Identification of gamma-tubulin, a new member of the tubulin superfamily encoded by mipA gene of Aspergillus nidulans

Microtubules, which are essential for mitosis and many other cytoskeletal functions, are composed primarily of alpha- and beta-tubulin. The properties of microtubules are due, in part, to proteins other than tubulins that are part of, or interact with, microtubules and the identification and characterization of such proteins is important to understanding how microtubules function. Analyses of mutations at the mipA (microtubule interacting protein) locus of Aspergillus nidulans have suggested that the product of mipA interacts specifically, probably physically, with beta-tubulin in vivo and is involved in microtubule function. We have cloned and sequenced the wild-type mipA gene as well as complementary DNA copies of its messenger RNA. Comparisons of the predicted product of mipA with tubulins from diverse organisms reveal that mipA is a previously undiscovered member of the tubulin superfamily of genes; the only member yet discovered that does not encode alpha- or beta-tubulin. We propose that the product of mipA be called gamma-tubulin.     

合成查尔酮化合物新方法的研究进展

查尔酮化合物是芳香醛酮发生交叉羟醛缩合的产物,它不仅是一种重要的有机合成中间体,还具有多种药理作用和生物活性;综述了最近几年来合成查尔酮化合物的反应体系、合成方法,并介绍了各种反应体系的优点及其合成查尔酮化合物的产率范围,认为查尔酮化合物的合成将以新技术、新方法和无污染的绿色合成为发展方向.     

Production of transgenic rabbits, sheep and pigs by microinjection

Direct microinjection has been used to introduce foreign DNA into a number of terminally differentiated cell types as well as embryos of several species including sea urchin, Candida elegans, Xenopus, Drosophila and mice. Various genes have been successfully introduced into mice including constructs consisting of the mouse metallothionein-I (MT) promoter/regulator region fused to either the rat or human growth hormone (hGH) structural genes. Transgenic mice harbouring such genes commonly exhibit high, metal-inducible levels of the fusion messenger RNA in several organs, substantial quantities of the foreign growth hormone in serum and enhanced growth. In addition, the gene is stably incorporated into the germ line, making the phenotype heritable. Because of the scientific importance and potential economic value of transgenic livestock containing foreign genes, we initiated studies on large animals by microinjecting the fusion gene, MT-hGH, into the pronuclei or nuclei of eggs from superovulated rabbits, sheep and pigs. We report here integration of the gene in all three species and expression of the gene in transgenic rabbits and pigs.     

Structural basis for the regulation of tubulin by vinblastine

Vinblastine is one of several tubulin-targeting Vinca alkaloids that have been responsible for many chemotherapeutic successes since their introduction in the clinic as antitumour drugs. In contrast with the two other classes of small tubulin-binding molecules (Taxol and colchicine), the binding site of vinblastine is largely unknown and the molecular mechanism of this drug has remained elusive. Here we report the X-ray structure of vinblastine bound to tubulin in a complex with the RB3 protein stathmin-like domain (RB3-SLD). Vinblastine introduces a wedge at the interface of two tubulin molecules and thus interferes with tubulin assembly. Together with electron microscopical and biochemical data, the structure explains vinblastine-induced tubulin self-association into spiral aggregates at the expense of microtubule growth. It also shows that vinblastine and the amino-terminal part of RB3-SLD binding sites share a hydrophobic groove on the alpha-tubulin surface that is located at an intermolecular contact in microtubules. This is an attractive target for drugs designed to perturb microtubule dynamics by interfacial interference, for which tubulin seems ideally suited because of its propensity to self-associate.     

Release of mature starfish oocytes from interphase arrest by microinjection of human centrosomes

Mature oocytes (unfertilized eggs) are arrested at definite cell-cycle stages which vary from species to species. In frogs and mammals, the oocytes are arrested at the second metaphase of meiosis whereas in echinoderms they are blocked later, at the pronucleus stage. What causes the maturing oocytes to stop at some point in the cell cycle is not entirely clear. In frogs, the metaphase arrest seems to be maintained by a cytostatic factor. In echinoderms, which stop at interphase, no such a factor has so far been found. The fertilization process, beyond the introduction of paternal chromosomes, releases the oocyte from cell-cycle arrest and provides a functional centrosome to replace the endogenous centrosome which is apparently lost during oogenesis in most species. Several lines of evidence suggest that release from cell-cycle arrest is mediated by a Ca2+ burst which is associated with fertilization, and it is known that the functional centrosome provided by the sperm is necessary for mitotic spindle formation and cleavages. We report here that microinjection of purified human centrosomes into mature starfish oocytes is sufficient to release them from arrest at interphase and to support many cleavages leading to the occasional formation of normal embryos. In this species centrosome induced re-entry into the cell cycle does not require a transient calcium burst nor does it require intact microtubules.     

柠檬酸三丁酯的新合成法

SO2 -4 /Zr O2 、Fe Cl3· 6H2 O、NH4 Fe(SO4 ) 2 · 1 2 H2 O三种催化剂对柠檬酸与正丁醇酯化反应的催化性能 ,结果表明 ,Fe Cl3· 6H2 O催化活性最高。通过系统地研究Fe Cl3· 6H2 O催化合成柠檬酸三丁酯的工艺条件 ,确定其适合的工艺流程为 :酸醇比 1∶1 2 .5,催化剂用量为 3% ,反应温度为 1 2 5℃ ,反应时间为 3h,这样酯化率可达 95%以上。     

Ti(SO4)2催化合成苯甲酸异戊酯绿色新工艺

研究了应用Ti(SO4)2催化合成苯甲酸异戊酯的绿色新工艺，结果表明，Ti(S04)2在该反应中具有很好的催化性能，并得到了合成苯甲酸异戊酯的新工艺条件是：催化剂用量为苯甲酸质量的10．0％；醇酸摩尔比为3：1；反应在回流温度下进行3h，苯甲酸的酯化率可达98．85％，纯度在99．o％以上。     

新型铜络合催化剂用于羰基合成碳酸二甲酯的工艺过程

针对甲醇液相氧化羰基化法合成碳酸二甲酯（DMC）工艺，研究开发了新型铜络合催化剂，对搅拌速度、反应温度、反应压力、反应时间、催化剂浓度等影响因素进行了讨论。结果表明，在搅拌速度大于750 r／min、反应压力3．5 MPa、反应温度100—110℃、反应时间4—6 h，催化剂质量浓度在每毫升MeOH为0．15 g的条件下，生成DMC的选择性大于97％，甲醇的转化率可达24％，催化剂可回收使用。     

朗吉弩斯《论崇高》的美学内涵及历史意义

朗吉弩斯的《论崇高》是西方美学史上具有划时代意义的一篇论文,它不但第一次比较详尽地论述了文学作品崇高风格的构成要素及其相互关系,而且阐明了崇高的风格与崇高的灵魂和伟大的人格的相互依存性,特别是敏锐地发现了崇高的对象对于提升人的精神境界和思想高度的深远意义.因此,在这篇论文中,崇高已经远远超越了它最初的修辞学层面,而成为了一个内蕴丰富的审美范畴,直接启发了后世崇高理论的发展.     

Assembly of microtubules from nucleotide-depleted tubulin

In vitro assembly of microtubules from tubulin is considered to have an absolute requirement for added GTP (or a non-hydrolysable GTP-analogue) involving binding at the E(exchangeable)-site located on the beta-subunit of the tubulin dimer. By contrast, GDP inhibits assembly. Nucleotide hydrolysis has been implicated in the dynamic properties of microtubules, treadmilling and mechanical coupling. Here we demonstrate that assembly is not necessarily dependent on the presence of GTP at the E-site; microtubules can be formed efficiently in the absence of GTP in the presence of pyrophosphate. These microtubules, which have normal morphology and lability at cold temperatures, contain N(non-exchangeable)-site GTP and a significant proportion of E-site GDP. This demonstrates the possibility of direct incorporation of GDP-containing tubulin dimer during assembly which probably derives from microtubule-associated protein (MAP)-containing oligomers. This finding has important implications for the mechanism of microtubule elongation. The effects of pyrophosphate suggest that charge neutralization by the bidentate ligand is an essential step in promoting microtubule assembly, and that this interaction involves only a minimal conformational change in the protein.     

现代有机合成的新概念和新方法

概念和方法是有机合成化学发展的基础,新的概念和方法的产生和发展可为有机合成开拓新的研究领域和发展方向．介绍现代有机合成中一些新概念和新方法,结合具体的有机合成反应实例阐述有机合成在这些概念和方法方面取得的新成果和进展,现代有机合成发展方向和应重视的研究领域．