Zinc coupling potentiates anti-HIV-1 activity of baicalin

Baicalin (BA) has been shown with anti-HIV-1 activity. Zinc is a nutrient element. The anti-HIV-1 activity of zinc complex of baicalin (BA-Zn) in vitro was studied and compared with the anti-HIV-1 activities between BA and BA-Zn in the present study. Our results suggested that BA-Zn has lower cytotoxicity and higher anti-HIV-1 activity compared with those of BA in vitro. The CC50s of BA-Zn and BA were 221.52 and 101.73 microM, respectively. The cytotoxicity of BA-Zn was about 1.2-fold lower than that of BA. The BA and BA-Zn inhibited HIV-1 induced syncytium formation, HIV-1 p24 antigen and HIV-1 RT production. The EC50s of BA-Zn on inhibiting HIV-1 induced syncytium formation (29.08 microM) and RT production (31.17 microM) were lower than those of BA (43.27 and 47.34 microM, respectively). BA-Zn was more effective than BA in inhibiting the activities of recombinant RT and HIV-1 entry into host cells. Zinc coupling enhanced the anti-HIV-1 activity of baicalin.     

A feedback loop in the polo-like kinase activation pathway

The Xenopus polo-like kinase Plx1 plays important roles during entry into and exit from mitosis (M phase). Previous studies revealed that Plx1 is activated by phosphorylation on serine and threonine residues, and purification of an activating enzyme from mitotic Xenopus egg extracts led to cloning and characterization of Xenopus polo-like kinase kinase (xPlkk1), which can phosphorylate and activate Plx1 in vitro. In the present study, a positive feedback loop between Plx1 and xPlkk1 was shown to result in each kinase phosphorylating and activating the other. Sequencing of radiolabeled xPlkk1 after phosphorylation by Plx1 in vitro identified three phosphorylation sites each spaced three amino acids apart, two of which have the consensus acidic-X-pSer-hydrophobic described for other polo-like kinase substrates. In addition, endogenous xPlkk1 in oocytes was phosphorylated on these sites in M phase but not in interphase. A mutant xPlkk1 in which these three amino acids were changed to alanine (xPlkk1(SA3)) was unable to be phosphorylated or activated in vitro by Plxl. Depletion of Plx1 from oocyte extracts prior to stimulation of the G(2)/M transition blocked the activation of xPlkk1, but depletion of xPlkk1 before stimulation did not block Plx1 activation. These results indicate that xPlkk1 may function downstream as a target of Plx1 rather than as an upstream activating kinase during the G(2)/M transition.     

The bridging function of hepatic lipase clears plasma cholesterol in LDL receptor-deficient "apoB-48-only" and "apoB-100-only" mice

Hepatic lipase clears plasma cholesterol by lipolytic and nonlipolytic processing of lipoproteins. We hypothesized that the nonlipolytic processing (known as the bridging function) clears cholesterol by removing apoB-48- and apoB-100-containing lipoproteins by whole particle uptake. To test our hypotheses, we expressed catalytically inactive human HL (ciHL) in LDL receptor deficient "apoB-48-only" and "apoB-100-only" mice. Expression of ciHL in "apoB-48-only" mice reduced cholesterol by reducing LDL-C (by 54%, 46 +/- 6 vs. 19 +/- 8 mg/dl, P < 0.001). ApoB-48 was similarly reduced (by 60%). The similar reductions in LDL-C and apoB-48 indicate cholesterol removal by whole particle uptake. Expression of ciHL in "apoB-100-only" mice reduced cholesterol by reducing IDL-C (by 37%, 61 +/- 19 vs. 38 +/- 12 mg/dl, P < 0.003). Apo-B100 was also reduced (by 27%). The contribution of nutritional influences was examined with a high-fat diet challenge in the "apoB-100-only" background. On the high fat diet, ciHL reduced IDL-C (by 30%, 355 +/- 72 vs. 257 +/- 64 mg/dl, P < 0.04) but did not reduce apoB-100. The reduction in IDL-C in excess of apoB-100 suggests removal either by selective cholesteryl ester uptake, or by selective removal of larger, cholesteryl ester-enriched particles. Our results demonstrate that the bridging function removes apoB-48- and apoB-100-containing lipoproteins by whole particle uptake and other mechanisms.     

The outer membrane usher forms a twin-pore secretion complex

The PapC usher is an outer membrane protein required for assembly and secretion of P pili in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. P pilus biogenesis occurs by the chaperone/usher pathway, a terminal branch of the general secretory pathway. Periplasmic chaperone-subunit complexes target to the PapC usher for fiber assembly and secretion through the usher to the cell surface. The molecular details of pilus biogenesis at the usher, and protein secretion across the outer membrane in general, are unclear. We studied the structure and oligomeric state of PapC by gel filtration, dynamic light scattering, and electron microscopy and image analysis. Two-dimensional crystals of wild-type PapC and a C-terminal deletion mutant of PapC were produced by reconstituting detergent purified usher into E.coli lipids. PapC formed a dimer both in detergent solution and in the phospholipid bilayer. Cryo-electron microscopy revealed that the usher forms a twin-pore complex. Removal of the C-terminal domain did not change the basic shape of the PapC molecule, but altered the dimeric association of the usher, suggesting that the C terminus forms part of the dimerization interface. The overall molecular size (11 nm), pore size (2 nm), and twin-pore configuration of PapC resemble that of the Tom40 complex, a mitochondrial outer membrane protein translocase.     

门诊妇女阴道乳酸菌对临床常用抗生素耐药性的初步研究

目的研究临床常用抗生素类药物对妇女生殖道正常菌群乳酸菌的影响,为临床医生选用抗生素治疗妇科疾病提供初步参考,并为微生态学治疗和预防相关疾病提供理论依据。方法采用K-B法（纸片扩散法）,以临床采集到的12株阴道乳酸菌为试验菌,研究其对临床常用9大类13种抗生素的耐药性。结果在所测试的抗生索中,试验菌对甲硝唑形成的耐药环直径最小,对头孢噻肟形成的耐药直径最大。除甲硝唑外不同菌株对不同抗生索形成的耐药环直径差异较大。结论在该试验的条件下,乳酸菌对甲硝唑耐药性最强,可作为治疗阴道感染的首选药物;乳酸菌对头孢噻肟最敏感,因而在治疗阴道感染时,应尽量避免使用该药物。     

仙台病毒核衣壳蛋白基因的克隆与原核表达

目的利用原核表达系统表达仙台病毒(Sendai Virus,SV)核衣壳蛋白。方法根据GenBank上发表的仙台病毒(Sendai Virus,SV)核衣壳蛋白基因序列,设计并合成一对引物,通过RT-PCR扩增出核衣壳蛋白全长cDNA序列,将其克隆至原核表达载体pET-30a,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)PlysS,于37℃1mmol/LIPTG条件下诱导表达,大肠杆菌裂解物经SDS-PAGE分析,在相对分子质量约60×103处出现一新蛋白带,与预期目的蛋白分子量相符。结果Western blot检测表明,表达产物能与兔抗SV阳性血清发生特异性反应,出现单一反应带,表明其具有免疫原性。结论为建立以重组NP蛋白为诊断抗原检测SV奠定基础。     

罗布麻的形态解剖研究--兼论中花罗布麻的分类问题

详细描述了3种罗布麻的形态解剖特征,指出它们的主要区别。对中花罗布麻的分类地位作了讨论,可将它作为罗布白麻的一个变型或变种,归纳入罗布白麻(Apocynum hendersonii Hook.f.)之中,暂可称为:中花罗布麻(Apocynum hendersonii Hook.f.var.salsuginodum Rus.)。但不应将它作为Apocynum pictum Schrenk或Poacynum pictum(Schrenk)Baill.看待。     

罗布麻资源利用与罗布麻植物分类问题

叙述了有关罗布麻分类的简要历史,讨论了我国罗布麻的植物分类问题,从植物分类学的依据和生产实践的需要考虑,应将我国罗布麻植物划分为1属2种,即罗布麻属（Apocynum L．）和罗布红麻（A．venetum L．）及罗布白麻（A．hendersonii Hook．f．）2种。