蛋白质-核酸复合物界面氨基酸与核苷酸偏好性分析

蛋白质-核酸相互作用机制到目前还不是很清楚,尤其是蛋白质与RNA的相互作用。目前,可得到的蛋白质-核酸复合物结构数据不断增多,作者收集了Protein Data Bank数据库中所有的蛋白质-核酸复合物结构数据,对复合物中结合残基和结合核苷酸的偏好性进行了统计分析。发现：1）不同功能的蛋白质-核酸复合物间的结合残基数量存在显著差异;2）在蛋白 质-DNA和蛋白质-RNA复合物界面,碱性氨基酸都是最受欢迎的;3）氨基酸的极性大小及方向在决定它是否与RNA分子进行结合时起到重要的作用,同时发现氨基酸侧链形成的空间位阻会影响氨基酸残基与RNA分子的相互作用;4）随着定义结合残基距离阈值的增大,其氨基酸使用的特异性降低,而受欢迎与不受欢迎的氨基酸种类均没有变化。     

丙型肝炎病毒5

丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)RNA5′-非编码区(5′-NTR)由341个核苷酸组成,形成4个茎-环二级结构,5′-NTR二级结构及某些部分单链序列的核苷酸组成是病毒翻译起始的先决条件.5′-NTR中的大部分核苷酸序列组成内部核糖体进入位点(IRES),在宿主细胞蛋白质因子La自身抗原、eIF3、多聚嘧啶区结构蛋白(PTB)、多聚胞嘧啶结合蛋白(PCBP-1、2)等的作用下,形成复杂的翻译起始复合物,对HCV的翻译过程进行精确调控,完成帽状结构形成非依赖性的蛋白翻译过程.HCV RNA 5′-NTR翻译过程的分子生物学机制的研究,将有助于HCV治疗新方法和新途径的探索.     

丙型肝炎病毒5′-非编码区及其结合蛋白的研究进展

丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)RNA5′-非编码区(5′-NTR)由341个核苷酸组成,形成4个茎-环二级结构,5′-NTR二级结构及某些部分单链序列的核苷酸组成是病毒翻译起始的先决条件.5′-NTR中的大部分核苷酸序列组成内部核糖体进入位点(IRES),在宿主细胞蛋白质因子La自身抗原、eIF3、多聚嘧啶区结构蛋白(PTB)、多聚胞嘧啶结合蛋白(PCBP-1、2)等的作用下,形成复杂的翻译起始复合物,对HCV的翻译过程进行精确调控,完成帽状结构形成非依赖性的蛋白翻译过程.HCV RNA 5′-NTR翻译过程的分子生物学机制的研究,将有助于HCV治疗新方法和新途径的探索.     

基于量子进化算法的RNA序列-结构比对

多序列比对是计算分子生物学的经典问题,也是许多生物学研究的重要基础步骤．RNA作为生物大分子的一种,不同于蛋白质和DNA,其二级结构在进化过程中比初级序列更保守,因此要求在RNA序列比对中不仅要考虑序列信息,更要着重考虑二级结构信息．提出了一种基于量子进化算法的RNA多序列-结构比对程序,对RNA序列进行了量子编码,设计了考虑进结构信息的全交叉算子,提出了适合于进行RNA序列-结构比对的适应度函数,克服了传统进化算法收敛速度慢和早熟问题．在标准数据库上的测试,证实了方法的有效性．     

同义密码子的反常蛋白质二级结构偏好性

统计分析了 119种人蛋白质和 92种大肠杆菌蛋白质的mRNA序列和蛋白质二级结构的关系 .从二肽频数出发 ,研究了同义密码子使用对蛋白质二级结构的影响 ,证明其影响在 10 %到 2 0 %的量级 .对于人和大肠杆菌 ,在 90 %置信水平上 ,4 0 0对二肽中分别有 79对和 6 0对 ,在 95 %置信水平上 ,分别有 4 5对和 36对二肽的相应密码子二联体具有不同于氨基酸的反常二级结构偏好性 ,并且这种反常不能归因于随机涨落     

长链非编码RNA的微RNA海绵作用与呼吸系统疾病

长链非编码RNA（long non-coding RNAs, lncRNAs）是一类由长度大于200个核苷酸组成的长链非编码序列。lncRNAs具有较长的序列,使得lncRNAs具有复杂的二级及三级结构,这也是lncRNAs结合DNA、RNA和蛋白质及其行使复杂功能的结构基础。MicroRNA（miRNAs)是长度在19到25个核苷酸之间的非编码单链RNA分子,是目前研究最多的小分子非编码RNA。而lncRNAs通过结合或者螯合miRNA来调节miRNA丰度,发挥lncRNA的“海绵”作用,从而调控一系列的病理生理过程。lncRNAs及miRNA在呼吸系统疾病的发生、发展、治疗和预后起重要作用。本文就lncRNAs及其“海绵”作用对呼吸系统疾病的影响及可能的机制进行综述。     

基于蛋白质-DNA复合物晶体结构的DNA结构动力学特性研究

依据最新NDB数据库中蛋白质-DNA复合物晶体结构数据,考虑DNA结构的序列依赖特性,对10个二联体和36个约化的四联体计算了DNA动力学结构模型中的关键参数——力常数矩阵,矩阵中的非对角项反映了结构参数间的关联。利用改进的DNA结构动力学模型,可以方便地计算给定序列的结构动力学特性。     

预测蛋白质—蛋白质复合物结构的软对接算法

提出了一种有效的软对接算法 ,用于在已知受体和配体三维结构的条件下预测蛋白质 蛋白质复合物的结构。该算法的分子模型基于Janin提出的简化蛋白质模型 ,并在此基础上有所改进。对蛋白质分子表面的柔性氨基酸残基Arg、Lys、Asp、Glu和Met进行了特殊处理 ,通过软化分子表面的方式考虑了它们的侧链柔性。采用双重过滤技术来排除不合理的对接结构 ,此过滤技术是以复合物界面几何互补性和残基成对偏好性为标准提出的。对所得到的构象进行能量优化 ,之后用打分函数对这些结构进行排序 ,挑选出与复合物天然结构接近的构象。该打分函数包括静电、疏水和范德华相互作用能。用此算法对 2 6个复合物进行了结构预测 ,均找到了近天然结构 ,其中有 2 0个复合物的近天然结构排在了前 10位。改进的分子模型可以在一定程度上描述蛋白质表面残基侧链的柔性 ;双重过滤技术使更多的近天然结构保留下来 ,从而提高了算法成功预测的可能性 ;打分函数可以较合理地评价对接结构。总之 ,此种软对接算法能够对蛋白质分子识别的研究提供有益的帮助。     

微小RNA研究进展

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是一类长度为21-23核苷酸(nt)、进化上比较保守的非编码蛋白质的单链小RNA分子,它们一般通过Dicer酶从具有发夹二级结构的前体RNA加工而来。在真核生物的发育、基因表达等一系列过程中发挥了重要作用。     

基于打分函数的蛋白质二级结构的识别

本文首次将基于位置权重矩阵的打分函数用于蛋白质二级结构的预测中.我们选取CB513数据库作为基准数据库,首先在库中截取11残基和21残基片段,依据中心残基的二级结构类型分成3个集合;然后分别建立20种氨基酸、以及依据亲疏水性约化成的6种氨基酸在3个集合中的位置权重矩阵;对于任意一个待测的序列片段X通过和3个位置权重矩阵比较,应用打分函数得到3个不同的分值,比较哪个分值最大X就属于哪一类;最后在误差允许范围内对预测结果进行修正,得到的预测精度Q_3最高达到了80%.     

Guidelines for Articles and for Discussion and Debate

The Editorial Board of the American Anthropologist has prepared and the Executive Board approved the following guidelines for Articles and Discussion and Debate .     

Biobanks for genomics and genomics for biobanks

Biobanks include biological samples and attached databases. Human biobanks occur in research, technological development and medical activities. Population genomics is highly dependent on the availability of large biobanks. Ethical issues must be considered: protecting the rights of those people whose samples or data are in biobanks (information, autonomy, confidentiality, protection of private life), assuring the non-commercial use of human body elements and the optimal use of samples and data. They balance other issues, such as protecting the rights of researchers and companies, allowing long-term use of biobanks while detailed information on future uses is not available. At the level of populations, the traditional form of informed consent is challenged. Other dimensions relate to the rights of a group as such, in addition to individual rights. Conditions of return of results and/or benefit to a population need to be defined. With 'large-scale biobanking' a marked trend in genomics, new societal dimensions appear, regarding communication, debate, regulation, societal control and valorization of such large biobanks. Exploring how genomics can help health sector biobanks to become more rationally constituted and exploited is an interesting perspective. For example, evaluating how genomic approaches can help in optimizing haematopoietic stem cell donor registries using new markers and high-throughput techniques to increase immunogenetic variability in such registries is a challenge currently being addressed. Ethical issues in such contexts are important, as not only individual decisions or projects are concerned, but also national policies in the international arena and organization of democratic debate about science, medicine and society.     

Common pathways for growth and for plasticity

Cell growth and differentiation in developing tissues are, at first impression, quite different endeavors from readjusting synaptic strength during activity-dependent synaptic plasticity in mature neurons. Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly clear that these two distinct processes share multiple intracellular signaling events. How these common pathways result in cell division (during proliferation), large-scale cellular remodeling (during differentiation) or synapse-specific changes (during synaptic plasticity) is only starting to be elucidated. Here we review the latest findings on two prototypical examples of these shared mechanisms: the Ras-PI3K pathway and the intracellular signaling elicited by neural cell adhesion molecules interacting with growth factor receptors.     

Dissociation constants for dihydrofolic acid and dihydrobiopterin and implications for mechanistic models for dihydrofolate reductase

The dissociation constants (pKa) for the pteridine ring system of dihydrofolate (H2folate) have been redetermined, and those for dihydrobiopterin (H2biopterin) have been determined. Determination of the pKa for N5 of H2folate is complicated by the low solubility and instability of H2folate at pH 2-4, and other complicating factors. The initial rate of absorbance change due to degradation is a maximum at pH 2.5, and the products depend on the oxygen concentration: under aerobic conditions, (p-aminobenzoyl)glutamic acid and 7,8-dihydropterin-6-carboxaldehyde are major products. H2Biopterin is much more soluble and more stable at low pH. For protonation of N5, the pKa is 2.56 +/- 0.01 for H2biopterin and 2.59 +/- 0.03 for H2folic acid. Spectrophotometric determination of the pKa for the N3-O4 amide group of H2folate is subject to serious errors when a wavelength between 220 and 235 nm is used. These errors arise from the pH-dependent absorbance of mercaptoethanol often present in the preparation. The amide group has a pKa of 10.41 +/- 0.04 in H2biopterin and 10.85 +/- 0.04 in H2folate. The redetermined value for the pKa of N5 of H2folate has implications for mechanistic models for dihydrofolate reductase, and revised kinetic constants have been calculated for one model.     

Coding and traceability for cells,tissues and organs for transplantation

Modern transplantation of cells, tissues and organs has been practiced within the last century achieving both life saving and enhancing results. Associated risks have been recognized including infectious disease transmission, malignancy, immune mediated disease and graft failure. This has resulted in establishment of government regulation, professional standard setting and establishment of vigilance and surveillance systems for early detection and prevention and to improve patient safety. The increased transportation of grafts across national boundaries has made traceability difficult and sometimes impossible. Experience during the first Gulf War with miss-identification of blood units coming from multiple countries without standardized coding and labeling has led international organizations to develop standardized nomenclature and coding for blood. Following this example, cell therapy and tissue transplant practitioners have also moved to standardization of coding systems. Establishment of an international coding system has progressed rapidly and implementation for blood has demonstrated multiple advantages. WHO has held two global consultations on human cells and tissues for transplantation, which recognized the global circulation of cells and tissues and growing commercialization and the need for means of coding to identify tissues and cells used in transplantation, are essential for full traceability. There is currently a wide diversity in the identification and coding of tissue and cell products. For tissues, with a few exceptions, product terminology has not been standardized even at the national level. Progress has been made in blood and cell therapies with a slow and steady trend towards implementation of the international code ISBT 128. Across all fields, there are now 3,700 licensed facilities in 66 countries. Efforts are necessary to encourage the introduction of a standardized international coding system for donation identification numbers, such as ISBT 128, for all donated biologic products.     

Relationship Between Competence for Transfection and for Transformation

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from phage SPP1 is highly infectious on Bacillus subtilis competent cells; the efficiency of infection is 5 x 10(3) to 6 x 10(3) phage equivalents per plaque-forming unit. This DNA was used to study the relationship between competence for transfection and for transformation. The experiments were concerned with the frequency of infection and transformation in mutants exhibiting different levels of competence, the effect of periodate on competence for infection and for transformation, the competition between phage and bacterial DNA, the transformation of cells preinfected with phage DNA, and the infection of cells pretreated with bacterial DNA. The data show that B. subtilis cells competent for transformation are also competent for transfection and vice versa; transfection with phage DNA represents, therefore, a simple way to measure the total number of competent cells in a culture. The fraction of competent cells, determined by SPP1 DNA infection, varied from 10(-2) to 7 x 10(-2).