Investigation on Oxidation-Reduction Properties of Some Fe-S and Mo-Fe-S Clusters

Oxidation-reduction properties of some Fe-S and Mo-Fe-S clusters have been studied by cyclic voltammetric measurement. It is indicated that there are some factors which affect the oxidation- reduction properties of clusters, of which are charge density of metal atom in cluster core, electron effect of ligands, charge and geometric configurations of the reactant particle, etc.     

Design of Ligands for Affinity Purification of G-CSF Based on Peptide Ligands Derived from a Peptide Library

Introduction　　 Affinity chromatography is of great interest in pharmaceutical industry as it is simple,fast and is of a high efficiency to purify proteins from a complicated mixture to homogenousones in a single step. The most common affinity ligands are monoclonal antibodies,smallmolecules such as biotin and those specific to the bio-function of the protein of interest,suchas substrates and inhibitors. Although m Ab is less limited by the bioactivity of proteins,itspreparation is a complex …     

Method Development of Enantiomer Separations by Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis,Cyclodextrin Electrokinetic Chromatography and Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

 Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has become a powerful tool for enantiomer separations during the last decade. Since 1993, the author has investigated enantiomer separations by affinity capillary electrophoresis (affinity CE) with some proteins and by cyclodextrin electrokinetic chromatography (CDEKC) with some charged cyclodextrins (CDs). Many successful enantiomer separations are demonstrated from our study in this review article. In the enantiomer separations by affinity CE, the deterioration of detection     

Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Luminescent Properties of a Novel Zinc(II) Complex of N-Acetyl-L-glutamic Acid and Imidazole Ligands

1 INTRODUCTION As is well known, some transition metal ions play an important role in controlling the behavior of many biological macromolecules and produce pro- found effects on their biological actions, medicine and people’s health[1～3]. Zinc is an essential com- ponent of many proteins. In the active sites of zinc enzymes, zinc is bound to the nitrogen of imidazole groups and oxygen of carboxylate groups of amino acids[4～6]. Additional interest in these proteins lies in the fact th…     

Denatured Thermodynamics of Proteins in Weak Cation－exchange Chromatography

The thermostability of some proteins in weak cation-exchange chromatography was investigated at 20—80 ℃. The results show that there is a fixed thermal denaturation transition temperature for each protein. The appearance of the thermal transition temperature indicates that the conformations of the proteins are de-stroyed seriously. The thermal behavior of the proteins in weak cation-exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatographies were compared in a wide temperature range. It was found that the proteins have a higher thermostability in a weak cation-exchange chromatography system. The thermodynamic parameters (△H^0,△S^0) of those proteins were determined by means of Van′t t Hoff re|ationship(lnk′-1/T). According to stan-dard entropy change(△S^0) , the conformational change of the proteins was judged in the chromatographic pro-cess. The linear relationships between △H^0 and △S^0 can be used to evaluate “compensation temperature“ (β) at the protein denaturation and identify the identity of the protein retention mechanism in weak cation-ex-change chromatography.     

The Harmonious Dissipative Operators and the Completely Square Conservative Difference Scheme in an Explicit Way

In this paper, a new definition on harmonious dissipative operators is given and some important properties of theirs are shown. Especially, the relationship between a harmonious dissipative operator and the completely square conservative difference scheme in an explicit way is revealed. Kinds of 2-order, 3-order and 4-order harmonious dissipative operators are constructed by using the traditional Runge-Kutta method and a species of general m-order harmonious dissipative operators is established in the linear case. In addition, an efficiency parameter to appraise the time benefits of a harmonious dissipative operator is defined in this paper. It is testified in numerical tests that the harmonious dissipative operators are indeed able to improve the time-efficiency and computational effect of the completely square conservative difference scheme in an explicit way.     

ON GEOSTROPHIC ADJUSTMENT PROCESS OF OCEANIC MOTIONS

In this paper, some important features of the geostrophic adjustment process of largescale motions in a barotropic and a baroclinic oceans are systematically investigated by means of the scale analysis. For the barotropic ocean, the constraint of the horizontal scale on the linear theory of geostrophic adjustment process is given and the dispersive mechanism of the unbalanced energy in the response of the flow field in the oceanic interior to a steady wind field is expounded. For the baroclinic ocean, the effects of the water depth and density stratification on the solution of geostrophic balance state are taken into account. As examples, some major properties of the geostrophic equilibrium state in the ocean of finite depth and in a two-layer model ocean which are different from those in the atmoshere are discussed in detail. In addition, a conservation equation for the nonlinear model is derived through introducing some simplications in which only the nonlinear potential flow and vertical transport of     

Expression and Purification of ZNF191（243-368） in Three Expression Systems

ZNF191 （243-368）, a new human zinc finger protein, probably relates to some hereditary diseases and cancers, To obtain adequate amount of ZNF191（243-368） for the study of its property, structure and function, three different expression systems of inclusion-body, glutathione S-transferase （GST）, and hexahistidine （6 × His） were used and compared. Among these systems, the expression level of ZNFI91（243-368） was increased in inclusion body system under a higher isopropylthio-β-D-galactoside （IPTG） concentration, but the non-target proteins were also increased more, which made its purification more difficult and the yield lower. The expression of His-tag fusion protein was almost not affected by IPTG concentration, temperature and inducing time. At a high IPTG concentration the highest expression yield for GST fusion protein was obtained. And the fusion proteins can be partially purified by a single affinity chromatography step. The fusion protein systems show advantages for expression of these proteins.     

The Fossils in Shangxi Group and Its Implication for Tectonics, Southern Anhui, China

The Shangxi Group is the local name in southern Anhui Province and it is believed to be the equivalence of the well-known Banxi Group in Hunan Province, southern China. So the area occupied by the Shangxi Group was regarded as a part of the "Jiangnan old land" of Presinian till it was challenged by the present authors years ago. After we postulated that there may be some strata of Palaeozoic Era in Shangxi Group, some microfossils and then macrofossils of Palaeozoic were found in some part of it. The macrof os-sils, Lingula sp. , Conulariid and the microfossils indicate that most units of the Shangxi Group are Palaeozoic strata. Based on the discovery of these fossils and the recognition of the tectonic-setting of the different tectono-petrologic units in the Shangxi Group, three different stratigraphic sequences (island-arc volcanics, back-arc sediments and the cover of passive margin of Yangtze Continental Plate) are established and the tectonic evolution of them is postulated in the present paper. Al     

Interaction of zinc finger ZNF191(243—368) and its I323 W and R327W mutants with oligonucleotides by florescence spectrum

Two mutants of the zinc finger protein, ZNF191 (243–368) I323W and R327W, are successfully obtained by site-directed mutagenesis. The fluorescence spectrum is used to study the interaction between these two mutants and the oligonucleotides. The influence of the mutation on the interaction has been studied using ethidium bromide (EB) as the fluorescence probe. The binding constants of the I323W-DNA and R327W-DNA have been calculated and the possible binding models have been discussed.     

K8Ni（H2O）P2W17O61与碱性成纤维细胞生长因子的相互作用

通过荧光光谱、圆二色谱方法对K8Ni（H2O）P2W17O61（KNiPW）与碱性成纤维细胞生长因子（bFGF）的相互作用进行了研究．结果表明,KNiPW能够与bFGF发生结合反应,结合比为1：1,表观结合常数为5．0×10^6L·mol^-1,KNiPW能够提高bFGF的热稳定性．     

光谱法与分子模拟技术研究丽春红2R与牛血清蛋白的相互作用

采用荧光光谱、同步荧光光谱、紫外-可见吸收光谱及分子模拟技术研究了模拟生理条件下丽春红2R(P2R)与牛血清白蛋白(BSA)的相互作用。实验结果表明,P2R-BSA体系的荧光猝灭机制为内源荧光猝灭,猝灭原因为静态猝灭和非辐射能量转移;计算了不同温度下体系的结合常数Ka及结合位点数n;根据热力学参数推断出作用力类型;求出室温下荧光给体-受体间的结合距离;同步荧光法证实丽春红2R对BSA构象未产生影响;分子模拟研究结果表明二者间的主要作用力为氢键和疏水作用力。     

Free Energy Calculations Give Insight into the Stereoselective Hydroxylation of α-Ionones by Engineered Cytochrome P450 BM3 Mutants

Previously, stereoselective hydroxylation of α-ionone by Cytochrome P450 BM3 mutants M01 A82W and M11 L437N was observed. While both mutants hydroxylate α-ionone in a regioselective manner at the C3 position, M01 A82W catalyzes formation of trans-3-OH-α-ionone products whereas M11 L437N exhibits opposite stereoselectivity, producing trans-(3S,6S)-OH-α-ionone and cis-(3S,6R)-OH-α-ionone. Here, we explore the stereoselective C3 hydroxylation of α-ionone by Cytochrome P450 BM3 mutants M01 A82W and M11 L437N using molecular dynamics-based free energy calculations to study the interaction between the enzyme and both the substrates and the products. The one-step perturbation approach is applied using an optimized reference state for substrates and products. While the free energy differences between the substrates free in solution amount to ～0 kJ mol(-1), the differences in mutant M01 A82W agree with the experimentally obtained dissociation constants K(d). Moreover, a correlation with experimentally observed trends in product formation is found in both mutants. The trans isomers show the most favorable relative binding free energy in the range of all four possible hydroxylated diastereomers for mutant M01 A82W, while the trans product from (6S)-α-ionone and the cis product from (6R)-α-ionone show highest affinity for mutant M11 L437N. Marcus theory is subsequently used to relate the thermodynamic stability to transition state energies and rates of formation.     

New biarsenical ligands and tetracysteine motifs for protein labeling in vitro and in vivo: synthesis and biological applications

We recently introduced a method (Griffin, B. A.; Adams, S. R.; Tsien, R. Y. Science 1998, 281, 269-272 and Griffin, B. A.; Adams, S. R.; Jones, J.; Tsien, R. Y. Methods Enzymol. 2000, 327, 565-578) for site-specific fluorescent labeling of recombinant proteins in living cells. The sequence Cys-Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Cys-Cys, where Xaa is an noncysteine amino acid, is genetically fused to or inserted within the protein, where it can be specifically recognized by a membrane-permeant fluorescein derivative with two As(III) substituents, FlAsH, which fluoresces only after the arsenics bind to the cysteine thiols. We now report kinetics and dissociation constants ( approximately 10(-11) M) for FlAsH binding to model tetracysteine peptides. Affinities in vitro and detection limits in living cells are optimized with Xaa-Xaa = Pro-Gly, suggesting that the preferred peptide conformation is a hairpin rather than the previously proposed alpha-helix. Many analogues of FlAsH have been synthesized, including ReAsH, a resorufin derivative excitable at 590 nm and fluorescing in the red. Analogous biarsenicals enable affinity chromatography, fluorescence anisotropy measurements, and electron-microscopic localization of tetracysteine-tagged proteins.     

光谱法研究Cu2+与肌红蛋白的相互作用

用紫外吸收光谱、荧光光谱、同步荧光光谱及圆二色(CD)谱研究了Cu2+与肌红蛋白(Mb)的相互作用. 结果发现, Cu2+使Mb的紫外吸收增强, 峰位蓝移, 说明Cu2+与Mb发生了较强的相互作用; Mb的特征荧光峰猝灭, 且随着温度升高猝灭常数Ksv降低, 表明Cu2+对Mb的荧光猝灭机制属于静态猝灭; 计算了不同温度下的结合常数和结合位点数; 由van′t Hoff方程计算出ΔH和ΔS分别为-11.60 kJ/mol和33.77 J·(mol·K)-1, 得出二者之间的作用力主要为静电力; 并依据Förster非辐射能量转移理论确定了给体-受体间的结合距离r=2.56 nm. 同步荧光光谱表明, Cu2+对Mb的构象产生影响, 使色氨酸残基的疏水性下降. CD光谱测得加入Cu2+后, 二级结构发生改变, 使α-螺旋含量降低.     

羰基还原酶辅酶结合域位点突变对其不对称催化性能的影响

基于同源模型的比较和分析,发现羰基还原酶SCR1辅酶结合域P124和W125位点对辅酶NADPH的结合形成了一定的空间位阻效应.通过对该位点进行小侧基氨基酸的取代突变,该酶的底物专一性和立体选择性均发生了不同程度的改变,表明该位点是酶与辅酶有效结合的关键位点,而且它与辅酶结合的空间效应进一步影响了底物结合域活性中心对不同构型的底物及其对映体产物的亲和作用.在底物专一性方面,野生型酶对2-羟基苯乙酮和2-溴苯乙酮及其衍生物等底物表现出较高的催化活性,而突变株W125A,W125G,P124A/W125A和P124G/W125G对苯乙酮及其部分衍生物和2-辛酮等底物的催化活性均有所提高.对于酶的立体选择性,部分突变株发生了转化产物对映体构型反转的现象,突变株P124A/W125A和P124G/W125G催化还原2-羟基苯乙酮和4-氯乙酰乙酸乙酯均生成了(R)-型产物.     

Revealing the ionization ability of binding site I of human serum albumin using 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole as a pH sensitive probe

The ability of site I of human serum albumin (HSA) to bind medium sized molecules is important for the distribution, metabolism, and efficacy of many drugs. Herein, we show that this binding site has the ionization ability that may alter the drug structure during the process of its delivery. We reveal this ability by employing 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HBO) as a pH sensitive probe. Binding of HBO in site I is studied here at physiological pH 7.2 using steady-state and lifetime spectroscopic measurements, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods. The complex photophysics of HBO and the unique fluorescence signature of its anionic form indicate that, upon binding with HSA, the molecule exists in equilibrium between the anionic and the syn-keto forms. The position of HBO inside the binding site was determined experimentally by measuring the fluorescence quenching of W214, the sole tryptophan residue in HSA. The ionization degree of HBO inside the binding site was estimated to be close to the ionization degree of HBO in an aqueous solution of pH 10. This was concluded by comparing the fluorescence behavior of bound HBO to that of HBO in different solvents and in aqueous solutions of different pH values. Molecular docking and MD simulations show that HBO binds in site I close to W214, confirming the experimental results, and pinpoint the dominant role of hydrophobic interactions in the binding site. The formation of the anionic form is proposed to be due to through-space interaction between the OH group of HBO and both R222 and I290 with a binding mode similar to that of warfarin in site I. Comparison of the results with those of HBO mixed with key amino acids in solution indicates the importance of through-space interaction in the formation of the anion, similar to enzymatic reactions.     

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy detects interactions between tryptophan residues of the E. coli sugar transporter GalP and the alpha-anomer of the D-glucose substrate

An experimental approach is described in which high resolution 13C solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy has been used to detect interactions between specific residues of membrane-embedded transport proteins and weakly binding noncovalent ligands. This procedure has provided insight into the binding site for the substrate D-glucose in the Escherichia coli sugar transport protein GalP. Cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CP-MAS) SSNMR spectra of GalP in its natural membrane at 4 degrees C indicated that the alpha- and beta-anomers of D-[1-(13)C]glucose were bound by GalP with equal affinity and underwent fast exchange between the free and bound environments. Further experiments confirmed that by lowering the measurement temperature to -10 degrees C, peaks could be detected selectively from the substrate when restrained within the binding site. Dipolar-assisted rotational resonance (DARR) SSNMR experiments at -10 degrees C showed a selective interaction between the alpha-anomer of D-[1-(13)C]glucose and 13C-labels within [13C]tryptophan-labeled GalP, which places the carbon atom at C-1 in the alpha-anomer of D-glucose to within 6 A of the carbonyl carbon of one or more tryptophan residues in the protein. No interaction was detected for the beta-isomer. The role of tryptophan residues in substrate binding was investigated further in CP-MAS experiments to detect D-[1-(13)C]glucose binding to the GalP mutants W371F and W395F before and after the addition of the inhibitor forskolin. The results suggest that both mutants bind D-glucose with similar affinities, but have different affinities for forskolin. This work highlights a useful general experimental strategy for probing the binding sites of membrane proteins, using methodology which overcomes the problems associated with the unfavorable dynamics of weak ligands.     

Fluorescence properties of recombinant tropomyosin containing tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan and 7-azatryptophan

Tropomyosin mutants containing either tryptophan (122W), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5OH122W) or 7-azatryptophan (7N122W) have been expressed in Escherichia coli and their fluorescence properties studied. The fluorescent amino acids were located at position 122 of the tropomyosin primary sequence, corresponding to a solvent-exposed position c of the coiled-coil heptapeptide repeat. The emission spectrum of the probe in each mutant is blue-shifted slightly with respect to that of the probe in water. The fluorescence anisotropy decays are single exponential, with a time constant of 2-3 ns while the fluorescence lifetimes of the probes incorporated into the proteins, in water, are nonexponential. Because tryptophan in water has an intrinsic nonexponential fluorescence decay, it is not surprising that the fluorescence decay of 122W is well described by a triple exponential. The fluorescence decays in water of the nonnatural amino acids 5-hydroxytryptophan and 7-azatryptophan (when emission is collected from the entire band) are single exponential. Incorporation into tropomyosin induces triple-exponential fluorescence decay in 5-hydroxytryptophan and double-exponential fluorescence decay in 7-azatryptophan. The range of lifetimes observed for 5-hydroxyindole and 5-hydroxytryptophan at high pH and in the nonaqueous solvents were used as a base with which to interpret the lifetimes observed for the 5OH122W and indicate that the chromophore exists in several solvent environments in both its protonated and unprotonated forms in 5OH122W.