Research Progress on Plant Anti-Freeze Proteins

Plant antifreeze proteins(AFPs)are special proteins that can protect plant cells from ice crystal damage in low-temperature environments,and they play a crucial role in the process of plants adapting to cold environ-ments.Proteins with these characteristics have been found infish living in cold regions,as well as many plants and insects.Although research on plant AFPs started relatively late,their application prospects are broad,leading to the attention of many researchers to the isolation,cloning,and genetic improvement of plant AFP genes.Studies have found that the distribution of AFPs in different species seems to be the result of independent evolu-tionary events.Unlike the AFPs found infish and insects,plant AFPs have multiple hydrophilic ice-binding domains,and their recrystallization inhibition activity is about 10–100 times that offish and insect AFPs.Although different plant AFPs have the characteristics of low TH and high RI,their DNA and amino acid sequences are completely different,with small homology.With in-depth research and analysis of the character-istics and mechanisms of plant AFPs,not only has our understanding of plant antifreeze mechanisms been enriched,but it can also be used to improve crop varieties and enhance their freezing tolerance,yield,and quality through genetic engineering.In addition,the study of plant AFPs also contributes to our understanding of freezing resistance mechanisms in other organisms and provides new research directions for thefield of biotech-nology.Therefore,based on the analysis of relevant literature,this article will delve into the concepts,character-istics,research methods,and mechanisms of plant AFPs,summarize the latest research progress and application prospects of AFPs in plant,and provide prospects for the future development of AFP gene research.

Denaturation studies on bovine serum albumin–bile salt system:Bile salt stabilizes bovine serum albumin through hydrophobicity

Protein denaturation is under intensive research, since it leads to neurological disorders of severe consequences. Avoiding denaturation and stabilizing the proteins in their native state is of great importance,especially when proteins are used as drug molecules or vaccines. It is preferred to add pharmaceutical excipients in protein formulations to avoid denaturation and thereby stabilize them. The present study aimed at using bile salts(BSs), a group of well-known drug delivery systems, for stabilization of proteins.Bovine serum albumin(BSA) was taken as the model protein, whose association with two BSs, namely sodium cholate(Na C) and sodium deoxycholate(Na DC), was studied. Denaturation studies on the preformed BSA-BS systems were carried out under chemical and physical denaturation conditions. Urea was used as the chemical denaturant and BSA-BS systems were subjected to various temperature conditions to understand the thermal(physical) denaturation. With the denaturation conditions prescribed here,the data obtained is informative on the association of BSA-BS systems to be hydrophobic and this effect of hydrophobicity plays an important role in stabilizing the serum albumin in its native state under both chemical and thermal denaturation.

Effect of enzymatic fish frame protein hydrolysate on freeze-induced denaturation of myofibrillar protein from bighead carp fish （Aristichthys nobilis ） during frozen storage

Three kinds offish frame protein hydrolysates （PPH, APH and FPH） were prepared from fish frame of red drum （ Sciaenops ocellatus ） by papain, alkaline proteinase and flavorzyme treatment. The hydrolysates were mainly composed of peptide （83.5 % -84.6% ） and displayed different molecular weight distribution pattern. The protective effects of hydrolysates on the freeze-induced denaturation of myofibrillar protein （Mf） from bighead carp （Aristichthys nobilis） mince during storage at -20℃ for 12 weeks were investigated. The hydrolysate （5 % dried weight/wet weight） reduced the freeze-induced denaturation of Mf as evidenced by the lowered decrease in Ca-ATPase activity and reactive sulfllydryl contents as well as the impeded increase in surface hydrophobicity. Microscopic photographs indicated that the hydrolysates inhibited the growth of ice crystal in fish mince, and then prevented the aggregation of Mf during frozen storage. The protective effects of hydrolysates on freeze-induced denaturation of Mf were influenced by the molecular weight distribution. PPH had strongest cryoprotective ability among three hydrolysates.

CALORIMETRIC STUDY OF COLD AND THERMAL DENATURATION OF BOVINE β-LACTOGLOBULIN B

The denaturational behaviour of bovine β-lactoglobulin B has been studied in solutions containing guanidine hydrochloride by differential scanning calorimetry. The experiments have shown that complete peaks of cold denaturation can be recorded also in high concentration of protein solutions. The cold denaturation and the renaturation of the protein are reproducible, but the thermal denaturation is irreversible. The activation energy of thermal denaturation calculated is about 285 kJ/mol.

OBSERVATION OF DNA PARTIAL DENATURATION BY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY

Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the DNA-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) complexes adsorbed on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). These complexes, at low concentrations, can automatically spread out on the surface of HOPG. The DNA-CTAB complexes display a typically extended structure rather than a globular structure. Partially denaturated DNA produced by binding CTAB to DNA is directly observed by AFM with high resolution. The three-dimensional resolution of partially denaturated DNA obtained by AFM is not available by any other technique at present.

Pressure- and Urea-Induced Denaturation of Bovine Serum Albumin: Considerations about Protein Heterogeneity

Urea denatures proteins at different concentrations, depending on the experimental conditions and the protein. We in-vestigated the pressure-induced denaturation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the presence of subdenaturing concen-trations of urea based on a two-state equilibrium. Pressure-induced denaturation was enhanced at urea concentrations ([U]) of 3.5 M to 8.0 M, with the free energy of denaturation at atmospheric pressure ranging from +5.0 to –2.5 kJ/mol of BSA. The m values appeared to be biphasic, with m1 and m2 of 0.92 and 2.35 kJ mol–1?M–1, respectively. Plots of versus ln[U] yielded values of u, the apparent stoichiometric coefficient, of 1.68 and 6.67 mol of urea/mol of BSA for m1 and m2, respectively. These values were compared with the m and u values of other monomeric proteins reported in or calculated from the literature. The very low values of u systematically observed for proteins were suggestive of heterogeneity in the free energy of denaturation. Thus, a u value of 140 mol of urea/mol of BSA may indicate the existence of a heterogeneous molecular population with respect to the free energy of dena-turation.

Theory of cold denaturation of proteins

A new approach to the problem of cold denaturation is presented. It is based on solvent-induced effects operating on hydrophilic groups along the protein. These effects are stronger than the corresponding hydrophobic effects, and they operate on the hydrophilic groups which are plentiful than hydrophobic groups. It is shown that both heat and cold denaturation can be explained by these hydrophilic effects.

Theoretical Study on Effects of Salt and Temperature on Denaturation Transition of Double-stranded DNA

We investigate the statistical mechanics properties of a nonlinear dynamics model of the denaturation of the DNA double-helix and study the effects of salt concentration and temperature on denaturation transition of DNA. The specific heat, entropy, and denaturation temperature of the system versus salt concentration are obtained. These results show that the denaturation of DNA not only depends on the temperature but also is influenced by the salt concentration in the solution of DNA, which are in agreement with experimental measurement.

Denaturation of DNA in Ternary Mixed Solution of Water/Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Organic Solvent

Denaturation was examined for the first time in a ternary mixed solution of water/hydrophilic/ hydrophobic organic solvent using λ-DNA and a plasmid as models. The absorbance of λ-DNA and the plasmid at 260 nm gradually increased for several days up to 1.68 and 1.38 times the initial values, respectively, in a water/acetonitrile/ethyl acetate (15:3:2, volume ratio) mixed solution, whereas there was little change in a water/acetonitrile (15:3, volume ratio) mixed solution. The plasmid treated with the ternary mixed solution was also examined with agarose gel electrophoresis. These experimental data indicated that λ-DNA changed from a double helix structure to a single helix structure and that the plasmid partially transformed to generate a denaturation bubble in the structure. The new idea of using the ternary mixed solution first enabled the interaction of the hydrophobic organic solvent (e.g., ethyl acetate) molecule with the double helical structure of DNA, leading to specific slow-proceeding denaturation.

Preparation of Bovine Serum Albumin Microspheres by an Acetone-ethanol Heat Denaturation Method

Stable sub 500 nm bovine serum albumin (BSA) microsphere suspensions were produced by controlled addition of acetone and ethanol to an aqueous solution of BSA, followed by stabilization process of the formed microspheres at an elevated temperature. Microspheres produced by this acetone ethanol heat denaturation method were stabilized at relatively low temperatures (70～75℃) over a short period of time (20 min). The acetone ethanol heat denaturation method, in comparison with the traditional oil/ water technique for preparation of albumin microspheres, which requires high temperature (over 100℃) and longer heating time (more than 30 min) for stabilization, offers a number of advantages. This report describes the influence of process conditions, such as ratios of acetone to ethanol to BSA aqueous solution, heating time and heating temperature, on microsphere formation and their stability. A loading efficiency of 40% rose bengal was achieved. Rose bengal release rates from these microspheres in phosphate buffered saline medium at 37 ℃ were dependent on microsphere stabilities and 25% to 60% of initial loading drug were released in 15 days.

An intrinsically self-healing and anti-freezing molecular chains induced polyacrylamide-based hydrogel electrolytes for zinc manganese dioxide batteries

The anti-freezing strategy of hydrogels and their self-healing structure are often contradictory,it is vital to break through the molecular structure to design and construct hydrogels with intrinsic anti-freezing/self-healing for meeting the rapid development of flexible and wearable devices in diverse service conditions.Herein,we design a new hydrogel electrolyte(AF/SH-Hydrogel)with intrinsic anti-freezing/self-healing capabilities by introducing ethylene glycol molecules,dynamic chemical bonding(disulfide bond),and supramolecular interaction(multi-hydrogen bond)into the polyacrylamide molecular chain.Thanks to the exceptional freeze resistance(84%capacity retention at-20℃)and intrinsic self-healing capabilities(95%capacity retention after 5 cutting/self-healing cycles),the obtained AF/SH-Hydrogel makes the zinc||manganese dioxide cell an economically feasible battery for the state-of-the-art applications.The Zn||AF/SH-Hydrogel||MnO_(2)device offers a near-theoretical specific capacity of 285 m A h g^(-1)at 0.1 A g^(-1)(Coulombic efficiency≈100%),as well as good self-healing capability and mechanical flexibility in an ice bath.This work provides insight that can be utilized to develop multifunctional hydrogel electrolytes for application in next generation of self-healable and freeze-resistance smart aqueous energy storage devices.

Analysis of Lattice Size, Energy Density and Denaturation for a One-Dimensional DNA Model

There are several mechanical models to describe the DNA phenomenology. In this work the DNA denaturation is studied under thermodynamical and dynamical point of view using the well known Peyrard-Bishop model. The thermodynamics analysis using the transfer integral operator method is briefly reviewed. In particular, the lattice size is discussed and a conjecture about the minimum energy to denaturation is proposed. In terms of the dynamical aspects of the model, the equations of motion for the system are integrated and the results determine the energy density where the denatura- tion occurs. The behavior of the lattice near the phase transition is analyzed. The relation between the thermodynamical and dynamical results is discussed.

Characterization of depth-related microbial communities in lake sediment by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of amplified 16S rRNA fragments

The characterization of microbial communities of different depth sediment samples was examined by a culture-independent method and compared with physicochemical parameters, those are organic matter （OM）, total nitrogen （TN）, total phosphorus （TP）, pH and redox potential （Eh）. Total genomic DNA was extracted from samples derived from different depths. After they were amplified with the GC-341 f/907r primer sets of partial bacterial 16S rRNA genes, the products were separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE）. The profile of DGGE fingerprints of different depth sediment samples revealed that the community structure remained relatively stable along the entire 45 cm sediment core, however, principal-component analysis of DGGE patterns revealed that at greater sediment depths, successional shifts in community structure were evident. The principle coordinates analysis suggested that the bacterial communities along the sediment core could be separated into two groups, which were located 0-20 cm and 21-45 cm, respectively. The sequencing dominant bands demonstrated that the major phylogenetic groups identified by DGGE belonged to Bacillus, Bacterium, Brevibacillus, Exiguobacterium, γ-Proteobacterium, Acinetobacter sp. and some uncultured or unidentified bacteria. The results indicated the existence of highly diverse bacterial community in the lake sediment core.

Effect of Anti-freezing Admixtures on Alkali-silica Reaction in Mortars

The influence of anti-freezing admixture on the alkali aggregate reaction in mortar was analyzed with accelerated methods. It is confirmed that the addition of sodium salt ingredients of anti-freezing admixture accelerates the alkali silica reaction to some extent, whereas calcium salt ingredient of anti-freezing admixture reduces the expansion of alkali silica reaction caused by high alkali cement. It is found that the addition of the fly ash considerably suppresses the expansion of alkali silica reaction induced by the anti-freezing admixtures.

Refolding of reduced/denatured bovine pancreatic insulin with ion-exchange chromatography coupled with MALDI-TOF MS

The refolding of the reduced/denatured insulin from bovine pancreas as the model protein was investigated with weak anion exchange chromatography （WAX） coupled with MALDI-TOF MS. The results indicated that the disulfide bonds almost cannot be formed correctly with the common mobile phase by WAX. However, with the urea gradient elution and in the presence of GSSG/ Cyst as the ratio 1：6 in the mobile phase employed, the disulfide exchange of reduced/denatured insulin can be accelerated resulting in forming the correct three disulfide bonds. The protein refolding efficiency of reduced/denatured insulin can be increased from 3 % to 34%. The effects of urea gradient and the oxidant and reductant groups, such as GSSG/GSH, Cyst, and GSSG/Cyst, on the forming the disulfide bonds of reduced/denatured insulin were investigated in detail. The results were further tested by the separation of the WAX fraction of reduced/denatured insulin with RPLC and MALDI-TOF MS.

Signal Peptide and Denaturing Temperature are Critical Factors for Efficient Mammalian Expression and Immunoblotting of Cannabinoid Receptors

Many researchers employed mammalian expression system to artificially express cannabinoid receptors, but immunoblot data that directly prove efficient protein expression can hardly be seen in related research reports. In present study, we demonstrated cannabinoid receptor protein was not able to be properly expressed with routine mammalian expression system. This inefficient expression was rescued by endowing an exogenous signal peptide ahead of cannabinoid receptor peptide. In addition, the artificially synthesized cannabinoid receptor was found to aggregate under routine sample denaturing temperatures (i.e.,≥95°C), forming a large molecular weight band when analyzed by immuno-blotting. Only denaturing temperatures ≤75°C yielded a clear band at the predicted molecular weight. Collectively, we showed that efficient mammalian expression of cannabinoid receptors need a signal peptide sequence, and described the requirement for a low sample denaturing temperature in immuno-blot analysis. These findings provide very useful information for efficient mammalian expression and immuno-blotting of membrane receptors.

STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MELTING POINT AND ACID DENATURING ACIDITY OF DNA BY ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROMETER

The relationship between meltillg point and acid denaturing acidity of DNA was studied by ultraviolet spectrometer. According to our investigation there exists a good linear relationship between melting point and acid denaturing acidity of DNA. The acid denaturing acidity. which could be obtained easily. may be used in the field of biochemistry as an alternative to melting point.

Wide temperature range-and damage-tolerant microsupercapacitors from salt-tolerant, anti-freezing and self-healing organohydrogel via dynamic bonds modulation

The advance of microelectronics requires the micropower of microsupercapacitors(MSCs) to possess wide temperature-and damage-tolerance beyond high areal energy density.The properties of electrolyte are crucial for MSCs to meet the above requirements.Here,an organohydrogel electrolyte,featured with high salt tolerance,ultralow freezing point,and strong self-healing ability,is experimentally realized via modulating its inner dynamic bonds.Spectroscopic and theoretical analysis reveal that dimethyl sulfoxide has the ability to reconstruct Li^(+)solvation structure,and interact with free water and polyvinyl alcohol chains via forming hydrogen bonds.The organohydrogel electrolyte is employed to build MSCs,which show a boosted energy density,promising wide temperature range-and damage-tolerant ability.These attractive features make the designed organohydrogel electrolyte have great potential to advance MSCs.

Analysis of interspecies adherence of oral bacteria using a membrane binding assay coupled with polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiling

Information on co-adherence of different oral bacterial species is important for understanding interspecies interactions within oral microbial community. Current knowledge on this topic is heavily based on pariwise coaggregation of known, cultivable species. In this study, we employed a membrane binding assay coupled with polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （PCR-DGGE） to systematically analyze the co-adherence profiles of oral bacterial species, and achieved a more profound knowledge beyond pairwise coaggregation. Two oral bacterial species were selected to serve as ＂bait＂： Fusobacterium nucleatum （F. nucleatum） whose ability to adhere to a multitude of oral bacterial species has been extensively studied for pairwise interactions and Streptococcus mutans （S. mutans） whose interacting partners are largely unknown. To enable screening of interacting partner species within bacterial mixtures, cells of the ＂bait＂ oral bacterium were immobilized on nitrocellulose membranes which were washed and blocked to prevent unspecific binding. The ＂prey＂ bacterial mixtures （including known species or natural saliva samples） were added, unbound ceils were washed off after the incubation period and the remaining cells were eluted using 0.2 mol.L1 glycine. Genomic DNA was extraeted, subjeeted to 16S rRNA PCR amplification and separation of the resulting PCR produets by DGGE. Selected bands were recovered from the gel, sequenced and identified via Nucleotide BLAST searches against different databases. While few bacterial species bound to S. mutans, consistent with previous findings F.. nucleatum adhered to a variety of bacterial species including uncultivable and uneharacterized onesl This new approach can more effectively analyze the co-adherence profiles of oral bacteria, and could facilitate the systematic study of interbacterial binding of oral microbial species.

Variations in Laboratory-Scale Actinomycete Communities Exposed to Cadmium as Assessed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Profiles

The actinomycete populations and functions in cadmium （Cd） contaminated soil were investigated by the cultivation- independent molecular methods. The genomic DNA was extracted and purified from soil adulterated with various con- centrations of Cd in the laboratory. The partial 16S rDNA genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction （PCR） using specific primers bound to evolutionarily conserved regions within these actinomycete genes. The diversity in PCR- amplified products, as measured by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （EGGE）, was used as a genetic fingerprint of the population. Principle component analysis and Shannon-Weaver diversity index （H） analyses were used to analyze the DGGE results. Results showed that the two principal components accounted for only a low level of the total variance. The value H in contaminated soil was lower than that in the control at later stages of cultivation, whereas at earlier stages it was higher. Among the six sampling time points, the first, fifth and sixth weeks had the highest values of H. Significantly negative correlations between bioavallable Cd concentration and H values existed in the samples from weeks 2 （R = 0.929, P 〈 0.05） and 4 （R = 0.909, P 〈 0.05）. These results may shed light on the effect of Cd on the soil environment and the chemical behavior and toxicity of Cd to actinomycetes.