Thioredoxin 1 supports colorectal cancer cell survival and promotes migration and invasion under glucose deprivation through interaction with G6PD

Overcoming energy stress is a critical step for cells in solid tumors. Under this stress microenvironment, cancer cells significantly alter their energy metabolism to maintain cell survival and even metastasis. Our previous studies have shown that thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) expression is increased in colorectal cancer (CRC) and promotes cell proliferation. However, the exact role and mechanism of how Trx-1 is involved in energy stress are still unknown. Here, we observed that glucose deprivation of CRC cells led to cell death and promoted the migration and invasion, accompanied by upregulation of Trx-1. Increased Trx-1 supported CRC cell survival under glucose deprivation. Whereas knockdown of Trx-1 sensitized CRC cells to glucose deprivation-induced cell death and reversed glucose deprivation-induced migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, we identified glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) interacting with Trx-1 by HuPortTM human protein chip, co-IP and co-localization. Trx-1 promoted G6PD protein expression and activity under glucose deprivation, thereby increasing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) generation. Moreover, G6PD knockdown sensitized CRC cells to glucose deprivation-induced cell death and suppressed glucose deprivation-induced migration, invasion, and EMT. Inhibition of Trx-1 and G6PD, together with inhibition of glycolysis using 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG), resulted in significant anti-tumor effects in CRC xenografts in vivo. These findings demonstrate a novel mechanism and may represent a new effective therapeutic regimen for CRC.     

定点突变提高解淀粉芽孢杆菌JP-21脲酶应用特性

氨基甲酸乙酯(Ethylcarbamate,EC)是一种存在于发酵食品和酒精饮料中的可致癌物,过量摄入可能会影响人体健康。酶法降解是减少发酵食品中氨基甲酸乙酯及其前体尿素含量的有效方法之一。脲酶具有氨基甲酸乙酯水解酶和尿素酶两种活性,因此在减少发酵食品中氨基甲酸乙酯及其前体尿素方面具有良好的应用前景。目前脲酶降解发酵酒精饮料中氨基甲酸乙酯面临的主要问题是脲酶对氨基甲酸乙酯的催化活性及亲和力较低,因而其降解效果不理想。文中成功在大肠杆菌Escherichia coli中表达了来源于解淀粉芽孢杆菌Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JP-21的脲酶,表达水平为尿素酶3 291.74 U/L,氨基甲酸乙酯水解酶227.26 U/L。通过模拟脲酶中催化亚基UreC与氨基甲酸乙酯对接的结构,确定了M326和M374这两个影响酶与底物结合的位点。采用点饱和突变获得了3株氨基甲酸乙酯水解酶活性提高的突变体M374A、M374T和M326V,以EC为底物时的Km分别为101.84mmol/L、129.49 mmol/L和121.67 mmol/L,比野生型分别降低了37.47%–50...     

微小型生物反应器及其在生物医药领域的应用展望

微小型生物反应器体积微小但在线分析检测和过程控制功能媲美台式装备。其核心支撑技术包括一次性材料及微加工技术、非接触式光学传感器、自动化以及实验设计(DOE)、数据分析软件与过程控制的整合。由于体积微小、湍流程度和单位能耗较低,微小型反应器内的混合、传质、剪切特性与工业规模设备有一定的区别。现阶段微小型生物反应器主要用于菌株和细胞系筛选和工艺优化,在实现高通量工艺的同时确保了数据的丰度,对缩短研发周期和加速产品上市,尤其是在应对突发性传染性疾病方面有着重要的意义。未来,精准医疗概念的落实也依赖功能柔性化的微小型生物反应器系统。     

Carcinogenicity of catechol estrogens in Syrian hamsters

Estradiol and other estrogens induce renal carcinoma in male Syrian hamsters. The mechanism of carcinogenesis still remains unclear. Activation of estrogens to catechol metabolites has in the past been postulated to play a role in estrogen-induced carcinogenesis. Therefore, the carcinogenic activity of catechol estrogens was investigated. After 175 days of treatment, 4-hydroxyestradiol was found to be as carcinogenic as estradiol in male Syrian hamsters (4/5 and 4/5 animals with kidney tumors, respectively). Animals treated with 2-hydroxyestradiol (0/5) or 2-methoxyestradiol (0/6) did not develop renal carcinoma. The catechol estrogens failed to be mutagenic in the Ames test (reversions of his- S. typhimurium to histidine prototrophy in the TA 100 strain). The lack of carcinogenic activity of 2-hydroxyestradiol was not due to a failure to stimulate estrogen-dependent tumor growth. Growth of H-301 cells, an estrogen-dependent hamster kidney tumor cell line, was supported in vivo by estrogens in the following order: estradiol greater than 4-hydroxyestradiol greater than 2-hydroxyestradiol. Stimulation of tumor growth by 2-methoxyestradiol was not detected. It was concluded that the carcinogenic activity of 4-hydroxyestradiol was consistent with a role of catechol metabolites in estrogen-induced carcinogenesis. However, the intrinsic carcinogenic or hormonal activity of 2-hydroxyestradiol probably can not be assessed accurately in vivo because of its rapid methylation and metabolic clearance.     

光学方法分析GABA及GABAA受体在脑干听觉传入通路的作用

目的旨在探讨脑干听觉传入通路中GABA能神经递质及GABAA受体对电刺激位听神经传入冲动的影响.方法使用出生后0～5 d的ddy/ddy小鼠制备脑干切片.脑片经电压敏感染料NK3041染色,电刺激与脑片相连的位听神经残端.使用16×16像素的硅光电二极管阵列测量光学信号.所采集的数据使用ARGUS50/PDA软件分析.结果多部位的光学记录方法显示了从位听神经到耳蜗核和前庭核的兴奋性传导的时间-空间分布.其中每一个光学成分由快峰电位样反应和慢反应组成.抑制性神经递质GABA可降低诱发的光学信号的快反应和慢反应,GABAA受体拮抗剂荷包牡丹碱可增强这些反应.结论16×16像素的硅光电二极管阵列可记录位听神经刺激诱发的多部位光学信号,每一个光学信号含有突触前及突触后电位成分.抑制性神经递质GABA和GJBAA受体拮抗剂可调节光学信号的兴奋性传导.     

苏云金芽胞杆菌营养期杀虫蛋白基因的克隆及表达分析

选择本实验室分离的苏云金芽胞杆菌李氏亚种 (subsp. Leesis) 菌株YBT833、鲇泽亚种(subsp.Aizawai) 菌株YBT-1416和库斯塔克亚种(subsp. Kurstaki)菌株YBT1535为出发菌株,以营养期杀虫蛋白基因PCR扩增的特异片段为探针,进行总DNA酶切片段的Southern杂交定位。结果显示3株菌株的营养期杀虫蛋白基因,均位于经XbaI完全消化的4～5kb大小的DNA 片段上。将该区域DNA片段回收后克隆到pUC19载体,建立了3个较基因组文库小的亚基因组文库。通过菌落原位杂交筛选和酶切鉴定分别得到3个相应的营养期杀虫蛋白基因vip83、vip14和vip15,并对其测序。DNA序列比较发现基因vip83与已知营养期杀虫蛋白基因存在5个差异碱基。将vip83、vip14基因亚克隆到苏云金芽胞杆菌大肠杆菌穿梭载体pHT315, 分别得到重组质粒pBMB8901和pBMB8902。将它们电转化到vip^-的B.t.受体菌BMB171和4Q7,获得了相应的工程菌BMB8901-171,BMB8902-171,BMB8901-4Q7和BMB8902-4Q7。SDS-PAGE电泳检测均有88kD大小的蛋白表达。生物测定结果亦表明了,营养期杀虫蛋白Vip83和Vip14对鳞翅目棉铃虫、小菜蛾和甜菜夜蛾的三龄幼虫均有一定的杀虫活性;其中对小菜蛾的毒力最高,LC₅₀值分别为28.6,31.6,45.4和37.6μL/mL。该结果为构建高效广谱工程菌提供了实际材料和理论依据。      

鱼腥藻PCC7120藻蓝蛋白α亚基体内重组研究

为了研究藻蓝蛋白α亚基的生物合成途径,通过构建相容的3种重组质粒pETDuet-cpcA、pCOLADuet-cpcE-cpcF和pACYCDuet-ho1-pcyA,将裂合酶基因cpcE和cpcF、血红素氧化酶基因ho1、藻蓝胆素合成酶基因pcyA和脱辅基藻蓝蛋白α亚基基因cpcA共同转入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)。通过色素蛋白锌电泳和光谱检测表明产生了生物活性的CpcA-PCB。成功实现了大肠杆菌内藻蓝蛋白α亚基84位半胱氨酸残基与PCB的连接。而在裂合酶基因cpcE和cpcF不转入大肠杆菌的情况下,大肠杆菌内只有0.2%的CpcA-PCB产生。以上研究为进一步在大肠杆菌内合成天然的藻蓝蛋白奠定了基础。     

十三碳二元羧酸发酵技术的研究

以一株热带假丝酵母菌(Candida tropicalis) SP1为出发菌株,经紫外线反复诱变获取一株难以同化烷烃的突变株SPUV56,摇瓶培养5d平均产酸量达72g/L,较出发菌株提高了1.25倍,并利用突变株SPUV56在137L自控罐上扩试,补加醋酸盐发酵,144h产酸量达153g/L,比不加醋酸盐发酵提高了29.7%。采用提 高搅拌混合效果和低溶解氧发酵过程控制方法,可有效地提高菌体的产酸能力,在20m3发酵罐中发酵生产十三碳二元羧酸,总培养时间144h,产酸量可达172g/L,放罐体积15.0m3,产量为2.25t。     

Inhibition of mitochondrial complex I improves glucose metabolism independently of AMPK activation

Accumulating evidences showed metformin and berberine, well‐known glucose‐lowering agents, were able to inhibit mitochondrial electron transport chain at complex I. In this study, we aimed to explore the antihyperglycaemic effect of complex I inhibition. Rotenone, amobarbital and gene silence of NDUFA13 were used to inhibit complex I. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were performed in db/db mice. Lactate release and glucose consumption were measured to investigate glucose metabolism in HepG2 hepatocytes and C2C12 myotubes. Glucose output was measured in primary hepatocytes. Compound C and adenoviruses expressing dominant negative AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1/2 were exploited to inactivate AMPK pathway. Cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio was assayed to evaluate energy transforming and redox state. Rotenone ameliorated hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance in db/db mice. It induced glucose consumption and glycolysis and reduced hepatic glucose output. Rotenone also activated AMPK. Furthermore, it remained effective with AMPK inactivation. The enhanced glycolysis and repressed gluconeogenesis correlated with a reduction in cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio, which resulted from complex I suppression. Amobarbital, another representative complex I inhibitor, stimulated glucose consumption and decreased hepatic glucose output in vitro, too. Similar changes were observed while expression of NDUFA13, a subunit of complex I, was knocked down with gene silencing. These findings reveal mitochondrial complex I emerges as a key drug target for diabetes treatment. Inhibition of complex I improves glucose homoeostasis via non‐AMPK pathway, which may relate to the suppression of the cellular NAD⁺/NADH ratio.