Porin channel triplets merge into single outlets in Escherichia coli outer membranes

Previous observations on the structural and functional properties of porin, the matrix protein of Escherichia coli, have indicated that the channel-forming trimers span the outer membranes of the bacterial cell, forming a molecular sieve. By using electron microscopy and image reconstruction, we demonstrate here that three channels on the outer surface of the cell merge into a single channel at the periplasmic face. Conductance measurements using conditions under which single activated triplets could be observed led us to conclude that the three individual consecutive closing steps reflect three channels within a single trimeric unit. Statistical analysis of conductance levels revealed that the first relaxation step is distinctly smaller than the two subsequent channel closings. This functional observation can be explained if the channels of porin trimers coalesce.     

Inhibition of the infective activity of phage f2 and its infectious RNA by histone

Zusammenfassung Histon hemmt die Entwicklung der Phagen f₂ inE. coli-K 13-Zellen und in den Spheroplasten, die mit f₂ RNS infiziert wurden. Die inaktivierende Wirkung des Histons auf freie Phagenpartikel und infektiöse RNS wurde beschrieben.     

Locomotor kinematics of the gecko （Tokay gecko） upon challenge with various inclines

Tokay geckos are skillful climbers and are able to negotiate difficult terrain such as steep slopes and overhanging inclines without losing their foothold. Here, we present data on the changes in locomotor kinematics when geckos are challenged to walk on various inclined surfaces. We trained individual geckos to move along a platform which can be tilted to simulate different slopes. The animals were filmed using a high-speed video camera. The results showed that their speed decreased with increasing slope angle, and their speed on the steep and inverted slopes （sloped angle 〉60~） decreased at a faster rate than on the shallow slopes （sloped angle 〈60~）. The geckos＇ stride length was much greater on the shallow slopes compared to the inverted slopes. The influence of stride length and stride frequency on speed was different when the geckos moved across different slopes. There are significant differences duty factor, which varied from 0.54 when wall climbing （90° slope） to 0.84 when walking on the ceiling （180° slope）. The mechanisms revealed this study will improve our understanding of control strategies in kinematics and inspire the design of robots with greater mobility.     

Comparative genomics of the neglected human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax

The human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax is responsible for 25-40% of the approximately 515 million annual cases of malaria worldwide. Although seldom fatal, the parasite elicits severe and incapacitating clinical symptoms and often causes relapses months after a primary infection has cleared. Despite its importance as a major human pathogen, P. vivax is little studied because it cannot be propagated continuously in the laboratory except in non-human primates. We sequenced the genome of P. vivax to shed light on its distinctive biological features, and as a means to drive development of new drugs and vaccines. Here we describe the synteny and isochore structure of P. vivax chromosomes, and show that the parasite resembles other malaria parasites in gene content and metabolic potential, but possesses novel gene families and potential alternative invasion pathways not recognized previously. Completion of the P. vivax genome provides the scientific community with a valuable resource that can be used to advance investigation into this neglected species.     

OGG1 initiates age-dependent CAG trinucleotide expansion in somatic cells

Although oxidative damage has long been associated with ageing and neurological disease, mechanistic connections of oxidation to these phenotypes have remained elusive. Here we show that the age-dependent somatic mutation associated with Huntington's disease occurs in the process of removing oxidized base lesions, and is remarkably dependent on a single base excision repair enzyme, 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase (OGG1). Both in vivo and in vitro results support a 'toxic oxidation' model in which OGG1 initiates an escalating oxidation-excision cycle that leads to progressive age-dependent expansion. Age-dependent CAG expansion provides a direct molecular link between oxidative damage and toxicity in post-mitotic neurons through a DNA damage response, and error-prone repair of single-strand breaks.     

Chemical reduction of three-dimensional silica micro-assemblies into microporous silicon replicas

The carbothermal reduction of silica into silicon requires the use of temperatures well above the silicon melting point (> or =2,000 degrees C). Solid silicon has recently been generated directly from silica at much lower temperatures (< or =850 degrees C) via electrochemical reduction in molten salts. However, the silicon products of such electrochemical reduction did not retain the microscale morphology of the starting silica reactants. Here we demonstrate a low-temperature (650 degrees C) magnesiothermic reduction process for converting three-dimensional nanostructured silica micro-assemblies into microporous nanocrystalline silicon replicas. The intricate nanostructured silica microshells (frustules) of diatoms (unicellular algae) were converted into co-continuous, nanocrystalline mixtures of silicon and magnesia by reaction with magnesium gas. Selective magnesia dissolution then yielded an interconnected network of silicon nanocrystals that retained the starting three-dimensional frustule morphology. The silicon replicas possessed a high specific surface area (>500 m(2) g(-1)), and contained a significant population of micropores (< or =20 A). The silicon replicas were photoluminescent, and exhibited rapid changes in impedance upon exposure to gaseous nitric oxide (suggesting a possible application in microscale gas sensing). This process enables the syntheses of microporous nanocrystalline silicon micro-assemblies with multifarious three-dimensional shapes inherited from biological or synthetic silica templates for sensor, electronic, optical or biomedical applications.