Hmo1:A versatile member of the high mobility group box family of chromosomal architecture proteins

Eukaryotic chromatin consisting of nucleosomes connected by linker DNA is organized into higher order structures,which is facilitated by linker histone H1.Formation of chromatin compacts and protects the genome,but also hinders DNA transactions.Cells have evolved mechanisms to modify/remodel chromatin resulting in chromatin states suitable for genome functions.The high mobility group box(HMGB)proteins are non-histone chromatin architectural factors characterized by one or more HMGB motifs that bind DNA in a sequence nonspecific fashion.They play a major role in chromatin dynamics.The Saccharomyces cerevisiae(yeast hereafter)HMGB protein Hmo1 contains two HMGB motifs.However,unlike a canonical HMGB protein that has an acidic C-terminus,Hmo1 ends with a lysine rich,basic,C-terminus,resembling linker histone H1.Hmo1 exhibits characteristics of both HMGB proteins and linker histones in its multiple functions.For instance,Hmo1 promotes transcription by RNA polymerases I and II like canonical HMGB proteins but makes chromatin more compact/stable like linker histones.Recent studies have demonstrated that Hmo1 destabilizes/disrupts nucleosome similarly as other HMGB proteins in vitro and acts to maintain a common topological architecture of genes in yeast genome.This minireview reviews the functions of Hmo1 and the underlying mechanisms,highlighting recent discoveries.

Isolation of a genomic DNA for Jatropha curcas ribosome inactivating protein and its tobacco transformation

Genomic DNA for Jatropha curcas ribosome inactivating protein （JRIP） was cloned from total DNA of its leaves by polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. The no intron character was confirmed. The plant expression vector pBI121-JRIP was constructed by inserting the JRIP gene into pBI121 plasmid. The recombinant Agrobacterium EHA105 strain harboring pBI121-JRIP was constructed by conducting pBI121-JRIP to strain EHA 105. PCR and Southern blotting were carried out, and the results proved that the JRIP gene was integrated into tobacco genome. It might provide a new material for disease resistance tobacco species breeding.

Integrated top-down and bottom-up proteomics mass spectrometry for the characterization of endogenous ribosomal protein heterogeneity

Ribosomes are abundant,large RNA-protein complexes that are the sites of all protein synthesis in cells.Defects in ribosomal proteins(RPs),including proteoforms arising from genetic variations,alternative splicing of RNA transcripts,post-translational modifications and alterations of protein expression level,have been linked to a diverse range of diseases,including cancer and aging.Comprehensive characterization of ribosomal proteoforms is challenging but important for the discovery of potential disease biomarkers or protein targets.In the present work,using E.coli 70S RPs as an example,we first developed a top-down proteomics approach on a Waters Synapt G2 Si mass spectrometry(MS)system,and then applied it to the HeLa 80S ribosome.The results were complemented by a bottom-up approach.In total,50 out of 55 RPs were identified using the top-down approach.Among these,more than 30 RPs were found to have their N-terminal methionine removed.Additional modifications such as methylation,acetylation,and hydroxylation were also observed,and the modification sites were identified by bottomup MS.In a HeLa 80S ribosomal sample,we identified 98 ribosomal proteoforms,among which multiple truncated 80S ribosomal proteoforms were observed,the type of information which is often overlooked by bottom-up experiments.Although their relevance to diseases is not yet known,the integration of topdown and bottom-up proteomics approaches paves the way for the discovery of proteoform-specific disease biomarkers or targets.

核糖蛋白替代鱼粉对大菱鲆幼鱼生长性能的影响

该试验旨在研究核糖蛋白替代饵料中鱼粉对大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)幼鱼生长性能的影响,探讨核糖蛋白(Ribosomal protein)替代鱼粉的可行性,并确定最适的替代比例。试验选择体质健壮、体重约为25g的大菱鲆幼鱼400尾,随机分成4组,每组5个重复,每个重复20尾大菱鲆幼鱼。对照组大菱鲆幼鱼投喂基础饵料,试验各组大菱鲆幼鱼分别投喂使用核糖蛋白替代1%、1.5%和2%鱼粉的试验饵料。饲喂8周后,检测各组大菱鲆幼鱼的生长性能。结果表明,在大菱鲆幼鱼饵料中使用核糖蛋白替代1.5%的鱼粉可以显著提高试验末重和增重率,分别比对照组显著提高了5.36%和10.53%(P<0.05);使用核糖蛋白替代1%、1.5%和2%的鱼粉可以使特定生长率分别显著提高7.14%、11.90%、8.73%(P<0.05);使用核糖蛋白替代1.5%的鱼粉可以显著降低大菱鲆幼鱼的饵料系数,显著降低了13.41%(P<0.05)。综上所述,在大菱鲆幼鱼养殖中使用核糖蛋白替代饵料中1.5%的鱼粉对其生长性能效果最优。

Effect of moxibustion on mTOR-mediated autophagy in rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease model rats

Defects in autophagy-mediated clearance of α-synuclein may be one of the key factors leading to progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Moxibustion therapy for Parkinson’s disease has been shown to have a positive effect, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Based on this, we explored whether moxibustion could protect dopaminergic neurons by promoting autophagy mediated by mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）, with subsequent elimination of α-syn. A Parkinson’s disease model was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of rotenone at the back of their necks, and they received moxibustion at Zusanli （ST36）, Guanyuan （CV4）and Fengfu （GV16）, for 10 minutes at every point, once per day, for 14 consecutive days. Model rats without any treatment were used as a sham control. Compared with the Parkinson’s disease group, the moxibustion group showed significantly greater tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity and expression of light chain 3-II protein in the substantia nigra, and their behavioral score, α-synuclein immunoreactivity,the expression of phosphorylated mTOR and phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 kinase （p-p70S6K） in the substantia nigra were significantly lower. These results suggest that moxibustion can promote the autophagic clearance of α-syn and improve behavioral performance in Parkinson’s disease model rats. The protective mechanism may be associated with suppression of the mTOR/p70S6K pathway.

Ribosomal proteins:functions beyond the ribosome

Although ribosomal proteins are known for playing an essential role in ribosome assembly and protein translation,their ribosomeindependent functions have also been greatly appreciated.Over the past decade,more than a dozen of ribosomal proteins have been found to activate the tumor suppressor p53 pathway in response to ribosomal stress.In addition,these ribosomal proteins are involved in various physiological and pathological processes.This review is composed to overview the current understanding of how ribosomal stress provokes the accumulation of ribosome-free ribosomal proteins,as well as the ribosome-independent functions of ribosomal proteins in tumorigenesis,immune signaling,and development.Wealso propose the potential of applying these pieces of knowledge to the development of ribosomal stress-based cancer therapeutics.

Effects of electroacupuncture on the expression of p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase and ribosomal protein S6 in the hippocampus of rats with vascular dementia

This study investigated the mechanism underlying electroacupuncture therapy for vascular dementia through electroacupuncture at the acupoints of Baihui （DU20）, Dazhui （DU14）, and bilateral Shenshu （BL23） in a rat model of vascular dementia produced by bilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion. Morris water maze test showed that electroacupuncture improved the learning ability of vascular dementia rats. Western blot assay revealed that the expression of p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase and ribosomal protein S6 in vascular dementia rats was significantly increased after electroacupuncture, compared with the model group that was not treated with acupuncture. The average escape latency was also shortened after electroacupuncture, and escape strategies in the spatial probe test improved from edge and random searches, to linear and trending swim pathways. The experimental findings indicate that electroacupuncture improves learning and memory ability by up-regulating expression of p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase and ribosomal protein S6 in the hippocampus of vascular dementia rats.

Molecular Replacement Studies of Cucurmosin from Cucurbita Moschata:Structure Homology with Trichosanthin

High diffraction quality crystals of cucurmosin, a type I ribosome inactivating protein isolated from the sarcocarp of Cucurbita moschata (pumpkin), have been grown under newly optimised conditions. With in-house rotating anode X-ray source, these crystals diffract to 1.65 ?resolution which is much higher than that of the previously reported crystals that diffracted only to 3 ?resolution. The crystals belong to space group P212121 with cell parameters a = 41.5, b = 58.4 and c = 99.3 . Molecular replacement studies indicate that the cucurmosin structure is homologous to trichosanthin. The initial structural model has been obtained and the model fitting/ refinement is in progress.

18β-glycyrrhetinic acid regulates mitochondrial ribosomal protein L35-associated apoptosis signaling pathways to inhibit proliferation of gastric carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND Gastric carcinoma(GC)is a common gastrointestinal malignancy worldwide.Based on the cancer-related mortality,the current prevention and treatment strategies for GC still show poor clinical results.Therefore,it is important to find effective drug treatment targets.AIM To explore the mechanism by which 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid(18β-GRA)regulates mitochondrial ribosomal protein L35(MRPL35)related signal proteins to inhibit the proliferation of GC cells.METHODS Cell counting kit-8 assay was used to detect the effects of 18β-GRA on the survival rate of human normal gastric mucosal cell line GES-1 and the proliferation of GC cell lines MGC80-3 and BGC-823.The apoptosis and cell cycle were assessed by flow cytometry.Cell invasion and migration were evaluated by Transwell assay,and cell scratch test was used to detect cell migration.Furthermore,a tumor model was established by hypodermic injection of 2.5×106 BGC-823 cells at the selected positions of BALB/c nude mice to determine the effect of 18β-GRA on GC cell proliferation,and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was used to detect MRPL35 expression in the engrafted tumors in mice.We used the term tandem mass tag(TMT)labeling combined with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to screen for differentially expressed proteins(DEPs)extracted from GC cells and control cells after 18β-GRA intervention.A detailed bioinformatics analysis of these DEPs was performed,including Gene Ontology annotation and enrichment analysis,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis,and so on.Moreover,STRING database(https://string-db.org/)was used to predict proteinprotein interaction(PPI)relationships and Western blot was used to detect the expression of proteins of interest in GC cells.RESULTS The results indicated that 18β-GRA could inhibit the proliferation of GC cells in a dose-and timedependent manner.It could induce GC cell apoptosis and arrest the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase.The proportion of cells arrested at S phase decreased with the increase of 18-GRA dose,and the migration and invasiveness of GC cells were inhibited.The results of animal experiments showed that 18β-GRA could inhibit tumor formation in BALB/c nude mice,and qRT-PCR results showed that MRPL35 expression level was significantly reduced in the engrafted tumors in mice.Using TMT technology,609 DEPs,among which 335 were up-regulated and 274 were down-regulated,were identified in 18β-GRA intervention compared with control.We found that the intervention of 18β-GRA in GC cells involved many important biological processes and signaling pathways,such as cellular processes,biological regulation,and TP53 signaling pathway.Notably,after the drug intervention,MRPL35 expression was significantly down-regulated(P=0.000247),TP53 expression was up-regulated(P=0.02676),and BCL2L1 was down-regulated(P=0.01699).Combined with the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database,we analyzed the relationship between MRPL35,TP53,and BCL2L1 signaling proteins,and we found that COPS5,BAX,and BAD proteins can form a PPI network with MRPL35,TP53,and BCL2L1.Western blot analysis confirmed the intervention effect of 18β-GRA on GC cells,MRPL35,TP53,and BCL2L1 showed dose-dependent up/down-regulation,and the expression of COPS5,BAX,and BAD also increased/decreased with the change of 18β-GRA concentration.CONCLUSION 18β-GRA can inhibit the proliferation of GC cells by regulating MRPL35,COPS5,TP53,BCL2L1,BAX,and BAD.

Validation of Housekeeping Genes for Gene Expression Analysis in Iwagaki Oyster(Crassostrea nippona)Under Salinity Stress by Quantitative Real-Time PCR

Hypo-salinity can reduce the immunological reaction in Crassostrea nippona,even lead to massive mortality.It is important to understand the molecular mechanism of oyster defense system,while quantitative real-time PCR can be employed in the study.However,the accuracy of quantitative real-time PCR relies on the use of suitable reference genes.In this study,the expression stability of 14 candidate reference genes including traditional housekeeping genes EF1A,TUB,TUA,GAPDH,RO21,as well as new candidate reference genes RPL5,RPL8,RPS27,RPL14,RPL4,CO3,RPS8,RPS4,CYTB in different tissues of C.nippona under salinity stress has been validated by quantitative real-time PCR.Ribosomal protein genes selected through expression analysis of transcriptome data from C.nippona generally were more stable than traditional reference genes.According to the geNorm analysis,RPL4 and RPS4 could be used as internal controls for studying gene expression in C.nippona with real-time PCR under salinity stress.

The Study of Anti-tumor Activity of Trichosanthin by Cyclic Voltammogram

The anti-tumor activity of Trichosanthin (TCS) has been frequently reported in recent years. In our experiments, electrochemical methods were applied to detect the effects of TCS on human leukemia cells U937. 50 mu g/ml TCS treatment for 40 hours can cause irreversible negative effects on the viability of U937 cells. This effect largely depends on the concentration of TCS and the time period of treatment.

Resistance identification of bivalent fungi-resistant genes transformed soybean to Phytophthora sojae

Soybean is one of the most important sources of edible oil and proteins in the world. However, it suffers from many kinds of fungal diseases which is a major limiting factor in soybean production. The fungal disease can be effectively controlled by breeding plant cultivars with genetic transformation. In this study, the resistance to Phytophthora sojae of five bivalent transgenic soybean lines was identified using the hypocotyls inoculation technique. The lines were the T2 of the transgenic soybean which were transformed with kidney bean chitinase gene and barley ribosome inactivating protein gene, and were positive by Southern Blot analysis. The resistance difference was studied through comparing the death percentage of transgenic soybean with the control. The results showed that four lines were more resistant to P sojae, whereas other one had no significant difference in comparison with the control. These transgenic soybean lines with enhanced resistance to P sojae will be useful in soybean resistance breeding.

Knockdown of 60S ribosomal protein L14‑2 reveals their potential regulatory roles to enhance drought and salt tolerance in cotton

Background:Cotton is a valuable economic crop and the main significant source of natural fiber for textile industries globally.The effects of drought and salt stress pose a challenge to strong fiber and large-scale production due to the ever-changing climatic conditions.However,plants have evolved a number of survival strategies,among them is the induction of various stress-responsive genes such as the ribosomal protein large(RPL)gene.The RPL gene families encode critical proteins,which alleviate the effects of drought and salt stress in plants.In this study,comprehensive and functional analysis of the cotton RPL genes was carried out under drought and salt stresses.Results:Based on the genome-wide evaluation,26,8,and 5 proteins containing the RPL14B domain were identified in Gossypium hirsutum,G.raimondii,and G.arboreum,respectively.Furthermore,through bioinformatics analysis,key cis-regulatory elements related to RPL14B genes were discovered.The Myb binding sites(MBS),abscisic acid-responsive element(ABRE),CAAT-box,TATA box,TGACG-motif,and CGTCA-motif responsive to methyl jasmonate,as well as the TCA-motif responsive to salicylic acid,were identified.Expression analysis revealed a key gene,Gh_D01G0234(RPL14B),with significantly higher induction levels was further evaluated through a reverse genetic approach.The knockdown of Gh_D01G0234(RPL14B)significantly affected the performance of cotton seedlings under drought/salt stress conditions,as evidenced by a substantial reduction in various morphological and physiological traits.Moreover,the level of the antioxidant enzyme was significantly reduced in VIGS-plants,while oxidant enzyme levels increased significantly,as demonstrated by the higher malondialdehyde concentration level.Conclusion:The results revealed the potential role of the RPL14B gene in promoting the induction of antioxidant enzymes,which are key in oxidizing the various oxidants.The key pathways need to be investigated and even as we exploit these genes in the developing of more stress-resilient cotton germplasms.

Roles of ribosomal proteins in hematologic disorders and cancers:a review

Ribosomes are important organelles for synthesizing proteins in cells.They are composed of ribosomal RNA and more than 80 ribosomal proteins.It is well known that an essential function of ribosomal proteins is to participate in protein translation.In addition,ribosomal proteins also perform extra-ribosomal functions,such as participating in DNA replication,transcription,and damage repair,regulating cell growth,proliferation,apoptosis,and transformation.In recent years,studies have shown that alterations in ribosomal protein synthesis or function can lead to various hematologic diseases,including Diamond-Blackfan anemia,5q-syndrome,Shwachman-Diamond syndrome,and other blood system diseases.Moreover,abnormal expressions of specific ribosomal protein genes have been reported in many malignant tumors.In this review,we elaborated on the changes in ribosomal proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal,prostate,gastric,esophageal,and other cancers and discussed the relationship between ribosomal proteins and the occurrence of hematologic disorders and cancers.

Development of a competitive array for discriminative determination of amphenicols in egg based on ribosomal protein L16

Objective:Amphenicols(chloramphenicol,thiamphenicol and forfenicol)can cause aplastic anaemia and other severe side effects to consumers;therefore,it is necessary to inspect their residues in foods of animal origin.However,there has been no report on the use of amphenicols receptor for the determination of their residues,and none of the previously reported immunoassays for amphenicols can differentiate the specifc species.Materials and Methods:In this study,the ribosomal protein L16 of Escherichia coli was frst expressed,and its intermolecular interaction mechanisms with the three amphenicols was studied using the molecular docking technique.The protein was then combined with three enzymelabelled conjugates to develop a direct competitive array on microplate for determination of the three drugs in egg.Results:Due to the use of principal component analysis to analyse the data,this method could discriminate the three drugs in the range 0.1–10 ng/mL,and the limits of detection for the three drugs were in the range of 0.0002–0.0009 ng/mL.The analysis results for the unknown egg samples were consistent with a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method,and the method performances were superior to the previous immunoassays for amphenicols.Conclusion:This is the frst paper reporting the use of ribosomal protein L16 to develop a competitive array for discriminative determination of amphenicols in food samples.

Purification and Characterization of a New Ribosome Inactivating Protein from Cinchonaglycoside C-treated Tobacco Leaves

A new ribosome-inactivating protein （RIP） with a molecular weight of 31 kDa induced by Cinchonaglycoside C （1） designated CIP31, was isolated from tobacco leaves. Analysis of this protein sequence indicated that it belongs to the RIP family and it was distinct from the other plant RIPs reported previously at its N-terminal amino acid sequence. CIP31 can directly impair synthesis of coat protein （CP） of tobacco mosaic virus （TMV）, which resulted in inhibition of TMV long distance movement and multiplication in tobacco plants at concentrations of ng/mL. Furthermore, no toxicity was shown to the growth and fertility of the plants. CIP31 was synthesized only in the presence of Cinchonaglycoside C （1） and was independent of the salicylic acid （SA） signal pathway. We provided evidence for the SA-independent biological induction of resistance.

Ribosome biogenesis protein Urb1 acts downstream of mTOR complex 1 to modulate digestive organ development in zebrafish

Ribosome biogenesis is essential for the cell growth and division. Disruptions in ribosome biogenesis result in developmental defects and a group of diseases, known as ribosomopathies. Here, we report a mutation in zebrafish urb1, which encodes an essential ribosome biogenesis protein. The urb1 cq31 mutant exhibits hypoplastic digestive organs, which is caused by impaired cell proliferation with the differentiation of digestive organ progenitors unaffected. Knockdown of mtor or raptor leads to similar hypoplastic phenotypes and reduced expression of urb1 in the digestive organs. Overexpression of Urb1 results in overgrowth of digestive organs, and can efficiently rescue the hypoplastic liver and pancreas in the mtor and raptor morphants. Reduced syntheses of free ribosomal subunits and impaired assembly of polysomes are observed in the urb1 mutant as well as in the mtor and raptor morphants, which can be rescued by the Urb1 overexpression. These data demonstrate that Urb1 plays an important role in governing ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis downstream of mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1（mTORC1）, thus regulating the development of digestive organs. Our study indicates the requirement of hyperactive protein synthesis for the digestive organ development.

Identification of new aptamer BC-3 targeting RPS7 from rapid screening for bladder carcinoma

Aptamers,short single DNA or RNA oligonucleotides,have shown immense application potential as molecular probes for the early diagnosis and therapy of cancer.However,conventional cell-SELEX technologies for aptamer discovery are time-consuming and laborious.Here we discovered a new aptamer BC-3 by using an improved rapid X-Aptamer selection process for human bladder carcinoma,for which there is no specific molecular probe yet.We show that BC-3 exhibited excellent affinity in bladder cancer cells but not normal cells.We demonstrate that BC-3 displayed high selectivity for tumor cells over their normal counterparts in vitro,in mice,and in patient tumor tissue specimens.Further endocytosis pathway analysis revealed that BC-3 internalized into bladder cancer cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis.Importantly,we identified ribosomal protein S7(RPS7)as the binding target of BC-3 via an integrated methodology(mass spectrometry,colocalization assay,and immunoblotting).Together,we report that a novel aptamer BC-3 is discovered for bladder cancer and its properties in the disease are unearthed.Our findings will facilitate the discovery of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for bladder cancer.

The Translational Apparatus of Plastids and Its Role in Plant Development

Chloroplasts （plastids） possess a genome and their own machinery to express it. Translation in plastids occurs on bacterial-type 70S ribosomes utilizing a set of tRNAs that is entirely encoded in the plastid genome. In recent years, the components of the chloroplast translational apparatus have been intensely studied by proteomic approaches and by reverse genetics in the model systems tobacco （plastid-encoded components） and Arabidopsis （nucleus-encoded components）. This work has provided important new insights into the structure, function, and biogenesis of chloroplast ribosomes, and also has shed fresh light on the molecular mechanisms of the translation process in plastids. In addition, mutants affected in plastid translation have yielded strong genetic evidence for chloroplast genes and gene products influencing plant develop- ment at various levels, presumably via retrograde signaling pathway（s）. In this review, we describe recent progress with the functional analysis of components of the chloroplast translational machinery and discuss the currently available evidence that supports a significant impact of plastid translational activity on plant anatomy and morphology.

Effects of Yiqi Huoxue Recipe （益气活血方） and Coxsackie Virus B Type 3 on the Expression of Ribosomal Protein S20 in Rat Cardiac Myocytes

Objective： To study the effects of Yiqi Huoxue Recipe （益气活血方） and Coxsackie B virus type 3 （CVB3） on the expression of ribosomal protein S20 in rat cardiac myocytes, to explore the pathogenesis of myocarditis induced by CVB3 and the mechanism of Yiqi Huoxue Recipe on gene level, and to further investigate whether Yiqi Huoxue Recipe is an effective prescription for CVB3 myocarditis. Methods： A modified suppression subtractive hybridization （SSH） was used to isolate differentially expressed genes between the CVB3 infection group and the treatment group with Yiqi Huoxue Recipe. The results were further verified by fluorescence RT-PCR. Results： The results of SSH showed that the gene expression of ribosomal protein S20 in the treatment group was higher than that in the CVB3 infection group （P〈0.05）, which agreed with the results of fluorescent RT-PCR. Conclusion： Down-regulation of ribosomal protein S20 mRNA expression might be one of the mechanisms in CVB3 myocarditis, and Yiqi Huoxue Recipe could achieve the treatment of viral myocarditis by regulating the expression of ribosomal protein S20.