Troop fission in free-ranging baboons in the Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania.

During a 13 month field study of baboons in the Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, the troop under observation divided into two groups. One group left the main troop to become ultimately an independent troop with a separate range. The troop fission followed a period of instability in the male status hierarchy. The events prior to and during the troop fission are described in detail and the membership of the group which left is analyzed. Social bonds prior to the fission, including kinship, determined membership in the group which left. Aggression from members of the main troop played a major role in causing the group which left to establish a new range. This fission is compared with troop fissions observed in rhesus and Japances macaques.     

Studies on the binary and ternary complexes formed by a neurospora glutamate dehydrogenase and its substrates

The NADP⁺ specific glutamate dehydrogenase from wild-type $\text{Neurospora crassa}$ forms a stable binary complex with NADPH. This can combine with L-glutamate, α-ketoglutarate or the substrate analogue D-glutamate to form ternary complexes which can be distinguished by their different fluorescence properties. The affinity of the enzyme for NADPH diminishes with increases in pH or ionic strength of the solution. Experimental data obtained using modified glutamate dehydrogenases from mutant strains of $\text{N. crassa}$ suggest that the reduced-coenzyme binding sites observed fluorimetrically are the same as those observed by enzyme kinetics.     

灰金合欢根瘤类菌体繁殖及其宿主细胞的超微结构

根瘤细胞早期发育阶段,以宿主细胞器和根瘤菌转化类菌体的数量增多为特征。随后类菌体增殖到填满宿主细胞内的大部分区域。各个类菌体周膜内含有1至几个类菌体。晚期共生发育阶段,类菌体细胞结构和宿主细胞器数量发生了变化。文中还讨论了根瘤的共生固氮作用。     

Ab initio prediction of the three-dimensional structure of a de novo designed protein: a double-blind case study

Ab initio structure prediction and de novo protein design are two problems at the forefront of research in the fields of structural biology and chemistry. The goal of ab initio structure prediction of proteins is to correctly characterize the 3D structure of a protein using only the amino acid sequence as input. De novo protein design involves the production of novel protein sequences that adopt a desired fold. In this work, the results of a double-blind study are presented in which a new ab initio method was successfully used to predict the 3D structure of a protein designed through an experimental approach using binary patterned combinatorial libraries of de novo sequences. The predicted structure, which was produced before the experimental structure was known and without consideration of the design goals, and the final NMR analysis both characterize this protein as a 4-helix bundle. The similarity of these structures is evidenced by both small RMSD values between the coordinates of the two structures and a detailed analysis of the helical packing.     

Vildagliptin improves high glucose‐induced endothelial mitochondrial dysfunction via inhibiting mitochondrial fission

The dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor vildagliptin (VLD), a widely used anti‐diabetic drug, exerts favourable effects on vascular endothelium in diabetes. We determined for the first time the improving effects of VLD on mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetic mice and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured under hyperglycaemic conditions, and further explored the mechanism behind the anti‐diabetic activity. Mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) production was detected by fluorescent microscope and flow cytometry. Mitochondrial DNA damage and ATP synthesis were analysed by real time PCR and ATPlite assay, respectively. Mitochondrial network stained with MitoTracker Red to identify mitochondrial fragmentation was visualized under confocal microscopy. The expression levels of dynamin‐related proteins (Drp1 and Fis1) were determined by immunoblotting. We found that VLD significantly reduced mtROS production and mitochondrial DNA damage, but enhanced ATP synthesis in endothelium under diabetic conditions. Moreover, VLD reduced the expression of Drp1 and Fis1, blocked Drp1 translocation into mitochondria, and blunted mitochondrial fragmentation induced by hyperglycaemia. As a result, mitochondrial dysfunction was alleviated and mitochondrial morphology was restored by VLD. Additionally, VLD promoted the phosphorylation of AMPK and its target acetyl‐CoA carboxylase in the setting of high glucose, and AMPK activation led to a decreased expression and activation of Drp1. In conclusion, VLD improves endothelial mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetes, possibly through inhibiting Drp1‐mediated mitochondrial fission in an AMPK‐dependent manner.     

sgf73+在裂殖酵母中的大规模遗传筛选

遗传相互作用(Genetic interaction, GI)直接提示了生物体内各个基因在功能上的关联性, 为研究一个基因的潜在功能提供了线索。遗传筛选是研究基因遗传相互作用的重要方法。文章以SAGA(Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase)复合物去泛素化模块亚基基因sgf73⁺为查询基因, 在裂殖酵母(Schizosaccharomyces pombe)中进行了大规模遗传筛选。结果显示, 164个基因与sgf73⁺具有负遗传相互作用, 42个基因具有正遗传相互作用。GO(Gene ontology)分析结果表明, 这些基因富集于染色质修饰、DNA损伤修复、压力应答、RNA转录等生物过程。通过组蛋白修饰检测实验首次发现, sgf73⁺的缺失导致组蛋白H3K9、H4K16位点乙酰化水平下降, H3K4位点甲基化修饰水平上升。此外, 系列稀释实验显示sgf73∆菌株对DNA损伤试剂HU和CPT的敏感性提高, 并且Sgf73参与高氧胁迫应答。这些结果显示sgf73⁺参与了染色质修饰、DNA损伤修复和高氧压力应答过程。