Ligand binding to heme proteins. V. Light-induced relaxation in proximal mutants L89I and H97F of carbonmonoxymyoglobin.

We have studied the proximal mutants L89I and H97F of MbCO with FTIR and temperature-derivative spectroscopy at temperatures between 10 and 160 K. The mutations give rise only to minor alterations of the stretch spectra of the bound and photodissociated CO ligand. The most pronounced difference is a larger population in the A3 substate at approximately 1930 cm-1 in the mutants. The barrier distributions, as determined by temperature-derivative spectroscopy, are very similar to native MbCO after short illumination. Extended illumination leads to substantial increases of the rebinding barriers in native MbCO and the proximal mutants. A larger fraction of light-relaxed states is found in the proximal mutants, implying that the conformational energy landscape has been modified to more easily allow light-induced transitions. These and other spectroscopic data imply that the large changes in the binding properties are brought about by a light-induced conformational relaxation involving the structure at the heme iron. Similarities with spectral hole-burning studies and physical models are discussed

Are Movers More Religious than Stayers? Religiosity of European Majority, Turks in Europe and Turkey

Turks, most of them Islamic, are establishing themselves in European countries. Studies mostly compare migrant religiosity to other migrants and to majority population in the destination societies. We add those left behind in origin country to this comparison. Using the unique possibility offered by the European Social Surveys, this study compares subjective, individual, and communal religiosity of first and second generation-Turkish origin Europeans with non-migrants in Turkey and European natives in the destination societies. Results show that the mechanisms of religiosity differ for migrants and second generation. Religion fuels the creation of ethno-religious space in the new social environment and intensifies subjective and communal manifestation of piety. However, it is also subject to the secularizing impact of the receiving society in individual religious practise. Second-generation Europeans pray less in their personal sphere but consider themselves more religious than and attend religious meetings as often as non-migrants in Turkey. European natives score much lower on all three dimensions of religiosity than first and second-generation Turkish origin Europeans