Inhibitory mode of indole-2-carboxamide derivatives against HLGPa: molecular docking and 3D-QSAR analyses

The interaction of a series of indole-2-carboxamide compounds with human liver glycogen phosphorylase a (HLGPa) have been studied employing molecular docking and 3D-QSAR approaches. The Lamarckian Genetic Algorithm (LGA) of AutoDock 3.0 was employed to locate the binding orientations and conformations of the inhibitors interacting with HLGPa. The binding models were demonstrated in the aspects of inhibitor's conformation, subsite interaction, and hydrogen bonding. The very similar binding conformations of these inhibitors show that they interact with HLGPa in a very similar way. Good correlations between the calculated interaction free energies and experimental inhibitory activities suggest that the binding conformations of these inhibitors are reasonable. The structural and energetic differences in inhibitory potencies of indole-2-carboxamide compounds were reasonably explored. Using the binding conformations of indole-2-carboxamides, consistent and highly predictive 3D-QSAR models were developed by CoMFA and CoMSIA analyses. The q2 values are 0.697 and 0.622 for CoMFA and CoMSIA models, respectively. The predictive ability of these models was validated by four compounds that were not included in the training set. Mapping these models back to the topology of the active site of HLGPa leads to a better understanding of the vital indole-2-carboxamide-HLGPa interactions. Structure-based investigations and the final 3D-QSAR results provide clear guidelines and accurate activity predictions for novel inhibitor design.     

半胱胺盐酸盐对高温条件下泌乳后期奶牛生产性能的影响

目的:探讨夏季高温、环境温湿指数(THI)高于76条件下半胱胺盐酸盐(Lactonin)对泌乳后期奶牛产奶性能的影响.方法:96头黑白花奶牛,分为Lactonin(3000 U/d)处理(LT,n=49,泌乳中期曾接受Lactonin)和对照组(n=47),再根据高温期以前的产奶量(M)将LT组和对照组分别组分成4个产量组(G,n=12;第4组LT,n=13;对照组,n=11):G1(M＜24 kg/d),G2(24＜M＜28 kg/d),G3(28＜M＜32 kg/d),G4(M＞32kg/d).结果:与对照相比,第一产量组LT奶牛的体温降低(P＜0.05);常乳、标准乳及饲料转化效率提高(P＜0.05)、乳脂率增加(P＜0.05),乳蛋白量倾向增加;体细胞数趋于降低.所有参试LT奶牛平均乳脂率显著增加(P＜0.05),乳蛋白量倾向增加;常乳和标准乳产量趋于提高;血清中胰岛素浓度显著提高(P＜0.01),T3、T4浓度有降低趋势.结论:Lactonin有利于高温季节奶牛正常代谢的维持,改善奶产量和乳品质,提高饲料利用效率.Lactonin对奶牛的积极影响是经过胰岛素、T3、T4等内分泌激素和生长轴介导的.     

白细胞介素-2降低缺氧/复氧心肌细胞对细胞内钙的处理能力

目的 :研究在正常和缺氧 /复氧过程中白细胞介素 2 (IL 2 )对心肌细胞收缩和细胞内钙的处理能力的影响。方法 :采用酶解分离大鼠心室肌细胞化学缺氧模型 ,用视频跟踪系统和细胞内双波长钙荧光系统检测单个心肌细胞收缩和细胞内钙的变化。结果 :①缺氧过程中 ,心肌细胞收缩被抑制 ,钙瞬变幅度降低、静息钙水平增高 ,咖啡因诱导的钙释放减少 ,但对细胞膜L -型钙通道活性无明显影响 ;复氧期间 ,各指标不能恢复到对照水平。②IL 2 (2× 10 5U/L)抑制心肌细胞收缩 ,使钙瞬变幅度降低、静息钙水平增高 ,使咖啡因诱导的钙释放减少。③在缺氧期间加入IL 2 (2× 10 5U/L)后 ,复氧期间各参数回复均减慢。结论 :缺氧时同时存在IL 2 ,可加剧复氧时心肌细胞收缩功能和钙处理能力的降低 ,这可能与心肌细胞肌浆网内贮钙释放减少有关。     

Functional difference between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sinorhizobium meliloti</Emphasis> NifA and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterobacter cloacae</Emphasis> NifA

The nifA gene is an important regulatory gene and its product, NifA protein, regulates the expression of many nif genes involved in the nitrogen fixation process. We introduced multiple copies of the constitutively expressed Sinorhizobium meliloti (Sm) or Enterobacter cloacae (Ec) nifA gene into both the nifA mutant strain SmY and the wild-type strain Sm1021. Root nodules produced by SmY containing a constitutively expressed Sm nifA gene were capable of fixing nitrogen, while nodules produced by SmY containing the Ec nifA gene remained unable to fix nitrogen, as is the case for SmY itself. However, transfer of an additional Sm nifA gene into Sm1021 improved the nitrogen-fixing efficiency of root nodules to a greater extent than that observed upon transfer of the Ec nifA gene into Sm1021. Comparative analysis of amino acid sequences between Sm NifA and Ec NifA showed that the N-terminal domain was the least similar, but this domain is indispensable for complementation of the Fix^- phenotype of SmY by Sm NifA. We conclude that more than one domain is involved in determining functional differences between Sm NifA and Ec NifA.     

Molecular phenotype of airway side population cells

Lung epithelial-specific stem cells have been localized to discrete microenvironments throughout the adult conducting airway. Properties of these cells include pollutant resistance, multipotent differentiation, and infrequent proliferation. Goals of the present study were to use Hoechst 33342 efflux, a property of stem cells in other tissues, to purify and further characterize airway stem cells. Hoechst 33342 effluxing lung cells were identified as a verapamil-sensitive side population by flow cytometry. Lung side population cells were further subdivided on the basis of hematopoietic (CD45 positive) or nonhematopoietic (CD45 negative) origin. Nonhematopoietic side population cells were enriched for stem cell antigen-1 reactivity and expressed molecular markers specific to both airway and mesenchymal lineages. Analysis of the molecular phenotype of airway-derived side population cells indicates that they are similar to neuroepithelial body-associated variant Clara cells. Taken together, these data suggest that the nonhematopoietic side population isolated from lung is enriched for previously identified airway stem cells.     

Purification and nucleosome mapping analysis of native yeast plasmid chromatin

There is much evidence indicating the importance in gene regulation of the positions of nucleosomes with respect to DNA sequence. Low resolution chromatin structures have been described for many genes, but there is a dearth of detailed high resolution chromatin structures. In the cases where they are available, high resolution maps have revealed much more complex chromatin structures, with multiple alternative nucleosome positions. The discovery that ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling machines are recruited to genes, with their ability to mobilise nucleosomes on DNA and to alter nucleosomal conformation, emphasises the necessity for obtaining high resolution nucleosome maps, so that the details of these remodelling reactions can be defined in vivo. Here, we describe protocols for purifying plasmid chromatin from cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and for mapping nucleosome positions on the plasmid using the monomer extension mapping method. This method requires purified chromatin, but is capable of mapping relatively long stretches of chromatin in great detail. Typically, it reveals very complex chromatin structures.     

Multiple interactions of rad23 suggest a mechanism for ubiquitylated substrate delivery important in proteolysis

The mechanism underlying the delivery of ubiquitylated substrates to the proteasome is poorly understood. Rad23 is a putative adaptor molecule for this process because it interacts with ubiquitin chains through its ubiquitin-associated motifs (UBA) and with the proteasome through a ubiquitin-like element (UBL). Here, we demonstrate that the UBL motif of Rad23 also binds Ufd2, an E4 enzyme essential for ubiquitin chain assembly onto its substrates. Mutations in the UBL of Rad23 alter its interactions with Ufd2 and the proteasome, and impair its function in the UFD proteolytic pathway. Furthermore, Ufd2 and the proteasome subunit Rpn1 compete for the binding of Rad23, suggesting that Rad23 forms separate complexes with them. Importantly, we also find that the ability of other UBL/UBA proteins to associate with Ufd2 correlates with their differential involvement in the UFD pathway, suggesting that UBL-mediated interactions may contribute to the substrate specificity of these adaptors. We propose that the UBL motif, a protein-protein interaction module, may be used to facilitate coupling between substrate ubiquitylation and delivery, and to ensure the orderly handoff of the substrate from the ubiquitylation machinery to the proteasome.     

Tumor necrosis factor regulates intestinal epithelial cell migration by receptor-dependent mechanisms

Altered mucosal integrity andincreased cytokine production, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF),are the hallmarks of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study,we addressed the role of TNF receptors (TNFR) on intestinal epithelialcell migration in an in vitro wound closure model. With mouse TNFR1 orTNFR2 knockout intestinal epithelial cells, gene transfection, andpharmacological inhibitors, we show a concentration-dependentreceptor-mediated regulation of intestinal cell migration by TNF. Aphysiological TNF level (1 ng/ml) enhances migration through TNFR2,whereas a pathological level (100 ng/ml) inhibits wound closure through TNFR1. Increased rate of wound closure by TNFR2 or inhibition by TNFR1cannot be explained by either increased proliferation orapoptosis, respectively. Furthermore, inhibiting Src tyrosine kinase decreases TNF-induced focal adhesion kinase (FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation and cellular migration. We therefore conclude thatTNFR2 activates a novel Src-regulated pathway involving FAK tyrosinephosphorylation that enhances migration of intestinal epithelial cells.