Anisotropic local motions and location of amide protons in proteins

A new method has been developed to obtain dynamic and structural information about peptide planes in proteins by a combination of measurements of weak short-range cross-correlation rates R(H(N)N/NC') that are due to concerted fluctuations of the H(N)-N and N-C' dipole-dipole interactions and stronger long-range cross-correlation rates R(C'H(N)/H(N)N) and R(NH(N)/H(N)C(alpha)). The rates were interpreted using the axially symmetric Gaussian axial fluctuation model (GAF). The oscillation amplitudes as well as the positions of H(N) atoms with respect to peptide planes in ubiquitin were determined. Most N-H(N) bonds were found not to lie exactly along the bisector of the N-C' and N-C(alpha) bonds but to be slightly tilted toward the carbon-terminal side of the peptide.     

Self-organization of polybases neutralized with mesogenic wedge-shaped sulfonic acid molecules: an approach toward supramolecular cylinders

Complexes consisting of poly(4-vinylpyridine) and mesogenic wedge-shaped ligands 4'-[3",4",5"-tris(dodecyloxy)benzoyloxy]azobenzene-4-sulfonic acid and 4'-[3",4",5"-tris(octyloxy)benzoyloxy]azobenzene-4-sulfonic acid have been prepared with different monomer/ligand ratios. Upon protonation of the poly(4-vinylpyridine) chains by the wedge-shaped sulfonic acid molecules a hypsochromic and hyperchromic effect was observed with the pi-pi* transition of the azo-chromophor, allowing us to monitor the neutralization process by means of UV-vis spectroscopy in solution. The changes of the absorption characteristics implied a conformational change of the polymer backbone. In the bulk the interaction between pyridine and sulfonic acid moieties was proved by FT-IR spectroscopy. Polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction measurements were used to study the bulk structure of the complexes. The complexes formed a liquid crystalline lamellar phase at low degrees of substitution, while a hexagonal columnar mesophase was observed at degrees of neutralization of 80% and higher.     

Asymmetry in the Multiprotein Systems of Molecular Biology

Signaling in living systems needs to achieve high specificity, to be reversible, and to achieve high signal to noise. Signaling mediated by multiprotein systems has evolved that avoids the requirement for high-affinity binary complexes that would be difficult to reverse and which, in the overcrowded cell, would lead to excessive noise in the system. Symmetrical structures are only occasionally formed. When they are, it is principally to colocate components, for example, the tyrosyl kinases of growth factors, where dimers form. Symmetry is, however, often broken, presumably to create more sensitivity and specificity in the signaling system by assembling other components, into higher-order multiprotein systems. The binding of a single heparin to two 1:1 FGF:FGFR complexes is an example, as is the binding of a single ligase to the Xrcc4 dimer, perhaps so creating a further DNA-binding site.     

Cell culture chip using low-shear mass transport

We have developed a flow cell that allows culturing adherent cells as well as suspended cells in a stable, homogeneous, and low-shear force environment. The device features continuous medium supply and waste exchange. In this paper, a simple and fast protocol for device design, fabrication, and assembly (sealing) based on a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PMDS)/glass slide hybrid structure is described. The cell culture system performance was monitored, and the effective shear force inside the culture well was also determined. By manipulating the device dimensions and volumetric flow rate, shear stress was controlled during experiments. Cell adhesion, growth, proliferation, and death over long-term culture periods were observed by microscopy. The growth of both endothelial and suspension cells in this device exhibited comparable characteristics to those of traditional approaches. The low-shear culture device significantly reduced shear stress encountered in microfluidic systems, allowing both adherent and suspended cells to be grown in a simple device.     

Formation of supported size-controlled nanoparticles of sulfated zirconia

Methods of the preparation of catalysts for alkane skeletal isomerization based on uniform nanoparticles of sulfated zirconia anchored to different supports were investigated. These catalysts were characterized by using the ICP, HRTEM and BET techniques. The activities of the catalysts in the reaction of n-butane isomerization were measured and compared with those of bulk catalysts.     

Absence of localization in a class of Schrödinger operators with quasiperiodic potential

We prove that a class of discrete Schrödinger operators with a quasiperiodic potential taking only a finite number of values, exhibits purely continuous spectrum; in particular they cannot have localized eigenvectors.Groupe de Recherche 048 of C.N.R.S.     

Thermodynamics for the zero-level set of the Brownian bridge

The random set of instants where the Brownian bridge vanishes is constructed in terms of a random branching process. The Hausdorff measure supported by this set is shown to be equivalent to the partition function of a special class of disordered systems. This similarity is used to show rigorously the existence of a phase transition for this particular class of disordered systems. Moreover, it is shown that at high temperature the specific free energy has the strong self-averaging property and that at low temperature it has no self-averaging property. The unicity at high-temperature and the existence of many limits at low temperature are established almost surely in the disorder.Work supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation