Effect of trypsin inhibitor from Crotalaria pallida seeds on Callosobruchus maculatus (cowpea weevil) and Ceratitis capitata (fruit fly)

A proteinaceous trypsin inhibitor was purified from Crotalaria pallida seeds by ammonium sulfate precipitation, affinity chromatography on immobilized trypsin-Sepharose and TCA precipitation. The trypsin inhibitor, named CpaTI, had M(r) of 32.5 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE and was composed of two subunits with 27.7 and 5.6 kDa linked by disulfide bridges. CpaTI was stable at 50 degrees C and lost 40% of activity at 100 degrees C. CpaTI was also stable from pH 2 to 12 at 37 degrees C. CpaTI weakly inhibited chymotrypsin and elastase and its inhibition of papain, a cysteine proteinase, were indicative of its bi-functionality. CpaTI inhibited, in different degrees, digestive enzymes from Spodoptera frugiperda, Alabama argillacea, Plodiainterpunctella, Anthonomus grandis and Zabrotes subfasciatus guts. In vitro and in vivo susceptibility of Callosobruchus maculatus and Ceratitis capitata to CpaTI was evaluated. C. maculatus and C. capitata enzymes were strongly susceptible, 74.4+/-15.8% and 100.0+/-7.3%, respectively, to CpaTI. When CpaTI was added to artificial diets and offered to both insect larvae, the results showed that C. maculatus was more susceptible to CpaTI with an LD(50) of 3.0 and ED(50) of 2.17%. C. capitata larvae were more resistant to CpaTI, in disagreement with the in vitro effects. The larvae were more affected at lower concentrations, causing 27% mortality and 44.4% mass decrease. The action was constant at 2-4% (w/w) with 15% mortality and 38% mass decrease.     

Effect of influent COD/N ratio on biological nitrogen removal (BNR) from high-strength ammonium industrial wastewater

The effect of influent COD/N ratio on biological nitrogen removal (BNR) from high-strength ammonium industrial wastewater was investigated. Experiments were conducted in a modified Ludzack–Ettinger pilot-plant configuration for 365 days. Total nitrification of an influent concentration of 1200 mg NH₄⁺–N l⁻¹ was obtained in this period. Influent COD/N ratios between 0.71 and 3.4 g COD g N⁻¹ were tested by varying the nitrogen loading rate (NLR) supplied to the pilot plant. An exponential decrease of nitrification rate was observed when the influent COD/N ratio increased.

The experimental COD/N ratio for denitrification was 7.1±0.8 g COD g N⁻¹ while the stoichiometric ratio was 4.2 g COD g N⁻¹. This difference is attributable to the oxidation of organic matter in the anoxic reactor with the oxygen of the internal recycle. The influence of influent COD/N ratio on the treatment of high-strength ammonium industrial wastewater can be quantified with these results. The influence of COD/N ratio should be one of the main parameters in the design of biological nitrogen removal processes in industrial wastewater treatment.     

Effects of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs) on the Biological Nitrogen Fixation,Nodulation, and Growth of Lupinus albus l. cv. Multolupa

The effects of five plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on the biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), nodulation, and growth promotion of plants of Lupinus albus cv. Multolupa were investigated. The plants were selected for their capacity to use 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) as the sole source of nitrogen. Four strains belonged to the genus Pseudomonas (Luc 1, Luc 2, Luc 3, and Luc 4) and one (Luc 5) belonged to the genus Bacillus. Three patterns of inoculation were examined. In the first pattern, PGPRs were inoculated seven days before being inoculated with B. japonicum. In the second pattern, PGPRs and B. japonicum were co‐inoculated, and in the last pattern, PGPRs were inoculated seven days after being inoculated with B. japonicum. The plants were sampled 30 and 45 days after being inoculated with B. japonicum (T1 and T2). In the first pattern of inoculation, Luc 5 significantly increased the biological nitrogen fixation compared to the control at the first sampling time, as did Luc 1 and Luc 4 at the second sampling time. In the second pattern of inoculation, Luc 5 negatively effected the biological nitrogen fixation at both sampling times. In the third pattern of inoculation, all PGPRs caused a decrease in the nitrogen content of the plants compared to the control. The results obtained according to the patterns of inoculation showed that the mechanisms of action of the effects and routes used by Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive strains were clearly different. Competition between PGPRs and B. japonicum, competition for the niches in the rhizoplane, production of auxins, and induction of systemic resistance (ISR) by the production of siderophores or by lipopolysaccharides present in the outer membrane (LPS) are discussed as probable reasons for the effects observed.     

重组小鼠canstatin N端片段对鸡胚新生血管生成的抑制作用(英)

为了研究重组小鼠canstatin N端片段的体内抗血管生成活性, 通过PCR扩增小鼠canstatin N端片段cDNA,定向克隆于原核表达载体pET30a(+)中,构建小鼠canstatin N端片段重组表达载体pET-mCanN, 转化E.coli BL21(DE3), IPTG诱导表达,SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE)和蛋白质印迹检测小鼠canstatin N端片段的表达. 结果表明,IPTG诱导原核表达载体pET-mCanN在大肠杆菌E.coli BL21(DE3)中高效表达, 小鼠canstatin N端片段表达量约占菌体总蛋白量的18%, 小鼠canstatin N端片段主要以包涵体形式存在,包涵体经过洗涤、裂解、Ni-spin column亲合柱层析以及蛋白质复性等步骤纯化后,获得了纯度约为92%的重组小鼠canstatin N端片段. 鸡胚绒毛尿囊膜(chicken embryo choriollantoic membrane,CAM)实验表明,原核表达的小鼠canstatin N端片段能有效地按剂量依赖的方式抑制鸡胚新生血管的形成.     

转染人核糖核酸酶抑制因子基因对B16黑色瘤细胞及肿瘤转移的影响(英)

人核糖核酸酶抑制因子(human ribonuclease inhibitor, RI)是一种细胞质中分子质量为50 ku的酸性糖蛋白.RI能抑制核糖核酸酶A（RNase A）的活性, RNase A与血管生成因子（angiogenin,Ang）的氨基酸有着高度保守的同源序列.Ang是RNase A超家族的一员,RI通过与RNase A和Ang的紧密结合而抑制其活性.血管生成及新血管的形成, 是肿瘤发生和转移的必要条件.所以抗血管生成将是一种很有希望的对抑制肿瘤生长和转移的有效方法.实验显示RI能有效地抑制肿瘤诱导血管的生成.RI由含有许多亮氨酸重复序列的多肽组成.含有这样重复序列的100多种蛋白质显示了广泛的功能,包括细胞周期调节,DNA修复,对细胞外基质相互作用以及抑制酶活性等.RI被认为是胚胎发育,创伤愈合及肿瘤发生中新血管形成的一种调节因子.RI定位于染色体的11p15.5,与ras基因邻近,在肿瘤病人中经常存在染色体11p15.5部位的变异和异常.RI可能与细胞的生长和分化有关, 因此,RI 可能还具有尚未知的生物学作用.为了进一步了解RI的潜在功能以及探讨RI与肿瘤浸润、转移的关系, 将人的核糖核酸酶抑制因子基因的cDNA通过逆转录包装细胞PA317,并转染到B16小鼠黑色瘤细胞中, 用转染空载体和未转染的B16细胞作为对照.通过PCR, RT-PCR, 蛋白质免疫印迹, 免疫荧光分析鉴定,获得稳定表达人核糖核酸酶抑制因子的细胞株.结果显示, 转染的RI基因在体外能显著地抑制细胞增殖和细胞迁移,增加了细胞的粘附以及改善细胞的恶性形态,B16,B16 pLNCX,B16 pLNCX-RI 3种细胞的倍增时间分别为(24.98±0.16) h, (25.62±0.28) h, (32.64±1.11) h.与对照组相比,转RI的细胞粘附率增加17.8%和19.5%而迁移降低了61.4%和60%.转RI的细胞比对照组细胞较平展,核仁和分裂相较少,胞质嗜碱性减弱,提示细胞增殖活性降低和恶性表型的改善. 将3种B16细胞静脉注射到C57BL/6小鼠中, 结果表明, 转染RI基因的实验组显著地抑制了肿瘤的转移, 与两个对照组相比,荷瘤小鼠有更长的存活时间, 少得多的转移节结, 更低的肿瘤血管密度和肺重量.结果显示,RI的表达可能与黑色瘤的转移有关, 提示RI能显著地抑制肿瘤的转移,可能由于其与抑制血管作用,增加细胞粘附,降低细胞迁移及增殖有关.     

Plant growth inhibitory activity of Ophiopogon japonicus Ker-Gawler and role of phenolic acids and their analogues: a comparative study

Allelopathic potential of Ophiopogon japonicus was investigated. The methanolic extract of O. japonicus roots strongly inhibited root and hypocotyls growth of lettuce. Sequential partitioning of the methanol extract with organic solvents showed that the diethyl ether and n-butanol extract possess strong plant growth inhibitory activities. The allelopathic constituents of the diethyl ether extract were isolated and identified as salicylic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid by NMR spectroscopy. Both of these phenolic acids were found in the aqueous extracts of leaves as well. The concentration of salicylic acid in roots and leaves were estimated as 0.011 and 0.02%, respectively, and it inhibited the root and shoot of tested plants by 50% even at less than 3 ppm. The p-hydroxybenzoic acid on the other hand was in less abundance (0.005%) and inhibited the plant growth to a lesser extent. The biological activity of commercially available O-methyl derivatives of these phenolic acids was also determined to establish structure–activity relationship. Among these, salicylic acid was found to be the most active one. These results suggest that Ophiopogon japonicus produces plant growth inhibitors, which are responsible for its potential allelopathic activity.     

Nitrogen cycling in poplar stands defoliated by insects

Large-scale outbreaks of defoliating insects are common in temperate forests. These outbreaks are thought to be responsible for substantial cycling of nitrogen (N), and its loss from the system. Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) populations within poplar plots were manipulated over 2 years so that the ecosystem-wide consequences of catastrophic defoliation on N cycling could be examined. The quantities of N in leaf litter-fall, ammonia volatilization and soil N pools were estimated across the two seasons. Defoliated leaf biomass was estimated from experimentally derived approximate digestibility factors and added to the mass of senesced leaf to determine total annual leaf production. Throughout the growing season the defoliation treatment peaked at about 40% in year 1 and 100% in year 2. Rapid regrowth after defoliation meant that only 45% of the annual leaf biomass was consumed in the defoliation treatment in year 2, while control plots suffered about 20% consumption each year. In each year, defoliated plots produced 20% more leaf biomass and N than the controls, a phenomenon attributed to compensatory photosynthesis. No substantial losses of N via ammonia volatilization, nitrous oxide emission or nitrate leaching were observed. Neither was there any sustained or substantial gain in the soils microbial biomass or inorganic N pools. These observations suggest that the defoliated poplars were able to compete with soil microbes and N loss mechanisms for soil N as it became available, thereby ameliorating the effects of defoliation on soil nitrogen cycling. We conclude from this study that the N mineralized from defoliation residues was conserved in this plantation ecosystem.     

A homogeneous cellular histone deacetylase assay suitable for compound profiling and robotic screening

Most cellular assays that quantify the efficacy of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors measure hyperacetylation of core histone proteins H3 and H4. Here we describe a new approach, directly measuring cellular HDAC enzymatic activity using the substrate Boc-K(Ac)-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC). After penetration into HeLa cervical carcinoma or K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cells, the deacetylated product Boc-K-AMC is formed which, after cell lysis, is cleaved by trypsin, finally releasing the fluorophor AMC. The cellular potency of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, LBH589, trichostatin A, and MS275 as well-known HDAC inhibitors was determined using this assay. IC(50) values derived from concentration-effect curves correlated well with EC(50) values derived from a cellomics array scan histone H3 hyperacetylation assay. The cellular HDAC activity assay was adapted to a homogeneous format, fully compatible with robotic screening. Concentration-effect curves generated on a Tecan Genesis Freedom workstation were highly reproducible with a signal-to-noise ratio of 5.7 and a Z' factor of 0.88, indicating a very robust assay. Finally, a HDAC-inhibitor focused library was profiled in a medium-throughput screening campaign. Inhibition of cellular HDAC activity correlated well with cytotoxicity and histone H3 hyperacetylation in HeLa cells and with inhibition of human recombinant HDAC1 in a biochemical assay. Thus, by using Boc-K(Ac)-AMC as a cell-permeable HDAC substrate, the activity of various protein lysine-specific deacetylases including HDAC1-containing complexes is measurable in intact cells in a simple and homogeneous manner.     

Photo-crosslinking of proteins in intact cells reveals a dimeric structure of cyclooxygenase-2 and an inhibitor-sensitive oligomeric structure of microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1

We have characterized the structures of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and microsomal prostaglandin E₂ synthase-1 (mPGES-1) in intact cells using bifunctional and photo-activatable crosslinking agents. A dimeric complex was detected for COX-2 by both crosslinking approaches, consistent with the crystal structure of the enzyme. For mPGES-1, treatment of A549 cells with disuccinimidyl suberate yielded immunoreactive protein bands corresponding to a dimer (33 kDa) and a trimer (45 kDa), as observed for the isolated enzyme. Photo-crosslinking with photoactivatable methionine in intact cells generated complexes with molecular weights corresponding to the dimer (33 kDa) and two putative trimer forms (50 and 55 kDa). Treatment with the selective mPGES-1 inhibitor MF63 prevented the formation of the 50 and 55 kDa crosslinked complexes, while an inactive structural analogue had no effect. Our data indicate that COX-2 forms a dimer in intact cells and that mPGES-1 has an oligomeric structure that can be disrupted by a selective inhibitor.     

Inhibition of tumor-stromal interaction through HGF/Met signaling by valproic acid

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which is produced by surrounding stromal cells, including fibroblasts and endothelial cells, has been shown to be a significant factor responsible for cancer cell invasion mediated by tumor-stromal interactions. We found in this study that the anti-tumor agent valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, strongly inhibited tumor-stromal interaction. VPA inhibited HGF production in fibroblasts induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and prostaglandin E₂ without any appreciable cytotoxic effect. Other HDAC inhibitors, including butyric acid and trichostatin A (TSA), showed similar inhibitory effects on HGF production stimulated by various inducers. Up-regulations of HGF gene expression induced by PMA and EGF were also suppressed by VPA and TSA. Furthermore, VPA significantly inhibited HGF-induced invasion of HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. VPA, however, did not affect the increases in phosphorylation of MAPK and Akt in HGF-treated HepG2 cells. These results demonstrated that VPA inhibited two critical processes of tumor-stromal interaction, induction of fibroblastic HGF production and HGF-induced invasion of HepG2 cells, and suggest that those activities serve for other anti-tumor mechanisms of VPA besides causing proliferation arrest, differentiation, and/or apoptosis of tumor cells.