Wnt signaling plays an important role in embryogenesis and tumorgenesis. Although the mechanism about how Wnts transduce their signaling from receptor frizzled (Fz) to cytosol has not been understood, dishevelled (Dvl...Wnt signaling plays an important role in embryogenesis and tumorgenesis. Although the mechanism about how Wnts transduce their signaling from receptor frizzled (Fz) to cytosol has not been understood, dishevelled (Dvl) protein was considered as the intersection of Wnt signal traffic. In this study, we characterized the function of three domains (DIX,PDZ and DEP) of Dvl-1 in canonical Wnt signal transduction and Dvl-1 membrane translocation. It was found both DIX and DEP domain were sufficient to block Wnt-3a-induced LEF-1 transcriptional activity and free cytosol β-catenin accumulation; whereas PDZ domain and a functional mutant form of DEP domain (DEP-KM) had no effect on canonical Wnt signaling. In addition, when cotransfected with Fz-7, DEP domain, but not DIX, PDZ or DEP-KM, translocated and co-localized with Fz-7 to the plasma membrane, which was similar to Dvl-1. Furthermore, it was DEP domain that could block Fz-7-induced membrane translocation of Dvl- 1 via a possible competitive mechanism. These results strongly suggest that DEP domain is responsible for the membrane translocation of Dvl-1 protein upon Wnt signal stimulation.展开更多
Caveolae and non-caveolar lipid rafts are two types of membrane lipid microdomains that play important roles in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes. In order to ascertain their specific functions in this p...Caveolae and non-caveolar lipid rafts are two types of membrane lipid microdomains that play important roles in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes. In order to ascertain their specific functions in this process, caveolae were ablated by caveolin-1 RNA interference. In Cav-1 RNAi adipocytes, neither insulin-stimulated glucose uptake nor Glut-4 （glucose transporter 4） translocation to membrane lipid microdomains was affected by the ablation of caveolae. With a modified sucrose density gradient, caveolae and non-caveolar lipid rafts could be separated. In the wild-type 3T3- L l adipocytes, Glut-4 was found to be translocated into both caveolae and non-caveolar lipid rafts. However, in Cav1 RNAi adipocytes, Glut-4 was localized predominantly in non-caveolar lipid rafts. After the removal of insulin, caveolaelocalized Glut-4 was internalized faster than non-caveolar lipid raft-associated Glut-4. The internalization of Glut-4 from plasma membrane was significantly decreased in Cav-1 RNAi adipocytes. These results suggest that insulin-stimulated Glut-4 translocation and glucose uptake are caveolae-independent events. Caveolae play a role in the internalization of Glut-4 from plasma membrane after the removal of insulin.展开更多
Epidemiological studies have provided overwhelming evidence for a causal role of chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,the pathogenesis of HBV infection a...Epidemiological studies have provided overwhelming evidence for a causal role of chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,the pathogenesis of HBV infection and carcinogenesis of HBV-associated HCC are still elusive.This review will summarize the current knowledge on the mechanisms involved in HBV-related liver carcinogenesis.The role of HBV in tumor formation appears to be complex,and may involve both direct and indirect mechanisms.Integration of HBV DNA into the host genome occurs at early steps of clonal tumor expansion,and it has been shown to enhance the host chromosomal instability,leading to large inverted duplications,deletions and chromosomal translocations.It has been shown that the rate of chromosomal alterations is increased significantly in HBV-related tumors.Prolonged expression of the viral regulatory HBV x protein may contribute to regulating cellular transcription,protein degradation,proliferation,and apoptotic signaling pathways,and it plays a critical role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.展开更多
Vibrio anguillarum metalloprotease, an extracellular zinc metalloprotease involved in the virulence mechanism of Vibrio anguillarum, is synthesized from the empA gene as a 611-residue precursor and naturally secreted ...Vibrio anguillarum metalloprotease, an extracellular zinc metalloprotease involved in the virulence mechanism of Vibrio anguillarum, is synthesized from the empA gene as a 611-residue precursor and naturally secreted via Sec secretion pathway in Vibrio anguillarum. In this study, hetemlogous expression of the empA gene encoding metallopmtease and export of the recombinant metallopmtease in Escherichia coli were examined. The empA gene was subcloned into pBAD24 with arabinose promoter and sequenced. The sequence encoded a polypeptide （611 amino acids） consisting of four domains： a signal peptide, an Nterminal pmpoptide, a mature region and a C-terminal pmpoptide. The empA gene inserted in plasmid pBAD24 was overexpressed in TOP10 strain of E. coli after arabinose induction. The 36kDa polypeptide of the recombinant metallopmtease as the mature pmtease was further confirmed by SDS-PAGE and im- munoblotting. It was found that recombinant metallopmtease with the EmpA activity and antigenicity was exported into the poriplasm of Escherichia coli cells via Sec translocation pathway, whereas it was secreted into extracellular environments in V. anguillarum. The results imply that the expression, export and processing mechanism of the protein in E. coli are similar to those in V. anguillarum.展开更多
文摘Wnt signaling plays an important role in embryogenesis and tumorgenesis. Although the mechanism about how Wnts transduce their signaling from receptor frizzled (Fz) to cytosol has not been understood, dishevelled (Dvl) protein was considered as the intersection of Wnt signal traffic. In this study, we characterized the function of three domains (DIX,PDZ and DEP) of Dvl-1 in canonical Wnt signal transduction and Dvl-1 membrane translocation. It was found both DIX and DEP domain were sufficient to block Wnt-3a-induced LEF-1 transcriptional activity and free cytosol β-catenin accumulation; whereas PDZ domain and a functional mutant form of DEP domain (DEP-KM) had no effect on canonical Wnt signaling. In addition, when cotransfected with Fz-7, DEP domain, but not DIX, PDZ or DEP-KM, translocated and co-localized with Fz-7 to the plasma membrane, which was similar to Dvl-1. Furthermore, it was DEP domain that could block Fz-7-induced membrane translocation of Dvl- 1 via a possible competitive mechanism. These results strongly suggest that DEP domain is responsible for the membrane translocation of Dvl-1 protein upon Wnt signal stimulation.
文摘Caveolae and non-caveolar lipid rafts are two types of membrane lipid microdomains that play important roles in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes. In order to ascertain their specific functions in this process, caveolae were ablated by caveolin-1 RNA interference. In Cav-1 RNAi adipocytes, neither insulin-stimulated glucose uptake nor Glut-4 （glucose transporter 4） translocation to membrane lipid microdomains was affected by the ablation of caveolae. With a modified sucrose density gradient, caveolae and non-caveolar lipid rafts could be separated. In the wild-type 3T3- L l adipocytes, Glut-4 was found to be translocated into both caveolae and non-caveolar lipid rafts. However, in Cav1 RNAi adipocytes, Glut-4 was localized predominantly in non-caveolar lipid rafts. After the removal of insulin, caveolaelocalized Glut-4 was internalized faster than non-caveolar lipid raft-associated Glut-4. The internalization of Glut-4 from plasma membrane was significantly decreased in Cav-1 RNAi adipocytes. These results suggest that insulin-stimulated Glut-4 translocation and glucose uptake are caveolae-independent events. Caveolae play a role in the internalization of Glut-4 from plasma membrane after the removal of insulin.
文摘Epidemiological studies have provided overwhelming evidence for a causal role of chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,the pathogenesis of HBV infection and carcinogenesis of HBV-associated HCC are still elusive.This review will summarize the current knowledge on the mechanisms involved in HBV-related liver carcinogenesis.The role of HBV in tumor formation appears to be complex,and may involve both direct and indirect mechanisms.Integration of HBV DNA into the host genome occurs at early steps of clonal tumor expansion,and it has been shown to enhance the host chromosomal instability,leading to large inverted duplications,deletions and chromosomal translocations.It has been shown that the rate of chromosomal alterations is increased significantly in HBV-related tumors.Prolonged expression of the viral regulatory HBV x protein may contribute to regulating cellular transcription,protein degradation,proliferation,and apoptotic signaling pathways,and it plays a critical role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （ No. 30328021 ）.
文摘Vibrio anguillarum metalloprotease, an extracellular zinc metalloprotease involved in the virulence mechanism of Vibrio anguillarum, is synthesized from the empA gene as a 611-residue precursor and naturally secreted via Sec secretion pathway in Vibrio anguillarum. In this study, hetemlogous expression of the empA gene encoding metallopmtease and export of the recombinant metallopmtease in Escherichia coli were examined. The empA gene was subcloned into pBAD24 with arabinose promoter and sequenced. The sequence encoded a polypeptide （611 amino acids） consisting of four domains： a signal peptide, an Nterminal pmpoptide, a mature region and a C-terminal pmpoptide. The empA gene inserted in plasmid pBAD24 was overexpressed in TOP10 strain of E. coli after arabinose induction. The 36kDa polypeptide of the recombinant metallopmtease as the mature pmtease was further confirmed by SDS-PAGE and im- munoblotting. It was found that recombinant metallopmtease with the EmpA activity and antigenicity was exported into the poriplasm of Escherichia coli cells via Sec translocation pathway, whereas it was secreted into extracellular environments in V. anguillarum. The results imply that the expression, export and processing mechanism of the protein in E. coli are similar to those in V. anguillarum.
