Control of mRNA decay by heat shock-ubiquitin-proteasome pathway

Cytokine and proto-oncogene messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are rapidly degraded through AU-rich elements in the 3' untranslated region. Rapid decay involves AU-rich binding protein AUF1, which complexes with heat shock proteins hsc70-hsp70, translation initiation factor eIF4G, and poly(A) binding protein. AU-rich mRNA decay is associated with displacement of eIF4G from AUF1, ubiquitination of AUF1, and degradation of AUF1 by proteasomes. Induction of hsp70 by heat shock, down-regulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome network, or inactivation of ubiquitinating enzyme E1 all result in hsp70 sequestration of AUF1 in the perinucleus-nucleus, and all three processes block decay of AU-rich mRNAs and AUF1 protein. These results link the rapid degradation of cytokine mRNAs to the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.     

解鸟氨酸拉乌尔菌ZK4菊酯农药降解酶基因BioH的克隆及原核表达

为挖掘新的拟除虫菊酯类农药降解基因，在大肠杆菌中实现异源高效表达，以本课题组前期筛选出的降解谱广泛、降解率较高的菌株解鸟氨酸拉乌尔菌(Raoultella ornithinolytica)为研究对象，克隆其菊酯类农药降解酶基因BioH,在大肠杆菌中表达。通过解鸟氨酸拉乌尔菌全序列进行基因组注释、蛋白注释和通路注释，和已有菊酯类农药降解基因序列比对，筛选出潜在的具有菊酯类农药降解功能的基因；以解鸟氨酸拉乌尔菌基因组DNA为模板，根据功能基因序列设计特异性引物进行PCR扩增，回收目的片段后与pMD19-T载体连接，筛选阳性克隆并鉴定；酶切回收目的片段后和pET32a(+)表达载体连接，转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中，将验证正确的重组菌经IPTG诱导表达，通过SDS-PAGE分析蛋白表达情况。结果表明：通过筛选得到BioH基因，该基因具有水解酶的作用，同时也具有其他菊酯类农药降解基因序列中存在的保守五肽motif-GXSXG,PCR扩增后得到大小为783 bp的条带，通过重组技术获得阳性克隆，PCR扩增、酶切和DNA测序进行验证，重组菌经0.2 mmol/L IPTG诱导4 h后获得约为...     

Quercetin Increased Protein Utilization and Decreased Nitrogen Excretion in Broilers by Activating TOR Signaling Pathway

The study was conducted to investigate the effect and mechanism of dietary quercetin supplementation on protein utilization of Arbor Acres (AA) broilers.A total of 240 1-day-old AA broilers were randomly allocated to four treatments with six replicates,comprising 10 broilers each replicate (60 broilers per treatment).Birds were fed either a corn-soybean meal basal diet without quercetin (control) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.2,0.4 or 0.6 g of quercetin per kg feed,and the trial lasted 42 days.Dietary quercetin supplementation tended to increase the apparent metabolic rate of protein (p=0.076) and the content of serum albumin (p=0.062) in AA broilers.Compared with the control,dietary quercetin supplementation increased the contents of protein in breast muscle (p0.05) and in thigh muscle (p=0.053).In addition,quercetin up-regulated mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1),phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K),target of rapamycin (TOR),ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1),eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E),eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (eIF4G),eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4B (eIF4B) genes and down-regulated mRNA expression of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein1 (4E-BP1) genes in breast muscle,thigh muscle and liver of AA broilers (p0.05).The present results suggested that dietary quercetin supplementation enhanced protein utilization in broilers by activating TOR signaling pathway.     

选择性自噬的研究进展

自噬是真核细胞中高度保守的一种亚细胞降解途径。该途径中,一些损坏、标记的大分子物质(如蛋白质等)或细胞器被自噬体包裹后送入溶酶体(动物)或液泡(酵母和植物)中降解并重新利用。长期以来,人们认为自噬在降解大量的细胞质成分时是一种非选择性的过程。然而,最近几年的研究结果表明,无论是酵母还是高等的真核生物细胞中均存在许多类型的选择性自噬。该研究主要综述了近几年选择性自噬过程与分子机制的研究进展。     

小菜蛾泛素延伸蛋白基因的克隆与原核表达

利用RT-PCR和RACE技术,以小菜蛾(Plutella xylostella)3龄幼虫的cDNA为模板,克隆获得泛素延伸蛋白基因Px-ubi(GenBank No.FJ527489),核苷酸序列全长537 bp,其中开放阅读框全长387 bp,编码129个氨基酸残基,预测分子质量为16.7 ku,等电点为9.1,与...     

TRB3 links the E3 ubiquitin ligase COP1 to lipid metabolism

During fasting, increased concentrations of circulating catecholamines promote the mobilization of lipid stores from adipose tissue in part by phosphorylating and inactivating acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), the rate-limiting enzyme in fatty acid synthesis. Here, we describe a parallel pathway, in which the pseudokinase Tribbles 3 (TRB3), whose abundance is increased during fasting, stimulates lipolysis by triggering the degradation of ACC in adipose tissue. TRB3 promoted ACC ubiquitination through an association with the E3 ubiquitin ligase constitutive photomorphogenic protein 1 (COP1). Indeed, adipocytes deficient in TRB3 accumulated larger amounts of ACC protein than did wild-type cells. Because transgenic mice expressing TRB3 in adipose tissue are protected from diet-induced obesity due to enhanced fatty acid oxidation, these results demonstrate how phosphorylation and ubiquitination pathways converge on a key regulator of lipid metabolism to maintain energy homeostasis.     

飞蝗几丁质脱乙酰基酶的真核表达、亲和纯化及酶活性

【目的】体外真核表达飞蝗(Locusta migratoria)几丁质脱乙酰基酶1和2(chitin deacetylase 1and 2,LmCDA1和LmCDA2)并测定其酶活性,为进一步明确飞蝗LmCDA1和LmCDA2在几丁质降解途径中的生理功能及研发新型绿色环保杀虫剂提供依据。【方法】使用BLASTP和SMART软件在线预测LmCDA1、LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b的结构域;PCR克隆获得目的基因LmCDA1、LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b的全长序列,并分别构建p Fast Bac-LmCDAs重组质粒,转化获得Bacmid重组质粒后,转染至昆虫Sf9细胞进行目的蛋白的体外表达。采用Western blot技术对目的蛋白表达情况进行检测,并通过Ni-NTA亲和层析柱和阴离子(Q-Sepharose)交换层析柱对蛋白产物进行纯化。12%SDS-PAGE检测蛋白纯度后,采用分光光度法以对硝基乙酰苯胺为底物检测目的蛋白的酶活性,T检验法对LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b酶活力进行差异显著性分析。【结果】BLASTP和SMART软件预测结果显示LmCDA1、LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b均含有4个结构域:N-端信号肽(signal peptide)、几丁质结合域(chitin binding peritrophin-A,Ch BD)、A型低密度脂蛋白受体结构域(low-density lipoprotein receptor class A,LDLa)和脱乙酰基酶催化结构域(catalytic domain,CDA)。3个基因的几丁质结合域中均包含6个保守的半胱氨酸。LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b两个剪切子除在其第3个半胱氨酸和第4个半胱氨酸之间(67—84 aa)的氨基酸数目和组成及在第4和第6个半胱氨酸(84—106 aa)之间的序列存在差异外,其余部分完全一致。Western blot结果显示LmCDA1、LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b的蛋白分子量约为61 k D左右,与预测的蛋白分子量大小一致,表明Bacmid重组质粒在昆虫Sf9细胞中成功表达。采用12%SDS-PAGE胶电泳对各蛋白纯化组分进行检测,结果显示Ni-NTA亲和层析柱可将大部分杂蛋白洗脱,而Q-Sepharose交换层析柱可对蛋白进行更彻底地纯化。酶活检测结果显示LmCDA1、LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b的酶活力分别为0.268、0.354、0.228 U·μL~(-1),并且LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b的酶活力存在显著差异。【结论】体外真核表达LmCDA1、LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b蛋白并进行酶活测定后发现三者均具有几丁质脱乙酰基酶活力,且LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b的酶活力具有显著性差异,推测前期研究中沉默LmCDA2a和LmCDA2b后分别出现不同飞蝗表型的原因可能是由于它们酶活力存在显著性差异。     

Identification of a DNA nonhomologous end-joining complex in bacteria

In eukaryotic cells, double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA are generally repaired by the pathway of homologous recombination or by DNA nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). Both pathways have been highly conserved throughout eukaryotic evolution, but no equivalent NHEJ system has been identified in prokaryotes. The NHEJ pathway requires a DNA end-binding component called Ku. We have identified bacterial Ku homologs and show that these proteins retain the biochemical characteristics of the eukaryotic Ku heterodimer. Furthermore, we show that bacterial Ku specifically recruits DNA ligase to DNA ends and stimulates DNA ligation. Loss of these proteins leads to hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation in Bacillus subtilis. These data provide evidence that many bacteria possess a DNA DSB repair apparatus that shares many features with the NHEJ system of eukarya and suggest that this DNA repair pathway arose before the prokaryotic and eukaryotic lineages diverged.     

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径在水稻中的生物学功能研究进展

生物体内的蛋白质降解方式有两种,一种不需要能量,一种需要能量。而泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径便是目前已知的依赖ATP、高效、有高度选择性的蛋白降解途径。它介导了真核生物中80%~85%的蛋白质降解,几乎参与到植物生长发育的各个环节,是植物体内蛋白高效专一降解最重要、最精细的调控机制之一。概述了泛素蛋白酶体途径,重点阐述了泛素结合酶E2和泛素连接酶E3的蛋白结构及其在水稻生长发育、激素信号传导、生物和非生物胁迫响应中的生物学功能及机制,并对进一步研究进行了展望,将有助于揭示泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径在水稻生长发育中的精细调控过程,并为水稻抗逆育种提供了指导和借鉴。     

典型超微细菌降解邻苯二甲酸二丁酯的途径及水合酶的表达纯化研究

典型超微细菌菌株PAE-UM属于β-变形菌门丛毛单胞菌属(Curvibacter sp.),是革兰氏阴性菌株,可利用DBP作为唯一碳源。利用流式细胞仪检测细菌生长情况,并采用高效液相色谱测定DBP的浓度,结果显示该菌对DBP的降解率为94%,菌株最大生长速率为0.237 2 h-1。已经完成了该菌株的全基因组测序,Gen Bank登录号为LKCX00000000。通过全基因组数据分析及文献对比发现该菌在降解邻苯二甲酸二丁酯的途径中,4-oxalomesaconate水合酶(OMH)是原儿茶酸间位裂解代谢途径中的关键酶,具有催化4-oxalomesaconate(OMA)降解为4-carboxy-4-hydroxy-2-oxoadipate(CHA)的能力,该酶是降解邻苯二甲酸酯过程中的关键酶之一,也是芳香化合物降解过程中的重要降解酶。利用蛋白结晶技术及分子生物学手段,对关键酶(OMH)进行分子构建,表达、纯化、结晶的筛选,应用X-ray衍射技术对关键酶的晶体进行衍射,获得晶体的衍射数据,进行关键酶的三维结构解析。Curvibacter sp.PAE-UM菌株中的OMH蛋白在大肠杆菌中得到表达,经多种方法纯化后筛选获得了纯度大于95%的蛋白,并经试剂盒筛选获得高质量的蛋白质晶体。在上海光源同步辐射(SSRF)BL~(-1)9U线站收集数据,通过X射线衍射实验收集到分辨率达到2.00的衍射数据,并使用软件HKL2000进行了数据处理与修正,该OMH的结构解析为2.00。后续将通过该关键酶的三维结构的解析进一步阐明该菌降解PAEs的分子机理。     

N-terminal acetylation acts as an avidity enhancer within an interconnected multiprotein complex

Although many eukaryotic proteins are amino (N)-terminally acetylated, structural mechanisms by which N-terminal acetylation mediates protein interactions are largely unknown. Here, we found that N-terminal acetylation of the E2 enzyme, Ubc12, dictates distinctive E3-dependent ligation of the ubiquitin-like protein Nedd8 to Cul1. Structural, biochemical, biophysical, and genetic analyses revealed how complete burial of Ubc12's N-acetyl-methionine in a hydrophobic pocket in the E3, Dcn1, promotes cullin neddylation. The results suggest that the N-terminal acetyl both directs Ubc12's interactions with Dcn1 and prevents repulsion of a charged N terminus. Our data provide a link between acetylation and ubiquitin-like protein conjugation and define a mechanism for N-terminal acetylation-dependent recognition.     

植物MAPK级联途径应答的非生物胁迫研究进展

促分裂原活化蛋白激酶（mitogen-activated protein kinase, MAPK）是一种高度保守的蛋白激酶,广泛存在于真核生物中。MAPK级联途径是一种重要的高度保守的细胞信号转导途径,主要包括MAPKKK、MAPKK和MAPK三种蛋白激酶,通过磷酸化顺序被激活。MAPK级联途径参与了植物生长发育、激素调节、生物胁迫以及非生物胁迫的应答响应。从植物MAPK级联途径成员的分类、结构特征及对非生物胁迫的响应等方面进行了综述,将为系统的理解植物MAPK级联途径及其在非生物逆境胁迫下的表达调控等提供参考。     

Mechanisms of AIF-mediated apoptotic DNA degradation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), a mitochondrial oxidoreductase, is released into the cytoplasm to induce cell death in response to apoptotic signals. However, the mechanisms underlying this process have not been resolved. We report that inactivation of the Caenorhabditis elegans AIF homolog wah-1 by RNA interference delayed the normal progression of apoptosis and caused a defect in apoptotic DNA degradation. WAH-1 localized in C. elegans mitochondria and was released into the cytosol and nucleus by the BH3-domain protein EGL-1 in a caspase (CED-3)-dependent manner. In addition, WAH-1 associated and cooperated with the mitochondrial endonuclease CPS-6/endonuclease G (EndoG) to promote DNA degradation and apoptosis. Thus, AIF and EndoG define a single, mitochondria-initiated apoptotic DNA degradation pathway that is conserved between C. elegans and mammals.     

Amino acid sequences common to rapidly degraded proteins: the PEST hypothesis

The amino acid sequences of ten proteins with intracellular half-lives less than 2 hours contain one or more regions rich in proline (P), glutamic acid (E), serine (S), and threonine (T). These PEST regions are generally, but not always, flanked by clusters containing several positively charged amino acids. Similar inspection of 35 proteins with intracellular half-lives between 20 and 220 hours revealed that only three contain a PEST region. On the basis of this information, it was anticipated that caseins, which contain several PEST sequences, would be rapidly degraded within eukaryotic cells. This expectation was confirmed by red blood cell-mediated microinjection of 125I-labeled caseins into HeLa cells where they exhibited half-lives of less than 2 hours. The rapid degradation of injected alpha- and beta-casein as well as the inverse correlation of PEST regions with intracellular stability indicate that the presence of these regions can result in the rapid intracellular degradation of the proteins containing them.     

乳突果脂氧合酶基因的原核表达及酶活性测定

脂氧合酶(LOX)是植物十八碳酸途径中一个很重要的酶,该酶作用的产物在植物的生长发育过程中以及在植物对环境胁迫反应中起着重要的作用.通过PCR和酶切连接的方法,构建了乳突果脂氧合酶基因的原核表达载体,将其导入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中,在低温(15℃)条件下,表达出了有活性的酶蛋白,且该蛋白分子量与预期分子量相符.通过LC-ESI-MS检测,该酶可催化亚油酸生成9,10,11-三羟基-12-十八碳烯酸.推测在乳突果中,几丁质诱导的十八碳酸代谢途径是沿着9-LOX方向进行的.     

The E. coli BtuCD structure: a framework for ABC transporter architecture and mechanism

The ABC transporters are ubiquitous membrane proteins that couple adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis to the translocation of diverse substrates across cell membranes. Clinically relevant examples are associated with cystic fibrosis and with multidrug resistance of pathogenic bacteria and cancer cells. Here, we report the crystal structure at 3.2 angstrom resolution of the Escherichia coli BtuCD protein, an ABC transporter mediating vitamin B12 uptake. The two ATP-binding cassettes (BtuD) are in close contact with each other, as are the two membrane-spanning subunits (BtuC); this arrangement is distinct from that observed for the E. coli lipid flippase MsbA. The BtuC subunits provide 20 transmembrane helices grouped around a translocation pathway that is closed to the cytoplasm by a gate region whereas the dimer arrangement of the BtuD subunits resembles the ATP-bound form of the Rad50 DNA repair enzyme. A prominent cytoplasmic loop of BtuC forms the contact region with the ATP-binding cassette and appears to represent a conserved motif among the ABC transporters.     

A bacterial inhibitor of host programmed cell death defenses is an E3 ubiquitin ligase

The Pseudomonas syringae protein AvrPtoB is translocated into plant cells, where it inhibits immunity-associated programmed cell death (PCD). The structure of a C-terminal domain of AvrPtoB that is essential for anti-PCD activity reveals an unexpected homology to the U-box and RING-finger components of eukaryotic E3 ubiquitin ligases, and we show that AvrPtoB has ubiquitin ligase activity. Mutation of conserved residues involved in the binding of E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes abolishes this activity in vitro, as well as anti-PCD activity in tomato leaves, which dramatically decreases virulence. These results show that Pseudomonas syringae uses a mimic of host E3 ubiquitin ligases to inactivate plant defenses.     

鸡干扰素调节因子7的分子特征及其组织表达特性分析

【目的】明确鸡干扰素调节因子7(chIRF7)的分子特征及chIRF7基因在不同发育阶段各组织中的表达特点,为后续开展IRF7基因调控鸡相关组织发育和抗病毒研究打下基础。【方法】利用RT-PCR扩增chIRF7基因编码区（CDS）并构建其重组真核表达载体,通过SOPMA、SWISS-MODEL及BioEdit等在线软件预测分析chIRF7蛋白的二、三级结构及结构域保守性;以重组真核表达载体转染鸡胚成纤维细胞系（DF-1）,观察融合蛋白的亚细胞定位情况及分析过表达融合蛋白对新城疫病毒（NDV）复制的影响;采用实时荧光定量PCR检测chIRF7基因在鸡胚发育第14 d(E14d)及鸡出壳第1 d(H1d)、第7 d(H7d)和第14 d(H14d)不同组织中的表达情况。【结果】将从鸡外周血淋巴细胞中扩增获得的chIRF7基因CDS序列插入真核表达载体pEGFP-C1的酶切位点即成功构建获得重组真核表达载体pEGFP-chIRF7。chIRF7蛋白二级结构由无规则卷曲（占51.12%）、α-螺旋（占26.48%）、延伸链（占16.70%）和β-转角（占5.70%）组成;鸡与其他禽类、人类和哺...     

Structure of an E6AP-UbcH7 complex: insights into ubiquitination by the E2-E3 enzyme cascade

The E6AP ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3) mediates the human papillomavirus-induced degradation of the p53 tumor suppressor in cervical cancer and is mutated in Angelman syndrome, a neurological disorder. The crystal structure of the catalytic hect domain of E6AP reveals a bilobal structure with a broad catalytic cleft at the junction of the two lobes. The cleft consists of conserved residues whose mutation interferes with ubiquitin-thioester bond formation and is the site of Angelman syndrome mutations. The crystal structure of the E6AP hect domain bound to the UbcH7 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) reveals the determinants of E2-E3 specificity and provides insights into the transfer of ubiquitin from the E2 to the E3.