Structure of giant nuclear molecules

Strong indirect evidence exists for the existence of attractive forces between nuclei making surface contact. Experimentally, the recent observations of spontaneous positron production in heavy-ion collisions can only be understood if nuclei stick together for times long compared to the collision time. We show that any such tendency for nuclei to attract implies the existence of nuclear molecules with entirely new kinds of collective modes. We present a simple model for these modes and apply it to 238U-238U

Different deformations of proton and neutron distributions in nuclei

Different collective deformation coordinates for neutrons and protons are introduced to allow for both stretching and γ transitions consistent with experiments. The rotational actinide nuclei 234-238U and 232Th are successfully analyzed in this model. NUCLEAR STRUCTURE 232Th, 234-238U calculated B (E2) values, collective model

Xanthurenic acid translocates proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins into mitochondria and impairs mitochondrial function

BACKGROUND: Xanthurenic acid is an endogenous molecule produced by tryptophan degradation, produced in the cytoplasm and mitochondria. Its accumulation can be observed in aging-related diseases, e.g. senile cataract and infectious disease. We previously reported that xanthurenic acid provokes apoptosis, and now present a study of the response of mitochondria to xanthurenic acid. RESULTS: Xanthurenic acid at 10 or 20 μM in culture media of human aortic smooth muscle cells induces translocation of the proteins Bax, Bak, Bclx(s), and Bad into mitochondria. In 20 μM xanthurenic acid, Bax is also translocated to the nucleus. In isolated mitochondria xanthurenic acid leads to Bax and Bclx(s )oligomerization, accumulation of Ca(2+), and increased oxygen consumption. CONCLUSION: Xanthurenic acid interacts directly with Bcl-2 family proteins, inducing mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis and impairing mitochondrial functions