产紫杉醇内生真菌TMS-26的分离和鉴定

为丰富产紫杉醇植物内生真菌资源库,从曼地亚红豆杉Taxus media茎中分离得到一株产紫杉醇的内生真菌TMS-26。通过对TMS-26的发酵提取物进行高效液相色谱分析,发现其具有与紫杉醇标准品(4.545 min)相近的色谱特征峰。进一步通过液质联用仪检测发现,内生真菌TMS-26的发酵提取物中具有与紫杉醇标准品((M+Na)+=876)相近的质谱特征峰,表明内生真菌TMS-26能够产生紫杉醇。同时通过传统形态学分类鉴定方法和18S r DNA序列分析、Internal-transcribed spacer(ITS)序列分析等现代分子生物学分类鉴定方法,最终将内生真菌TMS-26鉴定为曲霉属烟曲霉Aspergillus fumigatus,并命名为\"烟曲霉TMS-26\"。     

前体及诱导子和发酵条件对烟曲霉TMS-26产紫杉醇发酵体系优化

紫杉醇是一种广谱的抗癌药物,因其具有独特的抗癌机制、良好的抗癌效果和供不应求的市场等特征而备受关注。紫杉醇具有重大经济效益,但产量受到制约,价格极为昂贵,通过内生真菌发酵法生产紫杉醇能在一定程度上缓解其来源困难的问题。在产紫杉醇内生真菌TMS-26发酵液中添加前体物质和诱导子,并通过对接种量、装液量、初始pH和发酵时间等条件进行优化研究。单因素及正交试验表明在PDB培养基中加入苯丙氨酸20mg/L、苯甲酸钠30mg/L、乙酸钠8g/L、甘氨酸15mg/L、CuSO₄ 0.05mg/L、H₂O₂ 6mmol/L、3,5-二硝基水杨酸15mg/L时能有效提高紫杉醇产量,比优化前增产46.64%,达到446.28µg/L,并且发现最适菌株TMS-26的发酵条件为pH7.5、接种量5%、装液量120mL/250mL、发酵时间为10d。     

毛报春(Primula × pubescens)腋芽再生组织培养体系的建立

以毛报春(Primula × pubescens)无菌腋芽为外植体, 分析不同浓度激素配比对愈伤组织诱导和分化以及不定芽增殖和生根的影响, 筛选出不同阶段的最适培养基, 优化毛报春的组织培养再生体系。结果表明, 毛报春腋芽愈伤组织诱导及分化的最适培养基为MS+0.2 mg∙L^-1 NAA+1.0 mg∙L^-1 6-BA, 诱导率达84%, 出芽率达67%; 不定芽增殖最适培养基为MS+0.5 mg∙L^-1 NAA+0.2 mg∙L^-1 6-BA, 增殖率可达67%, 苗绿且健壮; MS+0.2 mg∙L^-1 NAA培养基最有利于组培苗的生根及伸长, 平均单株生根数为9条, 生根率高达70%。该研究建立了毛报春的组织培养再生体系, 可为报春属其它植物的遗传研究及种质创新提供参考。     

GL-7-ACA酰化酶发酵培养基的均匀优化设计

采用国产原料,应用均匀设计优选试验方法,对GL-7-ACA酰化酶生产用的发酵培养基配方进行了优化,取得了良好的效果,最终摇瓶效价达3919．03U／L。     

Transducer of Cdc42-dependent actin assembly promotes epidermal growth factor-induced cell motility and invasiveness

Toca-1 (transducer of Cdc42-dependent actin assembly) interacts with the Cdc42·N-WASP and Abi1·Rac·WAVE F-actin branching pathways that function in lamellipodia formation and cell motility. However, the potential role of Toca-1 in these processes has not been reported. Here, we show that epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces Toca-1 localization to lamellipodia, where it co-localizes with F-actin and Arp2/3 complex in A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells. EGF also induces tyrosine phosphorylation of Toca-1 and interactions with N-WASP and Abi1. Stable knockdown of Toca-1 expression by RNA interference has no effect on cell growth, EGF receptor expression, or internalization. However, Toca-1 knockdown cells display defects in EGF-induced filopodia and lamellipodial protrusions compared with control cells. Further analyses reveal a role for Toca-1 in localization of Arp2/3 and Abi1 to lamellipodia. Toca-1 knockdown cells also display a significant defect in EGF-induced motility and invasiveness. Taken together, these results implicate Toca-1 in coordinating actin assembly within filopodia and lamellipodia to promote EGF-induced cell migration and invasion.     

A QSAR study on some series of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) agents

A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study has been made on some series of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) agents, namely, a series of novel bis(L-amino acid) ester prodrugs of 9-[2--(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine, a similar series of compounds comprising of 2- amino-6-arylthio-9-[2-(phosphonoethoxy)ethyl] purine bis(2,2,2- trifluoroethyl) esters, and a series of 1-isopropylsulfonyl-2-amine benzimidazoles. In each case significant correlations are found between the anti-HBV potencies and some physicochemical and steric properties of the compounds, indicating that for the first two series the activity is controlled by the hydrophobic and the bulk properties of the molecules and, for the third series, the steric and hydrogen bonding properties of compounds are crucial for their anti-HBV potency.     

Personality-dependent dispersal: characterization, ontogeny and consequences for spatially structured populations

Dispersal is one of the most fundamental components of ecology, and affects processes as diverse as population growth, metapopulation dynamics, gene flow and adaptation. Although the act of moving from one habitat to another entails major costs to the disperser, empirical and theoretical studies suggest that these costs can be reduced by having morphological, physiological or behavioural specializations for dispersal. A few recent studies on different systems showed that individuals exhibit personality-dependent dispersal, meaning that dispersal tendency is associated with boldness, sociability or aggressiveness. Indeed, in several species, dispersers not only develop behavioural differences at the onset of dispersal, but display these behavioural characteristics through their life cycle. While personality-dependent dispersal has been demonstrated in only a few species, we believe that it is a widespread phenomenon with important ecological consequences. Here, we review the evidence for behavioural differences between dispersers and residents, to what extent they constitute personalities. We also examine how a link between personality traits and dispersal behaviours can be produced and how personality-dependent dispersal affects the dynamics of metapopulations and biological invasions. Finally, we suggest future research directions for population biologists, behavioural ecologists and conservation biologists such as how the direction and the strength of the relationship between personality traits and dispersal vary with ecological contexts.     

ExSer: A standalone tool to mine protein data bank (PDB) for secondary structural elements

Detailed structural analysis of protein necessitates investigation at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, respectively. Insight into protein secondary structures pave way for understanding the type of secondary structural elements involved (α-helices, β-strands etc.), the amino acid sequence that encode the secondary structural elements, number of residues, length and, percentage composition of the respective elements in the protein. Here we present a standalone tool entitled "ExSer" which facilitate an automated extraction of the amino acid sequence that encode for the secondary structural regions of a protein from the protein data bank (PDB) file. AVAILABILITY: ExSer is freely downloadable from http://code.google.com/p/tool-exser/     

Interaction of CTX-M-15 enzyme with cefotaxime: a molecular modelling and docking study

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are the bacterial enzymes that make them resistant to advanced-generation cephalosporins. CTXM enzymes (the most prevalent ESBL-type) target cefotaxime. Aims of the study were: Modelling of CTX-M enzyme from bla(CTX-M) sequences of clinical Escherichia coli isolatesDocking of cefotaxime with modelled CTX-M enzymes to identify amino acid residues crucial to their interaction To hypothesize a possible relationship between 'interaction energy of the docked enzyme-antibiotic complex' and 'minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the antibiotic against the bacteria producing that enzyme'. Seven E. coli strains of clinical origin which were confirmed as PCR-positive for bla(CTX-M) were selected for the study. C600 cells harboring cloned bla(CTX-M) were tested for ESBL-production by double-disk-synergy test. BLAST analysis confirmed all the bla(CTX-M) genes as blaCTX-M-15. Four of the 7 strains were found to be clonally related. Modelling was performed using Swiss Model Server. Discovery Studio 2.0 (Accelrys) was used to prepare Ramachandran plots for the modelled structures. Ramachandran Z-scores for modelled CTX-M enzymes from E. coli strains D8, D183, D253, D281, D282, D295 and D296 were found to be -0.449, 0.096, 0.027, 0.043, 0.032, -1.249 and -1.107, respectively. Docking was performed using Hex 5.1 and the results were further confirmed by Autodock 4.0. The amino acid residues Asn 104, Asn132, Gly 227, Thr 235, Gly 236, and Ser237 were found to be responsible for positioning cefotaxime into the active site of the CTX-M-15 enzyme. It was found that cefotaxime MICs for the CTX-M-15-producers increased with the increasing negative interaction energy of the enzyme-antibiotic complex.     

Analysis of aggregate size as a process variable affecting paclitaxel accumulation in Taxus suspension cultures

Plant cell aggregates have long been implicated in affecting cellular metabolism in suspension culture, yet the rigorous characterization of aggregate size as a process variable and its effect on bioprocess performance has not been demonstrated. Aggregate fractionation and analysis of biomass-associated product is commonly used to assess the effect of aggregation, but we establish that this method is flawed under certain conditions and does not necessarily agree with comprehensive studies of total culture performance. Leveraging recent advances to routinely measure aggregate size distributions, we developed a simple method to manipulate aggregate size and evaluate its effect on the culture as a whole, and found that Taxus suspension cultures with smaller aggregates produced significantly more paclitaxel than cultures with larger aggregates in two cell lines over a range of aggregate sizes, and where biomass accumulation was equivalent before elicitation with methyl jasmonate. Taxus cuspidata (T. cuspidata) P93AF cultures with mean aggregate sizes of 690 and 1,100 μm produced 22 and 11 mg/L paclitaxel, respectively, a twofold increase for smaller aggregates, and T. cuspidata P991 cultures with mean aggregate sizes of 400 and 840 μm produced 6 and 0.3 mg/L paclitaxel, respectively, an increase of 20-fold for smaller aggregates. These results demonstrate the importance of validating experiments aimed at a specific phenomenon with total process studies, and provide a basis for treating aggregate size as a targeted process variable for rational control strategies.     

P2X ion channel receptors and inflammation

Neuroinflammation limits tissue damage in response to pathogens or injury and promotes repair. There are two stages of inflammation, initiation and resolution. P2X receptors are gaining attention in relation to immunology and inflammation. The P2X7 receptor in particular appears to be an essential immunomodulatory receptor, although P2X1 and P2X4 receptors also appear to be involved. ATP released from damaged or infected cells causes inflammation by release of inflammatory cytokines via P2X7 receptors and acts as a danger signal by occupying upregulated P2X receptors on immune cells to increase immune responses. The purinergic involvement in inflammation is being explored for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.     

培养条件对一株木霉产纤维素酶过程影响的研究

采用固态发酵和连续监测正交实验结果的方法,研究了培养温度、初始pH值、液料比和接种量对一株木霉(Trichodermasp.)发酵过程中微晶纤维素酶活、CMC酶活和滤纸酶活的影响及影响程度。指出液料比在整个发酵过程中是对产酶影响最大的因素,温度在发酵初期影响较大,初始pH和接种量的影响均不显著。总体看来,培养温度、初始pH值、液料比和接种量分别为30℃、4、7和5%是比较合适的。