Module M1 of Zebrafish Neuroglobin Acts as a Structural and Functional Protein Building Block for a Cell-Membrane-Penetrating Activity

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a recently discovered vertebrate globin that is expressed in the brain and can reversibly bind oxygen. Mammalian Ngb is involved in neuroprotection during oxidative stress that occurs, for example, during ischemia and reperfusion. Recently, we found that zebrafish, but not human, Ngb can translocate into cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that a chimeric ZHHH Ngb protein, in which the module M1 of human Ngb is replaced by the corresponding region of zebrafish Ngb, can penetrate cell membranes and protect cells against oxidative stress-induced cell death, suggesting that module M1 of zebrafish Ngb is important for protein transduction. Furthermore, we recently showed that Lys7, Lys9, Lys21, and Lys23 in module M1 of zebrafish Ngb are crucial for protein transduction activity. In the present study, we have investigated whether module M1 of zebrafish Ngb can be used as a building block to create novel cell-membrane-penetrating folded proteins. First, we engineered a chimeric myoglobin (Mb), in which module M1 of zebrafish Ngb was fused to the N-terminus of full-length human Mb, and investigated its functional and structural properties. Our results showed that this chimeric Mb protein is stable and forms almost the same heme environment and α-helical structure as human wild-type Mb. In addition, we demonstrated that chimeric Mb has a cell-membrane-penetrating activity similar to zebrafish Ngb. Moreover, we found that glycosaminoglycan is crucial for the cell-membrane-penetrating activity of chimeric Mb as well as that of zebrafish Ngb. These results enable us to conclude that such module substitutions will facilitate the design and production of novel functional proteins

Human XPC-hHR23B interacts with XPA-RPA in the recognition of triplex-directed psoralen DNA interstrand crosslinks

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) represent a severe form of damage that blocks DNA metabolic processes and can lead to cell death or carcinogenesis. The repair of DNA ICLs in mammals is not well characterized. We have reported previously that a key protein complex of nucleotide excision repair (NER), XPA-RPA, recognizes DNA ICLs. We now report the use of triplex technology to direct a site-specific psoralen ICL to a target DNA substrate to determine whether the human global genome NER damage recognition complex, XPC-hHR23B, recognizes this lesion. Our results demonstrate that XPC-hHR23B recognizes psoralen ICLs, which have a structure fundamentally different from other lesions that XPC-hHR23B is known to bind, with high affinity and specificity. XPC-hHR23B and XPA-RPA protein complexes were also observed to bind psoralen ICLs simultaneously, demonstrating not only that psoralen ICLs are recognized by XPC-hHR23B alone, but also that XPA-RPA may interact cooperatively with XPC-hHR23B on damaged DNA, forming a multimeric complex. Since XPC-hHR23B and XPA-RPA participate in the recognition and verification of DNA damage, these results support the hypothesis that interplay between components of the global genome repair sub-pathway of NER is critical for the recognition of psoralen DNA ICLs in the mammalian genome

Thermal behaviour of zircon/zirconia-added chemically durable borosilicate porous glass

Macroporous alkali resistant glass has been developed by making additions of zirconia (ZrO2) and zircon (ZrSiO4) to the sodium borosilicate glass system SiO2–B2O3 Na2O. The glass was made using a traditional high temperature fusion process. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was carried out to identify the glass transition temperature (Tg) and crystallisation temperature (Tx). Based on these findings, controlled heat-treatments were implemented to separate the glass into two-phases; a silica-rich phase, and an alkali-rich borate phase. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify any crystal phases present in the asquenched and heat-treated glasses. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy also proved effective in investigating phase separation and crystallisation behaviour. After leaching, a silica-rich skeleton with an interconnected pore structure and a uniform pore distribution was observed. Pore characterisation was carried out using mercury porosimetry. The size and shape of the pores largely depended on the heattreatment temperature and time. ZrO2/ZrSiO4 additions increased the alkali resistance of the porous glass 3–4 times

Nuclear Physics Experiments with Ion Storage Rings

In the last two decades a number of nuclear structure and astrophysics experiments were performed at heavy-ion storage rings employing unique experimental conditions offered by such machines. Furthermore, building on the experience gained at the two facilities presently in operation, several new storage ring projects were launched worldwide. This contribution is intended to provide a brief review of the fast growing field of nuclear structure and astrophysics research at storage rings.Comment: XVIth International Conference on Electro-Magnetic Isotope Separators and Techniques Related to their Applications, December 2--7, 2012 at Matsue, Japa

Wave-like blow-up for semilinear wave equations with scattering damping and negative mass term

In this paper we establish blow-up results and lifespan estimates for semilinear wave equations with scattering damping and negative mass term for subcritical power, which is the same as that of the corresponding problem without mass term, and also the same as that of the corresponding problem without both damping and mass term. For this purpose, we have to use the comparison argument twice, due to the damping and mass term, in additional to a key multiplier. Finally, we get the desired results by an iteration argument.Comment: 20 pages. The last equation in Introduction of the first version has a typo. Its was trivial but revised. "mass" in the title of the second version is replaced with "mass term

Populações base de Louro-pardo (Cordia trichotoma (Vell.) Arrab. ex Steudel) e de Canafístula (Peltophorum dubium (Sprengel) Taubert).

bitstream/item/101162/1/PA-1983-Carpanezzi-PopulacoesBases.pdf.pd

População base de Louro-pardo (Cordia trichotoma).

bitstream/item/101416/1/1984-PA62-Carpanezzi-PopulacaoBase.pd

Populações base de Canafístula (Peltophorum dubium).

bitstream/item/101417/1/1984-PA63-Carpanezzi-PopulacoesBaseCanafistula.pd

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Holoparasite Cistanche Deserticola (Orobanchaceae) reveals gene loss and horizontal gene transfer from Its host Haloxylon Ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae)

The central function of chloroplasts is to carry out photosynthesis, and its gene content and structure are highly conserved across land plants. Parasitic plants, which have reduced photosynthetic ability, suffer gene losses from the chloroplast (cp) genome accompanied by the relaxation of selective constraints. Compared with the rapid rise in the number of cp genome sequences of photosynthetic organisms, there are limited data sets from parasitic plants. The authors report the complete sequence of the cp genome of Cistanche deserticola, a holoparasitic desert species belonging to the family Orobanchaceae