Sequence variability of fibrinogen-related proteins (FREPs) in Crassostrea gigas

Fibrinogen-related proteins(FREPs) are lectins with at least a fibrinogen-like domain.They are widespread in Mollusca and play an important role as immune pattern-recognition receptors.These diverse molecules provide interesting models for the study of the evolution of innate immunity.Although oysters are among the most studied mollusks,there have been few investigations of this gene family in oysters.This paper reports the cloning of the first oyster FREP,named CgFREP,from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.Five types of FREP(CgFREP-1 to CgFREP-5) were obtained based on a single pair of primers,confirming their high diversity.The proteins deduced from these FREPs contained 253-363 amino acids and were divided into three subfamilies based on sequence identities(cutoff point <86%).The topological structure of the phylogenetic tree showed the five CgFREPs clustered together and were completely separated from the subgroup of FREPs obtained from Biomphalaria glabrata(BgFREPs).This implies that FREP diversity evolved before the BgFREPs branched off.An interesting aspect of the CgFREPs was their individual hypermutation.Ninety-three SNPs and five indels were characterized among CgFREPs.Some mutations(e.g.an insertion in CgFREP-5) could cause premature translation termination.Multiple alignments suggest recombination events might have occurred during exchanges between alleles,or by somatic diversification,or both.Individual sequence variability parallels the extraordinary complexity of the innate immune system,suggesting a potential capacity to recognize and eliminate many kinds of pathogens,even in a primitive system.The diversity of immune pattern-recognition receptors may offer an alternative strategy that functions in the absence of highly specific immune globulins,which only emerged in vertebrates.     

环境中有机磷酸酯阻燃剂（TDCP、TECP、TCPP）对人胚肾细胞（HEK293）的影响(英)

水环境中的微污染物有机磷酸酯如三(2-氯乙基)磷酸酯(TCEP)、三(2-氯-异丙基)磷酸酯(TCPP)和三(1,3-二氯丙基)磷酸酯(TDCP)主要用作聚氨酯泡沫塑料的阻燃剂。物理、化学和生物处理很难完全消除这些污染物。本研究的目的是研究阻燃剂在环境水平和较高浓度下对人细胞系的细胞毒性和细胞周期效应。结果表明,在浓度为0.001 mg/L和0.01mg/L时,只有TDCP具有轻微的细胞毒性,而当这三种化学物质浓度100 mg/L以上时对细胞毒性有显著的诱导作用。TCEP和TCPP的EC50分别为276.8 mg/L和58.4mg/L。三种药物均能抑制CDK 4的表达,TDCP能增加CDK 2和cyclin E的表达,而TCEP和TCPP在CDK 2和cyclin E的表达上表现出自差现象。TDCP和TCEP使细胞数量减少,细胞形态发生改变。可见三种化学物质对HEK 293细胞的杀伤作用可能是通过抑制CDK 4调节蛋白而产生的。     

螺旋藻酶促水解提取营养成分的研究

研究了在４种ｐＨ值环境中对螺旋藻细胞酶促水解的结果．以水解液中的水溶性蛋白质含量和全氮量为指标,初步确定了酶促水解提取螺旋藻细胞内营养物质的适宜的工艺条件,包括使用的酶制剂、加酶量、ｐＨ值、加热温度和作用时间等     

Lipid transport in microorganisms

Summary Microorganisms are useful model systems for the study of intracellular transport of lipids. Eukaryotic microorganisms, such as the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, are similar to higher eukaryotes with respect to organelle structure and membrane assembly. Experiments in vivo showed that transport of phosphatidylcholine between yeast microsomes and mitochondria is energy independent; transfer of phosphatidylinositol to the plasma membrane and the flux of secretory vesicles take place by different mechanisms. Linkage of transfer and biosynthesis of phospholipids was demonstrated in the case of intramitochondrial phospholipid transfer. A yeast phosphatidylinositol/phosphatidylcholine transfer protein, which is essential for cell viability, was isolated and characterized. Another phospholipid transfer protein present in yeast cytosol, which has a different specificity, is currently under investigation. Transfer of phospholipids between cellular membranes was also demonstrated with prokaryotes. The cytoplasm and the periplasma of the gram-negative facultative photosynthetic bacteriumRhodopseudomonas sphaeroides contain phospholipid transfer proteins; these seem to be involved in the biosynthesis of prokaryotic membranes.     

CCN蛋白家族研究进展

CCN蛋白家族包含多个成员,它们结构相似,富含半胱氮酸。作为分泌蛋白,CCN蛋白能够促进细胞生长、细胞粘附、细胞迁移;诱导细胞凋亡;并调控肿瘤生长、血管发生和软骨内骨化。由于CCN蛋白在癌症和其它疾病预测或／和诊断中的重要性,成为近几年研究的热点。本文将简述近几年在CCN蛋白领域的研究进展。     

Hsp70 chaperones: Cellular functions and molecular mechanism

Hsp70 proteins are central components of the cellular network of molecular chaperones and folding catalysts. They assist a large variety of protein folding processes in the cell by transient association of their substrate binding domain with short hydrophobic peptide segments within their substrate proteins. The substrate binding and release cycle is driven by the switching of Hsp70 between the low-affinity ATP bound state and the high-affinity ADP bound state. Thus, ATP binding and hydrolysis are essential in vitro and in vivo for the chaperone activity of Hsp70 proteins. This ATPase cycle is controlled by co-chaperones of the family of J-domain proteins, which target Hsp70s to their substrates, and by nucleotide exchange factors, which determine the lifetime of the Hsp70-substrate complex. Additional co-chaperones fine-tune this chaperone cycle. For specific tasks the Hsp70 cycle is coupled to the action of other chaperones, such as Hsp90 and Hsp100.Received 21 October 2004; received after revision 24 November 2004; accepted 6 December 2004     

铜绿微囊藻气囊蛋白GvpW的异源表达纯化与晶体生长研究

铜绿微囊藻(Microcystisaeruginosa PCC 7806)是我国淡水湖泊生态系统季节性蓝藻水华爆发的最优势藻种,其爆发的机制之一在于气囊,它是一种充满气体的蛋白质性质的亚细胞器结构,可为藻细胞提供浮力,调节藻细胞在水体中的位置以利于生长和后续的生境殖民化。铜绿微囊藻的气囊合成涉及14个气囊蛋白,但大部分气囊蛋白在气囊合成过程中的具体分子功能尚不清楚。对其中一个气囊蛋白GvpW进行了分子克隆,利用原核表达系统在体外进行了异源表达,结合镍柱亲和层析和凝胶过滤层析纯化出了高纯度的GvpW,运用动态光散射和化学交联证实在体外纯化后的GvpW是呈单体状态,同时通过晶体初筛和优化获得了生长较好的蛋白质晶体。这为后续解析GvpW的三维结构及在分子水平直观探讨其在气囊合成中的生理功能奠定了基础。     

3种海藻的粗蛋白对植物病原真菌的抑制作用

以圆弧青霉(Penicillium cyclopium)、绿色木霉(Trichoderma viride)、红色链孢霉(Neurcsporacrassa)、玉米大斑病菌(Helminthosporium turcicum)、稻瘟病菌(Piricularia oryzae)和黄曲霉(Aspergillusflavus)等6种植物病原真菌为供试菌,检测了3种海藻(铁钉菜Ishige okamurae、羊栖菜Sargassum fusiforme、冈村凹顶藻Laurencia okamurai)的粗蛋白对它们的菌丝生长及孢子萌发的影响.实验表明,3种海藻的粗蛋白对6种真菌的菌丝生长及孢子萌发的作用效果不同,其中冈村凹顶藻粗蛋白对红色链孢霉菌丝的生长,羊栖菜粗蛋白对稻瘟病菌孢子的抑制作用最明显,而羊栖菜和铁钉菜粗蛋白对红色链孢霉的菌丝生长,冈村凹顶藻粗蛋白对绿色木霉及黄曲霉的孢子萌发均无抑制效果.3种海藻的粗蛋白能凝集兔血红细胞,表明它们当中含有凝集素.