Synaptotagmins I and IV promote transmitter release independently of Ca(2+) binding in the C(2)A domain

At nerve terminals, a focal and transient increase in intracellular Ca(2+) triggers the fusion of neurotransmitter-filled vesicles with the plasma membrane. The most extensively studied candidate for the Ca(2+)-sensing trigger is synaptotagmin I, whose Ca(2+)-dependent interactions with acidic phospholipids and syntaxin have largely been ascribed to its C(2)A domain, although the C(2)B domain also binds Ca(2+) (refs 7, 8). Genetic tests of synaptotagmin I have been equivocal as to whether it is the Ca(2+)-sensing trigger of fusion. Synaptotagmin IV, a related isoform that does not bind Ca(2+) in the C(2)A domain, might be an inhibitor of release. We mutated an essential aspartate of the Ca(2+)-binding site of the synaptotagmin I C(2)A domain and expressed it in Drosophila lacking synaptotagmin I. Here we show that, despite the disruption of the binding site, the Ca(2+)-dependent properties of transmission were not altered. Similarly, we found that synaptotagmin IV could substitute for synaptotagmin I. We conclude that the C(2)A domain of synaptotagmin is not required for Ca(2+)-dependent synaptic transmission, and that synaptotagmin IV promotes rather than inhibits transmission.     

Role of Ca(2+)-dependent regulator protein in intestinal secretion

AFTER exposure to secretagogues the small intestine changes from a tissue that absorbs fluid and electrolyte from lumen to blood into a tissue that secretes electrolyte and fluid into the lumen(1-4). It has been shown that this secretion results from an increase in the passive Cl(-) permeability of the mucosal border, which permits Nad to leak passively from the lateral intercellular spaces, where it is present at hypertonic concentrations(5), into the mucosal bathing solution. Na(+) and water, electroosmotically coupled to Na(+) movement, leak through the tight junctions(1,2), and Cl(-) leaks through relatively anhydrous anion-selective channels, induced withira the mucosal border by secretagogues. The increased reflux of NaCl from the lateral intercellular space accounts for both the apparent decrease in electroneutral NaCl uptake across the mucosal border induced by secretagogues and the apparent increase in active CP secretion and short-circuit current(3,6,7). We have investigated the mechanism by which intestinal secretagogues increase passive Cl(-) permeability and thereby cause secretion. Cl(-) permeability is increased by several secretagogues, some of which, such as theophylline and choleragen, increase intracellular cyclic AMP concentration, and others, such as A23187, the Ca(2+) ionophore, or carbachol, do not(8). Thus there has been no known common mode of secretory induction. To investigate this problem we used two drugs that prevent intestinal secretion in vitro, RMI 12330A (Richardson Merrell), and the antipsychotic pheno-thiazine trifluoperazine (Stelazine, Smith, Kline and French). RMI 12330A prevents secretion by inhibiting choleragen-induced adenylyl cyclase activity(9). Stelazine inhibits phosphodiesterase in tissues(11,12) by preventing the activation of the enzyme by Ca(2+)-dependent regulator protein, CDR. We report here that it also inhibits Cl(-) secretion and binds to CDR.     

Synaptotagmin I is necessary for compensatory synaptic vesicle endocytosis in vivo

Neurotransmission requires a balance of synaptic vesicle exocytosis and endocytosis. Synaptotagmin I (Syt I) is widely regarded as the primary calcium sensor for synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Previous biochemical data suggest that Syt I may also function during synaptic vesicle endocytosis; however, ultrastructural analyses at synapses with impaired Syt I function have provided an indirect and conflicting view of the role of Syt I during synaptic vesicle endocytosis. Until now it has not been possible experimentally to separate the exocytic and endocytic functions of Syt I in vivo. Here, we test directly the role of Syt I during endocytosis in vivo. We use quantitative live imaging of a pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein fused to a synaptic vesicle protein (synapto-pHluorin) to measure the kinetics of endocytosis in sytI-null Drosophila. We then combine live imaging of the synapto-pHluorins with photoinactivation of Syt I, through fluorescein-assisted light inactivation, after normal Syt I-mediated vesicle exocytosis. By inactivating Syt I only during endocytosis, we demonstrate that Syt I is necessary for the endocytosis of synaptic vesicles that have undergone exocytosis using a functional Syt I protein.     

Two forms of the membrane-bound state of the first C2 domain (C2A) of synaptotagminⅠand calcium-triggered membrane insertion

The synaptic vesicle protein synaptotagmin I(syt I) is a vesicle transmembrane protein present in synaptic vesicles, which has been proposed as the Ca^2 sensor that regulates secretion. The C2A domain is the membrane proximal part of its cytoplasmic domain. The interaction between C2A and lipid bilayer has been considered to be essential for triggering neurotransmitter release. In the present work, the measurements of membrane surface tension and surface concentration showed that the C2A domain of syt I exhibited two membrane-bound states: the surface adsorption state and the membrane insertion state. The surface absorption state formed in a Ca2~-independent manner with lower affinity, while the membrane insertion state formed with high affinity was only found in the presence of Ca^2 . Both the Ca^2 -independent and Ca^2 -dependent syt I membrane interactions required anionic phospholipids, such as phosphatidylserine (PS). When expressed into rat pheo-chromocytoma (PC12) cells and human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence staining and subcellular fractionation, most of the C2A was found at the plasma membrane, even when the cells weredepleted of Ca^2 by incubation with EGTA. These resultssuggested a new molecular mechanism of syt I as a Ca^2 sensor in membrane fusion. Ca^2 -independent surface adsorption might attach syt I to the release site during the docking or priming step. When intracellular Ca^2 increased,syt I triggered the neurotransmitter release following the Ca^2 -dependent penetration into the target membrane.     

Two forms of the membrane-bound state of the first C2 domain (C2A) of synaptotagminⅠand calcium-triggered membrane insertion

Neurotransmitter release from presynaptic neurons into the synaptic cleft is an essential step in neurotrans-mission. The release is triggered by Ca2+ and completed by the fusion of neurotransmitters containing synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic membrane. Over the last decades, there has been a virtual explosion in identifica-tion of proteins that play critical roles in the release proc-ess. The leading candidates proposed as the Ca2+-sensors that regulate fusion are members of the synapt…     

论B2C与C2C两种模式的融合和发展趋势

目前电子商务流行B2C和C2C两种模式。通过对当当网和淘宝网的分析,不难发现,B2C和C2C这两种模式各有优缺点,具有很强的互补性。从发展趋势来看,伴随而来的将是一种全新的电子商务运营模式,一个跨模式的全方位电子商务平台很快就会诞生;融合B2C和C2C,不仅可能,而且将是未来电子商务发展的必然趋势。     

A cell surface receptor mediates extracellular Ca(2+) sensing in guard cells

Extracellular Ca(2+) (Ca(2+)(o)) is required for various physiological and developmental processes in animals and plants. In response to varied Ca(2+)(o) levels, plants maintain relatively constant internal Ca(2+) content, suggesting a precise regulatory mechanism for Ca(2+) homeostasis. However, little is known about how plants monitor Ca(2+)(o) status and whether Ca(2+)(o)-sensing receptors exist. The effects of Ca(2+)(o) on guard cells in promoting stomatal closure by inducing increases in the concentration of cytosolic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) provide a clue to Ca(2+)(o) sensing. Here we have used a functional screening assay in mammalian cells to isolate an Arabidopsis complementary DNA clone encoding a Ca(2+)-sensing receptor, CAS. CAS is localized to the plasma membrane, exhibits low-affinity/high-capacity Ca(2+) binding, and mediates Ca(2+)(o)-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increases. CAS is expressed predominantly in the shoot, including guard cells. Repression of CAS disrupts Ca(2+)(o) signalling in guard cells, and impairs bolting (swift upward growth at the transition to seed production) in response to Ca(2+) deficiency, so we conclude that CAS may be a primary transducer of Ca(2+)(o) in plants.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) is required for spindle assembly and structure

The mitotic spindle is typically thought of as an array of microtubules, microtubule-associated proteins and motors that self-organizes to align and segregate chromosomes. The major spindle components consist of proteins and DNA, the primary structural elements of the spindle. Other macromolecules including RNA and lipids also associate with spindles, but their spindle function, if any, is unknown. Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) is a large, branched, negatively charged polymeric macromolecule whose polymerization onto acceptor proteins is catalysed by a family of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs). Several PARPs localize to the spindle in vertebrate cells, suggesting that PARPs and/or PAR have a role in spindle function. Here we show that PAR is enriched in the spindle and is required for spindle function--PAR hydrolysis or perturbation leads to rapid disruption of spindle structure, and hydrolysis during spindle assembly blocks the formation of bipolar spindles. PAR exhibits localization dynamics that differ from known spindle proteins and are consistent with a low rate of turnover in the spindle. Thus, PAR is a non-proteinaceous, non-chromosomal component of the spindle required for bipolar spindle assembly and function.     

MRT-2 checkpoint protein is required for germline immortality and telomere replication in C. elegans

The germ line is an immortal cell lineage that is passed indefinitely from one generation to the next. To identify the genes that are required for germline immortality, we isolated Caenorhabditis elegans mutants with mortal germ lines--worms that can reproduce for several healthy generations but eventually become sterile. One of these mortal germline (mrt) mutants, mrt-2, exhibits progressive telomere shortening and accumulates end-to-end chromosome fusions in later generations, indicating that the MRT-2 protein is required for telomere replication. In addition, the germ line of mrt-2 is hypersensitive to X-rays and to transposon activity. Therefore, mrt-2 has defects in responding both to damaged DNA and to normal double-strand breaks present at telomeres. mrt-2 encodes a homologue of a checkpoint gene that is required to sense DNA damage in yeast. These results indicate that telomeres may be identified as a type of DNA damage and then repaired by the telomere-replication enzyme telomerase.     

利用银基球型汞膜电极连续测定矿物样品中微量铜铅镉锌等元素

本文应用电位法,采用各种酸性介质,极谱底液,在氧化电位大于+0.5V,氧化时间大于10秒的条件下,将残留于银基球型汞膜电极表面的各种干扰物质强制氧化,使其成为可溶性离子离开电极表面进入溶液,更新电极。利用本电极在极谱底液里测定镉,其结果与滴汞电极比较相当接近;未经分离连续测定矿石、矿物样品中常量和微量的铜、铅、镉、锌等元素,其结果与国家标准值相当吻合,回收率大,相对误差小,效果好。     

Fragments of Comet Hyakutake (C/1996 B2)

Several fragments of Comet Hyakutake were observed in March and April of 1996. This leads to the impression that the splitting of Comet Hyakutake on a small scale occurred frequently. Data analysis points to a rotation period of about 6.2 h if the fragments of April 11 are the condensations within a jet.     

咔唑衍生物的合成及其对Zn2+和Cu2+的选择性荧光淬灭

设计合成了咔唑衍生物N-{3-[N,N-2(2-甲基吡啶)-胺甲基]苯基}咔唑.该化合物在溶液中具有很强的荧光并显示了对Zn2+和Cu2+选择性的荧光淬灭.实验和密度泛涵理论计算证实该化合物和金属离子形成了1∶1型配合物.合成的化合物可作为过渡金属离子Cu2+和Zn2+的化学荧光传感器.     

The homeobox gene lim-6 is required for distinct chemosensory representations in C. elegans

The ability to discriminate between different chemical stimuli is crucial for food detection, spatial orientation and other adaptive behaviours in animals. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, spatial orientation in gradients of soluble chemoattractants (chemotaxis) is controlled mainly by a single pair of chemosensory neurons. These two neurons, ASEL and ASER, are left-right homologues in terms of the disposition of their somata and processes, morphology of specialized sensory endings, synaptic partners and expression profile of many genes. However, recent gene-expression studies have revealed unexpected asymmetries between ASEL and ASER. ASEL expresses the putative receptor guanylyl cyclase genes gcy-6 and gcy-7, whereas ASER expresses gcy-5 (ref. 4). In addition, only ASEL expresses the homeobox gene lim-6, an orthologue of the human LMX1 subfamily of homeobox genes. Here we show, using laser ablation of neurons and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, that the asymmetries between ASEL and ASER extend to the functional level. ASEL is primarily sensitive to sodium, whereas ASER is primarily sensitive to chloride and potassium. Furthermore, we find that lim-6 is required for this functional asymmetry and for the ability to distinguish sodium from chloride. Thus, a homeobox gene increases the representational capacity of the nervous system by establishing asymmetric functions in a bilaterally symmetrical neuron pair.     

V~(2+)在Al_2O_3中的局部缺陷的研究

采用双zeta d轨道模型,利用完全对角化的方法统一地解释了掺有V2+离子杂质的α-Al2O3晶体的吸收光谱和电子顺磁共振谱,所得结果与实验符合得很好.不仅考虑到了掺杂后杂质的占位,而且还研究了掺入V2+离子后对氧配体的位置的影响,结果显示氧配体将沿径向远离V2+离子移动.     

ZnF2：Ni^2＋晶体局域结构的理论研究

从光谱和EPR数据出发,用完全对角化方法确定了ZnF2：Ni^2＋晶体中的Ni^2＋-F^-键长与键角,证实了ZnF2：Ni^2＋晶体的局域结构畸变的存在.研究结果表明：ZnF2：Ni^2＋晶体与ZnF2基晶的结构参数对比,发现掺杂Ni^2＋离子的ZnF2晶体分别产生了沿C2轴的伸长畸变和在xy平面的压缩畸变;光谱和EPR参量计算的理论值与实验值非常接近.     

三足罗丹明B酰肼席夫碱化合物对Hg~(2+)的识别性质研究

设计、合成并表征了1种新型的三足罗丹明B酰肼席夫碱化合物1.通过紫外-可见分光光度滴定和荧光滴定研究了阳离子和化合物1的相互作用.结果表明在16种金属离子中,只有Hg~(2+)对化合物1的荧光发射强度有显著的影响,化合物1对Hg~(2+)表现出高选择性和高灵敏度的发光和显色传感.体系的荧光随着汞离子的加入而增强,溶液颜色由无色变成粉红色.化合物1在乙醇-DMF (V/V=4∶1)溶液中与Hg~(2+)以1∶3的比例结合,结合常数为1. 66×106,最低检测限为3×10~(-7)mol/L.