Crystallization of Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C N-(1-D-carboxyethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase and its complex with NAD+

The novel NAD+-linked opine dehydrogenase from a soil isolate Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C belongs to an enzyme superfamily whose members exhibit quite diverse substrate specificites. Crystals of this opine dehydrogenase, obtained in the presence or absence of co-factor and substrates, have been shown to diffract to beyond 1.8 ? resolution. X-ray precession photographs have established that the crystals belong to space group P21212, with cell parameters a = 104.9, b = 80.0, c = 45.5 ? and a single subunit in the asymmetric unit. The elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of this enzyme will provide a structural framework for this novel class of dehydrogenases to enable a comparison to be made with other enzyme families and also as the basis for mutagenesis experiments directed towards the production of natural and synthetic opine-type compounds containing two chiral centres.     

MeV-ion-induced defects in organic crystals

We present scanning force microscope images of crater-like defects induced by MeV atomic ions incident on single-crystal L-valine surfaces. For grazing incidence ions, the craters are elongated alongthe ion azimuth of incidence and are followed by raised tails in the surface above the ion track. Craters formed by off-normal ions are wider than craters formed by nrmally incident ions. The crater volume is highly nonlinear in (dE/dx)_e. We discuss our observations qualitatively in terms of thermal-spike and pressure-pulse/shock-wave models for the sputtering of organic solids.     

Modeling of the adsorption and desorption of CO2 on Cu/ZrO2 and ZrO2 catalysts

The interaction between carbon dioxide and two zirconia catalysts-a Cu/ZrO2 catalyst containing 34% copper and a pure ZrO2 catalyst-was studied by pulse adsorption and temperature-programmed desorption methods. Kinetic modeling by nonlinear regression was applied to acquire information on the adsorption and desorption of CO2 relevant in the synthesis of methanol from carbon dioxide. A model that included three types of adsorption sites described well the experimental data for both Cu/ZrO2 and ZrO2. The model assumed first-order kinetics and a Freundlich-type logarithmic dependence of adsorption enthalpy on surface coverage. The parameters of the model were well identified and were in the physically meaningful range. The results indicate that, at 30 degrees C, on both catalysts, carbon dioxide adsorbs reversibly on one type of site and irreversibly on two other types of sites.