16,452 research outputs found
Focused directed evolution of aryl-alcohol oxidase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using chimeric signal peptides
Aryl-alcohol oxidase (AAO) is an extracellular flavoprotein that supplies ligninolytic peroxidases with H2O2 during natural wood decay. With a broad substrate specificity and highly stereoselective reaction mechanism, AAO is an attractive candidate for studies into organic synthesis and synthetic biology, and yet the lack of suitable heterologous expression systems has precluded its engineering by directed evolution. In this study, the native signal sequence of AAO from Pleurotus eryngii was replaced by those of the mating a-factor and the K1 killer toxin, as well as different chimeras of both prepro-leaders in order to drive secretion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The secretion of these AAO constructs increased in the following order: preproa-AAO> preaproK-AAO>preKproa-AAO>preproK-AAO. The chimeric preaproK-AAO was subjected to focused-directed evolution with the aid of a dual screening assay based on the Fenton reaction. Random mutagenesis and DNA recombination was concentrated on two protein segments (Meta1]-Val109 and Phe392-Gln566), and an array of improved variants was identified, among which the FX7 mutant (harboring the H91N mutation) showed a dramatic 96-fold improvement in total activity with secretion levels of 2 mg/liter. Analysis of the N-terminal sequence of the FX7 variant confirmed the correct processing of the preaproK hybrid peptide by the KEX2 protease. FX7 showed higher stability in terms of pH and temperature, whereas the pH activity profiles and the kinetic parameters were maintained. The Asn91 lies in the flavin attachment loop motif, and it is a highly conserved residue in all members of the GMC superfamily, except for P. eryngii and P. pulmonarius AAO. The in vitro involution of the enzyme by restoring the consensus ancestor Asn91 promoted AAO expression and stability
Detection of the ISW effect and corresponding dark energy constraints made with directional spherical wavelets
Using a directional spherical wavelet analysis we detect the integrated
Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect, indicated by a positive correlation between the
first-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and NRAO VLA Sky Survey
(NVSS) data. Detections are made using both a directional extension of the
spherical Mexican hat wavelet and the spherical butterfly wavelet. We examine
the possibility of foreground contamination and systematics in the WMAP data
and conclude that these factors are not responsible for the signal that we
detect. The wavelet analysis inherently enables us to localise on the sky those
regions that contribute most strongly to the correlation. On removing these
localised regions the correlation that we detect is reduced in significance, as
expected, but it is not eliminated, suggesting that these regions are not the
sole source of correlation between the data. This finding is consistent with
predictions made using the ISW effect, where one would expect weak correlations
over the entire sky. In a flat universe the detection of the ISW effect
provides direct and independent evidence for dark energy. We use our detection
to constrain dark energy parameters by deriving a theoretical prediction for
the directional wavelet covariance statistic for a given cosmological model.
Comparing these predictions with the data we place constraints on the
equation-of-state parameter and the vacuum energy density .
We also consider the case of a pure cosmological constant, i.e. . For
this case we rule out a zero cosmological constant at greater than the 99.9%
significance level. All parameter estimates that we obtain are consistent with
the standand cosmological concordance model values.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures; replaced to match version accepted by MNRA
Filtering techniques for the detection of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich clusters in multifrequency CMB maps
The problem of detecting Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) clusters in multifrequency
CMB observations is investigated using a number of filtering techniques. A
multifilter approach is introduced, which optimizes the detection of SZ
clusters on microwave maps. An alternative method is also investigated, in
which maps at different frequencies are combined in an optimal manner so that
existing filtering techniques can be applied to the single combined map. The SZ
profiles are approximated by the circularly-symmetric template , with and , where the core radius and the overall amplitude of the effect
are not fixed a priori, but are determined from the data. The background
emission is modelled by a homogeneous and isotropic random field, characterized
by a cross-power spectrum with . The
filtering methods are illustrated by application to simulated Planck
observations of a patch of sky in 10 frequency
channels. Our simulations suggest that the Planck instrument should detect
SZ clusters in 2/3 of the sky. Moreover, we find the catalogue
to be complete for fluxes mJy at 300 GHz.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures; Corrected figures. Submitted to MNRA
Proper motions of the HH1 jet
We describe a new method for determining proper motions of extended objects,
and a pipeline developed for the application of this method. We then apply this
method to an analysis of four epochs of [S~II] HST images of the HH~1 jet
(covering a period of ~yr).
We determine the proper motions of the knots along the jet, and make a
reconstruction of the past ejection velocity time-variability (assuming
ballistic knot motions). This reconstruction shows an "acceleration" of the
ejection velocities of the jet knots, with higher velocities at more recent
times. This acceleration will result in an eventual merging of the knots in
~yr and at a distance of from the outflow source, close to
the present-day position of HH~1.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure
The Limits on Cosmological Anisotropies and Inhomogeneities from COBE Data
Assuming that the cosmological principle holds, Maartens, Ellis and Stoeger
(MES) recently constructed a detailed scheme linking anisotropies in the cosmic
background radiation (CMB) with anisotropies and inhomogeneities in the large
scale structure of the universe and showed how to place limits on those
anisotropies and inhomogeneities simply by using CMB quadrupole and octupole
limits. First we indicate and discuss the connection between the covariant
multipole moments of the temperature anisotropy used in the MES scheme and the
quadrupole and octupole results from COBE. Then we introduce those results into
the MES limit equations to obtain definite quantitative limits on the complete
set of cosmological measures of anisotropy and inhomogeneity.
We find that all the anisotropy measures are less than 10^{-4} in the case of
those not affected by the expansion rate H, and less than 10^{-6} Mpc^{-1} in
the case of those which are. These results quantitatively demonstrate that the
observable universe is indeed close to Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker
(FLRW) on the largest scales, and can be adequately modelled by an almost-FLRW
model -- that is, the anisotropies and inhomogeneities characterizing the
observable universe on the largest scales are not too large to be considered
perturbations to FLRW.Comment: Original paper with corrections. ApJ 476 435 (1997) erratum to appear
ApJ Sept 199
Comparing filters for the detection of point sources
This paper considers filters (the Mexican hat wavelet, the matched and the
scale-adaptive filters) that optimize the detection/separation of point sources
on a background. We make a one-dimensional treatment, we assume that the
sources have a Gaussian profile, i. e. , and a
background modelled by an homogeneous and isotropic Gaussian random field,
characterised by a power spectrum .
Local peak detection is used after filtering. Then, the Neyman-Pearson
criterion is used to define the confidence level for detections and a
comparison of filters is done based on the number of spurious and true
detections. We have performed numerical simulations to test theoretical ideas
and conclude that the results of the simulations agree with the analytical
results.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Cosmological applications of a wavelet analysis on the sphere
The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a relic radiation of the Big Bang
and as such it contains a wealth of cosmological information. Statistical
analyses of the CMB, in conjunction with other cosmological observables,
represent some of the most powerful techniques available to cosmologists for
placing strong constraints on the cosmological parameters that describe the
origin, content and evolution of the Universe. The last decade has witnessed
the introduction of wavelet analyses in cosmology and, in particular, their
application to the CMB. We review here spherical wavelet analyses of the CMB
that test the standard cosmological concordance model. The assumption that the
temperature anisotropies of the CMB are a realisation of a statistically
isotropic Gaussian random field on the sphere is questioned. Deviations from
both statistical isotropy and Gaussianity are detected in the reviewed works,
suggesting more exotic cosmological models may be required to explain our
Universe. We also review spherical wavelet analyses that independently provide
evidence for dark energy, an exotic component of our Universe of which we know
very little currently. The effectiveness of accounting correctly for the
geometry of the sphere in the wavelet analysis of full-sky CMB data is
demonstrated by the highly significant detections of physical processes and
effects that are made in these reviewed works.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures; JFAA invited review, in pres
Seeking the Ultraviolet Ionizing Background at z~3 with the Keck Telescope
We describe the initial results of a deep long-slit emission line search for
redshifted (2.7<z<4.1) Lyman-alpha. These observations are used to constrain
the fluorescent Ly-alpha emission from the population of clouds whose
absorption produces the higher-column-density component of the Ly-alpha forest
in quasar spectra. We use the results to set an upper limit on the ultraviolet
ionizing background. Our spectroscopic data obtained with the Keck II telescope
at lambda/(Delta lambda FWHM)~2000 reveals no candidate Ly-alpha emission over
the wavelength range of 4500-6200 Ang along a 3 arcmin slit in a 5400 s
integration. Our 3 sigma upper bound on the mean intensity of the ionizing
background at the Lyman limit is J(nu 0) < 2E-21 erg/s/cm**2/Hz/sr for
2.7<z<3.1 (where we are most sensitive), assuming Lyman limit systems have
typical radii of 70 kpc (q_0=0.5, H_0=50 km/s/Mpc). This constraint is more
than an order of magnitude more stringent than any previously published direct
limit. However, it is still a factor of three above the ultraviolet background
level expected due to the integrated light of known quasars at z~3. This pilot
study confirms the conclusion of Gould \& Weinberg (1996) that integrations of
several hours on a 10-m class telescope should be capable of measuring J(nu 0)
at high redshift.Comment: 22 pages, 2 postscipt figures. Latex requires aaspp4.sty and epsf.sty
(included). Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal (Nov 1998
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