Probing receptor-translocator interactions in the oligopeptide ABC transporter by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

The oligopeptide transporter Opp is a five-component ABC uptake system. The extracytoplasmic lipid-anchored substrate-binding protein (or receptor) OppA delivers peptides to an integral membrane complex OppBCDF (or translocator), where, on ATP binding and hydrolysis, translocation across the membrane takes place. OppA and OppBCDF were labeled with fluorescent probes, reconstituted into giant unilamellar vesicles, and the receptor-translocator interactions were investigated by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Lateral mobility of OppA was reduced on incorporation of OppBCDF into giant unilamellar vesicles, and decreased even further on the addition of peptide. Fluorescence cross-correlation measurements revealed that OppBCDF distinguished liganded from unliganded OppA, binding only the former. Addition of ATP or its nonhydrolyzable analog AMP-PNP resulted in release of OppA from OppBCDF. In vanadate-trapped “transition state” conditions, OppA also was not bound by OppBCDF. A model is presented in which ATP-binding to OppDF results in donation of peptide to OppBC and simultaneous release of OppA. ATP-hydrolysis would complete the peptide translocation and reset the transporter for another catalytic cycle. Implications in terms of a general transport mechanism for ABC importers and exporters are discussed.     

Evidence of Slow Motions by Cross-Correlated Chemical Shift Modulation in Deuterated and Protonated Proteins

Cross-correlated fluctuations of isotropic chemical shifts can provide evidence for slow motions in biomolecules. Slow side-chain dynamics have been investigated in (15)N and (13)C enriched ubiquitin by monitoring the relaxation of C(alpha)-C(beta) two-spin coherences (Frueh et al., 2001). This method, which had hitherto been demonstrated only for protonated ubiquitin, has now been applied to both protonated and deuterated proteins. Deuteration reduces the dipole-dipole contributions to the DD/DD cross-correlation, thus facilitating the observation of subtle effects due to cross-correlation of the fluctuations of the isotropic (13)C chemical shifts. The decays of double- and zero-quantum coherences are significantly slower in the deuterated protein than in the protonated sample. Slow motions are found both in loops and in secondary structure elements.     

Similarities between intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds in RNA kissing complexes found by means of cross-correlated relaxation

The bond lengths and dynamics of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds in an RNA kissing complex have been characterized by determining the NMR relaxation rates of various double- and triple-quantum coherences that involve an imino proton and two neighboring nitrogen-15 nuclei belonging to opposite bases. New experiments allow one to determine the chemical shift anisotropy of the imino protons. The bond lengths derived from dipolar relaxation and the lack of modulations of the nitrogen chemical shifts indicate that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds which hold the kissing complex together are very similar to the intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the double-stranded stem of the RNA.     

Sensitivity enhancement in NMR of macromolecules by application of optimal control theory

NMR of macromolecules is limited by large transverse relaxation rates. In practice, this results in low efficiency of coherence transfer steps in multidimensional NMR experiments, leading to poor sensitivity and long acquisition times. The efficiency of coherence transfer can be maximized by design of relaxation optimized pulse sequences using tools from optimal control theory. In this paper, we demonstrate that this approach can be adopted for studies of large biological systems, such as the 800 kDa chaperone GroEL. For this system, the ¹H–¹⁵N coherence transfer module presented here yields an average sensitivity enhancement of 20–25% for cross-correlated relaxation induced polarization transfer (CRIPT) experiments.Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10858-005-3592-0     

A Sensitive Pulse Scheme for Measuring the Backbone Dihedral Angle ψ Based on Cross-correlation Between 13Cα-1Hα Dipolar and Carbonyl Chemical Shift Anisotropy Relaxation Interactions

A pulse scheme for measuring cross-correlation between 13C-1H dipolar and carbonyl chemical shift anisotropy relaxation mechanisms is presented from which the protein backbone dihedral angle is measured. The method offers significant sensitivity gains relative to our recently published scheme for measuring based on this cross-correlation effect [Yang et al. (1997) J. Am. Chem. Soc., 119, 11938-11940]. The utility of the method is demonstrated with an application to a 42 kDa complex of 15N,13C-labeled maltose binding protein and -cyclodextrin.     

Female preferences drive the evolution of mimetic accuracy in male sexual displays

Males in many bird species mimic the vocalizations of other species during sexual displays, but the evolutionary and functional significance of interspecific vocal mimicry is unclear. Here we use spectrographic cross-correlation to compare mimetic calls produced by male satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) in courtship with calls from several model species. We show that the accuracy of vocal mimicry and the number of model species mimicked are both independently related to male mating success. Multivariate analyses revealed that these mimetic traits were better predictors of male mating success than other male display traits previously shown to be important for male mating success. We suggest that preference-driven mimetic accuracy may be a widespread occurrence, and that mimetic accuracy may provide females with important information about male quality. Our findings support an alternative hypothesis to help explain a common element of male sexual displays.     

近50年北京植被对全球变暖的响应及其时效--基于遥感数据和物候资料的分析

植被对全球变暖的响应方式及其程度问题是全球变化研究的焦点之一。利用1951～2000年的气温、降水等气候资料、1982～2000年的NOAA／AVHRR遥感数据和1951～2002年山桃始花的物候数据,分析了北京各气候参量与生态系统植被在年际和年内时间尺度上的变化规律及其关系。结果表明,北京近20年增温1．2E,增温态势显著;过去50年中,降水的年际变化小于生长季内的波动幅度。年NDVI最大值(VP)、平均值(VM)的年际变化曲线呈波动中缓慢上升的趋势,表明植被的生长状况总体上在变好或生长季在延长。VP出现日期(VPI))提前,20世纪90年代比80年代提前4．5d。山桃始花物候期的分析表明,北京1988年以后春季开始日期提前9．63d。时间尺度不同,各个气候指标对各植被指标的影响程度不同：①年际时间尺度,年均温影响VP、VM的时效为1年;月际水平上,除温度影响VM的时效为2个月外,各气候参量影响VP、VM的时效为1个月。年际尺度上,温度影响山桃始花时效为2年;月际尺度上,2、3、4月份温度影响山桃始花日期。     

视网膜神经节细胞的协同活动以及信息编码

在脊椎动物的视觉系统中,信息的初级处理发生在视网膜.随着多电极记录技术的发展,视网膜神经节细胞的协同活动在不同物种中被广泛地观察到.然而,协同活动在视觉信息处理中的作用还不清楚,并且存在一定的争议.本文回顾了近些年关于视网膜神经节细胞协同活动的相关研究,对协同活动的分类、检测以及生理功能进行讨论.     

Elucidating the Native Architecture of the YidC: Ribosome Complex

Membrane protein biogenesis in bacteria occurs via dedicated molecular systems SecYEG and YidC that function independently and in cooperation. YidC belongs to the universally conserved Oxa1/Alb3/YidC family of membrane insertases and is believed to associate with translating ribosomes at the membrane surface. Here, we have examined the architecture of the YidC:ribosome complex formed upon YidC-mediated membrane protein insertion. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy was employed to investigate the complex assembly under physiological conditions. A slightly acidic environment stimulates binding of detergent-solubilized YidC to ribosomes due to electrostatic interactions, while YidC acquires specificity for translating ribosomes at pH-neutral conditions. The nanodisc reconstitution of the YidC to embed it into a native phospholipid membrane environment strongly enhances the YidC:ribosome complex formation. A single copy of YidC suffices for the binding of translating ribosome both in detergent and at the lipid membrane interface, thus being the minimal functional unit. Data reveal molecular details on the insertase functioning and interactions and suggest a new structural model for the YidC:ribosome complex.