What's causing this occipital headache? Cerebral dural venous sinus thrombosis.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
V Nagarajan
Publications and source records attributed to V Nagarajan.
Crystal structure analysis of collagen model peptide (Pro-pro-Gly)10.
Single crystals of (Pro-Pro-Gly)10 were grown by the hanging drop method. The crystals diffracted to a resolution of 1.8 A. In the crystals the polypeptides form triple helices that aggregate end-to-end mediated by the solvent molecules, with the basic repeat being 20 A along the helical axis. Analysis of the 20 A structure of (Pro-Pro-Gly)10 using data up to a resolution of 1.9 A revealed that the overall structure is in accordance with the 7/2 model proposed for collagen. The three strands are held together by the (Gly) N-H O (Pro-X) hydrogen bond interactions, and additional stability is provided by the (Pro-Y) Calpha -H O (Pro-X) hydrogen bonding interactions.
Collagen↗
C-H...O hydrogen bonds in beta-sheets.
A detailed analysis of the occurrence of the C-H...O hydrogen bonds in sheet regions of proteins has been presented. 11 unique protein structures with resolution 1.3 A containing beta-sheets show a widespread presence of C-H...O hydrogen bonds. These have average C(alpha).O, CH...O distances and a C(alpha)-H...O angle of 3.29, 2.38 A and 143 degrees, respectively. As in the case of N-H...O hydrogen bonds, parallel and antiparallel beta-sheet regions show the same hydrogen-bond geometry. An inverse correlation is observed between the hydrogen-bond geometries involving the C(alpha)(i)-H...O=C and the N(i+1)-H...O=C suggesting that C-H...O hydrogen bonds may act as an additional stabilizing factor. The propensity of different amino-acid residues to form such hydrogen bonds varies and shows a clear preference for valine and threonine. C-H...O hydrogen bonds involving side chains also occur extensively in beta-sheet regions.
Journal Article↗
Excitation energy transfer between the B850 and B875 antenna complexes of Rhodobacter sphaeroides.
Energy transfer between the B850 (LH2) and B875 (LH1) antenna complexes of a mutant strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides lacking reaction centers is investigated by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy at room temperature. Measurements are made at wavelengths between 810 and 910 nm at times extending to 200 ps after selective excitation of either B850 or B875. Assignments of the spectroscopic signals to the two types of antenna complex are made on the basis of measurements in strains that lack either LH1 or LH2 in addition to reaction centers. Energy transfer from excited B850 to B875 proceeds with two time constants, 4.6 +/- 0.3 and 26.3 +/- 1.0 ps, but a significant fraction of the excitations remain in B850 for considerably longer times. The fast step is interpreted as hopping of energy to LH1 from an associated LH2 complex; the slower steps are interpreted as migration of excitations in the LH2 pool preceding transfer to LH1. Transfer of excitations from B875 to B850 could not be detected, possibly suggesting that the average number of LH2 complexes in contact with each LH1 is small.
Bacterial Proteins↗
Crystal structures of heterochiral peptides. Part II. tert-Boc-valyl-D-alanyl-leucyl-alanyl methoxide.
Crystal structure of a heterochiral peptide, viz. Boc-Val1-D-Ala2-Leu3-Ala4-OMe with a D chiral residue in the second position of a sequence, has been determined [a = 40.44(1), b = 4.887(5), c = 15.381(5) A, beta = 109.6(1)degrees, space group C2, Z = 4, R = 0.11]. The peptide is in a parallel beta-sheet structure terminated by a distinct local bend. The structure is established by N-H...O as well as C alpha-H...O hydrogen bonds. The contiguous C alpha-H...O hydrogen bond observed in this structure is an unique observation.
Circular Dichroism↗
Evidence for low-Fe-moment state and Ru-enhanced antiferromagnetic exchange in glassy Fe90Zr10.
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Journal Article↗
Ultrafast exciton relaxation in the B850 antenna complex of Rhodobacter sphaeroides.
Spectral changes were measured with femtosecond resolution following low-intensity, broad-band excitation of the peripheral antenna complex of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Absorption anisotropy decays also were measured. We identified a 35-fs relaxation of the absorption and emission spectra of the excited state, as well as a 20-fs anisotropy decay. We interpret these results as interlevel relaxation and dephasing, respectively, of extensively delocalized exciton states of the circular bacteriochlorophyll aggregate.
Bacterial Chromatophores↗
Direct selection of cloned DNA in Bacillus subtilis based on sucrose-induced lethality.
Expression of the Bacillus subtilis or Bacillus amyloliquefaciens sacB gene in the presence of sucrose is lethal for a variety of bacteria. Sucrose-induced lethality can be used to select for inactivation of sacB by insertion of heterologous DNA in sensitive bacteria. This procedure has not been applicable to B. subtilis heretofore because expression of wild-type sacB is not detrimental to B. subtilis. The W29 mutation in the B. amyloliquefaciens sacB gene interferes with processing of the levansucrase signal peptide. The W29 mutation does not affect growth of B. subtilis in media lacking sucrose. However, this mutation inhibited growth of B. subtilis in media containing sucrose. Inactivation of the fructose polymerase activity encoded by sacB indicated that levan production was essential for sucrose-induced lethality. As a result, it was possible to select for cloned DNA in B. subtilis by insertional inactivation of the mutant sacB gene located on a multicopy plasmid vector in medium containing sucrose.
Bacillus↗
Specific alteration of the oxidation potential of the electron donor in reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides.
The effects of multiple changes in hydrogen bond interactions between the electron donor, a bacteriochlorophyll dimer, and histidine residues in the reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides have been investigated. Site-directed mutations were designed to add or remove hydrogen bonds between the 2-acetyl groups of the dimer and histidine residues at the symmetry-related sites His-L168 and Phe-M197, and between the 9-keto groups and Leu-L131 and Leu-M160. The addition of a hydrogen bond was correlated with an increase in the dimer midpoint potential. Measurements on double and triple mutants showed that changes in the midpoint potential due to alterations at the individual sites were additive. Midpoint potentials ranging from 410 to 765 mV, compared with 505 mV for wild type, were achieved by various combinations of mutations. The optical absorption spectra of the reaction centers showed relatively minor changes in the position of the donor absorption band, indicating that the addition of hydrogen bonds to histidines primarily destabilized the oxidized state of the donor and had little effect on the excited state relative to the ground state. Despite the change in energy of the charge-separated states by up to 260 meV, the mutant reaction centers were still capable of electron transfer to the primary quinone. The increase in midpoint potential was correlated with an increase in the rate of charge recombination from the primary quinone, and a fit of these data using the Marcus equation indicated that the reorganization energy for this reaction is approximately 400 meV higher than the change in free energy in wild type. The mutants were still capable of photosynthetic growth, although at reduced rates relative to the wild type. These results suggest a role for protein-cofactor interactions--in particular, histidine-donor interactions--in establishing the redox potentials needed for electron transfer in biological systems.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Levamisole hydrochloride: an effective treatment for stephanofilarial dermatitis (humpsore) in cattle.
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Animals↗
Effect of alteration of charged residues at the N termini of signal peptides on protein export in Bacillus subtilis.
The role of positively charged residues at the N termini of signal peptides in protein export has been studied in Bacillus subtilis. Bacillus signal peptides (alkaline protease [Apr] and neutral protease [Npr] from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) were altered and fused to mature levansucrase (Lvs). The effects of the various alterations on the export of Lvs in B. subtilis were determined. The replacement of positively charged residues with neutral residues in both Apr and Npr signal peptides resulted in a slight defect in the export of Lvs from B. subtilis. Introduction of a negatively charged residue (aspartic acid) at the N terminus of Npr signal peptide blocked the export of Lvs. However, Apr signal peptide with a net charge of -3 (three aspartic acid residues) was still functional.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Kinetics and free energy gaps of electron-transfer reactions in Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction centers.
The rates of the light-driven, electron-transfer reactions in the photosynthetic reaction center (RC) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides are examined in mutant strains in which tyrosine (M)210 is replaced by phenylalanine, isoleucine, or tryptophan. The spectra of the absorbance changes between 700 and 975 nm, following excitation by 0.6-ps pulses at 605 nm, are analyzed globally by singular value decomposition. The spectra measured at room temperature are interpreted in terms of a model in which the excited bacteriochlorophyll dimer (P*) transfers an electron to a bacteriopheophytin (HL) with time constants of 3.5 +/- 0.3, 10.5 +/- 1.0, 16 +/- 2, and 41 +/- 4 ps in wild-type RCs and the Phe, Ile, and Trp mutants, respectively, and an electron then moves from HL- to a quinone (QA) with a time constant of 0.16 ns in wild-type RCs, 0.24 ns in the Phe mutant, and 0.20 ns in the Ile and Trp mutants. The first step speeds up with decreasing temperature in wild-type RCs, remains virtually unchanged in the Phe mutant, and slows down in the Ile and Trp mutants. At 80 K, the signals in the 850-975-nm region include an apparent shift of the stimulated emission or absorption spectrum of P*, with a time constant of 5 ps in the Ile mutant and 13 pcs in the Trp mutant. Most of the electron transfer to HL occurs with time constants of 55 and 155 ps in the Ile and Trp mutants, respectively, and probably occurs from the relaxed form of P*. Electron transfer from the initial state cannot be ruled out, however. Relaxations of P* are not resolved in wild-type RCs or the Phe mutant. The midpoint potential (Em) of the P/P+ redox couple is measured by an electrochemical technique; the Em values are 500 +/- 5, 530 +/- 6, 533 +/- 3, and 552 +/- 10 mV for the wild-type and the Phe, Ile, and Trp mutant RCs, respectively. These values are corroborated by chemical titrations. The free energy change (delta G degrees) associated with formation of the P+HL-radical pair from P* also is determined by measuring the amplitude of fluorescence on the nanosecond time scale after blocking electron transfer from HL- to QA. The free energy of P+HL- is elevated by an amount comparable to that calculated from the increase in the Em of P in the Ile mutant and by about 16 meV more than this in the Phe and Trp mutants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Electron Transport↗
The roles of signal peptide and mature protein in RNase (barnase) export from Bacillus subtilis.
Barnase, an extracellular RNAse from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is secreted post-translationally from B. subtilis. The rate of secretion of barnase from B. subtilis was improved by replacement of the barnase signal peptide with a heterologous signal peptide. However, the barnase signal peptide exported Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase faster than mature barnase. Heat shock of B. subtilis cells did not significantly alter the export of barnase using the barnase signal peptide. The slow rate of export of barnase from B. subtilis is due to both the signal peptide and the mature protein sequence rather than either alone.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Secretion of streptavidin from Bacillus subtilis.
Streptavidin is an extracellular tetrameric protein produced by Streptomyces avidinii. A series of hybrid gene fusions consisting of Bacillus signal peptide coding regions fused to the mature streptavidin sequence were constructed. B. subtilis strains harboring these plasmids accumulate a tetrameric streptavidin in the growth medium. The properties of the streptavidin produced by B. subtilis are similar to those of the streptavidin produced by S. avidinii. B. subtilis strains carrying the various fusions can be grown to a high cell density in a biotin-free medium. Thus, B. subtilis represents an alternate host system for the production of streptavidin.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, a cytoplasmic protein is incompatible for export from Bacillus subtilis.
Bacillus subtilis cells expressing a hybrid protein (Lvsss-Cat) consisting of the B. amyloliquefaciens levansucrase signal peptide fused to B. pumilus chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (Cat) are unable to export Cat protein into the growth medium. A series of tripartite protein fusions was constructed by inserting various lengths of the Cat sequences between the levansucrase signal peptide and staphylococcal protein A or Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase. Biochemical characterization of the various Cat protein fusions revealed that multiple regions in the Cat protein were causing the export defect.
Bacillus↗
Modular expression and secretion vectors for Bacillus subtilis.
A modular vector system has been developed for the extracellular production of heterologous proteins in Bacillus subtilis. This modular vector system consists of four secretion vectors which are based upon the genes encoding the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens extracellular alkaline protease, neutral protease, barnase and levansucrase. The modular vectors contain compatible restriction sites downstream from the signal peptide-coding region. Three reporter proteins (staphylococcal protein A, levansucrase and Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase) that offer complementary advantages for cloning, genetic manipulations and media optimization have been fused to the various signal peptides. These secretion vectors function in E. coli and hence can be used to compare the mechanisms of protein secretion in E. coli and B. subtilis.
Alkaline Phosphatase↗
Characterization of the secretion efficiency of a plant signal peptide in Bacillus subtilis.
The ability of the Bacillus subtilis secretion machinery to interact with a heterologous signal peptide was studied using a plant (wheat alpha-amylase) signal peptide. The plant signal peptide was capable of mediating secretion of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase and B. amyloliquefaciens levansucrase from B. subtilis. This secretion was dependent on the plant signal peptide, as deletion of five amino acids from the hydrophobic core resulted in a block of secretion. Attempts to improve the efficiency of the plant signal peptide in B. subtilis were made by increasing the length of the hydrophobic core from 10 to 16 residues by insertion of 2, 4, 5 or 6 amino acids. None of the alterations improved the secretion efficiency relative to the wild-type plant signal peptide.
Alkaline Phosphatase↗
Effect of signal sequence alterations on export of levansucrase in Bacillus subtilis.
A series of alterations in the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens levansucrase signal peptide were made by in vitro mutagenesis, and their effect on the secretion of levansucrase in Bacillus subtilis was studied. Some of the alterations resulted in a completely defective signal peptide. These included the removal of positively charged residues from the N-terminus and disruption of the hydrophobic core of the signal peptide either by introducing a charged residue or by deleting five or more amino acids. Analysis of the signal peptide processing-site alterations revealed that small residues are preferred at the -1 and -3 positions. However, a wide variety of amino acids are tolerated at the +1 position.
Amino Acid Sequence↗