DL-天冬氨酸的红外和晶体结构研究

通过X-ray单晶衍射和IR对DL-天冬氨酸的结构进行表征,该有机化合物属单斜晶系,P21空间群,晶胞参数：a=5．1353（8）A,b=6.9713（11）A,c=76073（11）A,a=90°,β=9．812（3）°,严90° 分子式：C4H7NO4,Mr=133．11,V=268．36（7）A3,Z=2,Dc=1．647Mg／m^3,R1=0．0468,wR2=0．0683[I＞2σ（I）]。在晶体结构中,有机分子通过分子间氢键N-H…O和O-H…O组装成了三维网状的超分子结构。     

孔道层状己二酸多聚体的制备及晶体结构

采用水热法,以己二酸和水为原料,在碱性条件下,制备了一种新型的具有孔道二维层状己二酸多聚体。利用X-射线单晶衍射对其结构进行了测定,结果表明:该晶体属于单斜晶系,P1 21/c空间群,a=7.195(4),b=5.150(3),c=10.022(6),α=90.00°,β=111.019(9)°,γ=90.00°,V=346.65(30)3,Z=2,Dc=1.40002 g·cm3,F(000)=156,R gt(F)=0.0371,w R ref(F2)=0.0908。     

Neuroprotective Studies of Evodiamine in an Okadaic Acid-Induced Neurotoxicity

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, and it manifests as progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. However, there are no effective therapies for AD, which is an urgent problem to solve. Evodiamine, one of the main bioactive ingredients of Evodia rutaecarpa, has been reported to ameliorate blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability and improve cognitive impairment in ischemia and AD mouse models. However, whether evodiamine alleviates tauopathy remains unclear. This study aimed to examine whether evodiamine ameliorates tau phosphorylation and cognitive deficits in AD models. Methods: A protein phosphatase 2A inhibitor, okadaic acid (OA), was used to induce tau phosphorylation to mimic AD-like models in neuronal cells. Protein expression and cell apoptosis were detected using Western blotting and flow cytometry, respectively. Spatial memory/cognition was assessed using water maze, passive avoidance tests, and magnetic resonance imaging assay in OA-induced mice models, and brain slices were evaluated further by immunohistochemistry. Results: The results showed that evodiamine significantly reduced the expression of phosphor-tau, and further decreased tau aggregation and neuronal cell death in response to OA treatment. This inhibition was found to be via the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β, cyclin-dependent kinase 5, and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. In vivo results indicated that evodiamine treatment ameliorated learning and memory impairments in mice, whereas Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis of the mouse brain also confirmed the neuroprotective effects of evodiamine. Conclusions: Evodiamine can decrease the neurotoxicity of tau aggregation and exhibit a neuroprotective effect. Our results demonstrate that evodiamine has a therapeutic potential for AD treatment.     

Liver Fatty Acid Binding Protein Gene-Ablation Exacerbates Weight Gain in High-Fat Fed Female Mice

Loss of liver fatty acid binding protein (L‐FABP) decreases long chain fatty acid uptake and oxidation in primary hepatocytes and in vivo. On this basis, L‐FABP gene ablation would potentiate high‐fat diet‐induced weight gain and weight gain/energy intake. While this was indeed the case when L‐FABP null (?/?) mice on the C57BL/6NCr background were pair‐fed a high‐fat diet, whether this would also be observed under high‐fat diet fed ad libitum was not known. Therefore, this possibility was examined in female L‐FABP (?/?) mice on the same background. L‐FABP (?/?) mice consumed equal amounts of defined high‐fat or isocaloric control diets fed ad libitum. However, on the ad libitum‐fed high‐fat diet the L‐FABP (?/?) mice exhibited: (1) decreased hepatic long chain fatty acid (LCFA) β‐oxidation as indicated by lower serum β‐hydroxybutyrate level; (2) decreased hepatic protein levels of key enzymes mitochondrial (rate limiting carnitine palmitoyl acyltransferase A1, CPT1A; HMG‐CoA synthase) and peroxisomal (acyl CoA oxidase 1, ACOX1) LCFA β‐oxidation; (3) increased fat tissue mass (FTM) and FTM/energy intake to the greatest extent; and (4) exacerbated body weight gain, weight gain/energy intake, liver weight, and liver weight/body weight to the greatest extent. Taken together, these findings showed that L‐FABP gene‐ablation exacerbated diet‐induced weight gain and fat tissue mass gain in mice fed high‐fat diet ad libitum—consistent with the known biochemistry and cell biology of L‐FABP.     

Hierarchical Structure of Protein Sequence

Most non-communicable diseases are associated with dysfunction of proteins or protein complexes. The relationship between sequence and structure has been analyzed for a long time, and the analysis of the sequences organization in domains and motifs remains an actual research area. Here, we propose a mathematical method for revealing the hierarchical organization of protein sequences. The method is based on the pentapeptide as a unit of protein sequences. Employing the frequency of occurrence of pentapeptides in sequences of natural proteins and a special mathematical approach, this method revealed a hierarchical structure in the protein sequence. The method was applied to 24,647 non-homologous protein sequences with sizes ranging from 50 to 400 residues from the NRDB90 database. Statistical analysis of the branching points of the graphs revealed 11 characteristic values of y (the width of the inscribed function), showing the relationship of these multiple fragments of the sequences. Several examples illustrate how fragments of the protein spatial structure correspond to the elements of the hierarchical structure of the protein sequence. This methodology provides a promising basis for a mathematically-based classification of the elements of the spatial organization of proteins. Elements of the hierarchical structure of different levels of the hierarchy can be used to solve biotechnological and medical problems.     

Synthesis of Diorganotin Esters of 5-Bromonicotinic Acid: X-ray Crystal Structure of Polymeric 5-Bromonicotinatodiorganotin

Two types of diorganotins [R₂Sn(OCOC₅H₃N-3-Br-5)₂] _n and {[R₂Sn(OH₂)(OCOC₅H₃N-3-Br-5)₂]₂} _n (R= Me, n-Bu, Ph, n-Oc), are prepared from 5-Br-omonicotinic acid and diorganotin oxides. All the compounds, 1–8, are characterized by elemental analysis as well as IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structures of [R₂Sn(OCOC₅H₃N-3-Br-5)₂] _n (2) and {[R₂Sn(OH₂)(OCOC₅H₃N-3-Br-5)₂]₂} _n (8) were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In compound 2, each carboxylate moiety of 5-Br-omonicotinic acid is involved in coordination to one Sn atom via two O-atoms, and the N-atom of one pyridine-ring coordinates to the neighboring Sn atom which leads to a polymeric chain. And the N-atom of the other pyridine-ring is dissociative. In compound 8, the compound proves to be dinuclear macrocyclic compounds with 5-Br-omonicotinic acid bridging the adjacent tin atoms with a 12-member ring. The hydrogen bonds ( ) are observed in the compound 8. These intermolecular hydrogen bonds form another ring, and lead to a polymeric chain in the lattice at the same time. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Synthesis and Structure Characterization of Some Triorganotin Esters of Heteroaromatic Carboxylic Acid and Crystal Structure of Triphenyltin Esters of 6-Hydroxynicotinic Acid and 5-Chloro-6-hydroxynicotinic Acid

Reactions of (R₃Sn)₂O (R=Ph, 2-ClC₆H₄CH₂, 2-FC₆H₄CH₂, 4-CNC₆H₄CH₂) with 6-hydroxynicotinic acid and 5-chloro-6-hydroxynicotinic acid in 1:2 stoichiometry yielded eight triorganotin compounds. These compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structures of triphenyltin esters of 6-hydroxynicotinic acid (1) and 5-chloro-6-hydroxynicotinic acid (2) were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In these two compounds the tin atoms are rendered five-coordinate in a trigonal bipyramidal structure by coordination though the three phenyl carbon atoms and two oxygen atoms, one from carboxylate and other from the phenolic hydroxide. The resulting structures are two one-dimensional linear polymers through an interaction between the O atoms of phenolic hydroxide and tin atoms of an adjacent molecule.     

Fate of Phytic Acid in Producing Soy Protein Ingredients

Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexaphosphate) is present in soybeans and soy protein products at 1–2% dry matter. Phytate causes poor absorption of essential electrolytes and minerals, and binds to proteins and co-precipitates with isoelectric soy protein isolates. We determined how phytic acid partitioned during different procedures to prepare soy protein ingredients. Procedure and soybean variety significantly affected phytic acid content and recovery. High-sucrose/low-stachyose (HS/LS) soybeans contained significantly (P < 0.05) less phytate than did a typical variety of commodity soybeans (IA2020). In addition, phytate was more readily extracted from the commodity soybeans than from HS/LS soybeans. Among all procedures studied, ethanol-washed soy protein concentrate had the highest phytate contents and yields in the protein products for both soybean varieties (~80 mg/g and 99%, respectively). When protein extraction was carried out at room temperature the protein products had significantly lower phytate yields (60–78%) than when extraction was at 60 °C (80–99%). The protein products obtained from normal soybeans had significantly higher phytate contents than the same products made from HS/LS soybeans. When fractionating soy proteins, the glycinin-rich fraction contained significantly less phytate than the β-conglycinin fraction except for the fractionation procedure performed at room temperature instead of 4 °C.     

Structure Prediction of Partial-Length Protein Sequences

Protein structure information is essential to understand protein function. Computational methods to accurately predict protein structure from the sequence have primarily been evaluated on protein sequences representing full-length native proteins. Here, we demonstrate that top-performing structure prediction methods can accurately predict the partial structures of proteins encoded by sequences that contain approximately 50% or more of the full-length protein sequence. We hypothesize that structure prediction may be useful for predicting functions of proteins whose corresponding genes are mapped expressed sequence tags (ESTs) that encode partial-length amino acid sequences. Additionally, we identify a confidence score representing the quality of a predicted structure as a useful means of predicting the likelihood that an arbitrary polypeptide sequence represents a portion of a foldable protein sequence (“foldability”). This work has ramifications for the prediction of protein structure with limited or noisy sequence information, as well as genome annotation.     

High Glucose and Liver Fatty Acid Binding Protein Gene Ablation Differentially Impact Whole Body and Liver Phenotype in High-Fat Pair-Fed Mice

Ad libitum-fed diets high in fat and carbohydrate (especially fructose) induce weight gain, obesity, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in humans and animal models. However, interpretation is complicated since ad libitum feeding of such diets induces hyperphagia and upregulates expression of liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP)—a protein intimately involved in fatty acid and glucose regulation of lipid metabolism. Wild-type (WT) and L-fabp gene ablated (LKO) mice were pair-fed either high-fat diet (HFD) or high-fat/high-glucose diet (HFGD) wherein total carbohydrate was maintained constant but the proportion of glucose was increased at the expense of fructose. In LKO mice, the pair-fed HFD increased body weight and lean tissue mass (LTM) but had no effect on fat tissue mass (FTM) or hepatic fatty vacuolation as compared to pair-fed WT counterparts. These LKO mice exhibited upregulation of hepatic proteins in fatty acid uptake and cytosolic transport (caveolin and sterol carrier protein-2), but lower hepatic fatty acid oxidation (decreased serum β-hydroxybutyrate). LKO mice pair-fed HFGD also exhibited increased body weight; however, these mice had increased FTM, not LTM, and increased hepatic fatty vacuolation as compared to pair-fed WT counterparts. These LKO mice also exhibited upregulation of hepatic proteins in fatty acid uptake and cytosolic transport (caveolin and acyl-CoA binding protein, but not sterol carrier protein-2), but there was no change in hepatic fatty acid oxidation (serum β-hydroxybutyrate) as compared to pair-fed WT counterparts.     

Tin(IV) Polymers: Part 1. Synthesis of Diorganotin Esters of Thiosalicylic Acid: X-ray Crystal Structure of Polymeric Thiosalicylatodiorganotin

Thiosalicylatodiorganotin, [R₂Sn(O₂CC₆H₄S)]_n, (R=Me (1), n-Bu (2), Ph (3), 3-Cl–PhCH₂ (4)), are prepared from thiosalicylic acid and diorganotin chlorides. All the compounds, 1–4, are characterized by elemental analysis as well as IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the 2 and 4 shows that the structures are polymeric with neighboring diorganotin centers being linked by one O-atom of the carboxylate ligands. The carboxylate moiety is involved in coordination to one Sn atom via one O-atom while the other O-atom coordinates to the neighboring Sn atom. The mercaptotropone sulfur atom is bonded to the central Sn atom thereby establishing that Sn is five-coordinate and exists in a trigonal bipyramidal geometry.     

Structure and Function of the Zinc Binding Protein ZrgA from Vibrio cholerae

ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters are the primary means by which bacteria acquire trace elements from the environment. They rely on solute binding proteins (SBPs) to bind the relevant substrate and deliver it to the integral membrane permease for ATP-powered import into the cytoplasm. SBPs of cluster A-I are known to facilitate the transport of essential metals zinc, manganese, and iron, and many have been characterized to date. A group of ABC transporter operons dubbed zinc-regulated genes (zrg) have recently been shown to transport zinc with putative SBPs (zrgA) bearing no homology to the classical cluster A-I family, and a recent crystal structure of a representative protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows no structural similarity to classical SBPs. Thus, the ZrgA proteins appear to represent a newly discovered family of zinc SBPs widespread among Gram-negative bacteria, including human pathogens. Here, we have determined the crystal structure of ZrgA from Vibrio cholerae and characterized its zinc binding in vitro and function in vivo. We also assessed the role of a histidine-rich sequence that appears to be a hallmark of ZrgA proteins that is particularly long in V. cholerae ZrgA. The results show that the zrgA gene is critical to the function of the operon, consistent with a function as an SBP in this system. Further, the His-rich region is not essential to the function of ZrgA, but it does provide additional zinc binding sites in vitro. The structure and zinc binding data for ZrgA reveal interesting differences between it and its homologue from P. aeruginosa, illustrating diversity within this little-studied protein family.     

Impact of Azidohomoalanine Incorporation on Protein Structure and Ligand Binding

The impact of the incorporation of a non‐natural amino acid (NNAA) on protein structure, dynamics, and ligand binding has not been studied rigorously so far. NNAAs are regularly used to modify proteins post‐translationally in vivo and in vitro through click chemistry. Herein, structural characterisation of the impact of the incorporation of azidohomoalanine (AZH) into the model protein domain PDZ3 is examined by means of NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. The structure and dynamics of the apo state of AZH‐modified PDZ3 remain mostly unperturbed. Furthermore, the binding of two PDZ3 binding peptides are unchanged upon incorporation of AZH. The interface of the AZH‐modified PDZ3 and an azulene‐linked peptide for vibrational energy transfer studies has been mapped by means of chemical shift perturbations and NOEs between the unlabelled azulene‐linked peptide and the isotopically labelled protein. Co‐crystallisation and soaking failed for the peptide‐bound holo complex. NMR spectroscopy, however, allowed determination of the protein–ligand interface. Although the incorporation of AZH was minimally invasive for PDZ3, structural analysis of NNAA‐modified proteins through the methodology presented herein should be performed to ensure structural integrity of the studied target.     

免疫抑制酸性蛋白的分离纯化及鉴定

采用卵巢癌腹水为原料，经盐析、DEAE－52、SephadexG100、等电聚焦电泳，Sepharose4B反相免疫亲和层析技术，分离纯化出免疫抑制酸性蛋白（IAP）纯品，经8．0％聚丙烯酰胶凝胶电泳、免疫电泳和双向免疫交叉试验，证实其为单一成分；用此抗原免疫家兔，获得了IAP抗血清，其效价为1：32。     

牛奶蛋白纤维的结构性能及其应用

论述了牛奶蛋白纤维的发展历史。在形态结构中,通过扫描电子显微镜观察到纤维横截面呈扁平状,纵向有不规则的沟槽和海岛状的凹凸,其结晶结构存在明显的结晶和无定形的两相结构,并且有明显的结晶峰。分析了牛奶蛋白纤维的优良性能,探讨了其在纺织面料上的广泛应用。     

Branched-chain Amino Acid Biosensing Using Fluorescent Modified Engineered Leucine/Isoleucine/Valine Binding Protein

A novel fluorescence sensing system for branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) was developed based on engineered leucine/isoleucine/valine-binding proteins (LIVBPs) conjugated with environmentally sensitive fluorescence probes. LIVBP was cloned from Escherichia coli and Gln149Cys, Gly227Cys, and Gln254Cys mutants were generated by genetic engineering. The mutant LIVBPs were then modified with environmentally sensitive fluorophores. Based on the fluorescence intensity change observed upon the binding of the ligands, the MIANS-conjugated Gln149Cys mutant (Gln149Cys-M) showed the highest and most sensitive response. The BCAAs Leu, Ile, and Val can each be monitored at the sub-micromolar level using Gln149Cys-M. Measurements were also carried out on a mixture of BCAFAs and revealed that Gln149Cys-M-based measurement is not significantly affected by the change in the molar ratio of Leu, Ile and Val in the sample. Its high sensitivity and group-specific molecular recognition ability make the new sensing system ideally suited for the measurement of BCAAs and the determination of the Fischer ratio, an indicator of hepatic disease involving metabolic dysfunction.     

两个苯并咪唑羧酸稀土配合物的合成、晶体结构及荧光性质

合成了1,3-二羧甲基苯并咪唑有机配体,并与氯化铕、氯化钐反应得到了两个新的稀土配合物,通过元素分析、X-射线单晶衍射及X-射线粉末衍射对其进行表征。晶体结构表明,两个配合物结构均为两个金属中心被4个配体桥联形成Ln_2O_8型双核次级结构基元,通过(κ~1-κ~1-μ_2)-(κ~1)-μ_3配位模式与配体形成(4,4)拓扑的二维网络结构。同时测定了这两个配合物的热稳定性及Eu配合物的荧光性质。     

A Novel 3D Europium (III) Coordination Polymer Constructed from 3,5-Pyridinedicarboxylate Acid: Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Emission Spectrum

Abstract  A novel 3D coordination polymer Eu₂(PDC)₃(H₂O)₃ (1) has been synthesized by hydrothermal reaction of europium chloride with 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate acid (H₂PDC) under acidic condition (pH 2–3). Complex 1 is a 3D coordination polymer via 1D infinite chains built by the pyridinium moieties of the PDC²⁻ anions. The thermal analyses and luminescent properties of 1 have also been investigated. Graphical Abstract   A novel 3D coordination polymer Eu₂(PDC)₃(H2O)₃ has been synthesized by hydrothermal reaction of europium chloride with 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate acid under acidic conditions (pH 2–3). The formation of the title complex demonstrates that pH plays an important role during the synthesis.      

Characterization of Sialic Acid Affinity of the Binding Domain of Mistletoe Lectin Isoform One

Sialic acid (Sia) is considered as one of the most important biomolecules of life since its derivatives and terminal orientations on cell membranes and macromolecules play a major role in many biological and pathological processes. To date, there is only a limited number of active molecules that can selectively bind to Sia and this limitation has made the study of this glycan challenging. The lectin superfamily is a well-known family of glycan binding proteins, which encompasses many strong glycan binding peptides with diverse glycan affinities. Mistletoe lectin (ML) is considered one of the most active members of lectin family which was initially classified in early studies as a galactose binding lectin; more recent studies have suggested that the peptide can also actively bind to Sia. However, the details with respect to Sia binding of ML and the domain responsible for this binding are left unanswered because no comprehensive studies have been instigated. In this study, we sought to identify the binding domain responsible for the sialic acid affinity of mistletoe lectin isoform I (MLI) in comparison to the binding activity of elderberry lectin isoform I (SNA), which has long been identified as a potent Sia binding lectin. In order to execute this, we performed computational carbohydrate-protein docking for MLB and SNA with Neu5Ac and β-Galactose. We further analyzed the coding sequence of both lectins and identified their glycan binding domains, which were later cloned upstream and downstream to green fluorescent protein (GFP) and expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Finally, the glycan affinity of the expressed fusion proteins was assessed by using different biochemical and cell-based assays and the Sia binding domains were identified.