The Atg8 and Atg12 ubiquitin-like conjugation systems in macroautophagy. 'Protein modifications: beyond the usual suspects' review series

As a lysosomal/vacuolar degradative pathway that is conserved in eukaryotic organisms, autophagy mediates the turnover of long-lived proteins and excess or aberrant organelles. The main characteristic of autophagy is the formation of a double-membrane vesicle, the autophagosome, which envelops part of the cytoplasm and delivers it to the lysosome/vacuole for breakdown and eventual recycling of the degradation products. Among the approximately 30 autophagy-related (Atg) genes identified so far, there are two ubiquitin-like proteins, Atg12 and Atg8. Analogous to ubiquitination, Atg12 is conjugated to Atg5 by Atg7--an E1-like protein--and Atg10--an E2-like protein. Similarly, Atg7 and Atg3 are the respective E1-like and E2-like proteins that mediate the conjugation of Atg8 to phosphatidylethanolamine. Both Atg12-Atg5 and Atg8 localize to the developing autophagosome. The Atg12-Atg5 conjugate facilitates the lipidation of Atg8 and directs its correct subcellular localization. Atg8-phosphatidylethanolamine is probably a scaffold protein that supports membrane expansion and the amount present correlates with the size of autophagosomes.     

Clone-specific responses in leaf phenolics of willows exposed to enhanced UVB radiation and drought stress

The effects of enhanced UVB radiation and drought stress on willow secondary phenolics were studied using the leaves of 8‐week‐old micropropagated plantlets from interspecific hybrids (Salix myrsinites L. ×S. myrsinifolia Salisb.) and pure species (S. myrsinifolia). The plantlets were subjected for 4 weeks to two levels of UVB radiation (ambient, enhanced) and two levels of watering (well‐watered, drought‐stressed) according to a 2 × 2 factorial design. Enhanced UVB radiation increased the total concentration of flavonoids and phenolic acids in all plantlets, while the total concentration of salicylates remained unaffected. Drought stress reduced the total concentration of salicylates and phenolic acids in S. myrsinifolia plantlets, while in hybrids only phenolic acids were affected. The response of phenolic acids to enhanced UVB in drought‐stressed plantlets was different from that in well‐watered ones, indicating that drought stress limited the accumulation of phenolic acids under enhanced UVB radiation. Flavonoids increased in response to enhanced UVB radiation in drought‐stressed plantlets, although drought caused serious physiological stress on growth. There were significant differences between hybrid and S. myrsinifolia plantlets with respect to the composition of phenolics and between families and clones with respect to their concentration. In addition, the response of salicylates, flavonoids and phenolic acids to enhanced UVB and drought stress was clone‐specific, which may indicate that climatic changes will alter the genetic composition of northern forests.     

球孢白僵菌Hog1 MAPK同源基因BbHog1的克隆及特征分析

根据几种丝状真菌Hog1 MAPK的保守氨基酸序列设计简并引物,从昆虫病原真菌球孢白僵菌中扩增出MAPK同源基因的部分片段,然后利用YADE法延伸该片段的上、下游邻接序列,获得MAPK编码基因的全长序列,命名为BbHog1。序列分析表明,该基因编码358个氨基酸的多肽,推测分子量为40.99kDa,等电点为5.49。BbHog1含有MAPK保守的蛋白激酶激活域(TGY),序列与粗糙脉孢霉os-2(AF297032)、烟曲霉OSM1(XM_747571)、隐球酵母HOG1(AF243531)和酿酒酵母Hog1(Z73285)等Hog1 MAPK高度同源,相似性分别为94%、89%、83%和80%。系统聚类结果表明,BbHog1与酵母Hog1 MAPK同源。Southern杂交表明,BbHog1在球孢白僵菌基因组中以单拷贝形式存在。Northern分析表明,BbHog1在高渗、亚高温和营养胁迫等条件下的表达明显升高。由此推测,BbHog1基因可能与球孢白僵菌对逆境胁迫的适应性调节密切相关。     

Activation of STAT3 stimulates AHSP expression in K562 cells

Studies on the chaperone proteinα-hemoglobin stabilizing protein(AHSP)reveal that abundant AHSP in erythroid cells enhance the cells’tolerance to oxidative stress imposed by excessα-hemoglobin in pathological conditions.However,the potential intracellular modulation of AHSP expression itself in response to oxidative stress is still unknown.The present study examined the effect and molecular mechanism of STAT3,an oxidative regulator,on the expression of AHSP.AHSP expression increased in K562 cells upon cytokine IL-6-induced STAT3 activation and decreased in STAT3 knock-down K562 cells.Regulation of AHSP in oxidative circumstance was then examined inα-globin-overloaded K562 cells,and real-time PCR showed strengthened expression of both AHSP and STAT3.ChIP analysis showed binding of STAT3 to AHSP promoter and binding was significantly augmented with IL6 stimulation and uponα-globin overexpression.Dual luciferase reporter assays of the wildtype and mutated SB3 element,an IL-6RE site,in the AHSP promoter in K562 cells highlighted the direct regulatory effect of STAT3 on AHSP gene.Finally,direct binding of STAT3 to SB3 site of AHSP promoter was confirmed with EMSA assays.Our work reveals an adaptive AHSP regulation mediated by the redox-sensitive STAT3 signaling pathway,and provides clues to the therapeutic strategy for AHSP enhancement.     

Advanced glycation end-products disrupt human endothelial cells redox homeostasis: new insights into reactive oxygen species production

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) trigger multiple metabolic disorders in the vessel wall that may in turn lead to endothelial dysfunction. The molecular mechanisms by which AGEs generate these effects are not completely understood. Oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of deleterious effects that occur in endothelium during diabetes. Our main objectives were to further understand how AGEs contribute to reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction in endothelial cells and to evaluate the protective effect of an antioxidant plant extract. The human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 was treated with native or modified bovine serum albumin (respectively BSA and BSA-AGEs). To monitor free radicals formation, we used H₂DCF-DA, dihydroethidium (DHE), DAF-FM-DA and MitoSOX Red dyes. To investigate potential sources of ROS, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and mitochondrial inhibitors were used. The regulation of different types of ROS by the polyphenol-rich extract from the medicinal plant Doratoxylon apetalum was also studied for a therapeutic perspective. BSA-AGEs exhibited not only less antioxidant properties than BSA, but also pro-oxidant effects. The degree of albumin glycoxidation directly influenced oxidative stress through a possible communication between NADPH oxidase and mitochondria. D. apetalum significantly decreased intracellular hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions mainly detected by H₂DCF-DA and DHE respectively. Our results suggest that BSA-AGEs promote a marked oxidative stress mediated at least by NADPH oxidase and mitochondria. D. apetalum plant extract appeared to be an effective antioxidant compound to protect endothelial cells.     

香鳞毛蕨 1 脱氧 D 木酮糖 5 磷酸合酶基因的克隆及表达分析

1 脱氧 D 木酮糖 5 磷酸合酶(DXS)是甲基 D 赤藓醇 4 磷酸(MEP)途径中控制影响植物萜类化合物合成的第一个限速酶。该研究对香鳞毛蕨(Dryopteris fragrans)DfDXS基因进行序列特征及生物信息学分析,并通过qRT PCR技术分析其在外源激素、干旱、盐胁迫、高温及低温处理下的表达模式,旨在探究DfDXS基因在香鳞毛蕨萜类生物合成及抗逆机制中的作用,为进一步解析香鳞毛蕨抗逆分子机制奠定基础。结果显示：(1) DfDXS1基因全长2 139 bp,编码712个氨基酸,而DfDXS2全长2 160 bp,编码719个氨基酸;结构域分析显示,其具有典型的转酮醇酶保守域,包含焦磷酸硫胺素结合位点和转酮醇酶结构域;DfDXS氨基酸序列与江南卷柏(Selaginella moellendorffii)和银杏(Ginkgo biloba)的DXS等关系较近。(2)水杨酸(SA)处理下,DfDXS基因的相对表达量先升高后降低;脱落酸(ABA)抑制DfDXS的表达;DfDXS1/2在茉莉酸甲酯(MeJA)处理下相对表达水平均显著高于对照;乙烯利(Eth)抑制DfDXS的表达,但DfDXS1处理3 h时表达水平显著高于对照。(3)聚乙二醇(PEG)、高温和低温均诱导DfDXS1上调表达。研究推测,香鳞毛蕨DXS基因在萜类物质合成与逆境胁迫机制中发挥着重要的作用。     

Stress-induced RNASET2 overexpression mediates melanocyte apoptosis via the TRAF2 pathway in vitro

The recent genome-wide association study identified a link between vitiligo and genetic variants in the ribonuclease T2 (RNASET2) gene; however, the functional roles of RNASET2 in vitiligo pathogenesis or in melanocyte apoptosis have yet to be determined. The current study was designed to investigate the vitiligo-related expression pattern of RNASET2 and its molecular function involving apoptosis-related signaling proteins and pathways. The results showed overexpression of RNASET2 in epidermis specimens from 40 vitiligo patients compared with that from matched healthy controls. In addition, in vitro analyses indicated that overexpression of RNASET2 was inducible in cultured primary human melanocytes and keratinocytes by stress conditions, that is, exposure to UV irradiation, hydrogen peroxide, and inflammatory factors, respectively, and led to increased cell apoptosis via the tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2)–caspases pathway through the physical interaction of RNASET2 with TRAF2. Thus, RNASET2 may contribute to vitiligo pathogenesis by inhibiting TRAF2 expression and, as such, RNASET2 may represent a potential therapeutic target of vitiligo.     

不同品种春小麦根系对低钾胁迫的生物学响应

采用水培法,以3个春小麦品种(加春1号、2号、4号)为试验材料,研究了低钾胁迫下不同品种春小麦根系的形态学与生理学特征。结果表明:(1)与对照相比,低钾胁迫下小麦的根重、根数、总根长、总吸收面积、根活力、根系SOD及POD活性、根系活性吸收面积均明显降低,但根冠比有所增加,不同春小麦品种间的变化趋势相似,但变化幅度存在明显差异。(2)供试品种小麦根系的形态与生理学特征在同一供钾水平下和不同供钾水平间均存在着明显的差异,表明这两种性状的差异是由基因型和环境因素共同决定的,因此,根系形态学和生理学特征可以作为筛选高效吸收钾小麦品种的参考指标。(3)供试的3个春小麦品种中‘加春4号’对低钾环境的适应性最强。