Identification of functionally key residues in maltose transporter with an elastic network model-based thermodynamic method

Periplasmic binding protein-dependent maltose transport system (MBP-MalFGK₂) of Escherichia coli, an important member of the Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter superfamily, is in charge of the transportation of maltoses across cellular membrane. Studies have shown that this transport processes are activated by the binding of maltose and are accompanied by large-scale cooperative movements between different domains which are mediated by a network of important residues related to signal transduction and allosteric regulation. In this paper, the functionally crucial residues and long-range allosteric pathway of the regulation of the system by substrate were identified by utilising a coarse-grained thermodynamic method proposed by our group. The residues whose perturbations markedly change the binding free energy between maltoses and MBP-MalFGK₂ were considered to be key residues. In result, the key residues in 62 clusters distributed in different subdomains were identified successfully, and the results from our calculation are highly consistent with experimental and theoretical observations. Furthermore, we explored the long-range cooperation within the transporter. These studies will help us better understand the physical mechanism of the effects of the maltose on MBP-MalFGK₂ by long-range allosteric modulation.     

Hybrid optoelectronic bistability in a fiber Bragg grating by use of a tunable fiber laser

We report the observation of hybrid optoelectronic bistability in a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) by use of an electro-optically tuned cw fiber laser in which another wavelength-matched FBG is employed to constitute a tunable resonant cavity. The potential application of such a device as a fiber-optic sensor is also discussed.     

Synthesis of carbon nitride nanotubes with the C(3)N(4) stoichiometry via a benzene-thermal process at low temperatures

In this communication, we first report the direct synthesis of high-quality carbon nitride nanotubes (CNNTs) with inner diameters of 50-100 nm and wall thicknesses of 20-50 nm with the C(3)N(4) stoichiometry on a high-yield of 40%via a simple benzene-thermal process involving the reaction of C(3)N(3)Cl(3) with NaN(3) in a Teflon-lined autoclave at 220 [degree]C without using any catalyst or template.     

Cycles in 2-connected graphs

Let be a class of graphs on n vertices. For an integer c, let be the smallest integer such that if G is a graph in with more than edges, then G contains a cycle of length more than c. A classical result of Erdös and Gallai is that if is the class of all simple graphs on n vertices, then . The result is best possible when n-1 is divisible by c-1, in view of the graph consisting of copies of K_c all having exactly one vertex in common. Woodall improved the result by giving best possible bounds for the remaining cases when n-1 is not divisible by c-1, and conjectured that if is the class of all 2-connected simple graphs on n vertices, thenwhere , 2tc/2, is the number of edges in the graph obtained from K_c+1-t by adding n-(c+1-t) isolated vertices each joined to the same t vertices of K_c+1-t. By using a result of Woodall together with an edge-switching technique, we confirm Woodall's conjecture in this paper.     

Chemiluminescence microfluidic system sensor on a chip for determination of glucose in human serum with immobilized reagents

A chemiluminescence (CL) biosensor on a chip coupled to microfluidic system is described in this paper. The CL biosensor measured 25×45×5 mm in dimension, was readily produced in analytical laboratory. Glucose oxidase (GOD) was immobilized onto controlled-pore glass (CPG) via glutaraldehyde activation and packed into a reservoir. The analytical reagents, including luminol and ferricyanide, were electrostatically co-immobilized on an anion-exchange resin. The most characteristic of the biosensor was to introduce the air as the carrier flow in stead of the common solution carrier for the first. The glucose was sensed by the CL reaction between hydrogen peroxide produced from the enzymatic reaction and CL reagents, which were released from the anion-exchange resin. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of glucose in human serum. The linear range of the glucose concentration was 1.1-110 mM and the detection limit was 0.1 mM (3σ).     

Phase formation and magnetic properties of Nd2Fe14B-type Nd16Co76B8−xCx alloys and their hydrides

An attempt is made to synthesize Nd₂Co₁₄C compound by mechanical alloying Nd₁₆Co₇₆B_8−xC_x (0x8) alloys and subsequent annealing. Phase formation and magnetic properties of Nd₂Fe₁₄B-type Nd₁₆Co₇₆B_8−xC_x alloys and their hydrides are investigated. The Nd₂Co₁₄(B,C) phase with Nd₂Fe₁₄B-type structure is formed for Nd₁₆Co₇₆B_8−xC_x (0x7) alloys, while NdCo₇C_δ phase with TbCu₇-type structure is observed in Nd₁₆Co₇₆C₈ alloy. The lattice parameter c of the Nd₂Co₁₄(B,C) phase decreases with increasing the carbon content. A limit volume of the unit cell to form the Nd₂Fe₁₄B-type structure is estimated to be 0.870 nm³. The spin-reorientation temperature T_SR increases with increasing the carbon content, due to an enhancement of magnetocrystalline anisotropy caused by carbon substitution for boron. After hydrogenation, the lattice expansion is observed for Nd₁₆Co₇₆B_8−xC_x (0x7) alloys. The spin-reorientation temperature of Nd₁₆Co₇₆B_8−xC_xH_y (0x7) is much lower than that of the host alloys. Some structural and magnetic properties of hypothetic Nd₂Co₁₄C and Nd₂Co₁₄CH_y compounds are estimated by extrapolation.     

EPR parameters and defect structures of the off-center Ti ion on the Sr site in neutron-irradiated SrTiO3 crystal

The EPR parameters (g factors and hyperfine structure constants A) for the tetragonal Ti³⁺ center in cubic phase and the rhombic Ti³⁺ center in tetragonal phase in the neutron-irradiated SrTiO₃ crystals are calculated from the third-order perturbation formulas of EPR parameters for d¹ ions. These low-symmetry Ti³⁺ centers in both phases of SrTiO₃ are due to the Ti³⁺ ion at “off center” on the Sr²⁺ site. From the calculation, the defect models (including the direction and magnitude of the Ti³⁺ off-center displacement) of the two Ti³⁺ centers in SrTiO₃ are estimated and the EPR parameters of both Ti³⁺ centers are reasonably explained on the basis of the defect models. The results are discussed.     

A sandwich anion receptor by a BODIPY dye bearing two calix[4]pyrrole units

A novel dicalix[4]pyrrolyl-substituted 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) dye I with an absorption peak at approximately 670 nm and an emission peak at about 690 nm was prepared. As an anion receptor, I displayed a red shift in absorption spectra and fluorescence quenching in varying degrees in the presence of F⁻, AcO⁻, H₂PO₄⁻, or Cl⁻. Compared with the parent calix[4]pyrrole, a representative anion receptor, I exhibited a stronger affinity to these anions due to the formation of a sandwich complex through multiple hydrogen-bonding interactions.