Structure of a Complete ATP Synthase Dimer Reveals the Molecular Basis of Inner Mitochondrial Membrane Morphology

We determined the structure of a complete, dimeric F1Fo-ATP synthase from yeast Yarrowia lipolytica mitochondria by a combination of cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography. The final structure resolves 58 of the 60 dimer subunits. Horizontal helices of subunit a in Fo wrap around the c-ring rotor, and a total of six vertical helices assigned to subunits a, b, f, i, and 8 span the membrane. Subunit 8 (A6L in human) is an evolutionary derivative of the bacterial b subunit. On the lumenal membrane surface, subunit f establishes direct contact between the two monomers. Comparison with a cryo-EM map of the F1Fo monomer identifies subunits e and g at the lateral dimer interface. They do not form dimer contacts but enable dimer formation by inducing a strong membrane curvature of ∼100°. Our structure explains the structural basis of cristae formation in mitochondria, a landmark signature of eukaryotic cell morphology

O uso da laserterapia em dose específica modula o processo inflamatório pulmonar em um modelo experimental de sepse em ratos

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of LLLT in decreasing the lung inflammatory process in septic rats. A total of 32 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=8): control group (CG), sepsis 24h (S24), sepsis and LLLT with 30 J/cm² (S24L30); sepsis and LLLT with 65 J/cm² (S24L65). The irradiation was performed immediately after surgery in the anterior region of the trachea and ventral regions of the chest, bilaterally, just below the ribs. Histological analysis of lung tissue was performed and the number of inflammatory cells was quantified. The S24 group showed an increase of inflammatory cells compared to the CG (pEl objetivo del estudio es determinar la eficacia de la LLLT en la disminución del proceso inflamatorio pulmonar en ratones sépticos. Se utilizaron 32 ratones machos Wistar divididos en cuatro grupos (n=8): control (CG); sepsis 24h (S24); sepsis y tratamiento con LLLT 30 J/cm2 (S24L30); sepsis y tratamiento con LLLT 65 J/cm2 (S24L65). Se realizó la irradiación inmediatamente después de la cirugía en la región anterior de la tráquea y en las regiones ventrales del tórax, bilateralmente, debajo de las costillas. Se realizó un análisis histológico del tejido pulmonar y se cuantificó el número de células inflamatorias. El grupo S24 presentó un aumento de células inflamatorias en comparación al CG (pO objetivo do estudo foi determinar a eficácia da LLLT na diminuição do processo inflamatório pulmonar em ratos sépticos. Foram utilizados 32 ratos machos Wistar divididos em quatro grupos (n=8): controle (CG); sepse 24h (S24); sepse e tratamento com LLLT 30 J/cm² (S24L30); sepse e tratamento com LLLT 65 J/cm² (S24L65). A irradiação foi realizada imediatamente após a cirurgia na região anterior de traqueia e nas regiões ventrais do tórax, bilateralmente, logo abaixo das costelas. Foi realizada análise histológica do tecido pulmonar e o número de células inflamatórias foi quantificado. O grupo S24 apresentou um aumento de células inflamatórias comparado ao CG (

Pharmacological evaluation of Prosopis ruscifolia extract on lipid profile in hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic mice

La diabetes es una patología crónica grave, con efectos a largo plazo que incluyen daño a los vasos sanguíneos o dislipidemia diabética. La dislipidemia diabética se caracteriza por el aumento de las concentraciones de triglicéridos de baja densidad y lipoproteínas y una disminución de las lipoproteínas de alta densidad HDL-colesterol (HDL-c). Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto de Prosopis ruscifolia sobre el perfil lipídico en ratones suizos albinos con hiperglucemia e hiperlipidemia.CONACYT – Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologíaPROCIENCI

Coupling biological detection to liquid chromatography

La forma habitual de probar la actividad biológica de una planta dada es a partir de una extracto crudo y, si resultase de interés, continuar con la tediosa y costosa y laboriosas tareas de fraccionamiento, purificación y análisis sistemático de cada fracción resultante. Este procedimiento es actualmente el mismo para mezclas complejas resultantes de métodos sintéticos modernos como la química combinatoria. El procedimiento para la caracterización del fármaco se verá beneficiada si se puede restringir el estudio a solo aquellas fracciones donde la actividad biológica estaba presente.CONACYT – Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologíaPROCIENCI

Moral enhancement: do means matter morally?

One of the reasons why moral enhancement may be controversial, is because the advantages of moral enhancement may fall upon society rather than on those who are enhanced. If directed at individuals with certain counter-moral traits it may have direct societal benefits by lowering immoral behavior and increasing public safety, but it is not directly clear if this also benefits the individual in question. In this paper, we will discuss what we consider to be moral enhancement, how different means may be used to achieve it and whether the means we employ to reach moral enhancement matter morally. Are certain means to achieve moral enhancement wrong in themselves? Are certain means to achieve moral enhancement better than others, and if so, why? More specifically, we will investigate whether the difference between direct and indirect moral enhancement matters morally. Is it the case that indirect means are morally preferable to direct means of moral enhancement and can we indeed pinpoint relevant intrinsic, moral differences between both? We argue that the distinction between direct and indirect means is indeed morally relevant, but only insofar as it tracks an underlying distinction between active and passive interventions. Although passive interventions can be ethical provided specific safeguards are put in place, these interventions exhibit a greater potential to compromise autonomy and disrupt identity

EXAFS investigation of the interaction of hafnium and thorium with humic acid and Bio-Rex 70

The interaction of hafnium(IV) and thorium(iv) with humic acid, HA, is studied using EXAFS and compared to the interaction of these metal ions with carboxylate groups of the cation exchanger Bio-Rex70. Fourier-f'fltered Hf and Th I-,3 edge transmission EXAFS for the first oxygen shell is analyzed. For both Hf(IV)- HA and Hf(IV)-Bio-Rex70, in wet paste and air-dried forms, 6-7 oxygen atoms at R=2.14 A are found. Th(IV)-HA also exhibits coordination similar to Th(IV)-Bio-Rex70. These observations support conclusions from previous studies on U(VI)-HA that metal cations are sorbed primarily onto HA carboxylate groups; other HA functional groups play a less significant role

The Iowa Homemaker vol.3, no.8

Table of Contents The Goal of Home Management Courses at Iowa State by Ruth M. Lindquist, page 3 Home Economics Venture Upon “India’s Coral Strand” by Marcia E. Turner, page 4 The Bell Recipe File by Opal Wind, page 4 Carving the Turkey by Viola M. Bell, page 5 An Interview With Scottish Hockey Coach by Lucile Barta, page 5 Two and One-half Miles Saved a Day by Grata Thorne, page 6 Cranberries for Thanksgiving by Katherine Goeppinger, page 7 Who is Responsible for the Child - by “A Bachelor”, page 8 The Evolution of Home Economics at Iowa State by Ruth Elaine Wilson, page 9 Why is a Mulligan? by “Joe Baggs”, page 10 Turning the Corners Up by Laura E. Bublitz, page 10 The Sport of Amateur Housekeeping by Anna Jacobson, page 11 Who’s There and Where by Helen I. Putnam, page 12 Dressing the Homemaker by Margaret Dix, page 1

Hydrogen bond rotations as a uniform structural tool for analyzing protein architecture

Proteins fold into three-dimensional structures, which determine their diverse functions. The conformation of the backbone of each structure is locally at each Cα effectively described by conformational angles resulting in Ramachandran plots. These, however, do not describe the conformations around hydrogen bonds, which can be non-local along the backbone and are of major importance for protein structure. Here, we introduce the spatial rotation between hydrogen bonded peptide planes as a new descriptor for protein structure locally around a hydrogen bond. Strikingly, this rotational descriptor sampled over high-quality structures from the protein data base (PDB) concentrates into 30 localized clusters, some of which correlate to the common secondary structures and others to more special motifs, yet generally providing a unifying systematic classification of local structure around protein hydrogen bonds. It further provides a uniform vocabulary for comparison of protein structure near hydrogen bonds even between bonds in different proteins without alignment