The versatility of proteolytic enzymes

The growing realization of their physiological importance has generated renewed interest in the study of proteolytic enzymes. Modern methods of protein chemistry and molecular biology have revealed new insights into the protein and gene structure of a variety of protein precursors and their processing by limited proteolysis. Examples are given in this review for transmembrane processes and the role of signal peptidases of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic origin, the processing of prohormones and precursors of growth factors, protein components of blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, and of the complement system, and a group of granulocyte proteases, including the mast cell serine proteases. The relationship of homologous domains found in many of these proteases and their zymogens to protein evolution is a recurrent theme of this discussion.     

Cycling of soil carbon in a Japanese red pine forest II. Changes occurring in the first year after a clear-felling

Cycling of soil carbon in the first year after a clear-felling was compared with that before the felling in a Japanese red pine forest in Hiroshima Prefecture, west Japan. The daily mean temperature at the soil surface in summer was increased after the felling in comparison to that before felling, and the water content of both the A₀ layer and the surface mineral soil was decreased due to the loss of the forest canopy. The rate of weight loss of the A₀ layer was reduced after felling. However, accumulation of the A₀ layer rapidly decreased because of the lack of litter supply to the forest floor. Low soil respiration after felling was mainly caused by the cessation of root respiration. Analysis of annual soil carbon cycling was then conducted using a compartment model. The relative decomposition rate of the A₀ layer decreased whereas that of humus and dead roots in mineral soil increased to some extent after felling. The accumulation of carbon in mineral soil, however, increased slightly due to the supply of humus from roots killed by the felling.     

A soybean growth model based on compensatory growth following defoliation

On the basis of an artificial defoliation experiment, a new growth model of soybean was formulated through a modification of Rudd's (1980) model with regard to his equations for dry matter allocation. Compensatory growth for leaf damage was modelled by a single process in which the dry matter allocation changes dynamically according to the severity of leaf damage. The sums of squared differences between simulations and experimental soybean yields were much smaller in our modified model than in Rudd's original model. The modified model gave a better simulation of yield loss due to defoliation that varied in time and intensity. The relationship between various times and intensities of defoliation and yield loss was shown, which is essential for establishing the dynamic economic injury level in IPM.     

Theoretical conformational analysis of phospholipids II. Role of hydration in the gel to liquid crystal transition of phospholipids

To obtain a satisfactory agreement between computed transition temperatures and those determined experimentally, we introduce explicitly water molecules which hydrate the polar headgroup of dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine molecules. The calculated free energy curves as a function of the intermolecular interchain distance and the degree of hydration of the polar groups permit the determination of the transition of the phospholipid system from the gel to the liquid crystalline phase. The detailed structure of the hydration shell is defined using the supermolecular approach.     

Dopamine Uptake by Rat Striatal Synaptosomes: A Compartmental Analysis

Abstract: Dopamine (DA) uptake into synaptosomes from rat corpus striatum was studied in the presence of a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor and dithiothreitol, by means of a filtration technique. Under these conditions a steady state develops rapidly in which the synaptosomal DA content remains constant while the continuing DA uptake is counterbalanced by DA efflux from the synaptosome. Exchange of synaptosomal [³H]DA and [¹⁴C]DA was measured under these conditions. In timecourse experiments it was found that exchange could be described significantly better by a three-compartment model than by a two-compartment model. However, if synaptosomes from reserpine-pretreated animals were used, analysis according to a three-compartment model did not result in a significantly better fit compared with a two-compartment model. Subsequently, kinetic transfer parameters describing DA fluxes between compartments at different DA concentrations were calculated from the fitted exchange curves. A Michaelis-Menten kinetic analysis indicated that only the in-series three-compartment configuration, in which DA is taken up from the medium into one synaptosomal compartment, from which it can subsequently be transferred to a second compartment without direct access to the medium, gave kinetically acceptable results. Transfer parameters in synaptosomes from reserpine-treated rats were comparable to those parameters describing DA transport between the medium and the first intrasynaptosomal compartment as measured under control conditions. Morover, it was found that potassium depolarization of synaptosomes resulted in a release of DA in a quantity similar to that found in the second intrasynaptosomal compartment. It is suggested that the two intrasynaptosomal compartments found correspond to a cytoplasmatic and vesicular DA pool, respectively. The functional significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the regulation of DA levels within the nerve terminal.     

Modelling Mediterranean pasture dynamies

Pasture vegetation in an open woodland of Quercus rotundifolia subjected to periodic ploughing was sampled in spring during 8 consecutive years. The frequency of herbaceous species was recorded in a total of 69 permanent plots located on 5 adjacent sites with similar lithology, slope and orientation but differing in age since previous ploughing.Vegetation dynamics expressed as trajectories of permanent plots in a non-metric multidimensional scaling space has been modelled in terms of evironmental variables. By fitting a generalized linear model, the dynamics are shown to be related to years since last ploughing, geographical location of plots, total annual rainfall and November rainfall. Meteorological patterns of the sampling period are also described.Abbreviations GLM = Generalized Linear Model - NMDS = Non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling - UPGMA = Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic Averages     

Growth and production of O+ bream (Abramis brama), O+ roach (Rutilus rutilus) and O+ carp (Cyprinus carpio) in 10 drainable 0.1 Ha ponds

In ten 0.1 ha drainable ponds O⁺ cyprinids were stocked to assess their impact on the aquatic community. Bream and roach were stocked in early June, 1986, and carp in early July, 1986. The ponds were drained mid November, 1986. The relationship between the fish community and its food resource was estimated in terms of production and consumption with use of the data on growth and mortality of the fish. The average gross production of the fish species in the ten ponds (48.4 kg during the experiment) was dominated by the carp (58.5%). A minimum estimate of the food consumption of the O⁺ cyprinids is 760 kJ.m^–2. The average production of bream and roach was much lower than that of carp due to a higher mortality and a more specialized feeding pattern. The gross productions of carp, bream and roach in the ten ponds were not significantly related, although stomach analysis showed diet overlap between the carp and the bream.     

胚乳性状的遗传模型和世代平均数

谷类作物的胚乳是三倍体组织,胚乳性状受3N遗传控制。本文分析了胚乳性状的遗传特征,建立了相应的遗传模型,推导了世代群体的平均数分量,并提出了研究胚乳性状基因效应的一些简单的交配设计。     

A vivid model of chiral recognition

Hands can be used to demonstrate the three-point model of chiral recognition. The points of attachment are thumb, forefinger, and middle finger. This vivid model has the advantages of simplicity, perspicuity, and availability at any time, although two persons are necessary. It can be shown that two interactions are not sufficient for chiral recognition but that three attractive or two attractive and one repulsive attraction are needed. It can also be used to explain some possibilities of weakening or elusion of the three-point model.