Trichosanthin suppresses the elevation of p38 MAPK, and Bcl-2 induced by HSV-1 infection in Vero cells

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a type I ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) effective against HIV-1 and HSV-1 replication. The mechanism of its antiviral activity is not clear. Many believe that it is related to ribosome inactivation. Some RIPs and viral infectio

MAPK在天花粉蛋白抗HIV-1中的作用以及syncytin基因在白血病细胞中的表达

本学位论文主要包括两部分的内容： 一是关于MAPK信号转导在天花粉蛋白（trichosanthin, TCS）抗人类免疫缺陷病毒-1（HIV-1）中的作用的研究。TCS是I型核糖体失活蛋白（RIP），分子量27Kd，可从传统的中期流产和抗绒癌中药栝楼根块茎（天花粉）中提纯获得。该蛋白具有抗HIV-1活性，但其机制尚不清楚。本文用JNK抑制剂CEP-11004，预处理宿主细胞，检测其对TCS抗HIV-1的影响。用以下两种方法检测病毒的复制：一是用ELISA方法检测细胞培养上清中p24抗原的水平，二是检测上清中病毒粒子的逆转录酶（RT）活性。结果显示，TCS剂量依赖性地抑制HIV-1在C8166细胞中的复制。在TCS实验浓度下，HIV-1的复制水平平均为68 ± 4％（p24抗原检测）和52 ± 4％（RT活性检测）。如果用0.4μM CEP-11004对C8166细胞预处理2小时，TCS似乎失去了抗HIV-1活性，HIV-1的复制水平分别恢复为101 ± 4％和101 ± 7％。但无论是p24抗原检测还是RT活性检测，当不含TCS时，CEP-11004预处理病毒宿主细胞，本身并不影响病毒粒子的复制。这说明CEP-11004能够拮抗TCS的抗病毒活性，或者说CEP-11004抑制的信号转导途径的某些信号分子，与TCS的抗HIV-1活性相关。Western Blot方法检测的结果也证明，TCS能够以时间依赖和剂量依赖的方式激活JNK激酶，0.4μM的CEP-11004能有效抑制JNK的磷酸化。因此，TCS与它激活MAPK信号转导途径有关。 二是关于人类内源性病毒HERV-W家族囊膜蛋白基因syncytin在白血病细胞中的表达的研究。该基因在人的胎盘组织中特异性表达，可能与合胞滋养层的形成有关。另外也少量表达于睾丸组织。本论文采用实时定量RT-PCR的方法证明，syncytin能够在白血病细胞系中表达。进一步的检测还表明，syncytin的mRNA也表达于白血病/淋巴瘤患者的外周血细胞，而不表达于作为对照的10名健康志愿者的血细胞。在15名不同类型的白血病/淋巴瘤患者中，有11名有syncytin的表达。细胞系的表达相对稳定，与C8166细胞系的表达量相比较，介于0.5-2.0倍之间；而在白血病患者外周血细胞中的表达则介于0.8-21.7倍不等。上述结果提示，syncytin可能与白血病的形成有关。

MAPK途径与细胞的辐射应答

MAPK信号转导途径在细胞辐射应答中起着重要作用,ERK,JNK,P38 MAPK和大MAPK 4条不同的MAPK通路在受辐射细胞中扮演着不同角色,它们的协调控制作用决定着细胞受辐照后的命运。描述了辐射应答中的这4条不同的MAPK途径,并讨论了这些途径在辐射应答中的作用。

Funneled landscape leads to robustness of cellular networks: MAPK signal transduction

We uncover the underlying potential energy landscape for a cellular network. We find that the potential energy landscape of the mitogen-activated protein-kinase signal transduction network is funneled toward the global minimum. The funneled landscape is quite robust against random perturbations. This naturally explains robustness from a physical point of view. The ratio of slope versus roughness of the landscape becomes a quantitative measure of robustness of the network. Funneled landscape is a realization of the Darwinian principle of natural selection at the cellular network level. It provides an optimal criterion for network connections and design. Our approach is general and can be applied to other cellular networks.

Two Immunoregulatory Peptides with Antioxidant Activity from Tick Salivary Glands

Ticks are blood-feeding arthropods that may secrete immunosuppressant molecules, which inhibit host inflammatory and immune responses and provide survival advantages to pathogens at tick bleeding sites in hosts. In the current work, two families of immunoregulatory peptides, hyalomin-A and -B, were first identified from salivary glands of hard tick Hyalomma asiaticum asiaticum. Three copies of hyalomin-A are encoded by an identical gene and released from the same protein precursor. Both hyalomin-A and -B can exert significant anti-inflammatory functions, either by directly inhibiting host secretion of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte chemotectic protein-1, and interferon-gamma or by indirectly increasing the secretion of immunosuppressant cytokine of interleukin-10. Hyalomin-A and -B were both found to potently scavenge free radical in vitro in a rapid manner and inhibited adjuvant-induced inflammation in mouse models in vivo. The JNK/SAPK subgroup of the MAPK signaling pathway was involved in such immunoregulatory functions of hyalomin-A and -B. These results showed that immunoregulatory peptides of tick salivary glands suppress host inflammatory response by modulating cytokine secretion and detoxifying reactive oxygen species.

秀丽隐杆线虫抗性基因研究进展

从3个方面总结了秀丽隐杆线虫在抗性基因方面的研究进展。秀丽隐杆线虫的先天性免疫系统在抗病原菌、抗氧化应激等方面至关重要,它主要是通过MAPK、DAF-2、TGF-β三条信号途径发挥作用;另外,含TIR区蛋白和抗菌多肽也是秀丽隐杆线虫抗微生物感染机制的重要组成部分。在秀丽隐杆线虫的抗药性基因研究方面,发现了许多抗药性相关蛋白,如P-糖蛋白和多药耐药性相关蛋白MRP在抵抗多种药物的过程中发挥重要作用;而抗驱虫剂相关蛋白也在专门针对各种驱虫剂作用机制的研究中被发现;转录因子SKN-1、信息沉默调节蛋白SIR2、

Zebrafish peptidoglycan recognition protein SC (zfPGRP-SC) mediates multiple intracellular signaling pathways

Insect PGRPs can function as bacterial recognition molecules triggering proteolytic and/or signal transduction pathways, with the resultant production of antimicrobial peptides. To explore if zebrafish peptidoglycan recognition protein SC (zfPGRP-SC) has such effects, RNA interference (siRNA) and high-density oligonucleotide microarray analysis were used to identify differentially expressed genes regulated by zfPGRP-SC. The mRNA levels for a set of genes involved in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, such as TLRs, SARM, MyD88, TRAF6 and nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B2 (p100/p52), were examined by quantitative RT-PCR (QT-PCR). The results from the arrays and QT-PCR showed that the expression of 133 genes was involved in signal transduction pathways, which included Toll-like receptor signaling, Wnt signaling, BMP signaling, insulin receptor signaling, TGF-beta signaling, GPCR signaling, small GTPase signaling, second-messenger-mediated signaling, MAPK signaling, JAK/STAT signaling, apoptosis and anti-apoptosis signaling and other signaling cascades. These signaling pathways may connect with each other to form a complex network to regulate not just immune responses but also other processes such as development and apoptosis. When transiently over-expressed in HEK293T cells, zfPGRP-SC inhibited NF-kappa B activity with and without lipopolysacharide (LPS) stimulation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gene expression profiles in liver of zebrafish treated with microcystin-LR

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is the most frequently studied cyclic heptatoxin produced by cyanobacteria, which has tremendous negative impacts on fish, while its molecular mechanism behind remained unclear at present. Here, Affymetrix Zebrafish GeneChip was used to identify alterations in gene expression of zebrafish (Danio rerio) after MC-LR exposure. Among the 14,900 transcripts in the microarray, 273 genes were differentially expressed, in which 243 genes were elevated and 30 were decreased. According to GOstat analysis, MC-LR mainly influenced the cell cycle and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathways. In addition, many immune-related genes were also influenced. These data suggest that MC-LR could promote tumorigenesis and cause immunotoxicity in fish. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential Landscape and Flux Framework of Nonequilibrium Networks: Robustness, Dissipation, and Coherence of Biochemical Oscillations

We established a theoretical framework for studying nonequilibrium networks with two distinct natures essential for characterizing the global probabilistic dynamics: the underlying potential landscape and the corresponding curl flux. We applied the idea to a biochemical oscillation network and found that the underlying potential landscape for the oscillation limit cycle has a distinct closed ring valley (Mexican hat-like) shape when the fluctuations are small. This global landscape structure leads to attractions of the system to the ring valley.

Robustness and Coherence of a Three-Protein Circadian Oscillator: Landscape and Flux Perspectives

Three-protein circadian oscillations in cyanobacteria sustain for weeks. To understand how cellular oscillations function robustly in stochastic fluctuating environments, we used a stochastic model to uncover two natures of circadian oscillation: the potential landscape related to steady-state probability distribution of protein concentrations; and the corresponding flux related to speed of concentration changes which drive the oscillations. The barrier height of escaping from the oscillation attractor on the landscape provides a quantitative measure of the robustness and coherence for oscillations against intrinsic and external fluctuations. The difference between the locations of the zero total driving force and the extremal of the potential provides a possible experimental probe and quantification of the force from curl flux. These results, correlated with experiments, can help in the design of robust oscillatory networks.