BackgroundThe scavenging ability of sufficient divalent metal ions is pivotal for pathogenic bacteria to survive in the host. ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-type metal transporters provide a considerable amount of different transition metals for bacterial growth. TroA is a substrate binding protein for uptake of multiple metal ions. However, the function and structure of the TroA homologue from the epidemic Streptococcus suis isolates (SsTroA) have not been characterized.Methodology/Principal FindingsHere we determined the crystal structure of SsTroA from a highly pathogenic streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS)-causing Streptococcus suis in complex with zinc. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis revealed that apo-SsTroA binds Zn2+ and Mn2+. Both metals bind to SsTroA with nanomolar affinity and stabilize the protein against thermal unfolding. Zn2+ and Mn2+ induce distinct conformational changes in SsTroA compared with the apo form as confirmed by both circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. NMR data also revealed that Zn2+/Mn2+ bind to SsTroA in either the same site or an adjacent region. Finally, we found that the folding of the metal-bound protein is more compact than the corresponding apoprotein.Conclusions/SignificanceOur findings reveal a mechanism for uptake of metal ions in S. suis and this mechanism provides a reasonable explanation as to how SsTroA operates in metal transport.

Oscillator of single-degree-freedom is a typical model in system analysis. Oscillations resulted from differential equations with fractional order attract the interests of researchers since such a type of oscillations may appear dramatic behaviors in system responses. However, a solution to the impulse response of a class of fractional oscillators studied in this paper remains unknown in the field. In this paper, we propose the solution in the closed form to the impulse response of the class of fractional oscillators. Based on it, we reveal the stability behavior of this class of fractional oscillators as follows. A fractional oscillator in this class may be strictly stable, nonstable, or marginally stable, depending on the ranges of its fractional order.

Interconnected 3 D nanosheet networks of reduced graphene oxide decorated with carbon dots (rGO/CDs) are successfully fabricated through a simple one-pot hydrothermal process. The as-prepared rGO/CDs present appropriate 3 D interconnectivity and abundant stable oxygen-containing functional groups, to which we can attribute the excellent electrochemical performance such as high specific capacitance, good rate capability, and great cycling stability. Employed as binder-free electrodes for supercapacitors, the resulting rGO/CDs exhibit excellent long-term cycling stability (ca. 92 % capacitance retention after 20 000 charge/discharge cycles at current density of 10 A g ) as well as a maximum specific capacitance of about 308 F g at current density of 0.5 A g , which is much higher than that of rGO (200 F g ) and CDs (2.2 F g ). This work provides a promising strategy to fabricate graphene-based nanomaterials with greatly boosted electrochemical performances by decoration of with CDs.

Class III peroxidases (CIII Prxs) play critical roles in plant immunity by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the functions of CIII Prxs in rice (Oryza sativa L.) immunity are largely unexplored. Here, we report a Prx precursor, OsPrx30, that is responsive to the bacterial blight Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). OsPrx30 was primarily expressed in rice roots, leaves, and stems,