半夏凝集素在脂双层形成的阳离子通道

半夏凝集素是从多年生植物三叶半夏的块茎鲜汁中分离纯化的糖结合蛋白,具凝集素活性,与甘露聚糖有专一结合。本工作利用双室系统观察了它对人工脂双层的作用。 人工脂双层由卵磷脂和胆固醇(重量比为4:1)的正癸烷溶液形成。电阻≥10GΩ。在电压箝位下将半夏凝集素(1—4μg/ml)加至系统的一小室,几分钟后即观察到通道样活动噪音,脂双层电阻下降。甘露聚糖对这种变化有明显的对抗作用,加入40μg/ml的甘露聚糖可使脂双层的膜电阻立即从2GΩ恢复到对照水平(≥10GΩ)。在低浓度半夏凝集素和低维持电压下可获得单位电导涨落记录。在100mmol/L对称KCl溶液中记录的半夏凝集素单通道电流的优势电导为35pS。通过测定在非对称盐溶液中的平衡电位,根据Goldman—Hodgkin—Katz电位方程可推算出通道的离子选择性。结果表明,半夏凝集素形成的通道为阳离子通道。     

68例维吾尔族IgA肾病患者MBL基因多态性与临床病理相关性分析

目的探讨甘露糖结合凝集素（mannose—binding lectin,MBL）基因第54位密码子多态性与维吾尔族IgA肾病患者临床和病理的关系。方法应用PCR—RFLP方法对68例维吾尔族IgAN患者进行MBL多态性检测,并与患者临床和病理特点进行相关性分析。结果①维吾尔族IgAN中表现为蛋白尿的患者突变型等位基因GAC的发生频率显著高于表现为单纯血尿的患者（P〈0．05）;②维吾尔族IgAN中表现为复合性免疫沉积的患者等位基因GAC的发生频率显著高于表现为单纯免疫沉积的患者（P〈0．05）。结论MBL突变型等位基因GAC与维吾尔族IgAN蛋白尿发生和免疫复合沉积相关。     

Two Phenolic Compounds from Valsa ambiens

Two phenolic compounds were isolated from a filtrate of Valsa ambiensis. Their structures were determined to be a new compound (1) and scytalone (2) by spectroscopic methods. Both had an inhibitory effect on the growth of lettuce roots and hypocotyls.     

Proteomic Discovery of Plasma Protein Biomarkers and Development of Models Predicting Prognosis of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal female cancers. For accurate prognosis prediction, this study aimed to investigate novel, blood-based prognostic biomarkers for high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) using mass spectrometry–based proteomics methods. We conducted label-free liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry using frozen plasma samples obtained from patients with newly diagnosed HGSOC (n = 20). Based on progression-free survival (PFS), the samples were divided into two groups: good (PFS ≥18 months) and poor prognosis groups (PFS <18 months). Proteomic profiles were compared between the two groups. Referring to proteomics data that we previously obtained using frozen cancer tissues from chemotherapy-naïve patients with HGSOC, overlapping protein biomarkers were selected as candidate biomarkers. Biomarkers were validated using an independent set of HGSOC plasma samples (n = 202) via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To construct models predicting the 18-month PFS rate, we performed stepwise selection based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with 5-fold cross-validation. Analysis of differentially expressed proteins in plasma samples revealed that 35 and 61 proteins were upregulated in the good and poor prognosis groups, respectively. Through hierarchical clustering and bioinformatic analyses, GSN, VCAN, SND1, SIGLEC14, CD163, and PRMT1 were selected as candidate biomarkers and were subjected to ELISA. In multivariate analysis, plasma GSN was identified as an independent poor prognostic biomarker for PFS (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.556; 95% confidence interval, 1.073–2.256; p = 0.020). By combining clinical factors and ELISA results, we constructed several models to predict the 18-month PFS rate. A model consisting of four predictors (FIGO stage, residual tumor after surgery, and plasma levels of GSN and VCAN) showed the best predictive performance (mean validated AUC, 0.779). The newly developed model was converted to a nomogram for clinical use. Our study results provided insights into protein biomarkers, which might offer clues for developing therapeutic targets.     

The development of new molecular tools containing a chemically synthesized carbohydrate ligand for the elucidation of carbohydrate roles via photoaffinity labeling: Carbohydrate–protein interactions are affected by the structures of the glycosidic bonds and the reducing-end sugar

Photoaffinity labeling technology is a highly efficient method for cloning carbohydrate-binding proteins. When the carbohydrate probes are synthesized according to conventional methods, however, the reducing terminus of the sugar is opened to provide an acyclic structure. Our continued efforts to solve this problem led to the development of new molecular tools with an oligosaccharide structure that contains a phenyldiazirine group for the elucidation of carbohydrate–protein interactions. We investigated whether carbohydrate–lectin interactions are affected by differences in the glycosidic formation and synthesized three types of molecular tools containing Galp–GlcpNAc disaccharide ligands and a photoreactive group (1, 2, 3). Photoaffinity labeling validated the recognition of the new ligand by different glycosidic bonds. Photoaffinity labeling also demonstrated that both the reducing end sugar and non-reducing end sugar recognized the Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin.     

Isolation of a novel plant lectin with an unusual specificity from Calystegia sepium

A novel plant lectin has been isolated from the rhizomes of Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed) and partially characterized. The lectin is a dimeric protein composed of two identical non-covalently linked subunits of 16kDa. Hapten inhibition studies indicate that the novel lectin is best inhibited by maltose and mannose and hence exhibits a sugar binding specificity that differs in some respects from that of all previously isolated plant lectins. Mitogenicity tests have shown that the Calystegia lectin is a powerful T-cell mitogen. Affinity purification of human, plant and fungal glycoproteins on immobilized C. sepium lectin demonstrates that this novel lectin can be used for the isolation of glycoconjugates from various sources. Moreover, it can be expected that by virtue of its distinct specificity, the new lectin will become an important tool in glycobiology. Abbreviations: Calsepa, lectin isolated from Calystegia sepium; ConA, concanavalin A; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; PBS, phosphate buffered saline (1.5 mMKH2PO4, 10 mM Na2HPO4, 3 mM KCl, 140 mM NaCl, pH 7.4) This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.