人Semaphorin 4D慢病毒载体的构建及鉴定

目的:构建并制备能够有效表达Semaphorin 4D的重组慢病毒。方法:从人急性T细胞白血病Jurkat细胞DNA 扩增人Semaphorin 4D基因,克隆至pWPI GW慢病毒载体上,与pVSVG及pSPAX质粒共转染人胚肾293T细胞,包装出重组慢病毒,将纯化后的重组病毒直接感染293T和HUVEC细胞,通过免疫印迹、免疫荧光染色和血管内皮细胞迁移分析等方法检测Semaphorin 4D的表达和诱导血管内皮细胞迁移的作用。结果: 重组慢病毒介导Semaphorin 4D在293T和HUVEC内获得表达,能介导血管内皮细胞迁移。结论:成功构建了表达Semaphorin 4D的重组慢病毒载体。     

大鼠脑缺血再灌注损伤后神经元和星形胶质细胞的动态变化及Cyclin D1表达的差异

目的研究大鼠局灶性脑缺血再灌注损伤后神经元和星形胶质细胞表达量的动态演变及各自cyclin D1的表达差异。方法建立大鼠大脑中动脉阻塞（MCAO）再灌注模型,随机分为再灌注后1d组,3d组,7d组,14d组和假手术组,应用流式细胞术检测各组再灌注后不同时间点神经元和星形胶质细胞数量变化及各自cyclin D1的表达。结果缺血侧梗死边缘区皮质星形胶质细胞的表达增加,而神经元的表达下降,与假手术组比较有明显差异（P〈0．05）;神经元和星形胶质细胞中各自cyclin D1的表达在再灌注7d、14d后表达上调,且星形胶质细胞中的cyclinD1增加更明显,与假手术组比较有统计学差异（P〈0．05）。结论大鼠脑缺血再灌注后,缺血侧梗死边缘区皮质星形胶质细胞和神经元的cyclinD1表达均有不同程度的上调,星形胶质细胞的cyclin D1表达上调比神经元的更为显著。     

Mandibular Shape, Ontogeny and Dental Development in Bonobos (Pan paniscus) and Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

The postnatal ontogenetic patterns and processes that underlie species differences in African ape adult mandibular morphology are not well understood and there is ongoing debate about whether African ape faces and mandibles develop via divergent or parallel trajectories of shape change. Using three-dimensional (3D) morphometric data, we first tested when in postnatal development differences in mandibular shape are initially evident between sister species Pan troglodytes and P. paniscus. Next, we tested whether each species has a distinct and non-parallel trajectory of mandibular development. Mandibles sampled across a broad developmental range of wildshot bonobos (n = 44) and chimpanzees (n = 59) were radiographed and aged from their dental development. We then collected 3D landmark surface data from all the mandibles. A geometric morphometric analysis of size-corrected 3D data found that bonobos and chimpanzees had parallel and linear ontogenetic trajectories of mandibular shape change. In contrast, mandibular shape was statistically different between P. paniscus and P. troglodytes as early as infancy, suggesting that species shape differences are already established near or before birth. A linear and stable trajectory of shape change suggests that mandibular ontogeny in these apes is unimpacted by non-linear variation in tooth developmental timing.     

Production and physicochemical characterization of acidocin D20079, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM 20079

Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM 20079 is the producer of a novel bacteriocin termed acidocin D20079. In this paper, a partial sequence of this peptide is determined, together with data on its secondary structure. A modification of the MRS-growth medium (replacing the detergent Tween 80 with oleic acid), was shown to improve the production level of the peptide by one order of magnitude, as well as to stabilize the activity level. Addition of a detergent (Tween 20, less interfering in mass spectrometric analysis), was however necessary for solubilization of the purified acidocin D20079. Digestion of the peptide followed by de-novo sequencing of generated fragments, allowed determination of a partial sequence consisting of 39 of the totally estimated 65 residues. Acidocin D20079 has a high content of glycine residues, hydrophobic residues, and acidic residues. No modified amino acids were found. Edman degradation, and C-terminal sequencing failed, suggesting that the peptide may be cyclic, and a novel member of class IIc bacteriocins. Circular dichroism spectroscopy and secondary structure prediction showed random coil conformation in aqueous solution, but secondary structure was induced in the presence of sodium-dodecyl sulfate. The data could be fitted assuming 2–13% of the residues to be in α-helix and 23–27% of the residues to be in β-strand conformation. This indicates that a membrane/membrane-mimicking hydrocarbon–water interface induces an active conformation.     

Insights into the function of PsbR protein in Arabidopsis thaliana

The functional state of the Photosystem (PS) II complex in Arabidopsis psbR T-DNA insertion mutant was studied. The ΔPsbR thylakoids showed about 34% less oxygen evolution than WT, which correlates with the amounts of PSII estimated from Y_D^ox radical EPR signal. The increased time constant of the slow phase of flash fluorescence (FF)-relaxation and upshift in the peak position of the main TL-bands, both in the presence and in the absence of DCMU, confirmed that the S₂Q_A⁻ and S₂Q_B⁻ charge recombinations were stabilized in ΔPsbR thylakoids. Furthermore, the higher amount of dark oxidized Cyt-b559 and the increased proportion of fluorescence, which did not decay during the 100s time span of the measurement thus indicating higher amount of Y_D⁺Q_A⁻ recombination, pointed to the donor side modifications in ΔPsbR. EPR measurements revealed that S₁-to-S₂-transition and S₂-state multiline signal were not affected by mutation. The fast phase of the FF-relaxation in the absence of DCMU was significantly slowed down with concomitant decrease in the relative amplitude of this phase, indicating a modification in Q_A to Q_B electron transfer in ΔPsbR thylakoids. It is concluded that the lack of the PsbR protein modifies both the donor and the acceptor side of the PSII complex.     

Tertiary structure and carbohydrate recognition by the chitin-binding domain of a hyperthermophilic chitinase from Pyrococcus furiosus

A chitinase is a hyperthermophilic glycosidase that effectively hydrolyzes both α and β crystalline chitins; that studied here was engineered from the genes PF1233 and PF1234 of Pyrococcus furiosus. This chitinase has unique structural features and contains two catalytic domains (AD1 and AD2) and two chitin-binding domains (ChBDs; ChBD1 and ChBD2). A partial enzyme carrying AD2 and ChBD2 also effectively hydrolyzes crystalline chitin. We determined the NMR and crystal structures of ChBD2, which significantly enhances the activity of the catalytic domain. There was no significant difference between the NMR and crystal structures. The overall structure of ChBD2, which consists of two four-stranded β-sheets, was composed of a typical β-sandwich architecture and was similar to that of other carbohydrate-binding module 2 family proteins, despite low sequence similarity. The chitin-binding surface identified by NMR was flat and contained a strip of three solvent-exposed Trp residues (Trp274, Trp308 and Trp326) flanked by acidic residues (Glu279 and Asp281). These acidic residues form a negatively charged patch and are a characteristic feature of ChBD2. Mutagenesis analysis indicated that hydrophobic interaction was dominant for the recognition of crystalline chitin and that the acidic residues were responsible for a higher substrate specificity of ChBD2 for chitin compared with that of cellulose. These results provide the first structure of a hyperthermostable ChBD and yield new insight into the mechanism of protein-carbohydrate recognition. This is important in the development of technology for the exploitation of biomass.     

综述: X射线晶体衍射是解析出青蒿素三维结构的唯一方法

X射线晶体衍射是解析出青蒿素三维结构的唯一方法     

Humerus development in moles (Talpidae,Mammalia)

The humerus of fossorial moles has a highly derived anatomy, reflecting the ecological specialization of these animals for digging. It is short and broad, with enlarged muscle attachment sites and pronounced articulations compared to non‐fossorial sister taxa and other mammals. Both condyles are rotated in opposite directions, resulting in a torsion which is unique among eutherian mammals. The development of this exceptional bone was studied in embryonic stages of the fossorial Iberian mole (Talpa occidentalis) from mesenchymal condensation to incipient ossification based on histological serial sections using 3D reconstruction methods. For comparison, embryonic stages of the semi‐fossorial Japanese shrew mole (Urotrichus talpoides) as well as a sister taxon of moles, the terrestrial North American least shrew (Cryptotis parva), were studied. Results show that the humerus of Talpa already shows its derived anatomy with broadened muscle attachment sites and distinct articulations at early cartilaginous stages, when ossification has just started in the mid‐diaphyseal region. The torsion takes place simultaneously with the medial rotation of the forelimbs. The supracondylar foramen is closed in all studied Talpa embryos, but patent in Cryptotis and Urotrichus. This is an example of developmental penetrance, suggesting that variation of adult elements can be found at early stages as well.