Calcium binding mode of gamma-carboxyglutamic acids in conantokins.

Conantokin-T (con-T) and conantokin-G (con-G) are two highly homologous peptide toxins found in Conus venom. The former is a 21-residue peptide with four gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) residues (at positions 3, 4, 10 and 14), while the latter is a 17-residue peptide with five gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues (at positions 3, 4, 7, 10 and 14). Despite the apparent similarity in number and relative positions of the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues, (113)Cd-NMR studies indicated a distinct metal binding behavior for con-G and con-T. There appears to be four binding sites in con-G in contrast to one metal binding site in con-T. To elucidate the mode of calcium binding by the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues in these conantokins, we designed various analogous peptides with their gamma-carboxyglutamic acid replaced by other amino acid residues. (113)Cd-NMR experiments on conantokin analogues reveal that the major difference in the number of metal binding sites between con-G and con-T is due to the residue at position 7. We also performed molecular simulations to calculate the relative binding free energies of several potential binding sites. Based on our theoretical and experimental results, we propose a 'four-site' binding model for conantokin-G and a 'single-site' binding model for conantokin-T.     

大鼠发育过程中肝、肺r-GT酶活性和定位

用生物化学和组织化学方法研究正常发育中大鼠肝、肺r-GT活性和定位。结果表明:肝r-GT活性自胚龄17天开始升高,21天达高峰,出生第一天明显降低,第六天降至接近成年低水平。在胚胎期肝r-GT主要位于肝细胞内,出生后则主要位于胆小管。该结果提示胚胎期肝r-GT主要参与肝细胞膜上氨基酸的转运。出生后可能主要参与解毒功能,大鼠肺r-GT活性随发育逐步升高,主要分布于肺支气管上皮细胞。提示肺r-GT可能参与解毒功能。     

用合成的寡核苷酸探针鉴定中国人β-地中海贫血基因突变

用人工合成的六种对β-地中海贫血基因特异的寡核苷酸作为杂交探针,对10例β-地中海贫血病人及其父母的β-珠蛋白基因进行分析,鉴定出六种β-地中海贫血突变:(1)TATA Box-28 A→G;(2)IVS-1n.5 G→C;(3)Codon 17 A→T;(4)codons 41—42—46p;(5)Codons 71—72+A;(6)IVS-2 n.654C→T。本文分析的中国人β-地中海贫血患者中,上述六种突变所占的百分比分别为5％,10％,10％,40％,20％和15％。     

蜜蜂脑中5—HT，GABA，Ach免疫反应阳性神经元分布的比较研究

通过免疫细胞化学方法－ＰＡＰ法,研究了中华峰（Ａｐｉｓｓｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ）和意大利峰（ＡｐｉｓｍｅｌｌｉｆｅｒａＬ）脑和视叶中乙酰胆碱（Ａｃｈ）、５－羟色胺（５－ＨＴ）、γ－氨基丁酸（ＧＡＢＡ）免疫反应阳性神经元胞体和纤维的形态、染色强度、分布和各种神经丛之间的联系．一方面将这些阳性分布系统和蜜蜂脑中相应的神经元类型进行比较,另一方面也分析了在一些特殊解剖学通路中存在的可能的神经递质及其作用．     

基于肠道微生态改善的益生菌抗糖尿病作用机制研究进展

2型糖尿病(type 2 diabetes, T2D)会引起糖脂代谢紊乱,严重危害人类健康,为了防治这一流行病,急需寻找安全和无副作用的抗糖尿病的方法,其中,基于微生物方法治疗T2D最常见的策略是补充益生菌,其可通过对不同组织和代谢通路的调节来实现抗糖尿病的功效。益生菌摄入可通过降低慢性低度炎症,减少氧化应激,调节肠道菌群,增加短链脂肪酸含量来达到调控血糖的目的;通过增加胆固醇与胆盐的共沉淀作用,胆固醇在胃肠道内转化为粪甾醇,降低肝脏中3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酸单酰辅酶A还原酶活性,降低胆固醇转运体的表达及对脂肪细胞的调节来达到降脂的目的。本综述系统总结了益生菌抗糖尿病现状和基于肠道微生态的抗糖尿病分子机制,以期为益生菌作为降糖降脂等保健产品的开发利用提供理论依据。     

Genistein inhibits calcium release by platelet-derived growth factor but not bradykinin or cadmium in human fibroblasts

Cd²⁺ provokes inositol trisphosphateproduction and releases stored Ca²⁺, apparently by binding to a zinc site in the external domain of an orphan receptor. One pM Cd²⁺ evokes an immediate spike in cytosolic free Ca²⁺, which is similar to that evoked by bradykinin. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) also increases free Ca²⁺ in human dermalfibroblasts, but there is a distinct lag before free Ca²⁺ rises in response to PDGF. Genistein, which selectively inhibits tyrosine kinases, markedly inhibited Ca²⁺ mobilization evoked by PDGF. Calcium mobilization triggered by cadmium or bradykinin was relatively insensitive to genistein. The PDGF receptor is known to be a tyrosine kinase, whichphosphorylates and thereby activatesphospholipase C, whereas a G protein couples the bradykinin receptor to anotherphospholipase C isoform. These findings support the hypothesis that the orphan receptor triggered by cadmium is coupled to phospholipase C via a G protein.Abbreviations BSA bovine serum albumin - BK bradykinin - [Ca²⁺]_i cytosolic free calcium - DME Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium - FBS fetal bovine serum - HEPES 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazine-ethanesulfonic acid - IC₅₀ concentration that produces 50% inhibition - PDGF platelet-derived growth factor - PSS physiological salts solution - SE standard error of the mean     

蜜蜂脑乙酰胆碱免疫反应阳性神经元的分布

通过免疫组织化学方法-PAP法,使用乙酰胆碱(ACh)抗体,研究了中华蜂(Apis sinensis)和意大利蜂(Apis mellifera L)脑中具有乙酰胆碱免疫阳性反应的神经元胞体的形态、分布及神经元类型.并和已知的在其他昆虫脑中用ACh的合成酶ChAT和其水解酶AChE的抗体免疫组化法所获得的结果进行了比较.