RUS家族对植物生长发育的调控作用

叶绿体基因组编码许多参与光合作用和其他代谢过程的关键蛋白质,在叶绿体中合成的代谢物对于植物正常的生长发育至关重要。根对紫外线-B辐射敏感[Root-UVB (ultraviolet radiation B)-sensitive, RUS]蛋白属于叶绿体蛋白,由高度保守的DUF647结构域组成,在参与植物形态发生、物质运输和能量代谢等多种生命活动的调控中发挥作用。本文就近年来关于RUS家族在植物的胚胎发育、光形态建成、维生素B6稳态、生长素转运和花药发育等生长发育过程中的相关研究进行回顾和总结,为深入研究其在植物生长发育中的分子调控机制提供了参考。     

成熟促进因子对克隆重构胚核重编程的调控

成熟促进因子(maturation promoting factor,MPF)由催化亚单位P34cdc2和调节亚单位cyclin组成,对细胞周期的调控起着重要作用。目前,在核移植研究中发现：供体核在MPF的作用下发生核膜破裂(nuclear envelop breakdown．NEBD)和早熟染色体凝集(premature chromosome condensation,PCC),促进了核、质蛋白质因子的交换,有利于核重编程的进行。PCC还会对供体核的倍性及形态产生影响。     

PLZF-RARα融合基因的生物学功能研究

构建了8个PLZF-RARα融合基因突变体.用“滞后”胶实验证实PLZF-RARα与PML-RARα一样,亦能以同二聚体的形式结合到维甲酸反应元件(RARE)上,且PLZF的POZ结构域介导PLZF-RARα同二聚体的形成和稳定.但两者与RARE的结合类型存在差异,在DR5G,PML-RARα的结合强度大于PLZF-RARα;而在DR5T,则是PLZF-RARα强于PML-RARα.进一步工作证实PLZF-RARα能与RXR形成异二聚体,并产生4种复合物.用免疫沉淀法发现PLZF-RARα亦能与PLZF形成异二聚体,而且也是通过POZ结构域介导PLZF-RARα和PLZF异二聚体的形成.同PML-RARα一样,PLZF-RARα对RARE的结合反应亦受维甲酸调控.     

Non‐dormant Axillary Bud 1 regulates axillary bud outgrowth in sorghum

Tillering contributes to grain yield and plant architecture and therefore is an agronomically important trait in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Here, we identified and functionally characterized a mutant of the Non‐dormant Axillary Bud 1 (NAB1) gene from an ethyl methanesulfonate‐mutagenized sorghum population. The nab1 mutants have increased tillering and reduced plant height. Map‐based cloning revealed that NAB1 encodes a carotenoid‐cleavage dioxygenase 7 (CCD7) orthologous to rice (Oryza sativa) HIGH‐TILLERING DWARF1/DWARF17 and Arabidopsis thaliana MORE AXILLARY BRANCHING 3. NAB1 is primarily expressed in axillary nodes and tiller bases and NAB1 localizes to chloroplasts. The nab1 mutation causes outgrowth of basal axillary buds; removing these non‐dormant basal axillary buds restored the wild‐type phenotype. The tillering of nab1 plants was completely suppressed by exogenous application of the synthetic strigolactone analog GR24. Moreover, the nab1 plants had no detectable strigolactones and displayed stronger polar auxin transport than wild‐type plants. Finally, RNA‐seq showed that the expression of genes involved in multiple processes, including auxin‐related genes, was significantly altered in nab1. These results suggest that NAB1 functions in strigolactone biosynthesis and the regulation of shoot branching via an interaction with auxin transport.     

哺乳动物主要嗅觉系统和犁鼻系统信息识别的编码模式

哺乳动物具有两套嗅觉系统, 即主要嗅觉系统和犁鼻系统。前者对环境中的大多数挥发性化学物质进行识别, 后者对同种个体释放的信息素进行识别。本文从嗅觉感受器、嗅球、嗅球以上脑区三个水平综述了这两种嗅觉系统对化学信息识别的编码模式。犁鼻器用较窄的调谐识别信息素成分, 不同于嗅上皮用分类性合并受体的方式识别气味; 副嗅球以接受相同受体输入的肾丝球所在区域为单位整合信息, 而主嗅球通过对肾丝球模块的特异性合并编码信息; 在犁鼻系统, 信息素的信号更多地作用于下丘脑区域, 引起特定的行为和神经内分泌反应。而在主要嗅觉系统, 嗅皮层可能采用时间模式编码神经元群, 对气味的最终感受与脑的不同区域有关。犁鼻系统较主要嗅觉系统的编码简单, 可能与其执行的功能较少有关。     

In vitro selected peptides bind with thymidylate synthase mRNA and inhibit its translation

Thymidylate synthase (TS), an essential enzyme for catalyzing the biosynthesis of thymidylate, is a critical therapeutic target in cancer therapy. Recent studies have shown that TS functions as an RNA-binding protein by interacting with two different sequences on its own mRNA, thus, repressing translational efficiency. In this study, peptides binding TS RNA with high affinity were isolated using mRNA display from a large peptide library (＞1013 different sequences). The randomized library was subjected up to twelve rounds of in vitro selection and amplification. Comparing the amino acid composition of the selected peptides (12th round, R12) with those from the initial random library (round zero, R0), the basic and aromatic residues in the selected peptides were enriched significantly, suggesting that these peptide regions might be important in the peptide-TS mRNA interaction. Categorizing the amino acids at each random position based on their physicochemical properties and comparing the distributions with those of the initial random pool, an obvious basic charge characteristic was found at positions 1, 12, 17 and 18, suggesting that basic side chains participate in RNA binding. Secondary structure prediction showed that the selected peptides of R12 pool represented a helical propensity compared with R0 pool, and the regions were rich in basic residues. The electrophoretic gel mobility shift and in vitro translation assays showed that the peptides selected using mRNA display could bind TS RNA specifically and inhibit the translation of TS mRNA. Our results suggested that the identified peptides could be used as new TS inhibitors and developed to a novel class of anticancer agents.     

胰高血糖素样肽1受体--治疗糖尿病新药的研究热点

胰高血糖素样肽l(glucagon—like peptide—l,GLP-1)与胰岛素分泌和糖代谢调节密切相关。GLP-1与其受体(GLP-1receptor,GLP-1R)结合后,主要通过cAMP和P13K两条信号途径,促进胰岛素的分泌,刺激胰岛β细胞的增殖和分化。对GLP-1R结构和信号传导机制的研究,有助于了解其在糖尿病病理进程中的作用,为开发新型糖尿病治疗药物指明方向。     

Crystal structure determination of a neutral neurotoxin BmK M4 from Buthus martensii Karsch at 0.20 nm

BmK M4 is a neutral neurotoxin in the BmK toxin series.It is medially toxic and belongs to group III α-toxins.The purified sample was crystallized in rhombic space group P61.Using an X-ray diffraction technique,the crystal structure of BmK M4 was revealed by molecular replacement at 0.20 nm resolution.The model was refined.The final crystallographic R factor was 0.142 and the free R factor was 0.173.The root mean square deviation is 0.001 5 nm for the bond length and 1.753°for the bond angles.64 water molecules were added to the asymmetric unit.The refined structure showed an unusual non-prolyl cis peptide bond at residue 10.The structure was compared with group II α-toxin BmK M8 (an acidic,weak toxin).The potential structural implications of the cis peptide bond were discussed.