The plasma membrane proton-translocating ATPase

Living cells require membranes and membrane transporters for the maintenance of life. After decades of biochemical scrutiny, the structures and molecular mechanisms by which membrane transporters catalyze transmembrane solute movements are beginning to be understood. The plasma membrane proton-translocating adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) is an archetype of the P-type ATPase family of membrane transporters, which are important in a wide variety of cellular processes. The H+-ATPase has been crystallized and its structure determined to a resolution of 8 angstrom in the membrane plane. When considered together with the large body of biochemical information that has been accumulated for this transporter, and for enzymes in general, this new structural information is providing tantalizing insights regarding the molecular mechanism of active ion transport catalyzed by this enzyme.     

利用支持向量机预测生物膜蛋白类型

利用统计学习理论中的支持向量机(SVM)，基于氨基酸组分含量预测生物膜蛋白类型。使用文献中2059个训练集和2625个检验集膜蛋白序列数据，运用统计预测中的校准检验，留一法交叉检验和独立数据集检验方法进行分类预测。结果表明，SVM对膜蛋白类型预测具有明显的优越性，该算法对当前已有方法起到重要的补充作用。     

In vitro systems in the study of peroxisomal protein import

Our level of understanding of peroxisome biogenesis in comparison with other cellular organelles is rudimentary, yet the fragments of information available indicate that the targeting and import of peroxisomal proteins occur by fundamentally different mechanisms. Genetic studies have identified a number of genes required for peroxisome assembly, but in most cases the functions of the gene products remain unknown. In vitro protein translocation systems have played a prominent role in unravelling the biochemistry of protein translocation into other organelles. This review considers some of the requirements for establishing a bona fide peroxisomal import assay and discusses the findings which have emerged as a result of using such experimental systems.     

4-Hydroxynonenal-modified amyloid-beta peptide inhibits the proteasome: possible importance in Alzheimer's disease

The amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) is a 4-kDa species derived from the amyloid precursor protein, which accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Although we lack full understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of selective neuron death, considerable data do imply roles for both the toxic Aβ and increased oxidative stress. Another significant observation is the accumulation of abnormal, ubiquitin-conjugated proteins in affected neurons, suggesting dysfunction of the proteasome proteolytic system in these cells. Recent reports have indicated that Aβ can bind and inhibit the proteasome, the major cytoslic protease for degrading damaged and ubiquitin-conjugated proteins. Earlier results from our laboratory showed that moderately oxidized proteins are preferentially recognized and degraded by the proteasome; however, severely oxidized proteins cannot be easily degraded and, instead, inhibit the proteasome. We hypothesized that oxidatively modified Aβ might have a stronger (or weaker) inhibitory effect on the proteasome than does native Aβ. We therefore also investigated the proteasome inhibitory action of Aβ _1–40 (a peptide comprising the first 40 residues of Aβ) modified by the intracellular oxidant hydrogen peroxide, and by the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). H₂O₂ modification of Aβ _1–40 generates a progressively poorer inhibitor of the purified human 20S proteasome. In contrast, HNE modification of Aβ _1–40 generates a progressively more selective and efficient inhibitor of the degradation of fluorogenic peptides and oxidized protein substrates by human 20S proteasome. This interaction may contribute to certain pathological manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease Received 26 September 2000; accepted 26 September 2000     

猪GPR84基因克隆和组织表达图谱分析

本研究以长白猪(Landrace)小肠cDNA为模板,克隆游离脂肪酸家族受体GPR84基因cDNA全长.GPR84基因cDNA全长1243bp,编码396个氨基酸的前体蛋白,与人、大鼠、小鼠、牛等哺乳动物的GPR84氨基酸序列一致性分别为90.2%、83.8%、82.8%、89.4%;结构分析表明猪GPR84含有保守的七次跨膜结构域.采用RT-PCR方法,对家猪GPR84基因进行组织表达分析.结果显示:GPR84在家猪各组织中均有表达.其在下丘脑,肺,肝脏及肠末端分区等组织中表达量较高.     

苜蓿叶蛋白脱色及色素的研究

本文讨论了苜蓿叶蛋白浓缩物（Ｌｅａｆｐｒｏｔｅｉｎｃｏｎｃｅｒｔｒａｔｅｓ）的分离、脱色的方法及苜蓿叶中色素的含量及部分性质的研究，从而确定了叶蛋白浓缩物及苜蓿叶中色素在食品工业和饲料工业中的用途。     

Relationships between D1 protein, xanthophyll cycle and photodamage-resistant capacity in rice (Orysa sativa L.)

Relationships between D1 protein, xanthophyll cycle and subspecific difference of photodamage-resistant capacity have been studied in O. japonica rice varieties 02428 and 029 (photoinhibition-tolerance) and O. indica rice varieties 3037 and Palghar (photoinhibition-sensitivity) and their reciprocal cross F1 hybrids after photoinhibitory treatment. It was shown that PSⅡ photochemical efficiency (Fv /Fm) decreased, and xanthophyll cycle from violaxanthin (V), via anaxanthin (A), to zeaxanthin (Z) was enhanced and non-photochemical quenching (qN) increased accordingly in SM-pretreated leaves of rice when the synthesis of D1 protein was inhibited, and that there was a decrease in qN and, as a result, more loss of D1 protein and a big decrease in Fv /Fm in DTT-pretreated leaves when xanthophyll cycle was inhibited. O. japonica subspecies had a higher maintaining capacity of D1 protein and a decrease of Fv /Fm in a more narrow range, and exhibited more resistance against photodamage, as compared with O. indica subspecies. The above physiological indexes in reciprocal cross F1 hybrids, though between the values of their parents, were closer to maternal lines than to paternal lines. Experimental results support the concept that the turnover capacity for D1 protein is an important physiological basis of photoinhibition-tolerance, and will provide the physiological basis for selection of the photoinhibition-tolerant parents and develop a new approach to breed hybrids with high photosynthetic efficiency.     

Nonspecific reaction of a thiol:Protein disulfide oxidoreductase with the disulfide bonds of insulin

Summary A thiol:protein disulfide oxidoreductase from bovine liver was isolated after separation from protein disulfide isomerase. The enzyme, after activation (reduction) with glutathione, was reacted with stoichiometric amounts of insulin and the sulfhydryl groups of the partially reduced hormone were labeled with iodo (l-¹⁴C)acetamide. After separation of the insulin chains, the radioactivity was found in both the peptides, with a ratio A-chain/B-chain equal to 2/1.