Combinatorial Cysteine Mutagenesis Reveals a Critical Intramonomer Role for Cysteines in Prestin Voltage Sensing

Prestin is a member of the SLC26 family of anion transporters and is responsible for electromotility in outer hair cells, the basis of cochlear amplification in mammals. It is an anion transporting transmembrane protein, possessing nine cysteine residues, which generates voltage-dependent charge movement. We determine the role these cysteine residues play in the voltage sensing capabilities of prestin. Mutations of any single cysteine residue had little or no effect on charge movement. However, using combinatorial substitution mutants, we identified a cysteine residue pair (C415 and either C192 or C196) whose mutation reduced or eliminated charge movement. Furthermore, we show biochemically that surface expression of mutants with markedly reduced functionality can be near normal; however, we identify two monomers of the protein on the surface of the cell, the larger of which correlates with surface charge movement. Because we showed previously by Förster resonance energy transfer that monomer interactions are required for charge movement, we tested whether disulfide interactions were required for dimerization. Using Western blots to detect oligomerization of the protein in which variable numbers of cysteines up to and including all nine cysteine residues were mutated, we show that disulfide bond formation is not essential for dimer formation. Taken together, we believe these data indicate that intramembranous cysteines are constrained, possibly via disulfide bond formation, to ensure structural features of prestin required for normal voltage sensing and mechanical activity.     

Acetobacter xylinum生产纤维素的最适培养基成分

探索出胶醋杆菌在摇瓶培养最适培养基成分为蛋白胨浓度１．０％、酵母膏０．５％、葡萄糖浓度２．０％、柠檬酸０．１１５％、乙醇１％、Ｎａ２ＨＰＯ４０．５％,ｐＨ６．０,１６０ｒ／ｍｉｎ的条件下进行摇瓶培养,细菌纤维素最大产量为７．５５ｇ／ｌ。     

捕食风险与动物行为及其决策的关系

捕食风险与动物行为及其决策的关系边疆晖樊乃昌（中国科学院西北高原生物研究所,西宁８１０００１）（浙江师范大学,金华３１００００）ＴｈｅＥｆｅｃｔｏｆＰｒｅｄａｔｉｏｎＲｉｓｋｏｎＡｎｉｍａｌｓ’ＢｅｈａｖｉｏｒａｎｄＴｈｅｉｒＤｅｃｉｓｉｏｎ．Ｂｉａ...     

Novel TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) inhibitors as potential treatment for inflammatory diseases

Our research on hydantoin based TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE) inhibitors has led to an acetylene containing series that demonstrates sub-nanomolar potency (K(i)) as well as excellent activity in human whole blood. These studies led to the discovery of highly potent TACE inhibitors with good DMPK profiles.     

3D–2D–0D Interface Profiling for Record Efficiency All‐Inorganic CsPbBrI2 Perovskite Solar Cells with Superior Stability

All‐inorganic CsPbBrI₂ perovskite has great advantages in terms of ambient phase stability and suitable band gap (1.91 eV) for photovoltaic applications. However, the typically used structure causes reduced device performance, primarily due to the large recombination at the interface between the perovskite, and the hole‐extraction layer (HEL). In this paper, an efficient CsPbBrI₂ perovskite solar cell (PSC) with a dimensionally graded heterojunction is reported, in which the CsPbBrI₂ material is distributed within bulk–nanosheet–quantum dots or 3D–2D–0D dimension‐profiled interface structure so that the energy alignment is optimized in between the valence and conduction bands of both CsPbBrI₂ and the HEL layers. Specifically, the valence‐/conduction‐band edge is leveraged to bend with synergistic advantages: the graded combination enhances the hole extraction and conduction efficiency with effectively decreased recombination loss during the hole‐transfer process, leading to an enhanced built‐in electric field, hence a high V_OC of as much as 1.19 V. The profiled structure induces continuously upshifted energy levels, resulting in a higher J_SC of as much as 12.93 mA cm^?2 and fill factor as high as 80.5%, and therefore record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.39%. As far as it is known, this is the highest PCE for CsPbBrI₂ perovskite‐based PSC.     

全球陆地保护地60年增长情况分析和趋势预测

保护地建设已成为全球生物多样性保护的第一道防线。掌握其在不同尺度上的发展状况和变化趋势对保护地规划和建设有重要意义。针对已有研究在时间跨度、空间尺度以及结果对比方面的不足, 本文基于世界保护地数据库(World Database of Protected Areas, http://www.protectedplanet.net), 对全球、洲际、地区及国家尺度1950-2013年陆地保护地的增长情况进行描述和短期预测。结果发现: (1)全球保护地增长速率不断加快, 特别是在20世纪90年代以后。(2)洲际和地区保护地发展大致呈现3种增长趋势: 在美洲及大洋洲, 多数地区的保护地增长速率一直在加快; 在亚洲和欧洲, 多数地区的发展高峰出现在20世纪80、90年代; 在非洲, 多数地区的发展高峰为20世纪70年代及21世纪前10年。(3)各国保护地建设存在不平衡性, 仍有近一半国家的陆地保护地比例小于10%, 但这种差距随时间的推移有缩小的趋势。(4)绝大部分保护地增速均匀性低的国家分布在非洲。(5)虽然全球的《爱知生物多样性目标》在2020年预计不能完成, 但包括中国在内的22个国家有望如期达到目标。本文结果为未来保护地规划和建设工作的开展提供了参考依据。     

(Z)-3-Hexenol Induces Tea Defense against Ectropis grisescens in the Field

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - The tea geometrid Ectropis grisescens is an important pest of tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze). It feeds on the new leaves and tender...     

Biochar’s effect on crop productivity and the dependence on experimental conditions—a meta-analysis of literature data

Background and aims

For the last decade, there has been an increasing global interest in using biochar to mitigate climate change by storing carbon in soil. However, there is a lack of detailed knowledge on the impact of biochar on the crop productivity in different agricultural systems. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of biochar soil amendment (BSA) on crop productivity and to analyze the dependence of responses on experimental conditions.

Methods

A weighted meta-analysis was conducted based on data from 103 studies published up to April, 2013. The effect of BSA on crop productivity was quantified by characterizing experimental conditions.

Results

In the published experiments, with biochar amendment rates generally <30 t ha^?1, BSA increased crop productivity by 11.0 % on average, while the responses varied with experimental conditions. Greater responses were found in pot experiments than in field, in acid than in neutral soils, in sandy textured than in loam and silt soils. Crop response in field experiments was greater for dry land crops (10.6 % on average) than for paddy rice (5.6 % on average). This result, associated with the higher response in acid and sandy textured soils, suggests both a liming and an aggregating/moistening effect of BSA.

Conclusions

The analysis suggests a promising role for BSA in improving crop productivity especially for dry land crops, and in acid, poor-structured soils though there was wide variation with soil, crop and biochar properties. Long-term field studies are needed to elucidate the persistence of BSA’s effect and the mechanisms for improving crop production in a wide range of agricultural conditions. At current prices and C-trading schemes, however, BSA would not be cost-effective unless persistent soil improvement and crop response can be demonstrated.