The insertion of the antimicrobial peptide dicynthaurin monomer in model membranes: thermodynamics and structural characterization

This paper is focused on the thermodynamics and the structural investigation of the interaction of the antimicrobial peptide dicynthaurin monomer with model lipid membranes composed of mixtures of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-glycerophosphocholine and -glycerophosphoglycerol. The thermodynamic binding parameters as obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry reveal strong binding toward the lipid model system dominated by large chemical binding constants which exceeds the electrostatic binding effects and thus suggests insertion of the amphipathic alpha-helical peptide into the hydrophobic membrane core. Circular dichroism study shows that the peptide exhibits trans-membrane alpha-helix secondary structure. Neutron diffraction measurements using partially deuterated sequences were successfully applied to determine the orientation of the peptide thus proving insertion into the hydrophobic membrane core. This insertion and the formation of higher order porelike aggregates is assumed to be the most relevant event in microbial membrane perturbation that in vivo finally leads to bacterial cell death on a fast time scale.     

Phylogenetic Analysis of AA-genome Oryza Species (Poaceae) Based on Chloroplast, Mitochondrial, and Nuclear DNA Sequences

Species in the genus Oryza (Poaceae) contain 10 genomic types and are distributed in pan-tropics of the world. To explore phylogenetic relationships of Oryza species having the AA-genome, DNA sequences of the chloroplast trnL intron and trnL-trnF spacer, mitochondrial nad1 intron 2, and nuclear internal transcribed spacer were analyzed, based on materials from 6 cultivated (O. sativa and O. glaberrima) and 13 wild accessions, in addition to a CC-genome species (O. officinalis) that was used as an outgroup. Analyses of the combined sequence data set from different sources provide a much better resolution of the AA-genome species than the individual data set, indicating the limitation of a single gene in phylogenetic reconstruction. The phylogeny based on the combined data set demonstrated an apparent grouping of the AA-genome Oryza species that was well associated with their geographic origin, although the Australian O. meridionalis showed its affinity with the African species. The geographic pattern of the phylogenetic relationship was probably attributed to the frequent genetic exchange and introgression among the AA-genome species from the same continents. In addition, Asian cultivated rice O. sativa showed its close relation to O. rufipogon and O. nivara, whereas African cultivated rice O. glaberrima was closely linked to O. barthii and O. longistaminata, indicating the independent domestication of the two cultivated species in different geographic locations.     

Evolution of enzymatic activities in the enolase superfamily: L-talarate/galactarate dehydratase from Salmonella typhimurium LT2

We assigned l-talarate dehydratase (TalrD) and galactarate dehydratase (GalrD) functions to a group of orthologous proteins in the mechanistically diverse enolase superfamily, focusing our characterization on the protein encoded by the Salmonella typhimurium LT2 genome (GI:16766982; STM3697). Like the homologous mandelate racemase, l-fuconate dehydratase, and d-tartrate dehydratase, the active site of TalrD/GalrD contains a general acid/base Lys 197 at the end of the second beta-strand in the (beta/alpha)7beta-barrel domain, Asp 226, Glu 252, and Glu 278 as ligands for the essential Mg2+ at the ends of the third, fourth, and fifth beta-strands, a general acid/base His 328-Asp 301 dyad at the ends of the seventh and sixth beta-strands, and an electrophilic Glu 348 at the end of the eighth beta-strand. We discovered the function of STM3697 by screening a library of acid sugars; it catalyzes the efficient dehydration of both l-talarate (kcat = 2.1 s-1, kcat/Km = 9.1 x 10(3) M-1 s-1) and galactarate (kcat = 3.5 s-1, kcat/Km = 1.1 x 10(4) M-1 s-1). Because l-talarate is a previously unknown metabolite, we demonstrated that S. typhimurium LT2 can utilize l-talarate as carbon source. Insertional disruption of the gene encoding STM3697 abolishes this phenotype; this disruption also diminishes, but does not eliminate, the ability of the organism to utilize galactarate as carbon source. The dehydration of l-talarate is accompanied by competing epimerization to galactarate; little epimerization to l-talarate is observed in the dehydration of galactarate. On the basis of (1) structures of the wild type enzyme complexed with l-lyxarohydroxamate, an analogue of the enolate intermediate, and of the K197A mutant complexed with l-glucarate, a substrate for exchange of the alpha-proton, and (2) incorporation of solvent deuterium into galactarate in competition with dehydration, we conclude that Lys 197 functions as the galactarate-specific base and His 328 functions as the l-talarate-specific base. The epimerization of l-talarate to galactarate that competes with dehydration can be rationalized by partitioning of the enolate intermediate between dehydration (departure of the 3-OH group catalyzed by the conjugate acid of His 328) and epimerization (protonation on C2 by the conjugate acid of Lys 197). The promiscuous catalytic activities discovered for STM3697 highlight the evolutionary potential of a "conserved" active site architecture.     

Role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in estrogen-mediated cardioprotection following trauma-hemorrhage

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activates a number of heat shock proteins (HSPs), including HSP27 and alpha(B)-crystallin, in response to stress. Activation of HSP27 or alpha(B)-crystallin is known to protect organs/cells by increasing the stability of actin microfilaments. Although our previous studies showed that 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) improves cardiovascular function after trauma-hemorrhage, whether the salutary effects of E(2) under those conditions are mediated via p38 MAPK remains unknown. Male rats (275-325 g body wt) were subjected to soft tissue trauma and hemorrhage (35-40 mmHg mean blood pressure for approximately 90 min) followed by fluid resuscitation. At the onset of resuscitation, rats were injected intravenously with vehicle, E(2) (1 mg/kg body wt), E(2) + the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB-203580 (2 mg/kg body wt), or SB-203580 alone, and various parameters were measured 2 h thereafter. Cardiac functions that were depressed after trauma-hemorrhage were returned to normal levels by E(2) administration, and phosphorylation of cardiac p38 MAPK, HSP27, and alpha(B)-crystallin was increased. The E(2)-mediated improvement of cardiac function and increase in p38 MAPK, HSP27, and alpha(B)-crystallin phosphorylation were abolished with coadministration of SB-203580. These results suggest that the salutary effect of E(2) on cardiac function after trauma-hemorrhage is in part mediated via upregulation of p38 MAPK and subsequent phosphorylation of HSP27 and alpha(B)-crystallin.     

山东莎草属叶表皮微形态的研究

利用光学显微镜对山东莎草属14个种和1个亚种植物的叶下表皮微形态特征进行研究,结果表明:脉间区长细胞为长筒形、短筒形,少数为近方形,边缘为波状、深波状;无短细胞存在;气孔器副卫细胞为三角形、圆屋顶形至三角形、高圆屋顶形和圆屋顶形;乳突存在于脉区长细胞上;刺毛仅存在于个别种中。根据脉区刺毛的有无,结合外部形态,可以分为有刺毛类型和无刺毛2个类型及4个亚类型。莎草属叶下表皮微形态特征高度一致,表明莎草属是一个自然类群,但在种间存在着一定的差异,可以为种的划分提供参考依据。     

阿米洛利抑制NHE-1减轻低氧性肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖

目的：研究Na^＋／H^＋交换抑制剂阿米洛利对低氧刺激的大鼠肺动脉平滑肌细胞（PASMCs）增殖的影响,以及Na^＋／H^＋交挟体-l（NHE-1）活性和表达的变化.方法：常氧（21％O2）或低氧（2％O2）条件下培养PASMCs,并分别给予浓度为1．653、3．125、6．25、12．5、25和50μmol／L．等不同浓度的阿米洛利,培养24h,采用MTT比色实验和免疫组化检测PCNA阳性细胞率的方法反映细胞增殖情况,同时采用激光共聚焦检测细胞内pH以反映Na^＋／H^＋交换体-1活性,RT—PCR法检测Na^＋／H^＋交换体-1mRNA的表达量.结果：低氧培养的PASMCs细胞内pH升高,NHE—1mRNA的表达增多,而阿米洛利可以降低细胞内pH,减少NHE—1mRNA的表达量。同时低氧较常氧培养MTT光吸收值较常氧培养明显升高。PCNA阳性细胞率明显增高,而给予阿米洛利时上述两个指标随药物浓度增加而逐渐下降。结论：低氧可以激活PASMCs细胞膜上的E—1,增加其mRNA水平表达量,使细胞内碱化,促进细胞增殖,而Na^＋／H^＋交换抑制剂阿米洛利可以抑制其活性,减少mRNA水平的表达,导致细胞内酸化,从而抑制细胞增殖,并且此抑制作用在3．125～50μmol／L．浓度范围内呈现明显的浓度依赖性。     

药用真菌金耳的rDNA ITS序列分析与鉴别

研究了两个居群的金耳Tremella aurantialba以及近似品的rDNAITS区碱基全序列的特征及其差异,首次报道了金耳的ITS和5.8SrDNA完整序列,序列总长度为467~468,长度变异较少。聚类分析表明两个居群金耳亲缘关系非常密切,金耳药材和近似品金黄银耳形成一个稳定的独立分支,近似品黄金银耳形成另一个分支。ITS序列的差异为金耳的鉴别提供了可靠的分子标记,为金耳菌类药材基原入药建立了遗传基础。     

越鞠丸石油醚提取物的气相色谱-质谱分析

采用气相色谱-质谱联用技术对中药复方越鞠丸石油醚提取物中的成分进行鉴定,共鉴定出60种成分,并采用峰面积归一化法确定了各成分的相对含量。