IDENTIFICATION OF MEMBRANE PROTEINS IMAGED BY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY USING A TEMPLATE MATCHING ALGORITHM

The atomic force microscope allows to image biological samples in their native environment. But the identification and the topography of individual randomly distributed membrane proteins is still a challenge. We used membranes of isolated vacuoles of barley mesophyll cells. Images at low resolution indicate that vacuoles spontaneously attach, rupture and finally adsorb completely as planar membrane to mica. Height profiles indicate that the membrane at the peripheral boundary exposes the extravacuolar surface to the scanning tip. At molecular resolution a template matching correlation algorithm was used to identify the most abundant membrane protein, the vacuolar H⁺-ATPase by the characteristic extravacuolar head of the transport molecule. The data indicate the possibility to analyse single randomly distributed membrane proteins in their native environment with the knowledge of a suitable template.     

Ein neues Verfahren Nitrobenzol in Kirschlorbeer?l oder Bittermandel?l nachzuweisen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Host-guest-driven copolymerization of tetraphosphonate cavitands

The outstanding complexing properties of tetraphosphonate cavitands towards N‐methylpyridinium salts were exploited to realise a new class of linear and cyclic AABB supramolecular polymers through host–guest interactions. The effectiveness of the selected self‐association processes was tested by ¹H NMR studies, whereas microcalorimetric analyses clarified the binding thermodynamics and revealed the possibility of tuning entropic contributions by acting on the flexibility of the guest linker. Although the formation of linear polymeric chains for a rigid system was demonstrated by X‐ray analysis, the presence of a concentration‐dependent ring–chain equilibrium was indicated by solution viscosity measurements in the case of a very flexible ditopic BB guest co‐monomer.