Probing the Conformational Stability of Two Different Copper Proteins: A Dynamic Fluorescence Study on Azurin and Ascorbate Oxidase

Tryptophan fluorescence is extremely useful to monitor structural conformational transitions in proteins. Denaturant-induced unfolding of azurin and ascorbate oxidase has been studied by dynamic fluorescence measurements in the frequency domain and the results have been interpreted in terms of continuous distribution of lifetimes. The data add new information on the unfolding mechanism that was previously analyzed by steady-state emission spectroscopy. In particular, the existence of multiple, parallel unfolding pathways may be envisaged and correlated, in both cases, to the two protein structures. The effect of metal depletion has been also characterized by fluorescence lifetime measurements. In the case of azurin, a monomeric protein, the data demonstrate that copper removal yields a totally different unfolding pathways with respect to the holo protein, indicating that metal ion plays a fundamental structural role in the wild type, native protein. In the case of ascorbate oxidase a dimer of 140 kDa, only minor effects have been detected by copper removal. However, the analysis of the fluorescence decay in presence of different amounts of guanidinium hydrochloride gives new important insights on the unfolding intermediates. In particular the data support the hypothesis of a partial exposure of an outer layer of dimer at intermediate denaturant concentration. This ability of dynamic fluorescence to pinpoint the presence of structural micro-heterogeneity in the unfolding pathways of proteins demonstrates the greater power of this technique compared to the most commonly used steady-state measurements.     

Fluorescence enhancement of oxide fluoride glass co-doped with TbF3 and SmF3

The fluorescence property of xTbF₃-BaF₂-AlF₃-GeO₂+ySmF₃ (x=0.01-40 mol%, y=0-5 wt%) glasses were investigated. The enhancement of Sm³⁺ fluorescence was recognized in the presence of Tb³⁺. Increasing Tb³⁺ content, the emission color changed from green to orange. When the intensity of fluorescence at 540 nm originated from Tb³⁺ is compared with that at 600 nm originated from Sm³⁺, the information about the concentration quenching of Tb³⁺ and Sm³⁺ was obtained. From these results, rare earth ions were dispersed identically in the glasses. After heating to 673 K or cooling to 77 K, the emission color of 20TbF₃-20BaF₂-10AlF₃-50GeO₂/mol%+0.05 wt% SmF₃ glass was reversibly changed from orange to green. In addition, while the emission from 10TbF₃-20BaF₂-10AlF₃-60GeO₂+0.01 wt% SmF₃ glass was green, its crystallized sample, prepared by annealing at 1073 K, exhibited an orange emission due to Sm³⁺ at room temperature.     

毛细管电泳分离-激光诱导荧光检测血清中的巴氯芬

首次将新合成的柱前衍生试剂6-氧-（N-琥珀酰亚胺乙酸酯）-9-（2′-甲氧羰基）荧光素（SAM F）用于巴氯芬（B aclofen）的衍生标记,并采用毛细管电泳分离-激光诱导荧光（CE-L IF）法分离检测衍生物。研究表明,在磷酸盐缓冲溶液（pH=7.5）介质中,30℃下10m in即可完成衍生反应。反应物在pH 5.6,35mm o.lL-1的磷酸盐缓冲溶液中12m in内达到分离,检出限为6×10-10m o.lL-1。本法用于血清中巴氯芬的分析测定,回收率为95.8%—101.0%。     

Fluram labeling of high density NH2 surfaces

Some surface bonded and fluram labeled primary amines show a new red-shifted emission in their fluorescence spectrum. We compared the fluorescence of fluram bonded to various amine functionalized surfaces including tetraethylene pentamine (TEPA), 1,2-ethylene diamine (EDA), 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APTES) and trimetylol-propanetris-(beta-aziridino)-propionate (ATA). All reactions were also monitored using XPS. It was found that the new spectral features seem to be related to the local density of amino groups on the surface. In order to verify this hypothesis we synthesized a surface bonded dendrimer with a step-wise increasing NH₂ density. Using molecules with different lengths as branches in the dendrimer, the amine density can be varied. Only in the case of the highest density, the new fluorescence emission was detected. Consequently, the fluorescence of fluram coupled to amines at a surface can be used to quantify the concentration of these amines and the appearance of the red-shifted emission indicates a high local density of the amino groups.     

Stress-Induced Alteration of Chlorophyll Fluorescence Polarization and Spectrum in Leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alocasia macrorrhiza</Emphasis> L. Schott

The value of intrinsic chlorophyll fluorescence polarization, and the intensity in emission spectrum were investigated in leaf segments of Alocasia macrorrhiza under several stress conditions including different temperatures (25–50°C), various concentrations of NaCl (0–250 mM), methyl viologen (MV, 0–25 μM), SDS (0–1.0%) and NaHSO₃ (0–80 μM). Fluorescence emission spectrum of leaves at wavelength regions of 500–800 nm was monitored by excitation at 436 nm. The value of fluorescence polarization (P value), as result of energy transfer and mutual orientation between chlorophyll molecules, was determined by excitation at 436 nm and emission at 685 nm. The results showed that elevated temperature and concentrations of salt (NaCl), photooxidant (MV), surfactant (SDS) and simulated SO₂ (NaHSO₃) treatments all induced a reduction of fluorescence polarization to various degrees. However, alteration of the fluorescence spectrum and emission intensity of F₆₈₅ and F₇₃₁ depended on the individual treatment. Increase in temperature and concentration of NaHSO₃ enhanced fluorescence intensity mainly at F₆₈₅, while an increase in MV concentration led to a decrease at both F₆₈₅ and F₇₃₁. On the contrary, NaCl and SDS did not cause remarkable change in fluorescence spectrum. Among different treatments, the negative correlation between polarization and fluorescence intensity was found with NaHSO₃ treatments only. We concluded that P value being measured with intrinsic chlorophyll fluorescence as probe in leaves is a susceptible indicator responding to changes in environmental conditions. The alteration of P value and fluorescence intensity might not always be shown a functional relation pattern. The possible reasons of differed response to various treatments were discussed.     

Synthesis, growth, spectral, thermal and photoluminescence properties of a new semiorganic NLO crystal—Thiosemicarbazide lithium chloride [TSLC]

Thiosemicarbazide lithium chloride [TSLC] a new semiorganic nonlinear optical crystal has been synthesized. Single crystals by TSLC have been grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique at room temperature. Chemical composition of the synthesized material was confirmed by elemental analysis. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the grown crystal has been studied. Functional groups present in the materials were identified by FT IR spectral analysis ranging between 4000 and 450 cm⁻¹. The optical transmission was studied through UV-vis spectrophotometer. Thermal analysis is carried out on the crystal and inferred to be stable at 176 °C. The second harmonic generation (SHG) of the TSLC crystal was confirmed using Nd:YAG laser and also fluorescence spectral analysis is carried out for the TSLC crystal.     

Calculation of X-ray and Auger transition rates, lifetimes, X-ray wavelengths, and fluorescence yields of variously ionized silicon atoms

X-ray and Auger transition rates, X-ray wavelengths, and fluorescence yields are calculated for variously ionized silicon atoms with configurations 1s2s^m2pⁿ, m=0-2, n=1-6. The calculation has been performed using the Hartree-Fock atomic model. Intermediate coupling and configuration interaction have been taken into account. The energies and widths are found to be strongly affected by configuration mixing. The results from the present calculation have been compared with those available in the literature. The theoretical K_α hypersatellite and satellite spectra fall into several well-separated regions, corresponding to each of the possible number of spectator electrons in the 2s and 2p shells. The dependence of radiative rates and fluorescence yields on the number of spectator electrons is also investigated.     

Argon and krypton ion-induced changes in permalloy thin films

The effects of 75-keV Ar and 100-keV Kr ion irradiations of 72-nm thin DC-sputtered permalloy (Ni₈₁Fe₁₉) films on Si(100) wafers were studied at fluences of up to 10¹⁶ ions/cm². The changes of the structural and magnetic properties were measured via X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, and magneto-optical Kerr effect. The irradiations increase the lattice constant and improve the crystallinity of the samples. They induce also strong changes of the magnetic polarisation and the coercive field for increasing ion fluence. The hysteresis loops suggest that, with increasing ion fluence, the reversal of the magnetisation changes gradually from rotation-dominated in the as-deposited films to domain-wall-motion dominated at the highest ion fluences. The results are compared with those obtained for Ni-, Cr-and Xe-ion irradiated permalloy films.     

X射线荧光光谱法测定烧结锰矿中的主次量成分

采用四硼酸锂和偏硼酸锂混合熔剂熔融法制样,X射线荧光光谱法测定了烧结锰矿中的MnO、Fe2O3、SiO2、Al2O3、TiO2、CaO、MgO、SO3和P2O59个主次量成分。以12个锰矿石标准样品建立校准曲线,用理论α系数法校正基体效应。测定烧结锰矿样品各成分的相对标准偏差(RSD,n=10)在0.26%—3.94%之间。用实际样品验证,测定结果与化学方法的测定值相符。与化学法相比,该方法具有快速、简便、精密度好和准确度高等优点。