5,870 research outputs found
Putative intermediates in the nerve cell differentiation pathway in hydra have properties of multipotent stem cells
We have investigated the properties of nerve cell precursors in hydra by analyzing the differentiation and proliferation capacity of interstitial cells in the peduncle of Hydra oligactis, which is a region of active nerve cell differentiation. Our results indicate that about 50% of the interstitial cells in the peduncle can grow rapidly and also give rise to nematocyte precursors when transplanted into a gastric environment. If these cells were committed nerve cell precursors, one would not expect them to differentiate into nematocytes nor to proliferate apparently without limit. Therefore we conclude that cycling interstitial cells in peduncles are not intermediates in the nerve cell differentiation pathway but are stem cells. The remaining interstitial cells in the peduncle are in G1 and have the properties of committed nerve cell precursors (Holstein and David, 1986). Thus, the interstitial cell population in the peduncle contains both stem cells and noncycling nerve precursors. The presence of stem cells in this region makes it likely that these cells are the immediate targets of signals which give rise to nerve cells
High-resolution crystal structure of C-Phycocyanin and polarized optical spectra of single crystals
New Record of \u3ci\u3eBrachycercus Maculatus\u3c/i\u3e Berner (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) From New York and a Key to Larvae of Northeastern Species
Brachycercus maculatus, a member of a rare group of mayflies, is now recorded for the first time from New York State in the upper Hudson River. An illustrated key to the Brachycercus larvae of northeastern North America is provided to spur further study of the genus in the region
Organic Synthesis without Stoichiometric Reagents: A Guiding Principle for Reaction Development
A common theme of our research program is the development of new organic transformations that operate under catalytic conditions or as ligation reactions that do not require the addition of any reagents or other additives. Our catalysis program features the transient generation of reactive
species from alpha-functionalized aldehydes via intramolecular redox reactions using N-heterocyclic carbenes as multifunctional catalysts. This approach makes possible the catalytic generation of enolates, homoenolates, and activated carboxylates and their application to diastereo-
and enantioselective transformation. Intermolecular redox couplings are key to a general, highly chemoselective amide-forming ligation reaction and its use for oligopeptide synthesis. The concepts behind these transformation and examples of their use as well as current and future directions
of our research program are presented
Super-Extremal Spinning Black Holes via Accretion
A Kerr black hole with mass and angular momentum satisfies the
extremality inequality . In the presence of matter and/or
gravitational radiation, this bound needs to be reformulated in terms of local
measurements of the mass and the angular momentum directly associated with the
black hole. The isolated and dynamical horizon framework provides such
quasi-local characterization of black hole mass and angular momentum. With this
framework, it is possible in axisymmetry to reformulate the extremality limit
as , with the irreducible mass of the black hole
computed from its apparent horizon area and obtained using approximate
rotational Killing vectors on the apparent horizon. The
condition is also equivalent to requiring a non-negative black hole surface
gravity. We present numerical experiments of an accreting black hole that
temporarily violates this extremality inequality. The initial configuration
consists of a single, rotating black hole surrounded by a thick, shell cloud of
negative energy density. For these numerical experiments, we introduce a new
matter-without-matter evolution method.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure
Effect of protein environment and the excitonic coupling on the excited-state properties of the bilinchromophores in C-Phycocyanin
ZZE-Configuration of chromophore ß-153 in C-phycocyanin from Mastigocladus laminosus
The photochemistry of C-phycocyanin has been studied after denaturation in the dark. It shows
an irreversible reaction which has characteristics of a Ζ,Ζ,Ε- to Z,Z,Z-isomerization of dihydrobilins.
Its amplitude depends on the reaction conditions, with a maximum corresponding to 15%
conversion of one of the three PC chromophores. This chromophore is suggested to be ß-153, for
which recent X-ray data T. Schirmer, W. Bode, and R. Huber, J. Mol. Biol., submitted, show
ring D being highly twisted out of the plane of the other rings. During unfolding, there is thus a
probability of falling into the photochemically labile Z,Z,^-configuration
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