Non-axisymmetric magnetostatic equilibrium with strong twisted component of magnetic field

The perturbation theory is applied further to the discussion of the equilibrium properties of a sunspot-like magnetic field with a strong twisted component. The basic state reduces to the usual one discussed extensively for the axisymmetric magnetostatic equilibrium with twisted component of magnetic field, and the perturbed state is described by two coupled equations. As the magnetic force-line is twisted, there is a magnetic tension in the azimuthal direction. In this case, the perturbed total pressure is no longer independent of the azimuthal variable θ, and the magnetic field in the dark penumbal fibril may be either stronger or weaker relatively.

Donut-Shaped Fingerprint In Homologous Polypeptide Relationships-A Topological Feature Related To Pathogenic Structural Changes In Conformational Disease

Features of homologous relationship of proteins can provide us a general picture of protein universe, assist protein design and analysis, and further our comprehension of the evolution of organisms. Here we carried Out a Study of the evolution Of protein molecules by investigating homologous relationships among residue segments. The motive was to identify detailed topological features of homologous relationships for short residue segments in the whole protein universe. Based on the data of a large number of non-redundant Proteins, the universe of non-membrane polypeptide was analyzed by considering both residue mutations and structural conservation. By connecting homologous segments with edges, we obtained a homologous relationship network of the whole universe of short residue segments, which we named the graph of polypeptide relationships (GPR). Since the network is extremely complicated for topological transitions, to obtain an in-depth understanding, only subgraphs composed of vital nodes of the GPR were analyzed. Such analysis of vital subgraphs of the GPR revealed a donut-shaped fingerprint. Utilization of this topological feature revealed the switch sites (where the beginning of exposure Of previously hidden "hot spots" of fibril-forming happens, in consequence a further opportunity for protein aggregation is Provided; 188-202) of the conformational conversion of the normal alpha-helix-rich prion protein PrPC to the beta-sheet-rich PrPSc that is thought to be responsible for a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Efforts in analyzing other proteins related to various conformational diseases are also introduced. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antihemostatic molecules from saliva of blood-feeding arthropods

The ability to feed on vertebrate blood has evolved many times in various arthropod clades. Consequently, saliva of blood-feeding arthropods has proven to be a rich source of antihemostatic molecules. A variety of platelet aggregation inhibitors antagonize platelet responses to wound-generated signals, including ADP, thrombin, and collagen. Anticoagulants disrupt elements of both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Vasodilators include nitrophorins (nitric oxide storage and transport heme proteins), a variety of peptides that mimic endogenous vasodilatory neuropeptides, and proteins that catabolize or sequester endogenous vasoconstrictors. Multiple salivary proteins may be directed against each component of hemostasis, resulting in both redundancy and in some cases cooperative interactions between antihemostatic proteins. The complexity and redundancy of saliva ensures an efficient blood meal for the arthropod, but it also provides a diverse array of novel antihemostatic molecules for the pharmacologist.

Biochemical and biological properties of Trimeresurus jerdonii venom and characterization of a platelet aggregation-inhibiting acidic phospholipase A(2)

Several biochemical and biological activities such as phospholipase A(2), arginine esterase, proteolytic, L-amino acid oxidase, 5'nucleotidase, acetylcholinesterase, thrombin-like, anticoagulant, and hemorrhagic activities were determined for whole desiccated venom of Trimeresurus jerdonii. An acidic phospholipase (named TJ-PLA(2)) was purified by anionic exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and reverse phase HPLC. TJ-PLA(2) had a molecular weight of 16,000 and a pI of 4.8. TJ-PLA(2) was non-lethal to mice up to an i.p. dose of 15 mg/kg body weight and lacked neurotoxicity and myotoxicity. It induced edema in the footpads of mice. The purified enzyme inhibited ADP- and collagen-induced human platelet aggregation in a manner which was both dose- and time-dependent.

A novel disintegrin, jerdonatin, inhibits platelet aggregation and sperm-egg binding

A novel disintegrin, jerdonatin, was purified to homogeneity from Trimeresurus jerdonii venom by gel filtration and reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. We isolated the cDNA encoding jerdonatin from the snake venom gland. Jerdonatin cDNA precursor,;encoded pre-peptide, metalloprotease and disintegrin domain. Jerdonatin is composed of 72 amino acid residues including 12 cysteines and the tripeptide sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD), a well-known characteristic of the disintegrin family. Molecular mass of jerdonatin was determined to be 8011 Da by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Jerdonatin inhibited ADP- and collagen-induced human platelet aggregation with IC50 of 123 and 135 nM, respectively. We also investigated the effect of jerdonatin on the binding of B6D2F1 hybrid mice spermatozoa to mice zona-free eggs and their subsequent fusion. Jerdonatin significantly inhibited sperm-egg binding in a concentration-dependent manner, but had no effect on the fusion of sperm-egg. These results indicate that integrins on the egg play a role in mammalian fertilization. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bioinformatic identification of genes encoding C1q-domain-containing proteins in zebrafish

C1q is the first subcomponent of classical pathway in the complement system and a major link between innate and acquired immunities. The globular (gC1q) domain similar with C1q was also found in many non-complement C1q-domain-containing (C1qDC) proteins which have similar crystal structure to that of the multifunctional tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand family, and also have diverse functions. In this study, we identified a total of 52 independent gene sequences encoding C1q-domain-containing proteins through comprehensive searches of zebrafish genome, cDNA and EST databases. In comparison to 31 orthologous genes in human and different numbers in other species, a significant selective pressure was suggested during vertebrate evolution. Domain organization of C1q-domain-containing (C1qDC) proteins mainly includes a leading signal peptide, a collagen-like region of variable length, and a C-terminal C1q domain. There are 11 highly conserved residues within the C1q domain, among which 2 are invariant within the zebrafish gene set. A more extensive database searches also revealed homologous C1qDC proteins in other vertebrates, invertebrates and even bacterium, but no homologous sequences for encoding C1qDC proteins were found in many species that have a more recent evolutionary history with zebrafish. Therefore, further studies on C1q-domain-containing genes among different species will help us understand evolutionary mechanism of innate and acquired immunities.

Identification and characterization of a cathepsin L-like cysteine protease from Taenia solium metacestode

Taenia solium metacestode, a larval pork tapeworm, is a causative agent of neurocysticercosis, one of the most common parasitic diseases in the human central nervous system. In this study, we identified a cDNA encoding for a cathepsin L-like cysteine protease from the T solium metacestode (TsCL-1) and characterized the biochemical properties of the recombinant enzyme. The cloned cDNA of 1216 bp encoded 339 amino acids with an approximate molecular weight of 37.6 kDa which containing a typical signal peptide sequence (17 amino acids), a pro-domain (106 amino acids), and a mature domain (216 amino acids). Sequence alignments of TsCL-1 showed low sequence similarity of 27.3-44.6 to cathepsin L-like cysteine proteases from other helminth parasites, but the similarity was increased to 35.9-55.0 when compared to mature domains. The bacterially expressed recombinant protein (rTsCL-1) did not show enzyme activity; however, the rTsCL-1 expressed in Pichia pastoris showed typical biochemical characteristics of cysteine proteases. It degraded human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), but not collagen. Western blot analysis of the rTsCL-1 showed antigenicity against the sera from patients with cysticercosis, sparganosis or fascioliasis, but weak or no antigenicity against the sera from patients with paragonimiasis or clonorchiasis. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.

猕猴多潜能成体肝前体细胞及猕猴ES 定向分化为胆管上皮细胞的研究

为解决供体器官的不足，以细胞移植为基础的替代疗法已成为治疗不可逆肝 脏疾病新的希望。 肝前体（干）细胞（Hepatic progenitor cellS，HPCs）和 胚胎干细胞（embryoic stem cells, ES）由于其特殊的细胞特性已成为细胞替 代治疗理想的种源细胞。 然而一方面包括人在内的灵长类动物的正常成体肝来 源的HPCs 的分离依然是很困难的；另一方面，ES 细胞来源的肝细胞和胆管细胞 的生成效率依旧很低。因此有必要建立稳定的高效的灵长类动物HPCs 细胞分离 培养体系及ES 细胞的肝细胞或胆管细胞分化体系以满足供体细胞的不足；这种 体系的建立还有利于研究肝细胞生物学如分化机制、自我更新机制等方面的重要 基础问题。 本研究以猕猴为实验模型，研究了正常成体肝来源的猕猴HPCs 分离、纯化 的条件，系统地鉴定了猕猴HPCs 的细胞特性和体内、外分化潜能，并评价了体 内移植效果。 同时以rES 为材料，建立了rES 高效分化为限定性内胚层 （definitive endoderm cells, DE）和胆管上皮细胞的分化体系。主要实验结 果包括：1）： FBS、EGF、HGF 及rat tail collagen (鼠尾胶原)是分离培养正 常成体猕猴来源的肝上皮前体细胞(rhesus monkey liver epithelial progenitor cells, mLEPCs)所必需的，mLEPCs 在此培养体系中至少可以扩增20 代或5 个月以上，并仍然保持原有的细胞特性；mLEPCs 呈现典型的上皮细胞形 态，并表达HPCs 细胞特有的表达模式即同时表达肝细胞和胆管细胞相关基因 （ALB，APOH，CX43，IB4）或蛋白（CK7，CK8，CK18）；在适宜的分化体系下， mLEPCs 可分化为功能性的肝细胞，形成具有胆管上皮细胞的胆管样结构，并能 转分化形成肌肉样细胞、肌样成纤维细胞及少突样细胞；移植入肝损伤的免疫抑 制的小鼠体内后，mLEPCs 能参与受体肝组织的再生，并能分化成ALB 阳性的肝 细胞；体内定位发现mLEPCs 与胆管区的细胞有相似的免疫原性，提示mLEPCs 可能来源于胆管区。2）：rES 在高浓度的acitvin A（100ng/ml）和低浓度的血 清(1%)单层诱导体系下可定向分化得到高比率的限定性内胚层细胞（definitive endoderm cells，DE 细胞）(约80%)； 高比率的DE 细胞的得到还与rES 细胞的接种密度相关；BMP4 和FGF1 可诱导DE 细胞高效向胆管上皮细胞分化（约90%）， 但并不能得到肝细胞；而Notch 信号通路可维持DE 细胞的存活，并决定着DE 细胞向胆管细胞分化，在Notch 信号通路失活的情形下，即使存在BMP4 和FGF1 都不能促使DE 细胞向胆管细胞分化。 本实验首次成功建立了正常猕猴成体肝HPCs 分离培养体系，证实了分离得 到的猕猴肝上皮前体细胞不但具有正常HPCs 的增殖活力和参与受体肝组织的再 生能力，而且还具有三个胚层的分化潜能，这一结果将为以HPCs 为基础的细胞 替代治疗人类肝脏疾病的实现提供了可能，并首次证明了HPCs 也可以像某些少 数成体干细胞一样具有三个胚层得分化潜能。 此外，本研究建立了rES 高效定 向分化为DE 细胞和胆管细胞的分化体系，这一方法的建立将促进灵长类动物的 DE 细胞的发育机制研究，同时也可为高比率的内胚层功能细胞（如胰岛细胞、 肝细胞、肺细胞）的获得提供丰富的种源细胞和平台。

Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Three-Dimensional Human Vessel Models: Differential Effects According to Radiation Quality and Cellular Development

Little is known about the effects of space radiation on the human body. There are a number of potential chronic and acute effects, and one major target for noncarcinogenic effects is the human vasculature. Cellular stress, inflammatory response, and other radiation effects on endothelial cells may affect vascular function. This study was aimed at understanding the effects of space ionizing radiation on the formation and maintenance of capillary-like blood vessels. We used a 3D human vessel model created with human endothelial cells in a gel matrix to assess the effects of low-LET protons and high-LET iron ions. Iron ions were more damaging and caused significant reduction in the length of intact vessels in both developing and mature vessels at a dose of 80 cGy. Protons had no effect on mature vessels up to a dose of 3.2 Gy but did inhibit vessel formation at 80 cGy. Comparison with gamma radiation showed that photons had even less effect, although, as with protons, developing vessels were more sensitive. Apoptosis assays showed that inhibition of vessel development or deterioration of mature vessels was not due to cell death by apoptosis even in the case of iron ions. These are the first data to show the effects of radiation with varying linear energy transfer on a human vessel model. (C) 2011 In Radiation Research Society

Rapid label-free detection of metal-induced Alzheimer's amyloid beta peptide aggregation by electrochemical method

Amyloid beta peptide plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Metal ions are highly enriched in cerebral amyloid deposits in AD and are proposed to be able to mediate A beta conformation. Therefore, a rapid, low-cost, and sensitive detection of metal-induced A beta aggregation and their relation to AD is clearly needed for the clinical diagnosis and treatment. In this report, we study metal-induced A beta aggregation by a rapid, label-free electrochemical method and monitor both the aggregation kinetics and the morphology in the absence or presence of Zn (II) and Cu (II).

Performance inhomogeneity of gelatin during gelation process

The structural and performance inhomogeneities of gelatin gel can directly affect its application as a kind of functional material. The structural inhomogeneity of gelatin caused by the uneven and unstable temperature field has been analyzed by the finite element method in our previous work. Further in this paper, the performance inhomogeneity of gelatin which is closely connected with the actual application is numerically analyzed during the gelation process, which includes the inhomogeneities of the optical and mechanical properties of gelatin gels. The time required for reaching the gel point at different spatial grids is exhibited and discussed. The calculated results also show that the equilibrium shear modulus of gelatin is dependent on the thermal history.

Numerical simulation of coil-helix transition processes of gelatin

Gelatin is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and photographic industries due to the coil-helix transition, whereas the structural inhomogeneity considerably affects its essential properties closely connecting with the industrial applications. The spatially structural inhomogeneity of the gelatin caused by the uneven and unstable temperature field is analyzed by the finite element method during the cooling-induced coil-helix transition process. The helix conversion and the crosslinking density as functions of time and spatial grid are calculated by the incremental method. A length distribution density function is introduced to describe the continuous length distributions of two kinds of triple helices.

改性纳米羟基磷灰石/PLGA复合材料的制备及生物活性

以低聚乳酸接枝改性的羟基磷灰石纳米粒子(op-HA)和聚丙交酯-乙交酯(PLGA)制备的生物可降解纳米复合材料(op-HA/PLGA)为研究对象,采用FTIR,TGA,ESEM和EDX分析其接枝反应、接枝率、表面形貌和钙磷沉积情况,通过在材料膜表面接种兔成骨细胞进行体外培养,采用荧光染色、NIH ImageJ图像分析和Real-time PCR综合评价细胞在材料表面的形态、黏附面积比、增殖能力和基因表达水平,以此评价新型骨修复纳米复合材料op-HA/PLGA的表面性质和生物活性.研究结果表明,op-HA的表面接枝率为8.3%,掺入至PLGA后可形成富含钙磷的粗糙表面,促进成骨细胞的黏附、扩展和增殖,提高Ⅰ型胶原蛋白(Collagen-Ⅰ)、骨形态蛋白-2(BMP-2)和骨连接蛋白(Osteonectin)的基因表达水平,提高材料的钙磷沉积能力.op-HA/PLGA具有良好的细胞相容性和...

Kinetic study of paracetamol on prolidase activity in erythrocytes by capillary electrophoresis with Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) electrochemiluminescence detection

We explored the CE with Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) electrochemiluminescence detection for the kinetic study of drug-enzyme interaction. Effects of four nonsteroidal anti - inflammatory drugs including aspirin, paracetamol, sodium salicylate and phenacetin on prolidase (PLD) activity in erythrocytes were investigated. Aspirin enhanced PLD activity whereas the other three had inhibiting effects. This may reveal their different effects on the collagen biosynthesis and catabolism that influence tumor invasiveness. Kinetic study of paracetamol on PLD showed that the value of Michaelis constant Km for PLD was 1.23 mM. The mechanism of PLD inhibition by paracetamol is noncompetitive inhibition, and the inhibitor constant K-i value obtained in our research was 9.73 x 10(3) mu g/L.

Co-electrospun poly(lactide-co-glycolide), gelatin, and elastin blends for tissue engineering scaffolds

In this study, we describe composite scaffolds composed of synthetic and natural materials with physicochemical properties suitable for tissue engineering applications. Fibrous scaffolds were co-electrospun from a blend of a synthetic biodegradable polymer (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), PLGA, 10% solution) and two natural proteins, gelatin (denatured collagen, 8% solution) and (x-elastin (20% solution) at ratios of 3:1:2 and 2:2:2 (v/v/v). The resulting PLGA-gelatin-elastin (PGE) fibers were homogeneous in appearance with an average diameter of 380 80 mn, which was considerably smaller than fibers made under identical conditions from the starting materials (PLGA, 780 +/- 200 nm; gelatin, 447 +/- 1.23 nm; elastin, 1060 170 nm). Upon hydration, PGE fibers swelled to an average fiber diameter of 963 +/- 132 nm, but did not disintegrate. Importantly, PGE scaffolds were stable in an aqueous environment without crosslinking, and were more elastic than those made of pure elastin fibers. To investigate the cytocompatibility of PGE, we cultured H9c2 rat cardiac myoblasts and rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on fibrous PGE scaffolds. We found that myoblasts grew equally as well or slightly better on the scaffolds than on tissue-culture plastic. Microscopic evaluation confirmed that myoblasts reached confluence on the scaffold surfaces while simultaneously growing into the scaffolds.