A Model for Highly Strained DNA in a Cavity

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D. Hirsh ◽  
Todd D. Lillian ◽  
N. C. Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Small Volume ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Dna Bending ◽  
Elastic Rod ◽  
Viral Capsids ◽  
Elastic Rod Model ◽  
Highly Strained ◽  
Single Dna Molecule

A single DNA molecule is a long and flexible biopolymer that contains the genetic code. Building upon the discovery of the iconic double helix over 50 years ago, subsequent studies have emphasized how its biological function is related to the mechanical properties of the molecule. A remarkable system which high-lights the role of DNA bending and twisting is the packing and ejection of DNA into and from viral capsids. A recent 3D reconstruction of bacteriophage φ29 reveals a novel toroidal structure thought to be 30–40 bp of highly bent/twisted DNA contained in a small cavity below the capsid. Here, we extend an elastic rod model for DNA to enable simulation of the toroid as it is compacted and subsequently ejected from a small volume. We compute biologically-realistic forces required to form the toroid and predict ejection times of several nanoseconds.

A Model for Highly Strained DNA Compressed Inside a Protein Cavity

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D. Hirsh ◽  
Todd D. Lillian ◽  
Troy A. Lionberger ◽  
Maryna Taranova ◽  
Ioan Andricioaei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deoxyribonucleic Acid ◽  
Small Volume ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Elastic Rod ◽  
Viral Capsids ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
Elastic Rod Model ◽  
Highly Strained

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a long and flexible biopolymer that contains genetic information. Building upon the discovery of the iconic double helix over 50 years ago, subsequent studies have emphasized how its biological function is related to the mechanical properties of the molecule. A remarkable system which highlights the role of DNA bending and twisting is the packing and ejection of DNA into and from viral capsids. A recent 3D reconstruction of bacteriophage φ29 reveals a novel toroidal structure of highly bent/twisted DNA contained in a small cavity below the viral capsid. Here, we extend an elastic rod model for DNA to enable simulation of the toroid as it is compacted and subsequently ejected from a small volume. We compute biologically-relevant forces required to form the toroid and predict ejection times of several nanoseconds.

An Elastic Rod Representation for the LacI-DNA Loop Complex

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd D. Lillian
Keyword(s):  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Large Range ◽  
Protein Flexibility ◽  
Lac Repressor ◽  
Elastic Rod ◽  
Repressor Protein ◽  
Dna Loop ◽  
Rod Model ◽  
Elastic Rod Model

The well-recognized Lac repressor protein (LacI) regulates transcription by bending DNA into a loop. In addition to the known role of DNA flexibility, there is accumulating evidence suggesting that the flexibility of LacI also plays a role in this gene regulation. Here we extend our elastic rod model for DNA (previously used to model DNA only) to represent LacI. Specifically, we represent sites of concentrated flexibility in the protein with flexible elastic rod domains; and we represent relatively rigid domains of the protein with stiff elastic rod domains. Our analysis shows the sensitivity of looping energetics to the degree of flexibility within the protein over a large range of DNA lengths. In addition, we show that the predicted energetically dominant binding topology (A) remains upon introducing protein flexibility.

Protamine-DNA interaction

1978 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-201
Author(s):  
D.P. Bazett-Jones ◽  
F.P. Ottensmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Small Volume ◽  
Double Helix ◽  
Dna Interaction ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Sperm Head ◽  
Nuclear Proteins ◽  
Field Electron Microscopy ◽  
Dark Field Electron ◽  
Dna Double Helix ◽  
Positively Charged

Dark field electron microscopy has been used for the study of the structure of individual macromolecules with a resolution to at least the 5Å level. The use of this technique has been extended to the investigation of structure of interacting molecules, particularly the interaction between DNA and fish protamine, a class of basic nuclear proteins of molecular weight 4,000 daltons.Protamine, which is synthesized during spermatogenesis, binds to chromatin, displaces the somatic histones and wraps up the DNA to fit into the small volume of the sperm head. It has been proposed that protamine, existing as an extended polypeptide, winds around the minor groove of the DNA double helix, with protamine's positively-charged arginines lining up with the negatively-charged phosphates of DNA. However, viewing protamine as an extended protein is inconsistent with the results obtained in our laboratory.

Aurora Kinase Inhibitors in Head and Neck Cancer

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-213
Author(s):  
Guangying Qi ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Sisi Mi ◽  
Takaaki Tsunematsu ◽  
Shengjian Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head And Neck Cancer ◽  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Aurora Kinase ◽  
Aurora Kinases ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Chemotherapy Drugs ◽  
Aurora Kinase Inhibitors

Aurora kinases are a group of serine/threonine kinases responsible for the regulation of mitosis. In recent years, with the increase in Aurora kinase-related research, the important role of Aurora kinases in tumorigenesis has been gradually recognized. Aurora kinases have been regarded as a new target for cancer therapy, resulting in the development of Aurora kinase inhibitors. The study and application of these small-molecule inhibitors, especially in combination with chemotherapy drugs, represent a new direction in cancer treatment. This paper reviews studies on Aurora kinases from recent years, including studies of their biological function, their relationship with tumor progression, and their inhibitors.

scholarly journals Overexpressed pseudogene MT1L associated with tumor immune infiltrates and indicates a worse prognosis in BLCA

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanpeng Ding ◽  
Nuomin Liu ◽  
Mengge Chen ◽  
Yulian Xu ◽  
Sha Fang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Cells ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Prognostic Biomarker ◽  
Poor Survival ◽  
Common Cancer ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
Cox Analysis ◽  
Kaplan Meier Plotter ◽  
Worse Prognosis

Abstract Background BLCA is a common cancer worldwide, and it is both aggressive and fatal. Immunotherapy (ICT) has achieved an excellent curative effect in BLCA; however, only some BLCA patients can benefit from ICT. MT1L is a pseudogene, and a previous study suggested that MT1L can be used as an indicator of prognosis in colorectal cancer. However, the role of MT1L in BLCA has not yet been determined. Methods Data were collected from TCGA, and logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier plotter, and multivariate Cox analysis were performed to demonstrate the correlation between the pseudogene MT1L and the prognosis of BLCA. To identify the association of MT1L with tumor-infiltrating immune cells, TIMER and TISIDB were utilized. Additionally, GSEA was performed to elucidate the potential biological function. Results The expression of MT1L was decreased in BLCA. Additionally, MT1L was positively correlated with immune cells, such as Tregs (ρ = 0.708) and MDSCs (ρ = 0.664). We also confirmed that MT1L is related to typical markers of immune cells, such as PD-1 and CTLA-4. In addition, a high MT1L expression level was associated with the advanced T and N and high grade in BLCA. Increased expression of MT1L was significantly associated with shorter OS times of BLCA patients (p < 0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that MT1L expression could be an independent prognostic factor in BLCA. Conclusion Collectively, our findings demonstrated that the pseudogene MT1L regulates the immune microenvironment, correlates with poor survival, and is an independent prognostic biomarker in BLCA.

scholarly journals Identification of Autosomal Regions Involved in Drosophila Raf Function

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 763-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willis Li ◽  
Elizabeth Noll ◽  
Norbert Perrimon
Keyword(s):  
Limb Development ◽  
Target Gene ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Genetic Interaction ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Tor Signaling ◽  
Downstream Effector ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
Genomic Regions

Abstract Raf is an essential downstream effector of activated p21Ras (Ras) in transducing proliferation or differentiation signals. Following binding to Ras, Raf is translocated to the plasma membrane, where it is activated by a yet unidentified “Raf activator.” In an attempt to identify the Raf activator or additional molecules involved in the Raf signaling pathway, we conducted a genetic screen to identify genomic regions that are required for the biological function of Drosophila Raf (Draf). We tested a collection of chromosomal deficiencies representing ∼70% of the autosomal euchromatic genomic regions for their abilities to enhance the lethality associated with a hypomorphic viable allele of Draf, DrafSu2. Of the 148 autosomal deficiencies tested, 23 behaved as dominant enhancers of Draf  Su2, causing lethality in Draf  Su2 hemizygous males. Four of these deficiencies identified genes known to be involved in the Drosophila Ras/Raf (Ras1/Draf) pathway: Ras1, rolled (rl, encoding a MAPK), 14-3-3ϵ, and bowel (bowl). Two additional deficiencies removed the Drosophila Tec and Src homologs, Tec29A and Src64B. We demonstrate that Src64B interacts genetically with Draf and that an activated form of Src64B, when overexpressed in early embryos, causes ectopic expression of the Torso (Tor) receptor tyrosine kinase-target gene tailless. In addition, we show that a mutation in Tec29A partially suppresses a gain-of-function mutation in tor. These results suggest that Tec29A and Src64B are involved in Tor signaling, raising the possibility that they function to activate Draf. Finally, we discovered a genetic interaction between Draf  Su2 and Df(3L)vin5 that revealed a novel role of Draf in limb development. We find that loss of Draf activity causes limb defects, including pattern duplications, consistent with a role for Draf in regulation of engrailed (en) expression in imaginal discs.

Myocardial CO2 buffering: role of transmembrane transport of H+ or HCO3-ions

1976 ◽  
Vol 230 (4) ◽  
pp. 1037-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
DR Strome ◽  
RL Clancy ◽  
NC Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Small Volume ◽  
Coronary Circulation ◽  
Myocardial Cell ◽  
Ringer Solution ◽  
Red Cells ◽  
Transmembrane Transport ◽  
High Degree

Isolated rabbit hearts were perfused with rabbit red cells suspended in Ringer solution. A small volume of perfusate was recirculated for 10 min at Pco2 of 33.4 +/- 0.9 or 150.8 +/- 7.5 mmHg. Hypercapnia resulted in an increase in perfusate HCO3- concentration that was smaller than that observed when isolated perfusate was equilibrated in vitro with the same CO2 tensions (delta HCO-3e = 1.6 mM, P less than 0.01). This difference is consistent with a net movement of HCO3- into or H+ out of the mycardial cell, and cannot be accounted for by dilution of HCO3- in the myocardial interstitium. Recirculation of perfusate through the coronary circulation at normal Pco2 for two consecutive 10-min periods was not followed by changes in perfusate HCO3- concentration. A high degree of correlation (r = 0.81) was observed between intracellular HCO-3e concentration and the corresponding delta HCO-3e in individual experiments. The results suggest that transmembrane exchange of H+ or HCO3- is a buffer mechanism for CO2 in the myocardial cell.

scholarly journals Optical absorption in highly strained Ge/SiGe quantum wells: The role of Γ→Δ scattering

2012 ◽  
Vol 112 (12) ◽  
pp. 123105 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Lever ◽  
Z. Ikonić ◽  
A. Valavanis ◽  
R. W. Kelsall ◽  
M. Myronov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Absorption ◽  
Quantum Wells ◽  
Highly Strained ◽  
Sige Quantum Wells
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