The immobility of pectic substances in injured tomato leaves and its bearing on the identity of the wound hormone

It has been suggested that pectic polysaccharides (or oligosaccharides cleaved from them) are liberated from the cell wall upon wounding of leaf tissue, and that they act as long-distance hormones evoking a defence response in neighbouring uninjured leaves (P.D. bishop et al. 1981, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78, 3536–3540, and cited literature). We have tested this hypothesis by infiltration of radioactive pectic fragments (rhamnogalacturonans and homogalacturonans of degrec of polymerisation down to 6) into wounds on tomato leaves. No radioactivity was exported from the treated leaf. [¹⁴C]Sucrose, applied in the same way, was effectively translocated, probably via the phloem. We suggest that pectic substances are not themselves long-distance wound hormones. The possibility remains that pectic substances, solubilised on wounding, act in the immediate vicinity of the wound to stimulate the dispatch of a second messenger, which would be the long-distance wound hormone.Abbreviations DP degree of polymerisation - PI proteinase inhibitor protein - PIIF PI inducing factor - QAE quaternary aminoethyl - TLC thin-layer chromatography     

元阳豆豉中高产蛋白酶乳酸菌的筛选及其产酶条件的研究

从云南省元阳地区采集豆豉样品,并从中分离得到62株乳酸菌菌株。通过脱脂乳平板试验,从中初步筛得到21株具有高蛋白酶活力的菌株,采用茚三酮法测定其蛋白酶活力,复筛出高产蛋白酶菌株YY-1-6L,并对其产酶条件进行研究。结果表明,YY-1-6L在以葡萄糖为碳源、多聚蛋白胨为氮源、起始pH 5.0的明胶诱导培养基中,接种量为3%,35℃发酵培养36 h,其蛋白酶活力高达32.50 U/mL,且K2HPO4、MgSO4能促进蛋白酶产生。     

A Monoclonal Antibody (MCPR3-7) Interfering with the Activity of Proteinase 3 by an Allosteric Mechanism

Proteinase 3 (PR3) is an abundant serine protease of neutrophil granules and a major target of autoantibodies (PR3 anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies) in granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Some of the PR3 synthesized by promyelocytes in the bone marrow escapes the targeting to granules and occurs on the plasma membrane of naive and primed neutrophils. This membrane-associated PR3 antigen may represent pro-PR3, mature PR3, or both forms. To discriminate between mature PR3 and its inactive zymogen, which have different conformations, we generated and identified a monoclonal antibody called MCPR3-7. It bound much better to pro-PR3 than to mature PR3. This monoclonal antibody greatly reduced the catalytic activity of mature PR3 toward extended peptide substrates. Using diverse techniques and multiple recombinant PR3 variants, we characterized its binding properties and found that MCPR3-7 preferentially bound to the so-called activation domain of the zymogen and changed the conformation of mature PR3, resulting in impaired catalysis and inactivation by α₁-proteinase inhibitor (α₁-antitrypsin). Noncovalent as well as covalent complexation between PR3 and α₁-proteinase inhibitor was delayed in the presence of MCPR3-7, but cleavage of certain thioester and paranitroanilide substrates with small residues in the P1 position was not inhibited. We conclude that MCPR3-7 reduces PR3 activity by an allosteric mechanism affecting the S1′ pocket and further prime side interactions with substrates. In addition, MCPR3-7 prevents binding of PR3 to cellular membranes. Inhibitory antibodies targeting the activation domain of PR3 could be exploited as highly selective inhibitors of PR3, scavengers, and clearers of the PR3 autoantigen in granulomatosis with polyangiitis.     

The retroviral proteinase active site and the N-terminus of Ddi1 are required for repression of protein secretion

The Ddi1 protein of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is involved in numerous interactions with the ubiquitin system, which may be mediated by its N-terminal ubiquitin like domain and its C-terminal ubiquitin associated domain. Ddi1 also contains a central region with all the features of a retroviral aspartic proteinase, which was shown to be important in cell-cycle control. Here we demonstrate an additional role for this domain, along with the N-terminal region, in protein secretion. These results further substantiate the hypothesis that Ddi1 functions in vivo as a catalytically-active aspartic proteinase.     

马拉色菌蛋白酶活性测定方法的建立及其应用

为建立检测马拉色菌蛋白酶的方法并检测不同来源菌株的蛋白酶活性 ,使用全脂牛奶平板法、BSA平板法检测 7株标准株 ,3 3株M .furfur、12株M .sympodialis、4株M .obtusa临床分离株和 2 8株M .furfur正常皮肤分离株蛋白酶活性 ,并检测温度、pH值和蛋白酶抑制剂对蛋白酶活性的影响。 7株标准株均检出蛋白酶活性 ,M .furfur临床分离株蛋白酶活性高于正常皮肤分离株 (p <0 .0 1) ,最高蛋白酶活性在 3 2℃、pH5.5时表达 ,EDTA能抑制其蛋白酶活性。全脂牛奶平板法为简便、可靠的测定马拉色菌蛋白酶活性的方法 ,蛋白酶活性与菌株的致病性相关     

云南纵坑切梢小蠹四个地理种群同工酶比较研究

采用不连续聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳技术研究了纵坑切梢小蠹(Tomicus piniperda L.)4个自然种群的9个同工酶基因座。4个种群均在Es-1、Es-2、Es-4、Mdh-1、Mdh-2及AAT-1基因座上存在遗传多态现象。路南长湖、楚雄、蒙自3种群间的遗传距离为0.0036～0.0173, 平均值为0.0105, 表明其遗传结构基本相似。丽江种群与上述3种群之间的遗传距离为0.1421～0.2035, 平均值为0.1765,表明丽江种群与上述三种群已有了遗传分化。丽江种群近交系数较大,近亲繁殖程度较高。种群遗传结构的差异可能与不同蠹害程度之间存在一定的内在联系。 Abstract:　Using uncontinued polycrylamide gel electrophoresis, comparative studies of isozymes between the four geographical populations of Tomicus piniperda L. in Yunnan province were carried out in this paper. Among 9 loci, loci Es-1、Es-2 、Es-4、Mdh-1、Mdh-2 and AAT-1 exhibited the genetic polymorphs. The Nei's genetic distance (D) among Lunan's, Chuxiong's and Mengzi's populations was 0.0036 and 0.0173 with an average of 0.0105, indicating the similar genetic structure among them. The genetic distance between Lijiang population and other three populations was 0.1421～0.2035 with 0.1765 on average, which implied a certain degree of genetic differentiation between them. Investigation indicated the forest damages by the beetle were high in Lunan, Chuxiong and Mengzi, and was low in other population in Lijiang; whereas inbreeding coefficient was bigger and inbreeding degree was higher in Lijiang, but all low in other three districts. It is so proposed that the differentiation of population in genetic structure is related to the damage levels of Tomicus piniperda L.     

Proteolytic enzymes of dairy starter cultures

Abstract The synthesis of proteolytic enzymes by starter bacteria is a fundamental requirement for rapid acid production in milk fermentations. These organisms possess a number of proteinases and peptidases which act in concert to hydrolyse milk protein to the free amino acids required for cell growth. The same enzymes have an important secondary role in cheese ripening contributing to rheological and organoleptic changes. A highly complex mixture of both enzymes and substrates is present. The strategic location of these enzymes, in the cell wall and membrane structures and in the cytoplasm, governs enzyme access to the substrates and is central to both roles. An overview of the above topics is presented.     

蛋白酶抑制剂及其在抗虫基因工程中的应用

蛋白酶抑制剂可以抑制昆虫的生长和发育,近年来在抗虫基因工程得广泛的应用。本文综述了蛋白酶抑制剂及其抗虫性,蛋白酶抑制剂转基因植物的研究概况,同时探讨了蛋白酶抑制剂在抗虫基因工程中的利用前景、存在问题和解决途径。     

A double WAP domain (DWD)-containing protein with proteinase inhibitory activity in Chinese white shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis

The whey major component, whey acidic protein (WAP), has one or more WAP domains characterized by a four-disulfide core (4-DSC) structure. These kinds of proteins are involved in multiple functions, including proteinase inhibitor activity, antimicrobial activity, ATPase inhibitor activity, and regulatory function in cell proliferation. Recent research indicates that WAP domain-containing proteins play an important role in the innate immunity of crustaceans. In this study, a novel double WAP domain (DWD)-containing protein named Fc-DWD was found for the first time in Chinese white shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The open reading frame of Fc-DWD encodes a protein of 117 amino acids, including a signal peptide of 16 amino acids and two WAP domains. The predicted molecular mass of the mature protein is 12.78 kDa with an estimated pI of 8.49. The first WAP domain, named WAP 1, composed of 49 amino acids locates in the amino-terminal of Fc-DWD, and the second WAP domain, named WAP 2, composed of 45 amino acids locates in the carboxy-terminal. Fc-DWD mRNA was upregulated in hemocytes, hepatopancreas, gills, and stomach of bacteria- and virus-challenged shrimp. Results of the binding assay showed that rFc-DWD could bind to both Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria. rWAP 1 could only bind to Gram-positive bacteria, but rWAP 2 could bind to both Gram-negative and positive bacteria. Moreover, rFc-DWD exhibited proteinase inhibitory activity against the secretory proteinase(s) from Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All of these findings suggest that Fc-DWD may play an important role in enabling the host defense to execute its proteinase inhibitory activity against pathogens.