The role of endosomal-recycling in long-term potentiation

Long-term potentiation (LTP) defines persistent increases in neurotransmission strength at synapses that are triggered by specific patterns of neuronal activity. LTP, the most widely accepted molecular model for learning, is best characterised at glutamatergic synapses on dendritic spines. In this context, LTP involves increases in dendritic spine size and the insertion of glutamate receptors into the post-synaptic spine membrane, which together boost post-synaptic responsiveness to neurotransmitters. In dendrites, the material required for LTP is sourced from an organelle termed the endosomal-recycling compartment (ERC), which is localised to the base of dendritic spines. When LTP is induced, material derived from the recycling compartment, which contains α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs), is mobilised into dendritic spines feeding the increased need for receptors and membrane at the spine neck and head. In this review, we discuss the importance of endosomal-recycling and the role of key proteins which control these processes in the context of LTP.     

Immune biology of Ag-specific γδ T cells in infections

Accumulating evidence suggests that human γδ T cells act as non-classical T cells and contribute to both innate and adaptive immune responses in infections. Vγ2 Vδ2 T (also termed Vγ9 Vδ2 T) cells exist only in primates, and in humans represent a dominant circulating γδ T-cell subset. Primate Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells are the only γδ T cell subset capable of recognizing microbial phosphoantigen. Since nonhuman primate Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells resemble their human counterparts, in-depth studies have been undertaken in macaques to understand the biology and function of human Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells. This article reviews the recent progress for immune biology of Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells in infections.     

Beta-carotene affects gene expression in lungs of male and female <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bcmo1</Emphasis><Superscript>−/−</Superscript> mice in opposite directions

Molecular mechanisms triggered by high dietary beta-carotene (BC) intake in lung are largely unknown. We performed microarray gene expression analysis on lung tissue of BC supplemented beta-carotene 15,15′-monooxygenase 1 knockout (Bcmo1 ^−/−) mice, which are—like humans—able to accumulate BC. Our main observation was that the genes were regulated in an opposite direction in male and female Bcmo1 ^−/− mice by BC. The steroid biosynthetic pathway was overrepresented in BC-supplemented male Bcmo1 ^−/− mice. Testosterone levels were higher after BC supplementation only in Bcmo1 ^−/− mice, which had, unlike wild-type (Bcmo1 ^+/+) mice, large variations. We hypothesize that BC possibly affects hormone synthesis or metabolism. Since sex hormones influence lung cancer risk, these data might contribute to an explanation for the previously found increased lung cancer risk after BC supplementation (ATBC and CARET studies). Moreover, effects of BC may depend on the presence of frequent human BCMO1 polymorphisms, since these effects were not found in wild-type mice.     

腾冲嗜酸两性菌硫氧化还原酶分子结构中铁原子结合位点的新特征

前期研究表明, 铁原子对于嗜酸两性菌中硫氧化还原酶(SOR)的活性至关重要. 本研究表明, 2,2′-联吡啶、1,2-二羟基苯-3,5-二磺酸钠、8-羟基喹啉等特异性铁离子螯合剂强烈抑制腾冲嗜酸两性菌SOR酶活性, 进一步表明铁原子是SOR酶活必需. 对目前基因组数据库中的SOR基因或者SOR类似基因进行序列比对, 发现了一个潜在的铁原子结合模体(H⁸⁶-X₃- H⁹⁰-X_n-E¹¹⁴-X_n-E¹²⁹). 据此, 本研究采用定点突变技术, 将氨基酸残基H⁸⁶, H⁹⁰和E¹²⁹分别突变为苯丙氨酸或者丙氨酸, 圆二色光谱测定发现突变体(H⁸⁶F, H⁹⁰F和E¹²⁹A)的二级结构没有明显改变, 但是这3个突变体全部丧失了酶活性. 突变体蛋白中铁原子含量测定结果表明, 3个突变体全部或者部分丢失了铁原子, 而之前研究中获得的3个半胱氨酸突变体(完全丧失了酶活)铁原子含量没有变化. 根据本研究并结合前期实验结果可知, SOR分子中模体C³¹-X_n-C¹⁰¹-X₂-C¹⁰⁴是底物硫分子活化区域; 而模体H⁸⁶-X₃-H⁹⁰-X₂₃-E¹¹⁴-X_¹⁴-(E/D)¹²⁹是SOR分子中铁原子的结合区域, 与铁原子结合形成一个非卟啉铁中心, 是SOR的氧化还原中心; 这两个区域均是SOR酶活性的必需部分.     

修正表面张力系数的包膜气泡动力学模型

基于包膜造影剂气泡的实际应用, 在传统的三层模型基础上提出了一个修正的动力学模型来描绘包膜气泡的动力学行为. 通过衔接三层模型中包膜的两个边界条件, 得到一个两层模型并简化了方程的结构. 为了使动力平衡更加准确, 在建立边界条件时考虑了包膜质量, 并将包膜层厚度与气泡半径的关系具体化. 更为重要的是, 我们对绝大多数文献中的表面张力系数不变的假设进行了修正, 认为其随半径变化呈非线性变化, 且通过数值计算对表面张力系数修正带来的变化进行了讨论. 此外, 我们应用本文模型对实验得到的Optison及Sonozoid微气泡的动力学曲线进行了拟合, 并与其他经典模型的拟合结果进行了比较, 结论证明了本文模型具有很好的适用性.     

低硫柴油直喷燃烧超细颗粒排放特性研究

对比研究了燃用普通柴油和低硫柴油其排气超细颗粒数量浓度分布及化学成分特征. 结果表明, 相对于燃用普通柴油, 燃用低硫柴油其排气总颗粒质量浓度略有降低, 而数量浓度显著降低, 且降幅随负荷和转速增大. 燃用普通柴油和低硫柴油其排气微粒数浓度粒径分布曲线形状基本相似, 同一测试工况下, 相对于燃用普通柴油, 燃用低硫柴油其排气积聚模态微粒数量浓度变化较小, 而核模态微粒排放显著降低. 发动机排气微粒主要由C, O, Cl, S, Si, Ca, Na, Al, K元素组成, 燃用普通柴油和低硫柴油其排气微粒元素组成基本相似, 但燃用低硫柴油排气微粒中没有发现S元素. 排气微粒中挥发性有机物(SOF)主要成分有饱和烷烃(碳原子数为C15~C26)、有机酸酯和多环芳烃等. 燃用低硫柴油时微粒采样中未发现多环芳烃.     

一种改进的地震灾害倒塌房屋遥感信息自动识别方法

地震灾害倒塌房屋的识别是地震灾害损失评价的重要环节, 也是判断地震强度的指标之一. 5.12汶川大地震发生后, 中欧地震灾害评估项目组使用自动识别技术处理0.5 m分辨率的ADS40航空遥感数据, 需要克服航空遥感数据中未倒塌混凝土桥梁、滑坡体滚石与倒塌房屋反射光谱的相似性. 经过多次实验改进后的技术, 一次性识别的倒塌房屋面积覆盖率优于95%. 介绍了这次实验过程和结果, 实验表明, 该方法也可以用于其他灾害造成的倒塌房屋的自动识别.     

常规及偶应力轴对称有限元分片检验函数

我们提出的增强型分片检验可以用于检验一类非齐次阶微分方程的有限元的收敛性.由此,建立了常规轴对称问题和轴对称偶应力/应变梯度C1理论有限元增强型分片检验的检验函数,并得到重要结论：这类轴对称有限元的分片检验函数不含常剪应力项.     

N原子掺杂对富勒烯C20分子电子结构与传输特性的影响

构建了Au原子面为电极的富勒烯C20分子及C20分子内掺杂N原子后的分子的电子输运模型,使用非平衡格林函数方法(NEGF)对构建的分子器件进行了电子结构和输运性质的计算.得出了电子结构和电子传输谱,分析了产生这个分子器件电子输运性质的原因.结果显示N原子的掺入有利于提高C20分子的电子传输功能.