猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌ApxⅣ N端基因的克隆、抗原表位的分析及表达

参照猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌(APP)ApxⅣ基因序列(AF021919),从临床分离株2009JH扩增出1段2 427bp的序列,应用DNAstar等软件进行了序列分析和抗原表位的预测,利用PCR扩增了包含预测抗原位点的3个片段,ApxⅣ1(1～1 503bp)、ApxⅣ2(1 051～2 427bp)、ApxⅣ3(1 051～1 503bp),并构建了原核表达载体pET-ApxⅣ1,pET-ApxⅣ2,pET-ApxⅣ3。将重组表达质粒转入E.coli BL21,经IPTG诱导表达,进行SDS-PAGE电泳分析及Western blot检测。结果显示,2009JH分离株ApxⅣN端序列与参考序列(AF021919)的同源性为98.00%,与血清1型、2型和7型的同源性分别为98.23%,99.46%,98.06%。3个片段的重组质粒分别诱导表达出相对分子质量为55 000,50 000,20 000的蛋白,Western blot检测显示除20 000蛋白未检测到特异性条带外,其余有很好的反应原性。

乙酰转移酶基因NAA10的生物学功能及其在肿瘤中的作用

N端乙酰转移酶A(N-acetyltransferase A,NatA)复合体是真核生物最主要的N端氨基酸α位乙酰转移酶,N端α位乙酰转移酶10基因(N-α-acetyltransferase 10,NAA10)编码的N端α位乙酰转移酶10蛋白(N-α-acetyltransferase 10 protein,Naa10p)是NatA的催化亚基.Naa10p具备新生蛋白质N端氨基酸α位乙酰化活性、成熟蛋白质Lys残基ε位乙酰化活性以及对部分转录因子的协同调节作用.Naa10p能够通过调节细胞周期促进细胞增殖,通过调节雷帕霉素靶蛋白(mechanistic target of rapamycin,mTOR)通路促进细胞自噬,并通过多种不同的分子信号通路抑制细胞运动能力.根据乙酰化底物的不同,Naa10p还在细胞凋亡的调控中起双重作用.Naa10p参与的生物学过程还涉及血管生成和神经发育等.Naa10p在多种癌症组织中呈过表达,但其预后意义随肿瘤不同而有较大差别.对Naa10p的生理生化研究必将使我们对细胞的生理病理学过程及其机制的了解更加深入全面.本文将从蛋白质结构、机制功能及临床意义等不同角度系统地阐述NAA10的研究现状与进展.

Microfilament-binding properties of N-terminal extension of the isoform of smooth muscle long myosin light chain kinase

Myosin light chain kinases （MLCK） phosphorylate the regulatory light chain of myosin II in thick filaments and bind to F-actin-containing thin filaments with high affinity. The ability of short myosin light chain kinase （S-MLCK） to bind F-actin is structurally attributed to the DFRXXL regions in its N-terminus. The long myosin light chain kinase （L-MLCK） has two additional DFRXXL motifs and six Ig-like modules in its N-terminal extension. The six Ig-like modules are capable of binding to stress fibers independently. Our results from the imaging analysis demonstrated that the first two intact Ig-like modules （2Ig） in N-terminal extension of L-MLCK is the minimal binding module required for microfilament binding. Binding assay confirmed that F-actin was able to bind 2Ig. Stoichiometries of 2Ig peptide were similar for myofilament or pure F-actin. The binding affinities were slightly lower than 5DFRXXL peptide as reported previously. Similar to DFRXXL peptides, the 2Ig peptide also caused efficient F-actin bundle formation in vitro. In the living cell, over-expression of 2Ig fragment increased ＂spike＂-like protrusion formation with over-bundled F-actin. Our results suggest that L-MLCK may act as a potent F-actin bundling protein via its DFRXXL region and the 2Ig region, implying that L-MLCK plays a role in cytoskeleton organization.

Molecular Cloning and Characteristics Analysis of ghrelin Gene in Asian Swamp Eel(Monopterus albus)

Ghrelin is an important signaling molecule linking reproductive and energy metabolism. In this study, ghrelin gene of Monopterus albus was cloned. Its structure and function were analysized preliminarily. By Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends(RACE) technique, full-length cDNA and DNA sequences of ghrelin gene were obtained. The full-length ghrelin cDNA(GenBank accession no. JX122807) was 552 bp long, containing a 115 bp 5'-untranslated region, a 324 bp open reading frame and a 113 bp 3'-untranslated region. The full-length ghrelin DNA was 1 323 bp, consisting of three introns and four exons. The exon/intron junction sequences conformed to the GT/AG rule. Three introns were 594, 84 and 93 bp in length, respectively; four exons were229, 78, 112 and 133 bp in length, respectively. The results of amino acid sequence analysis showed that the deduced propreghrelin sequence of M. albus contained a signal peptide(SP) consisting of 22 amino acid residues, a mature peptide(MP)consisting of 19 amino acid residues and a C-terminal amino acid residue. Among them, the third amino acid of MP was serine(Ser^3) as the site for N-acylation and N-deacetylation reactions; the C-terminal amino acid residue sequence might contain a peptide hormone obestatin, which is a physiological antagonist of mature Ghrelin peptide. The homology and phylogenic relationships analyses of amino acid sequences suggested that propreghrelin of M. albus had high similarity to those of several Perciformes fishes; the propreghrelins of M. albus, Perciformes and Heterosomata fishes were clustered into a subgroup. The high conservatism of the gene structure and the amino acid sequences indicated that Ghrelin exerts important physiological functions and plays similar physiological mechanisms in vertebrates.

Cloning and expression of follistatin gene in half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis during the reproduction cycle

Follistatin(FST) is a monomeric glycoprotein highly enriched in cysteines and belongs to TGF-β superfamily. FST can suppress the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone and plays a vital role in the reproduction of vertebrates. We used rapid amplification of cDNA ends technology to clone the FST gene of half-smooth tongue sole,Cynoglossus semilaevis. We characterized its phylogenetic context and expression patterns to elucidate its function in the breeding season. The full-length sequence of FST is 1 455 bp and encodes a protein of 321 amino acids. We investigated the expression pattern of FST in C. semilaevis at different stages of reproduction using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RTPCR). FST m RNA was expressed in all 13 tissues analyzed,and was expressed at high levels in gonad and at slightly lower levels in gill and brain. During the reproductive cycle of C. semilaevis,the transcript level of FST was the highest in the perinucleolus stage,decreased in the primary yolk stage,slightly increased in the tertiary yolk stage,and then reduced to a minimal level in the atretic follicles stage of the ovary. We concluded that FST suppressed follicle-stimulating hormone,which stimulated oocyte development. However,no significant variation was observed across all stages of testis development,although the expression level in the spermatogenesis stage was relatively low,which may result from the regulation of FST by aromatase.