glucose tolerance test at an older age also indicated a persistently higher insulin level in betaSSTR5Kd mice. Further studies of betaSSTR5Kd mice had revealed elevated serum C-peptide levels at both 3 and 12 months of age, suggesting that these mice are capable of producing and releasing insulin to the periphery. These results support the hypothesis that SSTR5 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of insulin secretion in the mouse pancreas.