Multiple structural models of humic acid (HA) building blocks have been reported. In this work, the modeling is based on two structural motifs: (i) the Steelink structure and (ii) a new humic acid [TNB] building block, which incorporates more fully the results of experimental data and retro-biosynthetic analyses. Both have significant conformational freedom complicated by their stereochemistry. A molecular modeling approach for the analysis of complex molecules with significant conformational freedom is described as it relates to the newly proposed humic acid building block. A potential energy surface for various conformers of the low-energy stereoisomer has been generated. Included in this discussion is the relationship of the stereochemistry to conformation and secondary structure.

TCL1 and TCL1b genes on human chromosome 14q23.1 are activated in T cell leukemias by translocations and inversions at 14q32.1, juxtaposing them to regulatory elements of T cell receptor genes. In this report we present the cloning, mapping, and expression analysis of the human and murine TCL1͞Tcl1 locus. In addition to TCL1 and TCL1b, the human locus contains two additional genes, TCL1-neighboring genes (TNG) 1 and 2, encoding proteins of 141 and 110 aa, respectively. Both genes show no homology to any known genes, but their expression profiles are very similar to those of TCL1 and TCL1b. TNG1 and TNG2 also are activated in T cell leukemias with rearrangements at 14q32.1. To aid in the development of a mouse model we also have characterized the murine Tcl1 locus and found five genes homologous to human TCL1b. Tcl1b1-Tcl1b5 proteins range from 117 to 123 aa and are 65-80% similar, but they show only a 30 -40% similarity to human TCL1b. All five mouse Tcl1b and murine Tcl1 mRNAs are abundant in mouse oocytes and two-cell embryos but rare in various adult tissues and lymphoid cell lines. These data suggest a similar or complementary function of these proteins in early embryogenesis.

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