Familial secondary erythrocytosis due to increased oxygen affinity is caused by destabilization of the T state of hemoglobin Brigham (α(2) β(2) (Pro100Leu) )

Hemoglobin Brigham (β Pro100 to Leu) was first reported in a patient with familial erythrocytosis. Erythrocytes of an affected individual from the same family contain both HbA and Hb Brigham and exhibit elevated O(2) affinity compared with normal cells (P(50) = 23 mm Hg vs. 31 mmHg at pH 7.4 at 37°C). O(2) affinities measured for hemolysates were sensitive to changes in pH or chloride concentrations, indicating little change in the Bohr and Chloride effects. Hb Brigham was separated from normal HbA by nondenaturing cation exchange liquid chromatography, and the amino acid substitution was verified by mass spectrometry. The properties of Hb Brigham isolated from the patient's blood were then compared with those of recombinant Hb Brigham expressed in Escherichia coli. Kinetic experiments suggest that the rate constants for ligand binding and release in the high (R) and low (T) affinity quaternary states of Hb Brigham are similar to those of native hemoglobin. However, the Brigham mutation decreases the T to R equilibrium constant (L) which accelerates the switch to the R state during ligand binding to deoxy-Hb, increasing the rate of association by approximately twofold, and decelerates the switch during ligand dissociation from HbO(2) , decreasing the rate approximately twofold. These kinetic data help explain the high O(2) affinity characteristics of Hb Brigham and provide further evidence for the importance of the contribution of Pro100 to intersubunit contacts and stabilization of the T quaternary structure.     

透明颤菌血红蛋白基因在阿维链霉菌中的表达

将含有自身启动子的透明颤菌血红蛋白基因（ ｖｈｂ） 克隆至大肠杆菌—链霉菌穿梭质粒载体ｐＩＪ６５３ 中构建成表达载体ｐ ＷＹ１０１ 和ｐ ＷＹ１０２ ,用它们转化阿维菌素（ａｖｅｒｍｅｃｔｉｎｓ） 产生菌———阿维链霉菌（ Ｓｔｒｅｐｔｏｍｙｃｅｓ ａｖｅｒｍｉｔｉｌｉｓ） ,经Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ ｂｌｏｔｔｉｎｇ 分析并未检测到ｖｈｂ 基因表达,但用穿梭载体ｐＨＺ１２５２（ 其中的ｖｈｂ 基因位于受硫链丝菌素诱导的链霉菌强启动子ＰｔｉｐＡ之下） 转化阿维链霉菌并经硫链丝菌素诱导,则在该菌中表达出了有活性的ＶＨｂ 蛋白。ｐＨＺ１２５２ 在阿维链霉菌中发生了重组缺失,但缺失的ｐＨＺ１２５２ 上仍含有完整的ｖｈｂ 基因及诱导型强启动子,且可在阿维链霉菌中稳定遗传,却不能再转化大肠杆菌。     

H5N1亚型禽流感病毒NS1基因截短体的克隆与原核表达

禽流感病毒H5N1 NS1蛋白是一种非结构蛋白,在病毒感染过程中发挥着重要的作用.构建基因截短的重组蛋白,可为进一步研究NS1不同结构域与宿主蛋白间的相互作用奠定基础.在成功克隆禽流感病毒H5N1全长NS1基因并测序的基础上,将部分截短基因序列克隆到表达栽体pET28a(+)上,构建基因截短的重组表达质粒pET28a-NS1-RBD和pET28a-NS1-ED,转化大肠埃希菌BL21(DE3),阳性重组质粒经IPTG诱导表达后进行SDS-PAGE检测,获得预期蛋白的表达,然后利用Ni-NTA树脂蛋白纯化系统对重组蛋白进行纯化,并通过Western Blotting进一步确认NS1及截短体蛋白的表达.结果表明,实验成功构建禽流感病毒H5N1亚型的NS1蛋白截短体,并在大肠埃希菌中高效表达,这为进一步研究NS1蛋白不同结构域与宿主蛋白的相互作用提供了实验材料,为深入研究NS1蛋白的生物学功能奠定了坚实基础.     

Hemoglobin site-mutants reveal dynamical role of interhelical H-bonds in the allosteric pathway: time-resolved UV resonance Raman evidence for intra-dimer coupling

The dynamical effect of eliminating specific tertiary H-bonds in the hemoglobin (Hb) tetramer has been investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and time-resolved absorption and ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy. The Trp alpha 14...Thr alpha 67 and Trp beta 15...Ser beta 72 H-bonds connect the A and E helices in the alpha and beta chains, and are proposed to break in the earliest protein intermediate (Rdeoxy) following photo-deligation of HbCO, along with a second pair of H-bonds involving tyrosine residues. Mutation of the acceptor residues Thr alpha 67 and Ser beta 72 to Val and Ala eliminates the A-E H-bonds, but has been shown to have no significant effect on ligand-binding affinity or cooperativity, or on spectroscopic markers of the T-state quaternary interactions. However, the mutations have profound and unexpected effects on the character of the Rdeoxy intermediate, and on the dynamics of the subsequent steps leading to the T state. Formation of the initial quaternary contact (RT intermediate) is accelerated, by an order of magnitude, but the locking-in of the T state is delayed by a factor of 2. These rate effects are essentially the same for either mutation, or for the double mutation, suggesting that the alpha beta dimer behaves as a mechanically coupled dynamical unit. Further evidence for intra-dimer coupling is provided by the Rdeoxy UVRR spectrum, in which either or both mutations eliminate the tyrosine difference intensity, although only tryptophan H-bonds are directly affected. A possible mechanism for mechanical coupling is outlined, involving transmission of forces through the alpha(1)beta(1) (and alpha(2)beta(2)) interface. The present observations establish that quaternary motions can occur on the approximately 100 ns time-scale. They show also that a full complement of interhelical H-bonds actually slows the initial quaternary motion in Hb, but accelerates the locking in of the T-contacts.     

Formation of Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide Derivative of Hemoglobin in Rats During Shock Syndrome

Free radicals have been postulated to play an important role as mediators in the pathogenesis of shock syndrome and multiple-organ failure. We attempted to directly detect the increased formation of radicals by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) in animal models of shock, namely the endotoxin (ETX) shock or the hemorrhagic shock of the rat. In freeze-clamped lung tissue, a small but significant increase of a free radical signal was detected after ETX application. In the blood of rats under ETX shock, a significant ESR signal with a triplet hyperfine structure was observed. The latter ESR signal evolved within several hours after the application of ETX and was localized in the red blood cells. This signal was assigned to a nitric oxide (NO) adduct of hemoglobin with the tentative structur ((a2+ NO)/23+)2. The amount of hemoglobin-NO formed, up to 0.8% of total hemoglobin, indicated that under ETX shock a considerable amount of NO was produced in the vascular system. This NO production was strongly inhibited by the arginine analog N^G-monomethyl-arginine (NMMA). The ESR signal of Hb-NO was also observed after severe hemorrhagic shock. There are three questions, namely (i) the type of vascular cells and the regulation of the process forming such a large amount of NO during ETX shock, (ii) the pathophysiological implications of the formed NO, effects which have been described as cytotoxic mediator, endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) or inhibitor of platelet aggregation, and (iii) the possible use of Hb-NO for monitoring phases of shock syndrome.     

HisE11 and HisF8 Provide Bis-histidyl Heme Hexa-coordination in the Globin Domain of Geobacter sulfurreducens Globin-coupled Sensor

Among heme-based sensors, recent phylogenomic and sequence analyses have identified 34 globin coupled sensors (GCS), to which an aerotactic or gene-regulating function has been tentatively ascribed. Here, the structural and biochemical characterization of the globin domain of the GCS from Geobacter sulfurreducens (GsGCS¹⁶²) is reported. A combination of X-ray crystallography (crystal structure at 1.5 Å resolution), UV-vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy reveals the ferric GsGCS¹⁶² as an example of bis-histidyl hexa-coordinated GCS. In contrast to the known hexa-coordinated globins, the distal heme-coordination in ferric GsGCS¹⁶² is provided by a His residue unexpectedly located at the E11 topological site. Furthermore, UV-vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy indicated that ferrous deoxygenated GsGCS¹⁶² is a penta-/hexa-coordinated mixture, and the heme hexa-to-penta-coordination transition does not represent a rate-limiting step for carbonylation kinetics. Lastly, electron paramagnetic resonance indicates that ferrous nitrosylated GsGCS¹⁶² is a penta-coordinated species, where the proximal HisF8-Fe bond is severed.     

Zinc content of normal human serum and its correlation with some hematic parameters

Numerous studies have demonstrated that several diseases and stress conditions are associated with changes in the levels of zinc in the blood plasma and cellular elements. In this research the association between serum zinc concentrations and other hematic parameters of diagnostic interest has been evaluated. Quantitative determinations of zinc, total plasmatic proteins, albumin, hemoglobin and calculation of mean corpuscular volume were performed on blood samples from 58 males aged 20–61 years. Concentrations measured in our sample are comparable with reference values. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were found between age and albumin (r = - 0.562, P < 0.001), serum zinc and albumin (r = 0.328, P < 0.05), serum zinc and hemoglobin (r = 0.291, P < 0.05), and total plasmatic proteins and albumin (r = 0.463, P < 0.001). These correlation coefficients were significant even after adjustment for age effect. The determination of serum zinc concentration may be useful in the assessment of clinical scenarios. Particularly, it may provide additional information for the diagnosis of specific pathologies, such as hepatic malfunctions. It could also be useful in the identification of different stages of anemia.     

Proliferation and morphology of chick embryo cells cultured in the presence of horse serum and hemoglobin

Summary We have shown previously that hemoglobin greatly stimulates chick embryo cell proliferation in Eagle's minimal essential medium supplemented with horse serum. In the present study we compared the effects of horse serum plus 10 μM hemoglobin to those of fetal bovine serum on subcultures of chick embryo cells serially propagated at high cell densities. The cells became elongated in the presence of fetal bovine serum and their rate of proliferation progressively decreased, whereas they became polygonal in the presence of horse serum plus hemoglobin and proliferated well in successive cell passages. The polygonal cell obtained in the presence of horse serum plus hemoglobin rapidly elongated if cultured at low cell densities in the presence of fetal bovine serum, but, in contrast, elongated cells did not yield polygonal cells if cultured at low densities in the presence of horse serum plus hemoglobin. It is possible that the polygonal and elongated cells are undifferentiated cells and differentiating myogenic cells, respectively.     

Slightly modifying pseudoproline dipeptides incorporation strategy enables solid phase synthesis of a 54 AA fragment of caveolin‐1 encompassing the intramembrane domain

This work contributes to highlight the benefits of pseudoproline dipeptides introduction in difficult SPPS. We show how a slight modification in the positioning choice conditioned the synthesis achievement of a 54 amino acid long caveolin‐1 peptide encompassing the intramembrane domain. Furthermore, we report a side reaction correlated with the coupling steps and generating truncated fragments with a mass deviation of + 42 Da. Considering the need of structural data for membrane proteins, most of which are considered as prevalent therapeutic targets, chemical synthesis provides an interesting alternative pathway to obtain hydrophobic domains by pushing back the frontiers of conventional RP methods of purification. Copyright © 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

马传染性贫血病毒弱毒疫苗株跨膜蛋白截短突变对其体外复制特性影响

马传染性贫血病毒(EIAV)减毒疫苗是世界首例慢病毒疫苗,但其作用机理尚不明了.研究发现,EIAV疫苗株EIAVFDDV12的跨膜蛋白gp45在马体内发生高频率261W位点翻译终止突变,使该蛋白质C端出现154个氨基酸的截短.为了探讨该截短对EIAV疫苗株生物学特性的作用,以EIAV弱毒疫苗株感染性克隆为骨干,构建了gp45截短型感染性病毒株,检测该截短突变对EIAV疫苗株在体外培养的马外周血单核细胞由来的巨噬细胞(MDM)、驴MDM和驴胎皮细胞(FDD)中的复制.实验结果表明,gp45截短型毒株在马和驴MDM中复制能力比未截短型毒株显著降低(P<0.01),特别是在马MDM中此差异更明显.相反,截短型毒株在FDD中的复制能力则显著高于未截短型毒株(P<0.01).此外,结果显示gp45截短型毒株在马MDM中的低水平复制降低了EIAV对其靶细胞诱导的凋亡.以上结果提示,EIAV疫苗的gp45截短型毒株是适应在体外FDD细胞中传代致弱的变异,该变异导致疫苗株在EIAV体内主要靶细胞巨噬细胞中复制能力的降低,导致毒力进一步减弱.