Pretata: predicting TATA binding proteins with novel features and dimensionality reduction strategy

Background: It is necessary and essential to discovery protein function from the novel primary sequences. Wet lab experimental procedures are not only time-consuming, but also costly, so predicting protein structure and function reliably based only on amino acid sequence has significant value. TATA-binding protein (TBP) is a kind of DNA binding protein, which plays a key role in the transcription regulation. Our study proposed an automatic approach for identifying TATA-binding proteins efficiently, accurately, and conveniently. This method would guide for the special protein identification with computational intelligence strategies. Results: Firstly, we proposed novel fingerprint features for TBP based on pseudo amino acid composition, physicochemical properties, and secondary structure. Secondly, hierarchical features dimensionality reduction strategies were employed to improve the performance furthermore. Currently, Pretata achieves 92.92% TATA- binding protein prediction accuracy, which is better than all other existing methods. Conclusions: The experiments demonstrate that our method could greatly improve the prediction accuracy and speed, thus allowing large-scale NGS data prediction to be practical. A web server is developed to facilitate the other researchers, which can be accessed at http://server.malab.cn/preTata/

Rapid degradation of mutant SLC25A46 by the ubiquitin-proteasome system results in MFN1/2-mediated hyperfusion of mitochondria.

SCL25A46 is a mitochondrial carrier protein that surprisingly localizes to the outer membrane and is distantly related to Ugo1. Here we show that a subset of SLC25A46 interacts with mitochondrial dynamics components and the MICOS complex. Decreased expression of SLC25A46 results in increased stability and oligomerization of MFN1 and MFN2 on mitochondria, promoting mitochondrial hyperfusion. A mutation at L341P causes rapid degradation of SLC25A46, which manifests as a rare disease, pontocerebellar hypoplasia. The E3 ubiquitin ligases MULAN and MARCH5 coordinate ubiquitylation of SLC25A46 L341P, leading to degradation by organized activities of P97 and the proteasome. Whereas outer mitochondrial membrane-associated degradation is typically associated with apoptosis or a specialized type of autophagy termed mitophagy, SLC25A46 degradation operates independently of activation of outer membrane stress pathways. Thus SLC25A46 is a new component in mitochondrial dynamics that serves as a regulator for MFN1/2 oligomerization. Moreover, SLC25A46 is selectively degraded from the outer membrane independently of mitophagy and apoptosis, providing a framework for mechanistic studies in the proteolysis of outer membrane proteins

Rapid development of Purkinje cell excitability, functional cerebellar circuit, and afferent sensory input to cerebellum in zebrafish

The zebrafish has significant advantages for studying the morphological development of the brain. However, little is known about the functional development of the zebrafish brain. We used patch clamp electrophysiology in live animals to investigate the emergence of excitability in cerebellar Purkinje cells, functional maturation of the cerebellar circuit, and establishment of sensory input to the cerebellum. Purkinje cells are born at 3 days post-fertilization (dpf). By 4 dpf, Purkinje cells spontaneously fired action potentials in an irregular pattern. By 5 dpf, the frequency and regularity of tonic firing had increased significantly and most cells fired complex spikes in response to climbing fiber activation. Our data suggest that, as in mammals, Purkinje cells are initially innervated by multiple climbing fibers that are winnowed to a single input. To probe the development of functional sensory input to the cerebellum, we investigated the response of Purkinje cells to a visual stimulus consisting of a rapid change in light intensity. At 4 dpf, sudden darkness increased the rate of tonic firing, suggesting that afferent pathways carrying visual information are already active by this stage. By 5 dpf, visual stimuli also activated climbing fibers, increasing the frequency of complex spiking. Our results indicate that the electrical properties of zebrafish and mammalian Purkinje cells are highly conserved and suggest that the same ion channels, Nav1.6 and Kv3.3, underlie spontaneous pacemaking activity. Interestingly, functional development of the cerebellum is temporally correlated with the emergence of complex, visually-guided behaviors such as prey capture. Because of the rapid formation of an electrically-active cerebellum, optical transparency, and ease of genetic manipulation, the zebrafish has great potential for functionally mapping cerebellar afferent and efferent pathways and for investigating cerebellar control of motor behavior

Altered auditory processes pattern predicts cognitive decline in older adults: different modalities with aging

BackgroundCohort studies have shown that older adults with hearing impairment as assessed by self-report or behavioral measures are at higher risk of developing dementia many years later. A fine-grained examination of auditory processing holds promise for more effective screening of older adults at risk of cognitive decline. The auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) measure enables one to gain insights into the neurobiological substrate of central auditory processing. We hypothesized that older adults showing compromised indexes of MMN at baseline would exhibit cognitive decline at the one-year follow-up.MethodsWe performed cognitive evaluations with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS; Form A and Form B) in 108 community-dwelling older adults and acquired EEG via the classic passive auditory oddball paradigm at baseline and 12-month follow-up.ResultsThe results showed that young-old adults with future cognitive decline showed a decrease in MMN peak amplitude, accompanied by a forward-shifting latency, whereas in older adults it showed a delay in MMN latency, and unchanged MMN peak amplitude at midline electrodes (Fz, FCz and Cz). Furthermore, the peak amplitude of the MMN decreases with age in older adults aged 70–80 years rather than 60–70 years or > 80 years.ConclusionThe altered MMN model exists in different aging stages and it’s a promising electrophysiological predictor of cognitive decline in older adults. In addition, further research is needed to determine the neural mechanisms and potential implications of the accelerated decline in MMN in older adults

The structure of the tetrasialoganglioside from human brain

Autosomal dominant retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukodystrophy is a microvascular endotheliopathy with middle- age onset. In nine families, we identified heterozygous C- terminal frameshift mutations in TREX1, which encodes a 3'-5' exonuclease. These truncated proteins retain exonuclease activity but lose normal perinuclear localization. These data have implications for the maintenance of vascular integrity in the degenerative cerebral microangiopathies leading to stroke and dementias

Установление границ охранной зоны линейного сооружения – магистральный газопровод "НГПЗ - Парабель"

Составлено графическое описание местоположения границ зон с особыми условиями использования территорий границ охранной зоны линейного сооружения – магистральный газопровод "НГПЗ - Парабель".A graphic description of the location of the boundaries of the zones with special conditions for the use of the territories of the boundaries of the protection zone of the linear structure – "the NGPZ-Parabel" gas pipeline has been compiled

Histone H3.3 beyond cancer: Germline mutations in Histone 3 Family 3A and 3B cause a previously unidentified neurodegenerative disorder in 46 patients

Although somatic mutations in Histone 3.3 (H3.3) are well-studied drivers of oncogenesis, the role of germline mutations remains unreported. We analyze 46 patients bearing de novo germline mutations in histone 3 family 3A (H3F3A) or H3F3B with progressive neurologic dysfunction and congenital anomalies without malignancies. Molecular modeling of all 37 variants demonstrated clear disruptions in interactions with DNA, other histones, and histone chaperone proteins. Patient histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) analysis revealed notably aberrant local PTM patterns distinct from the somatic lysine mutations that cause global PTM dysregulation. RNA sequencing on patient cells demonstrated up-regulated gene expression related to mitosis and cell division, and cellular assays confirmed an increased proliferative capacity. A zebrafish model showed craniofacial anomalies and a defect in Foxd3-derived glia. These data suggest that the mechanism of germline mutations are distinct from cancer-associated somatic histone mutations but may converge on control of cell proliferation