Assaying poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity in plants by polarographic method

A new method has been developed to assay poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity in plant tissues through determining the content of nicotinamide (NIC) produced by enzymatic reaction by linear sweeping polarographic method. The detection limit of NIC was 0.03μmol/L, the calibration graph was linear up to 5 Mmol/L ( r = 0.999). The recoveries were approximately in the range of 92% to 98% and the relative standard deviations were less than 6.6% . Moreover, NAD+ and other interference existing in the mixture after enzymatic reaction had been removed by simple pretreatment, thus PARP assays were not interfered. A rapid, simple, sensitive and reliable nonisotopic method is reported to assay PARP activity in plant tissues . The results show that the KmNAD+ value of PARP in maize ( Zea mays L.) seedlings is 59 and the optimum pH for PARP activity is 8.5. Moreover, physiological conditions affect PARP activity in plant tissues, which has not been reported previously. When tobacco ( Nico-tiana tobacum) suspension cells were stressed by NaCI at low concentrations (100, 200 mmol/ L), the PARP activity increased significantly; when the cells were stressed at high concentrations (400, 1 000 mmol/L), it decreased to or even below the control level. PARP activity in etiolated maize seedlings was higher than that in light-grown seedlings.     

Role of poly(ADP-ribose) formation in DNA repair.

The abundant nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase catalyses the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). This protein has an N-terminal DNA-binding domain containing two zinc-fingers, which is linked to the C-terminal NAD(+)-binding domain by a short region containing several glutamic acid residues that are sites of auto-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. The intracellular production of poly(ADP-ribose) is induced by agents that generate strand interruptions in DNA. The branched homopolymer chains may attain a size of 200-300 residues but are rapidly degraded after synthesis. The function of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis is not clear, although it seems to be required for DNA repair. Here we describe a human cell-free system that enables the role of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis in DNA repair to be characterized. The results indicate that unmodified polymerase molecules bind tightly to DNA strand breaks; auto-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of the protein then effects its release and allows access to lesions for DNA repair enzymes.     

The structure and catalytic mechanism of a poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase

Post-translational modification of proteins by poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation regulates many cellular pathways that are critical for genome stability, including DNA repair, chromatin structure, mitosis and apoptosis. Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) is composed of repeating ADP-ribose units linked via a unique glycosidic ribose-ribose bond, and is synthesized from NAD by PAR polymerases. PAR glycohydrolase (PARG) is the only protein capable of specific hydrolysis of the ribose-ribose bonds present in PAR chains; its deficiency leads to cell death. Here we show that filamentous fungi and a number of bacteria possess a divergent form of PARG that has all the main characteristics of the human PARG enzyme. We present the first PARG crystal structure (derived from the bacterium Thermomonospora curvata), which reveals that the PARG catalytic domain is a distant member of the ubiquitous ADP-ribose-binding macrodomain family. High-resolution structures of T. curvata PARG in complexes with ADP-ribose and the PARG inhibitor ADP-HPD, complemented by biochemical studies, allow us to propose a model for PAR binding and catalysis by PARG. The insights into the PARG structure and catalytic mechanism should greatly improve our understanding of how PARG activity controls reversible protein poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and potentially of how the defects in this regulation are linked to human disease.     

Primary structure and expression of bovine poly(A) polymerase

Poly(A) polymerase has a critical role in the synthesis of messenger RNA in eukaryotic cells. The isolation and characterization of complementary DNAs encoding bovine poly(A) polymerase is described here. The predicted sequences of the mRNA and protein reveal features that provide insights into how the enzyme functions and how it might be regulated. Poly(A) polymerase expressed from a cloned cDNA is fully functional in in vitro assays, and mutational analyses have identified a putative regulatory domain that enhances, but is not essential for, activity.     

A regulatory cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase in Caenorhabditis elegans

Messenger RNA regulation is a critical mode of controlling gene expression. Regulation of mRNA stability and translation is linked to controls of poly(A) tail length. Poly(A) lengthening can stabilize and translationally activate mRNAs, whereas poly(A) removal can trigger degradation and translational repression. Germline granules (for example, polar granules in flies, P granules in worms) are ribonucleoprotein particles implicated in translational control. Here we report that the Caenorhabditis elegans gene gld-2, a regulator of mitosis/meiosis decision and other germline events, encodes the catalytic moiety of a cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase (PAP) that is associated with P granules in early embryos. Importantly, the GLD-2 protein sequence has diverged substantially from that of conventional eukaryotic PAPs, and lacks a recognizable RRM (RNA recognition motif)-like domain. GLD-2 has little PAP activity on its own, but is stimulated in vitro by GLD-3. GLD-3 is also a developmental regulator, and belongs to the Bicaudal-C family of RNA binding proteins. We suggest that GLD-2 is the prototype for a class of regulatory cytoplasmic PAPs that are recruited to specific mRNAs by a binding partner, thereby targeting those mRNAs for polyadenylation and increased expression.     

聚丙烯酸乙酯-g-聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯接枝共聚物的合成

丙烯酸乙酯与2-溴丙烯酸乙酯乳液共聚合制备了聚(丙烯酸乙酯-co-2-溴丙烯酸乙酯)无规共聚物，用该共聚物作为原子转移自由基聚合的大分子引发剂，进行了甲基丙烯酸甲酯的接枝聚合，制备了聚丙烯酸乙酯-g-聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯接枝共聚物。接枝共聚物的分子量随单体转化率的上升而线性增加。     

Synthesis of poly(glycolide-CO-2-hydro-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane)

A novel polyester containing glycolic acid (GA) and 2-hydro-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane (TMP) was prepared by ring-opening polymerization. The composition and the structure of the titled polymer were investigated by¹H NMR,¹³C NMR, FT-IR, EA, and VPO. The influence of time on total conversion and molecular weight was also studied. Fan Changlie: born in 1939, Professer     

Specific targeted killing of ErbB2 positive breast cancer by retro virus-mediated Immunocaspase-3 secreting T cells

In this study, lmmunocaspase-3 gene was transfected into Jurkat T lymphocytes and the targeted proapoptotic protein Immunocaspase-3 was stably secreted.Its entry to ErbB2 positive SKBr3 breast carcinoma cell line was observed by indirect immunofluorescence staining.Growth of SKBr3 cells was significantly inhibited when they were cultured with medium containing Immunocaspase-3.Next, lmmunocaspase-3 gene was cloned into retrovirus vector pLNCX, which was then transfected into PA317 cells to package. Packaged cells producing high titer pseudoviruses were acquired and the pseudoviruses were harvested to infect PBMCs, which had been stimulated to division. The latter were selected and administered to nude mice bearing SKBr3 tumors through tail vein. The results showed that the treatment contributed to an inhibition of tumor growth and prolonged the lifetime of nude mice bearing SKBr3 tumor.The efficiency of inhibition of tumor reached 73.25%, and the average lifetime of treated nude mice was 80.95% longerthan that of control group. Immunohistochemical examination revealed the exclusive distribution of Immunocaspase-3 proteins only in the tumor tissue samples; and TUNEL assay confirmed the occurrence of apoptosis in tumor calls. Thepresent study suggests that Immunocaspase-3 secreted by T lymphocytes can selectively bind and enter into ErbB2 positive breast cancer cells, where it exhibits a proapoptotic activity and causes tumor suppression in an in vivo tumor model.     

Cloning and expression of the essential gene for poly(A) polymerase from S. cerevisiae.

Poly(A) polymerase is essential for the maturation of messenger RNA, adding tracts of adenosine residues to the 3' end of precursor RNA generated by endonucleolytic cleavage. This mechanism of mRNA 3' processing seems to be similar in yeast and in higher eucaryotes, although there are differences in the recognition signals in the pre-mRNA. Here we describe the cloning of the gene for yeast poly(A) polymerase. The enzyme is encoded by a single and essential gene located near the centromere on the left arm of chromosome 11. Poly(A) polymerase purified from recombinant Escherichia coli has the same physical and biochemical properties as the yeast enzyme. The yeast poly(A) polymerase shares features of sequence with its mammalian homologue.     

聚乳酸和乳酸-乙醇酸共聚物的溶液热力学

为了准确地预测溶液热力学数据,分别使用了36和38种溶剂对聚乳酸和乳酸-乙醇酸共聚物进行实验研究。采用正交优化计算方法确定了聚乳酸和乳酸-乙醇酸共聚物的三维溶度参数,分别为:δ_d=17. 969 (MPa)~(1/2),δ_p=6. 707 (MPa)~(1/2),δ_h=7. 324(MPa)~(1/2);δ_d=17. 083 (MPa)~(1/2),δ_p=6. 939 (MPa)~(1/2),δ_h=8. 650 (MPa)~(1/2)。单体中乳酸和乙醇酸浓度的升高会引起高分子聚合物溶度参数的增大。依据溶度参数,计算了聚乳酸和乳酸-乙醇酸共聚物与溶剂间的相互作用参数和相互作用半径。同时,计算了聚乳酸和乳酸-乙醇酸共聚物溶剂的体积修正系数,聚乳酸—溶剂体系和乳酸乙醇酸共聚物—溶剂体系的体积修正系数分别在0. 80～0. 90和0. 85～1. 10范围内。获得的相互作用参数、相互作用半径及体积校正系数完全符合Flory-Huggins高分子溶液理论。     

聚丙烯酸与P(DMAEMA-co-NIPAM)共聚物的相互作用

以甲基丙烯酸-N,N-二甲氨基乙酯和N-异丙基丙烯酰胺为功能单体,采用自由基聚合法合成一系列不同组成的聚(甲基丙烯酸-N,N-二甲氨基乙酯-co-N-异丙基丙烯酰胺)P(DMAEMA-co-NIPAM)共聚物.利用紫外透光率和荧光技术研究了聚合物水溶液的相行为以及聚丙烯酸(PAA)对P(DMAEMA-co-NIPAM)共聚物pH敏感性的影响.结果表明,所合成的P(DMAEMA-co-NIPAM)共聚物其温敏性和pH敏感性相互依赖.在pH值等于4附近时,PAA 的加入对P(DMAEMA-co-NIPAM)的pH敏感性产生较大影响.