Proteomics integrated with Escherichia coli vector-based vaccines and antigen microarrays reveals the immunogenicity of a surface sialidase-like protein of Propionibacterium acnes

Proteomics is a powerful tool for the identification of proteins, which provides a basis for rational vaccine design. However, it is still a highly technical and time‐consuming task to examine a protein's immunogenicity utilizing traditional approaches. Here, we present a platform for effectively evaluating protein immunogenicity and antibody detection. A tetanus toxin C fragment (Tet‐c) was used as a representative antigen to establish this platform. A cell wall‐anchoring sialidase‐like protein (SLP) of Propionibacterium acnes was utilized to assess the efficacy of this platform. We constructed an Escherichia coli vector‐based vaccine by overexpressing Tet‐c or SLP in E. coli and utilized an intact particle of E. coli itself as a vaccine (E. coli Tet‐c or SLP vector). After ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, the E. coli vector‐based vaccines were administered intranasally into imprinting control region mice without adding exogenous adjuvants. For antibody detection, we fabricated antigen microarrays by printing with purified recombinant proteins including Tet‐c and SLP. Our results demonstrated that detectable antibodies were elicited in mice 6 weeks after intranasal administration of UV‐irradiated E. coli vector‐based vaccines. The antibody production of Tet‐c and SLP was significantly elevated after boosting. Notably, the platform with main benefits of using E. coli itself as a vaccine carrier provides a critical template for applied proteomics aimed at screening novel vaccine targets. In addition, the novel immunogenic SLP potentially serves as an antigen candidate for the development of vaccines targeting P. acnes‐associated diseases.     

Quantification of heart fatty acid binding protein as a biomarker for drug-induced cardiac and musculoskeletal necroses

Heart fatty acid binding protein (Fabp3) is a cytosolic protein expressed primarily in heart, and to a lesser extent in skeletal muscle, brain, and kidney. During myocardial injury, the Fabp3 level in serum is elevated rapidly, making it an ideal early marker for myocardial infarction. In this study, an MS‐based selected reaction monitoring method (LC‐SRM) was developed for quantifying Fabp3 in rat serum. Fabp3 was enriched first through an immobilized antibody, and the protein was digested on beads directly. A marker peptide of Fabp3 was quantified using LC‐SRM with a stable isotope‐labeled peptide standard. For six quality control samples with Fabp3 ranging from 0.256 to 25 ng, the average recovery following the procedure was about 73%, and the precision (%CV) between replicates was less than 7%. The Fabp3 concentrations in rat serum peaked 1 h after isoproterenol treatment, and returned to baseline levels 24 h after the dose. Elevated Fabp3 levels were also detected in rats administered with a PPAR α/δ agonist, which has shown to cause skeletal muscle necrosis. Fabp3 can be used as a biomarker for both cardiac and skeletal necroses. The cross‐validation of the LC‐SRM method with an existing ELISA method is described.     

The discovery of biomarkers for type 2 diabetic nephropathy by serum proteome analysis

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious kidney complication of diabetes, and constitutes the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The earliest clinical evidence of DN is microalbuminuria, a term which refers to the appearance of small but abnormal amounts of albumin in the urine. However, screening methods for DN, such as biomarker assays, are yet to be developed for type 2 DN. In the present study, in an attempt to identify the biomarkers for initial diagnoses of type 2 DN, the protein profiles of human sera collected from 30 microalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients were compared with those collected from 30 normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients, via 2-DE. As a result, a total of 18 spots were determined to have different protein levels in the microalbuminuric patients. Twelve spots had lower protein levels of approximately 50%, and the other six had higher levels of approximately 100-300% as compared to the spots of normoalbuminuric patients. These spots were identified with ESI-Q-TOF (ESI-quadrupole-TOF) MS. Among the identified proteins, vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) were verified by Western blotting. The results of this study indicate that the DBP may be employed as diagnostic and monitoring biomarkers of type 2 DN, contingent on further study into the matter.     

Texture analysis of poly-adenylated mRNA staining following global brain ischemia and reperfusion

Texture analysis provides a means to quantify complex changes in microscope images. We previously showed that cytoplasmic poly-adenylated mRNAs form mRNA granules in post-ischemic neurons and that these granules correlated with protein synthesis inhibition and hence cell death. Here we utilized the texture analysis software MaZda to quantify mRNA granules in photomicrographs of the pyramidal cell layer of rat hippocampal region CA3 around 1 h of reperfusion after 10 min of normothermic global cerebral ischemia. At 1 h reperfusion, we observed variations in the texture of mRNA granules amongst samples that were readily quantified by texture analysis. Individual sample variation was consistent with the interpretation that animal-to-animal variations in mRNA granules reflected the time-course of mRNA granule formation. We also used texture analysis to quantify the effect of cycloheximide, given either before or after brain ischemia, on mRNA granules. If administered before ischemia, cycloheximide inhibited mRNA granule formation, but if administered after ischemia did not prevent mRNA granulation, indicating mRNA granule formation is dependent on dissociation of polysomes. We conclude that texture analysis is an effective means for quantifying the complex morphological changes induced in neurons by brain ischemia and reperfusion.     

串联质谱谱库搜索鉴定技术综述

介绍蛋白质质谱鉴定领域的串联质谱谱库搜索技术,分析谱库搜索技术的基本原理,从多个角度阐述当前主流的谱库搜索方法,并对其优缺点进行比较,针对目前蛋白质质谱鉴定技术所存在的优缺点,设计其改进思路,论述目前谱库搜索技术所面临的问题以及未来的研究趋势。     

酵母蛋白网络的功能模块与关键蛋白研究

蛋白交互网络在各种细胞功能和生命过程中发挥着至关重要的作用。对它的结构特征进行分析吸引了众多科研人员的关注,功能模块与关键蛋白的识别是其中的重要研究主题。本文主要使用模拟退火算法分析了酵母蛋白交互网络的功能模块,同时结合使用多种中心化指标识别了其中的关键蛋白,并讨论了这些功能模块和关键蛋白的生物学意义。     

Packaging‐related properties of protein‐ and chitosan‐coated paper

The mechanical and gas‐barrier properties of paper and paperboard coated with chitosan–acetic acid salt (chitosan), whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate and wheat gluten protein were studied. Paper sheets were solution‐coated using a hand applicator. In addition, bi‐layer composites of wheat gluten and paper or paperboard were produced by compression moulding, and the chitosan solution was also applied on paperboard using curtain coating. Young's modulus, fracture stress, fracture strain, tearing strength, air permeance and oxygen permeability were assessed. The mechanical and air permeance measurements of solution‐coated paper showed that chitosan was the most effective coating on a coat weight basis. This was due to its high viscosity, which limited the degree of penetration into the paper. The proteins, however, also enhanced the strength and toughness of the paper. Compression‐moulded wheat gluten/paper or paperboard, as well as curtain‐coated chitosan paperboard laminates, showed oxygen barrier properties comparable to those of paper and paperboard coated with commercial barrier materials. None of the composites could be delaminated without fibre rupture, indicating good adhesion between the coatings and the substrates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于Z曲线的SARS冠状病毒特征的研究

刺突（Spike）蛋白是SARS（Severe Acute Respiratory Syndmme）冠状病毒表面最重要的膜蛋白，它通过与被感染细胞的受体结合来作为感染的媒介。受此启发，该文利用Z曲线方法，对S蛋白及SARS受体序列进行探究，捕捉到一种SARS病毒的可视化特征。大量序列比对的结果证明该特征是SARS病毒所特有的。将这种特征图谱应用到SARS病毒的检测中，可以提供一种非标准的、简单、直观的检验方法，能够诊断一些利用标准方法难以判断的SARS病例。由此可见，Z曲线作为一种基因序列的几何学研究途径是一种有效的研究方法。     

利用奇异值分解最小二乘法(SVDLS)解析蛋白质的现场光谱电化学圆二色(CD)谱

圆二色谱仪是研究蛋白质二级结构的有力工具，能在远紫外区测出蛋白质的二级结构的各种构象。通常的蛋白质二级结构有α-螺旋、β-折叠、反β-折叠、β-转角及无规则卷曲五种构象，实际观测到的CD谱是这几种二级结构构象CD谱的线性加和。本文利用了奇异值分解最小二乘算法(SVDLS)，并编译相关程序解析现场外加电压电解条件下的蛋白质溶液的CD谱，得到几种二级结构构象的组分分布。所得结果与文献报道上的其他方法如SELCON3等相比较，证明是一种快速和有效的方法。     

Orphan gene finding—an exon assembly approach

This paper introduces an algorithm for finding eukaryotic genes. It particularly addresses the problem of orphan genes, that is of genes that cannot, based on homology alone, be connected to any known gene family and to which it is therefore not possible to apply traditional gene finding methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is also the first algorithm that attempts to compare in an exact way two DNA sequences that contain both coding (i.e. exonic) and non-coding (i.e. intronic and, possibly, intergenic) parts. The comparison is performed following an algorithmical model of a gene that is as close as possible to the biological one (we consider in this paper the “one ORF, one gene” problem only). A gene is seen as a set of exons that are pieces of an assembly and are not independent. The algorithm is efficient enough: although the constants are higher than for usual sequence comparison, its time complexity is proportional to the product of the sequences lengths while its space complexity scales linearly with the length of the smallest sequence.