Comparative studies on the interactions of baicalein and Al(III)–baicalein complex with human serum albumin

A new potential drug aluminum(III)–baicalein complex (ALBC) was synthesized and characterized. The binding mechanisms of baicalein (BC) and ALBC to human serum albumin (HSA) under simulative physiological conditions were investigated, in order to understand the pharmacokinetics of BC and ALBC. Fluorescence spectroscopy results suggested that the binding level of BC is higher than that of ALBC. Results of UV–vis, synchronous fluorescence, 3D fluorescence, circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses consistently demonstrated that the conformation of HSA was altered when bound to BC or ALBC. The distance between HSA as a donor and BC (or ALBC) as an acceptor was determined via fluorescence resonance energy transfer. The results of competitive experiments and molecular docking studies indicated that BC was located in site I (subdomain IIA) on HSA and that ALBC was bound to HSA mainly within site II (subdomain IIIA). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同禾本科作物与花生混作对花生根系质外体铁的累积和还原力的影响

采用土培盆栽方法模拟玉米/花生、大麦/花生、燕麦/花生、小麦/花生、高粱/花生5种种植方式,研究混作对花生根系质外体铁的累积和还原力的影响.结果表明,当花生与5种分泌植物铁载体能力不同的禾本科作物混作时,花生新叶叶色正常,而单作花生则表现出严重的缺铁黄化症状,混作花生各部位的含铁量明显增加.与麦类作物(大麦、燕麦、小麦)混作的花生其各部位铁含量高于与玉米、高粱混作的花生,说明麦类作物改善花生铁营养的能力强于玉米、高粱,而两个玉米品种之间的能力差异不大,这主要是由于麦类作物分泌植物铁载体能力高于玉米、高粱.在花生生长至第50、60和70d时,混作花生根系质外体铁含量也随着逐渐增加,并始终高于单作花生.同时,混作明显地提高了花生根际土壤有效铁的含量,花生根系还原力也逐步提高.混作花生逐渐提高的还原力和介质中不断供给的易被花生还原吸收的铁,在改善花生的铁营养方面起了重要的作用.     

OPA1 cleavage depends on decreased mitochondrial ATP level and bivalent metals

OPA1, an intra-mitochondrial dynamin GTPase, is a key actor of outer and inner mitochondrial membrane dynamic. OPA1 amino-terminal cleavage by PARL and m-AAA proteases was recently proposed to participate to the mitochondrial network dynamic in a DeltaPsi(m)-dependent way, and to apoptosis. Here, by an in vitro approach combining the use of purified mitochondrial fractions and mitochondrial targeting drugs, we intended to identify the central stimulus responsible for OPA1 cleavage. We confirm that apoptosis induction and PTPore opening, as well as DeltaPsi(m) dissipation induce OPA1 cleavage. Nevertheless, our experiments evidenced that decreased mitochondrial ATP levels, either generated by apoptosis induction, DeltaPsi(m) dissipation or inhibition of ATP synthase, is the common and crucial stimulus that controls OPA1 processing. In addition, we report that ectopic iron addition activates OPA1 cleavage, whereas zinc inhibits this process. These results suggest that the ATP-dependent OPA1 processing plays a central role in correlating the energetic metabolism to mitochondrial dynamic and might be involved in the pathophysiology of diseases associated to excess of iron or depletion of zinc and ATP.     

Isolation and characterization of a bacterium that mineralizes toluene in the absence of molecular oxygen

A bacterium tentatively identified as a Pseudomonas sp. was isolated from a laboratory aquifer column in which toluene was degraded under denitrifying conditions. The organism mineralized toluene in pure culture in the absence of molecular oxygen. In carbon balance studies using [ring-UL-¹⁴C]toluene, more than 50% of the radioactivity was recovered as ¹⁴CO₂. Nitrate and nitrous oxide served as electron acceptors for toluene mineralization. The organism was also able to degrade m-xylene, benzoate, benzaldehyde, p-cresol, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzoate and cyclohexanecarboxylic acid in the absence of molecular oxygen.     

Size structure and substitutability in an odonate intraguild predation system

Interactions between different size classes of predator species have the potential to influence survival of prey species in intraguild predation (IGP) systems, but few studies test for these effects. Using a substitutive design in a field setting, I measured the effects of two size classes of IG predators (large and small larvae of the dragonfly Anax junius) on the mortality of IG prey (larvae of the dragonfly Pachydiplax longipennis). I also examined whether combinations of large A. junius and P. longipennis and small A. junius and P. longipennis had substitutable effects on shared prey (larvae of the damselfly Ischnura verticalis). The presence of both size classes of A. junius, when alone and in combination with P. longipennis, significantly increased mortality of I. verticalis. In the presence of P. longipennis, large and small A. junius had similar effects on the mortality of I. verticalis, and effects of size-structured assemblages of A. junius were similar to the effects of each size class alone at the same density. The effects of the two size classes of A. junius on P. longipennis differed, and P. longipennis mortality was lower when exposed to size structured assemblages of A. junius than when exposed to only large A. junius at the same density. Results were similar to those in a laboratory study, although the effect of P. longipennis on I. verticalis was much lower in the field setting. These results demonstrate that interactions between different size classes of IG predators promote the survival of IG prey and highlight the importance of within-species size structure as a characteristic that may promote the coexistence of predators in IGP systems.     

Synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic properties of a one-dimensional Mn(III) Schiff-base complex bridged by derivative of tetracyano-p-quinodimethane

A new one-dimensional manganese(III) Schiff-base complex [Mn(III)(salophen) (MeOTCNQ)] · CH₃CN 1 (salophen = N,N′-bis(salicylidene)phenylenediamine) bridged by 7-methoxy-7,7,8,8-tetra-cyano-p-quinodimethane (MeOTCNQ), has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography and magnetic studies. Crystal structure study reveals that complex 1 has a 1D manganese(III) chain bridged by MeOTCNQ ligand which was obtained unexpectedly from tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ) reacting with methanol. Noticeably, MeOTCNQ molecules in complex 1 adopt an unusual cis-syn coordination mode. The analysis of magnetic data indicates that a weak intrachain antiferromagnetic interaction exists in complex 1.     

Structure function analysis of an ADP-ribosyltransferase type III effector and its RNA-binding target in plant immunity

The Pseudomonas syringae type III effector HopU1 is a mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase that is injected into plant cells by the type III protein secretion system. Inside the plant cell it suppresses immunity by modifying RNA-binding proteins including the glycine-rich RNA-binding protein GRP7. The crystal structure of HopU1 at 2.7-Å resolution reveals two unique protruding loops, L1 and L4, not found in other mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrates that these loops are essential for substrate recognition and enzymatic activity. HopU1 ADP-ribosylates the conserved arginine 49 of GRP7, and this reduces the ability of GRP7 to bind RNA in vitro. In vivo, expression of GRP7 with Arg-49 replaced with lysine does not complement the reduced immune responses of the Arabidopsis thaliana grp7-1 mutant demonstrating the importance of this residue for GRP7 function. These data provide mechanistic details how HopU1 recognizes this novel type of substrate and highlights the role of GRP7 in plant immunity.