Calcium transients and intramembrane charge movement in skeletal muscle fibres

Myoplasmic calcium transients in response to pulse depolarisations have been monitored using the dye antipyralazo III, which provides a linear measure of the change in cytoplasmic free calcium concentration. Intramembrane charge movements were recorded simultaneously with the calcium transients. Except for its initial phase, the calcium transient during each pulse closely followed the time course expected for calcium redistribution between three intracellular compartments with time-independent flux coefficients. The time at which the flux coefficients attained their steady values occurred just after the intramembrane charge movement had been completed. This is the required sequence if charge movement were to control one or more coefficients f or calcium fluxes across the sarcoplasmic reliculum membrane.     

Membrane protein sequestering by ionic protein-lipid interactions

Neuronal exocytosis is catalysed by the SNAP receptor protein syntaxin-1A, which is clustered in the plasma membrane at sites where synaptic vesicles undergo exocytosis. However, how syntaxin-1A is sequestered is unknown. Here we show that syntaxin clustering is mediated by electrostatic interactions with the strongly anionic lipid phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Using super-resolution stimulated-emission depletion microscopy on the plasma membranes of PC12 cells, we found that PIP2 is the dominant inner-leaflet lipid in microdomains about 73 nanometres in size. This high accumulation of PIP2 was required for syntaxin-1A sequestering, as destruction of PIP2 by the phosphatase synaptojanin-1 reduced syntaxin-1A clustering. Furthermore, co-reconstitution of PIP2 and the carboxy-terminal part of syntaxin-1A in artificial giant unilamellar vesicles resulted in segregation of PIP2 and syntaxin-1A into distinct domains even when cholesterol was absent. Our results demonstrate that electrostatic protein-lipid interactions can result in the formation of microdomains independently of cholesterol or lipid phases.     

Block of Na current and intramembrane charge movment in myelinated nerve fibres poisoned with a vegetable toxin

In nerve membrane, the non-linear capacity current (displacement current) is assumed to reflect the movement of intrinsic membrane charges which control the opening of specific pathways for sodium ions (Na channels). However, various discrepancies have been reported between the effects of pharmacological agents on sodium and displacment currents (for a review see ref. 1). It is generally supposed that the opening and closing of Na channels constitutes one step of multi-step system in which each configuration change may or not give rise to a measurable charge movement. New drugs affecting either sodium or displacement currents may elucidate the relationship between charge movement and the control of sodium conductance. We therefore now report a comparison of the effects of a vegetable toxin (oenanthotoxin or OETX) on both sodium current (INa) and intra-membrane charge movement (Q) in Ranvier nodes. We show that OETX reversibly blocks both sodium and displacement current. Studies of INa and Q during partial supression by the toxin reveal differences in the effects of OETX on the remaining INa and Q. The findings are discussed in relation to recent models for the Na-channel gating process and for Na-channel block by local anaesthetics.     

任意线电荷圆弧的空间势分布研究

在静电学中,任意线电荷圆弧的空间势分布是一个典型而有意义的非线性物理学问题.但是,由于涉及椭圆积分,一般又不具有均匀电荷环空间势分布的对称性,求解和讨论是比较困难的.关于这个问题的一些研究仅讨论了线电荷圆环的空间势分布.这篇论文应用椭圆积分的性质和数学技巧,给出任意线电荷圆弧空间势分布函数;绘出相应的空间势分布图.问题的讨论有助于我们掌握解决涉及椭圆积分物理学问题的方法.     

TAT-SOD融合蛋白的跨膜转导性质的研究

探讨了融合蛋白TAT-SOD的跨膜转导特性.实验结果表明:非变性的TAT-SOD也可以不受细胞种类限制,突破质膜屏障,显著提高L02、A375、Hela细胞的胞内SOD的活力;TAT-SOD的这种跨膜转导有明显的浓度、时间依赖关系,随着浓度和时间的增加而增加;在TAT跨膜转导SOD过程中,TAT-SOD首先黏附到细胞膜上,黏附量随TAT-SOD浓度的提高而明显增加,随作用时间的延长虽然也有增加,但是在30 min内迅速达到一个较高的水平,其后增加的趋势极为缓慢.细胞紫外线辐射防护试验表明,320 U/mL的TAT-SOD对细胞的保护率约为野生型SOD的5倍.试验结果说明,TAT-SOD具有明显的跨膜转导能力,可提高SOD的生物利用率.     

Membrane protein oligomeric structure and transport function

Proteins which traverse membranes tend to have a dimeric structure in which the dimer is arranged asymmetrically across the membrane with the axis of symmetry perpendicular to the membrane plane. This general structure is well suited to the function of transporting nutrients across the cell membrane.     

预膜法用于控制膜生物反应器膜污染

膜污染问题限制了膜生物反应器的大规模应用,故通过2个处理生活污水的平行膜生物反应器的对比实验,验证预膜法对于控制膜污染的作用．整个实验进行253d,分3个阶段,每个阶段开始时用氢氧化铁絮体对膜生物反应器A中的膜组件进行预膜,膜生物反应器B中的膜组件作为空白进行对比．实验结果表明,在稳定运行阶段,膜A的比通量高于膜B,并且膜生物反应器A的出水水质优于膜生物反应器B．研究证明了预膜对于控制膜生物反应器中的膜污染是有效的．     

In-situ potential mapping of space charge layer in GaN nanowires under electrical field by off-axis electron holography

In situ potential mapping of space charge(SC) layer in a single Ga N nanowire(NW) contacted to the Au metal electrode has been conducted using off-axis electron holography in order to study the space distribution of SC layer under electric biases. Based on the phase image reconstructed from the complex hologram the electrostatic potential at the SC layer was clearly revealed; the SC width was estimated to be about 76 nm under zero bias condition. In order to study dynamic interrelation between the SC layer and bias conditions, the variation of the electrostatic potential due to change of the SC widths respond to the different bias conditions have also been examined. The measured SC layers are found to vary between68 nm and 91 nm, which correspond to the saturated SC layers at the Ga N-Au contact under the forward and reverse bias conditions, respectively. By plotting the square widths of the SC layer against the applied voltages, donor density of Ga N NWs was derived to be about 4.3*10~6cm~(-3). Our experiments demonstrate that in-situ electron holography under electric fi eld can be a useful method to investigate SC layers and donor density in single NW and other heterostructures.     

Membrane potential has no direct role in evoking neurotransmitter release

Neurons communicate by secreting a transmitter that excites or inhibits other neurons at synapses. The role of presynaptic membrane potential in triggering transmitter release is still controversial. In one view, presynaptic action potentials trigger the release by the entry of calcium ions into presynaptic terminals through voltage-dependent calcium channels. Calcium acts at high local concentrations at release sites near channel mouths to cause neurosecretion. An opposing view is that, in addition to elevating presynaptic calcium, presynaptic potential stimulates transmitter release by a distinct direct action. The relative importance of depolarization and calcium entry in neurosecretion cannot be determined because the two events are tightly linked. To delineate the roles of presynaptic potential and calcium entry in transmitter release, we have used nitr-5, a photolabile calcium chelator, and a voltage-clamp technique to control intracellular calcium and membrane potential independently at a synapse formed between cell bodies of cultured neurons of the fresh water snail Helisoma trivolvis. We found transmitter release occurred when presynaptic calcium levels were elevated to concentrations of a few micromolar, and that presynaptic voltage had no direct effect on neurosecretion.     

Membrane protein diffusion sets the speed of rod phototransduction

Retinal rods signal the activation of a single receptor molecule by a photon. To ensure efficient photon capture, rods maintain about 109 copies of rhodopsin densely packed into membranous disks. But a high packing density of rhodopsin may impede other steps in phototransduction that take place on the disk membrane, by restricting the lateral movement of, and hence the rate of encounters between, the molecules involved. Although it has been suggested that lateral diffusion of proteins on the membrane sets the rate of onset of the photoresponse, it was later argued that the subsequent processing of the complexes was the main determinant of this rate. The effects of protein density on response shut-off have not been reported. Here we show that a roughly 50% reduction in protein crowding achieved by the hemizygous knockout of rhodopsin in transgenic mice accelerates the rising phases and recoveries of flash responses by about 1.7-fold in vivo. Thus, in rods the rates of both response onset and recovery are set by the diffusional encounter frequency between proteins on the disk membrane.     

Regulation of the association of membrane skeletal protein 4.1 with glycophorin by a polyphosphoinositide

Many of the physical properties of the erythrocyte membrane appear to depend on the membrane skeleton, which is attached to the membrane through associations with transmembrane proteins. A membrane skeletal protein, protein 4.1, is pivotal in the assembly of the membrane skeleton because of its ability to promote associations between spectrin and actin. Protein 4.1 also binds to the membrane through at least two sites: a high-affinity site on the glycophorins and a site of lower affinity associated with band 3 (ref. 11). The glycophorin-protein 4.1 association has been proposed to be involved in maintenance of cell shape. Here we show that the association between glycophorin and protein 4.1 is regulated by a polyphosphoinositide cofactor. This observation suggests a mechanism which may explain the recently reported dependence of red cell shape on the level of polyphosphoinositides in the membrane.     

膜生物反应器处理蛋白废水的建模与预测

建立了一体式MBR,用于处理蛋白废水,在活性污泥3号数学模型(ASM3)的基础上,在Matlab平台下建立了适用于一体式MBR的数学模型仿真系统,并将其应用于一体式MBR的出水水质分析中.研究了一体式MBR数学模型的建立、模型的灵敏度分析和参数校正,并运用所建立的模型对一体式MBR不同进水水质下的运行进行了模拟.