Structure and Catalytic Mechanism of Yeast 4-Amino-4-deoxychorismate Lyase

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Abz2 is a pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent lyase that converts 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate (ADC) to para-aminobenzoate and pyruvate. To investigate the catalytic mechanism, we determined the 1.9 Å resolution crystal structure of Abz2 complexed with PLP, representing the first eukaryotic ADC lyase structure. Unlike Escherichia coli ADC lyase, whose dimerization is critical to the formation of the active site, the overall structure of Abz2 displays as a monomer of two domains. At the interdomain cleft, a molecule of cofactor PLP forms a Schiff base with residue Lys-251. Computational simulations defined a basic clamp to orientate the substrate ADC in a proper pose, which was validated by site-directed mutageneses combined with enzymatic activity assays. Altogether, we propose a putative catalytic mechanism of a unique class of monomeric ADC lyases led by yeast Abz2.     

皮质抑素在内分泌系统中的作用

皮质抑素（cortistatin, CST）是一种新型神经内分泌肽,因其在皮质中大量表达并抑制皮质的功能而得名,属于生长抑素基因家族新成员,与生长抑素(somatostatin)具有结构同源性．CST能与生长抑素受体、生长素释放肽受体、Mas相关基因2受体结合,发挥多种生物学效应,如诱导慢波睡眠、参与炎症过程、调节神经内分泌．研究表明,就内分泌系统而言,CST是生长抑素的一种天然替代物．本文重点从细胞、整体水平对CST在内分泌系统中的作用做一简介．     

同倍杂交种高山松与亲本种云南松的地理隔离研究

为了探讨横断山区同倍杂交种高山松与其亲本种云南松的地理隔离机制,采用实际的路线踏查方法,调查了高山松和云南松群体的地理分布情况和开花物候特征,并基于7个气象因子进行了聚类分析。调查研究表明高山松和云南松群体分布在不同的地貌类型中,以云南中甸为临界区,沿着金沙江河谷向北分布高山松,向南分布云南松。云南松的开花物候日期明显早于高山松,聚类分析表明两个物种分别聚为一支。在地质历史过程中,高大山系的形成以及海拔的升高将高山松和云南松从地理上隔离开来,两物种的适生区的气象因子的差异造成花期不遇,从而阻碍了两个物种问的基因交流,进而隔离开来。     

Optimization of the Field Enhancement and Spectral Bandwidth of Single and Coupled Bimetal Core–Shell Nanoparticles for Few-Cycle Laser Applications

We have theoretically studied and optimized the field enhancement and temporal response of single and coupled bimetal Ag/Au core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) with a diameter of 160 nm and compared the results to pure Ag and Au NPs. Very high-field enhancements with an amplitude reaching 100 (with respect to the laser field centered at 800 nm) are found at the center of a 2-nm gap between Ag/Au core–shell dimers. We have explored the excitation of the bimetal core–shell particles by Fourier transform-limited few-cycle optical pulses and identified conditions for an ultrafast plasmonic decay on the order of the excitation pulse duration. The high-field enhancement and ultrafast decay makes bimetal core–shell particles interesting candidates for applications such as the generation of ultrashort extreme ultraviolet radiation pulses via nanoplasmonic field enhancement. Moreover, in first experimental studies, we synthesized small bimetal Ag/Au core–shell NPs and compared their optical response with pure Au and Ag NPs and numerical results.     

创伤弧菌溶细胞素融合蛋白重组、表达与细胞毒活性鉴定

研究重组创伤弧菌溶细胞素融合蛋白(rVvhA)诱导人脐静脉内皮细胞(human umbilical vein endothelial cells,human ECV304)凋亡的作用.诱导含pET-28a( )vvhA重组质粒的BL21大肠杆菌表达创伤弧菌溶细胞素融合蛋白,应用Ni2 亲和层析方法对rVvhA进行纯化:利用分步稀释加透析相结合的方法进行蛋白质复性;绵羊红细胞裂解试验对复性后的rVvhA进行溶血活性初步测定:MTT法检测rVvhA对人ECV304细胞的体外毒性作用:应用Hochest33342/PI活细胞荧光双染及流式细胞术分析rVvhA对人ECV304细胞诱导凋亡的影响.结果显示,用Ni2 -NTA His Band亲和层析柱纯化rVvhA纯度达88.6%左右;复性后的rVvhA有一定的溶血活性,其溶血活性具有时间.剂量依赖性;MTT结果显示rVvhA具有降低人ECV304细胞的存活率活性;浓度为2.0 HU/ml rVvhA作用人ECV304 12 h后,其诱导凋亡的活性高于对照组和浓度为0.5 HU/ml rVvhA处理组,具有剂量依赖性;浓度为2.0 HU/ml rVvhA处理组加用40μmol/L caspase全酶抑制剂(Z-VAD-FMK)后凋亡率较2.0 HU/ml rVvhA处理组有一定程度降低.rVvhA对人ECV304细胞具有诱导凋亡的生物学活性,推测诱导调亡途径可能与caspase家族有关.     

Obestatin: its physicochemical characteristics and physiological functions

Obestatin, a novel 23 amino acid amidated peptide encoded by the same gene with ghrelin, was initially reported to reduce food intake, body weight gain, gastric emptying and suppress intestinal motility through an interaction with the orphan receptor GPR39. However, recently reports have shown that above findings had been questioned by several groups. Further studies explained that obestatin was involved in inhibiting thirst and anxiety, improving memory, regulating sleep, affecting cell proliferation, and increasing the secretion of pancreatic juice enzymes. We also identified that obestatin could stimulate piglet liver and adipose cell proliferation, and inhibit the secretion of IGF-I. According to the controversy over the effects and the cognate ligand of obestatin, here we provide the latest review on the structure, distribution and physiological functions of obestatin.     

金属螯合亲和层析介质用于六聚组氨酸融合蛋白的纯化研究

以Sepharose CL-6B为载体,环氧氯丙烷为活化剂,羧甲基天冬氨酸（CM-Asp）为螯合配基制备载有Co2+的金属螯合亲和层析介质Co-CM-Asp-Sepharose,并将其用于六聚组氨酸融合蛋白的纯化研究。对纯化200 μL细胞裂解液中靶蛋白所需Co-CM-Asp-Sepharose介质用量,Co-CM-Asp-Sepharose与细胞裂解液的孵育时间,介质清洗条件及靶蛋白洗脱时所需咪唑浓度等进行了优化。比较了Co-CM-Asp-Sepharose与Ni-NTA-Agarose(Qiagen公司)两种螯合介质对融合蛋白的纯化效果,开展了从5mL细胞裂解液中放大规模纯化融合蛋白的研究,并通过Bradford法测定了Co-CM-Asp-Sepharose对CD155D1蛋白的纯化量。结果表明：对200μL细胞裂解液纯化体系, Co-CM-Asp-Sepharose（50%悬浮液）的优选体积为60μL,最佳孵育时间为30min,洗脱液最佳咪唑浓度为200mmol/L,纯化得到融合蛋白的量约为200μg。介质用量放大为1.5mL（50%悬浮液）对CD155D1蛋白的纯化量可达4.6mg。与商品化Ni-NTA-Agarose相比,本介质具有选择性好,清洗条件简单,得到的靶蛋白纯度高等优点。     

In vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells into hepatocytes induced by fibroblast growth factors and bone morphological protein-4

The feasibility of transforming embryonic endoderm into different cell types is tightly controlled by mesodermal and septum transversumal signalings during early embryonic development. Here, an induction protocol tracing embryonic liver development was designed, in which, three growth factors, acid fibroblast growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and bone morphological protein-4 that secreted from pre-cardiac mesoderm and septum transversum mesenchyme, respectively, were employed to investigate their specific potency of modulating the mature hepatocyte proportion during the differentiation process. Results showed that hepatic differentiation took place spontaneously at a low level, however, supplements of the three growth factors gave rise to a significant up-regulation of mature hepatocytes. Bone morphological protein-4 highlighted the differentiation ratio to 40-55%, showing the most effective promotion, and also exhibited a synergistic effect with the other two fibroblast factors, whereas no similar phenomenon was observed between the other two factors, which was reported for the first time. Our study not only provides a high-performance system of embryonic stem cells differentiating into hepatocytes, which would supply a sufficient hepatic population for related studies, but also make it clear of the inductive effects of three important growth factors, which could support for further investigation on the mechanisms of mesodermal and septumal derived signalings that regulate hepatic differentiation.