Duplex formation of a nonionic oligo(deoxythymidylate) analogue (heptadeoxythymidylyl-(3'-5')-deoxythymidine heptaethyl ester (d-(Tp(Et))7T)) with poly(deoxyadenylate). Evaluation of the electrostatic interaction.

The heptaethyl ester of heptadeoxythymidylyl-(3'-5')-deoxythymidine (d-[Tp(Et)]7T or d-T8-Et) has been prepared by chemical methods. The material, consisting of a mixture of diastereoisomers, forms a 1:1 complex with (dA)n in neutral aqueous buffer; this interaction is virtually independent of ionic strength. The octamer triester does not bind to (dA)n-(dT)n, and it interacts with (rA)n only at low temperatures. By cochromatography with (dA)n on Sephadex G-50, d-T8-Et fractions with different binding affinities for the polyadenylates were obtained. This heterogeneity in binding affinity is ascribed to the diastereoisomerism of d-T8-Et. Enthalpies of dupoex formation were determined by the concentration variation method. At 0.1 M sodium ion concentration, the enthalpy of binding of the various d-T8-Et fractions to (dA)n is essentially invariant (-8.1 kcal/mol of base pairs at 0 degrees C to -8.6 kcal at 25 degrees C) and 1.6 kcal/mol of base pairs more negative than the enthalpy of binding of the phosphodiester analogue, d-(Tp)7T, to (dA)n (-6.8 kcal/mol of base pairs at 11 degrees C). This difference is the electrostatic contribution to the enthalpy of duplex formation, arising from the interstrand electrostatic repulsion and the intrastrand repulsion in d-(Tp)7T. The entropy of binding to (dA)n is more negative for the octamer triesters than for the diester analogue, and is different for the various d-T8-Et fractions. This is interpreted in terms of varying degrees of restriction of rotational freedom for the ethyl substituents upon double helix formation.     

A lipid-linked oligosaccharide intermediate in glycoprotein synthesis. Characterization of [Man-14C]glycoproteins labeled from [Man-14C]oligosaccharide-lipid and GDP-[14C]Man.

Endogenous proteins of cell-free preparations of hen oviduct labeled from GDP-[14C]Man or from [Man-14C]oligosaccharide-lipid have been compared by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Under the conditions tested, a polypeptide chain of molecular weight about 25,000 was the principle acceptor for the oligosaccharide moiety of exogenous [Man-14C]oligosaccharide-lipid. The product labeled by [Man-14C]oligosaccharide-lipid appeared identical with one of three glycoproteins formed when GDP-[14C]Man was incubated with a crude membrane fraction. These three proteins (apparent molecular weight of 75,000, 55,000, and 25,000) accounted for nearly two-thirds of the [14C]mannose-labeled glycoprotein products using GDP-[14C]Man and either the crude membrane fraction or a total oviduct homogenate. Thus, all of the mannose acceptor proteins present in the oviduct homogenate appear to be membrane-bound. Analyses of the [Man-14C]glycoproteins labeled from GDP-[14C]Man in membrane fractions from hen kidney, liver, brain, and oviduct indicated that a labeled polypeptide of apparent molecular weight 25,000 was the only major protein product common to the four preparations.     

Sunshine versus gold: The effect of population age on genetic structure of an invasive mosquito

The genetic diversity and structure of invasive species are affected by the time since invasion, but it is not well understood how. We compare likely the oldest populations of Aedes aegypti in continental North America with some of the newest to illuminate the range of genetic diversity and structure that can be found within the invasive range of this important disease vector. Aedes aegypti populations in Florida have probably persisted since the 1600‐1700s, while populations in southern California derive from new invasions that occurred in the last 10 years. For this comparison, we genotyped 1,193 individuals from 28 sites at 12 highly variable microsatellites and a subset of these individuals at 23,961 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This is the largest sample analyzed for genetic structure for either region, and it doubles the number of southern California populations previously analyzed. As predicted, the older populations (Florida) showed fewer indicators of recent founder effect and bottlenecks; in particular, these populations have dramatically higher genetic diversity and lower genetic structure. Geographic distance and driving distance were not good predictors of genetic distance in either region, especially southern California. Additionally, southern California had higher levels of genetic differentiation than any comparably sized documented region throughout the worldwide distribution of the species. Although population age and demographic history are likely driving these differences, differences in climate and transportation practices could also play a role.     

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase mRNA expression is related to human obesity

Objective:

A spontaneous deletion in the nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (Nnt) gene eliminating exons 7‐11 in C57BL/6J (B6J) mice is associated with reduced glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion in vitro, impaired glucose tolerance, higher epigonadal fat mass, and altered susceptibility to diet induced obesity of male B6J mice was proposed. A potential implication for NNT in human adipose tissue distribution has not been investigated so far.

Design and Methods:

Therefore, NNT mRNA expression in paired human samples of visceral (vis) and subcutaneous (sc) adipose tissue from 221 subjects with a wide range of body mass index (BMI), insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance was analyzed.

Results:

NNT mRNA expression is significantly higher in visceral fat of obese patients and correlates with body weight, BMI, % body fat, visceral and sc fat area, waist and hip circumference, and fasting plasma insulin (FPI). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed visceral NNT expression as age and gender independent predictor of BMI, waist circumference, visceral fat area, and % body fat, but not FPI and 2 h OGTT glucose.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, a functional relevance of NNT in the development of human obesity and visceral fat distribution was suggested here.     

Automated multi-dimensional purification of tagged proteins

The capacity for high throughput purification (HTP) is essential in fields such as structural genomics where large numbers of protein samples are routinely characterized in, for example, studies of structural determination, functionality and drug development. Proteins required for such analysis must be pure and homogenous and available in relatively large amounts. ÄKTAT 3D system is a powerful automated protein purification system, which minimizes preparation, run-time and repetitive manual tasks. It has the capacity to purify up to 6 different His₆- or GST-tagged proteins per day and can produce 1–50 mg protein per run at >90% purity. The success of automated protein purification increases with careful experimental planning. Protocol, columns and buffers need to be chosen with the final application area for the purified protein in mind.