Effect of pore size in substrate and diffusion of enzyme on hydrolysis of cellulosic materials with cellulases

The effect of cellulase size on hydrolysis was studied by comparing the behavior of crosslinked cellulase (CC) with normal cellulase (FC). The average molecular weight of the CC was at least three times the molecular weight of the FC. The amounts of each enzyme were adjusted so that the degree of solubilization after 2 h was the same. The degree of solubilization of Avicel with CC was higher than that with FC in the late stage of reaction. The degree of solubilization of pretreated lignocelluloses was much greater than that of Avicel, but the degree of solubilization with CC was lower than that with FC at all times during the reaction. The degree of solubilization of artificial lignified Avicel was higher with FC than with CC, but the degree of solubilization of de-lignified the artificial lignified Avicel was lower with FC than with CC. The degree of solubilization of amorphous celloulose with FC was the same as that with CC at all times during the reaction. These behaviors are examined by the hypothesis that when small pores dominate, the smaller enzyme components diffuse into the pores and become inactive since synergism with the larger components is no longer possible, whereas, when larger pores dominate, the entire enzyme can diffuse in and therefore the available surface area is increased. This hypothesis is supported by direct measurement of the pore size in two of the substrates and by diffusion inside Avicel of only smaller molecular cellulase component.     

A comparative study of the enzymatic hydrolysis of acid-pretreated white pine and mixed hardwood

Removal of hemicellulose by acid pretreatment in a flow reactor followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of the neutralized slurry has resulted in glucose yields as high as 95% for mixed hardwood. For white pine, however, the maximum glucose yield is 65%. Although pine has a higher extractives content, removal of the extractives prior to enzymatic hydrolysis does not increases the glucose yield. Pore size measurements reveal that the increase in pore volume, in the size range of the cellulase molecule, following pretreatment for pine is only about one-half the value obtained with mixed hardwood. This suggests that pore volume is an important determinant of substrate-enzyme reactivity.     

定量分析调控人类免疫缺陷病毒潜伏与激活的动力学机制

目的 治疗艾滋病最大的障碍在于无法根除人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）潜伏于人体细胞所形成的病毒存储库。构建描述病毒存储库建立分子机制的动力学模型需考虑生物体内的噪声环境和多重影响因素,本文通过一种全新的动力学结构分解方法将随机微分方程的确定性部分与随机性噪声分开,从而在仅需分析常微分方程不动点的情况下即可判断不同药物靶点的作用效果。方法 使用连续的随机微分方程构建了HIV转录过程的动力学模型,简化了描述系统所需方程的维度,增大了模型的可探索空间,在此基础上,通过计算得到的势能函数和概率分布函数直观表示病毒潜伏与激活的不同表达状态以及它们之间的关系。结果 定量分析了不同动力学参数对系统稳态和势函数的影响程度,分别得到了系统处于双稳态和单稳态时的参数范围,并将不同因素对动力系统分岔的影响程度与生物学实验结果对比,验证了本工作的理论基础。结论 本文突破了以往离散、随机的方法,可以通过常微分方程定量分析HIV转录调控的动力学机制,有利于推广到处理高维情况,进一步研究艾滋病在生物体内的发生发展,从而指导设计实验寻找临床上的治疗方案。     

Energetics of primary processes in visula escitation: photocalorimetry of rhodopsin in rod outer segment membranes.

A sensitive technique for the direct calorimetric determination of the energetics of photochemical reactions under low levels of illumination, and its application to the study of primary processes in visula excitation, are described. Enthlpies are reported for various steps in the bleaching of rhodopsin in intact rod outer segment membranes, together with the heats of appropriate model reactions. Protonation changes are also determined calorimetrically by use of buffers with differing heats of proton ionization. Bleaching of rhodopsin is accompanied by significant uptake of heat energy, vastly in excess of the energy required for simple isomerization of the retinal chromophore. Metarhodopsin I formation involves the uptake of about 17 kcal/mol and no net change in proton ionization of the system. Formation of metarhodopsin II requires an additional energy of about 10 kcal/mol and involves the uptake on one hydrogen ion from solution. The energetics of the overall photolysis reaction, rhodopsin leads to opsin + all-trans-retinal, are pH dependent and involve the exposure of an additional titrating group on opsin. This group has a heat of proton ionization of about 12 kcal/mal, characteristic of a primary amine, but a pKa in the region of neutrality. We suggest that this group is the Schiff base lysine of the chromophore binding site of rhodopsin which becomes exposed on photolysis. The low pKa for this active lysine would result in a more stable retinal-opsin linkage, and might be induced by a nearby positively charged group on the protein (either arginine or a second lysine residue). This leads to a model involving intramolecular protonation of the Schiff base nitrogen in the retinal-opsin linkage of rhodopsin, which is consistent with the thermodynamic and spectroscopic properties of the system. We further propose that the metarhodopsin I leads to metarhodopsin II step in the bleaching sequence involves reversible hydrolysis of the Schiff base linkage in the chromophore binding site, and that subsequent steps are the result of migration of the chromophore from this site.     

EM复合菌对新疆色素辣椒生长及根际细菌群落的影响

【背景】Effective microorganisms （EM）复合菌在我国农业种植上的应用越来越广泛,但对色素辣椒的促生作用与根际细菌群落结构的影响未见报道。【目的】评估EM复合菌对新疆色素辣椒的促生长作用,并分析其对色素辣椒根际细菌群落组成的影响。【方法】通过随水灌溉方式将EM复合菌接种到色素辣椒根部,在收获期测定辣椒生长指标、土壤养分和酶活活性,明确EM复合菌对辣椒生长和土壤质量的影响;利用16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术测定EM复合菌对辣椒根系细菌群落组成和结构的影响。【结果】与对照组相比,EM复合菌的施用使辣椒株高、鲜重、单个果重和单株结果数分别提高23.89%、85.41%、42.31%和46.04%;土壤中碱解氮和速效磷含量分别提高5.83%和13.39%,土壤中脲酶、蔗糖酶和过氧化物酶的活性分别提高11.47%、9.42%和21.43%;施用EM复合菌显著改变辣椒根际微生物群落的α多样性和β多样性,提高有益菌群变形菌门（Proteobacteria）、酸杆菌门（Acidobacteria）、芽单胞菌门（Gemmatimonadetes）、放线菌门（Actinobacteria）和厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）的相对丰度,其中变形菌门黄单胞菌科（Xanthomonadaceae）的相对丰度增加119.32%;在属的水平上,施用EM复合菌显著增加了藤黄色杆菌属（Luteitalea）、藤黄单胞菌属（Luteimonas）、鞘脂单胞菌属（Sphingobacterium）和盐单胞菌属（Halomonas）的相对丰度,尤其是藤黄单胞菌属的丰度提高244.17%,同时显著降低黄杆菌属（Flavobacterium）的相对丰度。此外,与土壤理化指标呈正相关的微生物菌群相对丰度也显著升高。【结论】EM复合菌能够通过提高土壤营养成分与酶活活性,调控根系微生物群落结构,富集大量在盐碱地生存能力较强的有益菌群,进而起到促进色素辣椒生长的功效。     

泥河湾盆地三棵树遗址ESR年代学

泥河湾盆地因发育良好的晚新生代湖相地层、丰富的旧石器遗址和哺乳动物化石而广受关注.盆地内已发现旧石器遗址100余处,被学术界称为"东方奥杜韦(Olduvai)峡谷".由于缺乏合适的年代测定方法,许多重要的遗址,尤其是中更新世时间段的遗址缺乏年龄数据,如三棵树遗址,使得旧石器遗址研究少了时间轴合理的年代学框架.电子自旋共...     

生态保护价值的距离衰减性——以三江平原湿地为例

应用二分式条件价值评估法对三江平原湿地生态保护价值进行定量评价。运用支付意愿函数模型构建双边界二分式CVM数据分析模型,应用生存分析中的参数回归模型建立支付意愿影响因素分析模型。建立具有距离变量及个人社会、经济属性变量的支付意愿函数,验证支付意愿具有"距离衰减性"。研究采用以面访调查为主、网上调查为辅的方式,进行支付意愿问卷调查,得出2010年三江平原湿地生态保护的人均支付意愿为134.582元/a,三江平原湿地的生态保护价值为33.412亿元/a。研究结论为政府相关政策的制定提供参考依据。