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.     

Effect of Different Processing Methods on the Chemical Constituents of Scrophulariae Radix as Revealed by 2D NMR-Based Metabolomics

Scrophulariae Radix (SR) is one of the oldest and most frequently used Chinese herbs for oriental medicine in China. Before clinical use, the SR should be processed using different methods after harvest, such as steaming, “sweating”, and traditional fire-drying. In order to investigate the difference in chemical constituents using different processing methods, the two-dimensional (2D) ¹H-¹³C heteronuclear single quantum correlation (¹H-¹³C HSQC)-based metabolomics approach was applied to extensively characterize the difference in the chemical components in the extracts of SR processed using different processing methods. In total, 20 compounds were identified as potential chemical markers that changed significantly with different steaming durations. Seven compounds can be used as potential chemical markers to differentiate processing by sweating, hot-air drying, and steaming for 4 h. These findings could elucidate the change of chemical constituents of the processed SR and provide a guide for the processing. In addition, our protocol may represent a general approach to characterizing chemical compounds of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and therefore might be considered as a promising approach to exploring the scientific basis of traditional processing of TCM.     

荧光纳米晶制备及其与聚合物的复合组装

纳米尺寸无机晶体(纳米晶)具有特殊的光、电和磁等性能, 但这类材料通常以胶体溶液或固体粉末的状态存在, 稳定性和分散性较差. 实现这类材料的应用, 需要将其与一些惰性介质复合, 从而提高稳定性和加工性. 聚合物材料作为一种有机惰性介质, 具有良好的材料兼容性和可加工性, 是稳定纳米晶材料的首选介质. 此外, 很多聚合物材料本身也具备特殊的性能, 可以对纳米晶性能进行有益的补充和调节. 因此, 功能纳米晶材料与聚合物复合, 将成为开启材料性能宝库的钥匙. 我们研究组结合自己的相关研究, 系统总结了荧光纳米晶材料与聚合物的复合组装方法, 着重阐述不同方法的优势及意义, 希望对从事这一前沿领域研究的人们有所启发.     

C波段加速器初步热测实验

为了开展加速器小型化技术研究,进行了C波段2 MeV驻波加速器研制工作。目前,该加速器研制取得了显著进展,完成了全密封加速管的焊接,建立了加速器热测实验平台。在重复频率50 Hz情况下,进行了初步热测出束实验,利用电离室剂量仪测试了加速器靶前1 m处的X射线剂量率,并利用钢吸收法测试了电子束的能量。初步实验结果表明:电子束能量约2.5 MeV,剂量率超过330 mGy/(minm)。     

一维线性非共轭石墨烯基(CH2)n分子链的电子输运

一维非共轭烷烃链虽不具富电子或少电子特征,但常存在于单分子器件或多肽、蛋白质等生物分子中,对电子传输产生重要影响.为理解这类物质的电子输运特征,本研究设计了一维线性非共轭(CH2)n分子结模型,并利用密度泛函理论结合非平衡态格林函数的方法,对(CH2)n(n=1—12)线性分子链与两个石墨烯电极耦合而成的分子结进行了第...     

A Calixarene Assembly Strategy of Combined Anti-Neuroinflammation and Drug Delivery Functions for Traumatic Brain Injury Therapy

Excessive inflammatory reaction aggravates brain injury and hinders the recovery of neural function in nervous system diseases. Microglia, as the major players of neuroinflammation, control the progress of the disease. There is an urgent need for effective non-invasive therapy to treat neuroinflammation mediated by microglia. However, the lack of specificity of anti-inflammatory agents and insufficient drug dose penetrating into the brain lesion area are the main problems. Here, we evaluated a series of calixarenes and found that among them the self-assembling architecture of amphiphilic sulfonatocalix[8]arene (SC8A12C) had the most potent ability to suppress neuroinflammation in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, SC8A12C assemblies were internalized into microglia through macropinocytosis. In addition, after applying the SC8A12C assemblies to the exposed brain tissue, we observed that SC8A12C assemblies penetrated into the brain parenchyma and eliminated the inflammatory factor storm, thereby restoring neurobiological functions in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury.     

一种用于电光开关的高速、高压电脉冲的产生

介绍了一种用于电光开关驱动源的高压超快电脉冲产生技术;电路采用级联的雪崩晶体管串和微波传输线结构,输出阻抗50Ω;在50Ω负载情况下,获得脉冲下降时间为1ns、幅度达到5kV、峰值电压为6.4 kV、幅度和半宽度稳定性优于2％、触发晃动为±15ps、触发延时为30 ns,脉冲峰值电流为128 A的高压高速大电流脉冲.     

129I加速器质谱分析研究

通过对129I加速器质谱(AMS)分析中影响敏度和准确度各种参数的研究,如靶电极制备、压样、靶样中辅助介质（Matrix）的选择及使用比例等,优化了用于3 MV加速器质谱仪的SO-110型离子源的条件参数,确定129I-AMS测量的最佳靶电极材料为Cu,最佳的辅助介质为Nb粉末,Nb与AgI样品的最佳体积比为3∶1。在此条件下可以获得稳定且持续的I-束流进行测量129I/127I原子比值,实验测得西安加速器质谱仪的129I/127I本底值为1.5210-14。     

Slow light in a simple metamaterial structure constructed by cut and continuous metal strips

Recently, slow light in metamaterials has been investigated based on the coupling between two quasi-bound states, in classic analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency in atomic systems. Here we demonstrate the feasibility in achieving slow light in metamaterials, based on the mechanism of coupling between a quasi-bound state and a continuum state. The theoretical prediction by a two-particle model is in good agreement with the experimental result in the metamaterial composed of the cut and continuous metal strips. The present work illustrates the versatility of metamaterials, implying the great potential in many applications.     

The Wigner–Yanase information can increase under phase sensitive incoherent operations

We found that the Wigner-Yanase skew information, which has been recently proposed as a measure of coherence in Girolami (2014), can increase under a class of operations which may be interpreted as incoherent following the framework of Baumgratz et al., while being phase sensitive.