Peptides in the mammalian cardiovascular system

Summary Ample immunocytochemical evidence is now available demonstrating that several peptides are present in the mammalian cardiovascular system where they are localised to nerve fibres and myocardial cells. The neuropeptides (neuropeptide Y, calcitonin gene-related peptide, tachykinins and vasoctive intestinal polypeptide) are localised to large secretory vesicles in subpopulations of afferent or efferent nerves supplying the heart and vasculature of several mammals, including man. Although they often exert potent pharmacological effects on the tissues in which they occur their physiological significance has still to be established. They may act directly via specific receptors and/or indirectly by influencing the release and action of other cardiovascular transmitters. In marked contrast, atrial natriuretic peptide is produced by cardiac myocytes and considered to act as a circulating hormone.     

Peptides in the mammalian cardiovascular system

Ample immunocytochemical evidence is now available demonstrating that several peptides are present in the mammalian cardiovascular system where they are localised to nerve fibres and myocardial cells. The neuropeptides (neuropeptide Y, calcitonin gene-related peptide, tachykinins and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide) are localised to large secretory vesicles in subpopulations of afferent or efferent nerves supplying the heart and vasculature of several mammals, including man. Although they often exert potent pharmacological effects on the tissues in which they occur their physiological significance has still to be established. They may act directly via specific receptors and/or indirectly by influencing the release and action of other cardiovascular transmitters. In marked contrast, atrial natriuretic peptide is produced by cardiac myocytes and considered to act as a circulating hormone.     

一种新型高价锰取代的多金属氧酸盐合成、结构及性质研究

在含有MnⅡ的夹心型多金属氧酸盐水溶液中加入强氧化剂KMnO4,制得一种新型的含有MnⅢ的多金属氧酸盐K5Na3[{MnⅢ(H2O)}2(WO)(H2O) (AsW9O33)2]·18H2O (KNa-1).该化合物的多阴离子结构是基于2个B-α-[AsW9]三缺位Keggin型构筑单元,中间夹着2个{MnⅢ(H2O)}和1个{WⅥO}片段而构成的夹心式构型.对KNa-1进行了变温磁化率测定并采用双核MnⅢ簇为模型进行了拟合,并对该化合物进行了电化学分析.结果表明:KNa-1 中的2个MnⅢ中心存在弱的反铁磁相互作用;化合物中的MnⅢ离子具有不可逆的氧化还原过程.     

A new-specificity mutant of 434 repressor that defines an amino acid-base pair contact

The repressor encoded by bacteriophage 434 binds to its operators by inserting a 'recognition' alpha-helix into the major groove of the DNA. We have identified an amino acid-base pair contact that determines (in part) the DNA-binding specificity of 434 repressor. The identification is based on the properties of a 'new-specificity' mutant, named Repressor [Ala 28], which bears the substitution of Ala for Gln at the first residue of its recognition alpha-helix. Repressor [Ala 28] binds with high affinity to a particular doubly mutant operator bearing the same substitution at position 1 in each half-site, but does not bind to either the wild-type operator or to other mutant operators. We describe molecular models of residue 28-base pair 1 interactions that account for the binding specificities of both the mutant and wild-type proteins.