Computational Analysis Reveals a Critical Point Mutation in the N-Terminal Region of the Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Responsible for the Cross-Species Infection with Canine Distemper Virus

Infection of hosts by morbilliviruses is facilitated by the interaction between viral hemagglutinin (H-protein) and the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM). Recently, the functional importance of the n-terminal region of human SLAM as a measles virus receptor was demonstrated. However, the functional roles of this region in the infection process by other morbilliviruses and host range determination remain unknown, partly because this region is highly flexible, which has hampered accurate structure determination of this region by X-ray crystallography. In this study, we analyzed the interaction between the H-protein from canine distemper virus (CDV-H) and SLAMs by a computational chemistry approach. Molecular dynamics simulations and fragment molecular orbital analysis demonstrated that the unique His28 in the N-terminal region of SLAM from Macaca is a key determinant that enables the formation of a stable interaction with CDV-H, providing a basis for CDV infection in Macaca. The computational chemistry approach presented should enable the determination of molecular interactions involving regions of proteins that are difficult to predict from crystal structures because of their high flexibility.     

The antidepressant effect of 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol 2-naphthoate through monoaminergic,GABAergic system and BDNF signaling pathway

Abstract

Gastrodigenin, also known as 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA), is one of the main components of Gastrodia elata, which is a perfect lead compound of natural products. In order to get new active compounds, we modified the structure of HBA through esterification with carboxylic acid, and got a series of derivatives in which 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol 2-naphthoate (NHBA) showed stronger antidepressant activity than HBA. In this paper, we firstly evaluated the antidepressant activity of NHBA by tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST). Then, we carried out the biochemical assay and western blot to determine its mechanism. The results displayed that NHBA could increase the content of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, γ-aminobutyric acid, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) in mice brain. It suggested that NHBA exhibited an antidepressant-like effect through monoaminergic system, GABAergic system and BDNF/TrkB signaling pathways.     

王阳明“心即理”的思想及其意义

王阳明的“心即理”思想，从本体论的角度来讲主要有两方面，即解说心与物的关系和心与理的关系，亦即“心外无物”、“心外无理”。从认识论的角度看，“心即理”的命题有着不少合理的成分；他的心学对我国近代社会的发展也有很大意义。     

IGF-PI3K-Akt信号通路在生理性心肌肥大中的作用研究进展

心肌肥大是心肌细胞对多种刺激因素的复杂反应。心肌肥大可以分为三种:心肌的正常生长、运动诱导生理性心肌肥大和病理性心肌肥大。近年来,研究表明心肌的正常生长以及运动诱导的心肌生理性肥大,主要是通过IGF-PI3K-Akt信号通路进行信号转导。本文就IGF-PI3K-Akt信号转导通路的结构特点、调节过程作一综述。     

一种新型的数字编码轨道电路

基于现有UM71无绝缘轨道电路的传输通道,讨论了各种传输方案,提出了一种采用模拟调频方式的32位数字编码轨道电路,选用TMS320C32作为CPU,设计了发送和接收子系统,最后给出了室内仿真试验及其结果.     

Illuminating Molecular Processes in Living Cells

Lately, scientists have explored approaches to developing fluorescent and/or bioluminescent indicators to pinpoint cellular processes in single living cells. These analytical methods have become a key technology for visualizing and detecting what was otherwise unseen in live cells. The target signaling included second messengers, protein phosphorylations, protein–protein interactions, and protein localizations.     

两种信令方式的转换及其实现

介绍了目前应用于我国长途电话交换局的两种主要的线路信令方式及其转换原理．分析了可能出现的“闭塞”现象，提出了解决方法，给出了实现方案和实际应用结果．     

The isolation, structural determination, and total synthesis of terfestatin A, a novel auxin signaling inhibitor from Streptomyces sp.

Indole 3-acetic acid, a plant hormone auxin, regulates every aspects of plant growth and development. In the screening for specific inhibitors on auxin signaling using the transgenic Arabidopsis plant harboring the auxin-responsive reporter gene, terfestain A was found to be a novel inhibitor of auxin signaling from the culture of Streptomyces sp. F40. The structure of terfestatin A was determined to be p-terphenyl β-glucoside on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, chemical degradation, and total synthesis.     

Counterpoise-corrected potential energy surfaces of simple H-bonded systems

Geometries and stabilization energies of various simple H-bonded complexes (water dimer, hydrogen fluoride dimer, formamide dimer, formic acid dimer) have been determined by a gradient optimization that eliminates the basis set superposition error (BSSE) by the counterpoise (CP) method in each gradient cycle as well as by the standard gradient optimization. Both optimization methods lead to different potential energy surfaces (PES). The difference depends on the theoretical level used and is larger if correlation energy is considered. Intermolecular distances from the CP-corrected PES are consistently longer, and this difference might be significant (∼0.1 ?); also angular characteristics determined from both surfaces differ significantly. Different geometries were obtained even when passing to larger basis sets (aug-cc-pVDZ). The standard optimization procedure can result in a completely wrong structure. For example, the “quasi-linear” structure of the (HF)₂ (global minimum) does not exist at the standard MP2/ 6-31G** PES (where only cyclic structure was detected) and is found only at the CP-corrected PES. Stabilization energies obtained from the CP-corrected PES are always larger than these from the standard PES where the BSSE is added only a posteriori for the final optimized structure; both energies converge only when passing to a larger basis set (aug-cc-pVDZ). Received: 11 March 1998 / Accepted: 19 June 1998 / Published online: 4 September 1998 RID=" ID=" <E6>Acknowledgements.</E6> The project was supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (Grant No. 203/98/1166). RID=" ID=" <E5>Correspondence to</E5>: P. Hobza     

LnSrNiO4-λ系列复合氧化物的物化性质与对NO分解的催化性能

用柠檬酸络合法合成了Ｋ２ＮｉＦ４结构的ＬｎＳｒＮｉＯ４－λ（Ｌｎ＝Ｌａ，Ｐｒ，Ｎｄ，Ｓｍ，Ｇｄ）系列稀土取代类钙钛石型复合氧化物催化剂，对该系列催化剂的固态物理、化学性质及其对ＮＯ分解的催化性能进行研究。结果表明，该系列复合氧化物催化剂对ＮＯ分解活性都很高，在此基础上对该系列复合氧化物中稀土元素对ＮＯ分解反应的取代效应进行了探讨。