HIV-1 Gag蛋白在大肠杆菌表达系统中诱导和纯化条件的优化

为探讨诱导温度对于HIV-1 Gag在大肠杆菌中表达产物状态以及尿素浓度对蛋白纯化效果的影响, 将30oC和37oC诱导表达的包涵体分别溶于不同浓度的尿素, 比较溶解性的差异, 并比较复性的不同。将30oC诱导的目的蛋白分别用2 mol/L和8 mol/L尿素溶解后做层析分离, 比较两者的分离效果。结果发现, 与37oC相比, 30oC诱导表达的蛋白能有效溶于低浓度尿素, 并且更容易复性。与8 mol/L尿素溶解相比, 30oC诱导的包涵体用2 mol/L尿素溶解后通过凝胶过滤和离子交换层析纯化能得到更好的分离效果。这提示低温诱导的Gag包涵体中可能含有更多类似天然态构象的蛋白, 而低浓度尿素有利于保持包涵体中蛋白的天然态构象。从而为包涵体蛋白的诱导表达和分离纯化提供了参考。     

TopBP1 Governs Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells Survival in Zebrafish Definitive Hematopoiesis

In vertebrate definitive hematopoiesis, nascent hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) migrate to and reside in proliferative hematopoietic microenvironment for transitory expansion. In this process, well-established DNA damage response pathways are vital to resolve the replication stress, which is deleterious for genome stability and cell survival. However, the detailed mechanism on the response and repair of the replication stress-induced DNA damage during hematopoietic progenitor expansion remains elusive. Here we report that a novel zebrafish mutant^cas003 with nonsense mutation in topbp1 gene encoding topoisomerase II β binding protein 1 (TopBP1) exhibits severe definitive hematopoiesis failure. Homozygous topbp1^cas003 mutants manifest reduced number of HSPCs during definitive hematopoietic cell expansion, without affecting the formation and migration of HSPCs. Moreover, HSPCs in the caudal hematopoietic tissue (an equivalent of the fetal liver in mammals) in topbp1^cas003 mutant embryos are more sensitive to hydroxyurea (HU) treatment. Mechanistically, subcellular mislocalization of TopBP1^cas003 protein results in ATR/Chk1 activation failure and DNA damage accumulation in HSPCs, and eventually induces the p53-dependent apoptosis of HSPCs. Collectively, this study demonstrates a novel and vital role of TopBP1 in the maintenance of HSPCs genome integrity and survival during hematopoietic progenitor expansion.     

野生青果的防腐作用研究

本文对野生青果的药用成分进行了鉴定及制备,证明了该成分具有较强的抑菌作用,并同常用的合成防腐剂苯甲酸钠、山梨酸钾的防腐性能进行了比较。     

Single Cell Analysis Linking Ribosomal (r)DNA and rRNA Copy Numbers to Cell Size and Growth Rate Provides Insights into Molecular Protistan Ecology

Ribosomal (r)RNA and rDNA have been golden molecular markers in microbial ecology. However, it remains poorly understood how ribotype copy number (CN)‐based characteristics are linked with diversity, abundance, and activity of protist populations and communities observed at organismal levels. Here, we applied a single‐cell approach to quantify ribotype CNs in two ciliate species reared at different temperatures. We found that in actively growing cells, the per‐cell rDNA and rRNA CNs scaled with cell volume (CV) to 0.44 and 0.58 powers, respectively. The modeled rDNA and rRNA concentrations thus appear to be much higher in smaller than in larger cells. The observed rRNA:rDNA ratio scaled with CV^0.14. The maximum growth rate could be well predicted by a combination of per‐cell ribotype CN and temperature. Our empirical data and modeling on single‐cell ribotype scaling are in agreement with both the metabolic theory of ecology and the growth rate hypothesis, providing a quantitative framework for linking cellular rDNA and rRNA CNs with body size, growth (activity), and biomass stoichiometry. This study also demonstrates that the expression rate of rRNA genes is constrained by cell size, and favors biomass rather than abundance‐based interpretation of quantitative ribotype data in population and community ecology of protists.     

Prognostic Significance and Molecular Mechanism of ATP-Binding Cassette Subfamily C Member 4 in Resistance to Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy of Locally Advanced Rectal Carcinoma

Background

Mechanism of radioresistance in rectal carcinoma remains largely unknown. We aimed to evaluate the predictive role of ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 4 (ABCC4) in locally advanced rectal carcinoma and explore possible molecular mechanisms by which ABCC4 confers the resistance to neoadjuvant radiotherapy.

Methods

The expression of ABCC4 and P53 mutant in biopsy tissue specimens from 121 locally advanced rectal carcinoma patients was examined using immunohistochemistry. The factors contributing to 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model. Lentivirus-mediated small hairpin RNA was applied to inhibit ABCC4 expression in colorectal carcinoma cell line RKO, and investigate the radiosensitivity in xenograft model. Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentration and cell cycle distribution following irradiation were detected.

Results

High expression of ABCC4 and p53 mutant in pretreated tumors, poor pathological response, and high final tumor staging were significant factors independently predicted an unfavorable prognosis of locally advanced rectal carcinoma patients after neoadjuvant radiotherapy. Down-regulation of ABCC4 expression significantly enhanced irradiation-induced suppression of tumor growth in xenograft model. Furthermore, down-regulation of ABCC4 expression enhanced intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate production and noticeable deficiency of G1-S phase checkpoint in cell cycle following irradiation.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that ABCC4 serves as a novel predictive biomarker that is responsible for the radioresistance and predicts a poor prognosis for locally advanced rectal carcinoma after neoadjuvant radiotherapy.     

Stereoselective metabolism of 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene: absolute configuration of five dihydrodiol metabolites and the effect of dihydrodiol conformation on circular dichroism spectra

7-Methylbenz[a]anthracene (7-MBA) was metabolized stereoselectively by rat liver microsomes to form five optically active dihydrodiols as the predominant metabolites. The dihydrodiols were purified by a combination of reversed-phase and normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). By comparison of their circular dichroism (CD) spectra with the corresponding benz[a]anthracene (BA) dihydrodiols of known absolute stereochemistry, the major dihydrodiol enantiomers of 7-MBA have been determined to have 1R,2R-, 3R,4R- and 10R , 11R - absolute configurations, respectively. Due to their quasi- diaxial conformations, the absolute configuration of trans-5,6- and trans-8,9-dihydrodiols, the two most abundant metabolites of 7-MBA, could not be determined by simple comparisons of their circular dichroism spectra with those of the quasidi -equatorial BA 5R, 6R - and 8R , 9R -dihydrodiols. The major enantiomers of the quasi- diaxial trans-5,6- and trans-8,9-dihydrodiol metabolites of 7-MBA were determined by comparison to the CD spectrum of 7-bromo-BA 5R, 6R -dihydrodiol and by the exciton chirality method to have R,R absolute stereochemistry. This study also revealed that the circular dichroism Cotton effects of an enantiomeric dihydrodiol of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be drastically altered if the conformation (quasi- diaxial vs. quasi di-equatorial ) of the dihydrodiol is changed.     

Thiophosphorylation of (Na + K+)-ATPase yields an ADP-sensitive phosphointermediate

(1) Treatment of $\text{(Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+ K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)-ATPase}$ from rabbit kidney outer medulla with the $\text{γ-}{}^{35}\text{S}$ labeled thio-analogue of ATP in the presence of $\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+ Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}$ and the absence of K⁺ leads to thiophosphorylation of the enzyme. The $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ value for [γ-S]ATP is 2.2 μM and for Na⁺ 4.2 mM at 22°C. Thiophosphorylation is a sigmoidal function of the Na⁺ concentration, yielding a Hill coefficient $\text{n}\text{H}\text{= 2.6}$. (2) The thio-analogue ($\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext><mtext>\; =\; 35\; \mu M</mtext>}}$) can also support overall $\text{(Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+ K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)-ATPase}$ activity, but $\text{V}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>max</mtext>}}$ at 37°C is only $\text{1.3 γ}\text{mol}\text{· (mg protein)}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{·}$ h^?1 or 0.09% of the specific activity for ATP ($\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext><mtext>\; =\; 0.43\; mM</mtext>}}$). (3) The thiophosphoenzyme intermediate, like the natural phosphoenzyme, is sensitive to hydroxylamine, indicating that it also is an acylphosphate. However, the thiophosphoenzyme, unlike the phosphoenzyme, is acid labile at temperatures as low as 0°C. The acid-denatured thiophosphoenzyme has optimal stability at pH 5–6. (4) The thiophosphorylation capacity of the enzyme is equal to its phosphorylation capacity, indicating the same number of sites. Phosphorylation by ATP excludes thiophosphorylation, suggesting that the two substrates compete for the same phosphorylation site. (5) The (apparent) rate constants of thiophosphorylation (0.4 s^?1 vs. 180 s^?1), spontaneous dethiophosphorylation (0.04 s^?1 vs. 0.5 s^?1) and K⁺-stimulated dethiophosphorylation (0.54 s^?1 vs. 230 s^?1) are much lower than those for the corresponding reactions based on ATP. (6) In contrast to the phosphoenzyme, the thiophosphoenzyme is ADP-sensitive (with an apparent rate constant in ADP-induced dethiophosphorylation of 0.35 s^?1, $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$$\text{ADP = 48 μM at 0.1 mM ATP}$) and is relatively K⁺-insensitve. The $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ for K⁺ in dethiophosphorylation is 0.9 mM and in dephosphorylation 0.09 mM. The thiophosphoenzyme appears to be for 75–90% in the ADP-sensitive E₁-conformation.     

Imputation of missing genotypes from low‐ to high‐density SNP panel in different population designs

Imputation of missing genotypes, in particular from low density to high density, is an important issue in genomic selection and genome‐wide association studies. Given the marker densities, the most important factors affecting imputation accuracy are the size of the reference population and the relationship between individuals in the reference (genotyped with high‐density panel) and study (genotyped with low‐density panel) populations. In this study, we investigated the imputation accuracies when the reference population (genotyped with Illumina BovineSNP50 SNP panel) contained sires, halfsibs, or both sires and halfsibs of the individuals in the study population (genotyped with Illumina BovineLD SNP panel) using three imputation programs (fimpute v2.2, findhap v2, and beagle v3.3.2). Two criteria, correlation between true and imputed genotypes and missing rate after imputation, were used to evaluate the performance of the three programs in different scenarios. Our results showed that fimpute performed the best in all cases, with correlations from 0.921 to 0.978 when imputing from sires to their daughters or between halfsibs. In general, the accuracies of imputing between halfsibs or from sires to their daughters were higher than were those imputing between non‐halfsibs or from sires to non‐daughters. Including both sires and halfsibs in the reference population did not improve the imputation performance in comparison with when only including halfsibs in the reference population for all the three programs.