Generation and physiological roles of linear ubiquitin chains

Ubiquitination now ranks with phosphorylation as one of the best-studied post-translational modifications of proteins with broad regulatory roles across all of biology. Ubiquitination usually involves the addition of ubiquitin chains to target protein molecules, and these may be of eight different types, seven of which involve the linkage of one of the seven internal lysine (K) residues in one ubiquitin molecule to the carboxy-terminal diglycine of the next. In the eighth, the so-called linear ubiquitin chains, the linkage is between the amino-terminal amino group of methionine on a ubiquitin that is conjugated with a target protein and the carboxy-terminal carboxy group of the incoming ubiquitin. Physiological roles are well established for K48-linked chains, which are essential for signaling proteasomal degradation of proteins, and for K63-linked chains, which play a part in recruitment of DNA repair enzymes, cell signaling and endocytosis. We focus here on linear ubiquitin chains, how they are assembled, and how three different avenues of research have indicated physiological roles for linear ubiquitination in innate and adaptive immunity and suppression of inflammation

Synthesis and Properties of High Tilted Antiferroelectric Esters with Partially Fluorinated Alkoxyalkoxy Terminal Chains

Novel chiral esters with partially fluorinated alkoxyalkoxy terminal chains are described. Their phase transition temperatures, enthalpies, and electrooptical properties are reported. A helical pitch in pure compounds and their mixtures based on selective reflection of light is also characterized

3,4-dimethylphenyl benzoate

In the title compound, C15H14O2, the terminal rings form a dihedral angle of 52.39(4)°. The mean plane of the central ester group [r.m.s. deviation = 0.0488Å] is twisted away from the benzene and phenyl rings by 60.10(4) and 8.67(9)°, respectively. In the crystal, molecules are linked by weak C - HO hydrogen bonds, forming C(6) chains which run along [100]

Solutions of Backward Stochastic Differential Equations on Markov Chains

We consider backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) related to finite state, continuous time Markov chains. We show that appropriate solutions exist for arbitrary terminal conditions, and are unique up to sets of measure zero. We do not require the generating functions to be monotonic, instead using only an appropriate Lipschitz continuity condition.Comment: To appear in Communications on Stochastic Analysis, August 200

First-principles methodology for quantum transport in multiterminal junctions

We present a generalized approach for computing electron conductance and I-V characteristics in multiterminal junctions from first-principles. Within the framework of Keldysh theory, electron transmission is evaluated employing an O(N) method for electronic-structure calculations. The nonequilibrium Green function for the nonequilibrium electron density of the multiterminal junction is computed self-consistently by solving Poisson equation after applying a realistic bias. We illustrate the suitability of the method on two examples of four-terminal systems, a radialene molecule connected to carbon chains and two crossed carbon chains brought together closer and closer. We describe charge density, potential profile, and transmission of electrons between any two terminals. Finally, we discuss the applicability of this technique to study complex electronic devices.Comment: Will be coming out in JCP soo

Quantum-state transfer in spin chains via isolated resonance of terminal spins

We propose a quantum-state transfer protocol in a spin chain that requires only the control of the spins at the ends of the quantum wire. The protocol is to a large extent insensitive to inhomogeneity caused by local magnetic fields and perturbation of exchange couplings. Moreover, apart from the free evolution regime, it allows one to induce an adiabatic spin transfer, which provides the possibility of performing the transfer on demand. We also show that the amount of information leaking into the central part of the chain is small throughout the whole transfer process (which protects the information sent from being eavesdropped) and can be controlled by the magnitude of the external magnetic field.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. Published versio

Linear Rheological Response of a Series of Densely Branched Brush Polymers

We have examined the linear rheological responses of a series of welldefined, dense, regularly branched brush polymers. These narrow molecular weight distribution brush polymers had polynorobornene backbones with degrees of polymerization (DP) of 200, 400, and 800 and polylactide side chains with molecular weight of 1.4 kDa, 4.4 kDa, and 8.7 kDa. The master curves for these brush polymers were obtained by time temperature superposition (TTS) of the dynamic moduli over the range from the glassy region to the terminal flow region. Similar to other long chain branched polymers, these densely branched brush polymers show a sequence of relaxation. Subsequent to the glassy relaxation, two different relaxation processes can be observed for samples with the high molecular weight (4.4 and 8.7 kDa) side chains, corresponding to the relaxation of the side chains and the brush polymer backbone. Influenced by the large volume fraction of high molecular weight side chains, these brush polymers are unentangled. The lowest plateau observed in the dynamic response is not the rubbery entanglement plateau but is instead associated with the steady state recoverable compliance. Side chain properties affect the rheological responses of these densely branched brush polymers and determine their glassy behaviors