BIZARRE FOSSIL INSECTS: WEB-SPINNING SAWFLIES OF THE GENUS FERGANOLYDA (VESPIDA, PAMPHILIOIDEA) FROM THE MIDDLE JURASSIC OF DAOHUGOU, INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA

Abstract:  Three new species, attributed to the extinct family Xyelydidae of the Pamphilioidea (Order Vespida = Hymenoptera), are described from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China: Ferganolyda scylla sp. nov., F. charybdis sp. nov. and F. chungkuei sp. nov. The new material demonstrates that the genus Ferganolyda , which was previously considered to be a morphologically ordinary group of web-spinning sawflies, is in fact a highly unusual insect taxon. It is characterised, particularly in the male sex, by a huge head (about half as wide as the entire body length) and unusual modification of the antennae. Interpretation of the function of the unusual head and antennae is intriguing but unresolved.     

Structural investigation of the alpha-1-antichymotrypsin: prostate-specific antigen complex by comparative model building.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), produced by prostate cells, provides an excellent serum marker for prostate cancer. It belongs to the human kallikrein family of enzymes, a second prostate-derived member of which is human glandular kallikrein-1 (hK2). Active PSA and hK2 are both 237-residue kallikrein-like proteases, based on sequence homology. An hK2 model structure based on the serine protease fold is presented and compared to PSA and six other serine proteases in order to analyze in depth the role of the surface-accessible loops surrounding the active site. The results show that PSA and hK2 share extensive structural similarity and that most amino acid replacements are centered on the loops surrounding the active site. Furthermore, the electrostatic potential surfaces are very similar for PSA and hK2. PSA interacts with at least two serine protease inhibitors (serpins): alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) and protein C inhibitor (PCI). Three-dimensional model structures of the uncleaved ACT molecule were developed based upon the recent X-ray structure of uncleaved antithrombin. The serpin was docked both to PSA and hK2. Amino acid replacements and electrostatic complementarities indicate that the overall orientation of the proteins in these complexes is reasonable. In order to investigate PSA's heparin interaction sites, electrostatic computations were carried out on PSA, hK2, protein C, ACT, and PCI. Two heparin binding sites are suggested on the PSA surface and could explain the enhanced complex formation between PSA and PCI, while inhibiting the formation of the ACT-PSA complex, PSA, hK2, and their preliminary complexes with ACT should facilitate the understanding and prediction of structural and functional properties for these important proteins also with respect to prostate diseases.     

Conservation genetics of the European brown bear - a study using excremental PCR of nuclear and mitochondrial sequences

In the Brenta area of northern Italy, a brown bear Ursus arctos population is rapidly going extinct. Restocking of the population is planned. In order to study the genetics of this highly vulnerable population with a minimum of stress to the animals we have developed a PCR-based method that allows the study of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences from droppings collected in the field. This method is generally applicable to animals in the wild. Using excremental as well as hair samples, we show that the Brenta population is monomorphic for one mitochondrial lineage and that female as well as male bears exist in the area. In addition, 70 samples from other parts of Europe were studied. As others have previously reported, the mitochondrial gene pool of European bears is divided into two major clades, one with a western and the other with an eastern distribution. Whereas populations generally belong to either one or the other mitochondrial clade, the Romanian population contains both clades. The bears in the Brenta belong to the western clade. The implications for the management of brown bears in the Brenta and elsewhere in Europe are discussed.     

交感神经对大鼠失血性休克过程中淋巴微循环的调控

为了探讨交感神经对失血性休克过程中淋巴微循环变化的影响,应用显微电视录像技术,观察了切断内脏大神经的大鼠在失血性休克及输血、补液过程中肠中系膜微淋巴管（ＭＬ）收缩性的变化。结果表明,去神经后ＭＬ自主收缩频率及总收缩活性旨数（ＩｎｄｅｘⅡ）、淋巴管力学指数（Ｌ．Ｋ－Ｉｎｄｅｘ）显著降低,失血性休克时神经完整组及去神经组ＭＬ的自主收缩性均降低,神经完整组在回输血液及输液期,ＭＬ自主收缩性显著高于休克前     

Structural investigation of the A domains of human blood coagulation factor V by molecular modeling.

Factor V (FV) is a large (2,196 amino acids) nonenzymatic cofactor in the coagulation cascade with a domain organization (A1-A2-B-A3-C1-C2) similar to the one of factor VIII (FVIII). FV is activated to factor Va (FVa) by thrombin, which cleaves away the B domain leaving a heterodimeric structure composed of a heavy chain (A1-A2) and a light chain (A3-C1-C2). Activated protein C (APC), together with its cofactor protein S (PS), inhibits the coagulation cascade via limited proteolysis of FVa and FVIIIa (APC cleaves FVa at residues R306, R506, and R679). The A domains of FV and FVIII share important sequence identity with the plasma copper-binding protein ceruloplasmin (CP). The X-ray structure of CP and theoretical models for FVIII have been recently reported. This information allowed us to build a theoretical model (994 residues) for the A domains of human FV/FVa (residues 1-656 and 1546-1883). Structural analysis of the FV model indicates that: (a) the three A domains are arranged in a triangular fashion as in the case of CP and the organization of these domains should remain essentially the same before and after activation; (b) a Type II copper ion is located at the A1-A3 interface; (c) residues R306 and R506 (cleavage sites for APC) are both solvent exposed; (d) residues 1667-1765 within the A3 domain, expected to interact with the membrane, are essentially buried; (e) APC does not bind to FVa residues 1865-1874. Several other features of factor V/Va, like the R506Q and A221V mutations; factor Xa (FXa) and human neutrophil elastase (HNE) cleavages; protein S, prothrombin and FXa binding, are also investigated.     

LPC通过改变磷脂膜物理状态影响蛋白激酶C的活性

1 棕榈酰溶血磷脂酰胆碱 (C16∶0LPC)对甘油二油酸脂 (DOG)诱导的蛋白激酶C(PKC)有双向调控作用 ,低浓度时激活 ,高浓度时反而抑制 .利用差示扫描量热 (DSC)、荧光探针标记等方法 ,研究了磷脂样品浊度、热相变行为、磷脂分子酰链的堆积情况以及分子头部基团间空隙 .C16∶0LPC的加入使脂质体双层膜上磷脂分子堆积更加疏松 ,头部基团间空隙逐渐加大 ,DSC图显示膜上出现两不互溶的区域 :C16∶0LPC富集的DPPS/C16∶0LPC区和C16∶0LPC缺乏的DPPS区 .C16∶0LPC/DPPS摩尔比为 0 .2 3 4时 ,两区域有最大的共存交界范围 ,此时PKC的活性最大 ;C16∶0LPC/DPPS超过 0 .43 4后 ,DPPS的相变峰消失 ,脂质体遭到破坏 ,趋向于微团结构 ,PKC的活性被抑制 .DOG具有保持双层膜稳定的功能 ,在DPPS和DOG组成的体系中需要更高浓度的C16∶0LPC才能破坏脂质体的双层结构 .实验结果表明 ,C16∶0LPC通过改变磷脂脂质体的结构及膜的物理状态 ,影响了PKC的活性 .     

A structural model for the prostate disease marker, human prostate-specific antigen.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) provides an excellent serum marker for prostate cancer, the most frequent form of cancer in American males. PSA is a 237-residue protease based on sequence homology to kallikrein-like enzymes. To predict the 3-dimensional structure of PSA, homology modeling studies were performed based on sequence and structural alignments with tonin, pancreatic kallikrein, chymotrypsin, and trypsin. The structurally conserved regions of the 4 reference X-ray proteins provided the core structure of PSA, whereas the loop structures were modeled on the loops of tonin and kallikrein. The unique "kallikrein loop" insert, between Ser 95b and Pro 95k of kallikrein, was constructed using molecular mechanics, dynamics, and electrostatics calculations. In the resulting PSA structure, the catalytic triad, involving residues His 57, Asp 102, and Ser 195, and hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions typical of serine proteases were extremely well conserved. Similarly, the 5-disulfide bonds of kallikrein were also conserved in PSA. These results, together with the fact that no major steric clashes arose during the modeling process, provide strong evidence for the validity of the PSA model. Calculation of the electrostatic potential contours of kallikrein and PSA was carried out using the finite difference Poisson-Boltzmann method. The calculations revealed matching areas of negative potential near the catalytic triad, but differences in the positive potential surrounding the active site. The PSA glycosylation site, Asn 61, is fully accessible to the solvent and is enclosed in a positive region of the isopotential map. The bottom of the substrate specificity pocket, residue S1, is a serine (Ser 189) as in chymotrypsin, rather than aspartate (Asp 189) as in tonin, kallikrein, and trypsin. This fact, plus other features of the S1 binding-pocket region, suggest that PSA would prefer substrates with hydrophobic residues at the P1 position. The location of a potential zinc ion binding site involving the side chain of histidines 91, 101, and 233 is also suggested. This PSA model should facilitate the understanding and prediction of structural and functional properties of this important cancer marker.     

靶向敏感免疫脂质体的制备及其性能的初步研究

 <正> 靶向敏感免疫脂质体(TSIL)是利用脂质体的良好载药性能和抗体特别是单抗的特异寻靶能力,并将二者结合起来达到定向释放药物的一种脂质体。目前在国际上研究较多,但国内尚未见报道。我们在参照国外文献的基础上,利用羊抗兔IgG作为抗体,并将其与棕榈酸偶联,然后将棕榈酰抗体掺入到二油酰磷脂酰乙醇胺DOPE中。DOPE本身在常温和生