Journal of Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran
Volume:22 Issue: 2, Spring 2011

A sweet water-soluble protein that reminds stable over wide ranges of temperature and pH, Brazzein has various applications. Its tastes like cane sugar but have no calories. However, the extraction of brazzein from its natural source is expensive and not applicable. In this study we used recombinant DNA technology to provide an alternative option for cheaper mass production of brazzein. A brazzein gene was designed, synthesized by using oligonucleotids and cloned into the pBlueScript vector. The synthetic fragment linked to the C-terminal of Maltose-binding protein (MBP) and Glutathion-S-Transferase (GST) for protein expression. The recombinant protein was expressed as a soluble form after induction by IPTG. The fusion protein was purified by amylose resin column and detected by SDS-PAGE. The best yields were achieved by producing brazzein as a fusion with MBP. MBP-brazzein system permits large-scale functional expression and purification of recombinant soluble proteins, providing a basis for the future study of structure and function of brazzein.

Chemokines participate in the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses by interacting with their specific receptors on related immune and inflammatory cells such as B-lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells. Chemokines and their receptors are therefore considered to mediate inflammation and tissue damage in autoimmune disorders. The recent studies have revealed the genotypes of chemokine receptors (CCR) and their related polymorphisms in a number of autoimmune and infectious diseases. We used the polymorphic DNA markers (CCR2-64I) and (CCR5?32) to study the association of CCR2 and CCR5 gene mutations with Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) and the relation between clinical features and genotypes in affected individuals. A total of 160 patient samples and 163 healthy controls from west northern Iran (Eastern Azerbaijan) were genotyped for the two polymorphisms by the PCR-RFLP method and genotype frequencies were statistically determined. No significant linkage was determined between CCR5?32 and the disease of interest. However the gene CCR2 was appeared to be significantly linked to the disease, as it could be concluded from statistical analysis.

Effects of? -cyclodextrin,? CD, on refolding of lysozyme was investigated at pH 12 employing isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) at 300K in 30mM Tris buffer solution.? CD was employed as an anti-aggregation agent and the heats obtained for lysozyme+?CD interactions are reported and analyzed in terms of the extended solvation model. It was indicated that there are two sets of identical and non-cooperative sites for? CD. Enthalpic force in the first binding sites is more important than entropic one, indicating that electrostatic interaction plays an important role in the interaction of lysozyme with? CD. The interaction in the second binding sites is stronger and both enthalpy and entropy driven but hydrophobic interaction has more important than electrostatic force. These results suggest that the effects of? CD on lysozyme refolding are attributed to its ability to suppress aggregation of the protein.

Metal complexes, ML (M=Ni, Cu, Co and Zn) of unsymmetrical tetradentate schiff base have been synthesized by the template reaction of the half-units N-(1-hydroxy-2-acetonaphthone)-1-amino-2-phenyleneimine)(HL1) with 2-Pyrroleca-rbaldehyde. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR and UV spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the Ni(II) complex has been determined by X-ray and exhibits distorted square-planar conformation. Crystals of NiL are orthorhombic, space group P212121, with a = 7.1635(6), b = 11.6815(10), c = 20.7217(17)? and Z = 4. The Ni-O and Ni-N bonds have very similar lengths and form a regular square-planar structure.

A total of 12 species of marine gastropods, among which two taxa are new, is reported for the first time from the Miocene deposits of Khavich section, south of Sirjan, Kerman. Gastropods assemblage in Khavich area indicates deposition in shallow, warm ramp-type carbonate platform. The Miocene and even Oligocene gastropod assemblages, relatively similar to Khavich section, reported from the other parts of the Tethys, show a possible passage, having been open during this interval, although a considerable provincialisms is also evident. Therefore the gastropods can be used for the correlation of Oligo-Miocene age formations in many places in the region and the world.

A particular feature of biotite grains from some of the Canadian Appalachian granitic rocks is the presence of lenses of Ca-Al silicates developed along cleavage planes. These from the more to less common are prehnite, pumpellyite and grandite garnet, an intermediate composition between andradite and grossular. Rarely all three minerals can be observed together in one single biotite grain. Microprobe analyses show that Al2O3 contents of prehnite vary from 17.52 to 24.55 and Fe2O3 from 2.38 to 8.88 wt. %, which can be reflected in a substantial and variable substitution of Fe for Al. Furthermore, a fairly positive correlation of MnO values of both prehnite and host biotite may indicate the role of biotite replacement by prehnite. Fe2O3 content in nine analyzed pumpellyite samples varies between 10 and 23 wt%. Fe2O3 contents of more than 10 wt% in pumpellyite are indicative of zeolite and prehnite-pumpellyite facies conditions.

The NNW-trending Dena Fault, with 140 km length, cuts the major structures of Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt in Borujen region. The fault has divided the region in two zones, in which different structural, andmorphological features as well assedimentation and seismtectonic characteristics have developed. This study presents a new interpretation for the kinematics of Dena Fault based on field evidence. Precise field mapping and structural analysis in four structural traverses across the Dena fault zone indicates that it composes of several sub parallel surface fault segments with right-lateral strike-slip to reverse right-lateral fault mechanism. Coincidence of the Dena Fault with the T-11 aeromagnetic lineament as well as evidence on the fault activity on isopach maps from Cretaseous to Miocene time implies that the north segment of the Dena Fault has kinematics relation to this lineament. The low angle between the general trending of the mapped fault segments on the surface with the trend of the aeromagnetic lineament implies their close relationship. Therefore, it is proposed that the mapped fault segments are the Riedel shear faults of an active deep-seated strike-slip fault on the surface. In addition, the proposed kinematics for the Dena Fault is compatible with the focal mechanism of earthquakes epicentered along the fault. The result of this interpretation documents that the Dena Fault is a basement fault with right-lateral strike-slip mechanism.

Let = be a non-negative matrix. Denote by the supremum of those, satisfying the following inequality: where, , and also is increasing, non-negative sequence of real numbers. If we used instead of The purpose of this paper is to establish a Hardy type formula for, where is Hausdorff matrix and A similar result is also established for where In particular, we apply our results to the Cesaro matrices, Holder matrices and Gamma matrices. Our results also generalize some works due to R. Lashkaripour and D. Foroutannia [6]. Moreover, in this study we extend some results mentioned in [3] and [4].

In this paper we introduce the concept of generalized Baer-invariant of a pair of groups with respect to two varieties? and? of groups. We give some inequalities for the generalized Baer-invariant of a pair of finite groups, when? is considered to be the Schur-Baer variety. Further, we present a sufficient condition under which the order of the generalized Baer-invariant of a pair of finite groups divides the order of the generalized Baer-invariant of a pair of their factor groups. Moreover, we prove that the generalized Baer-invariant of a pair of groups commutes with direct limit.

Considering generalized concurrence as the criterion of entanglement, we study entanglement properties of superposition of two qutrit coherent states, as a function of their amplitudes. These states may attain maximum entanglement or no entanglement at all, depending on the choice of the parameters involved. The states revealing maximum entanglement also display the maximum violations of the Bell-CHSH inequalities.

The entanglement between a? -type three-level atom and its spontaneous emission fields is investigated. The effect of spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) on entanglement between the atom and its spontaneous emission fields is then discussed. We find that in the presence of SGC the entanglement between the atom and its spontaneous emission fields is completely phase dependent, while in absence of this coherence the phase dependence of the entanglement disappears. Moreover, the degree of entanglement dramatically changes by the coherent superposition of the atomic states.