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The effects of photoperiod and temperature on growth and reproduction of Daphnia ambigu A

• 1.1. Six of eight life-history traits related to growth and reproduction were significantly affected by temperature-photoperiod regimes.
• 2.2. A temperature-photoperiod interaction was the most significant factor affecting life-history traits.
• 3.3. Temperature probably significantly affected length of life, age at first brood, mean carapace length at first brood, length of time between broods, and number of young per day of adult life independent of the temperature-photoperiod interactions.
• 4.4. Photoperiod probably did not significantly affect any of the life-history traits independent of the temperature-photoperiod interactions.

     

Endothelins and sarafotoxins: Receptor heterogeneity

• 1.1. Endothelins (ETs) and sarafotoxins (SRTXs) belong to a family of 21-amino-acid peptides comprising at least eight isoforms.
• 2.2. ET exerts multiple pharmacological effects through its receptors.
• 3.3. This review summarizes the observations and findings pointing to the existence of receptor subtypes and leading to their identification.
• 4.4. Two receptor subtypes have been cloned and stably expressed.
• 5.5. The existence of at least two more is predicted by dissimilar ligand potencies in different tissues, kinetics of receptor-ligand interactions, and cross-linking of receptors and radiolabeled ligands.

     

A Platform for Extracellular Interactome Discovery Identifies Novel Functional Binding Partners for the Immune Receptors B7-H3/CD276 and PVR/CD155

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Highlights

• •New platform for high throughput detection of transient interactions between membrane proteins.
• •IL20RA is a receptor for the orphan checkpoint inhibitor B7-H3.
• •The natural killer cell protein KIR2DL5A binds the immune receptor PVR.
• •KIR2DL5 binding to PVR regulates natural killer cell cytotoxicity and inhibits tumor cell killing.
• •Elucidation of receptor interactomes to gain insights into extracellular protein biology.

     

Non-carbohydrate binding partners/domains of animal lectins

• 1.1. Protein-carbohydrate interactions are involved in a large number of biologically important recognition processes.
• 2.2. Among the participating classes of proteins lectins are defined as carbohydrate-binding proteins other than an antibody or an enzyme.
• 3.3. In addition to the essential carbohydrate-binding domain other functionally and/or structurally important sites, defined by sequence comparison or by experimental demonstration of protein-protein interactions, can be present within the lectin molecule and may be relevant for its physiological significance.
• 4.4. Sequence motifs of lectins for protein-protein interactions include amino acid structures designed for cell adhesion, growth regulatory biosignalling, intracellular routing and enzymatic activity.
• 5.5. Elucidation of the complete functional role(s) of a lectin requires accurate delineation of its carbohydrate and, if present, of its protein ligands.
• 6.6. Presence of more than one carbohydrate-binding domain in a single lectin, potential ligand properties of the glycopart of a lectin, regulatory interplay between different sites and possible interaction of complementarily shaped peptide sequences to the sugar-recognizing site should all be assessed in the quest to comprehensively explain the physiological role(s) of a lectin.

     

Interaction of phospholipids with proteins and peptides. New advances IV

• 1.1. The review deals with the newest achievements in the field of the various interactions between phospholipids and proteins and peptides.
• 2.2. Interactions are classified according to the hydrophobic, hydrophilic or mixed character of the interactive forces.
• 3.3. The effect of the interaction on the structure and biological activity of the interacting molecular assemblies is also discussed.

     

Purification and characterization of hatching enzyme of the pike (Esox lucius)

• 1.1. A choriolytic enzyme was isolated from the hatching medium of the pike, Esox lucius.
• 2.2. The enzyme is defined as hatching enzyme.
• 3.3. The molecular weight of the enzyme is 24,000.
• 4.4. The enzyme is a glycoprotein containing 2% carbohydrate.
• 5.5. Its isoelectric point is 6.5.
• 6.6. The pH optimum is around pH 8.
• 7.7. The enzyme molecule contains two disulfide bonds but no free cysteine.
• 8.8. Inhibitor studies and metal analysis show that the enzyme is a zinc-metalloprotease.

     

Breast,hips, and buttocks revisited: Honest fatness for honest fitness

This paper comments on: Low, B. S., Alexander, R. D., and Noonan, K.M. Human hips, breast, and buttocks: Is fat deceptive? Ethology and Sociobiology 8: 249-247, 1987. In it I argue that:

• 1.1. Sexual selection has probably not been the most important selection pressure on
• 2.female human body shape.
• 3.2. Male humans in different cultures find different aspects of the female body attractive
• 4.and therefore are unlikely to have exerted consistent directional sexual selection on
• 5.the female body.
• 6.3. Breast size is not correlated with lactation success.
• 7.4. Visible hip width is not correlated with parturition success.
• 8.5. Women would lower their fitness if they tried to deceive men about their internal
• 9.pelvic dimensions.
• 10.6. There are many alternative hypothesis to explain the existence of fat onwomen's
• 11.breast, hips, and buttocks.

     

Unraveling Hidden Components of the Chloroplast Envelope Proteome: Opportunities and Limits of Better MS Sensitivity

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Highlights

• •Identification of previously undetected chloroplast envelope proteins.
• •Up to date manual annotation of genuine (or shared) envelope components.
• •New hypotheses for localizations, functions, interactions among cell compartments.
• •A new resource of significant value to the broader plant science community.

     

Cloning and characterization of rabbit pancreatic colipase

• 1.1. Among the digestive enzymes synthesized by pancreas, lipase is the principle lipolytic enzyme which hydrolyses dietary glycerides.
• 2.2. For its action it requires a coenzyme, colipase.
• 3.3. The molecular mechanisms of the interaction of these two are not fully understood.
• 4.4. Further, molecular events that regulate and influence lipid absorption are ill denned.
• 5.5. The rabbit is the conventional animal model for the study of lipid absorption. We have undertaken the molecular cloning, and characterization of rabbit pancreatic colipase, the coenzyme for pancreatic lipase.
• 6.6. Colipase has been cloned from a gt 11 library of an adult rabbit pancreatic cDNA by probing with an oligonucleotide derived from human colipase sequence.
• 7.7. The total reading frame consists of 321 nucleotides coding for 90 amino acids of the functional protein and 17 nucleotides of the leader peptide.
• 8.8. Northern blot analysis revealed a distinct band around 0.5kb. Comparison with other species revealed an over all homology of 75% at the nucleotide level.
• 9.9. At the amino acid level highest conservation is observed at the lipase-binding region (AA 53–73).
• 10.10. Rabbit enzyme also retained the N-terminal pentapeptide of it preform.
• 11.11. The regions of homology and conservation may aid to define the sites of interaction of colipase with lipase.

     

Electrotonic coupling within a cluster of neurosecretory endogenous oscillators in Lymnaea stagnalis (L.)

• 1.1. Double intracellular and extracellular recordings from cell bodies and axons were made to study the interactions between the neurosecretory “Light Yellow” bursting pacemaker cells (LYC) in the right parietal ganglion of Lymnaea stagnalis.
• 2.2. The LYC are interconnected by low efficiency, non-rectifying electrotonic junctions, transmitting low frequencies only.
• 3.3. Often bursts in different cells coincide; apparently the junctions are responsible for this coherence.
• 4.4. It is inferred that the coupling serves to bring about a pulse-wise release of the cluster's secretory product.

     

Quantification of Dynamic Protein Interactions and Phosphorylation in LPS Signaling Pathway by SWATH-MS

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Highlights

• •Intensive investigation of dynamic interactions in MyD88, TRAF6, and NEMO complexes.
• •Mechanistic insights into IRAKs proteins' assembly.
• •A signal amplification mechanism for MyD99-denpendent TLR signaling disclosed by stoichiometry of complexes.
• •Quantitative measurement of multiple phosphorylation sites on the key components in TLR signaling pathway.

     

Domain structure of the 90-kDa stress protein: Heparin- and antibody-binding domain

• 1.1. To understand the physiological roles of the 90-kDa stress protein (HSP90), we investigated the heparin- and antibody-binding domains of the protein.
• 2.2. For heparin-binding sites, HSP90 was digested completely with trypsin, and the digests were applied to a heparin-Sepharose column and eluted with 1.0 M NaCl, followed by 8.0 M urea.
• 3.3. Each elutant was purified by a reverse-phase C₁₈ column.
• 4.4. Two peptides from the NaCl-eluted fraction and no peptide from the urea-eluted fraction were purified.
• 5.5. The purified peptides were sequenced by an automated peptide sequencer.
• 6.6. One of the heparin-binding sites was present between Leu-362 and Arg-365; another was present between Leu-645 and Lys-648.
• 7.7. These two peptides were basic and considerably hydrophilic.
• 8.8. For antibody-binding sites, HSP90 was mildly digested with trypsin, electrophoresed on SDS-polyacrylamide gels and transferred to PVDF membranes.
• 9.9. The four bound of the trypsin fragments could be sequenced with a peptide sequencer.
• 10.10. There was only one antibody-binding peptide, 38 kDa, starting from Pro-2. The others showed no cross-reactivity with the antibody and started from Leu-283.
• 11.11. Therefore, the epitopes of HSP90 are present between Pro-2 and Leu-282.
• 12.12. The heparin-binding sites are present from the middle region of the HSP90 molecule, and the antigen sites are at the N-terminal domain.

     

Comparative hematology: Studies on cats including one with factor XII (hageman) deficiency

• 1.1. Cat plasma prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times are faster than human. Thromboplastin generation tests are very similar.
• 2.2. Factors VIII and V assay 24 and 13 times the human standard. Cat factors VII, X. IX, XI and XII assayed at 2.5 to 4 times human. Factors I, II and XIII fell within the human range and Fletcher was extremely low.
• 3.3. One cat lacked factor XII and showed a prolonged APTT and clotting time.
• 4.4. Cat profibrinolysin was activated by streptokinase but not by urokinase.
• 5.5. Cat platelets aggregated with the usual human aggregation agents with the exception of thrombin and ristocetin.
• 6.6. Cat erythrocytes were smaller and more numerous than human.
• 7.7. Leukocyte counts were quite variable.
• 8.8. Serum protein electrophoretic patterns differed from human in the greater migration of albumin and the presence of numerous unidentified bands.
• 9.9. Biochemical tests showed high sodium and chloride values.

     

Essential tyrosyl residues of human placental alkaline phosphatase

• 1.1. Human placental alkaline phosphatase was inactivated with tetranitromethane in a biphasic process.
• 2.2. Spectral and amino acid analysis demonstrated that the inactivation was due to the conversion of tyrosine residues to 3-nitrotyrosine.
• 3.3. The inactivation process showed saturation kinetics.
• 4.4. Protection of the enzyme against tetranitromethane inactivation was afforded by inorganic phosphate.
• 5.5. The binding affinity between the modified enzyme and inorganic phosphate was decreased.
• 6.6. Our results suggest the involvement of tyrosyl residues in the locus of phosphoryl site of the phosphorylated enzyme forms.

     

Ependymins and their potential role in neuroplasticity and regeneration: Calcium-binding meningeal glycoproteins of the cerebrospinal fluid and extracellular matrix

• 1.1. Ependymins are unique, highly divergent secretory proteins of the fish endomeninx. Thus far, no homologous sequences have been characterized in mammals.
• 2.2. Soluble ependymins are the predominant constituents of the cerebrospinal fluid of many teleost fish. A bound form of these glycoproteins is associated with the extracellular matrix probably with collagen fibrils. The latter may be the functional form of ependymins.
• 3.3. Ependymins bind Ca²⁺ via N-linked sialic acid residues leading to a conformational transition.
• 4.4. The molecular function of ependymins seems to be related to cell contact phenomena involving the extracellular matrix. For example, adhesive or anti-adhesive interactions may possibly influence ingrowing axons.

     

Properties of the transition from short-term to long-term depression in neurons of Helix pomatia

• 1.1. Synaptic short-term depression could be transferred into long term depression by repetition of series of stimuli.
• 2.2. The transition from short-term depression to long-term depression was blocked by puromycin.
• 3.3. The majority of the transition took place during resting periods between stimulus series.
• 4.4. The initiation of the transition process was 83% completed after 5 min of stimulation.
• 5.5. Short- and long-term depression were quantitatively separated into their two serial sites of origin: afferent axons and synaptic terminals.
• 6.6. Long sequences evoked periods with increased and variable EPSPs not conforming to depression.