A noncompetitive peptide inhibitor of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Conus purpurascens venom

A paralytic peptide, psi-conotoxin Piiie has been purified and characterized from Conus purpurascens venom. Electrophysiological studies indicate that the peptide inhibits the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). However, the peptide does not block the binding of alpha-bungarotoxin, a competitive nAChR antagonist. Thus, psi-conotoxin Piiie appears to inhibit the receptor at a site other than the acetylcholine-binding site. As ascertained by sequence analysis, mass spectrometry, and chemical synthesis, the peptide has the following covalent structure: HOOCCLYGKCRRYOGCSSASCCQR* (O = 4-trans hydroxyproline; * indicates an amidated C-terminus). The disulfide connectivity of the toxin is unrelated to the alpha- or the alphaA-conotoxins, the Conus peptide families that are competitive inhibitors of the nAChR, but shows homology to the mu-conotoxins (which are Na+ channel blockers).     

A magnetic resonance imaging study of planum temporale asymmetry in men with developmental dyslexia

The influence of ionic strength and composition on the binding and inhibition of human leukocyte elastase by glycosaminoglycans with variable degree and position of sulfation was investigated. The kinetic mechanism of inhibition had a hyperbolic, mixed-type character with a competitive component that was promoted by low ionic strength, reduced by phosphate ions, and which also depended on the substrate and glycosaminoglycan structure. Enzyme binding was a cooperative phenomenon that varied with ionic strength and composition. The inhibition patterns correlated with the cationic character of elastase and with the distribution of arginines on its molecular surface, most notably with residues located in the vicinity of the substrate binding region. The order of affinity for elastase binding was chondroitin 4-sulfate < chondroitin 6-sulfate < dermatan sulfate, iduronate-containing derivatives being superior with respect to the glucuronate-containing counterparts. Additional sulfation at both the 4- and 6- positions or at the N- and 4-positions of the N-acetylgalactosamine moiety decidedly improved the inhibitory efficiency. The results highlight a fundamental physiological role of enzyme-glycosaminoglycan interactions. In the azurophil granule of the human polymorphonuclear neutrophil, elastase and other enzymes are bound to a matrix of chondroitin 4-sulfate because this is the only glycosaminoglycan that simultaneously offers good binding for enzyme compartmentalization together with prompt release from the bound state at the onset of phagocytosis.     

A broad line n.m.r. study of oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Broadline nuclear magnetic resonance measurements have been carried out for the proton resonance in oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride). The spectra in general show two component lines with distinctly different line widths. The broad component shows a high degree of molecular orientation and can be satisfactorily assigned to the crystalline regions of the polymer. The narrow component corresponds to an oriented non crystalline phase which is sufficiently constrained to allow motion about the chain axis only. An appreciable decrease in the value of the rigid mass fraction was observed in both of the samples over the temperature range examined. Our calculations indicate that this could play an important role in the temperature dependence of the pyroelectric response of this material.     

Uncooled DBR laser directly Modulated at 3.125 gb/s as athermal transmitter for low-cost WDM systems

An uncooled three-section tunable distributed Bragg reflector laser is demonstrated as an athermal transmitter for low-cost uncooled wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) systems with tight channel spacing. A /spl plusmn/0.02-nm thermal wavelength drift is achieved under continuous-wave operation up to 70/spl deg/C. Dynamic sidemode suppression ratio of greater than 35 dB is consistently obtained under 3.125-Gb/s direct modulation over a 20/spl deg/C-70/spl deg/C temperature range, with wavelength variation of as low as /spl plusmn/0.2 nm. This indicates that more than an order of magnitude reduction in coarse WDM channel spacing is possible using this source.     

Contamination of facial memory through exposure to misleading composite pictures.

In Exp I, 46 male and 51 female undergraduates witnessed a filmed incident and later described the target. Results show that Ss who observed a composite containing misleading information (either incorrect hair or an added moustache) were significantly more likely to misreport hairstyle and the presence of a moustache than those who did not. In Exp II, 210 17–65 yr old Ss observed a filmed incident and were tested for their recall and recognition of the target either immediately or after delays of 2 or 7 days. Significant bias, consistent with the content of the misleading composite, was present for both cued recall and choice of mug shot in a photo spread. The effect did not increase over delay but was greater when the composite was seen just prior to recall than immediately after the incident. Implications concerning interference with the memory of the witness who produced the composite and for other witnesses exposed to the misleading composite are discussed. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)