DSK1, a novel kinesin-related protein from the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis that is involved in anaphase spindle elongation.

We have identified an 80-kD protein that is involved in mitotic spindle elongation in the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis. DSK1 (Diatom Spindle Kinesin 1) was isolated using a peptide antibody raised against a conserved region in the motor domain of the kinesin superfamily. By sequence homology, DSK1 belongs to the central motor family of kinesin-related proteins. Immunoblots using an antibody raised against a non-conserved region of DSK1 show that DSK1 is greatly enriched in mitotic spindle preparations. Anti-DSK1 stains in diatom central spindle with a bias toward the midzone, and staining is retained in the spindle midzone during spindle elongation in vitro. Furthermore, preincubation with anti-DSK1 blocks function in an in vitro spindle elongation assay. This inhibition of spindle elongation can be rescued by preincubating concurrently with the fusion protein against which anti-DSK1 was raised. We conclude that DSK1 is involved in spindle elongation and is likely to be responsible for pushing hal-spindles apart in the spindle midzone

Effect of a delta tab on fine scale mixing in a turbulent two-stream shear layer

The fine scale mixing produced by a delta tab in a shear layer has been studied experimentally. The tab was placed at the trailing edge of a splitter plate which produced a turbulent two-stream mixing layer. The tab apex tilted downstream and into the high speed stream. Hot-wire measurements in the 3-D space behind the tab detailed the three velocity components as well as the small scale population distributions. These small scale eddies, which represent the peak in the dissipation spectrum, were identified and counted using the Peak-Valley-Counting technique. It was found that the small scale populations were greater in the shear region behind the tab, with the greatest increase occurring where the shear layer underwent a sharp turn. This location was near, but not coincident, with the core of the streamwise vortex, and away from the region exhibiting maximum turbulence intensity. Moreover, the tab increased the most probably frequency and strain rate of the small scales. It made the small scales smaller and more energetic

The Effect of Vortex Generators on a Jet in a Cross-Flow

The effect of vortex generators in the form of tabs on the penetration and spreading of a jet in a cross-flow has been studied experimentally. It is found that the tab has very little effect when placed on the leeward side, i.e., on the downstream edge of the jet nozzle relative to the free-stream flow. A study of the static pressure distribution reveals significantly lower pressures on the leeward side. Thus, when placed on that side the tab does not produce a "pressure hill" of sufficient magnitude that is the primary source of streamwise vorticity in the flow field over the tab. This qualitatively explains the ineffectiveness. In comparison, there is a significant effect on the flow field when the tab is placed on the windward side, The sense of vorticity generated by the tab in the latter configuration is opposite to that of the bound vortex pair that otherwise characterizes the flow. Thus, the strength of the bound vortex pair is diminished and the jet penetration is reduced

Use of RIP to inactivate genes in Neurospora crassa.

About two years ago we suggested that a novel genetic mechanism, operating in the period between fertilization and nuclear fusion in Neurospora, scans the genome for sequence dupliations and alters them (Selker E. et al. 1987 Cell 51:741-752)

DSK1, a novel kinesin-related protein from the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis that is involved in anaphase spindle elongation.

Abstract. We have identified an 80-kD protein that is involved in mitotic spindle elongation in the diatom Cylindrotheca fusiformis. DSK1 (Diatom Spindle Kinesin 1) was isolated using a peptide antibody raised against a conserved region in the motor domain of the kinesin superfamily. By sequence homology, DSK1 belongs to the central motor family of kinesin-related proteins. Immunoblots using an antibody raised against a nonconserved region of DSK1 show that DSK1 is greatly enriched in mitotic spindle preparations. Anti-DSK1 stains the diatom central spindle with a bias toward the midzone, and staining is retained in the spindle midzone during spindle elongation in vitro. Furthermore, preincubation with anti-DSK1 blocks function in an in vitro spindle elongation assay. This inhibition of spindle elongation can be rescued by preincubating concurrently with the fusion protein against which anti-DSK1 was raised. We conclude that DSK1 is involved in spindle elongation and is likely to be responsible for pushing half-spindles apart in the spindle midzone. T wo general types of movement contribute to separating sister chromatids during anaphase, and there is evidence that both types of movement can be accomplished by multiple mechanisms. Anaphase A, or chromosome to pole movement, may be driven by molecular motors at the kinetochore (Pfarr et al., 1990; Hyman and Mitchison, 1991; Goldsmith et al., 1992; Hyman et al., 1992), by depolymerization of tubulin subunits from the plus ends of kinetochore microtubules (MTs) 1 (Gorbsky e