Interpreting chromosome aberration spectra.

Ionizing radiation can damage cells by breaking both strands of DNA in multiple locations, essentially cutting chromosomes into pieces. The cell has enzymatic mechanisms to repair such breaks; however, these mechanisms are imperfect and, in an exchange process, may produce a large-scale rearrangement of the genome, called a chromosome aberration. Chromosome aberrations are important in killing cells, during carcinogenesis, in characterizing repair/misrepair pathways, in retrospective radiation biodosimetry, and in a number of other ways. DNA staining techniques such as mFISH (multicolor fluorescent in situ hybridization) provide a means for analyzing aberration spectra by examining observed final patterns. Unfortunately, an mFISH observed final pattern often does not uniquely determine the underlying exchange process. Further, resolution limitations in the painting protocol sometimes lead to apparently incomplete final patterns. We here describe an algorithm for systematically finding exchange processes consistent with any observed final pattern. This algorithm uses aberration multigraphs, a mathematical formalism that links the various aspects of aberration formation. By applying a measure to the space of consistent multigraphs, we will show how to generate model-specific distributions of aberration processes from mFISH experimental data. The approach is implemented by software freely available over the internet. As a sample application, we apply these algorithms to an aberration data set, obtaining a distribution of exchange cycle sizes, which serves to measure aberration complexity. Estimating complexity, in turn, helps indicate how damaging the aberrations are and may facilitate identification of radiation type in retrospective biodosimetry.     

Silver(I) carboxylates. I. Mass spectra and low frequency infrared spectra

The mass spectra six silver(I) carboxylates, AgO₂CR, (R = Me, Et, Prⁿ, Ph, CF₃ and (CF₂)₂CF₃) show these compounds to be dimeric in the vapour phase, the base peak being the ion Ag₂(O₂CR)⁺ in each case. Two fragmentation pathways are observed. The alkyl carboxylates initially lose mainly RCO₂· from the radical ion Ag₂O₂CR)₂⁺, whereas the benzoate and the perfluorocarboxylates also easily lose carbon dioxide from the radical ion leading to the formation of abundant organosilver ions. The low frequency (500−40 cm⁻¹) infrared spectra of these silver(I) carboxylates are compared with the spectra of the copper(I) analogues and bands selected which may be assigned to predominantly skeletal modes.     

Investigation of tautomeric composition of cytosine by multiphoton excitation spectra. II. Two-photon absorption spectra

For the first time the quantum-mechanical calculations of intensity distribution in the two-photon absorption spectra of the six tautomeric forms of cytosine were performed. It has been confirmed that in the aqueous solution of cytosine (pH 3.0) there exist several tauromeric forms: canonical amino-oxo tautomeric form, cation, as well as cys-imino-oxo and cys-amino-hydroxy tautomers.     

True fluorescence spectra of leaves.

True fluorescence spectra of leaves are obtained combining experimental emission and reflectance data. The model used is validated by measuring the system fluorescence in the absence of reabsorption processes (thin layer of chloroplasts).     

Investigation of tautomeric composition of cytosine by multiphoton excitation spectra. I. Resonance hyper-Raman spectra

For the first time the quantum-mechanical calculations of intensity distribution in the resonance hyper-Raman spectra of the six tautomeric forms of cytosine were performed. It has been confirmed that in the aqueous solution of cytosine (pH 3.0) there exist several molecular structures: cytosine in the canonical amino-oxo tautomeric form, cation, as well as cys-imino-oxo and cys-amino-hydroxy tautomers; in the gaseous phase at 235°C cys-imino-oxotautomer dominates with the presence of small amount of cys-, trans-, amino-hydroxy tautomers and the caconical form of cytosine.     

Fast-atom-bombardment mass spectra of enkephalins.

The positive- and negative-ion mass spectra of [methionine]enkephalin and [leucine]enkephalin have been obtained by using a fast-atom-bombardment source described previously by Barber, Bordoli, Sedgwick & Tyler [(1981) J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun., in the press]. This technique has allowed the spectra to be obtained without conversion of the enkephalins into volatile derivatives. The fast-atom-bombardment spectra show good pseudo-molecular-ion sensitivity and fragmentation that can be interpreted on the basis of the known molecular structure.     

Low-frequency Raman spectra of lysozyme.

New techniques in laser Raman spectroscopy are used to obtain spectra of aqueous solutions of lysozylme for frequency shifts as small as 5 cm^?1. In addition, Raman measurements are made on two crystalline forms of hen egg white lysozyme. The spectra obtained from the solution and from the crystal are found to be similar for frequencies above 100 cm^?1. However, a low-frequency band at 25 cm^?1 observed in crystalline lysozyme is not found in the solution, indicating that this band cannot be attributed to an internal molecular vibration.     

Discrimination of petroleum fluorescence spectra.

This paper presents studies of the total spectra (fluorescence-excitation matrix) of petroleum with regard to the utilization of fluorescence for determining petroleum pollutants. Thorough testing of one group, comprising almost forty lubricating oils in the form of their hexane solutions, points out their discrimination.     

Chemiluminescence of cereal products. II. Chemiluminescence spectra

Spectra of ultraweak chemiluminescence (CL) accompanying auto-oxidation and hydration of cereal products have been measured using single photon counting and cut-off filters. The spectra cover the 380–880 nm spectral range with maxima centred around 600 nm. Analytically pure air-dried carbohydrates like agar, cellulose and nitrocellulose give emission too weak for spectral measurements. The emission from water pure carbohydrates is on average 4–12 times higher and emission spectra are similar to those from cereal products. The effect of free radical scavengers, SOD and O*₂ (¹Δ_g)-quenchers on CL spectra indicates a contribution of radical reactions with the participation of excited carbonyls, O₂⁻ and excited molecular oxygen dimoles. Moreover, possible mechanisms of chemi-excitation due to a cooperative H-bond formation during the hydration of carbohydrates and/or recombination of trapped radicals and electron-holes are discussed. It is also postulated that the excitation energy transfer to natural sensitizers occuring in cereal products may account for non-specific broad spectra and differences in the intensity of CL. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Resonance Raman spectra of whole mitochondria.

The resonance Raman spectra of reduced cytochromes b and c and cytochrome oxidase in whole mitochondria have been recorded without any instrument modifications. The contributions of the individual cytochromes have been identified by comparison with the characteristic features observed in partially purified preparations including: (i) the strong dependence of the intensity patterns on excitation wavelength relative to the peak positions of the alpha, beta, and gamma absorption bands of the cytochromes; and (ii) the presence of marker bands for heme type. Since the Raman spectra can be used as an intrinsic indicator of interaction between hemes, the ability to record spectra in intact mitochondria opens the possibility to study heme-heme interactions in the functioning membrane in situ.     

X-ray photoelectron spectra of iron-sulphur proteins.

The X-ray photoelectron spectra of the 2p, 3s and 3p levels of iron in oxidized Clostridium pasteurianum ferredoxin indicate that the eight iron atoms in the molecule are indistinguishable. Their magnetic state is indicated both by core polarization splitting of the 3s electrons, and by "shake-up' satellites on the 2p lines. Similar satellites are observed in the 2p lines of reduced Chromatium high-potential iron-sulphur proteins and oxidized spinach ferredoxin, indicating that there too the iron atoms are magnetic. The low observed magnetic susceptibility of these proteins is therefore due to spin-coupling between the iron atoms in the active centre.     

Raman spectra of chemically modified lysozyme. Oxindole derivatives.

The Raman spectra of oxidation products of lysozyme have been investigated. The protein was oxidized by N-bromosuccinimide and dimethyl sulfoxide/HCl. Depending on the experimental conditions one to six tryptophan residues are oxidized to oxindole. The most prominent difference between the spectra of lysozyme and its oxindole derivatives is the strong band at 1017 cm^?1 which displaces the tryptophan peak at 1010 cm^?1. Other tryptophan bands are also weakened corresponding to the number of the tryptophan side chains destroyed. Shifts are observed in the amide I and in the amide III regions sensitive to conformational changes. These shifts indicate conformational differences in the higher oxidized species and in the native enzyme, although the amide III maxima overlap with a strong oxindole band. Similar effects are observed in the range of the C-C stretching vibrations of the peptide backbone. If more than one tryptophan side chain is oxidized changes have also been found in the S-S stretching range. The evaluation of this effect is difficult because of the strong oxindole vibration appearing in this region. In species oxidized by great excess of N-bromosuccinimide the tyrosine vibrations can no longer be detected, indicating the modification of this amino acid too.     

Visualization of multidimensional spectra in flow cytometry.

Flow data from a cell sorter have been processed by hardwired circuits which include amplification, discrimination, coincidence requirements, peak sensing and holding, A-D conversion, and a computerized pulse height analysis with storage of the spectra obtained. Two dimensional spectra can be stored directly in memory, on tape and disk. Three and four parametric cellular events can be recorded on line during the flow measurement in a sequential mode on tape for subsequent recall. Simple processing of these data can be performed for displaying of two dimensional projections from these multidimensional spaces based on threshold conditions for the remaining parameters. Interfaced transmission of the stored data to a large scale computer enables more sophisticated data analysis. Data reduction by means of a multidimensional probability analysis has been carried out in order to transfer the spectra to a computerized picture system for display. This system creates perspective two-dimensional images from a three-dimensional data space. Frequency can be converted into grey levels. Hard copy in color (color as the third dimension and color intensity as frequency) simplifies the visualization of multiparametric flow data sets.