Pharyngeal cavity and the gills are the target organ for the repellent action of pardaxin in shark

Summary Pardaxin, an active principle of the repellent secretion of the Red Sea flatfish,Pardachirus marmoratus, elicited severe struggling, mouth paralysis, and transient increase in urea leakage from the gills only when administered to the medium bathing the shark's pharyngeal cavity and gills. An apparatus was constructed which prevents a mixing of the outflow from shark's gills with water bathing its surface skin. It is concluded that in sharks the gills and/or the pharyngeal cavity are the target organ for the repellent action of pardaxin.     

Evolution of exocrine chemical defense in leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Summary In this review we speculate on possible scenarios for the evolution of the very high diversity in chemical compounds liberated by exocrine glands of adults Chrysomelidae. Shift in host plant affinities and subsequent adaptation of the beetles to the plant toxins strongly influence the nature of the beetles' chemical defense.     

Pore-forming toxins

Pore-forming toxins are widely distributed proteins which form lesions in biological membranes. In this review, bacterial pore-forming toxins are treated as a paradigm and discussed in terms of the structural principles on which they work. Then, a large family of bacterial toxins, the cholesterol-binding toxins, are analyzed in depth to provide an overview of the processes involved in pore formation. The ways in which the cholesterol-binding toxins (cholesterol-dependent cytolysins) interact with membranes and form pores, the structure of the monomeric soluble and oligomeric pore-forming states, and the effects of the toxin on membrane structure are discussed. By surveying the range of work which has been done on cholesterol-binding toxins, a working model is elaborated which reconciles two current, apparently diametrically opposed, models for their mechanism. Received 7 September 2001; received after revision 12 November 2001; accepted 5 December 2001     

Proinsulin C-peptide and its analogues induce intracellular Ca2+ increases in human renal tubular cells

Based on the findings that proinsulin C-peptide binds specifically to cell membranes, we investigated the effects of C-peptide and related molecules on the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) in human renal tubular cells using the indicator fura-2/AM. The results show that human C-peptide and its C-terminal pentapeptide (positions 27–31, EGSLQ), but not the des (27–31) C-peptide or randomly scrambled C-peptide, elicit a transient increase in [Ca²⁺]_i. Rat C-peptide and rat C-terminal pentapeptide also induce a [Ca²⁺]_i response in human tubular cells, while a human pentapeptide analogue with Ala at position 1 gives no [Ca²⁺]_i response, and those with Ala at positions 2–5 induce responses with different amplitudes. These results define a species cross-reactivity for C-peptide and demonstrate the importance of Glu at position 1 of the pentapeptide. Preincubation of cells with pertussis toxin abolishes the effect on [Ca²⁺]_i by both C-peptide and the pentapeptide. These results are compatible with previous data on C-peptide binding to cells and activation of Na⁺,K⁺ATPase. Combined, all data show that C-peptide is a bioactive peptide and suggest that it elicits changes in [Ca²⁺]_i via G-protein-coupled pathways, giving downstream enzyme effects. Received 13 May 2002; accepted 16 May 2002     

球孢白僵菌毒素对昆虫体外培养细胞胞内同功酶和代谢水平的影响

用吸附法从球孢白僵菌（Beauveriabassiana）的代谢产物中提取毒素，并将毒素作用于草地夜蛾（Spodopterafrugiperda）体外培养细胞，以研究球孢白僵菌的昆虫致病机理．同功酶特异性染色结果表明，细胞中毒后，细胞内的乳酸脱氢酶、苹果酸脱氢酶、酯酶等同功酶在种类和含量上都有所减少．并发现其细胞代谢紊乱，当毒素质量浓度在0～500mg·L(－1)时，培养液中的葡萄糖和蛋白的质量浓度均随细胞中毒加深而升高．     

小麦赤霉病毒素研究进展

小麦赤霉病是小麦生产中的重要病害之一,可造成小麦产量的损失和严重的毒素污染.关于小麦赤霉病菌产生的毒素,国内外已有大量研究.本文主要以脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(DON)为主,对镰刀菌毒素的污染情况、在小麦赤霉病发生过程中的作用、生物合成、毒理学作用、检测方法及其分子生物学研究进展作一总结.     

LHRH-PE40工程菌发酵条件的初步研究

利用摇瓶在温度、pH范围、诱导剂量及诱导时间等不同因素变化时，进行了重组毒素LHRH-PE40工程菌发酵条件的初步探索.结果表明，工程菌优化的发酵条件为：pH范围7．3～7．5，诱导温度为34℃．诱导时菌密度A600=0．8，诱导时间为4～4．5h，诱导剂(IPTG)浓度为0.5mmol/L。     

虎纹捕鸟蛛神经毒素Huwentoxin-Ⅰ的二级结构研究

Huwentoxin-Ⅰ是一种小分子量的多肽类毒素,它能阻断脊椎动物的神经肌肉接头传递。该毒素分子内含33个氨基酸残基,有三对二硫键。本文报道用圆二色性光谱分析法对该毒素二级结构的测定和分析,并用Creenfield等介绍的方法计算其二级结构中各种成分的含量。结果表明,此多肽分子中,α螺旋约占22—28％,β折叠约占22—35％,而β转角和无规卷曲约占41—49％。实验还表明,此毒素在不同pH条件下的二级结构均比较稳定,将它加热到80℃保温20分钟后再测定其CD光谱,其二级结构成分变化不大。用各种不同的方法对其二级结构进行了预测,结果表明该分子一级结构序列N-末端有一小段β折叠,C-末端有一段α螺旋,分子中部的大部分残基为β转角和无规卷曲构象。     

毒隐翅虫研究进展：2.毒素及其在医学上的重要意义

本文对毒隐翅虫毒素的分析、合成、生化特性,在虫体内的出处,毒理学与病理学,药理学,在癌及细胞生物学上的意义作了综述.     

亚历山大藻细胞周期中毒素含量及组成的变化

用细胞同步化培养的方法,研究了塔玛亚历山大藻A.tamarenseCI01株不同细胞周期细胞中毒素含量与组成的变化.结果表明,A.tamarenseCI01细胞分裂主要发生在早上6时至8时,细胞密度在6 h内增加近一倍.细胞内毒素合成主要在细胞周期的G1期,由光诱导合成,毒素含量（fmol/cell,Qt）在光周期前8 h内从17 fmol/cell增加到分裂前的24 fmol/cell,而在其它细胞周期细胞内毒素含量稳定,基本不合成毒素.比较分析单细胞C1,2毒素和GTX2,3毒素合成时间及速率,推测在A.tamarenseCI01中细胞首先合成GTX2,3,在其它修饰酶的作用下再转化为C1,2.