昆虫细胞凋亡的线粒体通路研究进展

介绍了哺乳动物和一些代表昆虫的线粒体凋亡途径研究进展,特别是与线粒体途径密切相关的凋亡调控因子,如细胞色素C,caspases家族,Bcl-2家族等的功能作用,阐述了线粒体在昆虫细胞凋亡中的作用,为进一步研究昆虫细胞凋亡机制以及发展以昆虫细胞凋亡因子为靶标的特异性杀虫剂提供理论基础。     

乳酸对酵母凋亡及某些相关基因表达的影响

采用终浓度为200、250、300 mmol.L-1的乳酸作用酵母细胞200 min,同时,采用终浓度为250mmol.L-1的乳酸分别作用酵母细胞120、200、260 min后,通过DAPI染色、PI染色和TUNEL染色法检测酵母细胞的凋亡。结果表明,随着乳酸终浓度的增加,酵母的死亡率随之增加。死亡的细胞出现DNA断裂和染色质凝聚现象,但没有显示膜损伤,所以乳酸引起的酵母细胞死亡是以凋亡的形式进行。200 mmol.L-1乳酸处理酵母200 min,可引起约不到30%的凋亡,当终浓度增加到300 mmol.L-1时,凋亡率可达80%以上,乳酸引起的死亡率和凋亡率具有剂量依赖性,但无时间依赖性。RT-PCR检测结果表明,随着凋亡程度的增加,Fis1、Bir1、SOD1、SOD2基因的表达随之降低。     

细胞凋亡的研究进展及其在农业上的应用

细胞凋亡是生物体生长发育、细胞分化和病理条件下主动的、有序的死亡过程。通过对线虫、哺乳动物和植物的凋亡研究发现，保守的Asp特异性半胱氨酸蛋白酶家族是细胞程序性死亡的介导者和执行者。胞外的死亡信号经过相应的转导途径传至胞内，再通过激活靶分子而产生凋亡效应。凋亡过程受到生物体精确的调控，具有独特而复杂的信号系统。细胞凋亡在医学和农业领域有着广泛的应用。     

五倍子鞣质对生物被膜型白假丝酵母的干预作用

[目的]研究五倍子鞣质对生物被膜型白假丝酵母的抑制作用。[方法]在生物被膜形成的早期、中期和成熟期以不同浓度药物干预48 h,采用MTT法检测药物对膜型白假丝酵母的抑制率;以不同浓度药物干预成熟生物被膜24、48、72 h,再用MTT法检测抑制率;光镜直接观察生物被膜内白假丝酵母的形态结构变化;用吖啶橙/溴化乙锭染色,通过荧光显微镜观察生物被膜内白假丝酵母的死亡方式。[结果]五倍子鞣质对生物被膜的形成具有抑制作用,对成熟期生物被膜中白假丝酵母的抑制作用具时间和剂量依赖性;鞣质导致被膜内白假丝酵母细胞变形,形态结构改变,但未见确切细胞凋亡,同时抑制细胞芽管和假菌丝形成。[结论]五倍子鞣质对白假丝酵母生物被膜的形成及成熟期生物被膜中白假丝酵母均具较强的抑制作用;可能通过非凋亡途径导致被膜内白假丝酵母的死亡。     

电离辐射与线粒体DNA的变异

线粒体DNA(mitchondrial DNA,mtDNA)是裸露的双链环状DNA分子结构．缺少组蛋白外衣的保护,复制快速．缺乏校读功能以及缺乏有效的DNA修复系统,极易发生突变。而电离辐射作为一种致DNA损伤的因素．现已发现它可以诱导线粒体DNA的突变,其中包括4977bp的缺失、点突变、插入突变等。在凋亡调节诸多通路中,线粒体在电离辐射诱导的细胞凋亡通路中起中心调控作用。各种死亡信号通过Bcl-2家族蛋白或直接诱导线粒体膜的通透性的改变、细胞色素C释放和caspases激活,最终引起细胞凋亡。线粒体膜的通透性改变的机制．目前还未完全明了。本文就电离辐射与线粒体DNA的变异以及线粒体DNA变异与凋亡的关系作一简要综述。     

真菌细胞壁抑制剂刚果红诱导酵母细胞凋亡及其机制研究

以酿酒酵母为研究材料,分析真菌细胞壁抑制剂刚果红(CR)对酵母细胞凋亡的影响及其机制,为植物病原真菌细胞凋亡机制研究提供新的理论依据。结果表明:与正常对照组相比,CR处理后酵母细胞存活率下降、活性氧升高、磷脂酰丝氨酸外翻、细胞核裂解,发生细胞凋亡;外源添加抗氧化剂N-乙酰半胱氨酸(NAC)、过表达超氧化物歧化酶基因SOD1和缺失YCA1基因,均可以显著降低CR诱导的酵母细胞凋亡。以上结果说明,CR可以诱导ROS和Yca1p依赖的酵母细胞凋亡。     

萝卜愈伤细胞凋亡的初步研究

[目的]探明萝卜无菌苗组织培养过程中愈伤组织细胞凋亡的形态变化。[方法]以萝卜种子为材料,通过组织培养获得无菌苗和诱导出愈伤组织,利用离子胁迫诱导愈伤组织的细胞凋亡,并对其样品进行组织制片,染色后用光学显微镜观察与电镜超薄切片观察萝卜愈伤组织凋亡形态变化。[结果]在萝卜的细胞凋亡过程中存在和动物细胞凋亡类似的染色质浓缩、颗粒化和边缘化以及后期发生降解形成凋亡小体等现象。钠离子和钙离子对萝卜愈伤组织细胞凋亡的影响程度不同,钠离子影响不大,而钙离子对细胞凋亡影响较明显,且随着离子浓度的增加,凋亡所需时间越短。[结论]细胞凋亡的过程往往伴随染色质DNA的特异性断裂,形成寡聚核苷酸片段,电泳后形成DNA梯形带。     

流感病毒PA蛋白与宿主蛋白PCBP1的相互作用

【背景】PA蛋白是流感病毒RNA聚合酶复合体的重要组成部分,在流感病毒基因组的转录和复制过程中发挥重要作用。前期利用酵母双杂交技术(Y2H)筛选与流感病毒PA蛋白相互作用的宿主蛋白,获得多聚胞嘧啶结合蛋白1(poly(r C)-binding protein 1,PCBP1)。【目的】探索PCBP1蛋白与流感病毒PA蛋白的互作关系及其对流感病毒复制的影响,为深入理解流感病毒在宿主体内的复制调控机制提供数据。【方法】将诱饵质粒pGBKT7-PA与筛选到的重组质粒p GADT7-PCBP1以及阴性对照组和阳性对照组按照醋酸锂法分别共转化酵母感受态细胞,并涂布在3种营养缺陷型培养基上,30℃倒置培养5—7 d,观察酵母菌落生长情况和菌落颜色,回交验证PA蛋白与PCBP1蛋白在酵母系统中的相互作用。参照GenBank中录入的PA蛋白和人源PCBP1蛋白的序列,分别设计特异性扩增引物,构建真核重组表达质粒pCAGGS-Flag-PA和pCAGGS-Myc-PCBP1,将这两种真核表达质粒分别单独转染或共同转染HEK293T细胞,于转染48 h后裂解细胞,收获上清,留取少部分作对照,余下的样品逐步加入FLAG单抗和Protein G琼脂糖珠子进行免疫共沉淀(Co-IP),经SDS-PAGE和Western blot检测PA蛋白与PCBP1蛋白在哺乳动物细胞中的相互作用。利用慢病毒包装系统pLVX-IRES-Zs Green1在HEK293T细胞中包装假病毒,将假病毒侵染A549细胞后经超速流式分选构建PCBP1蛋白过表达细胞系,Western blot检测PCBP1过表达情况,然后用流感病毒WSN以0.01 MOI感染该过表达细胞系,于感染后24和48 h收获上清,对上清中的流感病毒进行蚀斑计数。合成PCBP1蛋白的si RNA,转染A549细胞下调PCBP1蛋白的表达,干扰后48 h通过Western blot检测PCBP1蛋白表达下调情况,并以MOI=0.01感染流感病毒WSN,收获感染后24和48 h的上清,进行蚀斑滴定计数。【结果】通过酵母回交验证发现诱饵质粒pGBKT7-PA与重组阳性质粒p GADT7-PCBP1的共转酵母菌落可以在SD/-2、SD/-4、SD/-4/X/A等3种营养缺陷型平板上正常生长,并且能分解底物X-α-Gal,使菌落呈现蓝色,与阳性对照组一致,表明PA蛋白与PCBP1蛋白在酵母系统中存在相互作用。免疫共沉淀试验发现PA蛋白可以将PCBP1蛋白沉淀下来,说明PA蛋白与PCBP1蛋白在哺乳动物细胞中存在相互作用。在PCBP1过表达细胞系中,PCBP1蛋白表达水平显著提高,流感病毒的复制滴度下降;而通过si RNA干扰后,PCBP1表达水平显著下降,流感病毒的复制滴度升高,表明PCBP1对流感病毒复制具有负调控作用。【结论】通过研究发现流感病毒PA蛋白与宿主蛋白PCBP1在酵母细胞和哺乳动物细胞中均存在相互作用,且宿主蛋白PCBP1对流感病毒的复制具有负调控作用。     

拟南芥热激因子AtHsfA1a在低温胁迫下对细胞程序性死亡中Caspase-3活性的影响

为了研究拟南芥热激因子AtHsfA1a对低温胁迫下细胞程序性死亡(programmed cell death,简称PCD)中含半胱氨酸的天冬氨酸蛋白水解酶(cysteinyl aspartate specific protease,简称Caspase)活性的影响,进一步确定拟南芥热激因子AtHsfA1a与低温胁迫中PCD的关系。以热激因子AtHsfA1a不同基因型(野生型、基因沉默型)的拟南芥为材料,首先获得单细胞,于4℃处理1 h后,测定热激因子AtHsfA1a的表达量,发现基因沉默型中AtHsfA1a的表达量低于野生型。接着用4',6-二脒基-2-苯基吲哚(4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole,简称DAPI)进行染色,在荧光显微镜下观察细胞形态,结果表明,低温胁迫后野生型未出现凋亡小体,基因沉默型的细胞出现了细胞凋亡小体。最后根据荧光底物Ac-DEVD-p NA的断裂程度测定Caspase-3活性,结果发现,低温处理后的拟南芥Caspase-3活性明显增强,而AtHsfA1a基因沉默型拟南芥Caspase-3活性比野生型拟南芥的高,说明低温胁迫下拟南芥AtHsfA1a能够抑制Caspase-3蛋白酶的活性。研究结果初步表明,在低温胁迫下拟南芥热激因子AtHsfA1a可以通过抑制Caspase-3蛋白酶的活性而对细胞程序性死亡有一定的抑制作用,这对于揭示植物耐逆境反应机制具有重要意义。     

胰岛素样生长因子(IGFs)及其在早期胚胎发育中的作用

胰岛素样生长因子(IGFs)在哺乳动物的生长发育过程中通过受体介导对生物体的生长起重要的调节作用。其在早期的胚胎发育过程中,对胚胎的生长发育十分重要。IGFs通过与IGFBPs家族蛋白的结合调节早期胚胎发育过程中的细胞凋亡。IGF-1可以增加体外培养的胚胎的囊胚发育率,并与其它基因协同作用调节胚胎细胞的凋亡,但其确切的抗凋亡的分子机理目前仍在研究中。     

Caspases 3 and 7: key mediators of mitochondrial events of apoptosis

The current model of apoptosis holds that upstream signals lead to activation of downstream effector caspases. We generated mice deficient in the two effectors, caspase 3 and caspase 7, which died immediately after birth with defects in cardiac development. Fibroblasts lacking both enzymes were highly resistant to both mitochondrial and death receptor-mediated apoptosis, displayed preservation of mitochondrial membrane potential, and had defective nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). Furthermore, the early apoptotic events of Bax translocation and cytochrome c release were also delayed. We conclude that caspases 3 and 7 are critical mediators of mitochondrial events of apoptosis.     

The PIDDosome, a protein complex implicated in activation of caspase-2 in response to genotoxic stress

Apoptosis is triggered by activation of initiator caspases upon complex-mediated clustering of the inactive zymogen, as occurs in the caspase-9-activating apoptosome complex. Likewise, caspase-2, which is involved in stress-induced apoptosis, is recruited into a large protein complex, the molecular composition of which remains elusive. We show that activation of caspase-2 occurs in a complex that contains the death domain-containing protein PIDD, whose expression is induced by p53, and the adaptor protein RAIDD. Increased PIDD expression resulted in spontaneous activation of caspase-2 and sensitization to apoptosis by genotoxic stimuli. Because PIDD functions in p53-mediated apoptosis, the complex assembled by PIDD and caspase-2 is likely to regulate apoptosis induced by genotoxins.     

Arabidopsis type I metacaspases control cell death

Metacaspases are distant relatives of animal caspases found in protozoa, fungi, and plants. Limited experimental data exist defining their function(s), despite their discovery by homology modeling a decade ago. We demonstrated that two type I metacaspases, AtMC1 and AtMC2, antagonistically control programmed cell death in Arabidopsis. AtMC1 is a positive regulator of cell death and requires conserved caspase-like putative catalytic residues for its function. AtMC2 negatively regulates cell death. This function is independent of the putative catalytic residues. Manipulation of the Arabidopsis type I metacaspase regulatory module can nearly eliminate the hypersensitive cell death response (HR) activated by plant intracellular immune receptors. This does not lead to enhanced pathogen proliferation, decoupling HR from restriction of pathogen growth.     

Requirement for caspase-2 in stress-induced apoptosis before mitochondrial permeabilization

A current view is that cytotoxic stress, such as DNA damage, induces apoptosis by regulating the permeability of mitochondria. Mitochondria sequester several proteins that, if released, kill by activating caspases, the proteases that disassemble the cell. Cytokines activate caspases in a different way, by assembling receptor complexes that activate caspases directly; in this case, the subsequent mitochondrial permeabilization accelerates cell disassembly by amplifying caspase activity. We found that cytotoxic stress causes activation of caspase-2, and that this caspase is required for the permeabilization of mitochondria. Therefore, we argue that cytokine-induced and stress-induced apoptosis act through conceptually similar pathways in which mitochondria are amplifiers of caspase activity rather than initiators of caspase activation.     

BID, BIM, and PUMA are essential for activation of the BAX- and BAK-dependent cell death program

Although the proteins BAX and BAK are required for initiation of apoptosis at the mitochondria, how BAX and BAK are activated remains unsettled. We provide in vivo evidence demonstrating an essential role of the proteins BID, BIM, and PUMA in activating BAX and BAK. Bid, Bim, and Puma triple-knockout mice showed the same developmental defects that are associated with deficiency of Bax and Bak, including persistent interdigital webs and imperforate vaginas. Genetic deletion of Bid, Bim, and Puma prevented the homo-oligomerization of BAX and BAK, and thereby cytochrome c-mediated activation of caspases in response to diverse death signals in neurons and T lymphocytes, despite the presence of other BH3-only molecules. Thus, many forms of apoptosis require direct activation of BAX and BAK at the mitochondria by a member of the BID, BIM, or PUMA family of proteins.     

细胞凋亡对宰后肌肉嫩化作用机理的研究进展

嫩度是决定肉食用品质的重要指标。宰后肉的嫩度发生不连续变化,严重降低了消费者的购买意愿,因此阐明宰后嫩化机理一直是肉品科学领域的研究热点。自“凋亡”的概念引入至宰后肌肉嫩化过程后一直广受关注,动物被屠宰放血后,活性氧（reactive oxygen species,ROS）大量累积,ATP（adenosine triphosphate）逐渐耗尽,必然导致细胞死亡。宰后肌细胞死亡和肌肉嫩化都是在一系列调控因子作用下激活肌肉内源酶,并由内源酶水解蛋白质破坏细胞结构,因此这两个生化过程被认为高度相关。本文综述了宰后肌细胞主要以凋亡的形式死亡,分析了除凋亡外,宰后早期产生少量ROS时细胞会通过自噬启动自身防御系统,宰后后期ATP逐渐耗尽肌细胞可能从凋亡转变为坏死;明确了线粒体通路是宰后肌肉中细胞凋亡酶激活的关键路径,线粒体死亡因子释放是细胞内死亡级联反应的总开关,其开放状态直接决定着细胞以何种途径进行死亡,并进一步从线粒体膜通透化和内膜嵴重构两方面,讨论了宰后线粒体损伤诱导凋亡因子的释放机理;综述了线粒体损伤变化及其对嫩化过程的影响,并从线粒体通过参与能量代谢影响肌肉pH以及通过释放凋亡因子调控细胞凋亡酶活性两方面分析了其潜在机理;探讨了宰后肌肉线粒体与内质网间相互作用以影响Ca²⁺信号传导以及细胞凋亡过程,或与溶酶体相互作用,破坏溶酶体膜稳定性,使其释放组织蛋白酶以激活线粒体Bax和Bid而加速线粒体膜通透性;综述了细胞凋亡酶在宰后早期被激活,并参与部分肌原纤维蛋白的有限降解,但随着宰后时间的延长,ATP逐渐耗尽等因素导致细胞凋亡酶失活,因此细胞凋亡酶只参与宰后早期的嫩化过程。综述内容可为完善宰后肌肉嫩化过程提供理论参考。     

Control of nonapoptotic developmental cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans by a polyglutamine-repeat protein

Death is a vital developmental cell fate. In Caenorhabditis elegans, programmed death of the linker cell, which leads gonadal elongation, proceeds independently of caspases and apoptotic effectors. To identify genes promoting linker-cell death, we performed a genome-wide RNA interference screen. We show that linker-cell death requires the gene pqn-41, encoding an endogenous polyglutamine-repeat protein. pqn-41 functions cell-autonomously and is expressed at the onset of linker-cell death. pqn-41 expression is controlled by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase SEK-1, which functions in parallel to the zinc-finger protein LIN-29 to promote cellular demise. Linker-cell death is morphologically similar to cell death associated with normal vertebrate development and polyglutamine-induced neurodegeneration. Our results may therefore provide molecular inroads to understanding nonapoptotic cell death in metazoan development and disease.     

A plant vacuolar protease, VPE, mediates virus-induced hypersensitive cell death

Programmed cell death (PCD) in animals depends on caspase protease activity. Plants also exhibit PCD, for example as a response to pathogens, although a plant caspase remains elusive. Here we show that vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) is a protease essential for a virus-induced hypersensitive response that involves PCD. VPE deficiency prevented virus-induced hypersensitive cell death in tobacco plants. VPE is structurally unrelated to caspases, although VPE has a caspase-1 activity. Thus, plants have evolved a regulated cellular suicide strategy that, unlike PCD of animals, is mediated by VPE and the cellular vacuole.     

Regulation of an ATG7-beclin 1 program of autophagic cell death by caspase-8

Caspases play a central role in apoptosis, a well-studied pathway of programmed cell death. Other programs of death potentially involving necrosis and autophagy may exist, but their relation to apoptosis and mechanisms of regulation remains unclear. We define a new molecular pathway in which activation of the receptor-interacting protein (a serine-threonine kinase) and Jun amino-terminal kinase induced cell death with the morphology of autophagy. Autophagic death required the genes ATG7 and beclin 1 and was induced by caspase-8 inhibition. Clinical therapies involving caspase inhibitors may arrest apoptosis but also have the unanticipated effect of promoting autophagic cell death.