Evolutionary mode of metallothioneins inferred from Cd-MT genes of Tetrahymena

FromTetrahymena thermophila (strain BF5), the coding region ofCd-MT gene was cloned and sequenced, and identified as MTTI isoform. A serial duplicate structure is discovered in its amino acid sequence, which separates the coding region into three parts (Part 1: 7–61: Part 2: 64–118; Part 3: 122–162). The alignments among them and comparison with the corresponding parts of MT1 isoform suggest that MT1 and MTT1 isoforms both come from the same ancient gene that is homologous to Part 1, and Cd-MTs ofTetrahymena are aroused by such ancient gene duplication. The prediction of secondary structures and the analysis of the disulfide-bonding state of cysteine show that there are a lot of differences between MT1 and MTT1 isoforms, which maybe relate to their function mechanism. Foundation item: Supported by KSCX of Chinese Academy of Sciences Grant (SW-102) and the Allocation from the Earmaarked Grant for Hong Kong. Biography: WAN Mingliang (1980-). male, Ph. D. candidate, research direction: molecular ecotoxicology of protozoan.     

Recognition of bacterial glycosphingolipids by natural killer T cells

Natural killer T (NKT) cells constitute a highly conserved T lymphocyte subpopulation that has the potential to regulate many types of immune responses through the rapid secretion of cytokines. NKT cells recognize glycolipids presented by CD1d, a class I-like antigen-presenting molecule. They have an invariant T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) alpha-chain, but whether this invariant TCR recognizes microbial antigens is still controversial. Here we show that most mouse and human NKT cells recognize glycosphingolipids from Sphingomonas, Gram-negative bacteria that do not contain lipopolysaccharide. NKT cells are activated in vivo after exposure to these bacterial antigens or bacteria, and mice that lack NKT cells have a marked defect in the clearance of Sphingomonas from the liver. These data suggest that NKT cells are T lymphocytes that provide an innate-type immune response to certain microorganisms through recognition by their antigen receptor, and that they might be useful in providing protection from bacteria that cannot be detected by pattern recognition receptors such as Toll-like receptor 4.     

Unidirectional rotation in a mechanically interlocked molecular rotor

Molecular motor proteins are ubiquitous in nature and have inspired attempts to create artificial machines that mimic their ability to produce controlled motion on the molecular level. A recent example of an artificial molecular rotor is a molecule undergoing a unidirectional 120 degrees intramolecular rotation around a single bond; another is a molecule capable of repetitive unimolecular rotation driven by multiple and successive isomerization of its central double bond. Here we show that sequential and unidirectional rotation can also be induced in mechanically interlocked assemblies comprised of one or two small rings moving around one larger ring. The small rings in these [2]- and [3]catenanes move in discrete steps between different binding sites located on the larger ring, with the movement driven by light, heat or chemical stimuli that change the relative affinity of the small rings for the different binding sites. We find that the small ring in the [2]catenane moves with high positional integrity but without control over its direction of motion, while the two rings in the [3]catenane mutually block each other's movement to ensure an overall stimuli-induced unidirectional motion around the larger ring.     

An ultrastructural study of the synaptic glomeruli in the intermediolateral nucleus of the rat

Résumé On a constaté que le neuroptile du noyau intermédio-latéral du rat contient de nombreux glomérules synaptiques gliaux encapsulés dans lesquels se trouve habituellement un dentrite ou axe terminal très visible surmonté par de petits boutons et des dentrites. Les glomérules sont accompagnés de synapses axo-axonaux qui peuvent être le corrolaire structural d'une inhibition présynaptique. La signification fonctionnelle des glomérules et des synapses axo-axonaux est discutée.

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It is a pleasure to acknowledge the technical assistance of Mr.H. L. Chan.     

Algal single cell protein production from sewage effluent with high salinity

Summary Laboratory studies indicate that the unicellular green algaChlorella salina CU-1 could be cultivated in treated sewage effluent with high salinity. The high protein content (51% dry weight), and the relatively complete amino acid profile of the cells, suggest that this alga might be an ideal organism to be used for single cell protein production from high-salinity sewage.     

A high–low model of daily stock price ranges

We observe that daily highs and lows of stock prices do not diverge over time and, hence, adopt the cointegration concept and the related vector error correction model (VECM) to model the daily high, the daily low, and the associated daily range data. The in‐sample results attest to the importance of incorporating high–low interactions in modeling the range variable. In evaluating the out‐of‐sample forecast performance using both mean‐squared forecast error and direction of change criteria, it is found that the VECM‐based low and high forecasts offer some advantages over alternative forecasts. The VECM‐based range forecasts, on the other hand, do not always dominate—the forecast rankings depend on the choice of evaluation criterion and the variables being forecast. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of nicotine on ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats

Nicotine, in concentrations of 5 and 25 micrograms/ml drinking water, given ad libitum for 10 days, dose-dependently increased lesion formation and worsened ethanol-induced ulceration in rat stomachs. Daily fluid intake and b.wt gain were not adversely affected by nicotine pretreatment.     

福建省主要港湾潮下带底栖生物生态研究

分析了福建省８个主要港湾底栖生物的种类组成，区系特点，数量分布，主要优化种分布以及底栖生物与沉积物类型的关系等。共获得４６１种，以软体动物种类最多，甲壳类和多毛类分别居第２和第３位，其区系特征以热带亚热带暖水性种类以及广温性种类占绝对优势。全省平均生物量５６．２克／米＾２，平均栖息密度１７９个／米＾２，主要优势种有２４种，在不同沉积物类型中，以砂质粉砂和粉砂质砂的种类最多，平均生物量以粘土质粉砂较     

Mutant alpha subunits of Gi2 inhibit cyclic AMP accumulation

One or more of three Gi proteins, Gi1-3, mediates hormonal inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. Whether this inhibition is mediated by the alpha or by the beta gamma subunits of Gi proteins is unclear. Mutations inhibiting the intrinsic GTPase activity of another G protein, the stimulatory regulator of adenylyl cyclase (Gs), constitutively activate it by replacing either of two conserved amino acids in its alpha subunit (alpha s). These mutations create the gsp oncogene which is found in human pituitary and thyroid tumours. In a second group of human endocrine tumours, somatic mutations in the alpha subunit of Gi2 replace a residue cognate to one of those affected by gsp mutations. This implies that the mutations convert the alpha i2 gene into a dominantly acting oncogene, called gip2, and that the mutant alpha i2 subunits are constitutively active. We have therefore assessed cyclic AMP accumulation in cultured cells which stably or transiently express exogenous wild-type alpha i2 complementary DNA or either of two mutant alpha i2 cDNAs. The results show that putatively oncogenic mutations in alpha i2 constitutively activate the protein's ability to inhibit cAMP accumulation.