Regulation of cell proliferation by fast Myosin light chain 1 in myoblasts derived from extraocular muscle, diaphragm and gastrocnemius

The extraocular muscle (EOM) suffers much less injury from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) than other skeletal muscles such as diaphragm and gastrocnemius. The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that differential expression of regulatory proteins between the EOM and other skeletal muscles is responsible for the observed difference in the sensitivity to DMD-associated damage. Protein expression in the tissue samples obtained from EOM, diaphragm or gastrocnemius of C57BL/6 mice was analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. There were 35 proteins that were identified to be differentially expressed among different skeletal muscle tissues. Among the 35 proteins, a fast skeletal muscle isoform myosin light chain 1 (MLC1f) protein was further studied in relation to muscle cell proliferation. The EOM-derived myoblasts had much lower levels of MLC1f and higher rate of cell proliferation in contrast to the myoblasts derived from diaphragm or gastrocnemius, which displayed a higher expression of MLC1f along with a slow proliferation. Deletion of MLC1f using siRNA targeting MLC1f resulted in an increased rate of cell proliferation in the myoblasts. Cell cycle analysis revealed that MLC1f inhibited the transition of the cell cycle from the G1 to the S phase. Therefore, the present study demonstrates that MLC1f may negatively regulate proliferation of myoblasts through inhibition of the transition from the G1 to the S phase of the cell cycle. Low levels of MLC1f in myoblasts of EOM may ensure cell proliferation and enhance the repair process for EOM under the DMD disease condition, thus making EOM suffer less injury from DMD.     

Proteomics investigation of protein expression changes in ouabain induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Ouabain is Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase inhibitor and an endogenous regulator of blood pressure, it has dual effect on vascular endothelial cells(VEC) cell growth and VEC apoptosis is contributed to vascular dysfunction involved in vascular remolding. However, the precise mechanisms of apoptosis induced by ouabain remained unclear. The objective of this study was to identify the differently expressed proteins involved in VEC apoptosis induced by ouabain in order to explore cellular and subcellular mechanisms related to ouabain actions. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were exposed to increasing concentrations (0.1 nM to 10 microM) of ouabain at 12-48 h intervals. Cell viability tests revealed that high concentrations of ouabain inhibited cell growth. Flow cytometry and caspase-3 activity analysis confirmed that apoptosis was primarily responsible for ouabain induced cell death. Two-dimensional electrophoresis in conjunction with mass spectrometry revealed that the ouabain-induced apoptosis was accompanied by regulated expression of programmed cell death protein 6, cytochrome C1, endothelin converting enzyme, claudin-1, reticulon-4, galectin-1, ras-related protein rab-11B, calnexin, profilin-1 and heat shock protein 60 (HSP60). Further study on cytochrome c and HSP60 demonstrated that levels of mitochondria and cytosol cytochrome c and HSP60 changed in response to ouabain treatment. Data showed that mitochondria proteins such as HSP60 interferes with HSP60-Bax interactions played an important role in ouabain induced apoptosis. These data bring new sights into physiological role for ouabain in VEC apoptosis and vascular remodeling, thus provide new strategies for new anti-cardiovascular disease drug development or the identification of biomarkers for vascular dysfunction in ouabain related hypertension.     

Ranking predicted protein structures with support vector regression

Protein structure prediction is an important problem of both intellectual and practical interest. Most protein structure prediction approaches generate multiple candidate models first, and then use a scoring function to select the best model among these candidates. In this work, we develop a scoring function using support vector regression (SVR). Both consensus-based features and features from individual structures are extracted from a training data set containing native protein structures and predicted structural models submitted to CASP5 and CASP6. The SVR learns a scoring function that is a linear combination of these features. We test this scoring function on two data sets. First, when used to rank server models submitted to CASP7, the SVR score selects predictions that are comparable to the best performing server in CASP7, Zhang-Server, and significantly better than all the other servers. Even if the SVR score is not allowed to select Zhang-Server models, the SVR score still selects predictions that are significantly better than all the other servers. In addition, the SVR is able to select significantly better models and yield significantly better Pearson correlation coefficients than the two best Quality Assessment groups in CASP7, QA556 (LEE), and QA634 (Pcons). Second, this work aims to improve the ability of the Robetta server to select best models, and hence we evaluate the performance of the SVR score on ranking the Robetta server template-based models for the CASP7 targets. The SVR selects significantly better models than the Robetta K*Sync consensus alignment score.     

谷胱甘肽硫转移酶(GST)的固定化及酶学特性研究

对谷胱甘肽硫转移酶的固定化、游离酶和固定化酶的酶学特性进行了研究,通过试验,确定谷胱甘肽硫转移酶的最佳固定化条件为先用2％壳聚糖吸附酶,然后再加戊二醛交联,交联用戊二醛浓度为1．2％,交联时间6h;游离酶的最适温度为45—55℃,最适pH值为6．5-7．0：固定化酶的最适温度为45-50℃,最适pH值为7．0;游离酶和固定化酶的最适酶促反应时间为30min。     

心脏晶体停搏液和冷血停搏液不同灌注方法对心肌保护的评价

目的：评估二种心脏停搏液不同灌注方法对心肌保护作用。方法：30例双瓣患者随机分为冷晶体停搏液间断灌注组(n=10),冷血停搏液间断灌注组(n=10),冷血停搏液持续灌注组(n=10),观察血浆心肌肌钙蛋白T(CnT)、肌酸激酶(CK)、肌酸激酶同工酶(CK—MB)。结果：体外循环后冷晶体停搏液间断灌注组血浆心肌肌钙蛋白T和肌酸激酶、肌酶激酶同工酶较其他2组明显增高;冷血停搏液间断灌注组和冷血停搏液持续灌注组血浆心肌肌钙蛋白T、肌酸激酶、肌酸激酶同工酶无明显差异。结论：冷血停搏液的心肌保护优于冷晶体停搏液,冷血停搏液间断灌注与持续灌注没有明显差异。     

Spectroscopic and electrochemical studies of horse myoglobin in dimethyl sulfoxide

This paper reports the first report of rapid, reversible direct electron transfer between a redox protein, specifically, horse myoglobin, and a solid electrode substrate in nonaqueous media and the spectroscopic (UV-vis, fluorescence, and resonance Raman) characterization of the relevant redox forms of myoglobin (Mb) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In DMSO, the heme active site of metmyoglobin (metMb) appears to remain six-coordinate high-spin, binding water weakly. Changes in the UV-fluorescence spectra for metMb in DMSO indicate that the protein secondary structure has been perturbed and suggest that helix A has moved away from the heme. UV-vis and RR spectra for deoxyMb in DMSO suggest that the heme iron is six-coordinate low-spin, most likely coordinating DMSO. Addition of CO to deoxyMb in DMSO produces a single, photostable six-coordinate CO adduct. UV-vis and RR for Mb-CO in DMSO are consistent with a six-coordinate low-spin heme iron binding His93 weakly, if at all. The polarity of the distal heme pocket is comparable to that of the closed form of horse Mb-CO in aqueous solution, pH 7. Direct electron transfer between horse Mb and Au in DMSO solution was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Mb exhibits stable and well-defined electrochemical responses that do not appear to be affected by the water content (1.3-7.5%). The electrochemical characteristics are consistent with a one-electron, quasi-reversible, diffusion-controlled charge transfer process at Au. E degrees for horse Mb in DMSO at Au is -0.241+/-0.005 V vs. NHE. The formal heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, calculated from delta E(p) at 20 mV/s, is 1.7+/-0.5 x 10(-4) cm/s. The rate, which is unaffected by the presence of 1.3-7.5% water, is competitive with that previously reported for horse Mb in aqueous solution.     

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a heat shock protein (Hsp90) gene from black tiger shrimp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Penaeus monodon</Emphasis>)

The techniques of homology cloning and anchored PCR were used to clone the Hsp90 gene from black tiger shrimp. The full length cDNA of black tiger shrimp Hsp90 (btsHsp90) contained a 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of 72 bp, an ORF (open reading frame) of 2160 bp encoding a polypeptide of 720 amino acids with an estimated molecular mass of 83-kDa and a 3′ UTR of 288 bp. The sequence of the coding region showed 90 and 84% homology with that of the Chiromantes haematocheir and Homo sapiens, respectively. Conserved signature sequences of Hsp90 gene family were found in the btsHsp90 deduced amino acid sequence. The temporal expressions of Hsp90 gene were constitutively in the black tiger shrimp tissues including liver, ovary, muscle, brain stomach, and heart, and their levels were markedly enhanced after 30-min heat treatment at 37°C. In ovarian maturation stages, the expression of btsHsp90 was strongest in the second stage, weaker in the fourth and first stage.