The cell-penetrating peptide TAT(48-60) induces a non-lamellar phase in DMPC membranes.

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short polycationic sequences that can translocate into cells without disintegrating the plasma membrane. CPPs are useful tools for delivering cargo, but their molecular mechanism of crossing the lipid bilayer remains unclear. Here we study the interaction of the HIV-derived CPP TAT (48-60) with model membranes by solid-state NMR spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The peptide induces a pronounced isotropic (31)P NMR signal in zwitterionic DMPC, but not in anionic DMPG bilayers. Octaarginine and to a lesser extent octalysine have the same effect, in contrast to other cationic amphiphilic membrane-active peptides. The observed non-lamellar lipid morphology is attributed to specific interactions of polycationic peptides with phosphocholine head groups, rather than to electrostatic interactions. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy indicates that TAT(48-60) induces the formation of rodlike, presumably inverted micelles in DMPC, which may represent intermediates during the translocation across eukaryotic membranes.     

Synthesis of Unsubstituted and 4,4′-Substituted Oligobipyridines as Ligand Strands for Helicate Self-Assembly

A general strategy for the synthesis of oligobipyridine ligands 2 – 5 containing from two to five 2,2′-bipyridine subunits, for helical metal complexes is described (sec Scheme). Both the unsubstituted parent strands ( a series) as well as their derivatives bearing fester or amide functions in the 4,4′-positions of the bipyridine moieties ( b – d series) have been obtained.     

How to synthesize macrocycles efficiently by using virtual combinatorial libraries

The selection of different diimines 4 a-c by alkaline earth ions from a virtual combinatorial library (VCL) is described. The products were stabilized by reduction to the diamines 6 a-c; this allowed easy analysis. The library can be directed toward different target molecules 6 a-c upon addition of alkaline earth ions with different radii. Competition experiments show the possibility of synthesizing the macrocycles 6 a, 6 b, and 6 c simultaneously when using Mg(2+), Ca(2+), and Ba(2+) as template ions. The scope of this thermodynamically controlled, reversible approach for macrocycle syntheses is illustrated.     

Curvature estimates for minimal hypersurfaces in singular spaces

We here prove pointwise curvature estimates for minimal hypersurfaces in singular spaces, using the integral curvature estimate and a generalized Simons inequality which were established recently. A further basic ingredient is a new Sobolev type inequality for stationary hypersurfaces.Oblatum 19-IX-1994This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through a Heisenberg award. Part of the work described here was carried out during visits to Dipartimento Matematica Applicata, University of Firenze and Department of Mathematics, Stanford University. The author would like to express his gratitude to both institutions for their kind hospitality and support. Also it is a pleasure to thank the referee for his useful comments concerning the formulation of the main theorem.     

A note on theΠ 2 0 -induction rule

It is well-known (due to C. Parsons) that the extension of primitive recursive arithmeticPRA by first-order predicate logic and the rule of ₂ ⁰ -induction ₂ ⁰ -IR is ₂ ⁰ -conservative overPRA. We show that this is no longer true in the presence of function quantifiers and quantifier-free choice for numbersAC ^0,0-qf. More precisely we show that :=PRA ² + ₂ ⁰ -IR+AC ^0,0-qf proves the totality of the Ackermann function, wherePRA ² is the extension ofPRA by number and function quantifiers and ₂ ⁰ -IR may contain function parameters.This is true even forPRA ² + ₁ ⁰ -IR+ ₂ ⁰ -IR ^–+AC ^0,0-qf, where ₂ ⁰ -IR ^– is the restriction of ₂ ⁰ -IR without function parameters.I am grateful to an anonymous referee whose suggestions led to an improved discussion of our results     

Phase diagram and scattering intensity of binary amphiphilic systems

A Ginzburg-Landau model with a scalar and a vector order parameter, which describe the concentration and orientation of the amphiphile, respectively, is used to study the phase diagram and the scattering intensity of binary amphiphilic systems. With increasing amphiphile concentration, the calculated phase diagram shows the typical sequence of ordered phases observed experimentally, that is micellar liquid cubic micellar hexagonal lamellar cubic bicontinuous invers hexagonal. The scattering intensity in the homogeneous phase is calculated in the oneloop approximation. In the vicinity of a phase transition to an ordered phase, the intensity is found to show a 1/q behavior for not too small wave vectorsq, followed by a small peak, and a 1/q ² decay for large wave vectors, in agreement with experimental observations in theL ₃-(or sponge-)phase.Dedicated to Prof. H. Wagner on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

The μSR facilities at PSI

TheSR Facility Instruments presently available at PSI and the envisaged medium- and long-term developments are presented. The plans focus on further upgrades of the existing instruments and the development of new techniques using the very high fluxes becoming available at PSI, in particular the setup of a beamline with a fast kicker for muons on request (MORE) and the development of very low energy muon beams.     

AES investigations of the iron surface composition after laser irradiation under atmospheric conditions

The laser induced modification of iron surfaces with atmospheric species was investigated by means of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Different laser systems were used for irradiating iron samples in a wide range of the laser processing parameters up to small foci and ultra short pulses.A nitriding of iron connected with an oxidation of the near surface region was observed in the wavelength range between 193 nm and 10.6 m using large foci (0.1 cm²) and short pulses (10...1400ns). In case of small foci (7·10^–6cm²) with ns-pulses (50 ns) an enrichment of the iron melt with nitrogen and an advanced oxidation of the surrounding area of the laser spot were detected. When using shorter pulses (200 fs, 40 ps) no indications for a nitriding were found.     

A possible explanation of countergradient fluxes in homogeneous turbulence

This study addresses the phenomenon of persistent countergradient (PCG) fluxes of momentum and heat (density) as observed in homogeneous turbulence forced by shear and stratification. Countergradient fluxes may occur at large scales when stratification is strong. However, they always occur at small scales, independently of stratification. A conceptional model is introduced to explain PCG fluxes at small scales as the result of the collision of large-scale fluid parcels. The large parcels collide under the driving force of inclined vortex structures (in a shear-dominated flow) or of buoyancy (in a strongly stratified shear flow). This collision model also explains the PCG heat flux in an unsheared stratified flow with zero average momentum flux. It is found that the energy of the small-scale PCG motions is provided (i) by quick transport of kinetic energy from the scales of production to relatively slowly dissipating scales if the flow is shear-driven and (ii) by conversion of available potential energy to kinetic energy at small scales when the flow is stratified. The collision mechanism is an inherent property of the turbulence dynamics. Therefore, the PCG fluxes at small scales reflect a universal character of homogeneous turbulence, and are found over a large range of Reynolds numbers. The Prandtl (or Schmidt) number influences the rate of dissipation of temperature (or density) variance but not the dissipation rate of the velocity variance. In stratified flows, therefore, the number directly affects the strength of the PCG heat flux at small scales. It is found, however, that the PCG momentum flux is also altered slightly when the Prandtl number is large enough to sustain small buoyantly moving parcels after collision.     

On the cube problem of Las Vergnas

We prove a conjecture of Las Vergnas in dimensions d7: The matroid of the d-dimensional cube C ^d has a unique reorientation class. This extends a result of Las Vergnas, Roudneff and Salaün in dimension 4. Moreover, we determine the automorphism group G ^d of the matroid of the d-cube C ^d for arbitrary dimension d, and we discuss its relation to the Coxeter group of C ^d . We introduce matroid facets of the matroid of the d-cube in order to evaluate the order of G ^d . These matroid facets turn out to be arbitrary pairs of parallel subfacets of the cube. We show that the Euclidean automorphism group W ^d is a proper subgroup of the group G ^d of all matroid symmetries of the d-cube by describing genuine matroid symmetries for each Euclidean facet. A main theorem asserts that any one of these matroid symmetries together with the Euclidean Coxeter symmetries generate the full automorphism group G ^d . For the proof of Las Vergnas' conjecture we use essentially these symmetry results together with the fact that the reorientation class of an oriented matroid is determined by the labeled lower rank contractions of the oriented matroid. We also describe the Folkman-Lawrence representation of the vertex figure of the d-cube and a contraction of it. Finally, we apply our method of proof to show a result of Las Vergnas, Roudneff, and Salaün that the matroid of the 24-cell has a unique reorientation class, too.