CesA protein is included in the terminal complex of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acetobacter</Emphasis>

Cellulose is a major biopolymer on the earth that is produced by cellulose synthase in the cell membrane of living organisms. Cellulose synthase is a hetero-subunit complex composed of several different protein subunits, and is visualized as a supermolecular complex called a “terminal complex” by electron microscopy. Such supermolecular organization of an enzyme complex is believed to be important for the fiber formation or crystallization of cellulose microfibrils in cellulose biosynthesis. In the case of the cellulose-producing bacterium Acetobacter, it is hypothesized that the enzyme complex includes at least six subunits given its genetic constitution. However, to date, only three of these molecules have been experimentally confirmed as the subunits included in the terminal complex: CesB, CesD, and ccp2. In this study, we used fluorescence immuno-microscopy to show that CesA protein, the catalytic subunit, is included in the terminal complex of Acetobacter. Furthermore we discuss the obtained microscopic data for improving our understanding of the molecular organization of the bacterial cellulose synthase complex.     

Interaction of von Karman vortices and intersecting main streams in staggered tube bundles

 Flow visualization, heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics in flow through staggered tube bundles have been regarded as classical, with results well-documented. However, the mechanism of producing such results has been left untouched. Applications of staggered tube bundles are abundant in industry, for example as heat exchange devices like the shell-and-tube type and fuel bundles in nuclear reactor cores. An experimental study is recorded in the present paper which investigates the interaction of von Karman vortices and intersecting main streams in staggered tube bundles. Flow visualization by means of the particle tracing method, laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and pressure drop measurements using a piezometer are conducted. A modified Reynolds number appropriate to flow through a staggered tube arrangement is defined together with a pressure drop coefficient. Auto-correlation and power spectrum analyses of signals obtained from LDV measurements yield an optimum spectrum frequency which is correlated against the Reynolds number. It is concluded that flow characteristics in staggered tube bundles are determined by the interaction between the von Karman vortex street and X-shaped interacting main streams. Received: 4 August 1997 / Accepted: 3 October 1998     

Dynamics of particles floating on liquid flowing in a semicircular open channel

The dynamic characteristics of surface-floating particles in liquids flowing in a two-dimensional, semicircular open channel is studied experimentally. For high visibility in the experiments, relatively large particles are employed whose particle-liquid density ratio is either equal to or less than unity. Particles of different size and geometry are tested in a water-glycerin mixture. A video camera traces the pathline of each particle from which the velocity and direction of particle motion are evaluated. Liquid velocity distribution is determined by hot-film anemometry. A modified dynamics (Basset-Boussinesq-Oseen) equation is derived and numerically solved by means of a finite-difference technique to determine fluid velocity. A new dimensionless parameter is disclosed which is pertinent to both particle geometry and fluid flow conditions. It correlates particle trajectory and velocity, trajectory dispersion and fluid-particle velocity ratio.Visiting Scholar on leave from Department of Mechanical Engineering, Fukuyama University, Fukujama, Japan     

A photocleavable rapamycin conjugate for spatiotemporal control of small GTPase activity

We developed a novel method to spatiotemporally control the activity of signaling molecules. A newly synthesized photocaged rapamycin derivative induced rapid dimerization of FKBP (FK-506 binding protein) and FRB (FKBP-rapamycin binding protein) upon UV irradiation. With this system and the spatially confined UV irradiation, we achieved subcellularly localized activation of Rac, a member of small GTPases. Our technique offers a powerful approach to studies of dynamic intracellular signaling events.     

Gold-black micropillar electrodes for microfluidic ELISA of bone metabolic markers

Modification with gold black considerably increased the detection current of protruding micropillar electrodes in microfluidic electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).     

Controllable synthesis, magnetism and solubility enhancement of graphene nanosheets/magnetite hybrid material by covalent bonding

Hybrids of Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles and surface-modified graphene nanosheets (GNs) were synthesized by a two-step process. First, graphene nanosheets were modified by SOCl(2) and 4-aminophenoxyphthalonitrile to introduce nitrile groups on their surface. Second, the nitrile groups of surface-modified graphene nanosheets were reacted with ferric ions on the surface of Fe(3)O(4) with the help of relatively high boiling point solvent ethylene glycol to form a GNs/Fe(3)O(4) hybrid. The covalent attachment of Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles on the graphene nanosheet surface was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). TEM and HRTEM observations indicated that the sizes of the nanoparticles and their coverage density on GNs could be easily controlled by changing the concentration of the precursor and the weight ratio to GNs. Magnetic measurements showed that magnetization of the hybrid materials is strongly influenced by the reaction conditions. Chemically bonded by phthalocyanine, the solubility of as-synthesized GNs/Fe(3)O(4) hybrid materials was greatly enhanced, which was believed to have potential for applications in the fields of composites, wastewater treatment and biomaterials.     

Effect of co-adsorbed CO and reaction temperature on the dynamics of N2 desorption under steady-state N2O-CO reaction on Rh(110)

We have investigated the effect of co-absorbed CO and reaction temperature on the angular distribution of N(2) desorption by N(2)O decomposition under the steady state of N(2)O-CO reaction on Rh(110). Spatial distributions of desorbing product N(2) emission have been measured at various surface temperatures and CO coverages. The decomposed N(2) collimates at 48°-61° off normal in the parallel plane to [001] and [110] directions, indicating that adsorbed N(2)O just before the decomposition is oriented along the [001] direction. Although the inclined and collimated N(2) desorption is always observed at any steady-state CO coverage and reaction temperature, the shape of the collimated N(2) distribution varied dependent on the co-adsorbed CO coverage. The distribution becomes sharp and shifts toward the surface normal direction with increasing CO coverage. These effects of adsorbed CO on the angular distribution of N(2) are interpreted by the collision of desorbed N(2) with co-adsorbed CO.     

Transformation of peptide nanotubes into a vesicle via fusion driven by stereo-complex formation

Two types of peptide nanotubes, one is prepared from an amphiphilic peptide having a right-handed helix segment and the other from that having a left-handed helix segment, are shown to transform the morphology into a vesicle by membrane fusion due to stereo-complex formation between these helical segments.     

Mechanism of enhancement in absorbance of vibrational bands of adsorbates at a metal mesh with subwavelength hole arrays

We have investigated the mechanism of enhanced absorption intensities of vibrational bands of adsorbates on copper meshes with subwavelength holes by measuring and simulating temporal profiles of infrared pulses transmitted through the meshes. As reported previously [Williams et al., J. Phys. Chem. B, 2003, 107, 11871], the absorption intensities of CH stretching bands of alkanethiolate adsorbed on the mesh increase substantially with decreasing hole size. The enhancements of absorption intensities are associated with temporal delays of infrared pulses transmitted through the mesh. Finite difference time domain calculations reproduce the observed pulse delays as a function of hole size. These facts indicate that the delays of transmitted pulses are not caused by coupling of infrared radiation to surface plasmon polaritons propagating on the front and rear surfaces of the mesh, but they are caused by the reduction in group velocity owing to coupling to waveguide modes of mesh holes. Consequently, the strong enhancements of the absorption intensities are attributed to adsorbates inside the holes rather than to those on the mesh surfaces that have been proposed previously.