高梁抗蚜研究进展

高粱(Sorghum bicolour)是世界上最重要的粮食、饲料、酿造和能源作物之一,也是C4植物研究的模式植物.蚜虫是农业生产上的重要害虫,几乎危害所有的栽培作物.危害高粱的蚜虫主要包括高粱蚜(Melanaphis sacchan)、麦二叉蚜(Schizaphis graminum)和玉米蚜(Rhopalosiphum maidis).高粱的抗蚜资源尚不丰富且缺乏深入系统的研究.目前研究较多的是麦二叉蚜的抗性遗传方面,已定位20个抗性QTLs,单一QTL对抗性差异贡献率最高可达80.3％,对高粱蚜和玉米蚜的研究尚需进一步加强.高粱的理化特性与其抗蚜性能相关,故可与育种实践相结合.高粱和蚜虫(Acyrthosiphon pisum)的全基因组测序工作已经完成,这将有助于蚜虫-植物间的相互作用关系及植物对蚜虫的抗性机制研究.目前已克隆到2个抗蚜基因,且多个抗蚜基因(位点)已被定位在染色体上.该文重点综述了上述研究成果并对高粱抗蚜的研究前景进行了展望.     

A novel high-throughput screening assay for discovery of molecules that increase cellular tetrahydrobiopterin

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) is an essential cofactor for the nitric oxide (NO) synthases and the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases. Insufficient BH(4) has been implicated in various cardiovascular and neurological disorders. GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH-1) is the rate-limiting enzyme for de novo biosynthesis of BH(4). The authors have recently shown that the interaction of GTPCH-1 with GTP cyclohydrolase feedback regulatory protein (GFRP) inhibits endothelial GTPCH-1 enzyme activity, BH(4) levels, and NO production. They propose that agents that disrupt the GTPCH-1/GFRP interaction can increase cellular GTPCH-1 activity, BH(4) levels, and NO production. They developed and optimized a novel time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay to monitor the interaction of GTPCH-1 and GFRP. This assay is highly sensitive and stable and has a signal-to-background ratio (S/B) greater than 12 and a Z' factor greater than 0.8. This assay was used in an ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS) format to screen the Library of Pharmacologically Active Compounds. Using independent protein-protein interaction and cellular activity assays, the authors identified compounds that disrupt GTPCH-1/GFRP binding and increase endothelial cell biopterin levels. Thus, this TR-FRET assay could be applied in future uHTS of additional libraries to search for molecules that increase GTPCH-1 activity and BH(4) levels.     

Regulation of hypoxia-induced release of corticotropin-releasing factor in the rat hypothalamus by norepinephrine

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) peptide release was activated by hypoxia in the rat hypothalamus. The mechanisms, however, of the hypoxia-induced CRF release remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the norepinephrine (NE) and its receptors in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) mediated the CRF release in a simulated altitude hypoxia. When rats were exposed to 5 or 7 km altitude of hypoxia for a short or long term: (1) NE levels in the PVN and the CeA, using the HPLC analysis, were intensity and time course dependently increased, but the increase in the PVN were potential than in the CeA. Restraint-induced NE increase was much higher in both the PVN and the CeA, compared with hypoxia-induced response. (2) Hypoxia and restraint significantly enhanced CRF release in the ME and the PVN but not in the CeA, through RIA assay, which result in stimulating corticosterone secretion. (3) Hypoxia-induced CRF release was reversed by an injection of prazosin (i.c.v.), an alpha-1 adrenoceptor antagonist, while administration of yohimbine (i.c.v.), an alpha-2 receptor antagonist, facilitated further CRF release. These data suggested that hypoxia induced NE activation centrally, via alpha-1 and -2 receptors, leading to improving hypothalamic CRF release, which in turn stimulated pituitary and adrenal cortex. Restraint presented much potential action on NE activation than hypoxia.     

白蚁及其共生菌来源的4种木质纤维素酶的共表达

天然的木质纤维素材料含有纤维素、半纤维素和木质素等成分。降解天然木质纤维素底物时,需要木质纤维素酶共同作用。近年在木质纤维素酶的相互协同作用方面的研究引起人们的关注,成为一个新的研究热点,文中使用两个不同的共表达载体pETDuet-1和pRSFDuet-1,在大肠杆菌中共表达了白蚁及其肠道微生物来源的β-葡萄糖苷酶、内切β-1,4-葡聚糖酶、漆酶和木聚糖酶这4种木质纤维素酶,经过SDS-PAGE分析得到了与理论值一致的蛋白条带,同时经过酶活验证,这4种蛋白都具有酶活性。以磷酸处理的微晶纤维素(PASC)为底物,测定了共表达酶粗酶液与单独表达酶混合液的协同作用因子,从还原糖的产量上经计算共表达的粗酶液比单独表达酶的混合液对PASC的降解协同作用提高44%;以滤纸和磷酸处理的玉米芯为底物,测定降解协同作用,分别提高了34%和20%。结果表明,共表达酶的降解效率要高于混合的单组分酶液降解效率的总和。     

Selective Inhibition of Type III Secretion Activated Signaling by the Salmonella Effector AvrA

Salmonella enterica utilizes a type III secretion system (TTSS) encoded in its pathogenicity island 1 to mediate its initial interactions with intestinal epithelial cells, which are characterized by the stimulation of actin cytoskeleton reorganization and a profound reprogramming of gene expression. These responses result from the stimulation of Rho-family GTPases and downstream signaling pathways by specific effector proteins delivered by this TTSS. We show here that AvrA, an effector protein of this TTSS, specifically inhibits the Salmonella-induced activation of the JNK pathway through its interaction with MKK7, although it does not interfere with the bacterial infection-induced NF-κB activation. We also show that AvrA is phosphorylated at evolutionary conserved residues by a TTSS-effector-activated ERK pathway. This interplay between effector proteins delivered by the same TTSS highlights the remarkable complexity of these systems.     

Discovery of a new class of glucosylceramide synthase inhibitors

A novel series of potent inhibitors of glucosylceramide synthase are described. The optimization of biochemical and cellular potency as well as ADME properties led to compound 23c. Broad tissue distribution was obtained following oral administration to mice. Thus 23c could be another useful tool compound for studying the effects of GCS inhibition in vitro and in vivo.     

Effective approach to greatly enhancing selective secretion and expression of three cytoplasmic enzymes in Escherichia coli through synergistic effect of EDTA and lysozyme

An effective approach to greatly enhancing the selective secretion and expression of recombinant cytoplasmic enzymes in Escherichia coli was successfully developed through the synergistic effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) and lysozyme. The method was applied to two endoglucanases (EGs) and an amylase. The optimal culture conditions of temperature and concentration of isopropyl-β-D: -1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) were 23-30?°C and 0.2?mM, respectively, under which the three enzymes could be expressed in active form. Among all the chemicals tested, EDTA was found to be most suitable for enhancing the secretion of EG-I-1A into the medium. Addition of lysozyme alone had little influence on the secretion and expression. In contrast, on the basis of the addition of 5?g?EDTA/L at the induction time of 12?h, the simultaneous addition of 0.15?g?lysozyme/L further significantly increased the secretion and expression of the three enzymes, demonstrating the synergistic effect of EDTA and lysozyme. The production of EG-I-1A in the culture medium by adding 5?g?EDTA/L and 0.15?g?lysozyme/L under the optimal culture conditions of 23?°C and 0.2?mM IPTG was over 260-fold higher than that without EDTA and lysozyme under the standard conditions of 37?°C and 1?mM IPTG. In summary, the advantage of this novel cultivation approach for secretion was that not only did it selectively enhance the secretion of the proteins of interest, but also greatly increased the expression of the three enzymes by over 80?%.