Amyloid precursor protein-mediated modulation of capacitive calcium entry

Alzheimer’s disease(AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.In the present study,the function of amyloid precursor protein(APP) in modulating capacitive calcium entry(CCE),a refilling mechanism for depleted intracellular calcium stores,was investigated.CCE in neural 2a(N2a) cells stably expressing wild-type human APP was lower than in wild-type N2a cells,while CCE in APP knockout mouse embryonic fibroblast(MEF) cells was higher than in their wild-type counterparts.We demonstrate that wild-type APP depresses CCE.Furthermore,using N2a cells transfected with C-terminal APP fragments,we show that these fragments anchored in the cell membrane play an important role in CCE depression.     

The APOBEC-2 crystal structure and functional implications for the deaminase AID

APOBEC-2 (APO2) belongs to the family of apolipoprotein B messenger RNA-editing enzyme catalytic (APOBEC) polypeptides, which deaminates mRNA and single-stranded DNA. Different APOBEC members use the same deamination activity to achieve diverse human biological functions. Deamination by an APOBEC protein called activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is critical for generating high-affinity antibodies, and deamination by APOBEC-3 proteins can inhibit retrotransposons and the replication of retroviruses such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus. Here we report the crystal structure of APO2. APO2 forms a rod-shaped tetramer that differs markedly from the square-shaped tetramer of the free nucleotide cytidine deaminase, with which APOBEC proteins share considerable sequence homology. In APO2, two long alpha-helices of a monomer structure prevent the formation of a square-shaped tetramer and facilitate formation of the rod-shaped tetramer via head-to-head interactions of two APO2 dimers. Extensive sequence homology among APOBEC family members allows us to test APO2 structure-based predictions using AID. We show that AID deamination activity is impaired by mutations predicted to interfere with oligomerization and substrate access. The structure suggests how mutations in patients with hyper-IgM-2 syndrome inactivate AID, resulting in defective antibody maturation.     

人类磷酸泛酰巯基乙胺结合蛋白新基因的分离和鉴定

在对AD293和HEK293进行差减杂交以探索两者在吸附和凋亡特性上的差异时,从AD293的高表达文库中分离得到一段新的cDNA片段.从人类胎脑文库克隆得到该基因,全长2 745 bp,编码的蛋白含518个氨基酸,被预测为磷酸泛酰巯基乙胺结合蛋白.该基因在染色体上定位于2p22.3,包含8个外显子.该cDNA编码的蛋白序列含有一个凋亡抑制蛋白5结构域,外皮蛋白重复片段和铜结合辛肽重复片段.RT-PCR分析显示该基因在人类正常组织和癌组织中广泛表达,但在癌组织中表达量相对较低,提示其可能对细胞凋亡有抑制作用.该基因在进化过程中高度保守.     

老年性痴呆模型大鼠学习记忆功能障碍的实验探讨

目的:探索D-半乳糖-Aβ复合模型大鼠学习记忆功能的改变,研究老年性痴呆(AD)的发病机制.方法:(1)采用1.25%D-半乳糖腹腔注射(50mg/kg·d,连续6周)致衰老,结合双侧海马齿状回背侧注射10g/1μL凝聚态β-淀粉样肽1-40(β-amyloid peptide,Aβ1-40)的复合造模方法,拟建立AD样学习记忆功能障碍的动物模型.实验动物随机分成3组:AD模型组、假造模对照组和正常对照组.(2)以单位时间逃避潜伏期(s/3min)及其逃生错误频率(次/3min)为观察指标,进行水迷宫行为学试验测定大鼠学习记忆功能的改变.结果:AD大鼠安全逃避潜伏期明显延长,逃生错误频率高,与两对照组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.01).结论:D-半乳糖-A复合造模致AD大鼠模型具有较好的老年性痴呆的仿真特性.水迷宫行为学试验能准确反映动物学习记忆功能.     

异黑颗粒对APP/PS1双转基因模型小鼠学习记忆和抗氧化能力的影响

 为了观察异黑颗粒对小鼠行为学习及抗氧化能力的影响,选用APP/PS1双转基因模型小鼠,将其随机分成5组,另取同窝阴性小鼠作为正常对照组,每组8只,3个月龄后开始给药.给药6个月后,通过行为学实验测试小鼠学习记忆能力的变化,采用分光光度法测定脑组织中谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性.Morris水迷宫实验结果表明,APP/PS1双转基因模型小鼠逃避潜伏期较正常组明显延长,在原象限停留时间明显缩短;异黑颗粒组小鼠逃避潜伏期较模型组明显缩短,在原象限停留时间明显延长.APP/PS1双转基因模型小鼠脑组织GSH-Px、SOD活力下降;异黑颗粒治疗组学习和记忆能力升高,脑组织GSH-Px、SOD活力升高,与阿尔茨海默病模型组比较有显著性差异.研究表明,APP/PS1双转基因模型小鼠9个月后发现有明显学习记忆功能障碍伴有抗氧化能力下降,异黑颗粒对阿尔茨海默病模型小鼠学习记忆障碍具有明显改善作用并且可剂量依赖性的提高阿尔茨海默病模型小鼠的抗氧化能力.     

Segregation of a missense mutation in the amyloid precursor protein gene with familial Alzheimer's disease.

A locus segregating with familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been mapped to chromosome 21, close to the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene. Recombinants between the APP gene and the AD locus have been reported which seemed to exclude it as the site of the mutation causing familial AD. But recent genetic analysis of a large number of AD families has demonstrated that the disease is heterogeneous. Families with late-onset AD do not show linkage to chromosome 21 markers. Some families with early-onset AD show linkage to chromosome 21 markers, but some do not. This has led to the suggestion that there is non-allelic genetic heterogeneity even within early onset familial AD. To avoid the problems that heterogeneity poses for genetic analysis, we have examined the cosegregation of AD and markers along the long arm of chromosome 21 in a single family with AD confirmed by autopsy. Here we demonstrate that in this kindred, which shows linkage to chromosome 21 markers, there is a point mutation in the APP gene. This mutation causes an amino-acid substitution (Val----Ile) close to the carboxy terminus of the beta-amyloid peptide. Screening other cases of familial AD revealed a second unrelated family in which this variant occurs. This suggests that some cases of AD could be caused by mutations in the APP gene.     

Immunization with amyloid-beta attenuates Alzheimer-disease-like pathology in the PDAPP mouse.

Amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) seems to have a central role in the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Familial forms of the disease have been linked to mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the presenilin genes. Disease-linked mutations in these genes result in increased production of the 42-amino-acid form of the peptide (Abeta42), which is the predominant form found in the amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease. The PDAPP transgenic mouse, which overexpresses mutant human APP (in which the amino acid at position 717 is phenylalanine instead of the normal valine), progressively develops many of the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease in an age- and brain-region-dependent manner. In the present study, transgenic animals were immunized with Abeta42, either before the onset of AD-type neuropathologies (at 6 weeks of age) or at an older age (11 months), when amyloid-beta deposition and several of the subsequent neuropathological changes were well established. We report that immunization of the young animals essentially prevented the development of beta-amyloid-plaque formation, neuritic dystrophy and astrogliosis. Treatment of the older animals also markedly reduced the extent and progression of these AD-like neuropathologies. Our results raise the possibility that immunization with amyloid-beta may be effective in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease.     

人肽基脯氨酰顺反异构酶基因的克隆、表达、纯化及热变性交联

蛋白质分子间交联是普遍存在的现象．然而，蛋白质交联的分子机理还不太清楚．为了进一步探测蛋白质交联的分子机理，以及交联能否在异源肽链间发生，本实验室克隆了人肽基脯氨酰顺反异构酶(human Peptidylproly-Cis-trans-isomerase，hPPI)cyclophilin cDNA基因，并纯化出了PPI蛋白．最后，将PPI和．lysozyme蛋白进行热变性交联实验，结果显示在同源和异源肽链间都有二聚体和多聚体形成．并证实蛋白质交联可经三步完成：1)蛋白质构象包括二级结构改变；2)形成分子间二硫键；3)形成分子间异肽键．     

人类乙型肝炎样病毒Pre—S1包膜蛋白的一个特定区域为乙肝病毒形成所必需

土拨鼠肝炎病毒（WHV）是一种哺乳类动物的肝炎病毒．这种病毒在结构和抗原怕与人类乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）非常相似．以往的研究报告指出,在一种称为鸭乙型肝炎病毒（DHBV）的Pre－S包膜蛋白中,含有一个特定区域．这一区域由天冬氨酸－天冬氨酸－脯氨酸－亮氨酸－亮氨酸（DDPLL）5个氨基酸残基所组成．已发现,这一区域在像DHBV这一类禽类乙肝病毒的病毒装配和分泌时所必需的（LenhoffR,SummersJ．JVirol,1994,68：4565～4571）．在WHV的Pre－S包胰蛋白中第201个氨基酸到第205个氨基酸所包含的顺序,甘氨酸－天冬氨酸－脯氨…     

Fe65L2基因存在4种剪接形式

Ｆｅ６５Ｌ２是一种与老年痴呆症关蛋白－淀粉样肽前体蛋白相互作用的蛋白。报道了Ｆｅ６５Ｌ２基因的２种新的剪接形式,并证实了该基因存在４种剪接形式。这４种剪接形式是由同一个内含子中分别为６ｎｔ和２１ｎｔ的２段外显子序列按不同组合拼接而成的。     

Amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal loss in brains of transgenic mice overexpressing a C-terminal fragment of human amyloid precursor protein.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects more than 30% of people over 80 years of age. The aetiology and pathogenesis of this progressive dementia is poorly understood, but symptomatic disease is associated histopathologically with amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal loss primarily in the temporal lobe and neocortex of the brain. The core of the extracellular plaque is a derivative of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), referred to as beta/A4, and contains the amino-acid residues 29-42 that are normally embedded in the membrane-spanning region of the precursor. The cellular source of APP and the relationship of its deposition to the neuropathology of AD is unknown. To investigate the relationship between APP overexpression and amyloidogenesis, we have developed a vector to drive expression specifically in neurons of a C-terminal fragment of APP that contains the beta/A4 region, and have used a transgenic mouse system to insert and express this construct. We report here that overexpression of this APP transgene in neurons is sufficient to produce extracellular dense-core amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal degeneration similar to that in the AD brain.     

The mitochondrial function was impaired in APP knockout mouse embryo fibroblast cells

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is recognized as the source of Aβ, which plays an important role in Alzheimer’s disease. However, the biological function of APP is obscure. Previous studies showed that mitochondria could be a target of APP. In this work, APP knockout mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF) cells were used to test if APP plays any role in maintaining the mitochondrial function. As the result, APP knockout MEF cells (APP-/- cells) showed the abnormal mitochondrial function, including slower cell pr...     

丙型肝炎病毒NS3基因真核质粒的构建及其在人肝细胞中的诱导表达

目的：进行丙型肝炎病毒非结构蛋白3基因真核表达载体的构建,并分析其在体外培养的人肝细胞中的表达。方法：从含有丙肝病毒全长基因的重组质粒pBRTM／HCV1-3011表达载体中PCR扩增出HCVNS3基因片段,将其与表达载体pcDNA3．1（-）重组,得到重组的真核表达载体pcDNA3．1（-）／NS3。然后采用阳离子多聚体将其转染人肝细胞QSG7701,以免疫组织化学SP法及Western Blotting检测HCVNS3蛋白的表达。结果：所得到的NS3片段正确,序列正确,所构建的真核质粒成功转染QSG7701细胞并表达蛋白,表达的NS3蛋白相对分子质量为70000。结论：成功构建了丙型肝炎病毒非结构蛋白3基因的真核表达载体pcDNA3．1（-）／NS3,并且该载体在体外培养的人肝细胞中能有效表达特异性HCVNS3蛋白。     

Purification and cloning of amyloid precursor protein beta-secretase from human brain

Proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) generates amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide, which is thought to be causal for the pathology and subsequent cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Cleavage by beta-secretase at the amino terminus of the Abeta peptide sequence, between residues 671 and 672 of APP, leads to the generation and extracellular release of beta-cleaved soluble APP, and a corresponding cell-associated carboxy-terminal fragment. Cleavage of the C-terminal fragment by gamma-secretase(s) leads to the formation of Abeta. The pathogenic mutation K670M671-->N670L671 at the beta-secretase cleavage site in APP, which was discovered in a Swedish family with familial Alzheimer's disease, leads to increased beta-secretase cleavage of the mutant substrate. Here we describe a membrane-bound enzyme activity that cleaves full-length APP at the beta-secretase cleavage site, and find it to be the predominant beta-cleavage activity in human brain. We have purified this enzyme activity to homogeneity from human brain using a new substrate analogue inhibitor of the enzyme activity, and show that the purified enzyme has all the properties predicted for beta-secretase. Cloning and expression of the enzyme reveals that human brain beta-secretase is a new membrane-bound aspartic proteinase.     

Membrane-anchored aspartyl protease with Alzheimer's disease beta-secretase activity

Mutations in the gene encoding the amyloid protein precursor (APP) cause autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease. Cleavage of APP by unidentified proteases, referred to as beta- and gamma-secretases, generates the amyloid beta-peptide, the main component of the amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's disease patients. The disease-causing mutations flank the protease cleavage sites in APP and facilitate its cleavage. Here we identify a new membrane-bound aspartyl protease (Asp2) with beta-secretase activity. The Asp2 gene is expressed widely in brain and other tissues. Decreasing the expression of Asp2 in cells reduces amyloid beta-peptide production and blocks the accumulation of the carboxy-terminal APP fragment that is created by beta-secretase cleavage. Solubilized Asp2 protein cleaves a synthetic APP peptide substrate at the beta-secretase site, and the rate of cleavage is increased tenfold by a mutation associated with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in Sweden. Thus, Asp2 is a new protein target for drugs that are designed to block the production of amyloid beta-peptide peptide and the consequent formation of amyloid plaque in Alzheimer's disease.     

一个犬凝集素基因VIP36的人类同源基因cDNA的克隆、染色体定位和表达谱分析

从人的胎脑cDNA文库中克隆到一条犬凝集素基因VIP36的人类同源基因,此cDNA序列全长2430bp,拟编码一个382个氨基酸残基的蛋白,它编码的蛋白与犬VIP36有52％的同源性,因此将其命名为人类VIP36L基因,应用辐射杂交方法,钭该基因定位在人2号染色体的分子标记D2S388和D2S113之间,采用基因芯片杂交的方法研究其表达谱情况,发现该基因在胎皮和肝癌组织中表达量较高。     

The secreted form of the Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein with the Kunitz domain is protease nexin-II

The A4 protein (or beta-protein) is a 42- or 43-amino-acid peptide present in the extracellular neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease and is derived from a membrane-bound amyloid protein precursor (APP). Three forms of APP have been described and are referred to as APP695, APP751 and APP770, reflecting the number of amino acids encoded for by their respective complementary DNAs. The two larger APPs contain a 57-amino-acid insert with striking homology to the Kunitz family of protease inhibitors. Here we report that the deduced amino-terminal sequence of APP is identical to the sequence of a cell-secreted protease inhibitor, protease nexin-II (PN-II). To confirm this finding, APP751 and APP695 cDNAs were over-expressed in the human 293 cell line, and the secreted N-terminal extracellular domains of these APPs were purified to near homogeneity from the tissue-culture medium. The relative molecular mass and high-affinity binding to dextran sulphate of secreted APP751 were consistent with that of PN-II. Functionally, secreted APP751 formed stable, non-covalent, inhibitory complexes with trypsin. Secreted APP695 did not form complexes with trypsin. We conclude that the secreted form of APP with the Kunitz protease inhibitor domain is PN-II.     

Targeting of cell-surface beta-amyloid precursor protein to lysosomes: alternative processing into amyloid-bearing fragments.

Progressive cerebral deposition of the amyloid beta-peptide is an early and invariant feature of Alzheimer's disease. The beta-peptide is released by proteolytic cleavages from the beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta APP), a membrane-spanning glycoprotein expressed in most mammalian cells. Normal secretion of beta APP involves a cleavage in the beta-peptide region, releasing the soluble extramembranous portion and retaining a 10K C-terminal fragment in the membrane. Because this secretory pathway precludes beta-amyloid formation, we searched for an alternative proteolytic processing pathway that can generate beta-peptide-bearing fragments from full-length beta APP. Incubation of living human endothelial cells with a beta APP antibody revealed reinternalization of mature beta APP from the cell surface and its targeting to endosomes/lysosomes. After cell-surface biotinylation, full-length biotinylated beta APP was recovered inside the cells. Purification of lysosomes directly demonstrated the presence of mature beta APP and an extensive array of beta-peptide-containing proteolytic products. Our results define a second processing pathway for beta APP and suggest that it may be responsible for generating amyloid-bearing fragments in Alzheimer's disease.     

环境污染物PFOS可致人脑微血管内皮细胞骨架蛋白改变

目的:探讨全氟辛烷磺酰基化合物(PFOS)引起的人脑微血管内皮细胞(HBMEC)骨架蛋白(F-actin)排列变化.方法:培养正常的人脑毛细血管内皮细胞,不同浓度PFOS作用30分钟,利用免疫荧光染色的方法检测细胞骨架蛋白F-actin的变化.结果:PFOS可使细胞骨架蛋白F-actin发生重排,这与PFOS的浓度有关.     

The AID antibody diversification enzyme is regulated by protein kinase A phosphorylation

Antibodies, which are produced by B-lineage cells, consist of immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) and light (IgL) chains that have amino-terminal variable regions and carboxy-terminal constant regions. In response to antigens, B cells undergo two types of genomic alterations to increase antibody diversity. Affinity for antigen can be increased by introduction of point mutations into IgH and IgL variable regions by somatic hypermutation. In addition, antibody effector functions can be altered by changing the expressed IgH constant region exons through IgH class switch recombination (CSR). Somatic hypermutation and CSR both require the B-cell-specific activation-induced cytidine deaminase protein (AID), which initiates these reactions through its single-stranded (ss)DNA-specific cytidine deaminase activity. In biochemical assays, replication protein A (RPA), a ssDNA-binding protein, associates with phosphorylated AID from activated B cells and enhances AID activity on transcribed double-stranded (ds)DNA containing somatic hypermutation or CSR target sequences. This AID-RPA association, which requires phosphorylation, may provide a mechanism for allowing AID to access dsDNA targets in activated B cells. Here we show that AID from B cells is phosphorylated on a consensus protein kinase A (PKA) site and that PKA is the physiological AID kinase. Thus, AID from non-lymphoid cells can be functionally phosphorylated by recombinant PKA to allow interaction with RPA and promote deamination of transcribed dsDNA substrates. Moreover, mutation of the major PKA phosphorylation site of AID preserves ssDNA deamination activity, but markedly reduces RPA-dependent dsDNA deamination activity and severely impairs the ability of AID to effect CSR in vivo. We conclude that PKA has a critical role in post-translational regulation of AID activity in B cells.