A novel polypeptide from shark cartilage with potent anti-angiogenic activity

Using guanidine-HCl extraction, acetone precipitation, ultra-filtration and chromatography, a novel polypeptide with potent anti-angiogenic activity was purified from cartilage of the shark, Prionace glauca. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis and SDS-PAGE revealed that the substance is a novel polypeptide with MW 15500 (PG155). The anti-angiogenic effects of PG155 were evaluated using zebrafish embryos model in vivo. Treatment of the embryos with 20 mu g/ml PG155 resulted in a significant reduction in the growth of subintestinal vessels (SIVs). A higher dose resulted in almost complete inhibition of SIV growth, as observed by endogenous alkaline phosphatase (EAP) staining assay. An in vitro transwell experiment revealed that the polypeptide inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induced migration and tubulogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Exposure of HUVECs in 20 mu g/ml PG155 significantly decreased the density of migrated cells. Almost complete inhibition of cell migration was found when HUVECs were treated with 40-80 mu g/ml PG155. PG155 (20 mu g/ml) markedly inhibited the tube formation of HUVECs and a dose-dependent effect was also found when treatment of HUVECs with PG155 at the concentration from 20 to 160 mu g/ml.

Total synthesis of bis-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-methane as potent PTP1B inhibitor

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) plays an important role as a negative regulator and has been proved to be an effective target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bis-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-methane 7 was first reported as a natural bromophenol with significant inhibition against PTP1B which was isolated from red algae Rhodomela confervoides. Intrigued by its astonishing activity (IC50 = 2.4 mu mol/L), compound 7 was synthesized with the overall yield of 24% and evaluated for its PTP1B inhibitory activity compared with natural compound. (C) 2008 Li Jun Han. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

迷迭香（Rosmarinus officinalis L.）精油和抗氧化剂的研究

本文应用植物引种驯化，栽培学及植物化学的理论方法对引入我国的迷迭香（Rosmarinus officinalisL．）精油和抗氧化剂进行了研究．主要结果如下; 1、昆明地区的生态气候条件最适宜迷迭香生长。南京地区局部良好环境也能满足迷迭香正常生长需要。北京地区在保护栽培的情况下,迷迭香才能够安全越冬。 2、用GC-MS和GC-IR鉴定了迷迭香精油的23种成分。不同采收期精油成分含量变化有3种类型，即似单峰曲线，似8曲线和w曲线。一年生与二年生苗在精油成分含量上略有差异。与主要栽培国相比，我国不同引种地精油成分化学类型各具特点，北京地区α—蒎稀（31.58%）含量很高，南京地区富含樟脑（14.86%）乙酸龙脑酯（7.97%）和龙脑（6.90%）含量也相对较高，昆明地区则是α—蒎稀（24.32%）和1.8—桉叶油素（24.43%）含量并重。 乙酸龙脑酯含量的高低对精油香气质量优劣起关键作用。北京地区雨季来临收获（7月初）精油香气质量最好。南京地区，11月初精油香气质量也属优质。本实验未能得到高质量的昆明地区精油。 3、从迷迭香蒸油残渣中分离得到三种抗氧化成分，迷迭香酚( Rosrmanol)、鼠尾草酚(Carnosol)和迷迭香双醛（R0smadial），并用质谱，核磁做了鉴定．硫氰铁酸法、TBA法、AOM法检测了三种成分的抗氧化效能．Rosmanol对多双键不饱和脂肪酸抗氧化效果显著,Carnosol和BHT在不同双键脂肪酸中抗氧化效果稳定，Rosmadial的抗氧化效果则随不饱和双键数目的增加而降低。在猪油中，抗氧化效能的强度顺序为Rosmanol >carnosol>BR>Rosmadial。 抗氧化物质在植株体内是不断积累的。不同引种地迷选香抗氧化效能的强弱差异表现为昆明>北京>南京。 迷迭香的正己烷，两酮提取物抗氧化效能都是随着添加量的增加而增强、丙酮提取物的抗氧化效能优于正己烷提取物。 对迷迭香抗氧化剂提取工艺做了探讨，得到R-1，R—2，R-3三种小试样品，R-2，R-3的抗氧化效果优于BHT．B—l接近于BET。

中国冬小麦品种对臭氧、二氧化碳和干旱的响应

臭氧属于二次污染物，它是由机动车、工厂等人为源以及天然源排放的氮氧化物(NOx)和挥发性有机物(VOCs)等一次污染物在大气中经过光化学反应形成的。O3 是光化学烟雾的主要成分，可对植物生长产生抑制。近几十年来，全球O3 污染的格局正在发生着巨大改变。由于北美及西欧等经济发达地区采取了有效控制臭氧形成前体物的措施，其空气中的O3 浓度在减少，而亚洲等经济发展中地区的O3 形成前体物的排放却在急剧攀升，导致大气中O3 浓度显著增加。中国经济的快速发展以及汽车保有量的迅猛增加导致O3 前体物的大量排放，许多经济较发达的地区空气中的O3 浓度超过了75ppb。由于O3 污染将导致农作物产量显著降低，因此，亚洲尤其是中国O3 污染对本地区农业生产的影响引起了国内外科学家的广泛关注。然而，在中国开展的关于O3 对植物生长及生产影响的研究相对较少，但已有的几篇研究报道确实指出目前中国部分地区的O3 浓度可导致冬小麦产量大幅下降，并预测到2020 年由O3 污染将引起小麦产量进一步降低。 植物对臭氧的反应或敏感性取决于诸如叶片导度、叶片结构及生化解毒等很多方面。首先，由于高叶片导度将吸收较多的臭氧量，因此，叶片导度通常被认为是决定抗性最为重要的因子。处于湿润条件下的植物，通常具有较高叶片导度，受到臭氧危害的程度一般也较大。其次，植物抗氧化胁迫能力的大小也决定着其对臭氧的敏感性。同一植株的老叶首先表现出伤害症状，这是由于老叶的抗氧化能力差于新叶，体现在抗坏血酸和谷胱甘肽含量及抗坏血酸氧化物酶和谷胱甘肽还原酶活性低于新叶。另外，叶片对臭氧的敏感程度与其叶片结构关系密切，拥有较大的细胞间隙对抗污染特性至关重要，由于叶片上表面的栅栏组织较海绵组织致密，因此通常较早表现出伤害症状。 影响植物对臭氧反应的环境因子很多，诸如光照、水气压亏、温度等。由于臭氧主要通过气孔进入植物体内，因此目前的研究主要集中在能显著调节气孔导度的环境因子，如土壤水分状况和在未来可能会与大气中臭氧浓度同步增加的CO2 浓度。CO2 浓度升高可降低植物的气孔导度，因此，CO2 浓度升高可减少叶片对O3 的吸收量。同时，大气CO2 浓度升高可提高净同化速率，可导致气孔的部分关闭而减少蒸腾，从而显著提高植株的水分利用效率，最终促进作物生长并提高产量。然而，二者对作物产量的交互影响尚不明确。水分胁迫被认为是影响O3 对植株伤害的一个重要环境因子。与正常供水相比，水分胁迫常常伴随着气孔导度的降低，导致进入到植株体内的O3 量相对较少而减轻植株受到的伤害程度。然而水分供应不足本身将导致小麦生长降低及产量下降。因此，水分亏缺可能会保护植株免受O3 伤害，同时也可能会加剧对植株的胁迫。 高浓度臭氧环境下，植物表现出较低的气孔导度。但研究表明，对臭氧敏感性不同的植物其气孔导度对臭氧的反应程度不同。臭氧对气孔的作用将影响植物生产力，同时也将影响植物对其它环境胁迫如干旱等的反应。短时间臭氧熏蒸小麦导致叶片细胞膜系统受损、光合产物输出受阻;而长期受臭氧污染后，小麦叶片的光合速率、光化学效率、叶绿素含量和蔗糖含量均显著降低，并与臭氧剂量的大小和峰值出现的早晚有关。O3 浓度升高将抑制光合作用，减少气孔导度，加强呼吸作用，改变C 同化物分配，加快叶片的衰老。众多研究表明，O3 导致的光合能力下降主要是由Rubisco 最大羧化效率降低导致;而O3 对光合器官捕获光的能力及光合电子传递速率的影响是光合作用下降的另一个原因。 尽管已有不少关于不同物种间对O3 敏感性的种间差异研究，然而育种方法或育种地点对中国不同冬小麦品种的O3 敏感性的影响尚不清楚。因此，我们假设育种年代、育种方法及地点将交互影响冬小麦品种对O3 的生长及生理响应。为进一步明确基因对冬小麦O3 敏感性的控制，研究了普通六倍体冬小麦的近缘体对O3 敏感性的差异。CO2 浓度升高及干旱胁迫对小麦臭氧敏感性的影响也进行了研究。论文主要从生理生化、生长及产量水平上来阐释O3 浓度升高、CO3加倍、干旱对冬小麦生长及生产影响的机理。 本研究主要是在温室中的上部开口的生长箱（open-top chamber, OTC）中进行。先后开展了四个盆栽实验研究，主要目的是确定中国不同基因型冬小麦种或品种对臭氧的敏感性及其反应机理;确定CO2 浓度升高及干旱在减轻O3 伤害方面的作用及其机理。实验材料为中国不同年代选育出的小麦品种，即1745年至2004 年间选育出的20 个品种和7 个小麦材料。主要评价指标包括相对生长速率、异速生长系数、叶绿素荧光、抗氧化活性、可溶性蛋白质含量、膜酯过氧化、气体交换、光合能力、叶绿素含量、暗呼吸、生物量及籽粒产量。实验研究得到的主要结果如下： 1) O3 升高显著降低整株及地上和地下部分的相对生长速率，显著降低异速生长系数、可变荧光、最大光化学效率、量子产额、光化学淬灭系数以及电子传递速率，但提高了非光化学淬灭系数。冬小麦不同品种对O3 的敏感性随育种年代的增加而增大，并与对照植株相对生长速率呈正相关。尽管近年来环境中的O3 浓度比过去显著增加，但新近育出的品种对臭氧的抗性却没有表现出协同进化效应。通过杂交选育的品种对臭氧的敏感性大于通过引进的和重选的品种。从生长和光合生理上来看，不同小麦品种对臭氧的敏感性与育种地点没有相关性，表明冬小麦品种对臭氧的适应能力与其生长环境下的臭氧浓度无关。因此，对臭氧相对敏感的冬小麦品种主要是由培育中较高相对生长速率或较高光合能力的杂交育种方式决定的，而与选育地点环境中的臭氧浓度无关。 2) 臭氧显著降低叶片中抗坏血酸（AsA）和可溶性蛋白的含量，但提高了过氧化物酶（POD）的活性和膜酯过氧化物（MDA）的含量。臭氧浓度升高抑制饱和光强下的净光合速率（Asat），降低气孔导度（gs）和总叶绿素含量，而显著提高暗呼吸速率（Rd）和胞间CO2 浓度（Ci）。臭氧导致总生物量降低，但地下部生物量受到的影响大于地上部。不同基因型小麦对臭氧的潜在敏感性与实际观察到的抗臭氧能力存在很大差异。冬小麦品种对臭氧的敏感性与臭氧环境下植株气孔导度和暗呼吸速率相关。臭氧导致Ci 浓度升高以及膜酯过氧化，由此得出臭氧导致的净光合速率主要是由于臭氧降低了叶肉细胞活性及细胞膜的完整性。新品种对臭氧相对敏感，主要是由于其具有较高的气孔导度抗氧化能力下降幅度较大以及较低的暗呼吸速率，从而对蛋白和细胞膜完整性造成较高的氧化伤害。 3) 臭氧对冬小麦光合和生长的影响存在着显著的种间差异。原初栽培种表现出最大的抗性，当代品种次之，而野生种对臭氧最为敏感。在普通冬小麦不同基因组供体中，钩刺山羊草（Aegilops tauschii，DD）对臭氧最敏感，其次为栽培一粒小麦（T. monococcum，AA），而圆锥小麦（Triticum turgidum ssp.Durum，AABB）对臭氧的抗性最大。因此，当代冬小麦品种对臭氧的敏感性可能是与其D 染色体供体-钩刺山羊草对臭氧敏感有关，而与其A、B 染色体供体-圆锥小麦的关系相对较小。 4) CO2 浓度升高提高了老品种和新品种的Asat，最大羧化速率（Vcmax），最大电子传递速率（Jmax）、光和CO2 饱和光合速率（Amax）。与之相反，臭氧显著降低了这些生理参数。虽然两品种对CO2 的响应没有显著性差异，但CO2浓度升高均有效保护了臭氧对它们的伤害。这种效应与CO2 浓度升高引起的气孔导度降低无关，而与代谢活性的提高有关。 5) 水分胁迫和臭氧分别都显著降低了 Asat 和gs。干旱显著降低Vcmax 和羧化效率（CE），而对Jmax 和暗呼吸（R）的影响不显著。臭氧显著降低冬小麦不同基因型的Vcmax，Jmax，R 和CE。二者均降低了生物量的积累及最终籽粒产量。与六倍体小麦相比，四倍体小麦对干旱相对敏感，但对臭氧却表现出较高抗性。干旱降低了气孔导度从而显著减少了植株对臭氧的吸收量，但两基因型的反应截然不同。干旱使臭氧对六倍体小麦产量和收获指数的伤害分别减少了约16%和50%，而干旱对该四倍体小麦的保护效应不大。

Antimicrobial peptides from skin secretions of Chinese red belly toad Bombina maxima

Two groups of antimicrobial peptides have been isolated from skin secretions of Bombina maxima. Peptides in the first group, named maximins 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, are structurally related to bombinin-like peptides (BLPs). Unlike BLPs, sequence variations in maximins occurred all through the molecules. In addition to the potent antimicrobial activity, cytotoxicity against tumor cells and spermicidal action of maximins, maximin 3 possessed a significant anti-HIV activity. Maximins 1 and 3 were toxic to mice with LD50 values of 8.2 and 4.3 mg/kg, respectively. Peptides in the second group, termed maximins H1, H2, H3 and H4, are homologous with bombinin H peptides. cDNA sequences revealed that one maximin peptide plus one maximin H peptide derived from a common larger protein. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

TMVA, a snake C-type lectin-like protein from Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom, activates platelet via GPIb

TMVA is a C-type lectin-like protein with potent platelet activating activity from Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom. In the absence of von Willebrand factor (vWF), TMVA dose-dependently induced aggregation of washed platelets. Anti-GP Ib monoclonal antib

Purification and characterization of an irreversible serine protease inhibitor from skin secretions of Bufo andrewsi

Amphibian skin secretions contain many bioactive compounds. In the present work, an irreversible serine protease inhibitor, termed baserpin, was purified for the first time from the skin secretions of toad Bufo andrewsi by Successive ion-exchange and gelfiltration chromatography. Baserpin is a single chain glycoprotein, with an apparent molecular weight of about 60 kDa in SDS-PAGE. Baserpin is an irreversible inhibitor and effectively inhibits the catalytic activity of trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase. SDS-stable baserpin-trypsin complex could be seen in SDS-PAGE indicates that it possibly belongs to the serpin superfamily. According to the association rates determined, baserpin is a potent inhibitor of bovine trypsin (4.6 X 10(6) M-1 S-1), bovine chymotrypsin (8.9 X 10(6) M-1 s(-1)) and porcine elastase (6.8 X 10(6) M-1 s(-1)), whereas it shows no inhibitory effect on thrombin. The N-terminal sequence of baserpin is HTQYPDILIAKPXDK, which shows no similarity with other known serine protease inhibitors. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A bactericidal homodimeric phospholipases A(2) from Bungarus fasciatus venom

Group IIA secretory phospholipases A(2) (sPLA(2)-II) is generally known to display potent grampositive bactericidal activity, while group IA sPLA(2) (sPLA(2)-I) reportedly is not. In this work, a novel sPLA(2)-I named BFPA was identified from Bungarus fas

Cloning of two novel P-III class metalloproteinases from Trimeresurus stejnegeri venom gland

Hemorrhagic toxins are widely distributed in viperid and crotalid snake venoms. Envenomation of Trimeresurus stejnegeri, a member of Crotalidae family, caused potent systemic and local hemorrhage. Up to now, there is no report on hemorrhage toxins from th

Molecular characterization of L-amino acid oxidase from king cobra venom

An L-amino acid oxidase from Ophiophagus hannah snake venom (Oh-LAAO) was purified by successive gel filtration, ion-exchange and heparin chromatography. Oh-LAAO did not induce platelet aggregation; however, it had potent inhibitory activity on platelet a

beta gamma-CAT, a non-lens beta gamma-crystallin and trefoil factor complex from amphibian skin secretions, caused endothelium-dependent myocardial depression in isolated rabbit hearts

Previous in vivo study demonstrated that beta gamma-CAT, a newly identified non-lens beta gamma-crystallin and trefoil factor complex from frog Bombina maxima skin secretions, possessed potent lethal toxicity on mammals resulted from hypotension and cardi

Novel cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptides from Equus asinus

In the present study, EA-CATH1 and EA-CATH2 were identified from a constructed lung cDNA library of donkey (Equus asinus) as members of cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptides, using a nested PCR-based cloning strategy. Composed of 25 and 26 residues, respectively, EA-CATH1 and EA-CATH2 are smaller than most other cathelicidins and have no sequence homology to other cathelicidins identified to date. Chemically synthesized EA-CATH1 exerted potent antimicrobial activity against most of the 32 strains of bacteria and fungi tested, especially the clinically isolated drug-resistant strains, and minimal inhibitory concentration values against Gram-positive bacteria were mostly in the range of 0.3-2.4 mu g center dot mL-1. EA-CATH1 showed an extraordinary serum stability and no haemolytic activity against human erythrocytes in a dose up to 20 mu g center dot mL-1. CD spectra showed that EA-CATH1 mainly adopts an alpha-helical conformation in a 50% trifluoroethanol/water solution, but a random coil in aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscope observations of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC2592) treated with EA-CATH1 demonstrated that EA-CATH could cause rapid disruption of the bacterial membrane, and in turn lead to cell lysis. This might explain the much faster killing kinetics of EA-CATH1 than conventional antibiotics revealed by killing kinetics data. In the presence of CaCl2, EA-CATH1 exerted haemagglutination activity, which might potentiate an inhibition against the bacterial polyprotein interaction with the host erythrocyte surface, thereby possibly restricting bacterial colonization and spread.

GPIb is involved in platelet aggregation induced by mucetin, a snake C-type lectin protein from Chinese habu (Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus) venom

Mucetin (Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom activator, TMVA) is a potent platelet activator purified from Chinese habu (Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus) venom. It belongs to the snake venom heterodimeric C-type lectin family and exists in several multimeric forms. We now show that binding to platelet glycoprotein (GP) lb is involved in mucetin-induced platelet aggregation. Antibodies against GPIb as well as the GPIb-blocking C-type lectin echicetin inhibited mucetin-induced platelet aggregation. Binding of GPIb was confirmed by affinity chromatography and Western blotting. Antibodies against GPVI inhibited convulxin- but not mucetin-induced aggregation. Signalling by mucetin involved rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of proteins including Syk, Src, LAT and PLCgamma2. Mucetininduced phosphorylation of the Fcgamma chain of platelet was greatly promoted by inhibition of alpha(llb)beta(3) by the peptidomimetic EMD 132338, suggesting that phosphatases downstream Of alpha(llb)beta(3) activation are involved in dephosphorylation of Fcgamma. Unlike other multimeric snake C-type lectins that act via GPIb and only agglutinate platelets, mucetin activates alpha(llb)beta(3). Inhibition Of alpha(llb)beta(3) strongly reduced the aggregation response to mucetin, indicating that activation Of alpha(llb)beta(3) and binding of fibrinogen are involved in mucetin-induced platelet aggregation. Apyrase and aspirin also inhibit platelet aggregation induced by mucetin, suggesting that ADP and thromboxaneA(2) are involved in autocrine feedback. Sequence and structural comparison with closely related members of this protein family point to features that may be responsible for the functional differences.

The anti-HIV-1 effect of scutellarin

Scutellarin was purified from the plant Erigeron breuiscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. The activity against 3 strains of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was determined in vitro in this study. These were laboratory-derived virus (HIV-I-IIIB), drug-resistant virus (HIV-I-74V), and low-passage clinical isolated virus (HIV-1(KM018)). From syncytia inhibition study, the EC50 of scutellarin against HIV-I-IIB direct infection in C8166 cells was 26 mu M with a therapeutic index of 36. When the mode of infection changed from acute infection to cell-to-cell infection, this compound became even more potent and the EC50 reduced to 15 mu M. This suggested that cell fusion might be affected by this compound. By comparing the inhibitory effects on p24 antigen, scutellarin was also found to be active against HIV-1(74V) (EC50 253 mu M) and HIV-1(KM018) (EC50 136 mu M) infection with significant difference in potency. The mechanism of its action was also explored in this study. At a concentration of 433 mu M, scutellarin inhibited 48% of the cell free recombinant HIV-1 RT activity. It also caused 82% inhibition of HIV-1 particle attachment and 45% inhibition of fusion at the concentrations of 54 mu M. In summary, scutellarin was found to inhibit several strains of HIV-1 replication with different potencies. It appeared to inhibit HIV-1 RT activity, HIV-1 particle attachment and cell fusion. These are essential activities for viral transmission and replication. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure and anti-HIV activity of micrandilactones B and C, new nortriterpenoids possessing a unique skeleton from Schisandra micrantha

Two new highly oxygenated nortriterpenoids with a unique norcycloartane skeleton, micrandilactones B and C (1-2), were isolated from Schisandra micrantha; micrandilactone C ( 2) exhibited an EC50 value of 7.71 mu g/mL (SI > 25.94) against HIV-1 replication with minimal cytotoxicity, and the potent anti-HIV-1 activity and unique structural features of 2 make it a promising lead for therapeutic development of a new generation of anti-HIV drug.