Regulation of microtubule dynamics by cdc2 protein kinase in cell-free extracts of Xenopus eggs

Microtubules are involved in the transport of vesicles in interphase and of the chromosomes during mitosis. Their arrangement and orientation in the cell are therefore of prime importance and specific patterns are believed to be generated by modulations of the intrinsic dynamic instability of microtubules. Here it is shown that the interphase-metaphase transition of microtubule arrays is under the control of the cdc2 kinase that precisely regulates the dynamics and steady-state length of microtubules.     

AMP激活的蛋白激酶的体外测活

AMP激活的蛋白激酶(AMPK)在维持细胞内能量代谢平衡中发挥重要作用.过去20多年,研究者多采用32P标记SAMS多肽的方法体外检测AMPK活性,该方法在操作过程中有辐射危害,会对环境造成放射性污染.该文用化学发光方法代替同位素标记,建立一种新的体外检测AMPK活性的方法,并利用该方法比较小鼠不同组织中AMPK的活性.实验结果表明,建立的体外测活方法能够满足实验需求,小鼠不同组织内源AMPK活性有很大差别.这一方法可为今后研究AMPK的酶学性质和相关作用蛋白提供可靠、有效的帮助.     

MAP2 kinase and 70K S6 kinase lie on distinct signalling pathways.

Activation of protein synthesis is required for quiescent cells to transit the cell cycle, and seems to be mediated in part by phosphorylation of the 40S ribosomal protein, S6. A mitogen-activated S6 kinase of relative molecular mass 70,000 (70K) has been isolated from mouse fibroblasts as well as from avian, rat and rabbit tissues. Comparison of complementary DNA sequences shows that this enzyme is distinct from S6 kinase II (92K) found in Xenopus eggs and fibroblasts. Both kinases are activated by serine/threonine phosphorylation, suggesting that at least one serine/threonine kinase links receptor tyrosine kinases with S6 kinases. A candidate for this link is MAP2 kinase, which is rapidly activated by tyrosine/threonine phosphorylation following mitogenic stimulation. Incubation of MAP2 kinase from insulin-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes with phosphatase-inactivated S6 kinase II from Xenopus leads to partial reactivation and phosphorylation of the enzyme. These and other findings have led to the suggestion that MAP2 kinase also activates the 70K S6 kinase. Here we refute this idea by showing that the two kinases lie on distinct signalling pathways.     

In vitro biological effects of magnetic nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have great potential for a wide use in various biomedical applications due to their unusual properties. It is critical for many applications that the biological effects of nanoparticles are studied in depth. To date, many disparate results can be found in the literature regarding nanoparticle-biological factors interactions. This review highlights recent developments in this field with particular focuses on in vitro MNPs-cell interactions. The effect of MNPs properties on cellular uptake and cytotoxicity evaluation of MNPs were discussed. Some employed methods are also included. Moreover, nanoparticle-cell interactions are mediated by the presence of proteins absorbed from biological fluids on the nanoparticle. Many questions remain on the effect of nanoparticle surface (in addition to nanoparticle size) on protein adsorption. We review papers related to this point too.     

Regulation of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase by MAP kinase

The de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides is required for mammalian cells to proliferate. The rate-limiting step in this pathway is catalysed by carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS II), part of the multifunctional enzyme CAD. Here we describe the regulation of CAD by the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade. When phosphorylated by MAP kinase in vitro or activated by epidermal growth factor in vivo, CAD lost its feedback inhibition (which is dependent on uridine triphosphate) and became more sensitive to activation (which depends upon phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate). Both these allosteric regulatory changes favour biosynthesis of pyrimidines for growth. They were accompanied by increased epidermal growth factor-dependent phosphorylation of CAD in vivo and were prevented by inhibition of MAP kinase. Mutation of a consensus MAP kinase phosphorylation site abolished the changes in CAD allosteric regulation that were stimulated by growth factors. Finally, consistent with an effect of MAP kinase signalling on CPS II activity, epidermal growth factor increased cellular uridine triphosphate and this increase was reversed by inhibition of MAP kinase. Hence these studies may indicate a direct link between activation of the MAP kinase cascade and de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides.     

Roles of MAP kinase signaling pathway in oocyte meiosis

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is a family of Ser/Thr protein kinases expressed widely in eukaryotic cells. MAPK is activated by a cascade of protein kinase phosphorylation and plays pivotal roles in regulating meiosis process in oocytes. As an important physical substrate of MAPK, p90^rsk mediates numerous MAPK functions. MAPK was activated at G2/M transition during meiosis. Its activity reached the peak at MⅠ stage and maintained at this level until the time before the pronuclear formation after fertilization. There is complex interplay between MAPK and MPF in the meiosis regulation. Furthermore, other intracellular signal transducers, such as cAMP, protein kinase C and protein phosphotase, ect., also regulated the activity of MAPK at different stages during meiosis in oocytes. In the present article, the roles of MAPK signaling pathway in oocyte meiosis are reviewed and discussed.     

全氟辛磺酸对于爪蟾的甲状腺激素干扰效应

运用两栖类变态实验(AMA)研究了全氟辛磺酸(PFOS)对于非洲爪蟾(Xenopus laevis)蝌蚪的生长、变态和甲状腺组织结构的影响.结果显示,与对照组相比,7d后,10,50和250μg.L-1PFOS暴露组蝌蚪的后肢长分别减小了17%,11%和18%,蝌蚪的发育延缓了1~2个阶段;19d后,10,50和250μg.L-1PFOS组蝌蚪的体重分别增加了17%,10%和20%,体长分别增加了5%,4%和6%,而10μg.L-1和250μg.L-1PFOS组蝌蚪的后肢长分别减小了12%和13%;暴露组甲状腺组织结构出现滤泡数目减少、上皮细胞增生、胶质减少甚至滤泡溶通等现象.结论是,在本实验浓度下,PFOS对于非洲爪蟾的蝌蚪生长有促进作用,对于变态发育过程却有抑制作用.参照AMA的方法,可以判断PFOS为抗甲状腺激素干扰物.     

模拟失重对拟南芥下胚轴细胞生长和微管动态性的影响

空间飞行中产生的失重环境会影响植物的一系列生命活动过程,因此,为保证植物正常生长,揭示失重环境下植物的生长发育规律至关重要。利用大梯度强磁场超导磁体产生的抗磁悬浮模拟失重环境,对拟南芥幼苗进行处理。在相同外界条件下培养4 d后,拍照记录不同重力环境下拟南芥下胚轴细胞的生长发育及其周质微管骨架的排列情况,并进行图像定量分析和统计分析。结果显示,与对照组相比,重力改变对幼苗的形态、株高、下胚轴细胞形态及其周质微管骨架的排列有不同程度的影响。尤其是在μg(模拟失重),幼苗弯曲明显,株高比其他组显著降低,细胞长宽比较小,下胚轴周质微管发生了重排。而对照组、1g组、2g组(模拟超重)三组之间相比显示,除了在微管骨架排列方面存在极显著差异,其余指标均无明显差异。结果提示,模拟失重对植物生长发育有显著影响,微管骨架参与了重力信号的传感和转导,推测微管骨架可能通过其重排调控下胚轴细胞生长,参与模拟失重抑制下胚轴伸长来影响植株形态建成。     

Dissection of the protein kinase cascade by which nerve growth factor activates MAP kinases.

Mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases (MAPKs) are a family of protein-serine/threonine kinases activated as an early intracellular response to a variety of hormones and growth factors. They are unique in requiring both serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation to become active and are the only examples of protein-serine/threonine kinases activated by tyrosine phosphorylation. Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes differentiation of phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells, which respond by conversion within hours from a chromaffin-like to a sympathetic neuron-like phenotype. NGF stimulation of PC12 cells increases the activity of two protein kinases by greater than 20-fold within minutes, both strikingly similar to MAPKs. They are inactivated by either protein-tyrosine phosphatases or the protein-serine/threonine phosphatase termed protein phosphatase 2A (ref. 8), they activate protein S6 kinase-II (refs 9, 10), and they phosphorylate identical threonine residues on myelin basic protein (our unpublished results) to those phosphorylated by other MAPKs. Immunological data indicate that these protein kinases, termed peak-I and peak-II (Fig. 1a) are probably ERK2 and ERK1, respectively, two widely expressed MAPK isoforms. Here we identify the 'MAP kinase kinases' (MAPKKs) in PC12 cells which are activated by NGF and report that MAPKKs are dependent on serine/threonine phosphorylation for activity and promote phosphorylation of serine/threonine and tyrosine residues on MAPKs.     

In vitro effects of high molecular weight forms of ACTH on the fetal sheep adrenal

The direct involvement of the pituitary-adrenal axis in birth has been well established, at least in sheep, and its removal prolongs pregnancy. As part of the process the fetal sheep adrenal grows rapidly during the 10-15 d prepartum and is associated with a large rise in the plasma corticosteroid concentration. This does not seem to result from an increased ACTH secretion. The fetal adrenal in vivo seems refractory to circulating ACTH and shows poor response to elevation of plasma concentration. Thus the signal for the adrenal hypertrophy and the initiation of parturition remains unclear. The responsiveness of the fetal adrenal to ACTH has been re-examined using isolated adrenal cells. The study shows that in the fetal sheep these are not inherently unresponsive to ACTH, but that high-molecular-weight forms of ACTH block the action of ACTH. These peptides may be responsible for controlling the activity of the adrenal in situ.