广州南沙十四涌潮间带大型底栖动物的功能群

大型底栖动物根据食性可分为浮游生物食者(planktophagous, Pl)、植食者(phytophagous, Ph)、肉食者(carnivorous, C)、杂食者(omnivorous, O)和碎屑食者(detritivorous, D)五个功能群。本文根据2007-2008年度和2013-2014年度在茳芏(Cyperus malaccensis)、海桑(Sonneratia caseolaris)2种生境调查获得的各4个季度的大型底栖动物数据, 分析了广州南沙十四涌潮间带大型底栖动物功能群的生境差异、季节变化和年际变化。2007-2008年度采集到26种大型底栖动物, 低于2013-2014年度的36种。无论是2007-2008年度还是2013-2014年度, 茳芏、海桑生境的大型底栖动物均以植食者的栖息密度和生物量最高, 碎屑食者的栖息密度和生物量最低。生境比较得出, 茳芏生境大型底栖动物浮游生物食者(Pl)的丰富度指数(d)、均匀度指数(J)和多样性指数(H')均高于海桑生境。年度比较得出, 在茳芏和海桑生境, 2013-2014年度浮游生物食者的丰富度指数、均匀度指数和多样性指数均高于2007-2008年度, 这是因为2013-2014年度采集到红树蚬(Gelonia coaxans)和彩虹明樱蛤(Morerlla iridescens)等, 而2007-2008年度没有采集到。     

Human 14-3-3 Protein: Radioimmunoassay, Tissue Distribution, and Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels in Patients with Neurological Disorders

Abstract: An antiserum to human 14-3-3 protein has been produced in rabbits. The protein was a poor antigen and attempts to improve immunogenicity were unsuccessful. A radioimmunoassay was developed using the antiserum, ¹²⁵I- 14-3-3-2, and unlabelled 14-3-3-2 as standards. The assay had a sensitivity limit of 2.5 ng.m1⁻¹. The minor component of human 14-3-3 protein (14-3-3-1 protein) cross-reacted to approximately 10% in the assay. Human tissues were surveyed for 14-3-3 protein by two-dimensional electrophoresis and by radioimmunoassay. Two-dimensional electrophoresis showed a 14-3-3 protein complex in brain, intestine, and testis, but not in other tissues. Radioimmunoassay showed that although brain had the highest concentration of 14-3-3 (13.3 μg. mg⁻¹ soluble protein), immunoreactivity was present in all tissues, with the concentration in intestine and testis approaching 50% of the brain level. Lower levels (less than 1.0 μg. mg⁻¹ soluble protein) were seen in liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, and erythrocytes. The immunoreactivity present in tissues other than brain showed the same molecular weight and charge characteristics as authentic 14-3-3 protein. The radioimmunoassay also detected 14-3-3 protein in serum (50 ng.m1⁻¹) and in CSF (5-130 ng.ml⁻¹). The immunoreactivity present in CSF appeared to be intact 14-3-3 protein. CSF 14-3-3 levels were measured in 82 patients with various neurological disorders. Measurements of this protein did not appear sufficiently discriminating to be o f diagnostic value.     

水洞沟的新年代测定及相关问题讨论

水洞沟是中国北方的一处独具特色的旧石器时代晚期遗址,在阐释区域性技术传统的成因、远古文化的发展和变异,以及晚更新世人类在东北亚的迁徙、扩散和交流具有重要的地位。本文报道在水洞沟2号地点发现的新材料和新的研究成果：野外考察发现系列的火塘遗迹并采集到石制品、骨器等文化遗物;系统的AMS^14C测年将水沿沟遗址的年代确定在距今29000-24000前;新的研究为探讨水洞沟工业的渊源和细石器技术的起源提供了珍贵的信息。     

Double gene deletion reveals lack of cooperation between claudin 11 and claudin 14 tight junction proteins

Members of the claudin family of proteins are the main components of tight junctions (TJs), the major selective barrier of the paracellular pathway between epithelial cells. The selectivity and specificity of TJ strands are determined by the type of claudins present. An understanding of the cooperation between different claudins in various tissues is thus important. To study the possible cooperation between claudin 11 and claudin 14, we have generated claudin 11/claudin 14 double-deficient mice, which exhibit a combination of the phenotypes found in each of the singly deficient mutants, including deafness, neurological deficits, and male sterility. These two claudins have distinct and partially overlapping expression patterns in the kidney. Claudin 11 is located in both the proximal and distal convoluted tubules, whereas claudin 14 occurs in both the thin descending and thick ascending limbs of the loop of Henle and in the proximal convoluted tubules. Although daily urinary excretion of Mg(++), and to a lesser extent of Ca(++), tends to be higher in claudin 11/claudin 14 double mutants, these changes do not reach statistical significance compared with wild-type animals. Thus, under normal conditions, co-deletion of claudin 11 and claudin 14 does not affect kidney function or ion balance. Our data demonstrate that, despite the importance of each of these claudins, there is probably no functional cooperation between them. Generation of additional mouse models in which different claudins are abolished should provide further insight into the complex interactions between claudin proteins in various physiological systems.     

Transmembrane Protein 147 (TMEM147) Is a Novel Component of the Nicalin-NOMO Protein Complex

Nicastrin and its relative Nicalin (Nicastrin-like protein) are both members of larger protein complexes, namely γ-secretase and the Nicalin-NOMO (Nodal modulator) complex. The γ-secretase complex, which contains Presenilin, APH-1, and PEN-2 in addition to Nicastrin, catalyzes the proteolytic cleavage of the transmembrane domain of various proteins including the β-amyloid precursor protein and Notch. Nicalin and its binding partner NOMO form a complex that was shown to modulate Nodal signaling in developing zebrafish embryos. Because its experimentally determined native size (200–220 kDa) could not be satisfyingly explained by the molecular masses of Nicalin (60 kDa) and NOMO (130 kDa), we searched in affinity-purified complex preparations for additional components in the low molecular mass range. A ∼22-kDa protein was isolated and identified by mass spectrometry as transmembrane protein 147 (TMEM147), a novel, highly conserved membrane protein with a putative topology similar to APH-1. Like Nicalin and NOMO, it localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum and is expressed during early zebrafish development. Overexpression and knockdown experiments in cultured cells demonstrate a close relationship between the three proteins and suggest that they are components of the same complex. We present evidence that, similar to γ-secretase, its assembly is hierarchical starting with the formation of a Nicalin-NOMO intermediate. Nicalin appears to represent the limiting factor regulating the assembly rate by stabilizing the other two components. We conclude that TMEM147 is a novel core component of the Nicalin-NOMO complex, further emphasizing its similarity with γ-secretase.     

Early events in the disulfide-coupled folding of BPTI.

Recent studies of the refolding of reduced bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) have shown that a previously unidentified intermediate with a single disulfide is formed much more rapidly than any other one-disulfide species. This intermediate contains a disulfide that is present in the native protein (between Cys14 and 38), but it is thermodynamically less stable than the other two intermediates with single native disulfides. To characterize the role of the [14-38] intermediate and the factors that favor its formation, detailed kinetic and mutational analyses of the early disulfide-formation steps were carried out. The results of these studies indicate that the formation of [14-38] from the fully reduced protein is favored by both local electrostatic effects, which enhance the reactivities of the Cys14 and 38 thiols, and conformational tendencies that are diminished by the addition of urea and are enhanced at lower temperatures. At 25 degrees C and pH 7.3, approximately 35% of the reduced molecules were found to initially form the 14-38 disulfide, but the majority of these molecules then undergo intramolecular rearrangements to generate non-native disulfides, and subsequently the more stable intermediates with native disulfides. Amino acid replacements, other than those involving Cys residues, were generally found to have only small effects on either the rate of forming [14-38] or its thermodynamic stability, even though many of the same substitutions greatly destabilized the native protein and other disulfide-bonded intermediates. In addition, those replacements that did decrease the steady-state concentration of [14-38] did not adversely affect further folding and disulfide formation. These results suggest that the weak and transient interactions that are often detected in unfolded proteins and early folding intermediates may, in some cases, not persist or promote subsequent folding steps.     

SWTY--a general peptide probe for homogeneous solution binding assay of 14-3-3 proteins

Dimeric 14-3-3 proteins exert diverse functions in eukaryotes by binding to specific phosphorylated sites on diverse target proteins. Critical to the physiological function of 14-3-3 proteins is the wide range of binding affinity to different ligands. The existing information of binding affinity is mainly derived from nonhomogeneous-based methods such as surface plasmon resonance and quantitative affinity precipitation. We have developed a fluorescence anisotropy peptide probe using a genetically isolated 14-3-3-binding SWTY motif. The synthetic 5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein(FAM)-RGRSWpTY-COOH peptide, when bound to 14-3-3 proteins, exhibits a seven-fold increase in fluorescence anisotropy. Different from the existing assays for 14-3-3 binding, this homogeneous assay tests the interaction directly in solution. Hence it permits more accurate determination of the dissociation constants of 14-3-3 binding molecules. Protocols for a simple mix-and-read format have been developed to evaluate 14-3-3 protein interactions using either purified recombinant 14-3-3 fusion proteins or native 14-3-3s in crude cell lysate. Optimal assay conditions for high-throughput screening for modulators of 14-3-3 binding have been determined.     

Sonic hedgehog signalling inhibits palatogenesis and arrests tooth development in a mouse model of the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is an autosomal dominant or spontaneous disorder characterized by multiple cutaneous basal cell carcinomas, odontogenic keratocysts, skeletal anomalies and facial dysmorphology, including cleft lip and palate. Causative mutations for NBCCS occur in the PTCH1 gene on chromosome 9q22.3-q31, which encodes the principle receptor for the Hedgehog signalling pathway. We have investigated the molecular basis of craniofacial defects seen in NBCCS using a transgenic mouse model expressing Shh in basal epithelium under a Keratin-14 promoter. These mice have an absence of flat bones within the skull vault, hypertelorism, open-bite malocclusion, cleft palate and arrested tooth development. Significantly, increased Hedgehog signal transduction in these mice can influence cell fate within the craniofacial region. In medial edge epithelium of the palate, Shh activity prevents apoptosis and subsequent palatal shelf fusion. In contrast, high levels of Shh in odontogenic epithelium arrests tooth development at the bud stage, secondary to a lack of cell proliferation in this region. These findings illustrate the importance of appropriately regulated Hedgehog signalling during early craniofacial development and demonstrate that oro-facial clefting and hypodontia seen in NBCCS can occur as a direct consequence of increased Shh signal activity within embryonic epithelial tissues.     

Par14 Protein Associates with Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 (IRS-1), Thereby Enhancing Insulin-induced IRS-1 Phosphorylation and Metabolic Actions

Pin1 and Par14 are parvulin-type peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases. Although numerous proteins have been identified as Pin1 substrates, the target proteins of Par14 remain largely unknown. Par14 expression levels are increased in the livers and embryonic fibroblasts of Pin1 KO mice, suggesting a compensatory relationship between the functions of Pin1 and Par14. In this study, the association of Par14 with insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) was demonstrated in HepG2 cells overexpressing both as well as endogenously in the mouse liver. The analysis using deletion-mutated Par14 and IRS-1 constructs revealed the N-terminal portion containing the basic domain of Par14 and the two relatively C-terminal portions of IRS-1 to be involved in these associations, in contrast to the WW domain of Pin1 and the SAIN domain of IRS-1. Par14 overexpression in HepG2 markedly enhanced insulin-induced IRS-1 phosphorylation and its downstream events, PI3K binding with IRS-1 and Akt phosphorylation. In contrast, treating HepG2 cells with Par14 siRNA suppressed these events. In addition, overexpression of Par14 in the insulin-resistant ob/ob mouse liver by adenoviral transfer significantly improved hyperglycemia with normalization of hepatic PEPCK and G6Pase mRNA levels, and gene suppression of Par14 using shRNA adenovirus significantly exacerbated the glucose intolerance in Pin1 KO mice. Therefore, although Pin1 and Par14 associate with different portions of IRS-1, the prolyl cis/trans isomerization in multiple sites of IRS-1 by these isomerases appears to be critical for efficient insulin receptor-induced IRS-1 phosphorylation. This process is likely to be one of the major mechanisms regulating insulin sensitivity and also constitutes a potential therapeutic target for novel insulin-sensitizing agents.     

Phosphorylation of cyclin Y by CDK14 induces its ubiquitination and degradation

Cyclin Y, a membrane associated cyclin, is capable of binding and activating CDK14. Here we report that human cyclin Y (CCNY) is a phosphoprotein in vivo and that phosphorylation of CCNY by CDK14 triggers its ubiquitination and degradation. Inactivation of either CDK14 or Cul1 results in accumulation of CCNY. An in vivo and in vitro mapping of CCNY phosphorylation sites by mass spectrometry revealed that the flanking regions of the conserved cyclin box are heavily phosphorylated. Phosphorylation of CCNY at Serines 71 and 73 creates a putative phospho-degron that controls its association with an SCF complex. Mutation of serine to alanine at these two sites stabilized CCNY and enhanced the activity of CCNY/CDK14 on phosphorylation of LRP6. Our results provide insight into autoregulation of the cyclin Y/CDK14 pair in CDK14 activation and cyclin Y turnover which is a process that is involved in membrane proximal signaling.