Plant thioredoxins: the multiplicity conundrum

Thioredoxins are small proteins distinguished by the presence of a conserved dicysteine active site. In oxidized thioredoxin, the two cysteines form a disulfide bond that is targeted by the enzyme thioredoxin reductase. Together with an electron donor, thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase form the 'thioredoxin system' that is present in all organisms. Thioredoxins participate in dithiol/disulfide exchange reactions with a large range of cellular substrates. Higher plants possess a very complex thioredoxin profile consisting of at least two different thioredoxin systems that contain distinct, multigenic thioredoxin classes which have different intracellular localizations. In this review we summarise the current state of knowledge regarding the function of plant thioredoxins representing all systems and classes. Received 30 October 2001; received after revision 13 December 2001; accepted 17 December 2001     

S-Nitrosylation of proteins

The transfer of a nitric oxide group to cysteine sulfhydryls on proteins, known as S-nitrosylation, is increasingly becoming recognized as a ubiquitous regulatory reaction comparable to phosphorylation. It represents a form of redox modulation in diverse tissues, including the brain. An increasing number of proteins have been found to undergo S-nitrosylation in vivo. These proteins are called S-nitrosothiols, and may play an important role in many processes ranging from signal transduction, DNA repair, host defense, and blood pressure control to ion channel regulation and neurotransmission. This review focuses on the importance of the S-nitrosylation reaction and describes some recently identified S-nitrosothiols in various fields of research.     

Oxygen intervention in the regulation of gene expression: the photosynthetic bacterial paradigm

The means by which oxygen intervenes in gene expression has been examined in considerable detail in the metabolically versatile bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Three regulatory systems are now known in this organism, which are used singly and in combination to modulate genes in response to changing oxygen availability. The outcome of these regulatory events is that the molecular machinery is present for the cell to obtain energy by means that are best suited to prevailing conditions, while at the same time maintaining cellular redox balance. Here, we explore the dangers associated with molecular oxygen relative to the various metabolisms used by R. sphaeroides, and then present the most recent findings regarding the features and operation of each of the three regulatory systems which collectively mediate oxygen control in this organism.Received 26 June 2003; received after revision 30 July 2003; accepted 8 August 2003     

Polyisoprenyl phosphates: natural antiinflammatory lipid signals

Lipoxins (LX) and aspirin-triggered 15-epimer LX are leukocyte-derived eicosanoids generated during host defense that serve as down-regulatory signals. The specific intracellular events that govern cellular responses to inhibitory extracellular signals are of wide interest in order to understand pivotal intracellular events in diseases characterized by enhanced inflammatory responses, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. We recently uncovered a novel role for polyisoprenyl phosphates, in particular presqualene diphosphate (PSDP), as natural down-regulatory signals in human neutrophils that directly inhibit phospholipase D and superoxide anion generation. Activation of LXA₄ receptors (ALXR) reverses proinflammatory receptor-initiated decrements in PSDP and inhibits cellular responses. These findings represent evidence for a novel paradigm for lipid-protein interactions in the control of cellular responses, namely receptor-initiated degradation of repressor lipids that is subject to regulation by aspirin treatment via the actions of aspirin-triggered 15-epimer LX at the ALXR, and identify new templates for antiinflammatory drugs by design.     

Recombinant PsbF from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 forms β:β homodimeric cytochrome b559

All organisms with oxygenic photosynthesis contain two photosystems:photosystem Ⅰ(PSⅠ)and photo-systemⅡ(PSⅡ),The minimal photosystem Ⅱ particles which are photochemically active contain three subunits:D1,D2 and cytochrome b559 (Cyt b559),The function of Cyt b559 remains unclear,We have successfully overxpressed the psbF gene,encoding the β subunit of Cyt b559,from a marine cyanobacterium Synechoccous sp.PCC 7002 as a fusion gene and obtained a redox-active from of Cyt b559,When the N-terminal GST protein of the fusion gene product was removed with thrombin ,the PsbF protein was still redox-active,suggesting that the recombinant PsbF can form dimer in Escherichia coli.The absorption spectra of either the oxidized from or the reduced form of both GST fusion protein and the purified PsbF dimer and the difference Spectra between the two forms are the same as that of the Cyt b559 isolated from the higher plants .Redox titration analysis of recombinant PsbF showed that the mid-point redox potential of the recombinant Cyt b559 was approximately 50 mV, which is close to the low potential of Cyt b559 ,The results are helpful to the understanding of locatlization and function of Cyt b559 on thylakoid membranes.Ⅰ     

杂多酸的电催化性质

从电催化的角度讨论了杂多酸的结构特性与电化学性质之间的关系,阐明了杂多酸的氧化还原电位可以通过从分子水平进行设计和改变它们结构中的中心原子、配位原子、反荷离子等来进行调节,并讨论了它们的电催化作用.     

用电化学测试方法解析阴离子在水溶盐电解液中的传输行为

测试分析锌离子电池中阴离子的氧化还原反应, 以MnO₂为研究对象, 用循环伏安法、 恒流充放电法及非原位X射线光电子能谱测试分析MnO₂中的氧在水溶盐电解液中的氧化还原反应. 结果表明, 在低浓度电解液中, 氧未发生氧化还原反应, 在质量摩尔浓度为30 mol/kg的ZnC_l2电解液中, 氧在高电位处发生氧化还原反应.     

4,4'-偶氮二[4-氰基戊酰(对-二甲基氨基)苯胺]/过氧化二苯甲酰引发苯乙烯聚合及其动力学

研究了4,4'-偶氮二[4-氰基戊酰(对-二甲基氨基)苯胺](ACPDA)/过氧化二苯甲酰(BPO)氧化还原引发体系在N,N-二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)中引发苯乙烯(St)的聚合及其动力学行为.考察了聚合反应温度、单体浓度、ACPDA浓度和BPO浓度对聚合物分子量和聚合反应速率的影响,测定了反应级数和聚合反应的活化能.实验结果表明:在一定范围内,聚合反应速率随单体浓度、ACPDA浓度、BPO浓度的增加和反应温度的升高而加快;聚合物分子量随单体浓度的增大而增大,随ACPDA浓度、BPO浓度的增大和反应温度的升高而降低.该体系具有氧化还原引发体系的特点,其聚合速率方程为Rp=K[St]1.52[ACPDA]0.56[BPO]0.49,聚合反应的表观活化能Ea=35.50 kJ/mol.