Toll样受体2的研究进展

Toll样受体家族（TOU likereceptors,TLRs）是先天性免疫系统进化过程中形成的非常保守的模式识别受体家族,Toll样受体2（T011-likereceptors2,TLR2）是已经克隆的Toll样受体家族中表达范围最广,识别病原微生物种类最多的成员。它可单独或协同其他Toll样受体家族成员完成对病原体相关分子模式的识别,触发机体对致病微生物的级联免疫应答,尤其是针对细胞毒素的抗炎症反应具有重要的作用,已经成为多种疾病治疗的新靶点。文章对N-SL动物TLR2的分布,结构特征,配体识别,信号转导及其生物学功能的最新研究进展进行了综述。     

Toll样受体相关疾病研究进展

Toll样受体(Toll-like receptors, TLRs)家族存在于所有活的多细胞生物中。研究表明,TLRs在对机体天然免疫、识别病原体方面包括感染性、自身免疫性、过敏性、炎症和癌症在内的多种疾病的发病机制中发挥了非常重要的作用。简要介绍了TLRs家族受体相关的常见疾病,结合已有的成果对相关疾病相关受体的研究方法及应用现状进行阐述。最后,对Toll样受体为人类克服相关疾病的未来发展方向进行展望。     

Toll样受体在防御反应中的作用(综述)

目前已经发现了10个存在于人细胞表面的Toll样受体(TLR1—10)，并确定了与之相对应的大部分配体。机体通过TLRs感知病原微生物并直接作出防御反应，不同的TLR执行特定的，但也相互重叠的一系列生物学效应。因此，更多的认识TLRs及其整个信号转导系统将为防治各种病原性疾病开辟广阔前景。     

嗜麦芽黄单胞菌CG样受体跨膜域克隆与分析

根据已知生物LH/CG受体同源性较大的跨膜域序列设计引物，以嗜麦芽黄单胞菌基因组DNA为模板进行PCR扩增，将约600bp目的产物克隆到pUCm-T载体上，经酶切及PCR扩增筛选鉴定得到重组质粒pUCm-Rec，以DIG标记的PCR扩增片段作为探针进行DNA斑点杂交，确证目的PCR扩增片段与该菌染色体DNA有同源性，克隆到的593bpCG样受体跨膜域序列在GenBank中的注册号为AY355346，再以地高辛标记的593bp跨膜域序列为探针，从构建的该菌基因组文库中，筛选到可能与CG样受体属于同一跨膜受体家族的编码组氨酸激酶／效应调节杂合蛋白部分序列的685bp核酸片段(其在GenBank中的注册号为AY359445)。     

T细胞抑制性受体及其免疫调节作用

 T 淋巴细胞在免疫系统中发挥细胞免疫、免疫调节等功能。然而, T 细胞的过度激活会导致疾病(如哮喘、系统性红斑狼疮等)的发生, 抑制T 细胞的过度激活是免疫治疗的重要研究方向。T 细胞抑制性受体可通过与其配体结合调控T 细胞增殖或功能发挥, 并在过敏性疾病、移植排斥等治疗中作为治疗靶点。因此, 进一步解析T 细胞抑制性受体的三维结构、配体-受体复合物组分及其下信游号通路将有助于免疫治疗的发展。本综述总结了GITR、CTLA-4、BTLA、PD-1、LAIR-1、TIM-3、TIGIT 等T 细胞抑制性受体的生理生化特性、与其配体结合后对T 细胞免疫功能的调节以及抗体药物的研究进展。     

配体和受体间的结合自由能的计算方法

精确地预测配体和受体间的结合自由能是计算化学中最重要的问题之一.首先,从未知受体三维结构和已知受体三维结构2个角度出发,评述计算配体和受体间结合自由能的各种方法及其优缺点;其次,分析计算结合自由能过程中长期存在问题与挑战,包括势能函数模型和溶剂化模型的合理建立,配体与受体结合过程中平动熵、转动熵、构型熵变化的精确计算;最后,研究应用ABEEM/MM力场结合GBSA和LIECE方法进行结合自由能的计算.     

预测新的生物胺受体配基结合位点

生物胺受体被认为是一类重要的药物靶标,用生物信息学手段寻找它的配基结合位点并分析其功能,对于药物设计具有重要的指导意义.从整体上结合可变性、疏水性和保守性构建了受体的2D螺旋横切面模型,预测出其可能的配基结合区Ⅰ、Ⅱ,其中TM3、TM4以及TM7在配基结合中起关键作用,E-Ⅱ环也参与了配基结合这一过程,这是对以往普遍认为只有TM参与配基结合的延伸.从局部上寻找了生物胺受体及其子受体的基序,提出了家族可变亚家族保守基序(motif)概念,即家族可变区中找到的亚家族保守的基序.最后结合整体与局部分析结果分析了各基序的功能,预测了行使配基结合功能的基序及其相应位点,结果证明与突变实验结果有很好的吻合度.     

酪氨酸蛋白激酶受体c-Met及靶点药物研究进展

酪氨酸激酶受体c-Met在细胞的代谢、分化以及死亡细胞的信号传导过程中起着重要的作用,其与配体结合,可活化其信号通路,参与胚胎发育、组织损伤修复以及肿瘤的发生和发展。因而,以酪氨酸激酶受体c-Met为靶点的抗肿瘤药物已经成为肿瘤研究中十分活跃的领域,为抗肿瘤治疗提供了新方法。     

植物LRR类受体蛋白激酶的研究进展

简要介绍了LRR-类受体蛋白激酶(LRR-RLKs)的胞外LRR基序和胞内丝/苏氨酸激酶区的结构特点;LRR-RLKs在调节植物生长发育和防卫反应方面的生理功能及其与配体互作的2种可能机制:LRR-RLKs受体磷酸化和LRR-RLKs受体去磷酸化.讨论发现,LRR-RLKs的结构特点和多样化的基因表达方式,是其具有多种生理功能的基础;植物信号传导途径的复杂性和不同蛋白的功能互补,则可能是导致LRR-RLKs的功能和作用方式至今尚未解释清楚的重要原因.利用日趋先进的生物技术,加强对配体和下游信号分子的搜寻、鉴定和识别,将是今后LRR-RLKs研究的有效途径.     

G蛋白偶联受体研究进展

G蛋白偶联受体（GPCRs）是体内最大的蛋白质超家族，根据结构的同源性，主要分为A、B、C3族．GPCRs配体的多样性决定配体结合域的多样性．受体分子内相互作用力的破坏、质子化、构象改变、与G蛋白的偶联及受体二聚化参与了GPCRs的活化过程，近年发现GPCRs的失敏和内吞对受体功能调节亦非常重要，本文拟综述以上内容的研究进展．     

Immune recognition. A new receptor for beta-glucans.

The carbohydrate polymers known as beta-1,3-d-glucans exert potent effects on the immune system - stimulating antitumour and antimicrobial activity, for example - by binding to receptors on macrophages and other white blood cells and activating them. Although beta-glucans are known to bind to receptors, such as complement receptor 3 (ref. 1), there is evidence that another beta-glucan receptor is present on macrophages. Here we identify this unknown receptor as dectin-1 (ref. 2), a finding that provides new insights into the innate immune recognition of beta-glucans.     

G-protein-coupled receptor heterodimerization modulates receptor function.

The opioid system modulates several physiological processes, including analgesia, the stress response, the immune response and neuroendocrine function. Pharmacological and molecular cloning studies have identified three opioid-receptor types, delta, kappa and mu, that mediate these diverse effects. Little is known about the ability of the receptors to interact to form new functional structures, the simplest of which would be a dimer. Structural and biochemical studies show that other G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) interact to form homodimers. Moreover, two non-functional receptors heterodimerize to form a functional receptor, suggesting that dimerization is crucial for receptor function. However, heterodimerization between two fully functional receptors has not been documented. Here we provide biochemical and pharmacological evidence for the heterodimerization of two fully functional opioid receptors, kappa and delta. This results in a new receptor that exhibits ligand binding and functional properties that are distinct from those of either receptor. Furthermore, the kappa-delta heterodimer synergistically binds highly selective agonists and potentiates signal transduction. Thus, heterodimerization of these GPCRs represents a novel mechanism that modulates their function.     

An endogenous tumour-promoting ligand of the human aryl hydrocarbon receptor

Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) by environmental xenobiotic toxic chemicals, for instance 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin), has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes such as embryogenesis, transformation, tumorigenesis and inflammation. But the identity of an endogenous ligand activating the AHR under physiological conditions in the absence of environmental toxic chemicals is still unknown. Here we identify the tryptophan (Trp) catabolite kynurenine (Kyn) as an endogenous ligand of the human AHR that is constitutively generated by human tumour cells via tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), a liver- and neuron-derived Trp-degrading enzyme not yet implicated in cancer biology. TDO-derived Kyn suppresses antitumour immune responses and promotes tumour-cell survival and motility through the AHR in an autocrine/paracrine fashion. The TDO-AHR pathway is active in human brain tumours and is associated with malignant progression and poor survival. Because Kyn is produced during cancer progression and inflammation in the local microenvironment in amounts sufficient for activating the human AHR, these results provide evidence for a previously unidentified pathophysiological function of the AHR with profound implications for cancer and immune biology.     

The ectodomain of Toll-like receptor 9 is cleaved to generate a functional receptor

Mammalian Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 3, 7, 8 and 9 initiate immune responses to infection by recognizing microbial nucleic acids; however, these responses come at the cost of potential autoimmunity owing to inappropriate recognition of self nucleic acids. The localization of TLR9 and TLR7 to intracellular compartments seems to have a role in facilitating responses to viral nucleic acids while maintaining tolerance to self nucleic acids, yet the cell biology regulating the transport and localization of these receptors remains poorly understood. Here we define the route by which TLR9 and TLR7 exit the endoplasmic reticulum and travel to endolysosomes in mouse macrophages and dendritic cells. The ectodomains of TLR9 and TLR7 are cleaved in the endolysosome, such that no full-length protein is detectable in the compartment where ligand is recognized. Notably, although both the full-length and cleaved forms of TLR9 are capable of binding ligand, only the processed form recruits MyD88 on activation, indicating that this truncated receptor, rather than the full-length form, is functional. Furthermore, conditions that prevent receptor proteolysis, including forced TLR9 surface localization, render the receptor non-functional. We propose that ectodomain cleavage represents a strategy to restrict receptor activation to endolysosomal compartments and prevent TLRs from responding to self nucleic acids.     

类固醇激素受体在扬子鳄睾丸表达的免疫细胞化学研究

用免疫细胞化学方法对雄激素受体(AR)、雌激素受体(ER)和孕激素受体(PR) 在扬子鳄睾丸中进行定位研究.结果表明,三种类固醇激素受体在扬子鳄睾丸中都有分布:雄激素受体在睾丸的肌样细胞和支持细胞中呈阳性反应,雌激素受体在睾丸的间质细胞中呈 阳性反应,孕激素受体在睾丸的生精细胞中呈阳性反应.推测结果表明,雄激素受体在扬子 鳄精子发生过程有重要作用;雌激素受体可能在扬子鳄睾丸发育过程中影响睾丸间质细胞雄性激素的分泌,进而调节生精过程和精子发育成熟,孕激素受体可能通过转换成AR和ER来对精子发生进行调节.这些结果为证明性类固醇激素参与调节扬子鳄性腺生殖内分泌调控提供了重要的形态学新证据.     

A macrophage Fc gamma receptor and the mast cell receptor for IgE share an identical subunit

Fc receptors for immunoglobulins are found on many immune cells and trigger essential functions of the immune defence system. With the exception of the high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (Fc epsilon RI), these receptors were thought to consist of single polypeptides. Fc epsilon RI is a tetrameric complex of one alpha-subunit, one beta-subunit and two gamma-subunits. Here we report the cloning of a polypeptide identical to the gamma-chains of Fc epsilon RI, from mouse macrophages that do not express this receptor. Biosynthetic labelling and gene transfer together show that these gamma-chains associate with one of the macrophage receptors (Fc gamma RIIa). The human homologue, Fc gamma RIII (CD16), from natural killer cells is also expected to associate with gamma-chains. It is possible that these gamma-chains and the homologous zeta-chains of the T-cell antigen receptor belong to a new family of related proteins which share a common role in the signal transducing pathway.     

Structural basis for EGFR ligand sequestration by Argos

Members of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or ErbB/HER family and their activating ligands are essential regulators of diverse developmental processes. Inappropriate activation of these receptors is a key feature of many human cancers, and its reversal is an important clinical goal. A natural secreted antagonist of EGFR signalling, called Argos, was identified in Drosophila. We showed previously that Argos functions by directly binding (and sequestering) growth factor ligands that activate EGFR. Here we describe the 1.6-A resolution crystal structure of Argos bound to an EGFR ligand. Contrary to expectations, Argos contains no EGF-like domain. Instead, a trio of closely related domains (resembling a three-finger toxin fold) form a clamp-like structure around the bound EGF ligand. Although structurally unrelated to the receptor, Argos mimics EGFR by using a bipartite binding surface to entrap EGF. The individual Argos domains share unexpected structural similarities with the extracellular ligand-binding regions of transforming growth factor-beta family receptors. The three-domain clamp of Argos also resembles the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) receptor, which uses a similar mechanism to engulf the EGF-like module of uPA. Our results indicate that undiscovered mammalian counterparts of Argos may exist among other poorly characterized structural homologues. In addition, the structures presented here define requirements for the design of artificial EGF-sequestering proteins that would be valuable anti-cancer therapeutics.     

Point mutation in the exoplasmic domain of the erythropoietin receptor resulting in hormone-independent activation and tumorigenicity

The receptors for erythropoietin and other cytokines constitute a new superfamily. They have no tyrosine-kinase or other enzyme motif and their signal-transducing mechanism is unclear. Here we describe two classes of activating mutations in the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR). A single point mutation in the exoplasmic domain enables it to induce hormone-independent cell growth and tumorigenesis after expression in nontumorigenic, interleukin-3-dependent haematopoietic cells. A C-terminal truncation in the cytoplasmic domain of the EPOR renders the receptor hyperresponsive to erythropoietin, but is insufficient to induce hormone-independent growth or tumorigenicity. The activating point mutation retards intracellular transport and turnover of the receptor. These alterations in metabolism and tumorigenicity caused by the EPOR with activating point mutations are similar to those observed in erythropoietin-independent activation of the wild type EPOR by association with gp55, the Friend spleen focus-forming virus glycoprotein.     

An essential role for a CD36-related receptor in pheromone detection in Drosophila

The CD36 family of transmembrane receptors is present across metazoans and has been implicated biochemically in lipid binding and transport. Several CD36 proteins function in the immune system as scavenger receptors for bacterial pathogens and seem to act as cofactors for Toll-like receptors by facilitating recognition of bacterially derived lipids. Here we show that a Drosophila melanogaster CD36 homologue, Sensory neuron membrane protein (SNMP), is expressed in a population of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) implicated in pheromone detection. SNMP is essential for the electrophysiological responses of OSNs expressing the receptor OR67d to (Z)-11-octadecenyl acetate (cis-vaccenyl acetate, cVA), a volatile male-specific fatty-acid-derived pheromone that regulates sexual and social aggregation behaviours. SNMP is also required for the activation of the moth pheromone receptor HR13 by its lipid-derived pheromone ligand (Z)-11-hexadecenal, but is dispensable for the responses of the conventional odorant receptor OR22a to its short hydrocarbon fruit ester ligands. Finally, we show that SNMP is required for responses of OR67d to cVA when ectopically expressed in OSNs not normally activated by pheromones. Because mammalian CD36 binds fatty acids, we suggest that SNMP acts in concert with odorant receptors to capture pheromone molecules on the surface of olfactory dendrites. Our work identifies an unanticipated cofactor for odorant receptors that is likely to have a widespread role in insect pheromone detection. Moreover, these results define a unifying model for CD36 function, coupling recognition of lipid-based extracellular ligands to signalling receptors in both pheromonal communication and pathogen recognition through the innate immune system.