Synthesis and Crystal Structure of 4-(Dichloroacetyl)-1-oxa-4-azaspiro[4.5]decane

The title compound 4-(dichloroacetyl)-1-oxa-4-azaspiro[4. 5] decane (CAS number 71526-07-3, C10H15Cl2NO2, Mr= 252.13) was obtained by the reaction of dichloroacetic acid with 1-oxa-4-azaspiro[4. 5] decane. The crystal is of monoclinic, space group P21ln with the unit cell constants: a = 5.9619(4),b= 10.0066(8), c = 20.0986(4) A,β = 90.194(3)°, V= 1199(4) A3,Z = 4, Dc= 1.397 g/cm3, F(000) = 528, μ(MoKα) = 0.522 mm-1, R = 0.0611 and wR = 0.1656 for 1276 observed reflections (I > 2σ(I)). X-ray analysis reveals that the cyclohexyl adopts a chair conformation and the compound is a chiral one.

Researches on Sequence of Plant Cystatin:Phytocystatin

Plant cystatins or phytocystatins are cysteine proteinase inhibitors exist widely in different plant species. Because they can kill insects by inhibiting the digestive function of the cysteine proteinase in gut, they are believed to play an important role in plant’s defense against pests. Phytocystatins contain the conserved QXVXG motif and show some features on their sequence different to animal cystatins. After sequencing the protein directly and the cDNA clone, a large number of plant cystatins have been characterized. A multialignment with BLAST software and a detail analysis of 38 phytocystatins show that phytocystatins possess a specific conserved amino acid sequence [LRVI]-[AGT]-[RQKE]-[FY]- [AS]-[VI]-X-[EGHDQV]-[HYFQ]-N different to the conserved sequence demonstrated by Margis in 1998. This conserved sequence can be enough to detect with exclusivity phytocystatin sequences on protein data banks. A classification of these phytocystatins is performed and they can be divided into 3 groups according to their features on amino acid sequence, and the group-I can be still divided into 3 subgroups based on the feature of their amino acid and genomic sequence. By the CLUSTALX software, the most conserved nucleotide sequences of phytocystatins were found, which could be used to design the degenerate premiers to search new phytocystatins with PCR reaction.

Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network and Its Development

Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network, established in late 1950s and directly constructedand administered by the Science and Technology Department of State Forestry Administration of China,is a large ecology research network focuses on long-term ecosystem fixed-observation. It embodies 15 sitesthat represent diverse ecosystems and research priorities, including 6 state-level sites. CFERN Officecoordinates communications, network publications, and research-planning activities. CFERN uses theadvanced ground and spatial observation technologies such as RS, GPS, GIS to study the structure,functional laws and feedback mechanism of Chinese forest ecosystem, as well as its effects on Chinassocial and economic development. The main tasks carried out by CFERN are: (1) construction of thedatabase on the structure and functions of Chinese forest ecosystem and its ecological environmentalfactors; (2) the database construction of forest resources, ecological environment, water resources andrelated social economy in both regional and national scales; (3) the establishment of an evaluation systemof forest ecological effects in Chinas main drainage areas; (4) the establishment of a forest environmentmonitoring network and a dynamic prediction and alarm system.