Convergent evolution of defensin sequence,structure and function

Defensins are a well-characterised group of small, disulphide-rich, cationic peptides that are produced by essentially all eukaryotes and are highly diverse in their sequences and structures. Most display broad range antimicrobial activity at low micromolar concentrations, whereas others have other diverse roles, including cell signalling (e.g. immune cell recruitment, self/non-self-recognition), ion channel perturbation, toxic functions, and enzyme inhibition. The defensins consist of two superfamilies, each derived from an independent evolutionary origin, which have subsequently undergone extensive divergent evolution in their sequence, structure and function. Referred to as the cis- and trans-defensin superfamilies, they are classified based on their secondary structure orientation, cysteine motifs and disulphide bond connectivities, tertiary structure similarities and precursor gene sequence. The utility of displaying loops on a stable, compact, disulphide-rich core has been exploited by evolution on multiple occasions. The defensin superfamilies represent a case where the ensuing convergent evolution of sequence, structure and function has been particularly extreme. Here, we discuss the extent, causes and significance of these convergent features, drawing examples from across the eukaryotes.     

Genetic determinants of ulcerative colitis include the ECM1 locus and five loci implicated in Crohn's disease

We report results of a nonsynonymous SNP scan for ulcerative colitis and identify a previously unknown susceptibility locus at ECM1. We also show that several risk loci are common to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (IL23R, IL12B, HLA, NKX2-3 and MST1), whereas autophagy genes ATG16L1 and IRGM, along with NOD2 (also known as CARD15), are specific for Crohn's disease. These data provide the first detailed illustration of the genetic relationship between these common inflammatory bowel diseases.     

The NCBI dbGaP database of genotypes and phenotypes

The National Center for Biotechnology Information has created the dbGaP public repository for individual-level phenotype, exposure, genotype and sequence data and the associations between them. dbGaP assigns stable, unique identifiers to studies and subsets of information from those studies, including documents, individual phenotypic variables, tables of trait data, sets of genotype data, computed phenotype-genotype associations, and groups of study subjects who have given similar consents for use of their data.     

An evaluation of HapMap sample size and tagging SNP performance in large-scale empirical and simulated data sets

A substantial investment has been made in the generation of large public resources designed to enable the identification of tag SNP sets, but data establishing the adequacy of the sample sizes used are limited. Using large-scale empirical and simulated data sets, we found that the sample sizes used in the HapMap project are sufficient to capture common variation, but that performance declines substantially for variants with minor allele frequencies of <5%.     

Progesterone induced diminished incorporation of exogenous14C-amino acids in diapausing mouse blastocysts

Summary Under identical in vitro labeling conditions, significantly lower amounts of radioactivity were found a) in proteins of early diapausing blastocysts (days 7–9 p.c.) vs normal, late blastocysts (day 5 p.c.) and b) in proteins of days 19–23 p.c. diapausing blastocysts from ovariectomized mothers treated with progesterone vs similar embryos from untreated mothers. Thus, progesterone, which maintains the viability of embryos during prolonged diapause, causes diminished utilization of exogenous amino acids for protein synthesis in these embryos.Acknowledgment. This study was supported, in part, by NICHD grant HD-06234.     

中国江苏地区汉人群五个高多态性短串联重复序列(STR)基因座基因频率分布调查

为选择有较好基因频率分布的短串联重复序列遗传标记,对中国江苏地区随机汉族人群的D5S818、D19S253、D12S391、D2S1338和D22S684 5个微卫星基因座进行了基因频率分布调查,并评估它们作为法医遗传标记在中国江苏地区汉族群体中的效能.采用Chelex-100法从中国江苏地区无血缘关系汉族个体的血样本105份中提取DNA,特异引物聚合酶链反应,产物经6%变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分离,银染检测.这5个STR基因座在中国江苏地区汉人群均显具有高度遗传多态性并符合Hardy-Weinberg定律,它们的个人识别率(DP)范围从D5S818的0.892 8到D2S1338的0.952 7,非父排除率(PE)范围从D5S818的0.538 5到D2S1338的0.690 7不等.5个基因座的联合DP值和联合PE分别为0.999 997和0.991 8.在D22S684基因座,首次在汉人群报道的等位基因频率分布与英国Caucasian,Afro-Caribbean和Asian from the Indian 3个人群相比较,卡方检验有显著差异(P《0.005).为常规应用这8个STR遗传标记在中国江苏地区汉人群中进行亲子鉴定和个人识别提供了概率计算依据和群体遗传学数据.     

振动压路机YZ10B改为YZ14的技术分析

振动压路机ＹＺ１０Ｂ原设计振动频率超出最佳碾压基层的频率范围，后车全重超过２ｔ多，增大了发动机功耗。现将其减速传动机构的齿轮改为减速比更大的非零变位螺旋伞齿轮，前车增重，偏心块增重，提高振幅，降低频率。经实用证明，改进型ＹＺ１４压实能力提高了５４．３％。     

Crystal structure of the FimD usher bound to its cognate FimC-FimH substrate

Type 1 pili are the archetypal representative of a widespread class of adhesive multisubunit fibres in Gram-negative bacteria. During pilus assembly, subunits dock as chaperone-bound complexes to an usher, which catalyses their polymerization and mediates pilus translocation across the outer membrane. Here we report the crystal structure of the full-length FimD usher bound to the FimC-FimH chaperone-adhesin complex and that of the unbound form of the FimD translocation domain. The FimD-FimC-FimH structure shows FimH inserted inside the FimD 24-stranded β-barrel translocation channel. FimC-FimH is held in place through interactions with the two carboxy-terminal periplasmic domains of FimD, a binding mode confirmed in solution by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. To accommodate FimH, the usher plug domain is displaced from the barrel lumen to the periplasm, concomitant with a marked conformational change in the β-barrel. The amino-terminal domain of FimD is observed in an ideal position to catalyse incorporation of a newly recruited chaperone-subunit complex. The FimD-FimC-FimH structure provides unique insights into the pilus subunit incorporation cycle, and captures the first view of a protein transporter in the act of secreting its cognate substrate.     

Structural basis for gene regulation by a thiamine pyrophosphate-sensing riboswitch

Riboswitches are metabolite-sensing RNAs, typically located in the non-coding portions of messenger RNAs, that control the synthesis of metabolite-related proteins. Here we describe a 2.05 angstroms crystal structure of a riboswitch domain from the Escherichia coli thiM mRNA that responds to the coenzyme thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP). TPP is an active form of vitamin B1, an essential participant in many protein-catalysed reactions. Organisms from all three domains of life, including bacteria, plants and fungi, use TPP-sensing riboswitches to control genes responsible for importing or synthesizing thiamine and its phosphorylated derivatives, making this riboswitch class the most widely distributed member of the metabolite-sensing RNA regulatory system. The structure reveals a complex folded RNA in which one subdomain forms an intercalation pocket for the 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine moiety of TPP, whereas another subdomain forms a wider pocket that uses bivalent metal ions and water molecules to make bridging contacts to the pyrophosphate moiety of the ligand. The two pockets are positioned to function as a molecular measuring device that recognizes TPP in an extended conformation. The central thiazole moiety is not recognized by the RNA, which explains why the antimicrobial compound pyrithiamine pyrophosphate targets this riboswitch and downregulates the expression of thiamine metabolic genes. Both the natural ligand and its drug-like analogue stabilize secondary and tertiary structure elements that are harnessed by the riboswitch to modulate the synthesis of the proteins coded by the mRNA. In addition, this structure provides insight into how folded RNAs can form precision binding pockets that rival those formed by protein genetic factors.