甲壳素脱乙酰酶的研究概况及展望

甲壳素脱乙酰酶(chitin deacetylase,CDA,E.C.3.5.1.41)是一种能催化脱去甲壳素分子中N-乙酰葡糖胺链上的乙酰基,使之变成壳聚糖的酶。而壳聚糖因其独特的性质被广泛应用于医药、食品、化工、化妆品等行业。对CDA的来源、分离纯化和酶学性质、结构和催化机制、基因的克隆表达及应用前景等方面的研究进行了综述,并分析出今后的主要研究方向应在CDA基因的克隆表达、CDA底物的改造及CDA的结构和催化机制等方面。     

Methylation protects miRNAs and siRNAs from a 3'-end uridylation activity in Arabidopsis

Small RNAs of 21-25 nucleotides (nt), including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), act as guide RNAs to silence target-gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. In addition to a Dicer homolog, DCL1, the biogenesis of miRNAs in Arabidopsis requires another protein, HEN1. miRNAs are reduced in abundance and increased in size in hen1 mutants. We found that HEN1 is a miRNA methyltransferase that adds a methyl group to the 3'-most nucleotide of miRNAs, but the role of miRNA methylation was unknown. Here, we show that siRNAs from sense transgenes, hairpin transgenes, and transposons or repeat sequences, as well as a new class of siRNAs known as trans-acting siRNAs, are also methylated in vivo by HEN1. In addition, we show that the size increase of small RNAs in the hen1-1 mutant is due to the addition of one to five U residues to the 3' ends of the small RNAs. Therefore, a novel uridylation activity targets the 3' ends of unmethylated miRNAs and siRNAs in hen1 mutants. We conclude that 3'-end methylation is a common step in miRNA and siRNA metabolism and likely protects the 3' ends of the small RNAs from the uridylation activity.     

不同品种和生长年限对丹参产量及有效成分积累动态的影响

同时提高丹参经济产量(根系干重)及有效成分积累是当前丹参栽培的热点及难点。通过不同品种和生长年限丹参的田间小区栽培试验,测定不同采收期丹参根系干重,脂溶性成分含量(丹参酮I,隐丹参酮和丹参酮IIA)和水溶性成分含量(原儿茶醛,原儿茶酸,丹酚酸B和迷迭香酸),研究品种、生长年限、采收期对丹参经济产量和有效成分积累的影响,以期为丹参规范化种植提供依据。无论从经济产量,还是脂溶性成分和水溶性成分产量(根系产量×含量),两年生丹参均优于第一年生。丹参脂溶性成分含量在9月份达到最高,而水溶性成分含量除迷迭香酸外在11月份达到最高值。由于收获前丹参根系的快速生长,无论是水溶性还是脂溶性成分,其有效成分产量均在收获期(11月4日)达到最高。不同品种丹参品种的经济产量及有效成分存在较大差异,生产中应有针对性的选择丹参品种。     

Proteomic profiling of the hypothalamus in two mouse models of narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a disabling neurological disorder of sleepiness linked to the loss of neurons producing orexin neuropeptides in the hypothalamus. Two well‐characterized phenotypic mouse models of narcolepsy, loss‐of‐function (orexin‐knockout), and progressive loss of orexin (orexin/ataxin‐3) exist. The open question is whether the proteomics signatures of the hypothalamus would be different between the two models. To address this gap, we utilized a label‐free proteomics approach and conducted a hypothalamic proteome analysis by comparing each disease model to that of wild type. Following data processing and statistical analysis, 14 484 peptides mapping to 2282 nonredundant proteins were identified, of which 39 proteins showed significant differences in protein expression across groups. Altered proteins in both models showed commonalties in pathways for mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal degeneration, as well as altered proteins related to inflammatory demyelination, insulin resistance, metabolic responses, and the dopaminergic and monoaminergic systems. Model‐specific alterations in insulin degraded enzyme (IDE) and synaptosomal‐associated protein‐25 were unique to orexin‐KO and orexin/ataxin‐3, respectively. For both models, proteomics not only identified clinically suspected consequences of orexin loss on energy homeostasis and neurotransmitter systems, but also identified commonalities in inflammation and degeneration despite the entirely different genetic basis of the two mouse models.     

干旱和臭氧浓度升高对元宝枫早生和晚生叶片色素和脱落酸含量的影响

臭氧和干旱是威胁我国北方城市植物生长的两大重要因素。于2012年利用开顶式气室,通过设置4个处理(AW-大气环境和水分充足;AW+60-大气增加60 nL/L臭氧+水分充足;AD-大气+干旱处理;AD+60-大气增加60 nL/L臭氧+干旱处理),开展了大气臭氧浓度升高(以下简称"臭氧")和干旱对元宝枫秋季变色期主要色素含量及脱落酸(ABA)含量的影响研究。结果表明:(1)早生叶在臭氧处理后,总叶绿素和类胡萝卜素分别下降了21%和29.6%、花青苷和类黄酮相对含量显著升高了34.1%和7.3%、脱落酸含量增加了19.8%。干旱处理后,早生叶总叶绿素显著下降了18.7%、花青苷和类黄酮相对含量分别显著升高了37%和7.4%、脱落酸含量显著升高了13%。叶片的上述生理变化将会导致叶片提前变红、叶片早衰和提前脱落。(2)晚生叶在干旱处理后总叶绿素含量减少了18.8%,脱落酸含量增加了33.4%,臭氧以及与干旱共同处理未对晚生叶产生显著影响。(3)臭氧和干旱共同处理后,早生叶总叶绿素含量、花青苷和叶片脱落酸含量存在显著交互作用,交互作用缓解了叶片总叶绿素的下降和花青苷的上升,但未缓解叶片脱落酸含量的增加。综上,早生叶和晚生叶对臭氧和干旱处理的响应不同,早生叶对臭氧处理响应大于晚生叶,而晚生叶对干旱更敏感。臭氧和干旱处理均加速了叶片衰老,二者共同处理后叶片脱落风险增加。     

Direct competitive chemiluminescence immunoassays based on gold‐coated magnetic particles for detection of chloramphenicol

Direct competitive chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIA) based on gold‐coated magnetic nanospheres (Au‐MNPs) were developed for rapid analysis of chloramphenicol (CAP). The Au‐MNPs were modified with carboxyl groups and amino groups by 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) and cysteamine respectively, and then were respectively conjugated with CAP base and CAP succinate via an activating reaction using 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N‐hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). NSP‐DMAE‐NHS, a new and effective luminescence reagent, was employed to label anti‐CAP antibody (mAb) as a tracer in direct CLIA for CAP detection using a ‘homemade’ luminescent measurement system that was set up with a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and a photon counting unit linked to a computer. The sensitivities and limits of detection (LODs) of the two methods were obtained and compared according to the inhibition curves. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) values of the two methods were about 0.044 ng/mL and 0.072 ng/mL respectively and LODs were approximately 0.001 ng/mL and 0.006 ng/mL respectively. To our knowledge, they were much more sensitive than any traditional enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) ever reported. Moreover, the new luminescence reagent NSP‐DMAE‐NHS is much more sensitive and stable than luminol and its derivatives, contributing to the sensitivity enhancement. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

鱼类干扰素系统基因研究进展

干扰素是一类多基因家族诱导性细胞因子,可在脊椎动物细胞中诱导建立抗病毒状态,并在抗病毒防御中起重要作用。干扰素系统包括应答外界刺激(如病毒感染)而合成干扰素的细胞,和应答干扰素建立抗病毒状态的细胞。干扰素系统基因主要包括Ⅰ型干扰素、Ⅱ型干扰素、干扰素刺激基因以及组成干扰素信号传导系统的基因。鱼类干扰素类作用发现较早,而对其基因的克隆和鉴定较晚。随着哺乳类和鸟类中干扰素及其相关基因研究的开展和深入,近年来鱼类干扰素及其相关基因的研究也得到快速发展。综述了鱼类干扰素系统基因的克隆、鉴定,以及其功能方面的研究进展。     

人Leptin基因在大肠杆菌中的高效表达、纯化及其生物学活性研究

将人Leptin表达质粒pBV220-OB转化E.coliJM109,经热诱导获得了目的蛋白的表达。经SDS-PAGE鉴定分析,表达产物以包涵体形式存在,目的蛋白表达量占菌体总蛋白的40%以上。通过包涵体分离,Sephacryl S200HR凝胶和DEAE52离子交换层析及Hypersil C18柱反相色谱纯化,获得纯度在95%以上,内毒素含量小于10EU/mg的高纯度的重组人Leptin。Western-blot鉴定表明,纯化表达产物能和抗Leptin抗体特异性结合;蛋白质N端15个氨基酸序列分析结果和预期的序列一致。纯化产物经复性处理,其分子中Cys96和Cys146形成二硫键。体内活性检测显示,纯化和复性的rh-Leptin明显抑制BALB/c小鼠的进食和体重增长,提示其具有明显的生物学活性。     

棕色棉F3'H-羟化酶基因的克隆与生物信息学分析

根据葡萄的类黄酮3′-羟化酶(F3'H)基因全长cDNA序列Blast所得棉花的EST序列设计引物,以开花后16 d(DPA16)的新彩棉5号(xC-5)纤维为材料,利用RACE和RT-PCR技术分离得到了2个类黄酮3′-羟化酶基因cDNA序列,此2个序列编码区完全相同,仅在3'UTR区存在片段长短的差异,推测可能是基因转录后加工方式不同所造成.克隆所获得的棉花F3'H基因编码区全长1 533 bp,编码510个氨基酸,氨基酸序列分析预测表明,该基因所编码蛋白含有一个跨膜结构域,是一种分泌蛋白,定位于内质网上,并含有一段与细胞色素P450功能区相匹配的保守功能域;序列比对结果表明,棉花F3'H基因与其他多个物种的F3'H基因在氨基酸序列上有较高的同源性;聚类分析结果表明,棉花F3'H蛋白与双子叶植物大豆的F3'H亲缘关系较为接近,而与单子叶植物高梁等作物则较远.