Exploring the correlation between the sequence composition of the nucleotide binding G5 loop of the FeoB GTPase domain (NFeoB) and intrinsic rate of GDP release

GDP release from GTPases is usually extremely slow and is in general assisted by external factors, such as association with guanine exchange factors or membrane-embedded GPCRs (G protein-coupled receptors), which accelerate the release of GDP by several orders of magnitude. Intrinsic factors can also play a significant role; a single amino acid substitution in one of the guanine nucleotide recognition motifs, G5, results in a drastically altered GDP release rate, indicating that the sequence composition of this motif plays an important role in spontaneous GDP release. In the present study, we used the GTPase domain from EcNFeoB (Escherichia coli FeoB) as a model and applied biochemical and structural approaches to evaluate the role of all the individual residues in the G5 loop. Our study confirms that several of the residues in the G5 motif have an important role in the intrinsic affinity and release of GDP. In particular, a T151A mutant (third residue of the G5 loop) leads to a reduced nucleotide affinity and provokes a drastically accelerated dissociation of GDP.     

区域生态文明建设水平综合评估指标

2007年中国政府提出"生态文明"建设以来,已批准了三批52个生态文明建设试点。生态系统与社会经济发展的复杂性要求科学、客观地评估区域生态文明建设,以便科学地决策和行动。区域生态文明建设是一个复合的过程,其核心在于社会-经济-自然复合生态系统各组分的和谐进步。因此,基于生态系统服务(ES)、生态足迹(EF)和人均GDP3个指标,以及这3个指标所代表的资源禀赋、人类对自然生态系统的占用、经济增长之间的线性逻辑关系,构建综合性相对指数;并以此对2010年中国大陆各省(市、直辖市)的生态文明建设水平进行了综合评估,其中,海南省的生态文明建设指数最大,为0.5091,北京市的指数最小,为0.0377;最后,分析了2010年中国大陆各省(市、区)生态文明建设的生态压力和生态效率,北京、天津和上海3个直辖市处于低资源禀赋高资源消费状况,全国大多数省(市、区)处于低消耗和低产出的阶段,经济增长尚有较大的潜力。     

Application of response surface method to evaluate the cytotoxic potency of Ulva fasciata Delile,a marine macro alga

Bioprospecting of marine natural products has recently produced a substantial number of drug candidates. Ulva fasciata Delile, belonging to the family Ulvaceae, is a green marine macro alga that grows profusely on the coastal seashore of South India. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro cytotoxic potential of a methanolic extract of U.fasciata Delile (MEUF) using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against human colon carcinoma (HT-29), human hepatocyte carcinoma (Hep-G2), and human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied using central-composite experimental design (CCD) to obtain optimum combined effect of concentration and cancer cells with highest cytotoxicity. The effect of concentration, cancer cell lines as independent variables on absorbance (OD), percent cell survival and percent cell inhibition as dependent variables was investigated. Maximum cytotoxic activity of MEUF was established for Hep-G2 with lowest OD or percent cell survival; highest percent cell inhibition with significant difference (p > 0.05) was compared to HT-29 and MCF-7.     

Squeezed flow preconcentration for probe tip biosensors

The preconcentration of analytes improves sensing using probe tips. In this work, we report a method based on creating a squeeze flow between a cylinder and circular coverslip to preconcentrate material at the liquid–gas interface while allowing a probe tip to be readily inserted there. In verification tests using enhanced green fluorescent protein, this capacity is proven. We estimated a 9.7 times increase in probability for fluorophores to be picked up at the tip using inference from fluorescence intensity distributions found. The method is expeditious, simple, and inexpensive, and it does not require any electrical energy source to operate.     

Diarylheptanoids from Green Alder Bark and Their Potential for DNA Protection

Nine diarylheptanoids, 1 – 9 , catechin ( 11 ), and a phenolic glucoside, 10 , were isolated from the bark of green alder (Alnus viridis). Four of the isolated compounds, i.e., 2, 5, 8, 10 , are new. The structures of 1 – 11 were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their in vitro protective effects on chromosome aberrations in peripheral human lymphocytes using cytokinesis‐block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Almost all of them exerted a pronounced effect of decreasing DNA damage of human lymphocytes, acting stronger than the known synthetic protector amifostine.     

Kras突变基因真核表达载体的构建及在不同肝细胞株中的表达

目的：构建携带突变Kras基因,以增强型绿色荧光蛋白（EGFP）为报告基因的重组真核表达载体,并导入两种不同的肝细胞株中表达。方法：PCR扩增突变Kras目的基因,将该全长基因定向克隆至真核表达载体pEGFP-N1上,构建重组质粒载体。并利用脂质体转染人肝癌细胞株Huh7．5和鸡肝癌细胞株LMH,在活细胞状态下用荧光显微镜直接观察Kras-EGFP融合蛋白在细胞中的表达;用WesternBlotting方法验证Kras蛋白水平的表达。结果：酶切和测序证实pEGFP—N1-Kras重组质粒构建正确,将EGFP报告基因融合在突变的Kras基因的3’端;在Huh7．5和LMH中均观察到了绿色荧光,转染率分别为19％和53％;WesternBlott—ing也检测到融合蛋白的表达。结论：通过基因克隆方法成功构建了pEGFP—N1-Kras重组质粒载体,并且在Huh7．5和LMH中均稳定表达,为下一步筛选针对突变Kras基因的靶向药物奠定了基础。     

Construction of a GFP-BAR plasmid and its use for switchgrass transformation

 A dual marker plasmid comprising the reporter gene sgfp (green fluorescent protein) and the selectable bar gene (Basta tolerance) was constructed by replacing the uidA (β-glucuronidase, GUS) gene in a uidA-bar construct with sgfp. A particle inflow gun was used to propel tungsten particles coated with this plasmid into immature inflorescence-derived embryogenic callus of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). GFP was observed in leaf tissue and pollen of transgenic plants. Nearly 100 plants tolerant to Basta were obtained from the experiments, and Southern blot hybridization confirmed the presence of both the bar and sgfp genes. Plants regenerated from in vitro cultures of transgenic plants grew on medium with 10 mg l^–1 bialaphos. When the pH indicator chlorophenol red was in the medium, the transgenic plantlets changed the medium from red to yellow. Basta tolerance was observed in T₁ plants resulting from crosses between transgenic and nontransgenic control plants, indicating inheritance of the bar transgene. Received: 11 May 2000 / Revision received: 21 August 2000 / Accepted: 22 August 2000     

大黄素升高豚鼠结肠带细胞[Ca~(2 )]_i的特征和GDP的抑制作用

利用Fluo -3荧光探针检测细胞内自由Ca2 浓度([Ca2 ]i),研究了大黄素升高豚鼠结肠带细胞[Ca2 ]i 的量—效关系和动态变化特征,及GDP和胞外Ca2 浓度对其的影响。较低浓度大黄素随药物浓度增加使[Ca2 ]i 显著升高 ,更高浓度大黄素有超最大抑制效应。GDP对大黄素升高细胞[Ca2 ]i 的抑制作用随其浓度增加而增强。GDP和胞外Ca2 浓度影响大黄素诱发的[Ca2 ]i 动态变化的结果表明 :GDP使[Ca2 ]i 峰消失 ,胞外无Ca2 导致[Ca2 ]i 随时间显著下降 ,大黄素升高[Ca2 ]i 作用趋向消失。     

Stimulation and conformational change of Goα induced by GAP-43

GAP-43 and Go are peripheral membrane proteins enriched in neuronal growth cone. GAP-43 was highly purified from bovine cerebral cortex and myristoylated Go? was highly purified from Escherichia coli cotransformed with pQE60 (Goα) and pBB131 (NMT). GAP-43 stimulated GTPγS binding to Goα and the stimulation effect was dependent on concentration of GAP-43. Protein-protein binding experiments using CaM-Sepharose affinity media revealed that Goα·GDP bound GAP-43 directly to form intermolecular complex. This interaction induced conformational change of Goα. In the presence of GAP-43, fluorescence spectrum of Goα·GDP blue shifted 4 nm; fluorescence intensity increased 35.3% and apparent quenching constant (Ksv) increased from (1.1 ± 0.22) × 105 to (4.1 ± 0.43)× 105 (M-1). However, no obvious changes of fluorescence spectra of Goα·GTP(S were observed in the absence or presence of GAP-43. Our results indicated that GAP-43 induced conformational change of Goα·GDP so as to accelerate GDP release and subsequent GTPγS binding, which activates G proteins to trigger signal transduction and amplification. These results provided insights into understanding the function of G proteins in coupling between receptors and effectors and the key role of GDP/GTP exchange mode in GTPase cycle.     

Combined effects of food quantity and quality on Cd, Cr, and Zn assimilation to the green mussel, Perna viridis

We examined the assimilation of Cd, Cr, and Zn by the green mussel Perna viridis under complicated food conditions, including combinations of different compositions and concentrations of food (diatom and sediment), and variable food quantity and quality during particle digestion. At different combinations of food composition and quantity (5 mg l⁻¹ and 20 mg⁻¹, below and above the pseudofeces production), the Cd assimilation was significantly dependent on the food composition. The Cd assimilation efficiency (AE) decreased with increasing proportions of sediments in the diets, but its assimilation was not significantly affected by food concentration. In contrast, the assimilation of Cr and Zn decreased significantly with increasing food concentrations, whereas food composition did not significantly affect their AEs. Variations in metal gut passage time accounted partially for the difference in AEs among different combinations of food composition and quantity. By changing the type of particles during metal digestion, their AEs were maintained comparably at a low particle load (1 mg l⁻¹), suggesting that variation of food quality during digestion did not affect metal assimilation. At a higher particle load (5 mg l⁻¹), variation of food type during digestion affected the AEs of Cr and Zn. An increase in food concentrations from 1 to 15 mg l⁻¹ during digestion resulted in a significant decrease in the AEs of Cr and Zn bound with either sediments or diatoms. Conversely, decreasing the food concentrations from 15 to 1 mg l⁻¹ did not affect the AEs of metals, except for Zn bound with diatoms. Overall, our results highlighted the metal-specificity in their assimilation as influenced by complicated food environments, probably caused by different metal geochemical and biological behavior in the mussels. Feeding selectivity may have a greater control on the influx rate into the mussels than metal assimilation.