Life cycle contributions of copper from vessel painting and maintenance activities

Copper-based epoxy and ablative antifouling painted panels were exposed in natural seawater to evaluate environmental loading parameters. In situ loading factors including initial exposure, passive leaching, and surface refreshment were measured utilizing two protocols developed by the US Navy: the dome method and the in-water hull cleaning sampling method. Cleaning techniques investigated included a soft-pile carpet and a medium duty 3M^? pad for fouling removal. Results show that the passive leach rates of copper peaked three days after both initial deployment and cleaning events (CEs), followed by a rapid decrease over about 15 days and a slow approach to asymptotic levels on approximately day 30. Additionally, copper was more bioavailable during a CE in comparison to the passive leaching that immediately followed. A paint life cycle model quantifying annual copper loading estimates for each paint and cleaning method based on a three-year cycle of painting, episodic cleaning, and passive leaching is presented.     

Synthesis of Novel Chiral Tridentate Schiff‐Base Ligands and Their Applications in Catalytic Asymmetric Henry Reaction

A series of chiral tridentate Schiff‐bases were prepared and used as ligands in the catalytic asymmetric Henry reaction. Under the optimal conditions, a variety of arylaldehydes were smoothly converted into corresponding adducts with high yields (up to 98%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee). Chirality 26: 780–783, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

PrP overdrive

Knockout of the cellular prion protein (PrP^C) in mice is tolerated, as is complete elimination of the protein’s N-terminal domain. However, deletion of select short segments between the N- and C-terminal domains is lethal. How can one reconcile this apparent paradox? Research over the last few years demonstrates that PrP^C undergoes α-cleavage in the vicinity of residue 109 (mouse sequence) to release the bioactive N1 and C1 fragments. In biophysical studies, we recently characterized the action of relevant members of the ADAM (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase) enzyme family (ADAM8, 10, and 17) and found that they all produce α-cleavage, but at 3 distinct cleavage sites, with proteolytic efficiency modulated by the physiologic metals copper and zinc. Remarkably, the shortest lethal deletion segment in PrP^C fully encompasses the three α-cleavage sites. Analysis of all reported PrP^C deletion mutants suggests that elimination of α-cleavage, coupled with retention of the protein’s N-terminal residues, segments 23–31 and longer, confers the lethal phenotype. Interestingly, these N-terminal residues are implicated in the activation of several membrane proteins, including synaptic glutamate receptors. We propose that α-cleavage is a general mechanism essential for downregulating PrP^C’s intrinsic activity, and that blockage of proteolysis leads to constitutively active PrP^C and consequent dyshomeostasis.     

Inulavosin and its benzo‐derivatives,melanogenesis inhibitors,target the copper loading mechanism to the active site of tyrosinase

Tyrosinase, a melanosomal membrane protein containing copper, is a key enzyme for melanin synthesis in melanocytes. Inulavosin inhibits melanogenesis by enhancing a degradation of tyrosinase in lysosomes. However, the mechanism by which inulavosin redirects tyrosinase to lysosomes is yet unknown. The analyses of structure–activity relationship of inulavosin and its benzo‐derivatives reveal that the hydroxyl and the methyl groups play a critical role in their inhibitory activity. Intriguingly, the docking studies to tyrosinase suggest that the compounds showing inhibitory activity bind through hydrophobic interactions to the cavity of tyrosinase below which the copper‐binding sites are located. This cavity is proposed to be required for the association with a chaperon that assists in copper loading to tyrosinase in Streptomyces antibioticus. Inulavosin and its benzo‐derivatives may compete with the copper chaperon and result in a lysosomal mistargeting of apo‐tyrosinase that has a conformational defect.     

Suppressing mutation-induced protein aggregation in mammalian cells by mutating residues significantly displaced upon the original mutation

Mutations introduced to wild-type proteins naturally, or intentionally via protein engineering, often lead to protein aggregation. In particular, protein aggregation within mammalian cells has significant implications in the disease pathology and biologics production; making protein aggregation modulation within mammalian cells a very important engineering topic. Previously, we showed that the semi-rational design approach can be used to reduce the intracellular aggregation of a protein by recovering the conformational stability that was lowered by the mutation. However, this approach has limited utility when no rational design approach to enhance conformational stability is readily available. In order to overcome this limitation, we investigated whether the modification of residues significantly displaced upon the original mutation is an effective way to reduce protein aggregation in mammalian cells. As a model system, human copper, zinc superoxide dismutase mutant containing glycine to alanine mutation at position 93 (SOD1^G93A) was used. A panel of mutations was introduced into residues substantially displaced upon the G93A mutation. By using cell-based aggregation assays, we identified several novel variants of SOD1^G93A with reduced aggregation propensity within mammalian cells. Our findings successfully demonstrate that the aggregation of a mutant protein can be suppressed by mutating the residues significantly displaced upon the original mutation.     

小白菜BcUBCE2基因的克隆及表达分析

采用cDNA-AFLP和RACE技术从小白菜中克隆得到泛素结合酶E2基因(ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2),命名为BcUBCE2。序列分析表明,BcUBCE2基因cDNA全长830bp,包含1个456bp的开放阅读框,编码152个氨基酸。结构分析发现,该序列包含一个泛素结合酶E2活性位点和一个高度保守的半胱氨酸。进化分析显示,小白菜BcUBCE2蛋白同拟南芥E2蛋白的亲缘关系最近。qRT-PCR分析表明,BcUBCE2基因在小白菜根、茎、叶中均有表达,铜处理10d时BcUBCE2基因的表达量最高。研究认为,BcUBCE2基因可能在铜胁迫响应中发挥重要作用。     

出芽短梗霉F4的溶磷能力及机理

从安徽省铜陵市铜官山尾矿库木贼根际分离筛选出的出芽短梗霉F4,以磷酸钙、磷酸铝、磷酸铁和磷矿粉4种不同磷源进行液体培养,测定培养液的pH、水溶性磷、菌体磷及有机酸含量.结果表明： 菌株F4对不同磷源的溶磷能力为：磷酸铝>磷酸铁、磷酸钙>磷矿粉,溶磷量均高于200 mg·L^-1;培养液pH在48 h内迅速下降,以磷酸铝、磷酸铁为磷源的培养液pH下降幅度明显大于磷酸钙与磷矿粉.出芽短梗霉F4产生的有机酸主要为草酸、柠檬酸和酒石酸,其中,以草酸为主.菌株的溶磷能力与有机酸无显著相关性,而与pH呈显著相关.接种出芽短梗霉F4时加入葡萄糖,尾矿中速效磷含量显著增加,说明出芽短梗霉F4在尾矿生态修复中具有潜在的应用价值.
     

外源NO介导Cu胁迫下番茄GSH-PCs合成途径

一氧化氮(NO)作为生物活性分子,广泛参与各种生物和非生物胁迫.采用营养液培养,研究了Cu胁迫下外源NO介导的番茄还原型谷胱甘肽 植物螯合肽(GSH PCs)合成途径中相关酶活性及代谢产物的变化.结果表明: 与对照(CK)相比,Cu胁迫可以显著激活番茄体内γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸合成酶(γ-ECS)、谷胱甘肽合成酶(GS)活性,根系GSH、PCs含量急剧升高,且随着处理时间的延长,γ-ECS、GS活性和GSH、PCs含量呈持续上升趋势;添加外源硝普钠(SNP, NO供体)可以进一步提高Cu胁迫下番茄根系γ-ECS、GS活性,促进GSH、PCs的合成,增强清除过氧化物的能力,并螯合过多的Cu²⁺,降低其生物毒性.叶片中的GSH-PCs代谢变化在一定程度上滞后于根系.外源丁硫氨酸-亚砜亚胺(BSO,GSH合成抑制剂)显著抑制根系γ-ECS活性,添加SNP可以显著逆转根系中BSO对GSH和PCs合成的抑制,对叶片中PCs合成的影响较小.Cu胁迫下,外源NO可能启动了某些信号机制,并通过激活或增强GSH-PCs合成途径中的酶促和非酶促系统,降低过多的Cu²⁺的生物毒性和氧化伤害.