Identification of Contaminations Hiding Beneath the α- and β-Subunits of Partially Purified Nitrogenase MoFe Protein on the Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Gel

To identify the unknown proteins that would contaminate the α- and β-subunits of nitrogenase MoFe protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis （SDS-PAGE）, the partially purified MoFe protein （Avl） preparation was obtained from Azotobacter vinelandii Lipmann OP by chroma- tography on DEAE-cellulose （DE52） and Sephacryl S-200 columns and analyzed by PAGE and matrix- assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight （MALDI-TOF） mass spectrometry. The Av 1 preparation was shown to have two main bands at the position of the α- and β-subunits of crystalline Avl on the SDS gel. However, on the anoxic native PAGE, in addition to the Avl band, the preparation was shown to have three other main bands that migrated slower than Av 1. Of these three main bands, the protein with the fastest migration was identified as bacterioferritin elsewhere. The proteins on the other two bands, termed Upper and Middle, were suggested to be two different homopolymers with the same apparent subunit electrophoretic mobilities as the α- and β-subunits of Avl, respectively. By analysis of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, the Upper was identified as GroEL, which belongs to the heat shock protein 60 family, and the Middle was identified as glucose-6-phosphate isomerase （PGI）. In our preparation, anoxic native electrophoresis indicated that GroEL was composed of 14 identical subunits and that PGI was composed of 10 identical subunits. This is the first report of PGI, with so many subunits. The contaminating proteins in the Av 1 preparation, mainly GroEL and PGI, could be totally or partially removed from Av 1 if the shoulders and center of the elution peak were collected separately from the Sephacryl S-200 column and the center fraction was purified further by Q-Sepharose developed with an NaC1 concentration gradient. Thus, Avl with more than 90% purity was obtained. Obviously, this modified method is useful for the purification of mutant MoFe proteins with a high purity.     

Chlorophyll Fluorescence Detected Passively by Difference Reflectance Spectra of Wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） Leaf

The chlorophyll fluorescence （CF） signature emitted from vegetation provides an abundance of information regarding photosynthetics activity and has been used as a powerful tool to obtain physiological information of plant leaves in a non-invasive manner. CF is difficult to quantify because the CF signal is obscured by reflected light. In the present study, the apparent reflectance spectra of wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） leaves were measured under illuminations with and without filtering by three specially designed long-wave pass edge filters; the cut-off wavelengths of the three filters were 653.8, 678.2, and 694. l nm at 50% of maximum transmittance. The CF spectra could be derived as the reflectance difference spectra of the leaves under illuminations with and without the long wave pass edge filters. The ratio of the reflectance difference at 685 and 740 nm （Dif685/Dif740） was linear correlated with the CF parameters （maximal photochemical efficiency Fv/Fm, and the yield of quantum efficiency） measured by the modulated fluorometer. In addition, the ratio reflected the water stress status of the wheat leaf, which was very high when water deficiency was serious. This method provides a new approach for detecting CF and the physiological state of crops.     

Roles of HIV-1 auxiliary proteins in viral pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions

Active host-pathogen interactions take place during infection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 （HIV-1）. Outcomes of these interactions determine the efficiency of viral infection and subsequent disease progression. HIV-infected cells respond to viral invasion with various defensive strategies such as innate, cellular and humoral immune antiviral mechanisms. On the other hand, the virus has also developed various offensive tactics to suppress these host cellular responses. Among many of the viral offensive strategies, HIV-1 viral auxiliary proteins （Tat, Rev, Nef, Vif, Vpr and Vpu） play important roles in the host-pathogen interaction and thus have significant impacts on the outcome of HIV infection. One of the best examples is the interaction of Vif with a host cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G. Although specific roles of other auxiliary proteins are not as well described as Vif-APOBEC3G interaction, it is the goal of this brief review to summarize some of the preliminary findings with the hope to stimulate further discussion and investigation in this exhilarating area of research.     

An editorial overview： HIV/AIDS in China

China has come a long way in fighting against HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Chinese government has taken an active role in combating this detrimental disease and such a welcome attitude by the Chinese government will certainly provide a positive spin on its effort in reducing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China.     

Regulation of apoptotic signal transduction pathways by the heat shock proteins

With progressing recognition of apoptosis in bio-logical and medical sciences, the apoptotic signal transduction has rapidly become a dominant project to reveal the molecular mechanisms of apoptotic process. A lot of researches about apoptotic signal transduction have showed the expression of heat shock proteins was closely correlated with cell growth and differen-tiation, and involved in the regulation of apoptosis in different signal transduction pathways. Here we re-view the effects of hsps…     

一种新的DNA芯片的封闭方法

提出了一种新的DNA芯片的封闭方法：1-碘丙烷封闭方法,并对1-碘丙烷和琥珀酸酐两种不同的封闭方法的封闭效果进行了比较实验,研究封闭试剂、封闭时间对氨基DNA芯片杂交结果所产生的影响。结果表明： 1-碘丙烷封闭效果明显好于琥珀酸酐的封闭效果,用1-碘丙烷封闭后的芯片进行杂交,芯片杂交信号强、背景噪声低,灵敏度高,整个封闭过程实验操作简单,时间短,1h即可达到所需效果。1-碘丙烷可以作为一种很好的DNA芯片封闭试剂。Abstract: Suggested a new blocking method for DNA microarray: 1- iodo -propane .we compared the difference between the two block reagents and the blocking results in different blocking time. The results showed that 1-I-prppane is batter-blocking reagent than succinic anhydride in DNA chip.1h blocking time is enough for blocking.     

Mechanism of cellobiose inhibition in cellulose hydrolysis by cellobiohydrolase

An experimental study of cellobiose inhibition in cellulose hydrolysis by synergism of cellobiohydrolyse I and endoglucanase I is presented. Cellobiose is the structural unit of cellulose molecules and also the main product in enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. It has been identified that cellobiose can strongly inhibit hydrolysis reaction of cellulase, whereas it has no effect on the adsorption of cellulase on cellulose surface. The experimental data of FT-IR spectra, fluorescence spectrum and circular dichroism suggested that cellobiose can be combined with trypto-phan residue located near the active site of cellobiohydrolase and then form steric hindrance, which prevents cellulose molecule chains from diffusing into active site of cellulase. In addition, the molecular conformation of cellobiohydrolase changes after cellobiose binding, which also causes most of the non-productive adsorption. Under these conditions, microfibrils cannot be separated from cellulose chains, thus further hydrolysis of cell     

延边安图立新发现的砾石石器

2006年9月,在延边地区安图县永庆乡立新村东北的第4级阶地上发现石制品71件;其中,6件出自粉砂质黄土层,其余为地表采集.石制品的种类包括石核、石片、细石叶、工具和断块等,石制品体现出砾石工业的特征,遗址的年代属于旧石器时代晚期或稍早.     

陕西屋梁山自然保护区鸟兽物种多样性初步研究

2005年对秦岭西段南坡的屋梁山自然保护区的鸟兽物种多样性进行了初步调查.在保护区内发现有166种鸟类和68种兽类.其中29种是中国特有种,37种是国家重点保护动物,21种鸟兽具有灭绝风险.在区系组成方面,南方动物区系占有优势,但鸟类的过渡性特征更明显.根据海拔和生境划分的三个垂直分布带,每个分布带鸟兽的多样性组成都不相同.基于对鸟兽物种多样性的评价,表明屋梁山保护区具有较高的保护价值.     

基于遥感及突变理论的生态环境脆弱性时空演变——以黄河三角洲垦利县为例

本文应用熵、突变论等非线性科学理论研究生态环境脆弱性问题,借助遥感手段,设置生态环境样方,对黄河三角洲垦利县典型生态脆弱区的生态环境脆弱性的时空演变进行了系统研究,建立了生态环境脆弱性的分析与判断方法.结果表明：在1987—2005年间,样方生态环境趋于恶化,其生态环境脆弱性在1997年和2004年发生了两次突变,前者主要源于风暴潮和黄河来水量的减少,主要表现为生境的变化和优势种的更替;后者主要源于黄河来水量的减少和蒸降比的升高及水库的大量修建、道路和人口密度的增加,生态环境脆弱性主要表现为植被类型和覆盖率的变化.在空间层面,从与黄河和海洋不同距离的两个方向上,分析了生态环境脆弱性的空间变化,证明了生态环境脆弱性空间上的渐变性.该研究对生态环境脆弱性的定量化研究是一个新的尝试,并提供了一种新的有效方法.