Reaction of haem containing proteins and enzymes with hydroperoxides: The radical view

The reaction between hydroperoxides and the haem group of proteins and enzymes is important for the function of many enzymes but has also been implicated in a number of pathological conditions where oxygen binding proteins interact with hydrogen peroxide or other peroxides. The haem group in the oxidized Fe³⁺ (ferric) state reacts with hydroperoxides with a formation of the Fe⁴⁺=O (oxoferryl) haem state and a free radical primarily located on the π-system of the haem. The radical is then transferred to an amino acid residue of the protein and undergoes further transfer and transformation processes. The free radicals formed in this reaction are reviewed for a number of proteins and enzymes. Their previously published EPR spectra are analysed in a comparative way. The radicals directly detected in most systems are tyrosyl radicals and the peroxyl radicals formed on tryptophan and possibly cysteine. The locations of the radicals in the proteins have been reported as follows: Tyr133 in soybean leghaemoglobin; αTyr42, αTrp14, βTrp15, βCys93, (αTyr24−αHis20), all in the α- and β-subunits of human haemoglobin; Tyr103, Tyr151 and Trp14 in sperm whale myoglobin; Tyr103, Tyr146 and Trp14 in horse myoglobin; Trp14, Tyr103 and Cys110 in human Mb. The sequence of events leading to radical formation, transformation and transfer, both intra- and intermolecularly, is considered. The free radicals induced by peroxides in the enzymes are reviewed. Those include: lignin peroxidase, cytochrome c peroxidase, cytochrome c oxidase, turnip isoperoxidase 7, bovine catalase, two isoforms of prostaglandin H synthase, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Synechocystis PCC6803 catalase-peroxidases.     

Divergence of the mitochondrial electron transport chains from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and its colorless close relative Polytomella sp.

Compelling evidence exists that the colorless algae of the genus Polytomella arose from a green Chlamydomonas-like ancestor by losing its functional photosynthetic apparatus. Due to the close relationship between the colorless and the green chlorophyte, Polytomella sp. appeared as a useful indicative framework for structural studies of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mitochondria. However, comparative studies reported here unexpectedly revealed significant differences between the mitochondrial respiratory systems of the two algae. Two-dimensional blue native/SDS-PAGE of isolated mitochondria indicated that cytochrome-containing respiratory complexes III and IV in the two chlorophytes contrast in size, subunit composition and relative abundance. Complex IV in Polytomella is smaller than its counterpart in C. reinhardtii and occurs in two forms that differ presumably in the presence of subunit COXIII. The cytochrome c and the iron-sulfur Rieske protein of both chlorophytes revealed structural differences on the amino acid sequence level. Under comparable culture conditions, the colorless alga exhibits lower levels of cytochrome c and complex IV but a higher respiratory activity than the green alga. Cytochrome c levels were also found to be differently regulated by the growth conditions in both algae. The divergence between the respiratory systems in the two related chlorophytes can be viewed as a consequence of the loss of photosynthetic activity and/or of the adaptation to the environment via the acquisition of a more flexible, heterotrophic metabolism. Our understanding of mitochondrial function and evolution is expected to be greatly enhanced via further parallel studies of photosynthetic/non-photosynthetic algae, for which this study forms an incentive.     

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence and gene organization of the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) with phylogenetic consideration

The complete mitochondrial genome is of great importance for better understanding the genome-level characteristics and phylogenetic relationships among related species. In the present study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome DNA sequence of the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) by 454 deep sequencing and Sanger sequencing approaches. The complete genome DNA was 15,824 bp in length and contained a typical set of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and a putative control region (CR). Of 37 genes, twenty-three were encoded by the heavy strand (H-strand), while the other ones were encoded by light strand (L-strand). The gene order in the mitochondrial genome was largely identical to those obtained in most arthropods, although the relative position of gene tRNA^His differed from other arthropods. Among 13 protein-coding genes, three (ATPase subunit 6 (ATP6), NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1 (ND1) and ND3) started with a rare start codon ATT, whereas, one gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) ended with the incomplete stop codon TA. All 22 tRNAs could fold into a typical clover-leaf secondary structure, with the gene sizes ranging from 63 to 73 bp. The phylogenetic analysis based on 12 concatenated protein-coding genes showed that the molecular genetic relationship of 19 species of 11 genera was identical to the traditional taxonomy.     

Purification and Properties of Allothreonine Aldolase from Maise Seedlings

In order to elucidate the structure-activity relationship of griseofulvin (1), (±)-6′-demethyl analog (3), 2′-demethoxy-6′-demethyldihydro analog (4), (±)-dechloro-6′-ethyl analog (5), (±)-dechloro-6′-epi-ethyl analog (6), (±)-6′-ethyl analog (7) and (±)-6′-epi-ethyl analog (8) were synthesized by a Diels-Alder cycloaddition of alkylidene ketones (16, 17, 18, 19 and 20) with modified 1,3-butadienes (21 or 22). Their biological activities were examined against fungi.     

环境因子对新疆鹅喉羚群体遗传多样性的影响

环境因素在物种进化和遗传变异过程中起着非常重要的作用。为探讨新疆鹅喉羚遗传多样性与环境因子的关系,本研究采用聚合酶链式反应（PCR）和直接测序的方法,测定了新疆鹅喉羚11个群体84份样本的线粒体DNA Cyt b基因（1140 bp）和D-loop区（1100 bp）序列,分析各群体遗传多样性及环境因子对遗传多样性的影响。结果显示新疆鹅喉羚具有较高的单倍型多样性,较低的核苷酸多样性,表明其遗传多样性处于较低水平。环境因子与群体遗传多样性的相关性分析结果表明,海拔、年均降水量、年均气温、人口数量是影响新疆鹅喉羚遗传多样性的主要环境因子,其中海拔是最关键的环境因子。本研究结论为新疆鹅喉羚群体有效合理的保护与管理提供理论依据。     

Contribution of NDH-dependent cyclic electron transport around photosystem I to the generation of proton motive force in the weak mutant allele of pgr5

In angiosperms, cyclic electron transport (CET) around photosystem I (PSI) consists of two pathways, depending on PGR5/PGRL1 proteins and the chloroplast NDH complex. In single mutants defective in chloroplast NDH, photosynthetic electron transport is only slightly affected at low light intensity, but in double mutants impaired in both CET pathways photosynthesis and plant growth are severely affected. The question is whether this strong mutant phenotype observed in double mutants can be simply explained by the additive effect of defects in both CET pathways. In this study, we used the weak mutant allele of pgr5-2 for the background of double mutants to avoid possible problems caused by the secondary effects due to the strong mutant phenotype. In two double mutants, crr2-2 pgr5-2 and ndhs-1 pgr5-2, the plant growth was unaffected and linear electron transport was only slightly affected. However, NPQ induction was more severely impaired in the double mutants than in the pgr5-2 single mutant. A similar trend was observed in the size of the proton motive force. Despite the slight reduction in photosystem II parameters, PSI parameters were severely affected in the pgr5-2 single mutant, the phenotype that was further enhanced by adding the NDH defects. Despite the lack of ?pH-dependent regulation at the cytochrome b₆f complex (donor-side regulation of PSI), the plastoquinone pool was more reduced in the double mutants than in the pgr5-2 single mutants. This phenotype suggests that both PGR5/PGRL1- and NDH-dependent CET contribute to supply sufficient acceptors from PSI by balancing the ATP/NADPH production ratio.     

湖南长沙发现霍氏鼠耳蝠

2021年8月分别在湖南省长沙市天心区大托站立交桥底和昭华湘江大桥底捕获2只鼠耳蝠（2♂,标本号211521和211540）,经鉴定为霍氏鼠耳蝠（Myotis horsfieldii）,为湖南省蝙蝠分布新记录物种。本次捕获标本体型中等偏小,前臂长分别为36.1 mm（211521）和33.1 mm（211540）,头体长为44.0 mm和41.2 mm,后足长（10.5 mm和10.4 mm）超过胫骨长（16.4 mm和16.2 mm）的一半,耳屏长（5.1 mm和3.8 mm）不及耳长（12.5 mm和10.0 mm）的一半;头骨狭长,颅全长15.5 mm和15.0 mm,脑颅宽7.8 mm和7.5 mm,颅骨纤弱,额骨处有明显倾斜,脑颅高于上颌骨,颧弓较细。与来自泰国和印度尼西亚的霍氏鼠耳蝠标本相比,前臂长、头体长和尾长测量数据偏小,但头骨测量数据接近。基于Cyt b基因序列的系统发育分析表明,此次捕获的鼠耳蝠标本与霍氏鼠耳蝠聚类在一起,与来自香港的霍氏鼠耳蝠样本遗传距离仅为0.9%,故确定该物种为霍氏鼠耳蝠。标本保存于广东省科学院动物研究所。     

基于线粒体Cyt b 和核基因ZFY 探讨羊族物种之间的系统发生关系

为了阐明羊族物种之间的系统发生关系并解决岩羊属中矮岩羊物种的有效性问题,本文测定了来自金沙江河谷地区栖息于林线以上岩羊和林线以下矮岩羊共226 份粪便DNA 样品的线粒体Cyt b 基因全序列(1 140 bp)和核基因ZFY 部分序列(612 bp),结合从GenBank 中检索到的羊族物种同源DNA 序列进行比较,利用最大简约法和最大似然法构建分子系统发育树,根据获得的拓扑结构初步探讨它们的系统进化关系。结果表明,绵羊属的绵羊与山羊属、塔尔羊属、岩羊属各物种亲缘关系最远,喜马拉雅塔尔羊和岩羊属、山羊属的亲缘关系最近。在进化树的岩羊属这一分支中,金沙江河谷地带岩羊和矮岩羊与内蒙古、青海、四川其它地理种群的岩羊聚为一支,同时分布在这一区域的部分岩羊和矮岩羊在Cyt b 基因和ZFY 基因单倍型上存在共享现象。历史上的气候事件可能造成金沙江河谷地带岩羊和矮岩羊种群之间相互迁移,偏雄性扩散促进了各地理种群之间的基因交流。因此不支持矮岩羊为独立的物种,建议将金沙江河谷地带的岩羊和矮岩羊都划分到岩羊四川亚种(Pseudois nayaur szechuanensis)。由于它们的形态和生态上存在一定的分化,建议将林线以下矮岩羊作为一个独立的管理单元进行保护与管理。     

基于线粒体Cyt b 基因的黄海南部和东海银鲳群体遗传结构分析

采用线粒体DNA 细胞色素b 基因片段为遗传标记, 对黄海南部和东海银鲳(Pampus argenteus)群体的遗传结构进行了分析。在所分析的6 个采样点116 个个体中, 共检测到40 种单倍型。6 个群体均呈现出高单倍性多样性(0.647-0.895)和低核苷酸多样性(0.0008-0.0026)的特点。单倍型邻接关系树的拓扑结构简单,未呈现明显的地理谱系结构。分子方差分析和Fst 显示银鲳的遗传变异来自群体内个体间, 而群体间无显著遗传分化。Exact 检验表明单倍型在两两群体间分布频率的差异不显著。研究结果表明, 黄海南部、东海银鲳群体间具有高度的基因交流, 是一个随机交配群体。较强的扩散能力, 黄海、东海的海洋环流以及近期的群体扩张可能是造成黄海南部、东海银鲳群体间遗传同质性较高的原因。