scholarly journals Repeat proteins as versatile scaffolds for arrays of redox-active FeS clusters

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (23) ◽  
pp. 3319-3322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara H. Mejias ◽  
Zahra Bahrami-Dizicheh ◽  
Mantas Liutkus ◽  
Dayn Joshep Sommer ◽  
Andrei Astashkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Backbone ◽  
Repeat Proteins ◽  
Redox Active ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Modular Extension

Molecular string of beads: modular extension of a protein backbone builds a chain of electroactive clusters.

scholarly journals Circadian clock activity of cryptochrome relies on tryptophan-mediated photoreduction

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (15) ◽  
pp. 3822-3827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changfan Lin ◽  
Deniz Top ◽  
Craig C. Manahan ◽  
Michael W. Young ◽  
Brian R. Crane
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Electron Flow ◽  
Light Sensitivity ◽  
Circadian Clocks ◽  
Light Sensing ◽  
Essential Surface ◽  
Redox Active ◽  
Cellular Turnover ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Clock Protein

Cryptochromes (CRYs) entrain the circadian clocks of plants and animals to light. Irradiation of the Drosophila cryptochrome (dCRY) causes reduction of an oxidized flavin cofactor by a chain of conserved tryptophan (Trp) residues. However, it is unclear how redox chemistry within the Trp chain couples to dCRY-mediated signaling. Here, we show that substitutions of four key Trp residues to redox-active tyrosine and redox-inactive phenylalanine tune the light sensitivity of dCRY photoreduction, conformational activation, cellular stability, and targeted degradation of the clock protein timeless (TIM). An essential surface Trp gates electron flow into the flavin cofactor, but can be relocated for enhanced photoactivation. Differential effects of Trp-mediated flavin photoreduction on cellular turnover of TIM and dCRY indicate that these activities are separated in time and space. Overall, the dCRY Trp chain has evolutionary importance for light sensing, and its manipulation has implications for optogenetic applications of CRYs.

Observation of Atom Rows in Thorium Pyromellitate Using a Field Emission STEM

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 80-81
Author(s):  
H. Todokoro ◽  
S. Nomura ◽  
T. Komoda
Keyword(s):  
Field Emission ◽  
Amorphous Carbon ◽  
Carbon Film ◽  
Dark Field Image ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Amorphous Carbon Film ◽  
Atomic Size ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
A Chain

It is interesting to observe polymers at atomic size resolution. Some works have been reported for thorium pyromellitate by using a STEM (1), or a CTEM (2,3). The results showed that this polymer forms a chain in which thorium atoms are arranged. However, the distance between adjacent thorium atoms varies over a wide range (0.4-1.3nm) according to the different authors.The present authors have also observed thorium pyromellitate specimens by means of a field emission STEM, described in reference 4. The specimen was prepared by placing a drop of thorium pyromellitate in 10-3 CH3OH solution onto an amorphous carbon film about 2nm thick. The dark field image is shown in Fig. 1A. Thorium atoms are clearly observed as regular atom rows having a spacing of 0.85nm. This lattice gradually deteriorated by successive observations. The image changed to granular structures, as shown in Fig. 1B, which was taken after four scanning frames.

Time-Resolved Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Oscillating Microtubules

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 502-503
Author(s):  
Eva-Maria Mandelkow ◽  
Ron Milligan
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Dynamic Instability ◽  
Entire Solution ◽  
Reaction Scheme ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Ray Scattering

Microtubules form part of the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells. They are hollow libers of about 25 nm diameter made up of 13 protofilaments, each of which consists of a chain of heterodimers of α-and β-tubulin. Microtubules can be assembled in vitro at 37°C in the presence of GTP which is hydrolyzed during the reaction, and they are disassembled at 4°C. In contrast to most other polymers microtubules show the behavior of “dynamic instability”, i.e. they can switch between phases of growth and phases of shrinkage, even at an overall steady state [1]. In certain conditions an entire solution can be synchronized, leading to autonomous oscillations in the degree of assembly which can be observed by X-ray scattering (Fig. 1), light scattering, or electron microscopy [2-5]. In addition such solutions are capable of generating spontaneous spatial patterns [6].In an earlier study we have analyzed the structure of microtubules and their cold-induced disassembly by cryo-EM [7]. One result was that disassembly takes place by loss of protofilament fragments (tubulin oligomers) which fray apart at the microtubule ends. We also looked at microtubule oscillations by time-resolved X-ray scattering and proposed a reaction scheme [4] which involves a cyclic interconversion of tubulin, microtubules, and oligomers (Fig. 2). The present study was undertaken to answer two questions: (a) What is the nature of the oscillations as seen by time-resolved cryo-EM? (b) Do microtubules disassemble by fraying protofilament fragments during oscillations at 37°C?

Common modifications of selenocysteine in selenoproteins

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias S.J. Arnér
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Covalent Binding ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Redox Active

Abstract Selenocysteine (Sec), the sulfur-to-selenium substituted variant of cysteine (Cys), is the defining entity of selenoproteins. These are naturally expressed in many diverse organisms and constitute a unique class of proteins. As a result of the physicochemical characteristics of selenium when compared with sulfur, Sec is typically more reactive than Cys while participating in similar reactions, and there are also some qualitative differences in the reactivities between the two amino acids. This minireview discusses the types of modifications of Sec in selenoproteins that have thus far been experimentally validated. These modifications include direct covalent binding through the Se atom of Sec to other chalcogen atoms (S, O and Se) as present in redox active molecular motifs, derivatization of Sec via the direct covalent binding to non-chalcogen elements (Ni, Mb, N, Au and C), and the loss of Se from Sec resulting in formation of dehydroalanine. To understand the nature of these Sec modifications is crucial for an understanding of selenoprotein reactivities in biological, physiological and pathophysiological contexts.

Do Event-Related Brain Potentials Reflect Mental (Cognitive) Operations?

2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Kotchoubey
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Internal Variables ◽  
Brain Potentials ◽  
Cognitive Operations ◽  
External Variables ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Mental Operations ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Processing Mechanisms

Abstract Most cognitive psychophysiological studies assume (1) that there is a chain of (partially overlapping) cognitive processes (processing stages, mechanisms, operators) leading from stimulus to response, and (2) that components of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) may be regarded as manifestations of these processing stages. What is usually discussed is which particular processing mechanisms are related to some particular component, but not whether such a relationship exists at all. Alternatively, from the point of view of noncognitive (e. g., “naturalistic”) theories of perception ERP components might be conceived of as correlates of extraction of the information from the experimental environment. In a series of experiments, the author attempted to separate these two accounts, i. e., internal variables like mental operations or cognitive parameters versus external variables like information content of stimulation. Whenever this separation could be performed, the latter factor proved to significantly affect ERP amplitudes, whereas the former did not. These data indicate that ERPs cannot be unequivocally linked to processing mechanisms postulated by cognitive models of perception. Therefore, they cannot be regarded as support for these models.

Right-Hemisphere Specialization for Contour Grouping

2014 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 331-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Volberg
Keyword(s):  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Contour Detection ◽  
Global Processing ◽  
Detection Accuracy ◽  
Frequency Spectra ◽  
Visual Hemifield ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
A Chain ◽  
The Right ◽  
Hemisphere Specialization

Previous studies often revealed a right-hemisphere specialization for processing the global level of compound visual stimuli. Here we explore whether a similar specialization exists for the detection of intersected contours defined by a chain of local elements. Subjects were presented with arrays of randomly oriented Gabor patches that could contain a global path of collinearly arranged elements in the left or in the right visual hemifield. As expected, the detection accuracy was higher for contours presented to the left visual field/right hemisphere. This difference was absent in two control conditions where the smoothness of the contour was decreased. The results demonstrate that the contour detection, often considered to be driven by lateral coactivation in primary visual cortex, relies on higher-level visual representations that differ between the hemispheres. Furthermore, because contour and non-contour stimuli had the same spatial frequency spectra, the results challenge the view that the right-hemisphere advantage in global processing depends on a specialization for processing low spatial frequencies.

A chain model for chromosomes

1961 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 1072-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Stahl
Keyword(s):  
Chain Model ◽  
A Chain

Fibrinogen Montreal

1973 ◽  
Vol 29 (03) ◽  
pp. 536-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Lacombe ◽  
J Soria ◽  
C Soria ◽  
G d’Angelo ◽  
R Lavallee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Density ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel ◽  
Clotting Time ◽  
Functional Defect ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Fibrin Monomers

SummaryA new case of congenital dysfibrinogenemia characterized by a prolonged thrombin clotting time and a low optical density of the polymerization curve has been discovered in Montreal. The functional defect is due to an abnormal aggregation of fibrin monomers.The characteristics of this abnormal fibrinogen are serum gélification (Paracoagulation) at 37°, 22° and 4° C, a normal immuno-electrophoretic and electrofocusing pattern, a slight increase in the mobility in the α (A) chain by electrophoresis of the dissociated chains in polyacrylamide gel. However, no abnormality was found in the α (A) chain of the disulphide knot.

Observations on a Relationship between Steroid Metabolism and the Concentration of Plasma Fibrinogen

1963 ◽  
Vol 10 (02) ◽  
pp. 400-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A Amundson ◽  
L. O Pilgeram
Keyword(s):  
Blood Coagulation ◽  
Methyl Ether ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Plasma Fibrinogen ◽  
Steroid Metabolism ◽  
Specific Site ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
A Chain

SummaryEnovid (5 mg norethynodrel and 0.075 mg ethynylestradiol-3-methyl ether) therapy in young normal human subjects causes an increase in plasma fibrinogen of 32.4% (P >C 0.001). Consideration of this effect together with other effects of Enovid on the activity of specific blood coagulatory factors suggests that the steroids are exerting their effect at a specific site of the blood coagulation and/or fibrinolytic system. The broad spectrum of changes which are induced by the steroids may be attributed to a combination of a chain reaction and feed-back control.

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