1,935 research outputs found
Turning it inside out: The organization of human septin heterooligomers.
Septin family proteins are quite similar to each other both within and between eukaryotic species. Typically, multiple discrete septins co-assemble into linear heterooligomers (usually hexameric or octameric rods) with a variety of cellular functions. We know little about how incorporation of different septins confers different properties to such complexes. This issue is especially acute in human cells where 13 separate septin gene products (often produced in multiple forms arising from alternative start codons and differential splicing) are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. Based on sequence alignments and phylogenetic criteria, human septins fall into four distinct groups predictive of their interactions, that is, members of the same group appear to occupy the same position within oligomeric septin protomers, which are "palindromic" (have twofold rotational symmetry about a central homodimeric pair). Many such protomers are capable of end-to-end polymerization, generating filaments. Over a decade ago, a study using X-ray crystallography and single-particle electron microscopy deduced the arrangement within recombinant heterohexamers comprising representatives of three human septin groups-SEPT2, SEPT6, and SEPT7. This model greatly influenced subsequent studies of human and other septin complexes, including how incorporating a septin from a fourth group forms heterooctamers, as first observed in budding yeast. Two recent studies, including one in this issue of Cytoskeleton, provide clear evidence that, in fact, the organization of subunits within human septin heterohexamers and heterooctamers is inverted relative to the original model. These findings are discussed here in a broader context, including possible causes for the initial confusion
The combination of micron and nanotopography by H2SO4/H2O2 treatment and its effects on osteoblast-specific gene expression of hMSCs.
Photon Orbital Angular Momentum and Mass in a Plasma Vortex
We analyse the Anderson-Higgs mechanism of photon mass acquisition in a
plasma and study the contribution to the mass from the orbital angular momentum
acquired by a beam of photons when it crosses a spatially structured charge
distribution. To this end we apply Proca-Maxwell equations in a static plasma
with a particular spatial distribution of free charges, notably a plasma
vortex, that is able to impose orbital angular momentum (OAM) onto light. In
addition to the mass acquisition of the conventional Anderson-Higgs mechanism,
we find that the photon acquires an additional mass from the OAM and that this
mass reduces the Proca photon mass.Comment: Four pages, no figures. Error corrections, improved notation, refined
derivation
Photon-graviton pair conversion
We consider the conversion of gravitons and photons as a four-wave mixing
process. A nonlinear coupled systems of equations involving two gravitons and
two photons is obtained, and the energy exchange between the different degrees
of freedom is found. The scattering amplitudes are obtained, from which a
crossection for incoherent processes can be found. An analytical example is
given, and applications to the early Universe are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, slightly modified as compared to v1, to appear in Class.
Quantum Grav. as a Letter to the Edito
Synaptotagmin 1 oligomers clamp and regulate different modes of neurotransmitter release
Release of neurotransmitters relies on submillisecond coupling of synaptic vesicle fusion to the triggering signal: AP-evoked presynaptic Ca2+ influx. The key player that controls exocytosis of the synaptic vesicle is the Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1). While the Ca2+ activation of Syt1 has been extensively characterized, how Syt1 reversibly clamps vesicular fusion remains enigmatic. Here, using a targeted mutation combined with fluorescence imaging and electrophysiology, we show that the structural feature of Syt1 to self-oligomerize provides the molecular basis for clamping of spontaneous and asynchronous release but is not required for triggering of synchronous release. Our findings propose a mechanistic model that explains how Syt1 oligomers regulate different modes of transmitter release in neuronal synapses
Quantum equivalence between the self-dual and the Maxwell-Chern-Simons models nonlinearly coupled to U(1) scalar fields
The use of master actions to prove duality at quantum level becomes
cumbersome if one of the dual fields interacts nonlinearly with other fields.
This is the case of the theory considered here consisting of U(1) scalar fields
coupled to a self-dual field through a linear and a quadratic term in the
self-dual field. Integrating perturbatively over the scalar fields and deriving
effective actions for the self-dual and the gauge field we are able to
consistently neglect awkward extra terms generated via master action and
establish quantum duality up to cubic terms in the coupling constant. The
duality holds for the partition function and some correlation functions. The
absence of ghosts imposes restrictions on the coupling with the scalar fields.Comment: 13 pages, no figure
Determinação dos constituintes do leite de vacas de corte de acordo com o perÃodo de lactação.
SIEPE. Online
Using continuous measurement to protect a universal set of quantum gates within a perturbed decoherence-free subspace
We consider a universal set of quantum gates encoded within a perturbed
decoherence-free subspace of four physical qubits. Using second-order
perturbation theory and a measuring device modeled by an infinite set of
harmonic oscillators, simply coupled to the system, we show that continuous
observation of the coupling agent induces inhibition of the decoherence due to
spurious perturbations. We thus advance the idea of protecting or even creating
a decoherence-free subspace for processing quantum information.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure. To be published in Journal of Physics A:
Mathematical and Genera
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