Guanidine‐Based Polymer Brushes Grafted onto Silica Nanoparticles as Efficient Artificial Phosphodiesterases

Polymer brushes grafted to the surface of silica nanoparticles were fabricated by atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and investigated as catalysts in the cleavage of phosphodiesters. The surfaces of silica nanoparticles were functionalized with an ATRP initiator. Surface‐initiated ATRP reactions, in varying proportions, of a methacrylate moiety functionalized with a phenylguanidine moiety and an inert hydrophilic methacrylate species afforded hybrid nanoparticles that were characterized with potentiometric titrations, thermogravimetric analysis, and SEM. The activity of the hybrid nanoparticles was tested in the transesterification of the RNA model compound 2‐hydroxypropyl para‐nitrophenylphosphate (HPNP) and diribonucleoside monophosphates. A high catalytic efficiency and a remarkable effective molarity, thus overcoming the effective molarities previously observed for comparable systems, indicate the existence of an effective cooperation of the guanidine/guanidinium units and a high level of preorganization in the nanostructure. The investigated system also exhibits a marked and unprecedented selectivity for the diribonucleoside sequence CpA. The results presented open up the way for a novel and straightforward strategy for the preparation of supramolecular catalysts.     

猪传染性胃肠炎病毒聚合酶基因反义RNA对病毒的抑制作用

通过PCR扩增出猪传染性胃肠炎病毒(TGEV)聚合酶部分片段,反向插入逆转录病毒表达载体pLXSN中,用脂质体法将重组质粒plxas-pol转染PA317细胞,经抗生素G418筛选出稳定的产毒细胞克隆,分别扩大培养后,取其上清液感染小鼠成纤维细胞NIH3T3,细胞克隆产生的重组病毒效价达9.0×105CFU/mL。用高效价假病毒感染IBRS2细胞,再经抗生素G418筛选,提取细胞克隆总RNA,经RT-PCR证明plxas-pol整合入IBRS2细胞。以TGEV感染IBRS2细胞和具有抗性的IBRS2细胞所产生的细胞病变为指标,证明该反义RNA对病毒有明显抑制作用,抑制率约为80%。用2×103和4×102TCID50/mL剂量的TGEV感染时,引起细胞死亡的时间分别为21 h和27 h,与对照组相比,抗性细胞系可明显延迟因病毒感染引起细胞死亡的时间。     

一种新颖的测定和分析羟自由基氧化损伤RNA及其分子机理的化学发光体系

近年来，羟自由基（^.OH)对DNA氧化损伤已受到广泛关注，但是很少研究^.OH对RNA的氧化损伤。其实，RNA与DNA一样，也是核酸的两大组分之一，也有许多重要功能。所以^.OH攻击RNA也会引起重后果，会造成细胞功能衰退甚至细胞死亡等。为此，我们建立了Vit.C-CuSO4-Phen-H2O2-PNA这一产生和测定^.OH氧化损伤RNA的化学发光体系，以便加强^.OH氧化损伤RNA的研究。通过对本体系测定条件的研究，得出了本体系最佳组方是：Vit.C,CuSO4,Phen,H2O2和RNA，浓度分别为350μmol/L,55μmol/L,350μmol/L,0.2mol/L和20μg/mL,体系pH为5．5，体系终体积为1mL。随后，利用本体系检测了槲皮素，咖啡酸，黄芩甙和芦丁抗^.OH氧化损伤RNA的作用，发现这四种抗氧化剂均能有效抑制^.OH氧化损伤RNA的分子机理，结果发现，^.OH清除剂硫脲几乎抑制全部发光，推测是因硫脲清除了引发剂^.OH所致；O^-.2清除剂SOD只能抑制小部分发光；^1O2清除剂叠氮化钠和苯甲酸都能抑制绝大部分发光。这些事实提示，^.OH是RNA氧化损伤的引发剂；O^-.2只是导致RNA氧化损伤的次要因素，^1O2才是导致RNA氧化损伤的最主要因素。     

Transesterification of an RNA model in buffer solutions in H2O and D2O

Transesterification of a phosphodiester bond of RNA models has been studied in various buffer solutions, under neutral and slightly alkaline conditions in H₂O and D₂O. The results show that imidazole is the only buffer system where a clear buffer catalysis on the cleavage of a phosphodiester bond is observed. The rate enhancement in sulphonic acid buffers is smaller, and a sulphonate base, particularly, is inactive as a catalyst. The rate‐enhancing effect of imidazole is, however, catalytic, and the catalytic inactivity of sulphonate buffers can be attributed to their structure and/or charge. The catalysis by imidazole is a complex system which, in addition to first‐order reactions, involves a process that shows a second‐order dependence in imidazole concentration. The latter reaction becomes significant in acidic imidazole buffers (pH < pK_a), as the buffer concentration increases. The kinetic solvent deuterium isotope effect k_H/k_D, referring to first‐order catalysis by imidazole base, is 2.3 ± 0.3. That referring to second‐order catalysis is most probably much larger, but an accurate value could not be obtained. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reversible 5′-end biotinylation and affinity purification of synthetic RNA

A reversible biotinylation phosphoramidite was synthesized and incorporated onto the 5′-end of an oligoribonucleotide on a solid phase synthesizer. After cleavage and deprotection, the crude synthetic oligomer mixture was incubated with NeutrAvidin^® coated microspheres, and the failure sequences removed by washing with a buffer followed by treating the microspheres with tetrabutylammonium fluoride to give a high quality unmodified full-length oligoribonucleotide.     

Detection of processed genetically modified food using CIM monolithic columns for DNA isolation

The availability of sufficient quantities of DNA of adequate quality is crucial in polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods for genetically modified food detection. In this work, the suitability of anion-exchange CIM (Convective Interaction Media; BIA Separations, Ljubljana, Slovenia) monolithic columns for isolation of DNA from food was studied. Maize and its derivates corn meal and thermally pretreated corn meal were chosen as model food. Two commercially available CIM disk columns were tested: DEAE (diethylaminoethyl) and QA (quaternary amine). Preliminary separations were performed with standard solution of salmon DNA at different pH values and different NaCl concentrations in mobile phase. DEAE groups and pH 8 were chosen for further isolations of DNA from a complex matrix-food extract. The quality and quantity of isolated DNA were tested on agarose gel electrophoresis, with UV-scanning spectrophotometry, and by amplification with real-time PCR. DNA isolated in this way was of suitable quality for further PCR analyses. The described method is also applicable for DNA isolation from processed foods with decreased DNA content. Furthermore, it is more effective and less time-consuming in comparison with the existing proposed methods for isolation of DNA from plant-derived foods.