Crystal structure of the ferritin from the hyperthermophilic archaeal anaerobe Pyrococcus furiosus

The crystal structure of the ferritin from the archaeon, hyperthermophile and anaerobe Pyrococcus furiosus (PfFtn) is presented. While many ferritin structures from bacteria to mammals have been reported, until now only one was available from archaea, the ferritin from Archaeoglobus fulgidus (AfFtn). The PfFtn 24-mer exhibits the 432 point-group symmetry that is characteristic of most ferritins, which suggests that the 23 symmetry found in the previously reported AfFtn is not a common feature of archaeal ferritins. Consequently, the four large pores that were found in AfFtn are not present in PfFtn. The structure has been solved by molecular replacement and refined at 2.75-Å resolution to R = 0.195 and Rfree = 0.247. The ferroxidase center of the aerobically crystallized ferritin contains one iron at site A and shows sites B and C only upon iron or zinc soaking. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies suggest this iron depletion of the native ferroxidase center to be a result of a complexation of iron by the crystallization salt. The extreme thermostability of PfFtn is compared with that of eight structurally similar ferritins and is proposed to originate mostly from the observed high number of intrasubunit hydrogen bonds. A preservation of the monomer fold, rather than the 24-mer assembly, appears to be the most important factor that protects the ferritin from inactivation by heat

Mary Hunter Wolf: Director, producer, educator. Building communities through theatre

Over the course of seventy years, Mary Hunter Wolf (1904-) worked in theatre from venues as diverse as historical pageants to Broadway productions, from silent film to television\u27s color spectaculars, and from politics to the classroom. Regardless of the medium, she strove always to foster a sense of community in which both the genius of the art and the artist could grow. Significant work in Mary Hunter Wolf\u27s theatre career includes her directorship of the American Actors Company, her acclaimed productions of Sartre\u27s plays, and her participation in and support of the work of Agnes de Mille, Katherine Dunham, and Jerome Robbins in developing the dance elements of American musical theatre. She encouraged American artists to seek within their own regional cultures the wealth of stories and music on which they might build their creations. For the artistic community, Mary Hunter Wolf worked to improve the training and welfare of artists. She cofounded the American Theatre Wing Professional Training Program, where students cross-trained in all the performing arts. She played a leadership role in the development of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. After a ten-year hiatus during which she married a widower and helped raise three children, Mary Hunter Wolf wove together all of her training and experiences into developing a unique educational program, The Center for Theatre Techniques in Education, which she founded in 1970. Combining the acting theories of Stanislavski and theatrical directing practices, she has sought to change the school experience to one in which a learning community nurtures all children to their fullest potential as members of a diversified society. The Center has brought about changes in the assessment of gifted children, the design of arts magnet programs, and in teacher training. The impact of gender can been seen throughout Mary Hunter Wolf\u27s life both in the options available to her and on her choices. As a woman in theatre, she chose to create a web that fosters community through the arts