实时分析UV诱导的细胞凋亡过程中Bax的转位

Bax(Bcl-2-associated X protein)是bcl-2家族中的一个很重要的促凋亡蛋白,在正常的细胞生理状态下,主要分布在细胞质,在UV等凋亡刺激因子的作用下,则从细胞质转位到线粒体从而诱导细胞色素C的释放,最终引起细胞凋亡。缺失Bax的细胞对UV诱导的细胞凋亡有抗性,因此研究Bax的特性有助于深入了解UV诱导的细胞凋亡信号转导通路的分子机制。以前的研究大都采用生化的手段,无法在活细胞上实时动态的观察Bax蛋白的变化过程。运用激光共聚焦扫描显微成像技术单细胞实时检测了UV诱导的细胞凋亡过程中Bax的动态变化过程。研究结果表明:UV诱导的细胞凋亡过程中Bax的转位大约起始于UV照射后5 h-6 h,整个转位过程持续20 min-30 min。     

高糖通过线粒体途径诱导成骨细胞凋亡

线粒体途径是细胞凋亡的重要途径之一. 在特定的刺激下,例如高糖条件,可以通过caspase依赖性和非依赖性两种途径诱导多种细胞凋亡.但线粒体凋亡途径在高糖引起成骨细胞凋亡中所起的作用,目前尚不清楚.本研究证明,高糖可以通过线粒体凋亡途径诱导成骨细胞凋亡.Annexin V-FITC/PI流式细胞学检测显示,高糖可诱导MC3T3-E1细胞凋亡.Western印迹检测发现,不同浓度D-葡萄糖（11,22,33 mmol/L）可以引起线粒体中Bax蛋白表达的增加,使Bax蛋白由细胞质中易位到线粒体,激活了线粒体凋亡途径.JC-1荧光探针检测证实,高糖处理成骨细胞后,线粒体膜电位明显降低,表明线粒体途径被激活.而细胞质中的细胞色素c、凋亡诱导因子（AIF）表达增加,细胞色素c和AIF从线粒体中释放到细胞质中,释放到细胞质中的细胞色素c使caspase-3、caspase-9剪切活化,从而激活了caspase依赖性凋亡途径.因此,线粒体凋亡途径可能是高糖诱导成骨细胞凋亡过程中一个重要的途径.     

单细胞实时监测Photofrin-PDT作用下Bax蛋白的动态分布

细胞凋亡是机体生命活动中重要的细胞学事件,在许多疾病的治疗中也起着关键性的作用。在多种凋亡因子刺激下,Bax的构象发生改变,寡聚化,插入线粒体外膜上。虽然关于Bax蛋白的研究已经取得了很大进展,但是Bax蛋白是如何转位到线粒体以及如何引起细胞色C释放等许多问题尚未十分清楚。为了进一步对Bax蛋白的生物学行为进行研究,特别是在无损伤、活细胞生理条件下,本实验采用了荧光蛋白标记和荧光成像技术对PDT作用凋亡过程中Bax蛋白在活细胞内分布的动态过程进行了初步研究。结果表明:在没有PDT作用时,Bax蛋白比较均匀地分布在整个细胞内,而PDT处理15分钟后,Bax蛋白开始不均匀分布在整个细胞,定位在线粒体上。该研究为今后使用荧光蛋白标记的方法在无损伤、活细胞生理条件下研究Bax蛋白定位机理以及如何诱导细胞色素C释放等问题打下了坚实的基础。     

钙信号在光动力疗法中的产生及作用

光动力疗法是基于光敏剂选择性地积聚在肿瘤组织中,肿瘤接受光照后凋亡或坏死的一种细胞毒性治疗方法.光敏剂的亚细胞定位决定了细胞光敏损伤的初始位置,线粒体、内质网、细胞膜、溶酶体,细胞骨架等均可成为光敏损伤的靶点.细胞内Ca2 作为一个广泛意义上的信号分子,参与了多种信号转导途径,在光动力疗法诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡过程中起了重要作用.从光动力疗法造成的亚细胞损伤出发,探讨了光动力疗法中钙信号的产生机制,并简要介绍了钙信号在光动力疗法诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡中的作用机制.     

促凋亡蛋白Bid诱导肝细胞凋亡的机制

为研究促凋亡蛋白Bid对肝细胞凋亡过程中的调节机制 ,在体内和体外分别用TNF α或抗Fas抗体诱导小鼠肝细胞凋亡 .免疫荧光染色观察Bax转位和构象变化 ;采用ELISA检测caspase 3和 8的活性 ;Western印迹测定Bid和Bax的裂解活化及Bax的转位和插入 .结果显示 :TNF α或抗Fas抗体通过激活Bid导致Bax转位和构象变化 ,使Bax得以插入线粒体膜诱导肝细胞凋亡 .阻断Bid的作用 ,则Bax的转位和插入明显被削弱 ,肝细胞的凋亡受到抑制 .提示由死亡受体诱导的肝细胞调亡可能受Bid调节 ,Bax转位和插入依赖于Bid .     

利用单分子荧光成像技术研究十字孢碱诱导细胞凋亡过程中糖原合成酶激酶-3β促进Bax转位

糖原合成酶激酶-3β (glycogen synthase kinase-3β,GSK-3β)除了在抑制糖原合成中的重要作用外,越来越多的研究表明它是细胞凋亡过程中的一个关键信号调节蛋白.然而,在细胞凋亡过程中它调节的主要下游促凋亡蛋白依然不明确,尤其是Bcl-2家族的促凋亡蛋白(Bax是其中最重要的蛋白之一).通过对GSK-3β和Bax两种蛋白进行荧光标记,在单分子水平上研究了十字孢碱(staurosperine,STS)诱导人肺腺癌细胞(ASTC-α-1)凋亡过程中,GSK-3β活化与Bax转位之间的关系.实验结果表明STS诱导ASTC-α-1凋亡过程中,共转染pCFP-Bax和 pYFP-GSK-3β的细胞发生凋亡的时间明显早于单转染 pYFP-Bax的细胞,并且Bax发牛转位的时间也明显提前.这些结果显示在STS这种凋亡因素刺激下,GSK-3β可以通过促进Bax转位从而加速细胞凋亡.这是单分子荧光成像技术研究活细胞内分子事件的又一个重要应用.     

利用荧光共振能量转移技术在活细胞内研究顺铂诱导的凋亡信号通路

为在活细胞内探讨顺铂诱导的凋亡通路．实验样品经顺铂处理后,应用基于荧光共振能量转移(FRET)原理设计的荧光探针pFRET-Bid和pSCAT-3来检测Bid切割和Capase-3活化的动态变化,同时,利用荧光成像在亚细胞水平对Bid转位线粒体的动力学特征进行了实时分析．结果表明：在顺铂诱导的细胞凋亡过程中,Bid切割发生在药物刺激后4～5 h, 历时(120±20) min．Bid切割活化后即从胞浆内转位到线粒体,历时(90±15) min．在凋亡后期,可以明显检测到Caspase-3 的激活．研究表明,应用FRET及荧光成像技术,可以在活细胞内实时、直观、可视地研究顺铂诱导的细胞凋亡过程,从而客观地反映了Bid、Caspase-3等蛋白质分子在该凋亡信号通路中的动态行为及时空传递特性．     

Ku70乙酰化介导TSA诱导的结肠癌细胞凋亡

目的:探讨组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂(HDI)trichostatin A(TSA)对Ku70的乙酰化及其在TSA诱导结肠癌细胞凋亡中的作用。方法:以TSA处理结肠癌细胞HCT116和HT29细胞,采用免疫沉淀结合Western blot检测TSA对Ku70乙酰化的作用,流式细胞术检测TSA诱导的细胞凋亡,Western blot检测凋亡相关蛋白Bax和细胞色素c(cytochrom c)的转位和表达。结果:TSA可引起结肠癌HCT116和HT29细胞Ku70乙酰化,并与凋亡密切相关,与对照组相比,HCT116凋亡率(P=0.007)和HT29细胞凋亡率(P=0.005)均显著增高,免疫共沉淀检测到TSA处理细胞后,Bax和Ku70之间的相互作用减弱,表明TSA引起的乙酰化促进Bax从Bax-Ku70复合物中释放,Western blot结果显示TSA促进Bax由胞浆向线粒体转位,同时促进cytochrom c由线粒体向胞浆转位。结论:Ku70乙酰化作用介导了TSA诱导的结肠癌细胞凋亡。     

Bcl-2家族蛋白调控线粒体膜通透性和细胞色素C释放的新机制

Bcl-2家族蛋白在调控线粒体功能和细胞色素C释放中起重要作用。最近发现Bcl-2分子通过与其他促凋亡分子相互作用调控线粒体外膜通透性,其具体分子机制尚不完全清楚。本课题组采用化学生物学方法,在研究Bax/Bak非依赖的细胞凋亡途径中,发现了一些小分子化合物能够诱导Bim表达量急剧升高,Bim能转位到线粒体上,与Bcl-2相互作用增强,并直接促进Bcl-2构象变化。有意义的是,Bim可以诱导Bcl-2功能发生转换并能够形成大的复合体通道来介导细胞色素C释放。研究结果提示Bcl-2分子可变成促凋亡分子,参与Bax/Bak非依赖的细胞色素C释放和细胞凋亡。     

利用荧光探针DsRed-Mit的细胞凋亡形态学研究

D sR ed-M it是一种特异性定位于线粒体的荧光分子探针。本文重点探讨了D sR ed-M it探针在观察细胞凋亡形态学、以及凋亡过程中动态分子调控过程研究中的应用。实验结果表明,在细胞凋亡过程中应用该探针标记线粒体,能够直观地监测线粒体肿胀的形态变化,以及细胞凋亡的重要蛋白--Bax蛋白转位线粒体和细胞色素C释放的动态过程。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).