scholarly journals Stabilization of nucleic acids by unusual polyamines produced by an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus

2005 ◽  
Vol 388 (2) ◽  
pp. 427-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke TERUI ◽  
Mio OHNUMA ◽  
Kaori HIRAGA ◽  
Etsuko KAWASHIMA ◽  
Tairo OSHIMA

Extreme thermophiles produce two types of unusual polyamine: long linear polyamines such as caldopentamine and caldohexamine, and branched polyamines such as quaternary ammonium compounds [e.g. tetrakis(3-aminopropyl)ammonium]. To clarify the physiological roles of long linear and branched polyamines in thermophiles, we synthesized them chemically and tested their effects on the stability of ds (double-stranded) and ss (single-stranded) DNAs and tRNA in response to thermal denaturation, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Linear polyamines stabilized dsDNA in proportion to the number of amino nitrogen atoms within their molecular structure. We used the empirical results to derive formulae that estimate the melting temperature of dsDNA in the presence of polyamines of a particular molecular composition. ssDNA and tRNA were stabilized more effectively by tetrakis(3-aminopropyl)ammonium than any of the other polyamines tested. We propose that long linear polyamines are effective to stabilize DNA, and tetrakis(3-aminopropyl)ammonium plays important roles in stabilizing RNAs in thermophile cells.

1995 ◽  
Vol 311 (3) ◽  
pp. 969-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
S R Tello-Solis ◽  
A Hernandez-Arana

The thermal denaturation of the acid proteinase from Aspergillus saitoi was studied by CD and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This process seemed to be completely irreversible, as protein samples that were heated to temperatures at which the transition had been completed and then cooled at 25 degrees C did not show any reversal of the change in the CD signal. Similar results were obtained with DSC. Nevertheless, we were able to detect the presence of reversibly unfolded species in experiments in which the enzyme solution was heated to a temperature within the transition region, followed by rapid cooling at 25 degrees C. Accordingly, the denaturation of behaviour of the acid proteinase seems to be consistent with the existence of one (or more) reversible unfolding transition followed by an irreversible step. The van't Hoff enthalpy, delta HvH, which corresponds to the reversible transition was calculated from extrapolation to infinite heating rate as 310 kJ.mol-1. This parameter was also determined from direct estimation of the equilibrium constant at several temperatures (delta HvH = 176 kJ.mol-1). Comparison of the average delta HvH with the calorimetric enthalpy (delta Hcal. = 770 kJ.mol-1) gave a value of 3.2 for the delta Hcal./delta HvH ratio, indicating that the molecular structure of the enzyme is probably formed by three or four cooperative regions, a number similar to that of the acid proteinase, pepsin. It should be noted that a completely different conclusion would be obtained from a straightforward analysis of the calorimetric curves, disregarding the effect of irreversibility on the denaturation process.


2007 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanja Ostojic ◽  
Vida Dragutinovic ◽  
Miodrag Kicanovic ◽  
Branislav Simonovic

The thermal denaturation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a kinetically and thermodynamically controlled process. The effects of zinc binding to bovine serum albumin (BSA), followed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), were investigated in this work, with the purpose of obtaining a better understanding of the albumin/zinc interaction. From the DSC curves, the thermodynamic parameters of protein denaturation were obtained, i.e., the temperature of thermal transition maximum (T m), calorimetric enthalpy (?Hcal), van't Hoff enthalpy (?HvH), the number of binding sites (I, II), the binding constants for each binding site (K bI, K bII) and the average number of ligands bound per mole of native protein X N. The thermodynamic data of protein unfolding showed that zinc binding to bovine serum albumin increases the stability of the protein (higher values of ?Hcal) and the different ratio ?Hcal/?HvH indicates the perturbation of the protein during thermal denaturation.


Author(s):  
Godfrey C. Hoskins ◽  
V. Williams ◽  
V. Allison

The method demonstrated is an adaptation of a proven procedure for accurately determining the magnification of light photomicrographs. Because of the stability of modern electrical lenses, the method is shown to be directly applicable for providing precise reproducibility of magnification in various models of electron microscopes.A readily recognizable area of a carbon replica of a crossed-line diffraction grating is used as a standard. The same area of the standard was photographed in Phillips EM 200, Hitachi HU-11B2, and RCA EMU 3F electron microscopes at taps representative of the range of magnification of each. Negatives from one microscope were selected as guides and printed at convenient magnifications; then negatives from each of the other microscopes were projected to register with these prints. By deferring measurement to the print rather than comparing negatives, correspondence of magnification of the specimen in the three microscopes could be brought to within 2%.


1966 ◽  
Vol 16 (01/02) ◽  
pp. 018-031 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Sherry ◽  
Norma Alkjaersig ◽  
A. P Fletcher

SummaryComparative studies have been made of the esterase activity of plasmin and the streptokinase-activator of plasminogen on a variety of substituted arginine and lysine esters. Human plasmin preparations derived by different methods of activation (spontaneous in glycerol, trypsin, streptokinase (SK) and urokinase) are similar in their esterase activity; this suggests that the molecular structure required for such esterase activity is similar for all of these human plasmins. Bovine plasmin, on the other hand, differs from human plasmin in its activity on several of the substrates studied (e.g., the methyl esters of benzoyl arginine and tosyl, acetyl and carbobenzoxy lysine), a finding which supports the view that molecular differences exist between the two animal plasmins. The streptokinase-activator hydrolyzes both arginine and lysine esters but the ratios of hydrolytic activity are distinct from those of plasmin and of other activators of plasminogen. The use of benzoyl arginine methyl ester as a substrate for the measurement of the esterase activity of the streptokinase-activator is described.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Yepes ◽  
José V. Martí ◽  
José García

The optimization of the cost and CO 2 emissions in earth-retaining walls is of relevance, since these structures are often used in civil engineering. The optimization of costs is essential for the competitiveness of the construction company, and the optimization of emissions is relevant in the environmental impact of construction. To address the optimization, black hole metaheuristics were used, along with a discretization mechanism based on min–max normalization. The stability of the algorithm was evaluated with respect to the solutions obtained; the steel and concrete values obtained in both optimizations were analyzed. Additionally, the geometric variables of the structure were compared. Finally, the results obtained were compared with another algorithm that solved the problem. The results show that there is a trade-off between the use of steel and concrete. The solutions that minimize CO 2 emissions prefer the use of concrete instead of those that optimize the cost. On the other hand, when comparing the geometric variables, it is seen that most remain similar in both optimizations except for the distance between buttresses. When comparing with another algorithm, the results show a good performance in optimization using the black hole algorithm.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1321
Author(s):  
Yasunobu Asawa ◽  
Aleksandra V. Arsent’eva ◽  
Sergey A. Anufriev ◽  
Alexei A. Anisimov ◽  
Kyrill Yu. Suponitsky ◽  
...  

Bis(carboranyl)amides 1,1′-μ-(CH2NH(O)C(CH2)n-1,2-C2B10H11)2 (n = 0, 1) were prepared by the reactions of the corresponding carboranyl acyl chlorides with ethylenediamine. Crystal molecular structure of 1,1′-μ-(CH2NH(O)C-1,2-C2B10H11)2 was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Treatment of bis(carboranyl)amides 1,1′-μ-(CH2NH(O)C(CH2)n-1,2-C2B10H11)2 with ammonium or cesium fluoride results in partial deboronation of the ortho-carborane cages to the nido-carborane ones with formation of [7,7′(8′)-μ-(CH2NH(O)C(CH2)n-7,8-C2B9H11)2]2−. The attempted reaction of [7,7′(8′)-μ-(CH2NH(O)CCH2-7,8-C2B9H11)2]2− with GdCl3 in 1,2-dimethoxy- ethane did not give the expected metallacarborane. The stability of different conformations of Gd-containing metallacarboranes has been estimated by quantum-chemical calculations using [3,3-μ-DME-3,3′-Gd(1,2-C2B9H11)2]− as a model. It was found that in the most stable conformation the CH groups of the dicarbollide ligands are in anti,anti-orientation with respect to the DME ligand, while any rotation of the dicarbollide ligand reduces the stability of the system. This makes it possible to rationalize the design of carborane ligands for the synthesis of gadolinium metallacarboranes on their base.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 3538
Author(s):  
Anna Pudło ◽  
Szymon Juchniewicz ◽  
Wiesław Kopeć

The aim of the presented research was to obtain reconstituted atelocollagen fibers after extraction from poultry cartilage using the pepsin-acidic method in order to remove telopeptides from the tropocollagen. Firstly, we examined the extraction of collagen from the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) after proteoglycans (PG) had been removed by the action of salts, i.e., NaCl or chaotropic MgCl2. Additionally, the effects of the salt type used for PG and hyaluronic acid removal on the properties of self-assembled fibers in solutions at pH 7.4 and freeze-dried matrices were investigated. The basic features of the obtained fibers were characterized, including thermal properties using scanning calorimetry, rheological properties using dynamic oscillatory rheometry, and the structure by scanning electron microscopy. The fibers obtained after PG removal with both analyzed types of salts had similar thermal denaturation characteristics. However, the fibers after PG removal with NaCl, in contrast to those obtained after MgCl2 treatment, showed different rheological properties during gelatinization and smaller diameter size. Moreover, the degree of fibrillogenesis of collagens after NaCl treatment was complete compared to that with MgCl2, which was only partial (70%). The structures of fibers after lyophilization were fundamentally different. The matrices obtained after NaCl pretreatment form regular scaffolds in contrast to the thin, surface structures of the cartilage matrix after proteoglycans removal using MgCl2.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 607
Author(s):  
Carolina Hermida-Merino ◽  
Fernando Pardo ◽  
Gabriel Zarca ◽  
João M. M. Araújo ◽  
Ane Urtiaga ◽  
...  

In this work, polymeric membranes functionalized with ionic liquids (ILs) and exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP) were developed and characterized. These membranes based on graphene ionanofluids (IoNFs) are promising materials for gas separation. The stability of the selected IoNFs in the polymer membranes was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphology of membranes was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and interferometric optical profilometry (WLOP). SEM results evidence that upon the small addition of xGnP into the IL-dominated environment, the interaction between IL and xGnP facilitates the migration of xGnP to the surface, while suppressing the interaction between IL and Pebax®1657. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was also used to determine the polymer–IoNF interactions and the distribution of the IL in the polymer matrix. Finally, the thermodynamic properties and phase transitions (polymer–IoNF) of these functionalized membranes were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This analysis showed a gradual decrease in the melting point of the polyamide (PA6) blocks with a decrease in the corresponding melting enthalpy and a complete disappearance of the crystallinity of the polyether (PEO) phase with increasing IL content. This evidences the high compatibility and good mixing of the polymer and the IoNF.


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