The antiquity of oxygenic photosynthesis: evidence from stromatolites in sulphate-deficient Archaean lakes

The Tumbiana Formation, about 2700 million years old, was largely deposited in ephemeral saline lakes, as judged by the unusual evaporite paragenesis of carbonate and halite with no sulfate. Stromatolites of diverse morphology occur in the lacustrine sediments, some with palimpsest fabrics after erect filaments. These stromatolites were probably accreted by phototropic microbes that, from their habitat in shallow isolated basins with negligible sulfate concentrations, almost certainly metabolized by ozygenic photosynthesis.     

Probing the mechanisms of macromolecular recognition: the cytochrome b5-cytochrome c complex

The specificity of complex formation between cytochrome b5 (cyt b5) and cytochrome c (cyt c) is believed to involve the formation of salt linkages between specific carboxylic acid residues of cyt b5 with lysine residues on cyt c. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to alter the specified acidic residues of cyt b5 to the corresponding amide analogues, which resulted in a lower affinity for complex formation with cyt c. The dissociation of the complex under high pressure resulted in specific volume changes, the magnitude of which reflected the degree of solvation of the acidic residues in the proposed protein-protein interface.     

Molecular dynamics of a cytochrome c-cytochrome b5 electron transfer complex

Cytochrome c and cytochrome b5 form an electrostatically associated electron transfer complex. Computer models of this and related complexes that were generated by docking the x-ray structures of the individual proteins have provided insight into the specificity and mechanism of electron transfer reactions. Previous static modeling studies were extended by molecular dynamics simulations of a cytochrome c-cytochrome b5 intermolecular complex. The simulations indicate that electrostatic interactions at the molecular interface results in a flexible association complex that samples alternative interheme geometries and molecular conformations. Many of these transient geometries appear to be more favorable for electron transfer than those formed in the initial model complex. Of particular interest is a conformational change that occurred in phenylalanine 82 of cytochrome c that allowed the phenyl side chain to bridge the two cytochrome heme groups.     

NMR characterization of surface interactions in the cytochrome b5-cytochrome c complex

The complex formed in solution by native and chemically modified cytochrome c with cytochrome b5 has been studied by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Contrary to predictions of recent theoretical analysis, 1H NMR spectroscopy indicates that there is no major movement of cytochrome c residue Phe82 on binding to cytochrome b5. The greater resolution provided by 13C NMR spectroscopy permits detection of small perturbations in the environments of cytochrome c residues Ile75 and Ile85 on binding with cytochrome b5, a result that is in agreement with earlier model-building experiments. As individual cytochrome c lysyl residues are resolved in the 1H NMR spectrum of N-acetimidylated cytochrome c, the interaction of this modified protein with cytochrome b5 has been studied to evaluate the number of cytochrome c lysyl residues involved in binding to cytochrome b5. The results of this experiment indicate that at least six lysyl residues are involved, two more than predicted by static model building, which indicates that cytochrome c and cytochrome b5 form two or more structurally similar 1:1 complexes in solution.     

Translation of the edited mRNA for cytochrome b in trypanosome mitochondria

The type of RNA editing found in the kinetoplast-mitochondria of trypanosomes and related protozoa, involving uridylate insertions and deletions, creates translatable messenger RNAs (mRNAs) out of nonsense pre-edited RNAs by correcting encoded defects that vary from simple frameshifts to large "cryptic" regions. However, any evidence for translation of these mRNAs in the kinetoplast has been missing for decades. We identified a kinetoplast-encoded protein, apocytochrome b, whose mRNA is edited in the 5' region. The determined amino-terminal sequence of the protein coincides with the predicted sequence derived from the edited region, demonstrating that the cognate apocytochrome b mRNA is translated into a functional protein. This finding represents the first direct evidence for a functional translation system in the kinetoplasts.     

Structure of an E6AP-UbcH7 complex: insights into ubiquitination by the E2-E3 enzyme cascade

The E6AP ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3) mediates the human papillomavirus-induced degradation of the p53 tumor suppressor in cervical cancer and is mutated in Angelman syndrome, a neurological disorder. The crystal structure of the catalytic hect domain of E6AP reveals a bilobal structure with a broad catalytic cleft at the junction of the two lobes. The cleft consists of conserved residues whose mutation interferes with ubiquitin-thioester bond formation and is the site of Angelman syndrome mutations. The crystal structure of the E6AP hect domain bound to the UbcH7 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) reveals the determinants of E2-E3 specificity and provides insights into the transfer of ubiquitin from the E2 to the E3.     

Structure of the S15,S6,S18-rRNA complex: assembly of the 30S ribosome central domain

The crystal structure of a 70-kilodalton ribonucleoprotein complex from the central domain of the Thermus thermophilus 30S ribosomal subunit was solved at 2.6 angstrom resolution. The complex consists of a 104-nucleotide RNA fragment composed of two three-helix junctions that lie at the end of a central helix, and the ribosomal proteins S15, S6, and S18. S15 binds the ribosomal RNA early in the assembly of the 30S ribosomal subunit, stabilizing a conformational reorganization of the two three-helix junctions that creates the RNA fold necessary for subsequent binding of S6 and S18. The structure of the complex demonstrates the central role of S15-induced reorganization of central domain RNA for the subsequent steps of ribosome assembly.     

Structure of the VHL-ElonginC-ElonginB complex: implications for VHL tumor suppressor function

Mutation of the VHL tumor suppressor is associated with the inherited von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) cancer syndrome and the majority of kidney cancers. VHL binds the ElonginC-ElonginB complex and regulates levels of hypoxia-inducible proteins. The structure of the ternary complex at 2.7 angstrom resolution shows two interfaces, one between VHL and ElonginC and another between ElonginC and ElonginB. Tumorigenic mutations frequently occur in a 35-residue domain of VHL responsible for ElonginC binding. A mutational patch on a separate domain of VHL indicates a second macromolecular binding site. The structure extends the similarities to the SCF (Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein) complex that targets proteins for degradation, supporting the hypothesis that VHL may function in an analogous pathway.     

雷琼牛Cyt b基因序列分析及其分子系统发生探讨

通过对20头雷琼牛(Bos indicus)细胞色素b(Cyt b)基因序列(1 140 bp)的比对和分析,共发现7个变异位点,定义了6种单倍型。经与GenBank上6个牛种的Cyt b基因序列进行比较,分析其碱基组成和核苷酸序列变异,计算不同牛种间的kimura双参数遗传距离。以亚洲水牛(Bubalusbubalis)为外群,应用邻接法构建牛属动物分子系统发育树。结果表明:雷琼牛与印度瘤牛(Bos indicus)一样同属于典型的瘤牛,但两者有明显的区别,推测中国可能是世界瘤牛的发源地之一,不支持雷琼牛含有爪哇牛(Bos javanicus)血统的观点。     

中华倒刺鲃线粒体细胞色素b基因的遗传多样性分析

测定了长江支流贵定与干流合江和宜都3个群体57尾中华倒刺鲃细胞色素b基因5'端971 bp序列以分析其遗传多样性和种群结构.结果发现21个变异位点和13个简约信息位点,检测到14种单倍型,平均单倍型多样性(Hd)和核苷酸多样性(Pi)分别为0.7820和0.0025,表现出较低的遗传多样性.合江群体核苷酸多样性最高(0.0036),宜都其次,贵定最低.在NJ系统树上没有出现明显的谱系结构和地理聚群,AMOVA分析显示遗传变异主要集中在群体内的个体间(61.16％).宜都和合江群体间的Fst和Nm值分别为0.0974和4.6329,但贵定群体与合江和宜都群体间的Fst值分别为0.4549、0.4875,Nm值分别为0.5991、0.5256,表明长江干流2个地理群体间遗传分化程度低,可视为一个大的随机交配群体;而支流群体没有遗传变异,且与长江干流群体间出现高度分化,可能是由贵定特殊地理条件使基因交流受阻所致.中性检测表明,宜都群体在约为7.6万～3.0万年前的更新世晚期发生过种群的快速扩张.     

DA-6对温室油桃光合作用及果实品质的影响

以温室栽培的油桃‘红珊瑚’为试材,研究DA-6对温室油桃净光合速率、光合关键酶活性及果实品质的影响。结果表明:定果(花后45d)后喷施2次(间隔25d)20mg/L DA-6可以显著提高油桃净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、蒸腾速率(Tr)以及叶绿素含量,与对照相比,Pn和Gs最多提高了25.83%和12.85%,同时显著提高了核酮糖-1,5-二磷酸加氧酶/羧化酶(Rubisco)和果糖-1,6-二磷酸酯酶(FBPase)等光合关键酶的活性,表明DA-6通过调节气孔因素、光合关键酶活性等因素来调节温室桃树叶片的净光合速率。与对照相比显著提高了果实的单果重和可溶性固形物含量,降低了可滴定酸的含量,果实的固酸比比对照提高了8.68,表明DA-6可以改善果实的品质。     

Structure of an oxygen-carrying cobalt complex

Bis(3-fluorosalicylaldehyde) ethylenediimine cobalt(II), a reversible oxygen-carrying compound, has been crystallized as a tetramer with two oxygen molecules bound to the four cobalt atomns, each oxygen molecule bridging between two metal atoms. These dimers are further linked by two bonds between the oxygen atom of the salicylaldehyde and the cobalt atom. The oxygen-to-oxygen distance, 1.21 angstroms in molecular oxygen, has increased to 1.308(28) angstroms (where the number in parentheses is the estimated standard deviation) in this compound, the shortest distance yet observed in sutch a bridging arrangement.     

基于线粒体细胞色素b基因序列分析的泉水鱼遗传多样性研究

测定了长江水系贵定和乐山2个群体30尾泉水鱼细胞色素b基因1 026 bp序列,发现13个变异位点,检测出7种单倍型,Hd和Pi分别为0.772和0.0041,其中贵定和乐山群体的Hd分别为0.695和0.362,Pi分别为0.0030和0.0004,呈现出单倍型多样性较低和核苷酸多样性极低的特点;两个群体间的Fst和Nm值分别为0.7417和0.17,AMOVA分析显示遗传变异主要集中在群体间(74.17%),表明群体间出现高度的遗传分化;在邻接树上出现两个按地理来源聚群谱系,呈现出明显的地理结构;估算群体间分歧时间大约在16万年前,为更新世时期。中性检测表明两个群体在过去没有发生种群的快速扩张。建议将贵定和乐山群体作为不同的管理保护单位加以保护。     

Structure of the lambda complex at 2.5 A resolution: details of the repressor-operator interactions

The crystal structure of a complex containing the DNA-binding domain of lambda repressor and a lambda operator site was determined at 2.5 A resolution and refined to a crystallographic R factor of 24.2 percent. The complex is stabilized by an extensive network of hydrogen bonds between the protein and the sugar-phosphate backbone. Several side chains form hydrogen bonds with sites in the major groove, and hydrophobic contacts also contribute to the specificity of binding. The overall arrangement of the complex is quite similar to that predicted from earlier modeling studies, which fit the protein dimer against linear B-form DNA. However, the cocrystal structure reveals important side chain-side chain interactions that were not predicted from the modeling or from previous genetic and biochemical studies.     

DA-6对双H型立体栽培草莓光合作用和生长发育的影响

针对立体栽培各层草莓生长状况不一致的现状,为促进DA-6在草莓立体栽培中的应用,以日光温室双H型立体栽培的‘红颜’草莓为试材,测定分析双H型立体栽培架上下层的光环境,分析冬季叶面喷施DA-6对双H型立体栽培上下层草莓光合作用、植株生长、果实产量和品质的影响。结果表明,双H型立体栽培的草莓下层光环境较差,下层南部、中部和北部光环境差异较大。随着DA-6浓度的提高,DA-6处理双H型立体栽培草莓能够提高净光合速率、促进植株生长、增加草莓产量、改善果实品质,DA-6对上下层草莓光合作用及生长发育的影响不同。20mg/L DA-6处理双H型立体栽培上层草莓,净光合速率比对照提高了13.0%,叶面积提高了18.0%,显著提高了叶绿素a、b含量、果实产量、果实硬度和可溶性固形物;30mg/L DA-6处理双H型立体栽培下层草莓,净光合速率比对照提高了53.0%,叶面积提高了11.1%,显著提高了叶绿素a、b含量、果实产量、果实硬度和可滴定酸含量,降低了可溶性固形物含量;40mg/L DA-6处理则产生了抑制作用,表明对于光环境相对较差的双H立体栽培下层草莓,适度喷施DA-6有利于促进草莓的光合作用、产量增加和提早成熟。     

黄瓜枯萎病对黄瓜光合和水分生理特性的影响

采用盆栽试验的方法,对黄瓜植株感染黄瓜枯萎病病原菌后不同发病级别的黄瓜叶片水分生理指标变化,以及连作土壤上施用有机肥与微生物有机肥后对不同处理黄瓜叶片水分生理指标的影响进行了研究。结果表明:植株在感染枯萎病病原菌后,叶片比叶重、叶绿素含量、净光合速率、气孔导度和蒸腾速率都显著降低,其中光合速率和气孔导度分别降低约80%和60%。随着植株感病程度的增加,叶柄胼胝质含量显著增加,导致了叶片含水量和叶片导水率的显著降低。叶片含水量、叶片导水率和叶柄胼胝质含量之间呈显著的负相关关系。施用微生物有机肥料能够抑制叶柄胼胝质形成,维持叶片导水率、叶片含水量和叶片的光合特性。在发生黄瓜连作障碍的土壤上施用含有特殊拮抗菌株的微生物有机肥后,可以缓解病原菌对植株水分生理代谢的影响。