Increase of anti-HIV activity of C-peptide fusion inhibitors using a bivalent drug design approach

We reported the design of fusion inhibitors with improved activity using a multivalent inhibitor design strategy. First, we chose C29 as the template sequence, which is a 29-mer peptide derived from HIV-1 gp41 CHR domain and has anti-HIV activity of IC₅₀ 118 nM in a cell–cell fusion assay. We optimized the crosslink sites and linkers of the template peptide. We found that N-terminal crosslink caused activity improvement based on the multivalent co-operative effect. Especially, the IC₅₀ of peptide (CAcaC29)₂ was improved from 49.02 (monomeric form) to 5.71 nM. Compared with long peptides, short peptides may be more suitable to analyze the co-operative effect. So we selected a shorter peptide C22 to synthesize the bivalent inhibitors. Due its weak helicity, no co-operative effect appeared. Therefore, we chose SC22EK, which were introduced salt bridges to consolidate the helicity based on the natural sequence C22. The cross-linked (CAcaSC22EK)₂ was four times more potent than the monomer SC22EK in anti-HIV activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 4.92 nM close to the high active peptide fusion inhibitor C34. The strategy used in this study may be used to design new fusion inhibitors to interfere similar processes.     

Exploring pyrimidine-substituted curcumin analogues: Design,synthesis and effects on EGFR signaling

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an effective molecular target of anti-cancer therapies. Curcumin inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro by suppressing gene expression of EGFR and reduces tumor growth in various animal models. To overcome instable and insoluble properties of curcumin as therapeutics, we designed and synthesized six novel pyrimidine-substituted curcumin analogues with or without a hydroxyl group originally present in curcumin. The cell viability tests indicated that IC₅₀ of the analogues containing hydroxyl group were 3 to 8-fold lower than those of the analogues without hydroxyl group in two colon cancer cell lines tested. Western blot analysis indicates the analogues containing hydroxyl group inhibited expression and tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR. Further protein analyses showed that the analogues had anti-cellular proliferation, pro-apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest properties associated with suppressed EGFR expression. These results indicate that the hydroxyl groups in curcumin and the analogues were critical for observed biological activities.     

DNA组装新方法的研究进展

2010年,蕈状支原体Mycoplasma mycoides的人工合成,迎来了合成生物学的崭新时代.这种突破性的进展主要得益于酵母自身强大的DNA体内重组能力.近几年来,除了利用体内重组的DNA大片段拼接技术,基于连接或聚合思想的不同尺度的DNA体外组装方法也相继出现,如Biobrick\Bglbrick、SLIC与Gibson等温一步法等,这些方法的应用加快了合成生物学功能元件库、生物合成途径乃至微生物染色体的人工构建.事实上,目前所建立的各种DNA组装方法,均是由DNA分子拼接理念(包括两分子衔接思想与多片段组装模式)衍生而来.文中将在介绍DNA组装基本理念的基础上,对体内、体外主要的DNA组装方法进行简要梳理,希望为不同类型的合成生物学功能器件及生物合成途径的构造提供参考与借鉴.     

产溶剂梭菌分子遗传操作技术研究进展

产溶剂梭菌是一类重要的工业微生物.通过遗传改造以优化产溶剂梭菌的发酵性能一直是溶剂制造技术研究的重要课题,但长期受限于该类菌并不完善的遗传操作工具,未见明显突破.近年来,随着TargeTron基因中断、大片段基因整合等新技术和新方法的出现,其分子遗传改造已取得较大进展.文中对产溶剂梭菌的分子遗传操作工具研究进展进行了总结,并指出了现有技术在效率及全面性方面的不足.基于此,今后应进一步优化现有的梭菌基因失活技术,如建立基于同源重组的基因删除和替换;同时也应发展新的分子操作技术,如基因组多位点共编辑、多拷贝定点和随机整合等.     

Histone H3K27me3 demethylases KDM6A and KDM6B modulate definitive endoderm differentiation from human ESCs by regulating WNT signaling pathway

Definitive endoderm differentiation is crucial for generating respiratory and gastrointestinal organs including pancreas and liver. However, whether epigenetic regulation contributes to this process is unknown. Here, we show that the H3K27me3 demethylases KDM6A and KDM6B play an important role in endoderm differentiation from human ESCs. Knockdown of KDM6A or KDM6B impairs endoderm differentiation, which can be rescued by sequential treatment with WNT agonist and antagonist. KDM6A and KDM6B contribute to the activation of WNT3 and DKK1 at different differentiation stages when WNT3 and DKK1 are required for mesendoderm and definitive endoderm differentiation, respectively. Our study not only uncovers an important role of the H3K27me3 demethylases in definitive endoderm differentiation, but also reveals that they achieve this through modulating the WNT signaling pathway.     

7个大穗型小麦-黑麦代换系间杂交后代的形态学与SSR分析

对从小麦-黑麦代换系5R/5A与1R/1D杂交后代中选育的大穗型品系1-5、1-6、1-7、1-8、1-9、1-10、1-11进行形态学与SSR分析。结果表明,7个品系田间表现遗传性稳定,且具有黑麦大穗、抗病等优良性状;利用黑麦特异引物PSC119.1确定7个品系均导入了黑麦染色体片段,引物SCM138扩增结果表明,在1-6、1-7、1-8、1-9、1-10中导入了黑麦染色体5RS片段,引物SCM120、TSM604可以在7个品系中稳定扩增出黑麦5R长臂和1R短臂特异片段。以上结果可为小麦遗传育种与品质改良提供基础材料。     

人源EFA6A蛋白Sec7结构域的克隆表达与纯化

作为小GTP酶Arf6的鸟甘酸交换因子(GEF),人EFA6A蛋白主要包含PH和Sec7两个结构域,Sec7是行使GEF功能的核心区域。通过分析Jpred、Uniprot等生物信息学软件的预测结果,从全长1 024 aa中选取的重组Sec7结构域的边界为506-719,共214 aa。以人脑cDNA文库为模板,通过优化PCR程序成功扩增出Sec7基因,经NdeI和XhoI双酶切后亚克隆至原核表达载体p28a中,成功构建p28-Sec7重组子,测序结果与NCBI中公布的序列100%吻合。将重组质粒p28-Sec7转化至BL21-Gold(DE3)宿主菌中,终浓度0.3 mmol/L IPTG、16℃、24 h诱导表达,重组蛋白经过Ni柱和分子筛两步纯化。试验结果显示,重组Sec7成功表达,性质均一,纯度高于95%,表达量为70 mg/L。     

MOC-31和CD44v6在良恶性腹水鉴别诊断中的应用

目的探讨检测肿瘤标志物MOC-31和CD44v6对鉴别良恶性腹水的诊断价值。方法利用液基薄层细胞学自动涂片技术方法筛查出查到肿瘤细胞的恶性腹水标本390例以及良性腹水标本100例,分别采用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)和免疫细胞化学染色检测MOC-31和CD44v6的含量和表达情况。结果 ELISA结果显示MOC-31和CD44v6在良性腹水中的含量分别为21±4ng/ml和291±32ng/ml,在恶性腹水中的含量分别为98.1±19.3ng/ml和891±116ng/ml,差异均具有显著性(P<0.05);免疫细胞化学染色显示MOC-31在恶性腹水细胞中阳性表达250例,良性腹水细胞中阳性表达5例;CD44v6在恶性腹水细胞中阳性表达266例,良性腹水细胞中阳性表达3例,差异均具有显著性(P<0.05)。结论 MOC-31和CD44v6可以做为良恶性腹水鉴别诊断的重要指标,值得在临床病理工作中推广应用。