Subsecond deactivation of transducin by endogenous GTP hydrolysis

The response of a retinal rod cell to a weak flash of light is mediated by a receptor/GTP-binding protein (rhodopsin/transducin) signal transduction system and terminates within a second. The T alpha subunit of transducin (composed of subunits T alpha, T beta and T gamma) is triggered by photoexcited rhodopsin (R*) to release GDP and bind GTP. The binding of GTP causes release of the T alpha unit from T beta gamma and allows it to modulate the activity of an enzyme that generates a second messenger. Termination of the response requires the hydrolysis of the GTP by intrinsic GTPase. As with other G proteins, the GTPase activity of transducin seems to be slow. Reported in vitro turnover rates of a few molecules of GTP hydrolysed per molecule of transducin per minute imply a T alpha-GTP deactivation time of many seconds. But this time might be only a small fraction of that of the GTPase cycle. We have now used time-resolved microcalorimetry in bovine rod outer segments (ROS) to monitor the heat release due to the hydrolysis of GTP by a transducin population that had been quickly activated by flash illumination of rhodopsin. The enthalpy of GTP hydrolysis is released within 1 s at 23 degrees C. This deactivation time seems to be independent of any diffusible factor in the preparation and concurs with the termination kinetics of the rod's response. Thereafter, transducin seems unable to reload GTP for many seconds. This refractory 'resetting' time may account for the low steady-state GTPase rates in vitro.     

Stimulation of specific GTP binding and hydrolysis activities in lymphocyte membrane by interleukin-2

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a polypeptide growth factor which stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of T lymphocytes. The receptor for IL-2 is expressed on activated T lymphocytes, cloned IL-2 dependent cells and several other cell types. Analysis of the primary structure and of immune-precipitated receptor suggests that this molecule has no intrinsic signal transduction function, unlike other growth factors. IL-2 interaction with a high affinity receptor has been shown, however, to activate the calcium/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C (PK-C) presumably via phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Members of a family of closely related guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins) regulate a diverse group of metabolic events. Two of them, Gs and Gi, stimulate and inhibit adenylate cyclase activity respectively, and other G proteins are involved in diverse signal transduction system. Another member, Go, has no known function and activation of phospholipase C has been attributed to the action of an unidentified G protein, Gp. Since it has been observed that IL-2 inhibits the catalytic activity of adenylate cyclase and that agents such as PGE2 which stimulate adenylate cyclase activity inhibit the lymphoproliferative response to IL-2, association of GTP binding proteins with IL-2 signal transduction was investigated. In this report we describe for the first time the participation of a GTP binding protein in the action of a polypeptide growth factor, interleukin-2.     

TBC-domain GAPs for Rab GTPases accelerate GTP hydrolysis by a dual-finger mechanism

Rab GTPases regulate membrane trafficking by cycling between inactive (GDP-bound) and active (GTP-bound) conformations. The duration of the active state is limited by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs), which accelerate the slow intrinsic rate of GTP hydrolysis. Proteins containing TBC (Tre-2, Bub2 and Cdc16) domains are broadly conserved in eukaryotic organisms and function as GAPs for Rab GTPases as well as GTPases that control cytokinesis. An exposed arginine residue is a critical determinant of GAP activity in vitro and in vivo. It has been expected that the catalytic mechanism of TBC domains would parallel that of Ras and Rho family GAPs. Here we report crystallographic, mutational and functional analyses of complexes between Rab GTPases and the TBC domain of Gyp1p. In the crystal structure of a TBC-domain-Rab-GTPase-aluminium fluoride complex, which approximates the transition-state intermediate for GTP hydrolysis, the TBC domain supplies two catalytic residues in trans, an arginine finger analogous to Ras/Rho family GAPs and a glutamine finger that substitutes for the glutamine in the DxxGQ motif of the GTPase. The glutamine from the Rab GTPase does not stabilize the transition state as expected but instead interacts with the TBC domain. Strong conservation of both catalytic fingers indicates that most TBC-domain GAPs may accelerate GTP hydrolysis by a similar dual-finger mechanism.     

Requirement for GTP hydrolysis in the formation of secretory vesicles

The specificity of vesicular transport in a cell is determined by the formation of vesicles with specific contents from a donor compartment and their selective fusion with the appropriate acceptor compartment. Several of the latter fusion steps have been investigated in detail using cell-free systems, and work with these systems as well as genetic evidence has revealed a role for GTP-binding proteins in membrane fusion processes. We have reconstituted the formation of constitutive secretory vesicles and immature secretory granules from the trans Golgi network in a cell-free system. We show here that the budding of both types of post-Golgi vesicles is inhibited by non-hydrolysable analogues of GTP, which suggests a more widespread role for GTP-binding proteins in membrane traffic than previously assumed.     

酶解法制备大豆低聚肽工艺的研究

以大豆分离蛋白为原料,采用酶解法对大豆分离蛋白进行水解制备大豆低聚肽.分别筛选出制备大豆低聚肽的最佳单酶、双酶复合.通过单因素和正交试验结果分析,确定了酶解温度55℃,水解时间2 h,酶的复配比例为2∶1,pH值为6.0,为最佳工艺条件.     

放线菌酮体外强烈抑制小鼠活化T淋巴细胞CD69表达

目的 :利用淋巴细胞的早期活化标记物CD6 9的表达 ,探讨放线菌酮 (CHX)对T淋巴细胞体外活化的影响 ,以进一步揭示CHX对免疫系统的影响 .方法 :分离小鼠淋巴结细胞 ,与CHX预孵 1h ,加入多克隆刺激剂继续培养 ,总计培养 2 4h后收获细胞 ,进行双色免疫荧光标记 ,以流式细胞术对T细胞的CD6 9分子表达情况进行分析 .结果 :在CHX(终浓度 10 μmol/L)作用下 ,ConA和PDB活化的T细胞CD6 9表达百分率依次为 12 33%± 4 75 %、13 0 7%± 11 0 5 %,与对照组比较均有显著差异 (P <0 0 1) .结论 :CHX(10 μmol/L)对ConA、PDB活化的T淋巴细胞均显示了强烈的抑制效应 .     

间苯二胺水解合成间氨基苯酚工艺的研究

以间苯二胺为原料,硫酸为催化剂,高压水解制得间氨基苯酚.考察了反应温度、反应时间、硫酸质量分数及硫酸与间苯二胺的摩尔比对反应的影响.实验结果表明,当反应温度200℃,反应时间6 h,硫酸质量分数为22%,硫酸与间苯二胺的摩尔比为1.98:1时,间苯二胺的转化率为81.19%,间氨基苯酚的收率为56.34%,选择性为69.38%,副产物间苯二酚的收率为24.13%.     

酯化、水解两步法合成苯甲醇的工艺优化

以氯化苄和甲酸钠为原料,采用十六烷基三甲基溴化铵作为相转移催化剂,通过酯化和水解两步法合成苯甲醇。分别考察原料摩尔比、酯化反应温度、催化剂用量、初始水量等因素对酯化反应的影响以及水解反应温度、加碱方式、初始水量等因素对水解反应的影响。结果表明:适宜的氯化苄与甲酸钠摩尔比为1∶1,酯化反应温度为110～115℃,催化剂用量为2%(以氯化苄为基准),初始水量与氯化苄的体积比为1∶1;适宜的水解反应温度为100℃,加碱速率为5 mL/h,酯化液与水的体积比为1∶1。在最优工艺条件下,苯甲醇的收率可达98%。