Identification of LMW Glutenin-Like Genes from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Secale sylvestre</Emphasis> Host

Three low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutenin-like genes (designated as Ssy1, Ssy2, and Ssy3) from Secale sylvestre Host were isolated and characterized. The three genes consist of a predicted highly conservative signal peptide with 20 amino acids, a short N-terminal region with 13 amino acids, a highly variable repetitive domain and a less variable C-terminal domain. The deduced amino acid sequences of the three genes were the LMW-m type due to a methionine residue at the N-terminus. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the prolamin genes could be perfectly clustered into five groups, including HMW-GS, LMW-GS, α/β-, γ-, and κ-prolamin. The LMW glutenin-like genes of S. sylvestre were more orthologous with the LMW-GS genes of wheat and B hordein genes of barley, which also had been confirmed by the homology analysis with the LMW-GS of wheat at Glu-A3, Glu-B3, and Glu-D3 loci. These results indicated that a chromosome locus (designated as Glu-R3) might be located on the R genome of S. sylvestre with the functions similar to the Glu-3 locus in wheat and its related species.     

Correlation of egg counts of Clonorchis sinensis by three methods of fecal examination

The Kato-Katz (KK) method is a well-known method of fecal examination for helminthiases. Its diagnostic sensitivity was found very high for clonorchiasis. The present study evaluated the correlation of Clonorchis sinensis egg counts by the KK method with those by direct smear and formalin-ether (FE) technique. The egg counts obtained by the KK method (Y) were correlated with the counts by direct smear (X) with the equation of Y = 659.4 + 0.266X (r2 = 0.738), but not with those by the FE method. The present study demonstrated that the KK method and direct smear were useful for both qualitative and quantitative diagnosis of clonorchiasis, especially in the field.     

Mass spectrometric analysis of posttranslational modifications of a carrot extracellular glycoprotein

Expression of extracellular dermal glycoprotein (EDGP) is induced by biotic or abiotic stress. The amino acid sequence alignment showed that EDGP shared significant homology with proteins from legumes, tomato, Arabidopsis, wheat, and cotton. These proteins are involved in signal transduction or stress response systems. Most of the Cys residues in these proteins are conserved, suggesting that they share similar tertiary structures. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis shows that EDGP binds a soybean 4-kDa hormone-like peptide (4-kDa peptide) in vitro and reduction of EDGP decreased significantly the binding activity, implying that posttranslational modifications are important for its function. Therefore, we investigated the posttranslational modifications in EDGP using mass spectrometry. As the result, six disulfide bonds in EDGP were identified: Cys(70)-Cys(158), Cys(84)-Cys(89), Cys(97)-Cys(113), Cys(100)-Cys(108), Cys(201)-Cys(426), and Cys(332)-Cys(378). In addition, the N-terminal glutamine was cyclized into pyroglutamic acid. All four putative glycosylation sites were occupied by N-linked glycans, which have similar masses of m/z 1171. Finally, measuring the mass of the native protein showed that the posttranslational modifications of EDGP (pI 9.5) involved only disulfide bonds, N-terminal modification, and glycosylation.     

Platelet-activating factor receptor-deficient mice are protected from experimental sleep apnea-induced learning deficits

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) during sleep, a hallmark of sleep apnea, is associated with neurobehavioral impairments, regional neurodegeneration and increased oxidative stress and inflammation in rodents. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is an important mediator of both normal neural plasticity and brain injury. We report that mice deficient in the cell surface receptor for PAF (PAFR-/-), a bioactive mediator of oxidative stress and inflammation, are protected from the spatial reference learning deficits associated with IH. Furthermore, PAFR-/- exhibit attenuated elevations in inflammatory signaling (cyclo-oxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase activities), degradation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and apoptosis observed in wild-type littermates (PAFR+/+) exposed to IH. Collectively, these findings indicate that inflammatory signaling and neurobehavioral impairments induced by IH are mediated through PAF receptors.     

Improved cell growth and Taxol production of suspension-cultured Taxus chinensis var. mairei in alternating and direct current magnetic fields

The growth of suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis var. mairei and Taxol production were promoted both by a sinusoidal alternating current magnetic field (50 Hz, 3.5 mT) and by a direct current magnetic field (3.5 mT). Taxol production increased rapidly from the 4th d with the direct current magnetic field but most slowly with the alternating current magnetic field. The maximal yield of Taxol was 490 microg l(-1) with the direct current magnetic field and 425 microg l(-1) with the alternating current magnetic field after 8 d of culture, which were, respectively, 1.4-fold and 1.2-fold of that without exposure to a magnetic field.     

Mutational analyses reveal a novel function of the nucleotide-binding domain of gamma-tubulin in the regulation of basal body biogenesis

We have used in vitro mutagenesis and gene replacement to study the function of the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of gamma-tubulin in Tetrahymena thermophila. In this study, we show that the NBD has an essential function and that point mutations in two conserved residues lead to over-production and mislocalization of basal body (BB) assembly. These results, coupled with previous studies (Dammermann, A., T. Muller-Reichert, L. Pelletier, B. Habermann, A. Desai, and K. Oegema. 2004. Dev. Cell. 7:815-829; La Terra, S., C.N. English, P. Hergert, B.F. McEwen, G. Sluder, and A. Khodjakov. 2005. J. Cell Biol. 168:713-722), suggest that to achieve the precise temporal and spatial regulation of BB/centriole assembly, the initiation activity of gamma-tubulin is normally suppressed by a negative regulatory mechanism that acts through its NBD.     

Discovery of novel jaspine B analogues as autophagy inducer

A series of 2-alkylaminomethyl jaspine B analogues were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic effects on human lung adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, and prostate cancer cell lines and a mouse melanoma cell line. Most of the compounds exhibited moderate to good activity against the cancer cell lines. Compound 7f showed the best overall cytotoxicity on PC-3 cells (IC₅₀?=?0.85?μM). Further mechanistic studies revealed that compound 7f induced marked changes in PC-3 cell morphology, disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased expression of the autophagy proteins beclin-1, LC3, and P62.     

Silica‐Protected Ultrathin Ni3FeN Nanocatalyst for the Efficient Hydrolytic Dehydrogenation of NH3BH3

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) inevitably aggregate in the high‐temperature thermal ammonolysis process, resulting in blocking of the active catalytic sites and serious decreases in their corresponding catalytic performance. Therefore, how to synthesize ultrasmall TMNs with higher exposed unsaturated coordination sites is still a challenge. Herein, ultrathin Ni₃FeN (Ni₃FeN@SiO₂) with the size of ≈ 20 nm and thickness of ≈ 3.0 nm is fabricated by SiO₂ protection strategy. The obtained Ni₃FeN@SiO₂ displays outstanding performance in NH₃BH₃ hydrolytic dehydrogenation due to the high specific surface area, intrinsic metal‐vacancies, and hydrophilic SiO₂ layer.     

与麦芽糖结合蛋白构象有关的单克隆抗体的制备

利用麦芽糖结合蛋白（ＭＢＰ）在大肠杆菌中的高效表达,分别采用亲和层析和变性复性,疑胶过滤的方法纯化了可溶性和包涵体部分的ＭＢＰ。将得到的这两种构象不同的ＭＢＰ分别免疫小鼠并进一步筛选和克隆,各得到５株单克隆抗体株。经制备腹水获得抗体后,地其和构象不同的麦芽糖结合蛋白的结合能力的测定,发现由包涵体部分的ＭＢＰ轩和筛选得到的单克隆抗体中有两对变性蛋白具有更高的结合能力。     

前乐平统海洋动物灾变事件

作为古生代最后阶段的乐平统可划分为２个阶和４个亚阶,暂以逼近自然界线的Ｃｌａｒｋｉｎａ ｐｏｓｔｂｉｔｔｅｒｉ带之底为下界;在二叠纪形成了栖霞期之前和吴家坪期之前两个超序界面,乐平世海侵居于二叠一三叠纪超序的低水位体系,乐平世末的海泛淹没了古特提斯区的残留陆棚;二叠纪末的生物大绝灭形成规模和性质不同的两幕;茅口期末全球性海退使栖居地丧失而导致地方性类群和远洋浮游生物灭亡的前乐平统海泮动物灾变事件,