An analysis approach to identify specific functional sites in orthologous proteins using sequence and structural information: Application to neuroserpin reveals regions that differentially regulate inhibitory activity

The analysis of sequence conservation is commonly used to predict functionally important sites in proteins. We have developed an approach that first identifies highly conserved sites in a set of orthologous sequences using a weighted substitution‐matrix‐based conservation score and then filters these conserved sites based on the pattern of conservation present in a wider alignment of sequences from the same family and structural information to identify surface‐exposed sites. This allows us to detect specific functional sites in the target protein and exclude regions that are likely to be generally important for the structure or function of the wider protein family. We applied our method to two members of the serpin family of serine protease inhibitors. We first confirmed that our method successfully detected the known heparin binding site in antithrombin while excluding residues known to be generally important in the serpin family. We next applied our sequence analysis approach to neuroserpin and used our results to guide site‐directed polyalanine mutagenesis experiments. The majority of the mutant neuroserpin proteins were found to fold correctly and could still form inhibitory complexes with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Kinetic analysis of tPA inhibition, however, revealed altered inhibitory kinetics in several of the mutant proteins, with some mutants showing decreased association with tPA and others showing more rapid dissociation of the covalent complex. Altogether, these results confirm that our sequence analysis approach is a useful tool that can be used to guide mutagenesis experiments for the detection of specific functional sites in proteins. Proteins 2015; 83:135–152. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

割草和放牧对大针茅根际与非根际土壤养分和微生物数量的影响

选取内蒙古典型草原大针茅为主要研究对象,研究割草和放牧干扰对其根际与非根际土壤有机碳、全氮、有效氮、全磷、有效磷含量以及微生物数量的影响.结果表明：在割草和放牧干扰下,根际土壤有机碳、全氮、有效氮含量均有不同程度的减少,根际截存效应减弱;土壤全磷由于固定性强不易向植物根部聚集,土壤全磷的根际效应不明显;土壤有效磷异质性较大,在放牧和割草干扰下有不同程度的变化,但根际和非根际间差异不显著;放牧干扰显著减少了土壤微生物的数量;土壤养分的变化与土壤微生物数量的变化关系密切,细菌和真菌的数量变化可能对土壤养分的影响更大;相对于割草,放牧干扰更易造成根际土壤养分的流失及微生物数量的减少.     

施肥对盆栽香樟幼苗不同根序细根养分的影响

以盆栽的1年生香樟实生苗为研究对象,采用指数施肥的方式,测定1~5级细根的C、N、P、K含量,并探讨施肥对香樟幼苗细根养分浓度的影响。结果表明:(1)不同根序细根的全C浓度差异不显著,施肥对细根全C浓度影响不显著(P0.05);(2)在所有根序中,N、P浓度最高的是1级根,但其K浓度却最低;N、P含量最低的是5级根;(3)细根的N、P含量随着根序的增加呈显著的下降趋势(P0.05);(4)施N肥能显著增加1~2级细根的N含量,施P肥能显著增加1级根的P含量,N+P肥较之P肥更能提高1级根对P的吸收;(5)C∶N∶P受根序的影响非常明显,1级根平均为366∶16∶1,5级根则为807∶12∶1,而且C∶N∶P随着根序增加而显著升高,但N∶P无显著影响;(6)虽然施肥对细根C含量无影响,但施N肥或N+P肥对1~2级细根中N的含量有显著性增加。综合分析可知,处理9对香樟苗期养分浓度指标影响最为显著,即施肥量为氮素4g·株-1、磷素4g·株-1、钾素2g·株-1时,对香樟幼苗细根的生长发育有较好地促进作用。研究结果可为香樟的速生丰产及资源的高效利用提供理论依据。     

川西南山区大绒鼠体表寄生虫多样性调查

在四川省西南部山区选取调查点,用鼠笼(夹)加食饵诱捕大绒鼠Eothenomys miletus,采集并鉴定其体表的所有寄生虫。从7个调查地点共捕获大绒鼠127只,采集到恙螨、革螨、蚤和吸虱4大类体表寄生虫共3128只,分类鉴定为131种。大绒鼠体表寄生虫的总感染率为96.06%,总平均多度(平均个体数,虫指数)为24.63只寄生虫/每鼠。恙螨优势种为绒鼠纤恙螨Leptotrombidium eothenomydis(24.26%,450/1855);革螨优势种为金氏厉螨Laelaps chini(70.28%,506/720);蚤类优势种为方叶栉眼蚤Ctenophthalmus quadratus(47.30%,149/315)和绒鼠怪蚤Paradoxopsyllus custodis(13.65%,43/315);吸虱优势种为缺齿甲胁虱Hoplopleura edentula(95.38%,227/238)。U检验结果显示,雌、雄大绒鼠宿主间的全部体表寄生虫、恙螨和蚤的物种数和平均个体数差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。Spearman相关分析结果显示,体表寄生虫与宿主身体参数(体质量)间无明显的直线相关关系,相关系数较低(r<0.3,P<0.05)。四川西南山区大绒鼠的体表寄生虫种类十分丰富,物种多样性很高,主要寄生虫类群是恙螨和革螨,并有多种传染病媒介种类。