The polycomb group gene EMF2B is essential for maintenance of floral meristem determinacy in rice

Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) represses the transcriptional activity of target genes through trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone H3. The functions of plant PRC2 have been chiefly described in Arabidopsis, but specific functions in other plant species, especially cereals, are still largely unknown. Here we characterize mutants in the rice EMF2B gene, an ortholog of the Arabidopsis EMBRYONIC FLOWER2 (EMF2) gene. Loss of EMF2B in rice results in complete sterility, and mutant flowers have severe floral organ defects and indeterminacy that resemble loss-of-function mutants in E-function floral organ specification genes. Transcriptome analysis identified the E-function genes OsMADS1, OsMADS6 and OsMADS34 as differentially expressed in the emf2b mutant compared with wild type. OsMADS1 and OsMADS6, known to be required for meristem determinacy in rice, have reduced expression in the emf2b mutant, whereas OsMADS34 which interacts genetically with OsMADS1 was ectopically expressed. Chromatin immunoprecipitation for H3K27me3 followed by quantitative (q)RT-PCR showed that all three genes are presumptive targets of PRC2 in the meristem. Therefore, in rice, and possibly other cereals, PRC2 appears to play a major role in floral meristem determinacy through modulation of the expression of E-function genes.

Catalytic pathway, substrate binding and stability in SAICAR synthetase: A structure and molecular dynamics study

The de novo purine biosynthesis is one of the highly conserved pathways among all organisms and is essential for the cell viability. A clear understanding of the enzymes in this pathway would pave way for the development of antimicrobial and anticancer drugs. Phosphoribosylaminoimidazole-succinocar boxamide (SAICAR) synthetase is one of the enzymes in this pathway that catalyzes ATP dependent ligation of carboxyaminoimidazole ribotide (CAIR) with L-aspartate (ASP). Here, we describe eight crystal structures of this enzyme, in C222(1) and H3 space groups, bound to various substrates and substrate mimics from a hyperthermophilic archaea Pyrococcus horikoshii along with molecular dynamics simulations of the structures with substrates. Complexes exhibit minimal deviation from its apo structure. The CAIR binding site displays a preference for pyrimidine nucleotides. In the ADP.TMP-ASP complex, the ASP binds at a position equivalent to that found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae structure (PDB: 2CNU) and thus, clears the ambiguity regarding ASP's position. A possible mode for the inhibition of the enzyme by CTP and UTP, observed earlier in the yeast enzyme, is clearly illustrated in the structures bound to CMP and UMP. The ADP.Mg2+.PO4.CD/MP complex having a phosphate ion between the ATP and CAIR sites strengthens one of the two probable pathways (proposed in Escherichia coli study) of catalytic mechanism and suggests the possibility of a phosphorylation taking place before the ASP's attack on CAIR. Molecular dynamic simulations of this enzyme along with its substrates at 90 degrees C reveal the relative strengths of substrate binding, possible antagonism and the role of Mg2+ ions. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Disulfide Stabilized beta-Sandwich Defines the Structure of a New Cysteine Framework M-Superfamily Conotoxin

The structure of a new cysteine framework (-C-CC-C-C-C) ``M''-superfamily conotoxin, Mo3964, shows it to have a beta-sandwich structure that is stabilized by inter-sheet cross disulfide bonds. Mo3964 decreases outward K+ currents in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons and increases the reversal potential of the Na(V)1.2 channels. The structure of Mo3964 (PDB ID: 2MW7) is constructed from the disulfide connectivity pattern, i.e., 1-3, 2-5, and 4-6, that is hitherto undescribed for the ``M''-superfamily conotoxins. The tertiary structural fold has not been described for any of the known conus peptides. NOE (549), dihedral angle (84), and hydrogen bond (28) restraints, obtained by measurement of (h3)J(NC') scalar couplings, were used as input for structure calculation. The ensemble of structures showed a backbone root mean square deviation of 0.68 +/- 0.18 angstrom, with 87% and 13% of the backbone dihedral (phi, psi) angles lying in the most favored and additional allowed regions of the Ramachandran map. The conotoxin Mo3964 represents a new bioactive peptide fold that is stabilized by disulfide bonds and adds to the existing repertoire of scaffolds that can be used to design stable bioactive peptide molecules.

Hypothetical protein Rv3423.1 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a histone acetyltransferase

We isolated an 8 kDa mycobacterial hypothetical protein, Rv3423.1, from the chromatin of human macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Bioinformatics predictions followed by in vitro biochemical assays with purified recombinant protein showed that Rv3423.1 is a novel histone acetyltransferase that acetylates histone H3 at the K9/K14 positions. Transient transfection of macrophages containing GFP-tagged histone H1 with RFP-tagged Rv3423.1 revealed that the protein co-localizes with the chromatin in the nucleus. Co-immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that the Rv3423.1-histone interaction is specific. Rv3423.1 protein was detected in the culture filtrate of virulent but not avirulent M. tuberculosis. Infection of macrophages with recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis constitutively expressing Rv3423.1 resulted in a significant increase in the number of intracellular bacteria. However, the protein did not seem to offer any growth advantage to free-living recombinant M. smegmatis. It is highly likely that, by binding to the host chromatin, this histone acetyltransferase from M. tuberculosis may manipulate the expression of host genes involved in anti-inflammatory responses to evade clearance and to survive in the intracellular environment.

Stalking influenza by vaccination with pre-fusion headless HA mini-stem

Inaccuracies in prediction of circulating viral strain genotypes and the possibility of novel reassortants causing a pandemic outbreak necessitate the development of an anti-influenza vaccine with increased breadth of protection and potential for rapid production and deployment. The hemagglutinin (HA) stem is a promising target for universal influenza vaccine as stem-specific antibodies have the potential to be broadly cross-reactive towards different HA subtypes. Here, we report the design of a bacterially expressed polypeptide that mimics a H5 HA stem by protein minimization to focus the antibody response towards the HA stem. The HA mini-stem folds as a trimer mimicking the HA prefusion conformation. It is resistant to thermal/chemical stress, and it binds to conformation-specific, HA stem-directed broadly neutralizing antibodies with high affinity. Mice vaccinated with the group 1 HA mini-stems are protected from morbidity and mortality against lethal challenge by both group 1 (H5 and H1) and group 2 (H3) influenza viruses, the first report of cross-group protection. Passive transfer of immune serum demonstrates the protection is mediated by stem-specific antibodies. Furthermore, antibodies indudced by these HA stems have broad HA reactivity, yet they do not have antibody-dependent enhancement activity.

Repeat-Associated Fission Yeast-Like Regional Centromeres in the Ascomycetous Budding Yeast Candida tropicalis

The centromere, on which kinetochore proteins assemble, ensures precise chromosome segregation. Centromeres are largely specified by the histone H3 variant CENP-A (also known as Cse4 in yeasts). Structurally, centromere DNA sequences are highly diverse in nature. However, the evolutionary consequence of these structural diversities on de novo CENP-A chromatin formation remains elusive. Here, we report the identification of centromeres, as the binding sites of four evolutionarily conserved kinetochore proteins, in the human pathogenic budding yeast Candida tropicalis. Each of the seven centromeres comprises a 2 to 5 kb non-repetitive mid core flanked by 2 to 5 kb inverted repeats. The repeat-associated centromeres of C. tropicalis all share a high degree of sequence conservation with each other and are strikingly diverged from the unique and mostly non-repetitive centromeres of related Candida species-Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis, and Candida lusitaniae. Using a plasmid-based assay, we further demonstrate that pericentric inverted repeats and the underlying DNA sequence provide a structural determinant in CENP-A recruitment in C. tropicalis, as opposed to epigenetically regulated CENP-A loading at centromeres in C. albicans. Thus, the centromere structure and its influence on de novo CENP-A recruitment has been significantly rewired in closely related Candida species. Strikingly, the centromere structural properties along with role of pericentric repeats in de novo CENP-A loading in C. tropicalis are more reminiscent to those of the distantly related fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Taken together, we demonstrate, for the first time, fission yeast-like repeat-associated centromeres in an ascomycetous budding yeast.

Atomistic Simulation of Stacked Nucleosome Core Particles: Tail Bridging, the H4 Tail, and Effect of Hydrophobic Forces

We report the first atomistic simulation of two stacked nucleosome core particles (NCPs), with an aim to understand, in molecular detail, how they interact, the effect of salt concentration, and how different histone tails contribute to their interaction, with a special emphasis on the H4 tail, known to have the largest stabilizing effect on the NCP-NCP interaction. We do not observe specific K16-mediated interaction between the H4 tail and the H2A-H2B acidic patch, in contrast with the findings from crystallographic studies, but find that the stacking was stable even in the absence of this interaction. We perform simulations with the H4 tail (partially/completely) removed and find that the region between LYS-16 and LYS-20 of the H4 tail holds special importance in mediating the inter-NCP interaction. Performing similar tail-clipped simulations with the H3 tail removed, we compare the roles of the H3 and H4 tails in maintaining the stacking. We discuss the relevance of our simulation results to the bilayer and other liquid-crystalline phases exhibited by NCPs in vitro and, through an analysis of the histone-histone interface, identify the interactions that could possibly stabilize the inter-NCP interaction in these columnar mesophases. Through the mechanical disruption of the stacked nucleosome system using steered molecular dynamics, we quantify the strength of inter-NCP stacking in the presence and absence of salt. We disrupt the stacking at some specific sites of internucleosomal tail-DNA contact and perform a comparative quantification of the binding strengths of various tails in stabilizing the stacking. We also examine how hydrophobic interactions may contribute to the overall stability of the stacking and find a marked difference in the role of hydrophobic forces as compared with electrostatic forces in determining the stability of the stacked nucleosome system.

Efecto de diferentes niveles de aplicación de fertilizante nitrogenado sobre la producción de semilla del Andropogon gayanus kunth var. CIAT 621 (Gamba), en la zona de Carazo

El estudio se desarrollo de junio a diciembre de 1994, en la finca "El Pastor" municipio de Santa Teresa, Departamento de Carazo. Ubicada a una elevación de 367 msnm. y entre las latitudes 1301' y 1302'. La zona registró tamperaturas promedios de 24°C y unos 1550 mm de precipitación media por año; por lo cual es posible considerar la zona agroecológica como trópico seco. Se evaluó el efecto de diferentes niveles de fertilizante nitrogenado sobre la producción de semilla de Andropogon gayanus Kunth, para ello se utilizó un diseño experimental de Bloques Completos al Azar (BCA) y se estudió el efecto de un solo factor (Niveles de fertilizante) con cuatro repeticiones formándose un total de veinte tratamientos 2 El ensayo se realizó en un área total de 875 m en la toma de muestras se empleó el método del metro cuadrado para la evaluación de- MS y forraje verde. En cambio, para evaluar la producción de semilla cruda se evaluó el área útil (3x4 m) de parcela. No se realizó poda de control, a causa del mal invierno. Se procedió a aplicar de una sola vez los diferentes niveles de fertilizante. El estudio estadístico contempló el uso del análisis de la varianza (ANDEVA) y se hizo una separación de medias por la prueba de Duncan. Se midió la influencia porcentual de cinco niveles de fertilizante (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 Kg de Urea, 46% N2/h3.), sobre la producción de semilla cruda de la parcela útil l (SCPU), también el Porcentaje de semilla pura ajustada (PSPA), kilogramos de forraje verde por m 2 (KGFV), porcentaje de materia seca (%MS) y• porcent.aje de viabilidad de la semilla (% VIAB>. Las variables% MS y Semilla cruda evaluadas resultaron con valores significativos para los bloques, a excepción del % SPA, % VIAB y Forraje verde. Para los tratamientos resultó significativ solamente la variable Forraje verde al (P<0.05>. Al evaluar los resultados obtenido sometiendo las variables en estudio al análisis estadístico y considerando el factor costo de producción- rentabilidad y rendimiento productivo en el campo; seleccionamos el tratamiento 50 Kg urea 146%/N,)/ha como el mas idóneo para la producción de semilla del Andropogon gayanus para la zona evaluada.

生物力学导论

在我国生物力学是门新兴学科，它既是医学和生物医学工程发展的需要，也是力学学科发展的必然生物力学以医学、生理学、生物学的学要为出发点和归宿，把力学的和生物学的方法有机地结合起来，去解决这些学科工程中所需解决的问题
本书详细介绍了这方面的有关知识和研究成果
附录与关键词: 生物力学 概论 生物力学 <h3>目录h3>第一节 历史的源流
第一章 生物力学概说
目录
第二节 背景和需要
第三节 全景鸟瞰
第二章 生物力学的力学基础
第一节 运动和力
2、1、1质点系动力学和刚体动力学基础
2、1、2刚体动力学在生物力学中的应用
2、1、3量纲和单位
2、2、1连续性假说
第二节 连续介质力学基本知识
2、2、2描述连续介质运动的两种方法
2、2、3应力
2、2、4应变·应变率
2、2、5变形功和应变能
2、2、6弹性和粘弹性
2、3、1流变学的方法学的一般原理
第三节 本构关系——流变学的主题
2、3、2Hooke（胡克）弹性体
2、3、3牛顿流体和非牛顿流体
2、3、4线性粘弹性体
2、4、1生命现象和流体运动
第四节 生物流体力学基础
2、4、2不同层次和不同系统中的生理流动问题
2、4、3流体力学的基本原理
2、4、4流体力学的基本方程
2、4、5量纲分析·相似参数
2、4、6生物流体力学的相似性问题
第五节 生物传质及其热力学基础
2、5、1热力学的基础定律
2、5、2扩散
2、5、3渗透·滤过
2、5、4组织间质中的渗流
2、5、5通过细胞膜的物质输运
结语：符号和语法
第三章 活组织的力学性质
第一节 骨的力学性质
3、2、1软组织的结构要素
第二节 软组织的力学性质
3、2、2软组织力学性质的实验方法
3、2、3软组织力学行为的一般特点
3、2、4软组织的本构方程
3、3、1血管壁的构造
第三节 血管的力学性质
3、3、2动脉血管的力学性质
3、3、3静脉血管的力学性质
3、3、4微血管的力学性质
第四节 关节 软骨的力学性质
3、4、1准线性粘弹性本构关系
3、4、2关节软骨的两相模型
3、5、1流体的粘弹性
第五节 生物粘弹性流体
3、5、2关节滑液的粘弹性
结语：生物流变学的理论和实践意义
第四章 肌肉力学基础
第一节 骨胳肌、心肌和平滑肌
第二节 骨胳肌的微结构和收缩机理
第三节 Hill方程和Hill模型
4、3、1Hill模型（双元素）
4、3、2三元素模型
4、4、1静息状态下心肌的力学性质
第四节 心肌的力学性质
4、4、2Hill模型应用于心肌
第五节 平滑肌的力学性质
结语：需要新概念、新技术
第五章 血液流变学导论
第一节 血液的流变特性
5、1、1宏观血液流变学的方法学原理
5、1、2血浆的粘度
5、1、3血液的粘性
5、1、4血液的粘弹性
第二节 血液非牛顿特性的细观和微观说明
第三节 红细胞的运动和变形
5、3、1红细胞的几何形状
5、3、2红细胞沉降——血沉
5、3、3红细胞的可变形性
5、3、4红细胞膜的力学性质
5、3、5红细胞聚集
5、4、1Fahreus—Lindqvist效应和Fahraeus效应
第四节 血液在微血管里的流变特性
5、4、2毛细血管内红细胞的运动和阻力
5、4、3毛细血管和毛细血管网络内红细胞的分布（比积的变化）
5、4、4表观粘度和相对粘度
5、5、1白细胞的力学性质
第五节 白细胞的流变行为
5、5、2白细胞在微血管里的流变行为
5、6、1血小板的活性与流变学因素
第六节 血小板功能行为的流变学问题
5、6、2凝血过程中血液的粘弹性
第七节 血液的本构方程
5、7、1几类粘弹性本构方程的述评
5、7、2可能的选择
结语：愿望和现实
第六章 心脏力学
第一节 心脏的构造和功能
第二节 心脏和心瓣的液体力学问题
6、2、1心脏和心瓣流体力学的若干基本问题
6、2、2二尖瓣的运动及其流场
6、2、3主动脉瓣的运动及其流场
6、3、1左心室的压力—容积关系
第三节 心脏的力学模型和泵功能
6、3、2左心室的应力和应变
6、3、3心脏的泵功能
6、4、1左心与动脉系统的相互作用
第四节 心脏与血管系统的相互作用
6、4、2左心系统和右心系统之间的相互作用
第五节 人造心脏瓣膜的生物力学问题
6、5、1人工心瓣的流体力学性能的检测和评价
6、5、2人工心瓣的疲劳寿命问题
结语：生物力学在生物医学工程中的位置
第七章 血液循环的力学规律
7、1、1分枝血管系统的阻力分布
第一节 动脉系统的阻力分布和分枝形态-Poiseuille定律的应用
7、1、2血管分枝形态的优化分析
7、2、1弹性直圆柱管里的定常层流
第二节 可变形管道内的定常流动
7、2、2血管的应力状态和弹性不稳定性
7、2、3可瘪管流动
7、2、4可变形管道内小扰动的传播
7、2、5三种流动的比较
7、2、6可变形管定常流动的稳定性问题
第三节 动脉血管里的脉动流和脉搏波
7、3、1脉搏波
7、3、2直圆柱管内的振荡流
第四节 脉搏波在动脉血管系统里的传播
7、4、1传输线理论——线性模型
7、4、2非线性数值模型
7、4、3中医脉象与脉搏波
7、5、1大动脉中流动的一般特点
第五节 大动脉里的流动
7、5、2动脉粥样硬化与血液流动的动力特性
7、5、3弯曲对大血管流动的影响
7、5、4分枝管道的流动
7、5、5动脉狭窄的流体力学问题
7、5、6血管分枝、弯曲、截面积突变部位红细胞和血小板的运动
第六节 静脉血管里的流动
7、6、1静脉血管的力学性质
7、6、2静脉中的脉动流和波动
7、6、3瓣膜对静脉血流的影响
第七节 微循环力学
7、7、1微循环的几种构造模式
7、7、2微循环力学参数的在体观测
7、7、3微循环力学问题概述
7、7、4毛细血流与周围组织之间的物质输运
第八节 肺血流的力学规律
7、8、1肺血管系统的几何形态
7、8、2肺血管力学性质
7、8、3肺毛细血管组织内的流动——片流模型
7、8、4肺毛细血管组织中血液的表观粘度
7、8、5肺血流的阻力
7、8、6理论的实验检验
结语：一个必然的趋势
第八章 呼吸力学
第一节 呼吸道内的空气流动
8、1、1呼吸道的阻力
8、1、2上呼吸道里的流动
8、1、3呼吸系统的动力学行为
第二节 支气管里的对流扩散
第三节 肺泡内气体的扩散
第四节 肺泡和毛细血流之间的气体交换
8、4、1通过膜的气体扩散
8、4、2肺泡—红细胞之间的气体交换
8、4、3扩散容量的实验测定
8、4、4肺通气量与血流量的关系
第五节 肺功能的宏观评价
第六节 肺呼气流量极限
第九章 器官力学的几个不同方面
第一节 耳蜗力学
9、1、1耳蜗的解剖特点和超微结构
9、1、2耳蜗管内的波传播
9、1、3小振幅下的非线性响应
第二节 脊柱力学
9、2、1脊柱的力学性质
9、2、2腰椎的受力分析
9、2、3脊柱的冲击损伤
9、3、1冲击和弹性波
第三节 肺的冲击损伤
9、3、2冲击载荷引起的肺水肿
9、3、3关于冲击损伤引起肺水肿的机理
结语：方法·概念·诀窃
第十章 应力和生长
第一节 从零应力状态到应力——生长假说
10、2、1心脏肥大
10、2、2肺的重建
第二节 软组织和器官的重建
10、2、3血管的重建
第三节 结构—功能适应性原理在骨生物力学中的体现
10、3、1骨折的愈合
10、3、2骨组织的重建
10、4、1血液流动对血管内皮细胞的影响
第四节 流体动力对细胞生长的影响
10、4、2流体动力对离体培养的血管内皮细胞生长的影响
结语：未来的新天地

Floating zone convection

The microgravity research, as a branch of the advanced sciences and a spe- cialized field of high technology, has been made in China since the late 1980's. The research group investigating microgravity fluid physics consisted of our col- leagues and the authors in the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and we pay special attention to the floating zone convection as our first research priority. Now, the research group has expanded and is a part of the National Microgravity Laboratory of the CAS, and the research fields have been extended to include more subjects related to microgravity science. Howev- er, the floating zone convection is still an important topic that greatly holds our research interests.

复合材料及其结构的力学进展（第三册）

Adiabatic shear localization: occurrence, theories, and applications

计算流体力学

复合材料及其结构的力学进展（第一册）