Fractionation of the Biopolyols from Lignocellulosic Biomass for the Production of Rigid Foams

The objective of this investigation was to find a simple method for the production of phenolic-rich products and sugar derivatives via separation of liquefied lignocellulosic materials. After liquefaction, the liquefied products were separated by addition of a sufficient amount of water. It was found that those hydrophobic phenolics could be largely separated from aqueous solutions. Preparation of polyurethane foams using biopolyol and isocyanate was studied. Water was used as an environmentally friendly blowing agent. The factors influencing the cell structure of foams such as catalyst, dosage of blowing agent, and mass ratio of biopolyol to PEG were studied. The microstructure of synthesized foams was characterized by SEM.     

The Effect of TCM-Induced HAMP on Key Enzymes in the Hydrolysis of AD Model Cells

Neurochemical Research - Alzheimer’s disease (AD) process is characterized classically by two hallmark pathologies: β-amyloid (Aβ) plaque deposition and neurofibrillary tangles of...     

Suppression of PPARγ through MKRN1-mediated ubiquitination and degradation prevents adipocyte differentiation

The central regulator of adipogenesis, PPARγ, is a nuclear receptor that is linked to obesity and metabolic diseases. Here we report that MKRN1 is an E3 ligase of PPARγ that induces its ubiquitination, followed by proteasome-dependent degradation. Furthermore, we identified two lysine sites at 184 and 185 that appear to be targeted for ubiquitination by MKRN1. Stable overexpression of MKRN1 reduced PPARγ protein levels and suppressed adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 and C3H10T1/2 cells. In contrast, MKRN1 depletion stimulated adipocyte differentiation in these cells. Finally, MKRN1 knockout MEFs showed an increased capacity for adipocyte differentiation compared with wild-type MEFs, with a concomitant increase of PPARγ and adipogenic markers. Together, these data indicate that MKRN1 is an elusive PPARγ E3 ligase that targets PPARγ for proteasomal degradation by ubiquitin-dependent pathways, and further depict MKRN1 as a novel target for diseases involving PPARγ.     

NdhO,a Subunit of NADPH Dehydrogenase,Destabilizes Medium Size Complex of the Enzyme in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803

Two mutants that grew faster than the wild-type (WT) strain under high light conditions were isolated from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 transformed with a transposon-bearing library. Both mutants had a tag in ssl1690 encoding NdhO. Deletion of ndhO increased the activity of NADPH dehydrogenase (NDH-1)-dependent cyclic electron transport around photosystem I (NDH-CET), while overexpression decreased the activity. Although deletion and overexpression of ndhO did not have significant effects on the amount of other subunits such as NdhH, NdhI, NdhK, and NdhM in the cells, the amount of these subunits in the medium size NDH-1 (NDH-1M) complex was higher in the ndhO-deletion mutant and much lower in the overexpression strain than in the WT. NdhO strongly interacts with NdhI and NdhK but not with other subunits. NdhI interacts with NdhK and the interaction was blocked by NdhO. The blocking may destabilize the NDH-1M complex and repress the NDH-CET activity. When cells were transferred from growth light to high light, the amounts of NdhI and NdhK increased without significant change in the amount of NdhO, thus decreasing the relative amount of NdhO. This might have decreased the blocking, thereby stabilizing the NDH-1M complex and increasing the NDH-CET activity under high light conditions.     

Protein kinase A inhibitors enhance radiation-induced apoptosis

In addition to a role for de novo protein synthesis in apoptosis we have previously shown that activation of a protein phosphatase or loss of activity of a kinase is also important in radiation-induced apoptosis in human cells [Baxter, and Lavin (1992): J Immunol 148:149–1954]. We show here that some inhibitors of protein kinases exacerbate radiation-induced apoptosis in the human cell line BM13674. The specific protein kinase A inhibitor isoquinoline sulfonamide (20 μM) gave rise to significantly increased levels of apoptosis at 2–6 h postirradiation compared to values after radiation exposure only. The same concentration of isoquinolinesulfonamide, which was effective in increasing apoptosis, reduced activity markedly. A 66% inhibition of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A activity occurred in unirradiated cells at this concentration of H89 and activity was reduced to 58% in irradiated cells. Calphostin C, a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C, at a concentration of 0.1 μM, which caused 68% inhibition of enzyme activity in irradiated cells, failed to enhance the level of radiation-induced apoptosis. Other kinase inhibitors did not lead to an additional increase in apoptosis over and above that observed after irradiation. The results obtained here provide further support for an important role for modification of existing proteins during radiation-induced apoptosis.     

Partial purification and characterization of cysteine proteinases from various developmental stages of Paragonimus westermani

1. During development of Paragonimus westermani, larvae develop during migration within the host, and adult worms feed on pulmonary tissues, causing significant pathology in the mammalian host. In this report acidic extracts of various developmental stages (metacercariae and worms at one, two and three months of development) were examined for cysteine proteinase activity. 2. A soluble thiol-dependent proteinase activity with a native molecular weight of approximately 20,000 was isolated and partially purified. 3. The enzymes purified from the various developmental stages of the parasite had maximal activity at acidic pH and showed inhibitor susceptibilities similar to the vertebrate acidic cysteine proteinases. 4. Enzymatic activity was stable at pH 5.0 for at least two days when stored at 4 degrees C. 5. It is suggested that these enzymes may be involved in the nutrition of these parasites and/or during penetration and lysis of the tissues.