962 research outputs found
Genetic Characterization of Conserved Charged Residues in the Bacterial Flagellar Type III Export Protein FlhA
For assembly of the bacterial flagellum, most of flagellar proteins are transported to the distal end of the flagellum by the flagellar type III protein export apparatus powered by proton motive force (PMF) across the cytoplasmic membrane. FlhA is an integral membrane protein of the export apparatus and is involved in an early stage of the export process along with three soluble proteins, FliH, FliI, and FliJ, but the energy coupling mechanism remains unknown. Here, we carried out site-directed mutagenesis of eight, highly conserved charged residues in putative juxta- and trans-membrane helices of FlhA. Only Asp-208 was an essential acidic residue. Most of the FlhA substitutions were tolerated, but resulted in loss-of-function in the ΔfliH-fliI mutant background, even with the second-site flhB(P28T) mutation that increases the probability of flagellar protein export in the absence of FliH and FliI. The addition of FliH and FliI allowed the D45A, R85A, R94K and R270A mutant proteins to work even in the presence of the flhB(P28T) mutation. Suppressor analysis of a flhA(K203W) mutation showed an interaction between FlhA and FliR. Taken all together, we suggest that Asp-208 is directly involved in PMF-driven protein export and that the cooperative interactions of FlhA with FlhB, FliH, FliI, and FliR drive the translocation of export substrate
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
Application of Hamamatsu MPPC to T2K Neutrino Detectors
A special type of Hamamatsu MPPC, with a sensitive area of 1.3x1.3mm^2
containing 667 pixels with 50x50um^2 each, has been developed for the near
neutrino detector in the T2K long baseline neutrino experiment. About 60 000
MPPCs will be used in total to read out the plastic scintillator detectors with
wavelength shifting fibers. We report on the basic performance of MPPCs
produced for T2K.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of NDIP 2008, Aix-les-Bains, France,
June 15-20, 200
Performance of Multi-Pixel Photon Counters for the T2K near detectors
We have developed a Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC) for the neutrino
detectors of T2K experiment. About 64,000 MPPCs have been produced and tested
in about a year. In order to characterize a large number of MPPCs, we have
developed a system that simultaneously measures 64 MPPCs with various bias
voltage and temperature. The performance of MPPCs are found to satisfy the
requirement of T2K experiment. In this paper, we present the performance of
17,686 MPPCs measured at Kyoto University.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figure
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
Mass production test of Hamamatsu MPPC for T2K neutrino oscillation experiment
In the T2K near neutrino detectors, about 60 000 Hamamatsu Multi-Pixel Photon
Counters (MPPCs) will be used. The mass production of MPPC has started in
February 2008.In order to perform quality assurance and to characterize each
device, we have developed an MPPC test system. For each MPPC, gain, breakdown
voltage, noise rate, photo detection efficiency, and cross-talk and after-pulse
rate are measured as functions of the bias voltage and temperature. The design
of the test system and the measurement procedure are described.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of NDIP 2008, Aix-les-Bains, France,
June 15-20, 200
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
Baby MIND: A magnetized segmented neutrino detector for the WAGASCI experiment
T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) is a long-baseline neutrino experiment in Japan
designed to study various parameters of neutrino oscillations. A near detector
complex (ND280) is located 280~m downstream of the production target and
measures neutrino beam parameters before any oscillations occur. ND280's
measurements are used to predict the number and spectra of neutrinos in the
Super-Kamiokande detector at the distance of 295~km. The difference in the
target material between the far (water) and near (scintillator, hydrocarbon)
detectors leads to the main non-cancelling systematic uncertainty for the
oscillation analysis. In order to reduce this uncertainty a new
WAter-Grid-And-SCintillator detector (WAGASCI) has been developed. A magnetized
iron neutrino detector (Baby MIND) will be used to measure momentum and charge
identification of the outgoing muons from charged current interactions. The
Baby MIND modules are composed of magnetized iron plates and long plastic
scintillator bars read out at the both ends with wavelength shifting fibers and
silicon photomultipliers. The front-end electronics board has been developed to
perform the readout and digitization of the signals from the scintillator bars.
Detector elements were tested with cosmic rays and in the PS beam at CERN. The
obtained results are presented in this paper.Comment: In new version: modified both plots of Fig.1 and added one sentence
in the introduction part explaining Baby MIND role in WAGASCI experiment,
added information for the affiliation
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