Morphological taxonomy of little-differentiated Hyphomycetes

Morphological taxonomy of simple Hyphomycetes is complicated by the frequent occurrence of pleoanamorphism. In some groups of yeast-like fungi, uncommon synanamorphs are diagnostic. Differences in conidiogenesis do not always delimit natural groups. Some nomenclatural problems are mentioned, with an emphasis on the need of neotypification. Prospects are sketched for future taxonomic research.     

A Toxoplasma type 2C serine-threonine phosphatase is involved in parasite growth in the mammalian host cell

Toxoplasma gondii is a human protozoan parasite that belongs to the phylum of Apicomplexa and causes toxoplasmosis. As the other members of this phylum, T. gondii obligatory multiplies within a host cell by a peculiar type of mitosis that leads to daughter cell assembly within a mother cell. Although parasite growth and virulence have been linked for years, few molecules controlling mitosis have been yet identified and they include a couple of kinases but not the counteracting phosphatases. Here, we report that in contrast to other animal cells, type 2C is by far the major type of serine threonine phosphatase activity both in extracellular and in intracellular dividing parasites. Using wild type and transgenic parasites, we characterized the 37 kDa TgPP2C molecule as an abundant cytoplasmic and nuclear enzyme with activity being under tight regulation. In addition, we showed that the increase in TgPP2C activity significantly affected parasite growth by impairing cytokinesis while nuclear division still occurred. This study supports for the first time that type 2C protein phosphatase is an important regulator of cell growth in T. gondii.     

A New Electrolyte Formulation for Securing High Temperature Cycling and Storage Performances of Na‐Ion Batteries

The Na‐ion battery is recognized as a possible alternative to the Li‐ion battery for applications where power and cost override energy density performance. However, the increasing instability of their electrolyte with temperature is still problematic. Thus, a central question remains how to design Na‐based electrolytes. Here, the discovery of a Na‐based electrolyte formulation is reported which enlists four additives (vinylene carbonate, succinonitrile, 1,3‐propane sultone, and sodium difluoro(oxalate)borate) in proper quantities that synergistically combine their positive attributes to enable a stable solid electrolyte interphase at both negative and positive electrodes surface at 55 °C. Moreover, the role of each additive that consists in producing specific NaF coatings, thin elastomers, sulfate‐based deposits, and so on via combined impedance and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy is rationalized. It is demonstrated that empirical electrolyte design rules previously established for Li‐ion technology together with theoretical guidance is vital in the quest for better Na‐based electrolytes that can be extended to other chemistries. Overall, this finding, which is implemented to 18 650 cells, widens the route to the rapid development of the Na‐ion technology based on Na₃V₂(PO₄)₂F₃/C chemistry.     

The binding of pentaammineruthenium (III) to RNase B and RNase A+d(pA)4 in the crystalline state

The binding of pentaammineruthenium (III) to ribonuclease A and B both free and complexed with d(pA)₄ has been examined in the crystalline state through the application of X-ray diffraction and difference Fourier techniques. In crystals of native RNase B, the reagent was observed to have many binding sites, some entirely electrostatic in nature and others consistent with coordination to histidine residues. The primary histidine in the latter case was 105 with 119 also partially substituted. In crystals of RNase A+d(pA)₄ complex only a single, extremely strong site of substitution was observed, and this was 2.4 Å from the native position of the imidazole ring of histidine 105. Thus, the results of these X-ray diffraction studies appear to be quite consistent with the findings of earlier NMR studies and with the results obtained in crystals of the gene 5 DNA binding protein.     

MIAH: automatic alignment of eukaryotic SSU rRNAs.

SUMMARY: MIAH is a WWW server for the automatic alignment of new eukaryotic SSU rRNA sequences to an existing alignment of 1500 sequences. AVAILABILITY: http://chah.ucc.ie/MIAH Contact :     

Beiträge zur Kenntnis der BurmanniaceeApteria aphylla (Nutt.) Barnhart

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