Features of scientific activities

The changes in the economy towards a market-oriented one required autonomy for organizations to be self-responsible. By surveying Vietnam's legal documents, the research identified two approaches to university autonomy: academic approach and financial approach. Preliminary research leads to the belief that university autonomy must be academic autonomy. In order to achieve academic autonomy, all policies must take the importance of novelty in science into consideration

7p capheny 28-02-2020 22 1   Download

Porcine heart cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase (s-MDH) is a dimeric protein (2 · 35 kDa). We have studied equilibrium unfolding and refolding of s-MDH using activity assay, fluorescence, far-UV and near-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, hydrophobic probe-1-anilino8-napthalene sulfonic acid binding, dynamic light scattering, and chromatographic (HPLC) techniques. The unfolding and refolding transitions are reversible and show the presence of two equilibrium intermediate states.

11p system191 01-06-2013 38 4   Download

We have recently expressed in bacteria the enzymatically active reverse transcriptase (RT) of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) [Perach, M. & Hizi, A. (1999) Virology 259, 176–189]. In the present study, we have studied in vitro two features of the DNA polymerase activity of BLV RT, the processivity of DNA synthesis and the fidelity of DNA synthesis. These properties were compared with those of the well-studied RTs of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and murine leukaemia virus (MLV).

9p research12 01-06-2013 42 4   Download

The sucrose binding protein (SBP) has been implicated as an important component of the sucrose uptake system in plants. SBP-mediated sucrose transport displays unique ki-netic features and theprotein isnot similar toother transport proteins. Here, we report the characterization of a member of the SBP family from soybean [Glycine max(L) Merrill] designated S64 or SBP2. Subcellular fractionation and pre-cipitation byGTP-agarose demonstrated that S64/SBP2 is a membrane-associated protein that exhibits GTP binding activity. ...

11p research12 23-04-2013 40 2   Download

Novel chromogenic substrates for endo-b-galactosidase were designed on the basis of the structural features of keratan sulfate. Galb1-4GlcNAcb1-3Galb1-4GlcNAcb-pNP (2),which consists of two repeating units ofN-acetyl-lactosamine,was synthesized enzymatically by consecutive additions of GlcNAc and Gal residues top-nitrophenyl b-N-acetyllactosaminide. In a similar manner,Glc-NAcb1-3Galb1-4GlcNAcb-pNP (1),GlcNAcb1-3Galb1-4Glcb-pNP (3),Galb1-4GlcNAcb1-3Galb1-4Glcb-pNP (4), Galb1-3GlcNAcb1-3Galb1-4Glcb-pNP (5),and Galb1-6GlcNAcb1-3Galb1-4Glcb-pNP (6) were synthesized as analogues of2.

11p tumor12 20-04-2013 28 2   Download

NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography have provi-ded important insight into structural features of phenyl-alanine hydroxylase (PAH) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Nevertheless, significant problems such as the substrate specificity of PAHand the different susceptibility of TH to feedback inhibition by L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) compared with dopamine (DA) remain unre-solved.

11p tumor12 20-04-2013 51 3   Download

Several crystal andNMRstructures of calmodulin (CaM)in complex with fragments derived from CaM-regulated pro-teins have been reported recently and reveal novel ways for CaMto interact with its targets. This review will discuss and compare features of the interaction between CaM and its target domains derived from the plasma membrane Ca 2+ -pump, the Ca 2+ -activated K + -channel, the Ca 2+ / CaM-dependent kinase kinase and the anthrax exotoxin.

11p tumor12 20-04-2013 26 4   Download

To elucidate the structural features of the mussel defensin MGD1 required for antimicrobial activity, we synthesized a series of peptides corresponding to the main known secon-dary structures of the molecule and evaluated their activity towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and filamentous fungi. We found that the nonapeptide corres-ponding to residues 25–33 of MGD1 (CGGWHRLRC) exhibited bacteriostatic activity once it was cyclized by a non-naturally occurring disulfide bridge.

9p fptmusic 16-04-2013 47 2   Download

The dimeric structure of seminal ribonuclease (BS-RNase) is maintained by noncovalent interactions and by two intersubunit disulfide bridges.Another unusual feature of this enzyme is its antitumour action, consisting in a cyto-toxic activity selective for malignant cells.This cytotoxic action is exerted when the protein reaches the cytosol of the affected cells, where it degrades ribosomal RNA, thus blocking protein synthesis and leading cells to death.

8p fptmusic 16-04-2013 37 2   Download

In the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus, the synthesis of the energy-producing hydrogenase, HupSL, is regulated by the substrate H2, which is detected by a regulatory hydrogenase, HupUV. The HupUV protein exhibits typical features of [NiFe] hydrogenases but, interestingly, is resistant to inactivation by O2. Understanding the O2 resistance of HupUV will help in the design of hydrogenases with high potential for bio-technological applications.

10p fptmusic 11-04-2013 30 1   Download

A molecular understanding of volatile anesthetic mechanisms of action will require structural descriptions of anesthetic–protein complexes. Porcine odorant binding protein is a 157 residue member of the lipocalin family that features a large b-barrel internal cavity (515 ± 30 A ˚ 3 ) lined predomin-antly by aromatic and aliphatic residues. Halothane binding to theb-barrel cavity was determined using fluorescence quenching of Trp16, and a com-petitive binding assay with 1-aminoanthracene.

0p awards 05-04-2013 18 2   Download

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) functions as a homodimer. In cell extracts, iNOS molecules partition both in cytosolic and particulate frac-tions, indicating that iNOS exists as soluble and membrane associated forms. In this study, iNOS features were investigated in human intestinal epithelial cells stimulated with cytokines and in duodenum from mice exposed to flagellin. Our experiments indicate that iNOS is mainly associ-ated with the particulate fraction of cell extracts.

10p awards 05-04-2013 33 4   Download

Ferredoxin–NADP(H) reductases (FNRs) represent a pro-totype of enzymes involved in numerous metabolic path-ways. We found that pea FNR ferricyanide diaphorase activity was inhibited by Zn 2+ (Ki 1.57lM). Dichloro-phenolindophenol diaphorase activity was also inhibited by Zn 2+ (Ki 1.80lM), but the addition of ferrocyanide was required, indicating that the inhibitor is an arrangement of both ions.Escherichia coliFNR was also inhibited by Zn-ferrocyanide, suggesting that inhibition is a consequence of common structural features of these flavoenzymes....

12p awards 05-04-2013 39 5   Download

Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase catalyzes the reversible aldose-ketose isomerization of D-glucose-6-phosphate to D-fructose-6-phosphate in glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, and in the recycling of hexose-6-phosphate in the pentose phosphate pathway. The unicellular protozoans,Trypan-osoma brucei, T. cruziandLeishmaniaspp., of the order Kinetoplastida are important human parasites responsible for African sleeping sickness, Chagas’ disease and leish-maniases, respectively. In these parasites, glycolysis is an important (and in some cases the only) metabolic pathway for ATP supply....

8p dell39 03-04-2013 35 3   Download

A hallmark ofa-crystallin-type small heat shock proteins (sHsps) is their highly dynamic oligomeric structure which promotes intermolecular interactions involved in subunit exchange and substrate binding (chaperone-like activity). We studied the oligomeric features of two classes of bacterial sHsps by size exclusion chromatography and nanoelectro-spray mass spectrometry.Proteins of both classes formed large complexes that rapidly dissociated upon dilution and at physiologically relevant heat shock temperatures....

10p dell39 03-04-2013 45 3   Download

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a major clinical disorder usually associated with cigarette smoking. A central feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is inflammation coexisting with an abnormal protease/anti-protease balance, leading to apoptosis and elastolysis. In anin vitro study of rat lung alveolar L2 cells, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) induced apoptotic cell death. Expo-sure of L2 cells to CSE at a concentration of 0.25% resulted in a 50% increase of caspase-3 and matrix met-alloproteinase (MMP) activities.

11p dell39 03-04-2013 52 3   Download

The crystal structure of a Drosophila angiotensin-converting enzyme (ANCE) has recently been solved, revealing features important for the binding of ACE inhibitors and allowing molecular comparisons with the structure of human testicular angiotensin-converting enzyme (tACE). ACER is a secondDrosophilaACE that displays both common and dis-tinctive properties.

12p dell39 27-03-2013 39 3   Download

U2 snRNP auxiliary factor (U2AF) is an essential heterodimeric splicing factor composed of two subunits, U2AF 65 and U2AF 35 . During the past few years, a number of proteins related to both U2AF 65 and U2AF 35 have been discovered. Here, we review the conserved structural features that characterize the U2AF protein families and their evolutionary emergence.

10p inspiron33 23-03-2013 46 4   Download

a-Conotoxins from marine snails are known to be selective and potent competitive antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Here we des-cribe the purification, structural features and activity of two novel toxins, SrIA and SrIB, isolated fromConus spuriuscollected in the Yucatan Chan-nel, Mexico.

14p galaxyss3 21-03-2013 50 5   Download

Acidic extracellular pH is a common feature of tumor tissues. We have reported that culturing cells at acidic pH (5.4–6.5) induced matrix metallo-proteinase-9 expression through phospholipase D, extracellular signal regu-lated kinase 1⁄2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases and nuclear factor-jB.

13p galaxyss3 19-03-2013 33 5   Download