Antitumor agents-CLXXV. Anti-tubulin action of (+)-thiocolchicine prepared by partial synthesis

(+)-Thiocolchicine (2b) was prepared from (±)-colchicine (1) in a five-step reaction sequence that included chromatographic separation of appropriate camphanylated diastereomers. Acid hydrolysis of the (+)-diastereomer, followed by acetylation, yielded the desired product 2b. (+)-Thiocolchicine has 15-fold lower inhibitory activity against tubulin polymerization than (−)-thiocolchicine, and is 29-fold less potent for inhibiting growth of human Burkitt lymphoma cells. The enantiomer 2a, prepared from the (−)-camphanylated diastereomer, had potent activity in all assays comparable to that of (−)-thiocolchicine prepared by other methods. These results support the hypothesis that the proper configuration of colchicine-related compounds is an important requirement for their anti-tubulin action.     

Characterization of a plasma membrane-associated phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C from soybean

Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) is a key signal transducing enzyme which generates the second messengers inositol trisphosphate and diacylglycerol in mammalian cells. A cDNA clone (PI-PLC1) encoding a phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C was isolated from soybean by screening a cDNA expression library using an anti-(plasma membrane) serum. Genomic DNA gel blot analysis suggested that the corresponding gene is a member of a multigene family. The deduced amino acid sequence of the soybean PI-PLC1 isozyme contains the conserved X and Y regions, found in other PI-PLCs. It is closely related to mammalian δ-type PI-PLCs, Dictyostelium discoideum PI-PLC and yeast PI-PLC1 in terms of the arrangement of the conserved region. Unlike mammalian δ-type PI-PLCs and yeast PI-PLC1, the putative Ca²⁺-binding site of the soybean PI-PLC1 is located in the region spanning the X and Y domains, and the N-terminal region is truncated. FLAG epitope-tagged PI-PLC1 fusion protein purified from transgenic tobacco plants showed phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C activity. Heterologous expression of the soybean PI-PLC1 cDNA in a yeast PI-PLC1 deletion mutant complemented the lethality phenotype of haploid PI-PLC1 disruptants. Immunoblot analysis of the cell fractions prepared from transgenic tobacco plants over-expressing the FLAG epitope-tagged PI-PLC1 fusion protein indicated that the protein encoded by the PI-PLC1 cDNA was localized in the cytosol and plasma membrane.     

玉吊钟多细胞根毛的发育及其超微结构研究

玉吊钟气生不定根根尖区域的部分表皮细胞经分裂可形成多细胞根毛。根毛长０．０３ｍｍ左右,具单列细胞、双列细胞和叉状分枝类型,由基细胞和毛体细胞二部分组成。电镜显示,基细胞内部结构与表皮细胞相似。组成毛体的细胞都有分泌功能。在分泌活动期,细胞内形成大量内质网,并膨大成囊泡状或溢出囊泡,分泌停止,内质网即消失;其细胞结构的变化及主要由内质网参与分泌活动与蜜腺细胞在分泌活动中的结构变化类似。故推测多细胞根     

Effect of temperature and baroreceptor stimulation on reflex venomotor responses

To investigate the interaction of thermal reflexes and baroreflexes in the control of the peripheral veins, we studied in supine humans the effects of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and neck suction (NS) on forearm veins at ambient temperatures (Ta) of 18, 28, and 37 degrees C. Forearm venous volume (FVV)-venous pressure (FVP) relations (forearm venous capacitance) on six subjects showed an increase from 18 through 28 to 37 degrees C (P less than 0.001). Heart rate increased (P less than 0.001) and forearm venous capacitance decreased (P less than 0.001) in proportion to the level of LBNP applied from 20 to 50 Torr at all Ta. At 50 Torr LBNP, FVV at 30 cmH2O, FVP decreased from control values of 2.5, 3.8, and 4.4 to 1.6, 2.7, and 3.4 ml/100 ml at 18, 28, and 37 degrees C, respectively. We also studied venomotor responses using the occluded limb technique. Although LBNP caused venoconstriction, NS applied either alone or during LBNP produced no change in venomotor tone. Therefore we concluded that carotid baroreceptors play little role in reflex venomotor adjustments. Since changes in mean arterial and pulse pressures during LBNP did not account for the observed venomotor responses, we concluded that low-pressure baroreceptors initiate significant venoconstrictor reflexes over a wide range of Ta.     

Forskolin as a novel lipolytic agent

Forskolin is a novel lipolytic agent which elevates cAMP and FFA release in rat adipocytes in a manner different from existing lipolytic factors. This effect of Forskolin is potentiated by all lipolytic hormones tested, i.e. epinephrine, ACTH, and glucagon and is also reversible. The same batch of adipocytes can be repeatedly stimulated after washing. The effective concentration of Forskolin is in the micromolar range. Its action is due to an activation of cAMP synthesis by adenylate cyclase. There is no effect on cAMP hydrolysis. In contrast to stimulation by lipolytic hormones, Forskolin-activated membrane adenylate cyclase was not further stimulated by GPP(NH)P. These results suggest that Forskolin may be a useful analytical agent in the study of adenylate cyclase mediated function in intact adipocytes.     

1,25-双羟胆钙化醇及其受体含量检测的实验研究

 建立了一种改良的血清1,25-双羟胆钙化醇(1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol,DHCC)超微量放射受体检测(RRA)技术。完成了灵敏度、精密度、准确度、稳定性及特异性等技术指标。报告了我国健康青年血清DHCC正常值;检测了先天性佝偻病、青春期佝偻病病人及患肾性骨病奶牛等血清DHCC水平。 根据配体与受体相互结合的定量关系,建立了DHCCR(DHCC受体)检测技术。在游离与结合配基分离方面,除建立与比较了DCC(葡聚糖包埋的活性炭)及HAP(羟基磷灰石)方法外,还首次将IEF(等电聚焦电泳)应用于DHCCR分离技术。对佝偻病鸡小肠粘膜上皮细胞受体含量进行了检测并比较了鸡小肠、输卵管壳腺及肝组织DHCCR含量。     

Proton-NMR studies of the effects of ionic strength and pH on the hyperfine-shifted resonances and phenylalanine-82 environment of three species of mitochondrial ferricytochrome c.

Ferricytochromes c from three species (horse, tuna, yeast) display sensitivity to variations in solution ionic strength or pH that is manifested in significant changes in the proton NMR spectra of these proteins. Irradiation of the heme 3-CH3 resonances in the proton NMR spectra of tuna, horse and yeast iso-1 ferricytochromes c is shown to give NOE connectivities to the phenyl ring protons of Phe82 as well as to the beta-CH2 protons of this residue. This method was used to probe selectively the Phe82 spin systems of the three cytochromes c under a variety of solution conditions. This phenylalanine residue has previously been shown to be invariant in all mitochondrial cytochromes c, located near the exposed heme edge in proximity to the heme 3-CH3, and may function as a mediator in electron transfer reactions [Louie, G. V., Pielak, G. J., Smith, M. & Brayer, G. D. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 7870-7876]. Ferricytochromes c from all three species undergo a small but specific structural rearrangement in the environment around the heme 3-CH3 group upon changing the solution conditions from low to high ionic strength. This structural change involves a decrease in the distance between the Phe82 beta-CH2 group and the heme 3-CH3 substituent. In addition, studies of the effect of pH on the 1H-NMR spectrum of yeast iso-1 ferricytochrome c show that the heme 3-CH3 proton resonance exhibits a pH-dependent shift with an apparent pK in the range of 6.0-7.0. The chemical shift change of the yeast iso-1 ferricytochrome c heme 3-CH3 resonance is not accompanied by an increase in the linewidth as previously described for horse ferricytochrome c [Burns, P. D. & La Mar, G. N. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 4934-4939]. These spectral changes are interpreted as arising from an ionization of His33 near the C-terminus. In general, the larger spectral changes observed for the resonances in the vicinity of the heme 3-CH3 group in yeast iso-1 ferricytochrome c with changes in solution conditions, relative to the tuna and horse proteins, suggest that the region around Phe82 is more open and that movement of the Phe82 residue is less constrained in yeast ferricytochrome c. Finally, it is demonstrated here that both the heme 8-CH3 and the 7 alpha-CH resonances of yeast ferricytochrome c titrate with p2H and exhibit apparent pK values of approximately 7.0. The titrating group responsible for these spectral changes is proposed to be His39.     

Proteinases inhibit H(+)-ATPase and Na+/H+ exchange but not water transport in apical and endosomal membranes from rat proximal tubule.

A marked increase in water permeability can be induced in Xenopus oocytes by injection of mRNA from tissues that express water channels, suggesting that the water channel is a protein. In view of this and previous reports which showed that proteinases may interfere with mercurial inhibition of water transport in red blood cells (RBC), we examined the influence of trypsin, chymotrypsin, papain, pronase, subtilisin and thermolysin on water permeability as well as on ATPase activity, H(+)-pump, passive H+ conductance, and Na+/H+ exchange in apical brush-border vesicles (BBMV) and endosomal (EV) vesicles from rat renal cortex. H+ transport was measured by Acridine orange fluorescence quenching and water transport by stopped-flow light scattering. As measured by potential-driven H+ accumulation in BBMV and EV, proteinase treatment had little effect on vesicle integrity. In BBMV, ecto-ATPase activity was inhibited by 15-30%, Na+/H+ exchange by 20-55%, and H+ conductance was unchanged. Osmotic water permeability (Pf) was 570 microns/s and was inhibited 85-90% by 0.6 mM HgCl2; proteinase treatment did not affect Pf or the HgCl2 inhibition. In EV, NEM-sensitive H+ accumulation and ATPase activity were inhibited by greater than 95%. Pf (140 microns/s) and HgCl2 inhibition (75-85%) were not influenced by proteinase treatment. SDS-PAGE showed selective digestion of multiple polypeptides by proteinases. These results confirm the presence of water channels in BBMV and EV and demonstrate selective inhibition of ATPase function and Na+/H+ exchange by proteinase digestion. The lack of effect of proteinases on water transport by mercurials. We conclude that the water channel may be a small integral membrane protein which, unlike the H(+)-ATPase and Na+/H+ exchanger, has no functionally important membrane domains that are sensitive to proteolysis.