基因定点诱变删除及天然α型心钠素的分泌型表达

用基因定点诱变技术,删除了pO_1α ANF表达质粒中的33对碱基,使人α型心钠素结构基因直接与大肠杆菌分泌型表达质粒pIN-Ⅲ-OmPA中的信号肽酶切位点编码区相连,构成天然人α型心钠素的表达质粒pANF,在IPTG诱导下表达28肽的天然人α型心钠素。纯化后的表达产物具有天然心钠素的放免活性和很强的舒张血管的生物活性。     

血清胆红素的酶法定量分析

 <正> 胆红素的测定是临床诊断的一项重要指标。目前,临床上测定胆红素多数采用重氮试剂法,影响因素很多。寻找新的测定方法具有现实意义。自1987年我们开始了胆红素氧化酶的研究,已从我国土样中筛选到一株疣孢漆斑菌J-1,培养后分离纯化,得到了胆红素氧化酶。此酶具有潜在的临床应用价值。本文主要介绍胆红素氧化酶的一些特性及血清胆红素酶法分析新方法。     

Epstein-Barr病毒基因组编码的BARF-1和EC-LF4蛋白质与免疫球蛋白结构同源

将EB病毒蛋白质BARF-1和EC-LF4与NBRF蛋白质库的序列进行局部同源性检索以及与已知的Ig V或C功能区相关分子进行对准比较,检查了同源性积分的统计学意义,并进行了二级结构预测和疏水性分析,确定了BARF-1的第13-124位和第126-221位残基片段分别与V和C样功能区类似,EC-LF4的第20-135位残基片段与V样功能区相似,BARF-1是非膜蛋白,EC-LF4是膜整合蛋白,其胞外部分近膜侧有一个类似于Ig绞链区的序列。因此,BARF-1与Ig轻链结构相似,EC-LF4与CD8抗原的第一条链相似。根据Ig超族分子的一般功能(即介导细胞粘附和细胞识别),推测EC-LF4可能作为一种粘附分子与淋巴细胞表面的Ig相关分子结合而促进EB病毒对淋巴细胞的感染。BARF-1因已知与病毒复制有关,与Ig超族的一般功能无关。EC-LF4和BARF-1的Ig样功能区可能来源于EB病毒对宿主细胞Ig基因的整合。     

sar1, a gene from Schizosaccharomyces pombe encoding a protein that regulates ras1.

Proper ras1 function is required for normal sexual function in the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We have found a gene in S. pombe, sar1, that encodes a product capable of regulating ras1 function. sar1 is a member of an expanding family of RAS GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) that includes mammalian GAP, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae IRA proteins, and the product of the human neurofibromatosis locus, NF1 sar1, like these other proteins, can complement the loss of IRA function in S. cerevisiae. Computer analysis shows that the highest degree of sequence conservation is restricted to a very small number of diagnostic residues represented by the motif Phe-Leu-Arg-X-X-X-Pro-Ala-X-X-X-Pro. We find no evidence that sar1 is required for the effector function of ras1.     

Determination of buprenorphine by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection: application to human and rabbit pharmacokinetic studies

A rapid, sensitive, precise and accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic assay with fluorescence detection was developed for the determination of buprenorphine in human, rabbit, pig and dog plasma. It is comprised of only a one-step extraction procedure with hexane—isoamyl alcohol at pH 9.25 and reversed-phase chromatography on a μPorasil column. The recoveries of buprenorphine and nalbuphine (internal standard) were greater than 90%. Calibration graphs were linear over the concentration range 3–300 ng/ml with a coefficient of variation, both within-day and between-day, of less than 9% at any level. The limit of detection was 1.0 ng/ml of plasma based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Eight other clinically used narcotics were investigated to check for potential interferences and their analytical conditions. The possible decomposed compounds of buprenorphine were also checked for the specificity of this assay. The method has been succesfully applied to the stability and pharmacokinetic studies of buprenorphine. Buprenorphine in plasma did not decompose significantly at −20°C for four weeks. Pharmacokinetic application in six rabbits and a surgical patient revealed that buprenorphine followed a linear three-compartment model with two distribution phases. The two distribution and elimination half-lives and the clearance of buprenorphine were 1.32, 24.8 and 230 min and 224 ml/min in human plasma, and 0.94, 12.5 and 232 min and 30 ml/min in rabbit plasma.     

Interaction between ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity and the ammonia assimilatory system of Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

The levels of form I and form II ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides were found to depend on the concentration of ammonia supplied to photolithoautotrophically grown cultures. Under conditions in which the cells rapidly depleted the available ammonia, the level of in situ RubisCO activity decreased to less than 5% maximum activity; even at its maximum level under these conditions, the RubisCO activity was only 5% of the activity obtained from cultures supplied with saturating levels of ammonia. When cells were incubated with somewhat higher but not saturating amounts of ammonia, in situ RubisCO activity decreased immediately after the cells depleted the cultures of ammonia. The decrease in activity was not due to any detectable degradation of RubisCO protein, indicative of some mechanism to regulate the activity of the enzyme in response to the intracellular levels of assimilated ammonia. Furthermore, under conditions optimum for RubisCO inactivation, in situ RubisCO activity in permeabilized whole cells greatly exceeded the levels of enzymatic activity determined in vitro in cell extracts. Blockage of ammonia assimilation by inhibition of glutamine synthetase with methionine sulfoximine prevented the recovery of form I RubisCO from pyruvate-mediated inactivation, suggesting the presence of regulatory mechanisms common to both CO2 fixation and ammonia assimilation.     

Reversible inactivation and characterization of purified inactivated form I ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase of Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Form I ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides is inactivated upon the addition of organic acids to photolithoautotrophically grown cultures. Activity recovers after the dissipation of the organic acid from the culture. The inactivation process depends on both the concentration of the organic compound and the nitrogen status of the cells. The inactivated RubisCO has been purified and was shown to exhibit mobility on both nondenaturing and sodium dodecyl sulfate gels different from that of the active enzyme prepared from cells not treated with organic acids. However, the Michaelis constants for ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate and CO2 or O2 were not dramatically altered. Purified inactivated RubisCO could be activated in vitro by increasing the temperature or the levels of Mg(II), and this activation was accompanied by changes in the electrophoretic mobility of the protein. When foreign bacterial RubisCO genes were expressed in an R. sphaeroides host strain lacking the ability to synthesize endogenous RubisCO, only slight inactivation of RubisCO activity was attained.     

The disulfide bridge pattern of snake venom disintegrins, flavoridin and echistatin.

Flavoridin and echistatin, isolated from the venom of Trimeresurus flavoviridis and Echis carinatus, respectively, belong to the disintegrin family of integrin beta 1 and beta 3 inhibitors of low molecular weight RGD-containing, cysteine-rich peptides. Since disulfide bonds are critical for expression of biological activity, we sought to determine their location in these two proteins. In flavoridin, direct evidence for the existence of linkage between Cys4-Cys19 and between Cys45 and Cys64 was obtained by analysis of proteolytic products, and indirect evidence suggests links between Cys6-Cys14 and Cys13-Cys36. In echistatin, links between Cys8-Cys37 and Cys20-Cys39 were identified by direct chemical analysis.