Protein kinases mediate nitric oxide-induced apoptosis in the insect cell line IPLB-LdFB

The involvement of protein kinases (PKA, PKC and PKB) in nitric oxide (NO)-induced apoptosis with sodium nitroprusside plus N-acetyl-L-cysteine in the IPLB-LdFB cell line from the insect Lymantria dispar was investigated. The presence of protein kinase-like molecules was demonstrated by western blot analysis. The role of the kinases in programmed cell death was analysed in cytofluorimetric experiments by incubating the insect cells with H-89 (a specific inhibitor of PKA), calphostin C (an inhibitor of PKC) or wortmannin (an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase). The results show that PKA is correlated with the induction and PKC and PKB with the prevention of NO-induced insect cell death. Moreover, NO-induced apoptosis involves the release of cytochrome c. Received 15 March 2002; accepted 25 March 2002     

Myelin sheaths: glycoproteins involved in their formation,maintenance and degeneration

Myelin sheaths are formed around axons by extending, biochemically modifying and spiraling plasma membranes of Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). Because glycoproteins are prominent components of plasma membranes, it is not surprising that they have important roles in the formation, maintenance and degeneration of myelin sheaths. The emphasis in this review is on four integral membrane glycoproteins. Two of them, protein zero (P0) and peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP-22), are components of compact PNS myelin. The other two are preferentially localized in membranes of sheaths that are distinct from compact myelin. One is the myelin-associated glycoprotein, which is localized at the inside of sheaths where it functions in glia-axon interactions in both the PNS and CNS. The other is the myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, which is preferentially localized on the outside of CNS myelin sheaths and appears to be an important target antigen in autoimmune demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Received 8 April 2002; received after revision 13 May 2002; accepted 22 May 2002     

sHsps and their role in the chaperone network

Small Hsps (sHsps) encompass a widespread but diverse class of proteins. These low molecular mass proteins (15—42 kDa) form dynamic oligomeric structures ranging from 9 to 50 subunits. sHsps display chaperone function in vitro, and in addition they have been suggested to be involved in the inhibition of apoptosis, organisation of the cytoskeleton and establishing the refractive properties of the eye lens in the case of α-crystallin. How these different functions can be explained by a common mechanism is unclear at present. However, as most of the observed phenomena involve nonnative protein, the repeatedly reported chaperone properties of sHsps seem to be of key importance for understanding their function. In contrast to other chaperone families, sHsps bind several nonnative proteins per oligomeric complex, thus representing the most efficient chaperone family in terms of the quantity of substrate binding. In some cases, the release of substrate proteins from the sHsp complex is achieved in cooperation with Hsp70 in an ATP-dependent reaction, suggesting that the role of sHsps in the network of chaperones is to create a reservoir of nonnative refoldable protein.     

微流控芯片在生物化学分析中的应用

在介绍微流控芯片基本特征的基础上，阐述了微流控芯片的独特优势，并从5个方面探讨了微流控芯片在生物化学分析中的应用。     

Overinhibition of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Inducing Tau Hyperphosphorylation

To reveal the relationship between mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and tau phosphorylation, we used different concentration of PD98059, an inhibitor of MEK (MAPK kinase), to treat mice neuroblastma (N2a) cell line for 6 h. It showed that the activity of MAPK decreased in a dose-dependent manner. But Western blot and immunofluorescence revealed that just when the cells were treated with 16μmol/L PD98059, tau was hyperphosphorylated at Ser396/404 and Ser199/202 sites. We obtained the conclusion that overinhibited MAPK induced tau hyperphosphorylation at Ser396/404 and Ser199/202 sites.     

重组SARS冠状病毒S蛋白的原核表达研究

目的克隆表达SARS冠状病毒的主要结构蛋白(S蛋白)。方法合成SARS冠状病毒S蛋白特异性基因片断并克隆入pET32a原核表达载体,转化BL21菌,经IPTG诱导高效表达得到重组S蛋白,并通过W estern印迹对重组蛋白质进行鉴定。结果重组蛋白质经镍柱亲和层析得到了部分纯化,免疫动物后得到SARS病毒的多克隆抗体。结论经E lisa检测,表达的重组S蛋白基本具备检测病人血清中抗SARS病毒IgG和IgM的能力,可进一步用于S蛋白功能研究与SARS诊断试剂盒的研制。     

富铬酵母蛋白质的制备及红外光谱特征

目的研究金属铬与酵母细胞的结合方式。方法利用红外光谱法对啤酒酵母生物富集金属铬前、后蛋白质的变化进行分析。结果得到生物富集金属铬前、后的IR谱图。发现酰胺Ⅰ带的吸收峰发生位移,从1 657.78 cm移动至1 646.02 cm,且峰形发生变化。结论蛋白质肽链上的羰基氧与铬形成配位键。     

结构基因组学与X-射线晶体衍射的研究进展

介绍了X-射线结晶学研究方面的新进展,包括蛋白质基因的克隆和表达载体的选择、蛋白质表达、蛋白质纯化、纯化的蛋白质的质量控制、高通量蛋白质结晶、晶体的收获和储存、同步加速器线束数据收集、自动的晶体固定和观察以及衍射质量分析和数据收集。     

人类新基因ZNF322的研究进展

根据计算机克隆的ZNF322基因序列设计引物,从人类胚胎心脏文库中克隆了ZNF322基因.该基因位于染色体6p22.1,编码由402个氨基酸残基组成、含有9个连续排列的C2H2型锌指蛋白质.Northern杂交的结果表明该基因在成人所有被检测组织中表达。亚细胞定位研究证明ZNF322蛋白分布在胞核和胞质中.报告基因分析显示ZNF322是一种潜在的转录激活因子.