Biochemie und Chemie
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The effect of a single site mutation of Arg-54 to methionine in Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c oxidase was studied using a combination of optical spectroscopy, electrochemical and rapid kinetics techniques, and time-resolved measurements of electrical membrane potential. The mutation resulted in a blue-shift of the heme a alpha-band by 15 nm and partial occupation of the low-spin heme site by heme O. Additionally, there was a marked decrease in the midpoint potential of the low-spin heme, resulting in slow reduction of this heme species. A stopped-flow investigation of the reaction with ferrocytochrome c yielded a kinetic difference spectrum resembling that of heme a(3). This observation, and the absence of transient absorbance changes at the corresponding wavelength of the low-spin heme, suggests that, in the mutant enzyme, electron transfer from Cu(A) to the binuclear center may not occur via heme a but that instead direct electron transfer to the high-spin heme is the dominating process. This was supported by charge translocation measurements where Deltapsi generation was completely inhibited in the presence of KCN. Our results thus provide an example for how the interplay between protein and cofactors can modulate the functional properties of the enzyme complex.
In the search for novel organic charge transfer salts with variable degrees of charge transfer we have studied the effects of two modifications of the recently synthesized donor–acceptor system [tetramethoxypyrene (TMP)]–[tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ)]. One is of chemical nature by substituting the acceptor TCNQ molecules by F4TCNQ molecules. The second consists in simulating the application of uniaxial pressure along the stacking axis of the system. In order to test the chemical substitution, we have grown single crystals of the TMP–F4TCNQ complex and analyzed its electronic structure via electronic transport measurements, ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations and UV/VIS/IR absorption spectroscopy. This system shows an almost ideal geometrical overlap of nearly planar molecules stacked alternately (mixed stack) and this arrangement is echoed by a semiconductor-like transport behavior with an increased conductivity along the stacking direction. This is in contrast to TMP–TCNQ which shows a less pronounced anisotropy and a smaller conductivity response. Our band structure calculations confirm the one-dimensional behavior of TMP–F4TCNQ with pronounced dispersion only along the stacking axis. Infrared measurements illustrating the C[triple bond, length as m-dash]N vibration frequency shift in F4TCNQ suggest however no improvement in the degree of charge transfer in TMP–F4TCNQ with respect to TMP–TCNQ. In both complexes about 0.1e is transferred from TMP to the acceptor. Concerning the pressure effect, our DFT calculations on the designed TMP–TCNQ and TMP–F4TCNQ structures under different pressure conditions show that application of uniaxial pressure along the stacking axis of TMP–TCNQ may be the route to follow in order to obtain a much more pronounced charge transfer.
Vertebrate life depends on renal function to filter excess fluid and remove low-molecular-weight waste products. An essential component of the kidney filtration barrier is the slit diaphragm (SD), a specialized cell-cell junction between podocytes. Although the constituents of the SD are largely known, its molecular organization remains elusive. Here, we use super-resolution correlative light and electron microscopy to quantify a linear rate of reduction in albumin concentration across the filtration barrier under no-flow conditions. Next, we use cryo-electron tomography of vitreous lamellae from high-pressure frozen native glomeruli to analyze the molecular architecture of the SD. The resulting densities resemble a fishnet pattern. Fitting of Nephrin and Neph1, the main constituents of the SD, results in a complex interaction pattern with multiple contact sites between the molecules. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we construct a blueprint of the SD that explains its molecular architecture. Our architectural understanding of the SD reconciles previous findings and provides a mechanistic framework for the development of novel therapies to treat kidney dysfunction.
Vertebrate life depends on renal function to filter excess fluid and remove low-molecular-weight waste products. An essential component of the kidney filtration barrier is the slit diaphragm (SD), a specialized cell-cell junction between podocytes. Although the constituents of the SD are largely known, its molecular organization remains elusive. Here, we use super-resolution correlative light and electron microscopy to quantify a linear rate of reduction in albumin concentration across the filtration barrier. Next, we use cryo-electron tomography of vitreous lamellae from high-pressure frozen native glomeruli to analyze the molecular architecture of the SD. The resulting densities resemble a fishnet pattern. Fitting of Nephrin and Neph1, the main constituents of the SD, results in a complex interaction pattern with multiple contact sites between the molecules. Using molecular dynamics flexible fitting, we construct a blueprint of the SD, where we describe all interactions. Our architectural understanding of the SD reconciles previous findings and provides a mechanistic framework for the development of novel therapies to treat kidney dysfunction.
Infrared spectroscopy in combination with a specially developed attenuated total reflection (ATR) flow cell and multivariate analysis was used for the quantitative analysis of beer and other beverages. IR spectra of samples were obtained in the range from below 1000 cm-1 to 4000 cm-1 and subjected to a multivariate analysis based on calibration sets with laboratory reference standards. In the case of beer, this calibration set included 240 beer samples spanning the entire range of ethanol content, extract and CO2. Based on this calibration, an infrared and UV/Vis spectroscopy-based sensor for the quick and quantitative quality control of beer was developed and subjected to extensive tests in breweries. This sensor meets and exceeds all requirements from brewers for the routine control in the production and bottling. Its use for other beverages, for example wine, juices or apple wine, requires only another set of calibration data for the specific beverage.
The reactions of diluted aqueous solutions of SO2 resp. HSO3-ions with MnO4-or Ce4+ ions in the pH range 1-4 produce chemiluminescence in the spectral region of 450-600 nm. Measurements of the time course of the light emission and their simulation on an analog computer led to a reaction scheme in which a recombination product of primarily formed HSO3 radicals -of a lifetime of about 1 second -appears as precursor of electronically excited SO2 molecules. The participation of singlet oxygen can be excluded because at least the reaction with Ce4+ ions proceeds also in the absence of oxygen.
Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is a powerful method to elucidate subcellular architecture and to structurally analyse biomolecules in situ by subtomogram averaging (STA). Specimen thickness is a key factor affecting cryo-ET data quality. Cells that are too thick for transmission imaging can be thinned by cryo-focused-ion-beam (cryo-FIB) milling. However, optimal specimen thickness for cryo-ET on lamellae has not been systematically investigated. Furthermore, the ions used to ablate material can cause damage in the lamellae, thereby reducing STA resolution. Here, we systematically benchmark the resolution depending on lamella thickness and the depth of the particles within the sample. Up to ca. 180 nm, lamella thickness does not negatively impact resolution. This shows that there is no need to generate very thin lamellae and thickness can be chosen such that it captures major cellular features. Furthermore, we show that gallium-ion-induced damage extends to depths of up to 30 nm from either lamella surface.
The SLC26 family of transporters maintains anion equilibria in all kingdoms of life. The family shares a 7 + 7 transmembrane segments inverted repeat architecture with the SLC4 and SLC23 families, but holds a regulatory STAS domain in addition. While the only experimental SLC26 structure is monomeric, SLC26 proteins form structural and functional dimers in the lipid membrane. Here we resolve the structure of an SLC26 dimer embedded in a lipid membrane and characterize its functional relevance by combining PELDOR distance measurements and biochemical studies with MD simulations and spin-label ensemble refinement. Our structural model reveals a unique interface different from the SLC4 and SLC23 families. The functionally relevant STAS domain exerts a stabilizing effect on regions central in this dimer. Characterization of heterodimers indicates that protomers in the dimer functionally interact. The combined structural and functional data define the framework for a mechanistic understanding of functional cooperativity in SLC26 dimers.
Zeit ist einer jener Begriffe, für die man die Augustinische Charakterisierung gelten lassen wollte, es sei klar, was sie bedeuten, solange nicht danach gefragt werde (Augustinus Confessiones Lib. XI, 17). Die Frage aber nach dem, was "Zeit" eigentlich ist, erscheint umso berechtigter, als es insbesondere die Naturwissenschaften sind, die für sich in Anspruch nehmen, hier Antworten geben zu können. Die zu erwartenden Antworten wären danach wesentlich empirischer Natur – also direkt oder indirekt experimentell gestützt und mithin Ergebnis dieser Forschung. ...