视黄酸对胃癌细胞NM—IF系统变化的影响

选择性抽提整装扫描与透射电镜观察显示,人胃腺癌ＭＧｃ８０－３细胞核骨架纤维和中间纤维数量较少、分布不均匀,核纤层为厚薄不一结构,与两类纤维联系不密切．经１０－６ｍｏｌ／ＬＲＡ处理后,细胞核骨架纤维和中间纤维数量增多、结构层次丰富,分布均匀并相互交织成规则网络,两类纤维通过薄层均一的核纤层发生密切联系,形成贯穿整个细胞核质区域的完整体系．表明经ＲＡ诱导处理后ＭＧｃ８０－３细胞的核骨架－中间纤维系统产生了与正常细胞相似的恢复性改变．这种变化是癌细胞恶性表型逆转的重要形态特征和功能表现．     

Lamins and their genes

The nuclear lamina is an important nuclear structure. The studies on its peptides lamins and genes have made substantial progress in recent years. In this paper, the new achievements in studies of new lamin members and their functions, lamin genes and their origin and differentiation, are reviewed and discussed. Some research areas that deserve to be investigated further are put forward.     

Homologies in both primary and secondary structure between nuclear envelope and intermediate filament proteins

The A, B and C lamins are the major proteins of the nuclear envelope. The complete nucleotide sequence of the coding region of the A and C lamins shows that these proteins are identical except for their carboxy termini. The most prominent structural feature of both lamins is an alpha-helical region of repeating heptads of amino acids that shows striking homology with the entire family of cytoplasmic intermediate filament proteins. These features suggest that the nuclear envelope is made up of a network of coiled-coil polymers.     

Interactions between the nuclear matrix proteins and the 5'-flanking cis-acting elements of the human ε-globin gene

An erythroid-specific nuclear matrix protein (termed ε-NMPk) in K562 cells, which can specifically bind to the positive stage-specific regulatory element (ε-PRE Ⅱ , - 446- - 419 bp) upstream of the human ε-globin gene, has been identified by using gel mobility shift assay. Meanwhile, Southwestern blotting assay showed that the nuclear matrix protein ε-NMPk in K562, cells may be composed of two polypeptides ( ～ 40 ku). In addition, it is observed in the gel mobility shift assay that the nuclear matrix proteins from K562, HEL and Raji cells can bind to the silencer DNA ( - 392- - 177 bp) in the 5'-flanking sequence of human ε-globin gene respectively. However, the shift band K detected in K562 cells is different from shift band H/R in HEL and Raji cells, suggesting that a common nuclear matrix protein may exist in HEL and Raji cells. Results show that the nuclear matrix protein may play an important role in the regulation of the human ε-globin gene expression.     

Interactions between the nuclear matrix proteins and the 5′-flankingcis-acting elements of the human ε-globin gene

An erythroid-specific nuclear matrix protein (termed ε-NMP_k) in K562 cells, which can specifically bind to the positive stage-specific regulatory element (ε-PRE II, - 446 - 419 bp) upstream of the human ε-globin gene, has been identified by using gel mobility shift assay. Meanwhile, Southwestern blotting assay showed that the nuclear matrix protein ε-NMP_k in K562, cells may be composed of two polypeptides (∼ 40 ku). In addition, it is observed in the gel mobility shift assay that the nuclear matrix proteins from K562, HEL and Raji cells can bind to the silencer DNA (- 392 - 177 bp) in the 5′-flanking sequence of human ε-globin gene respectively. However, the shift band K detected in K562 cells is different from shift band H/R in HEL and Raji cells, suggesting that a common nuclear matrix protein may exist in HEL and Raji cells. Results show that the nuclear matrix protein may play an important role in the regulation of the human ε-globin gene expression.     

A progeroid syndrome in mice is caused by defects in A-type lamins

Numerous studies of the underlying causes of ageing have been attempted by examining diseases associated with premature ageing, such as Werner's syndrome and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS). HGPS is a rare genetic disorder resulting in phenotypes suggestive of accelerated ageing, including shortened stature, craniofacial disproportion, very thin skin, alopecia and osteoporosis, with death in the early teens predominantly due to atherosclerosis. However, recent reports suggest that developmental abnormalities may also be important in HGPS. Here we describe the derivation of mice carrying an autosomal recessive mutation in the lamin A gene (Lmna) encoding A-type lamins, major components of the nuclear lamina. Homozygous mice display defects consistent with HGPS, including a marked reduction in growth rate and death by 4 weeks of age. Pathologies in bone, muscle and skin are also consistent with progeria. The Lmna mutation resulted in nuclear morphology defects and decreased lifespan of homozygous fibroblasts, suggesting premature cell death. Here we present a mouse model for progeria that may elucidate mechanisms of ageing and development in certain tissue types, especially those developing from the mesenchymal cell lineage.     

天然家蚕抗菌肽对人白细胞及巨噬细胞淋巴瘤细胞骨架系统作用的比较

报道了天然家蚕抗菌肽ＣＭ４对离体Ｕ９３７癌细胞骨架及核骨架损伤作用的扫描电镜观察。随着时间的延长，经天然家蚕抗菌肽ＣＭ４作用后的癌细胞骨架断裂，固缩成团状；癌细胞核骨架断裂，部分凝聚成团，结构不完整。相同剂量的天然家蚕抗菌肽ＣＭ４与正常人白细胞作用后细胞骨架及核骨架未见损伤现象。说明天然抗菌肽与重组抗菌肽的抗癌作用相同。     

Pseudo Rabies Virus Protein UL34 Interacted with UL31 to Disrupt the Human Lamin A

Pseudo rabies virus (PRV) egresses from the nucleus by budding from the inner nuclear membrane (INM). The nuclear lamina forms a rigid meshwork of intermediate filaments underlying the INM. It remains unknown whether PRV infection induces the disruption of lamina. In this paper, it can be observed that nuclear Lamin A became fractured during PRV infection. UL34 was localized at the nuclear rim, but UL31 was accumulated in the nucleus as distinct patches. Interestingly, a part of UL31 was localized at the INM in the presence of UL34. Immunoprecipitation (IP) assay confirmed that PRV UL31 and UL34 interacted in the transfected cells. Importantly, the co-expression of UL31 and UL34 directly disrupted Lamin A, resembling that observed during PRV infection. In conclusion, PRV infection induces the disruption of Lamin A, and UL34 and UL31 play a critical role in the disruption of Lamin A.     

Specific interaction between HPV-16 E1-E4 and cytokeratins results in collapse of the epithelial cell intermediate filament network.

The human papillomaviruses (HPV) are associated specifically with epithelial lesions, ranging from benign warts to invasive carcinoma. The virus encodes three late proteins, which are produced only in terminally differentiating keratinocytes, two of which are structural components of the virion. The third, E1-E4, is derived primarily from the E4 open reading frame, which represents a region of maximal divergence between different HPV types. E1-E4 does not seem to be a component of the virus particle or to be needed for transformation in vitro, but accumulates in the cytoplasm, where in certain benign lesions it can comprise 20-30% of total cell protein. We show here that expression of the HPV-16 E1-E4 protein in human keratinocytes (the natural host cell for HPV infection) results in the total collapse of the cytokeratin matrix. Tubulin and actin networks are unaffected by E1-E4, as are the nuclear lamins.     

Recapitulation of premature ageing with iPSCs from Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare and fatal human premature ageing disease, characterized by premature arteriosclerosis and degeneration of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). HGPS is caused by a single point mutation in the lamin A (LMNA) gene, resulting in the generation of progerin, a truncated splicing mutant of lamin A. Accumulation of progerin leads to various ageing-associated nuclear defects including disorganization of nuclear lamina and loss of heterochromatin. Here we report the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts obtained from patients with HGPS. HGPS-iPSCs show absence of progerin, and more importantly, lack the nuclear envelope and epigenetic alterations normally associated with premature ageing. Upon differentiation of HGPS-iPSCs, progerin and its ageing-associated phenotypic consequences are restored. Specifically, directed differentiation of HGPS-iPSCs to SMCs leads to the appearance of premature senescence phenotypes associated with vascular ageing. Additionally, our studies identify DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNAPKcs, also known as PRKDC) as a downstream target of progerin. The absence of nuclear DNAPK holoenzyme correlates with premature as well as physiological ageing. Because progerin also accumulates during physiological ageing, our results provide an in vitro iPSC-based model to study the pathogenesis of human premature and physiological vascular ageing.     

全球招聘新闻

博士后岗位[新加坡]Institute of Medical Biology(IMB)A postdoctoral position is sought to study the cells nuclear architecture in development,ageing and disease.The focus of the research will centre on how mutations within the lamins and other     

ATP drives lamina propria T(H)17 cell differentiation

Interleukin (IL)-17-producing CD4(+) T lymphocytes (T(H)17 cells) constitute a subset of T-helper cells involved in host defence and several immune disorders. An intriguing feature of T(H)17 cells is their selective and constitutive presence in the intestinal lamina propria. Here we show that adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) that can be derived from commensal bacteria activates a unique subset of lamina propria cells, CD70(high)CD11c(low) cells, leading to the differentiation of T(H)17 cells. Germ-free mice exhibit much lower concentrations of luminal ATP, accompanied by fewer lamina propria T(H)17 cells, compared to specific-pathogen-free mice. Systemic or rectal administration of ATP into these germ-free mice results in a marked increase in the number of lamina propria T(H)17 cells. A CD70(high)CD11c(low) subset of the lamina propria cells expresses T(H)17-prone molecules, such as IL-6, IL-23p19 and transforming-growth-factor-beta-activating integrin-alphaV and -beta8, in response to ATP stimulation, and preferentially induces T(H)17 differentiation of co-cultured naive CD4(+) T cells. The critical role of ATP is further underscored by the observation that administration of ATP exacerbates a T-cell-mediated colitis model with enhanced T(H)17 differentiation. These observations highlight the importance of commensal bacteria and ATP for T(H)17 differentiation in health and disease, and offer an explanation of why T(H)17 cells specifically present in the intestinal lamina propria.     

Targeting of bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase to mitochondria in transgenic plants

Most mitochondrial proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and are synthesized as precursors containing a presequence at the N terminus. In yeast and in mammalian cells, the function of the presequence in mitochondrial targeting has been revealed by chimaeric gene studies. Fusion of a mitochondrial presequence to a foreign protein coding sequence enables the protein to be imported into mitochondria in vitro as well as in vivo. Whether plant mitochondrial presequences function in the same way has been unknown. We have previously isolated and characterized a nuclear gene (atp2-1) from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia that encodes the beta-subunit of the mitochondrial ATP synthase. We have constructed a chimaeric gene comprising a putative atp2-1 presequence fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) coding sequence and introduced it into the tobacco genome. We report here that a segment of 90 amino acids of the N terminus of the beta-subunit precursor is sufficient for the specific targeting of the CAT protein to mitochondria in transgenic plants. Our results demonstrate a high specificity for organelle targeting in plant cells.     

Nuclear localization and signalling activity of phosphoinositidase C beta in Swiss 3T3 cells.

The hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) is a widespread receptor-coupled signalling system at the plasma membrane of most eukaryotic cells. The existence of an entirely separate nuclear phosphoinositide signalling system is suggested from evidence that purified nuclei synthesize PtdInsP2 and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdInsP) in vitro and that a transient decrease in the mass of these lipids occurs when Swiss 3T3 cells are cultured in the presence of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). These IGF-1-dependent changes in inositol lipids coincide with an increase in nuclear diacyglycerol and precede translocation to the nucleus and activation of protein kinase C (refs 5, 6). Circumstantial evidence that links these changes with mitosis comes from the isolation of a 3T3 clone that expresses the type-1 IGF receptor and binds IGF-1 peptide but does not respond mitogenically or show transient mass changes in nuclear inositol lipids. A key question is how IGF-1 initiates the rapid breakdown of PtdInsP and PtdInsP2 in the nucleus. Here we present evidence that nuclei of 3T3 cells contain the beta-isozyme of phosphoinositidase C, whereas the gamma-isozyme is confined to the cytoplasm and that IGF-1 treatment stimulates exclusively the activity of nuclear phosphoinositidase C.     

Identification of the long ubiquitin extension as ribosomal protein S27a

Two proteins of unknown function are encoded by 3' in-frame extensions of ubiquitin genes. The polypeptides are synthesized as an additional 52 or 76-80 amino acids on the C terminus of ubiquitin, an unusual arrangement conserved in man, yeast and plants (J. Callis and R. Vierstra, personal communication). Although not homologous to each other or to ubiquitin, both extension proteins are highly basic and contain patterns of cysteine and histidine similar to those proposed to form 'zinc fingers'. The longer C-terminal extension protein (CEP80) is 30% lysine and arginine and, when denatured, behaves like a small cationic protein. Its properties after isolation in physiological conditions, however, suggested that CEP80 is part of an RNA-protein complex. Using the antibodies that confirmed the presence of CEP80 in eukaryotic cells, we show here that the protein is located on ribosomes. Immunoblotting of rat 40S subunit proteins specifically identifies CEP80 as ribosomal protein S27a.     

肿瘤磁感应热疗用115kHz中频交变磁场对小鼠生殖系统的影响

 为了研究肿瘤磁感应热疗用115kHz中频交变磁场对精子密度、活动率、精子运动系数和睾丸重量的影响,以及观察睾丸组织病理变化,探讨中频交变磁场下生殖系统的生物学现象,采用115kHz中频磁场对Balb/C小鼠进行全身短期连续辐照（7d）和长期连续辐照（28d）,辐照强度为12mT,时间为1h/d,分为对照组（0T）和辐照组（12mT）,每组8只小鼠。辐照后取小鼠双侧睾丸称重、固定,并取附睾精子进行分析。结果表明,短期辐照可使睾丸重量增加,长期辐照可使精子密度、活动率增加,短期与长期辐照中频交变磁场对小鼠雄性生殖系统无损伤效应。由此可得,肿瘤磁感应热疗用115kHz中频交变磁场具有促进睾丸组织细胞增殖的作用,且无损伤效应。     

4-IF环的刻画

引入了A-内射模和A-平坦模的定义,由此构造了A-伊环,利用平坦模和内射模给出了A-伊环的8个等价命题,得到了环R分别是伊环、A-正则环和正则环的充要条件,即：R是伊环,当且仅当只是A-伊环且A-平坦模的每个内射子模是平坦模;环R是A-正则环,当且仅当R是A-伊环且A-平坦模的子模是A-平坦模;环R是正则环,当且仅当R是A-伊环且A-平坦模的子模是平坦模。     

A nuclear Argonaute promotes multigenerational epigenetic inheritance and germline immortality

Epigenetic information is frequently erased near the start of each new generation. In some cases, however, epigenetic information can be transmitted from parent to progeny (multigenerational epigenetic inheritance). A particularly notable example of this type of epigenetic inheritance is double-stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans. This RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) can be inherited for more than five generations. To understand this process, here we conduct a genetic screen for nematodes defective in transmitting RNAi silencing signals to future generations. This screen identified the heritable RNAi defective 1 (hrde-1) gene. hrde-1 encodes an Argonaute protein that associates with small interfering RNAs in the germ cells of progeny of animals exposed to double-stranded RNA. In the nuclei of these germ cells, HRDE-1 engages the nuclear RNAi defective pathway to direct the trimethylation of histone H3 at Lys?9 (H3K9me3) at RNAi-targeted genomic loci and promote RNAi inheritance. Under normal growth conditions, HRDE-1 associates with endogenously expressed short interfering RNAs, which direct nuclear gene silencing in germ cells. In hrde-1- or nuclear RNAi-deficient animals, germline silencing is lost over generational time. Concurrently, these animals exhibit steadily worsening defects in gamete formation and function that ultimately lead to sterility. These results establish that the Argonaute protein HRDE-1 directs gene-silencing events in germ-cell nuclei that drive multigenerational RNAi inheritance and promote immortality of the germ-cell lineage. We propose that C. elegans use the RNAi inheritance machinery to transmit epigenetic information, accrued by past generations, into future generations to regulate important biological processes.     

Structure of the 30S translation initiation complex

Translation initiation, the rate-limiting step of the universal process of protein synthesis, proceeds through sequential, tightly regulated steps. In bacteria, the correct messenger RNA start site and the reading frame are selected when, with the help of initiation factors IF1, IF2 and IF3, the initiation codon is decoded in the peptidyl site of the 30S ribosomal subunit by the fMet-tRNA(fMet) anticodon. This yields a 30S initiation complex (30SIC) that is an intermediate in the formation of the 70S initiation complex (70SIC) that occurs on joining of the 50S ribosomal subunit to the 30SIC and release of the initiation factors. The localization of IF2 in the 30SIC has proved to be difficult so far using biochemical approaches, but could now be addressed using cryo-electron microscopy and advanced particle separation techniques on the basis of three-dimensional statistical analysis. Here we report the direct visualization of a 30SIC containing mRNA, fMet-tRNA(fMet) and initiation factors IF1 and GTP-bound IF2. We demonstrate that the fMet-tRNA(fMet) is held in a characteristic and precise position and conformation by two interactions that contribute to the formation of a stable complex: one involves the transfer RNA decoding stem which is buried in the 30S peptidyl site, and the other occurs between the carboxy-terminal domain of IF2 and the tRNA acceptor end. The structure provides insights into the mechanism of 70SIC assembly and rationalizes the rapid activation of GTP hydrolysis triggered on 30SIC-50S joining by showing that the GTP-binding domain of IF2 would directly face the GTPase-activated centre of the 50S subunit.     

Channel properties of an insect neuronal acetylcholine receptor protein reconstituted in planar lipid bilayers

A pentameric membrane protein composed of four types of polypeptide has been identified as the minimal structural unit responsible for the electrogenic action of acetylcholine on electrocytes and muscle cells. Because many populations of central and peripheral neurons also have nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs), considerable effort has recently gone into identifying the neuronal receptor. The central nervous tissue of insects contains very high concentrations of nicotinic AChRs, and we have recently purified an alpha-toxin binding protein, a putative AChR, from neuronal membranes of locusts. It is a component of high relative molecular mass, clearly composed of identical subunits, a structure predicted for an ancestral AChR protein. To verify that the purified polypeptides not only represent ligand binding sites but that they are indeed functional receptors, we have now reconstituted the isolated protein in a planar lipid bilayer. We show that in this system cholinergic agonists activate functional ion channels, that have properties comparable to those exhibited by the peripheral AChRs in vertebrates; thus, for the first time a functional acetylcholine receptor channel has been identified in nerve cells.