Atomic force microscopy and force spectroscopy study of Langmuir-Blodgett films formed by heteroacid phospholipids of biological interest

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of two heteroacid phospholipids of biological interest 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (POPE) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), as well as a mixed monolayer with χ_POPC = 0.4, were transferred onto mica in order to investigate by a combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and force spectroscopy (FS) their height, and particularly, their nanomechanical properties. AFM images of such monolayers extracted at 30 mN m^− 1 revealed a smooth and defect-free topography except for the POPE monolayer. Since scratching such soft monolayers in contact mode was proved unsuccessful, their molecular height was measured by means of the width of the jump present in the respective force-extension curves. While for pure POPC a small jump occurs near zero force, for the mixed monolayer with χ_POPC = 0.4 the jump occurs at ∼ 800 pN. Widths of ∼ 2 nm could be established for POPC and χ_POPC = 0.4, but not for POPE monolayer at this extracting pressure. Such different mechanical stability allowed us to directly measure the threshold area/lipid range value needed to induce mechanical stability to the monolayers. AFM imaging and FS were next applied to get further structural and mechanical insight into the POPE phase transition (LC-LC′) occurring at pressures > 36.5 mN m^− 1. This phase transition was intimately related to a sudden decrease in the area/molecule value, resulting in a jump in the force curve occurring at high force (∼ 1.72 nN). FS reveals to be the unique experimental technique able to unveil structural and nanomechanical properties for such soft phospholipid monolayers. The biological implications of the nanomechanical properties of the systems under investigation are discussed considering that the annular phospholipids region of some transmembrane proteins is enriched in POPE.     

以可注射性纤维蛋白封闭剂为支架体内构建组织工程软骨

目的: 研究以纤维蛋白封闭剂（FS）为载体复合人胚关节软骨细胞体内构建可注射性组织工程软骨的可行性。方法:常规分离消化,体外单层培养胎儿关节软骨细胞,观察软骨细胞的生物学特性。分别将1×107、2×107、3×107第4代软骨细胞与FS混合接种于裸鼠皮下, 并于第10周取材判断体内形成软骨的能力。结果: 3~4代软骨细胞保持了很高的增殖和分泌基质的能力。软骨细胞与FS的复合物体内接种后各组均可形成软骨样组织块,其湿重、GAG含量随着接种细胞数量的增多而增高,各组之间差异具有显著性（p<0.05）。3×107细胞组GAG含量与正常人胚关节软骨没有差异（p>0.05）。组织切片显示软骨细胞位于类似正常软骨组织的陷窝中,阿尔新蓝染色及II型胶原表达阳性,细胞内富含高尔基体、粗面内质网及大量分泌泡。结论: FS和人胚关节软骨细胞可以作为理想的支架材料和种子细胞应用于可注射软骨组织的构建。     

Artificial Tactile Sense Technique for Predicting Beef Tenderness Based on FS Pressure Sensor

We present a rapid system for predicting beef tenderness by mimicking the human tactile sense. The detection system includesa FS pressure sensor, a power supply conversion circuit, a signal amplifier and a box in which the sample is mounted. Asample of raw Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle is placed in the measuring box; then a rod connected to the pressure sensor ispressed into the beef sample to a given depth; the reaction force of the beef sample is measured and used to predict the tenderness.Sensory evaluation and Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) evaluation of samples from the same LD muscle are usedfor comparison. The new detection system agrees with established procedure 95% of the time, and the time to test a sample isless than 5 minutes.     

FS2M01．pl，转换片段大小表为0／0矩阵的Perl脚本

用Perl语言编写了一个脚本——FS2M01．pl来实现片段大小表向0／1矩阵的转换,解决了由人工方法将遗传图谱的位点信息转换成0／1矩阵的问题。     

Personal recollections on the discovery of the ryanodine receptors of muscle

The intracellular Ca²⁺ release channels are indispensable molecular machinery in practically all eukaryotic cells of multicellular animals. They serve a key role in cell signaling by way of Ca²⁺ as a second messenger. In response to a signaling event, the channels release Ca²⁺ from intracellular stores. The resulting rise in cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ concentration triggers the cell to carry out its specialized role, after which the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration must be reduced so that the signaling event can again be repeated. There are two types of intracellular Ca²⁺ release channels, i.e., the ryanodine receptors and the inositol triphosphate receptors. My focus in this minireview is to present a personal account, from the vantage point our laboratory, of the discovery, isolation, and characterization of the ryanodine receptors from mammalian muscle. There are three isoforms: ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1), first isolated from rabbit fast twitch skeletal muscle; ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2), first isolated from dog heart; and ryanodine receptor 3 (RyR3), first isolated from bovine diaphragm muscle. The ryanodine receptors are the largest channel structures known. The RyR isoforms are very similar albeit with important differences. Natural mutations in humans in these receptors have already been associated with a number of muscle diseases.     

Blackbird Repellency of Selected Registered Pesticides

Abstract: Bird depredation of agricultural crops is a worldwide problem. New strategies to include chemical repellents are needed to mitigate crop losses. We evaluated 3 preplant seed treatments (Apron XL® LS [Syngenta Crop Protection, Greensboro, NC], Dividend Extreme® [Syngenta], and Maxim® 4 FS [Syngenta]), one foliar insecticide (Karate® with Zeon Technology™ [Syngenta]), and one foliar fungicide (Tilt® [Syngenta]) as potential blackbird repellents in caged feeding trials and a field study. For all repellents tested, red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) discriminated between untreated and treated rice during preference testing in captivity. We observed a positive concentration-response relationship among birds offered rice treated with 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, or 200% of the manufacturer label for Dividend Extreme, Karate, and Tilt. Relative to pretreatment, blackbirds ate 32% and 69% less rice treated with 100% and 200% Tilt label rates, respectively, during the concentration-response test. Maximum repellency of Dividend Extreme and Karate was 55% at 200% of their label rates. We observed no repellency of a combination of Apron and Maxim at 25–200% label rates during the concentration-response test. We subsequently measured rice crop consumption and propiconazole (active ingredient, Tilt) residues among 10 plots (i.e., netted enclosures) populated with red-winged blackbirds within a maturing rice field. Average mass of rice harvested between treated (Tilt) and untreated subplots did not differ. We recovered an average of 12.3 μg/g propiconazole immediately following the first application and 20.2 μ g/g propiconazole immediately following the second application of Tilt. We recovered <0.1 μ g/g propiconazole on 15 August 2006, just before populating plots with blackbirds. Thus, the label application of Tilt fungicide did not reduce blackbird consumption within a maturing rice field, and residues of the active ingredient were insufficient for repellent efficacy. Additional studies are needed to determine whether higher concentrations of Tilt repel blackbirds under field conditions and to evaluate other potential repellents for protection of newly planted and ripening crops.     

Unspecific membrane protein–lipid recognition: combination of AFM imaging,force spectroscopy,DSC and FRET measurements

In this work, we will describe in quantitative terms the unspecific recognition between lactose permease (LacY) of Escherichia coli, a polytopic model membrane protein, and one of the main components of the inner membrane of this bacterium. Supported lipid bilayers of 1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine (POPE) and 1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoglycerol (POPG) (3:1, mol/mol) in the presence of Ca²⁺ display lateral phase segregation that can be distinguished by atomic force microscopy (AFM) as well as force spectroscopy. LacY shows preference for fluid (L_α) phases when it is reconstituted in POPE : POPG (3:1, mol/mol) proteoliposomes at a lipid‐to‐protein ratio of 40. When the lipid‐to‐protein ratio is decreased down to 0.5, two domains can be distinguished by AFM. While the upper domain is formed by self‐segregated units of LacY, the lower domain is constituted only by phospholipids in gel (L_β) phase. On the one hand, classical differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements evidenced the segregation of a population of phospholipids and point to the existence of a boundary region at the lipid–protein interface. On the other hand, Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) measurements in solution evidenced that POPE is selectively recognized by LacY. A binary pseudophase diagram of POPE : POPG built from AFM observations enables to calculate the composition of the fluid phase where LacY is inserted. These results are consistent with a model where POPE constitutes the main component of the lipid–LacY interface segregated from the fluid bulk phase where POPG predominates. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

脂肪酶产生菌Aspergillus sp. FS132产酶条件的初步优化及其18S rRNA基因序列的比较分析

从新疆火焰山口土样中分离的一株脂肪酶产生菌FS132,菌落形态表明为霉菌。对其产酶条件的初步优化表明,产酶的最适培养时间为45h,培养基最适初始pH 7.0,最适培养温度36℃,最适摇瓶空气量25mL/250mL锥形瓶。为进一步鉴定该菌株,克隆测定了该菌18S rRNA基因序列。并对其进行系统进化树分析,结果表明该菌与已报道的Aspergillus tamarii具有最紧密亲缘关系。     

Biodegradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) by Trichoderma reesei FS10-C and Effect of Bioaugmentation on an Aged PAH-Contaminated Soil

ABSTRACT?The co-metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and the capacity of the fungus Trichoderma reesei FS10-C to bioremediate an aged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil were investigated. The fungal isolate removed about 54% of B[a]P (20 mg L^?1) after 12 days of incubation with glucose (10 g L^?1) supplementation as a co-metabolic substrate. Bioaugmented microcosms showed a 25% decrease in total PAH concentrations in soil after 28 days, and the degradation percentages of 3-, 4-, and 5(+6)-ring PAHs were 36%, 35%, and 25%, respectively. In addition, bioaugmented microcosms exhibited higher dehydrogenase (DHA) and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDAH) activities and increased average well-color development (AWCD), Shannon-Weaver index (H), and Simpson index (D) significantly. Principal component analysis (PCA) also distinguished clear differentiation between treatments, indicating that bioaugmentation restored the microbiological function of the PAH-contaminated soil. The results suggest that bioaugmentation by T. reesei FS10-C might be a promising bioremediation strategy for aged PAH-contaminated soils.