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.     

利用植物激素调控嫁接形成的初步研究

利用黄瓜（Ｃｕｃｕｍ ｉｓｓａｔｉｖｕｓ）试管苗进行离体茎段自体嫁接,研究ＩＢＡ 和６－ＢＡ 对嫁接形成的影响时发现：进行离体茎段嫁接时,用试管苗茎段可简化嫁接过程,减少污染。嫁接茎段的颜色变化、不定根发生和愈伤组织形成与激素浓度有关。植物激素通过影响砧木和接穗间维管束桥形成的时间和数目调控嫁接组合的发育。在作者的实验中,最佳的激素条件是：在接穗培养基中加ＩＢＡ １．２ ｍ ｇ／Ｌ,在接穗和砧木培养基中加６－ＢＡ ０．３ ｍ ｇ／Ｌ。     

Oligomeric Aβ-Induced Microglial Activation is Possibly Mediated by NADPH Oxidase

Recent studies have shown that oligomeric amyloid-β (oAβ) peptide can potentially activate microglia in addition to inducing more potent neurotoxicity compared with fibrillar Aβ (fAβ); however, its mechanisms of action remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate the possible mechanisms involved in the microglial activation induced by oAβ in BV-2 microglial cells. The results showed that oAβ induced activated properties of microglia, including higher proliferative capacity as well as increased production of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). NADPH oxidase inhibitors [diphenylene iodonium (DPI) and apocynin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-acetophenone)] prevented the microglial activation induced by oAβ, suggesting that NADPH oxidase activation was involved in microglial activation. In addition, TNF-α and IL-1β, which are massively released by activated microglia, significantly induced the activation of microglia, thereby resulting in the production of NO and proliferation of microglia, respectively. These effects could be inhibited by diphenylene iodonium and apocynin, indicating a self-cycle regulated by NADPH oxidase in microglial activation in response to oAβ. In conclusion, microglial activation induced by oAβ is possibly mediated by NADPH oxidase, suggesting that oAβ, which is normally considered a neurotoxin, may also lead to indirect neuronal damage through the pro-inflammation activation of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease and that NADPH oxidase could be a potential target to prevent oAβ-induced inflammatory neurodegeneration.     

酶法合成中丙氨酸的检测

本文建立了丙氨酸在醋酸缓冲液中形成丙氨酸-铜配离子及其十二烷基磺酸配离子对,使其紫外无吸收的丙氨酸在230nm处于有强紫外吸收,从而对酶法合成中的丙氨酸进行定量分析．该法在0～50mg／L范围内有良好的线性关系,直线方程为A(230)=0.01712·C（n=5）C：mg／L）。相关系数为0．9994,回收率为96．8％～104．0％,且该法不受酶反应液的影响,实验结果证明该检测体系简单、实用、测定结果可靠。     

红松阔叶林倒木贮量动态的研究

在森林倒木研究的基础上探讨长白山红松阔叶林倒木贮量的动态,涉及红松阔叶林倒木分解及其贮量的动态规律。研究表明,倒木分解,除心腐木外,均由表及里进行;倒木分解速率在其它生态条件相同时因树种、直径和部位而异。红松阔叶林倒木贮量动态包括现有倒木贮量和倒木年输入量两个分解动态过程,现有倒木贮量在头100年其干重迅速减少,其中椴树比红松尤速,前者分解91%,后者为72%.林地倒木贮量动态与倒木年输入量分解动态相似,但前者在分解初期贮量增加较大,因为部分现有倒木未完全分解;100年后趋于一致,并恒定于16～17t·hm^-2,直至群落的顶极阶段结束.     

中国普通野生稻遗传分化的RAPD研究

多数学者已认定亚洲栽培稻（ＯｒｙｚａｓａｔｉｖａＬ．）的祖先是普通野生稻（Ｏ．ｒｕｆｉｐｏｇｏｎ）。然而栽培稻的籼、粳分化是发生在驯化之前还是在驯化之后,也即普通野生稻是否存在籼、粳分化的问题,是十几年来稻作起源研究中争论的热点之一。Ｓｅｃｏｎｄ［１］用多个同工酶位点的分析结果得出结论,普通野生稻在驯化为栽培稻之前就已经发生了籼、粳分化,即有籼型普通野生稻和粳型普通野生稻之分。Ｍｏｒｉｓｈｉｍａ和Ｇａｄｒｉｎａｂ［２］用２４个形态和生理性状及１２个同工酶位点和杂交亲合力等方法证明普通野生稻没有发…     

DNA vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease via electroporation: study of molecular approaches for enhancing VP1 antigenicity

BACKGROUND: Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) affects susceptible livestock animals and causes disastrous economic impact. Immunization with plasmid expressing VP1 that contains the major antigenic epitope(s) of FMDV as cytoplasmic protein (cVP1) failed to elicit full protection against FMDV challenge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, mice were immunized via electroporation with four cDNA expression vectors that were constructed to express VP1 of FMDV, as cytoplasmic (cVP1), secreted (sVP1), membrane-anchored (mVP1) or capsid precursor protein (P1), respectively, to evaluate whether expression of VP1 in specific subcellular compartment(s) would result in better immune responses. RESULTS: Electroporation enhanced immune responses to vectors expressing cVP1 or P1 and expedited the immune responses to vectors expressing sVP1 or mVP1. Immunization of mice via electroporation with mVP1 cDNA was better than sVP1 or cVP1 cDNA in eliciting neutralizing antibodies and viral clearance protection. Vaccination with P1 cDNA, nonetheless, yielded the best immune responses and protection among all four cDNAs that we tested. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the antigenicity of a VP1 DNA vaccine can be significantly enhanced by altering the cellular localization of the VP1 antigen. Electroporation is a useful tool for enhancing the immune responses of vectors expressing VP1 or P1. By mimicking FMDV more closely than that of transgenic VP1 and eliciting immune responses favorably toward Th2, transgenic P1 may induce more neutralizing antibodies and better protection against FMDV challenge.