Submergence of Micrococcus lysodeikticus F1-ATPase into the hydrophobic phase of the membrane, using 2,4,6-trinitrobenzosulfonate and 12-0-(azidoformyl) stearic acid methyl ester

The accessibility of F1-ATPase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus in solution and in the membrane for the specific water-soluble NH2-group reagent, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzosulfonate (TNBS), was studied. Incubation of the soluble factor F1 with 50 mM TNBS pH 8.3 results in incorporation of 58.6 +/- 4.4 trinitrophenyl residues per mole of enzyme. At the same time F1-ATPase isolated from TNBS-pretreated membranes contains 27.2 +/- 2.0 TNP-residues per mole of enzyme. It is assumed that the different accessibility of F1-ATPase for TNBS in solution and in the membrane is due to incorporation of F1-ATPase into the membrane. Study of membrane F1-ATPase interaction with the radioactive lipid-soluble photoreactive label, 12-0-(azidoformyl) stearic acid methyl ester demonstrated that F1-ATPase does not immediately interact with the lipid phase of the membrane. It is suggested that membrane F1-ATPase may be enveloped by hydrophobic proteins.     

Characteristics of monocyte functional activity in acute viral hepatitis

The functional activity of monocytes in acute viral hepatitis has been studied. As revealed by the NBT test, circulating monocytes are damaged by viruses and/or virus-containing complexes. Proceeding from this fact, the percentage of monocytes containing virus inclusions should be considered as the percentage of monocytes damaged by the virus, and the coefficient of the inclusion of viral particles should be considered as the quantitative characteristic of the viral damage of monocytes. The decrease of the percentage of functionally active monocytes creates suitable conditions for the persistence of the virus in monocytes and for the disease to become chronic.     

The Per2 polymorphism rs10462023 is associated with the risk of stroke in a Chinese population

The key clock protein Period2 (Per2) has been suggested to play an essential role in regulating endothelial function. It also regulates the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, but its role in stroke development has not been studied. To explore the possible association between Per2 and ischemic stroke (IS), 479 Chinese IS patients and 306 healthy controls were recruited, and five tag single nucleotide polymorphisms representing the Per2 locus were genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY system. A significant difference was observed in the genotypic distribution (p = 0.014) and allele frequency (p = 0.005) of rs10462023, with carriers of the G allele being more prone to developing IS. After adjusting for possible risk factors including smoking, alcohol use, and history of hypertension and diabetes, a significant association was still apparent. Haplotype analysis also supported the association between Per2 and IS. This study suggests that Per2 variations are associated with IS and may represent genetic risk factors for IS in a Chinese population.