Structural and Functional Analysis of the Pyridoxal Phosphate Homeostasis Protein YggS from Fusobacterium nucleatum

Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) is the active form of vitamin B6, but it is highly reactive and poisonous in its free form. YggS is a PLP-binding protein found in bacteria and humans that mediates PLP homeostasis by delivering PLP to target enzymes or by performing a protective function. Several biochemical and structural studies of YggS have been reported, but the mechanism by which YggS recognizes PLP has not been fully elucidated. Here, we report a functional and structural analysis of YggS from Fusobacterium nucleatum (FnYggS). The PLP molecule could bind to native FnYggS, but no PLP binding was observed for selenomethionine (SeMet)-derivatized FnYggS. The crystal structure of FnYggS showed a type III TIM barrel fold, exhibiting structural homology with several other PLP-dependent enzymes. Although FnYggS exhibited low (<35%) amino acid sequence similarity with previously studied YggS proteins, its overall structure and PLP-binding site were highly conserved. In the PLP-binding site of FnYggS, the sulfate ion was coordinated by the conserved residues Ser201, Gly218, and Thr219, which were positioned to provide the binding moiety for the phosphate group of PLP. The mutagenesis study showed that the conserved Ser201 residue in FnYggS was the key residue for PLP binding. These results will expand the knowledge of the molecular properties and function of the YggS family.     

Pogostone Enhances the Antibacterial Activity of Colistin against MCR-1-Positive Bacteria by Inhibiting the Biological Function of MCR-1

The emergence of the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1 has resulted in the loss of available treatments for certain severe infections. Here we identified a potential inhibitor of MCR-1 for the treatment of infections caused by MCR-1-positive drug-resistant bacteria, especially MCR-1-positive carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). A checkerboard minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test, a killing curve test, a growth curve test, bacterial live/dead assays, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, cytotoxicity tests, molecular dynamics simulation analysis, and animal studies were used to confirm the in vivo/in vitro synergistic effects of pogostone and colistin. The results showed that pogostone could restore the bactericidal activity of colistin against all tested MCR-1-positive bacterial strains or MCR-1 mutant–positive bacterial strains (FIC < 0.5). Pogostone does not inhibit the expression of MCR-1. Rather, it inhibits the binding of MCR-1 to substrates by binding to amino acids in the active region of MCR-1, thus inhibiting the biological activity of MCR-1 and its mutants (such as MCR-3). An in vivo mouse systemic infection model, pogostone in combination with colistin resulted in 80.0% (the survival rates after monotherapy with colistin or pogostone alone were 33.3% and 40.0%) survival at 72 h after infection of MCR-1-positve Escherichia coli (E. coli) ZJ487 (blaNDM-1-carrying), and pogostone in combination with colistin led to one or more order of magnitude decreases in the bacterial burdens in the liver, spleen and kidney compared with pogostone or colistin alone. Our results confirm that pogostone is a potential inhibitor of MCR-1 for use in combination with polymyxin for the treatment of severe infections caused by MCR-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae.     

Anionic surfactant selective electrode for the titrimetric determination of anionic surfactant

The construction and characteristic performance of a PVC membrane electrode responsive for sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) are described in this paper. The electrode based on CTA⁺DS^? ion pair as ionophore in PVC membrane displays a Nernstian slope of ?58.8 ± 0.7 mV/decade in a 1.32 × 10^?6 to 3.75 × 10^?3 mol L^?1 concentration range and a limit of detection of 1.13 × 10^?6 mol L^?1. The electrode can be used for 3 months without showing significant changes in the value of slope or working range. The electrode has been utilized as an end point indicator electrode for potentiometric titration involving Hyamine as titrant. More than 100 titrations were carried out for the evaluation of the electrode parameters: the standard deviations of the equivalent volume and the equivalent potential, the height of the potential jump and the number of faulty titrations. The behavior of the electrode was assessed with regard to their usefulness in routine analysis.     

UPLC-ELSD Determination of 1-Octacosanol in Raw Material and Health Products

Determination of the levels of 1-octacosanol is important in food stuff for the study of its pharmacological activities and health benefits. In this study, a novel, simple and fast internal standard method for the non-derivatization ultra-performance liquid chromatographic determination of 1-octacosanol in raw materials and health products was developed and validated based on evaporative light scattering detection. The linearity (r ² > 0.998), recovery (99.1–100.2%, RSD <2.7%), intra- and inter-day precision (RSD <3.8%), limit of detection (1.0 mg/L), limit of quantification (2.2 mg/L) of the 1-octacosanol were determined. The method was successfully applied to nine real 1-octacosanol products. The results of analyses had close agreement with the labeled claims of 1-octacosanol content in these products. Compared with the classical gas chromatography method, the developed method was simpler, faster and more environmentally friendly due to avoiding any derivatization step. This protocol represents a rapid and feasible method for quality control of 1-octacosanol products.

     

GaAs,GaP和GaAsxP1-x合金能带的计算

使用分区变分法计算了GaAs,GaP和GaAs_xP_1-x合金的能带。鉴于原胞内包含不同的原子,依据实际原子的大小,对不同原子球选用了不同的半径。晶体势用相应原子势的迭加势来计算。考虑到组成晶体时原子势场由于电子成键而产生畸变,因而在球外成键区选用了一些调整参数来调整势场,然后再用解析表式来逼近这种调整原子势。适当地选择调整参数使算得的能带同已知的实验值接近。对GaAs和GaP已算得了同实验结果符合的能带结构。使用所得的调整原子势进一步计算了GaAs_xP_1-x合金的能带。 关键词：     

ICM-界面流方法二维组件计算

本文介绍了ICM-界面流方法两维组件的计算。本计算不仅可以给出组件的临界值K_eff和平均通量,而且能够给出组件均匀化的能谱参数。用ICM方法验算了两个基准问题和几个工程实际问题,其结果与国外发表的以及国内蒙特卡罗方法计算的结果相比,均符合得很好。该程序可用于轻水堆两维组件的计算。     

磺胺二甲异恶唑与HSA的结合性质及其对HSA结构的影响

在模拟人体生理酸度条件下(pH 7.4),运用荧光、紫外、红外和圆二色光谱法结合分子模拟技术,研究了磺胺二甲异恶唑(SIZ)与人血清白蛋白(HSA)的相互作用。荧光猝灭实验表明,SIZ对HSA的荧光猝灭属于形成复合物的单一静态猝灭。SIZ与HSA有中等强度的亲合力,结合常数在104 L·mol-1数量级,结合位点数近似等于1,计算热力学参数焓变(ΔHΘ=-25.24kJ·mol-1)和熵变(ΔSΘ=-4.53J·mol-1·K-1)值表明,氢键与范德华力是SIZ与HSA相互作用的主要驱动力。荧光竞争实验表明,SIZ位于HSA亚结构域IIA的疏水空腔(Site I位),分子模拟证实了这一结果。紫外、同步荧光、圆二色谱和红外光谱分析以及蛋白质表面疏水性测定显示,SIZ与HSA结合诱导了HSA的二级结构发生了部分改变,蛋白质多肽链部分伸展,结构松散,使α-螺旋含量降低,HSA表面疏水性降低。 更多还原