Analysis of Molecular Species Profiles of Ceramide-1-phosphate and Sphingomyelin Using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Ceramide‐1‐phosphate (C1P) is a potential signaling molecule that modulates various cellular functions in animals. It has been known that C1P with different N‐acyl lengths induce biological responses differently. However, molecular species profiles of the C1P in animal tissues have not been extensively examined yet. Here, we developed a method for determination of the molecular species of a C1P using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry with Phos‐tag, a phosphate capture molecule. The amounts of total C1P in skin, brain, liver, kidney and small intestine of mice were determined to be 344, 151, 198, 96 and 90 pmol/g wet weight, respectively. We found a C1P species having an α‐hydroxypalmitoyl residue (h‐C1P, 44 pmol/g wet weight) in mouse skin. The h‐C1P was detected only in the skin, and not other tissues of mice. The same analysis was applied to sphingomyelin after conversion of sphingomyelin to C1P by Streptomyces chromofuscus phospholipase D. We found that molecular species profiles of sphingomyelin in skin, kidney and small intestine of mice were similar to those of C1P in corresponding tissues. In contrast, molecular species profiles of sphingomyelin in liver and brain were quite different from those of C1P in these tissues, indicating selective synthesis or degradation of C1P in these tissues. The method described here will be useful for detection of changes in molecular species profiles of C1P and sphingomyelin.     

铁钙比对煤灰中耐熔矿物生成的抑制机理研究

铁基助熔剂和钙基助熔剂能有效降低煤灰熔融温度,为了研究铁钙比(Fe2O3/CaO)对煤灰中耐熔矿物生成的抑制机理,根据煤灰化学成分组成,在三种不同系列的煤中加入含铁助剂,调整煤中的铁钙比,对煤灰进行灰熔融温度、煤灰成分分析,对还原性气氛下制备的煤灰渣进行X射线衍射分析(XRD).结果表明:加入含铁助剂可降低煤灰熔融温度,在相同铁钙比下,加入Fe助剂的煤灰熔融温度低于加入FeS2助剂的煤灰熔融温度,硫在煤灰中起增加煤灰熔融温度的作用;煤灰中铁钙比不同对高熔点矿物的生成影响不同,当铁钙比在1~2间时,灰渣中仅有钙长石,当铁钙比在3.5~5.5间时,灰渣中既有钙长石的也有耐熔矿物莫来石的存在,煤灰中铁质矿物和钙质矿物的含量对耐熔矿物的生成有很大影响.     

Effect of hydrogen on reaction intermediates in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by C3H6

Selective catalytic reduction of NO_x by C₃H₆ in the presence of H₂ over Ag/Al₂O₃ was investigated using in situ DRIFTS and GC–MS measurements. The addition of H₂ promoted the partial oxidation of C₃H₆ to enolic species, the formation of –NCO and the reactions of enolic species and –NCO with NO_x on Ag/Al₂O₃ surface at low temperatures. Based on the results, we proposed reaction mechanism to explain the promotional effect of H₂ on the SCR of NO_x by C₃H₆ over Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst.     

Comprehensive Identification of Immunodominant Proteins of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis Using Antibodies in the Sera from Naturally Infected Hosts

Brucellosis is a debilitating zoonotic disease that affects humans and animals. The diagnosis of brucellosis is challenging, as accurate species level identification is not possible with any of the currently available serology-based diagnostic methods. The present study aimed at identifying Brucella (B.) species-specific proteins from the closely related species B. abortus and B. melitensis using sera collected from naturally infected host species. Unlike earlier reported investigations with either laboratory-grown species or vaccine strains, in the present study, field strains were utilized for analysis. The label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of the naturally isolated strains of these two closely related species revealed 402 differentially expressed proteins, among which 63 and 103 proteins were found exclusively in the whole cell extracts of B. abortus and B. melitensis field strains, respectively. The sera from four different naturally infected host species, i.e., cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goat were applied to identify the immune-binding protein spots present in the whole protein extracts from the isolated B. abortus and B. melitensis field strains and resolved on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Comprehensive analysis revealed that 25 proteins of B. abortus and 20 proteins of B. melitensis were distinctly immunoreactive. Dihydrodipicolinate synthase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate/malate dehydrogenase from B. abortus, amino acid ABC transporter substrate-binding protein from B. melitensis and fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase from both species were reactive with the sera of all the tested naturally infected host species. The identified proteins could be used for the design of serological assays capable of detecting pan-Brucella, B. abortus- and B. melitensis-specific antibodies.