The effect of pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) skin gelatin polypeptides on UV radiation-induced skin photoaging in ICR mice

Gelatin was extracted from Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) skin and hydrolysed sequentially with pepsin and alkaline protease. The hydrolysates were fractionated into two ranges of molecular weight (PEP1: 2000 Da < Mr < 6000 Da; PEP2: Mr < 2000 Da) using ultrafiltration membranes. In this present study, we investigate the protective effects of both polypeptides against ultraviolet radiation-induced skin photoaging by the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and the contents of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydroxyproline (HYP) in photoaging skin tissue. The arrangement of collagen fibres in skin tissue was examined by Van Gienson stain. UV radiation-induced decrease in the antioxidase activity and depletion of reduced glutathione (20.4%) in the skin of hairless mice in a model group. Compared with the model, both polypeptides can enhance the activities of SOD, GSH-Px, CAT and the contents of GSH and HYP, and reduce the content of MDA, which minimised the skin photo damage. Moreover, the results of histology study confirmed that both polypeptides could protect collagen fibres in skin.     

Development of a Lyophilized Parenteral Pharmaceutical Formulation of the Investigational Polypeptide Marine Anticancer Agent Kahalalide F

Kahalalide F is a novel antitumor agent isolated from the marine mollusk Elysia rufescens; it has shown highly selective in vitro activity against androgen-independent prostate tumors. The purpose of this study was to develop a stable parenteral formulation of kahalalide F to be used in early clinical trials. Solubility and stability of kahalalide F were studied as a function of polysorbate 80 (0.1%–0.5% w/v) and citric acid monohydrate (5–15 mM) concentrations using an experimental design approach. Stabilities of kahalalide F lyophilized products containing crystalline (mannitol) or amorphous (sucrose) bulking agents were studied at +5°C and +30°C ±60% relative humidity (RH) in the dark. Lyophilized products were characterized by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Recovery studies after reconstitution of kahalalide F lyophilized product and further dilution in infusion fluid were carried out to select an optimal reconstitution vehicle. It was found that a combination of polysorbate 80 and citric acid monohydrate is necessary to solubilize kahalalide F. Lyophilized products were considerably less stable with increasing polysorbate 80 and citric acid monohydrate concentrations, with polysorbate 80 being the major effector. A combination of 0.1% w/v polysorbate 80 and 5 mM citric acid monohydrate was selected for further investigation. Lyophilized products containing sucrose as a bulking agent were more stable compared to the products containing mannitol. The glass transition temperature of the sucrose-based product was determined to be + 46°C. The amorphous state of the product was confirmed by IR analysis. A solution composed of Cremophor EL, ethanol, and water for injection (5%/5%/90% v/v/v CEW) kept kahalalide F in solution after reconstitution and further dilution with 0.9% w/v sodium chloride (normal saline) to 1.5 μg/m. A stable lyophilized formulation was presented containing 100 μg of kahalalide F, 100 mg sucrose, 2.1 mg citric acid monohydrate, and 2 mg polysorbate 80 to be reconstituted with a vehicle composed of 5%/5%/90% v/v/v CEW and to be diluted further using normal saline.     

Polymeric micelles formed by polypeptide graft copolymer and its mixtures with polypeptide block copolymer

Polymeric micelles based on poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate)-poly(ethylene glycol) graft copolymer (PBLG-g-PEG) with various degrees of grafting and the mixtures composed of PBLG-g-PEG and poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate)-poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer (PBLG-b-PEG) were prepared by the dialysis method in deionized water. Fluorescence spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM) have been used to study the self-assembly behavior. The experimental results revealed that the degree of grafting exerts marked effect on the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the morphology of the micelle formed by PBLG-g-PEG. With increasing the degree of grafting, the CMC value becomes larger and the morphology of formed micelle changes from irregular shape to spindle. It was also found that mixtures of PBLG-g-PEG/PBLG-b-PEG can associate into hybrid polymeric micelle with various shapes.     

生物进化中的多肽生长因子探讨

长期以来，人们认为多肽生长因子只能来自人体与哺乳动物的特异组织或除体。本文研究发现一类低等微体生物（藻类）的蛋白质中，存在一种能强烈刺激鼠Ｈ４肝癌细胞生长的组分。其分子量＞３５００道尔顿，可能是一种多肽生长因子。本文进而探讨了多肽生长因子在生物进化系统中的可能分布。     

高效液相色谱在多肽分离分析中的应用

多肽的高生物活性和低毒副作用使其成为近来国内外生命科学研究的热点,因此多肽的分离与分析也愈发的关键。高效液相色谱(HPLC)以其极高的分离效率和良好的选择性已经成为实验室和工业分离分析生物大分子最常用和有效的方法。本文主要介绍了HPLC以及一些新型色谱在多肽分析分离中的应用。     

戊型肝炎病毒ORF2N-端和C-端多肽的抗原性分析

目的分析戊型肝炎病毒(HEV)ORF2N-端和C-端多肽的抗原性。方法以纯化的4型HEVORF2N-端1～124aa多肽pS4-1和4型HEVORF2C-端385～674aa多肽pS4-6分别包被微孔板,采用间接酶联免疫法(EIA)检测感染HEV的猴系列血清中的抗HEVIgG抗体,分析两种多肽的抗原性,并与进口试剂的检测结果进行比较。结果在感染HEV的猴系列血清中,针对HEVORF2N-端抗原的抗体产生时间早,持续时间短,其峰值与转氨酶(ALT)的峰值几乎重叠;针对HEVORF2C-端抗原的抗体在HEV感染早期产生的滴度较低,但逐渐升高,在14周的观察期内,抗体滴度几乎无下降趋势。用两种多肽检测HEVIgG抗体的灵敏度均高于进口试剂。结论两种多肽均具有较好的抗原性,但在HEV感染的不同时期,其反应性不同。     

Sheddable micelles based on disulfide-linked hybrid PEG-polypeptide copolymer for intracellular drug delivery

A novel reduction-sensitive sheddable micelle based on disulfide-linked hybrid PEG-polypeptide mPEG-SS-Pleu was demonstrated for intracellular drug delivery. These micelles are composed of an mPEG shell and polypeptide core, characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, fluorescence techniques, TEM, and DLS. Interestingly, they would undergo a fast sheddable process when encounter the reduction sensitive condition, indicated by the aggregation phenomena in the presence of DTT, a reduction agent, which could cleave the disulfide bond between the micellar core and shell and consequently leading to the aggregation of hydrophobic core. Cytotoxicity study revealed that copolymers in this system have good biocompatibility and their self-assembled micelles showed a high drug loading efficiency for DOX, a hydrophobic drug model, and released DOX quantitatively in response to the intracellular level of reducing potential. Cellular uptake experiments demonstrated that the fluorescently labeled micelles could be successfully internalized into human liver carcinoma HepG2 cells, evidenced by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Above results indicate that the copolymers may have great potential in drug delivery to achieve improved cancer therapy.     

Surface structure of stimuli-responsive polystyrene particles prepared by dispersion polymerization with a polystyrene/poly(l-lysine) block copolymer as a stabilizer

A block copolymer composed of polystyrene and poly(α-l-lysine hydrobromide) (PLL) segments was used as a stabilizer for dispersion polymerization of styrene in water–methanol medium to give narrowly-distributed polystyrene particles in the size range from 0.36 to 1.09 μm, on which the PLL segment was grafted with a surface density of 0.2–3.4 l-lysine residue/nm². We investigated effects of polymerization time, stabilizer concentration, segmental composition of the block copolymer, and composition of the medium on surface structure and particle size of the affording particles. Interestingly, we obtained an experimental evidence that the surface density of the PLL clearly depends on structural parameters of the stabilizer and various polymerization conditions. Based on the dependence, it was possible to control the surface density of the narrowly-distributed particles within the range between the minimum and the maximum density limits of the graft chain by changing the structure of the stabilizer and polymerization conditions. Conformation of the PLL, which underwent a helix–coil transformation with an increase in water composition of the medium, had a strong effect on the surface structure, the size, and property of the resulting particles. Further modification of the particle surface was possible by utilizing the amino groups in the PLL graft.     

Modification of polypeptide materials by Thiol-X chemistry

Thiol-X chemistry has proven to be a valuable toolbox for modification of peptides, proteins, monomers, and polymers. Recently, this has become especially true for the modification of polypeptides (monomers or polymers), which has resulted in a plethora of novel polymers and materials. With this in mind, this highlight focuses on the recent literature concerning the modification of polypeptides by the use of thiol-X chemistry, in particular to synthetic polypeptides either at the monomer or polymer stage modified by thiol-ene, -Michael addition, and -yne chemistries.