Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric study of the aconitines in the roots of aconite

Fragmentation pathways of aconitine-type alkaloids were investigated by electrospray ionization/ion trap multistage tandem mass spectrometry. Low-energy collision-induced dissociation of protonated aconitines follows a dominant first step, the elimination of the C-8-substituent as acetic acid or fatty acid in MS2 spectra. Successive losses of 1-4 CH3OH molecules, 1-3 H2O, CO, benzoic acid, and CH3 or C2H5 (N-substituents) are all fragmentation pathways observed in MS3 and MS4 spectra. By applying knowledge of these fragmentation pathways to the aconitines in the ethanolic extract of aconite roots, all the known aconitines were detected and also 23 unknown aconitine-type alkaloids, in which the lipo-alkaloids containing residues of 15C, 17C and 19C saturated or unsaturated fatty acids were characterized. These odd-carbon-number fatty acid substituents have not been reported previously.

Investigation of metalloporphyrins and their imidazole complexes using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Three compounds of metalloporphyrins were studied using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The bonding power between substitutional phenyl and porphyrin cycle and the coordinate conditions of metalloporphyrins with imidazole were discussed. The experimental result indicated that the bonding power between substitutional phenyl and porphyrin cycle in metalloporphyrins became weak from Mn, Fe to Co. The complexes abundances formed by metallophorphyrin with imidazole were stronger with the increase of the ligand concentration. At the same ligand concentration, the abundance of the complexes was intensified gradually and the stability of the ligands was become stronger from Mn, Fe to Co.

Multi-stage mass spectrometric studies of triterpenoid saponins in crude extracts from Acanthopanax senticosus harms

Three triterpenoid saponins in crude extracts from Acanthopanax senticosus Harms have been investigated by use of multi-stage mass spectrometry (MSn) combined with electrospray ionization (ESI), MSn spectra were applied to direct structure elucidation of these saponins in crude plant extracts, in positive and negative ion mode. The characteristic fragmentations of triterpenoid saponins are discussed. The method provides a means of rapid initial screening of crude plant extracts. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Molecular cloning and response to laminarin stimulation of arginine kinase in haemolymph in Chinese shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis

Arginine kinase (AK) was previously reported as a phosphagen-ATP phosphotransferase found in invertebrates. In this study, an 1184 bp cDNA was cloned and sequenced. It contained an open reading frame of 1068 bp that coded for 356 deduced amino acids of AK in Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The calculated molecular mass of AK is 40129.73 Da and pI is 5.92. The predicted protein showed a high level of identity to known AK in invertebrates and creatine kinase from vertebrates, which belong to a conserved family of ATP:guanidino phospho-transferases. In addition, AK protein in plasma of F. chinensis was identified using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) according to the calculated molecular mass and pI. AK was significantly decreased in the plasma of F. chinensis at 45 min and recovered at 3 It after laminarin injection as confirmed by 2DE and ESI-MS. The results showed that AK was one of the most significantly changed proteins on two-dimensional gel in the plasma proteins of F. chinensis at 45 min and 3 It after simulation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation, structural characterization and in vitro antitumor activity of kappa-carrageenan oligosaccharide fraction from Kappaphycus striatum

Oligosaccharides were prepared through mild hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of kappa-carrageenan from Kappaphycus striatum to compare the antitumor activity with carrageenan polysaccharides. Oligosaccharide fractions were isolated by gel permeation chromatography and the structure of fraction 1 (F1) was studied by using negative- ion electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and H-1 and C-13-NMR spectrometry. The in vitro antitumor effects in three human neoplastic cell lines (KB, BGC, and Hela) of polysaccharides and F1 were investigated. The bioassay results showed that F1 exhibited relatively higher antitumor activity against the three cancer cells than polysaccharides.

One step isolation and purification of liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Risch using high-speed counter-current chromatography

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) technique in semi-preparative scale has been successfully applied to the separation of bioactive flavonoid compounds, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin in one step from the crude extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Risch. The HSCCC was performed using a two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol-acetonitrile-water (2:2:1:0.6:2, v/v). Yields of liquiritigenin (98.9% purity) and isoliquiritigenin (98.3% purity) obtained were 0.52% and 0.32%. Chemical structures of the purified liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin were identified by electrospray ionization-MS (ESI-MS) and NMR analysis. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Simultaneous determination of monoamine and amino acid neurotransmitters in rat endbrain tissues by pre-column derivatization with high-performance liquid chromatographic fluorescence detection and mass spectrometric identification

A sensitive and efficient method for simultaneous determination of glutamic acid (Glu), gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) in rat endbrains was developed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection and on-line mass spectrometric identification following derivatization with 1,2-benzo-3,4-dihydrocarbazole-9-ethyl chloroformate (BCEOC). Different parameters which influenced derivatization and separation were optimized. The complete separation of five neurotransmitter (NT) derivatives was performed on a reversed-phase Hypersil BDS-C-18 column with a gradient elution. The rapid structure identification of five neurotransmitter derivatives was carried out by on-line mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (ESI) source in positive ion mode, and the BCEOC-labeled derivatives were characterized by easy-to-interpret mass spectra. Stability of derivatives, repeatability, precision and accuracy were evaluated and the results were excellent for efficient HPLC analysis. The quantitative linear range of five neurotransmitters were 2.441-2 x 10(4) nM, and limits of detection were in the range of 0.398-1.258 nM (S/N = 3:1). The changes of their concentrations in endbrains of three rat groups were also studied using this HPLC fluorescence detection method. The results indicated that exhausting exercise could obviously influence the concentrations of neurotransmitters in rat endbrains. The established method exhibited excellent validity, high sensitivity and convenience, and provided a new technique for simultaneous analysis of monoamine and amino acid neurotransmitters in rat brain. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

LC determination of amino acids in rat plasma with fluorescence detection: Application to exercise physiology

An LC method for the determination of 20 amino acids (AAs), using 1,2-Benzo-3,4-dihydrocarbazole-9-ethyl chloroformate (BCEOC) as fluorescent labeling reagent, has been validated and applied for the analysis of AAs in rat plasma at three different states concerning exercise physiology. Identification of AA derivatives was carried out by LC-MS with electrospray ion (ESI), and the MS-MS cleavage mode of the representative tyrosine (Tyr) derivative was analyzed. Gradient elution on a Hypersil BDS C-18 column gave good separation of the derivatives. Excellent linear responses were observed and good compositional data could be obtained from as little as 50-200 mu L of plasma samples. The contents of 20 AAs in rat plasma of three groups (24 rats, group A: quiet state, group B: at exercising exhaust, group C: 12 h after exercising exhaust) exhibited evident difference corresponding to the physiological states. Facile BCEOC derivatization coupled with LC-FLD-ESI-MS analysis allowed the development of a highly sensitive method for the quantitative analysis of trace level of AAs from plasma or other biochemical samples.

Rapid protein identification using monolithic enzymatic microreactor and LC-ESI-MS/MS

A monolithic enzymatic microreactor was prepared in a fused-silica capillary by in situ polymerization of acrylamide, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) in the presence of a binary porogenic mixture of dodecanol and cyclohexanol, followed by ammonia solution treatment, glutaraldehyde activation and trypsin modification. The choice of acrylamide as co-monomer was found useful to improve the efficiency of trypsin modification, thus, to increase the enzyme activity. The optimized microreactor offered very low back pressure, enabling the fast digestion of proteins flowing through the reactor. The performance of the monolithic microreactor was demonstrated with the digestion of cytochrome c at high flow rate. The digests were then characterized by CE and HPLC-MS/MS with the sequence coverage of 57.7%. The digestion efficiency was found over 230 times as high as that of the conventional method. in addition, for the first time, protein digestion carried out in a mixture of water and ACN was compared with the conventional aqueous reaction using MS/MS detection, and the former solution was found more compatible and more efficient for protein digestion.

Synthesis, spectral, and thermal characterizations of Ni(II) and Cu(II) beta-diketone complexes with thenoyltrifluoroacetone ligand

Two kinds of nickel(II) and copper(II) P-diketone complexes derived from thenoyltrifluoroacetone ligand with blue-violet light absorption were synthesized by reacting free ligand and different metal(II) ions in sodium methoxide solution. Their structures were postulated based on elemental analysis, ESI-MS, FT-IR spectra and UV-vis electronic absorption spectra. Smooth films on K9 glass substrates were prepared using the spin-coating method. Their solubility in organic solvents, absorption properties of thin film and thermal stability of these complexes were evaluated. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes containing 2-(2-(5-substitued isoxazol-3-yl)hydrazono)-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione ligands: Synthesis, spectral and thermal characterizations

Two new hydrazone chelating ligands, 2-(2-(5-methylisoxazol-3-yl)hydrazono)-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione (HL1) and 2-(2-(5-tert-butylisoxazol-3-yl)hydrazono)-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane- 1,3-dione (HL2), and their nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes were synthesized using the procedure of diazotization, coupling and metallization. Their structures were postulated based on elemental analysis, H-1 NMR, ESI-MS, FT-IR spectra and UV-vis electronic absorption spectra. Smooth films of these complexes on K9 glass substrates were prepared using spin-coating and their absorption properties were evaluated. The thermal properties of the metal(II) complexes were investigated by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermogravimetry (DTG). Different thermodynamic and kinetic parameters namely activation energy (E

Nifedipine调节白皮松(Pinus bungeana)花粉管蛋白质表达及其对细胞壁构建的影响

花粉管是种子植物受精过程中的雄性生殖单位的载体，由于其生长依赖于胞内Ca2+梯度，并具有典型的顶端极性生长的特点，因而成为近年来研究植物细胞相互识别、胞内和胞外信号传导理想的模式系统。裸子植物花粉与被子植物相比具有萌发时间长、生长缓慢等特点。Ca2+在裸子植物花粉萌发和花粉管生长中的作用机制目前尚不明确。本研究以裸子植物白皮松(Pinus bungeana)的花粉为材料，运用不同浓度钙通道抑制剂Nifedipine（Nif）处理，对其花粉萌发和花粉管生长进行了细胞学研究和蛋白质组学分析，以探讨Ca2+对白皮松花粉生长的调控机制，为进一步揭示裸子植物花粉萌发和花粉管生长机理提供参考。 本论文首先研究了钙通道抑制剂Nif和Ca2+螯合剂EGTA对白皮松花粉萌发和花粉管生长的影响。结果表明，用Nif处理花粉后，花粉萌发和花粉管生长均受到明显抑制。经Ca2+荧光探针Fluo-3AM标记，对Nif处理后Ca2+在花粉管中的分布模式进行了观察，发现Ca2+在正常生长的花粉管中呈梯度分布，并在其顶端的荧光最强。与对照相比，处理后的花粉管荧光强度明显减弱，且顶端Ca2+梯度消失。通过EGTA漂洗后的花粉粒，在正常培养基上萌发率较高，但其生长速率受到抑制。由此说明了细胞壁钙库对花粉管生长的抑制效应显著高于对花粉萌发的影响，是花粉管生长的限速因子。同时外加钙调素还可逆转EGTA对其花粉萌发和花粉管生长的抑制。上述结果表明，白皮松花粉萌发及花粉管生长需要外源Ca2+的内流，以及胞内形成的Ca2+浓度梯度。 用FM4-64探针标记结果发现，正常花粉管中的胞吞作用主要发生在顶端和亚顶端区域，胞吞的小泡也集中分布在这两个区域。经Nif处理后，既不影响花粉管的胞吞过程，同时胞吞发生的位置也与对照相似，只是胞吞的小泡分散于整个花粉管中。电子显微镜观察表明，各种细胞器在白皮松正常生长的花粉管中分布与被子植物存在较大差异，例如前者无明显地分区现象，不具胼胝质塞。白皮松花粉管顶端和亚顶端的壁旁体与质膜融合现象频繁发生。花粉管经Nif处理后，线粒体出现不同程度的解体和液泡化，内质网液泡化和核糖体脱落，液泡大量聚集在花粉管顶端，壁旁体与膜融合现象减少，以及花粉管壁明显变薄等。此外，通过微丝特异性探针鬼笔环肽标记结果表明，正常生长花粉管的微丝呈长轴向排列， Nif处理后微丝断裂，其断裂程度与处理浓度有关。由此可见，外源Ca2+对花粉管的胞吞无明显抑制或促进作用，但对胞吞小泡重回收可能有影响。当胞内Ca2+梯度消失后，则明显抑制了微丝骨架的聚合，进而使胞吐作用减缓，高尔基体分泌小泡聚集，多种细胞器液泡化，引起花粉管顶端膨大，细胞壁变薄，继而抑制花粉管的正常生长。 运用免疫荧光标记技术显示，正常生长的花粉管壁含有纤维素、胼胝质、果胶质和阿拉伯半乳聚糖蛋白（AGPs），其中纤维素和胼胝质在细胞壁上呈均匀分布，而酸性果胶质只存在花粉管两侧壁上，酯化果胶分布于花粉管顶端。经过Nif处理后，胼胝质和酸性果胶质均在花粉管顶端累积，而AGPs和纤维素的分布却无明显变化。另外，傅里叶红外光谱分析结果也同样支持上述结论。通过花粉管壁蛋白的SDS-PAGE分析表明，Nif对细胞壁蛋白的合成也有较大的影响。 在花粉管的钙通道受到抑制后，应用蛋白质组学技术分析其蛋白质的表达图谱，通过双向电泳已分离出约1000个蛋白质斑点，经软件分析发现，除其中50个蛋白斑点外，大部分蛋白质的表达量均未发生变化。上述50个发生变化的蛋白斑点酶切后，再经过ESI－MS/MS鉴定和质谱数据库的搜索，共鉴定出28个蛋白，其中12个为上调蛋白，16个下调蛋白，根据其主要功能分为与代谢、细胞扩展、翻译后修饰以及信号相关的蛋白。经过Nif处理后，花粉管中碳水化合物代谢能力下降，ATP的产生受到抑制，参与细胞壁多糖合成及小泡运输的蛋白，如valosin containing protein（VCP）、reversibly glycolsylated polypeptide(RGP)、UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UDPGDH)和α-tubulin表达下调。另外，通过上述方法还鉴定出与丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶保守结构域同源的受体蛋白激酶等。 综上所述，白皮松花粉管钙通道受到抑制后，通过影响花粉管蛋白的表达，抑制微丝微管骨架的组装，致使胞吐速度变慢，花粉管壁酸性果胶质、胼胝质等多糖分布的变化及总多糖含量的减少，最终抑制了花粉管的正常生长。

三氟拉嗪抑制钙-钙调素对白杄花粉管生长的调节

花粉管是种子植物受精过程中雄性生殖单位的载体，具有典型的极性顶端生长模式，因此成为研究细胞极性生长机理的理想模式体系。本研究以裸子植物白杄（Picea meyeri Rehd.et Wils）花粉为材料，并以对花粉萌发和花粉管生长起关键作用的Ca2+作为切入点，分析钙-钙调素在花粉萌发及花粉管极性生长中的作用，同时也为进一步探讨它们在其他植物细胞中的作用机理研究提供重要参考。 通过细胞化学定位证明，白杄花粉中含有丰富的游离钙离子和钙调素，在花粉管顶端呈现明显的梯度分布;钙调素特异拮抗剂三氟拉嗪（trifluoperazine，简称TFP）可以在钙离子存在的情况下与钙调素特异性结合，从而抑制钙-钙调素复合物对下游效应蛋白的激活。微摩尔浓度的TFP明显抑制白杄花粉萌发以及花粉管的生长，并导致大部分花粉管畸形生长。TFP处理后的花粉管（约80%以上）中游离钙离子梯度消失或梯度不明显，由此说明钙调素参与花粉管顶端游离钙离子梯度的维持。抑制剂处理显著影响钙调素在花粉管顶端的梯度分布模式，梯度落差明显减小。 应用鬼笔环肽标记花粉管微丝骨架表明，正常生长的花粉管中微丝骨架沿花粉管长轴平行的方向呈网络状分布，但是在花粉管顶端仅有杂乱的微丝片断分布;低浓度TFP处理之后，微丝骨架分布的方向性丧失并开始卷曲，花粉管顶端的微丝片断消失，高浓度TFP处理之后微丝骨架完全断裂，聚集成短粗的束状。FM4-64标记花粉管后发现，经TFP处理的花粉管顶端胞吞速度明显加快，最终染料集中分布在紧贴质膜下很小的区域内，同时胞吞过程加快主要表现在染料进入花粉管细胞的速度加快，而随后染料在细胞内的扩散速度并无明显变化。以酸性磷酸酶为标志的胞吐活性也显著下降。通过MitoTracker染色发现，TFP处理之后花粉管中线粒体的形态和分布都发生了显著变化;在电子显微镜下观察显示，抑制剂处理的花粉管中液泡化现象严重，线粒体膨大变形，其内嵴的结构遭到严重破坏，同时高尔基体和内质网的形态也都发生了不同程度的异常变化，另外线粒体和液泡还出现了类似于自体吞噬的现象。 在荧光显微镜下观察发现，在标准培养基中培养的花粉管经苯胺兰染色后，胼胝质分布于整根花粉管侧壁上，而顶端区域胼胝质分布却很少或不存在。但经TFP处理之后，在花粉管细胞壁的个别区域有胼胝质大量沉积，同时在花粉管中还出现能被苯胺兰特异染色的许多颗粒状物质。此时花粉管顶端细胞壁中的纤维素含量明显减少。以单克隆抗体JIM5、JIM7标记果胶质，在激光扫描共聚焦显微镜下观察发现，标准培养基中培养的花粉管，酸性果胶质分布于整根花粉管的侧壁中，但在其顶端的含量很低或不存在，与此相反，酯化果胶质只分布在花粉管的顶端;而经TFP处理的花粉管中，酸性果胶质均匀分布于花粉管细胞壁上，酯化果胶质仅出现在花粉管基部的细胞壁中。单克隆抗体LM2和LM6标记结果显示，正常生长的花粉管细胞壁中AGPs呈周期性的环状分布，TFP处理后AGPs仅仅分布在花粉管基部的细胞壁中。SDS-PAGE电泳分析显示，抑制剂处理之后花粉管细胞壁蛋白的表达也发生明显变化。由FT-IR分析进一步证实了上述两种果胶质及纤维素在花粉管顶端细胞壁中相对含量的变化趋势。 利用双向电泳技术分离花粉管全蛋白，结果发现正常生长和TFP处理后的花粉管的大部分蛋白斑点都处于pI 4-8以及分子量在14-97 KD的范围内，主要是一些中等分子量大小、微酸性和中性的蛋白类群。由软件分析显示，除其中76个蛋白外，大部分蛋白质的表达并未发生变化。将上述76个表达量发生变化的差异蛋白进行胶内酶解，并经ESI-MS/MS分析鉴定，以及质谱数据库搜索，最终鉴定出57个蛋白，其中23个表达量上调，其余34个表达量下调。根据其生物学功能可以分为碳水化合物及能量代谢、胁迫及防御反应、细胞扩展、信号转导等功能蛋白类群。经TFP处理后，花粉管中碳水化合物及能量代谢过程整体水平下降，氧化磷酸化水平减低，但是丙酮酸脱羧酶旁路代谢水平却略有上升。由此暗示，花粉管在生长停滞的环境条件下，该途径可作为能量供应的替代机制;参与转一碳单位反应的蛋白表达量普遍上调，参与细胞延展（如细胞骨架重构、细胞壁多糖合成）的蛋白表达量下调，此项研究结果与上述的细胞生物学分析结论基本一致。 综上所述，当钙调素蛋白功能受到抑制后，顶端游离钙离子浓度梯度消失同时胞质钙离子浓度显著升高;细胞代谢水平（糖酵解和三羧酸酸循环）整体下降，而可能通过丙酮酸脱羧酶旁路来维持最低限度的能量供应;同时花粉管微丝骨架发生解聚，花粉管细胞壁组成成分合成水平下降，细胞延展相关的能力减弱，最终导致花粉管生长的停滞。钙-钙调素信号存在于白杄花粉萌发和花粉管生长这一特定的细胞生物学事件中，并参与花粉管顶端游离钙离子梯度的维持和定向生长。

基于生态系统服务理论的草地可持续利用评价

草地退化不仅仅是今天中国才发生的事情。历史上曾经发生“黑尘暴”的美国North Dakota州，现在仍然有62.7％土地被用作耕作，林地所占面积仅仅占1％。私有制和种植业较畜牧业的高的利润率，是该州种植业比重高于畜牧业的重要原因。草原保护项目（CRP）得到了美国政府财政的大力支持， 在North Dakota州采用了以草地恢复为主的措施。美国发达的教育体系带来的高流动率，使得North Dakota州自30年代后居住人口稳定在60－70万成为可能，从而避免了我国出现的草原地区不断增加的人口压力。由此可见：草地作为重要的自然资源，不可能完全保护起来;没有其他配套措施，私有制可能会带来新一轮垦殖;草地畜牧业仍然是畜牧业的重要组成部分，畜牧业发展需要结合种植业尤其需要与饲料生产相结合。 依据生态系统服务的理念，首次发展了生态系统服务指数（ESI），试图通过对生态系统服务功能的综合考虑，提出科学的适宜放牧率的评价方法。本文利用美国北达科他州立大学中部草原研究站17年长期放牧试验数据，选取植物多样性Shannon-Wiener指数、地上净初级生产力、土壤表层含水量和单位面积家畜增重等四个指标，通过对不同指标分别赋予不同的权重，计算不同管理目标下ESI及其稳定性，并对单目标管理与多目标管理进行了比较研究。结果表明，对于北美混合普列里(Prairie)草地，围封不利用或建立自然保护区，虽然生态系统比较稳定，但既不能有效的提高植物多样性、初级生产力和土壤水分含量等生态功能，又没有畜产品产出;而在重牧或极重牧处理下虽然获得了较大的畜产品生产，但导致了草地生态系统的退化和较大的系统不稳定性。因此，这两种管理方式在实践中都是不可取的。应用生态系统服务指数综合考虑，认为应该权衡各项生态功能和生产功能，此时轻牧或中牧是最适宜的。因此，ESI的建立避免了单项指标的评价偏差，使得适宜放牧率的确定更加合理。 利用前面构建的多目标权重评价体系，结合内蒙古草原生态系统定位站放牧试验样地的数据，探讨了锡林郭勒盟定位站附近的适宜放牧率为2.67羊/ha，低于单目标条件下的每公顷绵羊4羊/ha。同时在经济学和生态系统系统服务理论的基础上，依据谢高地等人（2001年）的研究，并提出了环境税和生态补偿的标准，分别是每公顷15元和90元。