Modulation of protein biophysical properties by chemical glycosylation: biochemical insights and biomedical implications

Glycosylation constitutes one of the most important posttranslational modifications employed by biological systems to modulate protein biophysical properties. Due to the direct biochemical and biomedical implications of achieving control over protein stability and function by chemical means, there has been great interest in recent years towards the development of chemical strategies for protein glycosylation. Since current knowledge about glycoprotein biophysics has been mainly derived from the study of naturally glycosylated proteins, chemical glycosylation provides novel insights into its mechanistic understanding by affording control over glycosylation parameters. This review presents a survey of the effects that natural and chemical glycosylation have on the fundamental biophysical properties of proteins (structure, dynamics, stability, and function). This is complemented by a mechanistic discussion of how glycans achieve such effects and discussion of the implications of employing chemical glycosylation as a tool to exert control over protein biophysical properties within biochemical and biomedical applications. Received 15 December 2006; received after revision 28 March 2007; accepted 25 April 2007     

Regulation of insulin receptor function

Resistance to the biological actions of insulin contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes and risk of cardiovascular disease. A reduced biological response to insulin by tissues results from an impairment in the cascade of phosphorylation events within cells that regulate the activity of enzymes comprising the insulin signaling pathway. In most models of insulin resistance, there is evidence that this decrement in insulin signaling begins with either the activation or substrate kinase activity of the insulin receptor (IR), which is the only component of the pathway that is unique to insulin action. Activation of the IR can be impaired by post-translational modifications of the protein involving serine phosphorylation, or by binding to inhibiting proteins such as PC-1 or members of the SOCS or Grb protein families. The impact of these processes on the conformational changes and phosphorylation events required for full signaling activity, as well as the role of these mechanisms in human disease, is reviewed in this article. Received 3 August 2006; received after revision 1 December 2006; accepted 8 January 2007     

Cellular internalization of proinsulin C-peptide

Proinsulin C-peptide is known to bind specifically to cell membranes and to exert intracellular effects, but whether it is internalized in target cells is unknown. In this study, using confocal microscopy and immunostained or rhodamine-labeled peptide, we show that C-peptide is internalized and localized to the cytosol of Swiss 3T3 and HEK-293 cells. In addition, transport into nuclei was found using the labeled peptide. The internalization was followed at 37°C for up to 1 h, and was reduced at 4°C and after preincubation with pertussis toxin. Hence, it is concluded to occur via an energy-dependent, pertussis toxin-sensitive mechanism and without detectable degradation within the experimental time course. Surface plasmon resonance measurements demonstrated binding of HEK-293 cell extract components to C-peptide, and subsequent elution of bound material revealed the components to be intracellular proteins. The identification of C-peptide cellular internalization, intracellular binding proteins, absence of rapid subsequent C-peptide degradation and apparent nuclear internalization support a maintained activity similar to that of an intracrine peptide hormone. Hence, the data suggest the possibility of one further C-peptide site of action. Received 31 October 2006; received after revision 27 December 2006; accepted 30 December 2006     

苯在Ru-Zn/Ru（0001）合金表面上的吸附——密度泛函研究

为了理解苯在Ru-Zn合金催化剂上的部分加氢催化机理,采用密度泛函方法对苯在Ru-Zn/Ru（0001）面上的吸附进行理论研究。计算结果表明,当苯的碳原子或者共轭双键直接位于表面Zn原子的atop位时,其吸附热较Ru（0001）面上的类似吸附状态下降约60%.Zn原子与苯环C原子之间的排斥作用导致苯环的成键轨道与表面Ru原子的价层轨道之间的空间对称性下降,从而不利于苯与合金表面的键合。当吸附位离开Zn原子时,邻近Zn原子对于苯的吸附基本没有影响。     

合金铸铁激光处理的探讨——Ⅱ.激光辐照工艺参数的控制

用热传导方程控制激光辐照温度,建立了一种新回归方程以控制激光辐照硬化深度,选用卡尔丹公式列热传导方程及同归方程联立求解,可得到同时满足一定的硬化深度及表面最高温度双重要求的工艺参数,此种方法可作为激光硬化处理工艺参数的控制或预报,对本合金铸铁的激光硬化处理,其表面温度的下限应大于其熔点温度,即以表面产生微熔的快速冷凝处理为宜,并以选取低功率慢扫描为最佳。     

用N-(3-P)NEM标记毛发角蛋白研究毛发中低硫蛋白和高硫蛋白的状态

本文用一种特异性标记蛋白质巯基的N-(3-P)NEM为荧光探针标记毛发角蛋白,经SDS-PAGE后,通过荧光薄层扫描确定N-(3-P)NEM与含巯基蛋白结合的部位。结果表明,毛发角蛋白中的低硫蛋白分子量在45,000～63,000范围,约占总蛋白量的49.6％～68.2％;高硫蛋白分子量在4,000～20,000范围,约占总蛋白量的18.9％～36.2％。除低硫和高硫蛋白以外,毛发角蛋白中还可能存在一种极低硫蛋白,分子量位于22,000～32,000范围。对人与5种动物的毛发角蛋白组分进行比较,证实人与动物的毛发角蛋白的主要差异在高硫蛋白,不同种属的动物毛发角蛋白中低硫蛋白和高硫蛋白的含量也不相同。作者认为毛发角蛋白中含巯基蛋白的差异可为动物分类学和法医学在进行毛发比较鉴别方面提供新的重要信息。     

矿区铁路专用线下综采放顶煤开采的试验研究

介绍了国内第一个综采放顶煤开采矿区铁路线下压煤试验面的成功经验，总结了试采中对铁路所采取的各种分析和维护措施，分析了该采煤方法下的地在移动和变形特点，为我国“三下”采煤领域提供了具有特色的成功实例。     

低温热水地面辐射供暖设计问题探讨

针对低温热水地面辐射供暖设计中容易忽视或规范中无明确规定的问题提出相应的技术措施和解决方案。