Additional file 4: Figure S4. of The tymbal muscle of cicada has flight muscle-type sarcomeric architecture and protein expression

SDS gel electrophoretic and immunoblot patterns of the muscle fibers from Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata. (A), Coomassie brilliant blue-stained SDS gel electrophoretic pattern; (B), Western blot pattern obtained by using an antibody against flight muscle-specific troponin-I (troponin-H). Lanes: a, DLM; b, DVM; c, forewing basalar; d, forewing subalar; e, hindwing basalar; f, hindwing subalar; g, forewing 3Ax, h, hindwing 3Ax; i, tymbal; j, tensor; k; leg. (TIFF 980 kb

Additional file 3: Figure S3. of The tymbal muscle of cicada has flight muscle-type sarcomeric architecture and protein expression

X-ray diffraction patterns of the flight and tymbal muscles of Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata. (A) and (B), DLM; (C) and (D), basalar; (E) and (F), tymbal muscle. A, C and E were recorded in the relaxed state, and B, D and F in rigor. Weaker sampling on the layer line reflections may be due to the long-term storage (10 months in 50% glycerol). (TIFF 5668 kb

Additional file 1: Figure S1. of The tymbal muscle of cicada has flight muscle-type sarcomeric architecture and protein expression

X-ray diffraction patterns of the flight and tymbal muscles of Platypleura kaempferi. (A) and (B), DLM; (C) and (D), basalar muscle; (E) and (F), tymbal muscle. A, C and E were recorded in the relaxed state, and B, D and E in rigor. (TIFF 7312 kb

BeeXrayIndiv_Tiff

BeeXrayIndiv_Tif

ReadMe_new

A Readme file

BeeXraydata_Tiff

BeeXraydata_Tif

WingPosition

An Excel file containing data of wing angle of 9 bees

A Compact Intermediate State of Calmodulin in the Process of Target Binding

Calmodulin undergoes characteristic conformational changes by binding Ca²⁺, which allows it to bind to more than 300 target proteins and regulate numerous intracellular processes in all eukaryotic cells. We measured the conformational changes of calmodulin upon Ca²⁺ and mastoparan binding using the time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering technique combined with flash photolysis of caged calcium. This measurement system covers the time range of 0.5–180 ms. Within 10 ms of the stepwise increase in Ca²⁺ concentration, we identified a distinct compact conformational state with a drastically different molecular dimension. This process is too fast to study with a conventional stopped-flow apparatus. The compact conformational state was also observed without mastoparan, indicating that the calmodulin forms a compact globular conformation by itself upon Ca²⁺ binding. This new conformational state of calmodulin seems to regulate Ca²⁺ binding and conformational changes in the N-terminal domain. On the basis of this finding, an allosteric mechanism, which may have implications in intracellular signal transduction, is proposed

Revised Stereochemistry of Ficifolidione and Its Biological Activities against Insects and Cells

Ficifolidione (<b>1</b>), a moderately active insecticidal compound from two species of <i>Myrtaceae</i>, and its derivatives were synthesized to evaluate their insecticidal activity. X-ray crystallographic analyses and specific rotation values of ficifolidione and its C-4 (<b>2</b>) demonstrated that the structure of ficifolidione differs from the reported absolute structure; that is, the C-4 configuration of ficifolidione should have an <i>S</i> configuration. The reported insecticidal activity of ficifolidione (<b>1</b>) and its C-4 epimer (<b>2</b>) against adult houseflies (<i>Musca domestica</i>), mosquito larvae (<i>Culex pipiens</i>), and cutworms (<i>Spodoptera litura</i>) was not observed. The cytotoxicities of ficifolidione and its derivatives (<b>1</b>–<b>4</b>) against four cell lines, Sf9, Colon26, HL60, and Vero, were also measured because ficifolidione has a phloroglucinol-derived moiety, a motif that is often present in the structure of cytotoxic chemicals. Compound <b>1</b> exhibited IC₅₀ values of ca. 32, 9, 3, and 12 μM for Sf9, Colon26, HL60, and Vero cells, respectively, indicating that ficifolidione possesses selective cytotoxicity against the four cell lines. In HL60 cells treated with <b>1</b>, DNA fragmentation and the activation of procaspase 3 were observed, suggesting that the cytotoxicity is induced by apoptosis

Revised Stereochemistry of Ficifolidione and Its Biological Activities against Insects and Cells

Ficifolidione (<b>1</b>), a moderately active insecticidal compound from two species of <i>Myrtaceae</i>, and its derivatives were synthesized to evaluate their insecticidal activity. X-ray crystallographic analyses and specific rotation values of ficifolidione and its C-4 (<b>2</b>) demonstrated that the structure of ficifolidione differs from the reported absolute structure; that is, the C-4 configuration of ficifolidione should have an <i>S</i> configuration. The reported insecticidal activity of ficifolidione (<b>1</b>) and its C-4 epimer (<b>2</b>) against adult houseflies (<i>Musca domestica</i>), mosquito larvae (<i>Culex pipiens</i>), and cutworms (<i>Spodoptera litura</i>) was not observed. The cytotoxicities of ficifolidione and its derivatives (<b>1</b>–<b>4</b>) against four cell lines, Sf9, Colon26, HL60, and Vero, were also measured because ficifolidione has a phloroglucinol-derived moiety, a motif that is often present in the structure of cytotoxic chemicals. Compound <b>1</b> exhibited IC₅₀ values of ca. 32, 9, 3, and 12 μM for Sf9, Colon26, HL60, and Vero cells, respectively, indicating that ficifolidione possesses selective cytotoxicity against the four cell lines. In HL60 cells treated with <b>1</b>, DNA fragmentation and the activation of procaspase 3 were observed, suggesting that the cytotoxicity is induced by apoptosis