梭菌MH18 菌株诱导碳酸盐矿物的形成

【目的】研究细菌作用下碳酸盐矿物的形成过程有助于了解微生物成矿的机理。【方法】在LagoaVermelha培养基中(Mg/Ca为6:1)对一株分离自土壤样品的梭菌MH18菌株进行了为期35天的碳酸盐矿物培养实验,同时还完成了一组无菌对照实验。利用X-射线衍射技术对沉淀物的矿物成分进行了测定,利用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜对沉淀物的形态进行了系统的观察。【结果】MH18菌株在Lagoa Vermelha培养基中诱导形成了以高镁方解石为主的碳酸盐矿物;这些矿物起初具有哑铃状的外形,后来发展为球状;无菌对照实验中出现少量沉淀物,但X-射线衍射技术图谱显示它们是非晶态物质。【结论】MH18菌株具有促进碳酸盐矿物结晶的功能;碳酸盐矿物的特殊形态(哑铃状和球状)可能与细菌形态存在着某种成因上的联系。     

The mouse Wnt/PCP protein Vangl2 is necessary for migration of facial branchiomotor neurons, and functions independently of Dishevelled

During development, facial branchiomotor (FBM) neurons, which innervate muscles in the vertebrate head, migrate caudally and radially within the brainstem to form a motor nucleus at the pial surface. Several components of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, including the transmembrane protein Vangl2, regulate caudal migration of FBM neurons in zebrafish, but their roles in neuronal migration in mouse have not been investigated in detail. Therefore, we analyzed FBM neuron migration in mouse looptail (Lp) mutants, in which Vangl2 is inactivated. In Vangl2(Lp/+) and Vangl2(Lp/Lp) embryos, FBM neurons failed to migrate caudally from rhombomere (r) 4 into r6. Although caudal migration was largely blocked, many FBM neurons underwent normal radial migration to the pial surface of the neural tube. In addition, hindbrain patterning and FBM progenitor specification were intact, and FBM neurons did not transfate into other non-migratory neuron types, indicating a specific effect on caudal migration. Since loss-of-function in some zebrafish Wnt/PCP genes does not affect caudal migration of FBM neurons, we tested whether this was also the case in mouse. Embryos null for Ptk7, a regulator of PCP signaling, had severe defects in caudal migration of FBM neurons. However, FBM neurons migrated normally in Dishevelled (Dvl) 1/2 double mutants, and in zebrafish embryos with disrupted Dvl signaling, suggesting that Dvl function is essentially dispensable for FBM neuron caudal migration. Consistent with this, loss of Dvl2 function in Vangl2(Lp/+) embryos did not exacerbate the Vangl2(Lp/+) neuronal migration phenotype. These data indicate that caudal migration of FBM neurons is regulated by multiple components of the Wnt/PCP pathway, but, importantly, may not require Dishevelled function. Interestingly, genetic-interaction experiments suggest that rostral FBM neuron migration, which is normally suppressed, depends upon Dvl function.     

The crystal structure of the MPN domain from the COP9 signalosome subunit CSN6

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is a multiprotein complex containing eight subunits and is highly conserved from fungi to human. CSN is proposed to widely participate in many physiological processes, including protein degradation, DNA damage response and signal transduction. Among those subunits, only CSN5 and CSN6 belong to JAMM family. CSN5 possesses isopeptidase activity, but CSN6 lacks this ability. Here we report the 2.5 Å crystal structure of MPN domain from Drosophila melanogaster CSN6. Structural comparison with other MPN domains, along with bioinformation analysis, suggests that MPN domain from CSN6 may serve as a scaffold instead of a metalloprotease.Structured summary of protein interactionsCSN6 and CSN6 bind by x-ray crystallography (View interaction)CSN6 and CSN6 bind by x ray scattering (View interaction)     

Effect of hydration on the structure of non aqueous ethyl cellulose/propylene glycol dicaprylate gels

Changes in the structural properties of ethyl cellulose/propylene glycol dicaprylate systems (EC/PGD), intended for topical drug delivery, upon addition of water were investigated. Although designed to be a non-aqueous vehicle for moisture sensitive drugs, these systems are expected to experience an aqueous environment during production, storage and application on the skin. Hence, the interaction of water molecules with the non aqueous gel system and their distribution within the gel network is of interest and critical to its application. Experimental techniques of this study were small-deformation dynamic oscillation in shear, modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), (2)H NMR spectroscopy, ATR-infrared spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns and light microscopy. Rheological profiles of the gels containing moisture from 0.1 to 40.0% (w/w) deviated considerably from that of the non aqueous system at levels of water above 10.0% in preparations. Gradual replacement of the EC/PGD dipole interactions with stronger hydrogen bonding between ethyl cellulose chains, as the level of hydration increased, contributed to these observations. Formation of clusters of ethyl cellulose, observed under a light microscope, was thus ensued. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the rearrangement of the polymer chains led to the loss of liquid crystal structures found in the anhydrous gel. MDSC and (2)H NMR were used to further shed light on the thermodynamic state of added water molecules in the gels. Plots of enthalpy obtained calorimetrically and a good correlation between MDSC and (2)H NMR data indicate that gels with less than two percent hydration contain water in a non-freezable bound state, whereas freezable moieties are obtained at levels of hydration above five percent in composite (EC/PGD/water) gels.     

Crystal and solution structures of methyltransferase RsmH provide basis for methylation of C1402 in 16S rRNA

RsmH is a specific AdoMet-dependent methyltransferase (MTase) responsible for N(4)-methylation of C1402 in 16S rRNA and conserved in almost all species of bacteria. The methylcytidine interacts with the P-site codon of the mRNA and increases ribosomal decoding fidelity. In this study, high resolution crystal structure (2.25?) of Escherichia coli RsmH in complex with AdoMet and cytidine (the putative rRNA binding site) was determined. The structural analysis demonstrated that the complex consists of two distinct but structurally related domains: the typical MTase domain and the putative substrate recognition and binding domain. A deep pocket was found in the conserved AdoMet binding domain. It was also found that the cytidine bound far from AdoMet with the distance of 25.9?. It indicates that the complex is not in a catalytically active state, and structural rearrangement of RsmH or the nucleotides neighboring C1402 may be necessary to trigger catalysis. Although there is only one molecule in the asymmetric unit of the crystals, RsmH can form a compact dimer across a crystallographic twofold axis. Further analysis of RsmH by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) also revealed the dimer in solution, but with a more flexible conformation than that in crystal, likely resulting from the absence of the substrate. It implies that an active status of RsmH in vivo is achieved by a formation of the dimeric architecture. In general, crystal and solution structural analysis provides new information on the mechanism of the methylation of the fine-tuning ribosomal decoding center by the RsmH.     

Characterization and biological function analysis of the trim3a gene from zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The biological significance of tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins is increasingly being appreciated due to their roles in a broad range of biological processes that associated with innate immunity. In this study, we have described the structural and functional analysis of TRIM3a from zebrafish. Annotation of domain architectures found that the TRIM3a fulfills the TRIM-NHL rule of domain composition with a Filamin/ABP280 domain and NHL repeats at its C-terminal region. In addition, the mRNA expression level of TRIM3a was the highest in brain, and with a relatively higher level in spleen, liver, and gill. A strong expression starting at 36 h post fertilization (hpf) was observed by real-time PCR and could be detected in brain by in situ hybridization, suggesting that TRIM3a protein might play an important role in brain development in zebrafish. Considering that TRIM3a has a RING finger domain, we expressed and purified the TRIM3a protein and performed ubiquitylation assays, our results showed that TRIM3a underwent self-polyubiquitylation in combination with E1, UbcH5c, biotin-ubiquitin in vitro. Meanwhile, TRIM3a-R without the RING domain was expressed and purified as well, in vitro ubiquitylation assays showed that the self-ubiquitylation of TRIM3a was dependent on its RING domain, suggesting that TRIM3a might function as a RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase.