Measurement of diffusion constants for nucleic acids by NMR

Pulsed field-gradient NMR experiments can be used to measure thediffusion constants of nucleic acids. The diffusion constants measured inthis way for double-helical DNAs of defined length agree well both withtheory and with measurements done using other techniques. When applied toRNAs, this experi- ment easily distinguishes duplex RNAs from RNA hairpinsand thus it can solve one of the perennial problems faced by RNAspectroscopists, i.e. assessing whether their samples are monomeric or not.     

The rate of development of water deficits affects Saxifraga cernua leaf respiration

We allowed plant water deficits to develop at two different rates following the cessation of watering in order to investigate the effects of water stress on cytochrome pathway and alternative pathway respiration in the leaves of the arctic herb Saxifraga cernua. Plants were pretreated by growth in either a commercial organic (CO) mixture or a vermiculite-perlite (VP) mixture, which allowed the complete development of water deficits in 19 and 8 days, respectively. The rate of water potential reduction was approximately 0.11 MPa day⁻¹ in the leaves of CO plants, compared to a reduction of 0.21 MPa day⁻¹ in leaves of VP plants. Osmotic adjustment occurred to a greater extent in leaves of CO plants and corresponded with an increase in ethanol-soluble sugars. In leaves of CO plants, cytochrome pathway activity gradually declined from that of control rates until day 11, and then declined more rapidly. In contrast, cytochrome pathway activity significantly increased in response to water deficits in leaves of VP plants. In leaves of both CO and VP plants, alternative pathway activity declined as water stress progressed. Relatively severe water deficits reduced alternative pathway capacity in leaves of both CO and VP plants. We also investigated the effect of previous exposure to water deficits on leaf respiration. In plants that had previously experienced three cycles of water stress, the increase in cytochrome pathway activity during the fourth water stress cycle was small compared to the increase observed in leaves of plants experiencing water stress for the first time. These results suggest that cytochrome pathway activity is differentially sensitive to the rate of development of plant water deficits and that respiratory responses to acute water stress are not necessarily similar to the responses to chronic water stress.     

Inhibition of Membrane-Active Peptides by Fatty Acid–Peptide Hybrids

Nine fatty acid–peptide hybrid molecules were constructed using the general formula CH₃(CH₂) _n CO-Phe Asp Cys-amide and tested for their ability to inhibit cell lysis induced by the membrane-active peptide melittin. All of these molecules, where n = 4–14, inhibited the action of melittin to some extent, but the longer carbon chains were most effective. Several potential inhibitors were also constructed with conservative substitutions in the peptide portion of the molecule. All were effective to varying degrees. We concluded that in the hexapeptide inhibitor published by Blondelle et al. (1993), the role of the first three residues is only to provide hydrophobic interaction with the melittin and has no particular amino acid sequence specificity. Some of these inhibitors were found to inhibit the lytic activity of a melittin analogue which had only superficial sequence similarity to melittin and also a truncated form of melittin, indicating the generality of the action of the inhibitors.Deceased 5/4/98     

The Ovine Cerebral Venous System: Comparative Anatomy,Visualization, and Implications for Translational Research

Cerebrovascular diseases are significant causes of death and disability in humans. Improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches strongly rely on adequate gyrencephalic, large animal models being demanded for translational research. Ovine stroke models may represent a promising approach but are currently limited by insufficient knowledge regarding the venous system of the cerebral angioarchitecture. The present study was intended to provide a comprehensive anatomical analysis of the intracranial venous system in sheep as a reliable basis for the interpretation of experimental results in such ovine models. We used corrosion casts as well as contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography to scrutinize blood drainage from the brain. This combined approach yielded detailed and, to some extent, novel findings. In particular, we provide evidence for chordae Willisii and lateral venous lacunae, and report on connections between the dorsal and ventral sinuses in this species. For the first time, we also describe venous confluences in the deep cerebral venous system and an ‘anterior condylar confluent’ as seen in humans. This report provides a detailed reference for the interpretation of venous diagnostic imaging findings in sheep, including an assessment of structure detectability by in vivo (imaging) versus ex vivo (corrosion cast) visualization methods. Moreover, it features a comprehensive interspecies-comparison of the venous cerebral angioarchitecture in man, rodents, canines and sheep as a relevant large animal model species, and describes possible implications for translational cerebrovascular research.     

Novel Concepts for the Design and Manufacture of Solid Supports for Synthesis of Peptides

Two novel concepts for the design and manufacture of polymer supports for solid phase synthesis of peptides are described. The first concept involves the encapsulation of polymers within the hole of short pieces of capillary tubing often referred to as seed beads. This provides a rigid exo-skeleton for the support of soft polymer gel and other mechanically fragile polymer based matrices. The rigidity of the support provides a polymeric media that is particularly suited to continuous flow based peptide synthesis. The second concept complements this by providing an inexpensive approach to the preparation of spherical polymer particles by coating commercially available impervious hollow glass microspheres with polymer. The added advantage of this approach lies in the buoyancy of the resultant polymer particles, which facilitates handling on a large scale.     

RASPA: molecular simulation software for adsorption and diffusion in flexible nanoporous materials

A new software package, RASPA, for simulating adsorption and diffusion of molecules in flexible nanoporous materials is presented. The code implements the latest state-of-the-art algorithms for molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo (MC) in various ensembles including symplectic/measure-preserving integrators, Ewald summation, configurational-bias MC, continuous fractional component MC, reactive MC and Baker's minimisation. We show example applications of RASPA in computing coexistence properties, adsorption isotherms for single and multiple components, self- and collective diffusivities, reaction systems and visualisation. The software is released under the GNU General Public License.     

Marine and estuarine gradients — An overview

The Proceedings of the ECSA 21 symposium on Marine and Estuarine Gradients are reviewed. It is emphasised that this is probably the first time that a full set of papers on the tidal freshwater sections of estuaries has appeared. There is however some ambiguity in the terminology applied to such waters, and a more consistent terminology is proposed. In particular the estuary is defined as reaching upstream as far as the tidal limit, irrespective of salinity. A wide variety of gradients within estuaries and coastal waters are considered, but it is apparent that the crucial spatial gradients are based on salinity, oxygen and turbidity, and that many other gradients are co-variables with these parameters. Temperature is also important for temporal gradients.