Special Issue: 2019 Consortium for Trans-Pyrenean Investigations on Obesity and Diabetes

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - This Special Issue of the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry contains 6 contributions that exemplify the advances obtained by the mini-network entitled...     

向本刊2018年度审稿专家致谢

2018年度,共有386位专家为《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》审稿,他们的辛勤劳动保证了学报的学术质量,他们提出的中肯意见帮助了作者提高科研水平和论文写作质量。在此,编辑部谨向所有的审稿专家致以最诚挚的感谢！以下为审稿专家姓名,其中审稿3篇以上的专家被评为优秀审稿专家。 (专家名单详见pdf文件） 《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》编辑部 2019 年1月     

向本刊2017年度审稿专家致谢

The editorial office of Journal of Chinese Biochemistry and Molecular Biology wishes to give our sincere gratitude to the following reviewers who have provided their valuable reports and detailed comments for our journal during 2017. Your contributions are vital for the ever improving scientific quality of the journal and essential for the development of the journal. Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology January,2018     

向本刊2016年度审稿专家致谢

一年一度春来到,金鸡报晓春来早！感谢各位审稿专家2016年的陪伴,是你们在百忙之中的辛苦工作,才有了学报一期期保质保量的出版。《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》送走了2016年12期,迎来了2017年的第1期。2016年我们有许多新的尝试,微信公众号的发布、最新录用栏目的启用、还有特约综述的推出,学报点滴的进步都离不开各位专家的帮助,这是期刊向前的步伐,这是属于你我的荣光！2016年度共有238名审稿专家为我刊审稿,其中审稿3篇以上的被评为优秀审稿专家。祝各位专家新春快乐！ 名单详见pdf。 《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》编辑部 2017年1月     

向本刊2019年度审稿专家致谢

2019年度,共有368位专家为《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》审稿,他们的辛勤劳动保证了学报的学术质量,他们提出的中肯意见帮助作者提高了科研水平和论文写作质量。在此,编辑部谨向所有的审稿专家致以最诚挚的感谢！以下为审稿专家姓名,其中审稿3篇以上的专家被评为优秀审稿专家。     

向本刊2019年度审稿专家致谢

2019年度,共有368位专家为《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》审稿,他们的辛勤劳动保证了学报的学术质量,他们提出的中肯意见帮助作者提高了科研水平和论文写作质量。在此,编辑部谨向所有的审稿专家致以最诚挚的感谢！以下为审稿专家姓名,其中审稿3篇以上的专家被评为优秀审稿专家。     

In memory of Professor Leonor Michaelis in Nagoya: Great contributions to biochemistry in Japan in the first half of the 20th century

Leonor Michaelis spent the years of 1922–1926 as Professor of Biochemistry of the Aichi Medical College (now Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University) in Nagoya, Japan. Michaelis succeeded in gathering many bright young biochemists from all over Japan into his laboratory, and made tremendous contributions to the promotion of biochemistry in Japan. Michaelis was invited to many places in Japan to present lectures over those years. Kunio Yagi, who was Professor of Biochemistry at Nagoya University in the second half of the 20th century, succeeded in crystallizing the “Michaelis” enzyme–substrate complex. Historically, Michelis has had an enormous impact on biochemistry in Japan.     

Simulation analysis of the stability mutant R96H of T4 lysozyme

Free energy simulation methods are used to analyze the effects of the mutation Arg 96----His on the stability of T4 lysozyme. The calculated stability change and the lack of significant structural rearrangement in the folded state due to the mutation are in agreement with experimental studies [Kitamura, S., & Sturtevant, J. M. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 3788-3792; Weaver, L. H., et al. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 3793-3797]. By use of thermodynamic integration, the contributions of specific interactions to the free energy change are evaluated. It is shown that a number of contributions that stabilize the wild type or the mutant partially cancel in the overall free energy difference; some of these involve the unfolded state. Comparison of the results with conclusions based on structural and thermodynamic data leads to new insights into the origin of the stability difference between wild-type and mutant proteins. Of particular interest is the importance of the contributions of more distant residues, solvent water, and the covalent linkage of the mutated amino acid. Also, the analysis of the interactions of Arg/His 96 with the C-terminal end of a helix (residues 82-90) makes it clear that the nearby carbonyl groups (Tyr 88 and Asp 89) make the dominant contribution, that the amide groups do not contribute significantly, and that the helix-dipole model is inappropriate for this case.     

Recognition of damaged DNA by Escherichia coli Fpg protein: insights from structural and kinetic data

Formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) excises oxidized purines from damaged DNA. The recent determination of the three-dimensional structure of the covalent complex of DNA with Escherichia coli Fpg, obtained by reducing the Schiff base intermediate formed during the reaction [Gilboa et al., J. Biol. Chem. 277 (2002) 19811] has revealed a number of potential specific and non-specific interactions between Fpg and DNA. We analyze the structural data for Fpg in the light of the kinetic and thermodynamic data obtained by the method of stepwise increase in ligand complexity to estimate relative contributions of individual nucleotide units of lesion-containing DNA to its total affinity for this enzyme [Ishchenko et al., Biochemistry 41 (2002) 7540]. Stopped-flow kinetic analysis that has allowed the dissection of Fpg catalysis in time [Fedorova et al., Biochemistry 41 (2002) 1520] is also correlated with the structural data.     

向本刊2020年度审稿专家致谢

《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》（以下称《学报》）一直秉承严格的同行评议制度,2020年度共有411位审稿专家为《学报》审稿,他们的辛勤工作保证了本刊的学术质量。有作者向我们反映,每次投稿,都能收到编辑部的建设性意见,使他们的科研工作做得更加完善,提高了文章的学术水平和写作质量,受益匪浅。近几年《学报》的投稿量在持续增加,2020年增加幅度更大,同时也加大了审稿专家的工作量。在此,编辑部谨向所有的审稿专家致以最诚挚的感谢！以下为审稿专家名单,其中审稿3篇以上、审稿认真的专家被评为优秀审稿专家。 《中国生物化学与分子生物学报》编辑部 2021年1月     

Stability of XGCGCp, GCGCYp, and XGCGCYp helixes: an empirical estimate of the energetics of hydrogen bonds in nucleic acids

The stabilizing effects of dangling ends and terminal base pairs on the core helix GCGC are reported. Enthalpy and entropy changes of helix formation were measured spectrophotometrically for AGCGCU, UGCGCA, GGCGCCp, CGCGCGp, and the corresponding pentamers XGCGCp and GCGCYp containing the GCGC core plus a dangling end. Each 5' dangling end increases helix stability at 37 degrees C roughly 0.2 kcal/mol and each 3' end from 0.8 to 1.7 kcal/mol. The free energy increments for dangling ends on GCGC are similar to the corresponding increments reported for the GGCC core [Freier, S. M., Alkema, D., Sinclair, A., Neilson, T., & Turner, D. H. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 4533-4539], indicating a nearest-neighbor model is adequate for prediction of stabilization due to dangling ends. Nearest-neighbor parameters for prediction of the free energy effects of adding dangling ends and terminal base pairs next to G.C pairs are presented. Comparison of these free energy changes is used to partition the free energy of base pair formation into contributions of "stacking" and "pairing". If pairing contributions are due to hydrogen bonding, the results suggest stacking and hydrogen bonding make roughly comparable favorable contributions to the stability of a terminal base pair. The free energy increment associated with forming a hydrogen bond is estimated to be -1 kcal/mol of hydrogen bond.     

高校生物化学首堂课教学方法探索与实践

生物化学作为医学、生命科学等专业学生必修的一门学科基础课程,理论性强、概念抽象、内容较多、逻辑关系复杂,是教学难度相对较大的一门课程。本文通过阐述在首堂课授课过程中,从任课教师如何塑造良好的自身形象,如何形象生动地引入生物化学的研究内容,如何通过展现生物化学的魅力来激发学生的学习热情和兴趣,如何使用巧妙的方法学好这门课程,以及如何将课程思政理念融入到生物化学课程中等诸多方面,探讨了在授课过程中的一些教学方法和实践,以期改变生物化学课堂不受学生喜爱的现状,为生物化学课程教学改革提供一些思路和参考。     

Conformational changes in the progesterone binding globulin-progesterone complex.

An improved purification procedure for the progesterone-binding globulin (PBG) of the pregnant guinea pig has been developed utilizing sulfopropyl Sephadex, a strong cation exchanger, in the first step. The method exploits the low pI (2.8) and favorable acid stability of the glycoprotein. Subsequent chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-200 afford a highly purified PBG that exhibits the previously observed polydispersity (R.M. Burton et al. (1974), Biochemistry 13, 3554-3561). Circular dichroism, optical rotatory dispersion, and difference uv spectra all indicate the purified protein to undergo a conformational transition upon forming a complex with a steroid ligand. The CD and ORD spectra cannot be interpreted in terms of tertiary structure probably due to carbohydrate contributions. However, the difference spectra indicate strong perturbation of both a tryptophan residue and the steroid chromophore in the complex.     

大学化学知识融入本科核心课程生物化学的教学刍议

本科的化学基础知识是生命科学专业的核心课程"生物化学"的重要基础.本文在对生物化学与大学化学知识的密切关系进行学理分析的基础上,对无机化学、有机化学、分析化学和物理化学四门课中与生物化学内容密切相关的知识点进行梳理和总结.以肽键、酶作用机制、蛋白质纯化为例,给出化学基础知识对生物化学知识点的关联性.借助第二课堂启迪学生...     

“互联网+”教育在生物化学课程中应用的分析与思考

在"互联网+"教育的大力推广之下,微课、慕课、翻转课堂、手机课堂等多种教学模式应运而生。通过在生物化学课程中运用"互联网+"教学模式:教师课前准备并向学生发布相关学习资源、学生预习情况和预习效果的评价、学生成绩量化标准,取得了初步的成效。本文从我国"互联网+生物化学"教育现状、"互联网+"教育在生物化学课程中的应用以及生物化学课程与"互联网+"教育结合的未来发展等三个方面进行了阐述。     

Correction to: Transcriptome analysis of flowering genes in mango (Mangifera indica L.) in relation to floral malformation

Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Correction to: Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology     

On the binding determinants of the glutamate agonist with the glutamate receptor ligand binding domain

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (GluRs) are ligand-gated membrane channel proteins found in the central neural system that mediate a fast excitatory response of neurons. In this paper, we report theoretical analysis of the ligand-protein interactions in the binding pocket of the S1S2 (ligand binding) domain of the GluR2 receptor in the closed conformation. By utilizing several theoretical methods ranging from continuum electrostatics to all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemical calculations, we were able to characterize in detail glutamate agonist binding to the wild-type and E705D mutant proteins. A theoretical model of the protein-ligand interactions is validated via direct comparison of theoretical and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measured frequency shifts of the ligand's carboxylate group vibrations [Jayaraman et al. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 8693-8697; Cheng et al. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 1602-1608]. A detailed picture of the interactions in the binding site is inferred by analyzing contributions to vibrational frequencies produced by protein residues forming the ligand-binding pocket. The role of mobility and hydrogen-bonding network of water in the ligand-binding pocket and the contribution of protein residues exposed in the binding pocket to the binding and selectivity of the ligand are discussed. It is demonstrated that the molecular surface of the protein in the ligand-free state has mainly positive electrostatic potential attractive to the negatively charged ligand, and the potential produced by the protein in the ligand-binding pocket in the closed state is complementary to the distribution of the electrostatic potential produced by the ligand itself. Such charge complementarity ensures specificity to the unique charge distribution of the ligand.     

The integrative nature of biochemistry: challenges of biochemical education in the USA

The intricate interplay of Biochemistry with well-established disciplines often blurs the identity of the subject. The issues are many. What is biochemical education? Who should be educated? What should be taught? What should the requirements be for Biochemistry major? What is a career in Biochemistry? The curriculum, course syllabus and application of Biochemistry are ever-evolving concerns. The challenges are particularly keen in the USA due to the diversity in its teaching modes, and in the composition of the student body. The constant changes in technologies also shift the needs of skill and knowledge of the graduates. This presentation is to examine the Biochemistry degree programs in the USA, particularly the curricula of private and public research universities, contrasting them with those of the liberal arts colleges. The goal is to sense the trends of changes, probing how the challenges are met, and to solicit and formulate recommendations as we approach a new millennium.     

Binding energy and catalysis: deoxyfluoro sugars as probes of hydrogen bonding in phosphoglucomutase.

Estimates of the contributions of hydrogen-bonding interactions with each of the sugar hydroxyls to the binding of the substrate alpha-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate both in the ground state and at the transition state for the initial phosphoryl transfer have been obtained by kinetic studies. Michaelis parameters (kcat and Km) for a complete series of deoxy- and deoxyfluoro-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl phosphates provide insight into specific interactions with each hydroxyl at the transition state. Inhibition constants (Ki) for a series of deoxygenated and fluorinated analogues of the competitive inhibitor 6-deoxy-6-fluoro-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl phosphate provide insight into ground-state interactions. Interactions at each hydroxyl are found to strengthen only slightly upon progressing from the ground state to the transition state in contrast to that seen with glycogen phosphorylase [Street et al. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 1581] where transition-state interactions became much stronger. This is in accord with the mechanisms for these two enzymes where no distortion of the sugar ring occurs for phosphoglucomutase, whereas considerable distortion is expected for glycogen phosphorylase.     

Association of biochemistry grades with performance in pharmacology and anatomy in a Saudi Arabian medical college

The College of Medicine, King Khalid University of Abha, Saudi Arabia currently accepts 100 students a year, up from 50 to 70 students four years ago. The first-year students take four science courses (Biology,Chemistry, Physics, and Statistics) in addition to some general university requirement courses. Biochemistry is offered in the second year, Anatomy in the second and third year and Pharmacology in the fourth year. This study was carried out to determine the correlation between the performance of medical students in Biochemistry and their performance in Anatomy and Pharmacology. Data were obtained from two groups of students (Group 22 and 23) of the years 1995 and 1996 who had already taken Biochemistry, Anatomy and Pharmacology. Performance was equal in Pharmacology but in biochemistry performance of group 23 was clearly lower than group 22. Scores of students in Biochemistry course strongly correlated with the basic Pharmacology course (r=0.714, P<0.0001). Scores in Anatomy also correlated with those in Biochemistry (r=0.616, P<0.001) but much less with scores in Pharmacology (r=0.345, P<0.01).