The Soluble Periplasmic Domains of Escherichia coli Cell Division Proteins FtsQ/FtsB/FtsL Form a Trimeric Complex with Submicromolar Affinity

Cell division in Escherichia coli involves a set of essential proteins that assembles at midcell to form the so-called divisome. The divisome regulates the invagination of the inner membrane, cell wall synthesis, and inward growth of the outer membrane. One of the divisome proteins, FtsQ, plays a central but enigmatic role in cell division. This protein associates with FtsB and FtsL, which, like FtsQ, are bitopic inner membrane proteins with a large periplasmic domain (denoted FtsQ_p, FtsB_p, and FtsL_p) that is indispensable for the function of each protein. Considering the vital nature and accessible location of the FtsQBL complex, it is an attractive target for protein-protein interaction inhibitors intended to block bacterial cell division. In this study, we expressed FtsQ_p, FtsB_p, and FtsL_p individually and in combination. Upon co-expression, FtsQ_p was co-purified with FtsB_p and FtsL_p from E. coli extracts as a stable trimeric complex. FtsB_p was also shown to interact with FtsQ_p in the absence of FtsL_p albeit with lower affinity. Interactions were mapped at the C terminus of the respective domains by site-specific cross-linking. The binding affinity and 1:1:1 stoichiometry of the FtsQ_pB_pL_p complex and the FtsQ_pB_p subcomplex were determined in complementary surface plasmon resonance, analytical ultracentrifugation, and native mass spectrometry experiments.     

19-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid analogs: Antagonism of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid-induced vascular sensitization and hypertension

19-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (19-HETE, 1), a metabolically and chemically labile cytochrome P450 eicosanoid, has diverse biological activities including antagonism of the vasoconstrictor 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE, 2). A SAR study was conducted to develop robust analogs of 1 with improved in vitro and in vivo efficacy. Analogs were screened in vitro for inhibition of 20-HETE-induced sensitization of rat renal preglomerular microvessels toward phenylephrine and demonstrated to normalize the blood pressure of male Cyp4a14(-/-) mice that display androgen-driven, 20-HETE-dependent hypertension.     

北京城区人工构筑物对比邻绿地土壤温度和含水量的影响

选取城市中分布最广的两类人工构筑物——沥青和混凝土为研究对象,采用构筑物-绿地梯度样带法,观测这2类典型城市构筑物对比邻绿地土壤温度和含水量的影响,分析不同构筑物的质地、面积、形态等构筑物特征对土壤水、热分布的影响强度及范围。研究显示:1)夏、秋季在构筑物-绿地梯度样带上,绿地土壤温度在比邻构筑物端(a点)处最高,并且白天中午、傍晚时段a点温度显著高于梯度上其他观测点和对照点;2)绿地土壤含水量在比邻构筑物端(a点)处最低,而且土壤含水量变化在梯度样带上从a点至远离构筑物端的对照点变化具有不确定性,可能受城区土壤蒸散、人工灌溉、土壤地下生物量等不确定因素的影响。3)梯度样带上土壤温度(T)和水分(W)与离a点距离(D)均呈现幂函数定量关系,即沥青样地T=0.7708(579.4957-0.9984D)0.5843,W=0.1970(0.0505+0.1347D)0.2262;混凝土样地T=0.7615(583.7027-1.0986D)0.5746,W=0.2224(-0.6019+0.3473D)0.0595。4)在构筑物-绿地梯度样带上,土壤温度和含水量受构筑物影响幅度大概在0—100 cm之间,而且随构筑物质地及分布格局、城市气象以及绿地构成、结构、人工管理方式等因素的影响而变化。     

A natural product enhances apoptosis via mitochondria/caspase-mediated pathway in HeLa cells

Cervical cancer is the fourth most lethal human malignancy and the leading cause of death among females around the world. Many antitumor agents have microbial origins. 5′-epi-SPA-6952A is a new 24-membered macrolide isolated from the cultured broth of Streptomyces diastatochromogenes. Therefore, we studied the activity and molecular mechanism of 5′-epi-SPA-6952A in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cell. The results showed that 5′-epi-SPA-6952A significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration. In addition, 5′-epi-SPA-6952A obviously increased the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species and DNA damage in HeLa cells. Moreover, nuclear shrinkage of cells, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, and upregulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio resulted in the release of cytochrome c, and activation of caspase-9/3 was observed in HeLa cells treated with 5′-epi-SPA-6952A, which means it enhanced the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis. Besides, DNA-damage associated proteins poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and p53 were also studied, and the expressions of cleaved-PARP and p53 were drastically increased in HeLa cells treated with 5′-epi-SPA-6952A. Furthermore, we confirmed that 5′-epi-SPA-6952A affected the survival of HeLa cells by blocking cell cycle progression in the G1 phase. Taken together, the results shows that 5′-epi-SPA-6952A significantly inhibited HeLa cells proliferation via intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and blocking cell migration.     

Large-Area,Low-Cost Infrared Metamaterial Fabrication Via Pulsed Laser Deposition with Metallic Mesh as a Shadow Mask

Metamaterials are artificial periodic structures with negative permittivity and permeability. Several interesting properties can be obtained in metamaterials, such as negative index behavior, which can be used for building perfect lenses, cloaking, antennas, etc. As the metamaterial’s properties are determined by its structure, the key challenge is to reduce the fabrication cost of the periodic structure on the micrometer or nanometer scale for realistic applications. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate a new one-step method for the fabrication of a large-area infrared metamaterial at extremely low cost. A metallic mesh is used as a shadow mask during the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process to fabricate a FeNi/SiC/FeNi multilayer sandwich structure on Si substrate (cm² level). The sample shows a strong absorption peak in the infrared frequency range, and the absorption intensity changes with the sample’s geometry.     

Apple Fruit Diameter and Length Estimation by Using the Thermal and Sunshine Hours Approach and Its Application to the Digital Orchard Management Information System

In apple cultivation, simulation models may be used to monitor fruit size during the growth and development process to predict production levels and to optimize fruit quality. Here, Fuji apples cultivated in spindle-type systems were used as the model crop. Apple size was measured during the growing period at an interval of about 20 days after full bloom, with three weather stations being used to collect orchard temperature and solar radiation data at different sites. Furthermore, a 2-year dataset (2011 and 2012) of apple fruit size measurements were integrated according to the weather station deployment sites, in addition to the top two most important environment factors, thermal and sunshine hours, into the model. The apple fruit diameter and length were simulated using physiological development time (PDT), an indicator that combines important environment factors, such as temperature and photoperiod, as the driving variable. Compared to the model of calendar-based development time (CDT), an indicator counting the days that elapse after full bloom, we confirmed that the PDT model improved the estimation accuracy to within 0.2 cm for fruit diameter and 0.1 cm for fruit length in independent years using a similar data collection method in 2013. The PDT model was implemented to realize a web-based management information system for a digital orchard, and the digital system had been applied in Shandong Province, China since 2013. This system may be used to compute the dynamic curve of apple fruit size based on data obtained from a nearby weather station. This system may provide an important decision support for farmers using the website and short message service to optimize crop production and, hence, economic benefit.     

0．23T稳恒磁场对不同温度离体过氧化氢酶的磁效应研究

研究了 0 .2 3T稳恒磁场对不同温度下的离体牛肝过氧化氢酶 (CAT)构象及活力的影响 ,并从分子水平讨论了磁场对不同温度的过氧化氢酶产生不同生物学效应的可能机制。将不同温度的天然酶液置于磁感应强度为0 .2 3T的磁场中分别处理一定的时间 ,处理过程中保持环境温度与酶液温度一致 ,撤离磁场后立即在相同实验条件下对其进行光谱分析及量热分析 ,并用Beers&Sizers法 (改良型 )测定酶活力。结果表明 ,磁场使 2 5℃过氧化氢酶的构象发生明显变化 ,表现为荧光偏振度增加、出现明显的差示扫描量热曲线、产生λ2 10nm～ 310nm的紫外差光谱以及λ330nm荧光发射峰的荧光强度改变 (荧光发射峰的峰位未移动 ) ,构象变化的同时酶活力增加 ;15℃过氧化氢酶的构象及活力变化规律与 2 5℃过氧化氢酶类似 ,但强度均弱于 2 5℃酶 ;而 4℃过氧化氢酶的构象及活力没有发生变化 ,表现出未受磁场处理的影响。相同实验条件下 ,磁场对不同温度的酶分子影响不同 ,随温度的增加 ,影响效应趋于显著。由于不同温度的酶分子之间的差异在于构象状态的不同 ,这表明酶分子自身的构象状态对磁场处理效果有极其重要的影响。不同温度的过氧化氢酶磁效应差异显著可能是由磁致酶构象变化的特殊机制所引起。磁场对酶分子构象的影响可能是通