1,058 research outputs found
Bacterial rotary export ATPases are allosterically regulated by the nucleotide second messenger cyclic-di-GMP
The widespread second messenger molecule cyclic di-GMP (cdG) regulates the transition from motile and virulent lifestyles to sessile, biofilm-forming ones in a wide range of bacteria. Many pathogenic and commensal bacterial-host interactions are known to be controlled by cdG signaling. Although the biochemistry of cyclic dinucleotide metabolism is well understood, much remains to be discovered about the downstream signaling pathways that induce bacterial responses upon cdG binding. As part of our ongoing research into the role of cdG signaling in plant-associated Pseudomonas species, we carried out an affinity capture screen for cdG binding proteins in the model organism Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25. The flagella export AAA+ ATPase FliI was identified as a result of this screen and subsequently shown to bind specifically to the cdG molecule, with a KD in the low micromolar range. The interaction between FliI and cdG appears to be very widespread. In addition to FliI homologs from diverse bacterial species, high affinity binding was also observed for the type III secretion system homolog HrcN and the type VI ATPase ClpB2. The addition of cdG was shown to inhibit FliI and HrcN ATPase activity in vitro. Finally, a combination of site-specific mutagenesis, mass spectrometry, and in silico analysis was used to predict that cdG binds to FliI in a pocket of highly conserved residues at the interface between two FliI subunits. Our results suggest a novel, fundamental role for cdG in controlling the function of multiple important bacterial export pathways, through direct allosteric control of export ATPase proteins
M153R Mutation in a pH-Sensitive Green Fluorescent Protein Stabilizes Its Fusion Proteins
BACKGROUND: Green fluorescent protein (GFP) and its fusion proteins have been used extensively to monitor and analyze a wide range of biological processes. However, proteolytic cleavage often removes GFP from its fusion proteins, not only causing a poor signal-to-noise ratio of the fluorescent images but also leading to wrong interpretations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we report that the M153R mutation in a ratiometric pH-sensitive GFP, pHluorin, significantly stabilizes its fusion products while the mutant protein still retaining a marked pH dependence of 410/470 nm excitation ratio of fluorescence intensity. The M153R mutation increases the brightness in vivo but does not affect the 410/470-nm excitation ratios at various pH values. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Since the pHluorin(M153R) probe can be directly fused to the target proteins, we suggest that it will be a potentially powerful tool for the measurement of local pH in living cells as well as for the analysis of subcellular localization of target proteins
An energy transduction mechanism used in bacterial flagellar type III protein export
Flagellar proteins of bacteria are exported by a specific export apparatus. FliI ATPase forms a complex with FliH and FliJ and escorts export substrates from the cytoplasm to the export gate complex, which is made up of six membrane proteins. The export gate complex utilizes proton motive force across the cytoplasmic membrane for protein translocation, but the mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that the export gate complex by itself is a proton–protein antiporter that uses the two components of proton motive force, Δψ and ΔpH, for different steps of the protein export process. However, in the presence of FliH, FliI and FliJ, a specific binding of FliJ with an export gate membrane protein, FlhA, is brought about by the FliH–FliI complex, which turns the export gate into a highly efficient, Δψ-driven protein export apparatus
Development of a low-background HPGe detector at Kamioka Observatory
A new ultra-low background high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector has been
installed at the Kamioka underground experimental site. The background count
rate in the energy range from 40 keV to 2700 keV is about 25% lower than that
of the first HPGe detector installed in 2016, which has the same detector
specification and similar shielding geometry. This paper describes the
shielding configuration, including the cleaning of the material surface, the
comparison of calibration data and simulation, the time variation of the
background spectra, the sample measurement procedure, and some results of the
radioactivity in the selected samples
Structural Insight into the Rotational Switching Mechanism of the Bacterial Flagellar Motor
Structural analysis of a clockwise-biased rotation mutant of the bacterial
flagellar rotor protein FliG provides a new model for the arrangement of FliG
subunits in the motor, and novel insights into rotation switching
Distillation of Liquid Xenon to Remove Krypton
A high performance distillation system to remove krypton from xenon was
constructed, and a purity level of Kr/Xe = was
achieved. This development is crucial in facilitating high sensitivity low
background experiments such as the search for dark matter in the universe.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure
Self-shielding effect of a single phase liquid xenon detector for direct dark matter search
Liquid xenon is a suitable material for a dark matter search. For future
large scale experiments, single phase detectors are attractive due to their
simple configuration and scalability. However, in order to reduce backgrounds,
they need to fully rely on liquid xenon's self-shielding property. A prototype
detector was developed at Kamioka Observatory to establish vertex and energy
reconstruction methods and to demonstrate the self-shielding power against
gamma rays from outside of the detector. Sufficient self-shielding power for
future experiments was obtained.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure
Baby MIND: A magnetised spectrometer for the WAGASCI experiment
The WAGASCI experiment being built at the J-PARC neutrino beam line will
measure the difference in cross sections from neutrinos interacting with a
water and scintillator targets, in order to constrain neutrino cross sections,
essential for the T2K neutrino oscillation measurements. A prototype Magnetised
Iron Neutrino Detector (MIND), called Baby MIND, is being constructed at CERN
to act as a magnetic spectrometer behind the main WAGASCI target to be able to
measure the charge and momentum of the outgoing muon from neutrino charged
current interactions.Comment: Poster presented at NuPhys2016 (London, 12-14 December 2016). Title +
4 pages, LaTeX, 6 figure
Synchronization of the Distributed Readout Frontend Electronics of the Baby MIND Detector
Baby MIND is a new downstream muon range detector for the WGASCI experiment. This article discusses the distributed readout system and its timing requirements. The paper presents the design of the synchronization subsystem and the results of its test
Baby MIND Experiment Construction Status
Baby MIND is a magnetized iron neutrino detector, with novel design features,
and is planned to serve as a downstream magnetized muon spectrometer for the
WAGASCI experiment on the T2K neutrino beam line in Japan. One of the main
goals of this experiment is to reduce systematic uncertainties relevant to
CP-violation searches, by measuring the neutrino contamination in the
anti-neutrino beam mode of T2K. Baby MIND is currently being constructed at
CERN, and is planned to be operational in Japan in October 2017.Comment: Poster presented at NuPhys2016 (London, 12-14 December 2016). 4
pages, LaTeX, 7 figure
- …