百年老刊——Journal of Biological Chemistry

正随着开放获取(Open Access,OA)型期刊的兴起,借助于网络的无限空间,成为年发文上万篇文章的"巨型"电子期刊已经不难实现,例如人们熟知的PLo S ONE在2015年一年就发表了28 114篇文章。但是,在传统的纸质出版界,要想成为年发千篇论文的科学刊物可就不是一件容易的事。《生物化学杂志》(Journal of Biological Chemistry,业内简称"JBC")正是这样一本在生命科学     

Introduction of Standard for the operation of European Biological Resource Centers

(Continued)The equipment and environment in the premises must conform to European legislation meeting quality standards as well as health and safely requirements. The following conditions must be met:Ⅰ. BRC laboratories are clean and well itⅡ. No source of excessive or unusual microbial contamination is introducedⅢ. Adequate bench and storage space is provided, consistent with the type and volume of work,Ⅳ. An appropriate containment facility is available to protect the work and worker from potential release of aerosols containing microorganisms or hazardous chemicals.     

Should the Teaching of Biological Evolution Include the Origin of Life?

The development of mainstream research on the origin of life as an outcome of Darwinian evolution is discussed. It is argued that prebiotic evolution and the origin of life should not be excluded from the syllabus and should be part of classes on biological evolution, and that the transition from non-living to living matter is best understood when seen as part of evolutionary biology. The wide acceptance of evolutionary approaches to the study of the emergence of life in European and Latin American countries is discussed.     

Synthesis of 2′-N-Formamido Nucleosides and Biological Evaluation

The 2′-N-formamide derivatives of adenosine, cytidine, and 9-β-d-arabinofuranosyladenine were synthesized and tested (as triphosphate) for their substrate capacities for the HCV NS5B polymerase.     

Biological Activity of 1-Deazapurine Nucleosides: Role of Deoxycytidine Kinase?

Abstract

Several 1-deazapurine nucleosides were tested for their biological activity; anti-HIV-1, cytotoxicity and inhibition of adenosine deaminase (ADA). A2780 human ovarian cancer cells and the deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) deficient variant AG6000, used to determine whether dCK plays a role in their activation, showed a similar sensitivity to the analogs. This is in line with substrate specificity tests, which revealed a very low affinity of dCK.     

Biological activity of 1-deazapurine nucleosides: role of deoxycytidine kinase?

Several 1-deazapurine nucleosides were tested for their biological activity, anti-HIV-1, cytotoxicity and inhibition of adenosine deaminase (ADA). A2780 human ovarian cancer cells and the deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) deficient variant AG6000, used to determine whether dCK plays a role in their activation, showed a similar sensitivity to the analogs. This is in line with substrate specificity tests, which revealed a very low affinity of dCK.     

Biological Characteristics of Seeds of Endangered Plant Tetracentron sinense （Tetracentraceae）

By detecting the indicators of seeds such as the morphology and physiological characteristics within three consecutive years, the effects of different storage temperatures and time, and different media on seed germination of Tetracentron sinense were discussed, and also the endangered mechanism associated with biological characteristics of seeds was analyzed. The seeds of T.sinense were very small. No significant difference existed associated with seed morphology, 1000 seed weight, water content and plumpness, except for water absorption rate among seeds from different year, and the water absorption rate of seeds from 2007 was the fastest. The TTC results showed that the percentage of seed vigor was close to zero, but the vigor index of seeds among different year was respectively 0, 041 and 027, which indicated that TTC was not suitable for the estimation of Tsinense seed vigor. After stored at lower temperature, the germination rate of these seeds was respectively 125%、965%、708%, and the germination force was 1%、598%、418%. With the increase of storage time, seeds vigor of three years would decrease gradually, but the loss rate of seed vigor from 2007 was the slowest compared with other years. After stored at room temperature, the seed vigor would decrease even faster with the increase of storage time, compared with that stored at lower temperature. Different media had a certain effect on seed germination and seedling growth. The results showed that seed vigor from an abundant year was better than that of off year, and would decrease even slower than that of off year with the increase of storage time. The storage at lower temperature was favorable to the maintenance of seed vigor. The reasons resulted in severe danger related to Tsinense seeds are as follows: (1) Small seeds contributed to the spread and dispersal of species, was not beneficial to the survival of seed and seedling. (2) Perennial low temperature was not suitable for seed germination and the formation of a seedling pattern; (3) Perennial moist environment was not suitable for seed living through cold period safely.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of Biological Activity of Antimicrobial – Pro-Proliferative Peptide Conjugates

Skin represents the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in its protection from the negative impact of the outside environment, maintains its homeostasis, enables sensory interaction and thermoregulation. The traumatized skin tissue undergoes several phenotype switches due to progressive reoxygenation and release of cytokine and growth factors, that activate mechanisms of reparative processes. However, in case of wounds colonized with pathogenic microflora natural regenerative mechanisms become substantially impaired, that could lead to chronic inflammatory states with non-healing skin lesions. Herein, we present the initial results of our studies aimed at the design of bifunctional peptide-based compounds. The chemical approach, that was utilized in this work, was based on the conjugation of antimicrobial peptides with the peptides, that have potential pro-proliferative and/or cytoprotective activity towards human keratinocytes and fibroblasts, in order to obtain antimicrobials with reduced cytotoxicity or compounds that maintain both activities, i.e. inhibit bacterial or fungi growth and activate cell proliferation/migration in in vitro tests. As a result, we obtained a group of peptide conjugates that effectively inhibited the growth of selected bacterial and fungi strains and were able to stimulate proliferation and migration of keratinocytes and fibroblasts under their effective microbicidal concentrations.     

What is the purpose of launching World Journal of Biological Chemistry?

The first issue of World Journal of Biological Chemistry (WJBC), whose preparatory work was initiated on July 01, 2009, will be published on January 26, 2010. The WJBC Editorial Board has now been established and consists of 341 distinguished experts from 37 countries. Our purpose of launching WJBC is to publish peer-reviewed, high-quality articles via an open-access online publishing model, thereby acting as a platform for communication between peers and the wider public, and maximizing the benefits to editorial board members, authors and readers.     

Biological evaluation of novel benzisoxazole derivatives as PPARδ agonists

We discovered novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ agonists with a characteristic benzisoxazole ring. Compound 5 exhibited potent human PPARδ transactivation activity. Furthermore, it stimulated the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in vitro. This indicates that this potential drug may be effective for the treatment of demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis.     

Making Biological Materials

1 Chemistry and synthesis 1.1 Production and control of materials These days there can be few people who do not know that proteins are defined by DNA. DNA is made of two strands, each of which has along it, like a string of fairy lights, side branches that meet between the strands and hold them together. It is the sequence of these paired side branches （bases） that stores the information needed to define a protein. Three of the bases in sequence provide the information which, translated by the cell＇ s machinery, codes for a particular amino acid. Amino acids polymerise to make up specific proteins and, eventually, us. In defining an organism, that can weigh several tons, in its sequence of bases, the minute amount of DNA necessary for this task is an amazing example of data compression. When I was at school in Cambridge, shortly after Crick and Watson had worked out the basic structure of DNA for their Nobel prize, an enterprising breakfast cereal company had a cardboard cut-out DNA double spiral on the back of their packets. No doubt if you ate enough breakfasts you could save up for a whole gene. I don＇ t know what bit of protein the DNA coded for - I suspect no one did at the time. I remember another of the big names in genetics, Sydney Brenner （whose son went to our school and who later also got a Nobel prize）,     

Biological effects of radiofrequency fields: does modulation matter?

This commentary considers modulation as a factor of potential biological importance in assessment of risk of radiofrequency (RF) energy emitted by communications systems and other technologies. Modulation introduces a spread of frequencies into a carrier waveform, but in nearly all cases this spread is small compared to the frequency of the carrier. Consequently, any nonthermal (field-dependent) biological effects related to modulation must result from interaction mechanisms that are fast enough to produce a response at radiofrequencies. Despite considerable speculation, no such mechanisms have been established. While a variety of modulation-dependent biological effects of RF energy have been reported, few such effects have been independently confirmed. Some widely discussed effects, for example a reported modulation-dependent effect of RF fields on the efflux of calcium from brain tissue, remain controversial with no established biological significance. The lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying such effects prevents any assessment of their significance for communications signals with complex modulation characteristics. Future research should be directed at confirmation and mechanistic understanding of reported biological effects related to modulation. While modulation should be considered in the design of risk studies involving communications-type signals, it should not compromise other aspects of good study design, such as maintaining adequate statistical power and identifying dose-response relationships.     

Biological function of modified nucleotides T54 and Ψ55 of yeast tRNAAla

The 3′ half molecule of yeast tRNA^Ala (nucleotides 36–75) was hybridized with a DNA fragment (5′GGAATCGAACC 3′) and the hybrid was then digested withE. coli RNase H (from Boehringer). The enzyme can specifically cleave the 3′ half molecule at the 3′ side of nucleotide Ψ₅₅, thus a fragment C₃₆-Ψ₅₅ was prepared. The 3′-terminal T or TΨ of this fragment was removed by one or two cycles of periodate oxidation and β-elimination. The products were fragments C₃₆-T₅₄ and C₃₆-G₅₃. Three yeast tRNA_Ala fragments C₅₆-A₇₆, U₅₅-A₇₆ (with Ψ₅₅ replaced by U), U₅₄-A₇₆ (with T₅₄Ψ₅₅ replaced by UU) were synthesized and ligated with three prepared fragments (C₃₆-Ψ₅₅, C₃₆-T₅₄ and C₃₆-G₅₃) respectively by T4 RNA ligase. The products were further ligated with the 5′ half molecule (nu-cleotides 1–35). Using this method, one reconstituted yeast tRNA^Ala (tRNAr) and two yeast tRNA^ALa analogs: (i) tRNAa with U₅₅ instead of Ψ₅₅; (ii) tRNAb with U₅₄U₅₅ instead of T₅₄Ψ₅₅ were synthesized. The charging and incorporation activities of these three tRNAs were determined. In comparison with the reconstituted tRNA, the charging activity was 75% for tRNAa and 45% for tRNAb and the incorporation activity was 65% for tRNAa and 70% for tRNAb. These results suggest that the modified nucleotides T₅₄ and Ψ₅₅ play an important role in yeast tRNA^Ala function.     

Physical and Biological Properties of Phage φ29 Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules having a mean length of 5.8 mum were released from purified Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage phi29 with 2 m sodium perchlorate. Small 0.1 to 0.2-mum molecules were also detected in these DNA preparations. Since intact single chains annealed to form linear duplex molecules, phage phi29 DNA was found to be nonpermuted. The molecular weights of single chains of phi29 DNA were approximately half that of native DNA, as determined by analytical band sedimentation in CsCl, indicating that phi29 DNA is composed of two continuous polynucleotide chains. The molecular weight values of native and annealed phi29 DNA from sedimentation agreed with the molecular weight values obtained from electron microscopy. The infectivity of phi29 DNA was reduced to a low level by alkaline denaturation and was partially restored by annealing.     

A Calorimetric Study of Baker’s Cyst Biological Tissues

Biophysics - The results of calorimetric studies of a histological preparation of a surgically excised Baker’s cyst are presented. The measurements were performed on a DSC 204 F1 Phoenix...     

Optical Resolution and Biological Activities of α-Ionylideneacetic Acid.

Nuclease activity associated with cells and protoplasts was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Datura innoxia protoplasts were found to possess a high exonuclease activity. On the other hand, Datura innoxia cells had an endonuclease activity, but no apparent exonuclease. The exonucleases from the protoplasts were active at pH 5 and 6, but not at pH 9. Endonuclease activity from the cells was also inhibited at pH 9. Cultured cells of Daucus carota, Glycine max, Pisum sativum and Vicia hajastana had endonuclease activity, but did not exhibit exonuclease activity. Nicotiana suaveolens cells had both types of nuclease activity. On the other hand, cells from cereals such as Triticum monococcum, Oryza sativa, and Zea mays had active exonuclease activity.     

Biological Relevance of Natural α-Toxin Fragments from Staphylococcus aureus

Serine proteases represent an essential part of cellular homeostasis by generating biologically active peptides. In bacteria, proteolysis serves two different roles: a major housekeeping function and the destruction of foreign or target cell proteins, thereby promoting bacterial invasion. In the process, other virulence factors such as exotoxins become affected. In Staphylococcus aureus culture supernatant, the pore-forming α-toxin is cleaved by the coexpressed V8 protease and aureolysin. The oligomerizing and pore-forming abilities of five such spontaneously occurring N- and C-terminal α-toxin fragments were studied. ³H-marked α-toxin fragments bound to rabbit erythrocyte membranes but only fragments with intact C termini, missing 8, 12 and 71 amino acids from their N-terminal, formed stable oligomers. All isolated fragments induced intoxication of mouse adrenocortical Y1 cells in vitro, though the nature of membrane damage for a fragment, degraded at its C terminus, remained obscure. Only one fragment, missing the first eight N-terminal amino acids, induced irreversible intoxication of Y1 cells in the same manner as the intact toxin. Four of the isolated fragments caused swelling, indicating altered channel formation. Fragments missing 12 and 71 amino acids from the N terminus occupied the same binding sites on Y1 cell membranes, though they inhibited membrane damage caused by intact toxin. In conclusion, N-terminal deletions up to 71 amino acids are tolerated, though the kinetics of channel formation and the channel’s properties are altered. In contrast, digestion at the C terminus results in nonfunctional species.