AIM: To investigate the apoptotic effects of melittin on SGC-7901 cells via activation of the mitochondrial signaling pathway in vitro.METHODS: SGC-7901 cells were stimulated by melittin, and its effect on proliferati...AIM: To investigate the apoptotic effects of melittin on SGC-7901 cells via activation of the mitochondrial signaling pathway in vitro.METHODS: SGC-7901 cells were stimulated by melittin, and its effect on proliferation and apoptosis of was investigated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay, morphologic structure with transmission electron microscopy, annexin-V/propidium iodide double-staining assay, measuring mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP) levels, and analyzing reactive oxygen species(ROS) concentrations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytochrome C(Cyt C), apoptosis-inducing factor(AIF), endonuclease G(Endo G), second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases(Smac)/direct IAP binding protein with low isoelectric point(Diablo), and FAS were analyzed by western blot. The expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 was measured using activity assay kits.RESULTS: Melittin was incubated at 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, or 6.0 μg/m L for 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8 h and showed a timeand concentration-dependent inhibition of SGC-7901 cell growth. Melittin induced SGC-7901 cell apoptosis, which was confirmed by typical morphological changes. Treatment with 4 μg/m L melittin induced early apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells, and the early apoptosis rates were 39.97% ± 3.19%, 59.27% ± 3.94%, and 71.50% ± 2.87% vs 32.63% ± 2.75% for 1, 2, and 4 h vs 0 h(n = 3, P < 0.05); the ROS levels were 616.53% ± 79.78%, 974.81% ± 102.40%, and 1330.94% ± 93.09% vs 603.74% ± 71.99%(n = 3, P < 0.05); the MMP values were 2.07 ± 0.05, 1.78 ± 0.29, and 1.16 ± 0.25 vs 2.55 ± 0.42(n = 3, P < 0.05); caspase-3 activity was significantly higher compared to the control(5492.3 ± 321.1, 6562.0 ± 381.3, and 8695.7 ± 449.1 vs 2330.0 ± 121.9), but the caspase activity of the non-tumor cell line L-O2 was not different from that of the control. With the addition of the caspase-3 inhibitor(Ac-DEVD-CHO), caspase-3 activity was significantly decreased compared to the control group(1067.0 ± 132.5 U/g vs 8695.7 ± 449.1 U/g). The expression of the Cyt C, Endo G, and AIF proteins in SGC-7901 cells was significantly higher than those in the control(P < 0.05), while the expression of the Smac/Diablo protein was significantly lower than the control group after melittin exposure(P < 0.01). Ac-DEVD-CHO did not, however, have any effect on the expression of caspase-8 and FAS in the SGC-7901 cells.CONCLUSION: Melittin can induce apoptosis of human gastric cancer(GC) cells through the mitochondria pathways, and it may be a potent agent in the treatment of human GC.展开更多
Peptides are one of the indispensable substances in life. The use of computer aided drug design(CADD) methods to design peptides and peptiodmimetics can short the design cycle, save research funding, improve the level...Peptides are one of the indispensable substances in life. The use of computer aided drug design(CADD) methods to design peptides and peptiodmimetics can short the design cycle, save research funding, improve the level of whole research to a large extent and guide the discovery of new drugs. In this paper, Melittin and amoebapore three-dimensional quantitative structureactivity relationship(3D-QSAR) models were established by using comparative molecular field analysis(CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis(CoMSIA) method. The result shows that, the correlation coefficient(q^2) was 0.583 and non-cross-validation correlation coefficient(r^2) was 0.972 for the melittin CoMFA model. The q^2 and r^2 were 0.630 and 0.995 for the best CoMSIA model, 0.645 and 0.993 for the amoebapore CoMFA model, and 0.738 and 0.996 for the best CoMSIA model. The statistical parameters demonstrated that the CoMFA and CoMSIA models had both good predictive ability and high statistical stability, and can provide theoretical basis for designing new high activity polypeptide drugs.展开更多
To study the influence of ethanol molecules on the melittin tetramer folding,we investigated the dewetting transition of the melittin tetramer immersed in pure water and 8%aqueous ethanol solution(mass fraction) by th...To study the influence of ethanol molecules on the melittin tetramer folding,we investigated the dewetting transition of the melittin tetramer immersed in pure water and 8%aqueous ethanol solution(mass fraction) by the molecular dynamics simulations.We found that the marked dewetting transitions occurred inside a nanoscale channel of the melittin tetramer both in pure water and in aqueous ethanol solution.Also,ethanol molecules promoted this dewetting transition.We attributed this promoting effect to ethanol molecules which prefer to locate at the liquidvapor interface and decrease the liquid-vapor surface energy.The results provide insight into the effect of ethanol on the water dewetting phenomena.展开更多
A cDNA encoding melittin from a wasp (Polistes hebraeus) was amplified and cloned into the GST fusion expression vector pGEX-4T-2. The expressed protein appeared on the SDS-PAGE profiles with an about 29 kDa band. Wes...A cDNA encoding melittin from a wasp (Polistes hebraeus) was amplified and cloned into the GST fusion expression vector pGEX-4T-2. The expressed protein appeared on the SDS-PAGE profiles with an about 29 kDa band. Western blotting proved that the recombinant protein is the fusion protein of GST-PhM. The expression conditions of GST-PhM fusion protein for E. coli BL21 transformant were optimized. Thin layer scanning on the SDS-PAGE profiles showed that the expressed target protein had accumulated up to about 10%~12% of total protein of bacterial cells under the optimized expression condition. Purified and recovered recombinant melittin of Polistes hebraeus showed bioactivity in activating rabbit platelets to aggregate.展开更多
The dynamic interaction process of calmodulin with an immobilized peptide melittin was investigated in real time by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and dissociation constant of the complex was calculated to be...The dynamic interaction process of calmodulin with an immobilized peptide melittin was investigated in real time by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and dissociation constant of the complex was calculated to be 3.3710-6 mol/L.展开更多
Low molecular weight (LMW) fucoidan, obtained by free radical depolymerization of high molecular polysaccharide extract of brown algae Hizikia fusiformis, was complexed with HPLC purified bee venom melittin. Water sol...Low molecular weight (LMW) fucoidan, obtained by free radical depolymerization of high molecular polysaccharide extract of brown algae Hizikia fusiformis, was complexed with HPLC purified bee venom melittin. Water soluble form of the LMW fucoidan – melittin complex shows increased anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting the production of nitric oxide in murine macrophage cell line Raw 264.7. The LMW fucoidan:melitin complex obtained in this study showed good biological activities, resulting in 2-fold reduction of the melittin toxicity. The fucoidan: melittin macromolecular complex obtained should be useful in future therapeutic applications.展开更多
Objective: To study the anti-angiogenesis effect of melittin on human hepatoma Mock/MHCC97-H cells by regulatingthe expression of cathepsin S (CatS) in vivo. Methods: Models of in situ transplantation tumor of Moc...Objective: To study the anti-angiogenesis effect of melittin on human hepatoma Mock/MHCC97-H cells by regulatingthe expression of cathepsin S (CatS) in vivo. Methods: Models of in situ transplantation tumor of Mock/MHCC97-Hcells and silencing cathepsin shRNA-CatS/ MHCC97-H cells in nude mice were established. The model mice wererandomly divided into four groups. In the A1 group, the mice were inoculated with shRNA-CatS/MHCC97-H cells andtreated with melittin. In the A2 group, the mice were inoculated with shRNA-CatS/MHCC97-H cells and treated withsaline. In the B1 group, the mice were inoculated with Mock/MHCC97-H cells and treated with melittin. In the B2 group,the mice were inoculated with Mock/MHCC97-H cells and treated with saline. The A1 and B1 group were injected withmelittin (80 mg/kg) intraperitoneally every day. The A2 and B2 group were injected with 0.2 mL normal salineintraperitoneally every day. After administration for 25 days, the animals were sacrificed. The tumor size and weight innude mice in each group were recorded. The expression of CD34 protein in the xenograft tumor tissues was detected byimmunohistochemistry. The expression of Cat S, VEGF-A, p-VEGFR2, Ras, Raf, p-Raf, MEK1, p-MEK1, ERK1/2 andp-ERK1/2 proteins were detected by western blot. Results: The B1 group had significantly smaller tumor volumes andlower tumor weights than the B2 group (both P 〈 0.001). There was no significant difference between the A1 group andA2 group in tumor volumes and weights. The number of CD34-positive microvessels in the B2 group was significantlyhigher than that in the A2 group (P 〈 0.001). The number of CD34-positive microvessels in the B1 group wassignificantly lesser than that in the A1 group (P 〈 0.001). Most strikingly, in the model featuring inoculation ofMock/MHCC97-H cells, CatS, VEGF-A, p-VEGFR2, Ras, Raf, p-Raf, MEK1, p-MEK1, ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2expression were inhibited when treated with melittin. However, in the model featuring the inoculation ofshRNA-CatS/MHCC97-H cells, no such effects were observed with similar treatments. Conclusion: Melittin can inhibitthe growth of tumors and angiogenesis by blocking the CatS-VEGf-A signaling pathway.展开更多
Amidst the swift advancement of new power systems and electric vehicles,inverter-fed machines have progressively materialized as a pivotal apparatus for efficient energy conversion.Stator winding turn insulation failu...Amidst the swift advancement of new power systems and electric vehicles,inverter-fed machines have progressively materialized as a pivotal apparatus for efficient energy conversion.Stator winding turn insulation failure is the root cause of inverter-fed machine breakdown.The online monitoring of turn insulation health can detect potential safety risks promptly,but faces the challenge of weak characteristics of turn insulation degradation.This study proposes an innovative method to evaluate the turn insulation state of inverter-fed machines by utilizing the fractional Fourier transform with a Mel filter(FrFT-Mel).First,the sensitivity of the high-frequency(HF)switching oscillation current to variations in turn insulation was analyzed within the fractional domain.Subsequently,an improved Mel filter is introduced,and its structure and parameters are specifically designed based on the features intrinsic to the common-mode impedance resonance point of the electrical machine.Finally,an evaluation index was proposed for the turn insulation state of inverter-fed machines.Experimental results on a 3kW permanent magnet synchronous machine(PMSM)demonstrate that the proposed FrFT-Mel method significantly enhances the sensitivity of turn insulation state perception by approximately five times,compared to the traditional Fourier transform method.展开更多
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNo.30801497+2 种基金No.81272537 and No.81472815the Natural Science Fund for Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu ProvinceNo.11KJD360003
文摘AIM: To investigate the apoptotic effects of melittin on SGC-7901 cells via activation of the mitochondrial signaling pathway in vitro.METHODS: SGC-7901 cells were stimulated by melittin, and its effect on proliferation and apoptosis of was investigated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay, morphologic structure with transmission electron microscopy, annexin-V/propidium iodide double-staining assay, measuring mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP) levels, and analyzing reactive oxygen species(ROS) concentrations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytochrome C(Cyt C), apoptosis-inducing factor(AIF), endonuclease G(Endo G), second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases(Smac)/direct IAP binding protein with low isoelectric point(Diablo), and FAS were analyzed by western blot. The expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 was measured using activity assay kits.RESULTS: Melittin was incubated at 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, or 6.0 μg/m L for 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8 h and showed a timeand concentration-dependent inhibition of SGC-7901 cell growth. Melittin induced SGC-7901 cell apoptosis, which was confirmed by typical morphological changes. Treatment with 4 μg/m L melittin induced early apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells, and the early apoptosis rates were 39.97% ± 3.19%, 59.27% ± 3.94%, and 71.50% ± 2.87% vs 32.63% ± 2.75% for 1, 2, and 4 h vs 0 h(n = 3, P < 0.05); the ROS levels were 616.53% ± 79.78%, 974.81% ± 102.40%, and 1330.94% ± 93.09% vs 603.74% ± 71.99%(n = 3, P < 0.05); the MMP values were 2.07 ± 0.05, 1.78 ± 0.29, and 1.16 ± 0.25 vs 2.55 ± 0.42(n = 3, P < 0.05); caspase-3 activity was significantly higher compared to the control(5492.3 ± 321.1, 6562.0 ± 381.3, and 8695.7 ± 449.1 vs 2330.0 ± 121.9), but the caspase activity of the non-tumor cell line L-O2 was not different from that of the control. With the addition of the caspase-3 inhibitor(Ac-DEVD-CHO), caspase-3 activity was significantly decreased compared to the control group(1067.0 ± 132.5 U/g vs 8695.7 ± 449.1 U/g). The expression of the Cyt C, Endo G, and AIF proteins in SGC-7901 cells was significantly higher than those in the control(P < 0.05), while the expression of the Smac/Diablo protein was significantly lower than the control group after melittin exposure(P < 0.01). Ac-DEVD-CHO did not, however, have any effect on the expression of caspase-8 and FAS in the SGC-7901 cells.CONCLUSION: Melittin can induce apoptosis of human gastric cancer(GC) cells through the mitochondria pathways, and it may be a potent agent in the treatment of human GC.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21475081)Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province of China(2015JM2057)Graduate Innovation Fund of Shaanxi University of Science and Technology
文摘Peptides are one of the indispensable substances in life. The use of computer aided drug design(CADD) methods to design peptides and peptiodmimetics can short the design cycle, save research funding, improve the level of whole research to a large extent and guide the discovery of new drugs. In this paper, Melittin and amoebapore three-dimensional quantitative structureactivity relationship(3D-QSAR) models were established by using comparative molecular field analysis(CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis(CoMSIA) method. The result shows that, the correlation coefficient(q^2) was 0.583 and non-cross-validation correlation coefficient(r^2) was 0.972 for the melittin CoMFA model. The q^2 and r^2 were 0.630 and 0.995 for the best CoMSIA model, 0.645 and 0.993 for the amoebapore CoMFA model, and 0.738 and 0.996 for the best CoMSIA model. The statistical parameters demonstrated that the CoMFA and CoMSIA models had both good predictive ability and high statistical stability, and can provide theoretical basis for designing new high activity polypeptide drugs.
基金supported by the National Science Foundation of China(No.10975175,90923002,21073222)Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.KJCX2-EW-N03)
文摘To study the influence of ethanol molecules on the melittin tetramer folding,we investigated the dewetting transition of the melittin tetramer immersed in pure water and 8%aqueous ethanol solution(mass fraction) by the molecular dynamics simulations.We found that the marked dewetting transitions occurred inside a nanoscale channel of the melittin tetramer both in pure water and in aqueous ethanol solution.Also,ethanol molecules promoted this dewetting transition.We attributed this promoting effect to ethanol molecules which prefer to locate at the liquidvapor interface and decrease the liquid-vapor surface energy.The results provide insight into the effect of ethanol on the water dewetting phenomena.
基金Item supported by national natural sciencefoundation of China(No.30271008)Foundation of school ofagriculture and biology of SJTU(AE150054)
文摘A cDNA encoding melittin from a wasp (Polistes hebraeus) was amplified and cloned into the GST fusion expression vector pGEX-4T-2. The expressed protein appeared on the SDS-PAGE profiles with an about 29 kDa band. Western blotting proved that the recombinant protein is the fusion protein of GST-PhM. The expression conditions of GST-PhM fusion protein for E. coli BL21 transformant were optimized. Thin layer scanning on the SDS-PAGE profiles showed that the expressed target protein had accumulated up to about 10%~12% of total protein of bacterial cells under the optimized expression condition. Purified and recovered recombinant melittin of Polistes hebraeus showed bioactivity in activating rabbit platelets to aggregate.
基金The authors thank the NNSF for financial support of this work (No. 29890280).
文摘The dynamic interaction process of calmodulin with an immobilized peptide melittin was investigated in real time by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, and dissociation constant of the complex was calculated to be 3.3710-6 mol/L.
文摘Low molecular weight (LMW) fucoidan, obtained by free radical depolymerization of high molecular polysaccharide extract of brown algae Hizikia fusiformis, was complexed with HPLC purified bee venom melittin. Water soluble form of the LMW fucoidan – melittin complex shows increased anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting the production of nitric oxide in murine macrophage cell line Raw 264.7. The LMW fucoidan:melitin complex obtained in this study showed good biological activities, resulting in 2-fold reduction of the melittin toxicity. The fucoidan: melittin macromolecular complex obtained should be useful in future therapeutic applications.
基金This work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of China (No. 81360372).
文摘Objective: To study the anti-angiogenesis effect of melittin on human hepatoma Mock/MHCC97-H cells by regulatingthe expression of cathepsin S (CatS) in vivo. Methods: Models of in situ transplantation tumor of Mock/MHCC97-Hcells and silencing cathepsin shRNA-CatS/ MHCC97-H cells in nude mice were established. The model mice wererandomly divided into four groups. In the A1 group, the mice were inoculated with shRNA-CatS/MHCC97-H cells andtreated with melittin. In the A2 group, the mice were inoculated with shRNA-CatS/MHCC97-H cells and treated withsaline. In the B1 group, the mice were inoculated with Mock/MHCC97-H cells and treated with melittin. In the B2 group,the mice were inoculated with Mock/MHCC97-H cells and treated with saline. The A1 and B1 group were injected withmelittin (80 mg/kg) intraperitoneally every day. The A2 and B2 group were injected with 0.2 mL normal salineintraperitoneally every day. After administration for 25 days, the animals were sacrificed. The tumor size and weight innude mice in each group were recorded. The expression of CD34 protein in the xenograft tumor tissues was detected byimmunohistochemistry. The expression of Cat S, VEGF-A, p-VEGFR2, Ras, Raf, p-Raf, MEK1, p-MEK1, ERK1/2 andp-ERK1/2 proteins were detected by western blot. Results: The B1 group had significantly smaller tumor volumes andlower tumor weights than the B2 group (both P 〈 0.001). There was no significant difference between the A1 group andA2 group in tumor volumes and weights. The number of CD34-positive microvessels in the B2 group was significantlyhigher than that in the A2 group (P 〈 0.001). The number of CD34-positive microvessels in the B1 group wassignificantly lesser than that in the A1 group (P 〈 0.001). Most strikingly, in the model featuring inoculation ofMock/MHCC97-H cells, CatS, VEGF-A, p-VEGFR2, Ras, Raf, p-Raf, MEK1, p-MEK1, ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2expression were inhibited when treated with melittin. However, in the model featuring the inoculation ofshRNA-CatS/MHCC97-H cells, no such effects were observed with similar treatments. Conclusion: Melittin can inhibitthe growth of tumors and angiogenesis by blocking the CatS-VEGf-A signaling pathway.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 51907116in part sponsored by Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai 22ZR1425400sponsored by Shanghai Rising-Star Program 23QA1404000.
文摘Amidst the swift advancement of new power systems and electric vehicles,inverter-fed machines have progressively materialized as a pivotal apparatus for efficient energy conversion.Stator winding turn insulation failure is the root cause of inverter-fed machine breakdown.The online monitoring of turn insulation health can detect potential safety risks promptly,but faces the challenge of weak characteristics of turn insulation degradation.This study proposes an innovative method to evaluate the turn insulation state of inverter-fed machines by utilizing the fractional Fourier transform with a Mel filter(FrFT-Mel).First,the sensitivity of the high-frequency(HF)switching oscillation current to variations in turn insulation was analyzed within the fractional domain.Subsequently,an improved Mel filter is introduced,and its structure and parameters are specifically designed based on the features intrinsic to the common-mode impedance resonance point of the electrical machine.Finally,an evaluation index was proposed for the turn insulation state of inverter-fed machines.Experimental results on a 3kW permanent magnet synchronous machine(PMSM)demonstrate that the proposed FrFT-Mel method significantly enhances the sensitivity of turn insulation state perception by approximately five times,compared to the traditional Fourier transform method.