Dictyoclostus cf.neoinflatus Licharew的拟内疹

有铰纲腕足动物的壳壁疹孔,具有分类及生态方面的意义。十九世纪中叶,M.D.Carpenter(1853)用光学显微镜,观察了穿孔贝类的壳壁穿孔。以后,K.M.Hatai(1940)、P.E.Cloud(1942)以及A.Williams(1956,1965)等,对此类构造均作过描述,并称之为内疹(Endopuncta)。1968年Williams利用电子显微镜,研究了现代穿孔贝内疹的超微形态,并对其成因和功能作了较详细的探讨。     

Spectroscopic properties of ironthiosemicarbazone compounds. Structure of [Fe(C7H7N4S)2]·1.25H2O

The reaction of FeCl₃ and HL, where HL=C₇H₈N₄S, pyridine-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, at physiological pH values in air gives rise to a powder of composition C₁₄H₁₆Cl_0.3FeN₈O_1.2S₂ which contains iron(II)- and iron(III)-thiosemicarbazone species. This fact confirms the reducing character of the ligand in neutral and basic media. The [Fe(C₇H₇N₄S)₂]·1.25H₂O compound has been isolated. The crystal structure consists of discrete monomeric cationic entities containing low-spin iron(II) ions in a distorted octahedral environment. The metal ion is bonded to one sulfur and two nitrogen atoms of each thiosemicarbazone molecule. The powdered X-band EPR spectra of C₁₄H₁₆Cl_0.3FeN₈O_1.2S₂ show a significant variation with temperature which can be explained considering an ‘exchange narrowing’ phenomenon, in good accordance with the presence of antiferromagnetic interactions. The Mössbauer measurements are in good agreement with the existence of one iron(II) and two iron(III) low-spin species, with relative areas of 69, 17 and 14%, respectively.     

Metabolomics – an overview. From basic principles to potential biomarkers (part 2)

The metabolome, which represents the complete set of molecules (metabolites) of a biological sample (cell, tissue, organ, organism), is the final downstream product of the metabolic cell process that involves the genome and exogenous sources. The metabolome is characterized by a large number of small molecules with a huge diversity of chemical structures and abundances. Exploring the metabolome requires complementary analytical platforms to reach its extensive coverage. The metabolome is continually evolving, reflecting the continuous flux of metabolic and signaling pathways. Metabolomic research aims to study the biochemical processes by detecting and quantifying metabolites to obtain a metabolic picture able to give a functional readout of the physiological state. Recent advances in mass spectrometry (one of the mostly used technologies for metabolomics studies) have given the opportunity to determine the spatial distribution of metabolites in tissues. In a two-part article, we describe the usual metabolomics technologies, workflows and strategies leading to the implementation of new clinical biomarkers. In this second part, we first develop the steps of a metabolomic analysis from sample collection to biomarker validation. Then with two examples, autism spectrum disorders and Alzheimer's disease, we illustrate the contributions of metabolomics to clinical practice. Finally, we discuss the complementarity of in vivo (positron emission tomography) and in vitro (metabolomics) molecular explorations for biomarker research.     

Thermodynamic Analyses of Nucleotide Binding to an Isolated Monomeric β Subunit and the α3β3γ Subcomplex of F1-ATPase

Rotation of the γ subunit of the F₁-ATPase plays an essential role in energy transduction by F₁-ATPase. Hydrolysis of an ATP molecule induces a 120° step rotation that consists of an 80° substep and 40° substep. ATP binding together with ADP release causes the first 80° step rotation. Thus, nucleotide binding is very important for rotation and energy transduction by F₁-ATPase. In this study, we introduced a βY341W mutation as an optical probe for nucleotide binding to catalytic sites, and a βE190Q mutation that suppresses the hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphate (NTP). Using a mutant monomeric βY341W subunit and a mutant α₃β₃γ subcomplex containing the βY341W mutation with or without an additional βE190Q mutation, we examined the binding of various NTPs (i.e., ATP, GTP, and ITP) and nucleoside diphosphates (NDPs, i.e., ADP, GDP, and IDP). The affinity (1/K_d) of the nucleotides for the isolated β subunit and third catalytic site in the subcomplex was in the order ATP/ADP > GTP/GDP > ITP/IDP. We performed van’t Hoff analyses to obtain the thermodynamic parameters of nucleotide binding. For the isolated β subunit, NDPs and NTPs with the same base moiety exhibited similar ΔH⁰ and ΔG⁰ values at 25°C. The binding of nucleotides with different bases to the isolated β subunit resulted in different entropy changes. Interestingly, NDP binding to the α₃β(Y341W)₃γ subcomplex had similar K_d and ΔG⁰ values as binding to the isolated β(Y341W) subunit, but the contributions of the enthalpy term and the entropy term were very different. We discuss these results in terms of the change in the tightness of the subunit packing, which reduces the excluded volume between subunits and increases water entropy.     

Production of fertile somatic hybrids of Gossypium hirsutum?+?G. bickii and G. hirsutum?+?G. stockii via protoplast fusion

Fertile somatic hybrids were obtained via symmetric electrofusion of protoplasts from two combinations of tetraploid cotton (G. hirsutum cv. Coker 201, AD genome) and diploid wild cottons G. bickii (G genome) and G. stockii (E genome), respectively. Observation by morphological, flow cytometric analysis, chromosome counting and RAPD analysis of the tested hybrids of Coker 201 + G. bickii and Coker 201 + G. stockii confirmed the regenerated plants as hybrid status. Cytological investigation of the metaphase root-tip cells revealed there were 78 chromosomes in the hybrids. Flow cytometric analysis showed the tested plants had a relative DNA contents close to the total DNA contents of the two parents. RAPD analysis revealed the hybrids contained specific genomic fragments from both fusion partners, further confirmed their hybridity. The morphology of the hybrids was intermediate between the two fusion partners. The hybrid plants were successfully transferred to the soil, and they bloomed and set bolls. It is sure that the new hexaploids developed by cell fusion would contribute to cotton breeding through backcrossing with the elite genotypes of G. hirsutum.     

Myxococcus sp.V11海藻糖合酶TreS II分子改造 *

来源于黏细菌Myxococcus sp.V11的海藻糖合酶(trehalose synthase, EC 2.4.1.245)TreS II可通过转糖苷作用将麦芽糖转化成为海藻糖,在酶法生产海藻糖上显示出一定的应用潜力,但TreS II对热敏感,在60℃保温3h,酶活性丧失,限制了其应用范围.目的:拟探索TreS II影响热稳定性的氨基酸残基构成,通过对可能的氨基酸位点进行定点突变,以期获得耐热性的突变子,扩大TreS II应用范围.方法: 通过PCR介导的方法对TreS II可能影响到热稳定性的氨基酸Q3,A283,W374,R449和Y537进行定点突变,以野生型重组酶为对照,比较突变型与野生型的最适反应温度和最适反应pH,通过测定不同温度下保存不同时间后的残留酶活,检测突变子的耐热效果.结果: 研究表明突变子Q3D,A283R,W374D,R449Q和Y537H的比酶活与野生型无显著差异,且最适pH 和最适反应温度也未发生改变;A283R,Y537H在60℃条件下,3h后活性剩余68%;Q3D,W374D,R449Q在温度60℃时,3h后活性剩余35%.结论: TreS II分子结构中与金属离子结合的几个氨基酸残基的改变对蛋白质分子的耐热性具有显著影响.