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The complement binding-like domains of the murine homing receptor facilitate lectin activity.
The leukocyte homing receptor (HR), the endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule, and gmp140/platelet activation-dependent granule membrane protein are members of a family of adhesion molecules, termed the lectin cell adhesion molecules (LEC-CAMS) which are unified by a multi-domain structure containing a lectin motif, an epidermal growth factor-like (egf) motif, and variable numbers of a complement binding-like (CB) motif. Previous data have indicated a predominant role for the lectin motif in cell adhesion directed by the LEC-CAMS, although the egf-like domain of the HR may also play a potential role in cell binding. While the role(s) of the CB domains in the LEC-CAMS is currently not understood, they have been hypothesized to act as rigid spacers or stalks for lectin and perhaps, egf domain presentation. In this paper, we analyze the functional characteristics of murine HR-IgG chimeras containing the lectin, lectin plus egf, and lectin plus egf plus CB domains. The Mel 14 mAb, an adhesion blocking antibody which recognizes a conformational determinant in the N-terminus of the HR lectin domain, shows a significantly decreased affinity for a HR construct which lacks the CB motifs, consistent with the possibility that the CB domains are involved with lectin domain structure. In agreement with this conjecture, HR mutants lacking the CB domains show a profound decrease in lectin-specific interaction with the carbohydrate polyphosphomannan ester, suggesting that the changes in Mel 14 affinity for the lectin domain are reflected in lectin functionality. Various assays investigating the interactions between the HR deletion mutants and the peripheral lymph node high endothelium, including cell blocking, immunohistochemical staining, and radioactively labeled ligand binding, all showed that removal of the CB domains results in a lack of HR adhesive function. These results imply that the CB domains of the HR, and, by analogy, the other members of the LEC-CAM family, may play important structural roles involving induction of lectin domain conformation and resultant functionality
Electrostatic attraction between cationic-anionic assemblies with surface compositional heterogeneities
Electrostatics plays a key role in biomolecular assembly. Oppositely charged
biomolecules, for instance, can co-assembled into functional units, such as DNA
and histone proteins into nucleosomes and actin-binding protein complexes into
cytoskeleton components, at appropriate ionic conditions. These
cationic-anionic co-assemblies often have surface charge heterogeneities that
result from the delicate balance between electrostatics and packing
constraints. Despite their importance, the precise role of surface charge
heterogeneities in the organization of cationic-anionic co-assemblies is not
well understood. We show here that co-assemblies with charge heterogeneities
strongly interact through polarization of the domains. We find that this leads
to symmetry breaking, which is important for functional capabilities, and
structural changes, which is crucial in the organization of co-assemblies. We
determine the range and strength of the attraction as a function of the
competition between the steric and hydrophobic constraints and electrostatic
interactions.Comment: JCP June/200
Boundary Effects in 2+1 Dimensional Maxwell-Chern-Simons Theory
The boundary effects in the screening of an applied magnetic field in a
finite temperature 2+1 dimensional model of charged fermions minimally coupled
to Maxwell and Chern-Simons fields are investigated. It is found that in a
sample with only one boundary -a half-plane- a total Meissner effect takes
place, while in a sample with two boundaries -an infinite strip- the external
magnetic field partially penetrates the material.Comment: revte
Chromospheric polarimetry through multi-line observations of the 850 nm spectral region
Future solar missions and ground-based telescopes aim to understand the
magnetism of the solar chromosphere. We performed a supporting study in
Quintero Noda et al. (2016) focused on the infrared Ca II 8542 A line and we
concluded that is one of the best candidates because it is sensitive to a large
range of atmospheric heights, from the photosphere to the middle chromosphere.
However, we believe that it is worth to try improving the results produced by
this line observing additional spectral lines. In that regard, we examined the
neighbour solar spectrum looking for spectral lines that could increase the
sensitivity to the atmospheric parameters. Interestingly, we discovered several
photospheric lines that greatly improve the photospheric sensitivity to the
magnetic field vector. Moreover, they are located close to a second
chromospheric line that also belongs to the Ca II infrared triplet, i.e. the Ca
II 8498 A line, and enhances the sensitivity to the atmospheric parameters at
chromospheric layers. We conclude that the lines in the vicinity of the Ca II
8542 A line not only increase its sensitivity to the atmospheric parameters at
all layers, but also they constitute an excellent spectral window for
chromospheric polarimetry.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl
Reply to ``Comment on `On the inconsistency of the Bohm-Gadella theory with quantum mechanics'''
In this reply, we show that when we apply standard distribution theory to the
Lippmann-Schwinger equation, the resulting spaces of test functions would
comply with the Hardy axiom only if classic results of Paley and Wiener, of
Gelfand and Shilov, and of the theory of ultradistributions were wrong. As
well, we point out several differences between the ``standard method'' of
constructing rigged Hilbert spaces in quantum mechanics and the method used in
Time Asymmetric Quantum Theory.Comment: 13 page
Use of MHC class I or II 'knock out' mice to delineate the role of these molecules in acceptance/rejection of xenografts
Chromospheric polarimetry through multi-line observations of the 850 nm spectral region II: A magnetic flux tube scenario
In this publication we continue the work started in Quintero Noda et al.
(2017) examining this time a numerical simulation of a magnetic flux tube
concentration. Our goal is to study if the physical phenomena that take place
in it, in particular, the magnetic pumping, leaves a specific imprint on the
examined spectral lines. We find that the profiles from the interior of the
flux tube are periodically dopplershifted following an oscillation pattern that
is also reflected in the amplitude of the circular polarization signals. In
addition, we analyse the properties of the Stokes profiles at the edges of the
flux tube discovering the presence of linear polarization signals for the Ca II
lines, although they are weak with an amplitude around 0.5% of the continuum
intensity. Finally, we compute the response functions to perturbations in the
longitudinal field and we estimate the field strength using the weak field
approximation. Our results indicate that the height of formation of the
spectral lines changes during the magnetic pumping process which makes the
interpretation of the inferred magnetic field strength and its evolution more
difficult. These results complement those from previous works demonstrating the
capabilities and limitations of the 850 nm spectrum for chromospheric Zeeman
polarimetry in a very dynamic and complex atmosphere.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, 0 tables, MNRAS main journal publicatio
Constraints on Inflation in Einstein-Brans-Dicke Frame
The density perturbation during inflation seeds the large scale structure. We
consider both new inflation-type and chaotic inflation-type potentials in the
framework of Einstein-Brans-Dicke gravity. The density perturbation gives
strong constraints on the parameters in these potentials. For both potentials,
the constraints are not much different from those obtained in the original
inflationary models by using of Einstein gravity.Comment: 6 pages, Revtex file, typos adde
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