46 research outputs found

    Chromatographic separation and identification of some peptides in partial hydroylsates of gelatin

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    Recently we have been engaged in a study of the chemical structure of collagen and gelatin with the object of determining the sequence of the amino acid residues in the polypeptide chains of these proteins. In the course of this study we have made considerable progress in the chromatographic analysis of complex mixtures of peptides and we have isolated and identified several simple peptides which occur in partial hydrolysates of gelatin. The initial separation of the mixture into zones of one or more peptides has been made on a column of ion exchange resin; further separation of the peptides in each zone has been achieved by chromatographing in the form of dinitrophenyl (DNP) peptides on columns of silicic acid-Celite. It is to be hoped that the particular combination of chromatographic methods which has been successfully used in the present study will be helpful in the resolution of the complex mixtures which result from the partial hydrolysis of other proteins

    Microallopatry Caused Strong Diversification in Buthus scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Atlas Mountains (NW Africa)

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    The immense biodiversity of the Atlas Mountains in North Africa might be the result of high rates of microallopatry caused by mountain barriers surpassing 4000 meters leading to patchy habitat distributions. We test the influence of geographic structures on the phylogenetic patterns among Buthus scorpions using mtDNA sequences. We sampled 91 individuals of the genus Buthus from 51 locations scattered around the Atlas Mountains (Antiatlas, High Atlas, Middle Atlas and Jebel Sahro). We sequenced 452 bp of the Cytochrome Oxidase I gene which proved to be highly variable within and among Buthus species. Our phylogenetic analysis yielded 12 distinct genetic groups one of which comprised three subgroups mostly in accordance with the orographic structure of the mountain systems. Main clades overlap with each other, while subclades are distributed parapatrically. Geographic structures likely acted as long-term barriers among populations causing restriction of gene flow and allowing for strong genetic differentiation. Thus, genetic structure and geographical distribution of genetic (sub)clusters follow the classical theory of allopatric differentiation where distinct groups evolve without range overlap until reproductive isolation and ecological differentiation has built up. Philopatry and low dispersal ability of Buthus scorpions are the likely causes for the observed strong genetic differentiation at this small geographic scale

    The Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on the James Webb Space Telescope: I. Overview of the instrument and its capabilities

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    We provide an overview of the design and capabilities of the near-infrared spectrograph (NIRSpec) onboard the James Webb Space Telescope. NIRSpec is designed to be capable of carrying out low-resolution (R ⁣=30 ⁣330R\!=30\!-330) prism spectroscopy over the wavelength range 0.65.3 ⁣ μ0.6-5.3\!~\mum and higher resolution (R ⁣=500 ⁣1340R\!=500\!-1340 or R ⁣=1320 ⁣3600R\!=1320\!-3600) grating spectroscopy over 0.75.2 ⁣ μ0.7-5.2\!~\mum, both in single-object mode employing any one of five fixed slits, or a 3.1×\times3.2 arcsec2^2 integral field unit, or in multiobject mode employing a novel programmable micro-shutter device covering a 3.6×\times3.4~arcmin2^2 field of view. The all-reflective optical chain of NIRSpec and the performance of its different components are described, and some of the trade-offs made in designing the instrument are touched upon. The faint-end spectrophotometric sensitivity expected of NIRSpec, as well as its dependency on the energetic particle environment that its two detector arrays are likely to be subjected to in orbit are also discussed
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