X-ray structure of prephenate dehydratase from Streptococcus mutans

Prephenate dehydratase is a key enzyme of the biosynthesis of L-phenylalanine in the organisms that utilize shikimate pathway. Since this enzymatic pathway does not exist in mammals, prephenate dehydratase can provide a new drug targets for antibiotics or herbicide. Prephenate dehydratase is an allosteric enzyme regulated by its end product. The enzyme composed of two domains, catalytic PDT domain located near the N-terminal and regulatory ACT domain located near the C-terminal. The allosteric enzyme is suggested to have two different conformations. When the regulatory molecule, phenylalanine, is not bound to its ACT domain, the catalytic site of PDT domain maintain open (active) state conformation as Sa-PDT structure. And the open state of its catalytic site become closed (allosterically inhibited) state if the regulatory molecule is bound to its ACT domain as Ct-PDT structure. However, the X-ray structure of prephenate dehydratase from Streptococcus mutans (Sm-PDT) shows that the catalytic site of Sm-PDT has closed state conformation without phenylalanine molecule bound to its regulatory site. The structure suggests a possibility that the binding of phenylalanine in its regulatory site may not be the only prerequisite for the closed state conformation of Sm-PDT.     

基于免疫纳米颗粒强化的压电免疫传感器检测大肠杆菌O157︰H7

摘要：【目的】结合纳米技术建立检测大肠杆菌（Escherichia coli）O157︰H7高灵敏检测技术。【方法】采用化学共沉淀法制备出核心粒径约为10 nm的免疫纳米磁颗粒,柠檬酸钠还原法制备粒径约为20 nm的免疫胶体金。压电免疫传感器通过金黄色葡萄球菌蛋白A（Protein A from Staphylococcus aureus SPA）法将抗体固定于石英晶振上,两种免疫纳米颗粒借助不同的抗体连接于传感器上对检测频率信号进行放大。【结果】SPA在石英晶振上的最佳固定浓度和时间为1.2 mg/mL和40 min,抗体的最佳固定浓度和时间为1.0 mg/mL和60 min。压电免疫传感器通过两种免疫纳米颗粒的放大作用,使其对大肠杆菌O157︰H7的检测限从104 cfu/mL提高到101 cfu/mL。【结论】免疫纳米颗粒强化对压电免疫传感器的检测频率信号具有很好的放大效应,可以明显提高其检测灵敏度。     

Self-assembling diblock copolymers of poly[N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide] and a beta-sheet peptide

The self-assembly of hybrid diblock copolymers composed of poly(HPMA) and beta-sheet peptide P11 (CH(3)CO-QQRFQWQFEQQ-NH(2)) blocks was investigated. Copolymers were synthesized via thiol-maleimide coupling reaction, by conjugation of semitelechelic poly(HPMA)-SH with maleimide-modified beta-sheet peptide. As expected, CD and CR binding studies showed that the peptide block imposed its beta-sheet structural arrangement on the structure of diblock copolymers. TEM and AFM proved that peptide and these copolymers had the ability to self-assemble into fibrils.     

靶向HPV16-E6的siRNA对宫颈癌CaSki细胞的抑制作用

以RNA干扰技术为手段,HPV编码的癌蛋白E6为靶标．探讨靶向HPV16-E6的siRNA对宫颈癌细胞生物学行为的影响,并试图阐明该实验的临床意义．构建靶向HPV16-E6的siRNA表达载体,应用体外转染试剂转染HPV16-E6阳性的宫颈癌CaSki细胞．以RT—PCR检测CaSki细胞中E6蛋白的mRNA的表达．借助细胞色素c测定来分析细胞凋亡相关分子的表达和活性．从而研究靶向HPV16-E6的siRNA诱导细胞凋亡的分子机制．RT．PCR检测结果表明,将靶向HPV16-E6的siRNA的表达载体瞬时转染到HPV16-E6阳性的CaSki细胞后,其所舍E6蛋白质和mRNA的表达下调;Westernblotting栓出抑凋亡蛋白Bcl．2的表达亦告下调;细胞色素C释放实验结果显示,HPV16-E6siRNA能够诱导细胞色素c从线粒体释放到细胞浆中。从而诱导细胞凋亡．靶向HPV16-E6的siRNA能够有效抑制细胞增殖并诱导细胞凋亡．靶向HPV16-E6的siRNA为研究重要致瘤蛋白HPV16-E的功能开辟了新途径,给HPV16-E6阳性肿瘤的靶向基因治疗提供新的实验依据．并探索了HPV感染及宫颈癌的新基因疗法．     

CHO工程细胞株低血清培养的初探

以DMEM: F12(1: 1)为基础培养基,对CHO细胞的低血清培养进行了初步探索,降低培养基中血清含量,观察了细胞在10%、5%和1%等不同浓度低血清培养条件下生长状态和外源蛋白表达活性的变化.试验结果表明:在含1%血清的F12: DMEM(1: 1)培养基中,细胞仍能保持良好的生长状态,且培养上清中的目的蛋白活性与常规血清浓度10% DMEM培养条件下的活性接近.从而达到了既可以降低生产成本,又可以降低纯化难度的目的.     

P53腺病毒基因治疗晚期恶性肿瘤近期疗效观察

目的:初步评价重组人p53腺病毒注射液(rAd-p53)联合介入、化疗治疗晚期恶性肿瘤患者的近期疗效及安全性.方法:晚期恶性肿瘤患者35例,分为两组,一组联合介入治疗,一组联合化疗,监测治疗前后p53癌基因蛋白阳性率、肿瘤标记物等,观察不良反应.卡氏评分评估体力状态的变化,综合评估患者的临床受益.结果:治疗后患者的-临床获益率为78.79%(26/33),有效率51.52%(17/33).不良反应多为自限性,常见不良反应为发热、畏寒、肌痛,其它为骨髓抑制、血压下降、骨痛加剧.p53癌基因蛋白治疗前阳性率为56.25%,治疗后为50.67%,治疗前后p53癌基因蛋白阳性率无明显变化.卡氏评分平均提高≥10分.结论:重组人p53腺病毒联合介入治疗、化疗对晚期恶性肿瘤病人有效,患者可耐受该种治疗,改善患者生存质量.     

大鼠脑缺血-再灌注前后血浆TXB2及6-Keto-PGF1α含量的变化

目的:本实验旨在揭示脑缺血-再灌注损伤前后大鼠血浆血栓素B2(TXB2)及6-酮前列腺环素F1(6-Keto-PGF1α)的动态变化.方法:制作脑缺血-再灌注大鼠模型,45只健康SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组、模型组和假手术组大鼠.在术后1天、3天、5天和7天分别观察大鼠血浆TXB2和6-Keto-PGF1α含量.结果:线栓大脑中动脉后造成脑缺血,血浆TXB2含量和TXB2/6-Keto-PGF1α比值明显高于假手术组和正常对照组(p＜0.05或0.01),在缺血第1天最显著.结论:脑缺血-再灌注损伤后,血浆TXB2和TXB2/6-Keto-PGF1α的变化规律可为临床缺血性脑损伤治疗提供重要参考.     

Dynamic analysis of integrated signaling, metabolic, and regulatory networks

Extracellular cues affect signaling, metabolic, and regulatory processes to elicit cellular responses. Although intracellular signaling, metabolic, and regulatory networks are highly integrated, previous analyses have largely focused on independent processes (e.g., metabolism) without considering the interplay that exists among them. However, there is evidence that many diseases arise from multifunctional components with roles throughout signaling, metabolic, and regulatory networks. Therefore, in this study, we propose a flux balance analysis (FBA)–based strategy, referred to as integrated dynamic FBA (idFBA), that dynamically simulates cellular phenotypes arising from integrated networks. The idFBA framework requires an integrated stoichiometric reconstruction of signaling, metabolic, and regulatory processes. It assumes quasi-steady-state conditions for “fast” reactions and incorporates “slow” reactions into the stoichiometric formalism in a time-delayed manner. To assess the efficacy of idFBA, we developed a prototypic integrated system comprising signaling, metabolic, and regulatory processes with network features characteristic of actual systems and incorporating kinetic parameters based on typical time scales observed in literature. idFBA was applied to the prototypic system, which was evaluated for different environments and gene regulatory rules. In addition, we applied the idFBA framework in a similar manner to a representative module of the single-cell eukaryotic organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ultimately, idFBA facilitated quantitative, dynamic analysis of systemic effects of extracellular cues on cellular phenotypes and generated comparable time-course predictions when contrasted with an equivalent kinetic model. Since idFBA solves a linear programming problem and does not require an exhaustive list of detailed kinetic parameters, it may be efficiently scaled to integrated intracellular systems that incorporate signaling, metabolic, and regulatory processes at the genome scale, such as the S. cerevisiae system presented here.     

CD38/cADPR/Ca2+ Pathway Promotes Cell Proliferation and Delays Nerve Growth Factor-induced Differentiation in PC12 Cells

Intracellular Ca²⁺ mobilization plays an important role in a wide variety of cellular processes, and multiple second messengers are responsible for mediating intracellular Ca²⁺ changes. Here we explored the role of one endogenous Ca²⁺-mobilizing nucleotide, cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR), in the proliferation and differentiation of neurosecretory PC12 cells. We found that cADPR induced Ca²⁺ release in PC12 cells and that CD38 is the main ADP-ribosyl cyclase responsible for the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced cADPR production in PC12 cells. In addition, the CD38/cADPR signaling pathway is shown to be required for the ACh-induced Ca²⁺ increase and cell proliferation. Inhibition of the pathway, on the other hand, accelerated nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells. Conversely, overexpression of CD38 increased cell proliferation but delayed NGF-induced differentiation. Our data indicate that cADPR plays a dichotomic role in regulating proliferation and neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.Mobilization of intracellular Ca²⁺ stores is involved in diverse cell functions, including fertilization, cell proliferation, and differentiation (1–4). At least three endogenous Ca²⁺-mobilizing messengers have been identified, including inositol trisphosphate (IP₃),³ nicotinic adenine acid dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP), and cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR). Similar to IP₃, cADPR can mobilize calcium release in a wide variety of cell types and species, from protozoa to animals. The cADPR-mediated Ca²⁺ signaling has been indicated in a variety of cellular processes (5–7), from abscisic acid signaling and regulation of the circadian clock in plants, to mediating long-term synaptic depression in hippocampus.Ample evidence shows that the ryanodine receptors are the main intracellular targets for cADPR (1, 2, 8). Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are intracellular Ca²⁺ channels widely expressed in various cells and tissues, including muscles and neurons. It is the major cellular mediator of Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ release (CICR) in cells. There are three isoforms of ryanodine receptors: RyR1, RyR2, and RyR3, all of which have been implicated in the cADPR signaling (1, 2, 8). However, evidence regarding cADPR acting directly on the receptors is lacking (9). It has been suggested that accessory proteins, such as calmodulin and FK506-binding protein (FKBP), may be involved instead (10–15).cADPR is formed from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) by ADP-ribosyl cyclases. Six ADP-ribosyl cyclases have been identified so far: Aplysia ADP-ribosyl cyclase, three sea urchin homologues (16, 17), and two mammalian homologues, CD38 and CD157 (18). CD38 is a membrane-bound protein and the main mammalian ADP-ribosyl cyclase. As a novel multifunctional enzyme, CD38 catalyzes the synthesis and hydrolysis of both cADPR and NAADP, two structurally and functionally distinct Ca²⁺ messengers. Virtually all mammalian tissues ever examined have been shown to express CD38. CD38 knock-out mice exhibit multiple physiological defects, ranging from impaired immune responses, metabolic disturbances, to behavioral modifications (1, 6, 18).CD38 was originally identified as a lymphocyte differentiation antigen (18). Indeed, CD38/cADPR has been linked to cell differentiation (5). For example, in human HL-60 cells, CD38 expression and the consequential accumulation of cADPR play a causal role in mediating granulocytic differentiation (19). In addition, expression of CD38 in HeLa and 3T3 cells not only increased intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration but also induced cell proliferation by significantly reducing the S phase duration, leading to shortened cell doubling time (20). The ability of cADPR to increase cell proliferation has also been observed in human T cells (21), human hemopoietic progenitors (22), human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (23), human mesenchymal stem cells (24), and murine mesangial cells (25).The PC12 cell line was derived from rat adrenal medulla and has been used extensively as a neuronal model, since it exhibits many of the functions observed in primary neuronal cultures (26). Most importantly, PC12 cells can be induced by nerve growth factor (NGF) to differentiate into cells with extensive neurite outgrowths, resembling neuronal dendritic trees (26, 27). In contrast to NGF, numerous growth factors and neurotransmitters can induce the proliferation of PC12 cells instead (26). Both IP₃ receptor- and ryanodine receptor-mediated Ca²⁺ stores have been shown to be present in PC12 cells (28–31). The type 2 ryanodine receptor is expressed in PC12 cells and activation of the NO/cGMP pathway in PC12 cells results in calcium mobilization, which is mediated by cADPR and similar to that seen in sea urchin eggs (32). It has been demonstrated that NAADP, another Ca²⁺-mobilizing messenger, is also a potent neuronal differentiation inducer in PC12 cells, while IP₃ exhibits no such role (33, 34). Whether cADPR is involved in the proliferation and differentiation of PC12 cells is unknown.Here we show that activation of the CD38/cADPR/Ca²⁺ signaling is required for the ACh-induced proliferation in PC12 cells, while inhibition of the pathway accelerates NGF-induced neuronal differentiation. Our data indicate that cADPR is important in regulating cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells.