Heat and SDS insensitive NDK dimers are largely stabilised by hydrophobic interaction to form functional hexamer in Mycobacterium smegmatis

The primary structure and function of nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), a substrate non-specific enzyme involved in the maintenance of nucleotide pools is also implicated to play pivotal roles in many other cellular processes. NDK is conserved from bacteria to human and forms a homotetramer or hexamer to exhibit its biological activity. However, the nature of the functional oligomeric form of the enzyme differs among different organisms. The functional form of NDKs from many bacterial systems, including that of the human pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtuNDK), is a hexamer, although some bacterial NDKs are tetrameric in nature. The present study addresses the oligomeric property of MsmNDK and how a dimer, the basic subunit of a functional hexamer, is stabilized by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Homology modeling was generated using the three-dimensional structure of MtuNDK as a template; the residues interacting at the monomer-monomer interface of MsmNDK were mapped. Using recombinant enzymes of wild type, catalytically inactive mutant, and monomer-monomer interactive mutants of MsmNDK, the stability of the dimer was verified under heat, SDS, low pH, and methanol. The predicted residues (Gln17, Ser24 and Glu27) were engaged in dimer formation, however the mutated proteins retained the ATPase and GTPase activity even after introducing single (MsmNDK- Q17A, MsmNDK-E27A, and MsmNDK-E27Q) and double (MsmNDK-E27A/Q17A) mutation. However, the monomer monomer interaction could be abolished using methanol, indicating the stabilization of the monomer-monomer interaction by hydrophobic interaction.

Miscellaneous translations on oyster biology (contents page only - individual articles held as separate documents)

This is a translation of selected articles from the Japanese language publication Hiroshimaken Suisan Shikenjo Hokoku (Report of Hirshima Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station), Hiroshima City, Japan, vol.22, no. 1, 1960, pages 1-76. Articles translated are: Haematological study of bacteria affected oysters, The distribution of oyster larvae and spatfalls in the Hiroshima City perimeter, On the investigation of the timing of spatfalls, On the prediction of oyster seeding at inner Hiroshima Bay, Oyster growth and its environment at the oyster farm in Hiroshima Bay

Back page of No. 44, 1986

Membership of CDF Council

Back page of No. 42, 1985

Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands.

Back page of No. 63, 2005

Instructions for Authors. Back cover with map.

湖南产尖吻蝮蛇蛇毒出血毒素性质和溶液构象的研究

经sephadex G-75凝胶过滤、QAE-Sephadex A-50和CM-Sephadex C-25离子交换步骤,从湖南产尖吻蝮（Deinagkistrodon acutus）蛇毒中纯化出两个出血毒素,被命名为HaHT-1和HaHT-2。用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（PAGE）和SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳鉴定呈单一的蛋白染色带。两个出血毒素的分子量相同,均为 23.5kDa。等电聚焦电泳测定它们的等电点分别为5.6和5.2。HaHT-1和HaHT-2均具有较强的出血活性（MHD分别为0.5和0.8μg）,都有酪蛋白水解活力,无精氨酸酯酶、胆碱酯酶和磷脂酶A_2活力。用CD谱测定HaHT-l和HaHT-2的溶液构象,HaHT-1的α-螺旋、β-折叠和无规卷曲分别为36.9％、35.5％和27.6％,而HaHT-2的α-螺旋、β-折叠和无规卷曲分别为23.4％、31.3％和45.3％。pH的变化对它们构象有影响,在pH2-11范围内,酸性比碱性大。随着酸性或碱性的增加其α-螺旋含量减少,无规卷曲增加,β-折叠结构变化不大。