Modulation of protein biophysical properties by chemical glycosylation: biochemical insights and biomedical implications

Glycosylation constitutes one of the most important posttranslational modifications employed by biological systems to modulate protein biophysical properties. Due to the direct biochemical and biomedical implications of achieving control over protein stability and function by chemical means, there has been great interest in recent years towards the development of chemical strategies for protein glycosylation. Since current knowledge about glycoprotein biophysics has been mainly derived from the study of naturally glycosylated proteins, chemical glycosylation provides novel insights into its mechanistic understanding by affording control over glycosylation parameters. This review presents a survey of the effects that natural and chemical glycosylation have on the fundamental biophysical properties of proteins (structure, dynamics, stability, and function). This is complemented by a mechanistic discussion of how glycans achieve such effects and discussion of the implications of employing chemical glycosylation as a tool to exert control over protein biophysical properties within biochemical and biomedical applications. Received 15 December 2006; received after revision 28 March 2007; accepted 25 April 2007     

Developing pharmacological therapies for Alzheimer disease

Alzheimer disease (AD), while chronic and progressive with an average progression of 7 – 10 years, is both multifactorial and heterogeneous. Thus, AD offers a large window of opportunity and a large number of therapeutic targets to inhibit it. The selection of a therapeutic target, however, is one of the biggest challenges in developing a pharmacological treatment of this multifactorial disease. Inhibition of a pivotal downstream event is likely to benefit more patients than inhibition of an upstream event in AD pathogenesis. Neurofibrillary degeneration of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau offers such a pivotal therapeutic target. Abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau and not its aggregation into filaments appears to be the most deleterious step in neurofibrillary degeneration. Tau can be abnormally hyperphosphorylated by downregulation of protein phosphatase-2A activity or by upregulation of more than one tau kinase. Restoration of the phosphatase activity which is downregulated in AD brain or inhibition of GSK-3β and cdk5, which are required for AD-type abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau, are among the most promising therapeutic strategies.     

Regulation of insulin receptor function

Resistance to the biological actions of insulin contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes and risk of cardiovascular disease. A reduced biological response to insulin by tissues results from an impairment in the cascade of phosphorylation events within cells that regulate the activity of enzymes comprising the insulin signaling pathway. In most models of insulin resistance, there is evidence that this decrement in insulin signaling begins with either the activation or substrate kinase activity of the insulin receptor (IR), which is the only component of the pathway that is unique to insulin action. Activation of the IR can be impaired by post-translational modifications of the protein involving serine phosphorylation, or by binding to inhibiting proteins such as PC-1 or members of the SOCS or Grb protein families. The impact of these processes on the conformational changes and phosphorylation events required for full signaling activity, as well as the role of these mechanisms in human disease, is reviewed in this article. Received 3 August 2006; received after revision 1 December 2006; accepted 8 January 2007     

Receptor communication within the lymphocyte plasma membrane: a role for the thrombospondin family of matricellular proteins

Lymphocytes, the principal cells of the immune system, carry out immune surveillance throughout the body by their unique capacity to constantly reposition themselves between a free-floating vascular state and a tissue state characterized by migration and frequent adhesive interactions with endothelial cells and components of the extracellular matrix. Therefore, mechanisms co-ordinating adhesion and migration with signals delivered through antigen recognition probably play a pivotal role for the regulation of lymphocyte behaviour and function. Endogenous thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) seems to be the hub in such a mechanism for autocrine regulation of T cell adhesion and migration. TSP-1 functions as a mediator of cis interaction of vital receptors within the T lymphocyte plasma membrane, including integrins, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein, calreticulin and integrin-associated protein. Received 1 June 2006; received after revision 28 June 2006; accepted 11 October 2006     

计算机辅助解析FTIR定量研究蛋白质构象的应用进展

综述了计算机辅助解析傅里叶变换红外光谱在蛋白质构象定量研究中的应用进展,简要介绍了红外光谱测定及二阶导数谱、去卷积和曲线拟合等计算机数学处理方法.对已有的研究结果进行了分类总结,最后讨论了该领域中存在的问题和发展方向.     

用于蛋白亚细胞定位研究的烟草愈伤组织培养条件优化

使用绿色荧光蛋白作为报告基因来研究目的蛋白的亚细胞定位得到广泛应用.使用稳定表达系统研究蛋白的亚细胞定位比较耗时,但可以先选择愈伤组织进行观察以确保构建的载体能够表达.优化了愈伤组织的培养条件,得到了质地疏松柔软的白色愈伤,不受叶绿体的荧光干扰,便于进行荧光观察.     

血管抑素3A工程蛋白的柱复性与离子交换纯化

由大肠杆菌以包涵体形式表达的一种抗内皮细胞生长工程蛋白(A nti-ang iogen ic agent,简称3A)经变性,Sephacry l S-100 HR柱复性,SP Sepharose FF离子交换吸附纯化,SephadexG-25脱盐,获得复性率为53.47%,HPLC纯度为92.52%的3A活性蛋白。以猪髋动脉内皮细胞为受检细胞,表明纯化蛋白具有抑制内皮细胞生长的特性。     

基于位点特异性打分矩阵的卷积神经网络预测SARS-CoV-2核衣壳蛋白的蛋白质二级结构

新型冠状病毒(SARS-CoV-2)有4种关键的结构蛋白,而核衣壳蛋白就是其中的1种.本实验从公开数据库NCBI上选取的SARS-CoV-2核衣壳蛋白质序列数据,分析SARS-CoV-2核衣壳蛋白与SARS-CoV核衣壳蛋白的序列相似性,对SARS-CoV-2核衣壳蛋白的理化性质和疏水性进行分析;在此基础上提出基于位点...     

共振光散射光谱法测定微量蛋白质

利用光吸收和共振光散射(RLS)光谱研究了铝试剂(ATA)与蛋白质在水溶液中的相互作用.在pH2.50时,蛋白质可使弱的ATA光散射信号曾强.基于这种现象,我们运用RLS技术,建立了测定纳克级蛋白质的方法.该方法简单、实用、灵敏.BSA的线性范围为0.010~27.4μg/mL,HSA的线性范围为0.010~30.5μg/mL.BSA的检测限为10.7 ng/mL,HSA的检测限为10.2 ng/mL.对实际人血清样品中的蛋白质进行了测定,其结果与临床方法一致.氨基酸、金属离子或其它共存化合物的干扰很小.