Prehibernation and hibernation effects on the D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase of the heavy and light mitochondria from liver jerboa (Jaculus orientalis) and related metabolism

The D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BDH) (EC 1.1.1.30) from liver jerboa (Jaculus orientalis), a ketone body converting enzyme in mitochondria, in two populations of mitochondria (heavy and light) has been studied in different jerboa states (euthermic, prehibernating and hibernating). The results reveal: (1) important variations between states in terms of ketones bodies, glucose and lipid levels; (2) significant differences between the BDH of the two mitochondrial populations in term of protein expression and kinetic properties. These results suggest that BDH leads an important conformational change depending on the physiological state of jerboa. This BDH structural change could be the consequence of the lipid composition modifications in inner mitochondrial membrane leading to changes in BDH catalytic properties.     

Carcinogen treatment in mouse selectively expressing activated N-Ras Q61K in melanocytes recapitulates metastatic cutaneous melanoma development

The incidence of melanoma has significantly increased, and a better understanding of its pathogenesis and development of new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Here, we describe a murine model of metastatic cutaneous melanoma using C57BL/6 mice expressing a mutated human N-Ras gene under the control of a tyrosinase promoter (TyrRas). These mice were topically exposed to 7,12- dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) for brief exposure periods. Cutaneous melanoma developed at the site of exposure on average by 19 weeks of age and in 80% of mice. Importantly, as in humans, melanoma development was associated with subsequent metastasis to tumor-draining lymph nodes. Critically, such metastatic behavior is transplantable, as intradermal inoculation of melanoma cells from TyrRas-DMBA mice into non-transgenic mice led to the growth of melanoma and, again, metastasis to skin-draining lymph nodes. This metastatic melanoma model closely mimics human pathology and should be a useful tool for studying melanoma pathogenesis and developing new therapies.     

黄土高原子午岭大披针苔草能量与养分特征

对黄土高原子午岭林区不同植被群落的优势伴生种--大披针苔草的能量和养分特征进行了研究.结果表明:随着演替的进展,处于不同演替阶段群落的大披针苔草地上部分和地下部分去灰分热值呈下降趋势.狼牙刺群落的大披针苔草地上部分去灰分热值最高,沙棘群落的最低; 狼牙刺群落的大披针苔草地下部分去灰分热值最高, 辽东栎群落的最低.不同群落大披针苔草地上部分热值均明显高于地下部分, 且不同群落大披针苔草地下部分干质量热值和去灰分热值均呈极显著差异.处于演替早期的各群落(狼牙刺、沙棘、山杨和白桦群落)内的大披针苔草热值差异较大,而演替后期的油松和辽东栎群落的大披针苔草热值差异较小.大披针苔草地下部分干质量热值与C/N呈显著正相关关系.     

华东稻麦轮作生态系统的N2O排放研究

根据对华东稻麦轮作周期的N₂O排放及其影响因子的连续观测结果,分析了N₂O排放时间变化以及施肥、灌溉、温度、土壤湿度和土壤速效N素含量对N₂O排放的影响,同时还比较分析了稻田N₂O和CH₄排放.研究结果表明,稻麦轮作周期内,水稻生长季的N₂O排放量仅占30%,稻田持续淹水可比常规灌溉增加CH₄排放量26%,减少N₂O排放量11～26%.     

长白山阔叶红松林土壤N2O排放通量的变化特征

采用静态密闭箱 /气相色谱分析方法对长白山阔叶红松林两个样地的N2 O排放通量进行了测定。结果表明 ,凋落物对林地土壤N2 O排放的影响是显著的 ,其对全年N2 O排放的平均贡献率是 36 89%。长白山阔叶红松林土壤是大气N2 O一个重要的源 ,但在极少的天气状况下也能吸收大气中的N2 O ,而起着汇的作用。其排放通量的变化范围是 - 4 1 4 8～ 2 91 84μgN2 O·m-2 ·h-1,平均通量是 6 8 7μgN2 O·m-2 ·h-1,高于其他类型林地的排放通量 ,且变动范围也较其他森林类型大。无凋落物林地土壤N2 O排放通量变化范围是 - 2 3 2 4～ 93 75 μgN2 O·m-2 ·h-1,平均通量为 33 79μgN2 O·m-2 ·h-1。两个样地N2 O排放通量的季节变化特征相似 :夏季N2 O的排放通量最高 ,春季次之 ,秋冬两季较低且趋于平稳。昼夜变化趋势也相似 :N2 O排放通量的最大值都出现在 18∶0 0 ,最小值都出现在 12∶0 0和 14∶0 0。研究还表明 ,林地土壤N2 O的排放通量与地表温度和地下 5cm温度的相关性较好 ,无凋落物的样地N2 O的排放通量仅与地下 5cm温度的相关性较好。     

Polypeptide binding specificities of Saccharomyces cerevisiae oligosaccharyltransferase accessory proteins Ost3p and Ost6p

Asparagine-linked glycosylation is a common and vital co- and post-translocational modification of diverse secretory and membrane proteins in eukaryotes that is catalyzed by the multiprotein complex oligosaccharyltransferase (OTase). Two isoforms of OTase are present in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, defined by the presence of either of the homologous proteins Ost3p or Ost6p, which possess different protein substrate specificities at the level of individual glycosylation sites. Here we present in vitro characterization of the polypeptide binding activity of these two subunits of the yeast enzyme, and show that the peptide-binding grooves in these proteins can transiently bind stretches of polypeptide with amino acid characteristics complementary to the characteristics of the grooves. We show that Ost6p, which has a peptide-binding groove with a strongly hydrophobic base lined by neutral and basic residues, binds peptides enriched in hydrophobic and acidic amino acids. Further, by introducing basic residues in place of the wild type neutral residues lining the peptide-binding groove of Ost3p, we engineer binding of a hydrophobic and acidic peptide. Our data supports a model of Ost3/6p function in which they transiently bind stretches of nascent polypeptide substrate to inhibit protein folding, thereby increasing glycosylation efficiency at nearby asparagine residues.     

Immunochemical studies on blood groups: The internal structure and immunological properties of water-soluble human blood group A substance studied by Smith degradation,liberation, and fractionation of oligosaccharides and reaction with lectins

Carbohydrate structures in the interior of a blood group A active substance (MSS) were exposed by one and by two Smith degradations. Reactivities of the original glycoprotein and its Smith degraded products with 13 different lectins and with anti-I Ma were studied by quantitative precipitin assay. MSS and its first Smith degraded product completely precipitated Ricinus communis hemagglutinin with five times less of the first Smith degraded glycoprotein being required for 50% precipitation. The second Smith degraded material precipitated only 90% of the lectin. MSS did not precipitate peanut lectin, whereas its first and second Smith degraded products completely precipitated the lectin. The first Smith degraded glycoprotein also reacted well with Wistaria floribunda, Maclura pomifera, Bauhinia purpurea alba, and Geodia lectins indicating that its carbohydrate moiety could contain dGalNAc, dGalβ1 → 3dGalNAc, dGalβ1 → 4dGlcNAc, dGalβ1 → 3dGlcNAcβ1 → 3dGal and/or dGalβ1 → 4dGlcNAcβ1 → 6dGal and/or dGalβ1 → 4dGlcNAcβ1 → 6dGalNAc determinants at nonreducing ends. The second Smith degraded material precipitated well with Ricinus communis hemagglutinin, Arachis hypogaea, Geodia cydonium, Maclura pomifera, and Helix pomatia lectins showing that dGalNAc, dGalβ1 → 3dGalNAc, dGalβ1 → 4dGlcNAc residues at terminal nonreducing ends could be involved. Monoclonal anti-I Ma (group 1) serum reacted strongly with the first Smith degraded product indicating large numbers of anti-I Ma determinants, dGalβ1 → 4dGlcNAcβ1 → d 6dGal and/or dGalβ1 → 4dGlcNAcβ1 → 6dGalNAc at nonreducing ends. The comparable activities of the native and Smith degraded products with wheat germ lectin indicate capacity to react with DGlcNAc residues at nonreducing ends and/or at positions in the interior of the chain. The totality of lectin reactivities indicates heterogeneity of the carbohydrate side chains. Oligosaccharides with ³H at their reducing ends released from the protein core of the first and second Smith degraded products were obtained by treatment with 0.05 m NaOH and 1 M NaB³H₄ at 50 °C for 16 h (Carlson degradation). The liberated reduced oligosaccharides were fractionated by dialysis, followed by retardion, Bio-Gel P-2, P-4, and P-6 columns. They were further purified on charcoal-celite columns, and by preparative paper chromatography and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Their distribution by size was estimated by the yields on dialysis, Bio-Gel P-2, and Bio-Gel P-6 chromatography, and from the radioactivity of the reduced sugars. Of the oligosaccharide fractions from the first Smith degraded product, about 77% of the carbohydrate side chain residues contained from 1 to 6 sugars, 13% from 7 to perhaps 12 sugars, and 10% was nondialyzable (polysaccharides and glycopeptide fragments). Of the second Smith degraded product, approximately 82% of carbohydrate residues had from 1 to 6 sugars, 14% from 7 to perhaps 20 sugars and 4% was nondialyzable. The biological activity profile of the two Smith degraded products together with the size distributions of the oligosaccharides indicated that their carbohydrate side chains, comprised a heterogeneous population ranging in size from 1 to about 12 sugars. When most of these chains that are shorter than hexasaccharides are fully characterized it may be possible to reconstruct the overall structure of the carbohydrate moiety of the blood group substances and account for their biological activities.     

真菌对土壤N2O释放的贡献及其研究方法

N₂O是一种重要的温室气体,而土壤作为N₂O的重要来源之一,其N₂O主要产生于硝化和反硝化作用的生物过程.研究表明细菌和古菌是这些生物过程的主要参与者,然而在特定土壤生态系统中,真菌在N循环过程中起主要作用.但真菌对土壤N₂O释放贡献的研究报道甚少.本文阐述了土壤真菌N₂O产生机制的研究进展,介绍了自养硝化、异养硝化和反硝化过程的发生机理、关键微生物和功能基因.详细介绍了与真菌有关的N₂O产生过程,真菌的异养硝化作用和反硝化作用,并且比较了真菌和细菌反硝化系统的差异.此外,本文重点总结了研究土壤真菌N₂O产生的主要方法,包括选择抑制剂法、^15N标记、分离和纯培养以及免培养的分子生态学方法,对各种方法的优势和弊端进行了探讨,并对今后的研究工作提出了展望.     

Sexual preferences of male hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) for conspecifics in different endocrine conditions

The behavioral responses of sexually experienced male hamsters toward a pair of anesthetized conspecifics were investigated. Males spent significantly more time licking, sniffing, and mounting neonatally and adult castrated males than intact males. Adult castrated males receiving oil injections were preferred over castrates receiving exogenous testosterone propionate (TP). Ovariectomized females were preferred over intact males, adult castrated males, or spayed females receiving exogenous TP. It was concluded that the absence of an androgen-dependent factor(s) renders an animal more sexually attractive.     

Accurate Control Multiple Active Sites of Carbonaceous Anode for High Performance Sodium Storage: Insights into Capacitive Contribution Mechanism

Heteroatom doping is widely recognized as an appealing strategy to break the capacitance limitation of carbonaceous materials toward sodium storage. However, the concrete effects, especially for heteroatomic phase transformation, during the sodium storage reaction remain a confusing topic. Here, a novel hypercrosslinked polymerization approach is demonstrated to fabricate pyrrole/thiophene hypercrosslinked microporous copolymer and further give porous carbonaceous materials with accurately regulated N/S dual doping corresponding to starting feeding ratios. Significantly, the N doping contributes to the conductivity and surface wettability, while the S doping is bridged to build stable active sites, which can be electrochemically converted into mercaptan anions via faraday reaction and further enhancing reversible capacities. Meanwhile, the abundant S doping can also conduce to the expanded interlayer spacing to shorten the ions diffusion distance, thus optimizing the reaction kinetic. As a result, the N_0.2S_0.8‐micro‐dominant porous carbon delivers the highest reversible capacity of 521 mAh g^?1 at 100 mA g^?1 and excellent cyclic stability over 2000 cycles at 2000 mA g^?1 with a capacity decay of 0.0145 mAh g^?1 per cycle. This work is anticipated to provide an in‐depth understanding of capacitance contribution and illuminate the heteroatomic phase transformation during sodium storage reactions for doping carbonaceous anodes.