The G553M Mutant of Peroxisomal Carnitine Octanoyltransferase Catalyses Acetyl Transfer and Acetyl-CoA Hydrolysis

Summary. The structure of carnitine acetyltransferase revealed a putative binding site for longer acyl chains but access was blocked by methionine 564 (G. Jogl and L. Tong (2003) Cell 112, 113–122). The equivalent residue in all long chain carnitine acyltransferases is a conserved glycine. Mutation of glycine 553 to methionine in bovine COT resulted in loss of activity with all acyl-CoA substrates except acetyl-CoA, supporting the hypothesis that the methionine blocks access for longer acyl chains. The kinetic characteristics of acetyl transfer to carnitine were identical in the native and mutant enzyme. However, rapid acetyl-CoA hydrolysis in the mutant but not the wild-type indicates perturbation of the catalytic site.     

Mechanistic studies of the oxidative coupling polymerization of phenols. VI. Comparison of reactivities of DMP,PPO-dimer,and -trimer in the copper-catalyzed oxidative coupling polymerization

In the oxidative coupling polymerization, catalyzed by copper-amine complexes, the oxidation rates of 2,6-dimethylphenol (DMP) and its C? O-coupled dimer [4-(2′,6′-dimethylphenoxy)-2,6-dimethylphenol] and trimer [4-(-4′-(2″,6″-dimethylphenoxy)-2′,6′-dimethylphenoxy))-2,6-dimethylphenol] have been determined. The DMP concentration dependence shows a Michaelis–Menten-type behavior. On the other hand, the dimer and trimer showed a first-order rate-dependence in the respective phenol concentrations. This indicates that the slow reaction step, following an equilibrium complex formation between DMP and copper complex, is relatively fast for both the dimer and the trimer. Therefore, coordination of dimer or trimer to the copper complex appears to be rate-determining. Furthermore, the dimer and trimer gave overall reaction rates approximately eight times higher than found for DMP. Following the Flory principle of equal reactivity for functional groups of oligomers in polycondensations, all PPO oligomers can be assumed to have equally high oxidation rates as the dimer and trimer. The yield of undesired DPQ side product is strongly reduced when starting with the dimer (0.18%), or trimer (0.17%), compared to 3.3% for DMP. This is not unexpected, since DPQ can only be formed from two monomeric DMP residues. In fact, using a 1/10 molar mixture of dimer/DMP already results in a DPQ yield of only 1.7%. Furthermore, when starting from DMP, it has been observed that DPQ was predominantly formed during the first 30% conversion. Starting from dimer (or trimer) DPQ was formed at an almost constant very low rate during the whole course of the reaction. From these experiments it can be concluded that the most important polymerization reaction involves oxidation of copper-coordinated DMP anion to its corresponding cations, followed by coupling with a copper coordinated PPO chain.     

超声双重造影及MRI对胃癌诊断及术前T分期的对比研究

选取2017年8月~2019年2月我院收治的胃癌患者130例作为研究对象,依据患者病理诊断结果作为金标准,分析磁共振成像(magnetic resonance imaging,MRI)与超声双重造影对胃癌的诊断价值及术前T分期的价值。结果显示,超声双重造影共检出120例胃癌患者,出现10例漏诊,MRI共检出109例胃癌患者,出现21例漏诊。金标准共检出52例T1期、32例T2期、26例T3期、20例T4期患者,超声双重造影诊断出T1期48例,符合率92.31%;T2期30例,符合率93.75%;T3期24例,符合率92.31%;T4期18例,符合率90.00%,进一步分析显示,超声双重造影对不同胃癌T分期的诊断价值均高于MRI。因此,超声双重造影对胃癌的诊断价值及对术前T分期诊断价值均高于MRI。     

头发微量元素及钙含量测定的应用价值评价

以125例2～5岁儿童为对象，测定其全血和头发铅、锌、铁、钙含量；以全血铅、锌、铁、钙含量为标准，应用诊断试验评价方法评价头发铅、锌、铁、钙测定的应用价值。结果表明，头发铅测定的灵敏度可达88．3％，应用串联试验，头发铅测定的特异度可提高至81．8％，阳性预测值达69．6％，阴性预测值达78．8％。头发锌测定的灵敏度可达86．1％，特异度为52．4％，阳性预测值75．6％，阴性预测值为68．8％。头发铁测定的灵敏度为72．0％，特异度为77．5％，阳性预测值为83．6％，阴性预测值为63．3％，头发钙测定的灵敏度为78．9％，特异度为69．1％，阳性预测值为69．8％，阴性预测值为78．4％。锌缺乏、铁缺乏、钙缺乏，或铅负荷过高，或数种微量元素缺乏及铅中毒并存是当前严重影响儿童健康成长的常见原因。运用现代检测技术早期发现微量元素缺乏及铅中毒患儿并及时采取防治措施对促进儿童正常生长发育至关重要。头发样品容易采集、运送和保存，因此头发微量元素含量测定适合在中小城镇及农村使用。但其应用价值应进行科学评价。     

The substrate specificity of a glucoamylase with steroidal saponin-rhamnosidase activity from Curvularia lunata

In previous work, we studied and reported that an enzyme from Curvularia lunata 3.4381 had the novel specificity to hydrolyze the terminal rhamnosyl at C-3 position of steroidal saponin and obtained four transformed products; the enzyme was purified and ascertained as glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.3 GA). In this work, the enzyme exhibiting steroidal saponin-rhamnosidase activity was systematically studied on 21 steroidal saponins and 6 ginsenosides. The results showed that the α-1,2-linked end-rhamnosyl residues at C-3 position of steroidal saponins could be hydrolyzed to corresponding secondary steroidal saponins, among which 18 compounds were isolated and identified, including 3 new secondary compounds. For the furostanosides having glucosyl residues at the C-26 position, hydrolysis occurred first at end-rhamnosyl at C-3 position to produce secondary furostanosides. The reaction of hydrolyzing glucosyl at C-26 position depended considerably on longer reaction times yielding the corresponding secondary spirostanosides (without rhamnosyl and glucosyl residues). The enzyme had the strict specificity for the terminal α-1,2-linked rhamnosyl residues of linear chain, or the terminal α-1,2-linked rhamnosyl residues with branched chain of 1,4-linked glycosyl residues of sugar chain at C-3 position of steroidal saponins, it was not specific for different aglycones, different glycons, and the number of glycon of sugar chain of steroidal saponin. The end-rhamnosyl of ginsenosides and p-nitrophenyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (pNPR) could not be hydrolyzed by the enzyme from C. lunata.     

What a Difference an OH Makes: Conformational Dynamics as the Basis for the Ligand Specificity of the Neomycin‐Sensing Riboswitch

To ensure appropriate metabolic regulation, riboswitches must discriminate efficiently between their target ligands and chemically similar molecules that are also present in the cell. A remarkable example of efficient ligand discrimination is a synthetic neomycin‐sensing riboswitch. Paromomycin, which differs from neomycin only by the substitution of a single amino group with a hydroxy group, also binds but does not flip the riboswitch. Interestingly, the solution structures of the two riboswitch–ligand complexes are virtually identical. In this work, we demonstrate that the local loss of key intermolecular interactions at the substitution site is translated through a defined network of intramolecular interactions into global changes in RNA conformational dynamics. The remarkable specificity of this riboswitch is thus based on structural dynamics rather than static structural differences. In this respect, the neomycin riboswitch is a model for many of its natural counterparts.     

Characterization of a novel anti-human TNF-alpha murine monoclonal antibody with high binding affinity and neutralizing activity

In order to develop an anti-human TNF-alpha mAb, mice were immunized with recombinant human TNF-alpha. A murine mAb, TSK114, which showed the highest binding activity for human TNF-alpha was selected and characterized. TSK114 specifically bound to human TNF-alpha without cross-reactivity with the homologous murine TNF-alpha and human TNF-beta. TSK114 was found to be of IgG1 isotype with kappa light chain. The nucleotide sequences of the variable regions of TSK114 heavy and light chains were determined and analyzed for the usage of gene families for the variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) segments. Kinetic analysis of TSK114 binding to human TNF-alpha by surface plasmon resonance technique revealed a binding affinity (K(D)) of approximately 5.3 pM, which is about 1,000- and 100-fold higher than those of clinically relevant infliximab (Remicade) and adalimumab (Humira) mAbs, respectively. TSK114 neutralized human TNF-alpha-mediated cytotoxicity in proportion to the concentration, exhibiting about 4-fold greater efficiency than those of infliximab and adalimumab in WEHI 164 cells used as an in vitro model system. These results suggest that TSK114 has the potential to be developed into a therapeutic TNF-alpha-neutralizing antibody with picomolar affinity.     

Evaluating substrate specificity of glutathione peroxidase mimic by molecular dynamics simulations and kinetics

The substrate specificities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) mimic, 6,6′-ditellurobis(6-deoxy-β-cyclodextrin) (6-TeCD), for three hydroperoxides (ROOH), H₂O₂, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH) and cumene hydroperoxide (CuOOH), are investigated through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The most stable conformations and the total interaction energies of complex of 6-TeCD with ROOH are used to evaluate the substrate specificity of 6-TeCD. The steady-state kinetics of 6-TeCD is studied and the Michaelis-Menten constant (K _m) and second-order rate constant k _max/K _ROOH show that 6-TeCD displays different affinity and specificity to ROOH. These results of experiments are well consistent with ones obtained by MD simulations, indicating that MD simulations could be applied to evaluation substrate specificity of small-molecule enzyme mimics.