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C Bai

Publications and source records attributed to C Bai.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Biphasic transitions of a hairpin hexanucleotide triplex DNA.

The conformational transitions (helix-coil transitions) of three hairpin triple helices, models 5'-(A-G)(3) + 5'-(T-C)(3)-T(4)-((br)C-T)(3) [CY], 5'-(A-G)(3) + 5'-(T-(br)C)(3)-T(4)-(C-T)(3) [YC] and 5'-(A-G)(3) + 5'-(T-(br)C)(3)-T(4)-((br)C-T)(3) [YY], are characterized in this work by UV spectroscopy. Melting of these triplexes is biphasic, and the profiles are used to obtain the thermodynamic parameters. The thermodynamic properties of the hairpin triplex are T(m) = 19.45 degrees C and DeltaH(vH) = 293.12 kJ mol(-1) for CY, T(m) = 22.85 degrees C and DeltaH(vH) = 256.63 kJ mol(-1) for YC and T(m) = 28.47 degrees C and DeltaH(vH) = 234.68 kJ mol(-1) for YY at pH 4.4. Those of the duplex are T(m) = 30.50 degrees C and DeltaH(vH) = 427.09 kJ mol(-1) for CY, T(m) = 32.96 degrees C and DeltaH(vH) = 374.47 kJ mol(-1) for YC and T(m) = 33.24 degrees C and DeltaH(vH) = 329.67 kJ mol(-1) for YY at pH 4.4. The distinct transitions of triplex to duplex and duplex to single strands are analyzed using the nearest-neighbor Ising model. Electrostatic effects on each conformation are also analyzed.

Journal Article↗

A fluorometric determination method for D,L configurations of per-O-methylated monosaccharides by anomeric 2-methyl-2-beta-naphthyl-1,3-benzodioxole 4-carboxylation and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Per-O-methylated pentopyranoses and hexopyranoses were converted to their glycosyl chlorides and coupled with cesium salt of fluorescent chiral derivatization reagent, (+)-2-methyl-2-beta-naphthyl-1,3-benzodioxole-4-carboxylic acid [(+)-MND carboxylic acid], to afford their 1-O-(+)-MNB carboxylates. The D,L enantiomers were separated by normal-phase HPLC and determined at the picomolar level, and this methodology could be extended to the highly sensitive simultaneous determination of per-O-methylated monosaccharides.

Carboxylic Acids↗

Hydrated water molecules of pyrimidine/purine/pyrimidine DNA triple helices as revealed by FT-IR spectroscopy: a role of cytosine methylation.

Hydrated water molecules of pyrimidine/purine/pyrimidine DNA hairpin triplex was studied by a comparison of triplex (CC.AG6) formed by a host oligodeoxypyrimidine of 5'-d(TC)3T4(CT)3(CC) with a target hexadeoxypurine 5'-d(AG)3(AG6) strand and by triplexes (MM.AG6, MC.AG6, and CM.AG6) formed by oligonucleotides with the exact sequences as above except 5-methylcytosine replaced all (MM), 5' end half (MC), and 3' end half (CM) cytosine bases in CC via FT-IR spectroscopy in hydrated film. Results revealed that: (i) all these triplexes have a similar hydration pattern, in which water molecules probably bound in the N7 sites of adenines and guanines in the Crick-Hoogsteen groove, and to the methyl group of thymidines in the Watson-Hoogsteen groove. There are also some bound water molecules found at the O2 sites of thymines in both Watson-Crick and Crick-Hoogsteen grooves. (ii) In the CC.AG6 triplex the S-type sugars are always dominant in all hydrated states, whereas in MM.AG6 triplex the relative population of the N-type sugars is very close to that of the S-type between 86% and 66% of humidity. Furthermore, the sugar conformation in two partially modified triplexes (CM.AG6, and MC.AG6) are dominant by the N-type at lower humidity. This phenomenon might reflect that the degree of bound water varies among the binding sites of bases. (iii) The effect of introducing a methyl group on cytosine is to generate a spine of hydrophobic region in MM (MC and MC). The enlarging hydrophobic area not only increase the stability in solution, and also the stability in sodium hydrated films of the pyrimidine/purine/pyrimidine hairpin triplexes.

Cytosine↗

[Cardiopulmonary effects of two modes of mechanical ventilation in dogs with and without acute lung injury-comparison of pressure regulated biphasic airway presure ventilation and intermittent positive pressure ventilation].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cardiopulmonary effect of pressure regulated biphasic airway pressure (BiPAP) and intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV). METHOD: Airway pressure, hemodynamics and blood gases were measured during the two ventilatory modalities with 0, 0.5, 1 kPa external end-expiratory pressure (EEP) in dogs with and without oleic acid-induced lung injury. RESULTS: No matter whether there is lung injury, airway pressure during BiPAP is lower compared with IPPV, but there is no difference in cardiac output. In dogs with lung injury, PaO2 during BiPAP is higher than that during IPPV. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with IPPV, BiPAP effected a decrease in airway pressure, and PaO2 was improved in dogs with lung injury, although the cardiac output was not increased.

Animals↗

SKP1 connects cell cycle regulators to the ubiquitin proteolysis machinery through a novel motif, the F-box.

We have identified the yeast and human homologs of the SKP1 gene as a suppressor of cdc4 mutants and as a cyclin F-binding protein. Skp1p indirectly binds cyclin A/Cdk2 through Skp2p, and directly binds Skp2p, cyclin F, and Cdc4p through a novel structural motif called the F-box. SKP1 is required for ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of Cin2p, Clb5p, and the Cdk inhibitor Sic1p, and provides a link between these molecules and the proteolysis machinery. A large number of proteins contain the F-box motif and are thereby implicated in the ubiquitin pathway. Different skp1 mutants arrest cells in either G1 or G2, suggesting a connection between regulation of proteolysis in different stages of the cycle.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cleavage of RNA hairpins mediated by a developmentally regulated CCCH zinc finger protein.

Control of RNA turnover is a major, but poorly understood, aspect of gene regulation. In multicellular organisms, progress toward dissecting RNA turnover pathways has been made by defining some cis-acting sequences that function as either regulatory or cleavage targets (J. G. Belasco and G. Brawerman, Control of Messenger RNA Stability, 1993). However, the identification of genes encoding proteins that regulate or cleave target RNAs has been elusive (C. A. Beelman and R. Parker, Cell 81:79-183, 1995); this gap in knowledge has made it difficult to identify additional components of RNA turnover pathways. We have utilized a modified expression cloning strategy to identify a developmentally regulated gene from Drosophila melanogaster that encodes a RNase that we refer to as Clipper (CLP). Significant sequence matches to open reading frames encoding unknown functions identified from the Caenorhabditis elegans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome sequencing projects suggest that all three proteins are members of a new protein family conserved from lower eukaryotes to invertebrates. We demonstrate that a member of this new protein family specifically cleaves RNA hairpins and that this activity resides in a region containing five copies of a previously uncharacterized CCCH zinc finger motif. CLP's endoribonucleolytic activity is distinct from that associated with RNase A (P. Blackburn and S. Moore, p. 317-433, in P. D. Boyer, ed., The Enzymes, vol. XV, part B, 1982) and is unrelated to RNase III processing of rRNAs and tRNAs (J. G. Belasco and G. Brawerman, Control of Messenger RNA Stability, 1993, and S. A. Elela, H. Igel, and M. Ares, Cell 85:115-124, 1995). Our results suggest that CLP may function directly in RNA metabolism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

GSH transport and GSH-dependent detoxication in small intestine of rats exposed in vivo to hypoxia.

The effects of hypoxia on glutathione (GSH) concentration and GSH-related enzyme and transport systems were studied in the small intestine of rats exposed to 8-10 days of 10.5% O2. Exposure to hypoxia resulted in a 40% lower GSH concentration in enterocytes and a 50% lower concentration in blood plasma. Activities of GSH-related detoxication enzymes in the intestinal epithelium were largely unaffected by hypoxic exposure. GSH degradation and synthesis rates in enterocytes isolated from hypoxic rats were comparable with rates in normoxic controls, but GSH uptake rate was decreased by 30%. Stimulation of absorption of GSH by phenylephrine, such as occurs in control rats, was not detectable in isolated, vascularly perfused intestines of hypoxic rats. Decreased GSH uptake was associated with enhanced transepithelial appearance of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in everted intestinal sacs incubated with peroxidized methyl linoleate. These results suggest that chronic hypoxia results in impaired uptake of GSH in the small intestine, and this may result in impaired GSH-related defense mechanisms in the small intestine.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗

Insulin receptor mediates inhibitory effect of insulin, but not of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, on IGF binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1) production in human granulosa cells.

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) may participate in regulating ovarian function by modifying effects of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) or by directly affecting ovarian steroidogenesis in both normal and pathological circumstances. The latter include hyperinsulinemic insulin resistant states, such as polycystic ovary syndrome. We examined regulation of IGFBP-1 production in human granulosa cells by insulin and IGF-I. The cells were obtained during in vitro fertilization, plated in McCoy-5A tissue culture medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (10(5) cells/0.5 mL), and incubated at 37 C, 90% humidity, 5% CO2 for 48 h. After additional 24 h incubation without fetal calf serum, 1, 10, or 100 ng/mL of insulin or IGF-I were added with or without 2 h preincubation with 10 micrograms/mL monoclonal anti insulin receptor antibody IR-47-9. After 48 h incubation with insulin or IGF-I, the medium was collected and IGFBP-1 and progesterone concentrations were measured, using kits from Diagnostic Systems Laboratories, Webster, TX. Progesterone concentration ranged between 50-100 ng/mL/10(5) cells, without consistent stimulatory effect of either insulin or IGF-I. Control cells produced 7.0 +/- 1.7 ng/mL of IGFBP-1. Incubation with 1 or 10 ng/mL of insulin resulted in culture medium IGFBP-1 concentrations of 7.1 +/- 1.3 ng/mL and 5.4 +/- 0.7 ng/mL, respectively (P = NS). Incubation with 100 ng/mL of insulin reduced IGFBP-1 culture medium concentration to 1.6 +/- 0.3 ng/mL (P < 0.01, compared with controls). 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL of IGF-I inhibited IGFBP-1 concentrations in the conditioned culture medium to 1.3 +/- 0.3 ng/mL, 0.4 +/- 0.1 ng/mL and 0.3 +/- 0.1 ng/mL, respectively (P < 0.01, compared with controls). Preincubation with antiinsulin receptor antibody IR-47-9 alleviated inhibitory effect of insulin, but not of IGF-I on IGFBP-1 production. After preincubation with IR-47-9, IGFBP-1 culture medium concentrations were 5.9 +/- 0.8 ng/mL, 4.9 +/- 1.2 ng/mL, and 4.8 +/- 1.3 ng/mL for 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL of insulin, respectively. The latter number was significantly higher than IGFBP-1 concentration in the medium collected from cells incubated with 100 ng/mL of insulin without IR-47-9 (1.6 +/- 0.3 ng/mL, P < 0.01) and not significantly different from the control cells. For cells preincubated with IR-47-9 and then incubated with 1, 10, or 100 ng/mL of IGF-I, the IGFBP-1 conditioned culture medium concentrations were 1.7 +/- 0.1 ng/mL, 0.5 +/- 0.2 ng/mL, and 0.3 +/- 0.1 ng/mL, respectively. None of these were significantly different from the IGFBP-1 concentrations in the medium collected from cells incubated with the respective concentrations of IGF-I without preincubation with IR-47-9. We conclude that 1) both insulin and IGF-I inhibit IGFBP-1 production by cultured human granulosa cells; 2) IGF-I is a more potent inhibitor of IGFBP-1 production than insulin; 3) in the range of hormone concentrations tested, insulin exerts its inhibitory effect on IGFBP-1 production via insulin receptor, while IGF-I appears to exert its effect via another receptor.

Antibodies↗

[Lectin-binding histochemical study on developing corneal epithelium and stroma of normal human being].

PURPOSE: To study glycoconjugates in developing cornea of normal human. METHODS: Lectin-binding histochemical method with five biotin-coupled lectins (conA, LCA, PNA, WGA, RCA). RESULTS: 1. WGA mainly stained the membrane of epithelial cells, especially in surface cells. It also stained anterior stroma of embryo. 2. All the layers of epithelium could be stained by conA, uneven stain was seen in stroma of embryo corneas. 3. RCA, LCA receptor distributed in base of cornea epithelium. 4. PNA can only stain cornea epithelium of 16 embryo. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Glycoconjugates of binding conA, WGA, PNA, LCA, RCA are in the developing corneas of human. 2. The distribution of these lectin receptors may change with corneal developing. It may be related to the maturity of corneas.

Corneal Stroma↗

Atomic force microscopic study on topological structures of pBR322 DNA.

Plasmid pBR322 DNA (0.5 mg/mL) isolated from Escherichia coli HB101 was suspended in Tris-HCI-EDTA (1 mol/L-0.1 mol/L, pH 8.5); then a drop of the above solution was deposited on freshly cleaved mica substrate. After adsorption for about 1 mm, the sample was stained with phosphotungstic acid. The residual solution was removed with a piece of filter paper. Afterwards the sample was imaged with a home-made atomic force microscope (AFM) in air. The AFM images of pBR322 DNA with a molecular resolution have been obtained. These images show that pBR322 DNA exists in several different topological structures: (i) relaxed circular DNA with a different diameter; (ii) supercondensed DNA with different particle sizes; (iii) dimeric catenane connected by one relaxed circular molecule and another close-compacted molecule which might be either supercoiled or intramolecular knotted form; (iv) oligomeric catenane with multiple irregular molecules in which DNA is interlocked into a complex oligomer; (v) possibly-existing intermediates formed from monomer to oligomer.

DNA, Bacterial↗

p57KIP2, a structurally distinct member of the p21CIP1 Cdk inhibitor family, is a candidate tumor suppressor gene.

Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are positive regulators of cell proliferation, whereas Cdk inhibitors (CKIs) inhibit proliferation. We describe a new CKI, p57KIP2, which is related to p21CIP1 and p27KIP1. p57KIP2 is a potent, tight-binding inhibitor of several G1 cyclin/Cdk complexes, and its binding is cyclin dependent. Unlike CIP1, KIP2 is not regulated by p53. Overexpression of p57KIP2 arrests cells in G1. p57KIP2 proteins have a complex structure. Mouse p57KIP2 consists of four structurally distinct domains: an amino-terminal Cdk inhibitory domain, a proline-rich domain, an acidic-repeat region, and a carboxy-terminal domain conserved with p27KIP1. Human p57KIP2 appears to have conserved the amino- and carboxy-terminal domains but has replaced the internal regions with sequences containing proline-alanine repeats. In situ hybridization during mouse embryogenesis revealed that KIP2 mRNA displays a striking pattern of expression during development, showing high level expression in skeletal muscle, brain, heart, lungs, and eye. Most of the KIP2-expressing cells are terminally differentiated, suggesting that p57KIP2 is involved in decisions to exit the cell cycle during development and differentiation. Human KIP2 is located at 11p15.5, a region implicated in both sporadic cancers and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, a familial cancer syndrome, marking it as a candidate tumor suppressor. The discovery of a new member of the p21CIP1 inhibitor family with novel structural features and expression patterns suggests a complex role for these proteins in cell cycle control and development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Isolation, identification, and synthesis of Mas-MG-MT I, a novel peptide from the larval midgut of Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae).

A five-residue myotropic peptide, Manduca sexta midgut myotropin I (Mas-MG-MT I), was isolated from an extract of 800 midguts of fifth instar larvae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. It was purified by reverse phase and normal phase HPLC. Myotropic activity was screened by a heterologous Locusta migratoria oviduct bioassay. Sequence analysis, amino acid composition analysis, and comparison of candidate synthetic peptides in the amide and acid form revealed the following primary structure: Ala-Glu-Pro-Tyr-Thr-NH2. This is the first fully identified peptide isolated directly from the midgut of an insect species. Few significant sequence homologies with known vertebrate and invertebrate peptides have been found.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Effect of selective cytosine methylation and hydration on the conformations of DNA triple helices containing a TTTT loop structure by FT-IR spectroscopy.

5-Methylcytosines have been introduced into triplex-forming-oligonucleotides and shown to extend the pH range over which a triplex forms with a homopurine-homopyrimidine tract of duplex DNA. As a host strand, an oligodeoxypyrimidine with a base sequence of 5'-d(TC)3T4(CT)3 ([CC]) was designed to form a hairpin triplex with a 5'-d-A(GA)2G ([AG6]) purine strand at acidic pH (Tsay, et al., (1995) J. Biomol. Str. Dyn., 13, 1235-1245). We here present results obtained by FT-IR spectroscopy concerning the conformation of the hairpin triplex as a function of the selective substitution of cytosines by 5-methylcytosines in the host strand. Namely, cytosines are substituted by 5-methylcytosines in either the 3'-pyrimidine portion ([CM]) or the 5'-pyrimidine portion ([MC]) or in both ([MM]) of the host strand. The acidic-induced transitions of the equimolar mixtures of the purine target with either of the four pyrimidine oligomers gives rise to different apparent pK values, i.e., [MM].[AG6] (6.2) > [MC].[AG6] (6.0) > [CM].[AG6] (5.7) > [CC].[AG6] (5.2) > single-stranded oligopyrimidines (4.6 +/- 0.2), indicating that cytosine methylation expands the pH range compatible with the hairpin triplex formation regardless of whether the substitution is in the 5'-pyrimidine (Hoogsteen) portion or in the 3'-pyrimidine (Watson-Crick) portion. Thermal denaturation profiles indicated that all the triplexes denatured in a monophasic manner in the pH range of 4.0 to 7.0, and that cytosine methylations in any position of the 16-base pyrimidine oligomer increase the stability of the hairpin triplex DNA. IR spectra recorded in D2O and H2O solutions revealed that cytosine methylation does not significantly influence the conformation of triplex DNA in solution, i.e., all the four triplexes accept a similar sugar conformation, and predominately take on a S-type sugar pucker with a relative proportion of two S-type sugars for one N-type. Furthermore, we also investigated the effect of relative humidity (RH) on the conformation of triplex MC.AG6 in hydrated films, and found that the conformational change induced by the decrease of RH, from predominant S-type to primary N-type sugar pucker, might first occur in the purine strand at 86% RH.

Absorption↗

Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases by p21.

p21Cip1 is a cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor that is transcriptionally activated by p53 in response to DNA damage. We have explored the interaction of p21 with the currently known Cdks. p21 effectively inhibits Cdk2, Cdk3, Cdk4, and Cdk6 kinases (Ki 0.5-15 nM) but is much less effective toward Cdc2/cyclin B (Ki approximately 400 nM) and Cdk5/p35 (Ki > 2 microM), and does not associate with Cdk7/cyclin H. Overexpression of P21 arrests cells in G1. Thus, p21 is not a universal inhibitor of Cdks but displays selectivity for G1/S Cdk/cyclin complexes. Association of p21 with Cdks is greatly enhanced by cyclin binding. This property is shared by the structurally related inhibitor p27, suggesting a common biochemical mechanism for inhibition. With respect to Cdk2 and Cdk4 complexes, p27 shares the inhibitory potency of p21 but has slightly different kinase specificities. In normal diploid fibroblasts, the vast majority of active Cdk2 is associated with p21, but this active kinase can be fully inhibited by addition of exogenous p21. Reconstruction experiments using purified components indicate that multiple molecules of p21 can associate with Cdk/cyclin complexes and inactive complexes contain more than one molecule of p21. Together, these data suggest a model whereby p21 functions as an inhibitory buffer whose levels determine the threshold kinase activity required for cell cycle progression.

Binding, Competitive↗

Laser Raman spectrometry study on experimental galactose-induced cataract.

PURPOSE: To observe the dynamic changes of hydration in galactose induced cataract. METHODS: Two groups of Wistar rats were used in the experiment. There were 12 rats in the experimental group, which were fed diet of 50% D-Galactose standard feed; while the control group had 8 rats fed standard feed. Their other living conditions were the same. At desired time periods, two Wistar rats fed galactose and one normal control were selected and killed 20 minutes before the instrument examination respectively, then, their lenses were removed from the orbs by a posterior approach. The cleaned fresh lens was placed in a quartz cuvette with Tris buffered balanced salt solution containing 5.5 mmol/L glucose. The quartz cuvette was placed on the stage of the Spectrometer. The laser beam was focused at the lens nuclear from the bottom of the cuvette and the scattered light was collected at 90 degrees to the incident beam. RESULTS: Raman spectroscopy showed that (1) during the formation of galactose cataract, the water signal (at 3390cm-1) increased obviously, and the ratio of I3390/I2935 increased from 0.31 (3 days) to 2.26 (17 days), which is correlated with the imbibition of water in the lens nuclear; (2) the hydration of lens nuclear could be divided into two phases. The ratio I3390/I2935 was increased slowly and steadily by 11 days after galactose feeding. Then, the ratio turned to increase quite fast till 17 days. CONCLUSION: The hydration of nuclear is changed simultaneously with the formation of cataract. The hydration of nuclear is mainly due to the imbalance of Na+/K+.

Animals↗

Atomic force microscopy study of fine structures of the entire surface of red blood cells.

Glutaraldehyde-fixed red blood cells were imaged by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM) in air at room temperature. The results show that TMAFM can visualize the morphology of the red blood cell at both cellular and nanometer scales. The scan size covers the range from several hundred nanometers to more than one hundred micrometers. TMAFM not only has a higher resolution than the optical microscope, but also can observe biological samples without precoating as required for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The AFM images of the entire surface of an uncoated red blood cell with nanometer resolution are successfully reconstructed by 28 AFM images of the preselected subareas on the surface of the red blood cell. These images reveal directly the fine structures of the external surface of uncoated red blood cells in air. The surface exhibits a characteristic structure composed of a large number of closely-packed nanometer particles with a size ranging from a few nanometers to tens of nanometers. These "particulate" components are evenly distributed, and no jumping protrusion or depression structures were found. These particles give rise to a very smooth surface of the red blood cell as shown in a large-scan AFM image. In addition, the 28 AFM images obtained by the continuous scanning over 3 hours indicate that TMAFM can image soft biological samples such as red blood cells stably and reproducibly.

Erythrocytes↗