The solution conformation of poly(L-lysine). A Raman and infrared spectroscopic study.

The Raman and infrared spectra of poly(L -lysine) and poly(DL -lysine) in solution are reported and the effects of various salts are investigated. The results demonstrate that α-helix formation in solution is induced by specific salts and the spectral data support the hypothesis of regions of local order for poly(L -lysine) in aqueous solutions of low ionic strength.     

Comparison of label-free and GFP multiphoton imaging of hair follicle-associated pluripotent (HAP) stem cells in mouse whiskers

Hair-follicle-associated pluripotent (HAP) stem cells can differentiate into many cell types, including neurons and heart muscle cells, and have been shown to repair peripheral nerves and the spinal cord in mice. HAP stem cells can be obtained from each individual patient for regenerative medicine which overcomes problems with immune rejection. Previously, we have demonstrated that genetically-encoded protein markers such as GFP in transgenic mice can be used to visualize HAP stem cells in vivo by multiphoton tomography. Detection and visualization of stem cells in vivo without exogenous labels such as GFP would be important for human application. In the present report, we demonstrate label-free visualization of hair follicle stem cells in mouse whiskers by multiphoton tomography due to the intrinsic fluorophores such as NAD(P)H/flavins. We compared multiphoton tomography of GFP-labeled HAP stem cells and unlabeled stem cells in isolated mouse whiskers. We show that observation of HAP stem cells by label-free multiphoton tomography is comparable to detection using GFP-labeled stem cells. The results described here have important implications for detection and isolation of human HAP stem cells for regenerative medicine.     

Does drainage pay? Quantifying agricultural profitability associated with wetland drainage practices and canola production in Alberta

Conversion of wetlands in cultivated agricultural landscapes is one of the primary drivers of wetland loss in Alberta, Canada, despite a provincial wetland policy that prioritizes wetland avoidance. While other sectors of the agricultural industry have established initiatives to maintain wetlands, a common narrative within the conventional cropping sector is that wetland retention leads to lost acreage and overlap of crop inputs, and that there are financial benefits associated with wetland drainage. The objective of this research was to explicitly quantify crop productivity within drained wetland basins, in an effort to better understand the extent to which producers financially benefit from drainage practices. Working collaboratively with canola producers in central Alberta over the 2019 growing season, wetland basins within four quarter sections were mapped using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, and wetland basins with clear evidence of surface drainage were identified. Agricultural input and yield data provided by producers was then used to quantify profitability within each drained basin. Average profit for drained basins for each producer ranged between ? $145/acre and $76/acre, with an average of $55/acre across all operations. This is compared to an average profit of $203/acre for non-wetland areas across all operations. The results suggest that the financial benefits of drainage are highly variable, and for many drained basins, producers may experience financial losses that may be overlooked when profits are examined only at the field- or operation-level. While this study included a small number of operations, and was limited to one type of crop over a single growing season, the results still provide important insight into the extent to which producers benefit financially from the practice of wetland drainage.

     

Site fertility and leaf nutrients of sympatric evergreen and deciduous species of Quercus in central coastal California

Leaf and soil nutrient levels interact with and may each influence the other. We hypothesize that to the extent soil fertility influences the nutritional state of trees, soil fertility should correlate with summer leaf nutrient levels, whereas to the extent that trees influence soil nutrient levels, the quality of leaf litterfall should correlate with soil fertility. We examined these correlations for five sympatric oak species (genus Quercus) in central coastal California. Soil fertility, including both nitrogen and especially phosphorus, correlated significantly with summer leaf nutrient levels. In contrast, phosphorus, but not nitrogen, in the leaf litterfall correlated positively with soil nutrients. These results suggest that soil nitrogen and phosphorus influence tree nutrient levels and that leaf phosphorus, but not leaf nitrogen, influence soil fertility under the trees. Feedback between the soil and the tree for phosphorus, but not nitrogen, is apparently significant and caused by species-specific differences in leaf quality and not by litterfall quality differences within a species. We also compared functional differences between the evergreen and deciduous oak species at our study site. There were no differences in soil nitrogen and only small differences for soil phosphorus between the phenological types. Differences in leaf nutrient concentration were much more pronounced, with the evergreen species having substantially lower levels of both nitrogen and phosphorus. Evergreen species conserved more phosphorus, but not more nitrogen, than the deciduous species, but there was no consistent relationship between retranslocation and either soil nitrogen or phosphorus. These results do not support the hypothesis that evergreenness is an adaptation to low soil fertility in this system.     

Association of humoral immunity to human Hsp60 with the IL-6 gene polymorphism C-174G in patients with type 2 diabetes and controls.

The relationship between humoral immunity to hsp60 and type 2 diabetes along with other relevant metabolic, inflammatory and immunogenetic variables was studied in 76 non-diabetic and 74 diabetic persons aged 55-74 years selected from the population-based KORA Survey 2000. Antibodies to human hsp60 were measured in serum samples by ELISA. Hsp60 antibodies were detected in all but two individuals in a considerable range of titres (22-1,856 AU/ml). There was no significant association to age and sex, or to key clinical or metabolic parameters (BMI, WHR, HbA1c, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, albumin, uric acid) or immunological parameters (CRP, IL-6, sIL-6R, TNFalpha, sTNFalpha R60, sTNFalpha R80). Analysis of antibody-positive individuals revealed an association between hsp60 antibodies and diabetes at borderline significance (p = 0.047), which was lost when the two antibody-negative individuals were included. Genetic analyses indicated that this association was significant in carriers of the C allele of the IL-6 promoter region polymorphism at nucleotide -174 (p = 0.02), but not in GG genotype carriers. We conclude that humoral immunity to human hsp60 may be enhanced in those diabetic patients carrying the -174C allele of the IL-6 gene. This finding may contribute to an understanding of the relationship between the -174C allele and increased risk of atherosclerosis.     

Raman spectroscopic study of mechanically deformed poly-L-alanine

Raman spectroscopy has been used in investigating the conformational transitions of poly-L -alanine (PLA) induced by mechanical deformation. We see evidence of the alpha-helical, antiparallel beta-sheet, and a disordered conformation in PLA. The disordered conformation has not been discussed in previous infrared and X-ray diffraction investigations and may have local order similar to the left-handed 3₁ poly glycine helix. The amide III mode in the Raman spectrum of PLA is more sensitive than the amide I and II modes to changes in secondary structure of the polypeptide chain. Several lines below 1200 cm^?1 are conformationally sensitive and may generally be useful in the analysis of Raman spectra of proteins. A line at 909 cm^?1 decreases in intensity after deformation of PLA. In general only weak scattering is observed around 900 cm^?1 in the Raman spectra of antiparallel beta-sheet polypeptides. The Raman spectra of the amide N–H deuterated PLA and poly-L -leucine (PLL) in the alpha-helical conformation and poly-L -valine (PLV) in the beta-sheet conformation are presented. Splitting is observed in the amide III mode of PLV and the components of this mode are assigned. The Raman spectrum of an alpha-helical random copolymer of L -leucine and L -glutamic acid is shown to be consistent with the spectra of other alphahelical polypeptides.     

Physicochemical modifications of lysosomal hydrolases during intracellular transport

1. The following fractions were prepared from rat kidney and characterized ultrastructurally, biochemically and enzymically: (a) an ordinary rough microsomal (RM(1)) fraction; (b) a special rough microsomal (RM(2)) fraction enriched seven- to nine-fold in acid hydrolases over the homogenate; (c) a smooth microsomal (SM) fraction; (d) a Golgi (GM) fraction enriched 2.5-fold in acid hydrolases and 10-, 15- and 20-fold in sialyltransferase, N-acetyl-lactosamine synthetase and galactosyltransferase respectively; (e) a lysosomal (L) fraction enriched 15- to 23-fold in acid hydrolases. The frequency of Golgi sacs and tubules seen in the electron microscope and the specific activity of the three glycosyltransferases in these fractions increased in the order: RM(2)相似文献