Evaluation of applicability of tryptic peptide maps for "finger printing" mitochondrial membrane protein preparations

A background pattern of intense, polar and basic peptides is generated in a mixture of proteins which limits the applicability of “fingerprinting” by peptide maps as a method of establishing homologies among membrane proteins. In addition, it is observed that in such mixtures of proteins the peptide pattern in the “neutral” portion of the map is characterized by a few, weak, tailing peptides which appear on a smeared background of ninhydrin positive material. It is concluded that several types of control maps must be prepared along with maps of membrane fractions if real homologies are to be identified. Application of such control maps to analysis of a sample of mitochondrial membrane protein and a sample of quasicrystalline protein indicated that both of these preparations are disperse mixtures of proteins.     

First record of the eastern Asiatic gobionid fish Pseudorasbora parva from the Asiatic part of Turkey

Pseudorasbora parva is recorded for the first time from southern Anatolia, the Asiatic part of Turkey. Its presence at three locations in the main course of the Aksu River is probably due to involuntary introduction with common carp.     

Spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of chloro-N-methylprotoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester iron(II), a species related to the intermediate in the formation of N-alkylprotoporphyrins from the cytochrome P-450 prosthetic group

N-alkylporphyrins are formed when certain agents such as 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-2,4,6-trimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine or ethylene interact with cytochrome P-450 in rats. It is likely that the iron protoporphyrin complex in cytochrome P-450 is first alkylated and then demetallated to form the free base N-alkylprotoporphyrins that are observed. An iron complex of N-methylprotoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester, chloro-N-methylprotoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester iron(II), shows the following properties: a double Soret band (λ_max = 435 nm, with a shoulder at 390 nm) relatively facile reduction (E_{$\text{1}\text{2}$} for Fe(III)/Fe(II) of 0.385 V vs Ag/AgCl in acetonitrile) and facile demetallation by acid or good nucleophiles such as thiophenol. A knowledge of such properties should be useful in determining the mechanism of formation of N-alkylprotoporphyrins in vivo.     

A critical review of the role of M2PYK in the Warburg effect

It is becoming generally accepted in recent literature that the Warburg effect in cancer depends on inhibition of M₂PYK, the pyruvate kinase isozyme most commonly expressed in tumors. We remain skeptical. There continues to be a general lack of solid experimental evidence for the underlying idea that a bottle neck in aerobic glycolysis at the level of M₂PYK results in an expanded pool of glycolytic intermediates (which are thought to serve as building blocks necessary for proliferation and growth of cancer cells). If a bottle neck at M₂PYK exists, then the remarkable increase in lactate production by cancer cells is a paradox, particularly since a high percentage of the carbons of lactate originate from glucose. The finding that pyruvate kinase activity is invariantly increased rather than decreased in cancer undermines the logic of the M₂PYK bottle neck, but is consistent with high lactate production. The “inactive” state of M₂PYK in cancer is often described as a dimer (with reduced substrate affinity) that has dissociated from an active tetramer of M₂PYK. Although M₂PYK clearly dissociates easier than other isozymes of pyruvate kinase, it is not clear that dissociation of the tetramer occurs in vivo when ligands are present that promote tetramer formation. Furthermore, it is also not clear whether the dissociated dimer retains any activity at all. A number of non-canonical functions for M₂PYK have been proposed, all of which can be challenged by the finding that not all cancer cell types are dependent on M₂PYK expression. Additional in-depth studies of the Warburg effect and specifically of the possible regulatory role of M₂PYK in the Warburg effect are needed.     

山水资源型城市景观生态风险评价及生态安全格局构建——以张家界市为例

区域生态安全是现代城市健康发展的重要内容，科学认识与评价区域生态风险与构建生态安全格局，有利于综合提升区域生态安全水平。以张家界市2019年高分二号遥感解译数据为基础，使用GIS空间分析与Fragstats软件构建景观生态风险指数，对景观生态风险空间分布特征进行分析；利用最小累积阻力模型(MCR),以9个自然保护地为生态源地，以景观生态风险指数、植被覆盖度、高程、坡度、与道路距离、与水域距离构建阻力面，识别生态廊道与生态节点，构建生态安全格局并提出生态安全保护策略。结果表明：(1)研究区景观生态风险空间差异明显，生态风险呈现“中部、四周低，高值区总体沿澧水水系呈条带状延伸”的空间分布规律；(2)低、较低、中、较高、高生态风险分别占比21.59%、41.79%、22.57%、12.08%、1.98%,其中较低生态风险占比最高，高生态风险占比最低，各区县高生态风险压力排序为：永定区>慈利县>桑植县>武陵源区；(3)研究共识别出生态廊道24条，生态节点47个，生态廊道累积长达872.35km,生态廊道与生态节点分别呈现“三横四纵”、“中多西少，南多北少”的空间分布特征；(4...     

The small members of the JMJD protein family: Enzymatic jewels or jinxes?

Jumonji C domain-containing (JMJD) proteins are mostly epigenetic regulators that demethylate histones. However, a hitherto neglected subfamily of JMJD proteins, evolutionarily distant and characterized by their relatively small molecular weight, exerts different functions by hydroxylating proteins and RNA. Recently, unsuspected proteolytic and tyrosine kinase activities were also ascribed to some of these small JMJD proteins, further increasing their enzymatic versatility. Here, we discuss the ten human small JMJD proteins (HIF1AN, HSPBAP1, JMJD4, JMJD5, JMJD6, JMJD7, JMJD8, RIOX1, RIOX2, TYW5) and their diverse physiological functions. In particular, we focus on the roles of these small JMJD proteins in cancer and other maladies and how they are modulated in diseased cells by an altered metabolic milieu, including hypoxia, reactive oxygen species and oncometabolites. Because small JMJD proteins are enzymes, they are amenable to inhibition by small molecules and may represent novel targets in the therapy of cancer and other diseases.     

Characterization of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) insulin

Insulin has been isolated from islet tissue of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) by gel filtration and HPLC and the complete amino acid sequence has been determined. The sequence differs from bovine insulin at 14 sites but all interchanges are conservative from the viewpoint of preservation of conformation. A comparison of insulin sequences from other fish is presented. Salmon insulin cross-reacts very weakly with antiserum to bovine insulin and vice versa. A completely homologous radioimmunoassay has been developed and used to estimate the insulin in salmon islet tissue and in plasma. The hypoglycemic effect of salmon insulin in salmon was more pronounced and persisted longer than that caused by identical doses of bovine insulin.     

Aspirin and exercise-induced asthma

In four subjects with exercise-induced asthma, aspirin and placebo were administered prior to exercise in a double blind study. Pulmonary function tests did not reveal any difference between the response after aspirin or placebo. We conclude that in these four subjects aspirin did not prevent the bronchoconstrictor response. This might suggest that prostaglandins have no significant role in exercise-induced asthma.     

广州市民对蝙蝠和鸟类的认识及食用状况分析

2005年4月，采取随机抽样方式对广州市民进行了蝙蝠和鸟类认识情况和食用状况的问卷调查。用SPSS11．0软件对收回的280份调查问卷的数据进行方差分析和等级变量相关分析，结果显示食用蝙蝠状况与地点、年龄、学历和分数（问卷成绩）的线性相关关系较弱；食用鸟类状况与年龄和学历存在较弱的正线性相关关系，与地点和分数存在较弱的负线性相关关系；而食用蝙蝠状况与食用鸟类状况存在正线性相关关系。本文还对教育在增强公民对野生动物的认识和保护意识中的作用、食用野生动物的危害和保护野生动物的措施等进行了讨论。