Characterization of the putative tryptophan synthase β-subunit from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The increasing emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis （TB） poses a serious threat to the control of this disease. It is in urgent need to develop new TB drugs. Tryptophan biosynthetic pathway plays an important role in the growth and replication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis （Mtb）. The β-subunit of tryptophan synthase （TrpB） catalyzes the last step of the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, and it might be a potential target for TB drug design. In this study, we overexpressed, purified, and characterized the putative TrpB-encoding gene Rv1612 in Mtb H37Rv. Results showed that Mtb His-TrpB optimal enzymatic activity is at pH 7.8 with 0.15 M Na^＋ or 0.18 M Mg^2＋ at 37℃. Structure analysis indicated that Mtb TrpB exhibited a typical β/α barrel structure. The amino acid residues believed to interact with the enzyme cofactor pyridoxal-5＇-phosphate were predicted by homology modeling and structure alignment. The role of these residues in catalytic activity of the Mtb His-TrpB was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis. These results provided reassuring structural information for drug design based on TrpB.     

Doppel-induced cytotoxicity in human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells is antagonized by the prion protein

Doppel （Dpl） is a prion （PrP）-like protein due to the structural and biochemical similarities; however, the natural functions of Dpl and PrP remain unclear. In this study, a 531-bp human PRND gene sequence encoding Dpl protein was amplified from human peripheral blood leucocytes. Furl-length and various truncated human Dpl and PrP proteins were expressed and purified from Escherichia coil Supplement of the full-length Dpl onto human neuroblastoma cell SH-SY5Y induced remarkable cytotoxicity, and the region responsible for its cytotoxicity was mapped at the middle segment of Dpl [amino acids （aa） 81-122]. Interestingly, DpMnduced cytotoxicity was antagonized by the presence of full- length wild-type PrP. Analysis on fragments of PrP mutants showed that the N-terminal fragment （aa 23- 90） of PrP was responsible for the protective activity. A truncated PrP （PrPA32-121） with similar secondary structure as Dpl induced DpMike cytotoxicity on SH- SY5Y cells. Furthermore, binding of copper ion could enhance the antagonizing effect of PrP on Dpi-induced cytotoxicity. Apoptosis assays revealed that cytotoxicity induced by Dpl occurred through an apoptotic mechanism. These results suggested that the function of Dpl is antagonistic to PrP rather than synergistic.     

The structure-function relationship of MSI7, a matrix protein from pearl oyster Pinctada fucata

We previously identified a matrix protein, MSI7, from pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. According to the structural analysis, the DGD site in the N-terminal of MSI7 is crucial for its role in the shell formation. In this study, we expressed a series of recombinant MSI7 proteins, including the wild-type and several mutants directed at the DGD site, using an Escherichia coli expression system to reveal the structure-function relationship of MSI7. Furthermore, in vitro crystallization, crystallization speed assay, and circular dichroism spectrometry were carried out. Results indicated that wild-type MSI7 could induce the nucleation of aragonite and inhibit the crystallization of calcite. However, none of the mutants could induce the nucleation of aragonite, but all of them could inhibit the crystallization of calcite to some extent. And all the proteins accelerated the crystallization process. Taken together, the results indicated that MSI7 could contribute to aragonite crystallization by inducing the nucleation of aragonite and inhibiting the crystallization of calcite, which agrees with our prediction about its role in the nacreous layer formation of the shell. The DGD site was critical for the induction of the nucleation of aragonite.     

慢性肾脏病患者心脏结构与功能变化的超声心动图研究

目的:研究慢性肾脏病(CKD)患者心脏结构及功能的变化.方法:选择我院肾内科175例慢性肾脏病未透析患者,按照2003年美国国家肾脏基金会-肾脏病转归质量(NKF-K/DOQI)指南的标准进行分期,观察所有患者心脏结构及功能在超声中的变化.结果:慢性肾脏病患者随着肾功能的恶化,各组之间比较,室间隔厚度(IVST)、左心室后壁厚度(LVPW)、左心室心肌重量指数(LVMI)、左心室舒张末期内径(LVDd)、左心房内径(LAD)具有升高的趋势(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);但E/A比值未出现伴随着肾功能恶化而逐渐减低的趋势(P＞0.05);射血分数(EF)、短轴缩短卒(FS)在各期之间无明显变化(P＞0.05);而TVI技术测定的Em、Em/Am具有显著减低的趋势(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);瓣膜返流以二尖瓣返流为主.结论:慢性肾脏病患者心脏结构与功能随肾功能减退而加重,超声心动图检查结合组织速度显像(TVI)技术能更好地检测心脏结构和功能变化,尤其是检测左心室舒张功能障碍.     

竹维素微粉的结构与性能研究

采用热化学酚化技术分离得到竹纤维素微粉(BCMP).通过对比实验.分析测试了竹纤维酚化前后的结构和性能.实验结果表明,BCMP纤维含量达92%以上,粒径(长度方向)为20～200μm,羟值80～190 mgKOH/g,热分解温度达300℃以上,具有比竹粉更好的疏水性,耐热性,仍保持竹纤维的部分结晶结构;抗老化实验和抗菌实验结果也表明竹纤维素微粉具有比竹粉/木粉更好的抗紫外吸收性能,对细菌繁殖具有显著的抑制作用.     

内蒙古高原西部荒漠区锦鸡儿属(Caragana)优势种的形态适应特征

研究内蒙古高原西部荒漠区锦鸡儿属（Caragana）4种优势植物——柠条锦鸡儿、狭叶锦鸡儿、垫状锦鸡儿和荒漠锦鸡儿的地理分布和叶形态适应特征.通过地理分布和生长发育研究发现：4种锦鸡儿均能在阿拉善荒漠区分布和正常生长,它们能够适应阿拉善荒漠区环境.叶形态结构研究表明：狭叶锦鸡儿叶片呈瓦状,在一定程度上阻碍了水分散失和气体交换,缩小受光面积;垫状锦鸡儿叶片卷成筒状,水分散失和气体交换阻力更大,受光面积更小.柠条锦鸡儿密被伏帖绢毛、狭叶锦鸡儿多被灰白色柔毛、垫状锦鸡儿密被绢毛和荒漠锦鸡儿密被直立绢毛,对光线反射能力强,使叶温降低,减少蒸腾.狭叶锦鸡儿和垫状锦鸡儿具有的长条型叶,4种荒漠区锦鸡儿都具有更小的叶面积、更大的厚度/面积比值、更低的叶片生物量和更小的比叶面积（SLA）,减小了蒸腾和受光面积,提高了荒漠区锦鸡儿的保水能力.荒漠区锦鸡儿这些叶片形态特性有利于适应干旱、高温和强辐射的荒漠区环境.叶绿素含量测定和叶色研究结果表明：4种荒漠区锦鸡儿叶绿素含量低,更低的叶绿素含量和密被灰白色柔毛或绢毛导致叶色浅、反光性能好,有利于减少对辐射的吸收,避免强辐射对植物的伤害,同时也使叶温低,减轻高温伤害和水分蒸发,以适应环境.这是荒漠区锦鸡儿适应高光强、高气温、极干旱的荒漠区环境的特性.垫状锦鸡儿和柠条锦鸡儿叶绿素a/b高也是适应强辐射的特性.比较4种荒漠区锦鸡儿的叶形态特性发现,4种荒漠区锦鸡儿植物对荒漠环境的形态适应方式是不同的.     

山顶洞人与现代华北人头骨非测量性特征比较及中国更新世晚期人类演化的一些问题

山顶洞人化石是迄今在东亚地区发现的数量最为丰富、保存状态最为完好的更新世晚期人类化石。多年来,山顶洞人作为东亚地区更新世晚期人类的代表,在研究东亚地区现代蒙古人种及美洲印第安人起源方面发挥着重要作用。随着对现代人起源与演化研究的深入,学术界对更新世晚期人类演化及现代人群形成过程的许多细节及演化机制予以了越来越多的注意,提出了现代人群出现时间及现代人群分化时间的概念。一些研究对山顶洞人的演化程度及其在东亚地区现代人群形成上的作用也提出了不同看法。为了深入探讨这些问题,本文对12项颅骨非测量特征在山顶洞人与现代中国人的表现情况进行了对比研究。发现有8项特征在山顶洞人与现代中国人之间具有不同的表现,作者认为山顶洞人在颅骨特征表现上较现代中国人具有更多的原始性。在此基础上,作者就更新世晚期人群内部变异、现代人群特征标准等问题进行了讨论。     

黄鳝一种新的生殖腺发育状况报道

早在六十年前,刘建康就报道过黄鳝存在着自然性逆转现象[1]。在随后的几十年里,众多的学者对于黄鳝性逆转开展了较为广泛的研究[2—8]。目前一般认为黄鳝属于雌性先熟的雌雄同体鱼类,其性别发育为单方向进行,雌性发育阶段→间性发育阶段→雄性发育阶段。黄鳝雌性成熟发育第一次性周期内黄鳝个体全部表现为雌性发育,性成熟产卵后,卵巢内卵细胞败育,卵巢结构逐渐退化,与此同时雌性生殖细胞开始发育,通过雌雄间性发育过渡到雄性发育[2、3、7]。在这一发育程序中尚未有黄鳝同一个体生殖腺中精、卵巢结构均为成熟发育的报道。作者在对于黄鳝生殖…     

黄土高原子午岭天然柴松林种群结构与动态研究

对黄土高原地区子午岭天然柴松(Pinus tabulaeformisf.shekannesis)林种群的结构和动态进行了研究。结果显示:柴松种群结构呈反J分布型,种群处于增长阶段;种群的密度随径级的增加而降低,种群密度与径级呈现出明显的负相关;4个函数(生存率函数、积累死亡率函数、死亡密度函数、危险率函数)估计值说明种群具有前期增长、后期稳定的特点,其存活曲线介于DeeveyⅡ型和DeeveyⅢ型之间;随时间推移,种群中树和大树数量逐渐增多,种群在20 a后开始大量进入成熟阶段。表明柴松在本研究区内生长更新良好,在无人为干扰条件下,柴松可通过自我调节能力而保持种群的稳定性。