Vascular basement membrane-derived multifunctional peptide, a novel inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth

Vascular basement membrane-derived multifunctional peptide(VBMDMP)gene(fusion geneof the human immunoglobulin G3 upper hinge region and two tumstatin-derived fragments)obtained bychemical synthesis was cloned into vector pUC19,and introduced into the expression vector pGEX-4T-1 toconstruct a prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-4T-1-VBMDMP.Recombinant VBMDMP produced inEscherichia coli has been shown to have significant activity of antitumor growth and antimetastasis inLewis lung carcinoma transplanted into mouse C57B1/6.In the present study,we have studied the ability ofrVBMDMP to inhibit endothelial cell tube formation and proliferation,to induce apoptosis in vitro,and tosuppress tumor growth in vivo.The experimental results showed that rVBMDMP potently inhibited prolif-eration of human endothelial(HUVEC-12)cells and human colon cancer(SW480)cells in vitro,with noinhibition of proliferation in Chinese hamster ovary(CHO-K1)cells.rVBMDMP also significantly inhibitedhuman endothelial cell tube formation and suppressed tumor growth of SW480 cells in a mouse xenograftmodel.These results suggest that rVBMDMP is a powerful therapeutic agent for suppressing angiogenesisand tumor growth.     

Independence of stem and leaf hydraulic traits in six Euphorbiaceae tree species with contrasting leaf phenology

Hydraulic traits and hydraulic-related structural properties were examined in three deciduous (Hevea brasiliensis, Macaranga denticulate, and Bischofia javanica) and three evergreen (Drypetes indica, Aleurites moluccana, and Codiaeum variegatum) Euphorbiaceae tree species from a seasonally tropical forest in south-western China. Xylem water potential at 50% loss of stem hydraulic conductivity (P50_stem) was more negative in the evergreen tree, but leaf water potential at 50% loss of leaf hydraulic conductivity (P50_leaf) did not function as P50_stem did. Furthermore, P50_stem was more negative than P50_leaf in the evergreen tree; contrarily, this pattern was not observed in the deciduous tree. Leaf hydraulic conductivity overlapped considerably, but stem hydraulic conductivity diverged between the evergreen and deciduous tree. Correspondingly, structural properties of leaves overlapped substantially; however, structural properties of stem diverged markedly. Consequently, leaf and stem hydraulic traits were closely correlated with leaf and stem structural properties, respectively. Additionally, stem hydraulic efficiency was significantly correlated with stem hydraulic resistance to embolism; nevertheless, such a hydraulic pattern was not found in leaf hydraulics. Thus, these results suggest: (1) that the evergreen and deciduous tree mainly diverge in stem hydraulics, but not in leaf hydraulics, (2) that regardless of leaf or stem, their hydraulic traits result primarily from structural properties, and not from leaf phenology, (3) that leaves are more vulnerable to drought-induced embolism than stem in the evergreen tree, but not always in the deciduous tree and (4) that there exists a trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and safety for stem hydraulics, but not for leaf hydraulics.     

Translocation of N-terminal tails across the plasma membrane.

Previously we have shown that the first hydrophobic domain of leader peptidase (lep) can function to translocate a short N-terminal 18 residue antigenic peptide from the phage Pf3 coat protein across the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. We have now examined the mechanism of insertion of N-terminal periplasmic tails and have defined the features needed to translocate these regions. We find that short tails of up to 38 residues are efficiently translocated in a SecA- and SecY-independent manner while longer tails are very poorly inserted. Efficient translocation of a 138 residue tail is restored and is Sec-dependent by the addition of a leader sequence to the N-terminus of the protein. We also find that while there is no amphiphilic helix requirement for N-terminal translocation, there is a charge requirement that is needed within the tail; an arginine and lysine residue can inhibit or completely block translocation when introduced into the tail region. Intriguingly, the membrane potential is required for insertion of a 38 residue tail but not for a 23 residue tail.     

The biophysical and molecular basis of TRPV1 proton gating

The capsaicin receptor TRPV1, a member of the transient receptor potential family of non-selective cation channels is a polymodal nociceptor. Noxious thermal stimuli, protons, and the alkaloid irritant capsaicin open the channel. The mechanisms of heat and capsaicin activation have been linked to voltage-dependent gating in TRPV1. However, until now it was unclear whether proton activation or potentiation or both are linked to a similar voltage-dependent mechanism and which molecular determinants underlie the proton gating. Using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we show that protons activate and potentiate TRPV1 by shifting the voltage dependence of the activation curves towards more physiological membrane potentials. We further identified a key residue within the pore region of TRPV1, F660, to be critical for voltage-dependent proton activation and potentiation. We conclude that proton activation and potentiation of TRPV1 are both voltage dependent and that amino acid 660 is essential for proton-mediated gating of TRPV1.     

BDCA2/Fc?RIγ Complex Signals through a Novel BCR-Like Pathway in Human Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells

Dendritic cells are equipped with lectin receptors to sense the extracellular environment and modulate cellular responses. Human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) uniquely express blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2) protein, a C-type lectin lacking an identifiable signaling motif. We demonstrate here that BDCA2 forms a complex with the transmembrane adapter FcɛRIγ. Through pathway analysis, we identified a comprehensive signaling machinery in human pDCs, similar to that which operates downstream of the B cell receptor (BCR), which is distinct from the system involved in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. BDCA2 crosslinking resulted in the activation of the BCR-like cascade, which potently suppressed the ability of pDCs to produce type I interferon and other cytokines in response to Toll-like receptor ligands. Therefore, by associating with FcɛRIγ, BDCA2 activates a novel BCR-like signaling pathway to regulate the immune functions of pDCs.     

植物谷氨酸受体的研究进展

离子型谷氨酸受体(iGLuR)是哺乳动物中一类由L-氨基酸(如谷氨酸、甘氨酸)等配体门控的阳离子通道, 具有调节兴奋性神经信号传递和引导神经元发育等分子功能。1998年研究者在拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)中发现了20个与iGLuRs同源的序列(即AtGLRs), 它们的功能涉及植物光信号传递、根尖分生细胞活性、花粉管生长、胞质Ca²⁺流以及应答多种生物和非生物环境胁迫等。该文从谷氨酸受体(GLR)的结构特征、离子通道激活与配体的关系、表达模式及可能的生物学功能等方面, 综述了近十几年来关于植物GLR和氨基酸信号的研究成果, 旨在为相关领域的同行提供有益的参考。     

组胺受体介导的造血和免疫调控

造血干／祖细胞及白细胞,血小板上均存在组胺H1和H2受体,造血细胞既可在造血生长因子刺激下合成组胺,也可从胞外空间摄取组胺,组胺在造血调控中通过其受体发挥第二信使作用,组胺受体对正常造血与异常造血具有不同的调控机制,激动组胺H2受体可支持正常造血并抑制恶性造血,同时单核巨噬细胞膜上H2受体的激动可有效地抑制ROS的产生,从而逆转ROS对NK细胞活性的抑制,组胺协同IL－2或IFN－α可高效激活NK细胞功能。     

Identification of microRNAs in Wool Follicles during Anagen,Catagen, and Telogen Phases in Tibetan Sheep

Background

Wool quality is one of the most important economic traits in sheep. The wool fiber is derived from specialized skin cells that are referred to as wool follicles. To understand the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in wool fiber growth, we detected the expression patterns of miRNAs in wool follicles at the anagen, catagen, and telogen stages from Tibetan sheep through Solexa sequencing.

Results

A total of 244 mature miRNAs were identified. Of these, only five miRNAs are listed in the database of sheep miRNAs (miRBase Database V19), and the other 239 miRNAs have not been previously described in this species. Further analyses indicated that 204 miRNAs are evolutionarily conserved among mammal species, whereas 35 of the identified miRNAs were first found specifically in sheep. The expression pattern analyses showed that the expression levels of 39, 34, and 20 of the miRNAs significantly change between anagen and catagen, between anagen and telogen, and between catagen and telogen, respectively. The results of the bioinformatics analysis show that these differentially expressed miRNAs might regulate wool follicle development by targeting genes in many different pathways, such as the MAPK and Wnt pathways, as well as the pathways that regulate the actin cytoskeleton, focal adhesion, and tight junctions. Furthermore, we identified six differentially expressed miRNAs (oar-miR-103-3P, oar-miR-148b-3P, oar-miR-320-3P, oar-miR-31-5P, oar-novel-1-5P, and oar-novel-2-3P) that might target the key genes of the Wnt pathway. It has been reported that the Wnt pathway is critical for wool follicle development. Therefore, these miRNAs may regulate wool development through the Wnt pathway.

Conclusions

Our results provide new information on the identification and expression pattern of miRNAs in wool follicles. Our data might therefore aid in the understanding of the mechanisms of wool follicle development in sheep.