Biogenesis of β-barrel membrane proteins in bacteria and eukaryotes: evolutionary conservation and divergence

Membrane-embedded β-barrel proteins span the membrane via multiple amphipathic β-strands arranged in a cylindrical shape. These proteins are found in the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts. This situation is thought to reflect the evolutionary origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts from Gram-negative bacterial endosymbionts. β-barrel proteins fulfil a variety of functions; among them are pore-forming proteins that allow the flux of metabolites across the membrane by passive diffusion, active transporters of siderophores, enzymes, structural proteins, and proteins that mediate protein translocation across or insertion into membranes. The biogenesis process of these proteins combines evolutionary conservation of the central elements with some noticeable differences in signals and machineries. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the functions and biogenesis of this special family of proteins.     

Alteration of mitochondrial bioenergetics due to intravenous injection of a perfluorocarbon emulsion

Wistar albino rats were intravenously injected with 1 ml of an oxyphoretic emulsion of perfluorobutylfurane and killed 3, 7 or 30 days later. Mitochondria isolated from the liver and kidneys of treated rats showed a small decrease in the transmembrane electrical potential and a substantial depression of the rates of both ATP synthesis and ADP-stimulated respiration. These alterations in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation appear to be induced by perfluorocarbon and/or tensioactive molecules interacting with hydrophobic cell structures.     

亚硒酸钠对人胃腺癌细胞线粒体结构与功能的影响

3×10~(-4)mol/l亚硒酸钠处理人胃腺癌MGc80-3细胞后,线粒体结构发生了明显变化:线粒体结构典型,多呈短棒状,大小较一致,分布均匀,线粒体嵴明显增多,密度和长度增大,排列方向较一致,线粒体空泡化和嵴扩张现象显著减少,表现出与人正常胃粘膜原代培养细胞线粒体基本相似的特征,进一步分析与线粒体相关的细胞色素氧化酶活性,发现亚硒酸钠可以显著提高该酶活性,由此表明,亚硒酸钠通过改变胃癌细胞线粒体的恶性结构,使线粒体功能恢复正常,调节了细胞代谢机能,从而诱导胃癌细胞向正常细胞方向分化。     

芦柑子叶细胞脱分化及其线粒体变化

用光镜和电镜观察芦柑子叶在脱分过程中的变化，结果表明，外植体脱分化由接触培养基切口处先启动，未培养的子叶薄壁细胞内充满足脂贮藏物，在脱分化过程中，贮藏物质逐渐减少直到消失，细胞核相对体积增加并常出现核膜内陷和核仁小泡，多聚核糖体与粗面内质网增加，线粒体在数量，形态，分布嵴的发达程序上随着细胞的脱分化进程发生规律性变化。     

钙对人体运动能力的影响

本文依各学说论点为基础,进一步阐明了钙与肌肉收缩及舒张、运动性疲劳、肌肉延迟性酸痛、运动性肌肉损伤的新见解,对提高训练水平,增强运动能力都将有重要的现实意义.     

Oxidative stress triggers neuronal caspase-independent death: Endonuclease G involvement in programmed cell death-type III

To characterize neuronal death, primary cortical neurons (C57/Black 6 J mice) were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and staurosporine. Both caused cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation and loss of plasma membrane integrity. Neither treatment induced caspase-7 activity, but caspase-3 was activated by staurosporine but not H₂O₂. Each treatment caused redistribution from mitochondria of both endonuclease G (Endo G) and cytochrome c. Neurons knocked down for Endo G expression using siRNA showed reduction in both nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation after treatment with H₂O₂, but not staurosporine. Endo G suppression protected cells against H₂O₂-induced cell death, while staurosporine-induced death was merely delayed. We conclude that staurosporine induces apoptosis in these neurons, but severe oxidative stress leads to Endo G-dependent death, in the absence of caspase activation (programmed cell death-type III). Therefore, oxidative stress triggers in neurons a form of necrosis that is a systematic cellular response subject to molecular regulation. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Interaction of mitochondrial porin with cytosolic proteins

Summary Intracellular phosphorylation is an important step in active uptake and utilization of carbohydrates. For example glucose and glycerol enter the liver, cell along the extra intracellular gradient by facilitated diffusion through specific carriers and are concentrated inside the cell by phosphorylation via hexokinase or glycerol kinase. Depending on the function of the respective tissue the uptake of carbohydrates serves different metabolic purposes. In brain and kidney medulla cells which depend on carbohydrates, glucose and glycerol are taken up according to the energy demand. However, in tissues such as muscle which synthesize glycogen or like liver which additionally produce fat from glucose, the uptake of carbohydrates has to be regulated according to the availability of glucose and glycerol. How the reversible coupling of the kinases to the outer membrane pore and the mitochondrial ATP serves to fulfil these specific requirements will be explained as well as how this regulates the carbohydrate uptake in brain according to the activity of the oxidative phosphorylation and how this allows glucose uptake in liver, and muscle to persist in the presence of high glucose 6-phosphate without activating the rate of glycolysis.     

线粒体蛋白转运系统的序列相似性分析

通过在27个不同进化层次物种的基因组和蛋白组中搜索酵母线粒体蛋白转运系统亚基的同源序列, 并进一步分析了同源亚基序列相似性与其所在线粒体位置的关系. 结果表明, 位于线粒体相同位置的模块有类似的序列相似性曲线, 相似性曲线在模块内部一般有波峰和波谷. 从线粒体外膜到基质, 序列相似性整体升高. 线粒体蛋白转运系统亚基与一些功能不相关的蛋白也表现出序列相似关系, 且这些亚基多集中在线粒体的内膜和外膜.     

线粒体、细胞凋亡与运动

本文采用文献资料法,对运动状态下线粒体及细胞凋亡的研究现状进行综述.结果表明,线粒体是影响细胞凋亡进程的核心要素,并间接影响人体的运动能力,中低强度的有氧运动可改善线粒体的功能,而大强度的力竭运动使机体产生疲劳,体内生成的自由基聚集,对线粒体产生损伤作用,并严重削弱线粒体的功能,造成机体运动能力下降.