Reverse hydrophobic effects relieved by amino-acid substitutions at a protein surface

It is rare for amino-acid substitutions on the surface of proteins to have large stabilizing or destabilizing effects. Nevertheless, one substitution of this type, the Tyr 26----Cys mutation in lambda Cro, increases the melting temperature of the protein by 11 degrees C and the stability by 2.2 kcal mol-1. Here we show that the stability of Cro can be increased by many different amino-acid substitutions at position 26, with increasing stability showing a good correlation with decreasing side-chain hydrophobicity. As Tyr 26 is hyper-exposed to solvent in the Cro crystal structure, we suggest that wild-type and variant proteins with other hydrophobic side chains at position 26 are destabilized as a result of a reverse hydrophobic effect caused by the side chain being more exposed to solvent in the native than in the denatured state.     

Point mutation in FGF receptor eliminates phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis without affecting mitogenesis.

Stimulation of growth factor receptors with tyrosine kinase activity is followed by rapid receptor dimerization, tyrosine autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of signalling molecules such as phospholipase C gamma (PLC gamma) and the ras GTPase-activating protein. PLC gamma and GTPase-activating protein bind to specific tyrosine-phosphorylated regions in growth factor receptors through their src-homologous SH2 domains. Growth factor-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma is essential for stimulation of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis in vitro and in vivo. We have shown that a short phosphorylated peptide containing tyrosine at position 766 from a conserved region of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor is a binding site for the SH2 domain of PLC gamma (ref. 8). Here we show that an FGF receptor point mutant in which Tyr 766 is replaced by a phenylalanine residue (Y766F) is unable to associate with and tyrosine-phosphorylate PLC gamma or to stimulate hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol. Nevertheless, the Y766F FGF receptor mutant can be autophosphorylated, and can phosphorylate several cellular proteins and stimulate DNA synthesis. Our data show that phosphorylation of the conserved Tyr 766 of the FGF receptor is essential for phosphorylation of PLC gamma and for hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol, but that elimination of this hydrolysis does not affect FGF-induced mitogenesis.     

芳香氨基酸及其肽光电离、SO*-4氧化与光敏化过程的比较研究

运用激光闪光光解瞬态吸收光谱研究了色氨酸 (Trp)、酪氨酸 (Tyr) ,苯丙氨酸 (Phe)和二肽 (Trp Tyr)光电离和被SO· - 4单电子氧化的过程 ,表征了反应过程中生成的自由基 ,并与丙酮光敏化生成的自由基进行了比较。三者不同之处是 ,Trp和Tyr光电离分别生成氮中心的吲哚自由基和酚氧自由基 ;丙酮光敏化除生成上述自由基外 ,在敏化Trp光解体系还观察到Trp激发三重态 ,丙酮三重态与Phe没有作用 ;在SO· - 4单电子氧化体系 ,分别在Trp的吲哚环、Tyr的苯环上加成生成加成产物 ,其中Trp尤为显著 ;Phe的光电离与SO· - 4氧化体系结果一致。在二肽Trp Tyr的光电离和光敏化体系中观察到自由基的转变过程 ,Trp/N· Tyr→Trp Tyr/O·即分子内的电子转移过程 ;而SO· - 4单电子氧化体系没有观察到这种转变     

A Tyr/Ser protein phosphatase encoded by vaccinia virus.

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is associated with alterations in receptor activity, cellular proliferation and modulation of the cell cycle. Inappropriate tyrosine phosphorylation can lead to unrestrained cell growth and oncogenesis. Enzymes important in tyrosine dephosphorylation have also been described. Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) consist of two families. There is a receptor-like family of PTPases with an extracellular domain, transmembrane-spanning region and typically two repeated phosphatase domains. Proteins of the non-receptor-like family have a single catalytic phosphatase domain, show a substrate specificity for Tyr phosphate and will not hydrolyse Ser or Thr phosphate. Here we report that the vaccinia virus genome contains an open reading frame which shares amino-acid sequence identity with the PTPases. The purified protein encoded by the vaccinia virus H1 open reading frame expressed in bacteria hydrolyses substrates containing phosphotyrosine and phosphoserine. Mutagenesis of an essential Cys in the vaccinia phosphatase abolishes catalytic activity directed towards both substrates, suggesting that hydrolysis proceeds by a common mechanism. Understanding the function of the H1-encoded protein will help to define the role of the phosphatase in viral replication and pathogenesis.     

目标船碰撞危险及模型

针对目标船间的碰撞危险提出一种利用本船观测获取的目标船数据,解算目标船间dCPA和tCPA的方法,通过建立的目标船间碰撞危险数学模型可直接获得周边水域目标间的碰撞危险信息,为值班驾驶员及避碰专家系统提供更加有效的避碰决策信息,有利于提高船舶避碰决策的正确性.     

Identification of the T-cell and Ia contact residues of a T-cell antigenic epitope

The precise molecular structure of the antigenic determinant recognized by the T-cell receptor of the CD4-positive cell has not been completely resolved. A major advance in our understanding of this issue has been made by our demonstration of a direct association between an immunogenic peptide and a purified Ia molecule. The most likely and economical hypothesis is that antigen binds directly to an Ia molecule creating the antigenic determinant and that this antigen-Ia complex is recognized by the T-cell receptor. We examined in detail a determinant of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) contained in the tryptic fragment HEL(46-61), recognized by T cells in H-2k strains of mice. This peptide binds with a Kd of approximately 3 microM to I-Ak molecules. We have already ascertained that (1) the 10-mer HEL(52-61) is the shortest stimulatory peptide; (2) the Leu56 residue, the only residue different from mouse lysozyme, is responsible for the immunogenicity; (3) the Leu56 and Tyr53 residues are critical for recognition by the T-cell receptor and (4) HEL(46-61) generates multiple determinants when it associated with the I-Ak molecule. If antigen and Ia interact, the antigen must have two features: it must bind to an Ia molecule and also interact with the T-cell receptor. The two sites do not appear to be laterally separable in this peptide and are therefore probably composed of distinct but interspersed amino-acid residues. We have now identified the three residues of HEL(52-61) that contact the T-cell receptor and three other residues that contact the I-Ak molecule. From modelling studies we also propose that HEL(52-61) assumes an alpha-helical conformation as it is bound to I-Ak and recognized by the T-cell receptor.     

腐乳后发酵阶段微生物肽酶系统的测定

采用合成底物对华南地区腐乳后发酵阶段分离得到的细菌短杆菌属(Brevibacte-rium)菌株DH1、JS3、GH4、DG6和酵母菌SCY1、JSBB2的胞内和胞外肽酶系统进行了测定.实验结果表明,分离得到的细菌菌株具有较高的内肽酶活力,其亮氨酸氨肽酶、精氨酸氨肽酶、二肽酶和羧肽酶的活力很高.而分离出的酵母菌的谷氨酸氨肽酶、赖氨酸氨肽酶活力较高,同时具有很高的二肽酶与羧肽酶活力.     

Structures of human insulin-degrading enzyme reveal a new substrate recognition mechanism

Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), a Zn2+-metalloprotease, is involved in the clearance of insulin and amyloid-beta (refs 1-3). Loss-of-function mutations of IDE in rodents cause glucose intolerance and cerebral accumulation of amyloid-beta, whereas enhanced IDE activity effectively reduces brain amyloid-beta (refs 4-7). Here we report structures of human IDE in complex with four substrates (insulin B chain, amyloid-beta peptide (1-40), amylin and glucagon). The amino- and carboxy-terminal domains of IDE (IDE-N and IDE-C, respectively) form an enclosed cage just large enough to encapsulate insulin. Extensive contacts between IDE-N and IDE-C keep the degradation chamber of IDE inaccessible to substrates. Repositioning of the IDE domains enables substrate access to the catalytic cavity. IDE uses size and charge distribution of the substrate-binding cavity selectively to entrap structurally diverse polypeptides. The enclosed substrate undergoes conformational changes to form beta-sheets with two discrete regions of IDE for its degradation. Consistent with this model, mutations disrupting the contacts between IDE-N and IDE-C increase IDE catalytic activity 40-fold. The molecular basis for substrate recognition and allosteric regulation of IDE could aid in designing IDE-based therapies to control cerebral amyloid-beta and blood sugar concentrations.     

Structure of the HP1 chromodomain bound to histone H3 methylated at lysine 9

Specific modifications to histones are essential epigenetic markers---heritable changes in gene expression that do not affect the DNA sequence. Methylation of lysine 9 in histone H3 is recognized by heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), which directs the binding of other proteins to control chromatin structure and gene expression. Here we show that HP1 uses an induced-fit mechanism for recognition of this modification, as revealed by the structure of its chromodomain bound to a histone H3 peptide dimethylated at Nzeta of lysine 9. The binding pocket for the N-methyl groups is provided by three aromatic side chains, Tyr21, Trp42 and Phe45, which reside in two regions that become ordered on binding of the peptide. The side chain of Lys9 is almost fully extended and surrounded by residues that are conserved in many other chromodomains. The QTAR peptide sequence preceding Lys9 makes most of the additional interactions with the chromodomain, with HP1 residues Val23, Leu40, Trp42, Leu58 and Cys60 appearing to be a major determinant of specificity by binding the key buried Ala7. These findings predict which other chromodomains will bind methylated proteins and suggest a motif that they recognize.     

Glycyl glutamine, an inhibitory neuropeptide derived from beta-endorphin

The primary mechanism of activation of intracellular prohormones seems to involve proteolytic cleavage at sequences of consecutive basic residues. Thus, all the known biologically active peptides derived from the prohormone of corticotropin and beta-endorphin appear to be excised initially by enzymes with this specificity. The C-terminal peptide, beta-endorphin (1-31), is generated by cleavage at a lysyl arginine sequence and an additional cleavage can give rise to the related peptides, beta-endorphin (1-27) and beta-endorphin (1-26). These derivatives of beta-endorphin are released by an endopeptidase that appears to catalyse cleavage on the carboxyl side of paired lysine residues, followed by the action of a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme (Fig. 1). The beta-endorphin fragments, beta-endorphin (1-27) and beta-endorphin (1-26), have been isolated from porcine and bovine pituitary but the C-terminal dipeptide, glycyl glutamine, has not been reported previously. Here we describe the isolation of glycyl glutamine from porcine pituitary and present evidence for its presence in sheep brain stem. When applied ionophoretically to brain stem neurones in the rat, the dipeptide exhibited an inhibitory action on cell firing.     

注册会计师民事责任基本理论问题研究

注册会计师的民事责任一直是公众关注的焦点问题。随着注册会计师在市场经济中的作用不断增强,公众在对这一行业加深了解的同时也对注册会计师的执业质量提出了越来越高的要求。注册会计师的法律责任问题已经成为会计界和法律界共同关注的热点和难点。而注册会计师的民事责任作为受害者经济损失的一种重要救济手段则是其中的焦点之一。因此对注册会计师民事责任的含义及特征、性质及构成要件等基本理论问题进行研究显得尤为必要。     

重组人胰岛素及C肽的分离纯化

对基因工程构建的含重组人胰岛素和C肽基因的毕赤酵母工程菌进行诱导表达，工程菌用甲醇诱导72 h后，离心去除菌体，上清液经中空纤维膜超滤后SP-Sepharose Fast Flow阳离子交换柱层析，0~400 mmol/L NaCl梯度洗脱，得到纯度大于92％的重组人胰岛素原。经Lys-C酶和羧肽酶B酶切后，Sephadex G-25柱分离，得到了重组人胰岛素和C肽。     

An unusual translocation of immunoglobulin gene segments in variants of the mouse myeloma MPC11

Immunoglobulin light chain genes of the mouse are composed in germ-line DNA of four separate segments, the leader, V (variable), J (joining) and C (constant) segments. In immunocompetent cells a V and J gene segment are joined by a site-specific recombination event. In variants of the mouse myeloma MPC11 a so-called kappa (k) light chain fragment is expressed which consists of the MOPC321 leader peptide, joined to the kappa constant region peptide. Using the Southern blotting technique we found that the gene coding for the light chain fragment has apkparently been generated by an aberrant translocation of a V gene segment identical or very similar to the MOPC321 V gene segment into the large intervening sequence between the J and the C gene segments. The resulting deletion of the splice signals of the J segments could be the reason for the observed splicing between leader and C region sequences, a phenomenon which may be of general interest for the understanding of the splicing mechanism.     

细胞及玻璃化冷冻保护剂显微实验研究

利用低温冷冻显微实验平台,测定了DMSO和甘油两种保护剂的凝固点和玻璃化条件.采用4种不同的冷冻方案对SD大鼠的成骨细胞进行了低温冷冻保存研究.实验结果表明冷冻保护剂的凝固点温度随保护剂浓度和降温速率变化而变化,玻璃化的产生需要很高的保护剂浓度或很快的降温速率.保护剂的性能、冷冻和解冻程序及冻存时间是影响冷冻细胞比活的关键因素.所得结论对研究不同的细胞系、不同尺度组织的最佳低温冷冻保存方案具有指导意义.     

基于互质阵列的米波雷达低仰角估计方法

目前基于互质阵CPA虚拟阵列的低仰角估计方法虽然近似可行，但受多径效应影响，其存在测角误差大的问题。对此提出一种基于互质阵物理阵列的实值低仰角估计方法，首先利用互质阵列建立信号模型，并根据物理阵元位置计算回波信号协方差矩阵，然后对其进行实值处理后利用最大似然估计或广义多重信号分类MUSIC算法获得精确的低仰角，最后利用几何关系获得目标高度。仿真实验对比了均匀线阵和互质阵虚拟阵列法的低仰角估计性能，在重点分析目标仰角、信噪比和快拍数等因素对低空目标仰角估计精度的影响的基础上得出一般性结论，证明了所提估计方法的准确性与优越性。     

Protein-based peptide-bond formation by aminoacyl-tRNA protein transferase

Eubacterial leucyl/phenylalanyl-tRNA protein transferase (LF-transferase) catalyses peptide-bond formation by using Leu-tRNA(Leu) (or Phe-tRNA(Phe)) and an amino-terminal Arg (or Lys) of a protein, as donor and acceptor substrates, respectively. However, the catalytic mechanism of peptide-bond formation by LF-transferase remained obscure. Here we determine the structures of complexes of LF-transferase and phenylalanyl adenosine, with and without a short peptide bearing an N-terminal Arg. Combining the two separate structures into one structure as well as mutation studies reveal the mechanism for peptide-bond formation by LF-transferase. The electron relay from Asp 186 to Gln 188 helps Gln 188 to attract a proton from the alpha-amino group of the N-terminal Arg of the acceptor peptide. This generates the attacking nucleophile for the carbonyl carbon of the aminoacyl bond of the aminoacyl-tRNA, thus facilitating peptide-bond formation. The protein-based mechanism for peptide-bond formation by LF-transferase is similar to the reverse reaction of the acylation step observed in the peptide hydrolysis reaction by serine proteases.     

Non-radioisotopic method for thein vitro measurement of EGF receptor tyrosine kinase

A non-radioisotopic method was developed for the assay of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). A peptide with twenty amino acid residues around Tyr 1173, the major phosphorylation site of EGFR, was cloned as a GST fusion protein and used as substrate. Anti-phosphoty-rosine monoclonal antibody PY99 was used for the determination of the extent of phosphorylation. Both the specificity and the sensitivity were substantially higher than that of the existing method. Km value of the fusion protein is much lower (10 μmol/L) than that of the synthetic peptide (110 μmol/L). The method can be applied to the measurement of the tyrosine kinase activity of c-erb B2 (Neu/HER2).     

多媒体CDMA系统功率控制算法

提出了一种新的适用于多媒体CDMA系统的功率控制算法.该算法把用户的多媒体服务分成可变比特速率(VBR)服务和不可变比特速率(CBR)服务,对不可变比特速率服务采用纯粹的功率控制,对可变比特速率服务采用功率控制和速率控制相结合的方法,以满足各自不同的服务质量(QoS)要求.同时假设同一小区内同类服务的用户到达基站的功率相等,通过求解此功率,大大降低了集中功率控制的运算量.     

冻土介电常数的实验研究

探讨了冻土介电常数的测量方法,通过实验初步研究了冻土介电常数随频率、温度和含水量的变化规律.