Changes in erythrocyte membrane lipid composition affect the transient decrease in membrane order which accompanies insulin receptor down-regulation

We have recently demonstrated, using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, that insulin receptor internalization in response to insulin incubation (down-regulation) in human erythrocytes is accompanied by a transient decrease in membrane order, as measured by the 2T order parameter. Since membrane lipids play such an important role in receptor internalization, we investigated the possible effects that an alteration of the normally-occurring lipid profile might have on down-regulation and the concomitant transient decrease in membrane order. Consequently, human erythrocytes enriched with cholesterol and erythrocytes from cirrhotic patients were examined, because both of these groups of cells have a higher cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio (CH/PL) than controls. The 5-nitroxystearate spin label, which inserts into the lipid bilayer of cell membranes, was used to monitor changes in 2T for a 3-h period at 37°C. We report here that both cholesterol-enriched and cirrhotic erythrocytes do not down-regulate, as demonstrated by binding assays, and that they do not show the typical transient decrease in membrane order observed in controls. The results seem to indicate that a more ordered membrane inhibits internalization of the insulin receptor in erythrocytes, and that an increase in membrane disorder is necessary for insulin receptor down-regulation.     

Non-host-selective fungal phytotoxins: Biochemical aspects of their mode of action

During the last decade increasing attention has been directed towards the biochemical mechanisms responsible for the biological activity of phytotoxins. Studies on the mode of action of some non-host-selective phytotoxins, some following on from previous observations, have demonstrated a very specific interaction with particular components of the cell machinery, and have suggested the possible use of these phytotoxins as tools for the investigation of important biochemical processes. This review article reports and discusses results of studies carried out in the 1980s with seven non-host-selective fungal toxins: brefeldin A, cercosporin,Cercospora beticola toxin, fusicoccin, ophiobolins, tentoxin, and zinniol. Each of these interferes with the life of the host by interacting with a different biochemical target.     

Biogenesis of mitochondrial porin: The import pathway

Summary We review here the present knowledge about the pathway of import and assembly of porin into mitochondria and compare it to those of other mitochondrial proteins. Porin, like all outer mitochondrial membrane proteins studied so far is made as a precursor without a cleavble signal sequence; thus targeting information must reside in the mature sequence. At least part of this information appears to be located at the amino-terminal end of the molecule. Transport into mitochondria can occur post-translationally. In a first step, the porin precursor is specifically recognized on the mitochondrial surface by a protease sensitive receptor. In a second step, porin precursor inserts partially into the outer membrane. This step is mediated by a component of the import machinery common to the import pathways of precursor proteins destined for other mitochondrial subcompartments. Finally, porin is assembled to produce the functional oligomeric form of an integral membrane protein wich is characterized by its extreme protease resistance.     

再生丝心蛋白和羧甲基纤维素复合膜的特性及其在有机相葡萄糖生物传感器中的应用

用再生丝心蛋白和羧甲基纤维素构成的复合膜作为固定葡萄糖氧化酶的基质,并用红外光谱测试了该复合膜的结构,用扫描电子显微镜观察了其形态．用上述复合膜材料固定葡萄糖氧化酶和羧酸二茂铁（或７,７,８,８－四氰代二甲基苯醌,ＴＣＮＱ）制成的葡萄糖生物传感器具有较好的灵敏度与稳定性     

氯丙嗪和异丙嗪抗红细胞膜脂过氧化机理初探

对具有显著抗辐照膜脂过氧化作用的两种药物氯丙嗪和异丙嗪进行了作用方式的研究。结果表明：随浓度增高,药物对辐照膜脂过氧化能达到完全抑制;药物对丙二醛产生的抑制作用大于其对脂氢过氧化物产生的抑制作用;药物不直接与丙二醛和脂氢过氧化物反应;药物能吸附在膜上,且主要在照射引发时通过清除自由基而起作用。     

PVA/PAN 渗透汽化复合膜的制备与分离性能研究(Ⅰ)——膜制备及处理条件的选择

制备出了ＰＶＡ／ＰＡＮ渗透汽化复合膜,活性分离层ＰＶＡ的厚度为１～１０μｍ,并将其用于乙醇－水混合物的分离．结果表明,热处理条件能显著影响ＰＶＡ／ＰＡＮ复合膜的渗透通量、渗透选择性和分离指数．通过实验确定了最佳的热处理温度和时间．     

超滤法分级和纯化蛋白质的现状和前景(英文)

超滤法具有高产率、低成本、容易放大等显著优点,但其低选择性一直限制其在生物蛋白制品的分级和纯化中的应用。本文总结和分析了超滤法用于蛋白质分级和纯化的近期研究成果,对其低选择性的原因进行了分析,提出并论证了提高超滤选择性的技术途径。     

ZSM—5沸石膜合成中几个影响因素

采用水热合成法在Ａｌ２Ｏ３陶瓷载体和ＳｉＯ２复合膜上成功地合成了ＺＳＭ－５沸石膜。考察了ＺＳＭ－５沸石膜合成中载体性质,合成溶液的碱度,水硅质量比,晶化时间等对成膜的影响,探讨了沸石膜的生成机理并对合成的沸石膜进行了ＸＲＤ及ＳＥＭ表征,表明当合成液水硅质量比为１００时,主要是液相晶化机制起艇,表面的Ｓｉ－Ｏ键或Ａｌ－Ｏ键参与晶化,使膜与载体紧密结合。     

微孔介质上气泡形成规律的研究

用激光测试技术对微孔介质上气泡形成规律进行了研究。实验结果表明,在微孔介质上所形成气泡的 Ｓａｕｔｅｒ平均直径随通气量的增大而减小;液相中盐或醇的引入使形成的气泡直径明显减小。使用不同模型的计算结果表明,单一孔上气泡形成模型难以描述微孔介质上气泡形成规律。为了描述微孔介质上气泡形成过程,不仅要考虑孔径减小带来的影响,而且要考虑操作条件及体系性质的变化对实际生成气泡的“有效孔”数目及当量直径等因素的影响。     

Biology of halophilic bacteria,Part II

Archaebacteria (archaea) are comprised of three groups of prokaryotes: extreme halophiles, methanogens and thermoacidophiles (extreme thermophiles). Their membrane phospholipids and glycolipids are derived entirely from a saturated, isopranoid glycerol diether,sn-2,3-diphytanylglycerol (archaeol) and/or its dimer, dibiphytanyldiglyceroltetraether (caldarchaeol). In extreme halophiles, the major phospholipid is the archaeol analogue of phosphatidylglycerolmethylphosphate (PGP-Me); the glycolipids are sulfated and/or unsulfated glycosyl archaeols with diverse carbohydrate structure characteristic of taxons on the generic level. Biosynthesis of these archaeol-derived polar lipids occurs in a multienzyme, membrane-bound system that is absolutely dependent on high salt concentration (4 M). The highly complex biosynthetic pathways involve intermediates containing glycerol ether-linked C₂₀-isoprenyl groups which are reduced to phytanyl groups to give the final saturated polar lipids. In methanogens, polar lipids are derived both from archaeol and caldarchaeol, and thermoacidophiles contain essentially only caldarchaeol-derived polar lipids. The function of these membrane polar lipids in maintaining the stability, fluidity and ionic properties of the cell membrane of extreme halophiles, as well as the evolutionary implications of the archaeol and caldarchaeol-derived structures will be discussed.