Insulin receptors: Structure and function

Summary and conclusions The recent characterization of the human insulin receptor structure and its intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity represent major advances in our understanding of the mechanism of insulin action. It is reasonable to think that the insulin-induced autophosphorylation and activation of its receptor kinase represent an important event in the action of insulin on cell metabolism and growth. The fundamental research reviewed may be followed by the discovery of molecular receptor defects in clinical syndromes of insulin resistance.     

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.     

Genetic analysis of the kinome and phosphatome in cancer

Protein phosphorylation is a well-characterized biochemical process for reversible regulation of protein activity. Protein kinases and protein phosphatases are the key complementary players in this process, and through their coordinated activity cell homeostasis is tightly controlled. If these enzymes display aberrant activity, cells may undergo unrestrained growth, thus giving rise to complex diseases such as cancer. The technological platform gathered during the Human Genome Project recently allowed the systematic identifi cation of the genetic alterations present in the kinase (the kinome) and the phosphatase (the phosphatome) gene families. These studies suggest that most if not all human tumors carry genetic alterations in at least one phosphatase or kinase gene. Here we integrate the biochemical knowledge on the properties of these molecules with the information collected through their systematic genetic analysis in cancer. We also analyze why the molecular profi ling of the kinome and phosphatome in individual cancers is revolutionizing basic and clinical oncology.Received 13 May 2005; received after revision 30 May 2005; accepted 22 June 2005     

A pyruvate kinase variant in different mouse transplanted tumors

Summary Mouse transplanted tumors, in contrast to normal tissues, contain a pyruvate kinase (PK) variant sensitive to the inhibitory action of L-cysteine and less sensitive to saturated fatty acids than the normal enzyme. In selected normal and tumor materials two fractions of PK were separated. Fraction A (20–30% (NH₄)₂SO₄ saturation) dominated in normal liver, and fraction B (50–60% (NH₄)₂SO₄ saturation) in skeletal muscles and Ehrlich ascites tumor. Only this fraction B from tumor material was sensitive to L-cysteine, and seems to contain a tumor-specific PK variant which might be considered as a marker of neoplastic transformation in a broad spectrum of mouse experimental tumors.     

猪SOSC5和SOCS6基因克隆及组织表达研究

本文以长白猪(Landrace)大脑cDNA为模板,克隆得到长白猪细胞因子抑制因子SOCS-5基因和长白猪SOCS-6基因.序列分析结果显示:长白猪SOCS-5基因cDNA全长1688 bp,编码一个含有536个氨基酸的前体蛋白,与人、牛、小鼠和大鼠的氨基酸序列一致性分别为97％、97％、94％和95％;SOCS-6基因cDNA全长1645 bp,编码一个含有535个氨基酸的前体蛋白,与人、牛、小鼠和大鼠的氨基酸序列同源性分别为:92％,97％,85％,82％.氨基酸结构分析显示,长白猪SOCS-5和SOCS-6基因都具有典型的中央SH2结构域和C末端有40个氨基酸的SOCS Box结构域;组织表达图谱分析结果显示:长白猪SOCS5基因在大脑、心脏、脾脏、肌肉组织大量表达,在下丘脑、肝脏、肾脏、小肠中也有表达;SOCS6基因在大脑、下丘脑、心脏、肝脏、脾脏、肾脏、肌肉及小肠均大量表达.此外,本研究还将SOCS-5和SOCS-6基因编码区序列克隆转入真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)中,为下一步功能验证做准备.     

光谱法研究微乳体系中稀土钕离子(Ⅲ)与牛血清白蛋白的作用

角紫外光谱研究了不同pH值下微乳体系中稀土Nd^3 离子与牛血清白蛋白(BSA)的作用。初步探讨了微乳体系中Nd^3 与牛血清白蛋白作用的机理。同时,制备了它们的固态聚合物,测定了红外光谱特性,表明BSA在SDS微乳体系中确与Nd^3 离子发生了反应。     

表面活性剂对茜素红与牛血清白蛋白相互作用的影响研究

在pH=2.68的缓冲溶液中,茜素红与牛血清白蛋白发生了相互作用,研究表明:二者主要靠静电作用力结合,且它们的结合符合Pesavento提出的相分配模型.根据相分配模型,推导了有机小分子在蛋白质微相和水相中的分配比D的计算公式,并通过吸光度A、分配比D、表观结合常数K和热力学参数ΔG、ΔH、ΔS讨论了系列浓度下的阴离子型表面活性剂十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)对该体系的影响,认为SDS主要通过静电作用力和疏水作用力影响茜素红与BSA的相互作用.     

原子吸收光谱法测定产妇血清与脐带血清中的钙镁铜锌铁

用原子吸收光谱法测定62份产妇血清和脐带血清样中的Ca、Mg、Cu、Zn、Fe含量,并对测定结果进行统计分析,结果表明:本方法测定准确、快速、稳定,所测得的产妇血清和脐带血清矿物元素含量之间存在着密切的关系.     

磁场对肌酸激酶的影响

建立了流动注射和光纤光度法测定肌酸激酶（Ｃｋ）活性的方法。求测了Ｃｋ催化反应的米氏常数ｋｍ和反应活化能Ｅ,研究了磁场对Ｃｋ催化活性的影响。较长时间磁化Ｃｋ溶液和测活溶液,分别可使Ｃｋ加速失活和活性升高,１００ｍＴ磁场磁化处理测活液１５ｈ可使Ｃｋ催化反应速度增加４３．７％。     

光谱法研究辛伐他汀与牛血清白蛋白的相互作用

采用荧光光谱、圆二、傅立叶变换红外光谱及三维荧光光谱等分子光谱法研究了在生理条件下,辛伐他汀（Sire）与牛血清白蛋白（BSA）的结合作用．结果表明,Sire对BSA的猝灭方式为静态猝灭．根据F6rster非辐射能量转移理论,计算了Sim与BSA结合部位与色氨酸残基的距离r=1．8nm．利用标记药物进行了结合位点的定位,确定了Sim结合位置是BSA的siteI．由圆二、红外及三维光谱可知,Sim对BSA二级结构的改变主要在肛折叠区,在与Sire结合反应过程中,BSA的微环境与构象都发生了变化;同步荧光表明,Sim与BSA的作用部位主要在色氨酸（Trp）残基周围．