Fatty acid binding site of mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 as probed by EPR spectroscopy of spin-labeled fatty acids

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of spin-labeled fatty acids was used to investigate their interaction withEscherichia coli-expressed human mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 refolded from inclusion bodies in nonaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₉) micelles. 5-DOXYL-stearic acid and 4-PROXYL-palmitic acid bound to UCP2 exhibited additional clearly separated h_+1I, h_?1I “immobile” peaks in the low- and high-field region, respectively, separated by 42 and 44 Gauss, and extensively reduced h_+1M, h_?1M “mobile” peaks, separated by about 30 G, whereas with 7-DOXYL-stearic acid the I and M peaks were smoothed together into one wide peak. Competition of 4-PROXYL-palmitic acid with added palmitic acid, arachidonic acid, and all-cis-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid and of 7-DOXYL-stearic acid with arachidonic acid was indicated by the disappearance of the h_+1I, h_?1I “immobile” peaks, whereas redistribution in micelles without protein was indicated by the rising of the h_+1M, h_?1M “mobile” peaks. In conclusion, a competition of palmitic, arachidonic, and eicosatrienoic acid within a putative fatty acid binding site was observed for mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2. This finding together with the observation of EPR spectra of highly immobilized probes exclusively in the presence of the recombinant UCP2 suggest the existence of a fatty acid binding site on UCP2 which is a prerequisite of the fatty acid cycling mechanism as previously postulated for UCP1.     

Determination of platinum and biologically important trace elements in structure-activity relationship studies on platinum-containing anti-cancer drugs. Special procedures for removing32P as well as for the estimation of99 Mo and199Au

As part of an examination of the cytostatic effects of 1,2-diarylethylenediamine-platinum(II)-complexes the contents of platinum and biologically essential trace elements of tumour tissue and different organs were determined. The activation analysis procedure — separation of³²P, isolation of¹⁹⁹Au and⁹⁹Mo — is described. In the course of a pharmakokinetical experiment with tumourbearing rats (DMBA induced hormone-dependent tumours) the desired enrichment of the administered drug in the tumour tissue was found. Changes of the trace element level of tumour tissue were found for hormone-dependent MXT-mammary tumours on mice.     

Stability of shock waves in the modified quintic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation

We consider a shock-type wave solution of the modified quintic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation and make a numerical study of its spatiotemporal stability. Discussions related to the behavior of this front wave are introduced and it is shown how the velocities of the wave can be used to collect information concerning the pattern formation in the system. Published in Neliniini Kolyvannya, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 270–276, April–June, 2007.     

Flat transversals to flats and convex sets of a fixed dimension

Helly and Hadwiger type theorems for transversal m-flats to families of flats and, respectively, convex sets of dimension n are proved in the case of general position. The proofs rely on Helly type theorems for “linear partitions” and “convex partitions,” so that a general theory of Helly numbers is also developed.     

Norms on unitizations of banach algebras revisited

Let A be an algebra without unit. If ∥ ∥ is a complete regular norm on A it is known that among the regular extensions of ∥ ∥ to the unitization of A there exists a minimal (operator extension) and maximal (ℓ₁-extension) which are known to be equivalent. We shall show that the best upper bound for the ratio of these two extensions is exactly 3. This improves the results represented by A. K. Gaur and Z. V. Kovářík and later by T. W. Palmer. The second author was partially supported by the grant No. 201/03/0041 of GAČR.     

Mathematical modelling and analytical solution for workpiece temperature in grinding

This paper deals with modelling the workpiece temperature field produced during the grinding process. The proposed model is given in terms of a two-dimensional boundary-value problem where the interdependence among the grinding wheel, the workpiece and the coolant is described by two variable functions in the boundary condition. An explicit integral form solution is constructed using the Laplace and Fourier transforms and the Green’s function method.     

Observation of spontaneous pattern with six-fold symmetry in disk-shaped ZnO complex microstructures

Using a simple vapor phase transport technique, we have fabricated unique complex disk-shaped ZnO microstructures comprising a small disk coaxially grown on a large one and observed spatially perfect six-fold symmetric patterns. The observed results can be explained based on the spontaneous nanoindentation (NI) effect under the geometric constraints and the explanation can be extended to fathom the growth mechanism of other highly symmetrical ZnO nanostructures. Our results indicate that NI not only can elucidate the mechanical properties of surfaces and thin films but also is an effective approach to fabricate ordered nanostructures with high precision on the location of the building blocks. PACS 81.16.Rf; 81.07.-b; 81.05.Dz