Structural bases of dimerization of yeast telomere protein Cdc13 and its interaction with the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α

Budding yeast Cdc13-Stn1-Ten1 (CST) complex plays an essential role in telomere protection and maintenance, and has been proposed to be a telomere-specific replication protein A (RPA)-like complex. Previous genetic and structural studies revealed a close resemblance between Stn1-Ten1 and RPA32-RPA14. However, the relationship between Cdc13 and RPA70, the largest subunit of RPA, has remained unclear. Here, we report the crystal structure of the N-terminal OB (oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide binding) fold of Cdc13. Although Cdc13 has an RPA70-like domain organization, the structures of Cdc13 OB folds are significantly different from their counterparts in RPA70, suggesting that they have distinct evolutionary origins. Furthermore, our structural and biochemical analyses revealed unexpected dimerization by the N-terminal OB fold and showed that homodimerization is probably a conserved feature of all Cdc13 proteins. We also uncovered the structural basis of the interaction between the Cdc13 N-terminal OB fold and the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α (Pol1), and demonstrated a role for Cdc13 dimerization in Pol1 binding. Analysis of the phenotypes of mutants defective in Cdc13 dimerization and Cdc13-Pol1 interaction revealed multiple mechanisms by which dimerization regulates telomere lengths in vivo. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms and evolution of Cdc13.     

小鼠过敏性哮喘模型的研究进展及评价

支气管哮喘（简称哮喘）是常见的慢性病,随着过敏患者的增加,小鼠过敏性哮喘模型的研究越来越重要。本文通过对近年来国内外小鼠过敏性哮喘的实验研究文献进行总结,从实验小鼠的选择、制备模型的方法及模型的评价指标等方面进行综合分析,为进一步开展哮喘研究提供帮助。     

基于CLUE-S模型验证的海岸围垦区景观驱动因子贡献率

基于1990、2000、2009年TM影像、社会统计数据、野外调查数据,采用冗余分析和主成分分析方法对长江口奉贤段围垦区海岸带景观动态变化驱动力因子的贡献度进行分析,并利用Kappa指数对CLUE-S模型所选驱动力模拟效力进行验证.结果表明:海岸带围垦区景观动态变化的人为驱动因子贡献度(57.1％)大于自然驱动因子贡献度(42.9％).CLUE-S模型模拟的正确率达82％,研究区主要景观类型(耕地、未利用地和养殖塘)的Kappa指数均大于0.75,CLUE-S模型的模拟效果较理想,所选驱动力因子很好地模拟了规则景观突变的空间分布特征.     

饲料中转基因成分对家蚕生长发育的影响

采用家蚕（Bombyx mori）H9品种作为实验动物,分别用转基因和非转基因大豆粉制作的人工饲料进行饲育。通过饲育试验,比较分析了不同处理后家蚕的龄期经过时间、全茧量、茧层量、茧层率、蛹体重、疏毛率、死亡率、每龄眠起体重等经济性状指标。同时采用PCR方法对转基因饲料饲育后家蚕组织中外源基因的表达情况进行了检测。结果显示,含转基因大豆粉的人工饲料对家蚕的生长发育并无显著影响,且不存在外源基因的污染。     

PES1慢病毒表达载体的构建及其对乳腺癌ZR75-30细胞生长的影响

目的:利用慢病毒载体表达PES1基因,研究其对乳腺癌ZR75-30细胞生长的影响.方法:以乳腺文库为模板,PCR扩增PES1基因,克隆到pCDH载体,构建成pCDH-PES1,将其与包装载体共转293T细胞,包装成Lenti-PES1慢病毒载体并测定病毒滴度,感染乳腺癌ZR75-30细胞,Western印迹鉴定病毒载体...     

Assembly mechanism of [Fe2S2] cluster in ferredoxin from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Ferredoxin is a typical iron-sulfur protein that is ubiquitous in biological redox systems. This study investigates the in vitro assembly of a [Fe2S2] cluster in the ferredoxin from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in the presence of three scaffold proteins: IscA, IscS, and IscU. The spectra and MALDI-TOF MS results for the reconstituted ferredoxin confirm that the iron-sulfur cluster was correctly assembled in the protein. The inactivation of cysteine desulfurase by L-allylglycine completely blocked any [Fe2S2] cluster assembly in the ferredoxin in E. coli, confirming that cysteine desulfurase is an essential component for iron-sulfur cluster assembly. The present results also provide strong evidence that [Fe2S2] cluster assembly in ferredoxin follows the AUS pathway.     

Identification of a truncated form of methionine sulfoxide reductase a expressed in mouse embryonic stem cells

Background  

Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A (MsrA), an enzyme in the Msr gene family, is important in the cellular anti-oxidative stress defense mechanism. It acts by reducing the oxidized methionine sulfoxide in proteins back to sulfide and by reducing the cellular level of reactive oxygen species. MsrA, the only enzyme in the Msr gene family that can reduce the S-form epimers of methionine sulfoxide, has been located in different cellular compartments including mitochondria, cytosol and nuclei of various cell lines.     

Lack of CCR7 induces pulmonary hypertension involving perivascular leukocyte infiltration and inflammation

The chemokine receptor CCR7 regulates lymphocyte trafficking, and CCR7 deficiency induces infiltration of T and B cells adjacent to vessels in mouse lungs. Perivascular infiltration of T and B cells has also been found in human pulmonary arterial hypertension, and downregulation of the CCR7 receptor in circulating leukocytes of such patients has been observed. To investigate whether changes in the CCR7 system contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension, we utilized mice deficient of the CCR7 receptor. The cardiopulmonary and inflammatory responses of CCR7 depletion were evaluated in CCR7-deficient and wild-type mice. Measurements of cytokines upregulated in the animal model were also performed in patients with pulmonary hypertension and controls and in vascular smooth muscle cells. We found that mice lacking CCR7 had increased right ventricular systolic pressure, reduced pulmonary artery acceleration time, increased right ventricular/tibial length ratio, Rho kinase-mediated pulmonary vasoconstriction, and increased muscularization of distal arteries, indicating pulmonary hypertension. These mice also showed increased perivascular infiltration of leukocytes, consisting mainly of T and B cells, and increased mRNA levels of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-12 and CX3CL1 within pulmonary tissue. Increased serum levels of interleukin-12 and CX3CL1 were also observed in patients with pulmonary hypertension, particularly in those with pulmonary hypertension associated with connective tissue disorder. In smooth muscle cells, interleukin-12 induced secretion of the angiogenic cytokine interleukin-8. We conclude that these results suggest a role for CCR7 in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension, at least in some subgroups, possibly via pulmonary infiltration of lymphocytes and secretion of interleukin-12 and CX3CL1.     

In vitro study of DNA interaction with melamine and its related compounds

In vitro studies on the interactions between native herring sperm DNA (HS-DNA) and melamine as well as its related compounds (MARCs), that is, ammeline, ammelide, and cyanuric acid, have been investigated by spectrophotometric, spectrofluorometric, melting temperature, and viscosimetric techniques. It was found that any of the MARCs might interact with HS-DNA by a groove mode of binding via hydrogen bonds. The interaction constants between any of the MARCs and HS-DNA were at 10?-10? L mol?1, determined by both spectrophotometric and spectrofluorometric methods. The thermodynamic studies suggested that the interaction processes were exothermic favored (ΔH?相似文献