Synapsin I is a microtubule-bundling protein

Synapsin I, a synaptic vesicle protein, is thought to be involved in the regulation of neurotransmission through its phosphorylation by the cyclic AMP-dependent and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases which become activated upon depolarization of nerve endings. However, despite its recent characterization as a spectrin-binding protein immunologically related to erythrocyte protein 4.1, other interactions of synapsin I with structural proteins remain unknown. We report here that synapsin I can co-cycle with microtubules through three cycles of warm polymerization and cold depolymerization. Synapsin I binds saturably to microtubules stabilized by taxol, with an estimated dissociation constant (Kd) of 4.5 microM and a stoichiometry of 1.2 mol of synapsin binding sites per mol tubulin dimer. Synapsin I also increases the turbidity of tubulin solutions at 37 degrees C, but without causing detectable alterations in the critical concentration required for polymerization. Mixtures of synapsin I and tubulin observed by negative stain electron microscopy contain bundles of microtubules, accounting for the effect of synapsin I on tubulin turbidity. Synapsin I is thus a candidate to mediate or regulate the interaction of synaptic vesicles with microtubules.     

Synapsin I is a spectrin-binding protein immunologically related to erythrocyte protein 4.1

The membrane-associated cytoskeleton is considered to be the apparatus by which cells regulate the properties of their plasma membranes, although recent evidence has indicated additional roles for the proteins of this structure, including an involvement in intracellular transport and exocytosis (see refs 1-3 for review). Of the membrane skeletal proteins, to date only spectrin (fodrin) and ankyrin have been purified and characterized from non-erythroid sources. Protein 4.1 in the red cell is a spectrin-binding protein that enhances the binding of spectrin to actin and can apparently bind to at least one transmembrane protein Immunoreactive forms of 4.1 have been detected in several cell types, including brain. Here we report the purification of brain 4.1 on the basis of its cross-reactivity with erythrocyte 4.1 and spectrin-binding activity. We further show that brain 4.1 is identical to the synaptic vesicle protein, synapsin I, one of the brain's major substrates for cyclic AMP and Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent kinases. Spectrin and synapsin are present in brain homogenates in an approximately 1:1 molar ratio. Although synapsin I has been implicated in synaptic transmission, no activity has been previously ascribed to it.     

Two-headed binding of a processive myosin to F-actin

Myosins are motor proteins in cells. They move along actin by changing shape after making stereospecific interactions with the actin subunits. As these are arranged helically, a succession of steps will follow a helical path. However, if the myosin heads are long enough to span the actin helical repeat (approximately 36 nm), linear motion is possible. Muscle myosin (myosin II) heads are about 16 nm long, which is insufficient to span the repeat. Myosin V, however, has heads of about 31 nm that could span 36 nm and thus allow single two-headed molecules to transport cargo by walking straight. Here we use electron microscopy to show that while working, myosin V spans the helical repeat. The heads are mostly 13 actin subunits apart, with values of 11 or 15 also found. Typically the structure is polar and one head is curved, the other straighter. Single particle processing reveals the polarity of the underlying actin filament, showing that the curved head is the leading one. The shape of the leading head may correspond to the beginning of the working stroke of the motor. We also observe molecules attached by one head in this conformation.     

The MAPK kinase Pek1 acts as a phosphorylation-dependent molecular switch.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is a highly conserved eukaryotic signalling cascade that converts extracellular signals into various outputs, such as cell growth and differentiation. MAPK is phosphorylated and activated by a specific MAPK kinase (MAPKK): MAPKK is therefore considered to be an activating regulator of MAPK. Pmk1 is a MAPK that regulates cell integrity and which, with calcineurin phosphatase, antagonizes chloride homeostasis in fission yeast. We have now identified Pek1, a MAPKK for Pmk1 MAPK. We show here that Pek1, in its unphosphorylated form, acts as a potent negative regulator of Pmk1 MAPK signalling. Mkh1, an upstream MAPKK kinase (MAPKKK), converts Pek1 from being an inhibitor to an activator. Our results indicate that Pek1 has a dual stimulatory and inhibitory function which depends on its phosphorylation state. This switch-like mechanism could contribute to the all-or-none physiological response mediated by the MAPK signalling pathway.     

Force generation by mammalian hair bundles supports a role in cochlear amplification

It is generally accepted that the acute sensitivity and frequency discrimination of mammalian hearing requires active mechanical amplification of the sound stimulus within the cochlea. The prevailing hypothesis is that this amplification stems from somatic electromotility of the outer hair cells attributable to the motor protein prestin. Thus outer hair cells contract and elongate in synchrony with the sound-evoked receptor potential. But problems arise with this mechanism at high frequencies, where the periodic component of the receptor potential will be attenuated by the membrane time constant. On the basis of work in non-mammalian vertebrates, force generation by the hair bundles has been proposed as an alternative means of boosting the mechanical stimulus. Here we show that hair bundles of mammalian outer hair cells can also produce force on a submillisecond timescale linked to adaptation of the mechanotransducer channels. Because the bundle motor may ultimately be limited by the deactivation rate of the channels, it could theoretically operate at high frequencies. Our results show the existence of another force generator in outer hair cells that may participate in cochlear amplification.     

模丛之间的浸入关系

 利用张量和模代数知识,构造出了自由丛的浸入子丛和任一模丛的浸入子自由丛.得到一般模丛都能够成为一个自由丛的浸入子丛;同时任一模丛也能够有一自由丛(或投射丛)是它的浸入子丛;还给出了投射丛转化为自由丛的条件.     

汽车不均匀线束串扰特性预测的改进方法

针对线束的不均匀性及线束中导线间距的随机性,提出了一种采用统计学理论来预测不均匀线束串扰的方法。在弱耦合和电小尺寸的假设条件下,基于集总电路近似模型运用统计方法推导出了串扰电压比的期望值和方差,预测了最坏情况下的串扰。与273RDSI模拟仿真对比,验证了方法的合理性和可行性。最后分析了不同的导线数目和线束距地面高度的情况,结果表明：串扰的期望值和方差都会随导线数目的增加而降低;增大线束距地高度,期望值变大,而方差的变化不是很明显,说明方差对线束距地高度不是很敏感;随着导线数目的增加,期望对高度的变化更加敏感。     

Deformed autoregulatory element from Drosophila functions in a conserved manner in transgenic mice.

The striking similarities in the structure, organization and anterior-posterior expression patterns between the murine Hox gene system and the Drosophila homeotic gene complexes, called HOM-C (ref. 3), may point to highly conserved mechanisms for specifying positional identities (reviewed in ref. 4). Strong support for this concept lies in the observation of conserved colinearity between the genomic order of the Hox/HOM genes and their unique successive expression domains along the anterior-posterior axes of both mouse and fly embryos. These unique and precise expression patterns appear to be facilitated by multiple cis-regulatory elements (reviewed in ref. 5). One of the few elements characterized in detail is the autoregulatory enhancer of the homeotic gene Deformed (Dfd), which supports expression in subregions of posterior head segments of Drosophila embryos. Here we present evidence that this enhancer is capable of conferring reporter gene expression to a discrete subregion of the hindbrain in transgenic mouse embryos. Remarkably, this anterior-posterior subregion lies within the common anterior expression domain of the Dfd cognate Hox genes in the postotic hindbrain. Our results indicate that the Dfd autoregulatory enhancer is part of a highly conserved mechanism for establishing region-specific gene expression along the anterior-posterior axis of the embryo.     

水平加热管束间三维汽液两相流特性的研究

针对卧式火管式蒸汽发生器的结构特点,对水平加热管束间的三维汽液两相流特性进行了实验研究。用单探头和三探头单纤光导探针分别测定了加热管束间的空泡份额分布和汽相速度分布。开发了三维汽液两相低雷诺数湍流漂移数学模型和相应的数值计算方法。为计算漂移数学模型中的汽相速度,综合考虑了重力和流体本身的加速作用对汽相漂移速度的影响,故该漂移数学模型可用于分析多维汽液两相流。计算结果与实验测量值符合良好,证明该数学模型是正确可靠的。     

气象传真信号数字化处理技术分析

本文提供一种气象传真信号数字化分析的有效方法.利用气象传真机(或单边带短波收音机)接收气象信息,它以音频的格式输出,但气象传真信号已被接收并加载在此音频信号上.现具体分析包括采样、量化、编码和数字处理等过程,并完成在MATLAB仿真与实验.     

Direct observation of motion of single F-actin filaments in the presence of myosin

Actin is found in almost all kinds of non-muscle cells where it is thought to have an important role in cell motility. A proper understanding of that role will only be possible when reliable in vitro systems are available for investigating the interaction of cellular actin and myosin. A start has been made on several systems, most recently by Sheetz and Spudich who demonstrated unidirectional movement of HMM-coated beads along F-actin cables on arrays of chloroplasts exposed by dissection of a Nitella cell. As an alternative approach, we report here the direct observation by fluorescence microscopy of the movements of single F-actin filaments interacting with soluble myosin fragments energized by Mg2+-ATP.     

ZNRF3 promotes Wnt receptor turnover in an R-spondin-sensitive manner

R-spondin proteins strongly potentiate Wnt signalling and function as stem-cell growth factors. Despite the biological and therapeutic significance, the molecular mechanism of R-spondin action remains unclear. Here we show that the cell-surface transmembrane E3 ubiquitin ligase zinc and ring finger 3 (ZNRF3) and its homologue ring finger 43 (RNF43) are negative feedback regulators of Wnt signalling. ZNRF3 is associated with the Wnt receptor complex, and inhibits Wnt signalling by promoting the turnover of frizzled and LRP6. Inhibition of ZNRF3 enhances Wnt/β-catenin signalling and disrupts Wnt/planar cell polarity signalling in vivo. Notably, R-spondin mimics ZNRF3 inhibition by increasing the membrane level of Wnt receptors. Mechanistically, R-spondin interacts with the extracellular domain of ZNRF3 and induces the association between ZNRF3 and LGR4, which results in membrane clearance of ZNRF3. These data suggest that R-spondin enhances Wnt signalling by inhibiting ZNRF3. Our study provides new mechanistic insights into the regulation of Wnt receptor turnover, and reveals ZNRF3 as a tractable target for therapeutic exploration.     

生长抑素类似物通过细胞生长抑制和细胞溶解途径以SSTR2依赖的方式抑制癌细胞增殖

通过在两个具有不同内源性生长抑素受体(SSTR)表达谱的癌细胞系capan-2和A549中过表达SSTR2,用生长抑素类似物(SSA)奥曲肽或者伐普肽(RC-160)处理实验组的癌细胞,对过表达SSTR2和生长抑素类似物的抗肿瘤增殖效果通过细胞增殖实验进行了研究,而且进一步通过免疫印记的方法研究了SSA/SSTR2涉及的信号通路.结果表明,过表达SSTR2明显抑制了内源性SSTR2表达阳性和阴性癌细胞增殖,而单独使用奥曲肽或者伐普肽对癌细胞增殖影响甚微.然而,在过表达SSTR2的癌细胞中奥曲肽或者伐普肽则可明显抑制癌细胞的增殖,而且具有剂量依赖性.深入研究发现SSA/SSTR2是通过细胞周期阻滞和促凋亡来抑制细胞增殖.结果提示SSTR2可作为候选基因用于本身SSTR2表达阳性或阴性肿瘤的基因治疗,细胞内SSTR2的水平可能是影响肿瘤进程和SSA治疗效果的一个关键因素.     

DNA damage stress induces the dissociation of Smurf1/2 from MDM2 in a slow manner

The tumor suppressor p53 locates at the key point of cell growth or apoptosis balance, and the expression level of p53 is tightly controlled by ubiquitin ligases including MDM2. Upon DNA damage stresses, p53 was accumulated and activated, leading to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. We previously showed that Smad ubiquitylation regulatory factor 1/2 (Smurf1/2) promotes p53 degradation by interacting with and stabilizing MDM2, and consequently enhancing MDM2-mediated ubiquitylation of p53. However, it is unclear how the Smurf1-MDM2 interaction is regulated in response to DNA damage stress. Here, we show that in response to etoposide treatment Smurf1 dissociates from MDM2, resulting in MDM2 destabilization and p53 accumulation. The negative regulation of Smurf1 on apoptosis is released. Notably, this dissociation is a slow process rather than a rapid response, implicating high expression of Smurf1 might confer the resistance against p53 activation. Consistent with this notion, we observed that Smurf1/2 ligases are highly expressed in colon cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer tissues, suggesting the oncogenic tendency of Smurf1/2.     

DNA damage stress induces the dissociation of Smurf1/2 from MDM2 in a slow manner

The tumor suppressor p53 locates at the key point of cell growth or apoptosis balance, and the expression level of p53 is tightly controlled by ubiquitin ligases including MDM2. Upon DNA damage stresses, p53 was accumulated and activated, leading to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. We previously showed that Smad ubiquitylation regulatory factor 1/2 (Smurf1/2) promotes p53 degradation by interacting with and stabilizing MDM2, and consequently enhancing MDM2-mediated ubiquitylation of p53. However, it is uncle...     

microRNA-16 expression in HeLa cells is upregulated in cell-cycle and drug dependent manner

microRNAs are single-stranded, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. The microRNA-16 family has been reported to be involved in cell-cycle regulation, which could also downregulate expression of multiple pro-proliferation genes. The present results demonstrated that miR-16 expression in HeLa cells increased when the cells were arrested during S-phase under methyl methanesulfate (MMS) treatment. This further resulted in downregulation of a target protein CDC25A, whereas miR-16 expression did not increase when HeLa cells were arrested during the MMS-treated G₀/G₁ or G₂/M phase. Furthermore, when HeLa cells were arrested during S-phase with hydroxyurea treatment, miR-16 expression did not increase. These results suggest that expression levels of microRNAs in mammalian cells are delicately regulated under variable cellular conditions.     

Non-mitochondrial complex I proteins in a hydrogenosomal oxidoreductase complex

Trichomonas vaginalis is a unicellular microaerophilic eukaryote that lacks mitochondria yet contains an alternative organelle, the hydrogenosome, involved in pyruvate metabolism. Pathways between the two organelles differ substantially: in hydrogenosomes, pyruvate oxidation is catalysed by pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR), with electrons donated to an [Fe]-hydrogenase which produces hydrogen. ATP is generated exclusively by substrate-level phosphorylation in hydrogenosomes, as opposed to oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. PFOR and hydrogenase are found in eubacteria and amitochondriate eukaryotes, but not in typical mitochondria. Analyses of mitochondrial genomes indicate that mitochondria have a single endosymbiotic origin from an alpha-proteobacterial-type progenitor. The absence of a genome in trichomonad hydrogenosomes precludes such comparisons, leaving the endosymbiotic history of this organelle unclear. Although phylogenetic reconstructions of a few proteins indicate that trichomonad hydrogenosomes share a common origin with mitochondria, others do not. Here we describe a novel NADH dehydrogenase module of respiratory complex I that is coupled to the central hydrogenosomal fermentative pathway to form a hydrogenosomal oxidoreductase complex that seems to function independently of quinones. Phylogenetic analyses of hydrogenosomal complex I-like proteins Ndh51 and Ndh24 reveal that neither has a common origin with mitochondrial homologues. These studies argue against a vertical origin of trichomonad hydrogenosomes from the proto-mitochondrial endosymbiont.     

水库群联合防洪预报调度方式及汛限水位研究

根据太子河流域库群特点,进行了观音阁、汤河水库仍按原调度方式．葠窝水库采用预报调度方式的库群联合预报调度及葠窝水库汛限水位研究．结合葠窝水库的具体情况,以实际入库流量作为主要判别指标,并以观-葠区间累积净雨作为辅助指标,运用预报调度理论,将葠窝水库的汛限水位抬高了1．40m．效益、风险分析结果表明：太子河流域实施库群联合预报调度,在不增加上下游防洪风险的前提下,能显著提高发电和供水效益．