Blood-brain neutral amino acid transport activity is increased after portacaval anastomosis

In rats after portacaval anastomosis (an animal model of chronic liver disease), transport of tryptophan and other members of the large neutral amino acid group from blood to brain was markedly enhanced. Increased transport activity was apparently restricted to the neutral amino acid transport system, since brain uptake of glucose, inulin, and tyramine was unaffected while blood-brain arginine transport was significantly reduced. These results strikingly confirm the hypothesis that carrier-mediated blood-brain transport is the limiting factor determining the availability of the neutral amino acids to the brain. The encephalopathy associated with cirrhosis may be the result of abnormal neurotransmitter metabolism and neurotransmission secondary to increased neutral amino acid transport activity and an increased brain content of members of the neutral amino acid group.     

A specific 37,000-dalton protein that accumulates in regenerating but not in nonregenerating mammalian nerves

A 37-kilodalton protein is synthesized at higher rates in the peripheral and central nervous system of newborn rats than in adult animals. As a specific response to denervation, the synthesis of the 37-kilodalton protein is increased in the mature peripheral and central nervous system; however, this protein accumulates only in the peripheral nervous system. The differences in accumulation of the protein correlate with the apparent differences in the ability of peripheral and central axons to regenerate. The synthesis of the 37-kilodalton protein is inhibited when proper innervation or reinnervation is established.     

Melanesian blond hair is caused by an amino acid change in TYRP1

Naturally blond hair is rare in humans and found almost exclusively in Europe and Oceania. Here, we identify an arginine-to-cysteine change at a highly conserved residue in tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) as a major determinant of blond hair in Solomon Islanders. This missense mutation is predicted to affect catalytic activity of TYRP1 and causes blond hair through a recessive mode of inheritance. The mutation is at a frequency of 26% in the Solomon Islands, is absent outside of Oceania, represents a strong common genetic effect on a complex human phenotype, and highlights the importance of examining genetic associations worldwide.     

Poliovirus host range is determined by a short amino acid sequence in neutralization antigenic site I

The mouse-adapted strain of poliovirus type 2 (Lansing) induces fatal poliomyelitis in mice after intracerebral inoculation, whereas mice inoculated with poliovirus type 1 (Mahoney) show no signs of disease. Previous work indicated that the adaptation to mouse virulence is associated with the viral capsid proteins and that mutations in neutralization antigenic site I of poliovirus reduce neurovirulence of the Lansing strain in mice. The role of antigenic site I in mouse neurovirulence was further explored by constructing an antigenic hybrid virus. Six amino acids in antigenic site I of the Mahoney strain were replaced with a sequence specific for the Lansing strain by using a mutagenesis cartridge. The hybrid virus was neutralized by polyclonal antisera elicited by the type 1 and type 2 strains of poliovirus and by neutralizing monoclonal antibodies directed against antigenic site I of type 2 virus. The hybrid virus induced paralytic disease in mice, an observation demonstrating that a short sequence of amino acids in antigenic site I is an important determinant of poliovirus host range. Antigenic site I may be involved in attachment of poliovirus to cells of the mouse central nervous system.     

酿酒酵母中磷脂合成相关基因突变对细胞自噬和液泡形态的影响

[目的]探讨酿酒酵母中磷脂合成相关基因突变对细胞自噬和液泡形态的影响.[方法]通过尼罗红染色观察酵母中磷脂合成相关基因突变后脂滴的形态;用绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)标记细胞自噬蛋白Atg8后,采用荧光显微镜和免疫印迹试验检测突变体细胞自噬的发生情况,并使用荧光染料FM4-64检测液泡形态;此外,检测相关突变体对吩嗪-1-羧酸(申嗪霉素)的敏感性.[结果]在营养有限条件下,酿酒酵母中磷脂合成相关基因突变体中脂滴的大小或数量受到不同程度的影响,但细胞自噬在常规检测条件下正常;其中磷脂酸胞苷转移酶编码基因CDS1突变导致液泡形态异常(碎片化),而其他磷脂合成相关基因突变不影响液泡形态;回补CDS1后,cds1-DAmP突变体中液泡形态恢复正常;此外,cds 1-DAmP突变体对吩嗪-1-羧酸处理更为敏感.[结论]酿酒酵母中脂滴和液泡形态异常不一定影响细胞自噬的正常进行,但可能影响其对外界环境的响应.     

Mycoplasma leachii causes polyarthritis in calves via the blood route but is not associated with pneumonia

Mycoplasma leachii was initially isolated from arthritic calves in South Queensland, Australia, and its ability to cause clinical polyarthritis in calves was demonstrated by experimental infection. However, the source of M. leachii infection in calves and its means of spreading are not well known. In this study, one-month-old calves were inoculated with cultures of M. leachii or joint fluid (collected from M. leachii-infected calves) through the intraarticular, intravenous, intratracheal, intranasal or oral routes. Multidisciplinary procedures, including clinical assessment, etiology assessment, pathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC), were used to evaluate the pathogenicity of M. leachii in calves and to elucidate the transmission route of M. leachii infection in calves. The results showed that all calves inoculated intraarticularly with cultured GN407 or joint fluid and two-thirds of the calves inoculated intravenously with joint fluid developed severe polyarthritis, and the M. leachii antigen was detected in the joints of all infected calves by IHC and PCR. In contrast, calves inoculated with cultured M. leachii or joint fluid through the intratracheal, intranasal or oral routes did not show any M. leachii infection in the clinical assessment, etiology assessment, or pathology and IHC results. These results indicated that polyarthritis caused by M. leachii in calves is transmitted via the blood route; however, this disease is not transmitted through the respiratory or digestive routes. In addition, the M. leachii antigen was not detected in the lungs of all the inoculated calves using IHC and PCR, indicating that M. leachii is not associated with pneumonia, even in the calves inoculated through the respiratory duct. These findings are important information for the prevention and control of calf polyarthritis caused by M. leachii.     

Activation of polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis in T cells by H-2 alloantigen but not MLS determinants

Murine minor lymphocyte-stimulating (Mls) determinants are cell surface antigens that stimulate strong primary T cell responses; the responding T cells display restricted T cell receptor (TCR) V beta gene usage. Interaction of T cells with mitogens or major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens activated the polyphosphoinositide (PI) signaling pathway, but this pathway was not triggered by Mls recognition. However, interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion and proliferation to all three stimuli were comparable. Thus, although recognition of both allo-H-2 and Mls determinants is thought to be mediated by the TCR, these antigens appear to elicit biochemically distinct signal transduction pathways.     

高、低温催青诱导家蚕滞育发生中的蛋白质修饰

【目的】研究高、低温诱导家蚕Bombyx mori滞育发生时蚕卵蛋白质修饰的差异,为后续深入探究昆虫滞育诱导的分子机制提供参考。【方法】饲养二化性家蚕品种,筛选出稳定的受高、低温诱导滞育发生的家蚕品系。以此为材料,分别于25和15℃孵化蚕卵,敏感期和点青期取样进行表观遗传学研究,通过SDS-PAGE电泳和Western blot检测蛋白修饰的差异。【结果】高温(25℃)组蚕卵蛋白的甲基化修饰水平始终高于低温(15℃)组,点青期有显著差异;高、低温处理组之间的乙酰化修饰水平一直差异显著,在点青期高温组显著低于低温组;低温组的泛素化修饰水平始终高于高温组,尤其是发育前期;磷酸化修饰水平整体较高,但高、低温处理组之间差异不显著;丙二酰化在高、低温处理组之间没有明显差异;琥珀酰化的修饰水平始终较低,在发育后期有明显的差异修饰蛋白出现。【结论】蚕卵在25℃催青过程中蛋白质泛素化和乙酰化修饰水平与15℃低温组在全时期都存在显著差异,甲基化修饰水平在点青期存在显著差异,表明甲基化、泛素化和乙酰化修饰在家蚕早期滞育诱导过程中起作用。     

谷氨酰胺对模拟运输应激大鼠体内氨基酸的影响

以大鼠为试验对象,设阴性对照(A)组和模拟低频与高频2种运输应激组.模拟应激组分别设为阳性对照(B)组、苯巴比妥(P)组和谷氨酰胺(Gln)组.A和B组每天灌胃生理盐水1mL·只-1,P组和Gln组每天分别灌胃苯巴比妥15mg·(kg·只)-1和Gin 500mg·(kg·只)-1,10d后,除A组外,其他6组分别模拟低频和高频运输应激2h,然后测定所有试验鼠血清、组织中氨基酸含量的变化,探讨Gln对运输应激中大鼠的保护作用.结果表明:与A组相比,补充Gln后,低频或高频应激大鼠的血清、组织中与应激密切相关的氨基酸含量均无显著差异(P＞0.05),而与B组相比,所测氨基酸差异显著(P＜0.05)或差异极显著(P＜0.01);镇静药物苯巴比妥对抗运输应激则没有效果.证明Gln具有保护大鼠抵抗运输应激的作用.     

淡足侧沟茧蜂寄生对斜纹夜蛾幼虫血淋巴游离氨基酸的影响

为探讨寄生蜂调控寄主的生理学机制,测定了淡足侧沟茧蜂Microplitis pallidipes Szepligeti寄生斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura(Fabricius)后寄主幼虫血淋巴中17种游离氨基酸含量。结果发现,寄生后连续5d的时间内,与对照相比,寄生后1~4d,被寄生幼虫血淋巴中游离氨基酸总量明显增加,而寄生后第5天则有所下降。寄生能导致寄主血淋巴中各种游离氨基酸含量发生变化,与对照相比,谷氨酸、脯胺酸和酪氨酸含量总体上均升高,寄生后第1天和第3天,胱氨酸和丙氨酸含量分别显著上升,寄生后第4天,亮氨酸、异亮氨酸、赖氨酸和精氨酸含量也表现相同的趋势。推测寄生蜂在寄主体内生长发育消耗了虫体内的养分,引起寄主幼虫体内游离氨基酸含量发生变化,且这种变化有利于寄生蜂生长发育。     

Regulation of calcium release is gated by calcium current, not gating charge, in cardiac myocytes

In skeletal muscle, intramembrane charge movement initiates the processes that lead to the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In cardiac muscle, in contrast, the similarity of the voltage dependence of developed tension and intracellular calcium transients to that of calcium current suggests that the calcium current may gate the release of calcium. Nevertheless, a mechanism similar to that of skeletal muscle continues to be postulated for cardiac muscle. By using rapid exchange (20 to 50 milliseconds) of the extracellular solutions in rat ventricular myocytes in which the intracellular calcium transients or cell shortening were measured, it has now been shown that the influx of calcium through the calcium channel is a mandatory link in the processes that couple membrane depolarization to the release of calcium. Thus, intramembrane charge movement does not contribute to the release of calcium in heart muscle.     

Protective effect of high-oleic acid peanut oil and extra-virgin olive oil in rats with diet-induced metabolic syndrome by regulating branched-chain amino acids metabolism

High-oleic acid peanut oil(HOPO) and extra-virgin olive oil(EVOO) have been reported previously to have an attenuating effect on metabolic syndrome(MS). This study aimed to evaluate the metabolic effect of HOPO and EVOO supplementation in attenuating MS and the role of gut microbiota in regulating the metabolic profile. Sprague-Dawley rats were continuously fed with a normal diet, high-fructose and high-fat(HFHF) diet, HFHF diet containing HOPO, or a HFHF diet containing EVOO for 12 weeks. The m...     

Enhancing boll protein synthesis and carbohydrate conversion by the application of exogenous amino acids at the peak flowering stage increased the boll Bt toxin concentration and lint yield in cotton

In Bacillus thuringenesis (Bt) transgenic cotton, the cotton boll has the lowest insecticidal protein content when compared to the other organs. The present study investigated the effects of amino acid spray application at the peak flowering stage on the cotton boll Bt toxin concentration and yield formation. Boll protein synthesis and carbohydrate conversion were also studied to reveal the fundamental mechanism. Three treatments (i.e., CK, the untreated control; LA1, five amino acids; LA2, 21 amino acids) were applied to two Bt cultivars of G. hirsutum (i.e., the hybrid Sikang 3 and the conventional Sikang 1) in the cotton-growing seasons during 2017 and 2018. Amino acid spray application at the peak flowering stage resulted in an increase of 5.2–16.4% in the boll Bt protein concentration and an increase of 5.5–11.3% in the seed cotton yield, but there was no difference between the two amino acid treatments. In addition, amino acid applications led to increases in the amino acid content, soluble protein content, glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) activity, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) activity, glucose content, fructose content and soluble acid invertase (SAI) activity. This study also found that Bt protein content, enhanced boll number and the weight of opened bolls were closely related to carbon and nitrogen metabolism. The Bt protein content had significant linear positive correlations with amino acid and soluble protein contents. Enhanced boll number had significant linear positive correlations with the GPT and GOT activities from 15–25 days after flowering (DAF). The weight of opened bolls from 55–65 DAF had a significant linear positive correlation with the SAI activity. These results indicate that the enhancement of boll protein synthesis and carbohydrate conversion by amino acid application resulted in a simultaneous increase in the boll Bt protein concentration and cotton lint yield.