Novel surface expression of reticulocalbin 1 on bone endothelial cells and human prostate cancer cells is regulated by TNF-alpha

An unbiased cDNA expression phage library derived from bone-marrow endothelial cells was used to identify novel surface adhesion molecules that might participate in metastasis. Herein we report that reticulocalbin 1 (RCN1) is a cell surface-associated protein on both endothelial (EC) and prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines. RCN1 is an H/KDEL protein with six EF-hand, calcium-binding motifs, found in the endoplasmic reticulum. Our data indicate that RCN1 also is expressed on the cell surface of several endothelial cell lines, including human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMVECs), bone marrow endothelial cells (BMEC), and transformed human bone marrow endothelial cells (TrHBMEC). While RCN1 protein levels were highest in lysates from HDMVEC, this difference was not statistically significant compared BMEC and TrHBMEC. Given preferential adhesion of PCa to bone-marrow EC, these data suggest that RCN1 is unlikely to account for the preferential metastasis of PCa to bone. In addition, there was not a statistically significant difference in total RCN1 protein expression among the PCa cell lines. RCN1 also was expressed on the surface of several PCa cell lines, including those of the LNCaP human PCa progression model and the highly metastatic PC-3 cell line. Interestingly, RCN1 expression on the cell surface was upregulated by tumor necrosis factor alpha treatment of bone-marrow endothelial cells. Taken together, we show cell surface localization of RCN1 that has not been described previously for either PCa or BMEC and that the surface expression on BMEC is regulated by pro-inflammatory TNF-alpha.     

P-糖蛋白的表达及其结合肽的筛选

为获得P 糖蛋白胞外段 ,构建了高效表达载体pGEX Pgp ,转化大肠杆菌DH5α ,进行表达、鉴定及纯化 ,以获得的融合蛋白为靶蛋白 ,筛选噬菌体随机 12肽库 ,免疫细胞化学方法进行鉴定 .SDS PAGE分析 ,表达出约 30kD大小的蛋白 ;从噬菌体随机肽库中筛选获得了与P 糖蛋白特异性结合的噬菌体阳性克隆 ,测序获得了其特异性结合肽序列 :NDGLLFTWQPSP .免疫细胞化学结果显示 :筛选得到的噬菌体阳性克隆可与耐药细胞BIU 87 ADM结合 ,而与敏感细胞BIU 87不结合 .结果表明 ,筛选获得的结合肽可与耐药的肿瘤细胞结合 ,表现出一定的肿瘤特异性 .P 糖蛋白结合肽的筛选 ,为进行人膀胱癌多药耐药的靶向治疗等工作奠定了基础 .     

用噬菌体展示筛选Gal-α-1,3-Gal的模拟肽

猪心移植是解决心脏移植供体少的有效方法.由于猪心血管内皮细胞表面抗原半乳糖-α-1,3-半乳糖（Gal-α-1,3-Gal）,能与人体内预存的天然抗体结合产生超急性排斥反应（HAR）,而无法应用于临床.为了解决这一难题, 应用噬菌体展示技术,筛选出一个能与抗B型血单克隆抗体（mAB anti-B) 特异性结合的阳性噬菌体克隆,应用酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)和竞争性ELISA结果表明,所获得的阳性噬菌体克隆能特异性地与mAB anti-B结合,并且这种结合可被蜜二糖（具有Gal-α-1,6-Glc的结构)所竞争抑制.由此推测,筛选到的噬菌体阳性克隆很可能就结合在蜜二糖与mAB anti-B结合的位点.同时,进行了阳性噬菌体克隆的抑制猪红细胞凝集活性试验,试验结果表明,此阳性克隆不仅可抑制Gal-α-1,3-Gal与抗体的结合, 也可抑制Gal-α-1,3-Gal与西非单叶豆凝集素（GS-I-B4）的结合.此噬菌体阳性克隆测序后,得小肽序列为CCWLLRQPVRFVRSIRS.鉴于以上的结果,认为此小肽可以作为Gal-α-1,3-Gal的模拟肽,同时有望开发成抗猪器官异种移植超急性排斥反应的新药.     

Selection of trkB-binding peptides from a phage-displayed random peptide library

Brain-derivedneurotrophicfactor(BDNF),originallypurifiedfrompigbrainbyBarderetal.[1]in1982,belongstothefamilyofneurotrophins(NTs)aswellasnervegrowthfactor(NGF),neurotrophin-3(NT-3),NT-4/5.Itisabletopromotesurvivalanddifferentiationofseveralpopu-lationsofneurons,includingmesencephalicdopaminergicneurons,motorneurons,andcholiner-gicneurons,andtoprotectthemagainstneurotoxicityandischemia.BDNFplaysanimportantroleinregulatingneuronsurvivalanddifferentiationduringdevelopmentandinmaintainingthe…     

Surveillance of vibriophages reveals their role as biomonitoring agents in Kolkata

Cholera is a public health threat in all developing countries. Kolkata, a city in eastern India, is an endemic zone for cholera. During the course of a comprehensive investigation on the distribution of phages of Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 in freshwater bodies in Kolkata, we were able to isolate the phages of V. cholerae O1 and O139. Vibrio cholerae O1 phages were found at all the sites and exhibited a distinct seasonal cycle, with a primary peak (13.6–17.2 PFU mL⁻¹) during monsoon (June to August) in both 2006 and 2007. Vibrio cholerae O139 phages were present in the environment and were predominant during monsoon in the year 2006, except for late winter and early summer from February to April. In contrast, in the year 2007, the O139 phages could be isolated only during July to December, with the highest counts of 12.0 PFU mL⁻¹ determined in August. The multiplex PCR results showed that 90 samples were positive for wbe of V. cholerae O1, 32 samples for O139 ( wbf ) and 18 samples for both. This study shows that surveillance of vibriophages indicates the presence of V. cholerae O1 and O139 in water bodies in and around Kolkata and could therefore serve as a powerful biomonitoring agent.     

Camelid nanobodies raised against an integral membrane enzyme,nitric oxide reductase

Nitric Oxide Reductase (NOR) is an integral membrane protein performing the reduction of NO to N₂O. NOR is composed of two subunits: the large one (NorB) is a bundle of 12 transmembrane helices (TMH). It contains a b type heme and a binuclear iron site, which is believed to be the catalytic site, comprising a heme b and a non-hemic iron. The small subunit (NorC) harbors a cytochrome c and is attached to the membrane through a unique TMH. With the aim to perform structural and functional studies of NOR, we have immunized dromedaries with NOR and produced several antibody fragments of the heavy chain (VHHs, also known as nanobodies™). These fragments have been used to develop a faster NOR purification procedure, to proceed to crystallization assays and to analyze the electron transfer of electron donors. BIAcore experiments have revealed that up to three VHHs can bind concomitantly to NOR with affinities in the nanomolar range. This is the first example of the use of VHHs with an integral membrane protein. Our results indicate that VHHs are able to recognize with high affinity distinct epitopes on this class of proteins, and can be used as versatile and valuable tool for purification, functional study and crystallization of integral membrane proteins.     

噬菌体裂解酶的抗菌特性

摘要：噬菌体裂解酶是一类细胞壁水解酶,可水解肽聚糖,造成细菌的破裂。裂解酶一般具有两到三个结构域,参与对底物的催化和结合。作为一种新型的杀菌制剂,裂解酶已被越来越多地应用于化脓链球菌、肺炎链球菌、金黄色葡萄球菌等革兰氏阳性细菌病的治疗。与抗生素治疗相比,裂解酶不易使细菌产生抗性且作用相对专一,这可能是解决现在日趋严重的细菌耐药性的一种可行方法。另外,裂解酶还具有高效性,作用协同性,且自身抗体不削弱其作用等优势,使之成为未来预防、控制致病菌一种可能的新途径。     

Structure and Energetics of Encapsidated DNA in Bacteriophage HK97 Studied by Scanning Calorimetry and Cryo-electron Microscopy

Encapsidation of duplex DNA by bacteriophages represents an extreme case of genome condensation, reaching near-crystalline concentrations of DNA. The HK97 system is well suited to study this phenomenon in view of the detailed knowledge of its capsid structure. To characterize the interactions involved, we combined calorimetry with cryo-electron microscopy and native gel electrophoresis. We found that, as in other phages, HK97 DNA is organized in coaxially wound nested shells. When DNA-filled capsids (heads) are scanned in buffer containing 1 mM Mg²⁺, DNA melting and capsid denaturation both contribute to the complex thermal profile between 82 °C and 96 °C. In other conditions (absence of Mg²⁺ and lower ionic strength), DNA melting shifts to lower temperatures and the two events are resolved. Heads release their DNA at temperatures well below the onset of DNA melting or capsid denaturation. We suggest that, on heating, the internal pressure increases, causing the DNA to exit—probably via the portal vertex-while the capsid, although largely intact, sustains local damage that leads to an earlier onset of thermal denaturation. Heads differ structurally from empty capsids in the curvature of their protein shell, a change attributable to outwards pressure exerted by the DNA. We propose that this transition is sensed by the portal that is embedded in the capsid wall, whereupon the structure of the portal and its interactions with terminase, the packaging enzyme, are altered, thus signaling that packaging is at or approaching completion.     

CRISPR analysis of bacteriophage‐insensitive mutants (BIMs) of industrial Streptococcus thermophilus– implications for starter design

Aims: An efficient approach for generation of bacteriophage‐insensitive mutants (BIMs) of Streptococcus thermophilus starters was described in our laboratory [Mills et al. (2007) J Microbiol Methods 70 , 159–164]. The aim of this study was to analyse the phage resistance mechanism responsible for BIM formation. Methods and Results: Three clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) regions have been identified in Strep. thermophilus, and Strep. thermophilus can integrate novel spacers into these loci in response to phage attack. Characterization of three sets of BIMs indicated that two sets had altered CRISPR1 and/or CRISPR3 loci. A range of BIMs of yoghurt starter CSK938 were generated with the same phage in different phage challenge experiments, and each acquired unique spacer regions ranging between one and four new spacers in CRISPR1. In addition, the BIM that acquired only one new spacer in CRISPR1 also acquired an additional spacer in CRISPR3. A fourth BIM, generated with a different phage, had two spacers deleted from CRISPR1 but acquired two spacers in CRISPR3. Analysis of the Mozzarella starter CSK939 and its associated BIMs indicated that formation of second generation BIMs does not lead to increases in spacer number but to alterations in spacer regions. BIMs of an exopolysaccharide (EPS)‐producing strain that lost the ability to produce EPS did not harbour an altered CRISPR, suggesting that phage sensitivity may be related to the EPS‐producing phenotype. Conclusions: Acquisition/deletion of new spacers in CRISPR loci in response to phage attack generates distinctly individual variants. It also demonstrates that other modifications may be responsible for the phage resistance of Strep. thermophilus BIMs. Significance and Impact of the Study: Isolation of individual BIMs that have unique spacers towards the leader region of the CRISPR locus may be a very useful approach for rotation strategies with the same starter backbone. Upon phage infection, BIMs ‘in reserve’ can be slotted into the rotation scheme.