分子伴侣的研究进展

文章综述了分子伴侣特别是HSP70分子伴侣系统的结构、功能、作用机理及应用方面的研究进展。分子伴侣能结合和稳定另一种蛋白质的不稳定构象，促进新生多肽链的正确折叠，因而在辅助蛋白质复性以及免疫保护等方面有很重要的作用。HSP70分子伴侣能够帮助细胞内新生蛋白的折叠和跨膜运输、蛋白质多聚体结构的装配和解装配，并能在胁迫下维持蛋白质的特殊构象，防止未折叠的蛋白质变性和使聚集的蛋白质溶解复性。     

Progress on molecular self-assembly of alkanethiols

Molecular self-assembly became an interesting research project which was paid much attention by many scientists. This article briefly tells readers thc suggestion, principle and the newest progresses on self-assembly. It introduces the progresses on molecular self-assembly of alkanethiols in detail.     

Peptide-binding specificity of the molecular chaperone BiP

Members of the heat-shock protein family (hsp70s) can distinguish folded from unfolded proteins. This property is crucial to the role of hsp70s as molecular chaperones and is attributable to the amino-acid specificity of the peptide-binding site. The specificity for peptide ligands is investigated using a set of peptides of random sequence but defined chain length. The peptide-binding site selects for aliphatic residues and accommodates them in an environment energetically equivalent to the interior of a folded protein.     

Vanadyl ions binding to GroEL （HSP60） and inducing its depolymerization

Several vanadium compounds have been known for the hypoglycemic and anticancer effects. However, the mechanisms of the pharmacological and toxicological effects were not clear. In this work, we in- vestigated the potential targets of vanadium in mitochondria. Vanadyl ions were found to bind to mi- tochondria from rat liver with a stoichiometry of 244±58 nmol/mg protein and an apparent dissocia- tion constant (Kd) of (2.0±0.8)×10·16 mol/L. Using size exclusion chromatography, a vanadium-binding protein was isolated and identified to be the 60-kDa heat shock protein (HSP60) by mass spectrometry analysis and immunoassays. Additionally, binding of vanadyl ions was found to result in depolymeri- zation of homo-oligomeric HSP60 (GroEL). HSP60 is an indispensable molecular chaperone and in- volved in many kinds of pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, e.g. type 1 diabetes. Our results suggested that HSP60 could be a novel important target involved in the biological and/or toxicological effects of vanadium compounds.     

A molecular cryptography model based on structures of DNA self-assembly

With the progress of DNA computing, DNA- based cryptography becomes an emerging interdisciplinary research field. In this paper, we present a novel DNA cryptography that takes advantage of DNA self assembled structure. Making use of the toehold strands recognition and strand displacement, the bit-wise exclusive-or （XOR） operation is carried out to fulfill the information encryption and decryption in the form of a one-time-pad. The security of this system mainly comes from the physical isolation and specificity of DNA molecules. The system is con- structed by using complex DNA self-assembly, in which technique of fluorescent detection is utilized to implement the signal processing. In the proposed DNA cryptography, the XOR operation at each bit is carried out individually, thus the encryption and decryption process could be con- ducted in a massive, parallel way. This work may dem- onstrate that DNA cryptography has the great potential applications in the field of inRwmation security.     

分子伴侣及其作用机理的研究概况

分子伴侣为一类与其他蛋白不稳定构象结合并使之稳定的蛋白质,广泛分布于各种生物体内。本文对分子伴侣的最新研究作一综述。     

TCP1 complex is a molecular chaperone in tubulin biogenesis.

A role in folding of newly translated proteins in the cytosol of eukaryotes has been proposed for t-complex polypeptide-1 (TCP1), although its molecular targets have not yet been identified. Tubulin is a major cytosolic protein whose assembly into microtubules is critical to many cellular processes. Although numerous studies have focused on the expression of tubulin, little is known about the processes whereby newly translated tubulin subunits acquire conformations that enable them to form alpha-beta-heterodimers. We examined the biogenesis of alpha- and beta-tubulin in rabbit reticulocyte lysate, and report here that newly translated tubulin subunits entered a 900K complex in a protease-sensitive conformation. Addition of Mg-ATP, but not nonhydrolysable analogues, released the tubulin subunits as assembly-competent protein with a conformation that was relatively protease-resistant. The 900K complex purified from reticulocyte lysate contained as its major constituent a 58K protein that cross-reacted with a monoclonal antiserum against mouse TCP1. We conclude that TCP1 functions as a cytosolic chaperone in the biogenesis of tubulin.     

双(吡咯-2-甲烯胺)配体的超分子自组装研究

以2-吡咯甲醛和反-1，4-环己二胺为原料合成一种新的双（吡咯-2-甲烯胺）配体，然后与相应的金属醋酸盐或者金属氯化物反应制备配合物．通过质谱、红外光谱、紫外-可见光谱、X-Ray单晶衍射以及元素分析等测试手段确定了配体的结构；介绍了其配合物的一般合成方法，讨论了决定其金属配合物构型的影响因素以及影响其空间堆积方式的氢键作用．     

Visualizing molecular juggling within a B12-dependent methyltransferase complex

Derivatives of vitamin B(12) are used in methyl group transfer in biological processes as diverse as methionine synthesis in humans and CO(2) fixation in acetogenic bacteria. This seemingly straightforward reaction requires large, multimodular enzyme complexes that adopt multiple conformations to alternately activate, protect and perform catalysis on the reactive B(12) cofactor. Crystal structures determined thus far have provided structural information for only fragments of these complexes, inspiring speculation about the overall protein assembly and conformational movements inherent to activity. Here we present X-ray crystal structures of a complete 220?kDa complex that contains all enzymes responsible for B(12)-dependent methyl transfer, namely the corrinoid iron-sulphur protein and its methyltransferase from the model acetogen Moorella thermoacetica. These structures provide the first three-dimensional depiction of all protein modules required for the activation, protection and catalytic steps of B(12)-dependent methyl transfer. In addition, the structures capture B(12) at multiple locations between its 'resting' and catalytic positions, allowing visualization of the dramatic protein rearrangements that enable methyl transfer and identification of the trajectory for B(12) movement within the large enzyme scaffold. The structures are also presented alongside in crystallo spectroscopic data, which confirm enzymatic activity within crystals and demonstrate the largest known conformational movements of proteins in a crystalline state. Taken together, this work provides a model for the molecular juggling that accompanies turnover and helps explain why such an elaborate protein framework is required for such a simple, yet biologically essential reaction.     

两亲性嵌段共聚物PEO-b-PMMA的合成及其在水溶液中的自组装

以PEO-Br为大分子引发剂,通过原子转移自由基聚合合成了两种具有不同疏水链长的PEO-b-PMMA两亲性嵌段共聚物,经GPC和1H-NMR表征确认其结构分别为PEO45-b-PMMA130和PEO45-b-PMMA335。以二氧六环作为初始共溶剂,考察了PEO-b-PMMA在水溶液中的自组装,用光散射和透射电子显微镜对共聚物的临界加水量和聚集体的形貌进行了测定与表征;结果表明随着PMMA链段的增长,临界加水量由27.5%降为22.5%,球形聚集体的平均粒径由44nm增至76nm。     

Exploring the topological effect of linear and cyclic macroCTAs during polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA)

Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is a robust strategy for the syntheses of block copolymer nano-objects with various morphologies. Although PISA has been extensively studied, the use of cyclic macromolecular chain transfer agents (macroCTAs) as the hydrophilic block has not been reported. We explored the effects of macroCTA topology on the polymerization kinetics and morphologies of block copolymer assemblies during reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization. To this end, linear and cyclic poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) with 4-(4-cyanopentanoic acid) dithiobenzoate (CPADB) groups were synthesized and used as CTAs to mediate the RAFT polymerization of benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene (PFSt) under PISA formulation. Interestingly, the nucleation period of the linear PEO is slightly shorter than that of its cyclic analog, and the cyclic hydrophilic segment leads to a delayed morphological transition during PISA.     

Reversible shape change of Triton-treated erythrocyte ghosts induced by Ca2+ and Mg-ATP

The shape of the human erythrocyte depends on intracellular ATP content and echinocytic erythrocyte ghosts obtained in the presence of Mg-ATP acquire a diskocytic shape after incubation at 37 degrees C; however, agreement is lacking about the molecular basis of the shape changes. The suggestion that phosphorylation of cytoskeletal structures underlying the membrane is involved has been disputed and alternative explanations based on lipid bilayer theory and metabolism of phospholipid have been proposed. Recently, we re-examined the effect of ATP on the shape of ghosts and found that it consists of two distinct steps. We have, therefore, now examined the effect of physiological concentrations of Ca2+ and ATP on the cytoskeleton of the erythrocyte membrane directly using Triton-treated ghosts which had lost this permeability barrier. Our findings suggest that a noncovalent effect of ATP on the cytoskeleton is a prerequisite for shape change.     

雀形目鸟类分子系统学研究进展

雀形目鸟类种类繁多,是鸟类物种中数量最多、形态和习性具有极大多样性的一个目.从科间和科内关系来看,许多雀形目鸟类的系统发生地位存在争议.为了更好的了解雀形目鸟类物种间的分子进化地位,综述了近年来国内外利用线粒体DNA、线粒体假基因(numts)和核DNA(如β-fibrinogen intron 7,myoglobin intron 2,c-mos,c-myc,RAG-1,ZENK等)对雀形目鸟类系统发生地位研究的进展,目的是为更进一步揭示雀形目鸟类的系统发生机制提供基础和新的线索.     

A molecular chaperone from a thermophilic archaebacterium is related to the eukaryotic protein t-complex polypeptide-1

There is evidence to suggest that components of archaebacteria are evolutionarily related to cognates in the eukaryotic cytosol. We postulated that the major heat-shock protein of the thermophilic archaebacterium, Sulfolobus shibatae, is a molecular chaperone and that it is related to an as-yet unidentified chaperone component in the eukaryotic cytosol. Acquired thermotolerance in S. shibatae correlates with the predominant synthesis of this already abundant protein, referred to as thermophilic factor 55 (TF55). TF55 is a homo-oligomeric complex of two stacked 9-membered rings, closely resembling the 7-membered-ring complexes of the chaperonins, groEL, hsp60 and Rubisco-binding protein. The TF55 complex binds unfolded polypeptides in vitro and has ATPase activity-features consistent with its being a molecular chaperone. The primary structure of TF55, however, is not significantly related to the chaperonins. On the other hand, it is highly homologous (36-40% identity) to a ubiquitous eukaryotic protein, t-complex polypeptide-1 (TCP1). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, TCP1 is an essential protein that may play a part in mitotic spindle formation. We suggest that TF55 in archaebacteria and TCP1 in the eukaryotic cytosol are members of a new class of molecular chaperones.     

Drying-mediated self-assembly of nanoparticles

Systems far from equilibrium can exhibit complex transitory structures, even when equilibrium fluctuations are mundane. A dramatic example of this phenomenon has recently been demonstrated for thin-film solutions of passivated nanocrystals during the irreversible evaporation of the solvent. The relatively weak attractions between nanocrystals, which are efficiently screened in solution, become manifest as the solvent evaporates, initiating assembly of intricate, slowly evolving structures. Although certain aspects of this aggregation process can be explained using thermodynamic arguments alone, it is in principle a non-equilibrium process. A representation of this process as arising from the phase separation between a dense nanocrystal 'liquid' and dilute nanocrystal 'vapour' captures some of the behaviour observed in experiments, but neglects entirely the role of solvent fluctuations, which can be considerable on the nanometre length scale. Here we present a coarse-grained model of nanoparticle self-assembly that explicitly includes the dynamics of the evaporating solvent. Simulations using this model not only account for all observed spatial and temporal patterns, but also predict network structures that have yet to be explored. Two distinct mechanisms of ordering emerge, corresponding to the homogeneous and heterogeneous limits of evaporation dynamics. Our calculations show how different choices of solvent, nanoparticle size (and identity) and thermodynamic state give rise to the various morphologies of the final structures. The resulting guide for designing statistically patterned arrays of nanoparticles suggests the possibility of fabricating spontaneously organized nanoscale devices.