Liquid-Crystalline Dispersions of Double-Stranded DNA

In this review, we compare the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of liquid-crystalline dispersion (LCD) particles formed in PEG-containing aqueous-salt solutions with the purpose of determining the packing of ds DNA molecules in these particles. Depending on the osmotic pressure of the solution, the phase exclusion of ds DNA molecules at room temperature results in the formation of LCD particles with the cholesteric or the hexagonal packing of molecules. The heating of dispersion particles with the hexagonal packing of the ds DNA molecules results in a new phase transition, accompanied by an appearance of a new optically active phase of ds DNA molecules. Our results are rationalized by way of a concept of orientationally ordered “quasinematic” layers formed by ds DNA molecules, with a parallel alignment in the hexagonal structure. These layers can adopt a twisted configuration with a temperature increase; and as a result of this process, a new, helicoidal structure of dispersion particle is formed (termed as the “re-entrant” cholesteric phase). To prove the cholesteric pattern of ds DNA molecules in this phase, the “liquid-like” state of the dispersion particles was transformed into its “rigid” counterpart.

Gold Nanoparticle Clusters in Quasinematic Layers of Liquid-Crystalline Dispersion Particles of Double-Stranded Nucleic Acids

This work is devoted to the investigation of the methanogenic archaea involved in anaerobic digestion of cattle manure and maize straw on the basis of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis of archaeal 16S rRNA genes. The biological diversity and dynamics of methanogenic communities leading to anaerobic degradation of agricultural organic wastes with biogas production were evaluated in laboratory-scale digesters. T-RFLP analysis, along with the establishment of archaeal 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, showed that the methanogenic consortium consisted mainly of members of the genera Methanosarcina and Methanoculleus, with a predominance of Methanosarcina spp. throughout the experiment.