Three low molecular weight cysteine proteinase inhibitors of human seminal fluid: Purification and enzyme kinetic properties

The cystatins form a superfamily of structurally related proteins with highly conserved structural folds. They are all potent, reversible, competitive inhibitors of cysteine proteinases (CPs). Proteins from this group present differences in proteinase inhibition despite their high level of structural similarities. In this study, three cysteine proteinase inhibitors (CPIs) of low molecular weight were isolated from human seminal fluid (HSF) by affinity chromatography on carboxymethyl (CM)-papain–Sepharose column, purified using various chromatographic procedures and checked for purity on sodium-dodecyl PAGE (SDS-PAGE). Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time-of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) identified these proteins as cystatin 9, cystatin SN, and SAP-1 (an N-terminal truncated form of cystatin S). All three CPIs suppressed the activity of papain potentially and showed remarkable heat stability. Interestingly SAP-1 also inhibits the activity of trypsin, chymotrypsin, pepsin, and PSA (prostate specific antigen) and acts as a cross-class protease inhibitor in in vitro studies. Using Surface Plasmon Resonance, we have also observed that SAP-1 shows a significant binding with all these proteases. These studies suggest that SAP-1 is a cross-class inhibitor that may regulate activity of various classes of proteases within the reproductive systems. To our knowledge, this is the first report about purification of CPIs from HSF; the identification of such proteins could provide better insights into the physiological processes and offer intimation for further research.     

沙地柏对除叶干扰的生理和生长响应

为了研究沙地柏对模拟自然干扰的生理和生长响应,在毛乌素沙地对它进行了人为除叶为处理的模拟山羊啃食,虫害实验,结果表明,除叶干扰通过改变生理指标峰值出现的时间影响日动态,并显著影响生理指标的日平均值,除叶干扰对当年生枝生物量分配的影响不明显,但显著影响其生长特征。除叶干扰的最终效应受干扰方式和强度的双重制约,不同生理,生长指标对除叶干扰的敏感性存在差异,如净光合速率和腾速率,除干扰具有补偿效应,尤其是除老叶,因此适度剪除2年生以下枝条上的叶可促进当年生枝的生长和生物量积累。     

Application of metal-chelate affinity chromatography to the study of the phosphoproteome

Summary. With the increasing importance of proteome analysis, studying the phosphoproteome is a priority for functional studies. Therefore, a rational approach to simplifying the proteome is needed. In this work, we examined the use of immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) using ferric ions-chelated column for enriching crude cell extracts in phosphoproteins. The adsorption of the proteins on Fe³⁺ was obtained at an acidic pH 5.6, and their elution at a more basic pH in Tris buffer. To evaluate the separation, western blots were performed with either anti-phosphotyrosine or anti-phosphoserine/threonine. The analysis of the eluates demonstrated the selectivity of the separation, particularly for proteins phosphorylated on serine or threonine. In conclusion, the advantages and the limits of this approach are discussed.     

Photosynthetic activity and population dynamics of Amoebobacter purpureus in a meromictic saline lake

Abstract A dense population of the purple sulfur bacterium Amoebobacter purpureus in the chemocline of meromictic Mahoney Lake (British Columbia, Canada) underwent consistent changes in biomass over a two year study period. The integrated amount of bacteriochlorophyll reached maxima in August and declined markedly during early fall. Bacteriochlorophyll was only weakly correlated with the light intensity and water temperature in the chemocline. In the summer, bacterial photosynthesis was limited by sulfide availability. During this period the intracellular sulfur concentration of A. purpureus cells decreased. A minimum concentration was measured at the top of the bacterial layer in August, when specific photosynthetic rates of A. purpureus indicated that only 14% of the cells were photosynthetically active. With the exception of a time period between August and September, the specific growth rates calculated from CO₂ fixation rates of A. purpureus were similar to growth rates calculated from actual biomass changes in the bacterial layer. Between August and September 86% of the A. purpureus biomass disappeared from the chemocline and were deposited on the littoral sediment of Mahoney Lake or degraded within the mixolimnion. This rise of cells to the lake surface was not mediated by an increase in the specific gas vesicle content which remained constant between April and November. The upwelling phenomenon was related to the low sulfur content of A. purpureus cells and a low resistance of surface water layers against vertical mixing by wind.     

On the Permeation by Dioxygen of Urate Oxidase from Aspergillus flavus in Complex with Xanthine Anion: Dioxygen Pathways and a Portrait of the Enzyme Cavities from Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Water Solution

This work describes molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in aqueous media for the complex of the homotetrameric urate oxidase (UOX) from Aspergillus flavus with xanthine anion ( 5 ) in the presence of dioxygen (O₂). After 196.6 ns of trajectory from unrestrained MD, a O₂ molecule was observed leaving the bulk solvent to penetrate the enzyme between two subunits, A/C. From here, the same O₂ molecule was observed migrating, across subunit C, to the hydrophobic cavity that shares residue V227 with the active site. The latter was finally attained, after 378.3 ns of trajectory, with O₂ at a bonding distance from 5 . The reverse same O₂ pathway, from 5 to the bulk solvent, was observed as preferred pathway under random acceleration MD (RAMD), where an external, randomly oriented force was acting on O₂. Both MD and RAMD simulations revealed several cavities populated by O₂ during its migration from the bulk solvent to the active site or backwards. Paying attention to the last hydrophobic cavity that apparently serves as O₂ reservoir for the active site, it was noticed that its volume undergoes ample fluctuations during the MD simulation, as expected from the thermal motion of a flexible protein, independently from the particular subunit and no matter whether the cavity is filled or not by O₂.     

Unveiling the Pathways of Dioxygen Through the C2 Component of the Environmentally Relevant Monooxygenase p‐Hydroxyphenylacetate Hydroxylase from Acinetobacter baumannii: A Molecular Dynamics Investigation

In this work, models of the homotetrameric C2 component of the monooxygenase p‐hydroxyphenylacetate hydroxylase from Acinetobacter baumannii, in complex with dioxygen (O₂) and, or not, the substrate p‐hydroxyphenylacetate (HPA) were built. Both models proved to be amenable to random‐acceleration molecular dynamics (RAMD) simulations, whereby a tiny randomly oriented external force, acting on O₂ at the active site in front of flavin mononucleotide (FMNH^?), accelerated displacement of O₂ toward the bulk solvent. This allowed us to carry out a sufficiently large number of RAMD simulations to be of statistical significance. The two systems behaved very similarly under RAMD, except for O₂ leaving the active site more easily in the absence of HPA, but then finding similar obstacles in getting to the gate as when the active site was sheltered by HPA. This challenges previous conclusions that HPA can only reach the active center after that the C4aOOH derivative of FMNH^? is formed, requiring uptake of O₂ at the active site before HPA. According to these RAMD simulations, O₂ could well get to FMNH^? also in the presence of the substrate at the active site.     

Characterization of a thermo-osmotic gas transport mechanism in Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.

Summary A gas transport system based upon the physico-chemical effect of thermo-osmosis of gases in described for the black alder, Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. Air is transported through the alder's stem to the roots, thus improving O₂ supply to respiring tissues of the root system. The gas transport system is investigated by means of a tracer gas technique (11% ethane in air, v/v). Gas transport depends on any source of radiant heat generating a temperature difference between the tree's stems and the atmosphere. The amount of gas transported in leafless trees is four times higher than the amount of gas reaching the roots by gas diffusion. Two-thirds of the gas is transported in the wood, only one-third in the bark. Intercellular spaces inside the porous lenticels of the bark are responsible for this kind of gas transport. Their diameters are estimated by the effusion rates of different tracer gases to be in the range of 1 m.     

欧前胡素调节Gas6/Axl轴对膀胱癌荷瘤小鼠免疫功能的影响

摘要 目的：探讨欧前胡素（IMP）调节生长停滞特异蛋白6（Gas6）/Axl轴对膀胱癌荷瘤小鼠免疫功能的影响。方法：从60只SPF级雄性C57BL/6小鼠中随机选取12只小鼠作为对照组（CON组）,其余小鼠平均分为Model组、IMP组、Gas6组、IMP+Gas6组,每组12只,往其左侧前肢皮下注射0.2 mL浓度为1×10⁷个/mL的鼠源性膀胱癌肿瘤细胞系T739细胞溶液（Model组和IMP组注射对照载体的T739稳转株细胞,Gas6组和IMP+Gas6组注射过表达Gas6的T739稳转细胞株）造模。造模成功后,IMP组及IMP+Gas6组通过腹腔注射5 mg/kg的IMP;CON组、Model组及Gas6组通过腹腔注射等量的生理盐水,2天1次,持续5次。测量小鼠肿瘤体积和重量;测定胸腺指数和脾脏指数;酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法检测血清白介素2（IL-2）、γ干扰素（IFN-γ）、血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）水平;苏木精-伊红（HE）染色检查肿瘤组织病理变化;流式细胞术检测T细胞亚群;TUNEL染色检测细胞凋亡;蛋白质印迹法（Western blot）检测Gas6/Axl通路相关蛋白表达。结果：Model组肿瘤细胞整体上排列松散,出现不同程度的核固缩、核碎裂现象;IMP则可以逆转该现象,使肿瘤细胞排列重新变得紧密,细胞核固缩程度提升,核碎裂现象降低;Model组较CON组肿瘤体积、肿瘤质量、CD8⁺细胞百分比、Gas6、Axl蛋白水平、VEGF水平显著增加（P<0.05）,胸腺指数和脾脏指数、IL-2、IFN-γ、CD4⁺细胞百分比、CD4⁺/CD8⁺、肿瘤细胞凋亡率显著下降（P<0.05）;与Model组相比,IMP组胸腺指数和脾脏指数、IL-2、IFN-γ、CD4⁺细胞百分比、CD4⁺/CD8⁺、肿瘤细胞凋亡率显著升高（P<0.05）,肿瘤体积、肿瘤质量、CD8⁺细胞百分比、Gas6、Axl蛋白水平、VEGF水平显著下降（P<0.05）;而Gas6组结果与IMP组趋势相反;而IMP+Gas6组的结果显示：IMP能逆转Gas6过表达后对膀胱癌荷瘤小鼠的促瘤作用。结论：IMP可能通过下调Gas6/Axl信号通路改善膀胱癌荷瘤小鼠免疫功能,从而产生抑瘤效果。     

Identification and profiling of volatile metabolites of the biocontrol fungus Trichoderma atroviride by HS-SPME-GC-MS

In the present study we describe a method, which is based on solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and which can be used for the profiling of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) in the headspace (HS) of cultures of filamentous fungi. The method comprises the following successive steps: 1. growth of the fungus on a solid culture medium directly in headspace vials, 2. measurement of volatiles by HS-SPME-GC-MS, 3. deconvolution of mass spectra, 4. identification of volatiles by comparison of measured, deconvoluted mass spectra and linear temperature programmed retention indices (LTPRI) on two stationary GC phases with database entries and LTPRI published in the literature, and 5. profiling of the identified MVOCs.The developed method was successfully applied to cultures of the biocontrol fungus Trichoderma atroviride. An in-house library consisting of mass spectra and LTPRI values of fungal VOCs was established and used to study the profiles of MVOCs of this fungus. In total, 25 different MVOCs were identified by applying strict criteria (spectral match factor at least 90% and a maximum relative deviation of LTPRI of ± 2% from literature values). The MVOCs were assigned to the compound classes of alcohols, ketones, alkanes, furanes, pyrones (mainly the bioactive 6-pentyl-alpha-pyrone), mono- and sesquiterpenes, 13 of which have never been reported to be produced by Trichoderma spp. before. Eleven of these volatiles have been additionally confirmed using authentic standards. Finally, time course experiments and cultivation of T. atroviride in the presence of the mycotoxin fusaric acid demonstrated the potential of the method to study the dynamics of MVOC profiles as well as the effect of different environmental/biological conditions on the expression of MVOCs of filamentous fungi.     

Gas7在大鼠关节软骨中的表达及意义

目的探讨生长休止蛋白7（Gas7）在成年大鼠关节软骨中的表达及意义。方法雄性SD大鼠（3个月、12个月）各12只。取膝关节和股骨上端关节部分,经脱钙石蜡包埋并切片,采用HE染色和免疫组化SABC法检测。检测各关节软骨组织中Gas7的表达及其定位。结果关节软骨切线层与移行层Gas7的表达呈现强阳性,而在辐射层及软骨钙化层则弱阳性或阴性。结论Gas7在成年大鼠关节软骨各层细胞的表达不同,可能与各层软骨细胞的生长发育及代谢状况有关