黄精凝集素Ⅱ分子稳定性与生物学活性研究

黄精凝集素Ⅱ分子稳定性与生物学活性研究鲍锦库,曾仲奎,周红（四川大学生物系,成都,６１００６４）本文在黄精凝集素Ⅱ纯化及性质研究的基础上,应用多种变性条件,研究其分子特性,同时对分子的巯基和色氨酸进行修饰,研究该凝集素分子保持其生物学活性与这些基团的...     

LBL, a novel, developmentally regulated, laminin-binding lectin.

A 190/220-kDa complex found in integrin preparations was purified, and monoclonal antibodies were raised against it. The immunoaffinity-purified complex appears to be a trimer of very similar or identical 70-kDa subunits. It is a novel extracellular matrix molecule as determined by its subunit composition, N-terminal amino acid sequence, and in vivo localization. It is distributed widely in basement membranes including those from muscle, nerve, and kidney. It is also present in connective tissue regions such as perineurium and perimysium. It has the unusual property that it is initially expressed very late in avian development near the time of hatching. This protein is found to copurified with integrin because it binds to the carbohydrate support in Sepharose. Hemagglutination assays with mono- and disaccharides show that it functions as a lectin with galactoside-binding specificity. This protein is also found to bind strongly and specifically to laminin at a site distinct from its lectin activity, but does not bind to fibronectin or type IV collagen. The protein appears to be conserved and is a common contaminant of many laminin preparations. We call this novel protein "LBL" for laminin-binding lectin.     

Structural diversity in the extracellular faces of peptidergic G-protein-coupled receptors. Molecular cloning of the mouse C5a anaphylatoxin receptor.

The mouse C5a receptor gene was isolated using the human C5a receptor cDNA probe recently described (Gerard, N. P., and C. Gerard. 1991. Nature 349:614). By analogy with the human gene, the mouse homolog contains two exons with the 5' untranslated region and initiating methionine codon present in exon 1 and the remainder of the molecule in exon 2. Generation of an expressible cDNA for the mouse C5a receptor was accomplished using the polymerase chain reaction and a sense oligodeoxynucleotide primer which included an initiation codon just 5' to the sequence encoding the N-linked glycosylation site. When transfected into human 293 kidney epithelial cells the cloned cDNA directs expression of a binding site for human C5a anaphylatoxin with a binding constant of 2.5 +/- 0.3 nM; the human C5a receptor expressed under identical conditions has a Kd of 1.7 +/- 0.2 nM. Overall, the deduced amino acid sequences of the receptors are 65% identical given the analogous gene structures. Alignment of the sequences as seven transmembrane segment receptors reveals that the greatest structural diversity (approximately 70%) exists in the putative extracellular domains. In contrast, species differences among other members of this family of seven membrane-spanning receptors is generally only 10 to 20%, even for receptors whose ligands are relatively small and not expected to interact with sites on the extracellular surfaces. A high degree of structural identify is observed for the C5a receptors in the transmembrane segments and in all but one of the loops predicted to exist in the cytoplasm. Inasmuch as critical structures responsible for high affinity binding of the 74 amino acid polypeptide to both C5a receptors involve features conserved between species, these data provide the starting point for mutagenesis studies to determine the nature of the binding and activation sites for the chemotactic receptors. Additionally, these data provide a reagent for immunologic and molecular genetic studies on the role of C5a receptors in inflammatory models.     

THE INFLUENCE OF WATER STRESS ON STEM AND LEAF PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN GLYCINE MAX AND SPARTEUM JUNCEUM (LEGUMINOSAE)

Stem and leaf photosynthesis were measured in Glycine max var. essex (soybean) and Sparteum junceum (Spanish broom). The significance of stem photosynthesis to whole plant growth was evaluated by blocking stem photosynthesis with black straw sections. The growth of S. junceum was reduced by 18% when black straws were used in comparison to clear straws. The whole plant growth of G. max was not influenced by blocking the stem carbon contribution. Mean midday leaf photosynthesis was 12 μmol CO₂ m^–2 s^–1 and 17 μmol CO₂ m^–2 s^–1 for G. max and 5. junceum, respectively. Mean midday stem photosynthesis of S. junceum was 6.5 μmol CO₂ m^–2 s^–1; however, positive net photosynthesis did not occur in G. max stems. Water stress caused a proportionally greater decrease in leaf photosynthesis compared to that of stems during diurnal cycles of photosynthesis in S. junceum. As a result the contribution to canopy carbon gain by stem photosynthesis increased from 38% to 48% of the total plant carbon gain under reduced water availability.     

水生植物-微生物联合去除水体有机污染物的研究进展

近年来,随着经济的快速发展,大量有机化合物随着工业废水和生活污水排放进入水体,严重破坏了水环境的生态平衡,威胁着水生生物及人类健康。植物-微生物联合修复技术因具有修复效率高、持续时间长、投入成本低,而且不会产生二次污染等特点,在水体有机污染治理中受到了人们的广泛关注。本文综述了近年来水生植物-微生物联合去除水体有机污染物的应用现状,详细阐述了水生植物-微生物联合修复过程中的研究方法、作用机制及影响因素。以期不断完善和优化水生植物-微生物联合修复技术,为实现水环境有机物污染的统筹高效治理提供参考。     

彭州市不同土地利用方式土壤小型分解者群落结构和功能

分解作用是农业生态系统养分循环的重要环节,也是影响 农田土壤肥力和生产力的关键过程。土地利用方式不仅显著影响了农田中的土壤微生物和线虫等小型分解者群落的结构特征,还可能改变其生态功能,进而影响分解作用。但是,农业生态系统中的生境变化如何影响了分解作用速率仍不明确,不同土地利用方式下环境因子、土壤生物群落和分解作用之间的动态关系如何也不清楚。利用"茶包指数"量化了彭州市典型农区内农田、撂荒地、经济林和杂木林四种生境下的分解速率,并调查比较了各生境下的环境因子和土壤小型分解者群落结构和功能的差异。研究结果发现杂木林和撂荒地的分解速率最快,其次为经济林和农田。有乔木覆盖的生境中土壤小型分解者的丰度相对更高,食物网趋于成熟稳定。在人为管理更频繁的农田和经济林,共生和腐生真菌的丰度显著下降,地下食物网的连通性也弱于受干扰程度低的半自然生境,但病原菌的丰度也较低。土壤细菌是调控分解速率最重要的分解者类群;生境中地上植物丰富度的增加、土壤pH、容重和含碳量的升高均有助于加快分解速率。在彭州市推行农林间作模式,增加地上生境复杂度并合理进行人为管理能够更好地维持地下食物网复杂度和连通性,促进分解作用快速、彻底地进行,对维持土壤养分和健康,提高生产力具有重要意义。     

The novel type II toxin–antitoxin PacTA modulates Pseudomonas aeruginosa iron homeostasis by obstructing the DNA-binding activity of Fur

Type II toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are widely distributed in bacterial and archaeal genomes and are involved in diverse critical cellular functions such as defense against phages, biofilm formation, persistence, and virulence. GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) toxin, with an acetyltransferase activity-dependent mechanism of translation inhibition, represents a relatively new and expanding family of type II TA toxins. We here describe a group of GNAT-Xre TA modules widely distributed among Pseudomonas species. We investigated PacTA (one of its members encoded by PA3270/PA3269) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and demonstrated that the PacT toxin positively regulates iron acquisition in P. aeruginosa. Notably, other than arresting translation through acetylating aminoacyl-tRNAs, PacT can directly bind to Fur, a key ferric uptake regulator, to attenuate its DNA-binding affinity and thus permit the expression of downstream iron-acquisition-related genes. We further showed that the expression of the pacTA locus is upregulated in response to iron starvation and the absence of PacT causes biofilm formation defect, thereby attenuating pathogenesis. Overall, these findings reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of GNAT toxin that controls iron-uptake-related genes and contributes to bacterial virulence.     

COVID-19 and systemic lupus erythematosus genetics: A balance between autoimmune disease risk and protection against infection

Genome wide association studies show there is a genetic component to severe COVID-19. We find evidence that the genome-wide genetic association signal with severe COVID-19 is correlated with that of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), having formally tested this using genetic correlation analysis by LD score regression. To identify the shared associated loci and gain insight into the shared genetic effects, using summary level data we performed meta-analyses, a local genetic correlation analysis and fine-mapping using stepwise regression and functional annotation. This identified multiple loci shared between the two traits, some of which exert opposing effects. The locus with most evidence of shared association is TYK2, a gene critical to the type I interferon pathway, where the local genetic correlation is negative. Another shared locus is CLEC1A, where the direction of effects is aligned, that encodes a lectin involved in cell signaling, and the anti-fungal immune response. Our analyses suggest that several loci with reciprocal effects between the two traits have a role in the defense response pathway, adding to the evidence that SLE risk alleles are protective against infection.     

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.     

内蒙古库布齐沙地黑线仓鼠食物构成的季节变化

黑线仓鼠 (Ｃｒｉｃｅｔｕｌｕｓｂａｒａｂｅｎｓｉｓ)是广泛分布于我国华北和中原地区草原、农田的一种农牧业害鼠[8] ,在这些生境中 ,其食物以各种农作物和牧草种子为主 ,并取食大量昆虫[1,3 ,5,6 ] 。在鄂尔多斯高原库布齐沙地环境中 ,由于该种耐受高温环境的能力相对较低 ,仅分布在郁蔽程度较高的固定沙地和农田。研究表明 ,本地区该种的数量近年呈上升趋势[2 ] 。结合研究其数量变动规律 ,我们于 1996年 4～ 10月对其食物构成的季节变化进行了研究 ,以分析其生态适应对策。1　研究方法研究点设在库布齐沙地东段的中国农业科学院草原研…