Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology | Open Access Articles

Thermodynamics Of Single-Stranded Rna And Dna Interactions With Oligolysines Containing Tryptophan. Effects Of Base Composition., David Mascotti, Timothy Lohman

David P. Mascotti

No abstract provided.

Myocardial Alpha-Thrombin Receptor Activation Induces Hypertrophy And Increases Atrial Natriuretic Factor Gene Expression, C C. Glembotski, C E. Irons, K A. Krown, S F. Murray, A B. Sprenkle, C A. Sei

Amy Sprenkle

The protease, a-thrombin (aTh), affects myocardial cell contractility, a feature common among agents that induce hypertrophy. However, it is not known whether cardiac myocytes possess aTh receptors (aTh-R), or if long term treatment with aTh can enhance growth and gene expression. In the present study primary neonatal rat ventricular myocytes expressed a 3.6-kilobase mRNA species that hybridized with a rat aTh-R-specific probe. After 48 h, aTh induced hypertrophy, sarcomeric organization, and enhanced atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) expression, all of which were blocked by the aTh-selective protease inhibitor, D-Phe-Pro-Argchloromethyl ketone. The aTh-R agonist peptide, SFLLRNPND, was a potent activator of ANF …

Go to article

Genetic Analyses Of Photopigment Biosynthesis In Eubacteria: A Guiding Light For Algae And Plants, David Bollivar, Carl E. Bauer, Jon Y. Suzuki

David Bollivar

A wide variety of macrocyclic tetrapyrrole compounds are synthesized by cells for use in diverse cellular processes. As shown in Fig. 1, this pathway includes the synthesis of closed tetrapyrrole compounds that contain metals, such as cobalt-containing cobalamin (vitamin B12), nickel-containing methanogenesis coenzyme F430, copper-containing pigment turacin, iron-containing heme and siroheme, and magnesium-containing chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls. Also synthesized by this pathway are a variety of open macrocyclic compounds such as the family of bilins that are used as a source of light-harvesting pigments in cyanobacteria, red algae, and cryptophytes as well as the chromophore that is covalently attached to phytochrome …