Analysis of the loop-helix interaction in bundle motif protein structures

Molecular dynamics simulations and energy analysis have been carried out to study the structural mobility and stability of the four -helix bundle motifs. The simulation results as well as the X-ray data show that the atomic RMS fluctuation is larger at the loop region for four representative proteins investigated: methemerythrin, cytochrome b-562, cytochrome c, and bovine somatotropin. The loop-loop, helix-helix, and loop-helix interactions are computed for the unfolded and folded proteins. In the folded and solvated protein structures the loop-helix interaction is stronger than the helix-helix interaction, especially in the electrostatic component. But the stabilization energies of both the loop-helix and the helix-helix interactions relative to the those of an unfolded structure are of the same order of magnitude. The stabilization due to protein-solvent interaction is greater in the helix region than in the loop region. The percentage of hydrophilic solvent accessible area for the four proteins studied was calculated with the method of Eisenberg and McLachlan. The percentage of the hydrophilic area is greater in the loops than in the helices. A Poisson-Boltzmann calculation shows that the potential from the loops acting on a helix is generally more negative than that from other helices.     

STARD3NL inhibits the osteogenic differentiation by inactivating the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway via binding to Annexin A2 in osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is one of the leading forms of systemic diseases related to bone metabolism in the world. STARD3 N‐terminal like (STARD3NL) showed robust association with osteoporosis‐related traits. Yet, the molecular functional mechanisms of STARD3NL in osteoblasts is still obscure. In this study, we demonstrated a high level of STARD3NL expression in the bone tissues from the patients with low bone mass and ovariectomized (OVX)‐induced osteoporotic mice. We identified Stard3nl as a potent factor that negatively and positively regulates osteoblast differentiation and cell proliferation, respectively. Furthermore, inhibition of Stard3nl induced β‐catenin gene expression and the nuclear translocation of β‐catenin, as well as Wnt signalling activities, contributing to the activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling. Mechanistic studies revealed that Stard3nl bound with Annexin A2 (Anxa2) to suppress β‐catenin expression, resulting into the suppression of Wnt signalling and downstream osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, adeno‐associated virus 9 (AAV9)‐mediated silencing of Stard3nl reversed bone loss in OVX‐induced osteoporotic mice by the injection into the knee joints. Collectively, our study revealed that Stard3nl suppressed osteogenesis via binding with Anxa2, resulting into the inactivation of Wnt signalling. It also highlights the preventive and therapeutic potential of STARD3NL as a specific and novel target for osteoporotic patients.     

Rate of free-radical oxidation of C18 diene and triene fatty acids in aqueous micellar solutions and effectiveness of beta-carotene as an inhibitor of their oxidation

The rate of accumulation of conjugated dienes of polyunsaturated fatty acids was measured during free-radical oxidation of linoleic acid (18:2n-6, LA), -linolenic acid (18:3n-3, -LNA), and -linolenic acid (18:3n-6, -LNA) initiated by 2,2"-azo-bis-(2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride in aqueous micellar solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium cholate. It was shown that, unlike homogeneous solutions, the oxidative stability of PUFAs in aqueous dispersions increased with an increase in the extent of unsaturation. The rate of LA oxidation was more than tenfold greater than that of - and -LNA. The antioxidant activity of -carotene, in contrast to homogeneous solutions, in both micellar systems studied depended on the degree of PUFA unsaturation. We found that 5 M -carotene effectively inhibited the LA oxidation (almost by 90%), whereas the oxidation of -LNA and -LNA was not inhibited by -carotene even at much greater concentration (30 M). The paradoxical discrepancy between the extent of unsaturation and the PUFA oxidation rate, as well as a decrease in the efficiency of -carotene-dependent inhibition of oxidation of more polyunsaturated fatty acids in reactions conducted in aqueous dispersions is consistent with the model according to which the peroxyl radicals of LA and fatty acids with the doublebond number greater than two exhibit different polarity.     

两种雀形目鸟类的窝雏数处理实验:检验Lack假说

于1997—1999年在位于青海省北部的中国科学院海北高寒草甸生态系统定位站进行。选择地面筑巢的小云雀(Alauda gulgula)和灌丛筑巢的黄嘴朱顶雀(Acanthis flavirostris)为代表进行窝雏数处理实验。根据Lack假说的预报检验(1)常见窝卵数是否是最大生产力窝卵数;(2)窝雏数处理对雏鸟质量和亲鸟投入是否产生影响;(3)两种鸟的响应方式是否相同。其结果如下：①小云雀和黄嘴朱顶雀的常见窝卵数分别是3和5枚。年间变化不明显,用幼鸟出飞率作为生产力,两种鸟的扩增窝幼鸟出飞率下降,常见窝卵数(分布频率最高)等同于最大生产力窝卵数;②小云雀的幼鸟的生长参数不随窝雏数的改变而变化．而黄嘴朱顶雀有明显变化．说明窝雏数处理对后者幼鸟质量有明显影响。③用递食率作为亲鸟投资指标,小云雀亲鸟的递食率随窝雏数的增加而增加,但雏期不变;而黄嘴朱顶雀递食率不变,但雏期延长。④扩增窝雏数后,两种亲鸟表现出不同的响应方式,小云雀表现为提高单位时间递食次数,而黄嘴朱顶雀延长育幼时间。这两种方式不是通过影响雏鸟质量就是通过影响亲鸟存活率来降低子代和亲代的适合度。结果支持了自然选择将窝卵数调节到亲鸟能喂活最大数量子代的限度。即常见窝卵数就是最大生产力窝卵数的Lack假说。     

金线鲃属鱼类的起源及其适应演化

根据地史和东亚地区鱼类区系演化史,推测了金线属鱼类的起源时代及其与当时古地质和古气候事件的关系,认为该类群的原始祖先可能在第三纪晚期已经存在于云贵高原一带;较系统地研究了金线属鱼类的洞穴适应演化趋势,表明该类群在穴居适应过程中既表现出穴居鱼类的共同演化趋势,也表现出其独特的穴居适应方式。       

Purification and characterization of alpha-galactosidase from sunflower seeds

From 100 g sunflower seeds, 1.2 mg purified -galactosidase was obtained with an overall yield of 51%. The -galactosidase acted on both terminal -galactosyl residues and side-chain -galactosyl residues of the galactomanno-oligosaccharides and galactomannans. The cDNA coding for sunflower -galactosidase was cloned and the deduced amino acid sequence revealed that the mature enzyme consisted of 363 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 40263. Seven cysteine residues were found but no putative N-glycosylation sites were present in the sequence. The deduced amino acid sequences of mature enzyme and -galactosidases from coffee, guar and Mortierella vinacea -galactosidase II showed over 81%, 77%, and 47% homology, respectively. These enzymes are classified into the third group in which the enzyme has no insertion sequence and a broad specificity on galactomanno-oligosaccharides compared to the other groups.     

Chromosome number evolution in stem derived calluses ofHordeum vulgare L. culturedin vitro

Summary A study of the chromosome numbers of calluses obtained fromin vitro cultured stem nodes of barley over a period of time was carried out. The cells in division in the calluses were found only in growth centres (g.c.) which were independent of one another and easily isolated. At the beginning of the observations, the cell dividing population showed the diploid chromosome number. Tetraploid dividing cells appeared in the 5-month-old calluses and their frequency increased gradually. After 36 months of culture, the frequency of diploid and tetraploid cells was fixed at approximately 50%. The histological observation showed that in the 2-month-old cultures, the calluses were being formed from the epidermis as well as from the stem cortical parenchyma. The medullar parenchyma of the stem was not involved in the callus formation until 5 months of culture. Thus, it was possible to correlate the increase of the tetraploid dividing cell population with the formation of the calluses from the medullar parenchyma.     

Distribution of greenhouse gases, nitrite, and δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon in Lake Biwa: Implications for hypolimnetic metabolism

The vertical distribution of dissolved greenhouse gases (CH₄,CO₂ and N₂O), NO ,and ¹³C of CO₂ in Lake Biwa during a stagnantperiod was precisely determined. CO₂ as well as NO was accumulated in the hypolimnion, whereas NO and CH₄concen\-trations were generally higher in theepilimnion than in the hypolimnion. In August, NO andCH₄ were ephemerally accumulated at the thermocline. Theconcentration of CH₄ always exceeded equilibrium with respectto air/water exchange. N₂O was rather uniformly distributed inboth time and space, and remained near equilibrium with respect toair/water exchange. All of these observations are similar to otherstratified, oligotrophic lakes, in which the hypolimnia were welloxygenated. The ¹³C of CO₂ became morenegative with increasing depth, and showed a strong negativecorrelation with apparent oxygen utilization. From the data, the ¹³Cvalue of organic matter decomposed into CO₂ inthe hypolimnion was calculated by isotope mass-balance, and found tobe in a similar range to ¹³C of phytoplankton and benthic algaeand distinctively higher than ¹³C of both terrestrial andsedimentary organic matters. This suggests that autochthonous organicmatter was the major source of CO₂.