Effect of urochordamines on larval metamorphosis of ascidians

Two pteridine-containing bromophysostigmine alkaloids, urochordamine A and B, which were isolated from ascidians as larval metamorphosis promoters, were converted to more polar compounds, urochordamine A and B, respectively, when left standing in protic solvents. These four compounds promoted larval metamorphosis of the ascidianHalocynthia roretzi in the order A>A>B>B, and induced metamorphosis of the pediveliger larvae of the musselMytilus edulis galloprovincialis.     

A small GTPase, human Rab32, is required for the formation of autophagic vacuoles under basal conditions

Here we show that a small GTPase, Rab32, is a novel protein required for the formation of autophagic vacuoles. We found that the wild-type or GTP-bound form of human Rab32 expressed in HeLa and COS cells is predominantly localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and overexpression induces the formation of autophagic vacuoles containing an autophagosome marker protein LC3, the ER-resident protein calnexin and endosomal/lysosomal membrane protein LAMP-2, even under nutrient-rich conditions. The recruitment of Rab32 to the ER membrane was necessary for autophagic vacuole formation, suggesting involvement of the ER as a source of autophagosome membranes. In contrast, the expression of the inactive form of, or siRNA-specific for, Rab32 caused the formation of p62/SQSTM1 and ubiquitinated protein-accumulating aggresome-like structures and significantly prevented constitutive autophagy. We postulate that Rab32 facilitates the formation of autophagic vacuoles whose membranes are derived from the ER and regulates the clearance of aggregated proteins by autophagy. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

超高层住宅空调负荷的模拟分析

文中通过模拟实验，将不同的空调使用方法、断热方法、建筑朝向和玻璃构造对超高层住宅构造墙蓄热的影响数字化，并进行了模拟分析．此次研究中所使用的模拟软件“THERB”（关于住宅温热环境的模拟软件）可以动态地模拟住宅中每个房间的温度、湿度、体感温度与冷暖房空调负荷，由于超高层住宅每个房间墙壁中构造墙体积的比率要大于普通住宅，而构造墙通常是由蓄热性很强的水泥筑成，因此水泥的蓄热性对超高层住宅的空调负荷会产生巨大的影响，也就是说，通过不同的空调使用方法、断热方法、建筑朝向和构造形态等对水泥构造墙蓄热情况的改变，超高层住宅的空调负荷也将随之改变．     

Cholecystokinin-induced hypothermia in the rat

Summary Cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8) was shown to cause hypothermia after intracerebroventricular administration in the rat, and the hypothermic effect of CCK-8 was antagonized by simultaneous injection of TRH.     

A heterodimeric complex that promotes the assembly of mammalian 20S proteasomes

The 26S proteasome is a multisubunit protease responsible for regulated proteolysis in eukaryotic cells. It comprises one catalytic 20S proteasome and two axially positioned 19S regulatory complexes. The 20S proteasome is composed of 28 subunits arranged in a cylindrical particle as four heteroheptameric rings, alpha1-7beta1-7beta1-7alpha1-7 (refs 4, 5), but the mechanism responsible for the assembly of such a complex structure remains elusive. Here we report two chaperones, designated proteasome assembling chaperone-1 (PAC1) and PAC2, that are involved in the maturation of mammalian 20S proteasomes. PAC1 and PAC2 associate as heterodimers with proteasome precursors and are degraded after formation of the 20S proteasome is completed. Overexpression of PAC1 or PAC2 accelerates the formation of precursor proteasomes, whereas knockdown by short interfering RNA impairs it, resulting in poor maturation of 20S proteasomes. Furthermore, the PAC complex provides a scaffold for alpha-ring formation and keeps the alpha-rings competent for the subsequent formation of half-proteasomes. Thus, our results identify a mechanism for the correct assembly of 20S proteasomes.