植物泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径的研究进展

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径（ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway,UPP）是目前已知最有效的、最具特异性的蛋白质降解途径。该途径介导了真核生物80%-85%的蛋白质降解,参与了细胞多项生命活动过程,对于维持细胞正常生理功能具有重要意义。研究结果表明,植物生长发育的诸多方面以及干旱胁迫响应等过程都受到该途径的调控。概述了泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径及其在植物生长发育过程中的作用,并着重阐述了由泛素-蛋白连接酶E3介导的植物干旱胁迫响应及其作用机制的研究进展。     

Elevated CpG island methylation of GCK gene predicts the risk of type 2 diabetes in Chinese males

Background

The GCK gene encodes hexokinase 4, which catalyzes the first step in most glucose metabolism pathways. The purpose of our study is to assess the contribution of GCK methylation to type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods and results

GCK methylation was evaluated in 48 T2D cases and 48 age- and gender-matched controls using the bisulphite pyrosequencing technology. Among the four CpG sites in the methylation assay, CpG4 and the other three CpGs (CpG1-3) were not in high correlation (r < 0.5). Significantly elevated methylation levels of GCK CpG4 methylation were observed in T2D patients than in the healthy controls (P = 0.004). A breakdown analysis by gender indicated that the association between CpG4 methylation and T2D was specific to males (P = 0.002). It is intriguing that another significant male-specific association was also found between GCK CpG4 methylation and total cholesterol (TC) concentration (r = 0.304, P = 0.036).

Conclusion

Our results showed that elevated GCK CpG4 methylation might suggest a risk of T2D in Chinese males. Gender disparity in GCK CpG4 methylation might provide a clue to elaborate the pathogenesis of T2D.     

三七内切-β-1,4-葡聚糖酶基因PnCel1的表达及功能分析

内切-β-1,4-葡聚糖酶(endo-1,4-β-glucanases,EGases)广泛参与植物细胞壁的编辑,在组织伸长、果实成熟和脱落等过程中起重要作用。该研究采用RT-PCR方法,从三七(Panax notoginseng)中克隆了1个EGases基因(PnCel1),并对其进行表达和功能分析。结果显示:(1)外源茉莉酸甲酯、水杨酸、赤霉素、脱落酸和乙烯利处理显著诱导PnCel1的表达,而根腐病菌茄腐镰刀菌(Fusarium solani)、尖孢镰刀菌(Fusarium oxysporum)以及交链格孢(Alternaria alternata)、木贼镰刀菌(Fusarium equiseti)侵染三七后显著抑制PnCel1的表达。(2)亚细胞定位分析表明,PnCel1-GFP融合蛋白定位于洋葱表皮细胞的细胞壁中。(3)采用染色体步移技术克隆出PnCel1的启动子序列[(-1)~(-828)bp],进而成功构建PnCel1启动子驱动的β-葡萄糖醛酸酶植物表达载体(pBI121-PPnCel1-GUS)并转入烟草(Nicotiana tabacum L.),经PCR筛选鉴定获得阳性转基因烟草7株。(4)GUS活性检测结果表明,5种植物激素能诱导PnCel1的启动子活性,但茄腐镰刀菌等4种病原菌侵染明显降低了PnCel1启动子的转录活性,且PnCel1启动子受三七WRKY转录因子PnWRKY5/9/12/15/27的负调控。(5)PnCel1过表达转基因烟草与野生型烟草相比,对茄腐镰刀菌的易感性增加,木质素含量降低,表明PnCel1可能参与改变细胞壁的结构。研究表明,植物激素能上调三七根中PnCel1的表达,而病原菌侵染降低了PnCel1的表达水平,并抑制PPnCel1的活性,推测三七PnCel1可能通过改变细胞壁结构而增加三七对根腐病菌的易感性。     

Single point mutation on the gene encoding dysbindin results in recognition deficits

The dystrobrevin‐binding protein 1 (DTNBP1) gene is a candidate risk factor for schizophrenia and has been associated with cognitive ability in both patient populations and healthy controls. DTNBP1 encodes dysbindin protein, which is localized to synaptic sites and is reduced in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of patients with schizophrenia, indicating a potential role in schizophrenia etiology. Most studies of dysbindin function have focused on the sandy (sdy) mice that lack dysbindin protein and have a wide range of abnormalities. In this study, we examined dysbindin salt and pepper (spp) mice that possess a single point mutation on the Dtnbp1 gene predicted to reduce, but not eliminate, dysbindin expression. By western blot analysis, we found that spp homozygous (spp ?/?) mutants had reduced dysbindin and synaptosomal‐associated protein 25 (SNAP‐25) in the prefrontal cortex, but unaltered levels in hippocampus. Behaviorally, spp mutants performed comparably to controls on a wide range of tasks assessing locomotion, anxiety, spatial recognition and working memory. However, spp ?/? mice had selective deficits in tasks measuring novel object recognition and social novelty recognition. Our results indicate that reduced dysbindin and SNAP‐25 protein in the prefrontal cortex of spp ?/? is associated with selective impairments in recognition processing. These spp mice may prove useful as a novel mouse model to study cognitive deficits linked to dysbindin alterations. Our findings also suggest that aspects of recognition memory may be specifically influenced by DTNBP1 single nucleotide polymorphisms or risk haplotypes in humans and this connection should be further investigated.     

中国太湖1950年以来主要环境的变化和迅速富营养化的开始

太湖是我国第三大淡水湖,面积２３５０ｋｍ＾２,位于长江三角洲（面积３５０００ｋｍ＾２）的中部,自６０００年前太湖形成以来,湖泊经历了几个主要变化,１９５０年以前太湖最明显的变化发生在海侵和湖盆大小,海侵是太湖形成的主要原因。太湖形成后,在不同的干燥和湿润时期,湖盆经历了由一系列的小湖或统一湖盆之间的波动,但一般来说,近２０００年以来,湖盆的大小在增大,然而１９５０年以后,为适应人口的增长,许多浅水     

Formation of an infinite beta-sheet arrangement dominates the crystallization behavior of lambda-type antibody light chains

The packing interactions in crystals of human lambda-type antibody light chain dimers have been reviewed. These homologous proteins are composed of individually specific variable domains, but all have very similar constant domain sequences. The proteins do not emulate each other in their overall crystallization behavior: each attains an individually characteristic space group or unit cell dimensions. However, each of these protein crystals has one unit cell dimension in common, 72.4(+/- 0.2) A. Examination of the protein packing in these crystals reveals that the common cell dimension is a consequence of a packing arrangement of their constant domains, which is conserved in all three crystals. In this striking arrangement, beta-sheets of adjacent constant domains are placed in juxta-position to form an "infinite chain". Although this constant domain packing pattern is rigorously conserved, the variable domain packing arrangements in each of these crystals are different. The conservation of the "infinite" beta-sheet pattern suggests that the constant domain interactions dominate the thermodynamic energy of lattice formation, probably through a combination of specific hydrogen bond formations and by a decrease in the solvent-accessible surface. A single amino acid substitution prohibits this characteristic interneighbor hydrogen bond pattern in the homologous kappa-type light chains. This may explain the observation that very few kappa-type light chains have been crystallized.     

氮磷肥配施对冬小麦灌浆期光合参数及产量的影响

在西北绿洲生态条件下, 实验设4个处理, 即165(N₁)和225 kg·hm^-2(N₂)2个氮素(纯氮)水平及105(P₁)和165 kg·hm^-2(P₂)2个磷素(P₂O₅)水平, 研究了氮磷肥配施对冬小麦(Triticum aestivum)品种临抗2号光合特性及产量的影响。结果表明, 低氮(165 kg·hm^-2)处理组的净光合速率(P_n)、气孔导度(G_s)及蒸腾速率(T_r)日变化均呈双峰曲线, 有光合“午休”现象; 高氮(225 kg·hm^-2)处理可减弱甚至使光合“午休”现象消失; 高磷(165 kg·hm^-2)和低磷(105 kg·hm^-2)处理对光合特性的影响差异不显著。N₂P₂具有最高的群体叶面积指数(LAI)、群体光合速率(CAP)、穗粒数、亩穗数、千粒重及产量, 且与N₁P₁和N₁P₂的差异均达显著水平, 与N₂P₁则无显著差异。但N₂P₂水分利用效率(WUE)低于N₂P₁, 显著高于N₁P₁和N₁P₂ (N₁P₁高于N₁P₂, 但无显著差异)。氮肥对光合“午休”的影响大于磷肥, 二者互作效应差异不显著。该实验条件下, 当N、P分别为225和105 kg·hm^-2时有利于提高冬小麦的光合速率及产量。     

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Induce Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Autophagic Cell Death via Mitochondria-Associated Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Disruption in Normal Lung Cells

Nanomaterials are used in diverse fields including food, cosmetic, and medical industries. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NP) are widely used, but their effects on biological systems and mechanism of toxicity have not been elucidated fully. Here, we report the toxicological mechanism of TiO₂-NP in cell organelles. Human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE14o-) were exposed to 50 and 100 μg/mL TiO₂-NP for 24 and 48 h. Our results showed that TiO₂-NP induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the cells and disrupted the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes (MAMs) and calcium ion balance, thereby increasing autophagy. In contrast, an inhibitor of ER stress, tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), mitigated the cellular toxic response, suggesting that TiO₂-NP promoted toxicity via ER stress. This novel mechanism of TiO₂-NP toxicity in human bronchial epithelial cells suggests that further exhaustive research on the harmful effects of these nanoparticles in relevant organisms is needed for their safe application.