The Streptomyces coelicolor Lipoate-protein Ligase Is a Circularly Permuted Version of the Escherichia coli Enzyme Composed of Discrete Interacting Domains

Lipoate-protein ligases are used to scavenge lipoic acid from the environment and attach the coenzyme to its cognate proteins, which are generally the E2 components of the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenases. The enzymes use ATP to activate lipoate to its adenylate, lipoyl-AMP, which remains tightly bound in the active site. This mixed anhydride is attacked by the ϵ-amino group of a specific lysine present on a highly conserved acceptor protein domain, resulting in the amide-linked coenzyme. The Streptomyces coelicolor genome encodes only a single putative lipoate ligase. However, this protein had only low sequence identity (<25%) to the lipoate ligases of demonstrated activity and appears to be a circularly permuted version of the known lipoate ligase proteins in that the canonical C-terminal domain seems to have been transposed to the N terminus. We tested the activity of this protein both by in vivo complementation of an Escherichia coli ligase-deficient strain and by in vitro assays. Moreover, when the domains were rearranged into a protein that mimicked the arrangement found in the canonical lipoate ligases, the enzyme retained complementation activity. Finally, when the two domains were separated into two proteins, both domain-containing proteins were required for complementation and catalysis of the overall ligase reaction in vitro. However, only the large domain-containing protein was required for transfer of lipoate from the lipoyl-AMP intermediate to the acceptor proteins, whereas both domain-containing proteins were required to form lipoyl-AMP.     

Calcium release through P2X4 activates calmodulin to promote endolysosomal membrane fusion

Intra-endolysosomal Ca²⁺ release is required for endolysosomal membrane fusion with intracellular organelles. However, the molecular mechanisms for intra-endolysosomal Ca²⁺ release and the downstream Ca²⁺ targets involved in the fusion remain elusive. Previously, we demonstrated that endolysosomal P2X4 forms channels activated by luminal adenosine triphosphate in a pH-dependent manner. In this paper, we show that overexpression of P2X4, as well as increasing endolysosomal P2X4 activity by alkalinization of endolysosome lumen, promoted vacuole enlargement in cells and endolysosome fusion in a cell-free assay. These effects were prevented by inhibiting P2X4, expressing a dominant-negative P2X4 mutant, and disrupting the P2X4 gene. We further show that P2X4 and calmodulin (CaM) form a complex at endolysosomal membrane where P2X4 activation recruits CaM to promote fusion and vacuolation in a Ca²⁺-dependent fashion. Moreover, P2X4 activation-triggered fusion and vacuolation were suppressed by inhibiting CaM. Our data thus suggest a new molecular mechanism for endolysosomal membrane fusion involving P2X4-mediated endolysosomal Ca²⁺ release and subsequent CaM activation.     

Hepatic overexpression of methionine sulfoxide reductase A reduces atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA), a specific enzyme that converts methionine-S-sulfoxide to methionine, plays an important role in the regulation of protein function and the maintenance of redox homeostasis. In this study, we examined the impact of hepatic MsrA overexpression on lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis in apoE-deficient (apoE^−/−) mice. In vitro study showed that in HepG2 cells, lentivirus-mediated human MsrA (hMsrA) overexpression upregulated the expression levels of several key lipoprotein-metabolism-related genes such as liver X receptor α, scavenger receptor class B type I, and ABCA1. ApoE^−/− mice were intravenously injected with lentivirus to achieve high-level hMsrA expression predominantly in the liver. We found that hepatic hMsrA expression significantly reduced plasma VLDL/LDL levels, improved plasma superoxide dismutase, and paraoxonase-1 activities, and decreased plasma serum amyloid A level in apoE^−/− mice fed a Western diet, by significantly altering the expression of several genes in the liver involving cholesterol selective uptake, conversion and excretion into bile, TG biosynthesis, and inflammation. Moreover, overexpression of hMsrA resulted in reduced hepatic steatosis and aortic atherosclerosis. These results suggest that hepatic MsrA may be an effective therapeutic target for ameliorating dyslipidemia and reducing atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular diseases.     

The Association of Receptor of Activated Protein Kinase C 1(RACK1) with Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Viral Protein VP5 and Voltage-dependent Anion Channel 2 (VDAC2) Inhibits Apoptosis and Enhances Viral Replication

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute, highly contagious, and immunosuppressive avian disease caused by IBD virus (IBDV). Our previous report indicates that IBDV VP5 induces apoptosis via interaction with voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2). However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still unclear. We report here that receptor of activated protein kinase C 1 (RACK1) interacts with both VDAC2 and VP5 and that they could form a complex. We found that overexpression of RACK1 inhibited IBDV-induced apoptosis in DF-1 cells and that knockdown of RACK1 by small interfering RNA induced apoptosis associated with activation of caspases 9 and 3 and suppressed IBDV growth. These results indicate that RACK1 plays an antiapoptotic role during IBDV infection via interaction with VDAC2 and VP5, suggesting that VP5 sequesters RACK1 and VDAC2 in the apoptosis-inducing process.     

高粘发酵体系不同搅拌桨的CFD模拟及发酵验证

搅拌桨是高好氧高黏度微生物发酵实现高效反应必不可少的因素之一,不同搅拌桨组合对发酵过程的影响十分重要。威兰胶是由产碱杆菌在高耗氧高粘度发酵体系下合成的胞外微生物多糖,广泛应用于水泥、石油、油墨、食品等行业中。本研究借助于计算流体力学(Computational fluid dynamics,CFD)的方法,以威兰胶发酵液体系为研究体系,研究了6种不同搅拌桨组合在反应器内流体速率分布、剪切速率、和气含率等参数。将模拟效果较好的3种组合用于威兰胶发酵过程。研究表明MB-4-6搅拌桨组合对改善发酵罐内部的溶氧及流场分布效果最明显,威兰胶产量水平提高了13%。同时在该组合下威兰胶的产品粘度得到有效提高。     

禽网状内皮组织增殖病病毒gp90蛋白单克隆抗体的制备及其识别区分析

为了制备禽网状内皮组织增殖病病毒(REV)gp90蛋白的单克隆抗体,应用His-gp90融合蛋白免疫BALB/c小鼠,取免疫鼠的脾细胞与骨髓瘤细胞(SP2/0)进行融合,经过筛选、3次亚克隆后获得3株稳定分泌抗REV-gp90蛋白的单克隆抗体杂交瘤细胞株,分别命名为3G5-B8、3G5-A10和1G12。经间接ELISA(Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)方法检测,单克隆抗体的亲和力解离常数(Kd)分别为6.483×10–10、4.844×10–10和9.330×10–10,3株单抗的亚型分别为Ig G1、Ig G1和Ig G2b。经Western blotting和间接免疫荧光实验检测,3株单抗均能识别REV感染DF-1细胞后产生的gp90蛋白。以Western blotting方法利用单抗检测不同截短的gp90蛋白,初步确定3G5-B8和3G5-A10 2株单抗抗原识别区均位于gp90蛋白第200-245位氨基酸,而1G12株单抗识别区包含第230-235位氨基酸。这些单抗为REV的诊断和致病机理研究奠定了基础。     

Differential Sensitivities of Fast- and Slow-Cycling Cancer Cells to Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase 2 Inhibition by Mycophenolic Acid

As uncontrolled cell proliferation requires nucleotide biosynthesis, inhibiting enzymes that mediate nucleotide biosynthesis constitutes a rational approach to the management of oncological diseases. In practice, however, results of this strategy are mixed and thus elucidation of the mechanisms by which cancer cells evade the effect of nucleotide biosynthesis restriction is urgently needed. Here we explored the notion that intrinsic differences in cancer cell cycle velocity are important in the resistance toward inhibition of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) by mycophenolic acid (MPA). In short-term experiments, MPA treatment of fast-growing cancer cells effectively elicited G0/G1 arrest and provoked apoptosis, thus inhibiting cell proliferation and colony formation. Forced expression of a mutated IMPDH2, lacking a binding site for MPA but retaining enzymatic activity, resulted in complete resistance of cancer cells to MPA. In nude mice subcutaneously engrafted with HeLa cells, MPA moderately delayed tumor formation by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Importantly, we developed a lentiviral vector–based Tet-on label-retaining system that enables to identify, isolate and functionally characterize slow-cycling or so-called label-retaining cells (LRCs) in vitro and in vivo. We surprisingly found the presence of LRCs in fast-growing tumors. LRCs were superior in colony formation, tumor initiation and resistance to MPA as compared with fast-cycling cells. Thus, the slow-cycling compartment of cancer seems predominantly responsible for resistance to MPA.     

Artificial leaf aids analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence and P700 absorbance in studies involving microalgae

Measuring chlorophyll fluorescence and P700 absorbance has been widely used to study photosynthesis in both terrestrial plants and algae. However, in order to apply these measurement techniques to study microalgae, a concentrated suspension of algae, which is usually prepared by centrifugation, is required. In this study, instead of using centrifugation, we concentrated microalgae on a nitrocellulose membrane using filtration to create an ‘artificial leaf’ before analysis. Overall, we were able to generate values of the appropriate photosynthetic parameters that were comparable to those obtained when chlorophyll fluorescence and P700 absorbance were measured following centrifugation. There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) between the artificial leaf method and the traditional cuvette method for determining chlorophyll fluorescence or P700 absorbance at appropriate chlorophyll concentrations. We were also able to reduce background noise by using a filter membrane as a carrier. Therefore, an artificial leaf has the potential to be a valuable tool for phycologists interested in studying microalgal photosynthesis by enabling them to eliminate tedious centrifugation steps. In addition, fluorometers commonly used for studying the leaves of higher plants will also be suitable for studying microalgae.