Structural Evidence for α-Synuclein Fibrils Using in Situ Atomic Force Microscopy

Human α-synuclein is a presynaptic terminal protein and can form insoluble fibrils that are believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson‘s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and Lewy body variant of Alzheimer‘s disease. In this paper, in situ atomic force microscopy has been used to study the structural properties of α-synuclein fibrils in solution using two different atomic force microscopy imaging modes: tapping mode and contact mode. In the in situ contact mode atomic force microscopy experiments α-synuclein fibrils quickly broke into fragments, and a similar phenomenon was found using tapping mode atomic force microscopy in which α-synuclein fibrils were incubated with guanidine hydrochloride (0.6 M). The α-synuclein fibrils kept their original filamentous topography for over 1h in the in situ tapping mode atomic force microscopy experiments. The present results provide indirect evidence on how 13-sheets assemble into α-synuclein fibrils on a nanometer scale.     

人XPB基因在核苷酸剪切修复和基因转录中的分子机制

核苷酸剪切修复(NER)途径是维持生物体基因组稳定的重要机制。人着色性干皮病B组(xeroderma pigmentosum group B,XPB)基因又名ERCC3基因,它既是NER途径不可缺少的成员又是转录因子TFIIH的最大p89亚基。它是具有从3’端→5’端依赖ATP的单链DNA解旋酶活性的蛋白质,执行依赖DNA的ATP酶和解旋酶功能,在损伤DNA修复和基因转录中均起重要作用,并将两者有机偶联。该基因突变将导致3种不同的遗传疾病：着色性干皮病(xeroderma pigmentosum,XP),科凯恩氏综合征(cockayne’s syndrome,CS),毛发硫营养不艮(trichothiodystrophy,TTD)。其基因型通过在DNA修复和转录中的功能与表型联系起来。另外,XPB与p53存在物理和功能上的相互作用。现从XPB的3个方面即“一个基因,两种功能,3种疾病”作一综述。     

混交林和纯竹林与毛竹害螨爆发成灾关系研究

报道在福建省6个不同生态区域内检查10对纯竹林与混交林受南京裂爪螨(Schizotetranychus nanjingensis)、竹缺爪螨(Aponychus corpuzae)、竹刺瘿螨(Aculus bambusae)对毛竹危害情况．结果表明,纯竹林受螨害重,危害指数达22．1％～44．7％,平均35％．混交林受害轻,危害指数为2．7％～28．6％,平均17．5％,混交林与纯竹林之间受害程度经t-测验表明均达到极显著差异．6个样地中纯竹林害螨总量高于其相对的混交林。分别达67．74％、152．47％、299．5％、857．75％、331．67％、26．55％。平均为289．28％;调查混交林天敌竹盲走螨(Typhlodromus bambusae)总量分别比相对纯竹林高95．45％、-18．13％、207．69％、837．5％、190．3％,平均262．5％．纯竹林中益、害螨比例分别达1：27、1：21、1：233、1：282、1：27,平均1：118,而其相对的混交林益、害螨比例为1：12、1：12、1：30、1：3、1：3、1：20,平均1：13．由此可见,纯竹林受螨害程度、害螨总量平均是混交林的2倍,而天敌数量少于相对混交林的2～3倍,益、害螨比例显著低于混交林(t=2．975,P=0．003)．本项研究揭示了由于受人为干扰(集约化管理、劈草、垦复)破坏了毛竹林原有的益螨-害螨-寄主植物之间相对稳定的平衡。导致毛竹害螨种群突发性增长,证明了纯竹林是诱发毛竹害螨爆发成灾成因的重要因素之一。     

Application of impedance spectroscopy for monitoring colloid Au-enhanced antibody immobilization and antibody-antigen reactions

We used colloidal Au to enhance the amount of antibody immobilized on a gold electrode and ultimately monitored the interaction of antigen-antibody by impedance measurement. Self-assembly of 6 nm (diameter) colloidal Au onto the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 4-aminothiophenol modified gold electrode resulted in an easier attachment of antibody. The redox reactions of [Fe(CN)6](4-)/[Fe(CN)6](3-) on the gold surface were blocked due to the procedures of self-assembly of 4-aminothiophenol and antibody immobilization, which were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The interaction of antigen with grafted antibody recognition layers was carried out by soaking the modified electrode into a phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 with various concentrations of antigen at 37 degrees C for 30 min. The antibody recognition layers and their interactions with various concentrations of antigen could be detected by measurements of the impedance change. The results show that this method has good correlation for detection of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen in the range of 0.5-200 microg/l and a detection limit of about 50 ng/l.     

Microarray-based method for genotyping of functional single nucleotide polymorphisms using dual-color fluorescence hybridization

Screening disease-related single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in the whole genome has great potential in complex disease genetics and pharmacogenetics researches. It has led to a requirement for high-throughput genotyping platforms that can maximize the efficient screening functional SNPs with respect to accuracy, speed and cost. In this study, we attempted to develop a microarray-based method for scoring a number of genomic DNA in parallel for one or more molecular markers on a glass slide. Two SNP markers localized to the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) were selected as the investigated targets. Amplified PCR products from nine genomic DNA specimens were spotted and immobilized onto a poly-l-lysine coated glass slide to fabricate a microarray, then interrogated by hybridization with dual-color probes to determine the SNP genotype of each sample. The results indicated that the microarray-based method could determine the genotype of 677 and 1298 MTHFR polymorphisms. Sequencing was performed to validate these results. Our experiments successfully demonstrate that PCR products subjected to dual-color hybridization on a microarray could be applied as a useful and a high-throughput tool to analyze molecular markers.     

水稻温敏失绿突变体的Rubisco活化酶活性、蛋白质与氨基酸组分的变化

在水稻温敏失绿突变性状表达过程中,对其Rubsico 含量、Rubsico 活化酶活性,全叶蛋白及游离氨基酸组分变化进行测定。结果表明:突变体的Rubisco 结构和含量与野生型一样,保持相对稳定;而其Rubisco 活化酶活性则随一个分子量为56.2kD(PI=4.5)的特异蛋白质的存在与消失发生明显改变。当突变性状表达时,分子量为56.2kD(PT=4.5)的特异蛋白消失,其Rubisco 活化酶活性下降;当叶片失绿区域复绿时,56.2kD(PI=4.5)特异蛋白出现,则Rubisco 活化酶活性上升。这一密切地相关关系表明,突变体的Rubisco 活化酶活性变化在光合作用过程中,除与自身结构和含量有关外,还与叶片中这一特异蛋白的存在密切相关,它可能是Rubisco 活化酶活性的调节蛋白。这种调节具体表现在氨基酸代谢上,是对上游氨基酸的阻遏调控,从而使叶绿体的结构物质合成受阻,最终导致类囊体膜的退化。     

Restoration of a species‐rich meadow on arable land by transferring meadow blocks

Question: Does transplantation of small blocks of turfs contribute to restoration of species‐rich meadows on fallow land? What is the role of vegetative spread and seedling establishment of meadow plants in the neighbourhood of the transplanted turfs? Location: Bílé Karpaty Mountains, SE Czech Republic. Methods: Twenty‐five meadow blocks, 0.4 m × 0.4 m in size, were transplanted to fallow land (unfertile and dry) and species composition was monitored in the source area, in the transferred turfs and in their neighbourhood for 3 yr. Multivariate analyses were used to assess successional trends. Results: The transferred meadow blocks served as a source of diaspores for the seed‐limited fallow land. Out of 80 transplanted species 17 species spread to adjacent plots within 3 yr. The frequency of plants expanding from the transferred turfs, either vegetatively or by seeds, was relatively low and from 2002 to 2004 a total of 22 species declined in the transferred turfs before expanding to the neighbourhood. Successional trends in species composition of the plots adjacent to the transferred blocks were strongly significant compared with the vegetation of the source area despite the short‐term data used for the evaluation. The role of the seed bank in restoration was negligible. Conclusions: In infertile and dry environments, transplanted turfs may significantly speed up restoration, especially if natural sources of target plant seeds are not available in the neighbourhood. However, the restoration process is long‐term and not all transferred plants can be expected to establish in the fallow land.     

Characterization of the 3a protein of SARS-associated coronavirus in infected vero E6 cells and SARS patients

Proteomics was used to identify a protein encoded by ORF 3a in a SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Immuno-blotting revealed that interchain disulfide bonds might be formed between this protein and the spike protein. ELISA indicated that sera from SARS patients have significant positive reactions with synthesized peptides derived from the 3a protein. These results are concordant with that of a spike protein-derived peptide. A tendency exists for co-mutation between the 3a protein and the spike protein of SARS-CoV isolates, suggesting that the function of the 3a protein correlates with the spike protein. Taken together, the 3a protein might be tightly correlated to the spike protein in the SARS-CoV functions. The 3a protein may serve as a new clinical marker or drug target for SARS treatment.     

Synthesis of bicyclic biaryls as glucose-6-phosphatase inhibitors

Biaryls, 7-naphthyl-5-s-amino-2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene-4-carbonitriles (3a-e), 8-(1-naphthyl)-6-s-amino-isothiochroman-5-carbonitriles (6a-d), 4-(1-naphthyl)-2-s-aminobezocycloalkene-1-carbonitriles (6e-j), 8-naphthyl-6-s-amino-2-ethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-isoquinoline-5-carbonitrle (6k-n), 1-naphthyl-3-s-amino-10H-9-thia-phenantherene-4-carbonitriles (8a-e) and 1-(1-naphthyl)-3-s-amino-9,10-dihydrophenantherene-4-carbonitriles (8f-i) have been prepared through carbanion induced ring transformation reactions of 6-naphthyl-3-cyano-4-s-amino-2H-pyran-2-ones (1) from respective ketones (2, 5, and 7). These compounds have been evaluated for their glucose-6-phosphatase inhibitory activity and only 6a, c, j, m, c, d, h displayed significant inhibition of the glucose-6-phosphatase.     

Bemerkungen zur Variabilität vonSaxifraga marginata

Saxifraga marginata Sternb. is divided into three subspecies:S. m. subsp.marginata, S. m. subsp.bubakii (Rohlena)Chrtek etSoják,S. m. subsp.karadzicensis (Degen etKo?anin)Chrtek etSoják (environments of Skopje, Macedonia).