重组人ASCT2胞外结构域ECL2在大肠杆菌中的表达及其鉴定

中性氨基酸转运蛋白(ASCT2)是人类内源性病毒的包膜蛋白合胞素在细胞膜上的主要受体,ECL2是该受体的其中一个较大的胞外结构域.通过RT-PCR方法从人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞中克隆ASCT2基因编码区全长序列,再从中扩增ASCT2的胞外区ECL2序列,与pET-41b连接构建原核表达载体,重组质粒在大肠杆菌中获得高效表达,重组蛋白在N-和C-端分别融合谷胱甘肽转移酶(GST)和His6标签,融合蛋白在上清液和包涵体中均有表达,可溶性部分经亲和层析纯化获得高纯度的重组蛋白,该蛋白可结合在表达合胞素的MCF-7细胞表面,具有结合合胞素的潜在活性,这些结果为进一步研究ASCT2与合胞素的相互作用奠定了基础.     

ASCT2胞外域ECL2原核可溶性表达条件的优化及其纯化

目的构建重组人ASCT2胞外域ECL2融合蛋白的原核表达载体,优化其在大肠埃希菌中可溶性表达的条件,并获得纯化的ECL2蛋白。方法以PCR方法扩增编码ECL2的DNA片段,插入至pET-41b载体中,构建ECL2的原核表达载体,转化至大肠埃希菌,优化可溶性表达条件,GSH—Agarose亲和层析纯化并鉴定,与MCF-7细胞结合活性的测定。结果免疫印迹显示,ECL2融合蛋白既表达于包涵体中,也能以可溶性形式表达。随IPTG浓度的增高,可溶性表达水平提高;培养温度为28℃和33℃时可溶性产物高于37℃;而随诱导时间的延长至12h以上,可溶性表达量下降。可溶性表达优化条件为：温度33℃、IPTG浓度0．4mmol／L、诱导时间4h。经亲和层析获得高纯度ECL2蛋白并具有与MCF-7细胞结合活性。结论优化了ECL2融合蛋白的可溶性表达条件,通过亲和层析一步法可获得高纯度融合蛋白。     

shRNA下调MTDH基因抑制人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞HIF-1α及VEGF表达

目的：探讨转移粘附基因（metadherin,MTDH）的表达对人乳腺癌细胞中肿瘤血管生成相关分子标志物缺氧诱导因子-1α（HIF-1α）及血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）表达的影响。方法：将针对MTDH基因的干扰质粒MTDH-shRNA转染乳腺癌MCF-7细胞,RT-PCR及Western blot验证其对MTDH基因的沉默效果;应用Western blot检测转染前后MCF-7细胞中缺氧诱导因子-1α（HIF-1α）及血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）在蛋白水平上的表达变化;MTT实验检测下调MTDH对MCF-7细胞增殖情况的影响。结果：MCF-7细胞转染48小时后,MTDH-shRNA转染组和MTDH-shRNA-neg转染组转染效率约70%。MTDH-shRNA转染组中MTDH在mRNA及蛋白水平上表达明显下调,此外HIF-1α及VEGF蛋白表达明显降低,与对照组比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。MTDH-shRNA转染组MCF-7细胞增殖明显受到抑制,与对照组比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论：在乳腺癌MCF-7细胞中下调MTDH基因可以抑制HIF-1α、VEGF表达及细胞增殖,提示MTDH基因可能对乳腺癌肿瘤血管生成有促进作用。     

杀菌通透性增加蛋白基因的克隆及在CHO细胞中的表达

从一名健康中国人外周血白细胞中克隆出杀菌 通透性增加蛋白 (BPI)基因 ,全长1 45 2bp,编码 2 7个氨基酸的信号肽和 45 6个氨基酸成熟蛋白。序列比较发现 ,此序列与国外发表的序列有 6个核苷酸的差异 ,编码蛋白有 4个氨基酸的差异。构建真核表达质粒 ,在CHO细胞中实现BPI基因的稳定表达。对重组蛋白初步纯化后进行杀菌实验 ,结果表明重组蛋白具有与天然蛋白同样的生物活性。     

HAX-1抑制过氧化氢诱发的乳腺癌细胞MCF-7凋亡

目的：应用RNA干扰（RNAi）技术特异地干扰HAX-1在乳腺癌细胞MCF-7中的表达,研究其在过氧化氢诱导的细胞凋亡中的作用。方法：应用载体pSR-GFP／Neo构建针对HAX-1基因的小干扰RNA（siRNA）表达质粒;转染MCF-7细胞,G418筛选稳定细胞系,Western blot鉴定筛选的细胞克隆;用流式细胞仪检测筛选的细胞系在过氧化氢条件下的凋亡率。结果：电泳和测序证实合成的siRNA序列正确并准确克隆到pSR-GFP／Neo载体中;Western blot证实获得MCF-7／HAX-1 siRNA稳定细胞株,其HAX-1蛋白水平降低95％左右;用1mmol／L过氧化氢处理获得的稳定细胞株8h,细胞凋亡率明显高于对照组。结论：HAX-1能够保护乳腺癌细胞MCF-7免于过氧化氢诱导的细胞凋亡。     

pAd—SIG腺病毒质粒构建及其在MCF-7细胞中的表达

目的含人生长抑素受体2亚型（ human somatostatin receptor subtype 2, hSSTr2 ）和增强型绿色荧光蛋白（enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP）的腺病毒重组质粒的构建及表达。方法采用PCR方法将hSSTr2以及IRES-EGFP基因亚克隆至穿梭质粒pShuttle—CMV中,获得pShuttle-CMV／hSSTr2-EGFP,经PmeI酶切,去磷酸化后转化含pAdeasy-1的超感受态BJ5183菌,细菌内同源重组构建腺病毒质粒pAdeasy-1／hSSTr2．EGFP（pAd．SIG）,将其转染HEK293细胞进行病毒包装与滴度测定。重组腺病毒感染MCF-7细胞,流式细胞术检测其表达。结果酶切、PCR及基因测序证实重组腺病毒质粒pAd-SIG构建成功,病毒滴度为8．2×10^9 IU／ml,流式细胞术结果显示hSSTr2在MCF-7细胞中表达阳性率为86．59％。结论成功构建了区组腺病毒质粒pAd-SIG,并能在真核细胞表达,为体内外研究hSSTr2效应提供了基础。     

槟榔碱对人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞增殖和凋亡的影响

目的：观察槟榔碱对人乳腺癌细胞（MCF-7）增殖和凋亡的影响,并探讨其机制。方法：采用四甲基偶氮唑盐（MTT）法检测不同浓度（0、10、30、50、100、300、500μmol/L）槟榔碱对MCF-7细胞增殖的影响,Hoechst 33342染色和流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡,Western blot法检测Bax,Bcl-2和P53蛋白表达。结果：低浓度（0、10、30、50μmol/L）槟榔碱不影响细胞的增殖和凋亡;而高浓度（100、300、500 μmol/L）槟榔碱呈浓度依赖性抑制MCF-7细胞增殖、诱导MCF-7细胞凋亡、提高P53和Bax蛋白表达、降低Bcl-2蛋白表达。结论：高浓度槟榔碱抑制MCF-7细胞增殖、诱导凋亡,其机制可能与提高P53和Bax蛋白表达,降低Bcl-2蛋白表达有关。     

中国野蚕一种强抗病毒蛋白的基因分析和活性鉴定

以最近报道的家蚕抗病毒蛋白基因为线索,从中国野蚕（Bombyx mandarina Moore）中肠内克隆了抗家蚕BmNPV病毒的SP-2 cDNA（GenBank登录号：AY945210）,基因大小855bp,编码284个氨基酸的蛋白质,分子量29．6kD,基因组全长1376bp,包含5个外显子和4个内含子．该基因的表达仅限于中肠,具有组织特异性,在幼虫龄中表达水平较高,而在眠期和熟蚕没有表达．推导其氨基酸序列,发现其C端氨基酸序列与已报道的家蚕相应序列差别较大,有8个氨基酸完全不同．通过体外重组技术,由高效基因表达系统获得大量重组蛋白,发现该蛋白具有很强的抗家蚕BmNPV活性,与家蚕对应的抗病毒蛋白BmSP-2相比,其抗BmNPV活性高1．6倍．初步认为,该蛋白质C端序列差异可能是造成家蚕与野蚕抗病毒活性差别的主要原因．     

rSalmosin-Mel融合蛋白的制备及对乳腺癌细胞MCF-7的作用扩散机制初步研究

为了充分利用肿瘤细胞表面的一些特异性分子,探寻肿瘤的靶向治疗途径,研发新的肿瘤靶向药物。本研究以去整合素蛋白Salmosin作为载体,MMP-2切割位点氨基酸序列作为接头,蜂毒肽作为毒素分子,构建了r Salmosin-Mel毕赤酵母真核表达载体。通过甲醇诱导r Salmosin-Mel蛋白的分泌表达至培养中,经过QSepharose HP和Sephadex G-75分离得到纯度大于95%的重组蛋白。体外抗肿瘤活性结果表明,r Salmosin-Mel能浓度依赖性的抑制乳腺癌细胞MCF-7的增殖。进一步研究发现r Salmosin-Mel能诱导MCF-7细胞凋亡,其机制可能与抑制NF-κB蛋白的活化相关。本研究建立了r Salmosin-Mel蛋白的制备工艺,初步阐明了其抑制乳腺癌癌增殖的分子机制。     

苦瓜MAP30蛋白的原核表达及其生物活性研究

以天然苦瓜基因组为模板PCR扩增去前导肽后成熟的MAP30蛋白基因,克隆至可诱导表达载体pET28a中。将含MAP30基因的表达载体pET28a-MAP30转化至E. coli Rostta（DE3）中并通过IPTG诱导表达。经聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（SDS-PAGE）和蛋白杂交（Western blot）以及液相色谱-质谱（LC-MS）对表达的重组MAP30蛋白进行鉴定,并通过镍柱亲和层析纯化。将pUC19质粒与不同浓度的纯化后的重组MAP30蛋白孵育,分析其切割DNA的活性。同时将纯化后的重组MAP30蛋白体外作用于人乳腺癌细胞（MCF-7）,采用MTT、AO/PI双染等方法进行抗肿瘤活性分析。实验结果表明纯化后的蛋白经质谱鉴定和Western blot分析,目的蛋白成功地与His-tag融合表达。首次发现大肠杆菌异源表达的重组MAP30蛋白同天然蛋白一样可以切割超螺旋DNA活性。MTT、AO/PI双染结果证实重组MAP30体外可诱导MCF-7细胞发生凋亡。通过基因工程技术大量制备MAP30蛋白,进一步研究其体外生物学活性,为以后的临床应用奠定基础。     

ASCT2 silencing regulates mammalian target-of-rapamycin growth and survival signaling in human hepatoma cells

System ASC amino acid transporter-2 (ASCT2) was previously demonstrated to be essential for human hepatoma cell growth and survival, as its silencing via inducible antisense RNA expression results in complete apoptosis within 48 h by a mechanism that transcends its role in amino acid delivery. To gain mechanistic insights into the reliance of cancerous liver cells on ASCT2, the aim of this study was to determine the early consequences of its silencing on the growth and survival signaling that presage apoptosis. Induced antisense ASCT2 RNA in SK-Hep1 cells led to >90% suppression of ASCT2 mRNA by 6 h and inhibition of mammalian target-of-rapamycin (mTOR)/raptor (mTOR complex-1; mTORC1) signaling by 8 h, as manifested by diminished p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase-1 and eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF4E) binding protein-1 phosphorylation, while protein synthesis rates declined by nearly 50% despite no measurable decreases in the cap binding protein eIF4G or cellular ribosomal protein content. Depressed mTORC1 signaling occurred before detectable reduction in ASCT2 activity but coincided with a 30% decline in total cellular ASCT2 protein. By 12 h after ASCT2 silencing, further decrements were observed in protein synthesis rates and ASCT2 protein and activity, each by 50%, while signaling from mTOR/rictor (mTOR complex-2; mTORC2) was stimulated as indexed by enhanced phosphorylation of the Akt/PKB kinase on serine-473 and of its proapoptotic substrate Bad on serine-136. These results suggest that ASCT2 silencing inhibits mTORC1 signaling to the translational machinery followed by an mTORC2-initiated survival response, establishing a link between amino acid transporter expression and mTOR function. amino acid transport; hepatocellular carcinoma; apoptosis; protein synthesis     

Functional regulation of Na+-dependent neutral amino acid transporter ASCT2 by S-nitrosothiols and nitric oxide in Caco-2 cells

We describe the regulation mechanisms of the Na(+)-dependent neutral amino acid transporter ASCT2 via nitric oxide (NO) in the human intestinal cell line, Caco-2. Exposure of Caco-2 cells to S-nitrosothiol, such as S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP) and S-nitrosoglutathione, and the NO-donor, NOC12, concentration- and time-dependently increased Na(+)-dependent alanine uptake. Kinetic analyses indicated that SNAP increases the maximal velocity (V(max)) of Na(+)-dependent alanine uptake in Caco-2 cells without affecting the Michaelis-Menten constant (K(t)). The stimulatory effect was partially eliminated by actinomycin D and cycloheximide. Increased Na(+)-dependent alanine uptake by SNAP was partially abolished by the NO scavengers, 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide sodium salt (carboxy-PTIO) and N-(dithiocarboxy)sarcosine disodium salts (DTCS), as well as the NADPH oxidase inhibitor, diphenyleneiodonium. RT-PCR revealed that Caco-2 cells expressed the Na(+)-dependent neutral amino acid transporter ASCT2, but not the other Na(+)-dependent neutral amino acid transporters ATB(0,+) and B(0)AT1. These results suggested that functional up-regulation of ASCT2 by SNAP might be partially associated with an increase in the density of transporter protein via de novo synthesis.     

High-affinity glutamate transporter GLAST/EAAT1 regulates cell surface expression of glutamine/neutral amino acid transporter ASCT2 in human fetal astrocytes

Neutral amino acid transporter ASCT2, together with high-affinity glutamate transporters, belongs to the SLC1 gene family of Na(+)-dependent solute carriers and is one of the major transporters of glutamine in cultured astrocytes. Besides glutamine and other high-affinity substrates--alanine, serine, cysteine or threonine, ASCT2 can also translocate protonated glutamate. The present study elucidated substrate-dependent trafficking of ASCT2 in differentiated primary cultures of human fetal astrocytes. The differentiation induced by 8-bromo-cAMP caused dramatic up-regulation of two co-localized and functionally linked astroglial proteins--glutamate transporter GLAST, that is the only high-affinity router of glutamate into cultured astrocytes, and glutamine synthetase (GS), a cytosolic enzyme that converts at least a part of the arriving glutamate into glutamine. In order to distinguish individual intracellular effects of these two substrates on ASCT2, in some cultures glutamine synthetase was effectively knocked down using siRNA silencing technique. In control conditions, regardless of GS levels, almost the entire ASCT2 immunoreactivity was restricted to the cytosol. Both glutamine and alanine, though to different extents, induced partial redistribution of ASCT2 from the cytosolic compartment to the plasma membrane. However, in cultures with high GS expression, micromolar concentrations of glutamate exhibited more pronounced effect on ASCT2 trafficking than the preferred substrates of this carrier. In contrast, glutamate had no effect on ASCT2 distribution in cultures devoid of GS. D-Aspartate, a metabolically inert substrate effectively transported by GLAST, had no effect in any cell culture utilized. It seems that intracellular glutamine produced by GS from glutamate that, in turn, is supplied by GLAST, is a more potent inducer of ASCT2 trafficking to the cell surface than the ASCT2-mediated translocation of extracellular substrates. At lower pH values (6.2-6.7), the cell surface pool of ASCT2 was significantly larger than at physiological pH. In addition, high concentrations of glutamate, independently from GLAST or glutamate receptor activation, induced further arrival of ASCT2 to the plasma membrane. The pH-dependent functional activation of ASCT2 and the ASCT2-mediated glutamate uptake may play important roles during ischemic acidosis or synaptic activity-induced local acidification.     

Truncated forms of the dual function human ASCT2 neutral amino acid transporter/retroviral receptor are translationally initiated at multiple alternative CUG and GUG codons

The sodium-dependent neutral amino acid transporter type 2 (ASCT2) was recently identified as a cell surface receptor for endogenously inherited retroviruses of cats, baboons, and humans as well as for horizontally transmitted type-D simian retroviruses. By functional cloning, we obtained 10 full-length 2.9-kilobase pair (kbp) cDNAs and two smaller identical 2.1-kbp cDNAs that conferred susceptibility to these viruses. Compared with the 2.9-kbp cDNA, the 2.1-kbp cDNA contains exonic deletions in its 3' noncoding region and a 627-bp 5' truncation that eliminates sequences encoding the amino-terminal portion of the full-length ASCT2 protein. Although expression of the truncated mRNA caused enhanced amino acid transport and viral receptor activities, the AUG codon nearest to its 5' end is flanked by nucleotides that are incompatible with translational initiation and the next in-frame AUG codon is far downstream toward the end of the protein coding sequence. Interestingly, the 5' region of the truncated ASCT2 mRNA contains a closely linked series of CUG(Leu) and GUG(Val) codons in optimal consensus contexts for translational initiation. By deletion and site-directed mutagenesis, cell-free translation, and analyses of epitope-tagged ASCT2 proteins synthesized intracellularly, we determined that the truncated mRNA encodes multiple ASCT2 isoforms with distinct amino termini that are translationally initiated by a leaky scanning mechanism at these CUG and GUG codons. Although the full-length ASCT2 mRNA contains a 5'-situated AUG initiation codon, a significant degree of leaky scanning also occurred in its translation. ASCT2 isoforms with relatively short truncations were active in both amino acid transport and viral reception, whereas an isoform with a 79-amino acid truncation that lacked the first transmembrane sequence was active only in viral reception. We conclude that ASCT2 isoforms with truncated amino termini are synthesized in mammalian cells by a leaky scanning mechanism that employs multiple alternative CUG and GUG initiation codons.     

Compaction and binding properties of the intrinsically disordered C-terminal domain of Henipavirus nucleoprotein as unveiled by deletion studies

Henipaviruses are recently emerged severe human pathogens within the Paramyxoviridae family. Their genome is encapsidated by the nucleoprotein (N) within a helical nucleocapsid that recruits the polymerase complex via the phosphoprotein (P). We have previously shown that in Henipaviruses the N protein possesses an intrinsically disordered C-terminal domain, N(TAIL), which undergoes α-helical induced folding in the presence of the C-terminal domain (P(XD)) of the P protein. Using computational approaches, we previously identified within N(TAIL) four putative molecular recognition elements (MoREs) with different structural propensities, and proposed a structural model for the N(TAIL)-P(XD) complex where the MoRE encompassing residues 473-493 adopt an α-helical conformation at the P(XD) surface. In this work, for each N(TAIL) protein, we designed four deletion constructs bearing different combinations of the predicted MoREs. Following purification of the N(TAIL) truncated proteins from the soluble fraction of E. coli, we characterized them in terms of their conformational, spectroscopic and binding properties. These studies provided direct experimental evidence for the structural state of the four predicted MoREs, and showed that two of them have clear α-helical propensities, with the one spanning residues 473-493 being strictly required for binding to P(XD). We also showed that Henipavirus N(TAIL) and P(XD) form heterologous complexes, indicating that the P(XD) binding regions are functionally interchangeable between the two viruses. By combining spectroscopic and conformational analyses, we showed that the content in regular secondary structure is not a major determinant of protein compaction.     

Ligand Discovery for the Alanine-Serine-Cysteine Transporter (ASCT2, SLC1A5) from Homology Modeling and Virtual Screening

The Alanine-Serine-Cysteine transporter ASCT2 (SLC1A5) is a membrane protein that transports neutral amino acids into cells in exchange for outward movement of intracellular amino acids. ASCT2 is highly expressed in peripheral tissues such as the lung and intestines where it contributes to the homeostasis of intracellular concentrations of neutral amino acids. ASCT2 also plays an important role in the development of a variety of cancers such as melanoma by transporting amino acid nutrients such as glutamine into the proliferating tumors. Therefore, ASCT2 is a key drug target with potentially great pharmacological importance. Here, we identify seven ASCT2 ligands by computational modeling and experimental testing. In particular, we construct homology models based on crystallographic structures of the aspartate transporter Glt_Ph in two different conformations. Optimization of the models’ binding sites for protein-ligand complementarity reveals new putative pockets that can be targeted via structure-based drug design. Virtual screening of drugs, metabolites, fragments-like, and lead-like molecules from the ZINC database, followed by experimental testing of 14 top hits with functional measurements using electrophysiological methods reveals seven ligands, including five activators and two inhibitors. For example, aminooxetane-3-carboxylate is a more efficient activator than any other known ASCT2 natural or unnatural substrate. Furthermore, two of the hits inhibited ASCT2 mediated glutamine uptake and proliferation of a melanoma cancer cell line. Our results improve our understanding of how substrate specificity is determined in amino acid transporters, as well as provide novel scaffolds for developing chemical tools targeting ASCT2, an emerging therapeutic target for cancer and neurological disorders.     

N-linked glycosylation and sequence changes in a critical negative control region of the ASCT1 and ASCT2 neutral amino acid transporters determine their retroviral receptor functions

A widely dispersed interference group of retroviruses that includes the feline endogenous virus (RD114), baboon endogenous virus (BaEV), human endogenous virus type W (HERV-W), and type D primate retroviruses uses the human Na(+)-dependent neutral amino acid transporter type 2 (hASCT2; gene name, SLC1A5) as a common cell surface receptor. Although hamster cells are fully resistant to these viruses and murine cells are susceptible only to BaEV and HERV-W pseudotype viruses, these rodent cells both become highly susceptible to all of the viruses after treatment with tunicamycin, an inhibitor of protein N-linked glycosylation. A partial explanation for these results was recently provided by findings that the orthologous murine transporter mASCT2 is inactive as a viral receptor, that a related (ca. 55% identity) murine paralog (mASCT1; gene name, SLC1A4) mediates infections specifically of BaEV and HERV-W, and that N-deglycosylation of mASCT1 activates it as a receptor for all viruses of this interference group. Because the only two N-linked oligosaccharides in mASCT1 occur in the carboxyl-terminal region of extracellular loop 2 (ECL2), it was inferred that this region contributes in an inhibitory manner to infections by RD114 and type D primate viruses. To directly and more thoroughly investigate the receptor active sites, we constructed and analyzed a series of hASCT2/mASCT2 chimeras and site-directed mutants. Our results suggest that a hypervariable sequence of 21 amino acids in the carboxyl-terminal portion of ECL2 plays a critical role in determining the receptor properties of ASCT2 proteins for all viruses in this interference group. In addition, we analyzed the tunicamycin-dependent viral susceptibility of hamster cells. In contrast to mASCT1, which contains two N-linked oligosaccharides that partially restrict viral infections, hamster ASCT1 contains an additional N-linked oligosaccharide clustered close to the others in the carboxyl-terminal region of ECL2. Removal of this N-linked oligosaccharide by mutagenesis enabled hamster ASCT1 to function as a receptor for all viruses of this interference group. These results strongly suggest that combinations of amino acid sequence changes and N-linked oligosaccharides in a critical carboxyl-terminal region of ECL2 control retroviral utilization of both the ASCT1 and ASCT2 receptors.