美国山核桃不定根形成过程中相关蛋白质 的鉴定及功能分析

美国山核桃是扦插后极难生根的树种,为研究其不定根生根机制,利用MALDI-TOF-MS技术对美国山核桃不定根发育关键时期的差异蛋白进行鉴定分析,发现了48个表达相对差异的蛋白点,选择其中18个差异蛋白进行肽质谱指纹分析并进行同源性比较。结果表明,美国山核桃不定根形成的生理过程中产生了差异蛋白质,其中包括了能量代谢相关蛋白、逆境胁迫相关蛋白和信号传递相关蛋白等差异蛋白。分析可知:能量代谢相关蛋白有ATP合成相关酶类、光合作用相关蛋白及烯醇化酶等; 逆境胁迫相关蛋白与热激蛋白同源; 信号传递相关蛋白主要为细胞色素酶类和血红结合蛋白。     

分形在蛋白质结构分析中的应用

通过介绍分形原理和方法在蛋白质分子结构分析中的应用,表明用分形的方法不仅可以对蛋白质分子结构的复杂性给予定量地描述,而且为人们进一步认识蛋白质的性质和特征提供一些有益的启示和新的信息。     

Increased assembly of cytoskeletal proteins associated with the transformation of human liver cells into fibroblast-like cells

A topoisomerase II inhibitor, novobiocin, and a deacetylase inhibitor, butyrate, synergistically transformed human liver cells into fibroblast-like cells. This morphological change was associated with an increased production of procollagen type III peptide and a simultaneous assembly of actin, tubulin, vimentin and cytokeratin. Novobiocin and butyrate had no marked effect on the phosphorylation state of cytokeratin proteins, but synergistically enhanced [³H]acetate uptake. From these results, it can be speculated that protein acetylation plays an important role in inducing the assembly of cytoskeletal proteins and the morphological transformation of human liver cells.     

Telomeres and chromosomal instability

Telomeres are distinctive structures, composed of a repetitive DNA sequence and associated proteins, which enable cells to distinguish chromosome ends from DNA double-strand breaks. Telomere alterations, caused by replication-mediated shortening, direct damage or defective telomere-associated proteins, usually generate chromosomal instability, which is observed in senescence and during the immortalization process. In cancer cells, this chromosome instability could be extended by their ability to repair chromosomes and terminate in break-fusion-bridge cycles. Dysfunctional telomeres can be healed by activation of telomerase or by the alternative mechanism of telomere lengthening. Activation of such telomere maintenance mechanisms may help to preserve the integrity of chromosomes even if they play a role in chromosomal instability. This review focuses on molecular processes involved in telomere maintenance and chromosomal instability associated with dysfunctional telomeres in mammalian cells.Received 24 July 2003; received after revision 5 September 2003; accepted 11 September 2003     

Recognition of bacterial peptidoglycan by the innate immune system

The innate immune system recognizes microorganisms through a series of pattern recognition receptors that are highly conserved in evolution. Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a unique and essential component of the cell wall of virtually all bacteria and is not present in eukaryotes, and thus is an excellent target for the innate immune system. Indeed, higher eukaryotes, including mammals, have several PGN recognition molecules, including CD14, Toll-like receptor 2, a family of peptidoglycan recognition proteins, Nod1 and Nod2, and PGN-lytic enzymes (lysozyme and amidases). These molecules induce host responses to microorganisms or have direct antimicrobial effects.Received 15 January 2003; received after revision 28 February 2003; accepted 26 March 2003     

筛选hALR的相互作用蛋白基因(英)

为筛选与人肝再生增强因子(hALR)相互作用蛋白的基因,探讨肝再生增强因子在肝再生过程中的分子生物学机制,将人肝再生增强因子基因的开放读码框片断,重组入载体pGBKT7构建成“诱饵”质粒pGBKT7-hALR,然后用酵母双杂交系统从预转化酵母菌Y187的成人肝细胞cDNA文库中筛选与人肝再生增强因子相互作用蛋白的基因.筛出的阳性克隆基因序列被测出后,经GenBank查询,结果发现它们分别是血清白蛋白、金属硫蛋白、硒蛋白类似物、Na+/K+ ATPase和一个未知功能的蛋白的部分序列.这初步克隆了与hALR相互作用的蛋白基因,为进一步探讨ALR在肝再生过程中的作用机制奠定了基础.     

In vitro stability and protein composition of thick filaments from insect flight muscles

Thick and thin filaments of synchronous and asynchronous insect flight muscles were separated by density gradient centrifugation. A good release of myofilaments from myofibrils was obtained by sonication of myofibrils in relaxing solution with pH 6.1 (locust), pH 6.4 (honeybee) and pH 6.6 (fleshfly), respectively. Thick filaments but not thin filaments were dissolved, if sucrose gradient centrifugation was used to separate the filaments. Thus, sucrose gradients are the medium of choice if actin filaments are to be purified. Glycerol-containing gradients selectively dissolved myosin filaments from fleshfly muscles. The stability of the myosin filaments of all muscles was sufficient in gradients with 10–30% formamide.     

Reevaluation of hydropathy profiles of voltage-gated ionic channels

A reevaluation of the secondary structure of Na, Ca and K channel proteins led to the following results. Only three segments (S1, S5 and S6) of each repeat are sufficiently hydrophobic to be predicted as transmembrane helices, if a window of 19 amino acids is used. Some of the S2 and S3 segments show higher hydrophobic values when calculated with the window of 9 amino acids and can be predicted as short helices. S4 segments are strongly hydrophilic and cannot be predicted as transmembrane helices. Some of the S2, S3 and S4 segments have an amphipathic character; however, these helices do not span a membrane. A model is proposed where 12 hydrophobic transmembrane helices surround 12 shorter helices, forming a hydrophilic pore. In addition, a unique pattern for S4 segments of voltage-gated channel proteins is defined.