A novel ultrasensitive bioluminescent receptor-binding assay of INSL3 through chemical conjugation with nanoluciferase

Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) is a reproduction-related peptide hormone belonging to the insulin/relaxin superfamily, which mediates testicular descent in the male fetus, suppresses male germ cell apoptosis and promotes oocyte maturation in adults by activating the relaxin family peptide receptor 2 (RXFP2). To establish an ultrasensitive receptor-binding assay for INSL3−RXFP2 interaction studies, in the present work we labeled a recombinant INSL3 peptide with a newly developed nanoluciferase (NanoLuc) reporter through a convenient chemical conjugation approach, including the introduction of an active disulfide bond to INSL3 by chemical modification and engineering of a 6× His-Cys-NanoLuc carrying a unique exposed cysteine at the N-terminus. The bioluminescent NanoLuc-conjugated INSL3 retained high binding affinity with the target receptor RXFP2 (K_d = 2.0 ± 0.1 nM, n = 3) and was able to sensitively monitor the receptor-binding of a variety of ligands, representing a novel ultrasensitive tracer for non-radioactive receptor-binding assays. Our present chemical conjugation approach could readily be adapted for conjugation of NanoLuc with other proteins, even other macrobiomolecules, for various highly sensitive bioluminescent assays.     

中华蜜蜂PLA2基因的生物信息学分析及响应高温胁迫的表达模式

磷脂酶A2 (PLA2)对细胞膜流动性、膜蛋白活性等细胞生理功能有重要调节作用。高温等环境压力对细胞的生理代谢有较大的影响,其在生物体抗逆过程中的调控作用一直备受关注。本研究以中华蜜蜂Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apis cerana cerana PLA2基因序列为基础,对其蛋白结构进行预测,分析该基因在不同温度和高温不同胁迫时间下的表达差异,以揭示该基因在中华蜜蜂抗高温过程中的生理功能。结果显示,中华蜜蜂PLA2基因包含745 bp的开放阅读框,编码169个氨基酸,蛋白分子量为19.3 kDa,无跨膜结构,不属于膜蛋白。氨基酸同源序列比对结果显示,中华蜜蜂PLA2序列与蜜蜂科昆虫的相似性最高,与其他膜翅目昆虫的相似性存在差异。qRT-PCR结果显示,PLA2在35℃、40℃和45℃处理下的表达量较高,较高的温度能诱导该基因表达的增加。同时,PLA2的表达受高温胁迫时间的影响,较长时间的高温胁迫导致PLA2基因的表达增加。本研究结果表明PLA2在中华蜜蜂应对高温胁迫时发挥重要生理功能。     

枸杞新品系NQ-2开花生物学研究

为探讨枸杞新品系NQ-2纯系种植结实率低的原因,采用TTC法、联苯胺—过氧化氢法、花粉—胚珠比、杂交指数和套袋试验等方法,对NQ-2花粉活力、柱头可授性及繁育系统等进行了研究。结果表明:NQ-2单花花期为3~4 d,花后8 h散粉结束,开花当天花粉活力最高,花粉寿命可持续9 d以上;开花前一天柱头已具可授性,开花第1天柱头可授性最强,开花第3天柱头基本失去可授性;枸杞新品系NQ-2平均花粉-胚珠比8615,OC I=4,结合人工授粉实验结果确定其繁育系统为专性异交。自交不亲和是导致NQ-2纯系种植落花落果结实率低的主要原因。     

分化抑制蛋白N端保守域结构预测及其基因突变体的构建

目的：对分化抑制蛋白（Id）家族的N端序列进行保守性结构分析,并构建其基因突变体。方法：用ClustalX（1.81）软件对Id蛋白家族中的3个成员（Id1～Id3）的N端序列进行同源性分析,用Swiss-PdbViewer3.7（SP5）软件模拟高同源区域中关键性氨基酸突变前后的三维结构模型;用PCR方法将突变点引入Id序列,再通过重叠PCR方法扩增出全长编码序列,酶切与测序确证突变序列的准确性。结果：Id1～Id3蛋白的N端存在一个由11个氨基酸残基形成的高度保守的环-螺旋（Loop-Helix）结构,将其中最保守的丝氨酸与亮氨酸分别突变为甘氨酸与缬氨酸,将突变后的Id基因序列重组到pGEX原核表达载体中。结论：在Id1～Id3蛋白N端识别了一个保守的Loop-Helix结构,为深入研究其协同的功能特征提供了结构依据;突变其中的丝氨酸为研究Id蛋白潜在的磷酸化修饰及相应功能特征的改变奠定了基础。     

雌雄及性畸变疣荔枝螺P450芳香化酶差异的研究

有机锡(Organotin)是至少含有一个Sn-C共价键的金属有机化合物,由于其对水生生物具有显著的杀生作用,20世纪70年代就被作为新型防污涂料而广泛用于船坞事业,目前世界已超过60%深海船只均使用含有机锡的防污漆涂料。有机锡的半衰期较长,在天然水体中半衰期可达几个月,当与悬浮颗粒物结合转移到沉积物以后则更加稳定,半衰期高达2至10年以上。显然有机锡已成为人为引入海洋环境中毒性最大的物质之一。       

黄粉虫胰蛋白酶样酶基因TMTLSP全长cDNA的克隆和序列分析

以黄粉虫(Tenebrio molitor)幼虫全RNA逆转录得到的cDNA为模板,参照地鳖（Eupolyphaga sinensis）纤溶酶（fibrinolytic enzyme）简并引物,进行温度梯度PCR．以得到的扩增产物为基础,采用RACE得到基因全长cDNA,命名为黄粉虫胰蛋白酶样丝氨酸蛋白酶(Tenebrio molitor trypsin-like serine protease,TMTLSP)．TMTLSP全长869 bp(GenBank No. JN662461),开放阅读框为777 bp,编码258个氨基酸,并具有蛋白酶样特有的起始位点、活性中心预计底物结合位点．经过比对分析,该基因编码的氨基酸序列与赤拟谷盗、谷蠹、光亮扁角水虻、美洲大蠊等多种昆虫的胰蛋白酶或丝氨酸蛋白酶有较高的相似性．本研究将为胰蛋白酶样丝氨酸蛋白酶的提取及研究提供更为广泛的材料及研究依据．     

Effects of the probiotic,Bacillus subtilis E20, on the survival,development, stress tolerance,and immune status of white shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei larvae

In this study, the probiotic, Bacillus subtilis E20, isolated from the human health food, natto, was used for white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, larvae breeding to improve the larval survival rate and development by adding probiotic to the rearing water at (control), 10⁸, and 10⁹ cfu L^?1 salt water once every 3 days during the 14 days of breeding experiment. Thereafter, stress tolerance and immune status of postlarvae were evaluated. Shrimp larval development was significantly accelerated after adding the probiotic to the larval rearing water at a level of 10⁹ cfu L^?1. The survival rate of larvae was significantly higher in the treatment with 10⁹ cfu L^?1 compared to the control and the treatment with 10⁸ cfu L^?1 after all larvae had metamorphosed to postlarvae. Adding the probiotic to the shrimp larvae rearing water produced a weak inhibition of bacterial growth by an analysis of the total bacterial count and presumptive Vibrio count. For stress tests, no postlarvae died when they were reared in water in which the temperature was decreased from 30 to 2 °C at a rate of 0.1 °C min^?1. Postlarvae had significantly lower cumulate mortality in the treatments with 10⁸ and 10⁹ cfu L^?1 compared to the control when they were suddenly exposed to fresh water and 60‰ salt water. A significant decrease in the cumulative mortality of postlarvae treated with the probiotic at a level of 10⁹ cfu L^?1 was recorded after the sudden transfer to 300 mg L^?1 nitrite-N compared to the control and treatment with 10⁸ cfu L^?1. The analysis of immune-related gene expressions showed that the gene expression of prophenoloxidase I, prophenoloxidase II, and lysozyme of larvae were significantly increased after being reared in probiotic-containing water at the levels of 10⁸ and 10⁹ cfu L^?1. However, no significant difference in serine proteinase or glutathione peroxidase gene expressions was recorded in this study. It is therefore suggested that 10⁹ cfu L^?1 of probiotic, B. subtilis E20 adding to rearing water for shrimp larva breeding.     

幽门螺杆菌黏附素保守区蛋白的免疫原性、安全性和黏附作用的体外评价

探讨幽门螺杆菌（Hp）保守区（AB）蛋白的体外安全性、免疫原性和黏附作用,以确定AB在Hp疫苗研制中的应用价值.ELISA法测定Hp感染者血清中抗AB抗体,四唑盐比色法（MTT）测定T细胞对AB的增殖反应,流式细胞术检测AB致T细胞表达FasL的作用,二苯胺（DPA）法测定AB致T细胞凋亡率,光镜计数法研究AB抗体对Hp与胃癌细胞黏附的影响.ELISA法共检测了55份血清,以快速尿素酶实验(RUT)作为平行对照,两法的评价判断一致性程度的指标卡帕系数为0.76. 同时,低剂量AB即可刺激Hp⁺T细胞的增殖.体外安全性实验表明,AB无明显调节T细胞表达FasL的作用以及无明显致Hp^－T细胞凋亡的作用. AB抗血清能部分阻断Hp与胃癌细胞系的黏附,在光镜下表现为经抗AB兔血清预处理后,每细胞周围黏附的细菌数较免疫前兔血清预处理组显著减少（P＜0.05）.研究表明AB是安全的、具有免疫原性的Hp菌体成分,既可以刺激体液免疫,又能够提高细胞免疫,并且其抗体还可防止Hp与胃上皮细胞的黏附.     

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of novel bisindolylalkanes analogues

In an effort to develop potent anti-cancer chemopreventive agents that act on topoisomerase II, a novel series of bisindolylalkanes analogues such as 3,3′-(thiochroman-4,4-diyl)bis(1H-indole) are synthesized. Structures of all compounds are elucidated by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and HRMS. Anti-proliferative activities for all of these compounds are investigated by the method of MTT assay on 7 human cancer lines. Most of them showed antitumor activities in vitro, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value is 7.798 μg/mL of 3a against MCF7. Compound 3a showed comparable topoisomerase II inhibitory activity to etoposide (VP-16) at 100 μM concentration. The rest of the compounds also showed varying degree topoisomerase II inhibitory activity.     

Interferon regulatory factor-1 as a positive regulator for high glucose-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells

High glucose-induced proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays an important role in the development of diabetic vascular diseases. However, molecular mediators responding for the proliferation of VSMCs remain to be determined. In this study, VSMCs were isolated from the rat thoracic aorta, and two cell models with Irf-1 knockdown and overexpression were established by transfecting cells with pGCsi-FU-Irf-1 and pGC-FU-Irf-1, respectively. Subsequently, high glucose was added to cells to induce proliferation. Proliferation assays were performed to see whether Irf-1 was involved in high glucose-induced proliferation of VSMCs. In addition, the expression of Irf-1 was detected in VSMCs stimulated with high glucose and the thoracic aorta of diabetic rats to confirm the relationship between Irf-1 expression and the proliferation of hyperglycemia-dependent VSMCs. The results showed that Irf-1 expression was significantly higher in the thoracic aorta of diabetic rats and VSMCs stimulated with high glucose than that in nondiabetic rats and untreated cells. Overexpression of Irf-1 accelerated the proliferation of VSMCs, and down-regulation of Irf-1 expression significantly depressed the proliferative ability of VSMCs under high-glucose conditions, indicating that Irf-1 was a positive regulator for high glucose-induced proliferation of VSMCs. It could be presumed that Irf-1 is associated with the accelerated proliferation of VSMCs in diabetic vascular diseases and may prove to be a potential target gene for disease treatment.