The condensed tannins of pasture legume species

Condensed tannins have been isolated from legume pasture species and purified by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-50 and LH-20 media. Molecular size di     

Molecular weight and amino acid composition of purified spinach beet phenolase

The purification of spinach beet phenolase has been modified to include equilibration of the crude macerate with 0.5% cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide a     

«Salivaomics» of Different Molecular Biological Subtypes of Breast Cancer

The aim of the study was to determine the metabolic characteristics of saliva depending on the molecular biological subtype of breast cancer, as well as depending on the expression levels of HER2, estrogen receptors (ER), and progesterone receptors (PR). The study included 487 patients with morphologically verified breast cancer and 298 volunteers without breast pathologies. Saliva samples were obtained from all patients strictly before the start of treatment and the values of 42 biochemical indicators were determined. It has been established that the saliva of healthy volunteers and patients with various molecular biological subtypes of breast cancer differs in 12 biochemical indicators: concentrations of protein, urea, nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, total amino acid content, and activity of lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, catalase, amylase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidases. The saliva composition of patients with basal-like breast cancer differs from other subtypes in terms of the maximum number of indicators. Changes in biochemical indicators indicated an increase in the processes of lipid peroxidation and endogenous intoxication and a weakening of antioxidant protection, which correlates with the severity of the disease and the least favorable prognosis for this subtype of breast cancer. An analysis was made of the individual contribution of the expression level of HER2, estrogen, and progesterone receptors to changes in the biochemical composition of saliva. The HER2 (−)/HER2 (+) group, which should be considered as a single group, as well as ER-positive breast cancer, differ statistically significantly from the control group. For ER/PR-positive breast cancer, a more favorable ratio of saliva biochemical indicators was also noted compared to ER/PR-negative breast cancer.     

Battling for Ribosomes: Translational Control at the Forefront of the Antiviral Response

In the early stages of infection, gaining control of the cellular protein synthesis machinery including its ribosomes is the ultimate combat objective for a virus. To successfully replicate, viruses unequivocally need to usurp and redeploy this machinery for translation of their own mRNA. In response, the host triggers global shutdown of translation while paradoxically allowing swift synthesis of antiviral proteins as a strategy to limit collateral damage. This fundamental conflict at the level of translational control defines the outcome of infection. As part of this special issue on molecular mechanisms of early virus–host cell interactions, we review the current state of knowledge regarding translational control during viral infection with specific emphasis on protein kinase RNA-activated and mammalian target of rapamycin-mediated mechanisms. We also describe recent technological advances that will allow unprecedented insight into how viruses and host cells battle for ribosomes.     

梨小食心虫化学感受蛋白cDNA的克隆、序列分析及原核表达

为了研究梨小食心虫Grapholita molesta化学感受蛋白（chemosensory proteins, CSPs）在化学感受系统中的作用, 本研究利用RT-PCR和RACE技术克隆到一条梨小食心虫化学感受蛋白的全长cDNA序列, 命名为GmolCSP （GenBank 登录号： JQ821389）。序列分析表明, GmolCSP开放阅读框序列为384 bp, 编码127个氨基酸残基, 预测N末端含有18个氨基酸组成的信号肽序列, 其成熟蛋白的预测分子量为12.80 kD, 等电点为8.33。该基因编码的氨基酸序列与其他鳞翅目昆虫化学感受蛋白的氨基酸序列具有较高同源性。RT-PCR结果显示, GmolCSP在梨小食心虫成虫触角、 去触角的头、 胸、 腹、 足和翅中都有表达。将GmolCSP重组到表达载体pET-32a中, 转入大肠杆菌Escherichia coli BL21（DE3）进行表达。SDS-PAGE和Western 印迹检测结果显示, 梨小食心虫化学感受蛋白基因在大肠杆菌中成功地表达出一个分子量约为29 kD的融合蛋白, 与预测的融合蛋白分子量大小一致。本研究结果为进一步研究该蛋白的分子结构和功能奠定了良好基础。     

Production of lignosulfonate in NSSC‐based biorefinery

The spent liquor (SL) of a neutral sulfite semichemical (NSSC) pulping process contains a considerable amount of lignocelluloses and is treated in wastewater systems. The lignocelluloses, however, can be used for producing value‐added products if they are isolated from the SL. In this article, solvent treatment (mixing acetone, ethanol, or isopropyl with SL) was used as a method for isolating lignosulfonate from SL. The maximum lignosulfonate removal was obtained via mixing isopropyl alcohol with SL at the weight ratio of 20/80, room temperature, and 5.7 pH. The results also showed that the molecular weight and anionic charge density of the precipitates were in the range of 5,000–70,000 g/mol and 0.2–1.8 meq/g, respectively. Based on these results, a process was proposed for isolating lignosulfonate from SL and converting the NSSC process to an NSSC‐based biorefinery. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:1508–1514, 2015     

Hydrogen-bond dynamics of water in presence of an amphiphile,tetramethylurea: signature of confinement-induced effects

Various experimental and simulation studies have suggested that the presence of amphiphilic molecules in aqueous solutions substantially perturbs the tetrahedral hydrogen-bond (H-bond) network of neat liquid water. Such structural perturbation is expected to impact H-bond lifetime of liquid water. Tetramethylurea (TMU) is an example of an amphiphile because it possesses both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties. Molecular dynamics simulations of (water+TMU) binary mixtures at various compositions have been performed in order to investigate the microscopic mechanism through which the amphiphiles influence the H-bond dynamics of liquid water at room temperature. Present simulations indicate lengthening of both water–water H-bond lifetime and H-bond structural relaxation time upon addition of TMU in aqueous solution. At the highest TMU mole fraction studied, H-bond lifetime and structural relaxation time are, respectively, ～4 and ～8 times longer than those in neat water. This is comparable with the slowing down of H-bond dynamics for water molecules confined in cyclodextrin cavities. Simulated relaxation profiles are multi-exponential in character at all mixture compositions, and simulated radial distribution functions suggest enhanced water–water and water–TMU interactions upon addition of TMU. No evidence for complete encapsulation of TMU by water H-bond network has been found.     

Molecular phylogenetics of the tribeInuleae s. str.(Asteraceae), based on ITS sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA

The sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of 18S–26S nrDNA for a sample of 16 taxa from theInuleae s. str. and two outgroup taxa are analysed cladistically with PAUP. A consensus tree of the four most parsimonious cladograms is presented. Three different tests of cladogram stability are conducted (Bremer support, parsimony jackknifing and bootstrapping); all tests indicate a high degree of support for the basal nodes of the tree. The ITS phylogeny of the tribe is compared with previous hypotheses based on morphological data. The position ofAnisopappus as sister group to the rest of the tribe is supported by the molecular data, but the proposed subdivision ofInuleae s. str. into a paleate grade group and an epaleate clade is not. The interpretation of the character evolution of, e.g. receptacular paleae and pappus features within the tribe is discussed.     

Tinocladia sanrikuensis sp. nov. (Ectocarpales s.l., Phaeophyceae) from Japan

The new species Tinocladia sanrikuensis sp. nov. H.Kawai, K.Takeuchi & T.Hanyuda (Ectocarpales s.l., Phaeophyceae) is described from the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region, northern Japan based on morphology and DNA sequences. The species is a spring–summer annual growing on lower intertidal to upper subtidal rocks and cobbles on relatively protected sites. T. sanrikuensis has a slimy, cylindrical, multiaxial erect thallus, slightly hollow when fully developed, branching once to twice, and resembles T. crassa in gross morphology. The erect thalli are composed of a dense medullary layer, long subcortical filaments, and assimilatory filaments of 11–35 cells, up to 425 μm long and curved in the upper portion. Unilocular zoidangia are formed on the basal part of assimilatory filaments. The species is genetically most closely related to T. crassa and has the same basic thallus structures but differs in having thinner and longer assimilatory filaments. DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cox1 and cox3, chloroplast atpB, psaA, psbA and rbcL genes support the distinctness of this species.