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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Synthesis And Applications Of Covalent Protein-Dna Conjugates, Patrick M. Schaeffer, Nicholas E. Dixon Jul 2013

Synthesis And Applications Of Covalent Protein-Dna Conjugates, Patrick M. Schaeffer, Nicholas E. Dixon

Professor Nick E Dixon

Synthetic protein-DNA conjugates are valuable tools with applications in fields including nanobiotechnology, bioanalytical chemistry, and molecular diagnostics, and various synthetic methods for their production have been developed during the past three decades. The present article reviews current methodologies for the synthesis of covalent protein-DNA conjugates with particular focus on the regiospecificity and stoichiometry of these reactions.


The Proofreading Exonuclease Subunit E Of Escherichia Coli Dna Polymerase Iii Is Tethered To The Polymerase Subunit A Via A Flexible Linker, Kiyoshi Ozawa, Slobodan Jergic, Ah-Young Park, Nicholas E. Dixon, Gottfried Otting Jul 2013

The Proofreading Exonuclease Subunit E Of Escherichia Coli Dna Polymerase Iii Is Tethered To The Polymerase Subunit A Via A Flexible Linker, Kiyoshi Ozawa, Slobodan Jergic, Ah-Young Park, Nicholas E. Dixon, Gottfried Otting

Professor Nick E Dixon

Escherichia coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme is composed of 10 different subunits linked by noncovalent interactions. The polymerase activity resides in the α-subunit. The ε-subunit, which contains the proofreading exonuclease site within its N-terminal 185 residues, binds to α via a segment of 57 additional C-terminal residues, and also to θ, whose function is less well defined. The present study shows that θ greatly enhances the solubility of ε during cell-free synthesis. In addition, synthesis of ε in the presence of θ and α resulted in a soluble ternary complex that could readily be purified and analyzed by NMR spectroscopy. …


A Novel Zinc-Binding Fold In The Helicase Interaction Domain Of The Bacillus Subtilis Dnal Helicase Loader, Karin V. Loscha, Kristaps Jaudzems, Charikleia Ioannou, Xun-Cheng Su, Flynn R. Hill, Gottfried Otting, Nicholas E. Dixon, Edvards Liepinsh Jul 2013

A Novel Zinc-Binding Fold In The Helicase Interaction Domain Of The Bacillus Subtilis Dnal Helicase Loader, Karin V. Loscha, Kristaps Jaudzems, Charikleia Ioannou, Xun-Cheng Su, Flynn R. Hill, Gottfried Otting, Nicholas E. Dixon, Edvards Liepinsh

Professor Nick E Dixon

The helicase loader protein DnaI (the Bacillus subtilis homologue of Escherichia coli DnaC) is required to load the hexameric helicase DnaC (the B. subtilis homologue of E. coli DnaB) onto DNA at the start of replication. While the C-terminal domain of DnaI belongs to the structurally well-characterized AAA+ family of ATPases, the structure of the N-terminal domain, DnaI-N, has no homology to a known structure. Three-dimensional structure determination by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy shows that DnaI presents a novel fold containing a structurally important zinc ion. Surface plasmon resonance experiments indicate that DnaI-N is largely responsible for binding of …


Instant Insight: Think Outside The Cell, Mark R. Wilson, Justin J. Yerbury May 2013

Instant Insight: Think Outside The Cell, Mark R. Wilson, Justin J. Yerbury

Mark R Wilson

Proteins perform many different functions critical for life, from building our muscle structure to digesting our food. These large biological molecules each have a unique three-dimensional shape which they require to perform their function. In protein deposition diseases (PDDs), however, a disease-specific protein molecule unfolds from its normal shape and assembles together with like molecules into insoluble rod-shaped fibrils. These protein deposits can be found in the brain, skeletal tissue and various organs; in some cases they may become large enough to disrupt tissue structure and function.


Stress-Induced Retrotranslocation Of Clusterin/Apoj Into The Cytosol, P Nizard, Suzanne Tetley, Y Le Drean, T Watrin, P Le Goff, Mark R. Wilson, Denis Michel May 2013

Stress-Induced Retrotranslocation Of Clusterin/Apoj Into The Cytosol, P Nizard, Suzanne Tetley, Y Le Drean, T Watrin, P Le Goff, Mark R. Wilson, Denis Michel

Mark R Wilson

Clusterin is a usually secreted glycoprotein with chaperone properties. Recently, it has been suggested that clusterin isoforms reside in the nuclear and cytosolic compartments of human cell types, where they can influence various cellular programs including DNA repair, transcription and apoptosis. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this atypical location, including alternative transcription initiation and alternative splicing. However none of these have been unequivocally established as occurring in live cells. Here we provide direct experimental evidence that in live intact cells, under certain stress conditions, clusterin can evade the secretion pathway and reach the cytosol. This was demonstrated using …


Macroglobulin And Haptoglobin Suppress Amyloid Formation By Interacting With Prefibrillar Protein Species, Justin J. Yerbury, Janet R. Kumita, Sarah Meehan, Christopher M. Dobson, Mark R. Wilson May 2013

Macroglobulin And Haptoglobin Suppress Amyloid Formation By Interacting With Prefibrillar Protein Species, Justin J. Yerbury, Janet R. Kumita, Sarah Meehan, Christopher M. Dobson, Mark R. Wilson

Mark R Wilson

α2-Macroglobulin (α2M) and haptoglobin (Hp) are both abundant secreted glycoproteins that are best known for their protease trapping and hemoglobin binding activities, respectively. Like the small heat shock proteins, both these glycoproteins have in common the ability to protect a range of proteins from stress-induced amorphous aggregation and have been described as extracellular chaperones. Using an array of biophysical techniques, this study establishes that in vitro at substoichiometric levels and under physiological conditions α2M and Hp both inhibit the formation of amyloid fibrils from a range of proteins. We also provide evidence that both α2M and Hp interact with prefibrillar …


Clusterin Facilitates In Vivo Clearance Of Extracellular Misfolded Proteins, Amy R. Wyatt, Justin J. Yerbury, Paula Berghofer, I Greguric, Andrew Katsifis, Christopher Dobson, Mark R. Wilson May 2013

Clusterin Facilitates In Vivo Clearance Of Extracellular Misfolded Proteins, Amy R. Wyatt, Justin J. Yerbury, Paula Berghofer, I Greguric, Andrew Katsifis, Christopher Dobson, Mark R. Wilson

Mark R Wilson

The extracellular deposition of misfolded proteins is a characteristic of many debilitating age-related disorders. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms that act to suppress this process in vivo. Clusterin (CLU) is an extracellular chaperone that forms stable and soluble complexes with misfolded client proteins. Here we explore the fate of complexes formed between CLU and misfolded proteins both in vitro and in a living organism. We show that proteins injected into rats are cleared more rapidly from circulation when complexed with CLU as a result of their more efficient localisation to the liver and that this clearance is …


Potential Roles Of Abundant Extracellular Chaperones In The Control Of Amyloid Formation And Toxicity, Mark R. Wilson, Justin J. Yerbury, Stephen Poon May 2013

Potential Roles Of Abundant Extracellular Chaperones In The Control Of Amyloid Formation And Toxicity, Mark R. Wilson, Justin J. Yerbury, Stephen Poon

Mark R Wilson

The in vivo formation of fibrillar proteinaceous deposits called amyloid is associated with more than 40 serious human diseases, collectively referred to as protein deposition diseases. In many cases the amyloid deposits are extracellular and are found associated with newly identified abundant extracellular chaperones (ECs). Evidence is presented suggesting an important regulatory role for ECs in amyloid formation and disposal in the body. A model is presented which proposes that, under normal conditions, ECs stabilize extracellular misfolded proteins by binding to them, and then guide them to specific cell receptors for uptake and subsequent degradation. Thus ECs and their receptors …


Extracellular Chaperones Modulate The Effects Of Alzheimer's Patient Cerebrospinal Fluid On A Beta(1-42) Toxicity And Uptake , Justin J. Yerbury, Mark R. Wilson May 2013

Extracellular Chaperones Modulate The Effects Of Alzheimer's Patient Cerebrospinal Fluid On A Beta(1-42) Toxicity And Uptake , Justin J. Yerbury, Mark R. Wilson

Mark R Wilson

Alzheimer's disease is characterised by the inappropriate death of brain cells and accumulation of the A beta peptide in the brain. Thus, it is possible that there are fundamental differences between Alzheimer's disease patients and healthy individuals in their abilities to clear A beta from brain fluid and to protect neurons from A beta toxicity. In the present study, we examined (1) the cytotoxicity of Alzheimer's disease cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compared to control CSF, (2) the ability of Alzheimer's disease and control CSF to protect cells from A beta toxicity and to promote cell-mediated clearance of A beta and lastly …


Extracellular Chaperones And Amyloids, Mark R. Wilson, Justin J. Yerbury, Stephen Poon May 2013

Extracellular Chaperones And Amyloids, Mark R. Wilson, Justin J. Yerbury, Stephen Poon

Mark R Wilson

The pathology of more than 40 human degenerative diseases is associated with fibrillar proteinaceous deposits called amyloid. Collectively referred to as protein deposition diseases, many of these affect the brain and the central nervous system. In many cases the amyloid deposits are extracellular and are found associated with newly identified abundant extracellular chaperones (ECs). Evidence is discussed which suggests an important regulatory role for ECs in amyloid formation and disposal in vivo. This is emerging as an exciting field. A model is presented in which it is proposed that, under normal conditions, ECs stabilize extracellular misfolded proteins by binding to …


Clusterin Is An Extracellular Chaperone That Specifically Interacts With Slowly Aggregating Proteins On Their Off-Folding Pathway, Stephen Poon, T. M. Treweek, Mark R. Wilson, Simon B. Easterbrook-Smith, John A. Carver May 2013

Clusterin Is An Extracellular Chaperone That Specifically Interacts With Slowly Aggregating Proteins On Their Off-Folding Pathway, Stephen Poon, T. M. Treweek, Mark R. Wilson, Simon B. Easterbrook-Smith, John A. Carver

Mark R Wilson

Clusterin is an extracellular mammalian chaperone protein which inhibits stress-induced precipitation of many different proteins. The conformational state(s) of proteins that interact with clusterin and the stage(s) along the folding and off-folding (precipitation-bound) pathways where this interaction occurs were previously unknown. We investigated this by examining the interactions of clusterin with different structural forms of α-lactalbumin, γ-crystallin and lysozyme. When assessed by ELISA and native gel electrophoresis, clusterin did not bind to various stable, intermediately folded states of α-lactalbumin nor to the native form of this protein, but did bind to and inhibit the slow precipitation of reduced α-lactalbumin. Reduction-induced …


Clusterin Interacts With Paclitaxel And Confer Paclitaxel Resistance In Ovarian Cancer, Dong Choon Park, Seung Geun Yeo, Mark R. Wilson, Justin J. Yerbury, Joseph Kwong, William R. Welch, Yang Kyu Choi, Michael J. Birrer, Samuel C. Mok, Kwong-Kwok Wong May 2013

Clusterin Interacts With Paclitaxel And Confer Paclitaxel Resistance In Ovarian Cancer, Dong Choon Park, Seung Geun Yeo, Mark R. Wilson, Justin J. Yerbury, Joseph Kwong, William R. Welch, Yang Kyu Choi, Michael J. Birrer, Samuel C. Mok, Kwong-Kwok Wong

Mark R Wilson

Optimal debulking followed by chemotherapy is the standard treatment of managing late-stage ovarian cancer, but chemoresistance is still a major problem. In this study, we compared expression profiles of primary tumor tissue from five long-term (>8 years) and five short-term (years) ovarian cancer survivors and identified clusterin as one of the genes that were significantly up-regulated in short-term survivors. We then evaluated the prognostic significance of clusterin and its possible correlation with chemoresistance in ovarian cancer by immunohistostaining of clusterin in 62 tumor samples from patients with stage III, high-grade serous ovarian cancer. After adjusting for debulking status and …


Identification Of Human Plasma Proteins As Major Clients For The Extracellular Chaperone Clusterin, Amy R. Wyatt, Mark R. Wilson May 2013

Identification Of Human Plasma Proteins As Major Clients For The Extracellular Chaperone Clusterin, Amy R. Wyatt, Mark R. Wilson

Mark R Wilson

Clusterin (CLU) is an extracellular chaperone that is likely to play an important role in protein folding quality control. This study identified three deposition disease-associated proteins as major plasma clients for clusterin by studying CLU-client complexes formed in response to physiologically relevant stress (shear stress, similar to 36 dynes/cm(2) at 37 degrees C). Analysis of plasma samples by size exclusion chromatography indicated that (i) relative to control plasma, stressed plasma contained proportionally more soluble protein species of high molecular weight, and (ii) high molecular weight species were far more abundant when proteins purified by anti-CLU immunoaffinity chromatography from stressed plasma …


Therapeutic Targets In Extracellular Protein Deposition Diseases, Amy R. Wyatt, Justin J. Yerbury, Stephen Poon, Mark R. Wilson May 2013

Therapeutic Targets In Extracellular Protein Deposition Diseases, Amy R. Wyatt, Justin J. Yerbury, Stephen Poon, Mark R. Wilson

Mark R Wilson

Many litres of fluids are found outside cells in the human body. These fluids are rich in dissolved proteins that each have a characteristic three dimensional shape, necessary for normal function, which has been attained by the correct folding of their polypeptide chain(s). The structure of these extracellular proteins can be damaged by a variety of environmental stresses (e. g. heat and oxidation) leading to their partial unfolding and aggregation. This in turn can produce toxic soluble aggregates and/or large insoluble protein deposits, either of which can disrupt normal body function (e. g. in Alzheimer's disease and the systemic amyloidoses). …


Roles Of Extracellular Chaperones In Amyloidosis, Amy R. Wyatt, Justin J. Yerbury, Rebecca A. Dabbs, Mark R. Wilson May 2013

Roles Of Extracellular Chaperones In Amyloidosis, Amy R. Wyatt, Justin J. Yerbury, Rebecca A. Dabbs, Mark R. Wilson

Mark R Wilson

Extracellular protein misfolding and aggregation underlie many of the most serious amyloidoses including Alzheimer's disease, spongiform encephalopathies and type II diabetes. Despite this, protein homeostasis (proteostasis) research has largely focussed on characterising systems that function to monitor protein conformation and concentration within cells. We are now starting to identify elements of corresponding systems, including an expanding family of secreted chaperones, which exist in the extracellular space. Like their intracellular counterparts, extracellular chaperones are likely to play a central role in systems that maintain proteostasis; however, the precise details of how they participate are only just emerging. It is proposed that …


On The Electrodeposition Of Titanium In Ionic Liquids, William E. Price, Gordon G. Wallace, Douglas Macfarlane, S Z. El Abedin, A Y. Saad, F Endres, E M. Moustafa, P J. Newman, A Bund, N Borissenko Mar 2013

On The Electrodeposition Of Titanium In Ionic Liquids, William E. Price, Gordon G. Wallace, Douglas Macfarlane, S Z. El Abedin, A Y. Saad, F Endres, E M. Moustafa, P J. Newman, A Bund, N Borissenko

Gordon Wallace

The ability to electrodeposit titanium at low temperatures would be an important breakthrough for making corrosion resistant layers on a variety of technically important materials. Ionic liquids have often been considered as suitable solvents for the electrodeposition of titanium. In the present paper we have extensively investigated whether titanium can be electrodeposited from its halides (TiCl4, TiF4, TiI4) in different ionic liquids, namely1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([EMIm]Tf2N), 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethyl-sulfonyl)amide ([BMP]Tf2N), and trihexyltetradecyl-phosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([P14,6,6,6]Tf2N). Cyclic voltammetry and EQCM measurements show that, instead of elemental Ti, only non-stoichiometric halides are formed, for example with average stoichiometries of TiCl0.2, TiCl0.5 and TiCl1.1. In situ …


Autopolymerization Of Pyrrole In The Presence Of A Host/Guest Calixarene, David A. Reece, Jennifer M. Pringle, Stephen F. Ralph, Gordon G. Wallace Mar 2013

Autopolymerization Of Pyrrole In The Presence Of A Host/Guest Calixarene, David A. Reece, Jennifer M. Pringle, Stephen F. Ralph, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

Aqueous solutions containing pyrrole and calix-6-arenehexasulfonic acid were found to undergo polymerization in the absence of either a chemical oxidant or electrochemical oxidation. The product was an unstable colloidal suspension consisting of spherical polypyrrole particles measuring ≥500 nm in diameter. Conductivity measurements showed the material to be insulating, while cyclic voltammetry studies demonstrated that it was electroactive. Infrared spectroscopy and microanalysis confirmed that the polypyrrole produced was doped with calix-6-arenehexasulfonic acid. When the reaction was repeated using solutions containing stabilizing agents, stable colloidal dispersions were obtained. These were shown by both particle size analysis and transmission electron microscopy to contain …


Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells As Tools For Disease Modelling And Drug Discovery In Alzheimer's Disease, Lezanne Ooi, Kuldip Sidhu, Anne Poljak, Greg Sutherland, Michael D. O'Connor, Perminder Sachdev, Gerald Munch Jan 2013

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells As Tools For Disease Modelling And Drug Discovery In Alzheimer's Disease, Lezanne Ooi, Kuldip Sidhu, Anne Poljak, Greg Sutherland, Michael D. O'Connor, Perminder Sachdev, Gerald Munch

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to a progressive decline in a person’s memory and ability to communicate and carry out daily activities. The brain pathology in AD is characterized by extensive neuronal loss, particularly of cholinergic neurons, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles composed of the tau protein (NFTs) and extracellular deposition of plaques composed of β-amyloid (Aβ), a cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). These two insoluble protein aggregates are accompanied by a chronic inflammatory response and extensive oxidative damage. Whereas dys-regulation of APP expression or processing appears to be important for the familial, …


The Two-Faced Nature Of Small Heat Shock Proteins: Amyloid Assembly And The Inhibition Of Fibril Formation. Relevance To Disease States, Heath W. Ecroyd, S Meehan, John A. Carver Dec 2012

The Two-Faced Nature Of Small Heat Shock Proteins: Amyloid Assembly And The Inhibition Of Fibril Formation. Relevance To Disease States, Heath W. Ecroyd, S Meehan, John A. Carver

Heath Ecroyd

The ability of small heat-shock proteins (sHsps) such as alphaB-crystallin to inhibit the amorphous (disordered) aggregation of varied target proteins in a chaperone-like manner has been well described. The mechanistic details of this action are not understood. Amyloid fibril formation is an alternative off-folding pathway that leads to highly ordered beta-sheet-containing aggregates. Amyloid fibril formation is associated with a broad range of protein conformational diseases such as Alzhiemer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's and sHsp expression is elevated in the protein deposits that are characteristic of these disease states. The ability of sHsps to prevent fibril formation has been less well characterised. …


Molecular Dynamics Analysis Of Apolipoprotein-D - Lipid Hydroperoxide Interactions: Mechanism For Selective Oxidation Of Met-93, Aaron J. Oakley, Surabhi Bhatia, Heath Ecroyd, Brett Garner Dec 2012

Molecular Dynamics Analysis Of Apolipoprotein-D - Lipid Hydroperoxide Interactions: Mechanism For Selective Oxidation Of Met-93, Aaron J. Oakley, Surabhi Bhatia, Heath Ecroyd, Brett Garner

Heath Ecroyd

Background: Recent studies suggest reduction of radical-propagating fatty acid hydroperoxides to inert hydroxides by interaction with apolipoprotein-D (apoD) Met93 may represent an antioxidant function for apoD. The nature and structural consequences of this selective interaction are unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: Herein we used molecular dynamics (MD) analysis to address these issues. Longtimescale simulations of apoD suggest lipid molecules are bound flexibly, with the molecules free to explore multiple conformations in a binding site at the entrance to the classical lipocalin ligand-binding pocket. Models of 5s- 12s- and 15s hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids were created and the lipids found to wrap around Met93 thus …


Binding Of The Molecular Chaperone Alphab-Crystallin To Abeta Amyloid Fibrils Inhibits Fibril Elongation, Sarah L. Shammas, Christopher A. Waudby, Shuyu Wang, Alexander K. Buell, Tuomas P. Knowles, Heath W. Ecroyd, Mark E. Welland, John A. Carver, Christopher M. Dobson, Sarah Meehan Dec 2012

Binding Of The Molecular Chaperone Alphab-Crystallin To Abeta Amyloid Fibrils Inhibits Fibril Elongation, Sarah L. Shammas, Christopher A. Waudby, Shuyu Wang, Alexander K. Buell, Tuomas P. Knowles, Heath W. Ecroyd, Mark E. Welland, John A. Carver, Christopher M. Dobson, Sarah Meehan

Heath Ecroyd

The molecular chaperone αB-crystallin is a small heat-shock protein that is upregulated in response to a multitude of stress stimuli, and is found colocalized with Aβ amyloid fibrils in the extracellular plaques that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. We investigated whether this archetypical small heat-shock protein has the ability to interact with Aβ fibrils in vitro. We find that αB-crystallin binds to wild-type Aβ42 fibrils with micromolar affinity, and also binds to fibrils formed from the E22G Arctic mutation of Aβ42. Immunoelectron microscopy confirms that binding occurs along the entire length and ends of the fibrils. Investigations into the effect …


Identification Of Phospholipids In Human Meibum By Nano-Electrospray Ionisation Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Jennifer T. Saville, Zhenjun Zhao, Mark Dp Willcox, Manjula A. Ariyavidana, Stephen J. Blanksby, Todd W. Mitchell Oct 2012

Identification Of Phospholipids In Human Meibum By Nano-Electrospray Ionisation Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Jennifer T. Saville, Zhenjun Zhao, Mark Dp Willcox, Manjula A. Ariyavidana, Stephen J. Blanksby, Todd W. Mitchell

Stephen Blanksby

Meibum is believed to be the major source of tear !lm lipids, which are vital in the prevention of excessevaporation of the aqueous phase. The complete lipid composition of meibum has yet to be established.While earlier studies reported the presence of phospholipids in human meibum, recent mass spectrometricstudies have not detected them. In this study we use electrospray ionisation tandem massspectrometry to investigate the presence of phospholipids in meibum and provide comparison to thephospholipid pro!le of tears.Lipids were extracted from human meibum and tear samples using standard biphasic methods andanalysed by nano-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry using targeted ion scans. …


Ozone Induced Dissociation: Elucidation Of Double Bond Position Within Mass-Selected Lipid Ions, Michael C. Thomas, Todd W. Mitchell, David G. Harman, Jane M. Deeley, Jessica R. Nealon, Stephen J. Blanksby Oct 2012

Ozone Induced Dissociation: Elucidation Of Double Bond Position Within Mass-Selected Lipid Ions, Michael C. Thomas, Todd W. Mitchell, David G. Harman, Jane M. Deeley, Jessica R. Nealon, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

Ions formed from lipids during electrospray ionization of crude lipid extracts have been mass-selected within a quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer and allowed to react with ozone vapor. Gas-phase ion−molecule reactions between unsaturated lipid ions and ozone are found to yield two primary product ions for each carbon−carbon double bond within the molecule. The mass-to-charge ratios of these chemically induced fragments are diagnostic of the position of unsaturation within the precursor ion. This novel analytical technique, dubbed ozone-induced dissociation (OzID), can be applied both in series and in parallel with conventional collision-induced dissociation (CID) to provide near-complete structural assignment …


Understanding The Α-Crystallin Cell Membrane Conjunction, Shih-Ping Su, Jason D. Mcarthur, Michael G. Friedrich, Roger J. W Truscott, J. A. Aquilina Oct 2012

Understanding The Α-Crystallin Cell Membrane Conjunction, Shih-Ping Su, Jason D. Mcarthur, Michael G. Friedrich, Roger J. W Truscott, J. A. Aquilina

J. A. Aquilina

PURPOSE. It is well established that levels of soluble α-crystallin in the lens cytoplasm fall steadily with age, accompanied by a corresponding increase in the amount of membrane-bound α-crystallin. Less well understood, is the mechanism driving this age-dependent membrane association. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the membrane and its associated proteins and peptides in the binding of α-crystallin. METHODS. Fibre cell membranes from human and bovine lenses were separated from soluble proteins by centrifugation. Membranes were stripped of associated proteins with successive aqueous, urea and alkaline solutions. Protein constituents of the respective membrane isolates …


Tandem Mass Spectrometry Reveals The Quaternary Organization Of Macromolecular Assemblies, J L Benesch, Andrew Aquilina, Brandon T. Ruotolo, Frank Sobott, C V Robinson Oct 2012

Tandem Mass Spectrometry Reveals The Quaternary Organization Of Macromolecular Assemblies, J L Benesch, Andrew Aquilina, Brandon T. Ruotolo, Frank Sobott, C V Robinson

J. A. Aquilina

The application of mass spectrometry (MS) to the study of progressively larger and more complex macromolecular assemblies is proving increasingly useful for structural biologists. The scope of this approach has recently been widened through the application of a tandem MS procedure. This two-step technique involves the selection of specific assemblies in the gas phase, and inducing their dissociation through collisions with argon atoms. Here we investigate the mechanism of this process and show that dissociation of subunits from a macromolecular assembly follows a sequential pathway, with the partitioning of charge between the dissociation products governed primarily by their relative surface …


The Major Toxin From The Australian Common Brown Snake Is A Hexamer With Unusual Gas-Phase Dissociation Properties, Andrew Aquilina Oct 2012

The Major Toxin From The Australian Common Brown Snake Is A Hexamer With Unusual Gas-Phase Dissociation Properties, Andrew Aquilina

J. A. Aquilina

Asymmetric dissociation of multiply charged proteins assemblies has been frequently reported. This phenomenon, which relies on the dissociation of one or more highly charged monomers, has been shown to provide insights into the structure and organization of large monodisperse and polydisperse assemblies. Here, the process of asymmetric dissociation is investigated using the multi-subunit protein, textilotoxin, which has unusually high structural constraints on its monomers due to multiple disulfide linkages. Initially, it is shown that, contrary to previous reports, textilotoxin is made up of 6, rather than 5 subunits. Furthermore, the hexamer exists as two isoforms, one of which is substantially …


Air-Drying Of Banana: Influence Of Experimental Parameters, Slab Thickness, Banana Maturity And Harvesting Season, Minh-Hue Nguyen, William E. Price Oct 2012

Air-Drying Of Banana: Influence Of Experimental Parameters, Slab Thickness, Banana Maturity And Harvesting Season, Minh-Hue Nguyen, William E. Price

William E. Price

Air-drying of banana slabs has been investigated and the influence of experimental parameters such as temperature, relative humidity and slab thickness has been studied. This was in part re-investigated because of inconsistencies in previous studies, particularly in relation to derived water diffusion coefficients. In addition, it is shown that harvest season and hence initial moisture content has a very marked influence on the drying kinetics. By contrast banana maturity (ripeness) has little influence on the kinetics despite there being significant differences in morphology and chemical composition between green and ripe bananas. The effect of these two variables on the drying …


Increased Probiotic Yogurt Or Resistant Starch Intake Does Not Affect Isoflavone Bioavailability In Subjects Consuming A High Soy Diet, Theresa A. Larkin, William E. Price, Lee B. Astheimer Oct 2012

Increased Probiotic Yogurt Or Resistant Starch Intake Does Not Affect Isoflavone Bioavailability In Subjects Consuming A High Soy Diet, Theresa A. Larkin, William E. Price, Lee B. Astheimer

William E. Price

Objective: Probiotics and prebiotics that affect gut microflora balance and its associated enzymeactivity may contribute to interindividual variation in isoflavone absorption after soy intake, possiblyenhancing isoflavone bioavailability. This study examined the effects of the consumption ofbioactive yogurt (a probiotic) or resistant starch (a known prebiotic) in combination with high soyintake on soy isoflavone bioavailability.Methods: Using a crossover design, chronic soy consumption was compared with soy plusprobiotic yogurt or resistant starch in older male and postmenopausal females (n 31). Isoflavonebioavailability was assessed at the beginning and end of each 5-wk dietary period by samplingplasma and urine after a standardized soy meal.Results: …


Fractionation Of Sedimentary Arsenic From Port Kembla Harbour, Nsw, Australia, Glennys A. O'Brien, William E. Price, Bryan E. Chenhall, Muhammad Damris Oct 2012

Fractionation Of Sedimentary Arsenic From Port Kembla Harbour, Nsw, Australia, Glennys A. O'Brien, William E. Price, Bryan E. Chenhall, Muhammad Damris

William E. Price

The binding of arsenic in sediments of the heavily industrialised Port Kembla Harbour, NSW, Australia, has been investigated. Both dredge and core samples have been used to develop a sieving/sequential extraction (SE) procedure. Dredge samples included oxic surficial and deeper anoxic sediment. The main core sample analysed was 18 cm deep, sliced at 2 cm intervals. Sediment was sieved to three size ranges (250 microm) and each of these was then subjected to a four step SE, sequentially solubilizing arsenic as ion exchangeable, 1 M HCl soluble, NH(2)OH.HCl soluble, and strong oxidising acid soluble. Concentrations of 50-500 mg As kg(-1) …


A Fragmentation Study Of Isoflavones In Negative Electrospray Ionization By Msn Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry And Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry, Jinguo Kang, Larry A. Hick, William E. Price Oct 2012

A Fragmentation Study Of Isoflavones In Negative Electrospray Ionization By Msn Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry And Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry, Jinguo Kang, Larry A. Hick, William E. Price

William E. Price

This study has elucidated the fragmentation pathway for deprotonated isoflavones in electrospray ionization using MSn ion trap mass spectrometry and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Genistein-d4 and daidzein-d3 were used as references for the clarification of fragment structures. To confirm the relationship between precursor and product ions, some fragments were traced from MS2 to MS5. The previous literature for the structurally related flavones and flavanones located the loss of ketene (C2H2O) to ring C, whereas the present fragmentation study for isoflavones has shown that the loss of ketene occurs elsewhere at ring A. In the further fragmentation of the [M-H-CH3]•- radical …