Structure of the detoxification catalyst mercuric ion reductase from Bacillus sp. strain RC607

Several hundred million tons of toxic mercurials are dispersed in the biosphere. Microbes can detoxify organo-mercurials and mercury salts through sequential action of two enzymes, organomercury lyase and mercuric ion reductase (MerA). The latter, a homodimer with homology to the FAD-dependent disulphide oxidoreductases, catalyses the reaction NADPH + Hg(II)----NADP+ + H+ + Hg(0), one of the very rare enzymic reactions with metal substrates. Human glutathione reductase serves as a reference molecule for FAD-dependent disulphide reductases and between its primary structure and that of MerA from Tn501 (Pseudomonas), Tn21 (Shigella), p1258 (Staphylococcus) and Bacillus, 25-30% of the residues have been conserved. All MerAs have a C-terminal extension about 15 residues long but have very varied N termini. Although the enzyme from Streptomyces lividans has no addition, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa Tn501 and Bacillus sp. strain RC607 it has one and two copies respectively of a domain of 80-85 residues, highly homologous to MerP, the periplasmic component of proteins encoded by the mer operon. These domains can be proteolytically cleaved off without changing the catalytic efficiency. We report here the crystal structure of MerA from the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus sp. strain RC607. Analysis of its complexes with nicotinamide dinucleotide substrates and the inhibitor Cd(II) reveals how limited structural changes enable an enzyme to accept as substrate what used to be a dangerous inhibitor. Knowledge of the mode of mercury ligation is a prerequisite for understanding this unique detoxification mechanism.     

Characterization of the rough endoplasmic reticulum ribosome-binding activity.

The rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes of mammalian cells contain specific ribosome-binding sites. A purification to apparent homogeneity of a negatively charged protein (ERp180) of relative molecular mass 180,000 (180 K) was reported which was proposed to function as a rough endoplasmic reticulum ribosome receptor. We report here that ribosome-binding site activity quantitatively solubilized from rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes does not cofractionate with ERp180. By contrast, ribosome-binding site activity fractionates as a much smaller, positively charged protein.     

Genotoxic effects of dithane M-45 on the bone marrow cells of mice in vivo

Genotoxic effects of dithane M-45 were studied on the bone marrow cells of male albino mice (Lacca strain) in vivo. Different doses (30 mg, 40 mg and 300 mg/kg b.wt) of dithane M-45 were injected intraperitoneally and their effects were investigated after time intervals of 1, 2, 5 and 10 days. The chromosomal aberrations observed in the bone marrow cells of male mice after treatment with dithane M-45 were fragments, rings, dicentric chromosomes, terminal chromatid deletions, chromatid gaps and breaks. In addition to these chromosomal aberrations, physiological effects such as uneven stretching of chromatin material, end-to-end chromosomal associations, exchange configurations, clumping, stickiness and centromeric associations were also observed.     

投掷球出手速度测试仪的进一步开发

通过对仪器测速过程的进一步分析,提出了一种新的数据处理方法。此方法可消除原方法所引入的随机误差,并能得到投掷球出手速度的方向和出手高度。采用新方法后,可使仪器结构进一步简化,能降低传感器制造成本30％。     

结构振动噪声的H∞反馈力控制研究

基于H∞控制理论,采用次级力作为执行器,应用反馈控制来抑制结构振动噪声,建立了结构振动声辐射反馈力控制模型,引入了性能加权函数,得到了广义系统模型,将反馈控制器设计问题转化为标准H∞控制问题求解.同常用的自适应滤波前馈控制相比,这种方案不需要用参考信号、不存在声反馈问题.封闭空间结构振动声耦合反馈力控制仿真结果表明:通过合理选择性能加权函数,噪声可以在指定频带得到良好的控制,最大噪声峰值近20 dB(A).     

政府在推动科技中介产业化发展中的对策探讨

科技中介机构在科技产业化的进程中起着重要的桥梁和纽带作用,然而发展中出现的一些问题也亟待解决。文章就如何发挥政府在科技中介发展中的政策环境建设能力,加快科技中介产业化发展作了探讨。     

Un curare d'une Erythrine africaine

Summary An alcaloid C₁₆H₁₉NO₃ has been isolated fromErythrina tholloniana; the iodohydrate of this erythroidine has a melting point of 225°C and 239°C for its chlorhydrate. It has a powerful curare-like action on the frog or on its isolated sciatic-sartorius preparation; at a concentration of less than 1/1,000,000, a complete neuromuscular block is produced: the electrical stimulation of the motor nerve does not produce any contraction, but the muscle reacts by an end-plate potential having the same characteristics (shape, duration, possibility of summation) as the electrical waves produced in the same preparation curarized by ordinary curare or by quaternary ammonium derivatives. Decurarization by veratrine 1/200,000 is accompanied by the same electrical reactions as those which have been described in preparations treated by curare.On mammals, the alcaloid has little curariform activity; on the isolated phrenic-diaphragm preparation of the rat, incomplete block was produced at a concentration of 1/5000.     

如何在材料力学实验中提高学生的学习兴趣

文章分析了材料力学实验的现状和目前存在的问题,针对性地进行了实验教学改革的探索,并应用于实验教学当中,取得了良好的教学效果。