高仿真组织工程神经支架制备工艺的参数优化

目的：对直接影响神经支架微观结构的关键因素进行分析,以确定制备不同孔径仿真支架的制备工艺。方法：用前期开发的神经支架制备工艺,应用不同浓度的醋酸浓度和冷淋速度制备仿真神经支架,以扫描电镜观察神经支架结构特征,以确定醋酸浓度和冷淋速度对神经支架内部结构的影响。结果：醋酸浓度和冷淋速度对神经支架内部结构具有重要影响。醋酸浓度为0mg/ml时,无法制备定向结构的神经支架,当醋酸浓度为1mg/ml、2mg/ml、3mg/ml和4mg/ml时,可制备轴定向仿真支架,并且神经支架的孔径随醋酸浓度增大而增大;当冷淋速度为1×10-5m/s、2×10-5m/s和5×10-5m/s时,所制备的仿真支架内部均呈明显的轴向微管结构,其中冷淋速度为2×10-5m/s时,其轴向微管结构排列最为有序、规律。当速度为1×10-6m/s,2×10-6m/s,5×10-6m/s以及1×10-4m/s时,所制备的材料内部微管结构走向无明显规律。结论：醋酸浓度和冷淋速度是影响神经支架内部结构的两个关键因素,通过改变醋酸浓度和冷淋速度可制备不同孔径的仿真神经支架。     

Theoretical Insights into Catalytic Mechanism of Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 1

Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1), the major arginine asymmetric dimethylation enzyme in mammals, is emerging as a potential drug target for cancer and cardiovascular disease. Understanding the catalytic mechanism of PRMT1 will facilitate inhibitor design. However, detailed mechanisms of the methyl transfer process and substrate deprotonation of PRMT1 remain unclear. In this study, we present a theoretical study on PRMT1 catalyzed arginine dimethylation by employing molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculation. Ternary complex models, composed of PRMT1, peptide substrate, and S-adenosyl-methionine (AdoMet) as cofactor, were constructed and verified by 30-ns MD simulation. The snapshots selected from the MD trajectory were applied for the QM/MM calculation. The typical S_N2-favored transition states of the first and second methyl transfers were identified from the potential energy profile. Deprotonation of substrate arginine occurs immediately after methyl transfer, and the carboxylate group of E144 acts as proton acceptor. Furthermore, natural bond orbital analysis and electrostatic potential calculation showed that E144 facilitates the charge redistribution during the reaction and reduces the energy barrier. In this study, we propose the detailed mechanism of PRMT1-catalyzed asymmetric dimethylation, which increases insight on the small-molecule effectors design, and enables further investigations into the physiological function of this family.     

Detection of an intermediate during the unfolding process of the dimeric ketosteroid isomerase

Failure to detect the intermediate in spite of its existence often leads to the conclusion that two-state transition in the unfolding process of the protein can be justified. In contrast to the previous equilibrium unfolding experiment fitted to a two-state model by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopies, an equilibrium unfolding intermediate of a dimeric ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) could be detected by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and analytical ultracentrifugation. The sizes of KSI were determined to be 18.7A in 0M urea, 17.3A in 5.2M urea, and 25.1A in 7M urea by SAXS. The size of KSI in 5.2M urea was significantly decreased compared with those in 0M and 7M urea, suggesting the existence of a compact intermediate. Sedimentation velocity as obtained by ultracentrifugation confirmed that KSI in 5.2M urea is distinctly different from native and fully-unfolded forms. The sizes measured by pulse field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were consistent with those obtained by SAXS. Discrepancy of equilibrium unfolding studies between size measurement methods and optical spectroscopies might be due to the failure in detecting the intermediate by optical spectroscopic methods. Further characterization of the intermediate using (1)H NMR spectroscopy and Kratky plot supported the existence of a partially-folded form of KSI which is distinct from those of native and fully-unfolded KSIs. Taken together, our results suggest that the formation of a compact intermediate should precede the association of monomers prior to the dimerization process during the folding of KSI.     

甜瓜细菌性斑点病拮抗菌P-13的鉴定及其抑菌物质的初步研究

从新疆甜瓜根际土壤中分离到1株甜瓜细菌性斑点病拮抗放线菌P-13, 根据其形态学、生理特征和16S rRNA序列分析, 鉴定该菌株为娄彻氏链霉菌(Streptomyces rochei)。琼脂扩散法生物活性研究表明, 其发酵液对细菌性果腐病菌(Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrull)BFB、细菌性角斑病菌(Pseudomonas syringae pv. Lachrymans)P4的抑菌圈直径分别为19 mm和17 mm以上; 发酵液中抑菌物质主要为胞外代谢物, 不溶于石油醚, 乙醚, 乙酸乙酯等有机溶剂。在100°C处理10 min、pH 6处理6 h或紫外线照射7 h, 该物质抑菌活性不变。纸层析结果表明, 该物质主要为碱性水溶性物质。     

Progesterone and DNA damage encourage uterine cell proliferation and decidualization through up-regulating ribonucleotide reductase 2 expression during early pregnancy in mice

Embryo implantation into the maternal uterus is a crucial step for the successful establishment of mammalian pregnancy. Following the attachment of embryo to the uterine luminal epithelium, uterine stromal cells undergo steroid hormone-dependent decidualization, which is characterized by stromal cell proliferation and differentiation. The mechanisms underlying steroid hormone-induced stromal cell proliferation and differentiation during decidualization are still poorly understood. Ribonucleotide reductase, consisting of two subunits (RRM1 and RRM2), is a rate-limiting enzyme in deoxynucleotide production for DNA synthesis and plays an important role in cell proliferation and tumorgenicity. Based on our microarray analysis, Rrm2 expression was significantly higher at implantation sites compared with interimplantation sites in mouse uterus. However, the expression, regulation, and function of RRM2 in mouse uterus during embryo implantation and decidualization are still unknown. Here we show that although both RRM1 and RRM2 expression are markedly induced in mouse uterine stromal cells undergoing decidualization, only RRM2 is regulated by progesterone, a key regulator of decidualization. Further studies showed that the induction of progesterone on RRM2 expression in stromal cells is mediated by the AKT/c-MYC pathway. RRM2 can also be induced by replication stress and DNA damage during decidualization through the ATR/ATM-CHK1-E2F1 pathway. The weight of implantation sites and deciduoma was effectively reduced by specific inhibitors for RRM2. The expression of decidual/trophoblast prolactin-related protein (Dtprp), a reliable marker for decidualization in mice, was significantly reduced in deciduoma and steroid-induced decidual cells after HU treatment. Therefore, RRM2 may be an important effector of progesterone signaling to induce cell proliferation and decidualization in mouse uterus.