氯化钠促进溶菌酶聚集机制的分子动力学研究

氯化钠能够在一定的条件下促进溶菌酶发生聚集,但其具体的作用机制目前还尚不明确.采用分子动力学模拟的方法研究了鸡溶菌酶单体在含500 mmol/L NaCl和不合NaCl两种体系中的结构变化.模拟的结果表明:NaCl能够使溶菌酶聚集关键区域(40～110位残基)内二硫键cys76-cys94的结合强度减弱,同时破坏了该区...     

氯化镁促进溶菌酶淀粉样聚集的分子机制研究

高浓度氯化镁能够在一定的条件下促进溶菌酶发生聚集,但其具体的作用机制尚不明确.采用分子生物学实验和分子动力学模拟相结合的方法研究了鸡溶菌酶在不同浓度的MgCl2溶液中的聚集特性和结构稳定性.分子生物学实验结果表明,200 mmol/L MgCl2能够显著促进鸡溶菌酶形成二聚体和三聚体,但效果没有NaCl显著.分子动力学模拟分析显示,200 mmol/L MgCl2能够引起螺旋3和螺旋4的显著偏移,同时能够减弱溶菌酶聚集关键区域（40-110位残基）内二硫键Cys76-Cys94的结合强度;另一方面,MgCl2也能减少疏水核心内部氢键的数量,促使疏水核心的稳定性显著降低,从而促进了溶菌酶分子间的相互作用.     

中介蝮蛇毒L-氨基酸氧化酶基因的生物信息学分析

采用生物信息学方法,对中介蝮蛇毒L-氨基酸氧化酶(GI-LAO)基因进行了分析。结果表明:GI-LAO基因所包含的开放阅读框为1 515bp,编码504个氨基酸残基;GI-LAO一级结构与白眉蝮GH-LAO的相似性最高,达99%;N-端的18个氨基酸残基为信号肽,成熟肽含486个氨基酸残基,相对分子质量为55.1kDa,理论等电点为6.55;该蛋白含有两个结构域:FAD结合域(56-123位氨基酸残基)和催化结构域(61~499位氨基酸残基);与白眉蝮GH-LAO序列比对发现,有4个氨基酸位点存在差异(分别是20、56、99和467位氨基酸残基),用SIFT软件分析表明,这四个位点对其功能无影响;该基因编码的氨基酸序列有2个活性位点(H242和R343),2个N-糖基化位点(N190和N379),5个位点(R108、H241、Y390、G482和W483)与底物结合有关,4个保守半胱氨酸残基形成两对二硫键(C28—C191和C349—C430);三维结构建模结果表明,GI-LAO形成同源二聚体,每个单体由22个α-螺旋,22个β-折叠股和一些无规则卷曲、转角等形成三个结构域:FAD结合域,底物结合域以及α-螺旋域;在GI-LAO蛋白的进化分析中,中介蝮GI-LAO与白眉蝮GHLAO的亲缘关系最近。     

H+对溶菌酶热变性过程的促进机制

利用自发拉曼光谱方法研究了H⁺在溶菌酶热变性过程中对其起始变性温度的影响,分析了H⁺在溶菌酶变性过程中与其分子上氨基酸残基相互作用的动力学过程.在变性过程中同步记录并分析了所有的拉曼谱带.研究表明,H⁺加速了溶菌酶的热变性过程,在此过程中,H⁺削弱了溶菌酶分子残基间形成的氢键,该氢键是维持蛋白质稳定三级结构的次级键的组成部分之一.此外,在此过程中,溶菌酶更靠近分子内部的氨基酸残基的起始变性温度表现出低于外层氨基酸残基的变化.这直接揭示了溶菌酶热变性过程在H⁺的作用下遵从由内到外的变性机制.本研究不仅揭示了H⁺在溶菌酶热变性过程中的促进机制,还说明了同步拉曼分析是研究离子对促进蛋白质变性机理的有力方法.     

硫代黄素T与溶菌酶淀粉样纤维结合的荧光停流动力学

蛋白淀粉样纤维与多种疾病有关,如阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病、Ⅱ型糖尿病等.荧光染料硫代黄素T(ThT)广泛地应用于淀粉样纤维的定性和定量测定.但从目前的研究来看,ThT与淀粉样纤维结合的动力学机理研究尚非常少见.本研究应用荧光停流动力学技术对盐酸胍诱导的溶菌酶淀粉样纤维和ThT的结合动力学进行了研究,提出ThT与溶菌酶淀粉样纤维结合的动力学符合双位点平行反应机理模型.本研究对深入理解荧光染料分子与蛋白淀粉样纤维的作用有借鉴意义.     

氯化锌影响胱抑素淀粉样聚集的分子动力学研究

锌离子能够在一定的浓度下促进Aβ等淀粉样蛋白的聚集,但其对胱抑素的影响及具体的作用机制目前尚不明确.采用分子动力学模拟的方法研究了鸡胱抑素(cC)单体在500 mM ZnCl2体系中的结构变化.模拟结果显示,Zn2使cC的单体结构稳定性降低,并呈现出与cC典型淀粉样突变体I66Q相似的聚集特性.进一步的研究表明,Zn2+能够显著破坏cC内二硫键的稳定性,从而引起了AS区域的偏转和疏水核心的扩张,最终有利于cC二聚体的形成.     

食品抗氧化剂叔丁基对苯二酚与溶菌酶结合特性的荧光光谱学研究

叔丁基对苯二酚是一种被广泛应用的脂溶性酚类食品抗氧化剂,为揭示食品抗氧化剂叔丁基对苯二酚与溶菌酶的相互作用机理,利用荧光猝灭、同步荧光、三维荧光与荧光寿命的测定,从结合机理、亲和能力及结构改变等方面分析了叔丁基对苯二酚与溶菌酶的结合特性.结果表明:叔丁基对苯二酚能与溶菌酶形成不发光的基态复合物,常温下的结合常数约为3×104L/mol;该结合过程属自发行为,且氢键和范德华力在此过程中起主导作用;叔丁基对苯二酚的嵌插促使复合物的形成,并改变了溶菌酶的原有氨基酸残基微环境,但蛋白整体构象保持完整.     

A链链内二硫键移位突变胰岛素原的构建与表达

采用定点突变技术,将人胰岛素原基因编码框中A11位氨基酸残基与A12位氨基酸残基进行了互换,构建了[CysA11Ser,SerA12Cys]人胰岛素原突变基因.在大肠杆菌原核表达系统中对突变体基因进行了表达,并对表达产物进行了变复性研究及初步的分离纯化,获得了具有稳定结构的突变体蛋白质,探讨了突变体A链链内二硫键的形成状况,为进一步深入揭示A链链内二硫键的角色与功能打下了基础.     

氧化型/还原型小分子对蛋白质错误折叠的影响

以对苯二酚、对苯二醌分别作为还原型、氧化型小分子多酚类物质的模型化合物,研究其对溶菌酶淀粉样纤维形成错误折叠的影响及其对成熟纤维结构的逆转作用.通过透射电子显微镜对其形貌进行观察,利用荧光探针对二级结构变化进行监测.通过量化计算,发现对苯二酚和对苯二醌都能够抑制淀粉样纤维生成并对成熟纤维的二级结构起到逆转作用;并且存在浓度依赖性,在生理条件下,对苯二醌作用强于对苯二酚(逆转条件,pH=7.4);但是在偏酸性条件下(pH=6.5),对苯二酚的逆转作用强于对苯二醌.     

鲫葡萄糖调节蛋白78基因部分序列的克隆、鉴定及功能预测

【目的】分析和预测鲫(Carassius auratus)葡萄糖调节蛋白78(Glucose regulated protein 78,GRP78)的功能,为研究GRP78在鱼类受细胞外刺激过程中的作用机制奠定基础。【方法】通过分子克隆技术获得鲫GRP78基因的部分序列,并利用生物信息学方法分析了该基因片段编码的蛋白质序列的二级结构、亲水性、可塑性、表面可及性和抗原表位。【结果】获得了长度为617bp的鲫GRP78基因片段序列,共编码113个氨基酸。这些氨基酸所构成序列的相对分子质量约为1.3kDa,等电点为5.82,无信号肽;可塑性区域位于第7～10位、第18～21位、第28～42位、第51～62位、第68～78位和第94～109位氨基酸残基;表面可及性区域位于第29～30位、第38～43位、第50～65位、第68～79位、第82～86位、第97～99位、第102～104位和第106～111位氨基酸残基;有1个B细胞抗原表位区域,位于第28～45位氨基酸残基。【结论】所获的鲫GRP78序列中含有ATPase保守结构域区段,该区段定位于内质网,具有较强亲水性。     

Adaptive evolution in the stomach lysozymes of foregut fermenters

The convergent evolution of a fermentative foregut in two groups of mammals offers an opportunity to study adaptive evolution at the protein level. The appearance of this mode of digestion has been accompanied by the recruitment of lysozyme as a bacteriolytic enzyme in the stomach both in the ruminants (for example the cow) and later in the colobine monkeys (for example the langur). The stomach lysozymes of these two groups share some physicochemical and catalytic properties that appear to adapt them for functioning in the stomach fluid. To examine the basis for these shared properties, we sequenced langur stomach lysozyme and compared it to other lysozymes of known sequence. Tree analysis suggest that, after foregut fermentation arose in monkeys, the langur lysozyme gained sequence similarity to cow stomach lysozyme and evolved two times faster than the other primate lysozymes. This rapid evolution, coupled with functional and sequence convergence upon cow stomach lysozyme, could imply that positive darwinian selection has driven about 50% of the evolution of langur stomach lysozyme.     

The chicken B locus is a minimal essential major histocompatibility complex.

Here we report the sequence of the region that determines rapid allograft rejection in chickens, the chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This 92-kilobase region of the B locus contains only 19 genes, making the chicken MHC roughly 20-fold smaller than the human MHC. Virtually all the genes have counterparts in the human MHC, defining a minimal essential set of MHC genes conserved over 200 million years of divergence between birds and mammals. They are organized differently, with the class III region genes located outside the class II and class I region genes. The absence of proteasome genes is unexpected and might explain unusual peptide-binding specificities of chicken class I molecules. The presence of putative natural killer receptor gene(s) is unprecedented and might explain the importance of the B locus in the response to the herpes virus responsible for Marek's diseases. The small size and simplicity of the chicken MHC allows co-evolution of genes as haplotypes over considerable periods of time, and makes it possible to study the striking MHC-determined pathogen-specific disease resistance at the molecular level.     

Site-independent expression of the chicken beta A-globin gene in transgenic mice

The level of expression of exogenous genes carried by transgenic mice typically varies from mouse to mouse and can be quite low. This behaviour is attributed to the influence of the mouse chromatin near the site of transgene integration. This 'position effect' has been seen in transgenic mice carrying the human beta-globin gene. It was however, abolished when DNase I hypersensitive sites (normally found 65 to 44 kilobases (kb) upstream) were linked to the human beta-globin transgene. Thus, the upstream DNA (previously named a dominant control or locus activation region, now denoted a locus control region) conferred the ability to express human beta-globin at high levels dependent on copy number on every mouse carrying the construct. We report here an investigation of chicken beta A-globin gene expression in transgenic mice. A 4.5-kb fragment carrying the beta A-globin gene and its downstream enhancer, without any far upstream elements, is sufficient to ensure that every transgenic mouse expresses chicken globin messenger RNA at levels proportional to the transgene copy number. Thus the chicken DNA elements that allow position-independent expression can function in mice. In marked contrast to the human beta cluster, these elements are no farther than 2 kb from the gene. The location of the elements within the cluster demonstrates that position independence can be mediated by DNA that does not define a gene cluster boundary.     

珍珠鸟和家鸡甲状旁腺激素3型受体(PTH3R)的结构与表达图谱分析

本研究采用RT-PCR方法,首先克隆珍珠鸟和家鸡的PTH3R基因全长cDNA序列.结果显示,家鸡PTH3R(cPTH3R)cDNA全长1632bp,编码543个氨基酸,珍珠鸟PTH3R(zPTH3R-w)cDNA序列全长1563bp,编码520个氨基酸,其蛋白均含有信号肽序列、七次跨膜区等特征性结构.此外,在珍珠鸟中还发现一个新剪接变体zPTH3R-v1,其cDNA序列全长1468bp,编码488个氨基酸,其缺失第3外显子进而导致第1跨膜结构域缺失.利用生物信息学方法,我们还对珍珠鸟和家鸡PTH3R蛋白序列进行三维建模.采用RT-PCR方法,本研究也对珍珠鸟PTH3R基因进行组织表达分析.结果显示,zPTH3R及其剪切变体zPTH3R-v1在珍珠鸟脑及外周组织中广泛表达.     

The dynamics of chromosome evolution in birds and mammals

Comparative mapping, which compares the location of homologous genes in different species, is a powerful tool for studying genome evolution. Comparative maps suggest that rates of chromosomal change in mammals can vary from one to ten rearrangements per million years. On the basis of these rates we would expect 84 to 600 conserved segments in a chicken comparison with human or mouse. Here we build comparative maps between these species and estimate that numbers of conserved segments are in the lower part of this range. We conclude that the organization of the human genome is closer to that of the chicken than the mouse and by adding comparative mapping results from a range of vertebrates, we identify three possible phases of chromosome evolution. The relative stability of genomes such as those of the chicken and human will enable the reconstruction of maps of ancestral vertebrates.     

Perfluorooctane sulfonate （PFOS） and related fluorochemicals in chicken egg in China

The ubiquitous occurrence of perfluorinated compounds （PFCs） in environmental samples has drawn much attention. Recent human exposure studies found relatively high perfluorooctane sulfonate （PFOS） concentrations in blood samples from several cities in China when compared with other countries. The objectives of the present study were： （1） to measure PFC concentrations and compositions in chicken egg samples from local markets in China; and （2） to conduct a preliminary human health risk assessment of egg consumption. Eight pooled egg samples from eight locations were analyzed for 11 PFCs. The results showed that close to 100% of the PFOS in the egg was distributed in egg yolk and PFOS was not detected in egg white （〈0.08 ng/g wet weight, w/w）. Of the perfluoroalkylsulfonates, only PFOS was detected in all egg samples, while of the perfluoroalkylcarboxylates, perfluoroundecanoic acid （PFUnDA） was detected in all samples, followed by perfluorooctanoate （PFOA） （75% occurrence） and perfluorodecanoic acid （PFDA） （50% occurrence）. PFOS concentrations in egg ranged from 45.0 to 86.9 ng/g w/w. The results suggested that current concentrations of PFOS in domestic chicken eggs are unlikely to cause immediate harm to Chinese populations.     

Glucocorticoid and progesterone receptors bind to the same sites in two hormonally regulated promoters

The glucocorticoid receptor of rat liver recognizes nucleotide sequences near the promoter of mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) required for hormonal induction in gene transfer experiments. Similar nucleotide sequences have been found in the human metallothionein gene IIA and in the chicken lysozyme gene, the later induced also by oestrogen, progesterone and androgens. In microinjection experiments, deletion of only 44 base pairs (bp) of the lysozyme promoter (from -208 to -164) results in coordinated loss of progesterone and glucocorticoid-dependent gene expression. We show here that purified glucocorticoid receptor from rat liver and progesterone receptor from rabbit uterus yield similar or overlapping exonuclease III footprints in the promoter regions of MMTV and chicken lysozyme. Thus, the regulatory elements for different steroid hormones may be similar or at least share structural features.     

Human pro alpha 1(I) collagen gene structure reveals evolutionary conservation of a pattern of introns and exons

The collagens represent an interesting example of a structurally related but genetically distinct family of proteins. Type I, the most abundant of the vertebrate collagens, comprises two pro alpha 1(I) chains and one pro alpha 2(I) chain, each containing terminal propeptides and a central domain of 338 (Gly, X, Y) repeats. The structure of the chicken pro alpha 2(I) gene shows an intriguing relationship between exon organization and the arrangement of (Gly, X, Y) repeats (see ref. 2 for review). This has led to the suggestion that the collagens evolved from a common ancestral unit of 54 base pairs (bp). Here we present the structure of the entire human pro alpha 1(I) gene and compare this with the chicken pro alpha 2(I). The exon arrangement of the two genes is remarkably similar, although the human pro alpha 1(I) is more compact because of the shorter length of its introns. The data strongly support the notion that the type I genes have evolved from an ancestral multi-exon unit, and that once the gene was translated, a strong evolutionary pressure caused it to maintain this elaborate structure.