A yeast prion, Mod5, promotes acquired drug resistance and cell survival under environmental stress

Prion conversion from a soluble protein to an aggregated state may be involved in the cellular adaptation of yeast to the environment. However, it remains unclear whether and how cells actively use prion conversion to acquire a fitness advantage in response to environmental stress. We identified Mod5, a yeast transfer RNA isopentenyltransferase lacking glutamine/asparagine-rich domains, as a yeast prion protein and found that its prion conversion in yeast regulated the sterol biosynthetic pathway for acquired cellular resistance against antifungal agents. Furthermore, selective pressure by antifungal drugs on yeast facilitated the de novo appearance of Mod5 prion states for cell survival. Thus, phenotypic changes caused by active prion conversion under environmental selection may contribute to cellular adaptation in living organisms.     

Activation of the cellular proto-oncogene product p21Ras by addition of a myristylation signal

The 21-kD proteins encoded by ras oncogenes (p21Ras) are modified covalently by a palmitate attached to a cysteine residue near the carboxyl terminus. Changing cysteine at position 186 to serine in oncogenic forms produces a nonpalmitylated protein that fails to associate with membranes and does not transform NIH 3T3 cells. Nonpalmitylated p21Ras derivatives were constructed that contained myristic acid at their amino termini to determine if a different form of lipid modification could restore either membrane association or transforming activity. An activated p21Ras, altered in this way, exhibited both efficient membrane association and full transforming activity. Surprisingly, myristylated forms of normal cellular Ras were also transforming. This demonstrates that Ras must bind to membranes in order to transmit a signal for transformation, but that either myristate or palmitate can perform this role. However, the normal function of cellular Ras is diverted to transformation by myristate and therefore must be regulated ordinarily by some unique property of palmitate that myristate does not mimic. Myristylation thus represents a novel mechanism by which Ras can become transforming.     

两歧双歧杆菌PRL2010细胞壁蛋白预测和功能分析

[目的]运用生物信息学方法预测两歧双歧杆菌PRL2010锚定于细胞壁的蛋白和功能分析,为后续研究该菌与宿主相互作用的分子机制奠定基础。[方法]用Phobius和Signal P 4.0软件对两歧双歧杆菌PRL2010全基因组编码蛋白中细胞壁蛋白进行预测,同时采用COG(Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins)功能数据库对预测的细胞壁蛋白进行功能注释和聚类分析。[结果]两歧双歧杆菌PRL2010基因组1 706个编码蛋白中,28个蛋白含有细胞壁的锚定结构域。细胞壁蛋白功能分析结果显示,28个细胞壁蛋白中,21个蛋白没有功能注释,7个蛋白有功能注释,其中1个蛋白(exo-alpha-sialidase)参与碳水化合物代谢与转运,2个蛋白(bacteriophage endolysin和cell wall-associated protein)参与细胞壁和细胞膜的生物合成,2个蛋白(hypothetical protein BBPR_0440和Subtilisin family peptidase)参与蛋白质翻译后修饰,1个蛋白(beta-n-acetylhexosaminidase Nag Z)参与细胞内运输、分泌和囊泡运输,1个蛋白(metallophosphoesterase)功能只是预测的。[结论]两歧双歧杆菌PRL2010的大多数细胞壁蛋白功能未知,还需要在以后的研究中进一步分析和注释。     

The mevalonate pathway controls heart formation in Drosophila by isoprenylation of Ggamma1

The early morphogenetic mechanisms involved in heart formation are evolutionarily conserved. A screen for genes that control Drosophila heart development revealed a cardiac defect in which pericardial and cardial cells dissociate, which causes loss of cardiac function and embryonic lethality. This phenotype resulted from mutations in the genes encoding HMG-CoA reductase, downstream enzymes in the mevalonate pathway, and G protein Ggamma1, which is geranylgeranylated, thus representing an end point of isoprenoid biosynthesis. Our findings reveal a cardial cell-autonomous requirement of Ggamma1 geranylgeranylation for heart formation and suggest the involvement of the mevalonate pathway in congenital heart disease.     

An acylation cycle regulates localization and activity of palmitoylated Ras isoforms

We show that the specific subcellular distribution of H- and Nras guanosine triphosphate-binding proteins is generated by a constitutive de/reacylation cycle that operates on palmitoylated proteins, driving their rapid exchange between the plasma membrane (PM) and the Golgi apparatus. Depalmitoylation redistributes farnesylated Ras in all membranes, followed by repalmitoylation and trapping of Ras at the Golgi, from where it is redirected to the PM via the secretory pathway. This continuous cycle prevents Ras from nonspecific residence on endomembranes, thereby maintaining the specific intracellular compartmentalization. The de/reacylation cycle also initiates Ras activation at the Golgi by transport of PM-localized Ras guanosine triphosphate. Different de/repalmitoylation kinetics account for isoform-specific activation responses to growth factors.     

Partial reversion in yeast: genetic evidence for a new type of bifunctional protein

Two kinds of phenotypic expression in purine biosynthesis result from recessive mutation to adel2 in baker's yeast. The mutants are adenine-specific, blocked in the conversion of inosine 5'-phosphate to adenylosuccinic acid; their response to inhibition of pathway activity by adenine is considerably reduced. Allelic partial reversions can restore prototrophy without correcting the regulatory defect imparted by the primary mutation. The separation of the two properties of the locus by allelic mutation supports the hypothesis that the locus specifies a protein of two independent functions, enzymatic and regulatory.     

牛巴贝斯虫DXS基因的克隆和真核表达

【目的】顶质体是存在于包括疟原虫和巴贝斯虫在内的顶复门寄生虫的一种细胞器,在病原体中,它主要承载类异戊二烯前体和脂肪酸合成途径,异戊二烯五碳结构是有机体合成多种化合物的结构基础,对有机体生命活动至关重要,例如,在哺乳动物中成为胆固醇和类固醇激素的基本结构,在植物中参与合成类胡萝卜素。且存在于顶质体的类异戊二烯前体合成途径对于病原体的生命活动至关重要且不存在于人类和哺乳动物机体,这使其成为近年来人们研究抗原虫药物的焦点。有学者发现利用特异性阻断类异戊二烯代谢途径的药物可治疗疟疾。1-脱氧-5-磷酸 D-木酮糖合成酶（DXS）为该途径中的第一个限速酶。因此,针对牛巴贝斯虫的1-脱氧-5-磷酸 D-木酮糖合成酶dxs基因进行克隆和序列分析,并对其进行真核表达和活性检测,以期获得具有活性的1-脱氧-5-磷酸 D-木酮糖合成酶,为进行针对该酶的特异性抑制剂的筛选奠定基础。【方法】首先采用反转录PCR技术从牛巴贝斯虫陕县株总RNA中扩增出DXS基因的全长cDNA,并对其进行克隆测序,对测序结果进行序列分析,将阳性克隆亚克隆至带荧光标签的真核表达载体,利用脂质体转染法将重组真核表达质粒转染至Hela细胞,利用倒置荧光显微镜观察转染细胞的表达情况,消化收集转染细胞,通过超声破碎后采用Western blot技术对DXS蛋白的表达情况进行检测,结合G418压力筛选以及有限稀释的方法对转染阳性细胞进行筛选,获得阳性单克隆细胞。在体外建立DXS酶反应体系,并利用液相质谱联用技术对表达产物的体外活性进行检测。【结果】扩增得到的DXS基因全长共2 061 bp,共编码686个氨基酸,与GenBank上T2Bo株相应基因相似性达到98.0%。利用生物信息学方法对该蛋白质的二级结构进行分析发现,该酶具有3个结构域,分别是焦磷酸硫胺素结合区域;焦磷酸硫胺素嘧啶环结合区域;转酮醇酶C端区域,该酶属于常见的TPP依赖蛋白酶家族。通过倒置荧光显微镜观察,转染重组质粒后的Hela细胞呈现绿色荧光,Western blotting结果显示融合绿色荧光蛋白的DXS酶大小约为102 kD,表明构建的真核表达重组质粒在Hela细胞中进行了正确的表达。通过结合G418加压和有限稀释法筛选得到稳定转染重组质粒PEGFG-DXS的阳性单克隆细胞。利用质谱技术检测到在细胞粗提物与反应混合物反应后的产物中有分子量与DOXP相同的产物存在,在阳离子模式下m/z=237,表明表达产物具有催化活性。【结论】成功的表达了具有活性的牛巴贝斯虫DXS酶,并对融合蛋白的活性进行了定性分析,为今后开展针对DXS酶的特异性化合物体外高通量筛选研究提供了材料。对研究针对DXS为靶标的抗原虫药物具有重要意义,为深入研究该酶的酶学性质和特异性抑制剂筛选奠定了基础。     

拟南芥SSCD1基因突变对苯丙氨酸诱导花青素积累的影响

为探索花青素生物合成的调控机制,以模式植物拟南芥野生型Col–0和酪氨酸降解途径缺陷突变体sscd1为试验材料,分析5种浓度(0、0.1、0.5、1.0、2.0mmol/L)外源苯丙氨酸处理后花青素的积累和花青素生物合成相关基因的表达,探讨酪氨酸降解途径受阻是否影响苯丙氨酸诱导花青素的积累。结果发现:外源添加不同浓度苯丙氨酸能提高拟南芥幼苗花青素的含量,而且花青素的含量随着苯丙氨酸浓度的增加而增多;苯丙氨酸处理后,sscd1突变体幼苗中花青素的积累增多,同时花青素生物合成基因,如PAL、CHI、CHS、DFR、LDOX、UF3GT的表达水平在sscd1突变体中都显著上调,表明SSCD1基因突变会阻断酸酪氨酸降解,增加苯丙氨酸诱导花青素的合成。     

植物甲羟戊酸激酶基因研究进展

类异戊二烯是维持植物生长发育、光合作用等所必需的重要有机物质,包括叶绿素、生长调节剂等多种重要物质,是通过甲羟戊酸代谢途径中一系列酶促反应合成的。本文综述了该途径中的限速酶之一甲羟戊酸激酶的生物学特性、酶促反应机理、基因克隆、基因转化等方面的研究进展,旨在为其在作物改良中的应用提供依据。     

亚硝化单胞菌is79a3 Sec途径分泌系统及底物蛋白分析

[目的]分析亚硝化单胞菌is79a3 Sec途径分泌装置及底物蛋白。[方法]从NCBI中选取亚硝化单胞菌is79a3菌株基因组注释的蛋白质氨基酸序列,采用Blast程序搜寻基因组中编码Sec途径分泌装置的蛋白,同时采用Signal P 4.0、Lipo P、TMHMM 2.0软件分析该菌株基因组中Sec途径的底物蛋白,同时采用COG功能数据库进行功能分析。[结果]通过分析发现亚硝化单胞菌is79a3菌株编码Sec途径分泌装置有关的蛋白15个,包含Sec途径分泌系统中12个转运蛋白编码基因,1个信号肽识别蛋白编码基因和2个信号肽酶蛋白编码基因;Sec途径底物蛋白分析结果显示366个含有Sec途径Spase I类肽酶识别的信号肽,36个蛋白只含有Spase II类肽酶识别的信号肽。402个Sec途径底物蛋白功能分析结果显示:有272个蛋白功能不清楚,130个蛋白有具体的功能注释。[结论]亚硝化单胞菌is79a3 Sec途径分泌装置完整,该菌株Sec途径底物蛋白大多数没有功能注释和功能未知,在有功能注释的蛋白中,主要参与细胞壁/细胞膜的生物合成、蛋白质翻译后修饰/蛋白更替、无机离子转运代谢、能源产生与转换。     

中国红豆杉紫杉烷10β-羟化酶的分子克隆及在酿酒酵母中的表达

天然产物紫杉醇是一种重要的抗癌药。其天然来源的匮乏和缺少商业上可行的化学全合成促进了对紫杉醇生物来源的深入研究。紫杉醇的生物合成是一个复杂的多步过程，主要包括四环骨架的构建和加入各种羟基和酰基基团，其中羟基的加入由细胞色素P450氧化酶催化。我们从中国红豆杉愈伤组织细胞mRNA构建的cDNA文库中克隆得到几个P450 cDNA片段。其中一个长1494bp的cDNA片段，编码497个氨基酸，推断蛋白分子量为56470 Da，等电点为9．42。序列比较显示，这个推断蛋白包含多个细胞色素P450氧化酶的保守区，具有典型的细胞色素P450氧化酶的特征，进一步的比较发现其与已鉴定的东北红豆杉紫杉烷-10β-羟化酶有92％的同源性。将这个cDNA片段连接在质粒pYeDP60上构建表达载体，导入相应的酵母表达菌株WHT和WVS进行表达，获得相应大小的蛋白表达条带，功能鉴定的工作正在进行中。     

链丝菌素生物合成基因簇的克隆及其异源表达

通过基因组粘粒文库的高通量接合转移、异源表达和生物活性测定,结合DNA序列测定,从刺孢吸水链霉菌AA97026中筛选具有广谱抗菌活性的小分子化合物及其生物合成基因簇,获得1个对革兰氏阳性细菌和红酵母均有抑制活性的阳性克隆1H5,其部分DNA序列与链丝菌素生物合成基因相似。含1H5的异源链霉菌宿主的发酵液均能检测到链丝菌素的不同组份,表明1H5含有完整的链丝菌素生物合成基因簇。     

L–茶氨酸调节机体免疫功能机理的研究进展

L–茶氨酸是源自茶叶中的一种特有的非蛋白氨基酸,具有多种生理活性,有益于机体健康,已被广泛用于食品添加剂。综述了L–茶氨酸对机体的免疫调节作用和L–茶氨酸提高机体免疫功能的机理(通过抑制靶细胞甲羟戊酸代谢途径,导致异戊烯焦磷酸酯累积,激活γδT细胞并分泌Th1型细胞因子,以及L–茶氨酸促进体内GSH合成,进而增强免疫细胞抗氧化能力)的研究进展,并对L–茶氨酸相关保健产品的深入开发和相关领域的研究进行了展望。     

丹参酚酸类成分生物合成途径研究进展

酚酸类成分是丹参的一大类活性成分,具有重要的生理意义,从丹参酚酸类成分的生理活性、生源途径、生源途径关键酶基因研究等方面进行了归纳总结,提出了有待深入研究解决的问题,为丹参酚酸成分的生物合成及其调控研究奠定基础。     

S-nitrosylation of matrix metalloproteinases: signaling pathway to neuronal cell death

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and stroke. However, the mechanism of MMP activation remains unclear. We report that MMP activation involves S-nitrosylation. During cerebral ischemia in vivo, MMP-9 colocalized with neuronal nitric oxide synthase. S-Nitrosylation activated MMP-9 in vitro and induced neuronal apoptosis. Mass spectrometry identified the active derivative of MMP-9, both in vitro and in vivo, as a stable sulfinic or sulfonic acid, whose formation was triggered by S-nitrosylation. These findings suggest a potential extracellular proteolysis pathway to neuronal cell death in which S-nitrosylation activates MMPs, and further oxidation results in a stable posttranslational modification with pathological activity.     

蜜蜂蜂王与雄蜂幼虫饥饿信息素鉴定及其生物合成通路

【目的】蜜蜂幼虫在饥饿状态下会通过释放特定信息素来向外界传递饥饿信号,称为蜜蜂幼虫饥饿信息素(hunger pheromone)。论文旨在研究西方蜜蜂(Apis mellifera)蜂王与雄蜂幼虫饥饿信息素化学成分及在幼虫体内的生物合成通路,明确蜜蜂幼虫与成年蜂之间的化学信息素交流机制。【方法】采集2日龄与4日龄西方蜜蜂蜂王与雄蜂幼虫及其食物,将其分为饥饿组、饲喂组与纯食物组。饲喂组幼虫平躺在预先准备好的食物表面,饥饿处理组则不提供食物。所有样品分别放入20 m L密封采样瓶中并在35℃条件下放置45 min。利用Needle trap技术从样品瓶中采集10 m L气体,富集气体中的挥发性化学物质。在气质联用进样口以250℃高温将富集的化学物质解离,并通过气质联用技术分析鉴定蜂王与雄蜂幼虫饥饿信息素。同时,采用RNA-Seq技术分析饥饿信息素在蜂王与雄蜂幼虫体内的生物合成通路及相关基因表达。【结果】从蜂王与雄蜂幼虫中分别分析鉴定出10种与9种信息素,其中蜂王幼虫含有一种特有的幼虫信息素——2-庚酮,且在蜂王食物中含量最高。E-β-罗勒烯在蜂王与雄蜂幼虫各饥饿组含量均显著高于其饲喂幼虫组与食物组,表明蜂王与雄蜂幼虫均以E-β-罗勒烯为其饥饿信息素。2日龄蜂王与雄蜂幼虫饥饿组E-β-罗勒烯含量均差异不显著,但4日龄蜂王幼虫饥饿组E-β-罗勒烯含量显著低于雄蜂幼虫组。其余8种信息素为肉豆蔻酸、棕榈酸、甲基棕榈酸脂、硬脂酸、棕榈油酸、十五烷酸、乙酸与乙酸乙酯,均未出现饥饿组高于其他两组的规律。其中乙酸乙酯与乙酸在食物组与饲喂组含量高于饥饿组,推测其可能来自于幼虫食物。RNA-Seq结果表明蜂王与雄蜂幼虫通过甲羟戊酸途径由乙酰辅酶A从头合成E-β-罗勒烯。发现Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase-like与Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase等9个基因参与该通路,但在饥饿组与其饲喂组幼虫中表达差异均不显著。【结论】蜜蜂蜂王与雄蜂幼虫利用E-β-罗勒烯作为其饥饿信息素乞求食物,并且在体内从头合成E-β-罗勒烯。工蜂利用2-庚酮标记蜂王幼虫,但未对雄蜂幼虫进行标记。     

Coupling of stress in the ER to activation of JNK protein kinases by transmembrane protein kinase IRE1

Malfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) induce cellular stress and activate c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNKs or SAPKs). Mammalian homologs of yeast IRE1, which activate chaperone genes in response to ER stress, also activated JNK, and IRE1alpha-/- fibroblasts were impaired in JNK activation by ER stress. The cytoplasmic part of IRE1 bound TRAF2, an adaptor protein that couples plasma membrane receptors to JNK activation. Dominant-negative TRAF2 inhibited activation of JNK by IRE1. Activation of JNK by endogenous signals initiated in the ER proceeds by a pathway similar to that initiated by cell surface receptors in response to extracellular signals.     

高等植物脱落酸生物合成及其信号转导研究进展

介绍了近年来高等植物体脱落酸（ABA）生物合成缺陷型及反应敏感性突变体、逆境胁迫下ABA的合成、ABA生物合成途径以及ABA信号的细胞识别与转导等几方面的研究进展。