ICPBCZin: a red emitting ratiometric fluorescent indicator with nanomolar affinity for Zn2+ ions

A new fluorescent Zn²⁺ indicator, namely, ICPBCZin was synthesized and the spectral profile of its free and Zn²⁺ bound forms was studied. The newly synthesized zinc indicator incorporates as chromophore the chromeno [3′,2′:3,4]pyrido[1,2a] [1,3]benzimidazole moiety and belongs to the dicarboxylate-type of zinc probes. The compound is excited with visible light, exhibits high selectivity for zinc in the presence of calcium and other common biological ions, and its Zn²⁺ dissociation constant is 4.0 nM. Fluorescence spectra studies of ICPBCZin indicated a clear shift in its emission wavelength maxima upon Zn²⁺ binding, as it belongs to the class of Photoinduced Charge Transfer (PCT) indicators, along with changes in fluorescence intensity that enable the compound to be used as a ratiometric, visible-excitable Zn²⁺ probe.     

Design and synthesis of a new fluorescent probe for cascade detection of Zn2+ and H2PO4− in water and targeted imaging of living cells

Design and synthesis of new fluorescence probes with good water‐solubility is of great importance to better understanding the significant role of ions which are related to biology and the environment. As important ions, zinc ion (Zn²⁺) and dihydrogen phosphate ion (H₂PO₄^?) display essential roles in living systems, and quantitative detection of these ions in water is still a challenge. In order to consider the significant role of the galactose moiety in the design of a water‐soluble fluorescence sensor, herein, we have developed a novel probe, Gal‐AQTF, for the cascade detection of Zn²⁺ and H₂PO₄^? with excellent selectivity in water. Through the introduction of the galactose moiety onto the sensor AQTF, which has been reported earlier by us, the water‐solubility, cell compatibility and targeting ability were enhanced. Gal‐AQTF has been successfully applied in the imaging of the living cells of HepG2 and A549, and illustrated good selectivity for the HepG2 cells which overly express the asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor.     

Ratiometric assay of CARM1 activity using a FRET-based fluorescent probe

One of the regulatory mechanisms of epigenetic gene expression is the post-translational methylation of arginine residues, which is catalyzed by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). Abnormal expression of PRMT4/CARM1, one of the PRMTs, is associated with various diseases, including cancers. Here, we designed and synthesized a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based probe, FRC, which contains coumarin and fluorescein fluorophores at the N-terminus and C-terminus of a peptide containing an arginine residue within an appropriate amino acid sequence to serve as a substrate of CARM1; the two fluorophores act as a FRET donor and a FRET acceptor, respectively. Since trypsin specifically hydrolyzes the arginine residue, but not a monomethylarginine or dimethylarginine residue, CARM1 activity can be evaluated from the change of the coumarin/fluorescein fluorescence ratio of FRC in the presence of trypsin.     

一种基于配体肽的CRP荧光检测探针的研制

C反应蛋白（C-reaction protein,CRP）是反映机体炎症的有效标志物,早期检测是判断炎症相关疾病的关键,因此,研制CRP新型检测制剂具有重要意义。利用噬菌体表面展示技术对CRP特异性亲和配体进行了筛选,采用固相肽合成技术对目标配体进行了合成,并经生物标记、高效液相色谱法（high performance liquid chromatography,HPLC）分析及质谱（mass spectrometry,MS）鉴定,成功制得检测CRP的荧光探针。经3轮筛选、ELISA检测、重组噬菌体测序及序列比对后得到1个目标配体肽：S-P-H-N-R-S-N-L-V-Q-E-L;经肽合成及生物标记获得1种CRP荧光探针：FITC-(Acp)-S-P-H-N-R-SN-L-V-Q-E-L。研究结果为CRP的有效检测提供了一种新型制剂。     

多药耐药基因Mdr1 RNA探针的构建及初步临床应用

检测Mdrl基因表达水平可预测白血病化疗效果,用原位杂交的方法可检测Mdrl在单个细胞的表达水平。本文用Rt-PCR的方法获得了一段特异的cDNA片段,将其克隆到PGEM4Z载体中,经DNA序列分析证明与文献报道一致,采用地高辛素（DIG）RNA标记试剂盒制备反义RNA探针,已初步用于临床骨髓涂片标本的原位杂交检测。     

植物对铅胁迫的耐性及其解毒机制研究进展

植物对重金属元素的耐性、积累特性是利用植物修复铅污染土壤的前提,因而需要全面理解植物对铅吸收、转运、积累和解毒的一系列生理机制.本文从植物自身对铅的适应和防御机制出发,综述了细胞壁和液泡在植物细胞钝化与铅积累中的功能;根系分泌物对铅生物有效性的影响;超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、谷光苷肽还原酶（GR）、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶（APX）和植物螯合肽、谷胱甘肽在铅解毒中的作用,以及金属硫蛋白和铅特异基因表达的研究进展.并对未来该领域的研究以及铅污染环境植物修复技术的发展进行了展望.     

纳米金在分子影像学中的应用进展

分子影像学的出现将传统的以解剖结构为成像基础的医学影像学带入到以图像阐释细胞/分子结构和功能以及病理改变的新时代。伴随着"后基因组"时代的到来以及"个体化医疗"的兴起,分子影像学对医学领域带来了里程碑式的革命并日益发挥重要作用。在分子影像领域,寻找最佳的分子影像探针/对比剂以及成像方法,以获取更多的细胞或者分子的功能及病理改变的信息日益成为热门的研究领域。纳米金籍其自身的优点在分子影像学的发展中展示出日益广阔的前景。本文就分子影像学的相关技术及纳米金在分子影像学中的应用进展作一简要综述。     

Assembly of light-harvesting bacteriochlorophyll in a model transmembrane helix in its natural environment

The transmembrane, bacteriochlorophyll-binding region of a bacterial light-harvesting complex, (LH2-alpha from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides) was redesigned and overexpressed in a mutant of Rb. sphaeroides lacking LH2. Bacteriochlorophyll served as internal probe for the fitness of this new region for the assembly and energy transfer function of the LH2 complex. The ability to absorb and transfer light energy is practically undisturbed by the exchange of the transmembrane segment, valine -7 to threonine +6, of LH2-alpha with a 14 residue Ala-Leu sequence. This stretch makes up the residues of the transmembrane helix that are in close contact (< or =4.5 A) with the bacteriochlorophyll molecules that are coordinated through His of both the alpha and beta-subunits. In this Ala-Leu stretch, neither alpha-His0, which binds the bacteriochlorophyll, nor the adjacent alpha-Ile-1, were replaced. Novel LH2 complexes composed of LH2-alpha with a model transmembrane sequence and a normal LH2-beta are assembled in vivo into a complex, the biochemical and spectroscopic properties of which closely resemble the native one. In contrast, the additional insertion of four residues just outside the C-terminal end of the model transmembrane helix leads to complete loss of functional antenna complex. The results suggest that light energy can be harvested and transferred efficiently by bacteriochlorophyll molecules attached to only few key residues distributed over the polypeptide, while residues at the bacteriochlorophyll-helix interface seem to be largely dispensable for the functional assembly of this membrane protein complex. This novel antenna with a simplified transmembrane domain and a built-in probe for assembly and function provides a powerful model system for investigation of the factors that contribute to the assembly of chromophores in membrane-embedded proteins.     

R-藻红蛋白的结构、功能及其应用

R-藻红蛋白是最重要类型的藻红蛋白,为许多藻类的前级捕光色素蛋白,在光的激发下,能发出桔红色荧光。现对R-藻红蛋白的三维结构与功能的关系、R-藻红蛋白离体的光学活性在肿瘤光动力学治疗(PDT)中作为光敏剂和荧光免疫检测等领域作为荧光探针分子的应用进行综述。     

Selection of monosomic addition plants in offspring families using repetitive DNA probes in Beta L.

The distribution of two repetitive DNA probes Sat-121 and PB6-4, specific for the section Procumbentes of the genus Beta, was tested in 16 B. patellaris monosomic addition families using a dot-blot hybridization procedure. All monosomic additions were accurately distinguished from diploid sib plants with both DNA probes. The probe PB6-4, with the strongest signal after hybridization, was selected for rapid screening of an extensive number of putative monosomic additions in B. patellaris or B. procumbens addition families using a squash-blot hybridization procedure. The probe PB6-4 detected 118 monosomic additions in 640 plants (18.4%) in eight different B. procumbens addition families. The addition family with chromosome 4 of B. procumbens was semi-lethal and could not be tested. The distribution of PB6-4 in B. patellaris addition families was confirmed in 63 addition families using the squash-blot procedure. In 4580 plants of these addition families, 628 individual monosomic additions (13.7%) were found. The relationship of the morphological characteristics of monosomic addition plants to the results of the squash-blot hybridization (plants with signal) using probe PB6-4 is quite rigorous but not complete. The correlation between plants with a signal and chromosome number (2n=19) is complete. These results indicate that sequences present on PB6-4 are probably present on all chromosomes of B. patellaris and B. procumbens. The possibility of utilizing the sequence information of Sat-121 for a PCR-based assay to screen for putative monosomic addition plants was also investigated as an alternative to chromosome counting. The DNA-amplification profiles using the primers REP and REP.INV clearly distinguished monosomic addition plants from their diploid sibs.