Peptide models of four possible insulin folding intermediates with two disulfides

The single-chain insulin (PIP) can spontaneously fold into native structure through preferred kinetic intermediates. During refolding, pairing of the first disulfide A20-B19 is highly specific, whereas pairing of the second disulfide is likely random because two two-disulfide intermediates have been trapped. To get more details of pairing property of the second disulfide, four model peptides of possible folding intermediates with two disulfides were prepared by protein engineering, and their properties were analyzed. The four model peptides were named [A20-B19, A7-B7]PIP, [A20-B19, A6-B7]PIP, [A20-B19, A6-A11]PIP, and [A20-B19, A7-A11]PIP according to their remaining disulfides. The four model peptides all adopt partially folded structure with moderate conformational differences. In redox buffer, the disulfides of the model peptides are more easily reduced than those of the wild-type PIP. During in vitro refolding, the reduced model peptides share similar relative folding rates but different folding yields: The refolding efficiency of the reduced [A20-B19, A7-A11]PIP is about threefold lower than that of the other three peptides. The present results indicate that the folding intermediates corresponding to the present model peptides all adopt partially folded conformation, and can be formed during PIP refolding, but the chance of forming the intermediate with disulfide [A20-B19, A7-A11] is much lower than that of forming the other three intermediates.     

自然保护区管理快速评价和优先性确定方法及应用

自然保护区管理有效性评价现已成为关注的焦点,它是保证自然保护区管理质量,实现保护区管理目标的有效途径,自然保护区管理快速评价和优先性确定(RAPPAM)方法是其中应用比较广泛的方法之一。本文在对RAPPAM方法的评价指标和评价特点研究的基础上,结合8个国家的应用实例,对此方法评价范围、评价目的、评价结果及对策建议进行了分析。结果表明,通过此评价方法可以：1)快速确定保护区系统面临的威胁和保护区系统的功能;2)提出和制定后续行动及建议;3)为政策制定者提供依据。因此,RAPPAM方法的认识与应用,对于了解和改善我国自然保护区的管理现状具有重要意义。     

高脂血症兔球结膜微循环的改变

本实验用胆固醇粉喂家兔,造成实验性高脂血症,活体观察球结膜微循环的形态、流态及血管周围状态等１５项指标,并用球结膜微循环综合定量评价方法计算了综合积分值。处死后取球结膜进行组织学检查。结果表明：高脂血症家兔球结膜微循环有明显改变,主要为微血管形态异常、血流减慢、红细胞聚集、白微栓、静脉壁上有白色斑块等改变。球结膜微循环综合积分值明显增加,高于实验前。球结膜组织学检查发现上皮层下有泡沫细胞、血管壁增厚、有空泡、静脉内有血栓。虹膜睫状体内除有多数泡沫细胞外,还有胆固醇的菱形结晶。上述改变表明,高脂血症兔球结膜微循环有明显改变。血液有高凝、高聚倾向。黑茶中的茶色素有抗凝、抑制血小板聚集、促进纤溶等作用,口服黑茶可改善高脂血症兔球结膜微循环障碍。     

橙色荧光蛋白的研究进展及其应用

荧光蛋白(Fluorescent protein,FPs)可作为探针用以探究细胞内分子间相互作用,追踪特定代谢物的代谢途径,对活细胞内的各种代谢过程和细胞通路进行详细、准确的描述。目前已有的FPs几乎已经覆盖了从紫外光到远红外光的所有光谱波段,这些FPs借助高分辨率显微技术应用于生命科学的诸多领域,为生物学的发展作出巨大贡献。橙色FPs通常指光谱区间在540–570nm的FPs,近几年来关于橙色FPs的研究进展较快,并且其作为标记蛋白以及荧光共振能量转移技术(Fluorescence resonance energy transfer,FRET)中的荧光受体在生物学及医学领域得到较多的应用。文中综述了近15年橙色FPs领域的相关研究,重点聚焦橙色FPs的发展和应用,为今后橙色FPs的研究提供依据。     

大规模生产制备质粒DNA技术进展

质粒DNA疫苗或基因治疗剂是生物制品的新品种。鉴于质粒DNA表达效率低、持续时间短,需建立一套大规模生产制备质粒DNA的工艺,即发酵、碱性裂解、分离纯化及质量控制。目前质粒DNA大规模生产已经达到千克级水平,一些产品正在进行临床实验。     

长白山白眉蝮蛇蛇毒磷脂酶A2的分离和初步表征

东北长白山白眉蝮蛇（ＡｇｋｉｓｔｒｏｄｏｎｂｌｏｍｈｏｆｆｉＵｓｕｒｅｎｓｉｓ）蛇毒经ＤＥＡＥＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＡ５０离子交换层析柱,连续３步ＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＧ７５凝胶过滤柱得到了磷脂酶Ａ２（ＰＬＡ２）的纯品。ＳＤＳ聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（ＳＤＳＰＡＧＥ）以及基质辅助激光解析电离飞行时质谱（ＭＡＬＤＩ／ＴＯＦ／ＭＳ）表征为单一蛋白,其准确分子量为（１４．００８±０．００７）ｋＤ。最适ｐＨ范围８．０～９．０,最适的反应温度为４５℃。在溶液中有多聚体的存在。     

Microbial biosensors: a review

A microbial biosensor is an analytical device which integrates microorganism(s) with a physical transducer to generate a measurable signal proportional to the concentration of analytes. In recent years, a large number of microbial biosensors have been developed for environmental, food, and biomedical applications. Starting with the discussion of various sensing techniques commonly used in microbial biosensing, this review article concentrates on the summarization of the recent progress in the fabrication and application of microbial biosensors based on amperometry, potentiometry, conductometry, voltammetry, microbial fuel cell, fluorescence, bioluminescence, and colorimetry, respectively. Prospective strategies for the design of future microbial biosensors will also be discussed.     

Synaptic neurotransmission depression in ventral tegmental dopamine neurons and cannabinoid-associated addictive learning

Drug addiction is an association of compulsive drug use with long-term associative learning/memory. Multiple forms of learning/memory are primarily subserved by activity- or experience-dependent synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). Recent studies suggest LTP expression in locally activated glutamate synapses onto dopamine neurons (local Glu-DA synapses) of the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) following a single or chronic exposure to many drugs of abuse, whereas a single exposure to cannabinoid did not significantly affect synaptic plasticity at these synapses. It is unknown whether chronic exposure of cannabis (marijuana or cannabinoids), the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide, induce LTP or LTD at these synapses. More importantly, whether such alterations in VTA synaptic plasticity causatively contribute to drug addictive behavior has not previously been addressed. Here we show in rats that chronic cannabinoid exposure activates VTA cannabinoid CB1 receptors to induce transient neurotransmission depression at VTA local Glu-DA synapses through activation of NMDA receptors and subsequent endocytosis of AMPA receptor GluR2 subunits. A GluR2-derived peptide blocks cannabinoid-induced VTA synaptic depression and conditioned place preference, i.e., learning to associate drug exposure with environmental cues. These data not only provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic depression at VTA dopamine circuitry requires GluR2 endocytosis, but also suggest an essential contribution of such synaptic depression to cannabinoid-associated addictive learning, in addition to pointing to novel pharmacological strategies for the treatment of cannabis addiction.     

海岛生态服务功能保护初探

生态系统是人类经济社会生存和发展的基础。海岛作为人类通向海洋的桥头堡,保护海岛及其周边海域生态系统,对于维护国家海洋权益,保障海防安全,发展海洋经济、保护海洋生态、构建和谐社会等具有重要战略意义。本文从介绍海岛生态系统功能特征及服务价值入手,分析了海岛生态系统服务功能受损的深层原因及对其带来的负面影响,并在此基础上,提出了摸清海岛生态资源状况、规范海岛开发秩序、实施海岛生态修复与整治工程,推进海岛保护区建设,加强海岛生态环境保护的科学研究与国际合作,以及多渠道获取海岛生态保护资金等方面策略,初步探讨了海岛生态服务功能的保护。