Calcium-dependent activation and deactivation of rod outer segment phosphodiesterase is calmodulin-independent

ATP-dependent activation and deactivation of retinal rod outer segment phosphodiesterase is affected by calcium [Kawamura, S. and Bownds, M. D., J. Gen. Physiol. 77:571-591(1981)]. Our data demonstrate that although calmodulin has been found in rod outer segments [Liu, Y. P. and Schwartz, H., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 526:186-193(1978); Kohnken, R. E. et al, J. Biol. Chem. 256:12517-12522(1981)], this protein is not involved in calcium-dependent phosphodiesterase activation at light levels at which calcium clearly affects this enzyme's activity. Furthermore, calmodulin does not mediate the calcium-dependent deactivation of phosphodiesterase.     

Regulatory role of GDP in the phosphoenzyme formation of guanine nucleotide: Specific forms of succinyl coenzyme a synthetase

We have previously shown that micromolar concentrations of GDP stimulate the GTP-mediated phosphorylation of p36, the subunit of succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS), in lysates prepared fromDictyostelium discoideum. In this study, we report that this phenomenon represents an enhanced catalytic capacity of SCS to form the phosphoenzyme intermediate. Low concentrations of GDP stimulate phosphoenzyme formation by either GTP, or succinyl-CoA and P_i. Under these conditions GDP enhances the apparent rate of phosphoenzyme formation but does not significantly alter the fraction of phosphorylated enzyme. This effect is retained during purification of the protein and is also observed with purified pig heart SCS, indicating that GDP directly alters the enzyme to enhance its rate of phosphorylation. Under these conditions, GDP does not function at the catalytic site, implying an allosteric regulation of SCS.Abbreviations used SCS succinyl-CoA synthetase - P _i inorganic phosphate - NDP nucleotide diphosphate - NTP nucleotide triphosphate - PFK phosphofructokinase A-form; ADP-forming SCS; G-form; GDP-forming SCS     

Studies on the activity of brown adipose tissue in suckling,pre-obese, obob mice

The properties and activity of brown adipose tissue have been investigated in suckling, pre-obese, $\text{ob}\text{ob}$ mice in order to determine whether decreased thermogenesis in the tissue precedes the development of obesity in this mutant. At 14 days of age there was no difference between the $\text{ob}\text{ob}$ and normal animals in the total amount of interscapular brown adipose tissue, and the DNA content, protein content, and cytochrome oxidase activity of the tissue were similar in the two groups of mice. Respiration rates of brown adipose tissue mitochondria in the presence of albumin were, however, greater in the normal than the $\text{ob}\text{ob}$ animals, although after the addition of GDP to recouple the mitochondria there was no difference between the two groups. The mitochondrial membrane potential, measured with [³H]methyltriphenylphosphonium, was less affected by exogenous GDP in $\text{ob}\text{ob}$ mice than in normal animals. GDP binding to brown adipose tissue mitochondria, an index of the proton conductance pathway, was much greater in normal than in $\text{ob}\text{ob}$ mice at both 10 and 14 days of age; the decreased GDP binding in the mutant animals was found to result from a reduction in the number of binding sites. It is concluded that brown adipose tissue mitochondria of pre-obese $\text{ob}\text{ob}$ mice are more tightly coupled than those of normal siblings, and that the activity of the ‘thermogenic’ proton conductance pathway is lower in the mutant animals. A decrease in thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue is therefore an early event in the development of the $\text{ob}\text{ob}$ mouse and precedes the appearance of obesity.     

Differential sensitivity of cardiac K(ATP) + channels to guanine nucleotides — evidence for a heterogeneous channel population

In cell-free patches from cultured neonatal rat cardiocytes, the cytosolic presence of GTP--S (100 µmol/l) or GDP-\-S (100 µmol/1) activated K_(ATP) ⁺ channels. GTP--S required cytosolic Mg⁺⁺, suggesting that an activated G-protein causes the increase in open probability. The great variations of the channel response to GTP--S and GDP-\-S indicates that cardiac K_(ATP) ⁺ channels represent a heterogeneous family. Correspondence to: M. Kohlhardt     

生态系统生产总值的内涵、核算框架与实施条件——统计视角下的设计与论证

基于已有研究和中国当前实践,对GEP的内涵和核算框架进行理论论证,以期为GEP的后续应用开发提供基本规范。(1)辨析当前GEP已有定义,提出了经过优化的GEP定义:特定时期内一区域生态系统为经济生产和人类其他活动提供的最终产出价值,具体包括生态供应品、生态调节服务和生态文化服务三个组成部分。(2)确定GEP在以下两个方面的应用价值:辅助GDP评价区域发展业绩;为区域生态补偿提供标准。(3)参照国内生产总值(GDP)核算原理,设计出一套生态系统供应品和服务供给表和使用表,在此基础上生成了规范的GEP核算表和核算方法。(4)将框架设计落实到GEP核算实施层面,提出了后续需要考虑的相关分类体系、关键节点、实物和价值核算方法设计等重要问题及解决思路。     

基于地区GDP和人口空间分布的粤港澳大湾区生境质量时空演变研究

经济发展与人口集聚引起的土地利用变化对一个地区的生态环境影响显著,生境质量评价在一定程度上可以反映区域生物多样性的状况。分析地区生境质量与社会经济、人口密度的关系,能够为区域生态安全及可持续发展提供科学依据。运用InVEST模型,以粤港澳大湾区2005、2010、2015、2018年四期土地利用数据分析生境质量的时空演变特征,结合社会经济及人口分布数据探究各地区城市发展与生境质量的权衡关系,并预测2030年大湾区不同情景下生境质量状况。结果表明：（1）2005-2018年粤港澳大湾区整体生境质量逐年降低,呈现出中部低、四周高的环状分布,生境破碎、建设用地增加是生境质量下降的主要原因。（2）珠三角九市生境质量与地区总GDP呈弱负相关,与第一产业产值呈中等正相关,与第二产业产值呈中等负相关,与第三产业产值呈弱正相关。（3）粤港澳大湾区生境质量与人口密度存在较大的不平衡,最主要的空间为高生境质量-低人口密度、低生境质量-高人口密度两种类型。（4）通过空间管制分区,预测2030年大湾区规划保护情景下大湾区平均生境质量较2018上升0.04,达到0.599,生境质量有明显改善。     

Decoupling Analysis of Four Selected Countries

We examine decoupling conditions of domestic extraction of materials, energy use, and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions from gross domestic product (GDP) for two BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries (i.e., China and Russia) and two Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries (Japan and the United States) during 2000–2007, using a pair of decoupling indicators for resource use (D_r) and waste emissions (D_e) and the decoupling chart, which can distinguish between absolute decoupling, relative decoupling, and non‐decoupling. We find that (1) during 2000–2007, decoupling between environmental indicators and GDP was higher in the two OECD countries as compared with the two BRIC countries. The key reason is that these countries were in different development stages with different economic growth rates. (2) Changes in environmental policies can significantly influence the degree of decoupling in a country. (3) China, Japan, and the United States were more successful in decoupling SO₂ emissions from GDP than in decoupling material and energy use from GDP. The main reason is that, unlike resource use, waste emissions (e.g., SO₂ emissions) can be reduced by effective end‐of‐pipe treatment. (4) The decoupling indicator is different from the changing rate of resource use and waste emissions. If two countries have different GDP growth rates, even though they may have similar values using the decoupling indicator, they may show different rates of change for resource use and waste emissions.     

Functional analyses of the extra- and intracellular domains of the yeast cell wall integrity sensors Mid2 and Wsc1

Cell wall integrity signalling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides a model for the regulation of fungal wall biosynthesis. Chimers of the major plasma membrane sensors Wsc1 and Mid2 fused to GFP have been employed to show that intracellular and membrane distribution is only dependent on a membrane-anchored cytoplasmic tail. Phenotypic analyses of chimeric sensors in an isogenic Deltamid2 Deltawsc1 double deletion strain indicate that this tail, provided that it is linked to an extracellular domain, also determines the cellular response to different surface stresses to a large extent.     

Small GTPases in vesicle trafficking

Plant small GTPases belonging to the Rop, Arf, and Rab families are regulators of vesicle trafficking. Rop GTPases regulate actin dynamics and modulate H(2)O(2) production in polar cell growth and pathogen defence. A candidate Rop GDP to Rop GTP exchange factor (RopGEF) SPIKE1 is involved in the morphogenesis of leaf epidermal cells. The ArfGEF GNOM regulates the endosomal recycling of the PIN proteins, which are involved in polar auxin transport. Intracellular localisation of small GTPases and functional studies using dominant mutant versions of Arf and Rab GTPases are defining novel plant-specific membrane compartments, especially those that participate in endosomal vesicle trafficking.