Analysis of randomly isolated cDNAs from developing endosperm of rice (Oryza sativa L.): evaluation of expressed sequence tags,and expression levels of mRNAs

Using a cDNA library prepared from poly(A)⁺ RNA from 10-day-old rice endosperm, partial nucleotide sequences of randomly isolated clones were analyzed. A total of 153 (30.6%) out of 500 cDNA clones showed high amino acid identity to previously identified genes. There was significant redundancy in cDNAs encoding prolamine and glutelin. About 21.0% of the cDNA clones were found to code for seed storage protein genes. Consequently, 37 independent genes were identified. Using cDNA clones encoding glutelin, prolamine, seed allergen, -1,4-glucan branching enzyme, glycine-rich RNA binding protein, metallothionein, non-specific lipid-transfer protein and ubiquitin conjugating enzyme the accumulation of mRNA during rice seed development was compared. Genes associated with seed storage protein and starch biosynthesis were expressed according to expected developmental stages. Glycinerich RNA binding protein genes as well as metallothionein-like protein genes were highly expressed in developing seeds, but low in leaves of whole plants.     

Monitoring trichloroethylene mineralization by Pseudomonas cepacia G4 PR1

To analyze the extent of mineralization of trichloroethylene (TCE) without disturbing an actively growing biofilm, a minimal growth medium was formulated that reduces the concentration of chloride ions to the extent that the chloride ions generated from TCE mineralization may be detected with a chloride-ion-specific electrode. By substituting chloride salts with phosphates and nitrates, a chloride-free minimal medium was produced that yields a specific growth rate for Pseudomonas cepacia G4 PR1 which was 93% of that in chloride-ion-containing minimal medium. Furthermore, TCE degradation by resting cell suspensions was similar in both media (85% of 75 M TCE degraded in 6 h), and complete mineralization of TCE was slightly superior in the chloride-free minimal medium (77% compared to 60% of 75 M TCE mineralized in 6 h). In addition, indole-containing, minimal-medium agar plates were developed to indicate the presence of the TCE-degrading enzyme toluene ortho-monooxygenase (fire-engine-red colonies) as well as to distinguish this enzyme from other TCE-degrading enzymes (toluene dioxygenase and toluene para-monooxygenase).     

Structure and Evolution of Genes Encoding Polyubiquitin and Ubiquitin-like Proteins in Arabidopsis Thaliana Ecotype Columbia

The Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia ubiquitin gene family consists of 14 members that can be divided into three types of ubiquitin genes; polyubiquitin genes, ubiquitin-like genes and ubiquitin extension genes. The isolation and characterization of eight ubiquitin sequences, consisting of four polyubiquitin genes and four ubiquitin-like genes, are described here, and their relationships to each other and to previously identified Arabidopsis ubiquitin genes were analyzed. The polyubiquitin genes, UBQ3, UBQ10, UBQ11 and UBQ14, contain tandem repeats of the 228-bp ubiquitin coding region. Together with a previously described polyubiquitin gene, UBQ4, they differ in synonymous substitutions, number of ubiquitin coding regions, number and nature of nonubiquitin C-terminal amino acid(s) and chromosomal location, dividing into two subtypes; the UBQ3/UBQ4 and UBQ10/UBQ11/UBQ14 subtypes. Ubiquitin-like genes, UBQ7, UBQ8, UBQ9 and UBQ12, also contain tandem repeats of the ubiquitin coding region, but at least one repeat per gene encodes a protein with amino acid substitutions. Nucleotide comparisons, K(s) value determinations and neighbor-joining analyses were employed to determine intra- and intergenic relationships. In general, the rate of synonymous substitution is too high to discern related repeats. Specific exceptions provide insight into gene relationships. The observed nucleotide relationships are consistent with previously described models involving gene duplications followed by both unequal crossing-over and gene conversion events.     

The structure and function of p55PIK reveal a new regulatory subunit for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3 kinase) is implicated in the regulation of diverse cellular processes, including insulin-stimulated glucose transport. PI-3 kinase is composed of a 110-kDa catalytic subunit and an 85-kDa regulatory subunit. Here, we describe p55PIK, a new regulatory subunit that was isolated by screening expression libraries with tyrosine-phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1). p55PIK is composed of a unique 30-residue NH2 terminus followed by a proline-rich motif and two Src homology 2 (SH2) domains with significant sequence identify to those in p85. p55PIK mRNA is expressed early during development, remains abundant in adult mouse brain and testis tissue, and is detectable in adult adipocytes and heart and kidney tissues. p55PIK forms a stable complex with p110, and it associates with IRS-1 during insulin stimulation. Moreover, the activated insulin receptor phosphorylates p55PIK in Sf9 cells, and insulin stimulates p55PIK phosphorylation in CHOIR/p55PIK cells. The unique features of p55PIK suggest that it is important in receptor signaling.     

Thermotolerance induced by heat shock in Chlorella

Thermotolerance in cultures of Chlorella zofingiensis was induced by heat shock treatment at supraoptimal temperatures (40and 45 °C for 30 min). Thermotolerance was assayed by two methods: the survival of the cells at 70 °C and the growth of diluted cultures at 35 and 45 °C. A culture without heat shock treatment was unable to grow at 45 °C. According to eletrophoretic analyses, the synthesis of proteins of 95, 73, 60, 43 and 27 kDa was induced by heat shock treatment. The large molecular weight proteins (95, 73, 60 and43 kDa) were present in non-heat treated cells, but the heat shock treatment increased their quantity in cells. The synthesis of a low molecular weight protein (27 kDa) was induced by heat shock treatment. The induced thermotolerance could be inhibited by the presence of an 80S ribosomal translation inhibitor, cycloheximide(CHI). The first 12 amino acid residues from the N-terminus of the27 kDa heat shock induced protein are Val-Glu-Trp-Try-Gly-Pro-Asn-Arg-Ala-Lys-Phe-Leu. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A Role for the Disintegrin Domain of Cyritestin, a Sperm Surface Protein Belonging to the ADAM Family, in Mouse Sperm–Egg Plasma Membrane Adhesion and Fusion

Sperm–egg plasma membrane fusion is preceded by sperm adhesion to the egg plasma membrane. Cell–cell adhesion frequently involves multiple adhesion molecules on the adhering cells. One sperm surface protein with a role in sperm–egg plasma membrane adhesion is fertilin, a transmembrane heterodimer (α and β subunits). Fertilin α and β are the first identified members of a new family of membrane proteins that each has the following domains: pro-, metalloprotease, disintegrin, cysteine-rich, EGF-like, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domain. This protein family has been named ADAM because all members contain a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain. Previous studies indicate that the disintegrin domain of fertilin β functions in sperm–egg adhesion leading to fusion. Full length cDNA clones have been isolated for five ADAMs expressed in mouse testis: fertilin α, fertilin β, cyritestin, ADAM 4, and ADAM 5. The presence of the disintegrin domain, a known integrin ligand, suggests that like fertilin β, other testis ADAMs could be involved in sperm adhesion to the egg membrane. We tested peptide mimetics from the predicted binding sites in the disintegrin domains of the five testis-expressed ADAMs in a sperm–egg plasma membrane adhesion and fusion assay. The active site peptide from cyritestin strongly inhibited (80–90%) sperm adhesion and fusion and was a more potent inhibitor than the fertilin β active site peptide. Antibodies generated against the active site region of either cyritestin or fertilin β also strongly inhibited (80–90%) both sperm–egg adhesion and fusion. Characterization of these two ADAM family members showed that they are both processed during sperm maturation and present on mature sperm. Indirect immunofluorescence on live, acrosome-reacted sperm using antibodies against either cyritestin or fertilin β showed staining of the equatorial region, a region of the sperm membrane that participates in the early steps of membrane fusion. Collectively, these data indicate that a second ADAM family member, cyritestin, functions with fertilin β in sperm–egg plasma membrane adhesion leading to fusion.     

Role of the extracellular domain of human herpesvirus 7 glycoprotein B in virus binding to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans.

In an attempt to identify the human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) envelope protein(s) involved in cell surface binding, the extracellular domain of the HHV-7 glycoprotein B (gB) homolog protein was cloned and expressed as a fusion product with the Fc domain of human immunoglobulin G heavy chain gamma1 (gB-Fc) in an eukaryotic cell system. Indirect immunofluorescence followed by flow cytometric analysis revealed specific binding of gB-Fc to the membrane of SupT1 cells but not to other CD4+ T-lymphoblastoid cell lines, such as Jurkat or PM1, clearly indicating that gB-Fc did not bind to the CD4 molecule. This was also suggested by the ability of gB-Fc to bind to CD4-negative fibroblastoid Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The binding was abrogated by enzymatic removal of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans by heparinase and heparitinase but not by treatment with condroitinase ABC. In addition, binding of the gB-Fc fusion protein to CHO cells was severely impaired in the presence of soluble heparin, as well as when heparan sulfate-deficient mutant CHO cells were used. Consistent with these findings, soluble heparin was found to block HHV-7 infection and syncytium formation in the SupT1 cell line. Although the CD4 antigen is a critical component of the receptor for the T-lymphotropic HHV-7, these findings suggest that heparin-like molecules also play an important role in HHV-7-cell surface interactions required for infection and that gB represents one of the HHV-7 envelope proteins involved in the adsorption of virus-to-cell surface proteoglycans.     

The Purification of a GroEL-Like Stress Protein from Aerobically Adapted Campylobacter jejuni

From plate cultures of Campylobacter jejuni grown in room air a particulate protein of 62 kDa was isolated by ion-exchange chromatography. The protein had a square shape from the side view but when viewed from the top it had a star-shaped structure. The molecular size of the whole particle determined by gel filtration was 850 kDa which suggested the presence of 14 subunits of 62 kDa in each particle. The N-terminal 37 amino residues showed more than 80% homology with the sequence of these heat shock protein (HSP) 60 homologs of Chlamydia trachomatis, Helicobacter pylori, and Escherichia coli (GroEL). This protein is immunologically cross-reactive with the antiserum for the 60-kDa HSP of Yersinia enterocolitica. Production of the 62-kDa protein increased under heat stress and growth in an aerobic atmospheric environment. From these observations we concluded that the 62-kDa protein is a Campylobacter stress protein (Cj62) which belongs to the HSP 60 family.     

在96孔板中进行抗脂质过氧化的微量测定

以Fe²⁺/半胱氨酸诱导大鼠肝微粒体为基本模型,根据硫代巴比妥酸(TBA)反应原理,优化不同反应条件,建立了一种在96孔板上进行抗脂质过氧化测定的一步反应方法,该方法的灵敏度不低于传统的试管法,而且还具有微量、快速、简便等优点,特别适用于大规模筛选和研究抗氧化剂.此外,也可用于其它系统诱导的抗脂质过氧化的测定.