Tissue-Specific stem cell differentiation in an in vitro airway model

The respiratory tract is the primary site of exposure to airborne compounds, with the bronchial epithelium providing one of the first lines of defence. A growing need exists for an accurate in vitro model of the bronchial epithelium. Here, normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells cultured at an air/liquid interface create a fully differentiated, in-vivo-like model of the human bronchial epithelium. Developmental characterisation includes (i) trans-epithelial electrical resistance, (ii) morphology and (iii) bronchial cell specific stains/markers. It is concluded that the basal/progenitor cells create a pseudo-stratified, mucociliary NHBE model containing basal, serous, Clara, goblet and ciliated cells, reflective of the normal human bronchial epithelium (days 24-33 ALI culture).     

Affinity of Cu+ for the copper-binding domain of the amyloid-β peptide of Alzheimer's disease

The role of metal ions in Alzheimer's disease etiology is unresolved. For the redox-active metal ions iron and copper, the formation of reactive oxygen species by metal amyloid complexes has been proposed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease neurodegeneration. For copper, reactive oxygen species are generated by copper redox cycling between its 1+ and 2+ oxidation states. Thus, the AβCu(I) complex is potentially a critical reactant associated with Alzheimer's disease etiology. Through competitive chelation, we have measured the affinity of the soluble copper-binding domain of the amyloid-β peptide for Cu(I). The dissociation constants are in the femtomolar range for both wild-type and histidine-to-alanine mutants. These results indicate that Cu(I) binds more tightly to monomeric amyloid-β than Cu(II) does, which leads us to propose that Cu(I) is a relevant in vivo oxidation state.     

I(-)·(CH3I)2 photoexcitation: the influence of dipole bound states on detachment and fragmentation

We present the results of a photoelectron imaging study of the I(-)·(CH(3)I)(2) cluster anion over excitation wavelengths 355-260 nm. The resulting spectra and photoelectron angular distributions (PADs) suggest extensive electron-molecule interaction following photoexcitation. Fragmentation channels are observed subsequent to excitation between 355 and 330 nm. The origin of these features, which begin 200 meV and peak 70 meV below the X band direct detachment threshold, is described in terms of a predissociative dipole bound state. The nature of the fragments detected and the energetics of the channel opening argue strongly in favor of an asymmetric, head to tail cluster anion geometry posited by Dessent et al. [Acc. Chem. Res. 31, 527 (1998)]. Above the direct detachment threshold, PADs display evidence of phenomena akin to electron-molecule scattering. The fragment anions disappear above the X band threshold but reappear some distance below the second (A) direct detachment band. At these energies there is also rapid variation of the X band PAD, an observation attributed to autodetachment via spin-orbit relaxation of the iodine core of the cluster.     

The E.S.R. spectrum of the tropolonyl radical

The many-body diagrammatic Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory (RSPT) is used for the calculation of ionization potentials of open-shell systems with one unpaired electron. This theoretical approach is tested on the simple examples of NO₂ and NF₂ molecules described by the INDO semi-empirical hamiltonian. The first- and second-order results are presented.     

Digermanium polycobalt carbonyls formed by addition reactions of GeH bonds: [Co4(CO)13Ge(GeMe2)] and [Co6(CO)20Ge2]

GeMe₂H₂ reacts under mild conditions with [{Co₂(CO)₇}₂Ge] to replace one bridging CO and give [Co₄(CO)₁₃Ge(GeMe₂)]. GeH₄ similarly yields a trace of [Co₆(CO)₂₀Ge₂], which may be made in high yield from [Co₂(CO)₈] and Ge₂H₆ or Me₂Si(GeH₃)₂. Spectroscopic evidence suggests structures of linked GeCo₂ triangles.     

REVERSIBLE BLEACHING OF Chlamydomonas reinhardtii RHODOPSIN in vivo

Abstract— The effect of hydroxylamine on the phototactic activity of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was investigated. The following results were obtained: (1) wild type cells, irradiated for 10 min with green light immediately after addition of 1 mM hydroxylamine, showed a 20 min transient loss of phototactic activity, (2) irradiation of cells, preincubated in the dark with 4 mM. hydroxylamine for 30 min, diminished the phototactic sensitivity permanently by more than 100-fold without loss of cell motility. (3) The phototactic sensitivity completely recovered within 3(1 min of the removal of hydroxylamin from carotenoid-containing cells or from carotenoid-negative cells upon addition of 11- cis or all- trans retinal. Our explanation is bleaching of rhodopsin by more than 99% and reconstitution by de novo synthesized or by added retinal.