Identification of the Components of a Glycolytic Enzyme Metabolon on the Human Red Blood Cell Membrane

Glycolytic enzymes (GEs) have been shown to exist in multienzyme complexes on the inner surface of the human erythrocyte membrane. Because no protein other than band 3 has been found to interact with GEs, and because several GEs do not bind band 3, we decided to identify the additional membrane proteins that serve as docking sites for GE on the membrane. For this purpose, a method known as “label transfer” that employs a photoactivatable trifunctional cross-linking reagent to deliver a biotin from a derivatized GE to its binding partner on the membrane was used. Mass spectrometry analysis of membrane proteins that were biotinylated following rebinding and photoactivation of labeled GAPDH, aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase, and pyruvate kinase revealed not only the anticipated binding partner, band 3, but also the association of GEs with specific peptides in α- and β-spectrin, ankyrin, actin, p55, and protein 4.2. More importantly, the labeled GEs were also found to transfer biotin to other GEs in the complex, demonstrating for the first time that GEs also associate with each other in their membrane complexes. Surprisingly, a new GE binding site was repeatedly identified near the junction of the membrane-spanning and cytoplasmic domains of band 3, and this binding site was confirmed by direct binding studies. These results not only identify new components of the membrane-associated GE complexes but also provide molecular details on the specific peptides that form the interfacial contacts within each interaction.     

Structural Basis for Complement Evasion by Lyme Disease Pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes that cause Lyme borreliosis survive for a long time in human serum because they successfully evade the complement system, an important arm of innate immunity. The outer surface protein E (OspE) of B. burgdorferi is needed for this because it recruits complement regulator factor H (FH) onto the bacterial surface to evade complement-mediated cell lysis. To understand this process at the molecular level, we used a structural approach. First, we solved the solution structure of OspE by NMR, revealing a fold that has not been seen before in proteins involved in complement regulation. Next, we solved the x-ray structure of the complex between OspE and the FH C-terminal domains 19 and 20 (FH19-20) at 2.83 Å resolution. The structure shows that OspE binds FH19-20 in a way similar to, but not identical with, that used by endothelial cells to bind FH via glycosaminoglycans. The observed interaction of OspE with FH19-20 allows the full function of FH in down-regulation of complement activation on the bacteria. This reveals the molecular basis for how B. burgdorferi evades innate immunity and suggests how OspE could be used as a potential vaccine antigen.     

NEDD8 Ultimate Buster-1 Long (NUB1L) Protein Promotes Transfer of NEDD8 to Proteasome for Degradation through the P97UFD1/NPL4 Complex

The NEDD8 protein and neddylation levels in cells are modulated by NUB1L or NUB1 through proteasomal degradation, but the underlying molecular mechanism is not well understood. Here, we report that NUB1L down-regulated the protein levels of NEDD8 and neddylation through specifically recognizing NEDD8 and P97/VCP. NUB1L directly interacted with NEDD8, but not with ubiquitin, on the key residue Asn-51 of NEDD8 and with P97/VCP on its positively charged VCP binding motif. In coordination with the P97-UFD1-NPL4 complex (P97^UFD1/NPL4), NUB1L promotes transfer of NEDD8 to proteasome for degradation. This mechanism is also exemplified by the canonical neddylation of cullin 1 for SCF (SKP1-cullin1-F-box) ubiquitin E3 ligases that is exquisitely regulated by the turnover of NEDD8.     

The Heme Chaperone ApoCcmE Forms a Ternary Complex with CcmI and Apocytochrome c

Cytochrome c maturation (Ccm) is a post-translational process that occurs after translocation of apocytochromes c to the positive (p) side of energy-transducing membranes. Ccm is responsible for the formation of covalent bonds between the thiol groups of two cysteines residues at the heme-binding sites of the apocytochromes and the vinyl groups of heme b (protoporphyrin IX-Fe). Among the proteins (CcmABCDEFGHI and CcdA) required for this process, CcmABCD are involved in loading heme b to apoCcmE. The holoCcmE thus formed provides heme b to the apocytochromes. Catalysis of the thioether bonds between the apocytochromes c and heme b is mediated by the heme ligation core complex, which in Rhodobacter capsulatus contains at least the CcmF, CcmH, and CcmI components. In this work we show that the heme chaperone apoCcmE binds to the apocytochrome c and the apocytochrome c chaperone CcmI to yield stable binary and ternary complexes in the absence of heme in vitro. We found that during these protein-protein interactions, apoCcmE favors the presence of a disulfide bond at the apocytochrome c heme-binding site. We also establish using detergent-dispersed membranes that apoCcmE interacts directly with CcmI and CcmH of the heme ligation core complex CcmFHI. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to heme transfer from CcmE to the apocytochromes c during heme ligation assisted by the core complex CcmFHI.     

Internal heavy atom effect of Au(III) and Pt(IV) on hypocrellin A for enhanced in vitro photodynamic therapy of cancer

Hypocrellin A (HA), an a natural perylene quinine photosensitizers (PSs), can chelate with heavy metal ions, including Au(III) and Pt(IV), to form a 1:2 complex, which exhibits enhanced ¹O₂ generation quantum yield through the increased intersystem crossing efficiency mediated by internal heavy atom effect. Besides, the chelate process greatly improved the water solubility of HA. Comparative studies with HA and complexes have demonstrated that the heavy-atom effect on HA molecules enhances the efficiency of in vitro photodynamic (PDT) efficacy.     

Vegetation,herbivores and fires in savanna ecosystems: A network perspective

The dynamics of savanna ecosystems depends on the interplay between multiple factors such as grazing, browsing, fires, rainfall regime and interactions between grass and woody vegetation. In most modelling applications this interplay may not be fully understood because some of these drivers enter the models as dynamically independent factors. In this paper we consider such factors as dynamic variables. To analyze their interplay we focus on the structure of the interactive network of variables and exploit the properties of signed digraphs using the algorithm of Loop Analysis. Qualitative signed digraphs for the savanna ecosystem are developed and their predictions used to interpret patterns of abundance observed in case studies selected from the literature. The outcomes of this exercise unveil that: 1) the structure of the interactions is appropriate locus for the explanation of patterns observed in savannas; 2) signed digraph can help disentangling causative mechanisms by linking correlation patterns, source of change and network structure. This study highlights that central to the understanding of savanna dynamics is our ability to diagram the important relationships and understand how they interrelate with sources of variations to cause ecosystem change.     

中国结节性硬化症患者的临床特点及诊断现状分析

目的:回顾结节性硬化症(TSC)在中国的诊断现状,分析中国TSC患者的临床特点,促进TSC的识别、规范化诊治和管理。方法:在维普数据库、万方数据库、中国知网、中国生物医学文献数据库、PubMed数据库中全面检索2001年-2014年13年间国内外发表的关于中国患者TSC的269篇所涉及的3171例TSC患者从皮肤、神经系统、肾脏、心脏、肺等多系统的临床特点对文献进行了统计和分析,并对TSC患者遗传学方面的基因检测情况进行了归纳和总结。结果:对照2012年TSC诊断指南,在对诊断标准中主要指征的报道中,共有247篇文献对2607例TSC患者的皮肤损害进行了描述,212篇文献对2395例TSC患者的神经系统损害的影像学表现进行了报道,有55篇文献报道了对348例患者进行的眼底检查中发现多发性视网膜错构瘤84例,32篇文献报道了对282例患者进行的心脏彩超检查中发现162例心脏横纹肌瘤,45篇文献在对282例患者进行的胸片检查、20篇文献在对36例患者进行的胸部CT检查中共发现淋巴管肌瘤病50例。在98篇文献报道的对696例患者进行的肾脏超声检查、51篇文献报道的对221例患者进行的肾脏CT检查和2篇文献报道的对2例患者进行的肾脏MRI检查中共发现肾脏血管平滑肌脂肪瘤416例;在58篇文献报道的对586例TSC患者进行的肝脏超声检查、30篇文献报道的对104例患者进行的腹部CT检查、2篇文献报道的对3例患者进行的腹部MRI检查中共发现肝脏血管平滑肌脂肪瘤141例。在诊断标准中的次要指征的报道中,对多发性肾囊肿的报道最多,而对牙釉质凹陷、Confetti皮损的描述却几乎缺失。在其他临床表现的研究中,癫痫的相关文献最多,有关智力评估的文献尚缺乏客观的智力评估标准。遗传学基因检测逐渐成为近几年文献报道的热点。结论:在过去13年间,中国医生对TSC的诊治作出了很大贡献,但诊断过程中仍存在对疾病认识的不足和对全局观念的缺乏,推广新版指南的诊断标准对于中国医生是十分有意义的。     

Feeding strategies for <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> fermentations demanding an enriched environment

The addition of a carbon nutrient feed to a fed-batch cultivation is often not enough to obtain satisfactory growth and/or production. In some cases, an additional feed with for example supplementary amino acids or complex media is required. This work presents the development of feeding strategies where more than one feed is required and the knowledge of the growth requirements is low. Simulations and cultivations with E. coli are shown using the proposed feed controllers which are based on a probing control concept. The strategies work well and they can be used to shorten the process development phase considerably.