3-Isopropylmalate is the major endogenous substrate of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae trans-aconitate methyltransferase

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Tmt1 gene product is the yeast homologue of the Escherichia coli enzyme that catalyzes the methyl esterification of trans-aconitate, a thermodynamically favored isomer of cis-aconitate and an inhibitor of the citric acid cycle. It has been proposed that methylation may attenuate trans-aconitate inhibition of aconitase and other enzymes of the cycle. Although trans-aconitate is a minor endogenous substrate of the Tmt1 enzyme in extracts of S. cerevisiae, the major endogenous substrate has yet to be identified. We show here that a trimethylsilylated derivative of the major methylated endogenous product of Tmt1 in yeast extracts has an identical gas chromatography retention time and an identical electron impact mass spectrum as one of the two possible monomethyl ester derivatives of (2R,3S)-3-isopropylmalate. (2R,3S)-3-Isopropylmalate is an intermediate of the leucine biosynthetic pathway that shares similar intermediates and reaction chemistry with the portion of the citric acid cycle from oxaloacetate to alpha-ketoglutarate via cis-aconitate. The Tmt1 methyltransferase recognizes (2R,3S)-3-isopropylmalate with similar kinetics as it does trans-aconitate, with respective K(m) values of 127 and 53 microM and V(max) values of 59 and 70 nmol min(-1) mg(-1) of protein in a Tmt1-overexpressed yeast extract. However, we found that isopropylfumarate, the direct homologue of trans-aconitate in the leucine biosynthetic pathway, was at best a very poor substrate for the Tmt1 yeast enzyme. Similarly, the direct homologue of 3-isopropylmalate in the citric acid cycle, isocitrate, is also a very poor substrate. This apparent change in specificity between the intermediates of these two pathways can be understood in terms of the binding of these substrates to the active site. These results suggest that the Tmt1 methyltransferase may work in two different pathways in two different ways: for detoxification in the citric acid cycle and for a possibly novel biosynthetic branch reaction of the leucine biosynthetic pathway.     

Ti2448合金种植体表面不同纳米管径生物活性膜对成骨细胞早期黏附的影响

观察Ti2448合金表面不同纳米管径生物活性膜对成骨细胞早期黏附的影响,筛选出能够抵抗细菌在种植体表面黏附和定植的最适管径,为研制开发具有抗菌性能的种植体提供实验基础。采用阳极氧化法,设定不同氧化电压,在Ti2448合金表面生成具有不同纳米管径的生物活性膜。通过MTT实验检测不同管径纳米管表面在不同时间点黏附的MG-63细胞数量差异;通过免疫荧光法观察接种24h后不同管径纳米管表面黏附细胞形态学差异。结果显示,细胞接种3h和24h后,30nm组的OD值显著高于对照组及其他实验组(P0.05);随着纳米管径的增加,细胞骨架蛋白的铺展范围逐渐减小,细胞由多角形渐变为梭形、椭圆形、圆形。研究结果表明,30nm管径生物活性膜更有利于成骨细胞的早期黏附,可能更能抵抗细菌在钛种植体上的黏附与定植。     

Homozygosity Haplotype and Whole-Exome Sequencing Analysis to Identify Potentially Functional Rare Variants Involved in Multiple Sclerosis among Sardinian Families

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a complex multifactorial autoimmune disease, whose sex- and age-adjusted prevalence in Sardinia (Italy) is among the highest worldwide. To date, 233 loci were associated with MS and almost 20% of risk heritability is attributable to common genetic variants, but many low-frequency and rare variants remain to be discovered. Here, we aimed to contribute to the understanding of the genetic basis of MS by investigating potentially functional rare variants. To this end, we analyzed thirteen multiplex Sardinian families with Immunochip genotyping data. For five families, Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) data were also available. Firstly, we performed a non-parametric Homozygosity Haplotype analysis for identifying the Region from Common Ancestor (RCA). Then, on these potential disease-linked RCA, we searched for the presence of rare variants shared by the affected individuals by analyzing WES data. We found: (i) a variant (43181034 T > G) in the splicing region on exon 27 of CUL9; (ii) a variant (50245517 A > C) in the splicing region on exon 16 of ATP9A; (iii) a non-synonymous variant (43223539 A > C), on exon 9 of TTBK1; (iv) a non-synonymous variant (42976917 A > C) on exon 9 of PPP2R5D; and v) a variant (109859349-109859354) in 3′UTR of MYO16.     

浸泡条件下孔雀石绿及其代谢物隐色孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 组织中分布及消除规律研究

以7 mg/L的孔雀石绿浸泡斑点叉尾 苗种5min后将其饲养于池塘的网箱中, 研究了在养殖模式下孔雀石绿及其代谢物隐色孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 苗种各组织中的分布及消除规律。采用高效液相色谱串联质谱法(HPLC-MS/MS)分析孔雀石绿及其代谢物隐色孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 血液、肌肉、皮肤、肝脏、肾脏组织中的浓度水平。采用药代动力学分析软件3p97对血药浓度时间数据进行分析。结果表明, 孔雀石绿和隐色孔雀石绿血药浓度时间曲线符合有吸收二室模型, 动力学方程分别为: C孔雀石绿 =683.063 e-0.248 t+ 11.176 e-0.006 t- 694.239e-0.333 t, C隐色孔雀石绿 =757.240 e-0.222 t + 14.474 e-0.007 t 771.714 e-0.382 t。血液中孔雀石绿和隐色孔雀石绿达峰时间Tpeak分别为3.480和3.623h, 峰浓度值Cmax分别为81.560和159.619 ng/mL, 表观分布容积Vd/F分别为37.689和21.125 L/kg, 分布相的一级速率常数分别为0.248和0.222/h, 消除相的一级速率常数分别为 0.006和0.007/h, 吸收半衰期T(1/2) 分别为2.794和3.124h, 消除半衰期T(1/2)分别为113.068和105.841h, 中央室向周边室转运的一级速率常数K12分别为0.020和0.015/h, 周边室向中央室转运的一级速率常数K21分别为0.159和0.121/h, 药-时曲线下面积AUC分别为2493.944和3601.863 ngh/mL。肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中孔雀石绿和隐色孔雀石绿浓度水平的结果表明, 孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 4种组织中浓度由高到低的顺序是皮肤肌肉肾脏肝脏, 其中斑点叉尾 皮肤组织易蓄积孔雀石绿, 其残留时间最长, 肝脏组织由于对孔雀石绿有极强的代谢转化功能而浓度较低。孔雀石绿在肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中的消除方程分别为C=5.570 e-0.009t、C=6.302 e-0.007t、C=4.791 e-0.006t和C=4.591 e-0.002t, 相关系数r20.773, 消除半衰期T1/2肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏分别为3.2、4.1、4.8和14.4d。肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中孔雀石绿分别在45、60、30和60d才未被检测到; 隐色孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 4种组织中浓度由高到低的顺序是肝脏皮肤肌肉肾脏, 残留时间最长的组织也是皮肤组织。隐色孔雀石绿在肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中的消除方程分别为C=6.491 e-0.004t、C=6.958 e-0.003t、C=6.722 e-0.007t和C=6.162 e-0.002t, 相关系数r20.673, 消除半衰期T1/2肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏分别为7.2、9.6、4.1和14.4d。肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中隐色孔雀石绿分别在90、90、60和90d才未被检出。试验期间(2011年5月17日至7月15日)平均水温为26.4℃, 孔雀石绿和隐色孔雀石绿90d后在各组织中才未检测到, 因此, 使用7 mg/L孔雀石绿浸泡2龄斑点叉尾 苗种孔雀石绿及其代谢物隐色孔雀石绿至少应经过2376℃d后才能消除。       

Enrichment of adeno-associated virus serotype 5 full capsids by anion exchange chromatography with dual salt elution gradients

Adeno-associated virus-based gene therapies have demonstrated substantial therapeutic benefit for the treatment of genetic disorders. In manufacturing processes, viral capsids are produced with and without the encapsidated gene of interest. Capsids devoid of the gene of interest, or “empty” capsids, represent a product-related impurity. As a result, a robust and scalable method to enrich full capsids is crucial to provide patients with as much potentially active product as possible. Anion exchange chromatography has emerged as a highly utilized method for full capsid enrichment across many serotypes due to its ease of use, robustness, and scalability. However, achieving sufficient resolution between the full and empty capsids is not trivial. In this work, anion exchange chromatography was used to achieve empty and full capsid resolution for adeno-associated virus serotype 5. A salt gradient screen of multiple salts with varied valency and Hofmeister series properties was performed to determine optimal peak resolution and aggregate reduction. Dual salt effects were evaluated on the same product and process attributes to identify any synergies with the use of mixed ion gradients. The modified process provided as high as ≥75% AAV5 full capsids (≥3-fold enrichment based on the percent full in the feed stream) with near baseline separation of empty capsids and achieved an overall vector genome step yield of >65%.     

System for cleavable Fc fusion proteins using tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease

We describe a novel Fc fusion protein system that can be cleaved by tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease. This system is desirable because it takes advantage of the high specificity of TEV protease and its activity at 4 degrees C. We produced two TEV-Fc fusion proteins that contain the first three Ig domains and all six Ig domains of the cell adhesion molecule L1. Both proteins were efficiently cleaved by TEV protease at 4 degrees C. Functional analysis of the cleavage products in neurite outgrowth assays showed they had similar activities to their parental Fc fusion proteins. Therefore, TEV-Fc fusion proteins may increase the utility and flexibility of the Fc fusion protein system.     

Characterization of the antibiotic resistance plasmid ERL1 from Streptococcus pyogenes

Summary The streptococcal plasmid ERL1 determining inducible resistance to erythromycin, lincomycin, and staphylomycin S was isolated by dye-buoyant density centrifugation and shown to have a molecular weight of about 17.5 Mdal, as revealed by sedimentation through neutral sucrose gradients. In SM60 cells entering the stationary phase its covalently closed circular form was present to the extent of 5 copies per chromosomal genome equivalent. ERL1 was subject to the DNA restriction and modification mechanism discovered in strain 56188. It did not apear to exercise restriction of phage DNA but mediated a partial release of the restricted growth of A25.