Specific binding of antigenic peptides to cell-associated MHC class I molecules

T lymphocytes recognize antigen in the form of peptides that associate with specific alleles of class I or class II major histocompatibility (MHC) molecules. By contrast with the clear MHC allele-specific binding of peptides to purified class II molecules purified solubilized class I molecules either bind relatively poorly or show degenerate specificity. Using photo-affinity labelling, we demonstrate here the specific interaction of peptides with cell-associated MHC class I molecules and show that this involves metabolically active processes.     

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.     

非税收入管理探索

非税收入日益成为各级政府财政收入的重要组成部分，在地方经济建设及社会各项事业发展中发挥着重要作用。如何规范非税收入的征收、管理、使用，己成为各级政府及财政部门迫切需要解决的问题。推进非税收入管理改革，将会进一步促进财政支出改革，为建立公共财政体制框架奠定基础。     

《淮南万毕术》夏造冰之新解——兼与厚宇德先生商榷

二十多年来学术界关于《淮南万毕术》“夏造冰”问题的讨论颇具戏剧性．1983年洪震襄否定了这种可能性，十年之后李志超、赵虹君的相关研究得出了相反的结果．2004年厚宇德研究了李、赵肯定说实验方案，得到出乎意料的相反结论．本文根据原文提出一个新的技术思路，按此思路，则有可能实现“夏造冰”．实际操作中能不能达到预想的目标，还有待于实验验证．