Structure of cytochrome a3-Cua3 couple in cytochrome c oxidase as revealed by nitric oxide binding studies

The addition of NO to oxidized cytochrome c oxidase (ferrocytochrome c:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.9.3.1) causes the appearance of a high-spin heme electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal due to cytochrome a3. This suggests that NO coordinates to Cu{a3}+2 and breaks the antiferromagnetic couple by forming a cytochrome a3+3-Cu{a3}+2-NO complex. The intensity of the high-spin cytochrome a3 signal depends on the method of preparation of the enzyme and maximally accounts for 58% of one heme. The effect of N3- on the cytochrome a3+3-Cu{a3}+2-NO complex is to reduce cytochrome a3 to the ferrous state, and this is followed by formation of a new complex that exhibits EPR signals characteristic of a triplet species. On the basis of optical and EPR results, a NO bridge between cytochrome a3+2 and Cu{a3}+2 is proposed-i.e., cytochrome a3+2-NO-Cu{a3}+2. The half-field transition observed at g = 4.34 in the EPR spectrum of this triplet species exhibits resolved copper hyperfine splittings with |A{}| = 0.020 cm-1, indicating that the Cu{a3}+2 in the cytochrome a3+2-NO-Cu{a3}+2 complex is similar to a type 2 copper site

Test of Host Sanction Hypothesis in Soybean Plants Co-inoculated with Nitrogen Fixing and Non-fixing Bradyrhizobium japonicum

Aims: We tested the proposed mechanism for potential sanctions, that the plant would reduce viability of non-fixing rhizobia inside nodules, performing viable Bradyrhizobium japonicum counts from co-occupied and single-occupied nodules in co-inoculated soybean plants. Study Design: Plants were co-inoculated with two strains of B. japonicum, a highly efficient nitrogen fixing wild-type strain BJD321, and the non-fixing, nifH mutant derivative A3, to produce co-occupied nodules as well as single-occupied nodules. Strain A3 lacks nitrogenase activity but shows similar infection and nodule formation levels respect to the wild-type. As the strains used are equivalent in competitive and nodulation abilities and only differ in the nitrogen fixation ability (by nitrogenase inactivation), and share the same plant, root and even nodule, we can assert that themechanism being tested is plant host sanction, and no other proposed mechanisms like partner choice. Place and Duration of Study: Nitrogen Metabolism Lab, Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems at Zaidín Experimental Station (CSIC State Agency, Granada, Spain). 2010- 2011. Methodology: Axenic seedlings of soybean (Glycine max) cultivar Williams were inoculated with 2 ml of bacterial suspension of BJD321 or A3 strains, alone or in 1:1 mixture and supplied with sterilized N free nutrient solution. Four weeks after inoculation plants of each inoculation treatment (BJD321 + A3, BJD321 only, A3 only) were harvested, nodules were counted and weighed and plated to determine rhizobial strain occupation and population. In the aerial part of plants, determinations of weight, N and C content were done. Results: Co-inoculated plants and plants only inoculated with the BJD321 strain showed a similar nitrogen fixation since they did not differ in dry weight, total N content and total C content. Plants with different inoculation treatments (BJD321 + A3, BJD321 only and A3 only) did not differ in nodule number. In co-inoculated plants, nodule occupation did not differ from the expected among strains (about 33% BJD321 + A3, BJD321 only and A3 only), and the weight of nodules occupied by both strains, BJD321 or A3 alone did not differ. In co-inoculated plants rhizobial viability did not differ between BJD321 and A3 strains, either comparing co-occupied nodules or single-occupied nodules. Nodule size and CFU of rhizobia inside nodules were not correlated, either in coinoculated plants or plants inoculated with BJD321 strain alone. Conclusion: We can conclude that in the soybean-B. japonicum system, plants facing the presence of fixing and non-fixing rhizobial strains do not sanction cheating and can perform as well as plants inoculated with the fixing strain alone.Fil: Marco, Diana Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Cs.agropecuarias. Area de Producción Organica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Talbi, Chouhra. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Bedmar, Eulogio. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Experimental del Zaidín; Españ

On the Regularity of Optimal Transportation Potentials on Round Spheres

In this paper the regularity of optimal transportation potentials defined on round spheres is investigated. Specifically, this research generalises the calculations done by Loeper, where he showed that the strong (A3) condition of Trudinger and Wang is satisfied on the round sphere, when the cost-function is the geodesic distance squared. In order to generalise Loeper's calculation to a broader class of cost-functions, the (A3) condition is reformulated via a stereographic projection that maps charts of the sphere into Euclidean space. This reformulation subsequently allows one to verify the (A3) condition for any case where the cost-fuction of the associated optimal transportation problem can be expressed as a function of the geodesic distance between points on a round sphere. With this, several examples of such cost-functions are then analysed to see whether or not they satisfy this (A3) condition.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figure

A discrete linearizability test based on multiscale analysis

In this paper we consider the classification of dispersive linearizable partial difference equations defined on a quad-graph by the multiple scale reduction around their harmonic solution. We show that the A1, A2 and A3 linearizability conditions restrain the number of the parameters which enter into the equation. A subclass of the equations which pass the A3 C-integrability conditions can be linearized by a Möbius transformation

Gene variants with suicidal risk in a sample of subjects with chronic migraine and affective temperamental dysregulation

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for suicide are at least partially heritable and functional polymorphisms of targeted genes have been suggested to be implicated in the pathogenesis of this phenomenon. However, other studies examining the association between specific gene variants and suicide revealed inconsistent findings. We aims to evaluate the possible association between MAO-A3, CYP1A2*1F and GNB3 gene variants, hopelessness and suicidal risk in a sample of subjects with chronic migraine and affective temperamental dysregulation. METHODS: 56 women were genotyped for MAO-A3, CYP1A2*1F and GNB3 gene variants. Participants were also assessed using Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A), and the Suicidal History Self-Rating Screening Scale (SHSS). RESULTS: Patients with higher total scores on affective dysregulated temperaments are more likely to have higher BHS (11.27 +/- 5.54 vs. 5.73 +/- 3.81; t19.20 = -3.57; p = 9 indicating high levels of hopelessness. No association was found between MAO-A3, CYP1A2*1F and GNB3 gene variants and suicidal risk as assessed by BHS and SHSS. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not sustain the association between MAO-A3, CYP1A2*1F and GNB3 gene variants and increased suicidal risk in patients with chronic migraine and affective temperamental dysregulation. Further studies investigating the gene-environment interaction or focusing on other genetic risk factors involved in suicidal behaviour are needed

Chemical Heterogeneities along the South Atlantic Mid-Ocean-Ridge (5-11°S): Shallow or Deep Recycling of Ocean Crust?

Between 5° and 11°S, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge displays anomalous crustal thickness and geochemical compositions, thought to be related to either small scale upper mantle heterogeneities or a weak, diffuse mantle plume. We report new high precision trace element and Sr, Nd and Pb (DS) isotope data for 72 ridge axis samples and 9 off-axis seamount samples along with U–Th–Ra disequilibria data for off axis seamounts at c. 9.7°S. At least four distinct components are needed to explain the geochemical variations along the ridge: 1) a common depleted (D-MORB-like) component near and north of 4.8–7.6°S, 2) an enriched component upwelling beneath Ascension Island and the northern A1 ridge segment (segment numbers ascend from north to south), 3) an enriched component upwelling beneath the A2 ridge segment, and 4) an enriched component upwelling beneath the line of seamounts east of the A3 segment and the A3 and A4 segments. The A1 and the A3+A4 segment lavas form well-defined mixing arrays from Ascension Island and the A3 seamounts respectively to the depleted D-MORB component. We propose that the enriched components represent different packages of subducted ocean crust and/or ocean island basalt (OIB) type volcanic islands and seamounts that have either been recycled through 1) the shallow mantle, upwelling passively beneath the ridge system or 2) the deep mantle via an actively upwelling heterogeneous mantle plume that interacts with the ridge system

Collisional properties of ultracold K-Rb mixtures

We determine the inter-species s-wave triplet scattering length a3 for all K-Rb isotopic mixtures by measuring the cross-section for collisions between 41K and 87Rb in different temperature regimes. The positive value a3=+163(+57,-12)a0 ensures the stability of binary 41K-87Rb Bose-Einstein condensates. For the fermion-boson mixture 40K-87Rb we obtain a large and negative scattering length which implies an efficient sympathetic cooling of the fermionic species down to the degenerate regime.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; revised version (references added and small changes

Review of \u3cem\u3eKant and Phenomenology\u3c/em\u3e

Photograph of Ted on Barker's Ark, taken Campion Hill site, 13 May 1961 close up portrait. A3

Molekulare Ursachen einer seltenen Form stationärer Farbenblinddheit

Genetic analysis of patients suffering from autosomal recessively inherited achromatopsia revealed candidate mutations that might cause the disease. Most of these mutations are positioned in the genes coding for the subunits CNGA3 and CNGB3 of the cyclic nucleotidegated (CNG) channel present in cone photoreceptors (WISSINGER et al., $\textit{Am. J. Hum. Genet.}$ 69: 722-737, 2001). Two siblings suffering from incomplete achromatopsia carry two mutated $\textit{CNGA3}$ alleles, respectively. One mutation leads to a substitution of Thr to Arg in the S2-S3- linker (A3$_{T224R}$), the other mutation leads to a substitution of Thr to Ser in the pore region (A3$_{T369S}$) of CNGA3. Psychophysical measurements revealed, that the cone photoreceptor system of the siblings is characterized by reduced sensitivity. Electroretinographic measurements indicate a perturbed synaptic transmission from cone photoreceptors to secondary neurons. Heterologous expression of the mutant channel subunits in HEK293 cells revealed that only A3$_{T369S}$ forms functional channels. Compared to the wildtype protein (A3), A3$_{T369S}$ displayed 1) increased single-channel conductance, 2) reduced apparent affinity of the pore for extracellular Ca$^{2+}$, 3) altered gating and 4) substantially reduced ligand sensitivity. Surprisingly, co-expression of the A3 or A3$_{T369S}$ with CNGB3 (B3) leads to channels with almost similar functional properties: conductance, gating behaviour and ligand sensitivity of A3/B3 and A3$_{T369S}$/B3 are indistinguishable. However, the apparent affinity for extracellular Ca$^{2+}$ remained smaller for A3$_{T369S}$B3. lt is plausible, that the changed Ca$^{2+}$ affinity is responsible for the diseased state of the achromatic siblings