Insights into the mechanisms of sterol transport between organelles

In cells, the levels of sterol vary greatly among organelles. This uneven distribution depends largely on non-vesicular routes of transfer, which are mediated by soluble carriers called lipid-transfer proteins (LTPs). These proteins have a domain with a hydrophobic cavity that accommodates one sterol molecule. However, a demonstration of their role in sterol transport in cells remains difficult. Numerous LTPs also contain membrane-binding elements, but it is not clear how these LTPs couple their ability to target organelles with lipid transport activity. This issue appears critical, since many sterol transporters are thought to act at contact sites between two membrane-bound compartments. Here, we emphasize that biochemical and structural studies provide precious insights into the mode of action of sterol-binding proteins. Recent studies on START, Osh/ORP and NPC proteins suggest models on how these proteins could transport sterol between organelles and, thereby, influence cellular functions.     

The first molecular models for an electromagnetic

The first models for an electromagnetic theory of dispersion are presented and an attempt is made to demonstrate the important role played by study of this phenomenon at the end of the nineteenth century. As well as indicating the need to have a better understanding of the microscopic properties of matter, dispersion also contributed (through the results obtained by Helmholtz) to the discussion over the nature of X-rays and was fundamental for introduction of Lorentz's electron theory.     

Suppression of star formation in early-type galaxies by feedback from supermassive black holes

Detailed high-resolution observations of the innermost regions of nearby galaxies have revealed the presence of supermassive black holes. These black holes may interact with their host galaxies by means of 'feedback' in the form of energy and material jets; this feedback affects the evolution of the host and gives rise to observed relations between the black hole and the host. Here we report observations of the ultraviolet emissions of massive early-type galaxies. We derive an empirical relation for a critical black-hole mass (as a function of velocity dispersion) above which the outflows from these black holes suppress star formation in their hosts by heating and expelling all available cold gas. Supermassive black holes are negligible in mass compared to their hosts but nevertheless seem to play a critical role in the star formation history of galaxies.     

破火山口塌陷构造的物理模拟研究

用聚合硅胶模拟塑性岩浆、用干燥松散石英砂模拟脆性围岩和顶板层，研究了由岩浆房的萎缩下沉所引起的破火山口塌陷构造.模拟岩浆房的初始形状包括平顶圆柱体及剖面呈长方形、半圆形、等腰三角形的条状体。实验中，圆形岩浆房的下沉形成圈环形塌陷构造；长条状岩浆房的下沉形成线形塌陷构造．塌陷构造在平面上通常呈对称的圈环状或条带状分布，从里向外一般由中央凹陷带、逆断层带、侧绕斜坡带以及周边正断层带组成．塌陷构造在剖面上呈上宽下窄的漏斗状，其中所有的断层都呈上缓下陡的凸弧形．周边正断层与其内侧的逆断层在深部合并、向下延伸、并消失于岩浆房与围岩的接触带内．塌陷内拉伸正断层与压缩逆断层或褶皱的共生及其分布方式、断层面上缓下陡的凸弧形几何形态等是厘定该构造的重要标志．     

Functional profiling of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome

Determining the effect of gene deletion is a fundamental approach to understanding gene function. Conventional genetic screens exhibit biases, and genes contributing to a phenotype are often missed. We systematically constructed a nearly complete collection of gene-deletion mutants (96% of annotated open reading frames, or ORFs) of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DNA sequences dubbed 'molecular bar codes' uniquely identify each strain, enabling their growth to be analysed in parallel and the fitness contribution of each gene to be quantitatively assessed by hybridization to high-density oligonucleotide arrays. We show that previously known and new genes are necessary for optimal growth under six well-studied conditions: high salt, sorbitol, galactose, pH 8, minimal medium and nystatin treatment. Less than 7% of genes that exhibit a significant increase in messenger RNA expression are also required for optimal growth in four of the tested conditions. Our results validate the yeast gene-deletion collection as a valuable resource for functional genomics.     

Evolutionary genetics: Ambiguous role of CCR5 in Y. pestis infection

Mecsas and colleagues suggest that a deficiency in the chemokine receptor CCR5 in humans is unlikely to confer protection against plague, based on their study of Yersinia pestis infection in Ccr5-deficient mice. They were testing the hypothesis that a mutation in the CCR5 gene, frequently found in Caucasians, may have been selected for in the past because it provided protection against (bubonic) plague; the mutation, called CCR5Delta32, is characterized by a 32-base-pair deletion. We have also tested this hypothesis by using Y. pestis infection in mice and, in addition, we have done phagocytosis experiments with macrophages from wild-type and Ccr5-deficient mice. Although, like Mecsas et al., we did not see any difference in the survival of the two groups of mice, we did find that there was a significantly reduced uptake of Y. pestis by Ccr5-deficient macrophages in vitro. Our results indicate that the role of Ccr5 in Y. pestis infection may therefore be more complex than previously thought.