A Kinase Chaperones Hepatitis B Virus Capsid Assembly and Captures Capsid Dynamics in vitro

The C-terminal domain (CTD) of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein is involved in regulating multiple stages of the HBV lifecycle. CTD phosphorylation correlates with pregenomic-RNA encapsidation during capsid assembly, reverse transcription, and viral transport, although the mechanisms remain unknown. In vitro, purified HBV core protein (Cp183) binds any RNA and assembles aggressively, independent of phosphorylation, to form empty and RNA-filled capsids. We hypothesize that there must be a chaperone that binds the CTD to prevent self-assembly and nonspecific RNA packaging. Here, we show that HBV capsid assembly is stalled by the Serine Arginine protein kinase (SRPK) binding to the CTD, and reactivated by subsequent phosphorylation. Using the SRPK to probe capsids, solution and structural studies showed that SRPK bound to capsid, though the CTD is sequestered on the capsid interior. This result indicates transient CTD externalization and suggests that capsid dynamics could be crucial for directing HBV intracellular trafficking. Our studies illustrate the stochastic nature of virus capsids and demonstrate the appropriation of a host protein by a virus for a non-canonical function

Hydrodynamical Simulations of the Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1097

NGC 1097 is a nearby barred spiral galaxy believed to be interacting with the elliptical galaxy NGC 1097A located to its northwest. It hosts a Seyfert 1 nucleus surrounded by a circumnuclear starburst ring. Two straight dust lanes connected to the ring extend almost continuously out to the bar. The other ends of the dust lanes attach to two main spiral arms. To provide a physical understanding of its structural and kinematical properties, two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations have been carried out. Numerical calculations reveal that many features of the gas morphology and kinematics can be reproduced provided that the gas flow is governed by a gravitational potential associated with a slowly rotating strong bar. By including the self-gravity of the gas disk in our calculation, we have found the starburst ring to be gravitationally unstable which is consistent with the observation in \citet{hsieh11}. Our simulations show that the gas inflow rate is 0.17 M_\sun yr$^{-1}$ into the region within the starburst ring even after its formation, leading to the coexistence of both a nuclear ring and a circumnuclear disk.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in the Ap

Interaction-induced first order correlation between spatially-separated 1D dipolar fermions

We calculate the ground-state properties of fermionic dipolar atoms or molecules in a one-dimensional double-tube potential by using the Luttinger liquid theory and the density matrix renormalization-group calculation. When the external field is applied near a magic angle with respect to the double-tube plane, the long-ranged dipolar interaction can generate a spontaneous correlation between fermions in different tubes, even when the bare intertube tunneling rate is negligibly small. Such interaction-induced correlation strongly enhances the contrast of the interference fringes and therefore can be easily observed in the standard time-of-flight experiment.Comment: Same as the published versio

Effects of Hydrogen Plasma on the Electrical Properties of F-Doped ZnO Thin Films and p-i-n -Si:H Thin Film Solar Cells

1.5 wt% zinc fluoride (ZnF2) was mixed with zinc oxide powder to form the F-doped ZnO (FZO) composition. At first, the FZO thin films were deposited at room temperature and 5×10-3 Torr in pure Ar under different deposition power. Hall measurements of the as-deposited FZO thin films were investigated, and then the electrical properties were used to find the deposition power causing the FZO thin films with minimum resistance. The FZO thin films with minimum resistance were further treated by H2 plasma and then found their variations in the electrical properties by Hall measurements. Hydrochloric (HCl) acid solutions with different concentrations (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.5%) were used to etch the surfaces of the FZO thin films. Finally, the as-deposited, HCl-etched as-deposited, and HCl-etched H2-plasma-treated FZO thin films were used as transparent electrodes to fabricate the p-i-n α-Si:H thin film solar cells and their characteristics were compared in this study. We would show that using H2-plasma-treated and HCl-etched FZO thin films as transparent electrodes would improve the efficiency of the fabricated thin film solar cells

Effects of natto extract on endothelial injury in a rat model

Vascular endothelial damage has been found to be associated with thrombus formation, which is considered to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A diet of natto leads to a low prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of natto extract on vascular endothelia damage with exposure to laser irradiation. Endothelial damage both in vitro and in vivo was induced by irradiation of rose bengal using a DPSS green laser. Cell viability was determined by MTS assay, and the intimal thickening was verified by a histological approach. The antioxidant content of natto extract was determined for the free radical scavenging activity. Endothelial cells were injured in the presence of rose bengal irradiated in a dose-dependent manner. Natto extract exhibits high levels of antioxidant activity compared with purified natto kinase. Apoptosis of laser-injured endothelial cells was significantly reduced in the presence of natto extract. Both the natto extract and natto kinase suppressed intimal thickening in rats with endothelial injury. The present findings suggest that natto extract suppresses vessel thickening as a synergic effect attributed to its antioxidant and anti-apoptosis properties

Comparison of housing facility management between mainland China and Taiwan region

Recently, mainland China has experienced the fastest urbanization in the world; however, the development of structural regulations regarding facility management (FM) services for housing is relatively recessive. As a result, disputes and conflicts in facility management of the private housing sector have become a serious problem in urban communities, affecting social sustainable development of the building industry. Comparatively, the private housing FM system in the urban areas in the Taiwan region was developed much earlier; thus, it is more advanced and mature than that in mainland China. This paper intends to compare the FM sectors between the two regions to provide suggestions for improving the service quality of the FM system in mainland China.Natural Science Foundation of Shandong (Grant No. ZR2013GQ014) and Independent Innovation Foundation of Shandong University (Grant No. IFW12108; IFW12065).http://ascelibrary.org/journal/jpcfevhb2016Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM

Complex Microbiome in Brain Abscess Revealed by Whole-Genome Culture-Independent and Culture-Based Sequencing.

Brain abscess is a severe infectious disease with high mortality and mobility. Although culture-based techniques have been widely used for the investigation of microbial composition of brain abscess, these approaches are inherent biased. Recent studies using 16S ribosomal sequencing approaches revealed high complexity of the bacterial community involved in brain abscess but fail to detect fungal and viral composition. In the study, both culture-independent nanopore metagenomic sequencing and culture-based whole-genome sequencing using both the Illumina and the Nanopore platforms were conducted to investigate the microbial composition and genomic characterization in brain abscess. Culture-independent metagenomic sequencing revealed not only a larger taxonomic diversity of bacteria but also the presence of fungi and virus communities. The culture-based whole-genome sequencing identified a novel species in Prevotella and reconstructs a Streptococcus constellatus with a high GC-skew genome. Antibiotic-resistance genes CfxA and ErmF associated with resistance to penicillin and clindamycin were also identified in culture-based and culture-free sequencing. This study implies current understanding of brain abscess need to consider the broader diversity of microorganisms

Refractory gastric variceal bleeding secondary to splenic vein occlusion associated with abdominal lymphadenopathy

SummarySplenic vein occlusion caused by abdominal lymphadenopathy is rare. We herein present the case of a 80-year-old man with refractory isolated gastric variceal bleeding in the absence of pancreatic or liver disease. Left-sided portal hypertension was confirmed by angiography, and para-aortic lymphadenopathy compressing the splenic vein was identified by serial abdominal computed tomography. Endoscopic sclerosing therapy failed to treat the recurring gastric variceal hemorrhage. Therefore, splenectomy was suggested and the patient was successfully treated. The patient had been variceal bleeding free for 12 months since the surgery. In patients with isolated gastric varices but without advanced liver disease, a variety of diagnostic techniques should be attempted to elucidate the nature of portal hypertension, and left-sided portal hypertension should be suspected. For those cases in which endoscopic treatment failed to treat refractory gastric variceal bleeding, splenectomy can be an effective option

Substrate Specificity and Plasticity of FERM-Containing Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases

SummaryEpidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway substrate 15 (Eps15) is a newly identified substrate for protein tyrosine phosphatase N3 (PTPN3), which belongs to the FERM-containing PTP subfamily comprising five members including PTPN3, N4, N13, N14, and N21. We solved the crystal structures of the PTPN3-Eps15 phosphopeptide complex and found that His812 of PTPN3 and Pro850 of Eps15 are responsible for the specific interaction between them. We defined the critical role of the additional residue Tyr676 of PTPN3, which is replaced by Ile939 in PTPN14, in recognition of tyrosine phosphorylated Eps15. The WPD loop necessary for catalysis is present in all members but not PTPN21. We identified that Glu instead of Asp in the WPE loop contributes to the catalytic incapability of PTPN21 due to an extended distance beyond protonation targeting a phosphotyrosine substrate. Together with in vivo validations, our results provide novel insights into the substrate specificity and plasticity of FERM-containing PTPs