Structural and dynamical studies of all-trans and all-cis cyclo[(1R,3S)-γ-Acc-Gly]<Subscript>3</Subscript> peptides

The quantum chemical and molecular dynamics studies have been performed to infer the structural changes of all-trans and all-cis forms of cyclo[(1R,3S)-3-aminocyclohexanecarboxylicacid(γ-Acc)-α-Glycine(Gly)]₃ hexapeptide. The backbone conformations of the above peptide have been analyzed using the valence and peptide deformation angles applying B3LYP/6–311G** level of theory. The conformational preference of the backbone of all-trans and all-cis cyclo[(1R,3S)-γ-Acc-Gly]₃ hexapeptides is found to depend on the puckering of cyclohexane rings. The non-uniform distribution of water inside the cavity is observed, where sometimes water molecules formed a chain like conformation through hydrogen bond networks while traversing the pore of all-cis cyclo[(1R,3S)-γ-Acc-Gly]₃ peptide. Larger relaxation times of the order of a hundred to two hundred pico seconds for active site…water hydrogen bond interactions were noticed. The hydrophobic nature of the cavity of all-trans cyclo[(1R,3S)-γ-Acc-Gly]₃ due to the presence of cyclohexane moiety has been analyzed. Further this investigation emphasized on the non-transport of molecules through the pore of all-trans cyclo[(1R,3S)-γ-Acc-Gly]₃ peptide due to the obstruction produced by cyclohexane groups.     

Mg2+ restores membrane potential in rat liver mitochondria deenergized by Ca2+ and phosphate movements

Cellular ornithine biosynthesis could be expected to play a significant role in putrescine formation and hence in growth. Two enzymes are involved in ornithine biosynthesis: arginase and transamidinase. These enzyme activities were studied in two human melanoma cell lines differing in their K_m of diamine oxidase for putrescine and in their tumorigenicity in nude mice. Arginase activity accounts for the majority of ornithine formed in the highly tumorigenic cell line, while the majority of ornithine is derived from transamidinase action in the poorly tumorigenic cell line, with concomitant formation of methyl guanidine, a potent inhibitor of diamine oxidase.     

组蛋白激活拟南芥CDPK催化CaMBP10的体外磷酸化反应

植物转脂蛋白 (plant lipid transfer proteins, LTPs) 是高等植物中广泛存在的多基因编码的小分子碱性蛋白. 本研究室已经证明白菜和豌豆LTPs可分别被内源胞浆可溶性和膜结合钙依赖性蛋白激酶 (calcium-dependent protein kinase, CDPK) 磷酸化. 为深入研究CDPK对白菜钙调素结合蛋白10 (calmodulin-binding protein-10, CaMBP10) 的磷酸化性质及特征, 本文从拟南芥可溶性蛋白粗提物中检测到1个分子量约为54 kD的CDPK对CaMBP10有磷酸化作用. 研究表明, 组蛋白可增强 CDPK对CaMBP10的磷酸化活性, 促进磷酸化进程. 而且组蛋白和Ca2+对CDPK具有协同调节效应, 二者共同作用时比Ca2+单独作用时, 激酶的活力增强约12倍. 此外, 不同组蛋白对CDPK的激活能力不同, 组蛋白1对该激酶活性的激活能力要比组蛋白3高约8倍.     

Excitation-energy distribution in green algae. The existence of two independent light-driven control mechanisms

Three distinct states can be identified for cells of the green alga Chlorella vulgaris; State 1 and State 2 obtained by preillumination in far-red and red light, respectively, and the dark state obtained by dark-adaptation. Addition of the inhibitor DCMU to algal cells leads to an initial rapid increase in chlorophyll-a fluorescence reflecting the closure of Photosystem II traps. This, in the case of dark and state-2-adapted algae is followed by a slow light-dependent increase to a fluorescence yield typical of State-1-adapted cells. Measurements of low temperature (77 K) emission spectra indicate that the low fluorescence yields of dark and State-2-adapted algae reflect similar balances in excitation-energy distribution between the two photosystems. In both cases, the balance favours PS I and the slow fluorescence increase seen in the poisoned algae reflects a redressing of this balance in favour of PS II. The low fluorescence yield of State-2-adapted algae is thought to be associated with the phosphorylation of chlorophyll a/b light-harvesting protein (Biochim. Biophys. Acta (1983) 724, 94–103). Measurements of the uncoupler and ATPase sensitivity of the light-dependent increases seen in DCMU-poisoned cells indicate that the low fluorescence yield of dark-adapted algae is of different origin. Evidence is presented showing that the light-driven changes in excitation-energy distribution seen in green algae involve two distinct processes; a low-intensity, wavelenght-independent change reflecting simple light/dark changes and a higher intensity, wavelength-dependent change reflecting State 1/State 2 adaptation. The former changes appear to be associated with changes in the local ionic environment within the algal chloroplast, whilst the latter appear to reflect changes in the phosphorylation state of chlorophyll a/b light-harvesting protein.     

Design of a leucine zipper coiled coil stabilized 1.4 kcal mol-1 by phosphorylation of a serine in the e position.

Using a dimeric bZIP protein, we have designed a leucine zipper that becomes more stable after a serine in the e position is phosphorylated by protein kinase A (delta delta GP = -1.4 kcal mol-1 dimer-1 or -0.7 kcal mol-1 residue-1). Mutagenesis studies indicate that three arginines form a network of inter-helical (i,i' + 5; i, i' + 2) and intra-helical (i, i + 4) attractive interactions with the phosphorylated serine. When the arginines are replaced with lysines, the stabilizing effect of serine phosphorylation is reduced (delta delta GP = -0.5 kcal mol-1 dimer-1). The hydrophobic interface of the leucine zipper needs a glycine in the d position to obtain an increase in stability after phosphorylation. The phosphorylated protein binds DNA with a 15-fold higher affinity. Using a transient transfection assay, we document a PKA dependent four-fold activation of a reporter gene. Phosphorylation of a threonine in the same e position decreases the stability by delta delta GP = +1.2 kcal mol-1 dimer-1. We present circular dichroism (CD) thermal denaturations of 15 bZIP proteins before and after phosphorylation. These data provide insights into the structural determinants that result in stabilization of a coiled coil by phosphorylation.     

非磷酸化肌球蛋白在血小板衍生生长因子诱导的血管平滑肌细胞迁移中的作用

为了阐明非磷酸化肌球蛋白在平滑肌细胞迁移中的作用,研究探讨了非磷酸化肌球蛋白是否介导了血小板衍生生长因子(PDGF)诱导豚鼠脑基底动脉平滑肌细胞(GbaSM-4)的迁移。研究结果显示,20ng/ml以下剂量的PDGF可诱导GbaSM-4细胞发生迁移,此时肌球蛋白轻链(MLC20)磷酸化水平无变化。该迁移作用可被肌球蛋白特异性抑制剂blebbistatin所拮抗。应用RNA干扰技术抑制肌球蛋白轻链激酶表达,经免疫印迹检测经果显示,MLC20的磷酸化水平发生了显著下降;但对PDGF诱导的迁移作用无影响;在RNA干扰后blebbistatin也可抑制其迁移作用。体外ATP酶活性测定结果显示,blebbistatin对从平滑肌中提取的非磷酸化肌球蛋白的ATP酶活性有明显的抑制作用,其主要作用位点位于肌球蛋白头的头部S1。上述结果提示,非磷酸化的肌球蛋白参与了PDGF诱导的平滑肌细胞迁移。     

Dynamic localization and persistent stimulation of factor-dependent cells by a stem cell factor / cellulose binding domain fusion protein

The extracellular matrix provides structural components that support the development of tissue morphology and the distribution of growth factors that modulate the overall cellular response to those growth factors. The ability to manipulate the presentation of factors in culture systems should provide an additional degree of control in regulating the stimulation of factor-dependent cells for tissue engineering applications. Cellulose binding domain (CBD) fusion protein technology facilitates the binding of bioactive cytokines to cellulose materials, and has permitted the analysis of several aspects of cell stimulation by surface-localized growth factors. We previously reported the synthesis and initial characterization of a fusion protein comprised of a CBD and murine stem cell factor (SCF) (Doheny et al. [1999] Biochem J 339:429-434). A significant advantage of the CBD fusion protein system is that it permits the stimulation of factor-dependent cells with localized growth factor, essentially free of nonfactor-derived interactions between the cell and matrix. In this work, the long-term stability and bioactivity of SCF-CBD fusions adsorbed to microcrystalline cellulose under cell culture conditions is demonstrated. Cellulose-bound SCF-CBD is shown to stimulate receptor polarization in the cell membrane and adherence to the cellulose matrix. In addition, cellulose-surface presentation of the SCF-CBD attenuates c-kit dephosphorylation kinetics, potentially modulating the overall response of the cell to the SCF signal.