Crystallization of metastable beta glycine from gas phase via the sublimation of alpha or gamma form in vacuum

It is found that beta glycine, the metastable polymorph of glycine, can be rapidly formed from gas phase via the sublimation of its stable alpha or gamma form in vacuum. The transformation process was monitored by infrared spectroscopy and the crystal structure of the sublimate was identified by X-ray diffraction techniques. It is the first report about the transformation of stable alpha or gamma glycine into metastable beta form in "one-step" (heating then cool down spontaneously). Crystallization of beta glycine from gas phase is very different from other methods that require additives in solution. The hydrogen-bonding interaction and self-assembling of amino acid were discussed based on the observations.     

Solution structure of tRNA<Superscript>Val</Superscript> from refinement of homology model against residual dipolar coupling and SAXS data

A procedure is presented for refinement of a homology model of E. coli tRNA^Val, originally based on the X-ray structure of yeast tRNA^Phe, using experimental residual dipolar coupling (RDC) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data. A spherical sampling algorithm is described for refinement against SAXS data that does not require a globbic approximation, which is particularly important for nucleic acids where such approximations are less appropriate. Substantially higher speed of the algorithm also makes its application favorable for proteins. In addition to the SAXS data, the structure refinement employed a sparse set of NMR data consisting of 24 imino N–H^N RDCs measured with Pf1 phage alignment, and 20 imino N–H^N RDCs obtained from magnetic field dependent alignment of tRNA^Val. The refinement strategy aims to largely retain the local geometry of the 58% identical tRNA^Phe by ensuring that the atomic coordinates for short, overlapping segments of the ribose-phosphate backbone and the conserved base pairs remain close to those of the starting model. Local coordinate restraints are enforced using the non-crystallographic symmetry (NCS) term in the XPLOR-NIH or CNS software package, while still permitting modest movements of adjacent segments. The RDCs mainly drive the relative orientation of the helical arms, whereas the SAXS restraints ensure an overall molecular shape compatible with experimental scattering data. The resulting structure exhibits good cross-validation statistics (jack-knifed Q _free = 14% for the Pf1 RDCs, compared to 25% for the starting model) and exhibits a larger angle between the two helical arms than observed in the X-ray structure of tRNA^Phe, in agreement with previous NMR-based tRNA^Val models. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

偏分离分子标记的作图方法

对取自MAPMAKER软件小鼠F2群体(含333个体)的5个RFLP连锁标记数据作了共显性分子标记偏分离的分析。先确定选择类型的方程组(配子或合子),随后采用Newton-Raphson迭代法估算标记间的重组值。在构建分子标记遗传图谱时,如果两个相邻标记均存在偏分离,最好采用纳入偏分离因子的估算方法。在估计F2群体标记间偏分离重组距离上,用连续χ2检测方法比传统χ2检测更为准确。Abstract The comparative analysis of segregation distortions of the codominant markers data presented in software MAPMAKER are made, where five RFLPs markers involve in a mouse F2 population with 333 individuals. The successive χ2 test begins with the determinations of gametic or zygotic selection types, followed by the estimation of recombination fractions between two markers with the Newton-Raphson iteration method. It is better to use the molecular marker showing segregation distortion for constructing a genetic map, in the case of seriously skew segregation between both the adjoining markers. The successive χ2 test provides better accuracy than that of classical χ2 test for the estimation of the recombination values in F2 population with segregation distortion.     

偏分离分子标记的作图方法

对取自MAPMAKER软件小鼠F_2群体(含333个体)的5个RFLP连锁标记数据作了共显性分子标记偏分离的分析。先确定选择类型的方程组(配子或合子),随后采用Newton-Raphson迭代法估算标记间的重组值。在构建分子标记遗传图谱时,如果两个相邻标记均存在偏分离,最好采用纳入偏分离因子的估算方法。在估计F_2群体标记间偏分离重组距离上,用连续x~2检测方法比传统x~2检测更为准确。     

Identification of binding epitope of a monoclonal antibody (Z12) against human TNF-α using computer modeling and deletion mutant technique

Humantumornecrosisfactor-a(hTNF-a)isanunglycosylated,pleiotropiccytokinewithnumerousbiologicaleffectsincludingcytotoxicandproinflam-matoryactivities[1].Asrevealedbytheresearchwithmurinemodel,hTNF-playedakeyroleinmanydis-easessuchasrheumatoidarthritis,multiplesclerosisandinflammatoryboweldisease[2],andtherefore,be-cameausefultargetoftherapyforthediseases.Neu-tralizingmonoclonalantibody(mAb)againsthTNF-,asanagentblockinghTNF-activity,hasbeenusedfortherapyofthosediseasesabove[3,4].ThemAb,de…     

Observation on the initial inoculum source and dissemination of Entomophthorales-caused epizootics in populations of cereal aphids

A total number of 1092 migratory alates were trapped from air in wheat grown area of Yuanyang County, Henan Province from early April through May 2002 in order to confirm the source and dissemination of entomophthoralean inocula to cause epizootics of cereal aphids. Those included 415 Sitobion avenae, 642 Rhopalosiphum padi, 22 Metopolophium dirhodum, and 13 Schizaphis graminum. The trapped alates were daily collected and individually reared for 7 days on wheat plants in laboratory. Of those 341 alates died of fungal infection, taking 31.2% in the trapped alates. These included 224 S. avenae, 106 R. padi, 8 M. dirhodum, and 3 S. graminum. Deaths of all infected alates occurred during the first 5 days and 78.9% of the deaths occurred within the first 3 days. Individual examination under microscope proved that all deaths were attributed to entomophthoralean fungi. Of those Pandora neoaphidis accounted for 84.6%, Conidiobolus obscurus for 9.9%, and Entomophthora planchoniana for 5.5%. Four alate deaths die     

Screening and identification of Shigella flexneri 2a virulence-related genes induced after invasion of epithelial cells

~~Screening and identification of Shigella flexneri 2a virulence-related genes induced after invasion of epithelial cells1. Jin, Q., Yuan, Z., Xu, J., Wang, Y., Shen, Y., Lu, W., Wang, J., Liu, H., Yang, J., Yang, P., Zhang, X., Zhang, J., Yang, G, Wu, H., Qu, D., Dong, J., Sun, L., Xue, Y, Zhao, A., Gao, Y., Zhu, J., Kan, B., Ding, K.. Chen, S., Cheng, H., Yao, Z., He, B., Chen, R., Ma, D., Qiang, B., Wen, Y, Hou, Y., Yu, J., Genome sequence of Shigella flexneri 2…     

植物蛋白质组学研究进展

植物结构蛋白质组学研究目的在不断变化。早期旨在比较不同基因型和株系,估测系统发育距离。随后是用蛋白N端Edman测序法或氨基酸分析法鉴定蛋白。如今,应用双向凝胶电泳和质谱法,已能联手成功地解决蛋白分离和鉴定问题。这将有助于对不同突变系与野生型作比较和对不同的表达基因鉴定,应用数据库和作图软件有可能获得功能蛋白构象。     

Remodeling of host membranes during herpesvirus assembly and egress

Many viruses,enveloped or non-enveloped,remodel host membrane structures for their replication,assembly and escape from host cells.Herpesviruses are important human pathogens and cause many diseases.As large enveloped DNA viruses,herpesviruses undergo several complex steps to complete their life cycles and produce infectious progenies.Firstly,herpesvirus assembly initiates in the nucleus,producing nucleocapsids that are too large to cross through the nuclear pores.Nascent nucleocapsids instead bud at the inner nuclear membrane to form primary enveloped virions in the perinuclear space followed by fusion of the primary envelopes with the outer nuclear membrane,to translocate the nucleocapsids into the cytoplasm.Secondly,nucleocapsids obtain a series of tegument proteins in the cytoplasm and bud into vesicles derived from host organelles to acquire viral envelopes.The vesicles are then transported to and fuse with the plasma membrane to release the mature virions to the extracellular space.Therefore,at least two budding and fusion events take place at cellular membrane structures during herpesviruses assembly and egress,which induce membrane deformations.In this review,we describe and discuss how herpesviruses exploit and remodel host membrane structures to assemble and escape from the host cell.