DSP toxin contents inDinophysis fortii and scallops collected at Mutsu Bay,Japan

Cell densities of toxic phytoplankton species responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) were monitored at a sampling site in Mutsu Bay, Japan, in 1995.Dinophysis fortii almost completely dominated the toxic phytoplankton community. Okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) contents in bothD. fortii cells and midgut glands of scallops collected at the same sampling site were determined by HPLC — fluorometry. DTX1 was detected fromD. fortii and scallops. The contents of DTX1 inD. fortii changed markedly during the experimental periods (5–252 pg cell^–1). The highest concentration of DTX1 in the midgut glands of scallops coincided with the period of relatively high cell densities ofD. fortii with the highest content of DTX1 (252 pg cell^–1). The results demonstrate that toxin content in the cells is an important factor affecting the toxicity of shellfish.     

An improved fluorescent substrate for assaying soluble and membrane-associated ADAM family member activities

A fluorescent resonance energy transfer substrate with improved sensitivity for ADAM17, −10, and −9 (where ADAM represents a disintegrin and metalloproteinase) has been designed. The new substrate, Dabcyl-Pro-Arg-Ala-Ala-Ala-Homophe-Thr-Ser-Pro-Lys(FAM)-NH₂, has specificity constants of 6.3 (±0.3) × 10⁴ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ and 2.4 (±0.3) × 10³ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ for ADAM17 and ADAM10, respectively. The substrate is more sensitive than widely used peptides based on the precursor tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) cleavage site, PEPDAB010 or Dabcyl-Ser-Pro-Leu-Ala-Gln-Ala-Val-Arg-Ser-Ser-Lys(FAM)-NH₂ and Mca-Pro-Leu-Ala-Gln-Ala-Val-Dpa-Arg-Ser-Ser-Arg-NH₂. ADAM9 also processes the new peptide more than 18-fold better than the TNF-alpha-based substrates. The new substrate has a unique selectivity profile because it is processed less efficiently by ADAM8 and MMP1, −2, −3, −8, −9, −12, and −14. This substrate provides a unique tool in which to assess ADAM17, −10, and −9 activities.     

Short form of α9 promotes α9β1 integrin-dependent cell adhesion by modulating the function of the full-length α9 subunit

The α9β1 integrin is a multifunctional receptor that interacts with a variety of ligands including vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, tenascin-C, and osteopontin. A 2.3-kb truncated form of α9 integrin subunit cDNA was identified by searching the Medline database. This splice variant, which we called the short form of α9 integrin (SFα9), encodes a 632-aa isoform lacking transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, and its authentic expression was verified by PCR and Western blotting. SFα9 is expressed on the cell surface but cannot bind ligand in the absence of the full-length α9 subunit. Over-expression of SFα9 in cells expressing full-length α9 promotes α9-dependent cell adhesion. This promoting effect of SFα9 requires the authentic cytoplasmic domain of the co-expressed full-length α9 subunit. Thus, SFα9 is a novel functional modulator of α9β1 integrin by inside-out signaling.     

改善稀有密码子和氨基酸残基限制提高重组人ADAM15去整合素结构域蛋白表达水平

[目的]为提高重组人ADAM(A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase)15去整合素结构域蛋白(rhADAMl5)的表达水平.[方法]在详尽分析rhADAM15的cDNA和GST(谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶).ADAM15结构的基础上,选择表达宿主菌并对表达质粒进行改造.[结果](1)选择能为大肠杆菌稀有密码子提供额外tRNA的Escherichia coli.Rosetta(DE3)作为宿主菌,将质粒pGEX-ADAM15转化于其中在最佳诱导表达条件下获得298 mg/L融合蛋白GST-ADAM15;(2)采用PCR体外定点突变技术将目标蛋白编码区稀有密码子GGA(Gly<'425)替换为GGC,使融合蛋白表达水平提高9.4%;(3)通过消除凝血酶识别序列附近的Pro-Glu-Phe残基,提高凝血酶酶切效率,使rhADAM15产量提高了35.7%;(4)在GGA替换为GGC基础上切除"Pro-Glu-Phe"残基,使rhADAM15产量提高到68 mg/L,比分别切除"Pro-Glu-Phe"残基、GGA替换为GGC和野生型提高了19.2%、51.1%和61.9%.[结论]这一结果表明,在充分认识目标蛋白特性的基础上定向选择表达宿主并改造表达质粒能实现外源蛋白高水平表达.     

Structural determinants of the ADAM inhibition by TIMP-3: crystal structure of the TACE-N-TIMP-3 complex

TIMP-3 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3) is unique among the TIMP inhibitors, in that it effectively inhibits the TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE). In order to understand this selective capability of inhibition, we crystallized the complex formed by the catalytic domain of recombinant human TACE and the N-terminal domain of TIMP-3 (N-TIMP-3), and determined its molecular structure with X-ray data to 2.3 Å resolution. The structure reveals that TIMP-3 exhibits a fold similar to those of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2, and interacts through its functional binding edge, which consists of the N-terminal segment and other loops, with the active-site cleft of TACE in a manner similar to that of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Therefore, the mechanism of TIMP-3 binding toward TACE is not fundamentally different from that previously elucidated for the MMPs. The Phe34 phenyl side chain situated at the tip of the relatively short sA-sB loop of TIMP-3 extends into a unique hydrophobic groove of the TACE surface, and two Leu residues in the adjacent sC-connector and sE-sF loops are tightly packed in the interface allowing favourable interactions, in agreement with predictions obtained by systematic mutations by Gillian Murphy's group. The combination of favourable functional epitopes together with a considerable flexibility renders TIMP-3 an efficient TACE inhibitor. This structure might provide means to design more efficient TIMP inhibitors of TACE.     

在DH5α中拼接构建ADAM10全长真核表达载体的基因突变

目的:构建ADAMI0真核表达载体,为进一步研究其生物学功能打基础.方法:将人ADAM10的上下两部分基因片段(分别为全长基因的1 ～910bp和911 ～2 247bp片段),依次与真核表达载体pcDNA3.1相连,以大肠杆菌DH5α或BL21(DB)作为感受态宿主菌用于转化连接产物,拼接成全长的阳性克隆通过PCR、酶切和测序鉴定.结果:ADAM10下段基因与已正确连入上段的pcDNA3.1重组质粒拼接时,若用DH5α为感受态菌,则下半段出现碱基插入增加512bp,测序结果显示为ADAM10基因第1 531 bp～2 042 bp间的序列有紧邻的双份;若用BL21(DE3)为感受态,则无突变.结论:将ADAM10基因与pcDNA3.1真核表达载体依次拼接构建重组质粒时,以DH5α为宿主菌可出现基因序列增加的罕见突变,而以BL21(DE3)为宿主则无突变,由此成功构建ADAM10全长基因与pcDNA3.1的重组质粒.