The fate of the N-formyl-chemotactic peptide receptor in stimulated human granulocytes: subcellular fractionation studies

Experiments were performed to examine how human granulocytes, stimulated by N-formyl-chemotactic peptides, process the N-formyl peptide receptor. One percent of the surface N-formyl-chemotactic peptide receptors of purified human granulocytes were covalently, specifically, and radioactively labeled at 4 degrees C using the photochemically reactive N-formyl-chemotactic hexapeptide CHO-Nle-Leu-Phe-Nle-[125I] Tyr-N epsilon (6-(4'-azido-2'-nitrophenyl-amino)hexanoyl)-Lys. After incubation in the presence of 500 nM of N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe at 37 degrees C, the cells were lysed and fractionated by isopycnic surcrose density gradient sedimentation. Receptor-associated radioactivity cosedimented with plasma membrane in fractions from cells kept at 4 degrees C or incubated at 37 degrees C for 2 min or less. Fractionation of cells incubated at 37 degrees C for longer times revealed that the radioactivity sedimented to lower densities coincident with Golgi markers and the site of noncovalently bound and internalized formyl-chemotactic peptide. To follow the redistribution of unoccupied receptors, human granulocytes were stimulated with 500 nM N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe at 37 degrees C for 5 min, washed, lysed by N2 cavitation, and fractionated by rate zonal sucrose density gradient sedimentation. Compared to unstimulated controls the specific binding of N-formyl-Met-Leu-[3H]Phe decreased 76% +/- 9% in plasma membrane fractions. N-formyl-Met-Leu-[3H]Phe-binding activity associated with an intracellular pool cosedimenting with specific granules remained unchanged. Approximately 20% of the activity lost in the plasma membrane could be accounted for by a redistribution of specific N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe binding to fractions enriched in azurophil granules. We conclude that the receptor is the carrier in the internalization of the N-formyl-chemotactic peptides to a Golgi-enriched fraction and hypothesize that after a short residency in this fraction, the receptor may dissociate from the ligand and pass onto a fraction cosedimenting with dense granules.     

Interaction of amino acids with glycyl-glycine transport in the mammalian intestine

In order to investigate a possible interaction between free amino acids and dipeptides during their mucosal uptake in man and monkey, perfusion studiesin vivo and uptake studiesin vitro using labelled and non-labelled dipeptides and amino acids have been carried out. In contrast to the observations of other workers, inhibition of glycyl-glycine uptake was observed with free leucine and methioninc but not with glycine, proline, hydroxyproline or alanine. Leucine and methionine caused inhibition of cytosol glycyl-glycine hydrolase activity, while glycine had no effect. The dipeptide uptake and dipeptide hydrolysis by cytosol enzyme was competitively inhibited by leucine. Although brush border glycyl-glycine hydrolase was also inhibited by leucine, the inhibition was noncompetitive. These data indicate that a few free amino acids can interact with dipeptides during uptake. This interaction might occur either at the transport step or at the stage of intracellular dipeptide hydrolysis. The work reported here was carried out at Wellcome Research Unit, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore 632 004.     

The free energy folding penalty accompanying binding of intrinsically disordered α‐helical motifs

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are abundant in eukaryotic proteomes and preform critical roles in many cellular processes, most often through the association with globular proteins. Despite lacking a stable three‐dimensional structure by themselves, they may acquire a defined conformation upon binding globular targets. The most common type of secondary structure acquired by these binding motifs entails formation of an α‐helix. It has been hypothesized that such disorder‐to‐order transitions are associated with a significant free energy penalty due to IDP folding, which reduces the overall IDP‐target affinity. However, the exact magnitude of IDP folding penalty in α‐helical binding motifs has not been systematically estimated. Here, we report the folding penalty contributions for 30 IDPs undergoing folding‐upon‐binding and find that the average IDP folding penalty is +2.0 kcal/mol and ranges from 0.7 to 3.5 kcal/mol. We observe that the folding penalty scales approximately linearly with the change in IDP helicity upon binding, which provides a simple empirical way to estimate folding penalty. We analyze to what extent do pre‐structuring and target‐bound IDP dynamics (fuzziness) reduce the folding penalty and find that these effects combined, on average, reduce the folding cost by around half. Taken together, the presented analysis provides a quantitative basis for understanding the role of folding penalty in IDP‐target interactions and introduces a method estimate this quantity. Estimation and reduction of IDP folding penalty may prove useful in the rational design of helix‐stabilized inhibitors of IDP‐target interactions.StatementThe α‐helical binding motifs are ubiquitous among the intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Upon binding their targets, they undergo a disorder‐to‐order transition, which is accompanied by a significant folding penalty whose magnitude is generally not known. Here, we use recently developed statistical‐thermodynamic model to estimate the folding penalties for 30 IDPs and clarify the roles of IDP pre‐folding and bound‐state dynamics in reducing the folding penalty.     

Quantitative Metaproteomics and Activity-based Protein Profiling of Patient Fecal Microbiome Identifies Host and Microbial Serine-type Endopeptidase Activity Associated With Ulcerative Colitis

The gut microbiota plays an important yet incompletely understood role in the induction and propagation of ulcerative colitis (UC). Organism-level efforts to identify UC-associated microbes have revealed the importance of community structure, but less is known about the molecular effectors of disease. We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing in parallel with label-free data-dependent LC-MS/MS proteomics to characterize the stool microbiomes of healthy (n = 8) and UC (n = 10) patients. Comparisons of taxonomic composition between techniques revealed major differences in community structure partially attributable to the additional detection of host, fungal, viral, and food peptides by metaproteomics. Differential expression analysis of metaproteomic data identified 176 significantly enriched protein groups between healthy and UC patients. Gene ontology analysis revealed several enriched functions with serine-type endopeptidase activity overrepresented in UC patients. Using a biotinylated fluorophosphonate probe and streptavidin-based enrichment, we show that serine endopeptidases are active in patient fecal samples and that additional putative serine hydrolases are detectable by this approach compared with unenriched profiling. Finally, as metaproteomic databases expand, they are expected to asymptotically approach completeness. Using ComPIL and de novo peptide sequencing, we estimate the size of the probable peptide space unidentified (“dark peptidome”) by our large database approach to establish a rough benchmark for database sufficiency. Despite high variability inherent in patient samples, our analysis yielded a catalog of differentially enriched proteins between healthy and UC fecal proteomes. This catalog provides a clinically relevant jumping-off point for further molecular-level studies aimed at identifying the microbial underpinnings of UC.     

MHC Class I Immunopeptidome: Past,Present, and Future

In the 35 years since the revelation that short peptides bound to major histocompatibility complex class I and II molecules are the secret of the major histocompatibility complex–restricted nature of T-cell recognition, there has been enormous progress in characterizing the immunopeptidome, the repertoire of peptide presented for immunosurveillance. Here, the major milestones in the journey are marked, the contribution of proteasome-mediated splicing to the immunopeptidome is discussed, and exciting recent findings relating the immunopeptidome to the translatome revealed by ribosome profiling (RiboSeq) is detailed. Finally, what is needed for continued progress is opined about, which includes the infusion of talented young scientists into the antigen-processing field, currently undergoing a renaissance; thanks in part to the astounding success of T-cell–based cancer immunotherapy.     

固定化金属螯合亲和膜纯化重组抗菌肽研究

用自行制备的固定化金属螯合亲和膜对N端含六个组氨酸标记的重组抗菌肽进行了分离纯化,并较好地解决了金属离子泄露问题.实验表明,固定化金属螯合亲和膜性能优于传统琼脂糖凝胶介质,完全适用于分离纯化含有多组氨酸标记的重组蛋白质.     

家蝇幼虫血淋巴中抗真菌肽的诱导方法比较及抗真菌活性

以未诱导组作为空白对照研究比较真菌诱导、超声诱导和热诱导家蝇Musca domestica 幼虫血淋巴初提液的抗真菌肽效果,比较各种诱导方法诱导后的幼虫存活率;用凝胶层析法和高效液相分离纯化热诱导家蝇3龄幼虫抗真菌肽,检测其抗白假丝酵母菌Candida albicans和新生隐球菌Cryptococcus neoformans活性;SDS-PAGE分析抗真菌肽的蛋白分子量范围。结果表明：3种诱导方法诱导后家蝇幼虫均产生具有明显抗真菌作用的抗真菌肽,其初提液抑菌圈大小没有明显差别;真菌诱导组和热诱导组幼虫存活率低于对照组,而超声诱导组与对照组相比则无明显差别。经分离纯化后,抗真菌肽仍具有较好的抗真菌活性;SDS-PAGE分析表明该抗真菌肽有效成分的蛋白分子量在14.4 kD以下。结果提示热诱导家蝇幼虫产生抗真菌肽是一种方便、有效的诱导方式。     

抗菌肽VIP在毕赤酵母中的高效表达及鉴定

基于人抗菌肽VIP(Vasoactive intestinal peptide)基因序列,按照毕赤酵母密码子偏好性设计引物;用SOE-PCR法扩增目的基因;然后将目的基因克隆至毕赤酵母分泌型表达载体pPICZαA上,构建VIP分泌表达菌株GS115-p PICZαA-vip。用甲醇诱导96 h收集上清,用质谱进行鉴定,结果显示分泌表达产物与人抗菌肽VIP理论值(3 326.82 Da)完全一致,表明人抗菌肽VIP成功得到分泌表达。琼脂糖凝胶扩散法实验结果显示,重组VIP对大肠杆菌Escherichia coli ATCC25922和金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923都有很强的抗菌活性,MIC(Minimal inhibitory concentration)分别为8 mmol/L和16 mmol/L。进一步细胞毒性和溶血性实验结果显示,重组VIP对正常细胞NCM460和IPEC-J2没有毒性,其对SD大鼠红细胞不具有溶血活性。通过透射电镜观察了VIP的抗菌机制,结果显示VIP主要通过破坏细胞膜的方式抑杀细菌。本研究为人抗菌肽VIP的开发应用和大量生产奠定了基础。     

肺炎合并心力衰竭患者血浆BNP,cTn1的变化及其临床意义

目的:探讨血浆脑钠肽(BNP)和心肌肌钙蛋白(cTn1)在肺炎合并心力衰竭患者血浆脑钠肽(BNP)和心肌肌钙蛋白(cTn1)的变化情况及、肺炎未合并心衰患者及健康对照组中的不同表达,探讨血浆脑钠肽(BNP)和心肌肌钙蛋白(cTn1)与疾病变化的关系及在肺炎合并心力衰竭中的临床诊断的意义.方法:回顾性分析我院自2010年1月至2012年1月收治的42例肺炎合并心衰患者,同期收治的肺炎末合并心衰患者34例为阳性对照组,以及同期在门诊进行体检的30例健康患者为阴性对照组.在入院后24h之内评估心脏功能并检测血浆BNP及cTn1水平变化,以及心衰合并肺炎患者入院24h急性期及心衰恢复期BNP和cTn1水平的变化,比较BNP和cTn1在的不同表达.结果:心衰组、阳性对照组、阴性对照组患者BNP(378.14,142.53,0.74±0.15)和cTn1 (0.84,0.32,0.18)比较,在统计学上具有显著性意义(H=140.67,H=30.14,P＜0.001).心衰急性期与心衰恢复期BNP(378.14,140.32)和cTn1(0.84,0.04)水平比较,在统计学上具有显著性差异(t=2.044,t=2.051,P＜ 0.05).结论:BNP与cTn1在肺炎合并心衰患者为高表达,显著高于肺炎未合并心衰患者,合并心衰与未合并心衰组的BNP与cTn1水平也显著高于健康对照组,表明BNP与cTn1的表达与病情呈正相关.且在肺炎合并心衰急性期的表达高于恢复期,表明BNP、cTnⅠ水平变化可为诊断患者病情严重程度及肺炎合并心衰为急性期或慢性提高依据,可以为早期心功能衰竭提高临床参考.     

Isolation and functional analysis of a 24-residue linear alpha-helical antimicrobial peptide from Korean blackish cicada, Cryptotympana dubia (Homoptera)

A new antimicrobial peptide, cryptonin, was isolated and characterized from the adult Korean blackish cicada, Cryptotympana dubia. It consists of 24 amino acid residues and has a molecular weight of 2,704 Da on mass spectroscopy. The predicted alpha-helical structure analysis and increased helix percent in 40% trifloroethanol of cryptonin suggests that it belongs to the typical linear alpha-helix forming peptide. Binding of the biotin-labeled cryptonin at the surface of E. coli cells and increased influx of propidium iodide in E. coli after cryptonin treatment indicates that it kills microbial cells by binding bacterial cell surfaces and disrupting the cell permeability. Cryptonin showed strong antibacterial (MIC 1.56-25 microg/ml) and antifungal (MIC 3.12-50 microg/ml) activities against tested bacteria and fungi including two antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains; methicilin-resistant S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (MIC 25 microg/ml, each).