吞蛋白在神经元突触囊泡回收中的作用

脑内神经元间的信息交流依赖于神经递质的释放,这一过程的有效维持离不开神经细胞突触囊泡的回收.内吞蛋白(endophilin)是神经元突触囊泡回收过程中一个重要的辅助蛋白,通过C末端的SH3结构域,endophilin与包括发动蛋白(dynamin)和突触囊泡磷酸酶(synaptojanin)在内的多个内吞相关蛋白结合,在网格蛋白介导的内吞中参与了从早期的膜内陷到后期的囊泡剪切和脱包被等多个环节的调控.另外,endophilin也在受体转运和神经退行性疾病中扮演着重要角色.     

A role for the nuclear envelope in controlling DNA replication within the cell cycle

In eukaryotes the entire genome is replicated precisely once in each cell cycle. No DNA is re-replicated until passage through mitosis into the next S-phase. We have used a cell-free DNA replication system from Xenopus eggs to determine which mitotic changes permit DNA to re-replicate. The system efficiently replicates sperm chromatin, but no DNA is re-replicated in a single incubation. This letter shows that nuclei replicated in vitro are unable to re-replicate in fresh replication extract until they have passed through mitosis. However, the only mitotic change which is required to permit re-replication is nuclear envelope permeabilization. This suggests a simple model for the control of DNA replication in the cell cycle, whereby an essential replication factor is unable to cross the nuclear envelope but can only gain access to DNA when the nuclear envelope breaks down at mitosis.     

The role of volatiles in magma chamber dynamics

Many andesitic volcanoes exhibit effusive eruption activity, with magma volumes as large as 10(7)-10(9) m(3) erupted at rates of 1-10 m(3) x s(-1) over periods of years or decades. During such eruptions, many complex cycles in eruption rates have been observed, with periods ranging from hours to years. Longer-term trends have also been observed, and are thought to be associated with the continuing recharge of magma from deep in the crust and with waning of overpressure in the magma reservoir. Here we present a model which incorporates effects due to compressibility of gas in magma. We show that the eruption duration and volume of erupted magma may increase by up to two orders of magnitude if the stored internal energy associated with dissolved volatiles can be released into the magma chamber. This mechanism would be favoured in shallow chambers or volatile-rich magmas and the cooling of magma by country rock may enhance this release of energy, leading to substantial increases in eruption rate and duration.     

A.C. conductivity and relaxation dynamics in zinc-borate glasses

The frequency-dependent dielectric dispersion of ZnO-Na2O-AI2O3-B2O3 (in mol％)glass prepared by the melt quenching technique is investigated in the temperature ranges from room temperature to 420 K.Die...     

A physiological role for endogenous zinc in rat hippocampal synaptic neurotransmission.

The mammalian central nervous system (CNS) contains an abundance of the transition metal zinc, which is highly localized in the neuronal parenchyma. Zinc is actively taken up and stored in synaptic vesicles in nerve terminals, and stimulation of nerve fibre tracts that contain large amounts of zinc, such as the hippocampal mossy fibre system, can induce its release, suggesting that it may act as a neuromodulator. The known interaction of zinc with the major excitatory and inhibitory amino-acid neurotransmitter receptors in the CNS supports this notion. That zinc has a role in CNS synaptic transmission, however, has so far not been shown. Here we report a physiological role for zinc in the young rat hippocampus (postnatal, P3-P14 days). Our results indicate that naturally occurring spontaneous giant depolarizing synaptic potentials (GDPs) in young CA3 pyramidal neurones, mediated by the release of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), are induced by endogenously released zinc. These synaptic potentials are inhibited by specific zinc-chelating agents. GDPs are apparently generated by an inhibitory action of zinc on both pre- and postsynaptic GABAB receptors in the hippocampus. Our study implies that zinc modulates synaptic transmission in the immature hippocampus, a finding that may have implications for understanding benign postnatal seizures in young children suffering with acute zinc deficiency.     

An open form of syntaxin bypasses the requirement for UNC-13 in vesicle priming.

The priming step of synaptic vesicle exocytosis is thought to require the formation of the SNARE complex, which comprises the proteins synaptobrevin, SNAP-25 and syntaxin. In solution syntaxin adopts a default, closed configuration that is incompatible with formation of the SNARE complex. Specifically, the amino terminus of syntaxin binds the SNARE motif and occludes interactions with the other SNARE proteins. The N terminus of syntaxin also binds the presynaptic protein UNC-13 (ref. 5). Studies in mouse, Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans suggest that UNC-13 functions at a post-docking step of exocytosis, most likely during synaptic vesicle priming. Therefore, UNC-13 binding to the N terminus of syntaxin may promote the open configuration of syntaxin. To test this model, we engineered mutations into C. elegans syntaxin that cause the protein to adopt the open configuration constitutively. Here we demonstrate that the open form of syntaxin can bypass the requirement for UNC-13 in synaptic vesicle priming. Thus, it is likely that UNC-13 primes synaptic vesicles for fusion by promoting the open configuration of syntaxin.     

Splicing factor Sub2p is required for nuclear mRNA export through its interaction with Yra1p.

The yeast nuclear protein Yra1p is an essential export factor for mRNA. Yra1p interacts directly with the mRNA transport factor Mex67p/Mtr2p, which is associated with the nuclear pore. Here, we report a genetic interaction between YRA1 and SUB2, the gene for a DEAD box helicase involved in splicing. Mutation of SUB2 as well as its overexpression leads to a defect in mRNA export. Moreover, Yra1p and Sub2p bind directly to each other both in vivo and in vitro. Significantly, Sub2p and Mex67p/Mtr2p bind to the same domains of Yra1p, and the proteins compete for binding to Yra1p. Together, these data indicate that the spliceosomal component Sub2p is also important in mRNA export and may function to recruit Yra1p to the mRNA. Sub2p may then be displaced from Yra1p by the binding of Mex67p/Mtr2p, which participates in the export of mRNA through the nuclear pores.     

Base stacking controls excited-state dynamics in A.T DNA

Solar ultraviolet light creates excited electronic states in DNA that can decay to mutagenic photoproducts. This vulnerability is compensated for in all organisms by enzymatic repair of photodamaged DNA. As repair is energetically costly, DNA is intrinsically photostable. Single bases eliminate electronic energy non-radiatively on a subpicosecond timescale, but base stacking and base pairing mediate the decay of excess electronic energy in the double helix in poorly understood ways. In the past, considerable attention has been paid to excited base pairs. Recent reports have suggested that light-triggered motion of a proton in one of the hydrogen bonds of an isolated base pair initiates non-radiative decay to the electronic ground state. Here we show that vertical base stacking, and not base pairing, determines the fate of excited singlet electronic states in single- and double-stranded oligonucleotides composed of adenine (A) and thymine (T) bases. Intrastrand excimer states with lifetimes of 50-150 ps are formed in high yields whenever A is stacked with itself or with T. Excimers limit excitation energy to one strand at a time in the B-form double helix, enabling repair using the undamaged strand as a template.     

A vertebrate actin-related protein is a component of a multisubunit complex involved in microtubule-based vesicle motility.

Actin is a cytoskeletal protein which is highly conserved across eukaryotic phyla. Actin filaments, in association with a family of myosin motor proteins, are required for cellular motile processes as diverse as vesicle transport, cell locomotion and cytokinesis. Many organisms have several closely related actin isoforms. In addition to conventional actins, yeasts contain actin-related proteins that are essential for viability. We show here that vertebrates also contain an actin-related protein (actin-RPV). Actin-RPV is a major component of the dynactin complex, an activator of dynein-driven vesicle movement, indicating that unlike conventional actins which work in conjunction with myosin motors, actin-RPV may be involved in cytoplasmic movements via a microtubule-based system.