Growth hormone signal transduction

Growth hormone (GH) promotes animal growth by stimulating bone and cartilage cell proliferation, and influences carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Some of these effects are brought about indirectly via somatomedin induction in hepatocytes, others by acting directly on the target cells. In either case, GH first binds to specific receptors on cells to trigger a sequence of biochemical events culminating in a biological response. Recently much has been learnt about the molecular structure of GH receptor, its binding to ligand, and the ensuing signal transduction events.     

Protein kinase C and phospholipase D: intimate interactions in intracellular signaling

Diacylglycerol (DAG) was discovered as a potent lipid second messenger with protein kinase C (PKC) as its major cellular target more than 25 years ago. There is increasing evidence of significant complexity within lipid signaling, and the classical DAG-PKC model no longer stands alone but is part of a larger bioactive lipid universe involving glycerolipids and sphingolipids. Multiple layers of regulation exist among PKC- and DAG-metabolizing enzymes such as phosphatidylcholine (PC)-specific phospholipase D, and cross-talk exists between the glycerolipid and sphingolipid pathways, with PKC at the center. Currently, there is intense interest in the question of whether DAG derived from PC can function as a lipid second messenger and regulate PKC analogous to DAG derived from phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂). To address these issues and incorporate DAG-PKC and other signaling pathways into an expanded view of cell biology, it will be necessary to go beyond the classical approaches and concepts.Received 29 November 2004; received after revision 18 January 2005; accepted 4 March 2005This work is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Yasutomi Nishizuka, the discoverer of protein kinase C, who was both a gentleman and a scientist.     

Metabolism and signaling activities of nuclear lipids

Apart from the lipids present in the nuclear envelope, the nucleus also contains lipids which are located further inside and are resistant to treatment with nonionic detergents. Evidence is being accumulated on the importance of internal nuclear lipid metabolism. Nuclear lipid metabolism gives rise to several lipid second messengers that function within the nucleus. Moreover, it is beginning to emerge that nuclear lipids not only act as precursors of bioactive second messengers but may be directly involved in regulation of nuclear structure and gene expression. Over the last 10years, especially the role of the inositol lipid cycle in nuclear signal transduction has been extensively studied. This cycle is activated following a variety of stimuli and is regulated independently from the inositide cycle located at the plasma membrane. However, the nucleus contain other lipids, such as phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, fatty acids and eicosanoids. There are numerous reports which suggest that these classes of nuclear lipids may play roles in the nucleus as important as those of phosphoinositides. This review aims at highlighting the most important aspects regarding the metabolism and signaling activities of nuclear phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, fatty acids and eicosanoids.Received 7 November 2003; received after revision 18 December 2003; accepted 29 December 2003     

偏甘油酯脂肪酶PrLip的重组表达及酶学性质表征

偏甘油酯脂肪酶因其独特的底物偏好性具有广阔的应用前景。研究从食品安全菌娄地青霉的基因组中发现了一个假定的偏甘油酯脂肪酶prlip基因,通过全基因合成技术获得该酶基因序列,并构建了PrLip组成型表达的毕赤酵母基因工程菌。工程菌在30℃发酵培养60h,发酵活力达到22.26U/mL。利用阴离子交换层析法纯化,获得纯度大于90%的脂肪酶PrLip。酶学性质研究发现该酶的最适反应温度为45℃,最适反应pH值为7.0,40℃的半衰期为6h,水解及酯化反应证实PrLip是一种偏甘油酯脂肪酶。脂肪酶PrLip具有良好的温度耐受性及对大多数表面活性剂的耐受性,使其具有广阔的工业应用前景。     

硫酸甘油糖脂体外抑制肿瘤细胞增殖活性的研究

目的:检测海藻硫酸甘油糖脂化合物(SQDG)的体外抗肿瘤活性,为寻找有效的抗癌新药提供理论依据.方法:采用MTT法检测SQDG对正常细胞的细胞毒性.在倒置显微镜下观察7种人类肿瘤细胞经SQDG处理72 h后的形态学变化,并用MTT法定量测定其生长抑制情况,同时应用流式细胞术检测细胞周期的改变.结果:SQDG对正常细胞Vero和MC的毒性都很小,其CC50值均大于500 μg/mL.它对人乳腺癌细胞MCF-7的生长抑制效果最明显,IC50值为69.1μg/mL,在质量浓度为125μg/mL时完全抑制MCF-7细胞生长.SQDG对H460、A549、HEp2和HeLa细胞也有一定的抑制效果,但对HepG2和A375细胞几乎没有影响.流式细胞术检测发现,SQDG能扰乱MCF-7的细胞周期,促使细胞凋亡或坏死,从而产生有效的生长抑制效果.但SQDC对H460和HepG2细胞周期的改变无统计学意义.结论:硫酸甘油糖脂SQDG对正常细胞无毒害,能选择性地有效抑制体外培养的乳腺癌细胞的生长,是一种有发展潜力的抗肿瘤药物.     

Gonadotrophin-releasing activity of histones H2A and H2B

We report that histones H2A and H2B possess gonadotrophin-releasing activity in vitro and assess the signal transduction pathways involved in these effects. Perifused and incubated rat anterior pituitary (AP) cells were used, and luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured by RIA. Perifusion of cells with histone H2A (30 μM) or histone H2B (30 μM), markedly stimulated LH release but failed to elicit any FSH response. Cells incubated with 6 or 30 μM histone H2A showed a dose- and time-dependent stimulatory effect on both LH and FSH release which was blocked by 1 μM peptide MB35, an 86–120 amino acid fragment of histone H2A. Incubation of pituitary cells with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and histones H2A or H2B showed a stimulatory effect on LH and FSH release which was similar to the sum of the separate effects. Trifluoperazine, as well as ethylene glycol bis(b-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), alone or in the presence of the calcium ionophore A23187, significantly reduced the response of AP cells to histones. Various cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) enhancers had no effect on histone-stimulated release of gonadotrophins in incubated AP cells. Our results confirm previous evidence that histones may act as hypophysiotrophic signals. Calcium- and diacylglycerol-associated pathways, but not cAMP, appear to participate in these effects. Received 11 August 1997; received after revision 20 January 1998; accepted 26 January 1998     

Thermal stability of oxygen evolution in photosystem Ⅱ core complex in the presence of digalactosyl diacylglyceroli

The influence of digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), one of the photosynthetic membrane lipids, on heat inactivation of the process of oxygen evolution has been studied in vitro in photosystem Ⅱ (PSⅡ) core complex. It was found that the temperature of semi-inactivation of oxygen evolution in the complex increased from 40.0 to about 43.0℃ in the presence of DGDG with 5-min heat treatment in the dark. Furthermore, when PSⅡ core complex was incubated for 5 min at 45.0℃, the oxygen evolution in the complex was completely lost, whilst the DGDG-complexed PSⅡ core complex still retained a 16% of activity (100% for 25.0℃). In addition, a 1-h incubation at 38.0℃ inactivated absolutely the oxygen evolution for the PSⅡ core complex. By contrast, there remained about 20% of activity (zero time for 100%) for the complex in the presence of DGDG under the same condition. These results indicate a new role of DGDG in the protection of PSⅡ core complex against the deleterious effects of temperature. It was most likely that DGDG-mediated stability toward thermal denaturation of oxygen evolution in PSⅡ core complex is due to the protective effect of DGDG on the release of the 33 kD protein from PSⅡ core complex.     

Thermal stability of oxygen evolution in photosystem Ⅱ core complex in the presence of digalactosyl diacylglycerol

The influence of digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), one of the photosynthetic membrane lipids, on heat inactivation of the process of oxygen evolution has been studied in vitro in photosystem Ⅱ (PSⅡ) core complex. It was found that the temperature of semi-inactivation of oxygen evolution in the complex increased from 40.0 to about 43.0℃ in the presence of DGDG with 5-min heat treatment in the dark. Furthermore, when PSⅡ core complex was incubated for 5 min at 45.0℃, the oxygen evolution in the complex was completely lost, whilst the DGDG-complexed PSⅡ core complex still retained a 16% of activity (100% for 25.0℃). In addition, a 1-h incubation at 38.0℃ inactivated absolutely the oxygen evolution for the PSⅡ core complex. By contrast, there remained about 20% of activity (zero time for 100%) for the complex in the presence of DGDG under the same condition. These results indicate a new role of DGDG in the protection of PSⅡ core complex against the deleterious effects of temperature. It was most likely that DGDG-mediated stability toward thermal denaturation of oxygen evolution in PSⅡ core complex is due to the protective effect of DGDG on the release of the 33 kD protein from PSⅡ core complex.     

小球藻Chlorella variabilis NC64A二酰甘油酰基转移酶基因的克隆表达与功能研究

为了揭示二酰甘油酰基转移酶(DGAT)在小球藻油脂合成过程中的作用, 对单细胞小球藻Chlorell avariabilis NC64A 的二酰甘油酰基转移酶进行原核克隆表达及功能初步研究。结果表明, 其编码序列为894bp, 编码 297 个氨基酸, 表达蛋白的表观分子量为 33 kDa, pI 9.48。保守结构域分析表明, 该蛋白属于Lysophospholipid acyltransferases (LPLATs)超家族, 具有二酰甘油酰基转移酶活性, 序列位点H68, L71, F76, R94, I97 和GAA (144?146)组成特定的酰基受体结合口袋, 能够结合酰基?酰基载体蛋白(ACP)或者酰基辅酶A上的酰基, 催化三酰甘油合成的最后一步。表达蛋白与SsPDAT 和AtPDAT 的序列相似性分别为32%和24%, 表明该蛋白可能具有磷脂酰甘油酰基转移酶(PDAT)活性, 能利用磷脂上的酰基合成三酰甘油。因此, 采用薄层层析方法以L-α-磷脂酰胆碱和 1,2-二油酰-sn-甘油为底物, 检测到其确实具有PDAT 活性, 表明限氮条件下NC64A 中DGAT 的PDAT 活性可能促进了膜脂降解耦合三酰甘油的合成。