A search for interstellar CH3D: Limits to the methane abundance in Orion-KL

A search has been performed for interstellar CH3D via its J(K) = 1(0) - 0(0) transition at 230 GHz and its J(K) = 2(0) - l(0) and J(K) = 2(1) - 1(1) lines at 465 GHz using the NRAO 12 m and CSO 10 m telescopes towards Orion-KL. This search was done in conjunction with laboratory measurements of all three transitions of CH3D using mm/sub-mm direct absorption spectroscopy. The molecule was not detected down to a 3 sigma level of T(A) less than 0.05 K towards Orion, which suggests an upper limit to the CH3D column density of N less than 6 x 10(exp 18)/sq cm in the hot core region and a fractional abundance (with respect to H2) of less than 6 x 10(exp -6). These measurements suggest that the methane abundance in the Orion hot core is f less than 6 x 10-4, assuming D/H approximately 0.01. Such findings are in agreement with recent hot core chemical models, which suggest CH4/H2 approximately 10(exp -4)

Difficulties in Laboratory Studies and Astronomical Observations of Organic Molecules: Hydroxyacetone and Lactic Acid

For the past 35 years, radio astronomy has revealed a rich organic chemistry in the interstellar gas, which is exceptionally complex towards active star-forming regions. New solar systems condense out of this gas and may influence the evolution of life on newly formed planets. Much of the biologically important functionality is present among the some 130 gas-phase molecules found to date, including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, amines, amides and even the simplest sugar - glycolaldehyde. Still, many unidentified interstellar radio signals remain, and their identification relies on further laboratory study. The molecules hydroxyacetone and lactic acid are relatively small organic molecules, but possess rather complex rotational spectra owing to their high asymmetry. Hydroxyacetone is particularly problematic because it possess a very low barrier to internal rotation, and exhibits strong coupling of the free-rotor states with the overall rotation of the molecule. As in the case of acetamide, a full decomposition method was employed to order the resultant eigenstates onto normal asymmetric top eigenvectors

Detection of C3O in IRC+10216: Oxygen-Carbon chain chemistry in the outer envelope

The oxygen-bearing species C3O has been identified in the circumstellar envelope of the carbon star IRC +10216. The J = 8-->7, 9-->8, 10-->9, 14-->13, and 15-->14 transitions were detected at 2 and 3 mm using the Arizona Radio Observatory’s 12 m telescope. Measurements of the J = 9-->8, 10-->9, and 12-->11 lines were simultaneously conducted at the IRAM 30 m telescope. The line profiles of C3O are roughly U-shaped, indicating an extended shell distribution for this molecule in IRC +10216. The total column density derived for C3O is 1.2x10^12 cm^-2, at least an order of magnitude higher than that predicted by current chemical models. However, a revised model that includes reactions of atomic oxygen with carbon-chain radicals, such as l-C3H and C4, can reproduce the observed abundance. This model also predicts that C3O arises from a shell source with an outer radius near r ∼ 30", consistent with the observations. These results suggest that gas phase neutral-neutral chemistry may be producing the oxygen-bearing molecules present in the outer envelope of IRC +10216.This material is based on work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the NASA Astrobiology Institute under Cooperative Agreement CAN-02-OSS-02 issued through the Office of Space Science. We also acknowledge support from Spanish MEC under project AYA2003-2785 and from "Comunidad de Madrid" under PRICIT project S-0505/ESP-0237 (ASTROCAM). E. D. T. thanks NSF for a graduate research fellowship, and M. A. acknowledges Spanish MEC for a predoctoral grant AP2003-4619.Peer reviewe

The Distribution, Excitation and Formation of Cometary Molecules: Methanol, Methyl Cyanide and Ethylene Glycol

We present an interferometric and single dish study of small organic species toward Comets C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) and C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) using the BIMA interferometer at 3 mm and the ARO 12m telescope at 2 mm. For Comet Hale-Bopp, both the single-dish and interferometer observations of CH3OH indicate an excitation temperature of 105+/-5 K and an average production rate ratio Q(CH3OH)/Q(H2O)~1.3% at ~1 AU. Additionally, the aperture synthesis observations of CH3OH suggest a distribution well described by a spherical outflow and no evidence of significant extended emission. Single-dish observations of CH3CN in Comet Hale-Bopp indicate an excitation temperature of 200+/-10 K and a production rate ratio of Q(CH3CN)/Q(H2O)~0.017% at ~1 AU. The non-detection of a previously claimed transition of cometary (CH2OH)2 toward Comet Hale-Bopp with the 12m telescope indicates a compact distribution of emission, D<9'' (<8500 km). For the single-dish observations of Comet T7 LINEAR, we find an excitation temperature of CH3OH of 35+/-5 K and a CH3OH production rate ratio of Q(CH3OH)/Q(H2O)~1.5% at ~0.3 AU. Our data support current chemical models that CH3OH, CH3CN and (CH2OH)2 are parent nuclear species distributed into the coma via direct sublimation off cometary ices from the nucleus with no evidence of significant production in the outer coma.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap

Understanding the chemical complexity in Circumstellar Envelopes of C-Rich AGB stars: The case of IRC +10216

Abstract The circumstellar envelopes of carbon-rich AGB stars show a chemical complexity that is exemplified by the prototypical object IRC +10216, in which about 60 different molecules have been detected to date. Most of these species are carbon chains of the type C n H, C n H 2 , C n N, HC n N. We present the detection of new species (CH 2 CHCN, CH 2 CN, H 2 CS, CH 3 CCH and C 3 O) achieved thanks to the systematic observation of the full 3 mm window with the IRAM 30m telescope plus some ARO 12m observations. All these species, known to exist in the interstellar medium, are detected for the first time in a circumstellar envelope around an AGB star. These five molecules are most likely formed in the outer expanding envelope rather than in the stellar photosphere. A pure gas phase chemical model of the circumstellar envelope is reasonably successful in explaining the derived abundances, and additionally allows to elucidate the chemical formation routes and to predict the spatial distribution of the detected species

Coupling the dynamics and the molecular chemistry in the Galactic center

The physical conditions of the Galactic center (GC) clouds moving with non-circular velocities are not well-known. We have studied the physical conditions of these clouds with the aim of better understanding the origin of the outstanding physical conditions of the GC molecular gas and the possible effect of the large scale dynamics on these physical conditions.Using published CO(1-0) data, we have selected a set of clouds belonging to all the kinematical components seen in the longitude-velocity diagram of the GC. We have done a survey of dense gas in all the components using the J=2-1 lines of CS and SiO as tracers of high density gas and shock chemistry. We have detected CS and SiO emission in all the kinematical components. The gas density and the SiO abundance of the clouds in non-circular orbits are similar those in the nuclear ring (GCR). Therefore, in all the kinematical components there are dense clouds that can withstand the tidal shear. However, there is no evidence of star formation outside the GCR. The high relative velocity and shear expected in the dust-lanes along the bar major axis could inhibit the star formation process, as observed in other galaxies. The high SiO abundances derived in the non-circular velocity clouds are likely due to the large-scale shocks that created the dust lanesComment: One figure as an independent PDF file. Accepted by A&

Understanding the Chemical Complexity in Circumstellar Envelopes of C-rich AGB Stars: the Case of IRC +10216

The circumstellar envelopes of carbon-rich AGB stars show a chemical complexity that is exemplified by the prototypical object IRC +10216, in which about 60 different molecules have been detected to date. Most of these species are carbon chains of the type CnH, CnH2, CnN, HCnN. We present the detection of new species (CH2CHCN, CH2CN, H2CS, CH3CCH and C3O) achieved thanks to the systematic observation of the full 3 mm window with the IRAM 30m telescope plus some ARO 12m observations. All these species, known to exist in the interstellar medium, are detected for the first time in a circumstellar envelope around an AGB star. These five molecules are most likely formed in the outer expanding envelope rather than in the stellar photosphere. A pure gas phase chemical model of the circumstellar envelope is reasonably successful in explaining the derived abundances, and additionally allows to elucidate the chemical formation routes and to predict the spatial distribution of the detected species.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; to appear in Astrophysics and Space Science, special issue of "Science with ALMA: a new era for Astrophysics" conference, November, 13-17 2006, ed. R. Bachille

PABPN1 gene therapy for oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy

International audienceOculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is an autosomal dominant, late-onset muscle disorder characterized by ptosis, swallowing difficulties, proximal limb weakness and nuclear aggregates in skeletal muscles. OPMD is caused by a trinucleotide repeat expansion in the PABPN1 gene that results in an N-terminal expanded polyalanine tract in polyA-binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1). Here we show that the treatment of a mouse model of OPMD with an adeno-associated virus-based gene therapy combining complete knockdown of endogenous PABPN1 and its replacement by a wild-type PABPN1 substantially reduces the amount of insoluble aggregates, decreases muscle fibrosis, reverts muscle strength to the level of healthy muscles and normalizes the muscle transcriptome. The efficacy of the combined treatment is further confirmed in cells derived from OPMD patients. These results pave the way towards a gene replacement approach for OPMD treatment

Accumulation of poly(A) RNA in nuclear granules enriched in Sam68 in motor neurons from the SMNA7 mouse model of SMA

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe motor neuron (MN) disease caused by the deletion or mutation of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, which results in reduced levels of the SMN protein and the selective degeneration of lower MNs. The best-known function of SMN is the biogenesis of spliceosomal snRNPs, the major components of the pre-mRNA splicing machinery. Therefore, SMN deficiency in SMA leads to widespread splicing abnormalities. We used the SMN?7 mouse model of SMA to investigate the cellular reorganization of polyadenylated mRNAs associated with the splicing dysfunction in MNs. We demonstrate that SMN deficiency induced the abnormal nuclear accumulation in euchromatin domains of poly(A) RNA granules (PARGs) enriched in the splicing regulator Sam68. However, these granules lacked other RNA-binding proteins, such as TDP43, PABPN1, hnRNPA12B, REF and Y14, which are essential for mRNA processing and nuclear export. These effects were accompanied by changes in the alternative splicing of the Sam68-dependent Bcl-x and Nrnx1 genes, as well as changes in the relative accumulation of the intron-containing Chat, Chodl, Myh9 and Myh14 mRNAs, which are all important for MN functions. PARG-containing MNs were observed at presymptomatic SMA stage, increasing their number during the symptomatic stage. Moreover, the massive accumulations of poly(A) RNA granules in MNs was accompanied by the cytoplasmic depletion of polyadenylated mRNAs for their translation. We suggest that the SMN-dependent abnormal accumulation of polyadenylated mRNAs and Sam68 in PARGs reflects a severe dysfunction of both mRNA processing and translation, which could contribute to SMA pathogenesis.This work was supported by grants from: “Dirección General de Investigación” of Spain (BFU2014-54754-P and SAF2015-70801-R, cofinanced by FEDER) and “Instituto de Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL (NVAL17/22). Dr. Tapia is the recipient of a grant from SMA Europe and FundAME (Spain)