Remodeling of nuclear architecture during the cell cycle in Drosophila embryos

Little is known about what determines the nuclear matrix or how its reorganization is regulated during mitosis. In this study we report on a monoclonal antibody, mAb2A, which identifies a novel nuclear structure in Drosophila embryos which forms a diffuse meshwork at interphase but which undergoes a striking reorganization into a spindle-like structure during pro- and metaphase. Double labelings with α-tubulin and mAb2A antibodies demonstrate that the microtubules of the mitotic apparatus co-localize with this mAb2A labeled structure during metaphase, suggesting it may serve a role in microtubule spindle assembly and/or function during nuclear division. That the mAb2A-labeled nuclear structure is essential for cell division and/or maintenance of nuclear integrity was directly demonstrated by microinjection of mAb2A into early syncytial embryos which resulted in a disintegration of nuclear morphology and perturbation of mitosis. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A novel carbonyl reductase from Pichia stipitis for the production of ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate

An NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase (PsCR) gene from Pichia stipitis was cloned. It contains an open reading frame of 849 bp encoding 283 amino acids whose sequence had less than 60% identity to known reductases that produce ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoates (S-CHBE). When expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant PsCR exhibited an activity of 27 U/mg using ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate (COBE) as a substrate. Reduction of COBE to (S)-CHBE by transformants in an aqueous mono-phase system for 18 h, gave a molar yield of 94% and an optical purity of the (S)-isomer of more than 99% enantiomeric excess.     

Secophnane-type alkaloids from Daphniphyllum oldhami

Four new alkaloids, daphnioldhanins D-G (1-4, resp.), together with five known alkaloids, daphmacropodine (5), secodaphniphylline (6), deoxycalyciphylline B (7), deoxyisocalyciphylline B (8), and daphmanidin A (9), were isolated from the roots of Daphniphyllum oldhami. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical methods. Compound 1 at 2.0 microM showed potent antioxidant activity against H(2)O(2)-induced impairment in PC12 cells.     

Characterization and function of an E2-17 kDa (UBE2D) in an invertebrate Haliotis diversicolor supertexta

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (UBE2s or E2s) are characterized by the presence of a highly conserved ubiquitin-conjugating (UBC) domain, which predominantly determines the type of ubiquitin chains and directly controls the cellular fate of the substrate. In this study, an E2 homolog was identified and functionally characterized in abalone, which we named ab-UBE2D. The full-length cDNA consists of 1005 bp with an ORF encoding a protein of 147 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence shows ab-UBE2D shares conserved UBC domain with other E2 proteins and belongs to class I E2 enzyme family, which are further confirmed by phylogenetic tree analysis. Real-time PCR and western blot analyses showed that ab-UBE2D was ubiquitously expressed in abalone and the expression level of ab-UBE2d was significantly induced by LPS and Poly (I:C). Immunofluorescence microscopy staining demonstrated that native ab-UBE2D was mainly distributed in the cytoplast. Ubiquitination assay showed that ab-UBE2D had ubiquitin conjugating activity to form the enzyme-(Ub)n conjugates. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that ab-UBE2D is an E2 homolog and it may be involved in the immune response of abalone, Haliotis diversicolor supertexta.     

黄孢原毛平革菌抗营养阻遏产漆酶诱变育种及其产酶特性

【目的】筛选能抗营养阻遏产漆酶的黄孢原毛平革菌,论证其产漆酶的确定性及抗营养阻遏产木质素酶的可行性,为白腐菌产酶代谢调控、木质素降解机理的研究奠定基础。【方法】利用重复紫外诱变法,以愈创木酚富氮鉴别培养基筛选目标菌株;比较不同营养条件下菌体生长与产酶动力学差异研究产酶营养调控机理;通过热处理、排除锰离子和加入过氧化氢酶等不同措施论证黄孢原平毛平革菌能否产生漆酶。【结果】3种不同方法均证实选育到的pcR5305和pcR5324菌株在限氮与富氮条件下均能产生漆酶,pcR5305和pcR5324在限氮条件下产漆酶分别达到203.5、187.6 U/L;在富氮条件下为220.6、183.9 U/L,而原菌株pc530在两种条件下都基本不产生漆酶。二菌株产漆酶调控方式不同,pcR5305漆酶产生与菌体生长同步,而pcR5324漆酶产生却受营养氮阻遏。二菌株同时具有抗营养阻遏高产木质素过氧化物酶(LiP)和锰过氧化物酶(MnP)(分别为LiP 1343.2、MnP 252.2 U/L;LiP 1169.5、MnP 172.4 U/L)的能力。【结论】筛选到的黄孢原毛平革菌变异菌株能产漆酶,同时表现了抗营养阻遏产漆酶、木质素过氧化物酶和锰过氧化物酶的能力,具有重要的生产应用与理论研究价值,为白腐菌产酶代谢调控机理研究提供了原始菌株并奠定了良好的基础。     

Demographic History and Genomic Response to Environmental Changes in a Rapid Radiation of Wild Rats

For organisms to survive and prosper in a harsh environment, particularly under rapid climate change, poses tremendous challenges. Recent studies have highlighted the continued loss of megafauna in terrestrial ecosystems and the subsequent surge of small mammals, such as rodents, bats, lagomorphs, and insectivores. However, the ecological partitioning of these animals will likely lead to large variation in their responses to environmental change. In the present study, we investigated the evolutionary history and genetic adaptations of white-bellied rats (Niviventer Marshall, 1976), which are widespread in the natural terrestrial ecosystems in Asia but also known as important zoonotic pathogen vectors and transmitters. The southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was inferred as the origin center of this genus, with parallel diversification in temperate and tropical niches. Demographic history analyses from mitochondrial and nuclear sequences of Niviventer demonstrated population size increases and range expansion for species in Southeast Asia, and habitat generalists elsewhere. Unexpectedly, population increases were seen in N. eha, which inhabits the highest elevation among Niviventer species. Genome scans of nuclear exons revealed that among the congeneric species, N. eha has the largest number of positively selected genes. Protein functions of these genes are mainly related to olfaction, taste, and tumor suppression. Extensive genetic modification presents a major strategy in response to global changes in these alpine species.     

慢性缺氧对大鼠左右心室功能、心肌肌原纤维Ca~（2＋），Mg~（2＋）－ATP

模拟５０００ｍ中度缺氧时,大鼠右室功能显著加强,而左室功能加强不显著;左右心室肌原纤维Ｃａ２＋,Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰ酶活性下降,肌球蛋白同功酶Ｖ２和Ｖ３百分含量增加,Ｖ１百分含量减少。８０００ｍ重度缺氧时,右室功能减弱,但无统计学意义,左室功能减弱有显著性;ＡＴＰ酶活性和同功酶的变化超过５０００ｍ组。此外,右室ＡＴＰ酶活性与ＰＡＰ呈反比且有显著性,左室ＡＴＰ酶活性与ＣＡＳＰ虽也呈反比但无显著性;右室同功酶Ｖ３百分含量与ＰＡＰ呈正比,左室同功酶Ｖ３百分含量与ＣＡＳＰ不呈比例。上述结果表明,因短期突发严重缺氧引起的心肌供氧不足对左心室心肌的直接损伤作用大于右心室心肌。     

AIDA Selectively Mediates Downregulation of Fat Synthesis Enzymes by ERAD to Retard Intestinal Fat Absorption and Prevent Obesity

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