蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶结构与功能特性及其对血液凝固系统的作用

蛇毒,特别是蝰亚科和腹亚科蛇毒,含有大量丝氨酸蛋白酶。这是自然界长期进化过程中演化出的一类既和哺乳动物蛋白酶相似,又存在相当程度的结构与功能分化的生物大分子,通过激活、灭活和转变机体中的凝血因子而广泛作用于血液凝固系统。它们的一级序列和胰蛋白酶-激肽释放酶同源。它们具有相同的活性中心构造和酶催化机制,但活性中心外可变区序列的差异造成了它们底物专一性差异,进一步体现为生物学和药理学功能的差异。

大蹼铃蟾皮肤分泌液中抗菌活性肽的分离纯化及其性质

从云南产大蹼铃蟾( Bombina maxima)皮肤分泌液中分离得到了一种有广泛抗菌活性的多肽,被命名为MSP-VII。用快原子轰击质谱(f.a.b.m.s)分析其M+/Z=2648,即此活性肽的分子量为2647D。用自动氨基酸分析仪分析,含有26个氨基酸。抗菌实验结果表明,此多肽对格兰氏阴性和格兰氏阳性细菌以及真菌都有较强的抗菌活性。溶血实验表明此活性肽有很轻微的溶血活性。此外,MSP-VII也可以促进平滑肌收缩和增加微血管的渗透性。

竹叶青蛇毒凝血酶样酶氨基酸序列报道

利用逆转录与聚合酶链反应相结合的RT-PCR法,扩增出竹叶青蛇毒凝血酶样酶(TSV-TEL1)的cDNA;将扩增的cDNA片段克隆入pGEM-T载体中,经末端终止法测定核苷酸序列,推导出竹叶青蛇毒凝血酶样酶的全序列。竹叶青毒凝血酶样酶由234个氨基酸组成并含有1个位于Asn~(20)的N-型糖基结合位点。竹叶青蛇毒凝血酶样酶序列与其它蛇种来源凝血酶样酶具有较大相似性,其与黄绿烙铁头蛇毒凝血酶样酶序列相似度为84%,与美洲矛头蝮蛇毒凝血酶样酶序列相似度为68%,而与牛凝血酶B链序列相似度仅为25%。

颈棱蛇卵胎生的报道

颈棱蛇属游蛇科(ColubHdae)颈棱蛇属(Mucrvpisthafon)，该属在世界上已知有4种，分布于印度、印度尼西亚、泰国、马来西亚、新加坡和我国。我国仅有颈棱蛇两亚种．指名亚种M rrudis分布于西南、华南的云南、贵州、安徽、浙江、湖 南、福建、台湾、广东、广西，西昌亚种M rmuetiputionta~s分布于四JIl、云南山区。程炳功(1982)报道它属卵胎生，本文进一步观察产于云南省的颈棱蛇生殖情况，并对幼仔进行系坑观察

Sepharose 4B一步法对金环蛇蛇毒磷脂酶A_(2)的分离纯化

利用经酸处理的Sepharose 4B为层析介质,以含0.2mol/L半乳糖,pH7.4台氏液作为洗脱液,从广西产金环蛇(Bungarus fasciatus)蛇毒中一步分离得到一种磷脂酶A_(2)。用SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳测定其分子量为14kDa。N端部分序列测定表明,所分离得到的磷脂酶A_(2)其N端16个氨基酸残基序列与已报道的金环蛇蛇毒磷脂酶A_(2)同功酶Ⅵ(Lu＆Lo,1978)一致。该酶糖含量较高,为13.4%;具有弱的磷脂酶A_(2)活性,无毒,也无溶血和出血毒活性。

两个金环蛇蛇毒磷脂酶A_(2)基因的克隆与序列报道

首次报道金环蛇蛇毒PLA_(2)的基因,根据序列比较分析,这2个磷脂酶A_(2)基因所编码的蛋白质序列结构均区别于已报道的金环蛇蛇毒磷脂酶A_(2),是2个新的金环蛇蛇毒磷脂酶A_(2),分别命名为金环蛇蛇毒磷脂酶A_(2) Ⅰ(Bf-PLA_(2) Ⅰ)和金环蛇磷脂酶A_(2) Ⅱ(Bf-PLA_(2) Ⅱ)。

蛇毒C-型凝集素研究进展

蛇毒中含有丰富的非酶活性C-型凝集素蛋白, 根据其结构及功能的差异, 该类蛋白可分为Ca~(2+) 依赖的有糖基识别活性的C-型真凝集素及无糖基识别活性的C-型凝集素样蛋白. C-型真凝集素的结构相似度高, 而功能却较为单一, 具有特异性糖结合活性; C-型凝集素样蛋白的结构变异度大, 活性亦具有多样性. 后者能通过特异性的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用而作用于血液凝固系统及血小板, 从而发挥抗凝或促凝的生理功能。

竹叶青蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶的分子克隆和序列比较

利用逆转录酶与聚合酶链反应相结合的 RT-PCR 法, 扩增出5个竹叶青(Trimeresurus stejnegeri)蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶的 cDNAs; 将扩增的 cDNA 片段克隆入 pGEM-T 载体中, 筛选得到它们的基因, 分别命名为TSSP-1、TSSP-2、TSSP-3、TSSP-4 和 TSSP-5. 经末端终止法测定核苷酸序列, 推导出5个丝氨酸蛋白酶的全序列; 结合纯化的蛋白酶N-末端序列测定结果, 推导 TSSP 2、3和4分别编码凝血酶样酶 stejnobin、纤溶酶 stejnefibrase 1和2. 5个丝氨酸蛋白酶分别含有1～6个N-型糖基结合位点, 表明它们的计算分子量与纯化蛋白表观分子量之间的差异是由糖含量的不同造成, 而其氨基酸序列相似度在60%-90%, TSSP-1 和-2编码的成熟蛋白酶山236个氨基酸残基组成, TSSP-3, -4 和 -5的则山234个氨基酸残基组成, TSSP-1编码的蛋白酶在组成丝氨酸蛋白酶三联体催化活性中心产生了 His~(41)-Arg~(41)的在然突变, 这与其他自然界发现的丝氨酸蛋白酶明显不同。

VISUALIZATION OF THE CHROMOSOME SCAFFOLD IN A PRIMITIVE EUKARYOTE DINOFLAGELLATE CRYPTHECOAINIUM-COHNII

The chromosome scaffolds in higher eukaryotic nuclei have been described elsewhere. But it is unknown when they evolved. The dinoflagellates are the primitive organisms that may be the intermediate between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Combining chromosome scaffold preparation methods with embedment-free section microscopy, we demonstrate that the dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium cohnii chromosome retains a protein scaffold after the depletion of DNA and soluble proteins. This scaffold preserves the morphology characteristic of the chromosome. Two-dimensional electrophoreses show that the chromosome scaffolds are mainly composed of acidic proteins. Our results suggest that a framework similar to the chromosome scaffold in the mammalian cell appeared in the primitive eukaryote. We propose that the chromosome scaffold possibly originated from the early stages of eukaryote evolution.

A novel bradykinin-related peptide from skin secretions of toad Bombina maxima and its precursor containing six identical copies of the final product

Amphibian skin contains rich bradykinin-related peptides, but the mode of biosynthesis of these peptides is unknown. In the present study, a novel bradykinin-related peptide, termed bombinakinin M, was purified from skin secretions of the Chinese red bell

Biological activities of skin secretions of the salamander Tylototriton verrucosus

Water-soluble skin secretions of salamander Tylototriton venucosus, first described by Anderson in 1871, were studied for their biological and enzymatic activities. They were found to be toxic to mice with an intraperitoneal LD50 of 11.5 mg/kg. Using Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, it was proven that the toxic components of the secretions are proteins with molecular weights ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 Da. The secretions of T. venucosus display a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activities and also contain both proteolytic activity and trypsin inhibitory activity. In contrast, neither hemolytic nor hemorrhagic activities were found. The secretions were determined to have phospholipase A(2) activity; however, no acetylcholine esterase activity was detectable under the assay conditions.

ISOLATION AND PROPERTIES OF A BLOOD-COAGULATION FACTOR-X ACTIVATOR FROM THE VENOM OF KING COBRA (OPHIOPHAGUS HANNAH)

A specific blood coagulation factor X activator was purified from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah by gel filtration and two steps of FPLC Mono-Q column ion-exchange chromatography. It showed a single protein band both in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and alkaline polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The mol. wt was estimated to be 62,000 in non-reducing conditions and 64,500 in reducing conditions by SDS-PAGE. The isoelectric point was found to be pH 5.6. The enzyme had weak amidolytic activities toward CBS 65-25, but it showed no activities on S-2266, S-2302, thrombin substrate S-2238, plasmin substrate S-2251 or factor Xa substrate S-2222. It had no arginine esterase activity toward substrate benzoylarginine ethylester (BAEE). The enzyme activated factor X in vitro and the effect was absolutely Ca2+ dependent, with a Hill coefficient of 6.83. It could not activate prothrombin nor had any effect on fibrinogen and thus appeared to act specifically on factor X. The procoagulant activity of the enzyme was almost completely inhibited by serine protease inhibitors like PMSF, TPCK and soybean trypsin inhibitor; partially inhibited by L-cysteine. Metal chelator EDTA did not inhibit its procoagulant activity. These results suggest that the factor X activator from O. hannah venom is a serine protease.

An anionic antimicrobial peptide from toad Bombina maxima

Amphibian skin is a rich resource of antimicrobial peptides like maximins and maximins H from toad Bombina maxima. A novel cDNA clone encoding a precursor protein that comprises maximin 3 and a novel peptide. named maximin H5. was isolated from a skin cDNA library of B. maxima. The predicted primary structure of maximin H5 is ILGPVLGLVSDTLDDVLGIL-NH2,. Containing three aspartate residues and no basic amino acid residues. maximin H5 is characterized by an anionic property. Different from cationic maximin H peptides. only Gram-positive strain Staphylococcus aureus was sensitive to maximin H5. while the other bacteria] and fungal strains tested ere resistant to it. The presence of metal ions. like Zn2+ and Mg2+, did not increase its antimicrobial potency. Maximin H5 represents the first example of potential anionic antimicrobial peptides from amphibians, The results provide the first evidence that. together kith cationic antimicrobial peptides. anionic antimicrobial peptides may also exist naturally as part of the innate defense system. (C), 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.