The protein's role in triplet energy transfer in bacterial reaction centers.

When photosynthetic organisms are subjected to high-light conditions in nature, electron transfer becomes blocked as the rate of conversion of light into charge-separated states in the reaction center (RC) exceeds the capacity of the soluble carriers involved in cyclic electron transfer. In that event, a well-characterized T{sub 0}-polarized triplet state {sup T}P, is formed on the primary donor, P, from the P{sup +}H{sub A}{sup {minus}} state (reviewed in [1]). In an aerobic or semi-aerobic environment, the major role of the carotenoid (C), also bound by the RC, is to quench {sup T}P prior to its sensitization of the {sup 1}{Delta}{sub g} singlet state of oxygen--a potentially damaging biological oxidant. The carotenoid performs this function efficiently in most bacterial RCs by rapidly accepting the triplet state from P and dissipating this excited-state energy into heat through internal conversion. The lowest-lying triplet states of P and the carotenoid are sufficiently different that {sup T}P can promote oxygen to its excited singlet state whereas {sup T}C can quench the {sup T}P state (reviewed in [2])

Third-order nonlinear optical properties of stacked bacteriochlorophylls in bacterial photosynthetic light-harvesting proteins

Enhancement of the nonresonant second order molecular hyperpolarizabilities {gamma} were observed in stacked macrocyclic molecular systems, previously in a {micro}-oxo silicon phthalocyanine (SiPcO) monomer, dimer and trimer series, and now in bacteriochlorophyll a (BChla) arrays of light harvesting (LH) proteins. Compared to monomeric BChla in a tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution, the <{gamma}> for each macrocycle was enhanced in naturally occurring stacked macrocyclic molecular systems in the bacterial photosynthetic LH proteins where BChla`s are arranged in tilted face-to-face arrays. In addition, the {gamma} enhancement is more significant in B875 of LH1 than in B850 in LH2. Theoretical modeling of the nonresonant {gamma} enhancement using simplified molecular orbitals for model SiPcO indicated that the energy level of the two photon state is crucial to the {gamma} enhancement when a two photon process is involved, whereas the charge transfer between the monomers is largely responsible when one photon near resonant process is involved. The calculated results can be extended to {gamma} enhancement in B875 and B850 arrays, suggesting that BChla in B875 are more strongly coupled than in B850. In addition, a 50--160 fold increase in <{gamma}> for the S{sub 1} excited state of relative to S{sub 0} of bacteriochlorophyll in vivo was observed which provides an alternative method for probing excited state dynamics and a potential application for molecular switching

A Plug-Based Microfluidic System for Dispensing Lipidic Cubic Phase (LCP) Material Validated by Crystallizing Membrane Proteins in Lipidic Mesophases

This article presents a plug-based microfluidic system to dispense nanoliter-volume plugs of lipidic cubic phase (LCP) material and subsequently merge the LCP plugs with aqueous plugs. This system was validated by crystallizing membrane proteins in lipidic mesophases, including LCP. This system allows for accurate dispensing of LCP material in nanoliter volumes, prevents inadvertent phase transitions that may occur due to dehydration by enclosing LCP in plugs, and is compatible with the traditional method of forming LCP material using a membrane protein sample, as shown by the successful crystallization of bacteriorhodopsin from Halobacterium salinarum. Conditions for the formation of LCP plugs were characterized and presented in a phase diagram. This system was also implemented using two different methods of introducing the membrane protein: (1) the traditional method of generating the LCP material using a membrane protein sample and (2) post LCP-formation incorporation (PLI), which involves making LCP material without protein, adding the membrane protein sample externally to the LCP material, and allowing the protein to diffuse into the LCP material or into other lipidic mesophases that may result from phase transitions. Crystals of bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Blastochloris viridis were obtained using PLI. The plug-based, LCP-assisted microfluidic system, combined with the PLI method for introducing membrane protein into LCP, should be useful for minimizing consumption of samples and broadening the screening of parameter space in membrane protein crystallization

Primary Transgenic Bovine Cells and Their Rejuvenated Cloned Equivalents Show Transgene-Specific Epigenetic Differences

Cell-mediated transgenesis, based on somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), provides the opportunity to shape the genetic make-up of cattle. Bovine primary fetal fibroblasts, commonly used cells for SCNT, have a limited lifespan, and complex genetic modifications that require sequential transfections can be challenging time and cost-wise. To overcome these limitations, SCNT is frequently used to rejuvenate the cell lines and restore exhausted growth potential. We have designed a construct to be used in a 2-step cassette exchange experiment. Our transgene contains a puromycin resistance marker gene and an enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) expression cassette, both driven by a strong mammalian promoter, and flanked by loxP sites and sequences from the bovine β-casein locus. Several transgenic cell lines were generated by random insertion into primary bovine cell lines. Two of these original cell lines were rederived by SCNT and new primary cells, with the same genetic makeup as the original donors, were established. While the original cell lines were puromycin-resistant and had a characteristic EGFP expression profile, all rejuvenated cell lines were sensitive to puromycin, and displayed varied EGFP expression, indicative of various degrees of silencing. When the methylation states of individual CpG sites within the transgene were analyzed, a striking increase in transgene-specific methylation was observed in all rederived cell lines. The results indicate that original transgenic donor cells and their rejuvenated derivatives may not be equivalent and differ in the functionality of their transgene sequences

Irreversible Adsorption from Dilute Polymer Solutions

We study irreversible polymer adsorption from dilute solutions theoretically. Universal features of the resultant non-equilibrium layers are predicted. Two cases are considered, distinguished by the value of the local monomer-surface sticking rate Q: chemisorption (very small Q) and physisorption (large Q). Early stages of layer formation entail single chain adsorption. While single chain physisorption times tau_ads are typically microsecs, for chemisorbing chains of N units we find experimentally accessible times tau_ads = Q^{-1} N^{3/5}, ranging from secs to hrs. We establish 3 chemisorption universality classes, determined by a critical contact exponent: zipping, accelerated zipping and homogeneous collapse. For dilute solutions, the mechanism is accelerated zipping: zipping propagates outwards from the first attachment, accelerated by occasional formation of large loops which nucleate further zipping. This leads to a transient distribution omega(s) \sim s^{-7/5} of loop lengths s up to a size s_max \approx (Q t)^{5/3} after time t. By tau_ads the entire chain is adsorbed. The outcome of the single chain adsorption episode is a monolayer of fully collapsed chains. Having only a few vacant sites to adsorb onto, late arriving chains form a diffuse outer layer. In a simple picture we find for both chemisorption and physisorption a final loop distribution Omega(s) \sim s^{-11/5} and density profile c(z) \sim z^{-4/3} whose forms are the same as for equilibrium layers. In contrast to equilibrium layers, however, the statistical properties of a given chain depend on its adsorption time; the outer layer contains many classes of chain, each characterized by different fraction of adsorbed monomers f. Consistent with strong physisorption experiments, we find the f values follow a distribution P(f) \sim f^{-4/5}.Comment: 18 pages, submitted to Eur. Phys. J. E, expanded discussion sectio

EZH2 Codon 641 Mutations are Common in BCL2-Rearranged Germinal Center B Cell Lymphomas

Mutations at codon 641 of EZH2 are recurrent in germinal center B cell lymphomas, and the most common variants lead to altered EZH2 enzymatic activity and enhanced tri-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 27, a repressive chromatin modification. As an initial step toward screening patients for cancer genotype-directed therapy, we developed a screening assay for EZH2 codon 641 mutations amenable for testing formalin-fixed clinical specimens, based on the sensitive SNaPshot single nucleotide extension technology. We detected EZH2 mutations in 12/55 (22%) follicular lymphomas (FL), 5/35 (14%) diffuse large B cell lymphomas with a germinal center immunophenotype (GCB-DLBCL), and 2/11 (18%) high grade B cell lymphomas with concurrent rearrangements of BCL2 and MYC. No EZH2 mutations were detected in cases of Burkitt lymphoma (0/23). EZH2 mutations were frequently associated with the presence of BCL2 rearrangement (BCL2-R) in both the FL (28% of BCL-R cases versus 0% of BCL2-WT cases, p<0.05) and GCB-DLBCL groups (33% of BCL2-R cases versus 4% of BCL2-WT cases, p<0.04), and across all lymphoma types excluding BL (27% of BCL2-R cases versus 3% of BCL2-WT cases, p<0.003). We confirmed gain-of-function activity for all previously reported EZH2 codon 641 mutation variants. Our findings suggest that EZH2 mutations constitute an additional genetic “hit” in many BCL2-rearranged germinal center B cell lymphomas. Our work may be helpful in the selection of lymphoma patients for future trials of pharmacologic agents targeting EZH2 and EZH2-regulated pathways

Genome editing to the rescue: sustainably feeding 10 billion global human population

Modern animal breeding strategies based on population genetics, molecular tools, artificial insemination, embryo transfer and related technologies have contributed to significant increases in the performance of domestic animals, and are the basis for a regular supply of high quality animal derived food at acceptable prices. However, the current strategy of marker- assisted selection and breeding of animals to introduce novel traits over multiple generations is too pedestrian in responding to unprecedented challenges such as climate change, global pandemics, and feeding an anticipated 33% increase in global population in the next three decades. Here, we propose site-specific genome editing technologies as a basis for “directed” or “rational selection” of agricultural traits. The animal science community envisions genome editing as an essential tool in addressing critical priorities for global food security and environmental sustainability, and seeks additional funding support for development and implementation of these technologies for maximum societal benefit