Lipopolysaccharides from Commensal and Opportunistic Bacteria: Characterization and Response of the Immune System of the Host Sponge Suberites domuncula

Marine sponges harbor a rich bacterioflora with which they maintain close relationships. However, the way these animals make the distinction between bacteria which are consumed to meet their metabolic needs and opportunistic and commensal bacteria which are hosted is not elucidated. Among the elements participating in this discrimination, bacterial cell wall components such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) could play a role. In the present study, we investigated the LPS chemical structure of two bacteria associated with the sponge Suberites domuncula: a commensal Endozoicomonas sp. and an opportunistic Pseudoalteromonas sp. Electrophoretic patterns indicated different LPS structures for these bacteria. The immunomodulatory lipid A was isolated after mild acetic acid hydrolysis. The electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectra revealed monophosphorylated molecules corresponding to tetra- and pentaacylated structures with common structural features between the two strains. Despite peculiar structural characteristics, none of these two LPS influenced the expression of the macrophage-expressed gene S. domuncula unlike the Escherichia coli ones. Further research will have to include a larger number of genes to understand how this animal can distinguish between LPS with resembling structures and discriminate between bacteria associated with it.     

玉米转脂蛋白基因ZmLTP3的克隆及表达特性分析

转脂蛋白(Lipid transfer proteins,LTPs)是广泛存在于植物中的一类小分子蛋白,在植物生长发育及逆境应答中起着十分重要的作用。通过RT-PCR方法从玉米中克隆1个与拟南芥LTP3基因同源的全长cDNA,命名为ZmLTP3。推测ZmLTP3蛋白含有123个氨基酸,分子量为12.5 kDa,等电点为9.38。半定量RT-PCR分析表明,ZmLTP3可以被甘露醇、高盐和水杨酸(SA)诱导。在不同组织中ZmLTP3的表达模式不同,在子房中的表达量最高。结果表明,ZmLTP3可能在植物逆境反应及生殖生育过程中起多重作用。     

甘蔗DELLA蛋白GAI基因的蛋白表达及纯化

赤霉素是开花植物生长发育过程中一个重要的激素,调控种子萌发、茎伸长、叶片扩张、花器官发育,参与各种生物胁迫等多种途径;DELLA蛋白是赤霉素信号途径的抑制因子,DELLA蛋白通过与其他蛋白互作进行相关调控。为研究甘蔗蛋白调控机制,本研究利用原核表达技术体外诱导进行表达。结果表明,ScGAI蛋白全长不表达,但ScGAI-C在pET-28a(+MBP)中能够有效表达,大量诱导蛋白表达后经镍柱纯化,Western blot分析验证ScGAI蛋白被成功诱导出来。     

荔枝Asr基因的分离及功能分析

从荔枝中克隆了1个ABA、衰老、成熟诱导基因的全长,命名为LcAsr,利用生物信息学对其进行分析,同时将LcAsr基因转入拟南芥（哥伦比亚型）中,对其中1个命名为 35S::LcAsrD的株系进行了干旱处理。结果表明：该基因全长为1 177 bp,包含1个编码153个氨基酸的开放阅读框以及上下游分别含85、146个碱基的完整序列;LcAsr在荔枝各器官中组成型表达,其中在花中表达量最高, 在果肉中表达量最低,在未覆盖保鲜膜的采后24 h的荔枝果实中表达量最大,在覆盖保鲜膜的果实中表达水平维持稳定;LcAs     

一个水稻钙调素结合蛋白基因OsCaMBP的克隆及表达分析

 通过荧光差异显示和RT PCR技术,克隆到一个新的水稻钙调素结合蛋白基因OsCaMBP。序列分析表明,该基因cDNA序列全长2094 bp,编码一个具有569个氨基酸残基的多肽,推测分子量为63.2 kD;在OsCaMBP蛋白的N端存在IQ钙调素结合构象,与其他植物中的钙调素结合蛋白的相似性介于38.25%~47.28%。在热激处理15 min、30 min、 1 h或2 h后,该基因在水稻的叶、根和叶鞘中表达量急剧增加;此外,该基因表达量也受低温调控而增加。     

小麦脱水素TaDHN-2基因功能与结构分析

脱水素是一类在逆境胁迫过程中诱导表达的重要功能蛋白。为了探讨脱水素基因的生物学功能,本研究以洛旱2号为研究材料,利用RT-PCR技术克隆了小麦脱水素基因TaDHN-2,qRT-PCR分析了其在ABA诱导、PEG、NaCl胁迫处理下的表达模式,检测了TaDHN-2体外活性。结果表明,TaDHN-2可编码152个氨基酸,N端包含Y片段(VDEYGNP)及S片段(SSSSSEDDGMGGRRKK),C端包含两个保守的K片段(KIKEKLPG),属于脱水素的YnSKn亚类;表达特性分析显示,TaDHN-2受植物激素ABA诱导,属于ABA依赖的基因表达调控通路。渗透胁迫过程中,该基因在中国春和洛旱2号两个品种中具有不同的诱导表达模式,在中国春根系中的诱导表达幅度显著高于洛旱2号,而在洛旱2号叶片中的诱导表达量更高;体外活性鉴定发现,60℃高温条件下,浓度为100μg·mL~(-1)的TaDHN-2可使α-淀粉酶活性提高2倍;在4℃低温条件下,TaDHN-2在浓度大于20μg·mL~(-1)时可以提高α-淀粉酶的活性,当浓度增加到100μg·mL~(-1)时,可将α-淀粉酶活性提高为对照的1.6倍。以上结果说明,TaDHN-2蛋白具有显著的酶活性保护功能。     

巴西橡胶树胚胎晚期丰富蛋白基因的克隆及序列分析

根据抑制性消减杂交文库分离的EST片段,采用3’-RACE技术从巴西橡胶树胶乳中获得HbLEA14基因的全长cDNA序列,其ORF长456 bp,编码151个氨基酸,预测HbLEA14蛋白分子量为16.58 ku,等电点为5.10。同源性比对显示,HbLEA14与蓖麻RcLEA14、乳浆大戟EeLEA14、陆地棉GhLEA14、大豆GmLEA14、拟南芥AtLEA14、番茄SlER5的同源性分别为88%、80%、75%、73%、65%和61%,属于非典型第2组LEA蛋白。RT-PCR结果显示,死皮植株胶乳中HbLEA14的表达量明显高于健康树。     

一个水稻小热休克蛋白基因的克隆和鉴定

小分子热休克蛋白(SHSP)广泛存在于各类生物体中且在生物发育和逆境响应过程中发挥重要作用。我们克隆了一个水稻小热休克蛋白基因(OsSHSP17.6),序列分析表明该基因编码区为477bp,可编码一个含158个氨基酸的多肽,分子量约17.6kD。序列分析显示该类SHSP在不同的植物中是保守的,在分类上隶属于CI类。实时定量RT-PCR分析显示热激处理可显著增强该基因的转录;Western blotting分析显示该蛋白大小与预期一致,且其含量在热激处理时大幅度增加。这些结果一致表明OsSHSP17.6可能参与了水稻热应激反应,这为进一步鉴定OsSHSP17.6的功能提供了基础。     

HPLC-ESI-IT-MS/MS Analysis and Biological Activity of Triterpene Glycosides from the Colombian Marine Sponge Ectyoplasia ferox

The marine sponge Ectyoplasia ferox produces antipredatory and allelopathic triterpenoid glycosides as part of its chemical defense repertoire against predators, competitors, and fouling organisms. These molecules are responsible for the pharmacological potential found in the glycosides present in this species. In order to observe the glycochemical diversity present in E. ferox, a liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometry approach to analyse a complex polar fraction of this marine sponge was performed. This gave valuable information for about twenty-five compounds three of which have been previously reported and another three which were found to be composed of known aglycones. Furthermore, a group of four urabosides, sharing two uncommon substitutions with carboxyl groups at C-4 on the terpenoid core, were identified by a characteristic fragmentation pattern. The oxidized aglycones present in this group of saponins can promote instability, making the purification process difficult. Cytotoxicity, cell cycle modulation, a cell cloning efficiency assay, as well as its hemolytic activity were evaluated. The cytotoxic activity was about IC₅₀ 40 µg/mL on Jurkat and CHO-k₁ cell lines without exhibiting hemolysis. Discussion on this bioactivity suggests the scanning of other biological models would be worthwhile.     

霍山石斛HMGR基因的克隆及其定量表达分析

获得甲羟戊酸生物合成途径中的关键酶基因——3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶基因的信息是确定该基因与倍半萜类石斛碱含量相关性的重要基础工作。本研究采用RT-PCR结合RACE技术,以霍山石斛原球茎为材料,克隆得到霍山石斛HMGR基因的全长c DNA序列,其在Gen Bank中的登录号为KF011508。HMGR基因全长2 240 bp,包含144 bp的5′-UTR,407 bp的3′-UTR(含poly A),开放阅读框为1 689 bp,共编码562个氨基酸。生物信息学分析表明:该蛋白可能是定位于细胞质的一种疏水性不稳定蛋白,无信号肽,不含卷曲螺旋结构,具有14个功能位点、27个磷酸化位点,其二级结构由α螺旋、β折叠和无规则卷曲组成。系统进化树分析表明,该基因与黄姜HMGR基因亲缘关系最近,聚为同一类,主要负责催化萜类化合物生物合成途径中的辅酶A和甲羟戊酸的生成。q PCR结果显示:霍山石斛HMGR基因在茎中的表达量最高,而根中的表达量最低。     

番杏TtASR基因的克隆及其抗逆功能分析

ASR(ABA, Stress and Ripening)蛋白是植物中特有的亲水性小分子蛋白,在植物细胞失水条件下对细胞器起保护性作用。本研究在构建番杏[Tetragonia tetragonioides (Pall.) Kuntze]全长cDNA文库中通过随机克隆测序分析基础上,获得了一个编码番杏ASR蛋白的全长cDNA序列,命名为TtASR(GenBank登录号:MH454101)。TtASR的cDNA全长序列包含一个为723 bp完整开放阅读框,编码蛋白TtASR含有240个氨基酸,等电点为5.26,分子量为25.29 ku。对TtASR与其他植物中同源蛋白的进化分析表明,与辽宁碱蓬SlASR和海蓬子SbASR-1亲缘关系较近。将TtASR的cDNA阅读框插入到原核表达载体pGEX6p-1中,通过转化大肠杆菌进行原核表达分析。结果表明,重组大肠杆菌菌株能表现出良好地抗逆性,特别是对NaCl、高渗透压和氧化胁迫的抗逆性增强。     

Purification and Characterization of a Novel Alginate Lyase from a Marine Streptomyces Species Isolated from Seaweed

Alginate, a natural polysaccharide derived from brown seaweed, is finding multiple applications in biomedicine via its transformation through chemical, physical, and, increasingly, enzymatic processes. In this study a novel alginate lyase, AlyDS44, was purified and characterized from a marine actinobacterium, Streptomyces luridiscabiei, which was isolated from decomposing seaweed. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 108.6 U/mg, with a molecular weight of 28.6 kDa, and was composed of 260 amino acid residues. AlyDS44 is a bifunctional alginate lyase, active on both polyguluronate and polymannuronate, though it preferentially degrades polyguluronate. The optimal pH of this enzyme is 8.5 and the optimal temperature is 45 °C. It is a salt-tolerant alginate lyase with an optimal activity at 0.6 M NaCl. Metal ions Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, and Fe²⁺ increased the alginate degrading activity, but it was inhibited in the presence of Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺. The highly conserved regions of its amino acid sequences indicated that AlyDS44 belongs to the polysaccharide lyase family 7. The main breakdown products of the enzyme on alginate were disaccharides, trisaccharides, and tetrasaccharides, which demonstrated that this enzyme acted as an endo-type alginate lyase. AlyDS44 is a novel enzyme, with the potential for efficient production of alginate oligosaccharides with low degrees of polymerization.     

Identification and Biochemical Characterization of Halisulfate 3 and Suvanine as Novel Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Helicase from a Marine Sponge

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important etiological agent that is responsible for the development of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) helicase is a possible target for novel drug development due to its essential role in viral replication. In this study, we identified halisulfate 3 (hal3) and suvanine as novel NS3 helicase inhibitors, with IC₅₀ values of 4 and 3 µM, respectively, from a marine sponge by screening extracts of marine organisms. Both hal3 and suvanine inhibited the ATPase, RNA binding, and serine protease activities of NS3 helicase with IC₅₀ values of 8, 8, and 14 µM, and 7, 3, and 34 µM, respectively. However, the dengue virus (DENV) NS3 helicase, which shares a catalytic core (consisting mainly of ATPase and RNA binding sites) with HCV NS3 helicase, was not inhibited by hal3 and suvanine, even at concentrations of 100 µM. Therefore, we conclude that hal3 and suvanine specifically inhibit HCV NS3 helicase via an interaction with an allosteric site in NS3 rather than binding to the catalytic core. This led to the inhibition of all NS3 activities, presumably by inducing conformational changes.     

巴西橡胶树类甜味蛋白基因HbTLP1的克隆及表达分析

根据模式植物拟南芥中同类蛋白的氨基酸序列在橡胶树转录组数据库中进行同源搜索并设计引物,通过RT-PCR方法扩增巴西橡胶树TLP同源基因的cDNA片段,命名为Hb TLP1.该片段包含一个984 bp的开放阅读框,编码327个氨基酸的多肽.生物信息学分析结果表明,该氨基酸序列含有一个超级THAUMATIN-Like结构域,与杨树、大豆、葡萄和拟南芥的TPL蛋白有较高的同源性.半定量分析结果表明,该基因的表达受水杨酸(SA)和鞭毛蛋白(flg22)的诱导,但不受茉莉酸(JA)的影响.以上结果揭示该基因为橡胶树的TPL同源基因,参与SA介导的抗病信号途径和植物的先天免疫反应.     

Isolation of Scalarane-Type Sesterterpenoids from the Marine Sponge Dysidea sp. and Stereochemical Reassignment of 12-epi-Phyllactone D/E

The chemical investigation of the marine sponge Dysidea sp., which was collected from Bohol province in the Philippines, resulted in the identification of 15 new scalarane-type sesterterpenoids (1–14, 16), together with 15 known compounds. The chemical structures of the new compounds were elucidated based on NMR spectroscopy and HRMS. The structure of 12-epi-phyllactone D/E (15) isolated during this study was originally identified in 2007. However, careful inspection of our experimental ¹³C NMR spectrum revealed considerable discrepancies with the reported data at C-9, C-12, C-14, and C-23, leading to the correction of the reported compound to the C-12 epimer of 15, phyllactone D/E. The biological properties of compounds 1–16 were evaluated using the MDA-MB-231 cancer cell line. Compound 7, which bears a pentenone E-ring, exhibits significant cytotoxicity with a GI₅₀ value of 4.21 μM.     

水稻促分裂原活化蛋白激酶基因OsMPK14的克隆及表达分析

促分裂原活化蛋白激酶(mitogen-activated protein kinase,MAPK)是生物体内信号转导的重要组分,受多种生物及非生物胁迫的刺激活化。利用RT-PCR方法克隆了水稻促分裂原活化蛋白激酶基因OsMPK14的cDNA序列(GenBank登录号为GQ265780)。该序列全长1660bp,包含1个1629bp的开放阅读框,编码蛋白由542个氨基酸组成,包含典型的蛋白激酶结构域及磷酸化位点TDY基序。序列比对和分析显示,OsMPK14基因位于水稻第5染色体上,其编码区由9个外显子和8个内含子组成。采用半定量RT-PCR技术,检测了光照、低温、高盐、干旱和脱落酸对该基因在水稻地上部分和根中表达的影响。结果显示高盐、低温、脱落酸都能上调其表达,而干旱对其表达具有微弱的抑制效应,光照可以降低该基因在水稻地上部分的表达,提高在根中的表达。基因可能在水稻非生物胁迫的应答中具有重要作用,其表达受多种因素调控。     

小麦TaCTSB基因在小麦-条锈菌互作中的功能研究

为明确小麦组织蛋白酶B基因TaCTSB在小麦与条锈菌互作中的功能,采用PCR技术扩增获得TaCTSB基因的完整编码区序列;通过qRT-PCR技术检测TaCTSB基因的表达情况;利用农杆菌介导瞬时表达体系在烟草叶片上进行亚细胞定位,并验证其是否能够诱导细胞坏死;利用VIGS技术瞬时沉默TaCTSB,解析其对小麦与条锈菌互作的影响。结果表明,TaCTSB基因编码344个氨基酸,N端含有1~19 aa的信号肽,无跨膜结构;qRT-PCR结果显示,TaCTSB基因在小麦与条锈菌非亲和互作早期上调表达。瞬时表达分析发现,烟草叶片上瞬时表达TaCTSB基因能够诱导细胞坏死,且质壁分离后TaCTSB分泌到细胞外。在TaCTSB瞬时沉默植株上接种条锈菌毒性小种CYR31,产孢量变化不显著;而接种条锈菌无毒性小种CYR23,产孢量升高;组织细胞学观察发现,在小麦叶片中瞬时沉默TaCTSB,其活性氧面积和坏死面积显著下降,菌丝面积及菌丝长度均有所增加,表明沉默TaCTSB减弱了小麦对条锈菌的抗性。     

巴西橡胶树病程相关蛋白基因（HbPR1）的克隆及分析

利用同源克隆技术,在前期课题组对橡胶树转录组进行测序的基础上,根据模式植物中PR1蛋白的氨基酸序列进行同源搜索并设计引物,通过RT-PCR方法扩增巴西橡胶树PR1同源基因的cDNA片段,命名为HbPR1。该片段包含一个450 bp的开放阅读框,编码150个氨基酸的多肽。生物信息学分析结果表明,该氨基酸序列与杨树(Populus tomentosa)、葡萄(Vitis vinifera)和拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)的PR1蛋白高度同源,同源性分别为76%,74%和72%,并含有SCP_PR1_like结构域。半定量分析结果表明,该基因表达受水杨酸的诱导。以上结果暗示该基因为橡胶树的PR1同源基因,可作为橡胶树系统获得性抗性产生的标签基因。     

水稻小热休克蛋白OsHSP20抗体特性鉴定及应用

【目的】在前期克隆了一个水稻小热休克蛋白(OsHSP20)的基础上,进一步分析该蛋白多克隆抗体的免疫反应特性和应用范围,为深入鉴定该类基因的功能奠定基础。【方法】利用合成多肽和其原核表达产物分别免疫家兔制备了相应的多克隆抗体;ACP(Antigen-coated plate)-ELISA和dot-ELISA用于分析比较多克隆抗体效价和灵敏度;Western blot用于鉴定多克隆抗体的特异性和应用范围。【结果】Western blot分析显示,利用重组OsHSP20蛋白及其合成多肽所制备的多克隆抗体均可以在原核表达OsSHSP样品中特异性检测到1条大小与预期一致(37kD)的条带,表明两种方法获得的多克隆抗体都具有高度的特异性;ACP(Antigen-coated plate)-ELISA和dot-ELISA分析表明,利用重组蛋白制备的多克隆抗体效价和灵敏度均高于利用多肽制备的抗体。进一步的Westernblot分析显示该抗体可用于多种植物小热休克蛋白(SHSP)的检测。【结论】制备了OsHSP20蛋白质抗体,且具有高度的特异性和较高的效价和灵敏度,可广泛地用于多种单、双子叶植物HSP20蛋白的表达分析,有助于OsHSP20及其他植物同源蛋白的功能鉴定。