Parvovirus infection-induced cell death and cell cycle arrest

The cytopathic effects induced during parvovirus infection have been widely documented. Parvovirus infection-induced cell death is often directly associated with disease outcomes (e.g., anemia resulting from loss of erythroid progenitors during parvovirus B19 infection). Apoptosis is the major form of cell death induced by parvovirus infection. However, nonapoptotic cell death, namely necrosis, has also been reported during infection of the minute virus of mice, parvovirus H-1 and bovine parvovirus. Recent studies have revealed multiple mechanisms underlying the cell death during parvovirus infection. These mechanisms vary in different parvoviruses, although the large nonstructural protein (NS)1 and the small NS proteins (e.g., the 11 kDa of parvovirus B19), as well as replication of the viral genome, are responsible for causing infection-induced cell death. Cell cycle arrest is also common, and contributes to the cytopathic effects induced during parvovirus infection. While viral NS proteins have been indicated to induce cell cycle arrest, increasing evidence suggests that a cellular DNA damage response triggered by an invading single-stranded parvoviral genome is the major inducer of cell cycle arrest in parvovirus-infected cells. Apparently, in response to infection, cell death and cell cycle arrest of parvovirus-infected cells are beneficial to the viral cell lifecycle (e.g., viral DNA replication and virus egress). In this article, we will discuss recent advances in the understanding of the mechanisms underlying parvovirus infection-induced cell death and cell cycle arrest.     

Targeting of focal adhesion kinase by small interfering RNAs reduces chondrocyte redifferentiation capacity in alginate beads culture with type II collagen

Type II collagen is a major protein that maintains biological and mechanical characteristics in articular cartilage. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is known to play a central role in integrin signaling of cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, and chondrocyte–type II collagen interactions are very important for cartilage homeostasis. In this study, we focused on phosphorylation of FAK and MAP kinase in chondrocyte–type II collagen interaction and dedifferentiation, and the effects of FAK knockdown on chondrocyte‐specific gene expression and cell proliferation were determined. The addition of exogenous type II collagen to chondrocytes increased levels of tyrosine phosphorylation, p‐FAK_Y397, and p‐ERK1/2. In contrast, expression levels of p‐FAK_Y397 and p‐ERK1/2, but not p‐Smad2/3, were decreased in dedifferentiated chondrocytes with loss of type II collagen expression. Type II collagen expression was significantly increased when dedifferentiated chondrocytes were transferred to alginate beads with TGF‐β1 or type II collagen, but transfected cells with small interfering RNA for FAK (FAK‐siRNA) inhibited mRNA expression of type II collagen and SOX‐6 compared to the control. These FAK‐siRNA‐transfected cells could not recover type II collagen even in the presence of TGF‐β1 or type II collagen in alginate beads culture. We also found that FAK‐siRNA‐transfected cells decreased cell proliferation rate, but there was no effect on glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) secretion. We suggest that FAK is essentially required in chondrocyte communication with type II collagen by regulating type II collagen expression and cell proliferation. J. Cell. Physiol. 218: 623–630, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Soluble expression, purification and functional identification of a disulfide-rich conotoxin derived from Conus litteratus

Conotoxins are a diverse array of small peptides mostly with multiple disulfide bridges. These peptides become an increasing significant source of neuro-pharmacological probes and drugs as a result of the high selectivity for ion channels and receptors. Usually, the analogue of natural conotoxins is produced by means of chemical synthesis. Here, we present a simple and fast strategy of producing disulfide-rich conotoxins via recombinant expression. By fused with thioredoxin and His tag, a novel O-superfamily conotoxin lt7a was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and purified, resulting in a high yield of recombinant lt7a about 6 mg/l. The purity of target protein is up to 95% as identified by HPLC results. Whole cell patch-clamp recording revealed that the new conotoxin blocked voltage-sensitive sodium channels in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons, indicating it might be a novel microO-conotoxin.     

1.42A crystal structure of mini-IGF-1(2): an analysis of the disulfide isomerization property and receptor binding property of IGF-1 based on the three-dimensional structure

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) share a homologous sequence, a similar three-dimensional structure and weakly overlapping biological activity, but IGF-1 folds into two thermodynamically stable disulfide isomers, while insulin folds into one unique stable tertiary structure. This is a very interesting phenomenon in which one amino acid sequence encodes two three-dimensional structures, and its molecular mechanism has remained unclear for a long time. In this study, the crystal structure of mini-IGF-1(2), a disulfide isomer of an artificial analog of IGF-1, was solved by the SAD/SIRAS method using our in-house X-ray source. Evidence was found in the structure showing that the intra-A-chain/domain disulfide bond of some molecules was broken; thus, it was proposed that disulfide isomerization begins with the breakdown of this disulfide bond. Furthermore, based on the structural comparison of IGF-1 and insulin, a new assumption was made that in insulin the several hydrogen bonds formed between the N-terminal region of the B-chain and the intra-A-chain disulfide region of the A-chain are the main reason for the stability of the intra-A-chain disulfide bond and for the prevention of disulfide isomerization, while Phe B1 and His B5 are very important for the formation of these hydrogen bonds. Moreover, the receptor binding property of IGF-1 was analyzed in detail based on the structural comparison of mini-IGF-1(2), native IGF-1, and small mini-IGF-1.     

Recent advances in synthesis and surface modification of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Lanthanide (Ln)-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with appropriate surface modification can be used for a wide range of biomedical applications such as bio-detection, cancer therapy, bio-labeling, fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and drug delivery. The upconversion phenomenon exhibited by Ln-doped UCNPs renders them tremendous advantages in biological applications over other types of fluorescent materials (e.g., organic dyes, fluorescent proteins, gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, and luminescent transition metal complexes) for: (i) enhanced tissue penetration depths achieved by near-infrared (NIR) excitation; (ii) improved stability against photobleaching, photoblinking and photochemical degradation; (iii) non-photodamaging to DNA/RNA due to lower excitation light energy; (iv) lower cytotoxicity; and (v) higher detection sensitivity. Ln-doped UCNPs are therefore attracting increasing attentions in recent years. In this review, we present recent advances in the synthesis of Ln-doped UCNPs and their surface modification, as well as their emerging applications in biomedicine. The future prospects of Ln-doped UCNPs for biomedical applications are also discussed.     

Feeding scallop shell powder induces the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in white adipose tissue of rats

Previously we found that the organic components in scallop shell promote lipolysis in differentiated 3T3-L1 and C3H10T1/2 adipocyte cells, and that incorporating scallop shell powder into the diet of rats reduced the amount of white adipose tissue. In this study, we used RT-PCR to investigate the effect of ingesting scallop shell powder on the gene expression profile of uncoupling proteins (UCPs) regulating energy metabolism in rats.Feeding of scallop shell powder increased mRNA levels of UCP1 and UCP2 in white adipose tissue. By contrast, scallop shell powder had no effect on the expression of UCP1 in brown adipose tissue, although the expression level of UCP2 mRNA decreased significantly. These results suggest that feeding scallop shell powder increases gene expression of UCP1 that may regulate energy metabolism in white adipose tissue, resulting in the observed reduction in weight of white adipose tissue.     

Angioarrestin(hARPl)C端FD区的克隆、表达及其免疫活性鉴定

 Angioarrestin是一种具有潜在应用价值的肿瘤血管形成抑制因子.利用DNA重组法构建了angioarrestin C端 hFD cDNA 和麦芽糖结合蛋白(MBP)重组原核表达质粒 pMAL-C2-hFD.将重组质粒转入大肠杆菌E.coli BL21（DE3）,经0.3 mmol/LIPTG 在37℃条件下诱导表达4h,SDS-PAGE 检测,融合蛋白表达量约占细菌总蛋白的20%.Western印迹证实,目的蛋白N端带有MBP标签.取表达上清纯化、透析、浓缩并冻干,以此为抗原免疫Balb/c小鼠制备多克隆抗体.此多抗可以与pET 22b（+）表达系统获得的 hFD重组蛋白发生良好的抗原抗体反应,ELISA检测多抗效价达1∶10240.实验证明：通过基因重组可获得angioarrestin C端hFD在大肠杆菌中的高效表达蛋白,且该蛋白具有较高的免疫活性.以此为抗原制备的抗angioarrestin多克隆抗体为深入研究angioarrestin提供了材料.     

Mussaenda yunnanensis sp. nov. (Rubiaceae), a new functionally dioecious species from Yunnan,China

Mussaenda yunnanensis, a new dioecious species of Rubiaceae from Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. The new species can be recognized by its slender stem, congested‐cymose inflorescences and long corolla tubes. Differences between M. yunnanensis and two morphologically similar species (M. pubescens and M. antiloga) are presented. We also provide a key to all dioecious species of Mussaenda in China. The delimitation of the new species is further supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses based on eight plastid loci.     

原生动物伪红色双轴虫细胞纤毛器微管胞器的直接荧光标记

应用荧光紫杉醇直接荧光标记法显示,原生动物纤毛虫伪红色双轴虫(Diaxonellapseudorubra)细胞纤毛器微管中,口围带基部含小膜托架及与托架相联系的肋壁微管;额腹横棘毛基部含前纵微管束、后纵微管束、横微管束和周围微管束,其微管在不同棘毛基部的定向和发达程度不一;缘棘毛基部含前纵微管束、后纵微管束。细胞形态发生过程中,前仔虫口纤毛器微管独立发生于老口围带内侧,在细胞形态发生末期新纤毛器微管形成时,尚有部分老额棘毛、横棘毛和缘棘毛残存,此后老结构逐渐被吸收。结果表明,伪红色双轴虫的纤毛器基部微管的分化很可能具有种属级的特异性,新纤毛器微管分化过程中老结构可能具有定位和物质贡献作用。     

Formation of Adeno-Associated Virus Circular Genomes Is Differentially Regulated by Adenovirus E4 ORF6 and E2a Gene Expression

A central feature of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) latent life cycle is persistence in the form of both integrated and episomal genomes. However, the molecular processes associated with episomal long-term persistence of AAV genomes are only poorly understood. To investigate these mechanisms, we have utilized a recombinant AAV (rAAV) shuttle vector to identify circular AAV intermediates from transduced HeLa cells and primary fibroblasts. The unique structural features exhibited by these transduction intermediates included circularized monomer and dimer virus genomes in a head-to-tail array, with associated specific base pair alterations in the 5′ viral D sequence. In HeLa cells, the abundance and stability of AAV circular intermediates were augmented by adenovirus expressing the E2a gene product. In the absence of E2a, adenovirus expressing the E4 open reading frame 6 gene product decreased the abundance of AAV circular intermediates, favoring instead the linear replication form monomer (Rf_m) and dimer (Rf_d) structures. In summary, the formation of AAV circular intermediates appears to represent a new pathway for AAV genome conversion, which is consistent with the head-to-tail concatemerization associated with latent-phase persistence of rAAV. A better understanding of this pathway may increase the utility of rAAV vectors for gene therapy.