High-Resolution Infrared Spectrum of nu5, nu4, nu3, nu4 + nu5, and 2nu4 Band Systems of Deuterobromoacetylene

High-resolution vibration-rotation spectra of gas-phase deuterobromoacetylene have been recorded in the 240-990 cm-1 infrared region. The analyzed band systems are rich in hot bands and have a high density of lines. Five band systems and a total of 124 vibration-rotation bands of the isotopic species DCC79Br and DCC81Br have been rotationally analyzed. Accurate rotational parameters and vibrational wavenumbers for 33 vibrational states of each species have been obtained from the rotational analysis. l doubling and rotational l resonance have been observed on some states and the respective resonance parameters have been obtained through nonlinear least-squares optimization. A Fermi resonance block model with perturbation terms has been used for the analysis of the vibrational states. With optimized parameters, the model produces root-mean-square deviations of observed - calculated wavenumbers of about 0.3 cm-1 for both isotopic species. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Effect of deuteration on some IR-spectral characteristics of gelatin

The IR-spectra of normal and deuterated gelatin samples were studied. The 3300 cm-1 band is determined by the valence vibrations of the peptid bond NH-groups, OH-groups of oxyproline and structural water. The 1280-1220 cm-1 bands cannot be intepreted for gelatin as amide III; their appearance is caused by the skeleton vibrations. The 1460 cm-1 band is not Amide II in gelatin, it is associated with the deformation vibrations in free methyl groups of the amino acid residues. The effect of OH-groups of hydration water forming the intramolecular hydrogen bond is displayed by 1670 cm-1 band. Disappearance of the 1560 and 1530 cm-1 bands with deuterating and appearance of the 1580 cm-1 band may evidence for a structural transition of the gelatin molecule from one conformation to another, is more ordered, conformation.     

The crystal structure of the L1 metallo-beta-lactamase from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia at 1.7 A resolution

The emission spectrum of TaO, excited in a tantalum hollow cathode lamp, has been observed at high resolution using a Fourier transform spectrometer. In addition to previously known transitions, a number of new bands have been identified and assigned as belonging to two new electronic transitions: H2Pi1/2-X2Delta3/2 and K2Phi5/2-X2Delta3/2. A rotational analysis ofthe 0-0 and 0-1 bands of the H2Pi1/2-X2Delta3/2 transition and of the 0-1, 1-2, 0-0, 1-0, and 2-1 bands of theK2Phi5/2-X2Delta3/2 transition has been carried out, providing the following equilibrium constants for the ground X2Delta3/2 state:omegae = 1028.9060(15) cm-1, omegaexe = 3.58928(66) cm-1, Be = 0.40289737(139) cm-1, alphae = 0.00185445(83) cm-1, andre = 1.6873430(29) ?. The principal molecular constants for the H2Pi1/2 state are T00 = 20 634.32758 (40) cm-1,B0 = 0.3766867(31) cm-1, and r0 = 1.7450604(72) ?, while the equilibrium constants for the K2Phi5/2 state areomegae = 905.4549(15) cm-1, omegaexe = 3.67601(64) cm-1, Be = 0.37965102(36) cm-1, alphae = 0.00189370(21) cm-1, andre = 1.7382343(8) ?. Although the H2Pi1/2 and K2Phi5/2 states have been observed previously in matrix isolation experiments, our work on these states is the first in the gas phase. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.     

Structural and kinetic properties of nonglycosylated recombinant Penicillium amagasakiense glucose oxidase expressed in Escherichia coli

The gene coding for Penicillium amagasakiense glucose oxidase (GOX; beta-D-glucose; oxygen 1-oxidoreductase [EC 1.1.3.4]) has been cloned by PCR amplification with genomic DNA as template with oligonucleotide probes derived from amino acid sequences of N- and C-terminal peptide fragments of the enzyme. Recombinant Escherichia coli expression plasmids have been constructed from the heat-induced pCYTEXP1 expression vector containing the mature GOX coding sequence. When transformed into E. coli TG2, the plasmid directed the synthesis of 0.25 mg of protein in insoluble inclusion bodies per ml of E. coli culture containing more than 60% inactive GOX. Enzyme activity was reconstituted by treatment with 8 M urea and 30 mM dithiothreitol and subsequent 100-fold dilution to a final protein concentration of 0.05 to 0.1 mg ml-1 in a buffer containing reduced glutathione-oxidized glutathione, flavin adenine dinucleotide, and glycerol. Reactivation followed first-order kinetics and was optimal at 10 degrees C. The reactivated recombinant GOX was purified to homogeneity by mild acidification and anion-exchange chromatography. Up to 12 mg of active GOX could be purified from a 1-liter E. coli culture. Circular dichroism demonstrated similar conformations for recombinant and native P. amagasakiense GOXs. The purified enzyme has a specific activity of 968 U mg-1 and exhibits kinetics of glucose oxidation similar to those of, but lower pH and thermal stabilities than, native GOX from P. amagasakiense. In contrast to the native enzyme, recombinant GOX is nonglycosylated and contains a single isoform of pI 4.5. This is the first reported expression of a fully active, nonglycosylated form of a eukaryotic, glycosylated GOX in E. coli.     

Molecular cloning of mouse glycolate oxidase. High evolutionary conservation and presence of an iron-responsive element-like sequence in the mRNA

Iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) control the synthesis of several proteins in iron metabolism by binding to iron-responsive elements (IREs), a hairpin structure in the untranslated region (UTR) of corresponding mRNAs. Binding of IRPs to IREs in the 5' UTR inhibits translation of ferritin heavy and light chain, erythroid aminolevulinic acid synthase, mitochondrial aconitase, and Drosophila succinate dehydrogenase b, whereas IRP binding to IREs in the 3' UTR of transferrin receptor mRNA prolongs mRNA half-life. To identify new targets of IRPs, we devised a method to enrich IRE-containing mRNAs by using recombinant IRP-1 as an affinity matrix. A cDNA library established from enriched mRNA was screened by an RNA-protein band shift assay. This revealed a novel IRE-like sequence in the 3' UTR of a liver-specific mouse mRNA. The newly identified cDNA codes for a protein with high homology to plant glycolate oxidase (GOX). Recombinant protein expressed in bacteria displayed enzymatic GOX activity. Therefore, this cDNA represents the first vertebrate GOX homologue. The IRE-like sequence in mouse GOX exhibited strong binding to IRPs at room temperature. However, it differs from functional IREs by a mismatch in the middle of its upper stem and did not confer iron-dependent regulation in cells.     

Redox dependent changes at the heme propionates in cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans: direct evidence from FTIR difference spectroscopy in combination with heme propionate 13C labeling

Specific isotope labeling at the carboxyl groups of the four heme propionates of cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans was used in order to assign signals observed in electrochemically induced redox Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectra of this enzyme. For this purpose, the hemA gene of the P. denitrificans strain PD1222, coding for 5-aminolevulinate synthase, was deleted by partial replacement with a kanamycin resistance cartridge, resulting in a stable 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) auxotrophy. Normal growth of this deficient strain and cytochrome c oxidase yield comparable to that of P. dentrificans wild-type strain PD1222 could be obtained by supplementation with 0.1 mM ALA in the growth medium. Visible spectra and reduced-minus-oxidized FTIR spectra showed that the purified cytochrome c oxidase had spectral characteristics identical to those of the wild-type enzyme. The decrease of a negative signal at 1676 cm-1 in the reduced-minus-oxidized FTIR difference spectra of the 13C-labeled cytochrome c oxidase in comparison to those of the unlabeled protein allowed the assignment of this signal to a COOH vibration mode of at least one of the four heme propionates. Moreover, a negative band at approximately 1570 cm-1 shifted to smaller wavenumbers in the spectra of the 13C-labeled enzyme in comparison to the spectra of the unlabeled enzyme and was thus assigned to contributions from an antisymmetric COO- mode of one or more of the four heme propionates. Additionally, a positive signal at 1538 cm-1 shifted to approximately 1500 cm-1 in the spectra of the isotopically labeled protein and was therefore assigned to at least one antisymmetric COO- mode of the heme propionates. A negative signal at 1390 cm-1, which has been shifted to 1360 cm-1 in the spectra of the 13C-labeled enzyme, is due to a symmetric COO- mode from at least one heme propionate. These results suggest that at least two of the four heme propionates in cytochrome c oxidase undergo significant vibrational changes upon reduction of the enzyme, either by protonation/deprotonation or by environmental changes.     

Characterization of vinyl-substituted, carbon-carbon double bonds by GC/FT-IR analysis

Vapor-phase infrared spectra allow the determination of the stereochemistry of carbon-carbon double bonds conjugated with a vinyl group. Cis and trans isomers of unsubstituted 1,3-alkadienes can be differentiated on the basis of the differences observed in the 900-1000 cm-1 region (spectra of cis isomers show two bands at 993 and 906 cm-1, while those of trans compounds show three absorptions at 998, 949, and 902 cm-1) and the 1590-1650 cm-1 region (the C=C stretch bands are observed at 1595 and 1642 cm-1 for cis compounds and at 1604 and 1650 cm-1 for trans compounds). Compounds bearing CH2=CHC(CH3)=CHCH2- and CH2=CHC(=CH2)-CH2- structural moieties, referred to as alpha- and beta-type compounds, are frequently encountered as natural products. For compounds bearing alpha-type groups, the cis/trans configuration of the trisubstituted double bond can be determined unambiguously. An absorption at 3095-3091 cm-1, for the =CH2 stretch vibration, is common to both of these groups; however, due to the presence of two =CH2 groups, the relative intensity of the band is much higher for beta-type compounds. For alpha-type compounds, a cis configuration at the C-3 carbon atom is characterized by a =CH2 wag absorption at 907-906 cm-1. For beta-type compounds and 3E-alpha-type compounds, this band appears at 899-897 cm-1. In addition, a wavy "fingerprint" pattern with two minima at 1632 (low intensity) and 1595-1594 cm-1 (high intensity) is characteristic for beta-type compounds. Our generalizations are based on spectra of cis and trans ocimene, myrcene, and dehydration products of many 3-methyl-1-alken-3-ols. Six isomers of farnesene can be characterized by GC/FT-IR. Furthermore, gas-phase IR allows the determination of the configuration of the trisubstituted double bond at C-3 in alpha-type farnesene congeners. For example, the homo- and bishomofarnesene isomers from Myrmica ants were shown to include a 3Z bond.     

Structure and architecture of the bacterial virus fd. An infrared linear dichroism study

Oriented gels of intact bacterial virus fd have been invetigated by infrared linear dichroism. Infrared absorption band maxima and dichroism indicate an alpha-helix content of the major coat protein of 95-100%. The alpha-helical rods of the coat protein are aligned parallel to the long axis of the virion with an inclination roughly estimated to approximately 37 degree. The presence of DNA infrared bands at 968, 885, 830 and 799 cm-1, the absence of a band at 860 cm-1 and the perpendicular polarization of the symmetric PO-2 stretching vibration at 1085 cm-1 are all indicative of a B-type backbone conformation in the single-stranded DNA. We find no evidence for specific interaction between aromatic side groups (phenylalanine, tyrosine) and the DNA bases. Our results independently confirm most features of the model of Marvin and co-workers [2,15 ] based on low-resolution X-ray diffraction studies. However, our findings contradict their suggestion of an A-type DNA in the bacterial virus fd. Two results are consistent with rigid and stable order in the virus. First, over a 4-day period, 65% of the peptide hydrogens remain unexchanged with deuterium. Second, changes in the relative humidity of the sample do not result in any shifts in the DNA spectrum that are characteristic of free DNA.     

The binding sites of quinones in photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers investigated by light-induced FTIR difference spectroscopy: assignment of the QA vibrations in Rhodobacter sphaeroides using 18O- or 13C-labeled ubiquinone and vitamin K1

Light-induced FTIR difference spectra of the photoreduction of the primary quinone acceptor QA have been obtained for Rhodobacter sphaeroides RCs reconstituted with a series of isotopically labeled quinones in order to separate the contributions of the quinone from those of the protein. The isotopic shifts observed in the QA-/QA spectra of RCs reconstituted with ubiquinones (Q1, Q6) or vitamin K1 18O-labeled on their carbonyl oxygens and with fully 13C-labeled Q8 lead to a clear identification of the quinone bands from both the neutral and anion forms. Double-difference spectra from pairs of QA-/QA spectra obtained from 18O/16O Q6, 18O/16O Q1, 13C/12C Q8, 13C18O/12C16O Q8, and 18O/16O vitamin K1 allow the C = O modes of QA in vivo to be identified unambiguously for the first time. For all the investigated unlabeled quinones, two carbonyl bands are demasked, at 1660 and 1628 cm-1 for neutral ubiquinones and at 1651 and 1640 cm-1 for vitamin K1, while C = C bands are found at 1608 and 1588 cm-1 for vitamin K1 and at 1601 cm-1 for ubiquinones. Compared with the spectra of the isolated quinones, the generally smaller width observed for the C = O and C = C bands in vivo suggests precise interactions between the quinone and the contours of the protein at a single, well-defined QA site. The different frequency downshifts of the two C = O bands upon binding to the QA site underscore the inequivalence of the two carbonyls in providing asymmetrical bonding interactions with the protein. The comparison of the isotopic shifts observed for the various quinone C = O and C = C bands in vitro and in vivo demonstrates that the admixture of C = O and C = C characters in these modes is strongly affected by the binding of QA to its anchoring site. In particular, the bands at 1628 and 1601 cm-1 of Q6 in vivo exhibit highly mixed C = O and C = C characters. In contrast, the methoxy groups of the ubiquinones do not appear to suffer large strain upon binding. The closeness of the QA-/QA spectra for Q1 and Q6 indicates that a possible role of the chain in providing the proper positioning of the quinone ring in the site for both the oxidized and reduced states of QA cannot extend significantly beyond the first isoprene unit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Hot Bands of Water up to 6nu2-5nu2 in the 933-2500 cm-1 Region

Emission spectra have been recorded for hot water at temperatures up to 1550 degreesC. Separate spectra have been recorded in the 800-1900 and 1800-2500 cm-1 range. Assignments are made using a linelist generated from high accuracy, variational nuclear motion calculations, and energy differences. The spectra contain many hot bending transitions of the form (0n0)-(0n-10), where states up to n = 6 have been assigned. Detailed analysis shows that the spectra contain lines from 34 separate vibrational bands including other hot bending transitions and the difference bands (030)-(100), (110)-(020), (011)-(020), (100)-(010), (040)-(110), (040)-(011), (120)-(030), (012)-(030), (011)-(100), (110)-(001), and (101)-(110), all of which have not been observed previously. From a total of 8959 lines recorded, 6810 have been assigned; 4556 of these lines are new. These spectra represent the first detection of the (060) vibrational band, for which a band origin of 8870.54 +/- 0.05 cm-1 is determined. The (050) band origin is confirmed as 7542.40 +/- 0.03 cm-1. The assignments extend the range of J and Ka values observed for the bending states, particularly for (050) and (060), where 63 and 27 different rotational levels, respectively, have now been observed; 53 frequencies given in HITRAN are corrected. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

ATP-Induced phosphorylation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase: molecular interpretation of infrared difference spectra

Time-resolved infrared difference spectra of the ATP-induced phosphorylation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase have been recorded in H2O and 2H2O at pH 7.0 and 1 degrees C. The reaction was induced by ATP release from P3-1-(2-nitro)phenylethyladenosine 5'-triphosphate (caged ATP) and from [gamma-18O3]caged ATP. A band at 1546 cm-1, not observed with the deuterated enzyme, can be assigned to the amide II mode of the protein backbone and indicates that a conformational change associated with ATPase phosphorylation takes place after ATP binding. This is also indicated between 1700 and 1610 cm-1, where bandshifts of up to 10 cm-1 observed upon protein deuteration suggest that amide I modes of the protein backbone dominate the difference spectrum. From the band positions it is deduced that alpha-helical, beta-sheet, and probably beta-turn structures are affected in the phosphorylation reaction. Model spectra of acetyl phosphate, acetate, ATP, and ADP suggest the tentative assignment of some of the bands of the phosphorylation spectrum to the molecular groups of ATP and Asp351, which participate directly in the phosphate transfer reaction: a positive band at 1719 cm-1 to the C==O group of aspartyl phosphate, a negative band at 1239 cm-1 to the nuas(PO2-) modes of the bound ATP molecule, and a positive band at 1131 cm-1 to the nuas(PO32-) mode of the phosphoenzyme phosphate group, the latter assignment being supported by the band's sensitivity toward isotopic substitution in the gamma-phosphate of ATP. Band positions and shapes of these bands indicate that the alpha- and/or beta-phosphate(s) of the bound ATP molecule become partly dehydrated when ATP binds to the ATPase, that the phosphoenzyme phosphate group is unprotonated at pH 7.0, and that the C==O group of aspartyl phosphate does not interact with bulk water. The Ca2+ binding sites seem to be largely undisturbed by the phosphorylation reaction, and a functional role of the side chains of Asn, Gln, and Arg residues was not detected.     

Infrared Fundamental and First Hot Bands of O12C17O Isotopic Variants of Carbon Dioxide

Infrared spectra of 16O12C17O, 17O12C17O, and 17O12C18O in a carbon dioxide sample enriched with oxygen-17 have been recorded with a resolution of about 0.0025 cm-1 in the regions of the fundamental bands, nu2 (600-800 cm-1) and nu3 (2200-2400 cm-1), and in the region of the "forbidden" band, nu1 (1200-1400 cm-1), using the long path difference Fourier transform spectrometer of the LPMA in Paris. For each species, the first hot band in the 4.5-μm region and two hot bands at least in the 15-μm region have been studied for the first time, and a simultaneous reduction of wavenumbers measured in different spectral regions has been carried out yielding new or improved spectroscopic constants. Line intensities have been measured in the region of the nu2 and nu3 bands of 16O12C17O, and the corresponding rotationless transition dipole moments and Herman-Wallis coefficients have been reported. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.     

Infrared Spectrum of Ozone in the 4600 and 5300 cm-1 Regions: High Order Accidental Resonances through the Analysis of nu1 + 2nu2 + 3nu3 - nu2, nu1 + 2nu2 + 3nu3, and 4nu1 + nu3 Bands

The very weak bands nu1 + 2nu2 + 3nu3 and 4nu1 + nu3 of 16O3 have been observed for the first time, using the Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) of Reims and the usual experimental setup providing a large product p x l of approximately 38 Torr x 36 m. The upper levels of these A-type bands which are rather close in energy (they appear respectively at 5291.722 and 5307.790 cm-1) belong to two different sets of interacting polyads. To correctly reproduce the rotation-vibration energy levels and account for the observed perturbations, both bands are treated in a dyad approximation: the (123) state in the Coriolis resonance with the (330) state, and the (401) state in the Coriolis resonance with the (024) state. The assignments of the rotation-vibration levels of the (123) state are confirmed by measurements of line positions of the hot band nu1 + 2nu2 + 3nu3 - nu2 which has also been observed for the first time. The fits are very satisfactory: the r.m.s. deviation for 249 energy levels of the (123) state is 2.4 x 10(-3) cm-1 and is 2.0 x 10(-3) cm-1 for 266 levels of the (401) state. These r.m.s. are near experimental accuracy. Transition moments for the three observed bands are determined from measured line intensities. Copyright 1997 Academic Press. Copyright 1997Academic Press     

Fourier Transform Infrared Emission Spectroscopy of the C4Delta-X4Phi, G4Phi-X4Phi, and G4Phi-C4Delta Systems of TiCl

The emission spectrum of TiCl has been investigated in the 3000-12 000 cm-1 region at high resolution using a Fourier transform spectrometer. The bands were excited in a microwave discharge through a flowing mixture of TiCl4 and helium. The observed bands have been classified into three electronic transitions, C4Delta-X4Phi, G4Phi-X4Phi, and G4Phi-C4Delta. In the 3000-3500 cm-1 region, four bands with R heads at 3368.7, 3331.8, 3291.9, and 3243.4 cm-1 have been assigned as the 0-0 bands of the 1/2-3/2, 3/2-5/2, 5/2-7/2, and 7/2-9/2 subbands, respectively, of the C4Delta-X4Phi transition. To higher wavenumbers, four transitions with 0-0 R heads at 10 930.7, 10 921.3, 10 906.5, and 10 886.9 cm-1 have been assigned as the 3/2-3/2, 5/2-5/2, 7/2-7/2, and 9/2-9/2 subbands, respectively, of the G4Phi-X4Phi system of TiCl. Four additional bands with 0-0 R heads at 7568.8, 7596.4, 7622.2, and 7651.7 cm-1 have been identified as the 1/2-3/2, 3/2-5/2, 5/2-7/2, and 7/2-9/2 subbands of the G4Phi-C4Delta transition, respectively. A rotational analysis of a number of vibrational bands of these transitions has been obtained and molecular constants have been extracted. The lowest 4Phi state has been assigned as the ground state of TiCl, by analogy with our recent work on TiF (R. S. Ram and P. F. Bernath, J. Mol. Spectrosc., in press). The correspondence between the electronic states of TiCl, TiF, TiH, and Ti+ is also discussed. Copyright 1997 Academic Press. Copyright 1997Academic Press     

Analysis of Line Positions and Strengths of H216O Ground and Hot Bands Connecting to Interacting Upper States: (020), (100), and (001)

High-resolution spectra of H216O were recorded with a Fourier-transform spectrometer covering transitions in the (020)-(010), (100)-(010), and (001)-(010) bands from 1100 to over 2300 cm-1. Also included in the study were previously reported measurements of these bands and measurements of the (020)-(000), (100)-(000), and (001)-(000) bands from 2620 cm-1 to 4500 cm-1. The linestrengths were fitted to a model which takes into account the interactions between the vibrational states (020), (100), and (001). The model included dipole moment matrix elements (also referred to as transition elements) represented by 19 expansion coefficients for B-type transitions and 14 expansion coefficients for A-type band transitions. The most satisfactory results were obtained when the relative signs and values of the leading dipole moment terms of each of the three "hot" bands were as follows: u(020-010) = 1.936(97) x 10(-1) D, u(100-010) = 3.876(19) x 10(-2) D, and u(001-010) = 2.523(75) x 10(-2) D. Hot water emission experimental frequencies from other studies were included in an analysis to obtain rotational energies for levels up to high J and/or Ka of the (020), (100), and (001) vibrational states. The results from this study provide a more accurate representation of the parameters than those available at present for the six bands. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Comorbid panic disorder and major depression: implications for cognitive-behavioral therapy

The Fourier transform infrared spectrum of H3SiI has been recorded in the nu1/nu4 region from 2075 to 2315 cm-1 at an optical resolution of 2.3 x 10(-3) cm-1. The nu1/nu4 fundamental bands and the (nu1 + nu3) - nu3/(nu4 + nu3) - nu3 hot bands have been rotationally investigated. Numerous local perturbations have been observed in the nu1 and nu4 bands and in the hot bands. Without the lines involved in perturbations, more than 2900 transitions of the nu1/nu4 bands were used to determine the band origins and the vibration-rotation parameters of the nu1 = 1 and nuv4 = 1 states. A least-squares fit of 766 apparently unperturbed transitions of the hot bands gave the parameters of the nu1 = nu3 = 1 and nu4 = nu3 = 1 states. The l(2, 2) resonance in nu4 and the A1-E Coriolis coupling between nu1 and nu4 have been investigated. Most of the local perturbations have been studied individually using a simple model by which the main perturber for each resonance was identified. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.     

National surveillance of dialysis associated diseases in the United States, 1995

Many fundamental and hot band absorption lines of 28Si35Cl+, 28Si37Cl+, 29Si35Cl+, and 30Si35Cl+ have been detectedbetween 630 and 700 cm-1 in a SiCl4/He discharge using diode laser velocity modulation spectroscopy. The datahave been fitted to give seven mass independent coefficients Ukl. The derived spectroscopic constants for 28Si35Cl+ include omegae = 678.24316(18) cm-1 and Be = 0.2870288(14) cm-1. The equilibrium internuclear distance is re =1.9439105(46) ?. The equilibrium dissociation energy calculated from Dunham's expanded Morse potential is De =49 431(57) cm-1. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.     

DNA melting investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy

Thermal denaturation of the B form of double-stranded DNA has been probed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman spectroscopy of 160 base pair (bp) fragments of calf thymus DNA. The DSC results indicate a median melting temperature Tm = 75.5 degrees C with calorimetric enthalpy change delta Hcal = 6.7 kcal/mol (bp), van't Hoff enthalpy change delta HVH = 50.4 kcal/mol (cooperative unit), and calorimetric entropy change delta Scal = 19.3 cal/deg.mol (bp), at the experimental conditions of 55 mg DNA/ml in 5 mM sodium cacodylate at pH 6.4. The average cooperative melting unit (nmelt) comprises 7.5 bp. The Raman signature of 160 bp DNA is highly sensitive to temperature. Analyses of several conformation-sensitive Raman bands indicate the following ranges for thermodynamic parameters of melting: 43 < delta HVH < 61 kcal/mol (cooperative unit), 75 < Tm < 80 degrees C and 6 < (nmelt) < 9 bp, consistent with the DSC results. The changes observed in specific Raman band frequencies and intensities as a function of temperature reveal that thermal denaturation is accompanied by disruption of Watson-Crick base pairs, unstacking of the bases and disordering of the B form backbone. These three types of structural change are highly correlated throughout the investigated temperature range of 20 to 93 degrees C. Raman bands diagnostic of purine and pyrimidine unstacking, conformational rearrangements in the deoxyribose-phosphate moieties, and changes in environment of phosphate groups have been identified. Among these, bands at 834 cm-1 (due to a localized vibration of the phosphodiester group), 1240 cm-1 (thymine ring) and 1668 cm-1 (carbonyl groups of dT, dG and dC), are shown by comparison with DSC results to be the most reliable quantitative indicators of DNA melting. Conversely, the intensities of Raman marker bands at 786 cm-1 (cytosine ring), 1014 cm-1 (deoxyribose ring) and 1092 cm-1 (phosphate group) are largely invariant to melting and are proposed as appropriate standards for intensity normalizations.     

Proton uptake by carboxylic acid groups upon photoreduction of the secondary quinone (QB) in bacterial reaction centers from Rhodobacter sphaeroides: FTIR studies on the effects of replacing Glu H173

In the photosynthetic reaction center (RC) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Glu H173, located approximately 7 A from the center of the secondary quinone acceptor QB, is expected to contribute to proton uptake upon QB- formation in response to the movement of an electron in its vicinity. Steady-state FTIR difference spectroscopy provides a method to monitor proton uptake by carboxylic acids upon photochemical changes. The FTIR spectra corresponding to the photoreduction of QB were obtained at pH 7 for RCs containing Glu (native), Gln (EQ H173), or Asp (ED H173) at the H173 site. No new bands were observed in the carboxylic acid region (1770-1700 cm-1) in any of the mutant RCs compared to native RCs. In addition, the positive band at 1728 cm-1, previously assigned to Glu L212 [Nabedryk, E., Breton, J., Hienerwadel, R., Fogel, C., M?ntele, W., Paddock, M. L., and Okamura, M. Y. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 14722-14732], remained present in all of the mutant RCs. This result shows that Glu H173 is not a major contributor to proton uptake upon QB- formation and further strengthens the assignment of the 1728 cm-1 band to Glu L212. An increase in the 1728 cm-1 band was observed in the EQ H173 RCs compared to that of either the ED H173 or native RCs. These changes are consistent with Glu and Asp at H173 remaining ionized in the QB and QB- states. Changes in the absorption regions of the semiquinone and amide or side chain groups in the spectra of the mutant RCs suggest slight changes in the protein structure compared to those of native RCs, which could contribute to the altered kinetics observed in the mutant RCs.     

A simple cuvette for densitometric scanning of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis cylinders. Quantitation of aggregates in preparations of human serum albumin

Frozen liver tissue from an individual identified several years ago as sulfite oxidase deficient has been reexamined in light of new knowledge which has been obtained regarding the enzyme. It has been established that hepatic molybdenum levels and xanthine oxidase activity were within normal values and comparable to those observed in control samples preserved from the original study along with the deficient tissue sample. The ability of the patient's liver to synthesize the specific molybdenum cofactor required for activation of de-molybdo sulfite oxidase also appears to have been unimpaired. Using an antibody preparation directed against rat liver sulfite oxidase which also inhibits and precipitates the human enzyme, it has been determined that cross-reacting material with determinants recognized by inhibiting antibodies is absent in the liver sample from the deficient patient. Immunodiffusion experiments gave strong precipitin bands against the control liver extracts, but showed no detectable precipitin reaction between the deficient liver extract and the antibody preparation. The relationship of these findings to a second patient recently identified as sulfite oxidase deficient and to an animal model of the disease are discussed.