scholarly journals Tuning flavin environment to detect and control light-induced conformational switching in Drosophila cryptochrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siddarth Chandrasekaran ◽  
Connor M. Schneps ◽  
Robert Dunleavy ◽  
Changfan Lin ◽  
Cristina C. DeOliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Reactions ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Conformational Switching ◽  
Spin Resonance ◽  
Degradation Activity ◽  
Recognition Motifs ◽  
Cellular Turnover ◽  
Control Light ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Control

AbstractLight-induction of an anionic semiquinone (SQ) flavin radical in Drosophila cryptochrome (dCRY) alters the dCRY conformation to promote binding and degradation of the circadian clock protein Timeless (TIM). Specific peptide ligation with sortase A attaches a nitroxide spin-probe to the dCRY C-terminal tail (CTT) while avoiding deleterious side reactions. Pulse dipolar electron-spin resonance spectroscopy from the CTT nitroxide to the SQ shows that flavin photoreduction shifts the CTT ~1 nm and increases its motion, without causing full displacement from the protein. dCRY engineered to form the neutral SQ serves as a dark-state proxy to reveal that the CTT remains docked when the flavin ring is reduced but uncharged. Substitutions of flavin-proximal His378 promote CTT undocking in the dark or diminish undocking in the light, consistent with molecular dynamics simulations and TIM degradation activity. The His378 variants inform on recognition motifs for dCRY cellular turnover and strategies for developing optogenetic tools.

scholarly journals The Gyrotrons as Promising Radiation Sources for THz Sensing and Imaging

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshitaka Idehara ◽  
Svilen Petrov Sabchevski ◽  
Mikhail Glyavin ◽  
Seitaro Mitsudo
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Wave ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Spectroscopic Techniques ◽  
The Road ◽  
Radiation Sources ◽  
Spin Resonance ◽  
Thz Sensing ◽  
New Applications ◽  
And Control

The gyrotrons are powerful sources of coherent radiation that can operate in both pulsed and CW (continuous wave) regimes. Their recent advancement toward higher frequencies reached the terahertz (THz) region and opened the road to many new applications in the broad fields of high-power terahertz science and technologies. Among them are advanced spectroscopic techniques, most notably NMR-DNP (nuclear magnetic resonance with signal enhancement through dynamic nuclear polarization, ESR (electron spin resonance) spectroscopy, precise spectroscopy for measuring the HFS (hyperfine splitting) of positronium, etc. Other prominent applications include materials processing (e.g., thermal treatment as well as the sintering of advanced ceramics), remote detection of concealed radioactive materials, radars, and biological and medical research, just to name a few. Among prospective and emerging applications that utilize the gyrotrons as radiation sources are imaging and sensing for inspection and control in various technological processes (for example, food production, security, etc). In this paper, we overview the current status of the research in this field and show that the gyrotrons are promising radiation sources for THz sensing and imaging based on both the existent and anticipated novel techniques and methods.

scholarly journals Origin and control of ionic hydration patterns in nanopores

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miraslau L. Barabash ◽  
William A. T. Gibby ◽  
Carlo Guardiani ◽  
Alex Smolyanitsky ◽  
Dmitry G. Luchinsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Water Molecules ◽  
Surrounding Water ◽  
Ionic Hydration ◽  
Hydration Shells ◽  
Water Layers ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Control

AbstractIn order to permeate a nanopore, an ion must overcome a dehydration energy barrier caused by the redistribution of surrounding water molecules. The redistribution is inhomogeneous, anisotropic and strongly position-dependent, resulting in complex patterns that are routinely observed in molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we study the physical origin of these patterns and of how they can be predicted and controlled. We introduce an analytic model able to predict the patterns in a graphene nanopore in terms of experimentally accessible radial distribution functions, giving results that agree well with molecular dynamics simulations. The patterns are attributable to a complex interplay of ionic hydration shells with water layers adjacent to the graphene membrane and with the hydration cloud of the nanopore rim atoms, and we discuss ways of controlling them. Our findings pave the way to designing required transport properties into nanoionic devices by optimising the structure of the hydration patterns.

scholarly journals Environmentally persistent free radicals are ubiquitous in wildfire charcoals and remain stable for years

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Sigmund ◽  
Cristina Santín ◽  
Marc Pignitter ◽  
Nathalie Tepe ◽  
Stefan H. Doerr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Free Radicals ◽  
Reactive Oxygen ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Pyrogenic Carbon ◽  
Spin Resonance ◽  
Long Time ◽  
High Concentrations

AbstractGlobally landscape fires produce about 256 Tg of pyrogenic carbon or charcoal each year. The role of charcoal as a source of environmentally persistent free radicals, which are precursors of potentially harmful reactive oxygen species, is poorly constrained. Here, we analyse 60 charcoal samples collected from 10 wildfires, that include crown as well as surface fires in forest, shrubland and grassland spanning different boreal, temperate, subtropical and tropical climate. Using electron spin resonance spectroscopy, we measure high concentrations of environmentally persistent free radicals in charcoal samples, much higher than those found in soils. Concentrations increased with degree of carbonization and woody fuels favoured higher concentrations. Moreover, environmentally persistent free radicals remained stable for an unexpectedly long time of at least 5 years. We suggest that wildfire charcoal is an important global source of environmentally persistent free radicals, and therefore potentially of harmful reactive oxygen species.

scholarly journals Striatal glutamate and the conversion to psychosis: a prospective 1H-MRS imaging study

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 471-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilo de la Fuente-Sandoval ◽  
Pablo León-Ortiz ◽  
Mariana Azcárraga ◽  
Rafael Favila ◽  
Sylvana Stephano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Proton Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
1H Mrs ◽  
Ultra High Risk ◽  
And Control

Abstract Increased glutamate levels in the associative-striatum have been described in subjects at ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR); nevertheless, it is unclear whether this abnormality predicts the conversion to psychosis. Nineteen subjects at UHR and 26 controls were studied using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Subjects at UHR were clinically followed for 2 yr. Seven UHR subjects (37%) transitioned to a psychotic disorder and the remaining 12 did not exhibit psychotic symptoms at the most recent follow-up. The psychosis transition group had higher glutamate levels compared to both non-transition and control groups (p = 0.02 and p < 0.01, respectively; effect size 1.39). These pilot findings suggest that the conversion to psychosis is associated with increased glutamate levels in the associative-striatum.

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