Molecular identification and functional characterization of a Drosophila dual-specificity phosphatase DMKP-4 which is involved in PGN-induced activation of the JNK pathway

MAP (Mitogen-activated protein) kinases play an important role in regulating many critical cellular processes. The inactivation of MAP kinases is always accomplished by a family of dual-specificity phosphatases, termed MAPK phosphatases (MKPs). Here, we have identified a novel MKP-like protein, designated DMKP-4, from the Drosophila genome. DMKP-4 is a protein of 387 amino acids, with a dual-specificity phosphatase (DSP) catalytic domain. Recombinant protein DMKP-4 retains intrinsic phosphatase activity against chromogenic substrate pNPP. Overexpression of DMKP-4 inhibited the activation of ERK, JNK and p38 by H(2)O(2), sorbitol and heat shock in HEK293-T cells, and JNK activation in Drosophila S2 cells under PGN stimuli. "Knockdown" of DMKP-4 expression by RNAi significantly enhanced the PGN-stimulated activation of JNK, but not ERK nor p38. Further study revealed that DMKP-4 interacted specifically with JNK via its DSP domain. Mutation of Cys-126 to serine in the DSP domain of DMKP-4 not only eliminated its interaction with JNK, but also markedly reduced its phosphatase activity. Thus, DMKP-4 is a Drosophila homologue of mammalian MKPs, and may play important roles in the regulation of various developmental processes.     

CD47分子与抗肿瘤免疫

肿瘤进展与人免疫系统间的联系已经被广泛研究,有许多免疫分子已被证实参与其中。CD47（整合素相关蛋白）为一种免疫球蛋白超家族成员,在人免疫系统中发挥着重要功能。研究表明CD47在肿瘤细胞表面也有高表达,其高表达与肿瘤的生长、转移及复发等密切相关。肿瘤细胞表面的CD47与巨噬细胞表面的SIRPα相互作用,并发出“别吃我”的免疫抑制性信号,从而保护肿瘤细胞免受巨噬细胞吞噬。因此,开发以CD47为靶点的拮抗剂可阻断此抑制性信号,从而增强巨噬细胞的吞噬效应,以达到增强抗肿瘤免疫反应的目的。最新研究证实,CD47拮抗剂在T细胞介导的抗肿瘤免疫反应中也发挥了重要作用。本文将对CD47分子的结构功能、在抗肿瘤免疫反应中的作用及以其为靶点的拮抗剂研究进展进行综述,以期为进一步的药物开发及临床研究等提供参考。     

蛇床子素通过促进胃癌细胞N87凋亡和细胞周期阻滞而抑制细胞增殖

蛇床子素是从伞形科植物蛇床中提取的一类具有生物活性的化合物。研究显示,蛇床子素对多种肿瘤细胞具有抑制作用,然而尚未有研究揭示其对胃癌N87细胞的抗肿瘤活性。本文研究了蛇床子素在体外和荷瘤小鼠体内对胃癌N87细胞的抗肿瘤效应,并进一步利用流式细胞术、TUNEL试验及Western印迹检测分析其对细胞周期及细胞凋亡的影响,以探索其作用机制。研究结果表明,蛇床子素有效地抑制了体外培养的N87细胞生长,并呈浓度依赖效应。本文还建立了N87的荷瘤小鼠模型。结果显示,无论是在低剂量(50 mg/kg)或高剂量(100 mg/kg)情况下,蛇床子素均显示了有效的肿瘤生长抑制效果。流式细胞术及Western印迹的结果表明,蛇床子素诱导N87细胞阻滞在G_2/M期。通过流式细胞术、TUNEL测试及Western印迹结果证明,蛇床子素通过激活胱天蛋白酶-3依赖的凋亡通路,最终导致了N87细胞凋亡的发生。综上所述,本研究显示,蛇床子素在胃癌N87细胞中通过促进细胞凋亡而发挥其抗肿瘤活性,这将为其应用于胃癌的临床治疗提供理论参考。     

Drosophila TAB2 is required for the immune activation of JNK and NF-kappaB

The TAK1 plays a pivotal role in the innate immune response of Drosophila by controlling the activation of JNK and NF-kappaB. Activation of TAK1 in mammals is mediated by two TAK1-binding proteins, TAB1 and TAB2, but the role of the TAB proteins in the immune response of Drosophila has not yet been established. Here, we report the identification of a TAB2-like protein in Drosophila called dTAB2. dTAB2 can interact with dTAK1, and stimulate the activation of the JNK and NF-kB signaling pathway. Furthermore, we have found that silencing of dTAB2 expression by dsRNAi inhibits JNK activation by peptidoglycans (PGN), but not by NaCl or sorbitol. In addition, suppression of dTAB2 blocked PGN-induced expression of antibacterial peptide genes, a function normally mediated by the activation of NF-kappaB signaling pathway. No significant effect on p38 activation by dTAB2 was found. These results suggest that dTAB2 is specifically required for PGN-induced activation of JNK and NF-kappaB signaling pathways.     

Regulation of Drosophila p38 activation by specific MAP2 kinase and MAP3 kinase in response to different stimuli

The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays an important role in cellular responses to inflammatory stimuli and environmental stress. Activation of p38 is mediated through phosphorylation by upstream MAPKK, which in turn is activated by MAPKKK. However, the mechanism of how different upstream MAP2Ks and MAP3Ks specifically contribute to p38 activation in response to different stimuli is still not clearly understood. By using double-stranded RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) in Drosophila cells, we demonstrate that D-MKK3 is a major MAP2K responsible for D-p38 activation by UV, heat shock, NaCl or peptiodglycan (PGN). Stimulation of UV and PGN activates D-p38 through D-MEKK1, heat shock-induced activation of D-p38 signals through both D-MEKK1 and D-ASK1. On the other hand, maximal activation of D-p38 by NaCl requires the expression of four MAP3Ks.     

栽培模式和复合肥类型对隆平206农艺性状及干物质积累的影响

该研究用双因素裂区设计,在四种栽培模式和两种类型复合肥条件下,分析了玉米杂交种隆平206的农艺性状及干物质积累的影响。隆平206的株高、生长率均在等行距和宽窄行间差异不显著,但与等行距一穴两株间差异显著;穗位高在等行距和宽窄行[(70+50)cm]间差异不显著,但与宽窄行[(90+30)cm]和等行距一穴两株间差异显著;茎粗在各处理间差异不显著,栽培模式对隆平206穗位上第1叶和穗下第1叶的叶夹角影响显著,对穗上第1叶的叶向值影响显著,对穗下第1叶的叶向值影响不显著,对不同时期穗位节和穗位上节的茎杆强度影响差异显著,对不同时期干物质积累影响差异显著。隆平206在宽窄行[(90+30)cm],地富原玉米专用复合肥时,隆平206农艺性状各指标达最佳状态,栽培模式对隆平206不同时期干物质积累影响差异显著,在拔节期、大喇叭口期、开花期、乳熟期、成熟期,隆平206在栽培模式宽窄行(70+50)cm时干物质积累量均最大。该研究结果为玉米杂交种隆平206的栽培管理和施肥提供了依据。     

DNA序列中限制酶切割位点的分布

本文以人类、小鼠、大鼠和病毒基因组中的DNA序列为材料,分析了其中40种II型限制性核酸内切酶识认位点的数量和分布情况。发现人鼠序列中绝大多数酶的切点数量可以通过序列中单核苷酸或双核苷酸的频率来预测,而切点在序列上的分布也是随机的。例外的情况是人鼠序列中酶EcoRII(识认CCWGG)和MnlI(CCTC)的切点显著偏多,而DpnI*(GATC)的切点显著偏少;MnlI的切点倾向于聚集一处。病毒基因组中酶切位点也基本上是随机分布,但基因组间差异很大,跟人鼠序列差别也大,特别是噬菌体T7中有多达17种酶的切点显著偏少。文中讨论了所得结果对构建限制酶切图谱的理论计算以及对限制酶显带机理的意义,特别指出显带过程在酶的切点达到所要求的浓度时,跟酶的识认片段的专一性、酶切位点的数量都没有关系,而取决于染色体不同区段抵抗酶切破坏的能力。     

核小体定位的转录调控功能研究进展

核小体是真核生物染色质的基本组成单位,组蛋白八聚体在DNA 双螺旋上精确位置称为核小体定位．核小体定位已被证实在基因转录调控、DNA复制与修复、调控进化等过程中扮演着重要的角色．随着染色质免疫共沉淀-芯片(ChIP-chip)与染色质免疫共沉淀-测序(ChIP-seq)等高通量技术的出现,已测定了多种模式生物全基因组核小体定位图谱,掀起了一股核小体定位及其功能的研究热潮,并取得了一定的成果．本文介绍了核小体定位的概念,总结了核小体在启动子与编码区域内定位的基本模式．在此基础上,综述了核小体定位在转录起始、转录延伸、基因表达模式多样化以及可变剪接等方面的功能研究进展．