Role of the HSP70 Co-Chaperone SIL1 in Health and Disease

Cell surface and secreted proteins provide essential functions for multicellular life. They enter the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen co-translationally, where they mature and fold into their complex three-dimensional structures. The ER is populated with a host of molecular chaperones, associated co-factors, and enzymes that assist and stabilize folded states. Together, they ensure that nascent proteins mature properly or, if this process fails, target them for degradation. BiP, the ER HSP70 chaperone, interacts with unfolded client proteins in a nucleotide-dependent manner, which is tightly regulated by eight DnaJ-type proteins and two nucleotide exchange factors (NEFs), SIL1 and GRP170. Loss of SIL1′s function is the leading cause of Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (MSS), an autosomal recessive, multisystem disorder. The development of animal models has provided insights into SIL1′s functions and MSS-associated pathologies. This review provides an in-depth update on the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying SIL1′s NEF activity and its role in maintaining ER homeostasis and normal physiology. A precise understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with the loss of SIL1 may allow for the development of new pharmacological approaches to treat MSS.     

Theoretical study on a kind of cyclization mechanism of boron trichloride and hexamethyldisilazane to form the borazine ring for SiBCN ceramics precursor

Borazine rings act as a pivotal part in siliconboroncarbonitride ceramics (SiBCN) for high-temperature stability and great resistance to crystallization. A detailed investigation of the ring formation mechanism will guide the design and synthesis of SiBCN to meet application requirements under extreme conditions. Boron trichloride (BCl₃) and hexamethyldisilazane (HN(SiMe₃)₂) are common raw materials for the synthesis of precursors for SiBCN. In this paper, quantum chemical calculation was used to study the cyclization reaction mechanism between BCl₃ and HN(SiMe₃)₂ to form trichloroborazine (TCBZ) at the MP2/6-31G (d,p) level of theory. We discussed the structure properties, reaction pathways, energy barriers, reaction rates, and other aspects in detail. The results show that BCl₃ and HN(SiMe₃)₂ alternately participate in the reaction process, accompanied by the release of trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS), and that the entire reaction shows an absolute advantage in terms of energy. In the Step by step reaction, lower reaction barriers are formed due to the introduction of BCl₃ with more heat released compared to that for the introduction of HN(SiMe₃)₂. The final single-molecule cyclization and TMCS elimination steps are found to be faster compared to all previous bimolecular reactions.     

A comparative study on hygroscopic and physiochemical properties of chicken powders obtained by different drying methods

Abstract

Different drying methods (spray drying (SD), vacuum drying (VD), microwave vacuum drying (MVD), and infrared vacuum drying (IFVD)) were applied in order to compare the hygroscopicity behavior of chicken powders. The hygroscopicity curves and glass transition temperature were used to evaluate the influence of ambient humidity and temperature on moisture absorption of powders. The results showed that the chicken powder dried by MVD had the lowest moisture absorption, followed by IFVD, VD, and SD. The hygroscopicity of SD chicken powders was different from other three kinds of chicken powders due to the physical properties of particles and the changes of protein secondary structure as detected by the Fourier transform-infrared spectrometer. For the three vacuum drying methods, the difference of protein secondary structure was the main reason of differences in hygroscopicity. Although MVD chicken powders were slightly inferior to SD chicken powders in taste, MVD chicken powders were the best in terms of smell and color as suggested by instrumental sensory parameter evaluations. It was found that MVD had a positive effect on reducing moisture absorption and maintaining sensory quality of chicken powders.     

Advancements in the Development of non-BET Bromodomain Chemical Probes

The bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) family of bromodomain-containing proteins (BCPs) have been the subject of extensive research over the past decade, resulting in a plethora of high-quality chemical probes for their tandem bromodomains. In turn, these chemical probes have helped reveal the profound biological role of the BET bromodomains and their role in disease, ultimately leading to a number of molecules in active clinical development. However, the BET subfamily represents just 8/61 of the known human bromodomains, and attention has now expanded to the biological role of the remaining 53 non-BET bromodomains. Rapid growth of this research area has been accompanied by a greater understanding of the requirements for an effective bromodomain chemical probe and has led to a number of new non-BET bromodomain chemical probes being developed. Advances since December 2015 are discussed, highlighting the strengths/caveats of each molecule, and the value they add toward validating the non-BET bromodomains as tractable therapeutic targets.     

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.     

综放高瓦斯矿井煤层瓦斯涌出量综合预测

为了成功预测竹林山煤矿综放高瓦斯矿井大采高工作面煤层瓦斯涌出量,以主采3号煤层为主要研究对象,针对3号煤层以往开采情况,通过布设测点测量其煤层瓦斯含量和了解相邻矿井瓦斯含量,采用分源预测法、回归法及统计法等预测方法得到了3号煤层瓦斯含量的分布规律,并绘制了3号煤层的瓦斯含量等值线图。对矿井不同生产时期的瓦斯含量进行预测,得到了生产前期、中期及后期采区的最大绝对瓦斯涌出量和最大相对瓦斯涌出量,说明了竹林山煤矿各个时期均属于高瓦斯矿井。     

纳米氧化物对水泥基料化学收缩的影响

采用ASTM化学收缩试验方法,研究纳米SiO2、MgO、Al2O3对水泥基材料化学收缩变化的影响,明确纳米材料种类的差异性。结果表明,各实验组水泥基材料化学收缩均经历三阶段:急速变化区、缓慢变化区、平稳区,7d始水泥基材料化学收缩基本稳定。几种纳米材料的最佳掺量对水泥基材料的化学收缩改善作用大小为:SiO2>Al2O3>MgO。研究发现,纳米材料种类和掺量的不同对化学收缩的影响也较大,在选用时,需综合考虑。     

绿色化工技术在精细化工中的应用研究

社会经济快速发展,科学技术不断进步,针对我国现代工业化工行业发展,所产生的新型化工技术应用,促进我国化工生产效率的提升。工业的发展不可避免地会带来污染物的产生,如果不能有效控制化工排放污染物,温室效应问题会更加严重。本文对绿色化工技术在精细化工中的有效应用进行研究,降低工业废气污染物排放量,维护生态环境平衡。