Tat-MANF融合蛋白的制备及生物活性研究

目的：构建用于表达具有Tat序列的新型神经营养因子MANF（mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor）融合蛋白（Tat-MANF）的重组质粒;利用原核细胞表达系统表达该重组蛋白,并检测其生物学活性。方法：以MANF cDNA为模板,利用PCR技术在上下游分别添加TAT序列和His标签及合适的限制性酶切位点,构建TAT-MANF融合基因。插入表达载体Pet22b⁺后,转化大肠杆菌BL21进行表达和纯化,用SDS-PAGE及Western印迹鉴定表达的重组蛋白。为了验证Tat-MANF的生物学活性,用30μmol/L浓度的6-羟多巴胺（6-OHDA）对神经母胶质瘤细胞（SH-SY5Y）进行毒性诱导,同时加入2μg/ml的TAT-MANF及对照MANF蛋白,24h后用流式细胞仪检测细胞的凋亡率。用脑微血管内皮细胞（B-endo3）体外模拟血脑屏障,与FITC标记的Tat-MANF共孵育4h,荧光显微镜下观察。结果：成功构建TAT-MANF融合基因,表达产物与目的蛋白大小相符,能与MANF抗体发生结合反应。重组蛋白可减少由6-OHDA导致的SH-SY5Y细胞凋亡,Tat-MANF-FITC与B-end3细胞共孵育4h后,可见细胞内明显荧光。结论：获得的重组蛋白Tat-MANF具有神经细胞保护作用及跨膜功能,为进一步开展帕金森症的体内治疗研究奠定了物质基础。     

ApCl基因在毕赤酵母中的表达

为了研究ApCl基因的功能,应用基因重组技术将ApCl基因片段克隆入大肠埃希菌—酵母穿梭质拉pGAPZαA,构建重组真核表达质拉pGAPZαA-ApCl,电转化巴斯德单赤酵母GS115,Zeocin筛选出阳性克隆转化子.通过比较转化空载体pGAPZaA和重组载体pGAPZαA-ApCl的不同菌株分别在含有高盐和高山梨醇浓度的液体培养基中生长情况,发现毕赤酵母GS115在转化ApCl基因后其抗旱、抗盐能力显著提高(约3倍),进一步验证了ApCl基因对提高生物抗逆能力有显著作用,为将来分离该蛋白及进一步研究奠定基础.     

Inhibition of mitochondrial complex I improves glucose metabolism independently of AMPK activation

Accumulating evidences showed metformin and berberine, well‐known glucose‐lowering agents, were able to inhibit mitochondrial electron transport chain at complex I. In this study, we aimed to explore the antihyperglycaemic effect of complex I inhibition. Rotenone, amobarbital and gene silence of NDUFA13 were used to inhibit complex I. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were performed in db/db mice. Lactate release and glucose consumption were measured to investigate glucose metabolism in HepG2 hepatocytes and C2C12 myotubes. Glucose output was measured in primary hepatocytes. Compound C and adenoviruses expressing dominant negative AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1/2 were exploited to inactivate AMPK pathway. Cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio was assayed to evaluate energy transforming and redox state. Rotenone ameliorated hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance in db/db mice. It induced glucose consumption and glycolysis and reduced hepatic glucose output. Rotenone also activated AMPK. Furthermore, it remained effective with AMPK inactivation. The enhanced glycolysis and repressed gluconeogenesis correlated with a reduction in cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio, which resulted from complex I suppression. Amobarbital, another representative complex I inhibitor, stimulated glucose consumption and decreased hepatic glucose output in vitro, too. Similar changes were observed while expression of NDUFA13, a subunit of complex I, was knocked down with gene silencing. These findings reveal mitochondrial complex I emerges as a key drug target for diabetes treatment. Inhibition of complex I improves glucose homoeostasis via non‐AMPK pathway, which may relate to the suppression of the cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio.     

The stimulatory effect of ROCK inhibitor on bovine corneal endothelial cells

Reagents which can promote the proliferation, adhesion and migration of cultured corneal endothelial cells (CECs) will be helpful for the treatment of reduced visual acuity due to CECs deficiency. The objectives of this study were to investigate the potential use of an inhibitor of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), Y-27632, to cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells (B-CECs) and evaluated its effects on the proliferation, adhesion and migration of B-CECs. The proliferation of cultured B-CECs was moderately enhanced by 10 μM Y-27632. Y-27632 induced fibroblast-like morphological changes in the cultured B-CECs and normal cell morphology could recover after Y-27632 removal. In addition, Y-27632 was found to significantly enhance the adhesion and migration of B-CECs. Furthermore, the hanging drop aggregation assay showed that Y-27632 promoted B-CECs to form cellular networks and sheets, which proliferated along the liquid–air interface and migrated to the surface of the lid of dish. Our study demonstrated that Y-27632 is a potentially powerful reagent which can enhance the proliferation of cultured B-CECs. Y-27632 will be useful in CEC injection therapy and topical application for CEC deficiency.     

两种野生花卉的扦插繁殖研究

开展野生花卉车轮梅(Raphiolepis indica)和赤楠(Syzygium buxifolium)扦插试验,结果表明:车轮梅硬枝扦插需一定浓度的外源激素方能生根;对激素浓度大小不敏感;总体上NAA组合生根质量优于IBA组合。综合不同处理生根率、根数和不定根根长3个指标,以800 mg/L NAA或800 mg/L IBA作为车轮梅生产上扦插的激素种类和浓度。赤楠生根率较低,最高扦插率达66.7%,生根时间长,约需45 d始生根。综合生根率、不定根根数和不定根根长3个生根指标,试验的4种激素均能较好促进赤楠生根,200×根太阳在生根率和根数上效果最好,生产上可用200×根太阳浸泡2 h,也可用50-100 mg/L NAA或100-400 mg/L IBA浸泡2 h后进行扦插。     

The altered activity of complex III may contribute to the high penetrance of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy in a Chinese family carrying the ND4 G11778A mutation

The ND4 G11778A mutation is the most common mitochondrial DNA mutation leading to Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Despite considerable clinical evidences, the modifier role of nuclear background and mitochondrial haplotypes in phenotypic manifestation of LHON remains poorly understood. We investigated the effect of these modifiers on bioenergetics in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from five affected subjects of one Chinese family carrying the G11778A mutation and five Chinese controls. Significant reductions in the activities of complexes I and III were observed in mutant cell lines from the Chinese family, whereas the mutant cell lines from other families carrying the same mutation exhibited only reduced activity of complex I. The reduced activities of complexes I and III caused remarkably higher reductions of ATP synthesis in mutant cell lines from the Chinese family than those from other families. The deficient respiration increased generation of reactive oxygen species. The defect in complex III activity, likely resulting from the mitochondrial haplotype or nuclear gene alteration, worsens mitochondrial dysfunction caused by the G11778A mutation, thereby causing extremely high penetrance and expressivity of optic neuropathy in this Chinese family. Our data provide the first experimental evidence that altered activity of complex III modulates the phenotypic manifestation of LHON-associated G11778A mutation. Thus, our findings may provide new insights into the pathophysiology of LHON.     

植物中钙依赖蛋白激酶(CDPKs)的结构与功能

在植物细胞中,钙离子作为第二信使,通过钙依赖蛋白激酶（CDPKs）发挥功能是其传递信号的主要途径之一。CDPKs广泛存在于植物体内,是目前植物体内研究最深入的蛋白激酶。在简要阐述CDPKs于植物体内的分布定位的基础上,介绍了CDPKs的结构特点、生化性质及其在植物细胞生理功能中的作用,并就该领域的研究前景作了展望。     

6—DMAP和胚胎干细胞代数对异种重构卵体外发育的影响（简报）

The development of reconstructed oocytes and the survival rate of cloned animal were affected by many factors during nuclear transfer. The genetic constitution and the genetic state of donor nucleus were proposed to be primary factors, which affected the survival rate of cloned animal. In addition, the survival rate of cloned animal might be influenced by nuclear transfer technique itself and passages of donor cells as well as the activation methods of oocytes. We reconstructed oocytes with outbreeding Kunming albino mouse ES cells and enucleated rabbit oocytes, and analyzed the effects of the passages of ES cells and 6-DMAP on the development of interspecific reconstructed oocytes. The interspecific reconstructed ES-rabbit oocytes were activated either by combined two set electric pulses and 6-DMAP or by two set electric pulses alone. The rate of cleavage was significantly higher for the group (86.2%) treated with 6-DMAP than the group (64.2%, P < 0.05) treated with electric pulses only, and the rate of blastocysts was 17.0% and 13.4% respectively, which were not significantly different between two groups. When ES cells that had been passed for 24 and 14 generations were used as donors, the cleavage rates of the reconstructed oocytes were 88.5% and 82.1%, respectively (P > 0.05), and the rates of blastolation were 16.7% and 15.4%, respectively (P > 0.05). The results show that 6-DMAP increases the cleavage rate of reconstructed oocytes derived from ES cells, and affects slightly the developmental rate of blastocysts. There are no differences when high passage and low passage ES cells are used as nuclear donors.     

In vitro development and transfer of resistance to chlortetracycline in Bacillus subtilis

The present criteria and rules controlling the approval of the use of probiotics are limited to antibiotic resistance patterns and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria. There is little information available in the literature regarding the risk of the usage of probiotics in the presence of antibiotic pressure. In this study we investigated the development and transfer of antibiotic resistance in Bacillus subtilis selected in vitro by chlortetracycline in a stepwise manner. Bacillus subtilis was exposed to increasing concentrations of chlortetracyclineto induce in vitro resistance to chlortetracycline, and the minimal inhibitory concentrations were determinedfor the mutants. Resistant B. subtilis were conjugated with Escherichia coli NK5449 and Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2 using the filter mating. Three B. subtilis tetracycline resistant mutants (namely, BS-1, BS-2, and BS-3) were derived in vitro. A tetracycline resistant gene, tet (K), was found in the plasmids of BS-1 and BS-2. Three conjugates (BS-1N, BS-2N, and BS-3N) were obtained when the resistant B. subtilis was conjugated with E. coli NK5449. The conjugation frequencies for the BS-1N, BS-2N, and BS-3N conjugates were 4.57×10^?7, 1.4×10^?7, and 1.3×10^?8, respectively. The tet(K) gene was found only in the plasmids of BS-1N. These results indicate that long-term use of probiotics under antibiotic selection pressure could cause antibiotic resistance, and the resistance gene could be transferred to other bacteria. The risk arising from the use of probiotics under antibiotic pressure should be considered in the criteria and rules for the safety assessment of probiotics.