The malaria parasite cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase plays a central role in blood-stage schizogony

A role for the Plasmodium falciparum cyclic GMP (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) in gametogenesis in the malaria parasite was elucidated previously. In the present study we examined the role of PfPKG in the asexual blood-stage of the parasite life cycle, the stage that causes malaria pathology. A specific PKG inhibitor (compound 1, a trisubstituted pyrrole) prevented the progression of P. falciparum schizonts through to ring stages in erythrocyte invasion assays. Addition of compound 1 to ring-stage parasites allowed normal development up to 30 h postinvasion, and segmented schizonts were able to form. However, synchronized schizonts treated with compound 1 for ≥6 h became large and dysmorphic and were unable to rupture or liberate merozoites. To conclusively demonstrate that the effect of compound 1 on schizogony was due to its selective action on PfPKG, we utilized genetically manipulated P. falciparum parasites expressing a compound 1-insensitive PfPKG. The mutant parasites were able to complete schizogony in the presence of compound 1 but not in the presence of the broad-spectrum protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine. This shows that PfPKG is the primary target of compound 1 during schizogony and provides direct evidence of a role for PfPKG in this process. Discovery of essential roles for the P. falciparum PKG in both asexual and sexual development demonstrates that cGMP signaling is a key regulator of both of these crucial life cycle phases and defines this molecule as an exciting potential drug target for both therapeutic and transmission blocking action against malaria

Spatially controlled formation of superparamagnetic (Mn,Ga)As nanocrystals in high temperature annealed (Ga,Mn)As/GaAs superlattices

The annealing-induced formation of (Mn,Ga)As nanocrystals in (Ga,Mn)As/GaAs superlattices was studied by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and magnetometry. The superlattice structures with 50 A thick (Ga,Mn)As layers separated by 25, 50 and 100 A thick GaAs spacers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy at low temperature (250 C), and then annealed at high temperatures of: 400, 560 and 630 C. The high temperature annealing causes decomposition to GaMnAs ternary alloy and formation of (Mn,Ga)As nanocrystals inside the GaAs matrix. The nanocrystals are confined in the planes that were formerly occupied by (Ga,Mn)As layers for up to the 560 C of annealing and diffuse throughout the GaAs spacer layers at 630 C annealing. The corresponding magnetization measurements show the evolution of the magnetic properties of as-grown and annealed samples from ferromagnetic, through superparamagnetic to the combination of both.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure

Off-axis electron holography of magnetic nanostructures: magnetic behavior of Mn rich nanoprecipitates in (Mn,Ga)As system

The Lorentz off-axis electron holography technique is applied to study the magnetic nature of Mn rich nanoprecipitates in (Mn,Ga)As system. The effectiveness of this technique is demonstrated in detection of the magnetic field even for small nanocrystals having an average size down to 20 nm.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Priprema i karakterizacija C60/C70 + Ni polikristalnih tankih slojeva naraslih na raznim podlogama

C60/C70 + Ni films were obtained by thermal evaporation method in a wide range of Ni concentration (from 1.5 to 10 wt. %). The polycrystalline structure was detected in layers with Ni concentration of 1.5 wt. %. For this Ni concentration, growth of grains in columnar form was observed by SEM. TEM examination showed existence of crystalline grains of a size of a few micrometers and 10 - 200 nm thick. The electron and X-ray diffraction exhibited Bragg distances of approx. 0.87, 0.83, 0.50 and 0.32 nm, and in electron diffraction 1.0, 0.76 and 0.65 nm interplanar distances were found. In Raman spectra, typical fullerenes and two other bands placed at 580 and 1100 cm-1 were observed. The intensity of the latter bands depends on Ni concentration. For Ni concentration higher then 1.5 wt. %, the degradation of fullerene structure was observed by HRTEM, electron and X-ray diffraction.Tanki slojevi C60/C70 + Ni dobiveni su toplinskim isparavanjem s koncentracijom Ni od 1.5 do 10 tež. %. Polikristalna struktura je opažena u slojevima s 1.5 tež. % Ni. Pomoću SEM je u takvim slojevima opažen stupčast rast zrna. Pomoću TEM ustanovljena su zrna duljine nekoliko µm i debljine 10-200 nm. Ispitivanja su načinjena također elektronskom i rendgenskom difrakcijom. U Ramanovim spektrima opažene su tipične vrpce fulerena pri 580 i 1100 cm−1 . Za koncentracije Ni iznad 1.5 tež. % opažena je degradacija strukture fulerena

Priprema i karakterizacija C60/C70 + Ni polikristalnih tankih slojeva naraslih na raznim podlogama

C60/C70 + Ni films were obtained by thermal evaporation method in a wide range of Ni concentration (from 1.5 to 10 wt. %). The polycrystalline structure was detected in layers with Ni concentration of 1.5 wt. %. For this Ni concentration, growth of grains in columnar form was observed by SEM. TEM examination showed existence of crystalline grains of a size of a few micrometers and 10 - 200 nm thick. The electron and X-ray diffraction exhibited Bragg distances of approx. 0.87, 0.83, 0.50 and 0.32 nm, and in electron diffraction 1.0, 0.76 and 0.65 nm interplanar distances were found. In Raman spectra, typical fullerenes and two other bands placed at 580 and 1100 cm-1 were observed. The intensity of the latter bands depends on Ni concentration. For Ni concentration higher then 1.5 wt. %, the degradation of fullerene structure was observed by HRTEM, electron and X-ray diffraction.Tanki slojevi C60/C70 + Ni dobiveni su toplinskim isparavanjem s koncentracijom Ni od 1.5 do 10 tež. %. Polikristalna struktura je opažena u slojevima s 1.5 tež. % Ni. Pomoću SEM je u takvim slojevima opažen stupčast rast zrna. Pomoću TEM ustanovljena su zrna duljine nekoliko µm i debljine 10-200 nm. Ispitivanja su načinjena također elektronskom i rendgenskom difrakcijom. U Ramanovim spektrima opažene su tipične vrpce fulerena pri 580 i 1100 cm−1 . Za koncentracije Ni iznad 1.5 tež. % opažena je degradacija strukture fulerena

Superconductivity and magnetism in RbxFe2-ySe2: Impact of thermal treatment on mesoscopic phase separation

An extended study of the superconducting and normal-state properties of various as-grown and post-annealed RbxFe2-ySe2 single crystals is presented. Magnetization experiments evidence that annealing of RbxFe2-ySe2 at 413 K, well below the onset of phase separation Tp=489 K, neither changes the magnetic nor the superconducting properties of the crystals. In addition, annealing at 563 K, well above Tp, suppresses the superconducting transition temperature Tc and leads to an increase of the antiferromagnetic susceptibility accompanied by the creation of ferromagnetic impurity phases, which are developing with annealing time. However, annealing at T=488K=Tp increases Tc up to 33.3 K, sharpens the superconducting transition, increases the lower critical field, and strengthens the screening efficiency of the applied magnetic field. Resistivity measurements of the as-grown and optimally annealed samples reveal an increase of the upper critical field along both crystallographic directions as well as its anisotropy. Muon spin rotation and scanning transmission electron microscopy experiments suggest the coexistence of two phases below Tp: a magnetic majority phase of Rb2Fe4Se5 and a non-magnetic minority phase of Rb0.5Fe2Se2. Both microscopic techniques indicate that annealing the specimens just at Tp does not affect the volume fraction of the two phases, although the magnetic field distribution in the samples changes substantially. This suggests that the microstructure of the sample, caused by mesoscopic phase separation, is modified by annealing just at Tp, leading to an improvement of the superconducting properties of RbxFe2-ySe2 and an enhancement of Tc.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure

The malaria parasite cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase plays a central role in blood-stage schizogony.

A role for the Plasmodium falciparum cyclic GMP (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) in gametogenesis in the malaria parasite was elucidated previously. In the present study we examined the role of PfPKG in the asexual blood-stage of the parasite life cycle, the stage that causes malaria pathology. A specific PKG inhibitor (compound 1, a trisubstituted pyrrole) prevented the progression of P. falciparum schizonts through to ring stages in erythrocyte invasion assays. Addition of compound 1 to ring-stage parasites allowed normal development up to 30 h postinvasion, and segmented schizonts were able to form. However, synchronized schizonts treated with compound 1 for > or =6 h became large and dysmorphic and were unable to rupture or liberate merozoites. To conclusively demonstrate that the effect of compound 1 on schizogony was due to its selective action on PfPKG, we utilized genetically manipulated P. falciparum parasites expressing a compound 1-insensitive PfPKG. The mutant parasites were able to complete schizogony in the presence of compound 1 but not in the presence of the broad-spectrum protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine. This shows that PfPKG is the primary target of compound 1 during schizogony and provides direct evidence of a role for PfPKG in this process. Discovery of essential roles for the P. falciparum PKG in both asexual and sexual development demonstrates that cGMP signaling is a key regulator of both of these crucial life cycle phases and defines this molecule as an exciting potential drug target for both therapeutic and transmission blocking action against malaria