Structural consideration of the formation of the activation complex between the staphylokinase-like streptococcal plasminogen activator PadA and bovine plasminogen

The characteristics of a streptococcal plasminogen activator (PA) displaying specificity for ruminant plasminogen (Plg) were defined using molecular approaches. The 16-kDa secreted protein PadA was found to be prevalent in Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies dysgalactiae isolated from cases of bovine mastitis and septic arthritis in lambs. PadA was able to activate bovine, ovine and caprine Plg, but not human Plg. Amino acid sequence analysis identified a limited level of homology to other streptococcal PAs, including streptokinase; however, PadA was found to align well with and match in size the staphylococcal PA, staphylokinase. Recombinant PadA was used to investigate interaction with bovine Plg, leading to formation of an activator complex that was capable of recruiting and converting further substrate Plg into plasmin. Individual non-overlapping peptides of PadA or bovine microplasminogen were found to block the interaction between PadA and bovine Plg, preventing the formation of the activation complex. Homology modelling based upon structures of staphylokinase complexed with human microplasminogen supported these findings by placing critical residues in close proximity to the plasmin component of the activation complex.     

Characterization of a Bacillus subtilis 64-kDa DNA polymerase X potentially involved in DNA repair

Bacillus subtilis gene yshC encodes a 64-kDa family X DNA polymerase (PolXBs), which contains all the critical residues involved in DNA and nucleotide binding as well as those responsible for catalysis of DNA polymerization, conserved in most family X members. Biochemical analyses of the purified enzyme indicate that PolXBs is a monomeric and strictly template-directed DNA polymerase, preferentially acting on DNA structures containing gaps from one to a few nucleotides and bearing a phosphate group at the 5' end of the downstream DNA. The fact that PolXBs is able to conduct filling of a single-nucleotide gap, allowing further sealing of the resulting nick by a DNA ligase, points to a putative role in base excision repair during the B. subtilis life cycle.     

Lilliputians get into the limelight: Novel class of small peptide genes in morphogenesis

Generally, bioactive small peptides are derived from precursors with signal sequences at their N-terminal ends, which undergo modification and proteolysis through a secretory pathway. By contrast, small peptides encoded in short open reading frames (sORF) lack signaling sequences and therefore are released into the cytoplasm, which may result in their having functions distinct from those of secreted peptides. Several small peptides encoded by sORF are involved in the morphogenesis of multicellular organisms. POLARIS, ROTUNDIFOLIA4, and Enod40 are plant peptides that are involved, respectively, in root formation, leaf shape control, and cortical cell division during nodule formation. Brick1 / HSPC300 is an evolutionarily conserved component of the actin reorganization complex. polished rice / tarsal-less and mille-pattes encode related small peptides that are required for epithelial morphogenesis in Drosophila and segmentation in Tribolium . There are only a few known examples of small peptides encoded by sORF, and their molecular functions are still largely obscure. Nevertheless, an increasing number of sORF genes is being identified, and further research should reveal their roles in novel molecular mechanisms underlying developmental events.     

猪圆环病毒2型ORF2基因在昆虫细胞中的表达及其特性

利用Bac-to-Bac杆状病毒表达系统将圆环病毒2型的ORF2全基因克隆到杆状病毒转移载体pFastBac^TM1中,获得重组转移载体pFast-OFR2,再将其转化进含穿梭载体Bacmid的感受态细胞DH10Bac中,发生转座作用,经蓝白菌落筛选得到含ORF2基因的重组穿梭载体Bac-ORF2,以脂质体介导的方法将重组穿梭载体转染sf9细胞,获得重组病毒,命名为Ac-ORF2。间接免疫荧光分析表明,PCV2阳性血清能使Ac-ORF2感染的sf9昆虫细胞呈强的荧光着色; SDS-PAGE与Western-blotting分析可见大小约为28kD的特异性带,表明Ac.ORF2在sf9细胞中成功表达了PCV2-ORF2蛋白。将该表达蛋白纯化并经磷钨酸负染后,通过电镜观察可见形态与PCV2病毒粒子相似的病毒样颗粒(VLPs),其中某些颗粒由于中心浓染而似空衣壳,其直径也为17nm左右。     

苏云金芽孢杆菌cry2Aa操纵元蛋白对杀虫蛋白晶体形成作用的研究

利用重叠PCR的方法,通过两次PCR扩增,分别获得cry2A10操纵元的orf1、orf1 orf2与cry2Ab5基因的融合片段。融合片段经BamHⅠ和EcoRⅠ双酶切与pHT315连接,分别构建了基因融合片段的原核表达载体pFU(orf1 2Ab)和pFU(orf1 orf2 2Ab),电转化Bt无晶体突变株4Q7后,扫描电镜下可观察到典型的方形晶体,通过SDS-PAGE可检测到60kD大小的蛋白表达带。结果表明,cry2Ab5可在cry2a0的启动子帮助下有效转录和表达,并在orf2产物帮助下形成蛋白晶体。     

CISD1 codifies a mitochondrial protein upregulated by the CFTR channel

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomic recessive disease caused by mutations in the CFTR chloride channel, which indirectly affect the expression of a net of genes. Here we describe a new CFTR-dependent gene, CISD1, encoding for the first member of a family of proteins possessing a CDGSH signature. CISD1 mRNA is down-regulated in cystic fibrosis cells, and restored in the same cells ectopically expressing wt-CFTR (CFDE and CFDE/6RepCFTR; IB3-1 and S9 cells). Inhibition of CFTR chloride transport activity by using glibenclamide (50 μM, 24 h) or CFTR(inh)-172 (5 μM, 24 h), resulted in the down-regulation of CISD1 mRNA, and CFTR stimulation with cAMP/isoproterenol/IBMX upregulated its expression. As predicted by PSORT II, a CISD1-GFP chimera was found to be located into mitochondria, suggesting a possible role in the function/regulation of mitochondrial activity, in agreement with earlier observations of a possible mitochondrial failure in cystic fibrosis.     

猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒ORF5基因在昆虫细胞中的高效融合表达

对杆状病毒BactoBac表达系统的转座质粒pFastbac1进行改造,即在其多角体蛋白启动子下游插入谷胱苷肽S转移酶（glutathioneStransferase, GST）基因,构建GST融合表达转座质粒pFGST。通过转座和转染Sf9细胞,证实该系统能高水平表达GST。采用PCR方法从pMTgp51质粒中扩增截去N端信号肽序列的猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒（PRRSV）YA株ORF5基因,并将截短的ORF5基因片段克隆到pFGST中,使之与GST融合,构建的重组转座质粒pFGST53转染DH10Bac,提取大分子Bacmid DNA,转染Sf9细胞,获得能表达融合蛋白的高滴度重组病毒rvGST53。rvGST53感染Sf9细胞,SDSPAGE和Western印迹分析表明：与GST融合的ORF5基因在Sf9细胞中获得高效表达,表达产物分子量为45kD,能与抗PRRSV E蛋白单克隆抗体发生特异性反应。将表达产物免疫小白鼠,经间接免疫荧光检测,免疫血清能使PRRSV YA株感染的MARC145细胞呈较强的荧光着色,证实表达的融合蛋白具有良好的免疫原性。     

猪圆环病毒2型ORF2基因序列分析及真核表达载体的构建

根据ＧｅｎＢａｎｋ中猪圆环病毒２型（ＰＣＶ－２）ＯＲＦ２基因序列,设计一　对引物,应用ＰＣＲ从疑患断奶仔猪多系统消耗综合症（ＰＭＷＳ）的死亡仔猪组织病料中扩增出ＯＲＦ　２全基因（７０２ｂｐ）。将此片段克隆入ｐＧＥＭ－Ｔ　ｅａｓｙ载体,筛选获得重组质粒ｐＴＯＲＦ２,并对此质　粒中的插入序列进行了测序分析,结果表明本试验克隆的ＯＲＦ２与美国ＰＣＶ－２分离株ＡＦ２６４０３９　的核苷酸及氨基酸序列同源性均达到１００％,与其他ＰＣＶ－２毒株同源性分别为９２．３％～９８．　６％和　９２．３％～９６．６％。重组质粒ｐＴＯＲＦ２经　Ｂａｍ　Ｈ　Ｉ、Ｅｃｏ　Ｒ　Ｖ双酶切,回收ＯＲＦ２基因,转　移入真　核表达载体ｐＳｅｃＴａｇ２／ＨｙｇｒｏＢ的相应酶切位点之间,构建成重组质粒ｐＳｅｃＴａｇＯＲＦ２。此重组表　达载体的构建成功为进一步研究ＯＲＦ２编码蛋白的生物学活性及建立ＰＣＶ诊断试剂盒打下基础。