重力钝感的水稻突变体在重力和微重力条件下淀粉体的观察分析（简报）

植物向重性的研究一直受到关注,主要的研究集中在双子叶模式生物拟南芥中,而对单子叶植物的研究却很少。植物对重力感受的方式存在多种解释,但目前大量证据表明淀粉体一平衡石理论较为合理,它认为淀粉体作为平衡石在植物向重性反应中发挥了重要的作用。经过100多年的研究,现已从生理学与     

Enhanced endothelial nitric oxide-synthase activity in mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei

Infection of humans with Trypanosoma brucei causes sleeping sickness, which is invariably fatal if left untreated. The course of infection is characterised, among others, by multiple organ damage including cardiovascular dysfunctions such as hypotension and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. The latter eventually leads to the parasite invasion into central nervous system and ultimately to the death of the patient. Nitric oxide (NO) synthesised from L-arginine via endothelial NO-synthase (eNOS) is involved in the control of vascular tone and permeability. The present study explores the effect of T. brucei infection on the endothelium-dependent in vitro vasomotor response of isolated mouse aortas. Aorta rings were suspended in organ chambers for isometric tension recording. The endothelium-dependent NO-mediated relaxation in response to acetylcholine (10(-9) to 10(-5) M) was markedly enhanced in the infected mice compared to controls (P<0.05), whereas the endothelium-independent vasodilation to an exogenous NO-donor, sodium nitroprusside, was comparable in both groups. Norepinephrine-stimulated contraction was also comparable in the absence or presence of the NO-synthase inhibitor N(omega)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 10(-4)M) in both groups. The enhanced endothelium-dependent relaxation in the infected mice correlated well with a 3.5-fold increase in eNOS protein level in these aortas as compared to those of control mice (P=0.05). Thus, T. brucei infection enhances eNOS protein expression in the endothelium, causing a pronounced vasodilation. Overproduction of NO in trypanosomiasis may be involved in the observed generalised hypotension and in an increased vascular permeability that facilitates T. brucei invasion into surrounding tissues and its penetration into the central nervous system in later phases of infection.     

G蛋白Rab3a协同神经生长抑制因子(GIF)抑制神经元的生长

为了研究G蛋白Rab3a与神经生长抑制因子 (growthinhibitoryfactor,GIF ,原称金属硫蛋白 3,MT 3)相互作用对神经元细胞生长的影响 ,以嗜铬细胞瘤株 (pheochromocytoma)PC1 2充当神经元模型 .将hMT 3(humanMT 3)和Rab3a基因分别克隆至真核表达载体pFlag CMV 2和pSV HA中 ,质粒共同转染PC1 2细胞 ,观察转染后细胞的生长状态 .以共转染pFlag CMV 2 hMT 1和pSV HA Rab3a的细胞组作为对照 ,验证hMT 3与Rab3a相互作用对PC1 2影响的特异性 .结果发现 ,共转染pFlag CMV 2 hMT 3和pSV HA Rab3a的PC1 2细胞生长明显受到抑制 ,细胞生长抑制率与GIF在脑提取物存在F的神经元生长抑制作用接近 ,但转染两基因中的任何单个基因以及共转染pFlag CMV 2 hMT 1和pSV HA Rab3a对PC1 2细胞生长无影响 .进一步构建重组表达质粒pGEX 4T 1 Rab3a和pGEX 4T 1 hMT 3,转化大肠杆菌BL2 1 ,经谷胱甘肽 Sepharose 4B亲和层析、凝血酶酶切和SephacrylS 1 0 0纯化 ,得到纯度 95 %以上的Rab3a和hMT 3蛋白 .体外细胞生物学活性检测表明 ,表达的Rab3a蛋白与重组hMT 3蛋白共培养PC1 2 ,对细胞的生长产生了明显的特异性协同抑制作用 ,抑制曲线与GIF在脑提取物存在下的神经元生长抑制曲线极为相似     

水稻蜡质基因第一内含子中g片段上核蛋白因子结合位点的确定

水稻蜡质基因 5’非翻译区中的第一内含子具有增强基因表达的作用 ,本实验室曾检测到该内含子中的一段 171bp长的g片段与水稻未成熟种子核蛋白存在特异性结合。本文进一步用凝胶滞后实验和足印实验确定了该核蛋白在g片段上的结合位点位于蜡质基因转录起始点下游 783～ 818bp处 ,该结合位点富含AT碱基 ;Southwesternblot实验测出该蛋白的分子量约为 2 0kD。用硫酸铵分步沉淀和肝素 Sepharose柱层析的方法对这一蛋白进行了初步纯化。还初步检测了此蛋白DNA结合活性对温度的耐受性。以上特征提示它可能属于HMG类DNA结合蛋白     

Substrate spectrum of tyrocidine thioesterase probed with randomized peptide N-acetylcysteamine thioesters

Apparent kinetic constants k(cat) and K(m) were determined for tyrocidine thioesterase (TycC TE) using randomized peptide N-acetylcysteamine thioesters as substrate analogues. The enzyme has been found to be adequately active for the synthesis of positional-scanning libraries for novel antibiotic screening with reduced k(cat)/K(m) in the range of 2 to 82 folds lower than that of the wild-type sequence     

An introduction to the China Rice Functional Genomics Program

The China Rice Functional Genomics Program (CRFGP) was initiated in 1999 by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China under the National Basic Sciences Initiative and was expected to last for an initial period of five years. The CRFGP involves 20 research groups from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and some major universities and focuses on the identification of genes controlling flowering, plant architecture, fertility, reproduction, metabolic controls and stress responses in rice through a combinatorial approach based on genetics, molecular biology and functional genomics as well as the generation of intellectual properties related to crop breeding and improvements. We will briefly describe the mission of the CRFGP as well as its recent progress.     

RACK1 and CIS mediate the degradation of BimEL in cancer cells

RACK1 is a 7-WD motif-containing protein with numerous downstream effectors regulating various cellular functions. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified dynein light chain 1 as a novel interacting partner of RACK1. Additionally, we demonstrated that RACK1 formed a complex with DLC1 and Bim, specifically BimEL, in the presence of apoptotic agents. Upon paclitaxel treatment, RACK1, DLC1, and CIS mediated the degradation of BimEL through the ElonginB/C-Cullin2-CIS ubiquitin-protein isopeptide ligase complex. We further showed that RACK1 conferred paclitaxel resistance to breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we observed an inverse correlation between CIS and BimEL levels in both ovarian and breast cancer cell lines and specimens. Our study suggests a role of RACK1 in protecting cancer cells from apoptosis by regulating the degradation of BimEL, which together with CIS could play an important role of drug resistance in chemotherapy.