Changes in biophysical parameters of plasma membranes influence cisplatin resistance of sensitive and resistant epidermal carcinoma cells

The mechanism of resistance of cancer cells to the anticancer drug cisplatin is not fully understood. Using cisplatin-sensitive KB-3-1 and -resistant KCP-20 cells, we found that the resistant cells have higher membrane potential, as determined by membrane potential sensing oxonol dye. Electron spin resonance and fluorescence polarization studies revealed that the resistant cells have more "fluid" plasma membranes than the sensitive cells. Because of this observed difference in membrane "fluidity," we attempted modification of the plasma membrane fluidity by the incorporation of heptadecanoic acid into KB-3-1 and KCP-20 cell membranes. We found that such treatment resulted in increased heptadecanoic acid content and increased fluidity in the plasma membranes of both cell types, and also resulted in increased cisplatin resistance in the KCP-20 cells. This finding is in accord with our results, which showed that the cisplatin-resistant KCP-20 cells have more fluid membranes than the cisplatin-sensitive KB-3-1 cells. It remains to be determined whether the observed differences in biophysical status and/or fatty acid composition alone, or the secondary effect of these differences on the structure or function of some transmembrane protein(s), is the reason for increased cisplatin resistance.     

低温与GA_3诱导菠萝黑心病的生理机制

菠萝黑心病是PPO催化氧化酚类物质形成褐色产物所致。低温或GA_3处理提高了PPO活性及其底物——儿茶酚、绿原酸和咖啡酸的含量,也导致了PAL活性增加;低温还使乙烯释放率增大。这些变化均有利于黑心病的发生和发展。     

Nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine: small change brings big difference

正The physicist Richard Feynman put forward the concept of nanotechnology in his famous speech,There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom,at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society on December 29,1959.He began with abottom upapproach and proposed assembling from a single molecule or even an atom to meet the requirements of the design.He indicated that the laws of physics do not rule out the possibility of making an object by atom stack and     

Novel naftopidil derivatives containing methyl phenylacetate and their blocking effects on α1D/1A-adrenoreceptor subtypes

α₁-Adrenoceptor (α₁-AR) antagonists are considered to be the most effective monotherapy agents for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). In this study, we synthesized compounds 2–17, which are novel piperazine derivatives that contain methyl phenylacetate. We then evaluated the vasodilatory activities of these compounds. Among them, we found that compounds 2, 7, 12, which contain 2-OCH₃, 2-CH₃ or 2, 5-CH₃, respectively, exhibited potent α₁-blocking activity similar to protype drug naftopidil (1). The antagonistic effects of 2, 7, and 12 on the (?)-noradrenaline-induced contractile response of isolated rat prostatic vas deferens (α_1A), spleen (α_1B) and thoracic aorta (α_1D) were further characterized to assess the sub receptor selectivity. Compared with naftopidil (1) and terazosin, compound 12 showed the most desirable α_1D/1A subtype selectivity, especially improved α_1A subtype selectivity, and the ratios pA₂ (α_1D)/pA₂ (α_1B) and pA₂ (α_1A)/pA₂ (α_1B) were 17.0- and 19.5-fold, respectively, indicating less cardiovascular side effects when used to treat LUTS/BPH. Finally, we investigated the chiral pharmacology of 12. We found, however, that the activity of enantiomers (R)-12 and (S)-12 are not significantly different from that of rac-12.     

Callicarpanes A–L,Twelve New Clerodane Diterpenoids with NLRP3 Inflammasome Inhibitory Activity from Callicarpa integerrima

Twelve new clerodane diterpenoids named callicarpanes A–L ( 1 – 12 ), together with eight known compounds ( 13 – 20 ), were isolated from Callicarpa integerrima. Their structures were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic data. The calculated chemical shifts were used to identify relative configurations using DP4+ analysis. The absolute configurations (AC) were assigned based on quantum chemical calculations and X-ray single-crystal diffraction methods. Compounds 1 , 3 , 5 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 15 , 16 , and 19 showed significant inhibitory activity for NLRP3 inflammasome activation, with the IC₅₀ against lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release ranging from 0.08 to 4.78 μM. Further study revealed that compound 10 repressed IL-1β secretion and caspase-1 maturation in J774A.1 cell as well as blocked macrophage pyroptosis.     

SND1蛋白与HuR蛋白的相互结合作用

人源SND1（staphylococcal nuclease domain containing 1）蛋白由N端的SN（staphylococcal nucleases）结构域和C端的TSN (Tudor SN5) 结构域组成,其中SN结构域又包含SN1～SN4四个重复的功能片段. 本课题组前期研究结果表明,SND1蛋白可以通过SN结构域与G3BP（Ras GAP SH3 domain binding protein）蛋白相互结合,共同参与细胞应激颗粒（stress granules,SGs）的形成. SGs是真核细胞在受到氧化应激、病毒感染等外界刺激时在胞浆内形成的与RNA代谢相关的颗粒状结构. 对于SGs的成分鉴定及相互作用的分析一直是学者们研究的热点. 本研究中,免疫共沉淀实验结果表明,以抗SND1抗体可以共沉淀出HeLa细胞内另一个重要的应激相关人类抗原R（human antigen R,HuR）蛋白. 另外,利用脂质体转染法将pcDNA3 FLAG HuR重组质粒瞬时转染入HeLa细胞,成功过表达外源性的FLAG HuR融合蛋白,再以抗FLAG标签抗体又可以反向共沉淀出内源性SND1蛋白,证明SND1与HuR之间存在蛋白质间的相互结合作用. 细胞免疫荧光实验结果表明,当给予HeLa细胞05 mmol/L亚砷酸钠氧化应激时,SND1与HuR蛋白共同定位于胞浆中的SGs结构中. GST pulldown实验结果进一步表明截短的SN结构域可以结合HuR蛋白,其中以SN1功能片段的结合能力最强,表明SND1蛋白是通过SN结构域与HuR蛋白形成应激复合物,参与SGs的胞浆组装.并不定位于SGs的TSN结构域亦可结合HuR蛋白,提示SND1 HuR的蛋白相互作用可能并不局限于SGs,具有其它方面的功能意义.     

基因前定点敲入FLAG标签表达的FLAG-SND1蛋白参与胞内应激颗粒的形成

CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas9 nuclease) 基因编辑技术是近年来新兴的一种可以实现基因特异性敲除和敲入的技术。本文利用CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑系统,将3×FLAG标签定点敲入HeLa细胞SND1基因前方,使细胞内源性表达的SND1蛋白带有3×FLAG标签,并观察SND1与应激颗粒及加工体的定位情况。设计针对SND1基因起始密码子ATG附近的sgRNA,以px459为表达载体,构建出重组真核表达质粒。设计含有3×FLAG及待插入位置上下游150 bp同源臂的序列,经公司合成获得重组质粒。将2个质粒共同转染HeLa细胞,使用嘌呤霉素筛选阳性细胞,挑取单克隆后培养。Western 印迹表明,细胞表达3×FLAG-SND1融合蛋白质。提取细胞基因组DNA进行测序。测序无误获得稳定株后,用流式细胞术检测细胞周期和凋亡,发现与WT细胞相比无显著性差异。同时,使用0.5 mmol/L亚砷酸钠处理,细胞发生氧化应激,eIF2α蛋白磷酸化增加,胞浆中出现应激颗粒,SND1与应激颗粒标志蛋白TIAR存在共定位现象,但不存在与加工体蛋白DCP1α的共定位。     

三叶木通光敏色素A基因的序列及表达分析

光敏色素( phytochrome,简称PHY)是植物体内最重要的光受体,参与调节植物种子萌发、幼苗生长、茎的伸长、子叶伸展直至开花控制等许多生理过程。该研究通过RT-PCR方法首次从三叶木通( Akebia trifoli-ata)中获得了编码光敏色素A的cDNA序列(命名为AktrPHYA1,GenBank登录号为KP864055)。结果表明：该序列由3496 bp组成,包含一个3426 bp的完整开放阅读框,编码1141个氨基酸。 AktrPHYA1编码的蛋白N端为光感受区域,包括一个GAF结构域、一个PHY结构域;C端为光调节区域,C端包括两个PAS结构域、一个组氨酸激酶A结构域和一个类似组氨酸激酶的ATP 激酶结构。同源蛋白比对显示,AktrPHYA1与耧斗菜、荷花的同源蛋白序列一致性分别为83％和82％。遗传进化树分析表明,单子叶植物和双子叶植物的光敏色素A基因分别聚为两支;在双子叶植物中,AktrPHYA1与耧斗菜、荷花PHYA聚在一起,说明三叶木通与耧斗菜、荷花遗传关系较近。 AktrPHYA1在三叶木通茎、叶片、雄花、雌花、种子中均有表达,且在种子中表达最强,在叶片中表达量最低。 AktrPHYA1的组织表达谱暗示了其在植物中可能的功能。该研究结果为三叶木通光敏色素A基因的功能研究奠定了基础。