喹诺酮类药物的质子化作用及互变异构现象与荧光特性的相关性研揪

研究了不同酸碱条件下8种喹诺酮类药物的荧光特性.发现了在不同pH介质中喹诺酮类药物的荧光波长和荧光强度的变化规律,并对喹诺酮类药物质子化作用及互变异构现象与荧光性质的相关性进行了考察.确定了不同酸碱条件下的两种发光形体,进而对相应的变化机理进行了探讨.     

喹诺酮类药物的质子化作用及互变异构现象与荧光特性的相关性研究

研究了不同酸碱条件下8种喹诺酮类药物的荧光特性,发现了在不同PH介质中喹诺酮类药物的荧光波长和荧光强度的变化规律,并对喹诺酮类药物质子化作用及互变异构现象与荧光性质的相关性进行了考察,确定了不同酸碱条件下的两种发光形体,进而对相应的变化机理进行了探讨。     

Synthesis and Characterization of Oxazine-doped Silica Nanoparticles for Their Potential Use as Stable Fluorescent Reagents

The synthesis process to obtain silica nanoparticles (NPs) doped with two oxazine dyes, nile blue and cresyl violet, has been investigated using a modification of the reverse micelle microemulsion method and a procedure based on the Stöber method. A micellar medium provided by the non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 in a hexanol:water mixture and an ethanol:water mixture, have been used to provide the synthesis medium in each case. Tetraethoxysilane has been used as the initiator of the polymerization and condensation reactions after its hydrolysis in basic medium using ammonium hydroxide. Dye-silane precursor NPs have been also synthesized in order to compare their potential advantages against the NPs obtained by the direct encapsulation of the oxazine dyes. Size distribution and fluorescence of the synthesized NPs, which were monitored using Transmision Electron Microscopy (TEM) and a microplate reader, respectively, depend on the molar ratio and total concentration of the reagents involved in the synthesis. NPs obtained using the developed synthesis procedures had sizes below 400 nm in most instances and the best luminescent properties were observed for NPs with sizes ranging from 100 to 300 nm. Lower sizes result in a decrease in the fluorescence intensities of these nanomaterials. Parameters related with the luminescence features of these NPs were calculated in order to compare the feasibility of both synthesis approaches. The repeatability of the reverse-micelle microemulsion procedure performed in different days gave a relative standard deviation of 10% for the fluorescence intensity values.     

Cytoskeleton Dynamics: A Continuum Cooperative Hydrolysis Model

Cytoskeleton is a network of filamentous proteins, such as actin filaments and microtubules. We propose a continuum cooperative hydrolysis model which possesses exactly analytical solution to describe the dynamics of filament.The results show that the cooperativity leads to non negative-exponential distribution of T(ATP or GTP) subunits.As an application, we investigate the treadmilling phenomenon using our model. It is shown that the cooperativity remarkably affects the length of filament.     

Introduction of Fluorometry to the Screening of Protein Crystallization Buffers

A system to use fluorometry for the search of protein crystallization buffers was developed. The screening of candidates was done with a use of short gel-filtration column (Sephacryl S-100 HR) linked to the fluorometer. Protein elution was monitored by intrinsic fluorescence or emission from its labels. This method was applied to actin and actin complexes. When nuclei were formed in actin solution, preceding the peak of actin, a new peak appeared on the elution curve. It was found that the fluorescence allows detection of even small amount of nuclei formed in the buffer. Using the screened buffers, crystal growths were attempted. The images of crystals were captured by fluorescence microscope. The monitoring of nuclei with this method will accelerate the screening of crystallization buffers. This system is applicable to the crystallization of other proteins and their complexes.     

Phenylalanine fluorescence and phosphorescence used as a probe of conformation for cod parvalbumin

The fluorescence emission and triplet absorption properties of phenylalanine in cod fish parvalbumin type II, a protein that contains no Trp or Tyr, was examined in the time scale ranging from nanoseconds to microseconds at 25°C in aqueous buffer (pH 7.0). In the presence of Ca(II), the decay of fluorescence gave two lifetimes (5.9 and 53 ns) and the triplet lifetime was 425 s. Upon removal of Ca, the fluorescence intensity decreased to values approaching that for free Phe, while the longest fluorescence decay component was 17 ns. At the same time, the decay of triplet showed complex nonexponential kinetics with decay rates faster than in the presence of Ca. Quenching and denaturation analyses suggest that the Phe's are present in a hydrophobic environment in the Ca-bound protein but that the Ca-free protein is relatively unstructured. It is concluded that Phe luminescence in proteins is sensitive to conformation and that the long lifetime of Phe excited states needs to be considered when studying its photochemistry in proteins.     

Membrane waves driven by actin and Myosin

We present a model which couples the membrane with the protrusive forces of actin polymerization and contractile forces of molecular motors, such as myosin. The actin polymerization at the membrane is activated by freely diffusing membrane proteins that have a spontaneous curvature. Molecular motors are recruited to the polymerizing actin filaments, from a constant reservoir, and produce a contractile force. All the forces and variables are treated in the linear limit. Our results show that for convex membrane proteins the myosin activity gives rise to robust transverse membrane waves, similar to those observed on different cells.     

pH dependent interaction of biofunctionalized CdS nanoparticles with nucleobases and nucleotides: A fluorimetric study

The interaction of DNA bases and corresponding nucleotides with CdS nanoparticles (NPs), biofunctionalized by cysteine, has been investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Unique enhancement effect of adenine, in contrast to other nucleobases, on the luminescence of cysteine capped CdS (cys-CdS) NPs at both pH 7.5 and 10.5 was found, the extent of enhancement being much higher at pH 10.5. At the latter pH, the difference optical absorption spectra show development of new peak at 278 nm with corresponding decrease in the absorption of adenine at 260 nm, which is attributed to binding of adenine anion to the CdS surface through N7 of the purine ring. Appearance of a new band at 478 cm⁻¹ and concomitant shift in the C₈-N₇ vibrations to 1610 cm⁻¹ in the FTIR spectra of cys-CdS NPs with adenine also suggest Cd-N7 binding on the particle surface. Amongst various nucleotides, ATP exhibited maximum luminescence enhancement on CdS NPs for a given change in concentration in the micro-molar range at physiological pH. A quantitative correlation between ATP concentration and PL enhancement of CdS NPs has been established, a step which in future might assist in developing new protocols for fluorescence sensing of adenine nucleotides under certain pathological conditions.     

Inside view of cell locomotion through single-molecule: fast F-/G-actin cycle and G-actin regulation of polymer restoration

The actin cytoskeleton drives cell locomotion and tissue remodeling. The invention of live-cell fluorescence single-molecule imaging opened a window for direct viewing of the actin remodeling processes in the cell. Since then, a number of unanticipated molecular functions have been revealed. One is the mechanism of F-actin network breakdown. In lamellipodia, one third of newly polymerized F-actin disassembles within 10 seconds. This fast F-actin turnover is facilitated by the filament severing/disrupting activity involving cofilin and AIP1. Astoundingly fast dissociation kinetics of the barbed end interactors including capping protein suggests that F-actin turnover might proceed through repetitive disruption/reassembly of the filament near the barbed end. The picture of actin polymerization is also being revealed. At the leading edge of the cell, Arp2/3 complex is highly activated in a narrow edge region. In contrast, mDia1 and its related Formin homology proteins display a long-distance directional molecular movement using their processive actin capping ability. Recently, these two independently-developed projects converged into a discovery of the spatiotemporal coupling between mDia1-mediated filament nucleation and actin disassembly. Presumably, the local concentration fluctuation of G-actin regulates the actin nucleation efficiency of specific actin nucleators including mDia1. Pharmacological perturbation and quantitative molecular behavior analysis synergize to reveal hidden molecular linkages in the actin turnover cycle and cell signaling.     

Impact of cryoprotectants and cryopreservation on metabolic activity and cytoskeleton proteins of zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian fragments

Cryopreservation of reproductive cells and tissues of aquatic species offers many benefits to the field of conservation, aquaculture and biomedicine. Although cryopreservation of fish sperm has been successfully achieved, cryopreservation of embryos and oocytes remains unsuccessful. Several studies have been undertaken on cryopreservation of isolated fish ovarian follicles at different stages, although the protocols used lead to a compromised viability. The present study investigates the effect of cryoprotectants and cryopreservation on the viability of ovarian tissues of zebrafish (Danio rerio). The effect of permeating cryoprotectants (CPAs) methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and ethylene glycol (EG) on ovarian tissues were investigated in a series of toxicity tests. Controlled slow cooling of ovarian tissues using 1M and 4M methanol was also carried out. Ovarian tissue viability was assessed by trypan blue (TB) and fluorescence diacetate (FDA)-propidium iodide (PI) tests. In addition, the effect of methanol exposure and cryopreservation on ovarian follicle ATP level, mitochondria, actin and tubulin distribution were also investigated. Results showed that cryoprotectant toxicity to ovarian fragments increased in the order of methanol, DMSO and EG. The results from controlled slow cooling showed that 1M methanol was more effective than 4M methanol although subsequent cryopreservation induced decreases in ATP levels. Immunocytochemistry and actin staining results showed impacts of cryopreservation on mitochondria and cytoskeleton proteins distribution.     

Experimental studies of the myosin-actin motor

The mechanical processes generated by the molecular motors, myosin and actin, were measured using single molecule imaging, manipulation, and nanometry techniques. It was shown that the mechanical events of myosin are not tightly coupled with the ATP hydrolysis reaction and that myosin molecules move stochastically. These results indicate that the movement of myosin is driven by thermal motion rather than structural changes occurring in the myosin molecules. Thermal Brownian motion must be biased using the energy released from the hydrolysis of ATP. Thus, the molecular motors can harness thermal energy to perform mechanical work efficiently. Received: 20 November 2001 / Accepted: 11 February 2002 / Published online: 22 April 2002     

Intrinsic Fluorescence of Actin

In this work actin is used to illustrate connection of protein fluorescence characteristics with its structure. On one hand, it has been demonstrated what kind of information about the contribution of each tryptophan residues to the bulk fluorescence spectrum can be obtained from the special analysis of protein three-dimensional structure. On the other hand, potentials of intrinsic fluorescence for elucidation of proteins structure, dynamics and processes of folding-unfolding are shown. In particular, using this method a new essentially unfolded kinetic intermediate state of actin was detected and characterized, and the place of inactivated actin and its kinetic predecessor in the process of folding-unfolding was determined. It has been revealed that inactivated actin is not intermediate state between the native and completely unfolded states, as it has been accepted before, but a result of protein misfolding. On the basis of the obtained data a new model of actin folding-unfolding pathway has been proposed.     

新型双β-二酮稀土配合物的荧光性质

稀土离子因其特有的结构,具有较好的荧光特性,能与许多有机配体形成有良好荧光性能的配合物。简要介绍了双β-二酮配体的合成,研究了Eu³⁺、Tb³⁺双β-二酮配合物体系的荧光性能,该体系具有良好的荧光特性。通过对其紫外光谱、荧光光谱测定和对比,分析了不同因素,包括溶剂、配体结构、pH值等因素对体系荧光强度的影响。实验结果表明:稀土(Eu³⁺,Tb³⁺)-β-二酮体系在乙醇溶液中其荧光强度比在水溶液中大得多;乳化剂OP能增强体系荧光强度;在pH约为6时荧光最强;不同结构的β-二酮配体与稀土离子所形成的配合物的荧光强度顺序为H₂L¹>H₂L²>H₂L³;Eu³⁺比Tb³⁺能更好地与这些β-二酮匹配,其中Eu³⁺与β-二酮配体H₂L¹形成的配合物荧光性能最好。     

Luminescence and Reversible Luminescence Thermochromism of Bulk and Microcrystals of Dibenzoylmethanatoboron Difluoride

Essential differences in the luminescence properties of dibenzoylmethanatoboron difluoride (1) bulk and microcrystals were detected. Analysis of the spectral data showed that in every case the fluorescence spectrum of 1 consisted of three components: monomer fluorescence, excimer fluorescence, and fluorescence related with interdimer interaction. Evolution of luminescence spectra observed with decrease of the crystal size are bound with decrease of monomer fluorescence intensity and considerable growth of intensity of fluorescence related to interdimer interaction. The presence of reversible luminescence thermochromism was discovered for 1: lowering the temperature from 300 to 77 K resulted in essential hypsochromic shift of the luminescence band maximum (∼60 nm) connected with considerable decrease of the distances between the planes of the neighboring molecules (∼0.1 Å) that lead to the weakening of interdimer interaction and intensification of monomer luminescence.     

Excimer Fluorescence as a Tool for Monitoring Protein Domain Dynamics Applied to Actin Conformation Changes Based on Circulary Polarized Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Fluorescence-detected circular dichroism (FDCD) was introduced into the study of protein conformation changes. Actin was used as a model protein which undergoes dynamic conformation changes as it polymerizes. Actin labeled with N-(1-pyrene)iodoacetamide (PIA) showed monomer fluorescence peak at 386 and 410 nm, and excimer fluorescence peak at around 480 nm. Excimer was formed by PIA-dimers labeled to different sites of amino acid residues. New information concerned with actin structural changes were monitored by fluorescence emission spectra excited with left- and right-circulary polarized light at 355 nm. FDCD intensities were shown as the difference in the fluorescence emission ΔF, where ΔF=(F _L−F _R)/(F _L+F _R) denoting F _L and F _R as emissions obtained by excitation with left- and right-circulary polarized light. When solvent conditions of PIA-actin were changed by addition of NaCl, TFE, or ATP, ΔF showed sensitive responses to these compounds. From the analysis of ΔF _M and ΔF _E which represent the peaks of ΔF at the monomer- and excimer-emission band, the information concerned with the actin intrastructural changes were obtained. This method based on monitoring the excimer fluorescence with FDCD could be used for other proteins to extract finer structural changes that cannot be detected by the normal fluorescence spectroscopy.     

Luminescencence determination of ecotoxicants in protein-based media

The structural changes in the protein macromolecules caused by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) ecotoxicants were studied using the data on intrinsic fluorescence of proteins and fluorescence of PAH molecules introduced into proteins. A luminescence method for PAH determination in proteins was developed and used to study the interaction of two PAHs (pyrene and anthracene) with proteins of two types (bovine serum albumin and human serum albumin). The results were interpreted using the Stern–Volmer fluorescence quenching model. The association constants and the number of binding sites in the protein–ligand complexes were calculated. The binding of PAHs with proteins was described based on the static version of quenching with formation of nonfluorescent complexes of protein fluorophores with PAHs.     

高功率掺镱光纤放大器中频率上转换发光现象的研究

建立了半导体抽运的高功率掺镱双包层光纤放大器实验系统,对放大器中的频率上转换发光现象进行了理论和实验研究,分析认为实验中由光纤侧面和两端观测到的绿色荧光是处于激发态的Yb2 相互作用,同时湮没而产生的合作荧光.分别对光纤放大器信号端和抽运端输出的荧光谱进行了测量.将实验谱线与理论计算得到的合作发光谱进行了对比分析.研究了信号光和放大自发辐射对上转换发光的影响,根据速率方程推导出荧光强度与抽运功率之问的理论关系表达式,同时通过实验获得了荧光强度与抽运功率的关系曲线.     

Protrusion of a Virtual Model Lamellipodium by Actin Polymerization: A Coarse-Grained Langevin Dynamics Model

We report the development of a coarse-grained Langevin dynamics model of a lamellipodium featuring growing F-actin filaments in order to study the effect of stiffness of the F-actin filament, the G-actin monomer concentration, and the number of polymerization sites on lamellipodium protrusion. The virtual lamellipodium is modeled as a low-aspect-ratio doubly capped cylinder formed by triangulated particles on its surface. It is assumed that F-actin filaments are firmly attached to a lamellipodium surface where polymerization sites are located, and actin polymerization takes place by connecting a G-actin particle to a polymerization site and to the first particle of a growing F-actin filament. It is found that there is an optimal number of polymerization sites for rapid lamellipodium protrusion. The maximum speed of lamellipodium protrusion is related to competition between the number of polymerization sites and the number of available G-actin particles, and the degree of pulling and holding of the lamellipodium surface by non-polymerizing actin filaments. The lamellipodium protrusion by actin polymerization displays saltatory motion exhibiting pseudo-thermal equilibrium: the lamellipodium speed distribution is Maxwellian in two dimensions but the lamellipodium motion is biased so that the lamellipodium speed in the direction of the lamellipodium motion is much larger than that normal to the lamellipodium motion.     

A sensor for adenosine triphosphate fabricated by laser-induced forward transfer of luciferase onto a poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of the enzyme luciferase was explored as a potential technique to be used in the fabrication of a microchip adenosine triphosphate (ATP) sensor. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was selected as the substrate for deposition of the luciferase. In comparison with other solid substrates, such as glass and polystyrene, it was found that the flexibility of PDMS made it a superior substrate for the immobilization of micro-spots of luciferase. LIFT of luciferase onto a PDMS substrate using a 355 nm laser was successfully carried out, while the bioactivity of the enzyme was maintained. Yellow luminescence ascribed to luciferase was observed from a transferred spot on the PDMS chip from the enzymatic reaction between luciferin and ATP. A microchip ATP sensor was also fabricated by attaching a small photodiode to the PDMS chip. On the basis of the fabricated microchip, the Michaelis-Menten relation between the luminescence intensity from the spot, and the ATP concentration was confirmed. The potential for fabricating biosensors using a combination of the LIFT technique with a PDMS substrate was shown to be very good.     

Sensitive determination of adenosine disodium triphosphate in soil,milk, and pharmaceutical formulation by enoxacin–europium (III) fluorescence complex in solution

A new spectroflurometric method for the determination of adenosine disodium triphosphate (ATP) is developed. Fluorometric interaction between ATP and enoxacin (ENX)–Eu³⁺ complex was studied using UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Weak luminescence spectra of Eu³⁺ were enhanced after complexation with ENX at 589 nm and 614 nm upon excitation at 395 nm due to energy transfer from the ligand to the lanthanide ion. It was observed that luminescence spectrum of Eu³⁺ was strongly enhanced further at 614 nm after incorporation of ATP into the ENX–Eu³⁺ complex. Under optimal conditions, the enhancement of luminescence at 614 nm was responded linearly with the concentration of ATP. The linearity was maintained in the range of 1.5×10^?10–1.15×10^?8 M (R=0.9973) with the limit of detection (3σ) of 4.71×10^?11 M. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for 9 repeated measurements of 1×10^?9  M ATP was 1.25%. Successful determinations of ATP in soil, milk, and a pharmaceutical formulation with the proposed method were demonstrated.