Interaction between human telomeric G-quadruplexes characterized by single molecule magnetic tweezers

Human telomeric G-quadruplex plays a crucial role in regulating the genome stability. Despite extensive studies on structures and kinetics of monomeric G-quadruplex, the interaction between G-quadruplexes is still in debate. In this work,we employ magnetic tweezers to investigate the folding and unfolding kinetics of two contiguous G-quadruplexes in 100-mM K~+buffer. The interaction between G-quadruplexes and the consequent effect on the kinetics of G-quadruplex are revealed. The linker sequence between G-quadruplexes is further found to play an important role in the interaction between two G-quadruplexes. Our results provide a high-resolution insight into kinetics of multimeric G-quadruplexes and genome stability.     

利用原子力显微镜研究在单分子水平上DNA与组蛋白的相互作用

核小体是DNA被压缩成染色质的第一级压缩结构. 为了更深刻描述DNA与组蛋白的相互作用,利用透析方法将DNA和组蛋白构建成核小体,并且应用原子力显微镜进行单分子水平上的观察. 实验结果表明利用透析方法得到了核小体的“串珠型排列”,并且对在两种不同的结合条件下DNA与组蛋白的相互作用进行了观察和比较.     

驾驭斑图(pattern)的新方法——空间微扰法

提出了一种控制斑图（ｐａｔｅｒｎ）的新方法———空间微扰法．以一个光学系统为例,用这一微扰法成功地稳定、选择和跟踪了不稳定的卷形、方形和六角形斑图．这一具有普适性的新方法极易被应用到实际空间延展非线性系统中．     

驱动蛋白单向运动机理

驱动蛋白马达在实验和理论上已被进行了广泛的研究. 然而, 其行进运动的微观机理仍未确定. 在本文中我们基于化学、力学和电学耦合提出了一个交臂模型来描述这种行进运动. 在该模型中，驱动蛋白两个头的ATP水解化学反应速率由作用在其颈上的力（包括内部弹性力和外部负荷）来调控. 在低外部负荷情况下, 驱动蛋白的后头的ATP水解化学反应速率远大于前头的速率, 因而两个头在ATP水解化学反应和力学周期循环中是协调的且马达以每步消耗一个ATP的方式的行走. 在大的前向负荷情况下, 两个头的ATP水解化学反应速率变得可比拟, 因而两个头在ATP水解化学反应和力学周期循环中不再很好地协调. 该模型与驱动蛋白的结构研究结果以及ATP水解化学反应路径一致. 利用此模型所估算的驱动力（约5.8 pN）与实验结果（5~7.5 pN）一致. 所估算的每步中的运动时间（约10）也与实验测量值（0~50）符合. 解释了已观察到的每步（8nm）分为两个半步的现象. 所得到的运动速度-负荷曲线与已有的实验结果一致.     

利用分子梳方法研究单个DNA-YOYO-1复合体的光漂白性质

利用分子梳方法结合荧光显微术对单个DNA-YOYO-1复合体的光漂白过程进行了研究,发现单个DNA-YOYO-1复合体的光漂白是一个随光照时间指数衰减的过程,并给出了DNA拓扑结构以及光照强度对光漂白过程的影响.     

Numerical study of the coupling between F0 with varied numbers of c-subunits and F1 in an ATP synthase

ATP synthase is a rotary motor which is composed of two portions： the ‘rotor＇ Fo, consisting of a c-ring, and the ‘stator＇ F1, consisting of an a3/33 hexamer. In different species, the number of c-subunits which form the c-ring is varied from 10 to 14, whereas the a3/33 hexamer is fixed to be 3-fold symmetrical. We have numerically studied the rotational coupling between Fo with varied number of c-subunits and F1. It is found that, for any number of c-subunits, the rotor Fo advances 3 steps per revolution on average, which is determined by the period of F1, whereas the exact angular pausing positions are determined by the period of Fo. When the symmetry of the c-ring of Fo is matched with the 3-fold symmetry of F1, the three steps have equivalent sizes. If not matched, the three steps become nonequivalent： both the step size and average dwell time are different for these steps.     

Investigation of the structural and dynamic basis of kinesin dissociation from microtubule by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations

Kinesin is a molecular motor that can step processively on microtubules via the hydrolysis of ATP molecules. An important factor characterizing the processivity of the kinesin motor is its dissociation from the microtubule. Here, using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we studied the dissociation process of the kinesin head in weak-microtubule-binding or ADP state from tubulin on the basis of the available high-resolution structural data for the head and tubulin. By analyzing the simulated snapshots of the structure of the head-tubulin complex we provided detailed structural and dynamic information for the dissociation process. We found that the dissociation of the head along different directions relative to the tubulin exhibits very different dynamic behaviors. Moreover, the potential forms or energy landscapes of the interaction between the head and tubulin along different directions were determined. The studies have important implications for the detailed molecular mechanism of the dissociation of the kinesin motor and thus are critical to the mechanism of its processivity.     

氦-氧等离子体针灭活肺癌A549细胞

研究了介质阻挡放电等离子体针对肺癌A549细胞的灭活机制, 探讨从不锈钢管注入到氦等离子体尾流区域的氧气含量对杀灭肺癌细胞A549的影响. 利用中性红吸收测试法定性观察了等离子体处理后死亡的细胞和活着的细胞的形态区别, 并且定量测定了不同条件下的细胞存活率. 在固定功率24 W的处理过程中, 氦-氧等离子体的灭活效率主要取决于等离子体曝光时间以及氦气中添加氧气的百分含量. 实验结果显示最好的处理参数为: 处理时间150 s, 800 mL/min的氦气添加3%氧气, 保持针距样品的距离为3 mm. 根据氦-氧等离子体发射光谱, 可以推断在细胞灭活过程中, 氦-氧等离子体中的活性粒子(如羟基和氧自由基)起主要作用.