Lipid phosphate phosphatases dimerise,but this interaction is not required for <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> activity

Background  

Lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs) are integral membrane proteins believed to dephosphorylate bioactive lipid messengers, so modifying or attenuating their activities. Wunen, a Drosophila LPP homologue, has been shown to play a pivotal role in primordial germ cell (PGC) migration and survival during embryogenesis. It has been hypothesised that LPPs may form oligomeric complexes, and may even function as hexamers. We were interested in exploring this possibility, to confirm whether LPPs can oligomerise, and if they do, whether oligomerisation is required for either in vitroor in vivoactivity.     

Osmotic stress-dependent serine phosphorylation of the histidine kinase homologue DokA

Background  

Two-component systems consisting of histidine kinases and their corresponding receivers are widespread in bacterial signal transduction. In the past few years, genes coding for homologues of two-component systems were also discovered in eukaryotic organisms. DokA, a homologue of bacterial histidine kinases, is an element of the osmoregulatory pathway in the amoeba Dictyostelium. The work described here addresses the question whether DokA is phosphorylated in vivo in response to osmotic stress.     

Studies of the intermediary metabolism in cultured cells of the insect <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spodoptera frugiperda</Emphasis> using <Superscript>13</Superscript>C- or <Superscript>15</Superscript>N-labelled tracers

Background  

Insect cells can serve as host systems for the recombinant expression of eukaryotic proteins. Using this platform, the controlled expression of ¹⁵N/¹³C labelled proteins requires the analysis of incorporation paths and rates of isotope-labelled precursors present in the medium into amino acids. For this purpose, Spodoptera frugiperda cells were grown in a complex medium containing [U-¹³C₆]glucose. In a second experiment, cultures of S. frugiperda were grown in the presence of ¹⁵N-phenylalanine.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the complexation of the thallium cation with a hexaarylbenzene-based receptor

Abstract  

From extraction experiments in the two-phase water/nitrobenzene system and γ-activity measurements, the stability constant of a hexaarylbenzene-based receptor. Tl⁺ complex species dissolved in nitrobenzene saturated with water was determined. By using the quantum-mechanical density functional level of theory calculations, the most probable structure of this complex was derived.     

C-terminal processing of yeast Spt7 occurs in the absence of functional SAGA complex

Background  

Spt7 is an integral component of the multi-subunit SAGA complex that is required for the expression of ~10% of yeast genes. Two forms of Spt7 have been identified, the second of which is truncated at its C-terminus and found in the SAGA-like (SLIK) complex.     

A combined experimental and theoretical study on the complexation of the ammonium ion with benzo-18-crown-6

Abstract  

From extraction experiments in the two-phase water/nitrobenzene system and γ-activity measurements, the stability constant of the benzo-18-crown-6–ammonium complex in nitrobenzene saturated with water was determined. Furthermore, the structure of the resulting complex was derived by means of theoretical calculations at the density functional level.     

Low-magnesium, <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis>-cleavage activity by type III,tertiary stabilized hammerhead ribozymes with stem 1 discontinuities

Background  

Low concentrations of free magnesium in the intracellular environment can present critical limitations for hammerhead ribozymes, especially for those that are designed for intermolecular (trans) cleavage of a host or pathogen RNA. Tertiary stabilizing motifs (TSM's) from natural and artificial ribozymes with a "type I" topology have been exploited to stabilize trans-cleaving hammerheads. Ribozymes with "type II" or "type III" topologies might seem incompatible with conversion to trans-cleavage designs, because opening the loop at the end of stem 1 or stem 2 to accommodate substrate binding is expected to disrupt the TSM and eliminate tertiary stabilization.     

Analysis of DNA relaxation and cleavage activities of recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA topoisomerase I from a new expression and purification protocol

Background  

Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA topoisomerase I is an attractive target for discovery of novel TB drugs that act by enhancing the accumulation of the topoisomerase-DNA cleavage product. It shares a common transesterification domain with other type IA DNA topoisomerases. There is, however, no homology between the C-terminal DNA binding domains of Escherichia coli and M. tuberculosis DNA topoisomerase I proteins.     

Extraction and DFT study of complexation of the cesium cation with beauvericin

Abstract  

From extraction experiments in the two-phase water–nitrobenzene system and γ-activity measurements, the stability constant of the beauvericin–Cs⁺ complex species dissolved in nitrobenzene saturated with water was determined. By using quantum–mechanical density functional level of theory (DFT) calculations, the most probable structure of this complex was derived.     

Synthesis,spectral and structural studies of oxovanadium(IV/V) complexes derived from 2-hydroxyacetophenone-3-hydroxy-2-naphthoylhydrazone: polymorphs of oxovanadium(V) complex [VOL(OCH<Subscript>3</Subscript>)]

Abstract  

Oxovanadium(IV/V) complexes of 2-hydroxyacetophenone-3-hydroxy-2-naphthoylhydrazone (H₂L) have been synthesized and characterized. The complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, IR, electronic and EPR spectra. The oxovanadium(V) complex [VOL(OCH₃)] is crystallized in two polymorphic forms, denoted by 1a and 1b, with space groups Pn2₁a and P_[`1] P_{{\bar{1}}} , respectively. Both have distorted square pyramidal structures.     

Identification and molecular characterization of a novel flavin-free NADPH preferred azoreductase encoded by <Emphasis Type="Italic">azoB</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pigmentiphaga kullae</Emphasis> K24

Background  

Microbial degradation of azo dyes is commonly initiated by the reduction of the azo bond(s) by a group of NADH or NADPH dependant azoreductases with many requiring flavin as a cofactor. In this study, we report the identification of a novel flavin-free NADPH preferred azoreductase encoded by azoB in Pigmentiphaga kullae K24.     

Role of the linker region in the expression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizopus oryzae</Emphasis> glucoamylase

Background  

Rhizopus oryzaeglucoamylase (RoGA) consists of three domains: an amino (N)-terminal raw starch-binding domain (SBD), a glycosylated linker domain, and a carboxy (C)-terminal catalytic domain. The 36-amino-acid linker region (residues 132–167) connects the two functional domains, but its structural and functional roles are unclear.     

Biochemical characterization of the maltokinase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium bovis</Emphasis> BCG

Background  

Maltose-1-phosphate was detected in Mycobacterium bovis BCG extracts in the 1960's but a maltose-1-phosphate synthetase (maltokinase, Mak) was only much later purified from Actinoplanes missouriensis, allowing the identification of the mak gene. Recently, this metabolite was proposed to be the intermediate in a pathway linking trehalose with the synthesis of glycogen in M. smegmatis. Although the M. tuberculosis H37Rv mak gene (Rv0127) was considered essential for growth, no mycobacterial Mak has, to date, been characterized.     

A combined extraction and DFT study on the complexation of H3O+ with a hexaarylbenzene-based receptor

Abstract  

By means of theoretical calculations at density functional level, the complex structure of a hexaarylbenzene-based receptor with Na⁺ was derived. In the resulting complex having C ₃ symmetry, the sodium cation synergistically interacts with the hydrophilic polar ethereal oxygen fence and with the central hydrophobic benzene bottom of the parent receptor via cation–π interaction.     

Identification of archaeal proteins that affect the exosome function in vitro

Background  

The archaeal exosome is formed by a hexameric RNase PH ring and three RNA binding subunits and has been shown to bind and degrade RNA in vitro. Despite extensive studies on the eukaryotic exosome and on the proteins interacting with this complex, little information is yet available on the identification and function of archaeal exosome regulatory factors.     

DFT study on the preactivation reaction of a palladium catalyst precursor in phosphine-free Heck reactions

Abstract  

The mechanism of the preactivation process of trans-dichlorobis(diethanolamine-N)palladium(II) complex is investigated using density functional theory. The role of diethanolamine (a solvent for the reaction in the absence of a strong base) and acetonitrile (solvent for the reaction in the presence of a strong base) is analyzed by using a discrete model. The Onsager model is applied to assess the effect of the bulk medium. Both models show that diethanolamine activates the complex and thus is a better suited solvent for the Heck reactions of the investigated complex.     

Nonnatural amino acid incorporation into the methionine 214 position of the metzincin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis> alkaline protease

Background  

The alkaline protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa(AprA) is a member of the metzincin superfamily of metalloendoproteases. A key feature of these proteases is a conserved methionine-containing 1,4-tight β turn at the base of the active site zinc binding region.     

A new aspect of Heck catalyst formation

Abstract  

The mechanism of the formation of the active Pd(0) complex from trans-dichlorobis(diethanolamine-N)palladium(II) complex in the presence of strong base was investigated by using density functional theory (M06 method). Our investigation shows that in the basic environment trans-dichlorobis(diethanolamine-N)palladium(II) complex undergoes abstraction of the alcoholic proton, and coordination of alkoxide oxygen to palladium. The intermediate complex, in which hydrogen is coordinated to Pd, undergoes reductive elimination of HCl, yielding the catalytically active low ligated Pd(0) complex.     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus anthracis</Emphasis> arginase: effects of pH,temperature, and cell viability on metal preference

Background  

Arginase (RocF) hydrolyzes L-arginine to L-ornithine and urea. While previously characterized arginases have an alkaline pH optimum and require activation with manganese, arginase from Helicobacter pylori is optimally active with cobalt at pH 6. The arginase from Bacillus anthracis is not well characterized; therefore, this arginase was investigated by a variety of strategies and the enzyme was purified.