猪的GAD2基因的克隆及其系统发育的分析

通过RT-PCR克隆和测定了猪的谷氨酸脱羧酶-2(Glutamic acid decarboxylase 2,GAD2)基因的核苷酸序列并构建了该基因编码蛋白的三维结构分子模型。结果显示猪的谷氨酸脱羧酶-2基因的核苷酸长度由1758bp个碱基组成,编码产物为由585个氨基酸残基组成的多肽,编码产物中含有5-磷酸吡哆醛互作的结构域。构建包括共19物种的系统进化树,所得数据有利于我们了解谷氨酸脱羧酶趋同和趋异的进化途径。     

Brain glutamate decarboxylase cloned in lambda gt-11: fusion protein produces gamma-aminobutyric acid

Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD; E.C. 4.1.1.15) converts glutamate to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system. This report describes the isolation of a GAD complementary DNA clone by immunological screening of a lambda gt-11 brain complementary DNA expression library. The fusion protein produced by this clone catalyzes the conversion of glutamate to GABA and carbon dioxide, confirming its identity as GAD. Antibodies to beta-galactosidase remove GAD enzymatic activity from solution, showing that this activity is associated with the fusion protein. In immunoblotting experiments all three available antisera to GAD reacted with the fusion polypeptide and with two major polypeptides (molecular size, 60,000 and 66,000 daltons) in brain extracts.     

发芽粟谷中谷氨酸脱羧酶的主要酶学性质初探

[目的]探讨发芽粟谷[Setaria italica（L.）Beauv.]中谷氨酸脱羧酶（GAD）的主要酶学性质。[方法]以发芽粟谷为试材,研究发芽粟谷GAD的活性及其主要酶学性质。[结果]发芽粟谷GAD最适温度为40℃,其耐热性较差,32℃保温1 h后其酶活保持率为86.3%;发芽粟谷GAD最适pH值为5.5,在pH值5.0～5.5范围内酶活保持率在80.0%以上;发芽粟GAD对Glu的Km为22.36mmol/L,Vmax为2.28μmol/min;Ca2＋、Mg2＋、Li＋、PLP和VB6对发芽粟谷GAD活力具有促进作用,而Zn2＋、La3＋、Cu2＋起抑制作用,Mn2＋、Na＋、Fe2＋和EGTA则无显著影响。[结论]该研究可为利用发芽粟谷内源GAD富集GABA提供理论依据。     

茶树谷氨酸脱羧酶基因(GAD)的原核表达及酶活快速检测

L-谷氨酸经脱羧酶反应可生成γ-氨基丁酸(GABA),此过程受谷氨酸脱羧酶(glutamic acid decarboxylase,GAD)催化。从茶树转录组库中筛选GAD基因,通过NCBI比对获得其cDNA序列(GenBank登录号为KT728367.1)。序列分析表明,GAD基因的ORF全长为1 482 bp,共编码493个氨基酸,该蛋白为细胞质蛋白,分子量为55.49 kDa,理论等电点为5.44。从舒茶早茶树根部中克隆该基因,并构建pMAL-c5X-GAD表达载体,经IPTG诱导,SDS-PAGE检测,得到分子量约为55 kDa的目的蛋白。体外酶活反应后用薄层色谱法(TLC)分析,经BAW(Butanol:Acetic acid:H_2O,4:1:2)和75%苯酚水溶液(Phenol:H_2O,3:1)2种展开剂分离酶促产物,均可检测到GABA的生成。通过实时荧光定量PCR对GAD基因在不同茶树组织的表达水平进行检测,发现GAD在根中表达量最高,而在芽中表达量最低,在其他组织中表达各不相同,其表达具有组织特异性。     

L-cysteine, a bicarbonate-sensitive endogenous excitotoxin

After systemic administration to immature rodents, L-cysteine destroys neurons in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and striatum, but the underlying mechanism has never been clarified. This neurotoxicity of L-cysteine, in vitro or in vivo, has now been shown to be mediated primarily through the N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of glutamate receptor (with quisqualate receptor participation at higher concentrations). In addition, the excitotoxic potency of L-cysteine was substantially increased in the presence of physiological concentrations of bicarbonate ion. L-Cysteine is naturally present in the human brain and in the environment, and is much more powerful than beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine, a bicarbonate-dependent excitotoxin, which has been implicated in an adult neurodegenerative disorder endemic to Guam. Thus, the potential involvement of this common sulfur-containing amino acid in neurodegenerative processes affecting the central nervous system warrants consideration.     

产GABA发酵乳杆菌的筛选、发酵条件优化 及其谷氨酸脱羧酶基因的克隆

从酸菜汁中分离到一株具有谷氨酸脱羧酶活力的乳酸菌YS2,经过16S rDNA 序列分析鉴定为发酵乳 杆菌(Lactobacillus fermentum）。YS2 在含1% L-谷氨酸钠的MRS 培养基中,GABA 的产量达到4.37 g/L。对YS2 产 GABA 的碳源、氮源、初始pH 进行了初步优化,确定最佳条件为院以蔗糖为主要碳源,以蛋白胨和牛肉膏为氮源,初 始pH 6.0,在此条件下,GABA 产量达到5.68 g/L。通过PCR 顺利地扩增出了YS2 菌株的谷氨酸脱羧酶gadB 基因,将 PCR 产物与表达载体pEASY-E1 连接。测序结果表明,YS2 的谷氨酸脱羧酶与Lactobacillus fermentum F-6 的谷氨酸 脱羧酶序列一致性达到99%。重组酶与组氨酸标签融合表达,经镍柱亲和层析纯化出融合蛋白,电泳显示出56 kDa 的目的条带,纯化的重组酶表现出了酶活性(1.06 U/mg）。     

Thrombin stimulation of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate formation in murine neuroblastoma cells (clone N1E-115)

Thrombin, the central regulatory enzyme in coagulation, when incubated in nanomolar concentrations with murine neuroblastoma cells produced a rapid and marked increase in tritiated guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) formation that was blocked by hirudin and competitively antagonized by dansylarginine N-(3-ethyl-1,5-pentanediyl)amide. Diisopropylphosphofluoridate-inactivated thrombin as well as the serine protease trypsin were markedly less potent and less effective than alpha-thrombin in producing this effect. Thrombin-stimulated cyclic GMP formation was inhibited by mepacrine and nordihydroguaiaretic acid but unaffected by indomethacin, suggesting that lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid are involved in the response. These results suggest that a thrombin-like protease in the brain may be involved with the function of neurons or that thrombin interactions with nerve cells, such as those following cerebral hemorrhage or other trauma of the central nervous system, may be important in the subsequent neuropathology.     

乳酸片球菌产谷氨酸脱羧酶的相关酶学性质研究

为研究乳酸片球菌谷氨酸脱羧酶（GAD）的性质,采用比色法测其酶活。结果表明：当底物L-MSG的浓度为100 mmol.L-1时,GAD的活力达到最大。GAD的浓度为3.16%,最适温度为37℃,最适pH为5.0,PLP浓度为0.1 mo.lL-1时,GAD酶活力最大。Mg2＋和Mn2＋使GAD活力提高10%左右,KCl...     

固定化唾液链球菌的酶学性质研究

以海藻酸钙为载体包埋唾液链球菌嗜热亚种Y-2的菌体细胞,对固定化细胞催化合成γ-氨基丁酸进行了较详细的研究。研究结果表明:固定化细胞谷氨酸脱羧酶(Glutamate decarboxylase,GAD)反应的最适温度为40℃,同时具有良好的温度稳定性。固定化细胞酶活最适反应pH为3.8。细胞经固定化后pH稳定性明显增加,GAD酶活回收率普遍高于游离细胞。0.1%Triton X-100具有较强的酶活促进作用。固定化细胞的GAD在酶促反应中并不存在底物抑制现象。在上述最优条件下进行菌体生产力测试,固定化细胞转化L-谷氨酸单钠盐11 h后,转化液γ-氨基丁酸的浓度达到了2.79 g/L。     

破壁方法对短乳杆菌谷氨酸脱羧酶提取效果的影响

采用不同的破壁方法提取短乳杆菌谷氨酸脱羧酶（GAD）,研究破壁方法对所得GAD活力的影响。结果表明,超声波破壁有利于菌体释放胞内谷氨酸脱羧酶。正交试验结果表明,超声波破壁的最佳工艺条件为：超声功率220 W,工作时间20 min,工作/间歇时间比5 s/10 s。     

籼稻GAD基因的克隆、序列分析及其植物表达载体构建

[目的]克隆籼稻谷氨酸脱羧酶(GAD)基因的全长cDNA,并进行序列分析和植物表达载体构建,为改良水稻的营养保健品质奠定基础.[方法]根据已知植物GAD基因的保守区域设计引物,以高GABA籼稻品系“新-9-4”的胚芽为材料,利用RT-PCR和RACE技术克隆GAD基因的全长cDNA;扩增其编码序列,构建双T-DNA植物表达载体.[结果]扩增获得长1962 bp的籼稻GAD基因全长cDNA(OsiGAD),包含1479 bp的开放阅读框,编码492个氨基酸.OsiGAD与已报道的水稻GAD基因OsGAD1、OsGAD2、OsGAD3的核苷酸序列同源性分别为67.1%、69.4%、98.3%,推导氨基酸序列的同源性分别为77.6%、70.1%、100.0%.OsiGAD蛋白序列具有磷酸吡哆醛结合位点和与钙调蛋白结合的C端延伸区域;构建了其具有水稻胚乳特异表达特性的双T-DNA植物高效表达载体pCDMAR-OsiGAD-hpt,选择标记基因和OsiGAD-因分别位于此载体的两个不同T-DNA区.[结论]克隆获得的籼稻GAD基因OsiGAD长1962 bp,并成功构建了其双T-DNA植物高效表达载体.     

Leonurine protects ischemia-induced brain injury via modulating SOD,MDA and GABA levels

The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of leonurine, a compound purified from Herba Leonuri that is active on ischemic rat behavior and cortical neurons, and explore the underlying mechanism. The general rat activity, cortical neuron morphology, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) levels were measured. We found leonurine significantly improve the general activity of rats in an open-field test, which was associated with attenuated neuronal damage induced by ischemia. Moreover, serum SOD activity was significantly greater, MDA level lower in the leonurine group as compared with ischemia group. In addition, GABA content in the cerebral cortex was significantly greater in high-dose leonurine group. Correspondingly, GAD67 protein level coincided with the GABA level. Taken together, our results demonstrated that leonurine attenuated brain injury during ischemia via antioxidative and anti-excitotoxicity effects by targeting GABA and leonurine might become a useful adjuvant neuroprotective agent.     

In situ hybridization to study the origin and fate of identified neurons

Egg-laying behavior in Aplysia is mediated by a set of peptides, including egg-laying hormone (ELH), which are released by a cluster of identified neurons, the bag cells. A family of neuropeptide genes which includes the gene encoding ELH along with two additional genes encoding the A and B peptides thought to initiate the egg-laying process has been isolated and their nucleotide sequence has been determined. In situ hybridization and immunofluorescence was used to explore the origin and distribution of the neurons that express this family of genes. The ELH genes are expressed, not only in the bag cells, but in an extensive system of neurons distributed in four of the five ganglia of the central nervous system. The genes for ELH are expressed in these cells early in the animal's life cycle. As a result, it was possible to use in situ hybridization to trace the cells expressing ELH to their site of origin. The cells originate outside the central nervous system in the ectoderm of the body wall and appear to migrate to their final locations within the central nervous system by crawling along strands of connective tissue.     

Control of glutamate clearance and synaptic efficacy by glial coverage of neurons

Analysis of excitatory synaptic transmission in the rat hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus revealed that glutamate clearance and, as a consequence, glutamate concentration and diffusion in the extracellular space, is associated with the degree of astrocytic coverage of its neurons. Reduction in glutamate clearance, whether induced pharmacologically or associated with a relative decrease of glial coverage in the vicinity of synapses, affected transmitter release through modulation of presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors. Astrocytic wrapping of neurons, therefore, contributes to the regulation of synaptic efficacy in the central nervous system.     

In vitro reconstruction of the respiratory central pattern generator of the mollusk Lymnaea

Most rhythmic behaviors such as respiration, locomotion, and feeding are under the control of networks of neurons in the central nervous system known as central pattern generators (CPGs). The respiratory rhythm of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis is a relatively simple, CPG-based behavior for which the underlying neural elements have been identified. A three-neuron network capable of generating the respiratory rhythm of this air-breathing mollusk has been reconstructed in culture. The intrinsic and network properties of this neural ensemble have been studied, and the mechanism of postinhibitory rebound excitation was found to be important for the rhythm generation. This in vitro model system enables a better understanding of the neural basis of rhythm generation.     

Quisqualate activates a rapidly inactivating high conductance ionic channel in hippocampal neurons

Glutamate activates a number of different receptor-channel complexes, each of which may contribute to generation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials in the mammalian central nervous system. The rapid application of the selective glutamate agonist, quisqualate, activates a large rapidly inactivating current (3 to 8 milliseconds), which is mediated by a neuronal ionic channel with high unitary conductance (35 picosiemens). The current through this channel shows pharmacologic characteristics similar to those observed for the fast excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC); it reverses near 0 millivolts and shows no significant voltage dependence. The amplitude of the current through this channel is many times larger than that through the other non-NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) channels. These results suggest that this high-conductance quisqualate-activated channel may mediate the fast EPSC in the mammalian central nervous system.     

Perineural epithelium: a new concept of its role in the integrity of the peripheral nervous system

A multilayered, squamous-celled epithelial cell membrane covering the individual nerve fasciculi of the entire peripheral nervous system ( both voluntary and autonomic) including the sensory and motor end organs has been demonstrated in various species of animals, including man. This membrane is the direct continuation of the pia-arachnoid mater from the central nervous system.Functional significance of this membrane, especially as a diffusion barrier and as a protector of the peripheral nervous system, is briefly discussed.     

橘小实蝇谷氨酸脱羧酶的生化及分子特性

【目的】在测定橘小实蝇（Bactrocera dorsalis）γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）含量和谷氨酸脱羧酶（GAD）活性的基础上,克隆获得橘小实蝇GAD基因（BdGAD1）全长序列,进一步解析GABA、GAD以及BdGAD1在橘小实蝇各发育阶段、成虫不同体段以及经阿维菌素刺激后的表达模式,分析橘小实蝇GAD对阿维菌素作用的应激反应,为系统解析GABA介导的阿维菌素抗药性机制提供基础数据。【方法】采用高效液相色谱法测定橘小实蝇体内GABA含量,分析阿维菌素刺激对GABA含量的剂量和时间效应;以谷氨酸为底物,采用微量滴度酶标板法测定橘小实蝇经阿维菌素刺激后GAD活力的变化;通过同源序列比对的方法,从橘小实蝇转录组数据中筛选出1条GAD基因片段,利用cDNA末端快速扩增技术（RACE）获得该基因的全长cDNA序列;应用生物信息学分析软件对该基因的开放阅读框、编码的氨基酸序列、分子量等信息进行预测,并基于最大似然法构建该基因与其他昆虫相关基因序列的系统发育树,明确其系统进化关系。此外,分别提取橘小实蝇各发育阶段和成虫不同体段的RNA,以表达稳定的α-Tubulin为内参基因,应用qPCR技术,解析BdGAD1在橘小实蝇各发育阶段（卵、幼虫、蛹和成虫）和成虫不同体段（头、胸、腹）以及经阿维菌素刺激后的表达模式。【结果】经阿维菌素刺激后,橘小实蝇体内GABA含量升高,且与阿维菌素剂量及处理时间呈正相关,暗示橘小实蝇可能通过调节GABA含量以抵御阿维菌素的毒害。同时,橘小实蝇体内GAD的比活力也随药剂剂量增加而升高。通过RACE扩增,获得了橘小实蝇BdGAD1的cDNA全序列,长度1 755 bp,开放阅读框1 197 bp,编码398个氨基酸,GenBank登录号为KC763804。基于最大似然法构建的系统发育树显示,该基因编码的蛋白质与冈比亚按蚊的GAD亲缘关系最近,序列一致性高达97%。qPCR分析结果表明,BdGAD1在幼虫期表达量最高,不同体段间相比较发现该基因在成虫腹部的表达量最高。经阿维菌素刺激后,BdGAD1表达水平上调。【结论】BdGAD1的表达具有发育阶段和体段特异性。阿维菌素能够刺激橘小实蝇体内BdGAD1表达水平上升,进而引起GAD活力增加促使虫体合成产生大量的GABA,这可能是橘小实蝇抵御阿维菌素毒害甚至产生抗药性的原因。     

Immunotherapeutic approaches to Alzheimer's disease

Although neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease are not classically considered mediated by inflammation or the immune system, in some instances the immune system may play an important role in the degenerative process. Furthermore, it has become clear that the immune system itself may have beneficial effects in nervous system diseases considered neurodegenerative. Immunotherapeutic approaches designed to induce a humoral immune response have recently been developed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. These studies have led to human trials that resulted in both beneficial and adverse effects. In animal models, it has also been shown that immunotherapy designed to induce a cellular immune response may be of benefit in central nervous system injury, although T cells may have either a beneficial or detrimental effect depending on the type of T cell response induced. These areas provide a new avenue for exploring immune system-based therapy of neurodegenerative diseases and will be discussed here with a primary focus on Alzheimer's disease. We will also discuss how these approaches affect microglia activation, which plays a key role in therapy of such diseases.     

Pavlovian conditioning of rat mucosal mast cells to secrete rat mast cell protease II

Antigen (egg albumin) injections, which stimulate mucosal mast cells to secrete mediators, were paired with an audiovisual cue. After reexposure to the audiovisual cue, a mediator (rat mast cell protease II) was measured with a sensitive and specific assay. Animals reexposed to only the audiovisual cue released a quantity of protease not significantly different from animals reexposed to both the cue and the antigen; these groups released significantly more protease than animals that had received the cue and antigen in a noncontingent manner. The results support a role for the central nervous system as a functional effector of mast cell function in the allergic state.