Effect of Glucose on the Uricase Formation by Streptomyces sp

The effect of glucose on the formation of uricase by a strain of Streptomyces sp. incubated under conditions of nitrogen limitation was investigated. Glucose stimulated uricase formation in the presence of potassium ion and inhibited it in the absence of the ion. Glucose metabolism by the organism was altered in the absence of the ion, and this appeared to cause the inhibition of the enzyme formation. The stimulatory effect of glucose in the presence of potassium ion was to shorten the lag period. Comparisons of the enzyme formation with and without urate in the presence and absence of glucose revealed that glucose promoted the utilization of exogenous urate as the inducer. The effect of glucose appeared to require protein synthesis, since it was prevented by chloramphenicol. Cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-mono-phosphate showed apparently no effect on uricase formation of this organism.     

Purification and Properties of meso-α,∊-Diaminopimelate Decarboxylase from Bacillus sphaericus

Soybean 7S and 11S globulins were stored at relative humidities (RHs) of 11% and 96% at 50°C. The redispersibility of the proteins at RH 96% decreased in a short time. However, it did not decrease, when stored for 45 days at RH 11%. Gel filtration showed that the proteins polymerized during storage. The effects of urea, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) on the redispersibilities of the proteins at RH 96% showed that the hydrogen, hydrophobic and disulfide bonds participate in the polymerization of 7S globulin, and that the disulfide bond is strongly related to the polymerization of 11S globulin. Redispersibility was restored with 2-ME in both the 7S and 11S globulins and some of the proteins in the supernatant redispersed with 2-ME were observed to be similar to the native ones with respect to the gel filtration, electrophoretic behavior and circular dichroism spectrum.     

Purification and Some Properties of β-Xylosidase from Emericella nidulans

β-Xylosidase was purified 662 fold from a culture filtrate by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Biogel P-100, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. With isoelectric focusing, the purified β-xylosidase found to be homogeneous on SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight was estimated by gel filtration to be 240,000, and 116,000 by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified β-xylosidase had an isoelectric point at pH 3.25, and contained 4% carbohydrate residue. The optimum pH was found to be in the range of 4.5 ~ 5, and the optimum temperature was 55°C. The enzyme activity was inhibited by Hg^{2 +}, SDS, and N-bromosuccinimide at a concentration of 1 × 10^?3 m, and also p-chloromercuribenzoate at a concentration of 1 × 10^?4m. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed phenyl β-d-xyloside (k_o = 302.6 sec^?1),β-nitrophenyl β-d-xyloside (k_o = 438.9 sec^?1), o-nitrophenyl β-d-xyloside (k_o = 431.0 sec^?1), p-chlorophenyl β-d-xyloside (k_o = 207.9 sec^?1), o-chlorophenyl β-d-xyloside (k_o = 211.8 sec^?1), β-methylphenyl β-d-xyloside k_o = 96.5 sec^?1), o-methylphenyl β-d-xyloside (k_o = 83.1 sec^?1), p-methoxyphenyl β-d-xyloside (k_o = 99.3 sec^?1), o-methoxyphenyl β-d-xyloside (k_o= 100.0 sec^?1), xylobiose (k_o = 992A sec^?1), xylotriose (k_o = 1321.9 sec^?1), xylotetraose (k_o = 7S9.1 sec^?1) and xylopentaose (k_o = 508.0 sec^?1). On enzymic hydrolysis of phenyl β-d-xyloside, the reaction product was found to be β-d-xylose with retention of the configuration. The purified β-xylosidase was practically free of a-xylosidase and β-glucosidase activities.     

Isolation of an aerobic sulfur oxidizer from the SUP05/Arctic96BD-19 clade

Bacteria from the uncultured SUP05/Arctic96BD-19 clade of gamma proteobacterial sulfur oxidizers (GSOs) have the genetic potential to oxidize reduced sulfur and fix carbon in the tissues of clams and mussels, in oxygen minimum zones and throughout the deep ocean (>200 m). Here, we report isolation of the first cultured representative from this GSO clade. Closely related cultures were obtained from surface waters in Puget Sound and from the deep chlorophyll maximum in the North Pacific gyre. Pure cultures grow aerobically on natural seawater media, oxidize sulfur, and reach higher final cell densities when glucose and thiosulfate are added to the media. This suggests that aerobic sulfur oxidation enhances organic carbon utilization in the oceans. The first isolate from the SUP05/Arctic96BD-19 clade was given the provisional taxonomic assignment ‘Candidatus: Thioglobus singularis'', alluding to the clade''s known role in sulfur oxidation and the isolate''s planktonic lifestyle.     

The BECN1-USP19 axis plays a role in the crosstalk between autophagy and antiviral immune responses

Macroautophagy/autophagy is a conserved intracellular degradation system that traffics substrates including protein aggregates, defunct or disused organelles and invading pathogens to lysosomes via double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. BECN1/Beclin 1 functions as a key protein in autophagy initiation and progression; however, the role of BECN1 in innate immunity has not been fully investigated. Recently, we have found that USP19 affects the ubiquitination of BECN1, hence promoting the formation of autophagosomes and inhibiting DDX58/RIG-I-mediated type I interferon signaling.     

鼻咽癌患者血清中CYFRA21-1 和SCCAg水平检测的临床意义

目的:探讨血清中CYFRA21-1和SCCAg水平对鼻咽癌患者临床病理特征及恶性程度的评价作用。方法:选择2009年4月-2010年12月期间在我院确诊为鼻咽癌并接受放疗的55例患者作为研究的实验组,同期体检的60例健康志愿者作为研究的对照组,检测血清中CYFRA21-1和SCCAg水平以及肿瘤组织中Livin、CDK6、Caspase-3、Caspase-9的m RNA含量。结果:实验组患者血清中CYFRA21-1和SCCAg的水平显著高于对照组(P0.05);TNM分期越高、分化程度越低,血清中CYFRA21-1、SCCAg含量以及肿瘤组织中Livin、CDK6的m RNA含量越高,肿瘤组织中Caspase-3、Caspase-9的m RNA含量越低(P0.05);CYFRA21-1含量与肿瘤组织中Livin、CDK6的m RNA含量呈正相关,与Caspase-3、Caspase-9的m RNA含量呈负相关,相关系数r分别为0.723、0.693、-0.714、-0.648;SCCAg含量与肿瘤组织中Livin、CDK6的m RNA含量呈正相关,与Caspase-3、Caspase-9的m RNA含量呈负相关,相关系数r分别为0.645、0.703、-0.751、-0.681。结论:血清中CYFRA21-1和SCCAg水平能够反应鼻咽癌患者的肿瘤分期、分化程度以及肿瘤组织中细胞的增殖活力,是用于评价鼻咽癌患者临床病理特征及恶性程度的理想指标。     

OsDi19‐4 acts downstream of OsCDPK14 to positively regulate ABA response in rice

The drought‐induced 19 protein family consists of several atypical Cys2/His2‐type zinc finger proteins in plants and plays an important role in abiotic stress. In this study, we found that overexpressing OsDi19‐4 in rice altered the expression of a series of abscisic acid (ABA)‐responsive genes, resulting in strong ABA‐hypersensitive phenotypes including ABA‐induced seed germination inhibition, early seedling growth inhibition and stomatal closure. On the contrary, OsDi19‐4 knockdown lines were less sensitive to ABA. Additionally, OsCDPK14 was identified to interact with OsDi19‐4 and be responsible for the phosphorylation of OsDi19‐4, and the phosphorylation of OsDi19‐4 was further enhanced after the treatment of ABA. Apart from these, OsDi19‐4 was shown to directly bind to the promoters of OsASPG1 and OsNAC18 genes, two ABA‐responsive genes, and regulate their expression. Transient expression assays confirmed the direct regulation role of OsDi19‐4, and the regulation was further enhanced by the increased phosphorylation of OsDi19‐4 after the treatment of ABA. Taken together, these data demonstrate that OsDi19‐4 acts downstream of OsCDPK14 to positively regulate ABA response by modulating the expression of ABA‐responsive genes in rice.     

四川裂腹鱼脑型芳香化酶Cyp19b基因组织分布及温度对其表达水平的影响

为研究脑型芳香化酶基因Cyp19b在四川裂腹鱼(Schizothorax kozlovi)早期性别分化中的作用,采用RACE方法从四川裂腹鱼脑中扩增得到该基因c DNA全长序列,并应用荧光定量RT-PCR技术测定该基因m RNA的相对表达量,探讨该基因在不同规格四川裂腹鱼鳃、脑、心、肝、脾、肾、肌肉、精巢、卵巢组织中的表达差异,以及温度对其早期仔鱼阶段该基因表达的影响。四川裂腹鱼Cyp19b基因的c DNA全长序列共3 021 bp,共编码507个氨基酸,属于脑型芳香化酶基因;四川裂腹鱼Cyp19b基因编码的氨基酸序列与其他鱼类脑型芳香化酶基因编码的氨基酸序列同源性可达70%以上,而与性腺型芳香化酶基因编码的氨基酸序列同源性较低,为64%左右;四川裂腹鱼Cyp19b基因仅在脑组织中表达,具有比较高的组织特异性,且随着个体的增长,逐渐呈现显著的雌雄差异;对不同温度处理12日龄仔鱼6 d后,低温(10℃和14℃)能显著促进Cyp19b基因表达量的升高,但高温(26℃)却对其表达量无显著影响。由此推测,脑型芳香化酶基因Cyp19b可能在低温导致四川裂腹鱼雌性化过程中发挥着重要作用。