生物分子相互作用分析技术应用实例（一）——配体垂钓和抗体测定

BIA技术(biomolecular interaction analysis)——即生物分子相互作用分析技术的应用范围相当广泛.先介绍利用BIAcore分离得到了ECK-酪氨酸激酶受体的蛋白配体.另一应用实例是利用BIAcore直接从杂交瘤细胞上清液中测定单克隆抗体的活性、亲和力和动态常数.     

抗癌药药效和机理评价新模式—Raman光谱分析

本文介绍了一个新的应用Ｒａｍａｎ光谱法进行抗癌药物筛选,药效评价和机理分析的模式,该模式引用了一个重要的评价标准是Ｒａｍａｎ光谱中的费米共振一酪氨酸双峰比率值（ＴＤＲ）。这是一个在拉曼光谱学中被广泛应用的概念,本文详细介绍了整个模式中每一个应用部分的具体操作过程,以及应该注意的事项。结果证明这套模式具有实验周期短,结果准确,对抗癌药物的合成,改进与推广具有一定的实用价值。     

Comparison of CD spectra in the aromatic region on a series of variant proteins substituted at a unique position of tryptophan synthase alpha-subunit

CD spectra in the aromatic region of a series of the mutant alpha-subunits of tryptophan synthase from Escherichia coli, substituted at position 49 buried in the interior of the molecule, were measured at pH 7.0 and 25 degrees C. These measurements were taken to gain information on conformational change produced by single amino acid substitutions. The CD spectra of the mutant proteins, substituted by Tyr or Trp residue in place of Glu residue at position 49, showed more intense positive bands due to one additional Tyr or Trp residue at position 49. The CD spectra of other mutant proteins also differed from that of the wild-type protein, despite the fact that the substituted residues at position 49 were not aromatic. Using the spectrum of the wild-type protein (Glu49) as a standard, the spectra of the other mutants were classified into three major groups. For 10 mutant proteins substituted by Ile, Ala, Leu, Met, Val, Cys, Pro, Ser, His, or Gly, their CD values of bands (due to Tyr residues) decreased in comparison with those of the wild-type protein. The mutant protein substituted by Phe also belonged to this group. These substituted amino acid residues are more hydrophobic than the original residue, Glu. In the second group, three mutant proteins were substituted by Lys, Gln, or Asn, and the CD values of tyrosyl bands increased compared to those of the wild-type proteins. These residues are polar. In the third group, the CD values of tyrosyl bands of two mutant proteins substituted by Asp or Thr were similar to those of the wild-type protein, except for one band at 276.5 nm. These results suggested that the changes in the CD spectra for the mutant proteins were affected by the hydrophobicity of the residues at position 49.     

细胞因子受体超家族与信号转导

细胞因子受体超家族及其介导信号转导的新途径已引起人们的广泛注意.主要包括受体结构特征, Janus激酶(JAKs)的作用,信号转导及转录激活因子(STAT)和Ras蛋白的激活,以及细胞因子信号转导的异常与临床疾病的关系等.有助于人们正确认识细胞因子的生物学效应.     

Polarity complex proteins

The formation of functional epithelial tissues involves the coordinated action of several protein complexes, which together produce a cell polarity axis and develop cell-cell junctions. During the last decade, the notion of polarity complexes emerged as the result of genetic studies in which a set of genes was discovered first in Caenorhabditis elegans and then in Drosophila melanogaster. In epithelial cells, these complexes are responsible for the development of the apico-basal axis and for the construction and maintenance of apical junctions. In this review, we focus on apical polarity complexes, namely the PAR3/PAR6/aPKC complex and the CRUMBS/PALS1/PATJ complex, which are conserved between species and along with a lateral complex, the SCRIBBLE/DLG/LGL complex, are crucial to the formation of apical junctions such as tight junctions in mammalian epithelial cells. The exact mechanisms underlying their tight junction construction and maintenance activities are poorly understood, and it is proposed to focus in this review on establishing how these apical polarity complexes might regulate epithelial cell morphogenesis and functions. In particular, we will present the latest findings on how these complexes regulate epithelial homeostasis.     

Neutralization of NGF-TrkA receptor interaction by the novel antagonistic anti-TrkA monoclonal antibody MNAC13: a structural insight

MNAC13, a mouse monoclonal antibody, recognizes with high affinity and specificity the neurotrophin receptor TrkA and displays a neutralizing activity toward the NGF/TrkA interaction. Detailed knowledge of the molecular basis determining the specificity of this antibody is of importance because of its potential use as a modulator of the TrkA-mediated NGF activity. Here, we report a full biochemical and structural characterization of the MNAC13 antibody. Epitope mapping studies, by serial deletion mutants and by phage display, reveal a conformational epitope that is localized on the carboxy-terminal region of the first immunoglobulin-like domain (d4) of TrkA. The X-ray crystal structure of the MNAC13 Fab fragment has been determined and refined to 1.8 A resolution. The antigen-binding site is characterized by a crevice, surrounded by hydrophilic-charged residues on either side, dipping deep toward three mainly hydrophobic subsites. Remarkably an isopropanol molecule has been found to bind in one of the hydrophobic crevices. Overall, the surface topology (shape and electrostatic potential) of the combining site is consistent with the binding data on TrkA ECD serial deletions mutants. The structure of the MNAC13 Fab fragment may assist in the rational structure-based design of high affinity humanized forms of MNAC13, appropriate for therapeutic approaches in neuropathy and inflammatory pain states.