1,795 research outputs found
Concerted activities of Mcm4, Sld3 and Dbf4 in control of origin activation and DNA replication fork progression
Eukaryotic chromosomes initiate DNA synthesis from multiple replication origins in a temporally specific manner during S phase. The replicative helicase Mcm2-7 functions in both initiation and fork progression and thus is an important target of regulation. Mcm4, a helicase subunit, possesses an unstructured regulatory domain that mediates control from multiple kinase signaling pathways, including the Dbf4-dependent Cdc7 kinase (DDK). Following replication stress in S phase, Dbf4 and Sld3, an initiation factor and essential target of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK), are targets of the checkpoint kinase Rad53 for inhibition of initiation from origins that have yet to be activated, so-called late origins. Here, whole genome DNA replication profile analysis is employed to access under various conditions the effect of mutations that alter the Mcm4 helicase regulatory domain and the Rad53 targets, Sld3 and Dbf4. Late origin firing occurs under genotoxic stress when the controls on Mcm4, Sld3 and Dbf4 are simultaneously eliminated. The regulatory domain of Mcm4 plays an important role in the timing of late origin firing, both in an unperturbed S phase and dNTP limitation. Furthermore, checkpoint control of Sld3 impacts fork progression under replication stress. This effect is parallel to the role of the Mcm4 regulatory domain in monitoring fork progression. Hypomorph mutations in sld3 are suppressed by a mcm4 regulatory domain mutation. Thus, in response cellular conditions, the functions executed by Sld3, Dbf4 and the regulatory domain of Mcm4 intersect to control origin firing and replication fork progression, thereby ensuring genome stability
Domain within the helicase subunit Mcm4 integrates multiple kinase signals to control DNA replication initiation and fork progression
Eukaryotic DNA synthesis initiates from multiple replication origins and progresses through bidirectional replication forks to ensure efficient duplication of the genome. Temporal control of initiation from origins and regulation of replication fork functions are important aspects for maintaining genome stability. Multiple kinase-signaling pathways are involved in these processes. The Dbf4-dependent Cdc7 kinase (DDK), cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), and Mec1, the yeast Ataxia telangiectasia mutated/Ataxia telangiectasia mutated Rad3-related checkpoint regulator, all target the structurally disordered N-terminal serine/threonine-rich domain (NSD) of mini-chromosome maintenance subunit 4 (Mcm4), a subunit of the mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) replicative helicase complex. Using whole-genome replication profile analysis and single-molecule DNA fiber analysis, we show that under replication stress the temporal pattern of origin activation and DNA replication fork progression are altered in cells with mutations within two separate segments of the Mcm4 NSD. The proximal segment of the NSD residing next to the DDK-docking domain mediates repression of late-origin firing by checkpoint signals because in its absence late origins become active despite an elevated DNA damage-checkpoint response. In contrast, the distal segment of the NSD at the N terminus plays no role in the temporal pattern of origin firing but has a strong influence on replication fork progression and on checkpoint signaling. Both fork progression and checkpoint response are regulated by the phosphorylation of the canonical CDK sites at the distal NSD. Together, our data suggest that the eukaryotic MCM helicase contains an intrinsic regulatory domain that integrates multiple signals to coordinate origin activation and replication fork progression under stress conditions
Immobilization of Polyethylene Oxide Surfactants for Non-Fouling Biomaterial Surfaces Using an Argon Glow Discharge Treatment
A non-fouling (protein-resistant) polymer surface is achieved by the covalent immobilization of polyethylene oxide (PEO) surfactants using an inert gas discharge treatment. Treated surfaces have been characterized using electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS), water contact angle measurement, fibrinogen adsorption, and platelet adhesion. This paper is intended to review our recent work in using this simple surface modification process to obtain wettable polymer surfaces in general, and non-fouling biomaterial surfaces in particular
Operator algebra quantum homogeneous spaces of universal gauge groups
In this paper, we quantize universal gauge groups such as SU(\infty), as well
as their homogeneous spaces, in the sigma-C*-algebra setting. More precisely,
we propose concise definitions of sigma-C*-quantum groups and sigma-C*-quantum
homogeneous spaces and explain these concepts here. At the same time, we put
these definitions in the mathematical context of countably compactly generated
spaces as well as C*-compact quantum groups and homogeneous spaces. We also
study the representable K-theory of these spaces and compute it for the quantum
homogeneous spaces associated to the universal gauge group SU(\infty).Comment: 14 pages. Merged with [arXiv:1011.1073
Impurity Band Conduction in a High Temperature Ferromagnetic Semiconductor
The band structure of a prototypical dilute ferromagnetic semiconductor,
GaMnAs, is studied across the phase diagram via optical
spectroscopy. We prove that the Fermi energy () resides in a Mn induced
impurity band (IB). This conclusion is based upon careful analysis of the
frequency and temperature dependence of the optical conductivity
(). From our analysis of we infer
a large effective mass () of the carriers, supporting the view that
conduction occurs in an IB. Our results also provide useful insights into the
transport properties of Mn-doped GaAs.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Flux through a hole from a shaken granular medium
We have measured the flux of grains from a hole in the bottom of a shaken
container of grains. We find that the peak velocity of the vibration, vmax,
controls the flux, i.e., the flux is nearly independent of the frequency and
acceleration amplitude for a given value of vmax. The flux decreases with
increasing peak velocity and then becomes almost constant for the largest
values of vmax. The data at low peak velocity can be quantitatively described
by a simple model, but the crossover to nearly constant flux at larger peak
velocity suggests a regime in which the granular density near the container
bottom is independent of the energy input to the system.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. to appear in Physical Review
Capping-induced suppression of annealing in Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As epilayers
We have studied the effects of capping ferromagnetic Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As epilayers
with a thin layer of undoped GaAs, and we find that even a few monolayers of
GaAs have a significant effect on the ferromagnetic properties. In particular,
the presence of a capping layer only 10 monolayers thick completely suppresses
the enhancement of the ferromagnetism associated with low temperature
annealing. This result, which demonstrates that the surface of a Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As
epilayer strongly affects the defect structure, has important implications for
the incorporation of Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As into device heterostructures.Comment: 13 pages with figures attatche
Stochastic Ballistic Annihilation and Coalescence
We study a class of stochastic ballistic annihilation and coalescence models
with a binary velocity distribution in one dimension. We obtain an exact
solution for the density which reveals a universal phase diagram for the
asymptotic density decay. By universal we mean that all models in the class are
described by a single phase diagram spanned by two reduced parameters. The
phase diagram reveals four regimes, two of which contain the previously studied
cases of ballistic annihilation. The two new phases are a direct consequence of
the stochasticity. The solution is obtained through a matrix product approach
and builds on properties of a q-deformed harmonic oscillator algebra.Comment: 4 pages RevTeX, 3 figures; revised version with some corrections,
additional discussion and in RevTeX forma
Magnetothermopower and Magnetoresistivity of RuSr2Gd1-xLaxCu2O8 (x=0, 0.1)
We report measurements of magnetothermopower and magnetoresistivity as a
function of temperature on RuSr2Gd1-xLaxCu2O8 (x = 0, 0.1). The normal-state
thermopower shows a dramatic decrease after applying a magnetic field of 5 T,
whereas the resistivity shows only a small change after applying the same
field. Our results suggest that RuO2 layers are conducting and the magnetic
field induced decrease of the overall thermopower is caused by the decrease of
partial thermopower decrease associated with the spin entropy decrease of the
carriers in the RuO2 layers.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure
Quartic scaling of sound attenuation with frequency in vitreous silica
Several theoretical approaches to disordered media predict that acoustic
waves should undergo a quartic increase in their attenuation coefficient with
increasing frequency in the sub-terahertz region. Such Rayleigh-type scattering
would be related to the anomalous low-temperature plateau in the thermal
conductivity and to the so-called boson peak, i.e. an excess of vibrational
modes above the Debye density of states at around 1 THz. Brillouin scattering
of light allows the measurement of sound absorption and velocity dispersion up
to about 0.1 THz while inelastic x-ray scattering is limited to frequencies
larger than about 1 THz. We take advantage of the advent of ultrafast optical
techniques to explore the acoustical properties of amorphous SiO2 layers in the
difficult but crucial frequency region within this gap. A quartic scaling law
with frequency is clearly revealed between 0.2 and 0.9 THz, which is further
shown to be independent of temperature. This strongly damped regime is
accompanied by a decrease in the sound velocity already starting from about 0.5
THz, in line with theories. Our study assists to clarify the anomalous
acoustical properties in glasses at frequencies entering the boson peak region.Comment: 4 figures, 11 page
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