The effect of ethanol on the biosynthesis and regulation of opioid peptides

Summary Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are serious health problems. Alcohol is known to influence the activity of a number of biological systems, for example the hormonal and neuronal systems. One of the biological systems whose activity is greatly influenced by alcohol is the endogenous opiate system. Alcohol modifies the function of both opiate receptors and opioid peptides. In fact it has been proposed that many of the effects of ethanol are mediated by its effects on the endogenous opiate system. This review will present results from various laboratories on the effects of acute and chronic ethanol treatments on various species, and on the release, biosynthesis and post-translational processing of the endorphins, enkephalins and dynorphins, the three known families of endogenous opioid peptides. Furthermore, the effect of acute and chronic ethanol consumption on the -endorphin system in man, and the possible implications of the functional activity of the endogenous opiate system for the genetic predisposition to alcoholism will be discussed.     

葡萄糖氧化酶及过氧化氢酶的生物合成

研究了黑曲霉细胞的生长及其葡萄糖氧化酶、过氧化氢酶的生物合成．ＣａＣＯ３是２种酶的产酶诱导因子,其产酶模式都是延续合成型,最大比生长速度μｍａｘ、菌体得率Ｙ（Ｘ／Ｓ）、葡萄糖氧化酶及过氧化氢酶合成得率Ｙ（ＧＯＤ／Ｓ）、Ｙ（ＣＡＴ／Ｓ）分别为０．０９７ｈ－１、０．０７５ｇ．ｇ－１、２９．３４μｍｏｌ·ｍｉｎ－１·ｇ－１、３８９．１７μｍｏｌ·ｍｉｎ－１·ｇ－１．也研究了各种物质对葡萄糖氧化酶及过氧化氢酶活力的影响,金属离子对葡萄糖氧化酶有抑制,阴离子对葡萄糖氧化酶和过氧化氢酶有抑制,还原性小分子化合物是葡萄糖氧化酶的激活剂     

抗癌药物——紫杉醇合成和应用研究进展

紫杉醇是目前最新的具有很好疗效的抗癌药物,本文对紫杉醇发现以来的最新研究进展进行了比较详尽的综述。包括以下几个部分:1.紫杉醇的发现和历史;2.紫杉醇的药效;3.紫杉醇的来源;4.紫杉醇的生物合成途径及其相关酶基因的研究。     

Characterization of polyphenol oxidase from plants

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) which can mediate browning reaction is a bifunctional copper-containing enzyme encoded by plant nucleolus gene. It usually leads to excessive browning reaction which reduces the coercial profits of fruits and vegetables. In this paper, PPO genes and enzymes in plants are characterized systematically, and the latest progress is reviewed. Some clonings of PPOs genes are reported; the specific temporal and spatial expression pattern of PPOs genes is described; the model of the structure of the precursor form of catechol oxidase is introduced; the possible functions of PPOs in defending against pathogen, wounding, surrounding stress and other inducing factors are demonstrated; the induction and activation of latent PPOs in some plants is elucidated; the scheme of browning inhibition by L-cysteine is clarified; the mechanism of suicide inhibition of latent PPO and kinetic synergism are established. Furthermore, the area for future study is also discussed.     

Diversity in enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductases

The enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (ENR) is the last enzyme in the fatty acid elongation cycle. Unlike most enzymes in this essential pathway, ENR displays an unusual diversity among organisms. The growing interest in ENRs is mainly due to the fact that a variety of both synthetic and natural antibacterial compounds are shown to specifically target their activity. The primary anti-tuberculosis drug, isoniazid, and the broadly used antibacterial compound, triclosan, both target this enzyme. In this review, we discuss the diversity of ENRs, and their inhibitors in the light of current research progress. Received 3 November 2008; received after revision 5 December 2008; accepted 8 December 2008     

Biosynthesis, immunity, regulation, mode of action and engineering of the model lantibiotic nisin

This review discusses the state-of-the-art in molecular research on the most prominent and widely applied lantibiotic, i.e., nisin. The developments in understanding its complex biosynthesis and mode of action are highlighted. Moreover, novel applications arising from engineering either nisin itself, or from the construction of totally novel dehydrated and/or lanthionine-containing peptides with desired bioactivities are described. Several challenges still exist in understanding the immunity system and the unique multiple reactions occurring on a single substrate molecule, carried out by the dehydratase NisB and the cyclization enzyme NisC. The recent elucidation of the 3-D structure of NisC forms the exciting beginning of further 3-D-structure determinations of the other biosynthetic enzymes, transporters and immunity proteins. Advances in achieving in vitro activities of lanthionine-forming enzymes will greatly enhance our understanding of the molecular characteristics of the biosynthesis process, opening up new avenues for developing unique and novel biocatalytic processes. Received 9 April 2007; received after revision 31 August 2007; accepted 28 September 2007     

Dissociated cell suspensions ofCarcinus maenas Y-organs as a tool to study ecdysteroid production and its regulation

In vitro ecdysteroid production by dissociated Y-organ cells of the shore crabCarcinus maenas was characterized during short-term incubations. Under optimized conditions (M199 adjusted to crab osmolality and with the addition of 10% foetal calf serum), ecdysteroid production by dispersed cells increased linearly during 4-hour incubations, with little intra-assay variation. 25-deoxyecdysone was mainly produced. PurifiedCarcinus molt inhbiting hormone (CamMIH) produced a dose-dependent inhibition of ecdysteroid production by dispersed cells. The cells were about 50 times more sensitive than whole glands to MIH. Other structurally-related peptides were tested.     

用静息细胞培养法研究L－谷氨酸氧化酶的生物合成

建立了静息细胞培养系统，并以此研究了Ｌ－谷氨酸氧化酶生物合成的影响因素。结果表明，发酵１６ｈ的菌体在有诱导物情况下有酶的合成，无诱导物则无酶的合成，发酵４０ｈ的菌体在有、无诱导物的条件下均有酶的合成。对发酵１６ｈ的菌体研究表明：β－丙氨酸（Ⅰ）、α－酮戊二酸（Ⅱ）、丙酮酸钠（Ⅲ）是酶合成的诱导物，谷氨酸（Ⅳ）则不是。而对发酵４０ｈ菌体而言：ＭｇＣｌ＿２，ＣａＣｌ＿２能促进酶的合成；Ⅰ不能作氮源利用；Ⅰ～Ⅳ均具有高浓度抑制产酶、低浓度促进产酶的双重作用。     

Mycotoxin fumonisins: Health impacts and biosynthetic mechanism

Fumonisins are one of the most important groups of mycotoxins in agriculture and the food industry. They are produced by several widespread fungal pathogens of corn. Fumonisin contamination in maize?derived food and feeds causes several fatal diseases in livestock and poses a significant cancer risk to humans (Group 2B carcinogen). In the recent years, fumonisins have become a hot area in mycotoxin research. This review attempts to highlight the progress in the studies of molecular mechanisms for fumonisin biosynthesis and mode of action. The current understandings in the molecular basis for the cellular effects induced by fumonisins are discussed. Special attentions are paid to introduce the progress in the characterization of individual genes and enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of fumonisins.     

Observations on the toxicity and metabolic relationships of polygodial,the chemical defense of the nudibranchDendrodoris limbata

Summary Polygodial (1), the defense metabolite stored in the skin of the nudibranchDendrodoris limbata, is toxic for the mollusc itself when injected into the hepatopancreas. Biosynthetic experiments using labeled mevalonic acid were devised to investigate a possible metabolic relationship between1 and the mixture of sesquiterpenoidic esters2, stored in the hepatopancreas. The results suggest that1 and2 are biosynthesized by independent pathways.Thanks are due to G. Villani for supplyingDendrodoris limbata and to A. Trabucco for technical assistance.