东亚钳蝎氯毒素BmKCT的表达和功能鉴定(英文)

从中国东亚钳蝎ButhusmartensiiKarsch的毒腺cDNA文库中分离得到了一个编码毒素蛋白多肽 (命名为BmKCT)前体的全长cDNA序列 .该毒素多肽与已报道的氯毒素 (chlorotoxin)高度同源 ,其蛋白质一级序列有 6 8%的同源性 .为了鉴定BmKCT的生物学功能 ,通过pGEX系统成功地表达了BmKCT ,并用GST亲和层析和凝胶过滤的方法获得了纯化的重组BmKCT毒素蛋白 (rBmKCT) .通过膜片钳实验 ,记录了rBmKCT对人脑星型胶质瘤细胞 (gliomascell)表面的氯离子通道电流的作用 .结果显示 ,BmKCT可以显著抑制人脑星型胶质瘤细胞表面的氯离子通道电流 ,并且这种抑制作用在一定程度上是可逆的 .实验证明 ,在细胞水平上 ,BmKCT是一种新的短链氯离子通道抑制剂 .     

东亚钳蝎氯毒素通过下调PKM2介导的有氧糖酵解抑制神经胶质瘤细胞的增殖活性

东亚钳蝎氯离子通道毒素(Buthus martensii Karshch chlorion channel toxin,BmK CT)是一类短链神经毒素,在体内和体外均能有效抑制神经胶质瘤细胞侵袭和增殖。然而,BmK CT抑制胶质瘤细胞增殖活性的机制尚不清楚。本研究采用代谢组学的方法探索BmK CT抑制人脑神经胶质瘤细胞增殖的分子机制。首先,通过蛋白质表达纯化获得带有谷胱甘肽S转移酶(glutathione S-transferase, GST)标签的BmK CT蛋白和GST蛋白。利用圆二色谱检测两种蛋白质均具有α-螺旋二级结构,并且融合蛋白质GST-BmK CT热稳定性较好。通过噻唑蓝(methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide, MTT)法检测GST-BmK CT对神经胶质瘤细胞(U251和A172)增殖的影响。结果显示,与GST处理组相比,1μmol/L GST-BmK CT处理组对U251细胞的抑制率更明显(U251细胞19±1.1 vs. 2.25±0.95,P<0.001, 48 h; A172细胞12±1.4 vs. 2.25±1.25,P<0.001, 48 h)。利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, GC-MS)分析鉴定出细胞内的63种代谢物,通过通路分析和聚类分析证实,GST-BmK CT处理影响神经胶质瘤细胞的有氧糖酵解。根据峰面积统计数据显示,GST-BmK CT处理降低胞内丙酮酸的含量。GST-BmK CT处理组相比GST组,明显下调胞外培养基的乳酸分泌(16.33±3.78 vs. 35.6±2.31,P<0.001, 48 h),葡萄糖消耗(2.04±0.09 vs. 2.64±0.04,P<0.05, 48 h)和胞内腺苷三磷酸(ATP)含量(633.79±0.001 vs. 5392.71±266.67,P<0.05, 48 h)。结果表明,GST-BmK CT通过下调胶质瘤细胞有氧糖酵解水平降低ATP的生成。实时荧光定量PCR和蛋白质免疫印迹结果显示,GST-BmK CT降低U251细胞丙酮酸激酶(pyruvate kinase M2, PKM2)在转录水平和翻译水平的表达,进一步发现GST-BmK CT通过下调低氧诱导因子(hypoxia inducible factor-1α, HIF-1α)降低PKM2在转录水平的表达。以上结果表明,BmK CT通过下调HIF-1α的表达,降低PKM2介导的有氧糖酵解从而抑制神经胶质瘤细胞的增殖活性。     

蝎氯毒素结构、功能与应用研究

蝎氯毒素是一类能特异阻断神经胶质瘤氯电流的短链蝎毒素。它们具有高度的同源性、保守的基因序列与相似的3-D结构。根据其结构与功能的关系,推测它们可能有相似的药理功能。其中,Chlorotoxin(Cltx)能与神经胶质瘤细胞特异相互作用,并抑制其侵袭与转移。     

In Silico prediction of the molecular basis of ClTx and AaCTx interaction with matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) to inhibit glioma cell invasion

Glioblastoma is the deadliest type of brain cancer. Treatment could target the Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), which is known to be involved in the invasion process of glioblastoma cells. But current available inhibitors are not selective to MMP-2 due to their interaction with the catalytic binding site, which is highly conserved in all MMPs structures. Interestingly, members of the chloride channel blocker scorpion toxins, such as chlorotoxin (ClTx) and AaCTx, inhibit glioblastoma cell invasion and show a promising therapeutic potential. Indeed, it has been shown that CITx inhibits selectively MMP-2 and was also able to cross the blood brain and tissue barriers. Although ClTx and AaCTx show high sequence similarity, AaCTx is ten times less active than ClTx. By using molecular modeling, molecular dynamics and MM-PB(GB)SA free energy estimation, we present the first computational study reporting the interaction mode of ClTx/AaCTx with MMP-2. We found that the two peptides probably act on an exosite of MMP-2 comprising mainly residues from the collagen binding domain, a feature that could be exploited to enhance the selectivity toward MMP-2. van der Waals and hydrophobic forces are the primary mediators of this interaction. The N- and C-termini of the two peptides harbor the key residues of the interaction spread across a conserved amino acid patch. In particular, F6 contributes mostly to the binding free energy in ClTx. We also suggest that the lack of the C-terminal arginine and the residues P10 and R24, might be responsible for altering the activity of AaCTx toward glioblastoma cells compared to ClTx.