The discovery of a potent and selective lethal factor inhibitor for adjunct therapy of anthrax infection

A potent and selective anthrax LF inhibitor 40, (2R)-2-[(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)sulfonylamino]-N-hydroxy-2-(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl)acetamide, was identified through SAR study of a high throughput screen lead. It has an IC50 of 54 nM in the enzyme assay and an IC50 of 210 nM in the macrophage cytotoxicity assay. Compound 40 is also effective in vivo in several animal model studies.     

The structure of a filamentous bacteriophage

Many thin helical polymers, including bacterial pili and filamentous bacteriophage, have been seen as refractory to high-resolution studies by electron microscopy. Studies of the quaternary structure of such filaments have depended upon techniques such as modeling or X-ray fiber diffraction, given that direct visualization of the subunit organization has not been possible. We report the first image reconstruction of a filamentous virus, bacteriophage fd, by cryoelectron microscopy. Although these thin ( approximately 70 A in diameter) rather featureless filaments scatter weakly, we have been able to achieve a nominal resolution of approximately 8 A using an iterative helical reconstruction procedure. We show that two different conformations of the virus exist, and that in both states the subunits are packed differently than in conflicting models previously proposed on the basis of X-ray fiber diffraction or solid-state NMR studies. A significant fraction of the population of wild-type fd is either disordered or in multiple conformational states, while in the presence of the Y21M mutation, this heterogeneity is greatly reduced, consistent with previous observations. These results show that new computational approaches to helical reconstruction can greatly extend the ability to visualize heterogeneous protein polymers at a reasonably high resolution.     

Antiangiogenic antithrombin blocks the heparan sulfate-dependent binding of proangiogenic growth factors to their endothelial cell receptors: evidence for differential binding of antiangiogenic and anticoagulant forms of antithrombin to proangiogenic heparan sulfate domains

The anticoagulant serpin antithrombin acquires a potent antiangiogenic activity upon undergoing conformational alterations to cleaved or latent forms. Here we show that antithrombin antiangiogenic activity is mediated at least in part through the ability of the conformationally altered serpin to block the proangiogenic growth factors fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from forming signaling competent ternary complexes with their protein receptors and heparan sulfate co-receptors on endothelial cells. Cleaved and latent but not native forms of antithrombin blocked the formation of FGF-2-FGF receptor-1 ectodomain-heparin ternary complexes, and the dimerization of these complexes in solution and similarly inhibited the formation of FGF-2-heparin binary complexes and their dimerization. Only antiangiogenic forms of antithrombin likewise inhibited (125)I-FGF-2 binding to its low affinity heparan sulfate co-receptor and blocked FGF receptor-1 autophosphorylation and p42/44 MAP kinase phosphorylation in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Moreover, treatment of HUVECs with heparinase III to specifically eliminate the FGF-2 heparan sulfate co-receptor suppressed the ability of antiangiogenic antithrombin to inhibit growth factor-stimulated proliferation. Antiangiogenic antithrombin inhibited full-length VEGF(165) stimulation of HUVEC proliferation but did not affect the stimulation of cells by the heparin-binding domain-deleted VEGF(121). Taken together, these results demonstrate that antiangiogenic forms of antithrombin block the proangiogenic effects of FGF-2 and VEGF on endothelial cells by competing with the growth factors for binding the heparan sulfate co-receptor, which mediates growth factor-receptor interactions. Moreover, the inability of native antithrombin to bind this co-receptor implies that native and conformationally altered forms of antithrombin differentially bind proangiogenic heparan sulfate domains.     

Insulin-stimulated Interaction between insulin receptor substrate 1 and p85alpha and activation of protein kinase B/Akt require Rab5

Binding of insulin to the insulin receptor initiates a cascade of protein phosphorylation and effector recruitment events leading to the activation of multiple distinct signaling pathways. Previous studies suggested that the diversity and specificity of insulin signal transduction are accomplished by both subcellular localization of receptor and the selective activation of downstream signaling molecules. The small GTPase Rab5 is a key regulator of endocytosis. Three Rab5 isoforms (Rab5a, -5b, and -5c) have been identified. Here we exploited the RNA interference technique to specifically knock down individual Rab5 isoforms to determine the cellular function of Rab5 in distinct insulin signaling pathways. Small interference RNA against a single Rab5 isoform had no effect on protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt or MAPK activation by insulin in NIH3T3 cells overexpressing human insulin receptor. However, simultaneous knockdown of all three Rab5 isoforms dramatically attenuated PKB/Akt activation by insulin without affecting MAPK activation. This inhibition of PKB/Akt activation was because of the impaired interaction between insulin receptor substrate 1 and the p85alpha subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. These results indicate a requirement of Rab5 in presenting p85 to insulin receptor substrate 1. Additional evidence supporting a role for Rab5 was suggested by studies with GAPex-5, a vps9 domain containing exchange factor. Down-regulation of GAPex-5 impaired insulin-stimulated PKB/Akt activation. Collectively, this study indicates the involvement of Rab5 in insulin signaling.     

林木抗病基因工程研究进展

植物抗病性是当前植物病理学中研究的热点和难点之一。着重讨论植物抗病机制、抗病基因的转化方法及其在林木抗病基因工程中的应用情况,并对现阶段林木抗病基因工程中存在的主要问题和应用前景进行了讨论。     

体外培养的小梁细胞表达水通道蛋白-1

目的观察体外培养条件下的牛眼小梁细胞(bovine trabecular meshwork cell,BTMC)是否表达水通道蛋白-1(Aquaporin-1,AQP-1)。方法采用免疫组织化学方法检测AQP-1在BTMC上的表达,并进行半定量分析。结果正常BTMC可见AQP-1蛋白表达,其灰度值为:167.94±1.18;阴性对照为:195.64±1.62,统计学分析其差异具有显著性(P<0.05)。结论在体外培养条件下,BTMC表达AQP-1,这有助于在体外条件下研究房水流出阻力、并探讨青光眼的药物治疗。     

响应面方法优化菊粉酶液体发酵培养基的研究

目的：为提高菊粉酶的产量。方法：运用Plackett-Burman设计法和响应面分析法,对Kluyveromyces S120液体发酵生产菊粉酶的培养基进行了优化。首先通过Plackett-Burman方法对8个相关影响因素的效应进行评价,并筛选出了有显著正效应的菊芋粉、玉米浆、(NH_4)H_2PO_4等三个因素,其他五个因素没有显著影响。然后根据Box-Behnken的中心组合设计实验和响应面分析方法确定了上述三个主要影响因素的最佳浓度。结果：在优化培养基下,菊粉酶产量为102．82u/mL,是优化前的2．1倍。     

松山自然保护区各功能区植被动态及变化格局

作为全球生态保育的基石,保护区管理和设计成为研究热点。本研究旨在描述不同功能区在相应保护措施下植被的差异性变化。运用遥感和GIS技术以及景观分析手段,利用两期Landsat5TM影像提取出北京松山国家级自然保护区1987、2001年的归一化差值植被指数(NormalizedDifferenceVegetationIndex,NDVI)信息,对植被动态进行分析,并按变化率分为减少、无变化和增加3种类型,利用景观指数刻画出变化格局,就植被动态及其变化格局在不同功能区的空间分异性进行比较。得到以下主要结论:(1)保护区建立后植被大体稳定并有所改善,形成核心区>缓冲区>实验区的植被覆盖梯度。(2)在绝对保护措施下,核心区植被稳定性高并得到进一步改善。植被稳定类型集中于区域中心,增加类型聚集在区域边缘,减少类型与自然植被动态特征相符呈随机分布状态。(3)受经营、开发措施影响,实验区稳定性低,变化面积大、变幅大、增加与衰退共存,植被覆盖居全保护区最低且有退化趋势。(4)缓冲区植被动态呈现出一定的随机分布格局。