A rhodamine-deoxylactam based sensor for chromo-fluorogenic detection of nerve agent simulant

N-(rhodamine B)-deoxylactam-5-amino-1-pentanol (dRB-APOH) was designed and prepared as the chromo-fluorogenic sensor for detection of a nerve agent simulant via analyte triggered tandem phosphorylation and opening of the intramolecular deoxylactam. The successful detection of diethyl chlorophosphate suggests the utility of rhodamine-deoxylactams as the chromo-fluorogenic signal reporting platform for design of sensors targeting reactive chemical species via various chemistries.     

Acute Clearance of Human Metapneumovirus Occurs Independently of Natural Killer Cells

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a major cause of respiratory disease. The role of NK cells in protection against HMPV is unclear. We show that while HMPV-infected C57BL/6 mice had higher numbers of functional lung NK cells than mock-treated mice, comparing NK cell-depleted and control mice did not reveal differences in lung viral titers, histopathology, cytokine levels, or T cell numbers or function. These data indicate that NK cells are not required for host control of HMPV.     

Cleavage of territrems by alkaline hydrogen peroxide: Isolation and characterization of the aromatic moiety of territrems

The chemical reaction of cleavaging territrem B to give 3,4,5-trimethoxy benzoic acid by alkaline hydrogen peroxide was investigated. The method was applied for confirmation of the chemical structure of the aromatic moiety of territrem A, A’, B, and B’. The physicochemical properties of the aromatic cleavage product of territrem Aindicated the structure as 3,4-methylendioxy, 5-methoxy benzoic acid (or 4-methoxy, 6-carboxy, 1, 3-benzodioxole). The experiment also gave the evidences that territrem A and A’, on the other hand territrem B and B’ have the identical aromatic moieties on their structures.     

Sunfleck limits the small-scale distribution of endangered <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kingdonia uniflora</Emphasis> in the natural habitat of subalpine forest proved by its photosynthesis

The physiological effects of sunflecks on understory plants are poorly understood. Kingdonia uniflora is an endemic and endangered species in China, with a patchy distribution over much of its range. Sunflecks are reportedly the likely dominant factor in determining its patchy distribution. We studied the photosynthesis of K. uniflora in the field to test whether understory sunflecks result in photoinhibition and, thereby, potentially influence its patchy distribution. K. uniflora exhibited the low dark respiration rates, low light compensation points, and low light saturation points characteristic of shade-tolerant plants, allowing maintenance during the long periods of low understory light. Moreover, K. uniflora was able to regulate light energy utilization by non-photochemical quenching in low light. Gas exchange parameters were measured in six treatments (sunfleck-enriched, sunfleck-enriched with added saturation light, sunfleck-enriched with filtered ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation , sunfleck-limited, sunfleck-limited with added saturation light, and sunfleck-limited with filtered UV-B). The sunfleck-enriched treatment caused photoinhibition in K. uniflora, in part due to a UV-B-induced decrease in Pn. In addition, the application of simulated sunflecks indicated that K. uniflora leaves do not need continuous light. The photosynthetic responses of K. uniflora to sunflecks indicate that the sunflecks are a limiting factor in the small-scale distribution of K. uniflora.     

Structural analysis of chloroplast tail‐anchored membrane protein recognition by ArsA1

In mammals and yeast, tail‐anchored (TA) membrane proteins destined for the post‐translational pathway are safely delivered to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by a well‐known targeting factor, TRC40/Get3. In contrast, the underlying mechanism for translocation of TA proteins in plants remains obscure. How this unique eukaryotic membrane‐trafficking system correctly distinguishes different subsets of TA proteins destined for various organelles, including mitochondria, chloroplasts and the ER, is a key question of long standing. Here, we present crystal structures of algal ArsA1 (the Get3 homolog) in a distinct nucleotide‐free open state and bound to adenylyl‐imidodiphosphate. This approximately 80‐kDa protein possesses a monomeric architecture, with two ATPase domains in a single polypeptide chain. It is capable of binding chloroplast (TOC34 and TOC159) and mitochondrial (TOM7) TA proteins based on features of its transmembrane domain as well as the regions immediately before and after the transmembrane domain. Several helices located above the TA‐binding groove comprise the interlocking hook‐like motif implicated by mutational analyses in TA substrate recognition. Our data provide insights into the molecular basis of the highly specific selectivity of interactions of algal ArsA1 with the correct sets of TA substrates before membrane targeting in plant cells.     

Auto-adaptive Alpha Allocation: A Strategy to Mitigate Risk on Study Assumptions

In some clinical development programs, there are potential biomarkers with promising but uncertain predictive effect, while the probability of success in the overall population cannot be readily dismissed. It is risky to focus only on the overall population, or just the biomarker subpopulation. In 2009, Chen and Beckman proposed a Bayesian decision framework to optimize the type I error rate (alpha) allocation in a Phase III clinical study with possible predictive subset effect. The utilization of internal data in this framework is of particular interest because it provides an opportunity to mitigate the potential risk of misspecified study assumptions using an auto-adaptive strategy. In this paper, we examine this auto-adaptive strategy in detail through extensive numerical case studies and provide guidance on the appropriate use of partial current trial (internal) data in this data-driven optimization framework. We show that internal data can be used to inform the alpha allocation to hypothesis testing in the overall population and the subgroup. The resulting adaptive testing strategy is robust with respect to the uncertainty in the predictive subgroup effect and biomarker prevalence.     

小麦耐盐种质遗传多样性的RAPD分析

选用２２个引物对２４份小麦耐盐种质进行ＲＡＰＤ分析,共产生２００条扩增片段,多态性片段数为１７２条,扩增片段的多态性百分率为８６％,利用ＮＹＳＴＳ软件根据Ｊａｃｃａｒｄ系统分析ＲＡＰＤ结果,并按ＵＰＧＭＡ类平均法进行聚类。２４份材料相似系数在０．２１￣０．９７之间,其中含有多枝赖草、黑麦和偃麦草等外源染色体的多１７４、ＷＲ８３０和南前１２７被分别在３个独立的组,多１７４和南前１２７的亲关系最远,相     

Dimer opening of the nucleotide binding domains of ABC transporters after ATP hydrolysis

ABC transporters constitute one of the most abundant membrane transporter families. The most common feature shared in the family is the highly conserved nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) that drive the transport process through binding and hydrolysis of ATP. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the effect of ATP hydrolysis in the NBDs. Starting with the ATP-bound, closed dimer of MalK, four simulation systems with all possible combinations of ATP or ADP-P_i bound to the two nucleotide binding sites are constructed and simulated with equilibrium molecular dynamics for ∼70 ns each. The results suggest that the closed form of the NBD dimer can only be maintained with two bound ATP molecules; in other words, hydrolysis of one ATP can lead to the opening of the dimer interface of the NBD dimer. Furthermore, we observed that the opening is an immediate effect of hydrolysis of ATP into ADP and P_i rather than the dissociation of hydrolysis products. In addition, the opening is mechanistically triggered by the dissociation of the LSGGQ motif from the bound nucleotide. A metastable ADP-P_i bound conformational state is consistently observed before the dimer opening in all the simulation systems.