1,841 research outputs found
Spatial arrangement of LD motif-interacting residues on focal adhesion targeting domain of Focal Adhesion Kinase determine domain-motif interaction affinity and specificity
Background: Leucine rich Aspartate motifs (LD motifs) are molecular recognition motifs on Paxillin that recognize LD-motif binding domains (LDBD) of a number of focal adhesion proteins in order to carry out downstream signaling and actin cytoskeleton remodeling. In this study, we identified structural features within LDBDs that influence their binding affinity with Paxillin LD motifs. Methods: Various point mutants of focal adhesion targeting (FAT) domain of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) were created by moving a key Lysine residue two and three helical turns in order to match the unique conformations as observed in LDBDs of two other focal adhesion proteins, Vinculin and CCM3. Results: This led to identify a mutant of FAT domain of FAK, named as FAT(NV) (Asn992 of FAT domain was replaced by Val), with remarkable high affinity for LD1 (Kd = 1.5 µM vs no-binding with wild type) and LD2 peptides (Kd = 7.2 µM vs 63 µM with wild type). Consistently, the focal adhesions of MCF7 cells expressing FAK(NV) were highly stable (turnover rate = 1.25 × 10-5 µm2/s) as compared to wild type FAK transfected cells (turnover rate = 1.5 × 10-3 µm2/s). Conclusions: We observed that the relative disposition of key LD binding amino-acids at LDBD surface, hydrophobic burial of long Leucine side chains of LD-motifs and complementarity of charged surfaces are the key factors determining the binding affinities of LD motifs with LDBDs. General significance: Our study will help in protein engineering of FAT domain of FAK by modulating FAK-LD motif interactions which have implications in cellular focal adhesions and cell migration
Tadpole Cancellation in Unoriented Liouville Theory
The tadpole cancellation in the unoriented Liouville theory is discussed.
Using two different methods -- the free field method and the boundary-crosscap
state method, we derive one-loop divergences. Both methods require two
D1-branes with the symplectic gauge group to cancel the orientifold tadpole
divergence. However, the finite part left is different in each method and this
difference is studied. We also discuss the validity of the free field method
and the possible applications of our result.Comment: 12 pages; v2: sign error in the crosscap state is corrected, some
related argumets are modified and clarified; v3: minor corrections;
v4:reference adde
Vortex dynamics and upper critical fields in ultrathin Bi films
Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of quench condensed, superconducting,
ultrathin films in a magnetic field are reported. These I-V's show
hysteresis for all films, grown both with and without thin underlayers.
Films on Ge underlayers, close to superconductor-insulator transition (SIT),
show a peak in the critical current, indicating a structural transformation of
the vortex solid (VS). These underlayers, used to make the films more
homogeneous, are found to be more effective in pinning the vortices. The upper
critical fields (B) of these films are determined from the resistive
transitions in perpendicular magnetic field. The temperature dependence of the
upper critical field is found to differ significantly from Ginzburg-Landau
theory, after modifications for disorder.Comment: Phys Rev B, to be published Figure 6 replaced with correct figur
SU(2) WZW Theory at Higher Genera
We compute, by free field techniques, the scalar product of the SU(2)
Chern-Simons states on genus > 1 surfaces. The result is a finite-dimensional
integral over positions of ``screening charges'' and one complex modular
parameter. It uses an effective description of the CS states closely related to
the one worked out by Bertram. The scalar product formula allows to express the
higher genus partition functions of the WZW conformal field theory by
finite-dimensional integrals. It should provide the hermitian metric preserved
by the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov-Bernard connection describing the variations of
the CS states under the change of the complex structure of the surface.Comment: 44 pages, IHES/P/94/10, Latex fil
Evolution of Parton Fragmentation Functions at Finite Temperature
The first order correction to the parton fragmentation functions in a thermal
medium is derived in the leading logarithmic approximation in the framework of
thermal field theory. The medium-modified evolution equations of the parton
fragmentation functions are also derived. It is shown that all infrared
divergences, both linear and logarithmic, in the real processes are canceled
among themselves and by corresponding virtual corrections. The evolution of the
quark number and the energy loss (or gain) induced by the thermal medium are
investigated.Comment: 21 pages in RevTex, 10 figure
Transitional circulation and hemodynamic monitoring in newborn infants
Transitional circulation is normally transient after birth but can vary markedly between infants. It is actually in a state of transition between fetal (in utero) and neonatal (postnatal) circulation. In the absence of definitive clinical trials, information from applied physiological studies can be used to facilitate clinical decision making in the presence of hemodynamic compromise. This review summarizes the peculiar physiological features of the circulation as it transitions from one phenotype into another in term and preterm infants. The common causes of hemodynamic compromise during transition, intact umbilical cord resuscitation, and advanced hemodynamic monitoring are discussed.Developmen
Dynamical Coupling between a Bose-Einstein Condensate and a Cavity Optical Lattice
A Bose-Einstein condensate is dispersively coupled to a single mode of an
ultra-high finesse optical cavity. The system is governed by strong
interactions between the atomic motion and the light field even at the level of
single quanta. While coherently pumping the cavity mode the condensate is
subject to the cavity optical lattice potential whose depth depends nonlinearly
on the atomic density distribution. We observe bistability already below the
single photon level and strong back-action dynamics which tunes the system
periodically out of resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
- …