Alterations of β-adrenoceptor-G-protein-regulated adenylyl cyclase in heart failure

Alterations of receptor-G-protein-regulated adenylyl cyclase activity have been suggested to represent an important alteration leading to contractile dysfunction in the failing human heart. Recent experiments suggest that the ₁-adrenoceptor(₁AR) density and mRNA levels are reduced, while ₂-adrenoceptors and stimulatory G-proteins are unchanged (mRNA and protein level). Functional assays demonstrated that the catalyst of the adenylyl cyclase is not different between failing and nonfailing myocardium. Inhibitory G-proteins are increased (pertussis toxin substrates, protein and mRNA) and correlate to the reduced inotropic effects of -adrenoceptor agonists and of CAMP-PDE inhibitors. Gi-coupled m-cholinoceptors and A₁-adrenergic receptors are unchanged in density and affinity. Stimulation of these receptors resulted in an unchanged antiadrenergic effect on force of contraction. In conclusion, a downregulation of ₁-AR and an increase of Gi have been observed as signal transduction alteration in failing human myocardium. These alterations are due to alterations of gene expression in the failing heart and are related to a defective regulation of force of contraction in heart failure.     

Conformational transitions in polyelectrolyte adsorption

The mole fraction X of nucleic acid chromophores, adsorbed on cationic and anionic exchange chromatography paper disks, was calculated [O.L. H?rer and A. Grigorescu, Rev. Roum. Med. Virol., 43 (1992) 33] in terms of the standard Debye screening length D (in the 0.01 to 1.2 M ionic strength range), using data from MLSEA (multiple light scattering enhanced absorption) measurements. In contrast to the cases of mononucleotides or double-stranded and relatively rigid DNA structures, highly polymerized and single-stranded RNA shows sigmoidal-shaped X curves, suggesting that polymer adsorption may be regarded as a conformational transition from a three-dimensional statistical coil to a two-dimensional one.     

On-line immunoanalysis of monoclonal antibodies during a continuous culture of hybridoma cells

The monoclonal-antibody production of an immobilized hybridoma cell line cultivated in a fluidized-bed reactor was monitored on-line for nearly 900 h. The monoclonal antibody concentration was determined by an immuno affinity-chromatography method (ABICAP). Antibodies directed against the product, e.g. IgG, were immobilized on a micro-porous gel and packed in small columns. After all IgG present in the sample was bound to the immobilized antibodies, unbound proteins were removed by rinsing the column. Elution of the bound antibodies followed and the antibodies were determined by fluorescence. The analytical procedure was automated with a robotic device to enable on-line measurements. The correlation between the on-line determined data and antibody concentrations measured by HPLC was linear. A sampling system was constructed, which was based on a pneumatically actuated in-line membrane valve integrated into the circulation loop of the reactor. Separation of the cells from the sample stream was achieved by a depth filter made of glass-fibre, situated outside the reactor. Rapid obstruction of the filter by cells or cell debris and contamination of the sample system was avoided by intermittent rinsing of the sample system with a chemical solution. The intermittent rinsing of the filter, which had a surface of 4.8 cm², resulted in an operational capacity of up to 40 samples (1.0 l total sample volume). Both the sampling system and the analytical device functioned without failure during this long-term culture. The culture temperature was varied between 34 and 40 °C. Raising the temperature from 34 up to 37 °C resulted in a simultaneous increase of growth and specific antibody production rate. Specific metabolic rates of glucose, lactate, glutamine and ammonium stayed constant in this temperature range. A further enhancement of temperature up to 40 °C had a negative effect on the growth rate, whereas the specific monoclonal antibody production rate showed a small increase. The other specific metabolic rates also increased in the temperature range between 38 to 40 °C. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Theoretical Study of the TiO2 and MgO Surface Acidity and the Adsorption of Acids and Bases

We present ab-initio periodic Hartree–Fock calculations (crystal program) of small molecules on TiO₂ and MgO. The adsorption of the molecules may be molecular or dissociative. This depends on their acid and basic properties in the gas phase. For the molecular adsorption, the molecules are adsorbed as bases on Ti(+IV) sites, the adsorption energies correlate with the proton affinities. The dissociations on the surface correlate with the gas phase cleavages: thus, the dissociation of MeOH leads to a preferential basic cleavage (the fragment HO– is adsorbed on a Ti⁺⁴ ion and the fragment Me⁺ is adsorbed on a O²– ion of the oxide). The opposite result is obtained with MeSH. Another important factor is the adsorbate–adsorbate interaction: favorable cases are a sequence of H-bonds for the hydroxyl groups resulting from the water dissociation and the mode of adsorption for the ammonium ions. Lateral interactions also force the adsorbed CO₂ molecules to bend over the surface so that their mutual orientation resembles the geometry of the CO₂ dimer. With respect to water adsorption, MgO appears to be a basic oxide. As experimentally observed, NH₃ adsorbs preferentially on TiO₂ and CO₂ on MgO. However, this difference of reactivity should not be expressed in terms of acid vs. basic behaviour but in terms of hard and soft acidity. The MgO surface is a 'soft' acidic surface that reacts preferentially with the soft base, CO₂.     

Engineering of zinc finger and MHC motifs to locked-in tertiary folds

The assembly of helical and -sheet peptide blocks containing reactive chain ends results inhighly branched chain architectures (locked-in folds) mimicking native tertiary structures.This molecular kit strategy allows to bypass the protein folding problem in protein de novodesign and gives access to protein mimetics of high thermodynamic stability. The validity ofthis concept is exemplified for the design and synthesis of locked-in folds mimicking the zincfinger and MHC folding motifs.     

Application of H(N)CA,CO-E.COSY experiments for calibrating the φ angular dependences of vicinal couplings J(C′i−1,Hi α), J(C′i−1,Ci β) and J(C′i−1,C′i) in proteins

A triple-resonance NMR technique suitable for the determination ofcarbonyl-related couplings in polypeptide systems is introduced. Theapplication of three novel pulse sequences to uniformly¹³C/¹⁵N-enriched proteins yields E.COSY-likemultiplet patterns exhibiting either one of the³J(C_i–1,H_i ), ³J(C_i–1,C_i ) and³J(C_i–1,C_i)coupling constants in the indirectly detected ¹³Cdimension, depending on the passive spin selected. The experiments aredemonstrated with oxidized flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris. On thebasis of the J-values measured and the backbone -angles derived from ahigh-resolution X-ray structure of the protein, the three associated Karplusequations were reparametrized. The root-mean-square differences between theexperimental coupling constants and those predicted by the optimized Karpluscurves are 0.41, 0.33 and 0.32 Hz for³J(C_i–1,H_i ),³J(C_i–1,C_i ) and³J(C_i–1,C_i),respectively. The results are compared with the Karplus parameters previouslypublished for the same couplings.