Soluble Prokaryotic Overexpression and Purification of Human GM-CSF Using the Protein Disulfide Isomerase b′a′ Domain

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a member of the colony-stimulating factor (CSF) family, which functions to enhance the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and other hematopoietic lineages such as neutrophils, dendritic cells, or macrophages. These proteins have thus generated considerable interest in clinical therapy research. A current obstacle to the prokaryotic production of human GM-CSF (hGM-CSF) is its low solubility when overexpressed and subsequent complex refolding processes. In our present study, the solubility of hGM-CSF was examined when combined with three N-terminal fusion tags in five E. coli strains at three different expression temperatures. In the five E. coli strains BL21 (DE3), ClearColi BL21 (DE3), LOBSTR, SHuffle T7 and Origami2 (DE3), the hexahistidine-tagged hGM-CSF showed the best expression but was insoluble in all cases at each examined temperature. Tagging with the maltose-binding protein (MBP) and the b′a′ domain of protein disulfide isomerase (PDIb′a′) greatly improved the soluble overexpression of hGM-CSF at 30 °C and 18 °C. The solubility was not improved using the Origami2 (DE3) and SHuffle T7 strains that have been engineered for disulfide bond formation. Two conventional chromatographic steps were used to purify hGM-CSF from the overexpressed PDIb′a′-hGM-CSF produced in ClearColi BL21 (DE3). In the experiment, 0.65 mg of hGM-CSF was isolated from a 0.5 L flask culture of these E. coli and showed a 98% purity by SDS-PAGE analysis and silver staining. The bioactivity of this purified hGM-CSF was measured at an EC₅₀ of 16.4 ± 2 pM by a CCK8 assay in TF-1 human erythroleukemia cells.     

An Engineered Biliverdin-Compatible Cyanobacteriochrome Enables a Unique Ultrafast Reversible Photoswitching Pathway

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are promising optogenetic tools for their diverse absorption properties with a single compact cofactor-binding domain. We previously uncovered the ultrafast reversible photoswitching dynamics of a red/green photoreceptor AnPixJg2, which binds phycocyanobilin (PCB) that is unavailable in mammalian cells. Biliverdin (BV) is a mammalian cofactor with a similar structure to PCB but exhibits redder absorption. To improve the AnPixJg2 feasibility in mammalian applications, AnPixJg2_BV4 with only four mutations has been engineered to incorporate BV. Herein, we implemented femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) and ground state femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (GS-FSRS) to uncover transient electronic dynamics on molecular time scales and key structural motions responsible for the photoconversion of AnPixJg2_BV4 with PCB (Bpcb) and BV (Bbv) cofactors in comparison with the parent AnPixJg2 (Apcb). Bpcb adopts the same photoconversion scheme as Apcb, while BV4 mutations create a less bulky environment around the cofactor D ring that promotes a faster twist. The engineered Bbv employs a reversible clockwise/counterclockwise photoswitching that requires a two-step twist on ~5 and 35 picosecond (ps) time scales. The primary forward P_fr → P_o transition displays equal amplitude weights between the two processes before reaching a conical intersection. In contrast, the primary reverse P_o → P_fr transition shows a 2:1 weight ratio of the ~35 ps over 5 ps component, implying notable changes to the D-ring-twisting pathway. Moreover, we performed pre-resonance GS-FSRS and quantum calculations to identify the Bbv vibrational marker bands at ~659,797, and 1225 cm⁻¹. These modes reveal a stronger H-bonding network around the BV cofactor A ring with BV4 mutations, corroborating the D-ring-dominant reversible photoswitching pathway in the excited state. Implementation of BV4 mutations in other PCB-binding GAF domains like AnPixJg4, AM1_1870g3, and NpF2164g5 could promote similar efficient reversible photoswitching for more directional bioimaging and optogenetic applications, and inspire other bioengineering advances.     

鞍钢鲅鱼圈4038m3高炉高比例使用中块焦炭生产实践

针对鞍钢股份有限公司鲅鱼圈钢铁分公司4038 m3高炉高比例使用中块焦炭后出现的风量萎缩、顺行变差,尤其是高炉休送风恢复过程中炉缸活跃性差、煤气流中心通道打不开、频繁崩滑料现象,提出采取合理匹配上下部调剂、组织好炉前渣铁排放、小焦布料制度以及改善休风料结构等措施.实践后,高炉实现了中块焦比为90 kg/t情况下的长期稳定顺行,休送风恢复未出现超时现象,适应了高比例使用中块焦炭的生产.     

Stage-efficiency of centrifugal extractor used in nuclear industry

1　INTRODUCTIONComparedwithamixer settlerorpulsedcolumnusedinthenuclearfuelreprocessingextraction pro cesses,ashort residence timecentrifugalextractorcatchesresearcher seyesbecauseofthe goodphaseseparationandasmallhold upvolume .Itshowsthefollowingadvantagesinthenuclearindustry[1] :1)Reducingsolventdegradationduetoradiation ;2 )Reducinginventoryofaqueousandorganicphases ,whichgivesrapidstart upandshut down ;3)Com pactdesignthatcontributestothereductionofplantcost .Manydifferenttypesofcen…     

对苯二甲酸加氢精制的反应规律

在高压磁力搅拌间歇反应釜中研究了粗对苯二甲酸在 Pd- C催化剂上加氢精制反应的规律。实验温度范围为 2 75～ 2 95℃ ,实验压力范围为 6 .0 8～ 8.0 8MPa(表压 )。研究发现加氢反应速率随着催化剂量和氢分压的增加而提高 ,在实验温度范围内 ,提高加氢温度 ,反应速率反而有所下降 ;投料中对苯二甲酸的质量浓度对反应速率也有一定影响 ,在 2 82℃反应条件下合适的质量分数为 2 5 %。     

从假性紫罗兰酮合成β-紫罗兰酮中主要副产物(I)的分离鉴定

假性紫罗兰酮在浓硫酸及 - 2 0°C低温条件下反应 ,主要生成 β-紫罗兰酮 ,少量的 α-及 γ-紫罗兰酮 ,同时生成副产物 ( I)及 ( II)。用 IR、1H NMR及 MS光谱分析方法 ,对副产物 ( I)进行了结构鉴定 ,结构为 3,4,4a,5 ,8,8a-六氢 - 2 ,5 ,5 ,8a-四甲基 - 2 H - 1 -苯并吡喃     

汽车用塑料注塑新技术的进展

综述了汽车用塑料的注射成型技术的进展，简单介绍了气体辅助注射成型(GAIM)、水辅助注射成型、熔芯注射成型、反应注射／增强反应注射(RIM／RRIM)成型等技术的特点、生产的汽车部件及最新动向。     

Flaw-Tolerance and R-Curve Behavior of Liquid-Phase-Sintered Silicon Carbides with Different Microstructures

β-SiC powder containing 6 wt% A1₂O₃ and 4 wt% Y₂O₃ as sintering additives was pressureless sintered at 2000°C for 1 h (AYE-SiC) and 3 h (AYP-SiC). AYE-SiC consisted of an equiaxed grain structure and AYP-SiC exhibited a micro-structure with platelike grains as a result of grain growth related to β→α phase transformation during sintering, R -curve behavior and flaw tolerance for these silicon carbides were evaluated by the indentation-strength technique. For comparison, the R -curve behavior of conventional sintered, boron- and carbon-doped SiC (SS-SiC) was evaluated. AYE-SiC and AYP-SiC exhibited rising R -curve behavior with toughening exponents of m = 0.042 and m = 0.135, respectively. AYP-SiC exhibited better flaw tolerance and more sharply rising R -curve behavior than AYE-SiC. The more sharply rising R -curve behavior and the better flaw tolerance of AYP-SiC were attributed mainly to grain bridging of crack faces by platelike grains. Because of the high degree of transgranular fracture, SS-SiC exhibited a flat R -curve despite a microstructural feature with platelike grains.     

Effect of water pretreatment on CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> capture using a potassium-based solid sorbent in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor

A bubbling fluidized bed reactor was used to study CO₂ capture from flue gas by using a potassium-based solid sorbent, sorbKX35 which was manufactured by the Korea Electric Power Research Institute. A dry sorbent, sorbKX35, consists of K₂CO₃ for absorption and supporters for mechanical strength. To increase initial CO₂ removal, some amount of H₂O was absorbed in the sorbent before injecting simulated flue gas. It was possible to achieve 100% CO₂ removal for more than 10 minutes at 60°C and a residence time of 2 s with H₂O pretreatment. When H₂O pretreatment time was long enough to convert K₂CO₃ of sorbKX35 into K₂CO₃ · 1.5H₂O, CO₂ removal was excellent. The results obtained in this study can be used as basic data for designing and operating a large scale CO₂ capture process with two fluidized bed reactors. This work was presented at the 6 ^th Korea-China Workshop on Clean Energy Technology held at Busan, Korea, July 4–7, 2006.     

Effects of Y2O3 and ZrO2 on the Densification of Si3N4-Zr(Y)O2 Composites

The effects of ZrO₂ and Y₂O₃ on the densification of hotpressed Si₃N₄-Zr(Y)O₂ composites have been studied. High density could not be obtained by the addition of pure or 3-mol%-Y₂O₃-doped ZrO₂ in this composite; however, nearly full density (>97%) could be obtained in Si₃N₄ using 6- and 8-mol%-Y₂O₃-doped ZrO₂. It is concluded that Y₂O₃ diffusing out from the added Zr(Y)O₂ promoted the densification and that ZrO₂ also had some role in the formation of an oxynitride glass.