Compensatory caspase activation in MPP+-induced cell death in dopaminergic neurons

Many have hypothesized that cell death in Parkinsons disease is via apoptosis and, specifically, by the mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic pathway. We tested this hypothesis using a mouse dopaminergic cell line of mesencephalic origin, MN9D, challenged with the Parkinsonism-causing neurotoxin MPP⁺ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion). Apoptosis was the main mode of cell death when the cells were subjected to MPP⁺ treatment under serum-free conditions for 24 h. Caspase-3 and caspase-9, however, were not activated, thus indicating the existence of alternate or compensatory cell death pathway(s) in dopaminergic neuronal cells. Using caspase inhibitors, we demonstrated that these pathways involve caspase-2, –8, –6 and –7. A time-course study indicated that activation of caspase-2 and –8 occurred upstream of caspase-6 and caspase-7. Upon MPP⁺ challenge, the apoptosis-inducing factor was translocated from the mitochondria into the MN9D cytosol and nucleus. These results suggest the existence of alternative apoptotic pathways in dopaminergic neurons.Received 20 September 2004; received after revision 5 November 2004; accepted 22 November 2004     

A Designated Query Protocol for Serverless Mobile RFID Systems with Reader and Tag Privacy

Recently, a new type of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) system with mobile readers is introduced. In such a system, it is more desirable for mobile readers to identify tags without a back-end server, and thus it is frequently referred as a serverless mobile RFID system. In this paper, we formalize a serverless mobile RFID system model and propose a new encryption-based system that preserves the privacy of both tags and readers in the model. In addition, we define a new adversary model for the system model and show the security of the proposed system. Throughout comparisons between ours and the other alternatives, we show that our proposed system provides a stronger reader privacy and robustness against a reader forgery attack than the competitors.     

矩阵空间上秩加性的加法保持

设IF是域,V是或者域IF上所有m×n矩阵的空间或者是特征不为2及3的域IF上所有n×n对称矩阵的空间.对于每个被固定的正整数s≥2,Qs定义V×V中满足rank(A+B)=rank(A)+rank(B)≤s的所有矩阵对(A,B)的集合.刻划了V上满足ψ(Qs)(∈)Qs的加法映射ψ.当charIF≠2时,也描述了IF上从n×n矩阵空间到p×q矩阵空间保秩加性的线性算子的结构.     

Opposing effects of polyglutamine expansion on native protein complexes contribute to SCA1

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of a glutamine-encoding repeat in ataxin 1 (ATXN1). In all known polyglutamine diseases, the glutamine expansion confers toxic functions onto the protein; however, the mechanism by which this occurs remains enigmatic, in light of the fact that the mutant protein apparently maintains interactions with its usual partners. Here we show that the expanded polyglutamine tract differentially affects the function of the host protein in the context of different endogenous protein complexes. Polyglutamine expansion in ATXN1 favours the formation of a particular protein complex containing RBM17, contributing to SCA1 neuropathology by means of a gain-of-function mechanism. Concomitantly, polyglutamine expansion attenuates the formation and function of another protein complex containing ATXN1 and capicua, contributing to SCA1 through a partial loss-of-function mechanism. This model provides mechanistic insight into the molecular pathogenesis of SCA1 as well as other polyglutamine diseases.     

The pathogen protein EspF(U) hijacks actin polymerization using mimicry and multivalency

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli attaches to the intestine through actin pedestals that are formed when the bacterium injects its protein EspF(U) (also known as TccP) into host cells. EspF(U) potently activates the host WASP (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein) family of actin-nucleating factors, which are normally activated by the GTPase CDC42, among other signalling molecules. Apart from its amino-terminal type III secretion signal, EspF(U) consists of five-and-a-half 47-amino-acid repeats. Here we show that a 17-residue motif within this EspF(U) repeat is sufficient for interaction with N-WASP (also known as WASL). Unlike most pathogen proteins that interface with the cytoskeletal machinery, this motif does not mimic natural upstream activators: instead of mimicking an activated state of CDC42, EspF(U) mimics an autoinhibitory element found within N-WASP. Thus, EspF(U) activates N-WASP by competitively disrupting the autoinhibited state. By mimicking an internal regulatory element and not the natural activator, EspF(U) selectively activates only a precise subset of CDC42-activated processes. Although one repeat is able to stimulate actin polymerization, we show that multiple-repeat fragments have notably increased potency. The activities of these EspF(U) fragments correlate with their ability to coordinate activation of at least two N-WASP proteins. Thus, this pathogen has used a simple autoinhibitory fragment as a component to build a highly effective actin polymerization machine.     

Hard Templating Synthesis of Mesoporous and Nanowire SnO_2 as Lithium Battery Anode Materials

1 Results Recently,Ryoo‘s group reported the preparation of ordered mesoporous carbon using highly ordered mesoporous silica[1-2]. Mesoporous and nanowire SnO2 anode materials for lithium batteries were prepared using KIT-6 and SBA-15 SiO2 templates. The as-prepared SnO2 nanowires had a diameter of 6 nm and a length of ≈3 μm and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 80 m2/g while mesoporous SnO2 showed a pore size of 3.8 nm and a BET surface area of 160 m2/g. The charge capacities of these two an...     

Purification and properties of glutamine synthetase I fromRhizobium sp. UMKL 20

Summary Glutamine synthetase I was purified fromRhizobium sp. UMKL 20 following polyethylene glycol precipitation. The enzyme had a subunit molecular weight of 58 kd. Apparent K_m values for ammonia and glutamate were 5.6 and 15.2 mM, respectively. Glutamine synthetase I activity was inhibited by several end products of glutamine metabolism. The purified enzyme was highly adenylylated (E _n ^– =8.5).Acknowledgment. I would like to thank Mr J. C. Lai for technical assistance. This work was carried out with the support of Vote F 153/79 from the University of Malaya.     

Wormy mice in a hybrid zone

As one approach to analysing the genetic barriers between species, we studied the numbers and types of parasitic worms in two species of house mice (Mus musculus and M. domesticus) and in their natural hybrids. Where the ranges of these two species meet in southern Germany, there is a zone of hybridization less than 20 kilometres across, in which about 98% of the mice have backcross genotypes. Fourteen of the 46 mice tested from within the zone have over 500 pinworms per gut, a number far exceeding the mean of 40 per gut for other mice inside and outside the zone. Other nematodes have a similar, non-random distribution. The number of mice bearing 9 or more tapeworms per gut is also excessive in the hybrid zone. These extraordinarily wormy mice may be unusually susceptible to parasitism; the different species may have different genes for resistance, and recombinant backcross animals may lose both. Our findings support the view that the hybrid populations may have reduced fitness and thereby act as a genetic sink, interfering with the flow of genes between the two species. The possibility that environmental or ecological peculiarites in the zone of hybridization make the mice more liable to infection is not supported.     

Enhancement of thermal stability and UV resistance of halloysite nanotubes using zinc oxide functionalization via a solvent-free approach

The aim of this study was to synthesize and evaluate the thermal properties and ultraviolet(UV)resistance of zinc oxide-functionalized halloysite nanotubes(HNT–ZnO).The HNT–ZnO was synthesized using a facile solvent-free route.The properties of the HNT–ZnO nanofillers were characterized using zeta-potential measurement,X-ray diffraction(XRD),field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA).The immobilization of ZnO nanoparticles onto HNT is feasible even at the lowest mass ratio of HNT/ZnO.The TGA results indicate that the thermal stability of the HNT–ZnO nanofillers is higher than that of the HNT.Furthermore,UV?Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(UV-DRS)results show that the HNT–ZnO achieve a total reflectance as high as approximately 87.5%in the UV region,as compare with 66.9%for the HNT.In summary,the immobilization of ZnO onto HNT is a viable approach for increasing the thermal stability and improving the UV shielding of HNT.