Analysis of mechanism on Indigo Naturalis in treating chronic myelocytic leukemia based on two-dimentional model of protein-protein interaction network-moleculardocking technique

To explore the molecular mechanism of Ind-igo Naturalis in intervening chronic myelocytic leukemia （CML） under the guidance of protein-protein interaction network, the molecular docking technique and in vitro cell experiment were chosen. CML-related genes were obtained from the online mendelian inheritance in man database （OMIM）, then String 10. 0 was used for text mining and constructing the CML protein-protein interaction network. The interaction data were input in Cytoscape 3. 4. 0 software. Plug-in CentiScaPe 2. 1 was used for implement topology analysis. Small active substances of Indigo Naturalis were obtained from a third-party database, which were optimized by Chemoffice 8. 0 and Sybyl 8. 1, then small molecular ligand library was obtained. The molecular docking was carried out by Surflex-Dock module, the key target was received after scoring. Protein-protein interaction network of CML was constructed, which was consisted of 425 nodes （ proteins） and 2 799 sides （ interactions）. The key gene J.AK2 was got. CML is a polygenic disease and JAK2 is likely to be a key node.

Protein-protein interaction map is a key gateway into liver regeneration

Recent studies indicate that the process of liver regeneration involves multiple signaling pathways and a variety of genes,cytokines and growth factors. Protein-protein interactions(PPIs)play a role in nearly all events that take place within the cell and PPI maps should be helpful in further understanding the process of liver regeneration.In this review,we discuss recent progress in understanding the PPIs that occur during liver regeneration especially those in the transforming growth factorβsignaling pathways.We believe the use of large-scale PPI maps for integrating the information already known about the liver regeneration is a useful approach in understanding liver regeneration from the standpoint of systems biology.

Optogenetic activation of intracellular signaling based on light-inducible protein-protein homo-interactions

Dynamic protein-protein interactions are essential for proper cell functioning.Homointeraction events—physical interactions between the same type of proteins—represent a pivotal subset of protein-protein interactions that are widely exploited in activating intracellular signaling pathways.Capacities of modulating protein-protein interactions with spatial and temporal resolution are greatly desired to decipher the dynamic nature of signal transduction mechanisms.The emerging optogenetic technology,based on genetically encoded light-sensitive proteins,provides promising opportunities to dissect the highly complex signaling networks with unmatched specificity and spatiotemporal precision.Here we review recent achievements in the development of optogenetic tools enabling light-inducible protein-protein homo-interactions and their applications in optical activation of signaling pathways.

Identification,evolution,expression and protein interaction analysis of genes encoding B-box zinc-finger proteins in maize

The B-box(BBX)family of proteins consists of zinc-finger transcription factors with one or two highly conserved B-box motifs at their N-termini.BBX proteins play crucial roles in various aspects of plant growth and development,including seedling photomorphogenesis,shade avoidance,flowering time,and biotic and abiotic stress responses.Previous studies have identified many different BBXs from several plant species,although the BBX family members in maize are largely unknown.Genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of maize BBX(ZmBBX)expression and interaction networks would therefore provide valuable information for understanding their functions.In this study,36 maize BBXs in three major clades were identified.The ZmBBXs within a given clade were found to share similar domains,motifs,and genomic structures.Gene duplication analyses revealed that the expansion of BBX proteins in maize has mainly occurred by segmental duplication.The expression levels of ZmBBXs were analyzed in various organs and tissues,and under different abiotic stress conditions.Protein–protein interaction networks of ZmBBXs were established using bioinformatic tools and verified by bimolecular fluorescence complementation(BiFC)assays.Our findings can facilitate a greater understanding of the complexity of the ZmBBX family and provide novel clues for unravelling ZmBBX protein functions.

Review of multimer protein–protein interaction complex topology and structure prediction

Protein–protein interactions (PPI) are important for many biological processes. Theoretical understanding of the structurally determining factors of interaction sites will help to understand the underlying mechanism of protein–protein interactions. At the same time, understanding the complex structure of proteins helps to explore their function. And accurately predicting protein complexes from PPI networks helps us understand the relationship between proteins. In the past few decades, scholars have proposed many methods for predicting protein interactions and protein complex structures. In this review, we first briefly introduce the methods and servers for predicting protein interaction sites and interface residue pairs, and then introduce the protein complex structure prediction methods including template-based prediction and template-free prediction. Subsequently, this paper introduces the methods of predicting protein complexes from the PPI network and the method of predicting missing links in the PPI network. Finally, it briefly summarizes the application of machine/deep learning models in protein structure prediction and action site prediction.

Bioinformatics Analysis of the Interaction between Coat Protein and Nuclear Shuttle Protein in <i>Babuvirus</i>

Protein and protein interactions play important roles in many biological processes and are responsible for carrying out the function of biological regulatory network in living organisms. Previous study indicated that Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) coat protein (CP) interacted with BBTV nuclear shuttle protein (NSP). However, the protein and protein interaction and the binding affinity of CP and NSP in Babuvirus are remaining unclear. In this study, the CPs and NSPs proteins of BBTV, Abaca bunchy top virus (ABTV) and Cardamom bushy dwarf virus (CBDV) were used for bioinformatic analysis. The binding free energy and the dissociation constant of the possible interaction proteins were tested in PPA-Pred2, and the results confirmed CP interaction with NSP in Babuvirus. The study will help us to understand the interaction between viral protein and viral protein, and the pathogenesis mechanism of Babuvirus in host plants.

Analysis of Protein Interactions:Probing the Function of Proteins with Yeast Two-Hybrid System

The yeast two\|hybrid system is a molecular genetic approach for protein interaction and it is widely used to screen for proteins that interact with a protein of interest in recent years.This process includes,construction and testing of the bait plasmid,screening a plasmid library for interacting fusion protein,elimination of false positives and delection analysis of true positives.This procedure is designed to allow investigators to identify proteins and their encoding cDNAs that have a biologically significant interaction with a protein of interest.More and more studies have demonstrated that the two\|hybrid system is a powerful and sensitive technique for the identification of genes that code for proteins that interact in a biologically significant fashion with a protein of interest in higher plants.This method has been used to identify new interaction protein in many laboratories.The recently reported yeast tri\|brid system,should allow the investigation of more complex protein\|protein interactions.The aim of this review is to outline the recent progress made in protein interactions by using yeast two\|hybrid system.

Ubiquitination-mediated protein degradation and modification:an emerging theme in plant-microbe interactions

Post-translational modification is central to protein stability and to the modulation of protein activity. Various types of protein modification, such as phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, myristoylation, glycosylation, and ubiquitination, have been reported. Among them, ubiquitination distinguishes itself from others in that most of the ubiquitinated proteins are targeted to the 26S proteasome for degradation. The ubiquitin/26S proteasome system constitutes the major protein degradation pathway in the cell. In recent years, the importance of the ubiquitination machinery in the control of numerous eukaryotic cellular functions has been increasingly appreciated. Increasing number of E3 ubiquitin ligases and their substrates, including a variety of essential cellular regulators have been identified. Studies in the past several years have revealed that the ubiquitination system is important for a broad range of plant developmental processes and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. This review discusses recent advances in the functional analysis of ubiquitination-associated proteins from plants and pathogens that play important roles in plant-microbe interactions.

Construct Protein-Protein Interaction Network by Mining Domain-Domain Interactions

Domain-domain interactions are important clues to inferring protein-protein interactions. Although about 8 000 domain-domain interactions are discovered so far,they are just the tip of the iceberg. Because domains are conservative and commonplace in proteins,domain-domain interactions are discovered based on pairs of domains which significantly co-exist in proteins. Meanwhile,it is realized that:( 1) domain-domain interactions may exist within the same proteins or across different proteins;( 2) only the domain-domain interactions across different proteins can mediate interactions between proteins;( 3) domains have biases to interact with other domains. And then,a novel method is put forward to construct protein-protein interaction network by using domain-domain interactions. The method is validated by experiments and compared with the state- of-art methods in the field. The experimental results suggest that the method is reasonable and effectiveness on constructing Protein-protein interactions network.

Protein interaction network related to Helicobacter pylori infection response

AIM:To understand the complex reaction of gastric inflammation induced by Helicobacter pylori(H pylori) in a systematic manner using a protein interaction network. METHODS:The expression of genes significantly changed on microarray during H pylori infection was scanned from the web literary database and translated into proteins.A network of protein interactions was constructed by searching the primary interactions of selected proteins.The constructed network was mathematically analyzed and its biological function was examined.In addition,the nodes on the network were checked to determine if they had any further functional importance or relation to other proteins by extending them. RESULTS:The scale-free network showing the relationship between inflammation and carcinogenesis was constructed.Mathematical analysis showed hub and bottleneck proteins,and these proteins were mostly related to immune response.The network contained pathways and proteins related to H pylori infection,such as the JAK-STAT pathway triggered by interleukins.Activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB,TLR4,and other proteins known to function as core proteins of immune response were also found. These immune-related proteins interacted on the network with pathways and proteins related to the cell cycle,cell maintenance and proliferation,andtranscription regulators such as BRCA1,FOS,REL,and zinc finger proteins.The extension of nodes showed interactions of the immune proteins with cancer- related proteins.One extended network,the core network,a summarized form of the extended network, and cell pathway model were constructed. CONCLUSION:Immune-related proteins activated by H pylori infection interact with proto-oncogene proteins.The hub and bottleneck proteins are potential drug targets for gastric inflammation and cancer.

Respective Roles of Short-and Long-Range Interactions in Protein Folding

A new method was presented to discuss the respective roles of short- and long-range interactions in protein folding. It's based on an off-lattice model, which is also being called as toy model. Simulated annealing algorithm was used to search its native conformation. When it is applied to analysis proteins 1agt and 1aho, we find that helical segment cannot fold into native conformation without the influence of long-range interactions. That's to say that long-range interactions are the main determinants in protein folding. Key words toy model - protein folding - simulated annealing algorithm - short and long range interactions CLC number O 242.28 - Q71 Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China((60301009)Biography: WANG Long-hui (1976-), female, Ph. D candidate, research direction: machine learning, bioinformatics.

Roles of HIV-1 auxiliary proteins in viral pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions

Active host-pathogen interactions take place during infection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Outcomes of these interactions determine the efficiency of viral infection and subsequent disease progression. HIV- infected cells respond to viral invasion with various defensive strategies such as innate, cellular and humoral immune antiviral mechanisms. On the other hand, the virus has also developed various offensive tactics to suppress these host cellular responses. Among many of the viral offensive strategies, HIV-1 viral auxiliary proteins (Tat, Rev, Nef, Vif, Vpr and Vpu) play important roles in the host-pathogen interaction and thus have significant impacts on the outcome of HIV infection. One of the best examples is the interaction of Vif with a host cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G. Although specific roles of other auxiliary proteins are not as well described as Vif-APOBEC3G interaction, it is the goal of this brief review to summarize some of the preliminary findings with the hope to stimulate further discussion and investiga- tion in this exhilarating area of research.

Altered expression of stromal interaction molecule(STIM)-calcium release-activated calcium channel protein(ORAI) and inositol1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors(IP_3Rs)in cancer:will they become a new battlefield for oncotherapy?

The stromal interaction molecule(STIM)-calcium release-activated calcium channel protein(ORAI) and inositol1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors(IP_3Rs) play pivotal roles in the modulation of Ca^(2+)-regulated pathways from gene transcription to cell apoptosis by driving calcium-dependent signaling processes.Increasing evidence has implicated the dysregulation of STIM-ORAI and IP_3Rs in tumorigenesis and tumor progression.By controlling the activities,structure,and/or expression levels of these Ca^(2+)-transporting proteins,malignant cancer cells can hijack them to drive essential biological functions for tumor development.However,the molecular mechanisms underlying the participation of STIM-ORAI and IP_3Rs in the biological behavior of cancer remain elusive.In this review,we summarize recent advances regarding STIM-ORAI and IP_3Rs and discuss how they promote cell proliferation,apoptosis evasion,and cell migration through temporal and spatial rearrangements in certain types of malignant cells.An understanding of the essential roles of STIM-ORAI and IP_3Rs may provide new pharmacologic targets that achieve a better therapeutic effect by inhibiting their actions in key intracellular signaling pathways.

Interaction among Rb/p16, Rb/E2F1 and HDAC1 Proteins in Gallbladder Carcinoma

The mechanism and interaction among Rb/p16, Rb/E2F1 and HDAC1 proteins in gallbladder carcinoma were investigated. By using the immunoprecipitation method, the interactions among Rb, p16, E2F1, HDAC1 proteins in gallbladder carcinoma cell line （Mz-ChA-1） were studied. It was found that there were Rb and E2F1 proteins in the precipitates with anti-HDAC1, and there were HDAC1 and E2F1 proteins in the precipitate with anti-Rb. It was concluded that there are specific interactions among Rb, HDAC1 and E2F1 proteins in gallbladder carcinoma, indicating the existence of the direct Rb/E2F1/HDAC1 signal transduction pathway. There is no direct relationship between p16 proteins with Rb, HDAC1, and E2F1 proteins.

Critical role of cytochrome c1 and its cleavage in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus nonstructural protein 4-induced cell apoptosis via interaction with nsp4

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.（PRRSV） actively induces cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, which can contribute critically to viral pathogenesis. Previous studies have shown that the PRRSV nonstructural protein 4 （nsp4） is an important mediator of this process, but the underlying molecular details remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that the PRRSV nsp4 interacted with the mitochondrial inner membrane protein cytochrome cl （cyto.cl） and induced its proteolytic cleavage. Interestingly, the cleaved N-terminal fragment of cyto.cl was found to exert apoptotic activity, which could cause mitochondrial fragmentation, resulting in apoptotic cell death. And RNA interference （RNAi） silencing experiments further confirmed the crucial role which cyto.cl played in nsp4- and PRRSV-induced cell apoptosis. Thus, our data provide an important piece of mechanistic clues for PRRSV-induced cell apoptosis and also elucidate a novel mechanism for the 3C-like proteases in this finding.

Integrated network analysis of transcriptomic and protein-protein interaction data in taurine-treated hepatic stellate cells

BACKGROUND Studies show that the antifibrotic mechanism of taurine may involve its inhibition of the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs). Since the molecular mechanism of taurine-mediated antifibrotic activity has not been fully unveiled and is little studied, it is imperative to use "omics" methods to systematically investigate the molecular mechanism by which taurine inhibits liver fibrosis.AIM To establish a network including transcriptomic and protein-protein interaction data to elucidate the molecular mechanism of taurine-induced HSC apoptosis.METHODS We used microarrays, bioinformatics, protein-protein interaction(PPI) network,and sub-modules to investigate taurine-induced changes in gene expression in human HSCs(LX-2). Subsequently, all of the differentially expressed genes(DEGs) were subjected to gene ontology function and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment analysis. Furthermore, the interactions of DEGs were explored in a human PPI network, and sub-modules of the DEGs interaction network were analyzed using Cytoscape software.RESULTS A total of 635 DEGs were identified in taurine-treated HSCs when compared with the controls. Of these, 304 genes were statistically significantly up-regulated, and 331 down-regulated. Most of these DEGs were mainly located on the membrane and extracellular region, and are involved in the biological processes of signal transduction, cell proliferation, positive regulation of extracellular regulated protein kinases 1(ERK1) and ERK2 cascade, extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway and so on. Fifteen significantly enriched pathways with DEGs were identified, including mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor signaling pathway,estrogen signaling pathway, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway and so on. By integrating the transcriptomics and human PPI data, nine critical genes, including MMP2, MMP9, MMP21,TIMP3, KLF10, CX3CR1, TGFB1, VEGFB, and EGF, were identified in the PPI network analysis.CONCLUSION Taurine promotes the apoptosis of HSCs via up-regulating TGFB1 and then activating the p38 MAPK-JNK-Caspase9/8/3 pathway. These findings enhance the understanding of the molecular mechanism of taurine-induced HSC apoptosis and provide references for liver disorder therapy.

High Performance Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography-A New Approach to Separate Intermediates of Protein Folding──Ⅰ.Separation of Intermediates of Urea-unfolded α-Amylase

Based on the different hydrophobicities of the intermediates of proteins the various conformational intermediates of the refolding of a-amylase originally denatured with 8.0 mol/L urea solution were separated with high performance hydrophobic interaction chromatography(HPHIC). Compared to the separation of the same intermediates with weak anion exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography the result obtained with HPHIC is the best It would be expected that HPHIC may be a strongly potential tool to separate intermediates of some proteins which cannot be, or cannot completely be refolded by HPHIC.

Protein-protein Interaction Between Domains of PDZ and BAR from PICK1

Two DNA fragments encoding PDZ domain （21-110 residues） and BAR domain （ 150-360 residues） from PICK1 （1-416 residues） were amplified by PCR and then introduced into vectors, pET-32M and pMAL-e2X respectively to generate recombinant plasmids, pE-pdz and pM-bar. Having been separately transferred into the hosts E. coli BL21 and E. coli JM109, these two strains can express fusion proteins： His-tagged PDZ（PDZ domain） and maltose binding protein-BAR（ MBP-BAR domain） respectively, as confirmed by both SDS-PAGE and Wostem blotting. The interaction between these two domains is dose-dependence, as identified by a pull-down test. Moreover, it has been shown from the ELISA analysis that the actual amount of PDZ bound to MBP-BAR-amylose beads reaches （ 16 ± 0. 5）%, as calculated by the molar ratio of PDZ to MBP-BAR. In addition, the interaction between BAR（bait） and PDZ（prey） in vivo was also examined with a yeast two-hybrid system.

Non-covalent interaction between almond protein and sinapic acid: impact on protein structure and antioxidant activity

Plant phenolic acids are good sources of antioxidants and sinapic acid(SA)is one of them that can be applied in protein-based food system.However,little research is available regarding interactions between almond protein(AP)and SA.In this study,structure-affinity interaction between SA and AP,structure and antioxidant activity of proteins were investigated.Different mathematical models showed that Ka of binding SA and AP were 3.27×10^4 L/mol and 3.08×10^4 L/mol.CD(Circular dichroism)spectroscopy and FT-IR(Fourier transform infrared)spectroscopy showed that the amount of random coil andα-helix decreased whileβ-sheet increased in AP-SA complex.In combination,the interaction model of AP-SA complex was static quenching and attributed to hydrophobic interaction.Further,AP-SA complex exerted better DPPH radical scavenging ability(36.97±0.78%),ABTS+radical scavenging ability(47.26±0.45%),and higher ORAC value(2.41±0.23 M trolox/g)compared to AP.In the further,SA can be applied in protein matrix to improve film stability,gel strength and restraining fat oxidation degradation.

CONCENTRATION PARTITION OF PROTEIN SOLUTION IN A MICROPORE:EFFECT OF ELECTROSTATIC INTERACTION

A theory for calculating the electrostatic interaction between protein molecules and the wallof a liquid-filled micropore is established in terms of solving the Laplace and the linearPoisson-Boltzmann equations.The surface charge of protein molecules is measured by theelectrophoresis velocity,whilethe charge of the pore wall is obtained by the ionic Donnan equilibrium.The theory is then used to study the influence of solute-pore electrostatic interaction on theconcentration partition of protein solution in a micropore under different solution properties.Experi-mental verification is performed by detecting the hindered diffusion of bovine serum albumin in thetrack-etched polycarbonate membranes.A good consistence between the theoretical and experimentaldata is being achieved.