Evidence for hormonal control of diuresis after a blood meal in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

In previous studies we have presented evidence for the role of peptides, isolated from heads of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, in stimulating fluid secretion by isolated Malpighian tubules. In the present study we conducted experiments to investigate whether these peptides are involved in hormone-mediated diuresis after a blood meal. In vivo experiments showed that the head was required to maintain diuresis after the blood meal. Whereas feeding on blood triggered a prompt diuresis in the intact mosquito, subsequent decapitation caused a gradual, not an abrupt, decline in urine excretion rate. Hemolymph collected from mosquitoes fed blood significantly stimulated fluid secretion in vitro by isolated Malpighian tubules, whereas hemolymph from unfed or blood-fed decapitated mosquitoes did not. These results indicate that a diuretic factor was released into the hemolymph after a blood meal. This factor was not present in the hemolymph of decapitated females. We identified the head as a source of diuretic factors. Peptides isolated from a head extract by high-performance liquid chromatography, when injected into the hemocoel of blood-fed decapitated mosquitoes, triggered diuresis in vivo and also stimulated fluid secretion in isolated Malpighian tubules. These studies support the hypothesis that the head is a storage site for diuretic peptides that may be released after a blood meal to control diuresis.     

Fasciola hepatica: an electron microscope autoradiographic study of protein synthesis and secretion by gut cells in tissue slices.

A loop technique for electron microscope autoradiographic studies on slices of Fasciola hepatica is described, and used to study the synthesis of protein-containing bodies by gut cells of the fluke. Slices were pulse labeled with tritiated tyrosine, methionine, leucine, and phenylalanine, and, after appropriate chase periods in unlabeled medium, were fixed with formaldehyde and prepared for electron microscopy by a procedure involving ethylene glycol dehydration. Labeled amino acids were found to be incorporated into protein, or glyoprotein, in the gut cells of the slices by a GER-Golgi complex mediated mechanism similar to that which occurs in vertebrate tissues. The precursors appeared to enter the cells across their basal and lateral plasma membranes and mature secretory bodies were discharged at the cell apex.     

Structural dynamics of the microtubule binding and regulatory elements in the kinesin-like calmodulin binding protein

Kinesins are molecular motors that power cell division and transport of various proteins and organelles. Their motor activity is driven by ATP hydrolysis and depends on interactions with microtubule tracks. Essential steps in kinesin movement rely on controlled alternate binding to and detaching from the microtubules. The conformational changes in the kinesin motors induced by nucleotide and microtubule binding are coordinated by structural elements within their motor domains. Loop L11 of the kinesin motor domain interacts with the microtubule and is implicated in both microtubule binding and sensing nucleotide bound to the active site of kinesin. Consistent with its proposed role as a microtubule sensor, loop L11 is rarely seen in crystal structures of unattached kinesins. Here, we report four structures of a regulated plant kinesin, the kinesin-like calmodulin binding protein (KCBP), determined by X-ray crystallography. Although all structures reveal the kinesin motor in the ATP-like conformation, its loop L11 is observed in different conformational states, both ordered and disordered. When structured, loop L11 adds three additional helical turns to the N-terminal part of the following helix α4. Although interactions with protein neighbors in the crystal support the ordering of loop L11, its observed conformation suggests the conformation for loop L11 in the microtubule-bound kinesin. Variations in the positions of other features of these kinesins were observed. A critical regulatory element of this kinesin, the calmodulin binding helix positioned at the C-terminus of the motor domain, is thought to confer negative regulation of KCBP. Calmodulin binds to this helix and inserts itself between the motor and the microtubule. Comparison of five independent structures of KCBP shows that the positioning of the calmodulin binding helix is not decided by crystal packing forces but is determined by the conformational state of the motor. The observed variations in the position of the calmodulin binding helix fit the regulatory mechanism previously proposed for this kinesin motor.     

苏云金芽胞杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白Cry1Ba结构域Ⅱ中Loops结构与功能关系研究

为了明确杀虫晶体蛋白中各个Loop的结构与功能的关系,以及Loop突变对Cry1Ba蛋白杀虫活性的影响,首先通过三维结构模拟以及同源序列分析的方法,找到Cry1Ba蛋白三个结构域及三个Loop相对应的氨基酸片段:然后通过重叠引物PCR将编码Cry1Ba蛋白结构域Ⅱ中的三个Loop进行了相应的突变,共获得了5个突变体M1(Loop1:340WSNTR344-缺失(Cry1A))、M2(Loop2:402Y-G)、M3(Loop2:400GIYLEP405-PSAV(Cry3A)),M4(400GIYLEPIH407-ILGS(Cry1A)),M5(Loop3:472LQSRV476-AGAVYTL(Cry1A)).将这些突变体在大肠杆菌BL21中进行了诱导表达,提取蛋白,分别对小菜蛾进行了生物活性测定.生测结果表明,Loop1的缺失突变M1的毒力,与Cry1Ba(LC50 0.96μg/mL)相比,显著降低,LC50为35.51 μg/mL;在Loop2的突变中,单个氨基酸的突变M2(Y/G)的毒力略有下降(LC50为1.31 μg/mL);而另两种突变(M3和M4)时小菜蛾的毒力明显下降,LC50值分别为11.56 μg/mL、34.81 μg/mL;Loop3的突变M5对小菜蛾的毒力略有提高(LC50 0.81 μg/mL),但差异不显著.对Cry1Ba蛋白突变前后结构与功能之间关系的分析结果表明,Loop区突变对Cry1Ba蛋白的结构和功能影响非常显著;Loop1和Loop2在决定Cry1Ba对小菜蛾的毒性方面起着重要作用.     

丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)生物学功能的结构基础

丝裂原活化蛋白激酶 (MAPK)是生物体内重要的信号转导系统之一 ,能对广泛的细胞外刺激发生反应 .蛋白激酶的空间构象是其功能的重要决定因素 .对MAPK蛋白结构的研究表明 ,MAPK的结构与功能之间具有密切的关系 .尽管MAPK各亚族的结构非常相似 ,但也存在着一些差异 ,这些差异是不同亚族对不同的细胞外刺激产生特异性反应的结构基础 .某些关键性结构 ,例如Loop12 ,在MAPK对上游激酶的作用、下游底物的选择以及亚细胞定位中都具有重要作用 .进一步深入研究MAPK的空间结构 ,探讨MAPK的生物学功能与其空间构象之间的关系 ,对于开发新的MAPK通路抑制剂用于治疗某些严重疾病有着重要的临床意义     

用mtDNA序列探讨羚牛亚种分类(偶蹄目:牛科)

羚牛4个亚种在我国均有分布,且四川亚种和秦岭亚种是我国的特产动物,但对于分布于甘肃南部羚牛种群的亚种归属则有着不同的观点。本文就羚牛3个亚种的分类地位从线粒体DNA细胞色素b和D－Loop序列水平上进行探讨,分析结果基本支持形态学上的亚种划分,但甘肃南部羚牛种群在两个DNA片段上均与羚牛四川亚种存在着一定的差异,而与秦岭亚种则完全一致。结合羚牛地理分布特点,认为将分布于甘肃南部的羚牛种群划分为羚牛秦岭亚种可能更合适。     

Mineral content of Chinese medicinal herbs used as diuretic treatments for Taiwanese children

Eighteen major, minor and trace elements in 12 Chinese medicinal herbs commonly consumed by Taiwanese Children as diuretics were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Dried and powdered herb samples were irradiated in a neutron flux of ca. 2 x 10(12) n/cm2 s under separate short and long irradiation schemes. Lichen (IAEA-336) was used as the reference standard, and tomato leaves (NIST-SRM 1570a) were employed for cross-checking the accuracy of the results. INAA was shown to be a reliable multi-element analytical method for determining the content of both toxicologically and nutritionally important minerals in Chinese medicinal herbs. Determined elements were present in the dried herbs in concentrations ranging from 10(4) to 10(-3) microg/g. The mineral contents and the maximum daily intake values of the tested herbs were compared with published values and with the recommended daily intakes for Taiwanese children as specified by the World Health Organization.     

Improvements in Pyrosequencing technology by employing Sequenase polymerase

Pyrosequencing is a DNA sequencing technique based on the bioluminometric detection of inorganic pyrophosphate, which is released when nucleotides are incorporated into a target DNA. Since the technique is based on an enzymatic cascade, the choice of enzymes is a critical factor for efficient performance of the sequencing reaction. In this study we have analyzed the performance of an alternative DNA polymerase, Sequenase, on the sequencing performance of the Pyrosequencing technology. Compared to the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I, Sequenase could read through homopolymeric regions with more than five T bases. In addition, Sequenase reduces remarkably interference from primer-dimers and loop structures that give rise to false sequence signals. By using Sequenase, synchronized extensions and longer reads can be obtained on challenging templates, thereby opening new avenues for applications of Pyrosequencing technology.