Influence of 50 Hz frequency sinusoidal magnetic field on the blood-brain barrier permeability of diabetic rats

The combined effects of diabetes and a 50 Hz, 5 mT RMS flux density sinusoidal magnetic field for 8 h a day, for 21 consecutive days on the permeation of Evans-blue dye through the blood-brain barrier were studied in male Wistar albino rats. Our results suggest that magnetic field has no effect on the blood-brain barrier permeability in normoglycemic animals, but that diabetic rats are vulnerable to magnetic fields.     

Polysaccharases for microbial exopolysaccharides

Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPS) are the substrates for a wide range of enzymes most of which are highly specific. The enzymes are either endoglycanases or polysaccharide lyases and their specificity is determined by carbohydrate structure with uronic acids often playing a major role. The presence of various acyl substituents frequently has little effect on the action of many of the polysaccharases but markedly inhibits some of the polysaccharide lyases including alginate and gellan lyases. The commonest sources of such enzymes can be either microorganisms or bacteriophages. These specific polysaccharide-degrading enzymes can yield oligosaccharide fragments, which are amenable to NMR and other analytical techniques. They have thus proved to be extremely useful in providing information about microbial polysaccharide structures and were routinely used in many such studies. Complex systems containing various mixtures of enzymes may also be effective in the absence of single enzymes but may be difficult to obtain with reproducible activities. Such preparations may also cause extensive degradation of the polysaccharide structure and thus prove less useful in providing information. Commercially available enzyme preparations have seldom proved capable of degrading microbial heteropolysaccharides, although some are active against bacterial alginates and homopolysaccharides including bacterial cellulose and curdlan.     

青鱼微卫星标记的开发与特性分析

青鱼(Mylopharyngodon piceus)是中国最为重要的淡水养殖鱼类。开发青鱼的微卫星标记能为青鱼的遗传多样性分析提供更多工具。本研究使用磁珠富集法,利用生物素探针(CA)10和(GACA)6,富集得到青鱼基因组微卫星片段,进一步通过设计微卫星引物检验其在青鱼原种群体中的有效性和多态性水平。结果显示,所构建文库中849个克隆含有微卫星序列,通过利用PCR技术在吴江原种青鱼36个个体中进行多态性筛选,获得了25个多态性微卫星位点。其平均等位基因数(Na)和有效等位基因数(Ne)分别为7.08和3.526,平均观测杂合度(Ho)和期望杂合度(He)分别为0.602和0.619,平均多态信息含量(PIC)为0.568。其中,Mp23、Mp27和Mp35这3个位点极显著偏离哈迪-温伯格平衡(P 0.01)。本研究开发的微卫星标记能为青鱼种质资源的评价和保护等研究提供工具。     

Detection of an intermediate during the unfolding process of the dimeric ketosteroid isomerase

Failure to detect the intermediate in spite of its existence often leads to the conclusion that two-state transition in the unfolding process of the protein can be justified. In contrast to the previous equilibrium unfolding experiment fitted to a two-state model by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopies, an equilibrium unfolding intermediate of a dimeric ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) could be detected by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and analytical ultracentrifugation. The sizes of KSI were determined to be 18.7A in 0M urea, 17.3A in 5.2M urea, and 25.1A in 7M urea by SAXS. The size of KSI in 5.2M urea was significantly decreased compared with those in 0M and 7M urea, suggesting the existence of a compact intermediate. Sedimentation velocity as obtained by ultracentrifugation confirmed that KSI in 5.2M urea is distinctly different from native and fully-unfolded forms. The sizes measured by pulse field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were consistent with those obtained by SAXS. Discrepancy of equilibrium unfolding studies between size measurement methods and optical spectroscopies might be due to the failure in detecting the intermediate by optical spectroscopic methods. Further characterization of the intermediate using (1)H NMR spectroscopy and Kratky plot supported the existence of a partially-folded form of KSI which is distinct from those of native and fully-unfolded KSIs. Taken together, our results suggest that the formation of a compact intermediate should precede the association of monomers prior to the dimerization process during the folding of KSI.     

Site-directed chemically-modified magnetic enzymes: fabrication,improvements, biotechnological applications and future prospects

Numerous enzymes of biotechnological importance have been immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) via random multipoint attachment, resulting in a heterogeneous protein population with potential reduction in activity due to restriction of substrate access to the active site. Several chemistries are now available, where the modifier can be linked to a single specific amino acid in a protein molecule away from the active-site, thus enabling free access of the substrate. However, rarely these site-selective approaches have been applied to immobilize enzymes on nanoparticles. In this review, for the first time, we illustrate how to adapt site-directed chemical modification (SDCM) methods for immobilizing enzymes on iron-based MNP. These strategies are mainly chemical but may additionally require genetic and enzymatic methods. We critically examine each method and evaluate their scope for simple, quick, efficient, mild and economical immobilization of enzymes on MNP. The improvements in the catalytic properties of few available examples of immobilized enzymes are also discussed. We conclude the review with the applications and future prospects of site-selectively modified magnetic enzymes and potential benefits of this technology in improving enzymes, including cold-adapted homologues, modular enzymes, and CO₂-sequestering, as well as non-iron based nanomaterials.     

重复经颅磁刺激对脑卒中后患者神经功能缺损的改善

目的:探讨重复经颅磁刺激在脑卒中康复的应用及效果.方法:选择2010年9月至2012年9月在我院神经内科收治的58例脑卒中患者分为两组,即A组和B组,A组患者给予常规药物治疗和康复训练,B组患者在上述治疗的基础上加用低频重复经颅磁刺激治疗,比较两组患者美国国立卫生院神经功能缺损评分情况、日常生活活动(ADL)评分和不良反应发生情况.结果:治疗后,随着时间的推移,两组患者美国国立卫生院神经功能缺损评分得分逐渐下降(P＜0.05).B组患者2周后和6周后两个时点美国国立卫生院神经功能缺损评分得分明显低于A组患者的,差异有显著性(P＜0.05),而随着时间的推移,两组患者日常生活活动(ADL)评分得分逐渐上升(P＜0.05).B组患者2周后和6周后两个时点日常生活活动(ADL)评分得分明显高于A组患者的,差异有显著性(P＜0.05).两组患者在不良反应发生方面差异无显著性(P＞0.05).结论:低频重复经颅磁刺激治疗脑卒中单侧肢体功能障碍患者临床疗效确切,安全可靠,不良反应少.     

Folding determinants of disulfide bond forming protein B explored by solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The two-stage model for membrane protein folding postulates that individual helices form first and are subsequently packed against each other. To probe the two-stage model, the structures of peptides representing individual transmembrane helices of the disulfide bond forming protein B have been studied in trifluoroethanol solution as well as in detergent micelles using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and circular dichroism spectroscopy. In TFE solution, peptides showed well-defined α-helical structures. Peptide structures in TFE were compared to the structures of full-length protein obtained by X-ray crystallography and NMR. The extent of α-helical secondary structure coincided well, lending support for the two-stage model for membrane protein folding. However, the conformation of some amino acid side chains differs between the structures of peptide and full-length protein. In micellar solution, the peptides also adopted a helical structure, albeit of reduced definition. Using measurements of paramagnetic relaxation enhancement, peptides were confirmed to be embedded in micelles. These observations may indicate that in the native protein, tertiary interactions additionally stabilize the secondary structure of the individual transmembrane helices.     

在cDNA文库构建中探究癌症病人血浆外泌体miRNA的特异性扩增

血浆外泌体微小核糖核酸(microRNAs,miRNAs)与癌症的发生、诊断和治疗密切相关,但其分子机制尚不明晰。本研究探讨了癌症病人血浆外泌体miRNAs在cDNA文库构建中非特异性扩增的解决方案。在酶切法中,采用核酸外切酶T (exonuclease T, EXOT)和phi29 DNA聚合酶降解引物;在磁珠法中,利用DNA结合磁珠分离模板和引物。随后,采取琼脂糖凝胶电泳和变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳检测磁珠分离情况,运用RT-qPCR检测癌症病人血浆外泌体miRNA和不同连接物的含量变化。结果显示,非特异性扩增来源于miRNA的连接物USR5SR;核酸外切酶T (EXOT)和phi29 DNA聚合酶虽可降解USR5SR,但模板链也会发生降解;磁珠分离法中以9%PEG沉淀引物片段、15%PEG沉淀模板链效果最佳。综上所述,磁珠分离法能够高效解决cDNA文库构建中的非特异性扩增,从而实现293T细胞和癌症病人血浆外泌体miRNA cDNA文库的成功构建。     

磁分离仪分离磁性细菌的新方法

磁性细菌胞内可以产生磁性颗粒,因此具有趋磁性,基于这种特性,利用磁分离的原理,本研究开发了一种磁性细菌分离仪,提供了一种分离磁性细菌的新方法。以氧化亚铁硫杆菌为例,使用磁性细菌分离仪进行分离,可以得到强磁菌和弱磁菌。利用透射电镜观察,强磁菌胞内磁性颗粒明显多于弱磁菌;半固体平板磁泳实验也表明强磁菌趋磁性明显强于弱磁菌。各项实验结果表明磁性细菌分离仪可以有效地分离磁性细菌,这是一种分离磁性细菌的新方法,将促进磁性细菌分离培养的研究。