Structure of the dimerized hormone-binding domain of a guanylyl-cyclase-coupled receptor

The atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) hormone is secreted by the heart in response to an increase in blood pressure. ANP exhibits several potent anti-hypertensive actions in the kidney, adrenal gland and vascular system. These actions are induced by hormone binding extracellularly to the ANP receptor, thereby activating its intracellular guanylyl cyclase domain for the production of cyclic GMP. Here we present the crystal structure of the glycosylated dimerized hormone-binding domain of the ANP receptor at 2.0-A resolution. The monomer comprises two interconnected subdomains, each encompassing a central beta-sheet flanked by alpha-helices, and exhibits the type I periplasmic binding protein fold. Dimerization is mediated by the juxtaposition of four parallel helices, arranged two by two, which brings the two protruding carboxy termini into close relative proximity. From affinity labelling and mutagenesis studies, the ANP-binding site maps to the side of the dimer crevice and extends to near the dimer interface. A conserved chloride-binding site is located in the membrane distal domain, and we found that hormone binding is chloride dependent. These studies suggest mechanisms for hormone activation and the allostery of the ANP receptor.     

LDL-receptor-related proteins in Wnt signal transduction

The Wnt family of secreted signalling molecules are essential in embryo development and tumour formation. The Frizzled (Fz) family of serpentine receptors function as Wnt receptors, but how Fz proteins transduce signalling is not understood. In Drosophila, arrow phenocopies the wingless (DWnt-1) phenotype, and encodes a transmembrane protein that is homologous to two members of the mammalian low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)-related protein (LRP) family, LRP5 and LRP6 (refs 12-15). Here we report that LRP6 functions as a co-receptor for Wnt signal transduction. In Xenopus embryos, LRP6 activated Wnt-Fz signalling, and induced Wnt responsive genes, dorsal axis duplication and neural crest formation. An LRP6 mutant lacking the carboxyl intracellular domain blocked signalling by Wnt or Wnt-Fz, but not by Dishevelled or beta-catenin, and inhibited neural crest development. The extracellular domain of LRP6 bound Wnt-1 and associated with Fz in a Wnt-dependent manner. Our results indicate that LRP6 may be a component of the Wnt receptor complex.     

The smallest known non-avian theropod dinosaur

Non-avian dinosaurs are mostly medium to large-sized animals, and to date all known mature specimens are larger than the most primitive bird, Archaeopteryx. Here we report on a new dromaeosaurid dinosaur, Microraptor zhaoianus gen. et sp. nov., from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning, China. This is the first mature non-avian dinosaur to be found that is smaller than Archaeopteryx, and it eliminates the size disparity between the earliest birds and their closest non-avian theropod relatives. The more bird-like teeth, the Rahonavis-like ischium and the small number of caudal vertebrae of Microraptor are unique among dromaeosaurids and improve our understanding of the morphological transition to birds. The nearly completely articulated foot shows features, such as distally positioned digit I, slender and recurved pedal claws, and elongated penultimate phalanges, that are comparable to those of arboreal birds. The discovery of these in non-avian theropods provides new insights for studying the palaeoecology of some bird-like theropod dinosaurs.     

浅谈工业厂房改扩建设计

本文以工程实例介绍了太钢某炼钢厂旧厂房改扩建设计中几个难点问题的处理方法。     

Embryonic development and organogenesis of Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus

The morphology and organogenesis of Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus, in its different developmental periods and stages are described in detail, which provides an intact criterion for distinguishing different stages of its developmental process. Based on the external morphological and internal histological features, six periods including 20 stages of organogenesis of Chinese giant salamander are established, which are cleavage period, blastula period, gastrula period, neurula period, organogenesis stage and hatching stage. Generally, the embryonic development of Chinese giant salamander is consistent with those of Eastern newt, Cynops orientalis, and Black spots frog, R. nigromaculata. However, they have some differences in the early cleavage process and the development of digestive system. The cleavage of Chinese giant salamander, A. davidianus is not a discoidal division type, which is different from other species reported. And the first three cleavages being meridional and a retardant development of its digestive system without halter and sucker existing are the evident features of the embryonic development of Chinese giant salamander.     

Numerical simulation of Meiyu front and the diagnosis of moist vorticity vector

Moist vorticity vector is introduced to study the development and evolution of mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) in the Meiyu front precipitation with the Advanced Regional Predication System (ARPS). In this study, the heavy rainfall is simulated to investigate the genesis, development and dissipation of middle scale convective vortex, which occurred from 0000 UTC 3 July to 1200 UTC 5 July over the Jianghuai River valley. Moist vorticity vector (MVV) has zonal, radial and vertical components in its 3D spatial distribution. The simulation shows that the vertical component of moist vorticity vector well demonstrates the spatial distribution characteristics of middle scale convective vortex, especially in the process of Meiyu front precipitation. Diagnosis upon zonal, radial averaged and mass-integrated quantities of MVV shows that its vertical component and the surface precipitating ratio are in phase with a correlation coefficient of 0.68, indicating that the vertical component of MVV is closely associated with the Meiyu front precipitation. In addition, the tendency of the vertical component of MVV is mainly determined by the interaction between the vorticity and the zonal and radial gradient of condensational or depositional heating.     

Protective effect of sodium butyrate on the cell culture model of Huntington disease

This study aimed to develop a cell culture model of Huntington disease and observe the effect of sodium butyrate on this cell culture model. Exon 1 of both a wild type and a mutant IT15 gene from the genomic DNA of a healthy adult and a patient with Huntington disease was amplified and cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-C1. Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were transiently transfected with these recombinant plasmids in the absence and presence of sodium butyrate (0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 mmol/L). The MTT assay was used to measure cell viability. The results indicated that the N-terminal fragment of mutant huntingtin formed perinuclear and intranuclear aggregates and caused a decrease of SH-SY5Y cell viability. Sodium butyrate inhibited the decrease of SH-SY5Y cell viability caused by the N-terminal fragment of mutant huntingtin. This suggests that sodium butyrate has a protective effect on this cell culture model of Huntington disease.     

基于P2P结构的无线网格资源发现机制

针对无线网络的特殊环境,提出了一种基于P2P结构的无线网格资源发现机制,该机制结合了分布式与集中式网格资源发现的优点,引入了超级节点的概念,通过超级节点管理域内用户,将资源信息存放在超级节点中,避免了中央节点聚合目录的更新.并在此机制基础上给出了一个无线网格信息服务架构,满足了无线网格资源发现的分散性和可扩展性的特点.理论分析和实验证明能够提高无线网格资源发现效率.     

积分复位控制三相功率因数校正

介绍了一种工作于连续导电模式的三相功率因数校正电路，对其控制方程进行详细的推导，并用积分复位控制电路进行实现。积分复位控制电路由-可复位积分器，-RS触发器和-比较器组成控制电路的核心器件，结构十分简单。积分复位控制三相功率因数校正具有下述特点：常频控制，这有利于滤波器的设计；控制电路简单，不需要乘法器；控制思路清晰，控制效果好。仿真结果证明了理论分析的正确性。