The biology of beta-adrenergic receptors: analysis in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells.

1. G-protein-linked transmembrane signaling has emerged as a major pathway for information transduction across the cell membrane. 2. In addition to photopigments that propagate the signal from light, cell-surface receptors for hormones, neurotransmitters, and autacoids propagate signals from ligand binding to membrane-bound effector units via G-proteins. 3. Biochemical and molecular features of one prominent member of these receptors, the beta-adrenergic receptor, will be highlighted in the present article. 4. The role of the human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells as a model for the study of the structure and biology of beta-adrenergic receptors will be emphasized. 5. A model for receptor regulation, gleaned from recent advances in the biochemistry, cell and molecular biology of beta-adrenergic receptors, is discussed.     

固氮蓝藻“红圈病”的研究——Ⅰ.“红圈病”在大面积培养蓝藻中的危害以及防范措施

对蓝藻“红圈病”的病症、发病条件、传播程度方式、危害进行了研究。结果表明,发病条件与蓝藻最佳生长条件基本一致;病原通过水体和带病藻体传播,对藻的产量和质量均造成严重危害。同时探讨了综合防治措施。     

基因定点诱变删除及天然α型心钠素的分泌型表达

用基因定点诱变技术,删除了pO_1α ANF表达质粒中的33对碱基,使人α型心钠素结构基因直接与大肠杆菌分泌型表达质粒pIN-Ⅲ-OmPA中的信号肽酶切位点编码区相连,构成天然人α型心钠素的表达质粒pANF,在IPTG诱导下表达28肽的天然人α型心钠素。纯化后的表达产物具有天然心钠素的放免活性和很强的舒张血管的生物活性。     

The disulfide bridge pattern of snake venom disintegrins, flavoridin and echistatin.

Flavoridin and echistatin, isolated from the venom of Trimeresurus flavoviridis and Echis carinatus, respectively, belong to the disintegrin family of integrin beta 1 and beta 3 inhibitors of low molecular weight RGD-containing, cysteine-rich peptides. Since disulfide bonds are critical for expression of biological activity, we sought to determine their location in these two proteins. In flavoridin, direct evidence for the existence of linkage between Cys4-Cys19 and between Cys45 and Cys64 was obtained by analysis of proteolytic products, and indirect evidence suggests links between Cys6-Cys14 and Cys13-Cys36. In echistatin, links between Cys8-Cys37 and Cys20-Cys39 were identified by direct chemical analysis.     

Quantitation of model digestive mixtures by 13C NMR.

13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were obtained at 50.3 and 100.5 MHz for methanolic and aqueous mixtures of sodium taurocholate, 1-monocapryloyl-rac-glycerol, and caprylic acid. Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT) was used to improve spectral sensitivity and resolution, and to generate calibration curves for quantitative determinations of each lipid in methanol. Alternatively, the heights for nonoverlapping peaks in a 13C NMR spectrum acquired with inverse-gated decoupling provide reliable quantitative estimates for each component of the mixture, particularly when the data are obtained in methanol. These experiments also demonstrate the feasibility of detailed NMR structural investigations in model systems for glyceride digestion.     

Triterpenoid saponins from Clinopodium polycephalum.

A new triterpenoid saponin, clinopodiside A, has been isolated from Clinopodium polycephalum. Its structure was established by spectroscopic methods and X-ray diffraction analysis as 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1----6)-[ beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1----4)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-olean-11,13(18)-diene-3 beta,16 beta, 23,28-tetrol.     

The dilemma of negative analysis of variance estimators of intraclass correlation

Summary At least two common practices exist when a negative variance component estimate is obtained, either setting it to zero or not reporting the estimate. The consequences of these practices are investigated in the context of the intraclass correlation estimation in terms of bias, variance and mean squared error (MSE). For the one-way analysis of variance random effects model and its extension to the common correlation model, we compare five estimators: analysis of variance (ANOVA), concentrated ANOVA, truncated ANOVA and two maximum likelihood-like (ML) estimators. For the balanced case, the exact bias and MSE are calculated via numerical integration of the exact sample distributions, while a Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted for the unbalanced case. The results indicate that the ANOVA estimator performs well except for designs with family size n = 2. The two ML estimators are generally poor, and the concentrated and truncated ANOVA estimators have some advantages over the ANOVA in terms of MSE. However, the large biases may make the concentrated and truncated ANOVA estimators objectionable when intraclass correlation () is small. Bias should be a concern when a pooled estimate is obtained from the literature since <0.05 in many genetic studies.     

A fluorometric study with 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS) of the interactions of ATP and ADP with rubisco activase

The interactions of ATP and ADP with rubisco activase purified from spinach were investigated by measuring enhanced fluorescence due to ANS-binding to the protein. Evidence of conformational changes was observed from the differences in the interaction of ANS with rubisco activase in the presence of excess ATP and ADP. Fluorescent changes associated with the titration of a rubisco activase-ANS mixture with ATP and ADP indicated that the binding of ADP to rubisco activase was much tighter than that of ATP. The concentration of Mg2+ and pH had significant effects on the affinities of rubisco activase for ATP and ADP, with higher pH and Mg2+ concentration facilitating the binding of ATP to rubisco activase in the presence of ADP. The physiological implications of the binding characteristics of ATP and ADP with rubisco activase on the light-dark regulation of rubisco are discussed.