XeCl准分子激光辐照对溶菌酶结构的影响

利用荧光光谱、SDS-PAGE和NMR方法,考察308 nm XeCl准分子激光辐照对溶菌酶结构与活性的影响。使用能量密度为0.3 mJ/mm2的激光辐照溶菌酶,脉冲数分别为25、50、100、200、600、1200、1800、3600和7200。结果表明,用低强度激光辐照(低于200个脉冲)时,溶菌酶的活性出现增高趋势。随着激光辐照脉冲数的进一步增大,溶菌酶的活性又开始逐步降低。激光辐照处理后,溶菌酶的荧光强度发生了与生物活性相对应的先增高再降低现象,说明溶菌酶的高级结构发生了显著变化。SDS-PAGE结果显示,经激光辐照后,溶菌酶出现了分子间的聚合。分析溶菌酶的1H-NMR谱发现,辐照后,溶菌酶色氨酸(Trp)111、Trp63和Trp62的化学位移发生了变化,此结果进一步说明,激光辐照使溶菌酶的高级结构发生了变化。该实验可为激光辐照诱导蛋白质去折叠的研究提供参考。     

Antigenic relatedness between human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and phospholipases of the A2 family

A monoclonal antibody, B10, generated against pure human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.43) caused the inhibition of the esterolytic and cholesterol esterifying activities of the enzyme. This antibody also reacted with a number of pancreatic and snake venom phospholipases A2 species but not phospholipase A1. A concentration-dependent inhibition of phospholipase A2 was also seen in the presence of B10. Treatment of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase or B10-reacting phospholipases with phenacyl bromide, a reagent known to interact with the active site of phospholipase A2, inhibited both their esterolytic activity and their capacity to bind to B10. A dimeric phospholipase A2 species with a known occluded active site did not cross-react with B10. Thus, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and some enzymes of the phospholipase A2 family share a common antigenic determinant which is probably located near or at their esterolytic active site.     

Macrophagelike vacuolated renal tubular cells in the urine of a male with osmotic nephrosis associated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. A case report

BACKGROUND: Osmotic nephrosis is a form of renal tubular injury that has been found in patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). CASE: A 46-year-old male who had two courses of chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia was found to have refractory thrombocytopenia. After IVIG (Sandoglobulin 12%, Novartis) administration (1 g/kg) for five consecutive days, the patient became oliguric and eventually anuric on the fifth dose. Hemodialysis was initiated, and urine production was noted on day 2 of hospitalization. Routine cytologic examination of fresh, voided urine showed numerous macrophagelike, bland epithelial cells with abundant, multivacuolated cytoplasm. Cytokeratin immunostain revealed positivity, thus confirming the epithelial origin of these cells. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first such case reported in the English-language cytology literature. Awareness of a patient's clinical history may be helpful in avoiding an incorrect diagnosis. Urine cytology may be useful in obtaining an early diagnosis of osmotic nephrosis in patients receiving high-dose IVIG therapy that may eliminate the need for a renal biopsy.     

Polymorphic phases of galactocerebrosides: spectroscopic evidence of lamellar crystalline structures

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to study the structural and thermal properties of bovine brain galactocerebroside (GalCer) containing amide linked non-hydroxylated or alpha-hydroxy fatty acids (NFA- and HFA-GalCer, respectively). Over the temperature range 0-90 degrees C, both GalCer displayed complex thermal transitions, characteristic of polymorphic phase behavior. Upon heating, aqueous dispersions of NFA- and HFA-GalCer exhibited high order-disorder transition temperatures near 80 and 72 degrees C, respectively. En route to the chain melting transition, the patterns of the amide I band of NFA-GalCer were indicative of two different lamellar crystalline phases, whereas those of HFA-GalCer were suggestive of lamellar gel and crystalline bilayers. Cooling from the liquid-crystalline phase resulted in the formation of another crystalline phase of NFA-GalCer and a gel phase of HFA-GalCer, with a phase transition near 62 and 66 degrees C, respectively. Prolonged incubation of GalCer bilayers at 38 degrees C revealed conversions among lamellar crystalline phases (NFA-GalCer) or between lamellar gel and crystalline bilayer structures (HFA-GalCer). Spectral changes indicated that the temperature and/or time induced formation of the lamellar crystalline structures of NFA- and HFA-GalCer was accompanied by partial dehydration and by rearrangements of the hydrogen bonding network and bilayer packing mode of GalCer.     

IaaL基因的维管束特异表达导致烟草茎和根外植体分化能力的改变

我们利用水稻苯丙氨酸解氨酶启动子(AQ630)和吲哚乙酰胺赖氨酸酯合成酶基因(iaaL)构建了维管束特异表达的植物表达载体pBAL1并导入烟草基因组中。比较了对照植株、转基因植株的幼茎和根外植体在组织培养中分化能力的变化,结果表明转基因植株茎外植体的不定芽形成明显受到促进,而转化植株根外植体在不定根发生方面对外源IAA的敏感性下降。     

Foliar modifications induced by inhibition of polar transport of auxin

The effects of auxin polar transport inhibitors,9-hydroxy-fluorene-9-carboxylic acid (HFCA);2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid(TIBA) and trans-cinnamic acid (CA) on leaf pattern formation were investigated with shoots formed from cultured leaf explants of tobacco and cultured pedicel explants of Orychophragmus violaceus,and the seedlings of tobacco and Brassica chinensis,Although the effective concentration varies with the inhibitors used,all of the inhibitors induced the formation of trumpet-shaped and/or fused leaves.The frequency of trumpet-shaped leaf formation was related to the concentration of inhibitors in the medium.Histological observation of tobacco seedlings showed that there was only one main vascular bundle and several minor vascular bundles in normal leaves of the control,but there were several vascular bundles of more or less the same size in the trumpet-shaped leaves of treated ones.These results indicated that auxin polar transport played an important role on bilateral symmetry of leaf growth.     

Impact of protein kinase CK2 on inhibitor of apoptosis proteins in prostate cancer cells

We have previously demonstrated that protein kinase CK2 is a potent suppressor of apoptosis in cells subjected to diverse mediators of apoptosis. The process of apoptosis involves a complex series of molecules localized in various cellular compartments. Among the various proteins that modulate apoptotic activity are inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) which are elevated in cancers and have been proposed to block caspase activity. We have examined the impact of CK2 signal on these proteins in prostate cancer cells. Cellular IAPs demonstrate distinct localization and responsiveness to altered CK2 expression or activity in the cytoplasmic and nuclear matrix fractions. Modulation of cellular CK2 by various approaches impacts on cellular IAPs such that inhibition or downregulation of CK2 results in reduction in these proteins. Further, IAPs are also reduced when cells are treated with sub-optimal concentrations of chemical inhibitors of CK2 combined with low or sub-optimal levels of apoptosis-inducing agents (such as etoposide) suggesting that downregulation of CK2 sensitizes cells to induction of apoptosis which may be related to attenuation of IAPs. Decreased IAP protein levels in response to apoptotic agents such as TNFalpha or TRAIL were potently blocked upon forced overexpression of CK2 in cells. Together, our results suggest that one of the modes of CK2-mediated modulation of apoptotic activity is via its impact on cellular IAPs.     

多穗金栗兰中一个新的酚苷

从多穗金粟兰(Chloranthus multistachys)全株的甲醇提取物中分离得到1个新的酚苷,通过波谱技术鉴定其结构为丁香酸-4-O-a-L-鼠李吡喃糖苷(1).同时还首次从该植物中分离得到两个已知倍半萜内酯和一个已知木脂素:1β,4β-二羟基-5a,8β-二氢-7(11)Z-桉叶烯-8,12-内酯(2),lβ,4a-二羟基-5a,8β-二氢-7(11)Z-桉叶烯-8,12-内酯(3),(-)-(7S,8R)-dihydrodehydrodiconifery alcohol(4).     

S100A13-lipid interactions-role in the non-classical release of the acidic fibroblast growth factor

S100A13 is a 98-amino acid, calcium binding protein. It is known to participate in the non-classical secretion of signal peptide-less proteins, such as the acidic fibroblast growth factor. In this study, we investigate the lipid binding properties of S10013 using a number of biophysical techniques, including multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. Isothermal titration calorimetry and steady state fluorescence experiments show that apoS100A13 exhibits preferential binding to small unilamelar vesicles of l-phosphatidyl serine (pS). In comparison, Ca2+-bound S100A13 is observed to bind weakly to unilamelar vesicles (SUVs) of pS. Equilibrium thermal unfolding and limited trypsin digestion analysis reveal that apoS100A13 is significantly destabilized upon binding to SUVs of pS. Results of the far UV circular dichroism and ANS (8-anilino-1-napthalene sufonate) binding experiments indicate a subtle conformational change resulting in the increase in the solvent-accessible hydrophobic surface in the protein. Availability of the solvent-exposed hydrophobic surface(s) in apoS10013 facilitates its interaction with the lipid vesicles. Our data suggest that Ca2+ binding dictates the membrane binding affinity of S100A13. Based on the results of this study, a model describing the sequence of molecular events that possibly can occur during the non-classical secretion of FGF-1 is presented.     

东当归化学成分研究及定量分析

从当归属植物东当归的根的乙醇溶液中分离得到了4个化合物,通过理化特性和波谱分析分别鉴定为双(5-甲酰基糠基)醚(bis(5-formylfurfuryl)ether,1)、5-羟甲基糠醛(5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde,2)、豆甾醇(stigmasterol,3)、十七烷酸(heptadecanoic acid4,)。所有化合物均为首次从该植物中分离得到,其中1为首次从该属植物中分离得到。采用高效液相色谱法对东当归所含该属特征活性成分紫花前胡素进行了定量分析。