C-terminal domain of Chk1 regulates its subcellular location and kinase activity for DNA repair

Effector kinase Chk1 is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase. It is a key mediator linking the mechanisms that monitor DNA integrity to components of the cell cycle engine. In this study, recombinant vectors pEGFP-C1-Chk1/C 288/C 334/C 368 were constructed and transfected into HeLa cells to study the effect of the Chk1 regulatory domain on the regulation of subcellular Chk1 location in response to DNA damage. We found that DNA damage-induced nuclear accumulation is regulated by 34 amino acids (334–368) in the C-terminal regulatory domain. Recombinant vectors pXJ41-Chk1/C 288/C 334/C 368 were co-transfected with reporter plasmid pEGFP-N2 into HeLa cells to study the repair abilities of the different human Chk1 truncation mutants. In addition, recombinant vectors were transfected into HeLa cells to study the effects of the different truncation mutants on the cell cycle. Furthermore, to study the kinase activity of the different truncation mutants, Ser216 phosphorylation of Cdc25C was studied by Western blot analysis. We found that the enzymatic activity of C 368, missing the 108 C-terminal amino acids (368–476), was higher than that of full-length Chk1, and C 368 delayed the cell cycle progression. The enzymatic activity of C 334, missing the 142 C-terminal amino acids (334–476), was equivalent to that of full-length Chk1. C 288, missing the 188 C-terminal amino acids (288–476), had almost no enzymatic activity, suggesting that the regulatory domain contains both inhibitory and regulatory elements. This study provides useful information for further research on Chk1 function.     

The core of the motor domain determines the direction of myosin movement

Myosins constitute a superfamily of at least 18 known classes of molecular motors that move along actin filaments. Myosins move towards the plus end of F-actin filaments; however, it was shown recently that a certain class of myosin, class VI myosin, moves towards the opposite end of F-actin, that is, in the minus direction. As there is a large, unique insertion in the myosin VI head domain between the motor domain and the light-chain-binding domain (the lever arm), it was thought that this insertion alters the angle of the lever-arm switch movement, thereby changing the direction of motility. Here we determine the direction of motility of chimaeric myosins that comprise the motor domain and the lever-arm domain (containing an insert) from myosins that have movement in the opposite direction. The results show that the motor core domain, but neither the large insert nor the converter domain, determines the direction of myosin motility.     

Nir2碳端结构域的晶体结构

Nir2蛋白具有多个结构域，在生物体中可能发挥多种生理功能。本实验用MAD软件对大肠杆菌BL21（plys）原核表达的Nir2蛋白碳端进行了晶体结构分析。结果显示，硒蛋氨酸取代蛋白晶体及未取代蛋白晶体同属空间群P212121,晶胞参数a=109.468 Å, b=120.621 Å, c=70.315 Å，分辨率分别为2.2 Å和2.7 Å。一个不对称单位含有三个分子，含水量为48%。Nir2蛋白碳端由C片层和N片层构成，其中C片层与钙ATPase的催化区域P相似，N片层为许多不相关的功能性蛋白所共有。研究证明二者之间的静电作用是影响Nir2蛋白碳端与Pyk2 FERM区域结合的主要因素。该晶体结构的分析结果为进一步研究Nir2蛋白碳端的潜在功能提供了结构基础。     

Sequence and domain structure of talin

Talin is a high-molecular-weight cytoskeletal protein concentrated at regions of cell-substratum contact and, in lymphocytes, at cell-cell contacts. Integrin receptors are involved in the attachment of adherent cells to extracellular matrices and of lymphocytes to other cells. In these situations, talin codistributes with concentrations of integrins in the cell surface membrane. Furthermore, in vitro binding studies suggest that integrins bind to talin, although with low affinity. Talin also binds with high affinity to vinculin, another cytoskeletal protein concentrated at points of cell adhesion. Finally, talin is a substrate for the Ca2(+)-activated protease, calpain II, which is also concentrated at points of cell-substratum contact. To learn more about the structure of talin and its involvement in transmembrane connections between extracellular adhesions and the cytoskeleton, we have cloned and sequenced murine talin. We describe a model for the structure of talin based on this sequence and other data. Homologies between talin and other proteins define a novel family of submembranous cytoskeleton-associated proteins all apparently involved in connections to the plasma membrane.     

软件过程领域本体的构造

针对目前软件过程领域知识缺乏明确统一的表示、不同组织构造的过程模型缺少互操作性而难以共享和重用的情况,划分并描述了软件过程的顶层本体;在此基础上,对其中包含的任务描述、过程模型和过程实施与改进三个核心本体分别进行了展开和细化,给出了涉及到的关键概念的形式化定义.传统的本体系统并不适宜描述动态过程,因此使用谓词逻辑定义了过程本体中概念间的基本关系,以此来表示和描述软件过程模型的“柔性”和动态知识,使不同的参与者易于交流而达成共识,为构造可共享、易重用的过程模型元模型提供坚实、统一的基础.     

The structure of the myosin VI motor reveals the mechanism of directionality reversal

Here we solve a 2.4-A structure of a truncated version of the reverse-direction myosin motor, myosin VI, that contains the motor domain and binding sites for two calmodulin molecules. The structure reveals only minor differences in the motor domain from that in plus-end directed myosins, with the exception of two unique inserts. The first is near the nucleotide-binding pocket and alters the rates of nucleotide association and dissociation. The second unique insert forms an integral part of the myosin VI converter domain along with a calmodulin bound to a novel target motif within the insert. This serves to redirect the effective 'lever arm' of myosin VI, which includes a second calmodulin bound to an 'IQ motif', towards the pointed (minus) end of the actin filament. This repositioning largely accounts for the reverse directionality of this class of myosin motors. We propose a model incorporating a kinesin-like uncoupling/docking mechanism to provide a full explanation of the movements of myosin VI.     

5-氟-胞苷抗肿瘤活性及其机制研究

为进一步探求高效、广谱的抗肿瘤氟代化学修饰小分子药物,为癌症治疗提出新的解决方案,本研究通过分子对接技术和细胞活性、流式细胞、转录组分析、DNA损伤等实验来探索氟修饰核苷类分子5-氟胞苷的抗肿瘤活性及其作用机制.实验结果表明,5-氟胞苷在多种肿瘤细胞中的IC₅₀小于1μmol/L,且5-F-Cyd较为明显地调节了癌症的发生与发展机制,与影响DNA复制、造成DNA损伤和诱导细胞凋亡有关.此外,还发现氟原子修饰的5-氟胞苷有可能通过干扰聚合酶θ的修复功能来阻止耐药的发生.因此,5-氟胞苷可作为癌症治疗的潜在候选药物.     

挠性结构模型的频域极大似然法辨识

在构建的以压电陶瓷为执行器、电阻式应变片为传感器的挠性悬臂梁物理实验系统基础上,优化设计多正弦辨识输入信号,利用频域极大似然法辨识得到了整个系统的数学模型,并根据该模型进行了数字和物理控制仿真,验证了模型的有效性.良好的控制效果表明:对于挠性结构,频域极大似然法是一种有效的模型辨识方法.     

Nb_2O_5-TiO_2复合氧化物结构与光催化性能研究

采用共沉淀法制备Nb2O5-TiO2复合氧化物,通过XRD、LRS和UV-vis DRS等方法考察Nb/Ti原子比和焙烧温度对Nb2O5-TiO2复合氧化物结构的影响,以水体中苯酚的降解为探针反应考察复合氧化物的光催化活性.结果表明,Nb2O5-TiO2复合氧化物结构与Nb/Ti原子比和制备温度有关.随着Nb5+进入TiO2晶格,在可见光区域形成一新的吸收带,该吸收带强度随Nb/Ti原子比和焙烧温度变化,当焙烧温度高于973 K时,可见光区域吸收带消失.低Nb/Ti原子比下,Nb5+对TiO2由锐钛矿相向金红石相转变具有抑制作用,而高的Nb/Ti原子比下Ti4+对Nb2O5晶相结构具有导向作用.复合物对水体中苯酚的光催化降解活性随着Nb/Ti原子比增加而降低.     

SKF83959调节大鼠的自发活动和焦虑行为

为了探讨多巴胺D1类受体激动剂SKF83959在动物自发活动、焦虑情绪和学习记忆方面的作用,将3月龄雄性大鼠随机分为给药组和空白对照组,分别腹腔注射1.0mg/kgSKF83959或等体积PBS缓冲液后,进行行为学测试.实验结果显示,与对照组相比,SKF83959注射后的大鼠在开放场测试中水平方向活动次数和总活动时间显著增加;在高架十字迷宫中给药组大鼠在闭臂区的停留时间更长,总穿臂次数和开臂、闭臂进臂次数也都减少.在恐惧性条件学习中,SKF83959处理组大鼠的记忆能力与对照组大鼠之间没有明显差异.结果提示,SKF83959能够提高大鼠的活动量,增加大鼠的焦虑情绪行为,而对大鼠恐惧记忆没有明显影响.     

Three-dimensional structure of the myosin V inhibited state by cryoelectron tomography

Unconventional myosin V (myoV) is an actin-based molecular motor that has a key function in organelle and mRNA transport, as well as in membrane trafficking. MyoV was the first member of the myosin superfamily shown to be processive, meaning that a single motor protein can 'walk' hand-over-hand along an actin filament for many steps before detaching. Full-length myoV has a low actin-activated MgATPase activity at low [Ca2+], whereas expressed constructs lacking the cargo-binding domain have a high activity regardless of [Ca2+] (refs 5-7). Hydrodynamic data and electron micrographs indicate that the active state is extended, whereas the inactive state is compact. Here we show the first three-dimensional structure of the myoV inactive state. Each myoV molecule consists of two heads that contain an amino-terminal motor domain followed by a lever arm that binds six calmodulins. The heads are followed by a coiled-coil dimerization domain (S2) and a carboxy-terminal globular cargo-binding domain. In the inactive structure, bending of myoV at the head-S2 junction places the cargo-binding domain near the motor domain's ATP-binding pocket, indicating that ATPase inhibition might occur through decreased rates of nucleotide exchange. The actin-binding interfaces are unobstructed, and the lever arm is oriented in a position typical of strong actin-binding states. This structure indicates that motor recycling after cargo delivery might occur through transport on actively treadmilling actin filaments rather than by diffusion.     

Corticotropin regulates transsynaptically the activity of septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurones

The activity of septo-hippocampal neurones is affected by the action on cholinergic perikarya in the septum of a variety of putative neurotransmitters, including substance P and beta-endorphin. (The latter is released in the septal region from neurones which originate in the medial basal hypothalamus.) It has also been reported that two other neuropeptides, corticotropin (ACTH1-24) and alpha-melanotropin (alpha-MSH), affect acetylcholine turnover in septo-hippocampal neurones in a manner that is not blocked by transection of the afferents to the hippocampus, from which it has been inferred that the neurotransmitters act directly on the hippocampus. We now describe experiments with corticotropin which show that the effect is rather the influence on septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurones of peptidergic neurones within the septum.     

Ni_(1.5)Ti_5NbO_(14)光催化剂的结构特征及性质

由高温固相法制备K3Ti5NbO14,并通过离子交换获得Ni1.5Ti5NbO14.采用XRD、UV-vis-DRS、SEM等技术对所制备样品进行表征.通过红外光谱技术考察样品对甲烷气中甲硫醇的吸附性能与光催化氧化性能.结果表明,Ni2+交换K+后,钛铌酸盐仍保持很好的层状结构,其对光谱的吸收由紫外光区域向可见光区域移动,且吸收强度增加.在流动体系中对甲烷气中的甲硫醇具有吸附活性,静态条件下经紫外光辐射对甲硫醇具有光催化氧化活性.     

Crystal structure of the specificity domain of ribonuclease P

RNase P is the only endonuclease responsible for processing the 5' end of transfer RNA by cleaving a precursor and leading to tRNA maturation. It contains an RNA component and a protein component and has been identified in all organisms. It was one of the first catalytic RNAs identified and the first that acts as a multiple-turnover enzyme in vivo. RNase P and the ribosome are so far the only two ribozymes known to be conserved in all kingdoms of life. The RNA component of bacterial RNase P can catalyse pre-tRNA cleavage in the absence of the RNase P protein in vitro and consists of two domains: a specificity domain and a catalytic domain. Here we report a 3.15-A resolution crystal structure of the 154-nucleotide specificity domain of Bacillus subtilis RNase P. The structure reveals the architecture of this domain, the interactions that maintain the overall fold of the molecule, a large non-helical but well-structured module that is conserved in all RNase P RNA, and the regions that are involved in interactions with the substrate.     

The SRA domain of UHRF1 flips 5-methylcytosine out of the DNA helix

Maintenance methylation of hemimethylated CpG dinucleotides at DNA replication forks is the key to faithful mitotic inheritance of genomic methylation patterns. UHRF1 (ubiquitin-like, containing PHD and RING finger domains 1) is required for maintenance methylation by interacting with DNA nucleotide methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), the maintenance methyltransferase, and with hemimethylated CpG, the substrate for DNMT1 (refs 1 and 2). Here we present the crystal structure of the SET and RING-associated (SRA) domain of mouse UHRF1 in complex with DNA containing a hemimethylated CpG site. The DNA is contacted in both the major and minor grooves by two loops that penetrate into the middle of the DNA helix. The 5-methylcytosine has flipped completely out of the DNA helix and is positioned in a binding pocket with planar stacking contacts, Watson-Crick polar hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions specific for 5-methylcytosine. Hence, UHRF1 contains a previously unknown DNA-binding module and is the first example of a non-enzymatic, sequence-specific DNA-binding protein domain to use the base flipping mechanism to interact with DNA.