Phosphorylated claspin interacts with a phosphate-binding site in the kinase domain of Chk1 during ATR-mediated activation

Claspin is essential for the ATR-dependent activation of Chk1 in Xenopus egg extracts containing incompletely replicated or UV-damaged DNA. The activated form of Claspin contains two repeated phosphopeptide motifs that mediate its binding to Chk1. We show that these phosphopeptide motifs bind to Chk1 by means of its N-terminal kinase domain. The binding site on Chk1 involves a positively charged cluster of amino acids that contains lysine 54, arginine 129, threonine 153, and arginine 162. Mutagenesis of these residues strongly compromises the ability of Chk1 to interact with Claspin. These amino acids lie within regions of Chk1 that are involved in various aspects of its catalytic function. The predicted position on Chk1 of the phosphate group from Claspin corresponds to the location of activation-loop phosphorylation in various kinases. In addition, we have obtained evidence that the C-terminal regulatory domain of Chk1, which does not form a stable complex with Claspin under our assay conditions, nonetheless has some role in Claspin-dependent activation. Overall, these results indicate that Claspin docks with a phosphate-binding site in the catalytic domain of Chk1 during activation by ATR. Phosphorylated Claspin may mimic an activating phosphorylation of Chk1 during this process

The Connection between Star-Forming Galaxies, AGN Host Galaxies and Early-Type Galaxies in the SDSS

We present a study of the connection between star-forming galaxies, AGN host galaxies, and normal early-type galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Using the SDSS DR5 and DR4plus data, we select our early-type galaxy sample in the color versus color-gradient space, and we classify the spectral types of the selected early-type galaxies into normal, star-forming, Seyfert, and LINER classes, using several spectral line flux ratios. We investigate the slope in the fundamental space for each class of early-type galaxies and find that there are obvious differences in the slopes of the fundamental planes (FPs) among the different classes of early-type galaxies, in the sense that the slopes for Seyferts and star-forming galaxies are flatter than those for normal galaxies and LINERs. This may be the first identification of the systematic variation of the FP slope among the subclasses of early-type galaxies. The difference in the FP slope might be caused by the difference in the degree of nonhomology among different classes or by the difference of gas contents in their merging progenitors. One possible scenario is that the AGN host galaxies and star-forming galaxies are formed by gas-rich merging and that they may evolve into normal early-type galaxies after finishing their star formation or AGN activities.Comment: 5 pages with emulateapj, 2 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

The Globular Cluster System of M60 (NGC 4649). II. Kinematics of the Globular Cluster System

We present a kinematic analysis of the globular cluster (GC) system in the giant elliptical galaxy (gE) M60 in the Virgo cluster. Using the photometric and spectroscopic database of 121 GCs (83 blue GCs and 38 red GCs), we have investigated the kinematics of the GC system. We have found that the M60 GC system shows a significant overall rotation. The rotation amplitude of the blue GCs is slightly smaller than or similar to that of the red GCs, and their angles of rotation axes are similar. The velocity dispersions about the mean velocity and about the best fit rotation curve for the red GCs are marginally larger than those for the blue GCs. Comparison of observed stellar and GC velocity dispersion profiles with those calculated from the stellar mass profile shows that the mass-to-light ratio should be increased as the galactocentric distance increases, indicating the existence of an extended dark matter halo. The entire sample of GCs in M60 is found to have a tangentially biased velocity ellipsoid unlike the GC systems in other gEs. Two subsamples appear to have different velocity ellipsoids. The blue GC system has a modest tangentially biased velocity ellipsoid, while the red GC system has a modest radially biased or an isotropic velocity ellipsoid. From the comparison of the kinematic properties of the M60 GC system to those of other gEs (M87, M49, NGC 1399, NGC 5128, and NGC 4636), it is found that the velocity dispersion of the blue GC system is similar to or larger than that of the red GC system except for M60, and the rotation of the GC system is not negligible. The entire sample of each GC system shows an isotropic velocity ellipsoid except for M60, while the subsamples show diverse velocity ellipsoids. We discuss the implication of these results for the formation models of the GC system in gEs.Comment: 48 pages, 16 figures. To appear in Ap

The SU(2)DSU(2)_D lepton portals for muon g−2g-2, WW boson mass and dark matter

We propose a novel model for lepton flavor and dark matter based on the $SU(2)_D$ gauge symmetry and vector-like leptons in its fundamental representations. We introduce a dark $SU(2)_D$ Higgs doublet and a Higgs bi-doublet for the mass mixing between the vector-like lepton and the lepton. As a result, the seesaw lepton masses are generated and there are sizable one-loop contributions to the muon $g-2$ via the $SU(2)_D$ gauge bosons and the relatively heavy vector-like lepton, as indicated in Fermilab E989. The tree-level mass mixing between the $Z$ boson and the isospin neutral gauge boson of $SU(2)_D$ in our model accounts for the shift in the $W$ boson mass, being consistent with Tevatron CDFII. Finally, we show that the isospin charged gauge boson of $SU(2)_D$ becomes a plausible candidate for dark matter with a small mass splitting tied up to the modified $W$ boson mass, and there is a viable parameter space where the favored corrections to the muon $g-2$ and the $W$ boson mass and the dark matter constraints are simultaneously fulfilled.Comment: 33 pages, 4 figures, v2: references added, v3: version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Peccei-Quinn Inflation at the Pole and Axion Kinetic Misalignment

We propose a minimal extension of the Standard Model with the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) scalar field and explain the relic density of the QCD axion through the kinetic misalignment with a relatively small axion decay constant. To this purpose, we consider a slow-roll inflation from the radial component of the PQ field with the PQ conserving potential near the pole of its kinetic term and investigate the post-inflationary dynamics of the PQ field for reheating. The angular mode of the PQ field, identified with the QCD axion, receives a nonzero velocity during inflation due to the PQ violating potential, evolving with an approximately conserved Noether PQ charge. We determine the reheating temperature from the perturbative decays and scattering processes of the inflaton and obtain dark radiation from the axions produced from the inflaton scattering at a testable level in the future Cosmic Microwave Background experiments. We show the correlation between the reheating temperature, the initial velocity of the axion and the axion decay constant, realizing the axion kinetic misalignment for the correct relic density.Comment: 25 pagesm 3 figure

Meis Cofactors Control HDAC and CBP Accessibility at Hox-Regulated Promoters during Zebrafish Embryogenesis

SummaryHox proteins form complexes with Pbx and Meis cofactors to control gene expression, but the role of Meis is unclear. We demonstrate that Hoxb1-regulated promoters are highly acetylated on histone H4 (AcH4) and occupied by Hoxb1, Pbx, and Meis in zebrafish tissues where these promoters are active. Inhibition of Meis blocks gene expression and reduces AcH4 levels at these promoters, suggesting a role for Meis in maintaining AcH4. Within Hox transcription complexes, Meis binds directly to Pbx and we find that this binding displaces histone deacetylases (HDACs) from Hoxb1-regulated promoters in zebrafish embryos. Accordingly, Pbx mutants that cannot bind Meis act as repressors by recruiting HDACs and reducing AcH4 levels, while Pbx mutants that bind neither HDAC nor Meis are constitutively active and recruit CBP to increase AcH4 levels. We conclude that Meis acts, at least in part, by controlling access of HDAC and CBP to Hox-regulated promoters

A Detailed Study of Photometric Redshifts for GOODS-South Galaxies

We use the deepest and the most comprehensive photometric data currently available for GOODS-South galaxies to measure their photometric redshifts. The photometry includes VLT/VIMOS (U-band), HST/ACS (F435W, F606W, F775W, and F850LP bands), VLT/ISAAC (J-, H-, and Ks-bands), and four Spitzer/IRAC channels (3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 micron). The catalog is selected in the z-band (F850LP) and photometry in each band is carried out using the recently completed TFIT algorithm, which performs PSF matched photometry uniformly across different instruments and filters, despite large variations in PSFs and pixel scales. Photometric redshifts are derived using the GOODZ code, which is based on the template fitting method using priors. The code also implements "training" of the template SED set, using available spectroscopic redshifts in order to minimize systematic differences between the templates and the SEDs of the observed galaxies. Our final catalog covers an area of 153 sq. arcmin and includes photometric redshifts for a total of 32,505 objects. The scatter between our estimated photometric and spectroscopic redshifts is sigma=0.040 with 3.7% outliers to the full z-band depth of our catalog, decreasing to sigma=0.039 and 2.1% outliers at a magnitude limit m(z)<24.5. This is consistent with the best results previously published for GOODS-S galaxies, however, the present catalog is the deepest yet available and provides photometric redshifts for significantly more objects to deeper flux limits and higher redshifts than earlier works. Furthermore, we show that the photometric redshifts estimated here for galaxies selected as dropouts are consistent with those expected based on the Lyman break technique.Comment: 62 pages, 21 figures. Minor changes to match version to be published in Ap

The Globular Cluster System of M60 (NGC 4649). I. CFHT MOS Spectroscopy and Database

We present the measurement of radial velocities for globular clusters in M60, giant elliptical galaxy in the Virgo cluster. Target globular cluster candidates were selected using the Washington photometry based on the deep 16\arcmin \times 16\arcmin images taken at the KPNO 4m and using the $VI$ photometry derived from the HST/WFPC2 archive images. The spectra of the target objects were obtained using the Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). We have measured the radial velocity for 111 objects in the field of M60: 93 globular clusters (72 blue globular clusters with $1.0\le(C-T_1)<1.7$ and 21 red globular clusters with $1.7\le(C-T_1)<2.4$), 11 foreground stars, 6 small galaxies, and the nucleus of M60. The measured velocities of the 93 globular clusters range from $\sim 500$ km s$^{-1}$ to $\sim 1600$ km s$^{-1}$, with a mean value of $1070_{-25}^{+27}$ km s$^{-1}$, which is in good agreement with the velocity of the nucleus of M60 ($v_{\rm gal}=1056$ km s$^{-1}$). Combining our results with data in the literature, we present a master catalog of radial velocities for 121 globular clusters in M60. The velocity dispersion of the globular clusters in the master catalog is found to be $234_{-14}^{+13}$ km s$^{-1}$ for the entire sample, $223_{-16}^{+13}$ km s$^{-1}$ for 83 blue globular clusters, and $258_{-31}^{+21}$ km s$^{-1}$ for 38 red globular clusters.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures. To appear in Ap

Probing Z' gauge boson with the spin configuration of top quark pair production at future e−e+e^- e^+ linear colliders

We explore the effects of extra neutral gauge boson involved in the supersymmetric E6 model on the spin configuration of the top quark pair produced at the polarized e- e+ collider. Generic mixing terms are considered including kinetic mixing terms as well as mass mixing. In the off-diagonal spin basis of the standard model, we show that the cross sections for the suppressed spin configurations can be enhanced with the effects of the Z' boson through the modification of the spin configuration of produced top quark pair enough to be measured in the Linear Colliders, which provides the way to observe the effects of Z' boson and discriminate the pattern of gauge group decomposition. It is pointed out that the kinetic mixing may dilute the effects of mass mixing terms, and we have to perform the combined analysis.Comment: 19 pages including 5 figures, ReVTe