Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies on Huwentoxin-Ⅺ from the Chinese Bird Spider Ornithoctonus huwena:~(15)N Labeling and Sequence-specific ~1H,~(15)N Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Assignments

Huwentoxin-XI purified from the Chinese bird spider Ornithoctonus huwena is a toxin withboth antiprotease activity and potassium channel blocking activity.To determine its solution structure,huwentoxin-Ⅺ was expressed in a yeast eukaryotic expression system and studied by NMR.The ~(15)N labelingstrategy was used to facilitate the process of resonance assignments.The nearly complete sequence-specificassignments of proton and nitrogen resonances were obtained by analyzing a series of two-dimensional(2D)and three-dimensional(3D)spectra,including DQF-COSY,TOCSY,NOESY,~(15)N-~1H HSQC,~(15)N-~1H HNHA,~(15)N-~1H HNHB,~(15)N-~1H TOCSY-HSQC and ~(15)N-~1H NOESY-HSQC spectra.Secondary structure analysis ofhuwentoxin-Ⅺ showed that it mainly contains an N-terminal 3_(10)-helix from Thr3 to Arg5 and a C-terminalα-helix from Gln45 to Cys52,plus a triple-stranded antiparallel β-sheet of Glul 8-Asn23,Thr26-Ile31 andAsn40-Lys41.These studies provide a solid basis for the final structure determination of huwentoxin-Ⅺ.     

Sequence-specific assignment of 1H-NMR resonance and determination of the secondary structure of Jingzhaotoxin-I

Jingzhaotoxin-I （JZTX-I） purified from the venom of the spider Chilobrachys jingzhao is a novel neurotoxin preferentially inhibiting cardiac sodium channel inactivation by binding to receptor site 3.The structure of this toxin in aqueous solution was investigated using 2-D ^1H-NMR techniques. The complete sequence-specific assignments of proton resonance in the ^1H-NMR spectra of JZTX-I were obtained by analyzing a series of 2-D spectra, including DQF-COSY, TOCSY and NOESY spectra, in n20 and D20. All the backbone protons except for Gin4 and more than 95% of the side-chain protons were identified by dαN,dαδ, dβN and dNN connectivities in the NOESY spectrum. These studies provide a basis for the furtherdeter mination of the solution conformation of JZTX-I. Furthermore, the secondary structure of JZTX-I was identified from NMR data. It consists mainly of a short triple-stranded antiparallel β-sheet with Trp7-Cys9, Phe20-Lys23 and Leu28-Trp31. The characteristics of the secondary structure of JZTX-I are similar to those of huwentoxin-I （HWTX-I） and hainantoxin-IV （HNTX-IV）, whose structures in solution havepre viously been reported.     

Expression, purification and crystal structure of a truncated acylpeptide hydrolase from Aeropyrum pernix K1

Acylpeptide hydrolase （APH） catalyzes the N-terminal hydrolysis of N^α-acylpeptides to release N^α-acylated amino acids. The crystal structure of recombinant APH from the thermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 （apAPH） was reported recently to be at a resolution of 2.1 A using X-ray diffraction. A truncated mutant of apAPH that lacks the first short α-helix at the N-terminal, apAPH-△（1-21）, was cloned, expressed, characterized and crystallized. Data from biochemical experiments indicate that the optimum temperature of apAPH is decreased by 15℃ with the deletion of the N-terminal α-helix. However, the enzyme activity at the optimal temperature does not change. It suggests that this N-terminal α-helix is essential for thermostability. Here, the crystal structure of apAPH-△（1-21） has been determined by molecular replacement to 2.5 A. A comparison between the two structures suggests a difference in thermostability, and it can be concluded that by adding or deleting a linking structure （located over different domains）, the stability or even the activity of an enzyme can be modified.     

Fingerprinting Analysis of Rhizoma Chuanxiong of Commercial Types using ^1 H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and High Performance Liquid Chromatography Method

The ^1 H nuclear magnetic resonance （^1 H NMR） fingerprints of fractionated non-polar extracts （control substance for a plant drug （CSPD） A） from Rhizoma chuanxiong, the rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., of seven specimens from different sources were measured on Fourier Transform （FT）-NMR spectrometer and assigned by comparing them with the ^1 H NMR spectra of the isolated pure compounds. The ^1 H NMR fingerprints showed exclusively characteristic resonance signals of the major special constituents of the plant. Although the differences in the relative intensity of the ^1H NMR signals due to a discrepancy in the ratio of the major constituents among these samples could be confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography analysis, the general features of the ^1H NMR fingerprint established for an authentic sample of the rhizomes of L. chuanxiong e. hibited exclusive data from those special compounds and can be used for authenticating L. Chuanxiong species.     

Chlorophyll Fluorescence Detected Passively by Difference Reflectance Spectra of Wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） Leaf

The chlorophyll fluorescence （CF） signature emitted from vegetation provides an abundance of information regarding photosynthetics activity and has been used as a powerful tool to obtain physiological information of plant leaves in a non-invasive manner. CF is difficult to quantify because the CF signal is obscured by reflected light. In the present study, the apparent reflectance spectra of wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） leaves were measured under illuminations with and without filtering by three specially designed long-wave pass edge filters; the cut-off wavelengths of the three filters were 653.8, 678.2, and 694. l nm at 50% of maximum transmittance. The CF spectra could be derived as the reflectance difference spectra of the leaves under illuminations with and without the long wave pass edge filters. The ratio of the reflectance difference at 685 and 740 nm （Dif685/Dif740） was linear correlated with the CF parameters （maximal photochemical efficiency Fv/Fm, and the yield of quantum efficiency） measured by the modulated fluorometer. In addition, the ratio reflected the water stress status of the wheat leaf, which was very high when water deficiency was serious. This method provides a new approach for detecting CF and the physiological state of crops.     

High-level expression of functional tumor suppressor LKB1 in Escherichia coli

The human LKB 1 tumor suppressor has been implicated as an important regulator of many cellular processes and signaling pathways, indicating that it could be a good candidate for anticancer drugs. The failure of its obtain high-level expression has been a major obstacle to study its protein structure and function in vitro. Here, we describe the high-level expression of human LKB 1 in Escherichia coli and show its kinase activity and anticancer effects on a tumor cell line. The gene encoding LKB 1 was optimized by replacing rare codons with codons frequently used in E. coli and synthesized with overlapping primers. The recombinant His-LKB 1 was expressed in hosts BL21（DE3） （BL） and Rosetta-gami（DE3）pLysS （RG）. His- LKB 1 from BL was present mainly as inclusion body. The soluble His-LKB 1 from RG accounted for 34. 1% of total proteins and the yield of purified His-LKB 1 was approximately 92 μg/ml. Purified His-LKB 1 protein from both hosts was functionally active, as shown by reversible autophosphorylation and kinase activity in the absence of any other associated kinase. The growth inhibitory ratio of the purified BL-derived and RG-derived His-LKB 1 on hepatic carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells was 24.97% and 45.68%, respectively, and both could produce significant cell-cycle arrest.     

Proton NMR investigation of heme and surrounding proton in low-spin cyanide-ligated bacterial hemoglobin fromVitreoscilla

1H NMR spectra of low-spin cyanide-ligated bacterial hemoglobin from Vitreoscilla (VtHb-CN) are reported. The assignments of the 1H NMR spectra of VtHb-CN have been made through MCOSY, NOESY, 1D TOE and SUPERWEFT experiments. Almost all resonance peaks of heme and ligated His85 are identified. The spin-lattice relaxation time T1's and the variation relationships of chemical shifts of these peaks with temperature have been acquired, from which the distances between the measured protons and Fe3 , and the diamagnetic chemical shifts have been acquired, respectively. The ionization constants of pKa's of ligated His85 are determined through pH titration of chemical shift, which is 4.95 for ligated His85 C2H proton. The lower pKa is attributed to the influence of the Fe3 of carrying positive charge and the coordination of His85 and Fe3 of heme.     

Effects of Salt Stress on Carbohydrate Metabolism in Desert Soil Alga Microcoleus vaginatus Gom.

The effects of salt stress on carbohydrate metabolism in Microcoleus vaginatus Gom., a cyanobacterium isolated from desert algal crusts, were investigated in the present study. Extracellular total carbohydrates and exopolysaccharides （EPS） in the culture medium produced by M. vaginatus increased significantly during the growth phase and reached a maximum during the stationary phase. The production of extracellular carbohydrates also significantly increased under higher salt concentrations, which was attributed to an increase in low molecular weight carbohydrates. In the presence of NaCI, the production of cellular total carbohydrates decreased and photosynthetic activity was impaired, whereas cellular reducing sugars, water-soluble sugars and sucrose content and sucrose phosphate synthase activity increased, reaching a maximum in the presence of 200 mmol/L NaCI. These parameters were restored to original levels when the algae were transferred to a non-saline medium. Sodium and K＋ concentrations of stressed cells decreased significantly and H＋-ATPase activity increased after the addition of exogenous sucrose or EPS. The results suggest that EPS and sucrose are synthesized to maintain the cellular osmOtic equilibrium between the intra-and extracellular environment, thus protecting algal cells from osmotic damage, which was attributed to the selective exclusion of cellular Na＋ and K＋ by H＋-ATPase.     

Identification of Lignin and Polysaccharide Modifications in Populus Wood by Chemometric Analysis of 2D NMR Spectra from Dissolved Cell Walls

2D ^13C-^1H HSQC NMR spectroscopy of acetylated cell walls in solution gives a detailed fingerprint that can be used to assess the chemical composition of the complete wall without extensive degradation. We demonstrate how multivariate analysis of such spectra can be used to visualize cell wall changes between sample types as high-resolution 2D NMR loading spectra. Changes in composition and structure for both lignin and polysaccharides can subsequently be interpreted on a molecular level. The multivariate approach alleviates problems associated with peak picking of overlapping peaks, and it allows the deduction of the relative importance of each peak for sample discrimination. As a first proof of concept, we compare Populus tension wood to normal wood. All well established differences in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin compositions between these wood types were readily detected, confirming the reliability of the multivariate approach, In a second example, wood from transgenic Populus modified in their degree of pectin methylesterification was compared to that of wild-type trees. We show that differences in both lignin and polysaccharide composition that are difficult to detect with traditional spectral analysis and that could not be a priori predicted were revealed by the multivariate approach. 2D NMR of dissolved cell wall samples combined with multivariate analysis constitutes a novel approach in cell wall analysis and provides a new tool that will benefit cell wall research.     

Species and Organ Diversity in the Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Superoxide Dismutase Activity In Vitro

Superoxlde dlsmutase （SOD） is ubiquitous in aerobic organisms and constitutes the first link In the enzyme scavenging system of reactive oxygen species. In the present study, species and organ diversity of SOD activity In a solution and In an in-gel assay system, as well as the effects of hydrogen peroxide （H202） on SOD activity, were Investigated. In a solution assay system, SOD activity of jackfruIt root, shoot, leaves, axes, and cotyledons, of maize embryos and endosperms, of mung bean leaves and seeds, of sacred lotus axes and cotyledons, and of rice and wheat leaves was Increased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. However, SOD activity In rice root and seeds, maize roots and leaves, mung bean roots and shoots, and wheat seeds was decreased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. The SOD activity of wheat root and soybean roots, leaves, axes, and cotyledons was Increased by 1-4 mmol/L H2O2, but was decreased by concentrations of H2O2 〉4 mmol/L. The SOD activity of soybean shoots was not affected by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. The SOD activity In crude mltochondrla of jackfruIt, maize, and upas seeds, as well as In purified mitochondria of jackfruIt, was also Increased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. In the In-gel assay system, the SOD In jackfruIt cotyledons was comprised of Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, and Fe-SOD, the crude mltochondria of jackfruit seeds and maizes embryo was comprised of Mn-SOD and Cu/ Zn-SOD, and the crude mltochondria of maize seeds was comprised of Mn-SOD only. In the present study, H2O2 markedly Inhibited Cu/Zn-SOD and Fe-SOD activity.     

Partial site-specific assignment of a uniformly (13)C, (15)N enriched membrane protein, light-harvesting complex 1 (LH1), by solid state NMR

Partial site-specific assignments are reported for the solid state NMR spectra of light-harvesting complex 1, a 160 kDa integral membrane protein. The assignments were derived from 600 MHz (15)N-(13)CO-(13)Calpha and (15)N-(13)Calpha-(13)CX correlation spectra, using uniformly (13)C, (15)N enriched hydrated material, in an intact and precipitated form. Sequential assignments were verified using characteristic (15)N-(13)Calpha-(13)Cbeta side chain chemical shifts observed in 3D experiments. Tertiary contacts found in 2D DARR spectra of the selectively (13)C enriched sample provided further confirmatory evidence for the assignments. The assignments include the region of the Histidine ligands binding the Bacteriochlorophyll chromophore. The chemical shifts of Calpha and Cbeta resonances indicated the presence of typical alpha-helical secondary structure, consistent with previous studies.     

Complete sequential 1H and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance assignments and solution secondary structure of the blue copper protein azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Complete sequential 1H and 15N resonance assignments for the reduced Cu(I) form of the blue copper protein azurin (M(r) 14,000, 128 residues) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been obtained at pH 5.5 and 40 degrees C by using homo- and heteronuclear two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic experiments. Combined analysis of a 3D homonuclear 1H Hartmann-Hahn nuclear Overhauser (3D 1H HOHAHA-NOESY) spectrum and a 3D heteronuclear 1H nuclear Overhauser 1H[15N] single-quantum coherence (3D 1H[15N] NOESY-HSQC) spectrum proved especially useful. The latter spectrum was recorded without irradiation of the water signal and provided for differential main chain amide (NH) exchange rates. NMR data were used to determine the secondary structure of azurin in solution. Comparison with the secondary structure of azurin obtained from X-ray analysis shows a virtually complete resemblance; the two beta-sheets and a 3(10)-alpha-3(10) helix are preserved at 40 degrees C, and most loops contain well-defined turns. Special findings are the unexpectedly slow exchange of the Asn-47 and Phe-114 NH's and the observation of His-46 and His-117 N epsilon 2H resonances. The implications of these observations for the assignment of azurin resonance Raman spectra, the rigidity of the blue copper site, and the electron transfer mechanism of azurin are discussed.     

Assignment of the backbone 1H and 15N NMR resonances of bacteriophage T4 lysozyme

The proton and nitrogen (15NH-H alpha-H beta) resonances of bacteriophage T4 lysozyme were assigned by 15N-aided 1H NMR. The assignments were directed from the backbone amide 1H-15N nuclei, with the heteronuclear single-multiple-quantum coherence (HSMQC) spectrum of uniformly 15N enriched protein serving as the master template for this work. The main-chain amide 1H-15N resonances and H alpha resonances were resolved and classified into 18 amino acid types by using HMQC and 15N-edited COSY measurements, respectively, of T4 lysozymes selectively enriched with one or more of alpha-15N-labeled Ala, Arg, Asn, Asp, Gly, Gln, Glu, Ile, Leu, Lys, Met, Phe, Ser, Thr, Trp, Tyr, or Val. The heteronuclear spectra were complemented by proton DQF-COSY and TOCSY spectra of unlabeled protein in H2O and D2O buffers, from which the H beta resonances of many residues were identified. The NOE cross peaks to almost every amide proton were resolved in 15N-edited NOESY spectra of the selectively 15N enriched protein samples. Residue specific assignments were determined by using NOE connectivities between protons in the 15NH-H alpha-H beta spin systems of known amino acid type. Additional assignments of the aromatic proton resonances were obtained from 1H NMR spectra of unlabeled and selectively deuterated protein samples. The secondary structure of T4 lysozyme indicated from a qualitative analysis of the NOESY data is consistent with the crystallographic model of the protein.     

1H and 15N NMR study of human lysozyme.

The 15N signal assignment of human lysozyme was carried out by using 1H-1H and 1H-15N two dimensional experiments. To solve the severe overlap problem of the NH signals, uniform labeling of the protein with 15N was introduced. The uniformly 15N labeled protein was prepared using a high-expression system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. From the analyses of 1H and 15N NMR spectra, all of the backbone 15N signals of the molecule were assigned to each specific residue in the amino acid sequence. Recently published proton signal assignments [Redfield & Dobson (1990) Biochemistry, 29, 7201-7214] were confirmed by these complementary data. In addition, assignments were extended to side chain 15NH2 groups of asparagine and glutamine. Elements of secondary structure were deduced from the pattern of sequential and medium-range NOE connectivities. Two beta-sheets and four alpha-helices could be identified in the protein, which were in good agreement with those determined by X-ray crystallography. The interaction between human lysozyme and its inhibitor N-acetyl-chitotriose was investigated by 15N-1H HMQC spectra. Most of the 15N-NH cross-peaks in the spectra were separated well enough to be followed during the titration experiment. Residues whose NH proton signals decrease in intensity upon complex formation, are located mainly around subsites B, C, and D. Local conformational changes were observed around the fourth helix adjacent to the cleft of human lysozyme.     

1H and 15N resonance assignments and secondary structure of the carbon monoxide complex of sperm whale myoglobin

Summary Sequence-specific backbone ¹H and ¹⁵N resonance assignments have been made for 95% of the amino acids in sperm whale myoglobin, complexed with carbon monoxide (MbCO). Many assignments for side-chain resonances have also been obtained. Assignments were made by analysis of an extensive series of homonuclear 2D spectra, measured with unlabeled protein, and both 2D and 3D ¹H-¹⁵N-correlated spectra obtained from uniformly ¹⁵N-labeled myoglobin. Patterns of medium-range NOE connectivities indicate the presence of eight helices in positions that are very similar to those found in the crystal structures of sperm whale myoglobin. The resonance assignments of MbCO form the basis for determination of the solution structure and for hydrogen-exchange measurements to probe the stability and folding pathways of myoglobin. They will also form a basis for assignment of the spectra of single-site mutants with altered ligand-binding properties.     

15N nuclear magnetic resonance of flavins.

Ninety-nine percent 15N-enriched flavins were synthesized and their proton decoupled 15N resonances were observed. The enriched compounds were [1,3-15N]riboflavin, [1,3,5-15N]riboflavin, [1,3-15N]riboflavin 5'-phosphate, [1,3,5-15N]riboflavin 5'-phosphate, and [1,3,5-15N] flavin adenine dinucleotide, [1,3,5-15N] lumiflavin, and [1,3,5-15N] lumichrome. By comparison of their spectra and from th- nuclear Overhauser effect data each 15N resonance peak could be assigned to each 15N nucleus. The order of the chemical shifts well corresponds to that of the calculated pi-electron densities. The N-3 nucleus gives the most intense inverted peak and the N-5 nucleus a small noninverted peak. By changing pH from neutral to alkaline, the chemical shift and the intensity of signal were mostly affected in the N-3 resonance of riboflavin 5'-phosphate. The N-5 signal of flavin adenine dinucleotide showed a fairly large downfield shift with the increase of temperature. These observations can be well interpreted by the chemical structure and the proposed conformation of riboflavin 5'-phosphate and flavin adenine dinucleotide.     

1H and 15N resonance assignments of oxidized flavodoxin from Anacystis nidulans with 3D NMR

Proton and nitrogen-15 sequence-specific nuclear magnetic resonance assignments have been determined for recombinant oxidized flavodoxin from Anacystis nidulans (169 residues, Mr 19,048). Assignments were obtained by using 15N-1H heteronuclear three-dimensional (3D) NMR spectroscopy on a uniformly nitrogen-15 enriched sample of the protein, pH 6.6, at 30 degrees C. For 165 residues, the backbone and a large fraction of the side-chain proton resonances have been assigned. Medium- and long-range NOE's have been used to characterize the secondary structure. In solution, flavodoxin consists of a five-stranded parallel beta sheet involving residues 3-9, 31-37, 49-56, 81-89, 114-117, and 141-144. Medium-range NOE's indicate the presence of several helices. Several 15N and 1H resonances of the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) prosthetic group have been assigned. The FMN-binding site has been investigated by using polypeptide-FMN NOE's.     

Assignments of backbone 1H, 13C, and 15N resonances and secondary structure of ribonuclease H from Escherichia coli by heteronuclear three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy.

The assignments of individual magnetic resonances of backbone nuclei of a larger protein, ribonuclease H from Escherichia coli, which consists of 155 amino acid residues and has a molecular mass of 17.6 kDa are presented. To remove the problem of degenerate chemical shifts, which is inevitable in proteins of this size, three-dimensional NMR was applied. The strategy for the sequential assignment was, first, resonance peaks of amides were classified into 15 amino acid types by 1H-15N HMQC experiments with samples in which specific amino acids were labeled with 15N. Second, the amide 1H-15N peaks were connected along the amino acid sequence by tracing intraresidue and sequential NOE cross peaks. In order to obtain unambiguous NOE connectivities, four types of heteronuclear 3D NMR techniques, 1H-15N-1H 3D NOESY-HMQC, 1H-15N-1H 3D TOCSY-HMQC, 13C-1H-1H 3D HMQC-NOESY, and 13C-1H-1H 3D HMQC-TOCSY, were applied to proteins uniformly labeled either with 15N or with 13C. This method gave a systematic way to assign backbone nuclei (N, NH, C alpha H, and C alpha) of larger proteins. Results of the sequential assignments and identification of secondary structure elements that were revealed by NOE cross peaks among backbone protons are reported.     

Biosynthesis and characterization of [15N]actinomycin D and conformational analysis by nitrogen-15 nuclear magnetic resonance

We describe the production and characterization of actinomycin D labeled with 15N at all twelve nitrogen positions. Cultures of Streptomyces parvulus were incubated in the presence of racemic [15N]glutamic acid and, following an initial delay, labeled antibiotic was produced. Evidence is presented that the D enantiomorph of glutamic acid was ultimately used for actinomycin biosynthesis. The 15N NMR spectrum at 10.14 and 20.47 MHz of the labeled drug in CDCl3 is presented. All nitrogens except the phenoxazone chromophore nitrogen are inverted when spectra are obtained under broad-band proton irradiation conditions. All 15N resonances have been assigned, and the proton-nitrogen one-bond coupling constants were determined in CDCl3 to be 92.5 +/- 0.3 Hz for the valine and threonine amide protons by both 1H and 15N NMR. 15N NMR spectra were also obtained in dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol, and water in order to probe solvent interactions with the peptide nitrogens and carbonyl groups. Large downfield shifts (greater than 5 ppm) were seen for the Pro, sarcosine, and methylvaline resonances when the solvent was changed from dimethyl sulfoxide to water. Smaller downfield shifts were observed for the Val and Thr peaks. These results are discussed in terms of a model for the solution conformation of the actinomycin pentapeptide rings based on different hydrogen-bonding interactions in the monomer in organic solvents and the dimer which is formed in water.     

Complete resonance assignment for the polypeptide backbone of interleukin 1 beta using three-dimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy

The complete sequence-specific assignment of the 15N and 1H backbone resonances of the NMR spectrum of recombinant human interleukin 1 beta (153 residues, Mr = 17,400) has been obtained by using primarily 15N-1H heteronuclear three-dimensional (3D) NMR techniques in combination with 15N-1H heteronuclear and 1H homonuclear two-dimensional NMR. The fingerprint region of the spectrum was analyzed by using a combination of 3D heteronuclear 1H Hartmann-Hahn 15N-1H multiple quantum coherence (3D HOHAHA-HMQC) and 3D heteronuclear 1H nuclear Overhauser 15N-1H multiple quantum coherence (3D NOESY-HMQC) spectroscopies. We show that the problems of amide NH and C alpha H chemical shift degeneracy that are prevalent for proteins of this size are readily overcome by using the 3D heteronuclear NMR technique. A doubling of some peaks in the spectrum was found to be due to N-terminal heterogeneity of the 15N-labeled protein, corresponding to a mixture of wild-type and des-Ala-1-interleukin 1 beta. The complete list of 15N and 1H assignments is given for all the amide NH and C alpha H resonances of all non-proline residues, as well as the 1H assignments for some of the amino acid side chains. This first example of the sequence-specific assignment of a protein using heteronuclear 3D NMR provides a basis for further conformational and dynamic studies of interleukin 1 beta.