Recent studies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in mammals and
Drosophila have shown an excess of amino acid variation within species
(replacement polymorphism) relative to the number of silent and replacement
differences fixed between species. To examine further this pattern of
nonneutral mtDNA evolution, we present sequence data for the ND3 and ND5
genes from 59 lines of Drosophila melanogaster and 29 lines of D. simulans.
Of interest are the frequency spectra of silent and replacement
polymorphisms, and potential variation among genes and taxa in the
departures from neutral expectations. The Drosophila ND3 and ND5 data show
no significant excess of replacement polymorphism using the
McDonald-Kreitman test. These data are in contrast to significant
departures from neutrality for the ND3 gene in mammals and other genes in
Drosophila mtDNA (cytochrome b and ATPase 6). Pooled across genes, however,
both Drosophila and human mtDNA show very significant excesses of amino
acid polymorphism. Silent polymorphisms at ND5 show a significantly higher
variance in frequency than replacement polymorphisms, and the latter show a
significant skew toward low frequencies (Tajima's D = -1.954). These
patterns are interpreted in light of the nearly neutral theory where mildly
deleterious amino acid haplotypes are observed as ephemeral variants within
species but do not contribute to divergence. The patterns of polymorphism
and divergence at charge-altering amino acid sites are presented for the
Drosophila ND5 gene to examine the evolution of functionally distinct
mutations. Excess charge-altering polymorphism is observed at the carboxyl
terminal and excess charge-altering divergence is detected at the amino
terminal. While the mildly deleterious model fits as a net effect in the
evolution of nonrecombining mitochondrial genomes, these data suggest that
opposing evolutionary pressures may act on different regions of
mitochondrial genes and genomes.
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The effect of pH on class II-peptide interactions has been analyzed using several mouse (IAd, IAk, IEd, IEk) and human (DR1, DR5, DR7) MHC specificities, and eight different class II-restricted determinants. In direct binding assays, acidic conditions led to increased binding capacity for many class II-peptide combinations. IE molecules seemed to bind optimally around pH 4.5, whereas IA molecules displayed binding optima in the 5.5 to 6.5 range. In contrast, the DR molecules studied were, in most cases, affected only marginally by pH changes in the 4.5 to 7.0 range. Despite these apparent isotype-specific trends, no general rule could be formulated, because even for the same class II molecules, the binding capacity could be increased for many peptides when the binding was performed under acidic conditions, was unaffected for some, and even decreased for others. The mechanisms responsible for this complex behavior were analyzed in more detail by kinetic and equilibrium analysis of three different class II-peptide combinations (IAd/OVA 323-339, IAk/HEL 46-61, and DR1/HA 307-319). It was found that acidic pH conditions could affect both on and off rates for class II-peptide complexes. Depending on the net balance of these effects, either increases, decreases, or no effect on overall affinities at equilibrium were detected. In the case of IAd/OVA 323-339, it was also found that acidic conditions influenced the binding capacity of class II molecules by increasing the fraction of sites available for peptide binding, presumably by favoring dissociation of endogenously bound, acid-sensitive peptides. 相似文献
The production and release of chemical compounds by invasive plants can affect competitors and native species overall, destabilizing ecological interactions and harming ecosystem functioning. Hedychium coronarium is an invasive macrophyte common on Brazilian riparian areas that produces a wide variety of allelochemicals, but little is known about their effect on aquatic species. Here, we identified the major chemical compounds of the aqueous extract of H. coronarium rhizomes and assessed its toxicity, evaluating the growth inhibition of one alga (Raphidocelis subcapitata) and one macrophyte (Lemna minor), and the lethality of cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia silvestrii and Daphnia similis) and Chironomidae larvae (Chironomus sancticaroli). The majoritarian compounds of H. coronarium rhizomes were Coronarin D and Coronarin D Ethyl Ether. The aqueous extract was toxic for all tested species. We observed growth inhibition in R. subcapitata, as well as reduction in biomass in L. minor. Chironomus sancticaroli and cladoceran were the most sensible species. The aqueous extract of H. coronarium rhizomes was toxic on tested conditions, suggesting that the rhizome compounds may interfere on aquatic organisms and in the dynamic of trophic webs of aquatic ecosystems on invaded areas.
The results obtained with a glucose biosensor operating under non-isothermal conditions are presented and discussed. Glucose oxidase, immobilized onto Nylon membranes, was used as biological element. An amperometric two electrodes system was employed to measure the anodic current produced by oxidation of hydrogen peroxide. Non-isothermal conditions were characterised in terms of the temperature difference, delta T = Tw - Tc, and of the average temperature of the system, Tav = (Tw + Tc)/2, Tw and Tc being the temperature in the warm and cold half-cells constituting the biosensor. Comparison between the functioning of the biosensor under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions was performed. It was found that, under non-isothermal conditions, the dynamic response and sensitivity increased, while the response times and the detection limit decreased, if comparison was done with the same parameters measured under isothermal conditions. The increase of the dynamic response was found to be proportional to the applied temperature gradient. 相似文献
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