Probing the Proteolysis of Melitin Using Liquid Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

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Regulated protein degradation in mitochondria

Various adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent proteases were identified within mitochondria which mediate selective mitochondrial protein degradation and fulfill crucial functions in mitochondrial biogenesis. The matrix-localized PIM1 protease, a homologue of theEscherichia coli Lon protease, is required for respiration and maintenance of mitochondrial genome integrity. Degradation of non-native polypeptides by PIM1 protease depends on the chaperone activity of the mitochondrial Hsp70 system, posing intriguing questions about the relation between the proteolytic system and the folding machinery in mitochondria. The mitochondrial inner membrane harbors two ATP-dependent metallopeptidases, them- and thei-AAA protease, which expose their catalytic sites to opposite membrane surfaces and cooperate in the degradation of inner membrane proteins. In addition to its proteolytic activity, them-AAA protease has chaperone-like activity during the assembly of respiratory and ATP-synthase complexes. It constitutes a quality control system in the inner membrane for membrane-embedded protein complexes.     

Spectrin and calpain: a ‘target’ and a ‘sniper’ in the pathology of neuronal cells

It is well documented that activation of calpain, a calcium-sensitive cysteine protease, marks the pathology of naturally and experimentally occuring neurodegenerative conditions. Calpain-mediated proteolysis of major membrane-skeletal protein, αII-spectrin, results in the appearance of two unique and highly stable breakdown products, which is an early event in neural cell pathology. This review focuses on spectrin degradation by calpain within neurons induced by diverse conditions, emphasizing a current picture of multi-pattern neuronal death and a recent success in the development of spectrin-based biomarkers. The issue is presented in the context of the major structural and functional properties of the two proteins.Received 7 March 2005; received after revision 22 April 2005; accepted 13 May 2005     

扇贝边酶法水解工艺的优化

以扇贝边为原料,首先分析了扇贝边的营养成分,然后分别用中性蛋白酶、动物蛋白水解复合酶对扇贝边进行水解,通过正交实验考查了加酶量、酶解时间、酶解温度及底物浓度对扇贝边水解率的影响。结果表明,新鲜扇贝裙边水分含量为86.06%(g/g),总氮含量为1.14%(g/g),氨基态氮含量为0.21%(g/g),确定了扇贝边的最佳酶法水解工艺条件。为利用扇贝边资源制备水解动物蛋白及海洋生物活性物质探索一种有效途径。     

Theearly andlate processing of lysosomal enzymes: Proteolysis and compartmentation

Lysosomal enzymes are subjected to a number of modifications including carbohydrate restructuring and proteolytic maturation. Some of these reactions support lysosomal targeting, others are necessary for activation or keeping the enzyme inactive before being segregated, while still others may be adventitious. The non-segregated fraction of the enzyme is secreted and can be isolated from the medium. It is considered that the secreted lysosomal enzymes fulfill certain physiological and pathophysiological roles. By comparing the secreted and the intracellular enzymes it is possible to distinguish between the reactions that occur before and after the segregation. In this review the reactions that may influence the segregation are referred to as the early processing and those characteristic for the enzymes isolated from lysosomal compartments as the late processing. The early processing is characterized mainly by modifications of carbohydrate side chains. In the late processing, proteolytic fragmentation represents the most conspicuous changes. The review focuses on the compartmentation of the reactions and the proteolytic fragmentation of lysosomal enzyme precursors. While a plethora of proteolytic reactions are involved, our knowledge of the proteinases responsible for the particular maturation reactions remains very limited. The review points also to work with cells from patients affected with lysosomal storage disorders, which contributed to our understanding of the lysosomal apparatus.     

利用互穿网络技术阻止蛋白质水解处理味精废水研究

针对谷氨酸发酵废水中的蛋白质在酸性,加热的环境条件下产生水解现象,提出了先利用蛋白质水解保护剂与其形成集聚体,阻止蛋白质中肽健（－NHCO－）的开键与其水解的发生,然后再加高分子絮凝剂回收蛋白质,可明显地提高蛋白质的收率,同时也大幅度地降解了废水中的COD含量及滤后残余的COD。     

靶向EGFR蛋白降解剂及其在非小细胞肺癌中的应用

细胞表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)突变是引起部分非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)发病的一个主要原因。 目前,临床上对具有EGFR突变的NSCLC患者使用的标准治疗方案是使用靶向EGFR的酪氨酸激酶小分子抑制剂药物。然而,患者使用此类小分子抑制剂药物后不可避免地会出现耐药现象,因此临床亟需发展新的技术来克服耐药现象,提升靶向治疗的长期疗效。由于EGFR突变肺癌以及此类肺癌对靶向药物产生耐药后对EGFR突变蛋白具有高度的依赖性,开发新型蛋白降解剂特异性地降解EGFR致病蛋白为治疗肺癌和克服肿瘤耐药提供了一种极有潜力的解决途径。目前,已经有多种靶向EGFR蛋白降解的策略用于清除肺癌细胞中的EGFR蛋白,包括靶向蛋白降解技术(PROTAC)、溶酶体靶向降解技术(LYTAC)和基于EGFR和TRIB3相互作用的订书肽。文章主要就上述三种技术在EGFR蛋白靶向降解中的研究进展进行综述,并对其在NSCLC治疗中的潜在应用进行探讨。     

Kuz and TACE can activate Notch independent of ligand

A central mechanism in activation of the Notch signaling pathway is cleavage of the Notch receptor by ADAM metalloproteases. ADAMs also cleave Delta, the ligand for Notch, thereby downregulating Notch signals. Two ADAMs, Kuzbanian (Kuz) and TNF-alpha converting enzyme (TACE), are known to process both Delta and Notch, yet the role of these cleavages in signal propagation has remained controversial. Using an in vitro model, we show that Kuz regulates Notch signaling primarily by activating the receptor and has little overall effect on signaling via disabling Delta. We confirm that Kuz-dependent activation of Notch requires stimulation of Notch by Delta. However, over-expression of Kuz gives ligand-independent Notch activation. In contrast, TACE, which is elevated in expression in the developing Drosophila nervous system, can efficiently activate Notch in a ligand-independent manner. Altogether, these data demonstrate the potential for Kuz and TACE to participate in context- and mechanism-specific modes of Notch activation.     

Light-harvesting complexes of vascular plants

Light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) located in the thylakoid membrane of plant chloroplasts are the collectors of solar radiation that fuel photosynthesis, and thus enable life on our planet. They consist of pigments that are non-covalently bound to light-harvesting proteins (Lhc proteins), which form a family whose members share a significant sequence identity. Due to their central role in photosynthesis, LHCs belong in several respects to the best-analysed membrane proteins. In the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in identifying new members of the Lhc family, in localising the LHCs within the photosystems, and in elucidating the structure and function of LHCs, which is summarised in this review. By contrast, gaining insight into the assembly process and the degradation of the LHCs could not keep pace. Therefore, topics for the next decade will be the elucidation of the location(s) and the operating mode of steps in the assembly and degradation process. Received 15 June 2008; received after revision 1 July 2008; accepted 10 July 2008     

Presenilin-dependent regulated intramembrane proteolysis and γ-secretase activity

Inhibiting the production of amyloid-β by antagonising γ-secretase activity is currently being pursued as a therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, early pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that disruption of presenilin-dependent γ-secretase alters many presenilin-dependent processes, leading to early lethality in several AD model organisms. Subsequently, transgenic animal studies have highlighted several gross developmental side effects arising from presenilin deficiency. Partial knockdown or tissue-specific knockout of presenilins has identified the skin, vascular and immune systems as very sensitive to loss of presenilin functions. A more appreciative understanding of presenilin biology is therefore demanded if γ-secretase is to be pursued as a therapeutic target. Herein we review the current understanding of γ-secretase complexes; their regulation, abundance of interacting partners and diversity of substrates. We also discuss regulation of the γ-secretase complexes, with an emphasis on the functional role of presenilins in cell biology. Received 25 July 2008; received after revision 24 November 2008; accepted 10 December 2008