Different alternative splicing patterns are subject to opposite selection pressure for protein reading frame preservation

Background  

Alternative splicing (AS) has been regarded capable of altering selection pressure on protein subsequences. Particularly, the frequency of reading frame preservation (FRFP), as a measure of selection pressure, has been reported to be higher in alternatively spliced exons (ASEs) than in constitutively spliced exons (CSEs). However, recently it has been reported that different ASE types – simple and complex ASEs – may be subject to opposite selection forces. Therefore, it is necessary to re-evaluate the evolutionary effects of such splicing patterns on frame preservation.     

大连渤海老虎滩海域沉积物可培养放线菌的多样性

【目的】研究大连渤海老虎滩海域可培养放线菌的多样性。【方法】利用5种不同的培养基分离、培养海洋沉积物中的放线菌,并用16S rRNA基因序列对部分放线菌株进行系统发育分析。【结果】根据菌落表型共分离到1215株放线菌。选择271株具有代表性的菌株进行16S rRNA分析,结果表明,251株(92.26%)属于放线菌门,覆盖11个科,15个属;其余20株属于厚壁门和变形菌门;有7株为潜在的新种。【结论】大连渤海老虎滩海域的沉积物中存在较为丰富的放线菌和新种资源,这些菌株为将来开发新的微生物代谢产物奠定了基础。     

正常人长时数字记忆信息提取的神经基础的功能磁共振研究

本文旨在通过功能磁共振成像(functional magnetic resonance imaging,fMRI)技术研究正常人进行长时数字记忆信息提取的神经基础。选取22名右利手志愿者进行长时数字记忆任务实验,采用组块设计,记忆任务与对照任务交替进行,同时利用Siemens 1.5T超导型磁共振仪进行fMRI成像,采用SPM99软件进行数据分析,脑功能区定位在Talairach坐标中显示。结果显示被试者在进行长时数字记忆提取任务时,激活最显著的皮层是左侧额中回(Brodmann分区9区,BA9区),另外左额叶内侧回、左额下回、右额下回、扣带回、左顶下小叶、左顶上小叶、右顶上小叶、右颞中回、左枕舌回、左枕中回、右中脑、小脑、右尾状核尾部等结构也有激活,各大脑皮层的激活均呈现明显的左侧半球优势。根据上述结果推论,长时数字记忆由以左侧大脑半球为优势的各脑区共同参与完成,其中左侧额叶外侧面可能是信息提取的重要结构,而其它脑叶及其之间的广泛联系可能在数字信息的加工、处理和存储中起重要作用。     

Salvaging Pyrococcus furiosus Protein Targets at SECSG

Proteins derived from the coding regions of Pyrococcus furiosus are targets for three-dimensional X-ray and NMR structure determination by the Southeast Collaboratory for Structural Genomics (SECSG). Of the 2200 open reading frames (ORFs) in this organism, 220 protein targets were cloned and expressed in a high-throughput (HT) recombinant system for crystallographic studies. However, only 96 of the expressed proteins could be crystallized and, of these, only 15 have led to structures. To address this issue, SECSG has recently developed a two-tier approach to protein production and crystallization. In this approach, tier-1 efforts are focused on producing protein for new Pfu(italics?) targets using a high-throughput approach. Tier-2 protein production efforts support tier-1 activities by (1) producing additional protein for further crystallization trials, (2) producing modified protein (further purification, methylation, tag removal, selenium labeling, etc) as required and (3) serving as a salvaging pathway for failed tier-1 proteins. In a recent study using this two-tiered approach, nine structures were determined from a set of 50 Pfu proteins, which failed to produce crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction analysis. These results validate this approach and suggest that it has application to other HT crystal structure determination applications.     

Changes of primary sequence and secondary structure proximal to the 5′ end of the stop codon substantially increases the expression of the variable region of an antibody in <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis>

The sequence context at the 5 end of the stop codon may influence the efficiency of termination and translation. To increase the expression of a designed variable region of an antibody (named as VH5) against tumor necrosis factor (TNF), two nucleotides (TC) at 25 and 26 nucleotides (nt) upstream of termination codon were substituted with AG, respectively. The free energy of 70 nt (arbitrarily defined from the 32 nt upstream of termination codon to 38 nt downstream) was changed from –13.5 kcal mol^-1 to –17.3 kcal mol^-1. The expression level was increased from 1 ± 0.3% to 10 ± 1.2% of total cellular protein. Although the precise mechanism of this phenomenon remains to be elucidated, this report provides an alternative means to increase the expression of a foreign gene in E. coli. Revisions requested 18 October 2004; Revisions received 26 November 2004     

Central and peripheral cardiovascular actions of apelin in conscious rats

APJ was cloned as an orphan G protein-coupled receptor and shares a close identity with angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). Apelin is a peptide that has recently been identified as an endogenous ligand of the APJ. Apelin and APJ mRNA are expressed in peripheral tissue and the central nervous system. However, little is known about the effects of apelin in cardiovascular regulation. To examine the central and peripheral role of apelin, we injected the active fragment of apelin [(Pyr1)apelin-13] intracerebroventricularly (ICV, 5 and 20 nmol, n=6) or intravenously (IV, 20 and 50 nmol, n=4 or 5) in conscious rats. ICV injection of (Pyr1)apelin-13 dose-dependently increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) (19+/-3 mm Hg and 162+/-26 bpm at 20 nmol). Pretreatment with ICV injection of the AT1R antagonist (CV-11974, 20 nmol) did not alter the apelin-induced increase in MAP and HR. IV injection of (Pyr1)apelin-13 also dose-dependently increased MAP and HR (13+/-2 mm Hg and 103+/-18 bpm at 50 nmol); however, the peripheral effects of apelin were relatively weak compared to its central effects. Expression of c-fos in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of hypothalamus was increased in the rat that received ICV injection of (Pyr1)apelin-13 but not in the rat that received IV injection of (Pyr1)apelin-13. These results suggest that apelin plays a role in both central and peripheral cardiovascular regulation in conscious rats, and that the cardiovascular effects of apelin are not mediated by the AT1R.     

低分子量肝素对妊高征大鼠肾脏病变的保护作用及机制初步探讨

目的:研究低分子量肝素(LMWH)对妊高征大鼠肾脏损伤的作用及其细胞内信号转导机制.方法:采用注射L-NAME方法制备妊高征动物模型,将妊娠大鼠随机分为正常妊娠组、妊高征组、LMWH治疗组,测定各组平均动脉压、尿蛋白、血肌酐及血尿素氮,观察LMWH对肾脏各指标的影响及肾脏出现的病理学变化;同时采用免疫组化、RT-PCR及Western Blot方法检测ERK1/2在各组的表达变化.结果:LMWH治疗组肾脏组织ERK1/2的蛋白及mRNA表达水平明显低于妊高征组(P＜0.01),而妊高征组肾脏组织ERK的蛋白及mRNA表达水平明显高于正常妊娠组(P＜0.01),ERK1与ERK2在各组大鼠肾脏中的表达无差异;治疗组平均动脉压及尿蛋白明显低于非治疗组(P＜0.05),但仍未达正常妊娠水平;HE染色和PAS染色为治疗组肾小球系膜增生、基底膜增厚较非治疗组明显减轻.ERK蛋白主要分布于肾小球中.结论:LMWH对妊高征大鼠肾脏损伤具有一定的防护作用,其机制可能是通过下调ERK1/2的表达来实现.     

A highly sensitive biosensor with (Con A/HRP)n multilayer films based on layer-by-layer technique for the detection of reduced thiols

The bilayer of Con A/HRP through the biospecific affinity of concanavalin A (Con A) and glycoprotein horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was prepared on the surface of an Au electrode modified by the precursor film consisted of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) poly(sodium-p-styrene-sulfonate). Atomic force microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were adopted to monitor the uniform layer-by-layer assembly of the Con A/HRP bilayers. The amperometric measurement was based on the inhibition of reduced thiols and performed in the presence of the electron mediator hydroquinone in 0.2 M phosphate buffer of pH 6.5 at an applied potential of −0.15 V versus Ag/AgCl. Under the optimal conditions, the biosensor presented a linear response for cysteine from 0.1 to 23.5 μM, with a detection limit of 0.02 μM. The biosensor demonstrated high stability and repeatability. A series of reduced thiols were detected by this inhibition biosensor and oxidized thiols showed no effect on the current response of the biosensor.     

Tetraena mongolica Maxim can accumulate large amounts of triacylglycerol in phloem cells and xylem parenchyma of stems

Tetraena mongolica Maxim is a narrowly monotypic genus of Zygophyllaceae found in a very limited area in the western part of Inner Mongolia, China. The plant is called "oil firewood" and its stems and branches are used as fuelwood. As triacylglycerol (TAG) is the main component of the plant oil, the TAG content was analyzed, as were the distribution of oleosomes in different tissues of the stem. This was in order to ascertain whether the term "oil firewood" referred to this storage lipid. Stems of T. mongolica indeed contained high levels of TAG (approximately 46 mg/g of dry matter or DM). The concentration of TAG in phloem (90 mg/g of DM) was much higher than that in xylem (20mg/g of DM), and semi-thin sections stained by Sudan Black B showed that almost all cells in the phloem contained oleosomes whereas in the xylem, oleosomes were found only in parenchymatous cells. These results suggest that T. mongolica has a high capacity to accumulate TAG in its stem cells.