Crystal Structure of Thermotoga maritima α-Glucosidase AglA Defines a New Clan of NAD+-dependent Glycosidases

Glycoside hydrolase family 4 represents an unusual group of glucosidases with a requirement for NAD(+), divalent metal cations, and reducing conditions. The family is also unique in its inclusion of both alpha- and beta-specific enzymes. The alpha-glucosidase A, AglA, from Thermotoga maritima is a typical glycoside hydrolase family 4 enzyme, requiring NAD(+) and Mn2+ as well as strongly reducing conditions for activity. Here we present the crystal structure of the protein complexed with NAD(+) and maltose, refined at a resolution of 1.9 Angstrom. The NAD(+) is bound to a typical Rossman fold NAD(+)-binding site, and the nicotinamide moiety is localized close to the maltose substrate. Within the active site the conserved Cys-174 and surrounding histidines are positioned to play a role in the hydrolysis reaction. The electron density maps indicate that Cys-174 is oxidized to a sulfinic acid. Most likely, the strongly reducing conditions are necessary to reduce the oxidized cysteine side chain. Notably, the canonical set of catalytic acidic residues common to other glucosidases is not present in the active site. This, combined with a high structural homology to NAD-dependent dehydrogenases, suggests an unusual and possibly unique mechanism of action for a glycoside-hydrolyzing enzyme

Ni-Cu-PGE-Cr-V bearing layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions of Russia - preface to a thematic issue

Layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions host some of the world’s largest ore deposits, notably in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa, the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe, and the Stillwater Complex of Montana. More than 400 intrusions have so far been discovered globally, but many remain little studied. This thematic issue contains papers on several layered intrusions from Russia (and including data on some coeval Finnish intrusions) that were presented at the 12th International Platinum Symposium in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in August 2014. This conference served as a showcase of ongoing research on Russian mafic-ultramafic intrusions and their PGE-Ni-Cu-Cr-V mineralization. Most of the intrusions remain poorly known outside Russia yet have a long history of exploration and mining going back several decades. In the present issue, papers are presented on the ∼2.5 Ga Monchepluton, the 1.85–1.88 Ga Chineysky intrusion and the 728 Ma Yoko-Dovyren intrusion, which host important Cu-Ni, V-Ti, and PGE ore deposits mined in the past and/or presently

New insights into the petrogenesis of the Jameson Range layered intrusion and associated Fe-Ti-P-V-PGE-Au mineralisation, West Musgrave Province, Western Australia

The Mesoproterozoic Jameson Range intrusion forms part of the Giles Complex, Musgrave Province, Western Australia. It is predominantly mafic in composition comprising olivine-bearing gabbroic lithologies with variable amounts of magnetite and ilmenite. Lithologies containing more than 50 vol% magnetite and ilmenite are classified as magnetitites. The Jameson Range hosts several of these magnetitites forming laterally extensive layers, which can be traced for at least 19 km as continuous magnetic anomalies. Similar occurrences of magnetitites are known from the upper parts of other layered intrusions, such as the Bushveld Complex. In addition, the intrusion hosts several P-rich zones, one of which is at least 59 m in thickness containing 1.0 wt% P2O5. The P-rich zones are not directly associated with the magnetitites, but they mostly occur slightly above them. The mineral chemistry of the Jameson Range cumulates is relatively evolved with olivine compositions ranging from Fo44 to Fo60 and plagioclase compositions varying between An56 and An59. The Mg# (100 × Mg / (Mg + Fe)) of ortho- and clinopyroxene ranges from 60 to 61 and from 70 to 75, respectively. Magnetite compositions are characterised by low TiO2 concentrations varying from 0.39 to 3.04 wt% representing near end-member magnetite with up to 1.2 wt% Cr and 1.3 wt% V, respectively. The basal magnetite layer reaches up to 68.8 wt% Fe2O3(t) and 24.2 wt% TiO2, and it is also markedly enriched in Cu (up to 0.3 wt% Cu), V (up to 1.05 wt% V2O5) and platinum-group elements (PGE) (up to 2 ppm Pt + Pd). Sulphide minerals comprising bornite, chalcopyrite and minor pentlandite occur finely disseminated in the magnetitite and account for the elevated base metal and PGE concentrations. Modelling indicates that the PGE mineralisation was formed at very high R factors of up to 100,000, which is typical for PGE reefs in layered intrusions. Whole rock geochemical and mineralogical data of the magnetite layers and their host rocks further allow for a refinement of current formation models of layered igneous sequences. Several lines of evidence suggest that the magnetite layers formed in response to primarily density-controlled mineral sorting within crystal slurries, although the grain size also affects the sorting process

Interaction and dephasing of center-of-mass quantized excitons in wide ZnSe/Zn0.94Mg0.06Se quantum wells

We investigate the interaction and dephasing of the excitons in wide ZnSe/Zn0.94Mg0.06Se quantum wells by spectrally resolved, femtosecond four-wave mixing (FWM). Polarization-dependent measurements indicate that excitation-induced dephasing is the dominant FWM process. The biexcitons of the center-of-mass quantized heavy and light hole excitons are observed, showing binding energies of 3.5 meV. We determine the exciton scattering cross sections with incoherent and coherent excitons. The coherent cross section is found to be larger than the incoherent cross section, which is attributed to a stronger Pauli repulsion for coherent excitons. The exciton interaction rates with acoustic and optical phonons are deduced by their temperature dependencies. The acoustic-phonon scattering is found to be strongly reduced in the investigated wide wells due to the reduced accessible phonon wave vector

Novel Schizophrenia Risk Gene TCF4 Influences Verbal Learning and Memory Functioning in Schizophrenia Patients

Background: Recently, a role of the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene in schizophrenia has been reported in a large genome-wide association study. It has been hypothesized that TCF4 affects normal brain development and TCF4 has been related to different forms of neurodevelopmental disorders. Schizophrenia patients exhibit strong impairments of verbal declarative memory (VDM) functions. Thus, we hypothesized that the disease-associated C allele of the rs9960767 polymorphism of the TCF4 gene led to impaired VDM functioning in schizophrenia patients. Method: The TCF4 variant was genotyped in 401 schizophrenia patients. VDM functioning was measured using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Results: Carriers of the C allele were less impaired in recognition compared to those carrying the AA genotype (13.76 vs. 13.06; p = 0.049). Moreover, a trend toward higher scores in patients with the risk allele was found for delayed recall (10.24 vs. 9.41; p = 0.088). The TCF4 genotype did not influence intelligence or RAVLT immediate recall or total verbal learning. Conclusion: VDM function is influenced by the TCF4 gene in schizophrenia patients. However, the elevated risk for schizophrenia is not conferred by TCF4-mediated VDM impairment. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

NMR experiment factors numbers with Gauss sums

We factor the number 157573 using an NMR implementation of Gauss sums.Comment: 4 pages 5 figure

Two new root endophyte and nematode cyst parasite species of the widely distributed genus Laburnicola

Fungal root endophytes, including the common form group of dark septate endophytes (DSEs), represent different taxonomic groups with potentially diverse life strategies. During surveys of DSE communities and of nematode cysts colonizing fungi, isolates representing Laburnicola ( Didymosphaeriaceae , Pleosporales ) lineages were discovered. Here we carried out a comprehensive study of the phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy of fungi collected from plant roots in Hungary, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan and from eggs of the cereal cyst nematode Heterodera filipjevi in Turkey. In addition to the study of the morphology and culture characteristics of the strains, four loci (internal transcribed spacer, partial large and small subunit regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha) were used to infer the molecular phylogenetic relationships of the strains within Laburnicola . The isolates were found to represent two distinct lineages, which are described here as novel species, Laburnicola nematophila and L. radiciphila . The interaction of the strains with plants and nematodes was examined using in vitro bioassays, which revealed endophytic interactions with the plant roots and parasitic interactions with the nematode eggs. Analyses of similar ITS sequences found in public databases revealed that members of the genus Laburnicola are widely distributed characteristic members of the plant microbiome, and they are reported as parasites of plant parasitic cyst nematodes here for the first time

Paramagnetic GaN:Fe and ferromagnetic (Ga,Fe)N - relation between structural, electronic, and magnetic properties

We report on the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of GaN:Fe and (Ga,Fe)N layers on c-sapphire substrates and their thorough characterization via high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), spatially-resolved energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), photoluminescence (PL), Hall-effect, electron-paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and magnetometry employing a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). A combination of TEM and EDS reveals the presence of coherent nanocrystals presumably FexN with the composition and lattice parameter imposed by the host. From both TEM and SIMS studies, it is stated that the density of nanocrystals and, thus the Fe concentration increases towards the surface. In layers with iron content x<0.4% the presence of ferromagnetic signatures, such as magnetization hysteresis and spontaneous magnetization, have been detected. We link the presence of ferromagnetic signatures to the formation of Fe-rich nanocrystals, as evidenced by TEM and EDS studies. This interpretation is supported by magnetization measurements after cooling in- and without an external magnetic field, pointing to superparamagnetic properties of the system. It is argued that the high temperature ferromagnetic response due to spinodal decomposition into regions with small and large concentration of the magnetic component is a generic property of diluted magnetic semiconductors and diluted magnetic oxides showing high apparent Curie temperature.Comment: 21 pages, 30 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

A comparison of trace element concentrations in chromite from komatiites, picrites, and layered intrusions: implications for the formation of massive chromite layers

By examining the minor and trace element contents of chromites from three intrusions; the Bushveld Complex (South Africa), the Stillwater Complex (USA) and the Great Dyke (Zimbabwe), and comparing these chromite compositions to those of magmas from which they could have formed (komatiites and picrites) we conclude that: a) the variations in Ti, V, Sc and Ga contents across stratigraphy and across individual layers do not support the model of magma mixing leading to chromite-only crystallization; b) the chromites from the lowest levels of the intrusions could have crystallized from komatiite liquids that were contaminated with continental crust; c) the Great Dyke chromites have the highest Cr# and lowest incompatible element contents and formed from a liquid closest to komatiite; d) all of the chromites, except those of the Dunite Succession of the Great Dyke have equilibrated with a liquid that had also crystallized pyroxene; e) the Great Dyke and Stillwater chromites show a narrower range in composition than the Bushveld chromites; f) Chromites from the western limb of the Bushveld Complex contain much higher V contents than all the other chromites. This requires either, that the fO2 was lower in the western Bushveld or that the chromites equilibrated with a V-rich magma. We favor a model where chromite and silicate minerals crystallized in cotectic proportions (~2:98). The chromite, silicates and transporting liquid are emplaced into the magma chamber. During emplacement the chromite and silicate separated due to viscous particle flow to form a massive chromite layer overlain by silicates

Early and Differential Diagnosis of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Design and Cohort Baseline Characteristics of the German Dementia Competence Network

Background: The German Dementia Competence Network (DCN) has established procedures for standardized multicenter acquisition of clinical, biological and imaging data, for centralized data management, and for the evaluation of new treatments. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was set up for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), patients with mild dementia and control subjects. The aims were to establish the diagnostic, differential diagnostic and prognostic power of a range of clinical, laboratory and imaging methods. Furthermore, 2 clinical trials were conducted with patients suffering from MCI and mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease (AD). These trials aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of the combination of galantamine and memantine versus galantamine alone. Results: Here, we report on the scope and projects of the DCN, the methods that were employed, the composition and flow within the diverse groups of patients and control persons and on the clinical and neuropsychological baseline characteristics of the group of 2,113 subjects who participated in the observational and clinical trials. Conclusion: These data have an impact on the procedures for the early and differential clinical diagnosis of dementias, the current standard treatment of AD as well as on future clinical trials in AD. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base