Kinetic studies of electron transfer in the cyt b 5 : metHb system

 The kinetics of methemoglobin reduction by cytochrome b ₅ has been studied by stopped-flow and saturation transfer NMR. A forward rate constant k _f = 2.44×10⁴ M^–1 s^–1 and a reverse rate constant k _b = 540 M^–1s^–1 have been observed at 10 mm, pH 6.20, 25  °C. The ratio k _f/k _b = k _eq = 43.6 is in good agreement with the equilibrium constant calculated from the electrochemical potential between cyt b ₅ and methemoglobin. A bimolecular collisional mechanism is proposed for the electron transfer from cyt b ₅ to methemoglobin based on the kinetic data analysis. The dependence of the rate constants on ionic strengths supports such collisional mechanism. It is also found that the reaction rate strongly depends on the conformations of methemoglobin. Received: 20 February 1996 / Accepted: 4 June 1996     

红树林区微生物资源

随着工业的迅猛发展,工业废料源源不断地向海洋输出,污染日趋严重。人们在大力开发海洋微生物自净能力的同时,也对海岸线的绿色卫士——红树林给予了密切关注,积极展开红树林区微生物资源的开发利用。本文从红树林区微生物库的资源多样性、微生物在物质循环和能量流动中的作用、生理活性物质、代谢产物和污染治理等几个方面进行综述。     

虎血清H5 亚型流感病毒抗体调查

为查明我国圈养虎群中H5 亚型流感病毒的流行情况,应用血凝抑制(HI)方法检测了1998 ～ 2009 年间采集于哈尔滨、宜昌、桂林、唐山、上海和郑州等地的309 份虎血清样品的H5 亚型流感病毒抗体效价。结果发现1998 年4 月至2002 年4 月采集的20 份血清样品全部为H5 亚型流感病毒HI 抗体阴性。在2002 年7 月至2003
年6 月采样于上海、唐山、哈尔滨的34 只虎中,有31 只曾出现过高热、抽搐和肺炎症状,其中24 只虎的血清样品H5 亚型流感病毒HI 抗体呈阳性(抗体效价1∶ 10 ～ 1∶ 320),2 只无临床症状虎也为抗体阳性。对2004 年随机采集自哈尔滨的220 份血清样品调查发现抗体阳性率可达25.9% ,其中28 只有临床高热与肺炎病史的虎中有14 只抗体呈阳性(抗体效价1∶ 10 ～1∶ 80),其余无病史的192 只虎中有43 只抗体阳性。2009 年8 月采集的35 份血清中仅有3 份H5 阳性,抗体阳性率下降为8.6% 。上述结果表明H5 亚型流感病毒能够感染虎并对圈养虎的健康构成威胁,而且其公共卫生意义更值得关注。     

Reaction mechanisms of riboflavin triplet state with nucleic acid bases.

ESR and laser flash photolysis studies have determined a reasonable order of reactivity of nucleotides with triplet riboflavin (3Rb*) for the first time. ESR detection of triplet state reactivity of Rb with nucleoside, polynucleotide and DNA has been obtained simultaneously. In addition, ESR spin elimination measurement of the reactivity of 3Rb* with nucleotides in good accord with laser flash photolysis determination of the corresponding rate constants offers a simple and reliable method to detect the reactivities of nucleic acids and its components with photoexcited flavins. Kinetic, ESR and thermodynamic studies have demonstrated that Rb should be a strong endogenous photosensitizer capable of oxidizing all nucleic acid bases, and preferentially two purine nucleotides with high rate constants.     

Reentrainment of the circadian pacemaker through three distinct stages

Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated by a central pacemaker and are synchronized to the environmental LD cycle. The rhythms can be resynchronized, or reentrained, after a shift of the LD cycle, as in traveling across time zones. The authors have performed high-resolution mapping of the pacemaker to analyze the reentrainment process using rat pineal melatonin onset (MT(on)) and melatonin offset (MT(off)) rhythms as markers. Following LD (12:12) delays of 3, 6, and 12 h, MT(on) was phase locked immediately, whereas MT(off) shifted rapidly during the initial 1 through 3 cycles. In all animals, the MT(off) shifted beyond their expected phase positions in the new LD cycle, which resulted in a transient expansion of melatonin secretion duration for several cycles. It took MT(off) only 1, 2, or 3 cycles to complete most of the required phase shifts after 3, 6, or 12 h of the LD cycle delays, respectively. However, the final stabilization of phase relationships of both MT(on) and MT(off) required at least 6 cycles for rats experiencing a 3-h LD delay and much longer for the rest. These results reaffirmed the notion that both onset and offset phases of melatonin rhythms are important markers for the pacemaker and demonstrated that the reentrainment of the central pacemaker to a delay shift of the LD cycle is a 3-step process: an immediate phase lock of onset and a rapid delay shift of offset rhythms, overshoot of the offset, and, finally, a slow adjustment of both onset and offset phases. This study represents the 1st detailed analysis of the pacemaker behavior during reentrainment using melatonin and supports the notion that the eventual adaptation of the circadian pacemaker to a new time zone is a time-consuming process.     

东方马脑炎E2蛋白原核表达及免疫活性初步研究

为构建东方马脑炎病毒E2基因原核表达载体,完成E2蛋白表达及其免疫活性研究。利用PCR方法扩增E2编码全基因,大小为1 260 bp,将酶切后目的片段连接到原核表达载体pET-30a(+)上,构建成重组质粒pET30a(+)-EEEV-E2,采用酶切和测序分析方法鉴定正确的重组质粒转化到大肠杆菌BL21中,诱导E2蛋白表达,并用SDS-PAGE电泳和Western-blotting分析和鉴定目的蛋白;最后,用纯化的E2蛋白免疫BALB/c小鼠,小鼠随机分成4组:PBS对照组、弗氏佐剂对照组、E2蛋白免疫组和E2蛋白+弗氏佐剂免疫组,每组小鼠免疫2次,两次免疫间隔时间为14天,免疫剂量均为100μL/只;小鼠初次免疫后第10天,用细胞因子ELISA试剂盒检测血清中IL-6、IL-12与TNF-α的浓度,加强免疫后第14天,用EEEV的假病毒检测血清中E2蛋白抗体的中和作用。结果表明完成了E2基因的原核表达载体pET30a(+)-E2构建和成功表达了带有His标签的E2融合蛋白,蛋白以包涵体形式存在,大小为53.0 kDa;免疫小鼠血清中产生了高水平的IL-6、IL-12与TNF-α和具有较强中和作用的E2蛋白抗体。研究结果为今后E2蛋白作为基因工程亚单位疫苗的研究提供了重要参考。