Energy Transfer on Cytoskeleton of Red Blood Cell Ghosts and their Efficiency Control by KCl Concentration-induced Cell Shrinkage.

Lipid bilayer membranes such as liposomes have been utilized as platforms for bioinspired artificial photosynthesis. Embedding functional compounds, including chromophores and catalysts, into two-dimensional lipid membranes allows their high local concentration and proximity, resulting in enhanced reactivity compared to that of homogeneous solutions. The control of photoreactions by the physical and chemical properties of membranes, such as fluidity and phase separation, has also been well studied in recent years.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of two ground crickets, and (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: trigonidiidae).

The authors sequenced the complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of the band-legged ground cricket ( Matsumura, 1904) and a temperate form of the lawn ground cricket ( Walker, 1869), collected in Japan. The length of the mt genome sequences was 15,354 bp in and 16,063 bp in . Annotation of the mt genome sequences revealed 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes.

Acceleration of Protein Degradation by 20S Proteasome-Binding Peptides Generated by In Vitro Artificial Evolution.

Although the 20S core particle (CP) of the proteasome is an important component of the 26S holoenzyme, the stand-alone 20S CP acts directly on intrinsically disordered and oxidized/damaged proteins to degrade them in a ubiquitin-independent manner. It has been postulated that some structural features of substrate proteins are recognized by the 20S CP to promote substrate uptake, but the mechanism of substrate recognition has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we screened peptides that bind to the 20S CP from a random eight-residue pool of amino acid sequences using complementary DNA display an in vitro molecular evolution technique.

Photomultiplication Behavior of Chlorophyll-Based Photodetector under Biased Voltage.

In this study, we fabricated a photodetector (PD) with two types of chlorophyll derivatives, namely, zinc methyl 3-devinyl-3-hydroxymethyl-pyropheophorbide-a (ZnChl) and methyl 13-deoxo-13-dicyanomethylene-pyropheophorbide-a (HChl'), via a two-step drop-coating process. In the absorption range of ZnChl/HChl' films, the maximum external quantum efficiency of ZnChl/HChl'-based devices reached 1363% at -8 V and 1345% at 2.5 V, exhibiting the photomultiplication (PM) phenomenon.

Diversity and Convergence of Sex-Determination Mechanisms in Teleost Fish.

Sexual reproduction is prevalent across diverse taxa. However, sex-determination mechanisms are so diverse that even closely related species often differ in sex-determination systems. Teleost fish is a taxonomic group with frequent turnovers of sex-determining mechanisms and thus provides us with great opportunities to investigate the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underlying the turnover of sex-determining systems.

The monoid-now: a category theoretic approach to the structure of phenomenological time-consciousness.

Human consciousness is characterized by constant transitions in time. On the other hand, what is consciously experienced always possesses the temporal feature of "now." In consciousness, "now" constantly holds different contents, yet it remains "now" no matter how far it goes.

Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Polymerized Chlorophyll Films as Environmentally Friendly Hole-Transporting Layers.

Hole-transporting layers (HTLs) play a crucial role in the performance of inverted, p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Chlorophylls (Chls) are naturally abundant organic photoconductors on earth, with good charge carrier mobility and appropriate Fermi energy levels that make them promising candidates for use in photovoltaic devices. However, Chls films prepared using the solution method exhibit lower carrier mobility compared to other organic polymer films, which limits their application in PSCs.

Molecular mechanism of the common and opposing cosolvent effects of fluorinated alcohol and urea on a coiled coil protein.

Alcohols and urea are widely used as effective protein denaturants. Among monohydric alcohols, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) has large cosolvent effects as a helix stabilizer in proteins. In contrast, urea efficiently denatures ordered native structures, including helices, into coils.

Overexpression of polyphosphate polymerases and deletion of polyphosphate phosphatases shorten the replicative lifespan in yeast.

We previously found that overexpression of phosphate starvation-responsive genes by disrupting PHO80 led to a shortened replicative lifespan in yeast. To identify lifespan-related genes, we screened upregulated genes in the pho80Δ mutant and focused on the VTC genes, which encode the vacuolar polyphosphate (polyP) polymerase complex. VTC1/VTC2/VTC4 deletion restored the lifespan and intracellular polyP levels in pho80Δ.

Cue to Acid-Induced Long-Range Conformational Changes in an Antibody Preceding Aggregation: The Structural Origins of the Subpeaks in Kratky Plots of Small-Angle X-ray Scattering.

Antibody aggregation, followed by acid denaturation and neutralization of pH, is one of the reasons why the production of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is expensive. Determining the structural details of acid-denatured antibodies is important for understanding their aggregation mechanism and for antibody engineering. Recent research has shown that monoclonal antibodies of human/humanized immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) become smaller globules at pH 2 compared to their native structure at pH 7.

Changes in the hydrophobic network of the FliG domain induce rotational switching of the flagellar motor.

The FliG protein plays a pivotal role in switching the rotational direction of the flagellar motor between clockwise and counterclockwise. Although we previously showed that mutations in the Gly-Gly linker of FliG induce a defect in switching rotational direction, the detailed molecular mechanism was not elucidated. Here, we studied the structural changes in the FliG fragment containing the middle and C-terminal regions, named FliG, and the switch-defective FliG-G215A, using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and molecular dynamics simulations.

Suppression of viral RNA polymerase activity is necessary for persistent infection during the transformation of measles virus into SSPE virus.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by measles virus (MV), which typically develops 7 to 10 years after acute measles. During the incubation period, MV establishes a persistent infection in the brain and accumulates mutations that generate neuropathogenic SSPE virus. The neuropathogenicity is closely associated with enhanced propagation mediated by cell-to-cell fusion in the brain, which is principally regulated by hyperfusogenic mutations of the viral F protein.

Electrocardiographic R wave amplitude in V6 lead as a predictive marker of cardiac dysfunction in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Purpose: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an inherited muscular disease characterized by progressive and fatal muscle weakness. Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities, including abnormal R wave amplitudes are frequently observed in DMD. However, clinical implications of abnormal R wave amplitudes remain unclear.

Novel predator-induced phenotypic plasticity by hemoglobin and physiological changes in the brain of .

Organisms adapt to changes in their environment to survive. The emergence of predators is an example of environmental change, and organisms try to change their external phenotypic systems and physiological mechanisms to adapt to such changes. In general, prey exhibit different phenotypes to predators owing to historically long-term prey-predator interactions.

Expression and characterization of C-terminal truncated mutants of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase II (PaGGTII) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

The gene encoding γ-glutamyltranspeptidase II (PaGGTII) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was cloned in Escherichia coli. Recombinant PaGGTII showed a weak activity (0.0332 U/mg), and it can be easily inactivated.

Remodeling Zinc Deposition via Multisite Zincophilic Chlorophyll for Powerful Aprotic Zinc Batteries.

The organic electrolyte can resolve the hurdle of hydrogen evolution in aqueous electrolytes but suffers from sluggish electrochemical reaction kinetics due to a compromised mass transfer process. Herein, we introduce a chlorophyll, zinc methyl 3-devinyl-3-hydroxymethyl-pyropheophorbide- (Chl), as a multifunctional electrolyte additive for aprotic zinc batteries to address the related dynamic problems in organic electrolyte systems. The Chl exhibits multisite zincophilicity, which significantly reduces the nucleation potential, increases the nucleation sites, and induces uniform nucleation of Zn metal with a nucleation overpotential close to zero.

Nondomain biopolymers: Flexible molecular strategies to acquire biological functions.

A long-standing assumption in molecular biology posits that the conservation of protein and nucleic acid sequences emphasizes the functional significance of biomolecules. These conserved sequences fold into distinct secondary and tertiary structures, enable highly specific molecular interactions, and regulate complex yet organized molecular processes within living cells. However, recent evidence suggests that biomolecules can also function through primary sequence regions that lack conservation across species or gene families.

Two single-point mutations in Ankyrin Repeat one drastically change the threshold temperature of TRPV1.

TRPV1 plays an important role in the thermosensory system; however, the mechanism controlling its heat activation property is not well understood. Here, we determine the heat activation properties of TRPV1 cloned from tailed amphibians, which prefer cooler environments, finding the threshold temperatures were approximately 10 °C lower compared with rat TRPV1 (rTRPV1). We find that two amino acid residues (Gln, Leu/Val) in the Ankyrin Repeat 1 (ANK1) region of the N-terminal domain are conserved among tailed amphibians and different from those (Arg, Lys) in rTRPV1.

Getting Smaller by Denaturation: Acid-Induced Compaction of Antibodies.

Protein denaturation is a ubiquitous process that occurs both and . While our molecular understanding of the denatured structures of proteins is limited, it is commonly accepted that the loss of unique intramolecular contacts makes proteins larger. Herein, we report compaction of the immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) protein upon acid denaturation.

An adjunction hypothesis between qualia and reports.

What are the nature of the relationship among qualia, contents of consciousness, and behavioral reports? Traditionally, this type of question has been only addressed a qualitative and philosophical approach. Some theorists emphasize an incomplete and inaccurate nature of reports of one's own qualia to discourage formal research programs on qualia. Other empirical researchers, however, have made substantial progress in understanding the structure of qualia from such limited reports.

Polymorphism of genes encoding drug-metabolizing and inflammation-related enzymes for susceptibility to cholangiocarcinoma in Thailand.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an intractable cancer, and its incidence in northeastern Thailand is the highest worldwide. Infection with the liver fluke (OV) has been associated with CCA risk. However, animal experiments have suggested that OV alone does not induce CCA, but its combination with a chemical carcinogen like nitrosamine can cause experimentally induced CCA in hamsters.

NAD Consuming Enzymes: Involvement in Therapies and Prevention of Human Diseases.

Neuroprotection is one of the hot topics in medicine. Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) degeneration, and axonal degeneration have been studied for the involvement of NAD depletion. Localized NAD depletion could lead to overactivation and crowding of local NAD salvage pathways.

Compensatory gene expression potentially rescues impaired brain development in Kit mutant mice.

While loss-of-function mutations in the murine dominant white spotting/Kit (W) locus affect a diverse array of cell lineages and organs, the brain, organ with the highest expression show the least number of defective phenotypes. We performed transcriptome analysis of the brains of Kit embryos and found prominent gene expression changes specifically in the E12.5 Kit homozygous mutant.