A lithium-induced conformational change in serotonin transporter alters cocaine binding, ion conductance, and reactivity of Cys-109.

Inactivation of serotonin transporter (SERT) expressed in HeLa cells by [2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl]methanethiosulfonate (MTSET) occurred much more readily when Na(+) in the reaction medium was replaced with Li(+). This did not result from a protective effect of Na(+) but rather from a Li(+)-specific increase in the reactivity of Cys-109 in the first external loop of the transporter. Li(+) alone of the alkali cations caused this increase in reactivity. Replacing Na(+) with N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMDG(+)) did not reduce the affinity of cocaine for SERT, as measured by displacement of a high affinity cocaine analog, but replacement of Na(+) with Li(+) led to a 2-fold increase in the K(D) for cocaine. The addition of either cocaine or serotonin (5-HT) protected SERT against MTSET inactivation. When SERT was expressed in Xenopus oocytes, inward currents were elicited by superfusing the cell with 5-HT (in the presence of Na(+)) or by replacing Na(+) with Li(+) but not NMDG(+). MTSET treatment of oocytes in Li(+) but not in Na(+) decreased both 5-HT and Li(+) induced currents, although 5-HT-induced currents were inhibited to a greater extent. Na(+) antagonized the effects of Li(+) on both inactivation and current. These results are consistent with Li(+) inducing a conformational change that exposes Cys-109, decreases cocaine affinity, and increases the uncoupled inward current.     

Hyperphagia and hyperdipsia after locus coeruleus lesions in the stumptailed monkey.

Bilateral lesions of the nucleus locus coeruleus in 7 female stumptail monkeys were followed by long lasting hyperphagia and hyperdipsia. The percentage increase in weight at five weeks after lesioning correlated highly with 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenethylene glycol (MHPG) concentration in the cerebral cortex. This relationship suggests that the effects are due to the locus coeruleus system and are not the result of variable destruction of the ventral noradrenergic or adjacent non-noradrenergic pathways.     

Concerning the biosynthesis of prostaglandin I2

Two diastereoisomers, 5R,6R-5-hydroxy-6(9α)-oxido-11α,15S-dihydroxyprost-13-enoic acid (7) and 5S,6S-5-hydroxy-6(9α)-oxido-11α,15S-dihydroxyprost-13-enoic acid (10) were synthesized for evaluation as possible biosynthetic intermediates in the enzymatic transformation of PGH₂ or PGG₂ into PGI₂. The synthetic sequence entails the stereospecific reduction of the 9-keto function in PGE₂ methyl ester after protecting the C-11 and C-15 hydroxyls as tbutyldimethylsilyl ethers. The resulting PGF_2α derivative was epoxidized exclusively at the C-5 (6) double bond to yield a mixture of epoxides, which underwent facile rearrangement with SiO₂ to yield the 5S,6S and 5R,6R-5-hydroxy-6(9α)-oxido cyclic ethers. It was found that dog aortic microsomes were unable to transform radioactive 9β-5S,6S[³H] or 9β-5R,6R[³H]-5-hydroxy-6(9α)-oxido cyclic ethers into PGI₂. Also, when either diastereoisomer was included in the incubation mixture, neither isomer diluted the conversion of [1-¹⁴C]arachidonic acid into [1-¹⁴C]PGI₂.     

金沙江干热河谷区田菁根瘤菌多样性与系统发育

[目的]揭示金沙江干热河谷区这一特殊地理环境下田菁根瘤菌的多样性和系统发育地位. [方法]采用了数值分类、16S rDNA PCR-RFLP、16S rDNA和GSⅡ序列分析方法.[结果]数值分类结果表明:在93%的水平上,待测菌株分布于6个群,其中4个群分别与R.tropici、 R.etli、 S.saheli、A.rubi的参比菌株聚在一起,两个群没有参比菌株与之聚群.16S rDNA PCR-RFLP结果与数值分类基本一致,只有两个独立群有所差异.16S rDNA序列分析表明:两独立群中心菌株SCAU176 和SCAU144与R.huautlense聚在一起,与该种同源性分别为100%和98.9%.GSⅡ序列分析中SCAU176 和SCAU144单独聚在一起,与最近的参比菌株R.tropici的同源性系数在90%以下.[结论]金沙江干热河谷区田菁根瘤菌具有较为丰富的多样性,在系统发育地位上分布于Sinorhizobium、Agrobacterium和Rhizobium三个属.     

Zinc tetraaminophthalocyanine-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite for laccase immobilization

Zinc tetraaminophthalocyanine-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composites were prepared by organic-inorganic complex technology and characterized. It has been proved that the ZnTAPc dispersed randomly onto the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles to form molecular dispersion layer and there was a relatively strong bond between central zinc cation and oxygen. The nanoparticle composite took the shape of roundish spheres with the mean diameter of about 15 nm. Active amino groups of magnetic carriers could be used to bind laccase via glutaraldehyde. The optimal pH for the activity of the immobilized laccases and free laccase were the same at pH 3.0 and the optimal temperature for laccase immobilization on ZnTAPc-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite was 45 degrees. The immobilization yields and K(m) value of the laccase immobilized on ZnTAPc-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composite were 25% and 20.1 microM, respectively. This kind of immobilized laccase has good thermal, storage and operation stability, and could be used as the sensing biocomponent for the fiber optic biosensor based on enzyme catalysis.     

Effects of small interfering RNAs targeting MAPK1 on gene expression profile in HeLa cells as revealed by microarray analysis

The mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling cascade plays an important role in cell life. We proved that small interfering RNAs targeting MAPK1 (siRNA-2) could inhibit HeLa cell growth, but the effects of siRNA-2 on gene expression profile were unclear. Using Affymetrix GeneChip HG-U133A 2.0, we identified the long-term changes for 48h in gene expression profile in HeLa cell treated by siRNA-2. The results showed that expressions of 181 genes were altered by siRNA-2 and were divided into two groups: (i) one group showed downregulation by siRNA-2, including the proliferation associated genes, small G protein, cytoskeleton associated protein and extracellular matrix associated protein; and (ii) the other group showed upregulation by siRNA-2, including interferon response genes, OAS family, TRIM family and apoptosis associated genes. The results of Real-time quantitative PCR for MAPK1, NUP188, P38, STAT1, STAT2, MPL and OAS1 were consistent with that of gene chip. Two networks were found to react substantially to the downregulation of MAPK1 by siRNA-2. One of the networks regulates cell growth through cell-cycle control, apoptosis and cytoskeleton. The other network is related to interferon-like response. Our findings suggest that siRNA-mediated downregulation of MAPK1 could be an attractive strategy for cancer therapy.     

Structural insight into the mechanisms of Wnt signaling antagonism by Dkk

Dickkopf (Dkk) proteins are antagonists of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and are crucial for embryonic cell fate and bone formation. Wnt antagonism of Dkk requires the binding of the C-terminal cysteine-rich domain of Dkk to the Wnt coreceptor, LRP5/6. However, the structural basis of the interaction between Dkk and low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) 5/6 is unknown. In this study, we examined the structure of the Dkk functional domain and elucidated its interactions with LRP5/6. Using NMR spectroscopy, we determined the solution structure of the C-terminal cysteine-rich domain of mouse Dkk2 (Dkk2C). Then, guided by mutagenesis studies, we docked Dkk2C to the YWTD beta-propeller domains of LRP5/6 and showed that the ligand binding site of the third LRP5/6 beta-propeller domain matches Dkk2C best, suggesting that this domain binds to Dkk2C with higher affinity. Such differential binding affinity is likely to play an essential role in Dkk function in the canonical Wnt pathway.