铜藻中β-丙氨酸的分离及结构鉴定

非蛋白质氨基酸在抗癌、抗菌、抗结核、抗坏血病等方面有着重要的作用。本文主要对铜藻中的游离氨基酸进行检测分析和部分分离纯化及结构鉴定方面的研究,为更好的开发利用这些天然产物提供技术支持。采用离子交换树脂层析法分离铜藻粗提液中的游离氨基酸,收集3 mol/L的氨水洗脱液,用PITC-HPLC柱前衍生反相高效液相色谱法对其进行检测分析,结果显示粗提液中除含有多种组成蛋白质的氨基酸外还有3种未知组分,且含量较高的常见蛋白质氨基酸为丙氨酸、脯氨酸、缬氨酸。采用半制备高效液相色谱系统制备分离了其中一种未知组分的衍生物MWZ2,经真空冷冻干燥后为略黄固体粉末,结合核磁共振波谱、高分辨质谱、红外光谱数据,最终鉴定MWZ2去掉已知取代基团PITC后的成分为β-丙氨酸,分子式为C3H7NO2,分子量为89.09。     

Circulating tumor microemboli: Progress in molecular understanding and enrichment technologies

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and their clusters, also known as circulating tumor microemboli (CTM), have emerged as valuable tool that can provide mechanistic insights into the tumor heterogeneity, clonal evolution, and stochastic events within the metastatic cascade. However, recent investigations have hinted that CTM may not be mere aggregates of tumor cells but cells comprising CTM exhibit distinct phenotypic and molecular characteristics in comparison to single CTCs. Moreover, in many cases CTM demonstrated higher metastatic potential and resistance to apoptosis as compared to their single cell counterparts. Thus, their evaluation and enumeration may provide a new dimension to our understanding of cancer biology and metastatic cancer spread as well as offer novel theranostic biomarkers. Most of the existing technologies for isolation of hematogenous tumor cells largely favor single CTCs, hence there is a need to devise new approaches, or re-configure the existing ones, for specific and efficient CTM isolation. Here we review existing knowledge and insights on CTM biology. Furthermore, a critical commentary on current and emerging trends in CTM enrichment and characterization along with recently developed ex-vivo CTC expansion methodologies is presented with the aim to facilitate researchers to identify further avenues of research and development.     

Wnt/β-catenin信号通路在博来霉素诱导的系统性硬化症小鼠模型血管重塑中的作用

系统性硬化症(systemic sclerosis,SSc)是一种慢性可累及全身多脏器的自身免疫性疾病,以广泛的血管病变及皮肤和内脏的纤维化为特征,但其机制迄今尚不明确。已有研究证实,Wnt通路参与了SSc纤维化,但其在血管病变中的病理作用尚未见报道。本研究拟采用博来霉素(bleomycin,BLM)诱导的SSc小鼠模型,探讨Wnt通路在SSc皮肤血管病变中的作用。将18只Balb/C小鼠随机平均分为3组,分别设为对照组(于小鼠背部皮下注射PBS 100 μL/d)、模型组(于小鼠背部皮下注射浓度为 1 mg/mL 博来霉素BLM 100 μL/d)和治疗组(于小鼠背部皮下注射 1 mg/mL BLM 100 μL/d,同时腹腔注射Wnt及β-catenin的抑制剂 iCRT3 5 mg/kg·d),于造模第28 d处死小鼠。小鼠皮肤取材后,通过HE染色及Masson染色观察到经BLM诱导的模型组小鼠背真皮、表皮厚度较对照组皮肤均明显增加(P<0.05),同时模型组的皮脂腺、毛囊等皮肤附属器明显减少,脂肪层厚度变薄并被纤维组织包绕,模型组皮肤胶原沉积较对照组增加;通过免疫组织化学染色在组织学层面鉴定α-SMA表达情况,发现模型组及治疗组α-SMA在皮肤组织中均高表达,α-SMA阳性表达在血管周围较对照组明显增加;通过ELISA方法检测出模型组小鼠血清中IL-6及IL-17表达量较对照组明显升高(P<0.05),治疗组小鼠血清中IL-6及IL-17的表达量较模型组明显下降(P<0.05);提取皮肤微血管片段,通过q-PCR检测到模型组及治疗组小鼠皮肤微血管中β-联蛋白的mRNA基因表达水平较正常组升高;通过Western印迹检测皮肤微血管Wnt5A、β-联蛋白、α-SMA、col1A1的蛋白质表达情况,发现纤维化相关蛋白质α-SMA及col1A1在模型组表达升高,较对照组有统计学差异(P<0.05),治疗组较模型组表达下降(P<0.05),Wnt通路相关蛋白质β-联蛋白及Wnt5A在模型组表达明显升高,较之对照组有统计学差异(P<0.05)。本研究提示,BLM能成功诱导小鼠系统性硬化症皮肤表型,Wnt通路的异常激活参与了BLM诱导的硬皮病小鼠皮肤微血管病变,特异性Wnt通路抑制剂iCRT3可能通过直接或间接的方式下调细胞因子IL-6及IL-17,从而降低BLM诱导的小鼠皮肤微血管中的α-SMA及col1A1蛋白质表达,改善小鼠皮肤微血管病变,干预BLM诱导的小鼠血管病变的进展。     

Combinatory responses of proinflamamtory cytokines on nitric oxide-mediated function in mouse calvarial osteoblasts

Combinatory responses of proinflamamtory cytokines have been examined on the nitric oxide-mediated function in cultured mouse calvarial osteoblasts. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) induced iNOS gene expression and NO production, although these actions were inhibited by L-NG-monomethylarginine (L-NMMA) and decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) activity. Furthermore, NO donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and NONOate dose-dependently elevated ALPase activity. In contrast, transforming-growth factor-β (TGF-β) decreased NO production stimulated by IL-1β, TNF-α and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). iNOS was expressed by mouse calvarial osteoblast cells after stimulation with IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Incubation of mouse calvarial osteoblast cells with the cytokines inhibited growth and ALPase activity. However, TGF-β-treatment abolished these effects of IL-1β, TNF-α and IFN-γ on growth inhibition and stimulation of ALPase in mouse calvarial osteoblast cells. In contrast, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ exerted growth-inhibiting effects on mouse calvarial osteoblast cells which were partly NO-dependent. The results suggest that NO may act predominantly as a modulator of cytokine-induced effects on mouse calvarial osteoblast cells and TGF-β is a negative regulator of the NO production stimulated by IL-1β, TNF-α and IFN-γ.     

Lipid droplet proteins and metabolic diseases

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous cellular organelles for lipid storage which are composed of a neutral lipid core bounded by a protein decorated phospholipid monolayer. Although lipid storage is their most obvious function, LDs are far from inert as they participate in maintaining lipid homeostasis through lipid synthesis, metabolism, and transportation. Furthermore, they are involved in cell signaling and other molecular events closely associated with human disease such as dyslipidemia, obesity, lipodystrophy, diabetes, fatty liver, atherosclerosis, and others. The last decade has seen a great increase in the attention paid to LD biology. Regardless, many fundamental features of LD biology remain obscure. In this review, we will discuss key aspects of LD biology including their biogenesis, growth and regression. We will also summarize the current knowledge about the role LDs play in human disease, especially from the perspective of the dynamics of the associated proteins. This article is part of a Special issue entitled Cardiac adaptations to obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance, edited by Professors Jan F.C. Glatz, Jason R.B. Dyck and Christine Des Rosiers.     

Phenylalanine promotes interaction of transmembrane domains via GxxxG motifs

Interactions of transmembrane helices play a crucial role in the folding and oligomerisation of integral membrane proteins. In order to uncover novel sequence motifs mediating these interactions, we randomised one face of a transmembrane helix with a set of non-polar or moderately polar amino acids. Those sequences capable of self-interaction upon integration into bacterial inner membranes were selected by means of the ToxR/POSSYCCAT system. A comparison between low/medium-affinity and high-affinity sequences reveals that high-affinity sequences are strongly enriched in phenylalanine residues that are frequently observed at the − 3 position of GxxxG motifs, thus yielding FxxGxxxG motifs. Mutation of Phe or GxxxG in selected sequences significantly reduces self-interaction of the transmembrane domains without affecting their efficiency of membrane integration. Conversely, grafting FxxGxxxG onto unrelated transmembrane domains strongly enhances their interaction. Further, we find that FxxGxxxG is significantly over-represented in transmembrane domains of bitopic membrane proteins. The same motif contributes to self-interaction of the vesicular stomatitis virus G protein transmembrane domain. We conclude that Phe stabilises membrane-spanning GxxxG motifs. This is one example of how the role of certain side-chains in helix-helix interfaces is modulated by sequence context.     

Analysis of the inducible MEL1 gene of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis and its secreted product, alpha-galactosidase (melibiase)

We have determined both the nucleotide sequence of the MEL1 gene of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis and the N-terminal amino acid (aa) sequence of its extracellular gene product, alpha-galactosidase (melibiase) (alpha-Gal). The predicted translation product of MEL1 is a pre-alpha-Gal protein containing an 18 aa N-terminal signal sequence for secretion. The purified enzyme is a dimer consisting of two 50-kDal polypeptides, each of which is glycosylated with no more than eight side chains. The 5'-flank of the MEL1 gene contains a region (UASm) having certain areas of sequence homology to similar sites found upstream of the structural genes GAL1, GAL7 and GAL10, which are also regulated by the action of the products of genes GAL4 and GAL80. There are three TATA boxes between UASm and the initiation codon of pre-alpha-Gal, as well as a typical yeast cleavage/polyadenylation sequence in the 3'-flank of the gene.     

Pentabromopseudilin: a myosin V inhibitor suppresses TGF-β activity by recruiting the type II TGF-β receptor to lysosomal degradation

Pentabromopseudilin (PBrP) is a marine antibiotic isolated from the marine bacteria Pseudomonas bromoutilis and Alteromonas luteoviolaceus. PBrP exhibits antimicrobial, anti-tumour, and phytotoxic activities. In mammalian cells, PBrP is known to act as a reversible and allosteric inhibitor of myosin Va (MyoVa). In this study, we report that PBrP is a potent inhibitor of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) activity. PBrP inhibits TGF-β-stimulated Smad2/3 phosphorylation, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) protein production and blocks TGF-β-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition in epithelial cells. PBrP inhibits TGF-β signalling by reducing the cell-surface expression of type II TGF-β receptor (TβRII) and promotes receptor degradation. Gene silencing approaches suggest that MyoVa plays a crucial role in PBrP-induced TβRII turnover and the subsequent reduction of TGF-β signalling. Because, TGF-β signalling is crucial in the regulation of diverse pathophysiological processes such as tissue fibrosis and cancer development, PBrP should be further explored for its therapeutic role in treating fibrotic diseases and cancer.     

Ca regulates the subcellular localization of adenomatous polyposis coli tumor suppressor protein

Microtubule (MT) plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) are involved in the regulation of MT plus-end dynamics and stabilization. It was reported previously that an increase in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) induced by disruption of the plasma membrane stimulates rearrangement of MTs [T. Togo, Disruption of the plasma membrane stimulates rearrangement of microtubules and lipid traffic toward the wound site, J. Cell Sci. 119 (2006) 2780-2786], suggesting that some +TIPs are regulated by Ca²⁺. In the present study, the behavior of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) following an increase in [Ca²⁺]_i was observed using Xenopus A6 epithelial cell expressing GFP-tagged APC. An increase in [Ca²⁺]_i by cell membrane disruption or by ionomycin treatment induced dissociation of APC without depolymerizing MTs. Inhibition of a tyrosine kinase and GSK-3β suppressed APC dissociation upon an increase in [Ca²⁺]_i. Western blotting analysis showed that Ca²⁺ transients activated GSK-3β through a tyrosine kinase. These results suggest that Ca²⁺ stimulates redistribution of APC through a tyrosine kinase- and GSK-3β-dependent pathway.