Rapid engineering of the geldanamycin biosynthesis pathway by Red/ET recombination and gene complementation

Genetic manipulation of antibiotic producers, such as Streptomyces species, is a rational approach to improve the properties of biologically active molecules. However, this can be a slow and sometimes problematic process. Red/ET recombination in an Escherichia coli host has permitted rapid and more versatile engineering of geldanamycin biosynthetic genes in a complementation plasmid, which can then be readily transferred into the Streptomyces host from which the corresponding wild type gene(s) has been removed. With this rapid Red/ET recombination and gene complementation approach, efficient gene disruptions and gene replacements in the geldanamycin biosynthetic gene cluster have been successfully achieved. As an example, we describe here the creation of a ketoreductase 6 null mutation in an E. coli high-copy-number plasmid carrying gdmA2A3 from Streptomyces hygroscopicus NRRL3602 and the subsequent complementation of a gdmA2A3 deletion host with this plasmid to generate a novel geldanamycin analog.     

Interaction between the T4 helicase loading protein (gp59) and the DNA polymerase (gp43): unlocking of the gp59-gp43-DNA complex to initiate assembly of a fully functional replisome

Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer and functional assays have been used to study the initiation and regulation of the bacteriophage T4 DNA replication system. Previous work has demonstrated that a complex of the helicase loading protein (gp59) and the DNA polymerase (gp43) on forked DNA totally inhibits the polymerase and exonuclease activities of gp43 by a molecular locking mechanism (Xi, J., Zhuang, Z., Zhang, Z., Selzer, T., Spiering, M. M., Hammes, G. G., and Benkovic, S. J. (2005) Biochemistry 44, 2305-2318). We now show that this complex is "unlocked" by the addition of the helicase (gp41) with restoration of the DNA polymerase activity. Gp59 retains its ability to load the helicase while forming a gp59-gp43 complex at a DNA fork in the presence of the single-stranded DNA binding protein (gp32). Upon the addition of gp41 and MgATP, gp59 dissociates from the complex, and the DNA-bound gp41 is capable of recruiting the primase (gp61) to form a functional primosome and, subsequently, a fully active replisome. Functional assays of leading- and lagging-strand synthesis on an active replication fork show that the absence of gp59 has no effect on the coupling of leading- and lagging-strand synthesis or on the size of the Okazaki DNA fragments. We conclude that gp59 acts in a manner similar to the clamp loader to ensure proper assembly of the replisome and does not remain as a replisome component during active replication.     

毒品快速定量测试方法的探讨

阐述了毒品金免疫层析试条的定量测试机理,推导出浓度值与吸光度之间的测试模型,并对主要干扰因素及消除方法进行分析。最后验证了毒品快速定量测试方法的可行性。     

大豆类受体蛋白激酶基因GmRLCK的克隆及初步分析

植物类受体蛋白激酶(receptor-likeproteinkinase,RLK)在高等植物生长发育和环境刺激的信号传导中起着重要的作用。本文报告了一个新的大豆类受体蛋白激酶基因的全长cDNA克隆及对其基因结构和功能的初步分析。研究表明该基因序列编码的蛋白包含一个跨膜域、一个具有丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶活性的胞内域和一个缺少N-末端信号肽的胞外域。采用生物信息学方法分析表明,该基因与一些拟南芥菜类受体蛋白激酶基因具有很高的相似性,这些激酶N-末端都缺少信号序列,属于植物胞质类受体激酶(receptor-likecytoplasmickinase,RLCK)亚家族。因此命名该大豆基因为GmRLCK(GenBankAccessionNo.AY687390)。对GmRLCK激酶域中磷酸化可能性较高的位点进行了预测。RT-PCR的结果表明,GmRLCK在大豆子叶、根、花以及豆荚中都有较高的表达,而在胚根、茎和成熟叶片中的表达相对较弱。进化分析表明GmRLCK与一些衰老相关的植物类受体蛋白激酶具有较近的亲缘关系。     

见血封喉乳汁中具有细胞毒活性的强心苷

从见血封喉(Antiaris toxicaria (Pers.) Lesch.)乳汁分离得到4个强心苷类化合物,经波谱数据分析,分别鉴定为：毒毛旋花子爪哇糖苷(1)、铃兰毒苷(2)、毒毛旋花子阿洛糖苷(3)和glucostrophanthidin (4)。化合物4为首次从见血封喉中分离得到。细胞毒活性测定结果表明,化合物1~4对慢性髓原白血病细胞(K562)、人胃癌细胞(SGC-7901)和人肝癌细胞(SMMC-7721)的增殖均显示了较强的生长抑制活性。     

Inhibitory Phosphorylation of GSK-3 by CaMKII Couples Depolarization to Neuronal Survival

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) plays a critical role in neuronal apoptosis. The two mammalian isoforms of the kinase, GSK-3α and GSK-3β, are inhibited by phosphorylation at Ser-21 and Ser-9, respectively. Depolarization, which is vital for neuronal survival, causes both an increase in Ser-21/9 phosphorylation and an inhibition of GSK-3α/β. However, the role of GSK-3 phosphorylation in depolarization-dependent neuron survival and the signaling pathway contributing to GSK-3 phosphorylation during depolarization remain largely unknown. Using several approaches, we showed that both isoforms of GSK-3 are important for mediating neuronal apoptosis. Nonphosphorylatable GSK-3α/β mutants (S21A/S9A) promoted apoptosis, whereas a peptide encompassing Ser-9 of GSK-3β protected neurons in a phosphorylation-dependent manner; these results indicate a critical role for Ser-21/9 phosphorylation on depolarization-dependent neuron survival. We found that Ser-21/9 phosphorylation of GSK-3 was mediated by Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) but not by Akt/PKB, PKA, or p90^RSK. CaMKII associated with and phosphorylated GSK-3α/β. Furthermore, the pro-survival effect of CaMKII was mediated by GSK-3 phosphorylation and inactivation. These findings identify a novel Ca²⁺/calmodulin/CaMKII/GSK-3 pathway that couples depolarization to neuronal survival.     

外源信号物质对肉苁蓉种子萌发与吸器形成内源激素水平变化的影响

利用外源信号物质氟草敏（norflurazon）和2,6-二甲氧基对苯醌（2,6-DMBQ）分别诱导肉苁蓉种子萌发与吸器形成,研究它们在此过程中对内源激素脱落酸（ABA）、赤霉素（GA3）、吲哚乙酸（IAA）、玉米素核苷（ZR）水平变化的影响。结果表明：在诱导肉苁蓉种子萌发时,经norflurazon处理0～168h后,种子中ABA水平呈现显著降低的变化趋势,GA3、IAA、ZR水平呈现显著升高的变化趋势。在诱导肉苁蓉种子萌发体吸器形成时,经2,6-DMBQ处理0～72h后,肉苁蓉种子萌发体ABA水平变化不显著,GA3、IAA、ZR水平均呈现显著升高的变化趋势。表明在肉苁蓉种子萌发与吸器形成中外源信号物质nor-flurazon和2,6-DMBQ能影响内源激素水平的变化。     

Potential application of non-small cell lung cancer-associated autoantibodies to early cancer diagnosis

To identify a panel of tumor associated autoantibodies which can potentially be used as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Thirty-five unique and in-frame expressed phage proteins were isolated. Based on the gene expression profiling, four proteins were selected for further study. Both receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and leave-one-out method revealed that combined measurements of four antibodies produced have better predictive accuracies than any single marker alone. Leave-one-out validation also showed significant relevance with all stages of NSCLC patients. The panel of autoantibodies has a high potential for detecting early stage NSCLC.     

Production of a key chiral intermediate of Betahistine with a newly isolated Kluyveromyces sp. in an aqueous two-phase system

(S)-(4-Chlorophenyl)-(pyridin-2-yl)methanol [(S)-CPMA] is an important chiral intermediate of anti-allergic drug Betahistine. Carbonyl reductase-producing microorganisms were isolated from soil samples for the stereoselective reduction of (4-chlorophenyl)-(pyridin-2-yl)methanone (CPMK) to (S)-CPMA. Among over 400 microorganisms isolated, one strain exhibiting the highest activity was selected and identified as Kluyveromyces sp. After optimization, the biotransformation reaction catalyzed by Kluyveromyces sp. CCTCC M2011385 whole-cell gave product (S)-CPMA in 81.5% ee and 87.8% yield at substrate concentration of 2 g/L in aqueous phase. Using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPs) consisted of PEG4000 (20%, w/w) and Na₂HPO₄ (14%, w/w), the product reached 86.7% ee and 92.1% yield at a higher substrate concentration of 6 g/L. The substrate tolerance and biocompatibility of microbial cells are greatly improved in ATPs by accumulating substrate/product in the upper PEG solution. This study, for the first time, reports the production of (S)-CPMA catalyzed by microbial cells.