Chemical-Shift Perturbations Reflect Bile Acid Binding to Norovirus Coat Protein: Recognition Comes in Different Flavors

Bile acids have been reported as important cofactors promoting human and murine norovirus (NoV) infections in cell culture. The underlying mechanisms are not resolved. Through the use of chemical shift perturbation (CSP) NMR experiments, we identified a low-affinity bile acid binding site of a human GII.4 NoV strain. Long-timescale MD simulations reveal the formation of a ligand-accessible binding pocket of flexible shape, allowing the formation of stable viral coat protein–bile acid complexes in agreement with experimental CSP data. CSP NMR experiments also show that this mode of bile acid binding has a minor influence on the binding of histo-blood group antigens and vice versa. STD NMR experiments probing the binding of bile acids to virus-like particles of seven different strains suggest that low-affinity bile acid binding is a common feature of human NoV and should therefore be important for understanding the role of bile acids as cofactors in NoV infection.     

Nutrient digestibility and endogenous protein losses in the foregut and small intestine of weaned dairy calves fed calf starters with conventional or enzyme-treated soybean meal

The aims of this experiment were (1) to compare the effects of a soybean meal with an enzymatic treatment (ESBM) to reduce the concentration of antinutritional factors versus a standard soybean meal (SBM) on foregut and small intestine digestion in weaned dairy calves and (2) to estimate the endogenous losses of crude protein (CP) in the small intestine. Our hypothesis was that a diet containing ESBM instead of SBM would improve ruminal and small intestine digestion and absorption of nutrients. A T-cannula was placed in the duodenum, and a second T-cannula was installed in the distal ileum of 12 Holstein calves at approximately 3 wk of age. Calves were weaned on d 42, and on d 50 they were assigned randomly to a quadruplicated 3 × 3 Latin square with 10-d periods. Digesta samples were collected on d 7 and 8 from the ileum and d 9 and 10 from the duodenum. The diets were fed for ad libitum intake and consisted of a calf starter (CS) of 20% CP with SBM as the main source of protein (CTRL), and an isonitrogenous CS with an ESBM instead of SBM (ENZT). A third diet with a low content of CP (10%) and no soy protein was fed to estimate endogenous N losses and digestibilities of test ingredients. Flows and digestibilities of nutrients were compared between CTRL and ENZT and their test ingredients (SBM vs. ESBM, respectively). Duodenal net flows of CP and total AA as well as ruminal microbial protein synthesis per kilogram of digested CP were greater, and flow of nonprotein N and CP true (corrected by endogenous and microbial flows) foregut digestibility were lower with ENZT than CTRL. The apparent small intestine digestibilities of CP and total AA were greater for ESBM than SBM, but there were no differences between the CTRL and ENZT diets. We observed no differences in digestibilities at the duodenum or ileum of starch or NDF, but true small intestine digestibilities of CP and all AA were greater with ENZT than CTRL. Total endogenous protein losses in the small intestine estimated from calves fed the low-CP with no soy protein diet were 37 ± 1.5 g of CP and 29 ± 1.4 g of AA/kg of DMI. These values may be considered the basal endogenous losses as they are similar to values obtained with the regression method, which estimates N losses when dietary N is null. Our results indicated that the inclusion of an ESBM improved the efficiency of ruminal microbial protein synthesis per digested kilogram of organic matter and CP, and increased CP and AA absorption in the small intestine despite a greater proportion of undigested dietary protein entering the duodenum.     

Measurements of single chain form factors by small-angle neutron scattering from polystyrene blends containing high concentrations of labelled molecules

A series of small angle neutron scattering measurements on blends of normal polystyrene (PSH) and labelled (deuterated) polystyrene (PSD) have been made with concentrations of PSD from 5 to 50 mol %. It is shown that the single chain form factor of the polymer in bulk can be obtained from a single concentration measurement for any concentration of labelled molecules, providing the molecular weights of the parent and labelled molecules are the same and the molecular weight distributions are narrow.     

西藏南部地区人工爆炸地震探测的地壳结构

众所周如,西藏地区是研究地球深部结构和构造的窗口,是研究大陆板块学说的重要场所,也是寻找热源和其它矿产资源的有利地区.因此,世界各国地学科学家都希望在本地区进行科学研究工作,或与我国科学工作者协作共同探索这一重要地区.中国和法国的地质、地球物理科学家经商讨共同组成“中法喜马拉雅山地质研究队”,对西藏中部广大地区进行地质、地球物理的科学研究工作.深部地震探测是地球物理研究中的重要内容.中法双方共同决定,在中国西藏南部的日喀则地区至北边的那曲地区作地震探测工作.为了探测地壳上地幔的结构,1981年在西藏的南部佩枯错至普莫雍错500公里的喜马拉雅山北麓——雅鲁藏布江地区进行了人工爆炸地震探测工作.本文是中法地质研究队合作的深部地震探测资料的解释结果.     

Inhibiting and deactivating effects of water on the selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide with ammonia over MnOx/Al2O3

The effect of water on the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitric oxide with ammonia over alumina supported with 2–15 wt.-% manganese oxide was investigated in the temperature range 385–600 K, with the emphasis on the low side of this temperature window. Studies on the effect of 1–5 vol.-% water vapour on the SCR reaction rate and selectivity were combined with TPD experiments to reveal the influence of water on the adsorption of the single SCR reactants. It turned out that the activity decrease due to water addition can be divided into a reversible inhibition and an irreversible deactivation. Inhibition is caused by molecular adsorption of water. TPD studies showed that water can adsorb competitively with both ammonia and nitric oxide. Additional kinetic experiments revealed that adsorbed ammonia is present in excess on the catalyst surface, even in the presence of water. Reduced nitric oxide adsorption is responsible for the observed reversible decrease in the reaction rate; the fractional reaction order changes from 0.79 in the absence of water to 1.07 in its presence. Deactivation is probably due to the dissociative adsorption of water, resulting in the formation of additional surface hydroxyls. As the amount of surface hydroxyls formed is limited to a saturation level, the deactivating effect on the catalyst is limited too. The additional hydroxyls condense and desorb in the temperature range 525–775 K, resulting in a lower degree of deactivation at higher temperature. A high temperature treatment at 775 K results in a complete regeneration. The amount of surface hydroxyls formed per unit surface area decreases at increasing MnO_x-loading. The selectivity to the production of nitrogen is enhanced significantly by the presence of gas phase water.     

Bladder injury model induced in rats by exposure to protamine sulfate followed by bacterial endotoxin

PURPOSE: A bladder injury model was developed using protamine sulfate (PS) and endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administered intravesically to female Sprague-Dawley rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experimental and control animals were catheterized and intravesically exposed to PS-LPS, PS, LPS, or phosphate buffered saline. After 4, 24 or 72 hours, rats were sacrificed. Urines and bladder tissues were then obtained. Bladder mucosal permeability was evaluated by measuring 14C-urea uptake 24 hours after injury. Repeated instillations of PS/LPS were also made in another group of rats over a period of 5 weeks to attempt to establish a more serious mucosal injury, possibly reflected by altered staining of the collagen IV component of the urinary basement membrane (UBM). RESULTS: Histological examination of the tissues indicated a maximal inflammatory response in the mucosa 4 hours after instillation of PS/LPS. Neutrophils and macrophages in close proximity to the UBM and intraepithelially could be demonstrated. Bladder permeability was significantly altered (26.9% 14C-urea uptake) in rats assayed 24 hours after the PS/LPS treatment, but not after exposure to PS or LPS alone (11.9 and 17.5%, respectively). Protease activity detected in urines from experimental, but not control, animals coincided with the appearance of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria. Inflammatory injury did not appear to alter the collagen IV staining of the UBM. CONCLUSIONS: This rat bladder injury model is useful for examining controversial issues regarding bladder wall structure-function alterations induced by inflammation and possibly important in the pathobiological mechanisms involved in some patients with interstitial cystitis.