补体系统及其糖基化

补体系统是固有免疫系统的重要组成部分,同时也是连接固有免疫和适应性免疫系统的重要桥梁.补体系统由30多种蛋白质组成,且其中绝大多数都经过糖基化修饰.近年来对补体系统的研究,不断揭示出补体系统在抗击病原微生物入侵和维持有机体生理稳态过程中发挥着重要作用.然而补体系统需要严格的调控,不论是激活不足、抑或是过度激活都可能引起疾病的发生.本文概述了近年来对于补体系统的激活、调控和功能研究的最新进展,并首次从糖生物学角度对补体系统蛋白质组分的糖链结构及糖链对相应蛋白质功能的影响进行了综述和小结.     

丙种免疫球蛋白Fc段糖基化及其生物学活性和功能

丙种免疫球蛋白是血清中重要的糖蛋白,在IgG Fc的297位天冬酰胺位点存在重要的糖基化,连接的糖链能维持IgG重链构像并调节Fc和FcγR结合能力,异常的糖链改变某些蛋白质的抗原特性,激活补体,介导炎症引起免疫失衡.多种疾病都可能伴有异常糖苷化或因缺少糖苷化酶引起.糖苷的功能结构研究已取得一定进展,进一步研究IgG的Fc段不同糖基化对IgG晶体结构及其生物学功能的影响将有助于设计新型生物制品.本文就近年来丙种免疫球蛋白Fc段糖基化及生物学活性与功能、糖蛋白寡糖链等研究进展作一综述.     

秀丽隐杆线虫固有免疫功能神经调控机制研究进展

固有免疫系统是动植物个体应对外来微生物侵入感染时非常重要的抵御防线。秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans,简称线虫)作为研究宿主与病原菌之间相互作用的经典模式动物,近年来在神经和免疫之间相互作用的分子与遗传机制等方面的研究取得了长足进展。研究表明,线虫神经元通过释放神经递质与神经多肽(如多巴胺、NLP-20)等,激活相关信号通路途经,参与线虫对病原菌的识别、逃避、调节物理屏障防御能力和激活固有免疫反应,并表达分泌抗菌肽以清除病原菌等的调控进程。本文综述了线虫神经系统调控固有免疫功能机制的最新研究进展,为人们深入了解神经与免疫系统间相互作用的功能分子及其调控机制和揭示人类神经与免疫系统相关疾病的病理机理提供了重要信息。     

蛋白质的糖基化作用分类及相关数据库

真核细胞中的许多蛋白质是糖蛋白,其寡糖链以共价键连接到特定的氨基酸残基上。糖蛋白糖链的生物学功能是通过糖链对蛋白质功能的修饰、糖缀合物糖链与蛋白质的识别来实现的,糖基化是生物体最常见最主要的蛋白质修饰作用之一。糖链结构及其功能和调控的复杂性制约了其研究的速度,随着生物信息学的快速发展,糖生物学领域的数据库和预测软件也脱颖而出,该文介绍糖基化作用和糖生物学领域的数据库与预测软件。     

IgG Fc糖链与功能的关系及疫苗接种的调节作用

免疫球蛋白G(immunoglobulin G,Ig G)是免疫系统的重要成分,是B细胞产生的糖蛋白,糖基化位点位于Fc段第297位氨基酸天冬酰胺上。糖链组成具有不均一性,末端组分变化可以影响抗体功能,并受多种因素的调节,如疫苗接种可以调节Fc段糖链修饰,进而影响抗体与Fc受体或补体的结合,从而对抗体的功能产生影响。本文就Ig G Fc糖链的组成、糖链与功能的关系、疫苗接种对糖链修饰的调节及对功能的影响作一综述。     

补体成分C3的系统发生

补体系统是先天免疫系统的重要组成部分,在宿主抗感染防御过程中起着关键作用.补体成分C3（complement component 3）是补体激活途径的中心成分,其通过3条补体激活途径参与免疫监督和免疫应答过程.虽然补体成分C3的基因和蛋白已在许多不同物种中被克隆和鉴定,对其基因的结构、功能和表达也进行了很多研究,但对C3分子的演化进程目前还不清楚. 本文对近年来补体成分C3系统发生进行了分析,同时对C3的结构、作用机制和功能进行了综述.     

眼镜蛇毒因子在生命科学中的应用

补体是免疫系统的重要组成部分,在机体的天然防御和免疫调控中发挥重要作用。补体的过度激活会引起炎症和组织损伤,尤其是补体旁路途径的过度激活在一系列疾病和病征的发生发展中扮演了重要角色。从眼镜蛇毒中分离获得的补体旁路特异激活蛋白——眼镜蛇毒因子在补体相关研究中发挥了重要作用。现就眼镜蛇毒因子在生命科学中的应用情况做一综述。     

蛋白质O-GlcNAc糖基化及其细胞生物学功能

糖基化是蛋白质翻译后修饰的一项重要内容,大多数蛋白质糖基化发生在细胞膜表面,且糖链结构复杂。而发生在细胞浆与细胞核内的、单个O-GlcNAc修饰的蛋白质糖基化现象,因其独特的细胞定位、糖链连接方式以及重要的生物学调控作用而日益成为糖生物学领域研究的热点。现对蛋白质O-GlcNAc修饰及其细胞生物学功能研究进展情况进行综述。     

自然杀伤细胞免疫功能相关糖结合蛋白的研究进展

自然杀伤(NK)细胞是固有免疫系统的重要组成,其作为抵抗病原体和癌变细胞的第一道机体防线,通过释放穿孔素、颗粒酶等介导的细胞毒作用杀伤靶细胞.随着糖组学的飞速发展,大量研究报道糖基化异常往往与细胞的病变相关,这为免疫学研究及疾病的治疗策略提供了全新的研究角度.NK细胞作为固有免疫系统的主要效应细胞之一,其活性及功能受细胞表面糖基化修饰及相关糖结合蛋白(例如siglec、selectin及galectin)的影响较大,siglec通过与肿瘤细胞表面上调的唾液酸化糖链结合以抑制NK细胞活化,selectin与其配体相互作用促进NK细胞的免疫功能,galectin结合β-半乳糖苷介导NK细胞免疫进程.因此,本文从糖组学的角度概述与NK细胞免疫功能相关的糖结合蛋白及与其相互作用糖链的最新研究进展,并且讨论了病变过程中糖结合蛋白异常对肿瘤进程的影响,以及其在疾病治疗策略方面的应用前景.     

糖链及其蛋白质糖基化

基因和蛋白质是生物统一性的重要标志,而糖链则是生物多样性最重要的标志分子。糖基化作为蛋白质翻译后重要的修饰方式,有其重要的生物学意义。本文综述了糖链的结构、功能及其蛋白质糖基化的类型、影响因素、表达系统等相关问题。     

Interactions between Neisseria meningitidis and the complement system

Meningococcal infection remains a worldwide health problem, and understanding the mechanisms by which Neisseria meningitidis evades host innate and acquired immunity is crucial. The complement system is vital for protecting individuals against N. meningitidis. However, this pathogen has evolved several mechanisms to avoid killing by human complement. Bacterial structures such as polysaccharide capsule and those which mimic or bind host molecules function to prevent complement-mediated lysis and phagocytosis. This review provides an update on the recent findings on the diverse mechanisms by which N. meningitidis avoids complement-mediated killing, and how polymorphisms in genes encoding human complement proteins affect susceptibility to this important human pathogen.     

Evolution of the lectin-complement pathway and its role in innate immunity

Discrimination between self and non-self by lectins (carbohydrate-binding proteins) is a strategy of innate immunity that is found in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In vertebrates, immune recognition mediated by ficolins (lectins that consist of a fibrinogen-like and a collagen-like domain), as well as by mannose-binding lectins, triggers the activation of the complement system, which results in the activation of novel serine proteases. The presence of a similar lectin-based complement system in ascidians, our closest invertebrate relatives, indicates that the complement system probably had a pivotal role in innate immunity before the evolution of an adaptive immune system in jawed vertebrates.     

昆虫天然免疫相关基因研究进展

在长期进化过程中,昆虫形成了强大的天然免疫防御系统,即体液免疫和细胞免疫。体液免疫主要包括Toll、IMD和JAK/STAT 3条信号通路,通过信号转导及免疫途径调控免疫相关基因的表达,诱导产生抗菌肽和其他效应分子。细胞免疫由血细胞介导,主要完成对病原物的包裹、吞噬和集结等。近年来,昆虫基因组学快速发展,通过生物信息学等方法从昆虫基因组数据中已鉴定到大量免疫相关基因,对这些基因的研究加深了人们对昆虫天然免疫分子机制的认识和理解。根据基因功能,免疫相关基因分为识别、信号转导、调制器、效应分子、黑化反应、RNA干扰和其他基因等7类,这些基因通过互作来调控体液免疫和细胞免疫。本文对昆虫免疫相关基因的分类、功能及家族进化等方面的研究成果进行总结,并对今后昆虫免疫的研究重点进行了展望,以期为昆虫免疫分子机制的研究及开发新的害虫防治策略提供依据。     

Staphylococcal innate immune evasion

Upon entering the human body, bacteria are confronted with the sophisticated innate defense mechanisms of the human host. From work in recent years it has become obvious that a new and growing family of small and excreted proteins can counteract the antibacterial effects of innate immunity. These highly selective proteins pick out crucial elements of our immune system and inhibit their function. In Staphylococcus aureus these proteins act on specific cellular receptors, on antimicrobial peptides and especially on the complement system. The combined action of this growing group of essential virulence factors ascertains efficient innate immune evasion.     

CD46: The ‘multitasker’ of complement proteins

Complement is undeniably quintessential for innate immunity by detecting and eliminating infectious microorganisms. Recent work, however, highlights an equally profound impact of complement on the induction and regulation of a wide range of immune cells. In particular, the complement regulator CD46 emerges as a key sensor of immune activation and a vital modulator of adaptive immunity. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of CD46-mediated signalling events and their functional consequences on immune-competent cells with a specific focus on those in CD4⁺ T cells. We will also discuss the promises and challenges that potential therapeutic modulation of CD46 may hold and pose.     

Viral complement regulators: the expert mimicking swindlers

The complement system is a principal bastion of innate immunity designed to combat a myriad of existing as well as newly emerging pathogens. Since viruses are obligatory intracellular parasites, they are continuously exposed to host complement assault and, therefore, have imbibed various strategies to subvert it. One of them is molecular mimicry of the host complement regulators. Large DNA viruses such as pox and herpesviruses encode proteins that are structurally and functionally similar to human regulators of complement activation (RCA), a family of proteins that regulate complement. In this review, we have presented the structural and functional aspects of virally encoded RCA homologs (vRCA), in particular two highly studied vRCAs, vaccinia virus complement control protein (VCP) and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus complement regulator (kaposica). Importance of these evasion molecules in viral pathogenesis and their role beyond complement regulation are also discussed.     

Role of LysM receptors in chitin-triggered plant innate immunity

Recent research findings clearly indicate that lysin motif (LysM)-containing cell surface receptors are involved in the recognition of specific oligosaccharide elicitors (chitin and peptidoglycan), which trigger an innate immunity response in plants. These receptors are either LysM-containing receptor-like kinases (LYKs) or LysM-containing receptor proteins (LYPs). In Arabidopsis, five LYKs (AtCERK1/AtLYK1 and AtLYK2–5) and three LYPs (AtLYP1–3) are likely expressed on the plasma membrane. In this review, we summarize recent research results on the role of these receptors in plant innate immunity, including the recent structural characterization of AtCERK1 and composition of the various receptor complexes in Arabidopsis.     

An emerging role for calcium signalling in innate and autoimmunity via the cGAS-STING axis

Type I interferons are effector cytokines essential for the regulation of the innate immunity. A key effector of the type I interferon response that is dysregulated in autoimmunity and cancer is the cGAS-STING signalling axis. Recent work suggests that calcium and associated signalling proteins can regulate both cGAS-STING and autoimmunity. How calcium regulates STING activation is complex and involves both stimulatory and inhibitory mechanisms. One of these is calmodulin-mediated signalling that is necessary for STING activation. The alterations in calcium flux that occur during STING activation can also regulate autophagy, which in turn plays a role in innate immunity through the clearance of intracellular pathogens. Also connected to calcium signalling pathways is the cGAS inhibitor TREX1, a cytoplasmic exonuclease linked to several autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this review, we summarize these and other findings that indicate a regulatory role for calcium signalling in innate and autoimmunity through the cGAS-STING pathway.     

Regulators and signalling in insect haemocyte immunity

The innate immune system of insects relies on both humoral and cellular immune responses that are mediated via activation of several signalling pathways. Haemocytes are the primary mediators of cell-mediated immunity in insects, including phagocytosis, nodulation, encapsulation and melanization. The last years, research has focused on the mechanisms of microbial recognition and activation of haemocyte intracellular signalling molecules in response to invaders. The powerful tool, RNA interference gene silencing, helped several regulators involved in immune responses, to be identified. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the role(s) of receptors and intracellular signalling molecules involved in immune responses.