里氏木霉细胞表面表达系统的构建

[目的]烟曲霉(Aspergillus fumigatus)的AfMp1p是一种通过糖基磷脂酰肌醇( glycosylphosphatidylinositol,GPI)修饰定位于细胞壁上的蛋白,其细胞壁定位信号位于蛋白质的C末端.里氏木霉(Trichoderma reesei)是一种重要的工业生产菌种.构建里氏木霉的细胞表面表达系统具有十分重要的意义.[方法]我们将AfMp1p的细胞壁定位GPI信号肽和烟曲霉几丁质酶AfChiB1的N端信号肽分别与绿色荧光蛋白(green fluorescent protein,GFP)的C末端和N末端融合并转化里氏木霉.本文首先对木霉遗传转化系统进行了优化;随后通过Real-time PCR和蛋白定量,对GFP融合蛋白在里氏木霉中不同时期的表达情况进行了研究;最后对里氏木霉表达的GFP融合蛋白进行细胞定位研究.[结果]荧光观察结合Western blot的结果表明,在平台期中期和后期,带有GPI信号的GFP融合蛋白定位于细胞壁.[结论]烟曲霉来源的GPI信号可被里氏木霉识别,本论文所构建的表达系统可用于外源蛋白在里氏木霉中的细胞壁定位表达.     

云南阳宗海酵母菌种群结构及产胞外酶测试北大核心CSCD

【目的】研究阳宗海酵母菌种群结构,分析生物因子及非生物因子对酵母菌种群分布的影响;测试阳宗海酵母菌产胞外酶活性。【方法】水样用醋酸纤维素滤膜过滤,原位培养分离酵母菌;梯度稀释法分离土样和底泥样品;对分离得到的菌株进行DNA提取和测序,分析26S rDNA的D1/D2区域,并结合形态及生理生化指标进行鉴定;用产酶筛选培养基对分离得到的酵母菌进行产胞外酶活性测试。【结果】共分离得到201株酵母菌,鉴定分属于15个属48个种,其中包括10个潜在的新种;普鲁兰类酵母(Aureobasidium pullulans),库德里阿兹威氏毕赤酵母(Pichia kudriavzevii),胶红酵母(Rhodotorula mucilaginosa),Cryptococcus podzolicus是优势种;15.9%的酵母菌具有产胞外酶活性,主要是脂肪酶和淀粉酶。【结论】阳宗海酵母菌有较为丰富的多样性,人为活动对阳宗海酵母菌分布影响较大,其次浊度、电导率也是影响酵母菌种群分布的重要因素;阳宗海产胞外酶酵母菌可能参与湖泊生态系统的自然循环。     

SHORT Syndrome with Partial Lipodystrophy Due to Impaired Phosphatidylinositol 3 Kinase Signaling

The phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) pathway regulates fundamental cellular processes such as metabolism, proliferation, and survival. A central component in this pathway is the p85α regulatory subunit, encoded by PIK3R1. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a heterozygous PIK3R1 mutation (c.1945C>T [p.Arg649Trp]) in two unrelated families affected by partial lipodystrophy, low body mass index, short stature, progeroid face, and Rieger anomaly (SHORT syndrome). This mutation led to impaired interaction between p85α and IRS-1 and reduced AKT-mediated insulin signaling in fibroblasts from affected subjects and in reconstituted Pik3r1-knockout preadipocytes. Normal PI3K activity is critical for adipose differentiation and insulin signaling; the mutated PIK3R1 therefore provides a unique link among lipodystrophy, growth, and insulin signaling.     

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 aggravates ROS-mediated striatal degeneration in 3-nitropropionic acid-infused mice

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 (ASK1), an early signaling element in the cell death pathway, has been suggested to participate in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases, which may be associated with environmental factors that impact the diseases. Although it is not entirely elucidated, 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) provokes mitochondrial dysfunction and selectively forms striatal lesions similar to those found in Huntington’s disease. The current study investigated whether ASK1 is involved in striatal pathology following chronic systemic infusion of 3-NP. The results show that ASK1 acts as a primary mediator of there active oxygen species (ROS) cell death signal cascade in the 3-NP-damaged striatal region by disrupting the positive feedback cycle. In 3-NP-infused striatal lesions, ROS increased ASK1. Superoxide dismutase transgenic (SOD-tg) mice reduced ASK1by scavenging ROS, and reduction of ASK1leads to a reduction in cell death. However, ASK1 down-regulation in 3-NP infusion mice also decreased striatal cell death without scavenging ROS. In contrast decreasing cell death by si-ASK1 treatment along with 3-NP in both SOD tg and wild-type mice (wt), cell death rebounded when ASK1 peptide was added to SOD tg mice. The present study suggests that ROS-inducing ASK1 may be an important step in the pathogenesis of 3-NP infused striatal lesions in murine brains.     

Isolation of (-)-olivil-9′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside from Sambucus williamsii and its antifungal effects with membrane-disruptive action

In this study, we isolated (-)-olivil-9′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (OLI9G), a phytochemical from the stem bark of Sambucus williamsii, and investigated the antifungal mechanism of OLI9G against Candida albicans. First of all, the antifungal susceptibility testing and hemolysis assay showed that OLI9G exerted a potent activity without hemolysis compared to the activity of amphotericin B. To investigate the mechanism of action of OLI9G, we first examined membrane depolarization using cyanine dye, 3,3′-dipropylthiacarbocyanine iodide (diSC₃5). The results showed that OLI9G significantly changed the fungal membrane potential. To further understand this activity on the membrane, we did the propidium iodide (PI) influx assay. From the results, OLI9G caused membrane permeabilization in the fungal membrane, and the three dimensional (3D) flow cytometric contour plot from the PI influx assay further showed that the cells had shrunk due to the membrane damage. Finally, the membrane-active mechanism of OLI9G was confirmed by synthesizing a model membrane, calcein-encapsulating large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs). The calcein leakage showed the membrane-disruptive effects caused by direct action of OLI9G. In conclusion, the current study suggests that OLI9G exerts its antifungal activity through a membrane-disruptive action.     

Ribosomal protein S3 is secreted as a homodimer in cancer cells

Protein secretion is a general phenomenon by which cells communicate with the extracellular environment. Secretory proteins, including hormones, enzymes, toxins, and antimicrobial peptides have various functions in extracellular environments. Here, we determined that ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3) is homodimerized and secreted in several cancer cell lines such as HT1080 (human fibrosarcoma) and MPC11 (mouse plasmacytoma). Moreover, we found that the secreted rpS3 protein increased in doxorubicin-resistant MPC11 cells compared to that in MPC11 cells. In addition, we also detected that the level of secreted rpS3 increased in more malignant cells, which were established with continuous exposure of cigarette smoke condensate. These findings suggest that the secreted rpS3 protein is an indicator of malignant tumors.     

ATM-deficient human fibroblast cells are resistant to low levels of DNA double-strand break induced apoptosis and subsequently undergo drug-induced premature senescence

DNA DSBs are induced by IR or radiomimetic drugs such as doxorubicin. It has been indicated that cells from ataxia-telangiectasia patients are highly sensitive to radiation due to defects in DNA repair, but whether they have impairment in apoptosis has not been fully elucidated. A-T cells showed increased sensitivity to high levels of DNA damage, however, they were more resistant to low doses. Normal cells treated with combination of KU55933, a specific ATM kinase inhibitor, and doxorubicin showed increased resistance as they do in a similar manner to A-T cells. A-T cells have higher viability but more DNA breaks, in addition, the activations of p53 and apoptotic proteins (Bax and caspase-3) were deficient, but Akt expression was enhanced. A-T cells subsequently underwent premature senescence after treatment with a low dose of doxorubicin, which was confirmed by G2 accumulation, senescent morphology, and SA-β-gal positive until 15 days repair incubation. Finally, A-T cells are radio-resistant at low doses due to its defectiveness in detecting DNA damage and apoptosis, but the accumulation of DNA damage leads cells to premature senescence.