Structure and catalytic properties of an engineered heterodimer of enolase composed of one active and one inactive subunit

Enolase is a dimeric enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion of 2-phospho-D-glycerate and phosphoenolpyruvate. This reversible dehydration is effected by general acid-base catalysis that involves, principally, Lys345 and Glu211 (numbering system of enolase 1 from yeast). The crystal structure of the inactive E211Q enolase shows that the protein is properly folded. However, K345 variants have, thus far, failed to crystallize. This problem was solved by crystallization of an engineered heterodimer of enolase. The heterodimer was composed of an inactive subunit that has a K345A mutation and an active subunit that has N80D and N126D surface mutations to facilitate ion-exchange chromatographic separation of the three dimeric species. The structure of this heterodimeric variant, in complex with substrate/product, was obtained at 1.85 A resolution. The structure was compared to a new structure of wild-type enolase obtained from crystals belonging to the same space group. Asymmetric dimers having one subunit exhibiting two of the three active site loops in an open conformation and the other in a conformation having all three loops closed appear in both structures. The K345A subunit of the heterodimer is in the loop-closed conformation; its Calpha carbon atoms closely match those of the corresponding subunit of wild-type enolase (root-mean-squared deviation of 0.23 A). The kcat and kcat/Km values of the heterodimer are approximately half those of the N80D/N126D homodimer, which suggests that the subunits in solution are kinetically independent. A comparison of enolase structures obtained from crystals belonging to different space groups suggests that asymmetric dimers can be a consequence of the asymmetric positioning of the subunits within the crystal lattice.     

胎儿胰腺发育中CgA和NSE的表达及其意义

目的检测人胎儿胰腺中CgA和NSE的表达特征,初步探讨胎儿胰腺发育过程弥散神经内分泌系统的形成及其生物学作用.方法用免疫组织化学SP法,检测嗜铬素A(chromograin A,CgA)和神经元特异性烯醇化酶(neuron specific enolase,NSE)在不同胎龄胎儿胰腺组织中的表达.结果CgA在16-38周的胰腺中均有表达,随胎儿发育,CgA阳性细胞分布状态和反应程度均有差异变化;NSE在22-38周胎儿胰腺中表达,集中定位于胰腺的内分泌部细胞.结论CgA和NSE在人胎儿胰腺中的阳性表达,反映出弥散神经内分泌系统在胎儿胰腺中的形成过程;表明胎儿胰岛的形成及其DNES细胞的分泌,有调节胰腺外分泌部发育分化的作用,也提示胰岛DNES细胞通过调节血糖可能对胎儿个体发育具有重要影响.     

Proton transfer at carbon

The viability of living systems requires that C--H bonds of biological molecules be stable in water, but that there also be a mechanism for shortening the timescale for their heterolytic cleavage through enzymatic catalysis of a variety of catabolic and metabolic reactions. An understanding of the mechanism of enzymatic catalysis of proton transfer at carbon requires the integration of results of studies to determine the structure of the enzyme-substrate complex with model studies on the mechanism for the non-enzymatic reaction in water, and the effect of the local protein environment on the stability of the transition state for this reaction. A common theme is the importance of electrostatic interactions in providing stabilization of bound carbanion intermediates of enzyme-catalyzed proton-transfer reactions.     

SV40 TAg转基因小鼠模型的建立及其表达

为了建立中枢神经系统肿瘤小鼠模型,构建了大鼠神经元特异性烯醇化酶(ratneu-ron-specificenolase,NSE)基因启动子调控下的猿猴病毒40大T抗原基因(simianvirus40largeTantigengene,SV40TAg)转基因载体,通过受精卵雄原核显微注射的方法制备转基因小鼠。PCR鉴定转基因小鼠的基因型;RT-PCR和Northern印迹检测转基因阳性鼠中SV40TAgRNA水平的表达及其组织特异性;免疫组化检测其蛋白质水平的表达。经显微注射共获得9只首代转基因阳性鼠(首建者,Founder小鼠),其中2例出生时即发生神经干细胞来源的肿瘤,其他Founder小鼠经繁育后共建立了5个SV40TAg转基因小鼠系,其中有4个系检测到SV40TAgRNA水平的表达且特异性地表达于脑组织,但未检测到蛋白质水平的表达。研究表明NSE启动子活性具有较强的组织特异性,并起始于小鼠胚胎发育期;SV40TAg具有明显的致癌作用,且SV40TAg诱发的神经系统肿瘤易造成转基因小鼠早期死亡。     

美洲商陆PaENO基因克隆及其表达分析

烯醇化酶(enolase,ENO)作为糖酵解途径的一个酶,还能够参与植物生长发育以及应对非生物胁迫。该研究以镉超富集植物——美洲商陆(Phytolacca americana L.)为材料,根据美洲商陆转录组数据,设计特异性引物,从叶片中克隆PaENO基因,并进行序列分析、原核表达与纯化、表达模式分析以及抗镉实验,为深入研究PaENO蛋白的酶活性质以及PaENO基因在美洲商陆应对镉胁迫过程的功能机制奠定基础。结果表明：(1)成功克隆获得PaENO基因(GenBank登录号为JN656932.1),该基因开放阅读框为1 335 bp,编码444个氨基酸。(2)多序列比对分析显示,PaENO蛋白与冰叶日中花的ENO蛋白序列一致性最高,为93.47%;系统进化分析表明,PaENO与冰叶日中花、甜菜、菠菜的亲缘关系较近,处于同一进化分支。(3)RT PCR结果显示,PaENO基因在美洲商陆叶中表达量最高为根的2.5倍,茎中表达量最低,仅为根的1/5;Cd胁迫后PaENO基因表达水平显著升高,并于2 h时PaENO基因表达量迅速升高至Cd胁迫前(0 h时)的9.54倍,Cd胁迫12 h、24 h时降低到0 h时的 3.12倍和2.89倍,说明PaENO基因参与了美洲商陆应对Cd胁迫的响应。(4)通过成功构建原核表达载体pET28a PaENO并转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)感受态细胞,经IPTG诱导后,在50 kD左右出现目的条带,然后用超声破碎大肠杆菌细胞,离心后分别取上清和沉淀,SDS PAGE检测发现,PaENO在上清和沉淀中都有表达,而且在上清中的表达量较高;使用Ni亲和层析试剂盒纯化PaENO蛋白,获得了纯化的PaENO蛋白;镉抗性实验结果初步证实,表达PaENO蛋白能够显著提高大肠杆菌对镉的抗性。研究认为,PaENO蛋白可能以转录因子(PaMBP 1)的形式在美洲商陆应对镉胁迫过程中发挥调控作用。     

Morphology and distribution of Müller cells in the retina of the toad Bufo marinus

We have previously shown that an antibody against neuron-specific enolase (NSE) selectively labels Müller cells (MCs) in the anuran retina (Wilhelm et al. 1992). In the present study the light- and electron-microscopic morphology of MCs and their distribution were described in the retina of the toad, Bufo marinus, using the above antibody. The somata of MCs were located in the proximal part of the inner nuclear layer and were interconnected with each other by their processes. The MCs were uniformly distributed across the retina with an average density of 1500 cells/mm². Processes of MCs encircled the somata of photoreceptor cells isolating them from each other by glial sheath, except for those of the double cones. Some of the photoreceptor pedicles remained free of glial sheath. Electron-microscopic observations confirmed that MC processes provide an extensive scaffolding across the neural retina. At the outer border of the ganglion cell layer these processes formed a non-continuous sheath. The MC processes traversed through the ganglion cell layer and spread beneath it between the neuronal somata and the underlying optic axons. These processes formed a continuous inner limiting membrane separating the optic fibre layer from the vitreous tissue. Neither astrocytic nor oligodendrocytic elements were found in the optic fibre layer. The significance of the uniform MC distribution and the functional implications of the observed pattern of MC scaffolding are discussed.     

血清细胞角蛋白19、神经元特异性烯醇化酶及鳞状上皮细胞癌抗原在小细胞肺癌诊断及病情评估中的作用研究

摘要 目的：分析血清细胞角蛋白19（CK19）、神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）及鳞状上皮细胞癌抗原（SCCA）在小细胞肺癌诊断及病情评估中的作用。方法：选择我院自2020年1月至2022年7月收治的85例小细胞肺癌患者作为观察组,另选同期的85例肺部良性疾病患者作为对照组。检测两组血清CK19、NSE、SCCA表达水平,比较两组血清CK19、NSE、SCCA表达水平及其阳性率,使用ROC曲线下面积（AUC）分析上述指标对小细胞肺癌的诊断效能,观察小细胞肺癌不同分期患者血清CK19、NSE、SCCA表达水平的差异性,分析观察组治疗前后血清CK19、NSE、SCCA表达水平的变化情况。结果：观察组血清CK19、NSE、SCCA表达水平均较对照组高（P＜0.05）;观察组血清CK19、NSE和SCCA的阳性率均较对照组高（P＜0.05）;经ROC曲线分析,血清CK19、NSE联合SCCA诊断小细胞肺癌的敏感度为91.23 %,特异度为84.67 %,AUC为0.910;在85例小细胞肺癌患者中,临床分期为局限期33例、广泛期52例;广泛期患者血清CK19、NSE、SCCA表达水平均高于局限期患者（P＜0.05）。结论：血清CK19、NSE联合SCCA诊断小细胞肺癌的效能较好,三者均与患者病情严重程度有关,有利于此病的早期诊断和病情评估,值得进一步研究应用。     

Fluoride inhibition of yeast enolase: Crystal structure of the enolase–Mg2+–F−–Pi complex at 2.6 Å resolution

Enolase in the presence of its physiological cofactor Mg²⁺ is inhibited by fluoride and phosphate ions in a strongly cooperative manner (Nowak, T, Maurer, P. Biochemistry 20:6901, 1981). The structure of the quaternary complex yeast enolase–Mg²⁺–F^?–P_i has been determined by X-ray diffraction and refined to an R = 16.9% for those data with F/σ(F) ≥ 3 to 2.6 Å resolution with a good geometry of the model. The movable loops of Pro-35-Ala-45, Val-153-Phe-lo9, and Asp-255-Asn-266 are in the closed conformation found previously in the precatalytic substrate–enzyme complex. Calculations of molecular electrostatic potential show that this conformation stabilizes binding of negatively charged ligands at the Mg²⁺ ion more strongly than the open conformation observed in the native enolase. This closed conformation is complementary to the transition state, which also has a negatively charged ion, hydroxide, at Mg²⁺. The synergism of inhibition by F^? and P_i most probably is due to the requirement of P_i, for the closed conformation. It is possible that other Mg²⁺-dependent enzymes that have OH^? ions bound to the metalion in the transition state also will be inhibited by fluoride ions. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Plasmodium berghei: Glycolytic enzymes of the infected mouse erythrocyte

This paper documents the maximal activities of the glycolytic enzymes in the red blood cells of normal mice and mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. There appears to be sufficient parasite-related activity of each glycolytic enzyme to support the increased glycolytic rate, i.e., increased glucose consumption, of the parasite-infected red blood cell. The relative proportions of glycolytic enzyme activities in parasite-infected red cells are different from the proportions in either normal or reticulocyte-rich blood, indicating that the increased enzyme activities associated with infected cells are not due to contaminating host red cells or reticulocytes. A comparison of maximal enzyme activities to the rate of whole cell glucose consumption indicates that different glycolytic control mechanisms are operating in the infected RBC from those in the uninfected cells.