Autoregulation of the stability operon of IncFII plasmid NR1.

The stb locus of IncFII plasmid NR1, which mediates stable inheritance of the plasmid, is composed of an essential cis-acting DNA site located upstream from two tandem genes that encode essential stability proteins. The two tandem genes, stbA and stbB, are transcribed as an operon from promoter PAB. Using PAB-lacZ gene fusions, it was found that the stb operon is autoregulated. A low-copy-number stb+ plasmid introduced into the same cell with the PAB-lacZ fusion plasmid repressed beta-galactosidase activity about 5-fold, whereas a high-copy-number stb+ plasmid repressed beta-galactosidase about 15-fold. The details of autoregulation were analyzed by varying the concentrations of StbA and StbB to examine their effects on expression from the PAB-lacZ fusion plasmid. StbB protein by itself had autorepressor activity. Although StbA protein by itself had no detectable repressor activity, plasmids that encoded both stbA and stbB repressed more effectively than did those that encoded stbB alone. Plasmids with a mutation in stbA had reduced repressor activity. One mutation in stbB that inactivated the stability function also reduced, but did not eliminate, repressor activity. Repressor activity of the mutant StbB protein was effectively enhanced by stbA. These results indicate that StbB serves two functions, one for stable inheritance and one for autoregulation of the stb operon, both of which may be influenced by StbA protein.     

Purification and some properties of an extracellular l-amino acid oxidase from Cellulomonas cellulans AM8 isolated from soil

Summary The soil isolate Cellulomonas cellulans AM8 produces an extracellular l-amino acid oxidase (L-AAO) with broad substrate specificity. The strain produced up to 0.35 unit (U)/ml of the extracellular L-AAO in a simple medium containing glycerol and yeast extract. The enzyme was easily purified up to 30 U/mg protein using Phenyl-Sepharose fast flow. The purified enzyme migrated as single band on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) with a molecular mass of 55 kDa. On native PAGE the molecular mass was approx. 300 000 kDa, which may be due to aggregation. With the exception of glycine, proline, and threonine, all the amino acids normally constituting proteins were oxidized. The V _max values from 0.7 to 35.2 U/mg for aspartic acid and lysine, respectively, and the K _m values from 0.007 to 7.1 mm for cysteine and valine, respectively, were obtained at 25° C and pH 7.0 in oxygen-saturated solutions. The L-AAO had a pH optimum of 6.5–7.5. It was stable for several months at — 30° C and for some days at 35° C. Ferricyanide served as an electron acceptor with a V _max of 50 U/mg and K _m for 0.3 mm with phenylalanine as the substrate. Correspondence to: R. D. Schmid     

耐热蛋白质延长因子(EF-Tu)的分子和功能的性质(英文)

本文用亲和层析法从Calderobacteriumhydrogenophilum(极端耐热细菌)中分离得到纯的耐热蛋白质延长因子。测得其相对的分子量为51000。该蛋白质对热极其稳定,从膜过滤分析法测定EF-Tu 的活性可知,在80℃加热5 min后,原活性仅仅失去50%。Ouchterlony双向免疫扩散的结果表明,该蛋白延长因子与E.coli 延长因子有着抗原的相似性。而且该因子只含一个半胱氨酸残基,其位置在半胱氨酸81,即肽段T_(13)。Southern 杂交试验的结果显示出C.hydrogenophilum 的染色体DNA 中可能有两个基因编码同一蛋白。     

Determination of an antisecretory trimethyl prostaglandin E2 analog in human plasma by combined capillary column gas chromatography—negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A method is described for measuring a trimethyl prostaglandin E₂ analog, TM-PGE₂, in human plasma. Trideuterated and monofluorinated analogs of TM-PGE₂ are added to plasma as internal standard and carrier, respectively. The plasma is adjusted to pH 3.0 and is extracted with a mixture of benzene—dichloromethane (9:1). The residue, following removal of the extracting solvent, is reacted consecutively with pentafluorobenzyl bromide and bistrimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide. The excess derivatizing reagents are removed by evaporation, and an aliquot of the reconstituted residue is analyzed by capillary column gas chromatography using methane as the carrier gas. A quadrupole mass spectrometer is set to monitor in the gas chromatographic effluent the (M − C₇H₂F₅)⁻ fragmention of TM-PGE₂ (m/e 449) and trideuterated TM-PGE₂ (m/e 452) generated by methane negative chemical ionization. Quantitation of unknowns is based on a comparison of the m/e 449 to m/e 452 ion ratio in each unknown to that obtained from the analysis of control plasma spiked with known amounts of TM-PGE₂ and fixed amounts of internal standard and carrier. The sensitivity limit of the assay is approximately 100 pg ml⁻¹, which is equivalent to 1 pg injected. The assay was used to measure the concentration of TM-PGE₂ in the plasma of two subjects following a single 10 μg kg⁻¹ oral dose of the drug.     

Inhibition of Ouabain-binding to (Na+ + K+)ATPase by antibody against the catalytic subunit but not by antibody against the glycoprotein subunit

Antibodies against purified ($\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)}\text{ATPase}$ from the rectal gland of Squalus acanthias, as well as against its catalytic subunit, inhibited ouabain binding by as much as 50%. However, antibodies against the glycoprotein subunit did not inhibit ouabain binding. These data suggest that binding of antibody against the catalytic subunit to the enzyme either covers the ouabain binding site or destroys its conformation, while binding of antibody against the glycoprotein has no such effect.     

Galium procurrens,a new diploid relic species of theG. sylvaticum-group from the Balkan Peninsula

Galium procurrens is described as a new diploid relic species from Montenegro/N. Albania and SW. Bulgaria. It is related to the tetraploidG. laevigatum and other diploid and polyploid taxa of theG. sylvaticum-group inhabiting European deciduous forests.     

Circ_0008542 in osteoblast exosomes promotes osteoclast-induced bone resorption through m6A methylation

With an increasing aging society, China is the world’s fastest growing markets for oral implants. Compared with traditional oral implants, immediate implants cause marginal bone resorption and increase the failure rate of osseointegration, but the mechanism is still unknown. Therefore, it is important to further study mechanisms of tension stimulus on osteoblasts and osteoclasts at the early stage of osseointegration to promote rapid osseointegration around oral implants. The results showed that exosomes containing circ_0008542 from MC3T3-E1 cells with prolonged tensile stimulation promoted osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Circ_0008542 upregulated Tnfrsf11a (RANK) gene expression by acting as a miR-185-5p sponge. Meanwhile, the circ_0008542 1916-1992 bp segment exhibited increased m6A methylation levels. Inhibiting the RNA methyltransferase METTL3 or overexpressing the RNA demethylase ALKBH5 reversed osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption induced by circ_0008542. Injection of circ_0008542 + ALKBH5 into the tail vein of mice reversed the same effects in vivo. Site-directed mutagenesis study demonstrated that 1956 bp on circ_0008542 is the m6A functional site with the abovementioned biological functions. In conclusion, the RNA methylase METTL3 acts on the m6A functional site of 1956 bp in circ_0008542, promoting competitive binding of miRNA-185-5p by circ_0008542, and leading to an increase in the target gene RANK and the initiation of osteoclast bone absorption. In contrast, the RNA demethylase ALKBH5 inhibits the binding of circ_0008542 with miRNA-185-5p to correct the bone resorption process. The potential value of this study provides methods to enhance the resistance of immediate implants through use of exosomes releasing ALKBH5.Subject terms: Epigenetics, Predictive markers