SECRETORY MONOCLONAL IGA ANTIBODY TO HUMAN SPERM PRODUCED BY GASTROINTESTINAL IMMUNIZATION INHIBITS HUMAN SPERM ACTIVITY AND MOUSE INVITRO FERTILIZATION

BALB/c mice were immunized intragastrically with human sperm. Cells from the Peyer's patches and spleens of the immunized mice were for the preparation of hybridomas secreting antisperm monoclonal IgA (mcIgA). The specific ratio of IgA-secreting cells in Peyer's patches was much higher than that in spleen. The binding site on human sperm of 9 of 19 mcIgA was in the post-acrosomal region using an immunofluorescent assay. Two of eight selected mcIgA caused strong human sperm agglutination and three of them produced significant inhibition of mouse in vitro fertilization. No mcIgA tested caused obvious human sperm immobilization or inhibited mouse in vivo fertilization. In vitro assembly of selected mcIgA in ascites with mouse secretory component (SC) caused no significant changes in effects on sperm function and in vitro fertilization. By use of Western blotting, dimer or higher polymers were demonstrated in all selected mcIgAs and corresponding protein antigens in 6 of 8 selected mcIgAs. These results suggest that human sperm function may be inhibited and fertilization rate reduced by specific secretory IgA to human sperm and that secretory immunity to protein antigens of human sperm could be induced by intragastrointestinal immunization.

Independent Transport and Sorting of Functionally Distinct Protein Families in Tetrahymena thermophila Dense Core Secretory Granules

Dense core granules (DCGs) in Tetrahymena thermophila contain two protein classes. Proteins in the first class, called granule lattice (Grl), coassemble to form a crystalline lattice within the granule lumen. Lattice expansion acts as a propulsive mechanism during DCG release, and Grl proteins are essential for efficient exocytosis. The second protein class, defined by a C-terminal beta/gamma-crystallin domain, is poorly understood. Here, we have analyzed the function and sorting of Grt1p (granule tip), which was previously identified as an abundant protein in this family. Cells lacking all copies of GRT1, together with the closely related GRT2, accumulate wild-type levels of docked DCGs. Unlike cells disrupted in any of the major GRL genes, Delta GRT1 Delta GRT2 cells show no defect in secretion, indicating that neither exocytic fusion nor core expansion depends on GRT1. These results suggest that Grl protein sorting to DCGs is independent of Grt proteins. Consistent with this, the granule core lattice in Delta GRT1 Delta GRT2 cells appears identical to that in wild-type cells by electron microscopy, and the only biochemical component visibly absent is Grt1p itself. Moreover, gel filtration showed that Grl and Grt proteins in cell homogenates exist in nonoverlapping complexes, and affinity-isolated Grt1p complexes do not contain Grl proteins. These data demonstrate that two major classes of proteins in Tetrahymena DCGs are likely to be independently transported during DCG biosynthesis and play distinct roles in granule function. The role of Grt1p may primarily be postexocytic; consistent with this idea, DCG contents from Delta GRT1 Delta GRT2 cells appear less adhesive than those from the wild type.

Conformational transition of DNA induced by cationic lipid vesicle in acidic solution: spectroscopy investigation

The conformational transition of DNA induced by the interaction between DNA and a cationic lipid vesicle, didodecyidimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), had been investigated by circular dichroism (CD) and UV spectroscopy methods. We used singular value decomposition least squares method (SVDLS) to analyze the experimental CD spectra. Although pH value influenced the conformation of DNA in solution, the results showed that upon binding to double helical DNA, positively charged liposomes induced a conformational transition of DNA molecules from the native B-form to more compact conformations. At the same time, no obvious conformational changes occurred at single-strand DNA (ssDNA). While the cationic lipid vesicles and double-strand DNA (dsDNA) were mixed at a high molar ratio of DDAB vesicles to dsDNA, the conformation of dsDNA transformed from the B-form to the C-form resulting in an increase in duplex stability (DeltaT(m) = 8 +/- 0.4 degreesC). An increasing in T-m was also observed while the cationic lipid vesicles interacted with ssDNA.

水稻小G蛋白Arf GTPase激活蛋白OsAGAP功能研究

　　锌指蛋白在植物生长发育中具有重要功能，它们可以识别并结合特定的DNA序列进行转录调控，还能够参与蛋白之间相互作用的调节。我们根据锌指蛋白等转录因子特征结构域的序列特点，从来自10 K水稻芯片的EST数据库中筛选出编码58个EST序列。通过对器官表达特异性的比较分析，从中选出七个只在单一器官表达的基因，并对这七个基因的功能进行研究。对其转基因水稻的表型分析发现，C1基因调节水稻的株高和穗的发育;LIM 家族的F9影响小花的形态，主要体现在雌蕊与雄蕊的发育;锌指蛋白S34调控叶倾角的变化;F14基因编码一个核定位的TFIIIA类锌指蛋白，具体功能尚不清楚;锌指蛋白F35转基因水稻主根缩短，侧根数目显著减少。它编码一个推测的ArfGAP (Arf GTPase activating protein)，据此我们将其命名为OsAGAP，并对其进行深入研究。 　　OsAGAP的cDNA全长为1328bp，编码的蛋白由320个氨基酸组成，含有两个保守结构域：锌指结构域和C2 结构域。其中锌指结构域属于CX2CX16CX2C类，即ArfGAP domain的特征结构。GTP酶活性测定试验表明，OsAGAP蛋白能够激活水稻Arf的GTP酶活性，另外，OsAGAP还能够恢复酵母ArfGAP缺失突变体的表型。说明OsAGAP编码的蛋白是水稻中的一个ArfGAP。 　　OsAGAP在水稻各器官中均有表达，但强弱有所不同。RNA原位杂交结果显示，它在茎尖分生组织与侧生原基及侧根部位表达强烈;它在根尖主要分布于中央维管组织、分生区、皮层细胞，最有趣的是恰好与生长素在根尖极性运输路径相吻合。在亚细胞水平，OsAGAP广泛分布于细胞膜、细胞质、细胞核。 　　OsAGAP超表达水稻主根、不定根长度缩短，侧根数目显著减少表现出类似于生长素极性运输突变体的表型。其主根伸长对TIBA的抑制作用不敏感，这暗示OsAGAP超表达水稻的生长素极性运输被破坏;另外，其对各种生长素的作用敏感性也发生变化，对IAA、2,4-D的不敏感，而对NAA的反应与野生型一致，根据各类生长素进出细胞机制不同，可以推测超表达水稻的输入能力存在缺陷。极性运输实验结果表明，超表达水稻极性运输能力被破坏;对生长素输入能力的测定进一步表明，超表达水稻根载体的介导的生长素输入能力显著下降。另外，NAA处理能够恢复超表达水稻中侧根发育受抑的表型缺陷。由此可见，OsAGAP在水稻中超表达破坏了生长素极性运输的输入能力。 　　FM1-43是一类特异标记囊泡运输的荧光染料。经其染色标记后，OsAGAP超表达水稻细胞内囊泡成片聚集，形成“BFA区间”，表现出囊泡运输被破坏的典型特征。透射电镜观察发现，超表达水稻细胞内有大量的小液泡，其中积累了电子密度很高的颗粒物质。由此推测，可能由于细胞的囊泡运输被破坏，导致胞内的代谢物质不能被正常运送或分泌，而在液泡中暂时贮存以维持细胞环境的稳定。 　　在酵母和动物细胞中的研究表明， ArfGAP是调控囊泡运输的一个重要因子，然而目前还没有关于ArfGAP在植物细胞中生理作用的报道。我们的结果说明，OsAGAP作为的一个ArfGAP，它通过调控水稻中的囊泡运输，而影响了生长素的极性运输，具体表现在对生长素输入能力的调控。由此，我们推测ArfGAP可能在生长素的极性运输中也起着重要的调控作用。 　　但OsAGAP在拟南芥中却通过调控植株生长素的水平，而影响了转基因拟南芥根的发育。每种生物都有多个ArfGAP，它们之间的分工存在联系，但各不相同。OsAGAP是拟南芥的外源基因，它在拟南芥中可能以不同于水稻的机制起作用。

白杄花粉管胞吞/胞吐动态及其与细胞壁构建的关系

在有花植物受精过程中，具有顶端极性生长特性的花粉管是雄性生殖单位的载体，同时也是研究细胞生长分子调控机理的理想体系。与被子植物相比，裸子植物花粉具有萌发时间长、花粉管生长缓慢等特点。对于裸子植物花粉萌发和花粉管生长的机理，目前人们尚不十分清楚。本文将以裸子植物白杄（Picea meyeri）花粉为材料，应用不同浓度的分泌系统干扰剂Brefeldin A处理，并通过细胞学和生理生化方法，其中包括普通光学显微镜、荧光显微镜、激光扫描共聚焦显微镜、显微红外光谱（FTIR）和透射电镜（TEM）等技术，对其花粉萌发和花粉管生长过程中胞吞胞吐的调控，以及与细胞壁建成的关系等进行较为系统的研究，旨在为进一步揭示裸子植物花粉管发育的调控机理提供参考。 首先比较观察了各种细胞器在白杄与被子植物花粉管中的分布差异。经FM4-64探针标记结果表明，在正常生长的白杄花粉管顶端存在分泌小泡积累的透明区，但与被子植物比较起来，此透明区在花粉管中所占比例较小，且不呈倒“V”字型。在透射电镜下观察发现，其花粉管顶端透明区内分泌小泡的分布密度远低于被子植物。另外，在白杄花粉管中，线粒体的分布一般靠近细胞壁的地方，高尔基体分布较为分散，而内质网的分布则不具方向性。 其次，研究了BFA对白杄花粉萌发和花粉管生长的影响，特别是对其花粉管生长过程中的胞吐/胞吞作用。通常在正常生长的白杄花粉管中，用FM4-64标记后发现，在其顶端形成与透明区对应的荧光亮区;超微结构显示，在花粉管顶端进行旺盛的胞吐作用，许多分泌小泡正与质膜融合，以及分布有大量显示高分泌活性的壁旁体（PB）等。而经过BFA处理后，花粉的萌发和花粉管的生长均受到严重抑制，花粉管出现了弯曲（波状生长）或顶端膨大等异常形态，同时还干扰了FM4-64在花粉管顶端的标记模式。另外，花粉管顶端分泌小泡数量减少，透明区内充满线粒体、高尔基体和空泡等一些大的细胞器，壁旁体也随之消失，其中高尔基体呈现解体或弯曲的异常形态，在其周围的分泌小泡数量大大减少，内质网出现膨胀和核糖体脱落等;同时胞吐活性标志性酶——酸性磷酸酶的活性也随之降低。通过对FM4-64的染料吸收实验表明，BFA对胞吞有明显的促进作用。由上可见，BFA对白杄花粉管生长过程中的胞吐和胞吞作用起了相反的影响， BFA正是通过扰乱花粉管生长过程中的分泌途径来抑制其花粉管的生长。 最后，检测了白杄花粉管分泌途径紊乱后，管壁物质合成的变化情况。通过FTIR光谱分析表明，BFA处理后花粉管壁化学组分发生了变化，例如蛋白质和多糖含量明显减少，而且与蛋白比较起来，多糖的含量下降更为明显，尤其是在顶端。蛋白和多糖含量的下降导致花粉管壁的组成结构不够致密。由SDS-PAGE的结果显示， BFA抑制后，花粉管壁中糖蛋白的含量下降了60%，同时很多壁蛋白条带在BFA处理后不表达或含量减少。通过对花粉管壁多糖成分的研究表明，BFA处理还导致纤维素含量下降，而胼胝质在花粉管顶端积累。用识别AGPs的LM6和识别酸性果胶的JIM5对花粉管进行标记，发现BFA处理后AGPs的环状分布消失，酸性果胶质在顶端的含量也明显减少，但在胞质内却形成一些小的分隔亮点（compartments）。 综上所述，导致裸子植物白杄花粉管生长缓慢的原因，可能与其顶端透明区较小、分泌小泡数量少等有关。另外，从白杄花粉管的细胞质状态和细胞器分布上看，虽然与被子植物相比差异较大，但在其正常生长中仍能进行旺盛地胞吐和胞吞过程。经BFA处理后引起花粉管内分泌系统的紊乱，致使管壁物质不能正常合成，从而导致花粉管的停滞生长。

水稻G蛋白偶联受体OSGPCR1功能的研究

水稻是世界上最重要的粮食作物，也是单子叶植物的模式植物，它为全球近一半的人口提供食物，但是低温、高盐、干旱等非生物胁迫，每年都会在全世界范围内造成水稻大面积减产。G蛋白介导的信号途径是传递胞外信号比较保守的作用机制之一。动物细胞对于G蛋白及其受体(GPCRs)的研究已经取得了很大的进展。而植物细胞中对它们的研究刚刚起步。本文从越冬稻低温响应芯片上筛选到一个膜蛋白，它编码一个推测的G蛋白偶联受体(G protein-coupledreceptor, GPCR)，据此我们将其命名为OsGPCR1，并对其进行深入研究。 OsGPCR1的cDNA全长为1407bp，编码468个氨基酸，在蛋白水平上的同源性比较结果显示，该基因与动物中研究的比较多的异源三聚体G蛋白偶联受体(G Protein- Coupled Receptor)同源性达到44%。经过跨膜结构域预测表明OsGPCR1具有9TMs结构，以GFP为标签的亚细胞定位表明OsGPCR1定位在膜上。GTP酶活性测定试验表明，OsGPCR1蛋白能够激活水稻RGA的GTP酶活性，此外，以泛素裂解体系为基础的酵母双杂交实验表明，OsGPCR1能够与RGA相互作用。说明OsGPCR1编码的蛋白是水稻中的一个G蛋白偶联受体。 OsGPCR1的表达受低温、干旱、高盐的诱导，但不受ABA，GA，ACC，IAA的诱导。在『F常生长条件下，OsGPCR1在水稻各器官中均有表达，但强弱有所不同。 在拟南芥和水稻中超表达OsGPCR1都能显著增强转基因植物对干旱、高盐、低温的耐受性。而在水稻中抑制OsGPCR1的表达，转基因水稻呈现出干旱、高盐、低温的敏感性。对转基因拟南芥下游基因的分析表明，超表达OsGPCR1能够在非胁迫条件下激活CBF途径中相关基因的表达。结合OsGPCR1不受ABA诱导的表达模式，我们推测OsGPCR1可能是通过不依赖于ABA这条途径而传递信号的。借助超表达和转反义水稻材料，利用水稻全基因组芯片研究OsGPCR1靶基因的结果表明，不论OsGPCR1基因表达量的降低或上升，都导致大约30%的与转运相关的基因的表达量发生改变。这暗示OsGPCR1可能通过囊泡运输传递胞外信号。此外FM4-64对超表达和转反义水稻幼根细胞染色标记后，OsGPCR1反义抑制水稻细胞内囊泡在细胞两端呈聚集状，即形成“BFA区间”，而超表达OsGPCRI水稻细胞内囊泡呈密集状。这些结果都表明OsGPCR1可能通过调控囊泡运输而将胞外胁迫信号传递进胞内。

Proteomic Analysis of Proteins Involved in Spermiogenesis in Mouse

Spermiogenesis is a unique process in mammals during which haploid round spermatids mature into spermatozoa in the testis. Its successful completion is necessary for fertilization and its malfunction is an important cause of male infertility. Here, we report the high-confidence identification of 2116 proteins in mouse haploid germ cells undergoing spermiogenesis: 299 of these were testis-specific and 155 were novel. Analysis of these proteins showed many proteins possibly functioning in unique processes of spermiogenesis. Of the 84 proteins annotated to be involved in vesicle-related events, VAMP4 was shown to be important for acrosome biogenesis by in vivo knockdown experiments. Knockdown of VAMP4 caused defects of acrosomal vesicle fusion and significantly increased head abnormalities in spermatids from testis and sperm from the cauda epididymis. Analysis of chromosomal distribution of the haploid genes showed underrepresentation on the X chromosome and overrepresentation on chromosome 11, which were due to meiotic sex chromosome inactivation and expansion of testis-expressed gene families, respectively. Comparison with transcriptional data showed translational regulation during spermiogenesis. This characterization of proteins involved in spermiogenesis provides an inventory of proteins useful for understanding the mechanisms of male infertility and may provide candidates for drug targets for male contraception and male infertility.

New symbiotic hypothesis on the origin of eukaryotic flagella

The origin of eukaryotic flagella has long been a mystery. Here we review the possibility that flagella sprouted evolutionarily from the eukaryotic cell proper seems very unlikely because it is hard to imagine what function and benefit in natural selection the flagella would have provided to the cells when they first emerged as simple buds. Lynn Margulis' 1970 spirochete hypothesis, though popular still, has never been confirmed. Moreover, the absence of tubulin and axonemal dynein in the spirochetes and the incapability of the bacterial and eukaryotic membranes' making a continuum now suggest that the hypothesis is outdated. Tubulin genes were recently identified in a new bacteria division, verrucomicrobia, and microtubules have also been found in one of these species, epixenosomes, the defensive ectosymbionts. On the basis of these data, we propose a new symbiotic hypothesis: that the mid-ancestor of eukaryotic cells obtained epixenosomelike verrucomicrobia as defensive ectosymbionts and the ectosymbionts later became endosymbiotic. They still, however, protruded from the surface of their host to play their role. Later, many genes were lost or incorporated into the host genome. Finally, the genome, the bacterial membrane, and the endosymbiotic vesicle membrane were totally lost, and fingerlike protrusions with microtubules formed. As the cells grew larger, the defensive function of the protrusions eventually weakened and then vanished. Some of the protrusions took on a new role in cell movement, which led them to evolve into flagella. The key step in this process was that the dynein obtained from the host evolved into axonemal dyneins, attaching onto the microtubules and forming motile axonemes. Our hypothesis is unproven, but it offers a possible explanation that is consistent with current scientific thought. We hope that our ideas will stimulate additional studies on the origin of eukaryotic flagella and on investigations of verrucomicrobia. Whether such studies confirm, refine, or replace our hypothesis, they should nevertheless further our understanding of the origin of eukaryotic cells.

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

A horsefly saliva antigen 5-like protein containing RTS motif is an angiogenesis inhibitor

The Ag5 proteins are the most abundant and immunogenic proteins in the venom secretory ducts of stinging insects. An antigen 5-like protein (named tabRTS) composed of 221 amino acid residues was purified and characterized from the salivary glands of the horsefly, Tabanus yao (Diptera, Tabanidae). Its cDNA was cloned from the cDNA library of the horsefly's salivary gland. TabRTS containing the SCP domain (Sc7 family of extracellular protein domain) was found in insect antigen 5 proteins. More interestingly, there is an Arg-Thr-Ser (RTS) disintegrin motif at the C-terminus of tabRTS. The RTS motif is positioned in a loop bracketed by cysteine residues as those found in RTS-disintegrins of Crotalidae and Viperidae snake venoms, which act as angiogenesis inhibitors. Endothelial Cell Tube formation assay in vitro and chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis assay in vivo were performed as to investigate the effect of tabRTS on angiogenesis. It was found that tabRTS could significantly inhibit angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Anti-alpha(1)beta(1) monoclonal antibody could dose-dependently inhibit the anti-angiogenic activity of tabRTS. This result indicated that tabRTS possibly targets the alpha(1)beta(1) integrin to exert the anti-angiogenic activity as snake venom RTS-/KTS-disintegrins do. The current work revealed the first angiogenesis inhibitor protein containing RTS motif from invertebrates, a possible novel type of RTS-disintegrin. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.