丝状真菌代谢工程研究进展

丝状真菌(Filamentous fungi)作为重要的工业发酵微生物,在有机酸、蛋白质及次级代谢产物等关键生物基产品生产方面发挥着重要作用.自20世纪90年代代谢工程理念提出以来,尤其是代谢工程使能技术的创新及发展,极大地促进了丝状真菌细胞工厂的构建及其在工业发酵领域的应用.文中将系统介绍近年来丝状真菌代谢工程技术的...     

Site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids into urate oxidase in Escherichia coli

Urate oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of uric acid with poor solubility to produce 5-hydroxyisourate and allantoin. Since allantoin is excreted in vivo, urate oxidase has the potential to be a therapeutic target for the treatment of gout. However, its severe immunogenicity limits its clinical application. Furthermore, studies on the structure-function relationships of urate oxidase have proven difficult. We developed a method for genetically incorporating p-azido-L-phenylalanine into target protein in Escherichia coli in a site-specific manner utilizing a tyrosyl suppressor tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase system. We substituted p-azido-L-phenylalanine for Phe(170) or Phe(281) in urate oxidase. The products were purified and their enzyme activities were analyzed. In addition, we optimized the system by adding a "Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence" and tandem suppressor tRNA. This method has the benefit of site-specifically modifying urate oxidase with homogeneous glycosyl and PEG derivates, which can provide new insights into structure-function relationships and improve pharmacological properties of urate oxidase.     

Novel putative galactose operon involving lacto-N-biose phosphorylase in Bifidobacterium longum

A lacto-N-biose phosphorylase (LNBP) was purified from the cell extract of Bifidobacterium bifidum. Its N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences were homologous with those of the hypothetical protein of Bifidobacterium longum NCC2705 encoded by the BL1641 gene. The homologous gene of the type strain B. longum JCM1217, lnpA, was expressed in Escherichia coli to confirm that it encoded LNBP. No significant identity was found with any proteins with known function, indicating that LNBP should be classified in a new family. The lnpA gene is located in a novel putative operon for galactose metabolism that does not contain a galactokinase gene. The operon seems to be involved in intestinal colonization by bifidobacteria mediated by metabolism of mucin sugars. In addition, it may also resolve the question of the nature of the bifidus factor in human milk as the lacto-N-biose structure found in milk oligosaccharides.     

The cell agglutination agent, phytohemagglutinin-L, improves the efficiency of somatic nuclear transfer cloning in cattle (Bos taurus)

One of the several factors that contribute to the low efficiency of mammalian somatic cloning is poor fusion between the small somatic donor cell and the large recipient oocyte. This study was designed to test phytohemagglutinin (PHA) agglutination activity on fusion rate, and subsequent developmental potential of cloned bovine embryos. The toxicity of PHA was established by examining its effects on the development of parthenogenetic bovine oocytes treated with different doses (Experiment 1), and for different durations (Experiment 2). The effective dose and duration of PHA treatment (150 microg/mL, 20 min incubation) was selected and used to compare membrane fusion efficiency and embryo development following somatic cell nuclear transfer (Experiment 3). Cloning with somatic donor fibroblasts versus cumulus cells was also compared, both with and without PHA treatment (150 microg/mL, 20 min). Fusion rate of nuclear donor fibroblasts, after phytohemagglutinin treatment, was increased from 33 to 61% (P < 0.05), and from 59 to 88% (P < 0.05) with cumulus cell nuclear donors. The nuclear transfer (NT) efficiency per oocyte used was improved following PHA treatment, for both fibroblast (13% versus 22%) as well as cumulus cells (17% versus 34%; P < 0.05). The cloned embryos, both with and without PHA treatment, were subjected to vitrification and embryo transfer testing, and resulted in similar survival (approximately 90% hatching) and pregnancy rates (17-25%). Three calves were born following vitrification and embryo transfer of these embryos; two from the PHA-treated group, and one from non-PHA control group. We concluded that PHA treatment significantly improved the fusion efficiency of somatic NT in cattle, and therefore, increased the development of cloned blastocysts. Furthermore, within a determined range of dose and duration, PHA had no detrimental effect on embryo survival post-vitrification, nor on pregnancy or calving rates following embryo transfer.     

CDK5-Mediated Phosphorylation-Dependent Ubiquitination and Degradation of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases GP78 Accelerates Neuronal Death in Parkinson’s Disease

The molecular mechanisms responsible for the loss of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain obscure. Loss of function of E3 ubiquitin ligases is associated with mitochondria dysfunction, dysfunction of protein degradation, and α-synuclein aggregation, which are major contributors to neurodegeneration in PD. Recent research has thus focused on E3 ubiquitin ligase glycoprotein 78 (GP78); however, the role of GP78 in PD pathogenesis remains unclear. Notably, cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) controls multiple cellular events in postmitotic neurons, and CDK5 activity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. Thus, we addressed the relationship between CDK5 and GP78 in MPTP-based PD models. We found that GP78 expression is decreased in MPTP-based cellular and animal PD models, and CDK5 directly phosphorylated GP78 at Ser516, which promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of GP78. Importantly, overexpression of GP78 or interference of GP78 Ser516 phosphorylation protected neurons against MPP⁺-induced cell death. Thus, our research reveals that the CDK5-GP78 pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of PD and could be a novel candidate drug target for the treatment of PD.     

Identification and molecular characterization of two closely related G protein-coupled receptors activated by prokineticins/endocrine gland vascular endothelial growth factor

We previously described two mammalian secreted proteins, prokineticin 1 and prokineticin 2, that potently contract gastrointestinal smooth muscle. Prokineticin 1 has also been shown to promote angiogenesis by stimulating proliferation, migration, and fenestration of endocrine organ-derived endothelial cells. Here we report the cloning and characterization of two closely related G protein-coupled receptors as receptors for prokineticins. Expression of prokineticin receptors in heterologous systems shows that these receptors bind to and are activated by nanomolar concentrations of recombinant prokineticins. Activation of prokineticin receptors leads to mobilization of calcium, stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover, and activation of p44/p42 MAPK signaling pathways that are consistent with the effects of prokineticins on smooth muscle contraction and angiogenesis. mRNA expression analysis reveals that prokineticin receptors are expressed in gastrointestinal organs, endocrine glands, and other tissues.     

抗呼吸道合胞病毒(RSV)单克隆抗体的制备及其对RSV病毒株抗原性的分析

用呼吸道合胞病毒R6(武汉地方株)活毒滴鼻加用戍二醛固定的病毒感染的Hela细胞免疫BALB/C鼠,取脾细胞与小鼠骨髓瘤SP_2/0细胞融合,培育出分泌抗呼吸道合胞病毒单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞13株,这些细胞的染色体数为94至104条,其分泌的抗体分别属于鼠IgC_1、IgG_(2a)、IgG_(2b)亚类。腹水荧光抗体滴度为1:10000～1:100000。其中五株单抗有中和病毒作用,尤其是两株中和放价达1:128。应用免疫转印法证实了这些单抗分别能识别RSV6种主要结构蛋白,用7株识别不同病毒结构蛋白的单抗对12株合胞病毒进行抗原性分析,可将这些病毒区分为二个血清型,即A亚型和B亚型。     

成年大鼠海马CA1区锥体细胞K_(ATP)通道的特性

为了解成年大鼠海马CA1区锥体细胞KATP 通道的特性 ,实验采用膜片钳技术的内面向外式记录法 ,在急性分离的CA1区锥体神经元上 ,研究了可被胞浆侧ATP所抑制的钾离子单通道的特性。当细胞膜内外两侧的K 浓度均为 14 0mmol/L时 ,通道的电导为 63pS ,翻转电位为 1 71mV ,通道呈弱内向整流性。在负钳制电位时 ,通道开放时常被短时程的关闭所打断 ,而在正钳制电位时 ,这种短时程的关闭状态明显少于负钳制电位时。但通道开放概率未见明显的电压依赖性。ATP对通道活动的抑制作用呈浓度依赖性 ,抑制通道活动 5 0 %的ATP浓度为 0 1mmol/L。KATP 通道的特异性阻断剂tolbutamide (甲糖宁 ,1mmol/L)可完全阻断通道的活动 ,而KATP 通道开放剂diazoxide (二氮嗪 ,1mmol/L)则不增强通道的活动。     

Effects of Forest Regrowth and Urbanization on Ecosystem Carbon Storage in a Rural–Urban Gradient in the Southeastern United States

Forest regrowth after cropland abandonment and urban sprawl are two counteracting processes that have influenced carbon (C) sequestration in the southeastern United States in recent decades. In this study, we examined patterns of land-use/land-cover change and their effect on ecosystem C storage in three west Georgia counties (Muscogee, Harris, and Meriwether) that form a rural–urban gradient. Using time series Landsat imagery data including MSS for 1974, TM for 1983 and 1991, and ETM for 2002, we estimate that from 1974 to 2002, urban land use in the area has increased more than 380% (that is, 184 km²). Most newly urbanized land (63%) has been converted from forestland. Conversely, cropland and pasture area has decreased by over 59% (that is, 380 km²). Most of the cropland area was converted to forest. As a result, the net change in forest area was small over the past 29 years. Based on Landsat imagery and agricultural census records, we reconstructed an annual gridded data set of land-cover change for the three counties for the period 1850 to 2002. These data sets were then used as input to the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM) to simulate land-use effects on C fluxes and storage for the study area. Simulated results suggest that C uptake by forest regrowth (approximately 23.0 g C m⁻² y⁻¹) was slightly greater than the amount of C released due to deforestation (approximately 18.4 g C m⁻² y⁻¹), thus making the three counties a weak C sink. However, the relative importance of different deforestation processes in this area changed significantly through time. Although agricultural deforestation was generally the most important C-release process, the amount of C release attributable to urbanization has increased over time. Since 1990, urbanization has accounted for 29% of total C loss from the study area. We conclude that balancing urban development and forest protection is critically important for C management and policy making in the southeastern United States.     

经血管灌流生长抑素对大鼠离体胃运动的抑制作用

采用血管灌流大鼠离体胃模型,探讨生长抑素对胃运动的影响。结果表明：（１）生长抑素能明显抑制胃窦自发和胃动素兴奋的胃运动;（２）生长抑素可抑制离体胃内源性胃泌素释放;（３）抗生长抑素血清和前列腺素合成酶抑制剂消炎痛可阻断生长抑素对胃窦运动的抑制作用。上述结果提示：生长抑素的抑制作用除通过直接作用于生长抑素受体外,还可能通过胃窦局部前列腺素介导来抑制胃的运动。