Babesia Bovis Ligand-Receptor Interaction: AMA-1 Contains Small Regions Governing Bovine Erythrocyte Binding

Apical membrane antigen 1 is a microneme protein which plays an indispensable role during Apicomplexa parasite invasion. The detailed mechanism of AMA-1 molecular interaction with its receptor on bovine erythrocytes has not been completely defined in Babesia bovis. This study was focused on identifying the minimum B. bovis AMA-1-derived regions governing specific and high-affinity binding to its target cells. Different approaches were used for detecting ama-1 locus genetic variability and natural selection signatures. The binding properties of twelve highly conserved 20-residue-long peptides were evaluated using a sensitive and specific binding assay based on radio-iodination. B. bovis AMA-1 ectodomain structure was modelled and refined using molecular modelling software. NetMHCIIpan software was used for calculating B- and T-cell epitopes. The B. bovis ama-1 gene had regions under functional constraint, having the highest negative selective pressure intensity in the Domain I encoding region. Interestingly, B. bovis AMA-1-DI (¹⁰⁰YMQKFDIPRNHGSGIYVDLG¹¹⁹ and ¹²⁰GYESVGSKSYRMPVGKCPVV¹³⁹) and DII (³⁰²CPMHPVRDAIFGKWSGGSCV³²¹)-derived peptides had high specificity interaction with erythrocytes and bound to a chymotrypsin and neuraminidase-treatment sensitive receptor. DI-derived peptides appear to be exposed on the protein’s surface and contain predicted B- and T-cell epitopes. These findings provide data (for the first-time) concerning B. bovis AMA-1 functional subunits which are important for establishing receptor-ligand interactions which could be used in synthetic vaccine development.     

多晶硅表面金属催化化学腐蚀法制绒研究现状

在多晶硅太阳能电池的生产过程中, 金刚线切割技术(Diamond wire sawn, DWS)具有切割速度快、精度高、原材料损耗少等优点, 受到了广泛关注。金刚线切割多晶硅表面形成的损伤层较浅, 与传统的酸腐蚀制绒技术无法匹配, 金属催化化学腐蚀法应运而生。金属催化化学腐蚀法制绒具有操作简单、结构可控且易形成高深宽比的绒面等优点, 具有广阔的应用前景。本文总结了不同类型的金属催化剂在制绒过程中的腐蚀机理及其形成的绒面结构, 深入分析和讨论了具有代表性的银、铜的单一及复合催化腐蚀过程及绒面结构和电池片性能。最后对金刚线切割多晶硅片表面的金属催化化学腐蚀法存在的问题进行了分析, 并展望了未来的研究方向。     

Mechanical Properties of Single-Layer Diamond Reinforced Poly(vinyl alcohol) Nanocomposites through Atomistic Simulation

Low-dimensional carbon nanostructures are ideal nanofillers to reinforce the mechanical performance of polymer nanocomposites due to their excellent mechanical properties. Through molecular dynamics simulations, the mechanical performance of poly(vinyl alchohol) (PVA) nanocomposites reinforced with a single-layer diamond – diamane is investigated. It is found the PVA/diamane exhibits similar interfacial strengths and pull-out characteristics with the PVA/bilayer-graphene counterpart. Specifically, when the nanofiller is fully embedded in the nanocomposite, it is unable to deform simultaneously with the PVA matrix due to the weak interfacial load transfer efficiency, thus the enhancement effect is not significant. In comparison, diamane can effectively promote the tensile properties of the nanocomposite when it has a laminated structure as it deforms simultaneously with the matrix. With this configuration, the interlayer sp³ bonds endows diamane with a much higher resistance under compression and shear tests, thus the nanocomposite can reach very high compressive and shear stress. Overall, enhancement on the mechanical interlocking at the interface as triggered by surface functionalization is only effective for the fully embedded nanofiller. This work provides a fundamental understanding of the mechanical properties of PVA nanocomposites reinforced by diamane, which can shed lights on the design and preparation of next generation high-performance nanocomposites.     

Courses Based on iGEM/BIOMOD Competitions Are the Ideal Format for Research-Based Learning of Xenobiology

Synthetic biology and especially xenobiology, as emerging new fields of science, have reached an intellectual and experimental maturity that makes them suitable for integration into the university curricula of chemical and biological disciplines. Novel scientific fields that include laboratory work are perfect playgrounds for developing highly motivating research-based teaching modules. We believe that research-based learning enriched by digital tools is the best approach for teaching new emerging essentials of academic education. This is especially true when the scientific field as such is still not canonized with text books and best-practice examples. Our experience shows that iGEM/BIOMOD competitions represent an excellent basis for designing research-based courses in xenobiology. Therefore, we present a report on “iGEM–Synthetic Biology” offered at the Technische Universität Berlin as an example.     

Alteration of the Route to Menaquinone towards Isochorismate-Derived Metabolites

Chorismate and isochorismate constitute branch-point intermediates in the biosynthesis of many aromatic metabolites in microorganisms and plants. To obtain unnatural compounds, we modified the route to menaquinone in Escherichia coli. We propose a model for the binding of isochorismate to the active site of MenD ((1R,2S, 5S,6S)-2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxycyclohex-3-ene-1-carboxylate (SEPHCHC) synthase) that explains the outcome of the native reaction with α-ketoglutarate. We have rationally designed variants of MenD for the conversion of several isochorismate analogues. The double-variant Asn117Arg–Leu478Thr preferentially converts (5S,6S)-5,6-dihydroxycyclohexa-1,3-diene-1-carboxylate (2,3-trans-CHD), the hydrolysis product of isochorismate, with a >70-fold higher ratio than that for the wild type. The single-variant Arg107Ile uses (5S,6S)-6-amino-5-hydroxycyclohexa-1,3-diene-1-carboxylate (2,3-trans-CHA) as substrate with >6-fold conversion compared to wild-type MenD. The novel compounds have been made accessible in vivo (up to 5.3 g L⁻¹). Unexpectedly, as the identified residues such as Arg107 are highly conserved (>94 %), some of the designed variations can be found in wild-type SEPHCHC synthases from other bacteria (Arg107Lys, 0.3 %). This raises the question for the possible natural occurrence of as yet unexplored branches of the shikimate pathway.     

Lessons from a Minimal Genome: What Are the Essential Organizing Principles of a Cell Built from Scratch?

One of the primary challenges facing synthetic biology is reconstituting a living system from its component parts. A particularly difficult landmark is reconstituting a self-organizing system that can undergo autonomous chromosome compaction, segregation, and cell division. Here, we discuss how the syn3.0 minimal genome can inform us of the core self-organizing principles of a living cell and how these self-organizing processes can be built from the bottom up. The review underscores the importance of fundamental biology in rebuilding life from its molecular constituents.     

不同类型断层控制油气垂向富集的差异——以渤海湾盆地歧口凹陷歧南斜坡区为例

渤海湾盆地历经多期构造变动，断层圈闭发育普遍。断层作为断层圈闭的边界条件，在油气成藏过程中起着至关重要的作用。以断层圈闭较发育的歧南斜坡区为例分析了同向断层和反向断层控制油气垂向富集的差异，基于三维地震资料，从断层形成过程和断层圈闭分布出发，剖析了断层遮挡圈闭的成因及分布规律。结合油水分布规律，基于油藏解剖并应用储层定量荧光技术明确了不同类型断层控藏的差异及其形成机理。研究表明：①断层分段生长作用和断层上盘与下盘的差异活动是同向断层控制下断层遮挡圈闭形成的主要原因，斜坡区反向断层控制形成的断层圈闭则是断块掀斜翘倾作用所致；②同向断层圈闭发育在断层上盘分段点位置，只有当同向断层进入"硬连接"阶段方可形成断层圈闭，反向断层圈闭形成在断层下盘，在反向断层活动初期便可形成；③同向断层既可以控制油气在多套含油气系统中聚集成藏，也可在一套含油气系统中富集，而反向断层往往控制油气在一套含油气系统中富集；④不同类型断层控制油气垂向聚集的差异与圈闭发育位置以及断-盖配置有关。采用泥岩涂抹系数对沙河街组一段中部盖层控制的含油气系统的垂向调整进行定量评价，泥岩涂抹系数低于3.5时油气保存，泥岩涂抹系数高于3.5时油气垂向渗漏。     

合成生物学在生物基塑料制造中的应用

合成生物学是以工程学思想为指导，对天然生物基因组进行改造和重构，合成新的生物元件，构建新的代谢途径，生产新产品或获得新表型的新兴学科。生物基塑料是以天然物质为原料在微生物作用或化学反应下生成的塑料。利用合成生物学改造工程菌株的方法制备合成生物基塑料已经成为学术界和产业界关注的热点。本文综述了合成生物学的发展和重要的合成生物学技术，重点综述了利用合成生物学技术构建聚羟基烷酸酯、尼龙、聚乳酸和丁二酸丁二醇酯等生物基塑料聚合物单体及其衍生物的代谢途径和工程优化领域的研究进展。     

基于数据拼接的金刚石刀具刃口三维形貌表征技术

原子力显微镜(AFM)是获取金刚石刀具刃口纳米级三维形貌的重要手段,但其存在测量范围小,难以表征参与切削区域整段刃口形貌特征的问题。采用基于迭代最近点法的刃口AFM测量数据拼接算法,获得了由多组数据拼接得到的刃口纳米级三维形貌,并进行了切削实验验证。实验结果表明,采用的数据拼接方法可较好地用于表征刀具刃口三维形貌。