Glycyl glutamine, an inhibitory neuropeptide derived from beta-endorphin

The primary mechanism of activation of intracellular prohormones seems to involve proteolytic cleavage at sequences of consecutive basic residues. Thus, all the known biologically active peptides derived from the prohormone of corticotropin and beta-endorphin appear to be excised initially by enzymes with this specificity. The C-terminal peptide, beta-endorphin (1-31), is generated by cleavage at a lysyl arginine sequence and an additional cleavage can give rise to the related peptides, beta-endorphin (1-27) and beta-endorphin (1-26). These derivatives of beta-endorphin are released by an endopeptidase that appears to catalyse cleavage on the carboxyl side of paired lysine residues, followed by the action of a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme (Fig. 1). The beta-endorphin fragments, beta-endorphin (1-27) and beta-endorphin (1-26), have been isolated from porcine and bovine pituitary but the C-terminal dipeptide, glycyl glutamine, has not been reported previously. Here we describe the isolation of glycyl glutamine from porcine pituitary and present evidence for its presence in sheep brain stem. When applied ionophoretically to brain stem neurones in the rat, the dipeptide exhibited an inhibitory action on cell firing.     

Immunoreactive beta-endorphin in sheep ovary

Although the ovarian production of sex steroids is of obvious physiological importance, recent studies suggest that peptides such as oxytocin, relaxin and inhibin are also synthesized in the ovary. We report here the presence of immunoreactive (ir) beta-endorphin, ir-adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and presumptive high molecular weight forms of both in extracts of sheep ovary, consistent with ovarian production from a common precursor. Our findings suggest that beta-endorphin and ACTH are produced and secreted by the follicular cells, and that their production may be related to the oestrous cycle.     

蛋白质折叠的三维计算机模拟

介绍了计算机模拟蛋白质的三维模型,利用混合遗传算法对模型问题进行了模拟计算,获得了由２７个氨基酸残基组成的肽链的能量最小的折叠构象,计算结果表明,对于蛋白质折叠的三维晶格模型而言混合遗传算法是很有效的。     

蛋白质折叠的计算机模拟

介绍了计算机模拟蛋白质折叠问题的背景、模型和意义。在对模型问题采用Ｍｏｎｔｅ－Ｃａｒｌｏ方法和单纯遗传算法得到能量最小构象的基础上,提出了适用的混合遗传算法,并通过计算机模拟试验对三种方法作了比较。     

Cyclin is degraded by the ubiquitin pathway.

Cyclin degradation is the key step governing exit from mitosis and progress into the next cell cycle. When a region in the N terminus of cyclin is fused to a foreign protein, it produces a hybrid protein susceptible to proteolysis at mitosis. During the course of degradation, both cyclin and the hybrid form conjugates with ubiquitin. The kinetic properties of the conjugates indicate that cyclin is degraded by ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Thus anaphase may be triggered by the recognition of cyclin by the ubiquitin-conjugating system.     

Regulation of pro-opiomelanocortin biosynthesis and processing by transplantation immunity

It is more than thirty years since Billingham and Medawar showed that adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol can prolong the survival of skin allografts. It has since become clear that glucocorticoid hormones are critically involved in the regulation of immunity. The level of glucocorticoids secreted in response to antigenic challenge corresponds to the magnitude of the immune response and in general reaches immunosuppressive levels. Interestingly, not all immune responses enhance ACTH and glucocorticoid hormone production. In transplantation immunity, the reverse seems to be true: circulating glucocorticoid levels at the time of skin graft rejection are lower than control levels. Because beta-endorphin and ACTH originate from the same prohormone, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and are closely related in their tissue-specific processing and coordinate release, we have investigated the role of pituitary beta-endorphin in transplantation immunity. We report here that POMC biosynthesis and processing in the pars intermedia, but not in the anterior pituitary, can be regulated by T cell-specific factors secreted in animals undergoing transplantation immunity.     

The protein-coding sequence of the bovine ACTH-beta-LPH precursor gene is split near the signal peptide region

The pituitary hormones corticotropin (ACTH) and beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) are formed from a large common precursor. Recently, we have elucidated the whole primary structure of the bovine ACTH-beta-LPH precursor (designated alternatively as preproopiocortin) by determining the nucleotide sequence of cloned DNA complementary to the mRNA coding for the precursor protein. The amino acid sequence assigned has disclosed a characteristic repetitive structure of the ACTH-beta-LPH precursor. The repetitive units of the precursor protein each contain a melanotropin (MSH) sequence (alpha-, beta- or gamma-MSH) as well as other peptide components such as beta-endorphin and corticotropin-like intermediate lobe peptide (CLIP). The repetitive units as well as their peptide components are each bounded by paired basic amino acid residues, which apparently represent the sites of proteolytic processing. Several studies have confirmed the translational initiation site and protein structure assigned (see also ref. 11 and refs therein). In view of the recent knowledge about the organization of eukaryotic genes (see refs 12, 13 for reviews), it would be of particular interest to investigate the relationship between the repetitive structure of the ACTH-beta-LPH precursor containing different functional components and the arrangement of the protein-coding sequence in its gene. We have now isolated and characterized bovine genomic DNA fragments encoding this precursor protein and have demonstrated that the protein sequence is encoded by two non-consecutive DNA segments. An intron (intervening sequence) of approximately 2.2 kilobase pairs separates the smaller exon (mRNA-coding sequence), which contains the gene sequence encoding the signal peptide, from the larger exon, which contains the gene sequence for most of the protein structure, including the known biologically active component peptides.     

Comparative analysis and evolutionary significance of the HMG1 gene in crucian carp,blunt snout bream,and their polyploid progeny

The full-length mRNA of the high mobility group protein 1 coding gene (HMG1) was obtained by RACE-PCR from red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var.),blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala),and their triploid and tetraploid progeny.The sequence contained an open reading frame of 579 nucleotides coding for 193 amino acids.The nucleotide identity of HMG1 was higher between the tetraploid hybrid and the maternal red crucian carp (99%) than between the tetraploid hybrid and the paternal blunt snout bream (97%).The nucleotide identity between the triploid hybrids and each parent (95%) was lower than that between the parents (98%).The protein identity between the tetraploid hybrid and each parent (100%) was higher than that between the triploid hybrid and each parent (97%).Our results suggest that interspecific hybridization generates a shock to the HMG1 gene in triploid hybrids,causing divergence of nucleotides.The HMG1 protein of the tetraploid hybrids was consistent with that of its parents,which reduced the barrier of cross incompatibility between alleles,providing the basis for the bisexual fertile tetraploid hybrids forming a new polyploid species in nature.The secondary and tertiary structures of the HMG1 protein contain eight helices,three switches,two DNA-binding domains in the N-terminus,and a long acidic tail in the C-terminus.Together,these data suggest that the HMG1 protein plays a role of protein-DNA interactions,facilitating various DNA-dependent activities in the nucleus.We also investigated the phylogeny of fish,amphibian,reptilian,bird,and mammalian HMG1 proteins.Our results suggest that HMG1 is an ancestral protein that has been highly conserved.These data provide clues as to how interspecific hybridization may form polyploid hybrids.     

Heat-shock proteins DnaK and GroEL facilitate export of LacZ hybrid proteins in E. coli

The use of lacZ gene fusions, producing a hybrid protein containing an amino terminus specified by a target gene fused to the functional carboxy terminus of beta-galactosidase, has facilitated the study of protein targeting in various organisms. One of the best characterized fusions in Escherichia coli is phi(lamB-lacZ)42-1(Hyb), which produces a hybrid protein with the signal sequence and 181 N-terminal amino acids of the exported protein LamB, attached to LacZ. In common with other LacZ hybrids, the LamB-LacZ(42-1) protein is poorly exported from E. coli, conferring a Lac+ phenotype. beta-Galactosidase activity decreases markedly when cells producing the LamB-LacZ protein are grown at 42 degrees C or when a heat-shock response is induced at lower temperatures by overproducing heat-shock factor RpoH3, indicating the LacZ hybrids are being efficiently targeted to the cell envelope. We now report that the heat-shock proteins DnaK and GroEL can, in sufficient amounts, decrease beta-galactosidase activity and facilitate the export of lacZ-hybrid proteins.     

Generation of beta-globin by sequence-specific proteolysis of a hybrid protein produced in Escherichia coli

High-level expression of many eukaryotic genes has proved difficult to achieve even when a strong promoter and the ribosome binding sequence from highly expressed Escherichia coli genes have been placed in front of the coding sequences. To overcome this problem, many eukaryotic proteins have been efficiently produced as hybrids after fusion of their genes with a coding sequence of E. coli genes. However, such hybrid proteins are not suitable for functional studies or clinical use unless the authentic protein sequence can be released by specific cleavage. Here, we have inserted the sequence Ile-Glu-Gly-Arg between the 31 amino-terminal residues of lambda cII protein and Val 1 of human beta-globin, and produced this hybrid in high yield in E. coli. We then cleaved the hybrid specifically at the single arginine, using blood coagulation factor Xa and thus liberated the authentic beta-globin chain. As factor Xa is specific for the tetrapeptide Ile-Glu-Gly-Arg, which is rare in protein sequences, our expression/cleavage system is applicable to the efficient production of many eukaryotic proteins.     

展示白色念珠菌热休克蛋白表位的杂合噬菌体诱导小鼠产生的体液免疫应答反应研究

白色念珠菌HSP90 LKVIRK是一段保守的B细胞线性表位.利用展示有LKVIRK表位的杂合噬菌体作为抗原,免疫C57BL/6J小鼠,然后在小鼠的系统性念珠菌感染模型中评价其免疫保护作用.结果证明该杂合噬菌体能够诱导C57BL/6J小鼠产生高滴度的抗HSP90抗体,而且对系统性念珠菌感染的小鼠具有免疫保护作用.说明展示有白色念珠菌LKVIRK表位的杂合噬菌体有可能成为一种候选的真菌疫苗.     

四个杂交粳稻的蛋白质、赖氨酸、直链淀粉含量和MDH活性测定

本文分析比较了正在大面积推广种植的杂交粳稻寒优１０２７以及３个新选育的杂交粳稻８优１６１、寒优１９５和寒优３５６的蛋白质含量、赖氨酸含量、赖氨酸相对合量、直挂淀粉含量和苹果田脱氢酶（ＭＤＨ）活性．结果显示了３个新选育的杂交粳稻分别在不同的方面胜过对照寒优１０２７．寒优１９５的直链淀粉合量（１２．１％）明显低于对照寒优１０２７（１７．０％），赖氨酸的相对合量（３．６８％）高于对照寒优１０２７（３．１８％），统计分析两方面的差异都达极著水平（Ｐ＜０．０１）；８优１６１的蛋白质含量（９．６９％）比对照寒优１０２７（８．７８％）高１１．１％，统计分析差异达极显著（Ｐ＜０．０１）；寒优３５６４白质含量（９．１５％）比对照寒优１０２７高．出５．５％，两者差异也达极显著（Ｐ＜０．０１），而且寒优３５６在苗期的ＭＤＨ活性高于对照寒优１０２７，统计分析两者差异显著（Ｐ＜０．０５），这表明寒优３５６在生长后期的每生日穗总粒数，每穗实粒数和每实粒重可能会超过对照寒优１０２７．建议有关部门在今后的水稻生产中，可根据各自不同的需要，推广利用不同的杂交粳稻．     

转基因工程抗虫杂交稻大米的食品安全性评价

为评价转基因工程抗虫杂交稻大米的食品安全性,以转crylAc/sck双价基因抗虫杂交稻Ⅱ-32A/MSB,KF6-304大米为材料,进行了大鼠30 d喂养试验,检测转基因杂交稻大米对大鼠表观体症、脏器系数、血常规与血生化指标值的影响.结果显示:转基因抗虫杂交稻Ⅱ-32A/MSB,KF6-304大米各剂量组喂养大鼠,大鼠的行为、呼吸、毛色均正常.以Ⅱ-32A/MSB饲喂大鼠,除雌鼠低剂量组的胃体比、血清总蛋白与中剂量组的球蛋白明显高于对照组,雌鼠低剂量组的萄葡糖与中剂量组的白球比例、雄鼠低剂量组与高剂量组的嗜中性粒细胞百分比显著低于对照组外,其余重要检测指标值均与对照无显著差异.以KF6-304饲喂大鼠,除低剂量组雌鼠的甘油三酯与中剂量组雄鼠的萄葡糖显著低于对照组,其余重要检测指标值则与对照均无显著差异.以上结果提示转基因工程抗虫杂交稻Ⅱ-32A/MSB,KF6-304大米的30 d喂养试验对大鼠表现体症及生理生化无明显不良影响.表5,参12.     

Re-routing of a secretory protein by fusion with human growth hormone sequences

Cells with electron-dense secretory vesicles use them to store only specialized secretory products such as peptide hormones; other types of secreted proteins are externalized by an alternative, constitutive route. One possible mechanism for such segregation is that proteins destined for dense secretory vesicles contain unique 'sorting domains' that allow for selective targeting. Here, we set out to determine whether a constitutively secreted protein could be diverted to the dense secretory vesicles by attachment to a peptide hormone sequence. We made use of the ability of the mouse pituitary tumour cell, AtT-20, to correctly sort exogenous secretory proteins introduced into them by DNA transfection. We constructed a plasmid encoding a hybrid protein in which a constitutively secreted viral protein was fused to the carboxy terminus of human growth hormone (hGH). Cells expressing the hybrid protein were found to target it to dense secretory vesicles with an efficiency close to that observed for the parental hGH. These results support the hypothesis that sorting domains on peptide hormones direct their packaging into dense secretory vesicles. The results also suggest that proteins secreted by the constitutive pathway either do not contain any sorting domain, or their sorting signals can be overridden by those which direct peptide hormones.     

杂交水稻叶片衰老的研究

在杂交水稻开花期间,通过剪去穗部部分枝梗和叶片等处理,形成不同的库源比,结果表明,杂交水稻W6154S／早特青原库矛盾大,叶片衰老快,降低库源比能明显减缓其叶片中蛋白质、叶绿素含量下降和丙二醛含量上升,说明杂交水稻叶片早衰与其库源比较大有关。     

Hybrid hybridomas and their use in immunohistochemistry

A normal antibody-producing cell only expresses one antibody, resulting in the well-known phenomenon of allelic exclusion. When two myeloma cells are fused, the derived hybrids are capable of co-dominantly expressing the antibody genes of both parents. Although the respective variable (V) and constant (C) region genes remain expressed in the same cis configuration, heavy and light chains of both parents are scrambled, and hybrid molecules are formed. The same is true when a myeloma and an antibody-producing cell are fused to produce a hybrid myeloma (hybridoma). Fusion therefore allows the production of hybrid immunoglobulin molecules containing two different combining sites. Hybrid molecules of this type retain antigen-binding activity and specificity. Bispecific monoclonal antibodies secreted by hybridomas may have a variety of uses in biology and in medicine. Here we have focused on their application in histochemistry. As an example, we have prepared and tested an anti-somatostatin-anti-peroxidase bispecific antibody. This way of producing hybrid molecules is superior to the production of hybrid antibodies by chemical reconstitution methods because the drastic treatment required for chain separation in the latter is likely to lead to some protein denaturation and loss of antibody activity. Intracellularly synthesized and assembled hybrids do not suffer from this disadvantage. In addition, the recombination of heavy and light chains from different antibody molecules is likely to lead to considerable waste.     

酵母双杂交筛选与脱落酸受体相互作用的蛋白质及其重转酵母的验证

脱落酸（abscisic acid,ABA）是一种重要的植物激素,它能使植物适应逆境胁迫,从而调节植物的生长发育状况.现今ABA受体已被公认为RCARs/PYR/PYLs家族蛋白.本实验通过拟南芥为模式植物,利用酵母双杂交系统共转化方法从拟南芥cDNA文库中筛选与RCAR3相互作用的蛋白质,获得多个阳性克隆,从中选取一个与生长素调节相关的基因NIT1的全长cDNA重新转化酵母验证,发现与RCAR3仍然有相互作用,排除了假阳性的可能.从而为下一步研究该基因与RCAR3的相互关系做好了准备.     

Adaptive evolution drives divergence of a hybrid inviability gene between two species of Drosophila

Speciation--the splitting of one species into two--occurs by the evolution of any of several forms of reproductive isolation between taxa, including the intrinsic sterility and inviability of hybrids. Abundant evidence shows that these hybrid fitness problems are caused by incompatible interactions between loci: new alleles that become established in one species are sometimes functionally incompatible with alleles at interacting loci from another species. However, almost nothing is known about the genes involved in such hybrid incompatibilities or the evolutionary forces that drive their divergence. Here we identify a gene that causes epistatic inviability in hybrids between two fruitfly species, Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans. Our population genetic analysis reveals that this gene--which encodes a nuclear pore protein--evolved by positive natural selection in both species' lineages. These results show that a lethal hybrid incompatibility has evolved as a by-product of adaptive protein evolution.