scholarly journals Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins. 15 December 1916 — 5 October 2004

2006 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 455-478
Author(s):  
Struther Arnott ◽  
T.W.B. Kibble ◽  
Tim Shallice

Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins was the ‘Third man of the double helix’ according to the publishers who were allowed to foist this title on his late–written autobiography. Certainly it is for his role in the discovery of the duplex secondary structure of DNA that he will be remembered. It might be argued that he was the first man, rather than the third, for it was his successful revival of X–ray diffraction studies of DNA and their earliest product in 1950, a pattern of a well–oriented and polycrystalline DNA of unprecedented quality, that allowed him to conclude almost immediately that the basic framework of the genetic material was simple and symmetrical, and that the symmetrical structure took the form of a helix. This same pattern, displayed at a conference in Naples six months later, was the major inspiration for the involvement of J. D. Watson (ForMemRS 1981) in modelling DNA structure in collaboration with F. H. C. Crick (FRS 1959). Crick was a personal friend of Maurice's and was more involved with studies of proteins until the progress of Maurice's research programme and Watson's enthusiastic presence in Cambridge convinced him to put nucleic acids first. The carefully crafted citation for the 1960 Lasker Award, which these three men shared in 1960, put Maurice's name first and accurately referred to ‘… the painstaking x–ray diffraction studies of Wilkins that provided a most important clue that was pursued in an ingenious fashion and to a logical conclusion by Crick and Watson…’. Maurice's diffraction studies of DNA were not only the alpha but also the omega of the double helix because it was left to him to remedy a major flaw in the original (1953) Watson–Crick conjecture.

1959 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. D. Hamilton ◽  
R. K. Barclay ◽  
M. H. F. Wilkins ◽  
G. L. Brown ◽  
H. R. Wilson ◽  
...  

DNA's from diverse cells of different species and from diverse tissues give the same x-ray diffraction pattern. The presently observable structure of DNA appears, then, to be the same in all cells. Thus, DNA in the resting state—the stored genetic material, from sperm of Paracentrotus lividus, Arbacia lixula, and salmon and from T2 and T7 bacteriophage—gives a pattern indistinguishable from DNA from very rapidly dividing cells, e.g., human acute leukemic leukocytes, human leukemic myeloid cells, mouse sarcoma 180, and bacteria—E. coli and pneumococci—during their logarithmic growth. The same x-ray patterns are given by DNA's from more slowly dividing tissues, e.g. calf liver, calf thymus, and human normal and leukemic lymphatic tissue. DNA from chicken erythrocytes—a DNA presumably metabolically inert—gives a similar picture. DNA's from several sources with a wide range in nitrogen base ratios, prepared independently by different workers using various methods, have given final products in varying yield; these all gave the same x-ray pattern, suggesting that all DNA is in the double-helical configuration. Finally, separation of the DNA molecule into a number of fractions with a varying adenine + thymine:guanine + cytosine ratio, but a constant adenine:thymine and guanine:cytosine ratio, each giving the same x-ray pattern as the original whole molecule, suggests that DNA cannot exist in significant amounts in forms other than the double-helix. X-ray diffraction photographs of sperm heads, extracted nucleoprotamine, calf thymus nuclei and extracted nucleohistone, and of chicken erythrocyte nuclei, are not all as well defined as those given by extracted DNA, but it is clear from the general characteristics of the pattern that much of the DNA bound to protein in these nuclei has the usual helical configuration, and that the double-helical structure of DNA exists in the cell and is not an artifact.


2000 ◽  
Vol 5 (S1) ◽  
pp. 97-103
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Dunn ◽  
Susan E. Babcock ◽  
Donald S. Stone ◽  
Richard J. Matyi ◽  
Ling Zhang ◽  
...  

Diffraction-contrast TEM, focused probe electron diffraction, and high-resolution X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the dislocation arrangements in a 16µm thick coalesced GaN film grown by MOVPE LEO. As is commonly observed, the threading dislocations that are duplicated from the template above the window bend toward (0001). At the coalescence plane they bend back to lie along [0001] and thread to the surface. In addition, three other sets of dislocations were observed. The first set consists of a wall of parallel dislocations lying in the coalescence plane and nearly parallel to the substrate, with Burgers vector (b) in the (0001) plane. The second set is comprised of rectangular loops with b = 1/3 [110] (perpendicular to the coalescence boundary) which originate in the coalescence boundary and extend laterally into the film on the (100). The third set of dislocations threads laterally through the film along the [100] bar axis with 1/3<110>-type Burgers vectors These sets result in a dislocation density of ∼109 cm−2. High resolution X-ray reciprocal space maps indicate wing tilt of ∼0.5º.


1991 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 566-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Gudat ◽  
Peter Höhn ◽  
Rüdiger Kniep ◽  
Albrecht Rabenau

The isotypic ternary compounds Ba3[MoN4] and Ba3[WN4] were prepared by reaction of the transition metals with barium (Ba3N2, resp.) under nitrogen. The crystal structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction: Ba3[MoN4] (Ba3[WN4]): Pbca; Z = 8; a = 1083.9(3) pm (1091.8(3) pm), b = 1030.3(3) pm (1037.5(3) pm), c = 1202.9(3) pm (1209.2(4) pm). The structures contain isolated tetrahedral anions [MN4]6- (M = Mo, W) which are arranged in form of slightly distorted hexagonal layers and which are stacked along [010] with the sequence (···AB···). Two of the three Ba atoms are situated between, the third one is placed within the layers of [MN4]-groups. In this way the structures can be derived from the Na3As structure type.


1992 ◽  
Vol 267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana M De Andres ◽  
Isabel MuÑOZ

ABSTRACTNineteen roman ceramic sherds found near Salobreña (Granada, Spain), in the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as different ceramic clays from the surroundingsare studied. Both clays and ceramic sherds are characterizad by X-ray diffraction and spectrometry, differential thermal analysis, and scanning electron and optical microscopies. A good number of the ceramic pieces, among which some “Terrae Sigillatae”, have a composition similar to that of the local clays and, thus, have been probably manufactured at Salobreña. Only a few of them have a foreign origin. For most of them, the firing temperature was about 800-850 °C, although some have been produced at 900-1000 °C, and some others at 1000-1100 °C. It is concluded that Salobreña appearsto have been an important settlement just in the third century of the Christian era.


2004 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Fojta

This review is devoted to applications of mercury electrodes in the electrochemical analysis of nucleic acids and in studies of DNA structure and interactions. At the mercury electrodes, nucleic acids yield faradaic signals due to redox processes involving adenine, cytosine and guanine residues, and tensammetric signals due to adsorption/desorption of polynucleotide chains at the electrode surface. Some of these signals are highly sensitive to DNA structure, providing information about conformation changes of the DNA double helix, formation of DNA strand breaks as well as covalent or non-covalent DNA interactions with small molecules (including genotoxic agents, drugs, etc.). Measurements at mercury electrodes allow for determination of small quantities of unmodified or electrochemically labeled nucleic acids. DNA-modified mercury electrodes have been used as biodetectors for DNA damaging agents or as detection electrodes in DNA hybridization assays. Mercury film and solid amalgam electrodes possess similar features in the nucleic acid analysis to mercury drop electrodes. On the contrary, intrinsic (label-free) DNA electrochemical responses at other (non-mercury) solid electrodes cannot provide information about small changes of the DNA structure. A review with 188 references.


1987 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
EJ Oreilly ◽  
G Smith ◽  
CHL Kennard ◽  
TCW Mak

The crystal structures of (2-formyl-6-methoxyphenoxy)acetic acid (1), diaquabis [(2-formyl-6-methoxyphenoxy) acetato ]zinc(11) (2), tetraaquabis [(2-chlorophenoxy) acetato ]zinc(11) (3), triaquabis [(2-chlorophenoxy) acetato ]cadmium(11) dihydrate (4) and lithium (2-chloro- phenoxy )acetate 1.5 hydrate (5) have been determined by X-ray diffraction. The acid (1) forms centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded cyclic dimers [O…0, 2.677(6) �] which are non-planar. Complex (2) is six-coordinate with two waters [Zn- Ow , 1.997(2) �] and four oxygens from two asymmetric bidentate carboxyl groups [Zn-O, 2.073, 2.381(2) �] completing a skew trapezoidal bipyramidal stereochemistry. Complex (5) is also six-coordinate but is octahedral, with two trans-related unidentate carboxyl oxygens [mean Zn-O, 2.134(9) �] and four waters [mean Zn-O, 2.081(9) �]. The seven-coordinate complex (4) has crystallographic twofold rotational symmetry relating two :symmetric bidentate acid ligands [ Cd -O, 2.26, 2 48(:) �] and two waters [ Cd -O, 2.34(2) �] while the third water lies on this axis [ Cd -O, 2.27(2) �]. In contrast to the monomers (2)-(4), complex (5) is polymeric with tetrahedral lithium coordinated to one water and three carboxylate oxygens [mean Li-0, 1.95(1) �]. The essential conformation of the free acid is retained in complexes (2), (3) and (4) but in (5), it is considerably changed.


Author(s):  
Berislav Perić ◽  
Zoran Kokan ◽  
Srećko I. Kirin

The crystal structure of tris[dimethyl 5-({1-[(pyridin-2-yl-κN)carbamoyl-κO]ethyl}carbamoyl)benzene-1,3-dicarboxylate]zinc(II) dinitrate acetonitrile trisolvate, [Zn(C19H19N3O6)3](NO3)2·3CH3CN or [Zn(L)3](NO3)2·3CH3CN, (1), has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The neutral ligand L coordinates to the Zn2+ cation in a bidentate fashion via the pyridine N atom and an amide O atom, forming a six-membered chelate ring. The Λ-helical chirality of the Zn2+ coordination sphere is induced by pendant L-alanine residues through stacking interactions between the arene groups of two coordinated ligands, assisted by a hydrogen bond between amide groups bonded to the stacked arene rings. The third ligand is coordinated to the Zn2+ cation by the same six-membered chelate ring, but in the opposite direction with respect to the analogous chelate rings of the first two coordinated ligands. Besides ionic interactions between [ZnL 3]2+ complexes and NO3 − anions, several types of hydrogen bonds and intermolecular stacking interactions contribute to the stability of the solid-state phase.


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 600-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Schwendtner ◽  
Uwe Kolitsch

The crystal structures of hydrothermally synthesized aluminium dihydrogen arsenate(V) dihydrogen diarsenate(V), Al(H2AsO4)(H2As2O7), gallium dihydrogen arsenate(V) dihydrogen diarsenate(V), Ga(H2AsO4)(H2As2O7), and diindium bis[dihydrogen arsenate(V)] bis[dihydrogen diarsenate(V)], In2(H2AsO4)2(H2As2O7)2, were determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data collected at room temperature. The first two compounds are representatives of a novel sheet structure type, whereas the third compound crystallizes in a novel framework structure. In all three structures, the basic building units areM3+O6octahedra (M= Al, Ga, In) that are connectedviaone H2AsO4−and two H2As2O72−groups into chains, and furtherviaH2As2O72−groups into layers. In Al/Ga(H2AsO4)(H2As2O7), these layers are interconnected by weak-to-medium–strong hydrogen bonds. In In2(H2AsO4)2(H2As2O7)2, the H2As2O72−groups link the chains in three dimensions, thus creating a framework topology, which is reinforced by weak-to-medium–strong hydrogen bonds. The three title arsenates represent the first compounds containing both H2AsO4−and H2As2O72−groups.


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