Plateau potentials evoked by climbing-fibre stimulation are restricted to the Purkinje cell dendrites of the cat

The present study investigated the duration of afterdepolarizations in Purkinje cell somata following climbing-fibre activation. Intracellular recordings revealed that, in cells with membrane potentials more negative than -50 mV and with normal spike-generating capabilities, climbing-fibre activation resulted in somatic responses with short afterdepolarizations. As the cell deteriorated and the resting membrane potential became more positive, the duration and form of the climbing-fibre response resembled the plateau potentials recorded from proximal dendrites. The absence of plateau potentials in undamaged Purkinje cell somata was confirmed by extracellular recording of test spike amplitudes following evoked climbing-fibre responses.     

SH2A 基因对细胞信号转导的影响及其亚细胞定位

目的 研究Src同源域2(src homology 2，SH2)A基因在细胞信号转导中的作用并进行亚细胞定位。方法 通过RT—PCR方法扩增SH2A cDNA编码序列，构建真核重组表达载体pcDNA3．1-SH2A，利用脂质体转染肝癌Bel7402细胞、COS7细胞，检测蛋白酶C(protein kinaseC，PKC)、酪氨酸蛋白激酶(tyrosine protein kinase，TPK)、丝裂原激活蛋白激酶(mitogen activated protein kinase，MAPK)活性的改变；另构建pEGEP—SH2A，转染同前，荧光显微镜观察荧光定位。结果 测序结果显示真核重组表达载体pcDNA3．1-SH2A及pEGFP—SH2A中均含有SH2AcDNA编码序列；肝癌Bel7402细胞、COS7细胞转染pcDNA3．1-SH2A后，胞浆PKC的活性下降了40％左右，MAPK和TPK活性未见明显改变。荧光显微镜观察发现SH2A基因在细胞质中表达。结论 SH2A基因编码蛋白在PKC信号转导通路中起抑制作用；SH2A基因编码蛋白定位于细胞质。     

Functional insights on the polarized redistribution of leukocyte integrins and their ligands during leukocyte migration and immune interactions

Summary:  Cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions are of critical importance in immunobiology. Leukocytes make extensive use of a specialized repertoire of receptors to mediate such processes. Among these receptors, integrins are known to be of crucial importance. This review deals with the central role of integrins and their counterreceptors during the establishment of leukocyte–endothelium contacts, interstitial migration, and final encounter with antigen-presenting cells to develop an appropriate immune response. Particularly, we have addressed the molecular events occurring during these sequential processes, leading to the dynamic subcellular redistribution of adhesion receptors and the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, which is reflected in changes in cytoarchitecture, including leukocyte polarization, endothelial docking structure formation, or immune synapse organization. The roles of signaling and structural actin cytoskeleton-associated proteins and organized membrane microdomains in the regulation of receptor adhesiveness are also discussed.     

生长抑制因子1基因核定位序列-绿荧光蛋白融合表达载体的构建及表达

目的构建p33^ING1b核定位序列（nuclear locating sequence，NLS）-绿荧光蛋白融合表达载体，将其转染到人胚肺纤维母细胞系MRC-5，建立稳定表达该融合蛋白的细胞模型。方法应用逆转录PCR获得p33^ING1b的NLS序列，然后将NLS序列插入绿荧光蛋白融合表达载体pEGFP-C1的多克隆位点，构建pEGFP-C1-NLS-绿荧光蛋白融合表达载体，再用此载体转染MRC-5细胞系，观察活细胞绿荧光蛋白的亚细胞定位。结果成功构建了pEGFP-C1-NLS-绿荧光蛋白融合表达载体，由该载体表达的绿荧光蛋白-NLS肽段融合蛋白产生的绿色荧光信号全部定位于胞核部位，而空载体转染的细胞表达的绿色荧光蛋白，绿色荧光信号定位于细胞浆中。结论在活细胞内，生理情况下p33^ING1b完全定位于细胞核，并且在其亚细胞定位的转运过程中，NLS肽段起着决定性作用。     

基于转录组信息的甘松MADS-box转录因子家族分析

目的 基于转录组数据筛选鉴定分析甘松Nardostachys jatamansi MADS-box转录因子家族。方法 利用生物信息学的方法全面分析甘松MADS-box基因家族成员的蛋白理化性质、亚细胞定位、基因结构、导肽、信号肽及跨膜结构域、系统进化树。结果 在甘松转录组数据中共鉴定出20个MADS-box转录因子,含有90～365个氨基酸,相对分子质量在10 179.96～41 707.68,理论等电点范围为4.87～10.43,主要在细胞核表达,均含有MADS保守结构域,均不含信号肽、导肽以及跨膜结构域。系统发育分析表明甘松MADS蛋白主要属于TypeII型。结论 利用生物信息学分析手段,鉴定了甘松MADS-box家族转录因子,为甘松深入研究甘松MADS-box蛋白的生物学功能提供参考,为甘松的药用成分合成调控机制提供研究基础,为培育优质甘松新品种提供依据。     

Evidence that protein constituents of postsynaptic membrane specializations are locally synthesized: time course of appearance of recently synthesized proteins in synaptic junctions.

Previous studies have led to the hypothesis that some protein constituents of postsynaptic membrane specializations are locally synthesized near postsynaptic sites. The present study focuses on one prediction of this hypothesis, specifically, that if some proteins of the postsynaptic membrane specialization are locally synthesized, then the delay between synthesis and assembly into synaptic junctional membrane could be short. We evaluate the time course of appearance of recently synthesized protein in synaptic junctions by pulse-labeling hippocampal slices maintained in vitro with radiolabeled protein precursors, and then isolating subcellular fractions enriched in synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) and synaptic junctional complexes (SJC). We report that there is no evidence of a delay in the appearance of recently synthesized proteins in SPM and SJC fractions. Labeled proteins could be detected as early as 15 min after the initiation of the pulse-labeling period, and the extent of labeling increased monotonically thereafter. The labeling could not be accounted for by contamination of synaptic membrane fractions with other membranes, because the relative specific activity of the SPM and SJC fractions was the same or higher than that of the less pure fractions from which these synaptic fractions were derived. One-dimensional PAGE-fluorography was used to provide an initial characterization of which proteins were labeled in SJC fractions. We found that the most prominent labeled bands were at apparent molecular weights of approximately 43-44, 55-56, and 60 kd, with more lightly labeled bands at about 38 and 116 kd. In some preparations, there was a labeled doublet at about 36-38 kd. There were also other lightly labeled bands at other molecular weights. These bands were much less heavily labeled than the bands at 43-44, 55-56, and 60 kd, however. There was little labeling in the molecular weight range of the "major psd protein" (the alpha subunit of CAM-kinase), although there was diffuse labeling throughout the 45-52 kd region. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that some of the protein constituents of the postsynaptic junctional complex are synthesized by polyribosomes which are selectively localized beneath synaptic junctions.     

A rice chloroplast transit peptide sequence does not alter the cytoplasmic localization of sheep serotonin N‐acetyltransferase expressed in transgenic rice plants

Ectopic overexpression of melatonin biosynthetic genes of animal origin has been used to generate melatonin‐rich transgenic plants to examine the functional roles of melatonin in plants. However, the subcellular localization of these proteins expressed in the transgenic plants remains unknown. We studied the localization of sheep (Ovis aries) serotonin N‐acetyltransferase (OaSNAT) and a translational fusion of a rice SNAT transit peptide to OaSNAT (TS:OaSNAT) in plants. Laser confocal microscopy analysis revealed that both OaSNAT and TS:OaSNAT proteins were localized to the cytoplasm even with the addition of the transit sequence to OaSNAT. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing the TS:OaSNAT fusion transgene exhibited high SNAT enzyme activity relative to untransformed wild‐type plants, but lower activity than transgenic rice plants expressing the wild‐type OaSNAT gene. Melatonin levels in both types of transgenic rice plant corresponded well with SNAT enzyme activity levels. The TS:OaSNAT transgenic lines exhibited increased seminal root growth relative to wild‐type plants, but less than in the OaSNAT transgenic lines, confirming that melatonin promotes root growth. Seed‐specific OaSNAT expression under the control of a rice prolamin promoter did not confer high levels of melatonin production in transgenic rice seeds compared with seeds from transgenic plants expressing OaSNAT under the control of the constitutive maize ubiquitin promoter.     

Hypocrellin B in hepatocellular carcinoma cells: Subcellular localization and sonodynamic damage

Abstract

Purpose: To study subcellular localization of hypocrellin B in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and hypocrellin B-mediated sonodynamic action-induced cell damage.

Materials and methods: After incubation with 2.5 μM of hypocrellin B, human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells were exposed to ultrasound waves for 8 sec at an intensity of 0.46 W/cm². Clonogenic survival of HepG2 cells was measured using a colony forming assay and light microscope. Ultrastructural morphology was observed using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was assessed using confocal laser scanning microcope (CLSM) after rhodamine 123 staining. Additionally, subcellular localization of hypocrellin B in HepG2 cells with organelle probe staining was also observed using CLSM.

Results: The colony forming units of HepG2 cells decreased substantially after sonodynamic treatment. The results of TEM showed microvilli disappearance, apoptotic body formation, swollen mitochondria with loss of cristae and mitochondrial myelin-like features (or membrane whorls). Collapse of MMP was found in the treated cells. Hypocrellin B was distributed in mitochondria and lysosomes as well as in endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus.

Conclusions: The findings demonstrated that sonodynamic action of hypocrellin B induced mitochondrial damage, survival inhibition, and apoptosis of HepG2 cells. Additionally, other subcellular organelles such as endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and lysosomes were also the targets of hypocrellin B-mediated sonodynamic action as well as mitochondria.     

肿瘤抑制因子PTEN亚细胞定位与缺血-缺氧性脑损伤

第10号染色体缺失的磷酸酶和张力蛋白同源等位基因(PTEN)具有脂质和蛋白双重磷酸酶活性。脑组织缺血-缺氧后PTEN发生活化并向线粒体或胞核内转移,而这种在神经元内的不同亚细胞定位可能最终决定细胞命运。因此,阐明PTEN在脑缺血-缺氧后的亚细胞定位机制,将为各种急慢性神经退行性变疾病的靶向治疗和药物研发提供新思路。