Biochemical characterization of the protein encoded by rice osRACD gene

A recombinant plasmid pET-racd was first constructed by cloning osRACD,the development-regulating gene that controls photoperiod fertility transformation in the photoperiod sensitive genic male sterile rice Nongken 58S,into a prokaryote expression vector pET28a(+).It was then transformed into E.Coli BL-21.Cutting with thrombin of the fusion protein extracted from transformants and PAGE separation yielded pure osRACD protein,which was further concentrated using ultrafiltration and renatured using glutathione oxidation/reduction refolding system for later functional study.As demonstrated by in vitro functional assay,the osRACD protein expressed in E.Coli B-21 shows remarkable activity in binding GTP specifically and hydrolyzing it.     

The density curve of F distribution

Employing the properties of special function,we discuss the positional relation between two density curves with different parameters for F distribution in this paper.Some varying regularities about the position of density curve of F distribution have been obtained.     

Effect of heat treatment on magnetostriction and order-disorder transition of Fe83Ga17

Effect of heat treatment on magnetostrictive properties and order-disorder transition of 〈110〉-oriented polycrystal Fe83Ga17 alloys is investigated. It is found that magnetostriction and order degree of Fe83Ga17 alloys are very sensitive to cooling rate. Variation of magnetostriction is discussed in terms of order-disorder transition. Under compressive stress of 20 Mpa, saturation strain λs of partially ordered Fe83Ga17 alloys quenched into water reaches 298×10-6.     

Viola baoshanensis, a plant that hyperaccumulates cadmium

This paper reports upon the finding of Viola baoshanensis, a cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator through field survey and greenhouse experiments. Average Cd concentration in the shoots and roots of V. baoshanensis growing on Baoshan lead/zinc mine in Hunan Province, China, was 1168 and 981 mg/kg, respectively, varying from 456 to 2310mg/kg in the shoots, and from 233 to 1846 mg/kg in the roots.The ratio of Cd concentration in shoot to root (DW) and that in plant shoots to total concentration in surface soil was 1.32 and 2.38, respectively. Under nutrient solution culture, biomass (DW) of V. baoshanensis exposed to 0-30 mg/L Cd insolution increased with Cd supply increasing and reached a maximum at 30 mg/L Cd. Further increase of Cd concentration (40, 50 mg/L) in solution significantly reduced biomass.Cd concentration in the shoots was positively correlated with Cd concentration in the culture medium. Cd concentration in the shoots reached 4825 mg/kg at 50 mg/L Cd solution. Theratio of Cd concentration of shoots to roots in V. baoshanensis was greater than 1 at all Cd treatments, with an average of 1.67 (1.14-2.22). The results indicate that V. baoshanensis is a Cd hyperaccumulator plant.     

A generalized approach for protein design based on the relative entropy

In the present study, we have developed the method brought forward recently for protein design based on the relative entropy. The new approach can be used in more common situation other than the special limits in the anterior method. The results indicate that our generalized method has increased the prediction precision for protein sequence and will be in favor of the study for protein design.     

Comparative physical mapping of rice BAC clones linked to resistance genes Glh,Bph-3 and xa-5 in Oryza sativa L. and O. granulata Nees et Arn. ex Watt.

Oryza granulata Nees et Arn. ex Watt. is one of the three wild relatives of rice,which are the most valuable for study and utilization in China.In this study,the homology and physical locations of three rice resistance genes,Glh,Bph-3 and xa-5 are comparatively analyzed between O.sativa and O. granulata by Southern blotting and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).The results of Southern blotting indicate that there exist homologous sequences of the tested RFLP markers in O. granulata.By using three bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones scanned by the tested RFLP as probes, FISH signals are detected on both mitotic and pachytene chromosomes in O.sativa and O.granulata.Dual-color FISH demonstrates that two of the three BAC clones (14E16 and 38J9) are located on the short arm of the same chromosome pair in O. granulata. Additionally, colinearity is shown for the two clones between O.sativa and O.granulata. Another BAC clone 44B4 is located on the end of the short arm of other chromosome pair in these two species.Although the phylogenetic relationship between O.sativa and O.granulata is the most distinct in Oryza and these two species have evidently different biological features and ecological habits, the relative lengths and arm ratios of the detected chromosomes and the relative positions of the tested clone signals on chromosomes in O. granulata are quite similar to those in O. sativa.     

SEM analysis of the changes of carbon layer structure of mesocarbon microbeads heat-treated at different temperatures

Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) with narrow size distribution, excellent sphericity and no obvious conglutination have been prepared with a coal tar pitch containing quinoline insolubles (QI) as the raw material. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to examine the structure of the MCMB. It has been found that SEM technique shows the structural information of MCMB clearly in the form of micrographs even when the structure of MCMB is complex, while the optical technique is useful for analysis of the regular structure of the mesophase spheres but cannot be effectively used to analyze either the complex structure of the green MCMB or the structures of the further heat-treated ones at different temperatures. According to the characteristics of the carbon layers, the structures of the as-prepared MCMB in the present experiment could be classified as (I) Parallel Layer type structure and (2) Bent Layer type structure with the carbon layers gathering at one or two points in the MCMB. In the experiments, SEM is also utilized to investigate the structures of MCMB that are heat-treated at different temperatures. It has been found that the MCMB without any further heat-treatment show no layered-carbons, while the ones heat-treated at temperaturehigher than 1000℃ exhibit obvious layered carbons across their sections. When increasing the heat-treatment temperature, the carbon layers become thinner and flatter.     

Deep-water Earliest Oligocene Glacial Maximum （EOGM） in South Atlantic

The most prominent cooling event of the Earth surface during Cenozoic in the long-term transition from a non-glaciated planet, or “green-house world”, to a polar, glaciated planet, or “ice-house world”, is the Earliest Oligocene Glacial Maximum (EOGM) above the Eocene/Oligocene boundary at about 33.7 Ma. Planktonic and benthic foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotopes, carbonate content, and coarse fraction, along with high-resolution color reflectance and magnetic susceptibility records during 35-30 Ma, from deep-water Sites 1262 and 1265, Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 208 in South Atlantic, reveal the global cooling event occurring in both surface and deep oceans. The results show that the earliest Oligocene δ^18O values during 33.5-33.1 Ma represent the magnitude of continental ice sheets on east Antarctica and indicate the large decrease in both surface and deep water temperatures of worldwideoceans. The δ^13C records show the large excursion during the period of EOGM event and indicate some types of shift in global carbon reservoir, probably demonstrating the sudden increase in organic carbon burial rates and the changes in the distribution and timing of production. At the same time, lithologic composition, carbonate content, color reflectance, and coarse fraction brought about significant changes close to the Eocene/Oligocene boundary, reflecting the abrupt deepening in the carbonate compensation depth (CCD). Changes in carbonate content were revealed from the color reflectance identify periodicities associated with eccentricity of the Earth‘s orbit (100 and 400 ka), further indicating orbitally forced global climate variations in the Early Oligocene.     

Photocatalytic effect of nature and modified V-bearing rutile

A natural rutile TiO2, which displays photocatalysis on degrading halohydrocarbon pollutants, was reported. The rutile contains up to 1.22% V2O5 (weight percent). Substitutions of Ti by V, as well as Fe, Cu and Zn, result in lattice distortions and defects. Grinding, heating and quenching modify the surface characteristics of ruffle, and consequently increase its photoactivity. It is found that the heating and quenching treatments enhance visible-light absorption of ruffle, especially at 1000 and 1100℃. Ground rutile is effective to degrade tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene. While, heating at 1000℃, and quenching at 1000 and 1100℃ distinctly improve degradation rate of samples. The special properties of the natural rutile have particular capabilities in photocatalytic oxidation, especially in degradation of halohydrocarbons.     

重组人尿激酶原氨基末端片段的制备及活性测定

尿激酶原的N-末端135个氨基酸片段包含了表皮生长因子结构域和环柄结构域，参与了尿激酶原和其受体的结合以及尿激酶原诱导的化学趋化活性．利用RT-PCR，从人脐带静脉内皮细胞中克隆ATF基因．将ATF基因插入pET-29a( )中构建表达质粒pET-29a( )／ATF，并转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中，经IPTG诱导表达及纯化后，从每升培养液中获得15mg rhATF，其纯度超过95％．活性测定结果表明rhATF能够阻断尿激酶原与尿激酶受体的结合，并能抑制尿激酶对纤溶酶原以及纤溶酶对尿激酶原的激活．