Differential expression of the skeletal muscle proteome in mdx mice at different ages

The mdx mouse is the most commonly used animal model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a disease caused by the absence of dystrophin. Although much has been done to elucidate the structure and function of dystrophin and the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DGC), little is known about the cascade of molecular events triggered by the absence of dystrophin that lead to muscle degeneration. To study the molecular basis of DMD, we decided to systematically study the skeletal muscle proteome in mdx mice at different ages. By using two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis, we defined changes in the protein expression pattern between mdx and control muscles. Approximately 46 differentially expressed proteins from the cytosolic fraction of mdx hindlimb muscles at three months of age were detected by 2-D gel analysis, of which 24 were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization- mass spectrometry. Most of the proteins fell into five groups of functionally related proteins. These functional categories are (i) metabolism and energy production, (ii) serine protease inhibitor family, (iii) growth and differentiation, (iv) calcium homeostasis, and (v) cytoskeletal reorganization and biogenesis. The potential roles of the differentially expressed proteins are discussed in the context of the mdx phenotype. Finally, we analyzed alterations of protein expression in mdx mice at one and six months of age to determine how protein expression changes with disease progression.     

Kinetic determination of microamounts of some sulphur-containing ligands

Some sulphur-containing ligands have been shown to inhibit the Hg(II)-catalysed substitution of p-nitrosodiphenylamine (p-NDA) for cyanide in hexacyanoferrate(II), by binding the mercury(II). This effect is used for determination of microamounts of cysteine, thioglycollic acid and thiosulphate. The reactions are followed spectrophotometrically at 640 nm (lambda(max) of [Fe(CN)(5).p-NDA](3-)). The determination range depends on the amount of mercury(II) added and the stability of the Hg(II)-ligand complex. Under specified conditions, the detection limits are: thioglycollic acid 1 x 10(-7)M, cysteine 1 x 10(-6)M and thiosulphate 4 x 10(-7)M.     

Separation of phytosterol oxidation products by combination of different polarity gas chromatography capillary columns

The number of characterized phytosterol oxidation products (POPs) from both ring- and side-chain structures has increased during recent decades, resulting in difficulties in the separation of POPs on different gas chromatography (GC) capillary columns. The main objective of this study was to separate a mixture of 29 purified and characterized oxidation products from sito-, campe- and stigmasterol using GC capillary columns with different polarity. For the first time in the area of POPs analysis, the separation efficiency of the combination of two capillary GC columns with different polarities was investigated. A non-polar 5% phenyl coated (DB5-MS) and a mid-polar 35% phenyl coated (DB35-MS) column was combined with a pressfit connector. The main improvement was enhanced base line separation for many of the analyzed POPs, compared with the separations achieved using the individual columns. However, three pairs of POPs co-eluted: 24-hydroxysitosterol/campesterol-5beta,6beta-epoxide, stigmasterol-5beta,6beta-epoxide/campesterol-5alpha,6alpha-epoxide and stigmasterol-5alpha,6alpha-epoxide/campestanetriol.     

Non-coherent visible and infrared radiation increase survival to UV (254 nm) in Escherichia coli K12

Interactions between visible or infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV, 254 nm) radiation have been studied in E. coli. Pre-illumination with non-coherent monochromatic 446, 466, 570 and 685 nm radiation, as well as with polychromatic red and IR radiation at room temperature, leads to increased cell survival after a subsequent irradiation with UV light. In the thermic range of the spectrum (red and IR), IR but not red light pre-treatment is able to increase cell survival to a subsequent lethal heat (51 degrees C) challenge, suggesting that increased UV survival may be due to IR-induced heat-shock response. On the other hand, visible-light-induced resistance may be due to a different mechanism, possibly involved with unknown bacterial light receptors.     

Intramolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition/thermal fragmentation approach toward 5-8-5 ring systems

[reaction: see text]. An intramolecular [2 + 2]-photocycloaddition is used to provide a photoadduct, which upon fragmentation, lactone cleavage, and subsequent Cope rearrangement provides a dicyclopenta[a,d]cyclooctene ring system with substituents in place (e.g., C3 and C11) to access several 5-8-5 diterpene and sesterterpene natural products.     

Permeation and gating in proteins: kinetic Monte Carlo reaction path following

We present a new Monte Carlo technique, kinetic Monte Carlo reaction path following (kMCRPF), for the computer simulation of permeation and large-scale gating transitions in protein channels. It combines ideas from Metropolis Monte Carlo (MMC) and kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) algorithms, and is particularly suitable when a reaction coordinate is well defined. Evolution of transition proceeds on the reaction coordinate by small jumps (kMC technique) toward the nearest lowest-energy uphill or downhill states, with the jumps thermally activated (constrained MMC). This approach permits navigation among potential minima on an energy surface, finding the minimum-energy paths and determining their associated free-energy profiles. The methodological and algorithmic strategies underlying the kMCRPF method are described. We have tested it using an analytical model and applied it to study permeation through the curvilinear ClC chloride and aquaporin pores and to gating in the gramicidin A channel. These studies of permeation and gating in real proteins provide extensive procedural tests of the method.     

Molecular dynamics study of gas hydrate formation

Long-time-scale molecular dynamics simulations are presented of the spontaneous formation of methane hydrate at a methane/liquid water interface. The water film was prepared at 300 K, 30 bar and showed no significant hydrate order. On crash cooling to 250 K, 300 bar (about 20 K subcooling), the system showed a rapid growth of hydrate clusters. Contrary to popular models for hydrate nucleation, the clusters formed first as two-dimensional arrangements and only later into three-dimensional cage structures; the results are, however, consistent with the local order model proposed recently. The hydrate clusters showed clear signatures of the type II hydrate structure even though the type I structure is the thermodynamically stable form for methane hydrate; this is in accord with the results of recent diffraction experiments.     

A generalized series approach to MR spectroscopic imaging

The problem of precise spatial localization of spectral information in magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic imaging is addressed. A novel method, called GSLIM (generalized spectral location by imaging), is proposed to make possible the marriage of high-resolution proton imaging with spectroscopic imaging and localization. This method improves on the conventional Fourier series inversion method used in chemical shift imaging (CSI) and the compartmental modeling method used in SLIM by using a generalized series framework for optimal representation of the spectral function. In this way, a priori information extracted from proton imaging can be used, as in SLIM, and the robustness and data consistency of CSI are also retained. Simulation results show that GSLIM can significantly reduce spectral leakage in CSI and inhomogeneity errors in SLIM. It can also reveal compartmental inhomogeneities, and can easily be extended to handle other a priori constraints when necessary. This approach, with some further development, may achieve an optimal combination of sensitivity, quantitative accuracy, speed, and flexibility for in vivo spectroscopy.