Photobodies: Light‐Activatable Single‐Domain Antibody Fragments

Photocaged antibody fragments, termed photobodies, have been developed that are impaired in their antigen‐binding capacity and can be activated by irradiation with UV light (365 nm). This rational design concept builds on the selective photocaging of a single tyrosine in a nanobody (a single‐domain antibody fragment). Tyrosine is a frequently occurring residue in central positions of the paratope region. o‐Nitrobenzyl‐protected tyrosine variants were incorporated into four nanobodies, including examples directed against EGFR and HER2, and photodeprotection restores the native sequence. An anti‐GFP photobody exhibited an at least 10 000‐fold impaired binding affinity before photodeprotection compared with the parent nanobody. A bispecific nanobody–photobody fusion protein was generated to trigger protein heterodimerization by light. Photoactivatable antibodies are expected to become versatile protein reagents and to enable novel approaches in diagnostic and therapeutic applications.     

Analysis of carbonyl compounds via headspace solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization and gas chromatographic-ion trap tandem mass spectrometric determination of their O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)oxime derivatives

An improved method for the analysis of carbonyls is described utilizing a headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) step and on-fiber derivatization with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA) hydrochloride. Thermal desorption of the oxime derivatives formed on the fiber is followed by gas chromatographic separation coupled to an ion trap tandem mass spectrometer (GC-ITMS). Selecting specific fragment ions within the electron ionization (EI(+)) mass spectra of these oxime derivatives as precursor ions for MS-MS fragmentation provides a suitable method for the target analysis of individual carbonyl classes, such as alkanals, (E)-2-alkenals, (E,E)-2,4-alkadienals, and others. Retention indices on polar as well as on apolar stationary phases along with EI(+) mass spectra patterns are presented for a large set of oxime derivatives, giving valuable information needed for unambiguous assignment of substances in complex sample matrices. The fast sample preparation and derivatization step via HS-SPME can be automated and is applicable to a variety of biological samples and foodstuffs, allowing rapid and sensitive screening analyses of important aldehydic biomarkers and aroma active compounds.     

On-line scheduling with non-crossing constraints

We consider the problem of on-line scheduling with non-crossing constraints. The objective is to minimize the latest completion time. We provide optimal competitive ratio heuristics for the on-line list and on-line time problems with unit processing times, and a 3-competitive heuristic for the general on-line time problem.     

Application of pulsed-magnetic field enhances non-viral gene delivery in primary cells from different origins

Primary cell lines are more difficult to transfect when compared to immortalized/transformed cell lines, and hence new techniques are required to enhance the transfection efficiency in these cells. We isolated and established primary cultures of synoviocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, melanocytes, macrophages, lung fibroblasts, and embryonic fibroblasts. These cells differed in several properties, and hence were a good representative sample of cells that would be targeted for expression and delivery of therapeutic genes in vivo. The efficiency of gene delivery in all these cells was enhanced using polyethylenimine-coated polyMAG magnetic nanoparticles, and the rates (17–84.2%) surpassed those previously achieved using other methods, especially in cells that are difficult to transfect. The application of permanent and pulsating magnetic fields significantly enhanced the transfection efficiencies in synoviocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, melanocytes and lung fibroblasts, within 5 min of exposure to these magnetic fields. This is an added advantage for future in vivo applications, where rapid gene delivery is required before systemic clearance or filtration of the gene vectors occurs.     

Emergence of information transmission in a prebiotic RNA reactor

A poorly understood step in the transition from a chemical to a biological world is the emergence of self-replicating molecular systems. We study how a precursor for such a replicator might arise in a hydrothermal RNA reactor, which accumulates longer sequences from unbiased monomer influx and random ligation. In the reactor, intra- and intermolecular base pairing locally protects from random cleavage. By analyzing stochastic simulations, we find temporal sequence correlations that constitute a signature of information transmission, weaker but of the same form as in a true replicator.     

Asymptotic Behavior of the Value Functions of Discrete-Time Discounted Optimal Control

We study deterministic discounted optimal control problems associated with discrete-time systems. It is shown that, for small discount rates, the controllability properties of the underlying system can guarantee the convergence of the discounted value function to the value function of the average yield. An application in the theory of exponential growth rates of discrete inclusions is presented. This application motivates the analysis of infinite-horizon optimal control problems with running yields that are unbounded from below.