Biochemie und Chemie
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Translation fidelity and efficiency require multiple ribosomal (r)RNA modifications that are mostly mediated by small nucleolar (sno)RNPs during ribosome production. Overlapping basepairing of snoRNAs with pre-rRNAs often necessitates sequential and efficient association and dissociation of the snoRNPs, however, how such hierarchy is established has remained unknown so far. Here, we identify several late-acting snoRNAs that bind pre-40S particles in human cells and show that their association and function in pre-40S complexes is regulated by the RNA helicase DDX21. We map DDX21 crosslinking sites on pre-rRNAs and show their overlap with the basepairing sites of the affected snoRNAs. While DDX21 activity is required for recruitment of the late-acting snoRNAs SNORD56 and SNORD68, earlier snoRNAs are not affected by DDX21 depletion. Together, these observations provide an understanding of the timing and ordered hierarchy of snoRNP action in pre-40S maturation and reveal a novel mode of regulation of snoRNP function by an RNA helicase in human cells.
Thiophenylazobenzene: an alternative photoisomerization controlled by lone‐pair⋅⋅⋅π interaction
(2019)
Azoheteroarene photoswitches have attracted attention due to their unique properties. We present the stationary photochromism and ultrafast photoisomerization mechanism of thiophenylazobenzene (TphAB). It demonstrates impressive fatigue resistance and photoisomerization efficiency, and shows favorably separated (E)‐ and (Z)‐isomer absorption bands, allowing for highly selective photoconversion. The (Z)‐isomer of TphAB adopts an unusual orthogonal geometry where the thiophenyl group is perfectly perpendicular to the phenyl group. This geometry is stabilized by a rare lone‐pair⋅⋅⋅π interaction between the S atom and the phenyl group. The photoisomerization of TphAB occurs on the sub‐ps to ps timescale and is governed by this interaction. Therefore, the adoption and disruption of the orthogonal geometry requires significant movement along the inversion reaction coordinates (CNN and NNC angles). Our results establish TphAB as an excellent photoswitch with versatile properties that expand the application possibilities of AB derivatives.
For a certain class of ocean models describing the exchange of inorganic carbon between the atmosphere and the surface layer of the ocean as well as between the surface layer and the deep sea the dynamical airborne fraction is evaluated analytically under the assumption that the growth rate of the atmospheric source term (fossil fuel plus net biogenic carbon input into the atmosphere) is slowly variable with time. Each of these models exhibits a certain uptake capacity of the deep ocean which is quantified. Considerations are made as to whether the terrestrial biota are to be regarded as a source or a sink for additional atmospheric CO2 depending on the modelling of the deep ocean. It is shown that a global one-dimensional box-diffusion ocean model with a depth dependent eddy diffusivity K(z) - K(0) exp[-z/z*], with an adjustable parameter set {K(0), z*}, provides a fairly well fit to the prebomb 14C ocean distribution and to an appreciable net biogenic carbon transfer into the atmosphere. The range of future atmospheric CO2 partial pressures is estimated for a given fossil input.
High-throughput protein localization studies require multiple strategies. Mass spectrometric analysis of defined cellular fractions is one of the complementary approaches to a diverse array of cell biological methods. In recent years, the protein content of different cellular (sub-)compartments was approached. Despite of all the efforts made, the analysis of membrane fractions remains difficult, in that the dissection of the proteomes of the envelope membranes of chloroplasts or mitochondria is often not reliable because sample purity is not always warranted. Moreover, proteomic studies are often restricted to single (model) species, and therefore limited in respect to differential individual evolution. In this study we analyzed the chloroplast envelope proteomes of different plant species, namely, the individual proteomes of inner and outer envelope (OE) membrane of Pisum sativum and the mixed envelope proteomes of Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago sativa. The analysis of all three species yielded 341 identified proteins in total, 247 of them being unique. 39 proteins were genuine envelope proteins found in at least two species. Based on this and previous envelope studies we defined the core envelope proteome of chloroplasts. Comparing the general overlap of the available six independent studies (including ours) revealed only a number of 27 envelope proteins. Depending on the stringency of applied selection criteria we found 231 envelope proteins, while less stringent criteria increases this number to 649 putative envelope proteins. Based on the latter we provide a map of the outer and inner envelope core proteome, which includes many yet uncharacterized proteins predicted to be involved in transport, signaling, and response. Furthermore, a foundation for the functional characterization of yet unidentified functions of the inner and OE for further analyses is provided.
The mitochondrial respiratory chain consists of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Complex-I), succinate:ubiquinone reductase (Complex-II), ubiquinol:cytochrome c reductase (Complex-III), cytochrome c oxidase (Complex-IV) and cytochrome c as an electron mediator between Complex-III and Complex-IV. Paracoccus denitrificans membranes were used as a model system for the association of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. More than 50 years ago, a model was given for a supercomplex assembly formed by stable associations between these complexes. This model gradually shifted by the model of random diffusion given by Hackenbrock et al. 1986 Different independent approaches were used to further analyze this situation in a native membrane environment, thus avoiding any perturbation caused by detergent solubilization: (a) measuring the distance and orientation of the different complexes by multi-frequency EPR Spectroscopy we started to analyze simple system, the interaction between CuA fragment derived from P. denitrificans and various c type cytochrome by Pulsed X band and G band (180 GHz) EPR. Partner proteins for the CuA (excess negative surface charge) were (i) horse heart cytochrome c which contain a large number of positive charges in heme crevice,(ii) the cytochrome c552 soluble fragment (physiological electron donor and have positive charges), and as a control (iii) the cytochrome c1 soluble fragment (negative surface potential, derived from bc1 complex) The measurements were performed at several magnetic field positions varying temperature between 5 to 30 K. Both the X band and the high-field measurements show the existence of a strong relaxation enhancement of the CuA by the specific binding of the P. denitrificans cytochrome c552 and horse heart cytochrome c. This relaxation enhancement is dependent on temperature and provides information about the distance and relative orientation of the two interacting spins within this protein-protein complex. (b) For quantitative information about lateral diffusion of cytochrome c oxidase in the native membrane Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) was used. In this experiment, diffusion coefficients for oxidase differ in the case of supercomplex for wild type membrane and for two deletion mutants lacking either Complex-I or Complex-III. (c) The optical absorption spectroscopy at microsecond level resolution was tried for the translational mobility of oxidase in membrane vesicles. Due to the presence of different hemes in the native membrane, carbon monoxide (CO) used as a probe for the experiment. The optimization of the experimental conditions were carried out to get the optimal signal.
The development of resistance to multiple drugs is a major problem in treatment of number of infectious diseases and cancer. The phenomenon of multidrug resistance (MDR) is based on the synergetic interplay of a number of mechanisms such as target inactivation, target alteration, prevention of drug influx as well as active extrusion of drugs from the cell. The latter is mediated by over-expression of multidrug efflux pumps. The first discovered and the best characterized until now the human MDR transporter is P-glycoprotein. It is a member of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) superfamily and acts as an active transporter for a variety of anticancer agents using the energy released by ATP hydrolysis. The closest structure and functional homologue of P-glycoprotein found in bacteria is LmrA from Lactococcus lactis. The major goals of this work are to establish the selective isotope labelling of LmrA in Lactococcus lactis, to optimize LmrA sample preparation for solid-state NMR, and finally to perform first solidstate NMR investigations on LmrA shedding light on its catalytic cycle and substrate binding. For a long time the solid-state NMR applications to biological science has been limited to investigation of small molecules mostly. Recently, the solid-state NMR methods have shown potential for structuraland non-perturbing, site directed functional studies of large membrane proteins as well as ligands bound to them. However, to our knowledge neither selective isotope amino acid labelling of any ABC transporter, nor NMR investigations on full-length ABC transporter have been reported to date. Solidstate NMR experiments on a membrane protein require reconstitution of purified proteins into a membrane environment at a high density and either isotopic enrichment of the protein or bound drugs or inhibitors. Therefore, the large quantities of LmrA reconstituted at a high density in lipid membranes, sufficient for advanced NMR studies have been produced and its functional state in reconstituted form has been assessed. In the next step, a procedure for cost effective selective amino acids isotope labelling of LmrA in Lactococcus lactis has been established. Using this protocol deuterium alanine labelled LmrA reconstituted into E. coli liposomes has been prepared. Deuterium NMR has been used extensively to assess the proteins dynamics in past. However, it has never been applied to ABC transporter. Here, we report 2H NMR on selective alanine isotope labelled LmrA which has been used to shed light on the dynamics changes in the protein occurred under AMP-PNP, non-hydrolysable ATP analogue, binding and in ATP/ADP-Vanadate trapped state. It has been found that the major conformation changes affecting the protein motional characteristics occur in the ATP binding domains but not in the transmembrane domains. Additionally, the binding of several substrates to LmrA has been studied by fluorescence spectroscopy as well as by 19F and 31P solid-state NMR. The binding constants for several LmrA substrates have been obtained by fitting the concentration dependant tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence quenching curves. Based on the fluorescence studies and solid-state NMR data, the conformation changes in LmrA under substrate binding have been discussed. In addition, the preferable location of nine LmrA and P-glycoprotein substrates within the model membrane has been studied via 1H-MAS-NOESY-NMR. The results have been interpreted with respect to LmrA and P-glycoprotein binding site accessibility from the membrane interface region.
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play regulatory roles in many different physiological processes and they represent one of the most important class of drug targets. However, due to the lack of three-dimensional structures, structure based drug design has not been possible. The major bottleneck in getting three-dimensional crystal structure of GPCRs is to obtain milligram quantities of pure, homogenous and stable protein. Therefore, during my Ph.D. thesis, I focused on expression, characterization and isolation of three GPCRs namely human bradykinin receptor subtype 2 (B2R), human angiotensin II receptor subtype 1 (AT1aR), and human neuromedin U receptor subtype 2 (NmU2R). These receptors were heterologously produced in three different expression systems (i.e. Pichia pastoris, insect cells and mammalian cells), biochemically characterized and subsequently solubilized and purified for structural studies The human bradykinin receptor subtype 2 (B2R) is constitutively expressed in a variety of cells, including endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. Activation of B2R is important in pathogenesis of inflammation, pain, tissue injury and cardioprotective mechanisms. During this study, recombinant B2R was produced in methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (3.5 pmol/mg), insect cells (10 pmol/mg) and mammalian cells (60 pmol/mg). The recombinant receptor was characterized in terms of [3H] bradykinin binding, G protein coupling, localization, and glycosylation. Subsequently, it was solubilized and purified using affinity chromatography. Homogeneity and stability of purified B2R was monitored by gel filtration analysis. Milligram amounts of pure and stable receptor were obtained from BHK cells and Sf9 cells, which were used for three-dimensional crystallization attempts. The second receptor, which I worked on, is human angiotensin II receptor subtype 1 (AT1aR). AT1aR is distributed in smooth muscle cells, liver, kidney, heart, lung and testis. Activation of AT1aR is implicated in the regulation of blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Recombinant AT1aR was produced at high levels in Pichia pastoris (167 pmol/mg), while at moderate levels in insect cells (29 pmol/mg) and mammalian cells (32 pmol/mg). The recombinant receptor was characterized in terms of [3H] angiotensin II binding, localization, and glycosylation. Subsequently, the receptor was solubilized and purified using affinity chromatography. Homogeneity and stability of purified AT1aR was monitored by gel filtration analysis. Milligram amounts of pure and stable receptor were obtained from Pichia pastoris, which were used for threedimensional crystallization attempts. In addition to B2R and AT1aR, I also attempted to produce and isolate the human neuromedin U receptor subtype 2 (NmU2R), which was deorphanized recently. It is found in highest abundance in the central nervous system, particularly the medulla oblongata, spinal cord and thalamus. The distribution of this receptor suggests its regulatory role in sensory transmission and modulation. During this study, recombinant NmU2R was produced in Pichia pastoris (6 pmol/mg) and BHK cells (9 pmol/mg). Recombinant receptor was characterized with regard to [125I] NmU binding, localization and glycosylation. Subsequently, the receptor was solubilized and purified using affinity chromatography. Due to its low expression level, further expression optimization is required in order to obtain milligram amounts for structural studies. The long-term goal of this study was to obtain three-dimensional crystal structure of recombinant GPCRs. However, 3-dimensional crystallization of human recombinant membrane proteins still remains a difficult task. On the other hand, recent advances in the solid-state NMR spectroscopy offer ample opportunities to study receptor-ligand systems, provided milligram quantities of purified receptor are available. Therefore, in parallel to 3-dimensional crystallization trials, purified B2R was also used for solid-state NMR analysis in order to investigate the receptor bound conformation of bradykinin. Preliminary results are promising and indicate significant structural changes in bradykinin upon binding to B2R. Further experiments are ongoing and will hopefully result in the structure of receptor bound bradykinin. One of the challenges in GPCR crystallization is the small hydrophilic surface area that is available to make crystal contacts. One possibility to overcome this problem can be the reconstitution of a GPCR complex with an interacting protein for cocrystallization. For this purpose, I coexpressed B2R and AT1aR, which form a stable heterodimer complex, in BHK cells. I could successfully isolate the heterodimer complex by using two-step affinity purification. Unfortunately, this complex was not stable over time and disassociates within three days of purification. However, during coexpression of B2R and AT1aR in BHK cells, I observed that B2R was localized in the plasma membrane in coexpressing cells while it was retained intracellularly when expressed alone. This coexpression of AT1aR with B2R resulted in a four-fold increase in [3H] bradykinin binding sites on the cell surface. In addition, these two receptors were cointernalized in response to their individual specific ligands. Interestingly, colocalization of B2R and AT1aR was also found in human foreskin fibroblasts (which endogenously express both receptors), in line with the possibility that heterodimerization may be required for surface localization of B2R in native tissues as well. This is the first report where surface localization of a peptide GPCR is triggered by a distantly related peptide GPCR. These data support the hypothesis that heterodimerization may be a prerequisite for cell surface localization of some GPCRs. A second approach that I followed to stabilize the purified B2R was to reconstitute the B2R-β-arrestin complex. β-arrestin is a cytosolic protein that participates in agonist mediated desensitization of GPCRs and therefore dampens the cellular responses initiated by the activation of GPCRs. I tried to reconstitute B2R-β-arrestin complex in vitro by mixing purified B2R and purified β-arrestin. But, no interaction of these two proteins was observed in the pull-down assays. However, a C-terminal mutant of B2R (where a part of the C-terminus of the B2R is exchanged with that of the vasopressin receptor) was found to interact with β-arrestin in vitro as revealed by pull-down assays. In conclusion, this work establishes the production, characterization and isolation of three recombinant human GPCRs. Recombinant receptors were produced in milligram amounts and therefore, pave the way for structural analysis. The heterodimer complex of B2R-AT1aR and B2R-β-arrestin complex can be of great help during crystallization. In addition, it was also found for the first time that the surface localization of a peptide GPCR can be triggered by heterodimerization with a distantly related peptide GPCR.
Halobacillus halophilus, a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from salt marshes, produces various compatible solutes to cope with osmotic stress. Glutamate and glutamine are dominant compatible solutes at mild salinities. Glutamine synthetase activity in cell suspensions of Halobacillus halophilus wild type was shown to be salt dependent and chloride modulated. A possible candidate to catalyze glutamine synthesis is glutamine synthetase A2, whose transcription is stimulated by chloride. To address the role of GlnA2 in the biosynthesis of the osmolytes glutamate and glutamine, a deletion mutant (ΔglnA2) was generated and characterized in detail. We compared the pool of compatible solutes and performed transcriptional analyses of the principal genes controlling the solute production in the wild type strain and the deletion mutant. These measurements did not confirm the hypothesized role of GlnA2 in the osmolyte production. Most likely the presence of another, yet to be identified enzyme has the main contribution in the measured activity in crude extracts and probably determines the total chloride-modulated profile. The role of GlnA2 remains to be elucidated.
Proteorhodopsin (PR) originally isolated from uncultivated γ-Proteobacterium as a result of biodiversity screens, is highly abundant ocean wide. PR, a Type I retinal binding protein with 26% sequence identity, is a bacterial homologue of Bacteriorhodopsin (BR). The members within this family share about 78% of sequence identity and display a 40 nm difference in the absorption spectra. This property of the PR family members provides an excellent model system for understanding the mechanism of spectral tuning. Functionally PR is a photoactive proton pump and is suggested to exhibit a pH dependent vectorality of proton transfer. This raises questions about its potential role as pH dependent regulator. The abundance of PR in huge numbers within the cell, its widespread distribution ocean wide at different depths hints towards the involvement of PR in utilization of solar energy, energy metabolism and carbon recycling in the Sea. Contrary to BR, which is known to be a natural 2D crystal, no such information is available for PR til date. Neither its functional mechanism nor its 3D structure has been resolved so far. This PhD project is an attempt to gain a deeper insight so as to understand structural and functional characterization of PR. The approach combines the potentials of 2D crystallography, Atomic Force Microscopy and Solid State NMR techniques for characterization of this protein. Wide range of crystalline conditions was obtained as a result of 2D crystallization screens. This hints towards dominant protein protein interactions. Considering the high number of PR molecules reported per cell, it is likely that driven by such interactions, the protein has a native dense packing in the environment. The projection map represented low resolution of these crystals but suggested a donut shape oligomeric arrangement of protein in a hexagonal lattice with unit cell size of 87Å*87Å. Preliminary FTIR measurements indicated that the crystalline environment does not obstruct the photocycle of PR and K as well as M intermediate states could be identified. Single molecule force spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy on these 2D crystals was used to probe further information about the oligomeric state and nature of unfolding. The data revealed that protein predominantly exists as hexamers in crystalline as well as densely reconstituted regions but a small percentage of pentamers is also observed. The unfolding mechanism was similar to the other relatively well-characterized members of rhodopsin family. A good correlation of the atomic force microscopy and the electron microscopy data was achieved. Solid State NMR of the isotopically labeled 2D crystalline preparations using uniformly and selectively labeling schemes, allowed to obtain high quality SSNMR spectra with typical 15N line width in the range of 0.6-1.2 ppm. The measured 15N chemical shift value of the Schiff base in the 2D crystalline form was observed to be similar to the Schiff base chemical shift values for the functionally active reconstituted samples. This provides an indirect evidence for the active functionality of the protein and hence the folding. The first 15N assignment has been achieved for the Tryptophan with the help of Rotational Echo Double Resonance experiments. The 2D Cross Polarization Lee Goldberg measurements reflect the dynamic state of the protein inspite of restricted mobility in the crystalline state. The behavior of lipids as measured by 31P from the lipid head group showed that the lipids are not tightly bound to the protein but behave more like the lipid bilayer. The 13C-13C homonulear correlation experiments with optimized mixing time based on build up curve analysis, suggest that it is possible to observe individual resonances as seen in case of glutamic acid. The signal to noise was good enough to record a decent spectrum in a feasible period. The selective unlabeling is an efficient method for reduction in the spectral overlap. However, more efficient labeling schemes are required for further characterization. The present spectral resolution is good for individual amino acid investigation but for uniformly labeled samples, further improvement is required.
Tumor development usually follows predictable paths where tumor cells acquire common characteristics and features known as the hallmarks of cancer. Recently, additional characteristics have been added to these hallmarks since solid tumors are composed of a very heterogeneous population of transformed, formerly normal tissue cells and stromal cells, e.g. immune cells and fibroblasts. Compelling evidence suggests that stromal cells and tumor cells maintain a symbiotic relationship to build up the tumor microenvironment and to fuel tumor growth. In cancer therapies, common features of tumors such as unrestricted cell growth, suppression of immunological responses, and the ability to form new blood vessels (angiogenesis) have emerged as the main targets of interest. The lipid mediator prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is known to promote all these features and thus, is connected to cancer progression in general. Its synthesis is triggered in response to stress factors or during inflammation. Inducible PGE2 production relies on the enzymes cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and microsomal prostanglandin E synthase 1 (mPGES-1), which are simultaneously expressed in response to a variety of different stimuli and are functionally coupled. Inhibition of COX-2 with non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for cancer treatment is, however, limited by cardiovascular risks, since selective COX-2 inhibition disrupts the prostacyclin/thromboxane balance. Therefore targeting mPGES-1 downstream of COX-2 for PGE2 inhibition was evaluated in this work in different steps of carcinogenesis. Knockdown of mPGES-1 in DU145 prostate cancer cells revealed that the mPGES-1 status did not affect growth of monolayer tumor cells, but significantly impaired 3D growth of multi-cellular tumor spheroids (MCTS). Spheroid formation induced COX-2 in DU145 and other prostate cancer spheroids. High levels of PGE2 were detected in supernatants of DU145 MCTS as opposed to monolayer DU145 cells. Pharmacological inhibition of COX-2 and mPGES-1 confirmed the pivotal role of PGE2 for DU145 MCTS growth. Besides promoting spheroid growth, MCTS-derived PGE2 also inhibited cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activation. When investigating the mechanisms of COX-2 induction during spheroid formation, the typical tumor microenvironmental factors such as glucose deprivation, hypoxia or tumor cell apoptosis failed to enhance COX-2. Interestingly, when interfering with apoptosis in DU145 spheroids, the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK triggered a Summary 12 shift towards necrosis, thus enhancing COX-2 expression. Coculturing viable DU145 monolayer cells with isolated heat-shocked-treated necrotic DU145 cells, but not with necrotic cell supernatants, induced COX-2 and PGE2, confirming the impact of necrosis for MCTS growth and CTL inhibition. As mentioned, in vivo tumors are very heterogenous mixtures of tumor cells and stromal cells e.g. immune cells. Hence, the interaction of the immune system with tumors was investigated in further experiments. When coculturing MCF-7 breast cancer spheroids with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), only low levels of PGE2 were detected, since MCF-7 cells did not upregulate COX-2 during spheroid formation and did not induce PGE2 production by PBMCs. Under inflammatory conditions, by adding the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to cocultures, PGE2 production was triggered, spheroid sizes were reduced, and numbers of high levels of granzyme B expressing (GrBhi) CTLs were increased, while CD80 expression by tumor-associated phagocytes was also elevated. Inhibition of CD80 but not CD86 diminished numbers of GrBhi CTLs and attenuated spheroid lysis. To determine the role of ctivation-induced PGE2 production, use of the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib and the experimental mPGES-1 inhibitor C3 further increased CD80 expression. Addition of PGE2, the prostaglandin E2 (EP2) receptor agonist butaprost, and the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor rolipram reduced LPS/C3-triggered CD80 expression, confirming the impact of COX- 2/mPGES-1-derived PGE2 on shaping phagocyte phenotypes in an EP2/cAMP-dependent manner. In a spontaneous breast cancer model (MMTV-PyMT), mPGES-1-deficiency significantly delayed tumor growth in mice, confirming an overall protumorigenic role of mPGES-1 in breast cancer development in vivo. However in tumors of mPGES-1-/- mice, tumor-infiltrating phagocytes expressed low levels of CD80 similar to their wildtype counterparts. These data suggest that the immunosuppressive microenvironment does not allow for immunostimulatory effects by mPGES-1 inhibition without an activating stimulus. Evidences in this study recommend the application of mPGES-1 inhibitors for treating cancer diseases, since mPGES-1 promotes tumor growth in multiple steps of carcinogenesis, ranging from well-characterized effects of tumor cell growth to immune suppression of CTL activity and phagocyte polarization. Regarding the latter, blunting PGE2 during immune activation may limit the tumor-favoring features of inflammation and improve the efficiency of TLR4 based immune therapies.
Di-μ-bromido-bis-[(diethyl ether-κO)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)magnesium] : the mesityl Grignard reagent
(2013)
The crystal structure of the title compound, [Mg2Br2(C9H11)2(C4H10O)2], features a centrosymmetric two-centre magnesium complex with half a mol-ecule in the asymmetric unit. The Mg atom is in a considerably distorted Br2CO coordination. Bond lengths and angles are comparable with already published values. The crystal packing is stabilized by C-H⋯π inter-actions linking the complexes into sheets parallel to (0-11).
RcsB is a central transcriptional regulator in enteric bacteria involved in exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis, in cell division, in the expression of osmoregulated genes, and regulates at least 20 other genes and operons. It is a member of a phosphorelay system and signal transfer is mediated by phosphorylation through the RcsC/YojN phosphorelay. RcsB proteins modified with the phosphorylation mimic BeF3- as shown by its conformational changes and DNA binding properties and resulted phosphorylated RcsB derivatives with sufficient stability. Both, the wild type RcsB protein and the mutant RcsBD11A could be modified with BeF3-. Non-phosphorylated RcsB has been shown to bind as a heterodimer with the coinducer RcsA at the conserved RcsAB box in Rcs regulated promoters. In this study, it has been shown that the modification of RcsB by BeF3 - (I) has a negative effect on its homodimerization, (II) abolishes the complex formation of RcsAB with the RcsAB box as shown by the EMSA and SPR technique. All the effects were found to be reversible by increasing the NaF concentration in the assays presumably leading to the formation of the inactive BeF4 2- salt. This hypothesis of RcsB being modified by BeF3- was also supported by other phosphodonors like ATP and acetyl phosphate, both of them showed the same negative effect on DNA binding by RcsAB heterodimer giving evidence that BeF3- could be used as a phosphorylation mimic. In addition, the phosphorylation mimic BeF3- was found to be a better phosphorylating agent than ATP and acetyl phosphate. This is the first evidence that phosphorylation of RcsB might have a negative effect on the activation of RcsAB regulated operons. Autophosphorylation of RcsB proves that it has the ability to take up phosphoryl groups and the mutant protein also become autophosphorylated with less efficiency or stability than the wild type protein. RcsB probably takes up phosphoryl groups through RcsC -> YojN -> RcsB phosphorelay pathway. To study the interaction among the proteins in this pathway, fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and an in vivo ß galactosidase assay were performed by using two domains of RcsC (T-RcsC and R-RcsC), HPt domain of the protein YojN, and RcsB. The interactions between R-RcsC/YojN-HPt and YojN-HPt/RcsB supports the proposed pathway of phosphorylating RcsB. RcsB might also be phosphorylated by YojN-HPt that is phosphorylated by other sensor kinase other than RcsC in a cross-talk mechanism. The phosphorylation of RcsB by YojN-HPt probably has the same negative effect on cps induction as obtained with BeF3 - effect on DNA binding by RcsAB heterodimer.
Potential energy, dipole moment, and electronic transition moment functions for the A 3Πand X3Σ- states of PH have been calculated from highly correlated electronic wavefunctions. The electric dipole moments in the vibrational ground state of PH are calculated to be 0.637 Debye (A 3Π) and 0.403 Debye (X3Σ-). The predicted rates of spontaneous emission between low lying vibrational states of the X state lie in the range of 46 to 109 sec-1 (PH) and 12 to 30 sec-1 (PD). The calculated radiative lifetime of the v' = 0 level in the A 3Π state of 400 ns is lower by about 10 percent than the most recent experimental value. The classical intersection of the 5Σ- and the A 3Πstate has been calculated to lie between v' = 2 and 3 with an expected uncertainty of about 500 cm−1, whereas the onset of the rotationally dependent predissociation lies at v' = 0, J' = 11.
Ein wichtiges Element zur Steuerung der Transkriptionseffizienz im Replikationszyklus des HI-Virus ist das Tat/TAR-System. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden einige kleine heterozyklische Verbindungen synthetisiert, die als potenzielle Inhibitoren des Tat-TAR-Komplexes von HIV-1 wirken sollten. Nach der Synthese des 1H-Pyrazol-3,4,5-triamin-sulfates sollte diese Verbindung dann in größere Strukturmotive eingebettet werden, von denen man sich erhoffte, dass sie in ihrer reduzierten Form in der Lage sein sollten, weitere H-Brücken zu benachbarten Basen der RNA auszubilden und dadurch die Affinität zu erhöhen. Es zeigte sich, dass die im Rahmen dieser Dissertation synthetisierten Phenazinderivate zwar alle mit Natriumdithionit reduziert werden konnten, diese Strukturen aber nicht luftstabil waren.
Phase equilibrium studies of the Lewis acid-base systems AlCl3/PyHBr and AlBr3/PyHI indicate the existence of congruently melting compounds of the molar ratios 1:1 and 2:3.
These results are quite different from those of our studies of the AlCl3/PyHCl and the AlBr3/PyHBr systems, in which four compounds in the molar ratios 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 2:3 could be detected.
The melting point of pyridinium iodide observed at 284,8 °C (decomp.) differs from the previously reported one.
A phase equilibrium study of the system aluminiumbromide and pyridiniumbromide has been carried out. The phase diagram of the system indicates the existence of three congruently melting com pounds of the molar ratio AlBr3/PyHBr 1:1, 1:3, 2 :3 and one incongruently melting compound of the molar ratio 1:2 and is therefore similar to the AlCl3-PyHCl system [1].