Structural Basis for Nucleotide Binding and Reaction Catalysis in Mevalonate Diphosphate Decarboxylase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barta, Michael L.; McWhorter, William J.; Miziorko, Henry M.

2012-09-17

Mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MDD) catalyzes the final step of the mevalonate pathway, the Mg{sup 2+}-ATP dependent decarboxylation of mevalonate 5-diphosphate (MVAPP), producing isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP). Synthesis of IPP, an isoprenoid precursor molecule that is a critical intermediate in peptidoglycan and polyisoprenoid biosynthesis, is essential in Gram-positive bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus spp.), and thus the enzymes of the mevalonate pathway are ideal antimicrobial targets. MDD belongs to the GHMP superfamily of metabolite kinases that have been extensively studied for the past 50 years, yet the crystallization of GHMP kinase ternary complexes has proven to be difficult. To further ourmore » understanding of the catalytic mechanism of GHMP kinases with the purpose of developing broad spectrum antimicrobial agents that target the substrate and nucleotide binding sites, we report the crystal structures of wild-type and mutant (S192A and D283A) ternary complexes of Staphylococcus epidermidis MDD. Comparison of apo, MVAPP-bound, and ternary complex wild-type MDD provides structural information about the mode of substrate binding and the catalytic mechanism. Structural characterization of ternary complexes of catalytically deficient MDD S192A and D283A (k{sub cat} decreased 10{sup 3}- and 10{sup 5}-fold, respectively) provides insight into MDD function. The carboxylate side chain of invariant Asp{sup 283} functions as a catalytic base and is essential for the proper orientation of the MVAPP C3-hydroxyl group within the active site funnel. Several MDD amino acids within the conserved phosphate binding loop ('P-loop') provide key interactions, stabilizing the nucleotide triphosphoryl moiety. The crystal structures presented here provide a useful foundation for structure-based drug design.« less

Ceruloplasmin: Macromolecular Assemblies with Iron-Containing Acute Phase Proteins

PubMed Central

Samygina, Valeriya R.; Sokolov, Alexey V.; Bourenkov, Gleb; Petoukhov, Maxim V.; Pulina, Maria O.; Zakharova, Elena T.; Vasilyev, Vadim B.; Bartunik, Hans; Svergun, Dmitri I.

2013-01-01

Copper-containing ferroxidase ceruloplasmin (Cp) forms binary and ternary complexes with cationic proteins lactoferrin (Lf) and myeloperoxidase (Mpo) during inflammation. We present an X-ray crystal structure of a 2Cp-Mpo complex at 4.7 Å resolution. This structure allows one to identify major protein–protein interaction areas and provides an explanation for a competitive inhibition of Mpo by Cp and for the activation of p-phenylenediamine oxidation by Mpo. Small angle X-ray scattering was employed to construct low-resolution models of the Cp-Lf complex and, for the first time, of the ternary 2Cp-2Lf-Mpo complex in solution. The SAXS-based model of Cp-Lf supports the predicted 1∶1 stoichiometry of the complex and demonstrates that both lobes of Lf contact domains 1 and 6 of Cp. The 2Cp-2Lf-Mpo SAXS model reveals the absence of interaction between Mpo and Lf in the ternary complex, so Cp can serve as a mediator of protein interactions in complex architecture. Mpo protects antioxidant properties of Cp by isolating its sensitive loop from proteases. The latter is important for incorporation of Fe3+ into Lf, which activates ferroxidase activity of Cp and precludes oxidation of Cp substrates. Our models provide the structural basis for possible regulatory role of these complexes in preventing iron-induced oxidative damage. PMID:23843990

An unexpected phosphate binding site in Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase: Crystal structures of apo, holo and ternary complex of Cryptosporidium parvum enzyme

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cook, William J; Senkovich, Olga; Chattopadhyay, Debasish

2009-06-08

The structure, function and reaction mechanism of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) have been extensively studied. Based on these studies, three anion binding sites have been identified, one 'Ps' site (for binding the C-3 phosphate of the substrate) and two sites, 'Pi' and 'new Pi', for inorganic phosphate. According to the original flip-flop model, the substrate phosphate group switches from the 'Pi' to the 'Ps' site during the multistep reaction. In light of the discovery of the 'new Pi' site, a modified flip-flop mechanism, in which the C-3 phosphate of the substrate binds to the 'new Pi' site and flips tomore » the 'Ps' site before the hydride transfer, was proposed. An alternative model based on a number of structures of B. stearothermophilus GAPDH ternary complexes (non-covalent and thioacyl intermediate) proposes that in the ternary Michaelis complex the C-3 phosphate binds to the 'Ps' site and flips from the 'Ps' to the 'new Pi' site during or after the redox step. We determined the crystal structure of Cryptosporidium parvum GAPDH in the apo and holo (enzyme + NAD) state and the structure of the ternary enzyme-cofactor-substrate complex using an active site mutant enzyme. The C. parvum GAPDH complex was prepared by pre-incubating the enzyme with substrate and cofactor, thereby allowing free movement of the protein structure and substrate molecules during their initial encounter. Sulfate and phosphate ions were excluded from purification and crystallization steps. The quality of the electron density map at 2{angstrom} resolution allowed unambiguous positioning of the substrate. In three subunits of the homotetramer the C-3 phosphate group of the non-covalently bound substrate is in the 'new Pi' site. A concomitant movement of the phosphate binding loop is observed in these three subunits. In the fourth subunit the C-3 phosphate occupies an unexpected site not seen before and the phosphate binding loop remains in the substrate-free conformation. Orientation of the substrate with respect to the active site histidine and serine (in the mutant enzyme) also varies in different subunits. The structures of the C. parvum GAPDH ternary complex and other GAPDH complexes demonstrate the plasticity of the substrate binding site. We propose that the active site of GAPDH can accommodate the substrate in multiple conformations at multiple locations during the initial encounter. However, the C-3 phosphate group clearly prefers the 'new Pi' site for initial binding in the active site.« less

Structure of the inhibitory region of troponin by site directed spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance

PubMed Central

Brown, Louise J.; Sale, Ken L.; Hills, Ron; Rouviere, Clement; Song, Likai; Zhang, Xiaojun; Fajer, Piotr G.

2002-01-01

Site-directed spin labeling EPR (SDSL-EPR) was used to determine the structure of the inhibitory region of TnI in the intact cardiac troponin ternary complex. Maeda and collaborators have modeled the inhibitory region of TnI (skeletal 96–112: the structural motif that communicates the Ca2+ signal to actin) as a kinked α-helix [Vassylyev, D., Takeda, S., Wakatsuki, S., Maeda, K. & Maeda, Y. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 4847–4852), whereas Trewhella and collaborators have proposed the same region to be a flexible β-hairpin [Tung, C. S., Wall, M. E., Gallagher, S. C. & Trewhella, J. (2000) Protein Sci. 9, 1312–1326]. To distinguish between the two models, residues 129–145 of cardiac TnI were mutated sequentially to cysteines and labeled with the extrinsic spin probe, MTSSL. Sequence-dependent solvent accessibility was measured as a change in power saturation of the spin probe in the presence of the relaxation agent. In the ternary complex, the 129–137 region followed a pattern characteristic of a regular 3.6 residues/turn α-helix. The following region, residues 138–145, showed no regular pattern in solvent accessibility. Measurements of 4 intradomain distances within the inhibitory sequence, using dipolar EPR, were consistent with an α-helical structure. The difference in side-chain mobility between the ternary (C⋅I⋅T) and binary (C⋅I) complexes revealed a region of interaction of TnT located at the N-terminal end of the inhibitory sequence, residues 130–135. The above findings for the troponin complex in solution do not support either of the computational models of the binary complex; however, they are in very good agreement with a preliminary report of the x-ray structure of the cardiac ternary complex [Takeda, S. Yamashita, A., Maeda, K. & Maeda, Y. (2002) Biophys. J. 82, 832]. PMID:12239350

Host-Guest Interaction of Cucurbit[8]uril with N-(3-Aminopropyl)cyclohexylamine: Cyclohexyl Encapsulation Triggered Ternary Complex.

PubMed

Xia, Yu; Wang, Chuan-Zeng; Tian, Mengkui; Tao, Zhu; Ni, Xin-Long; Prior, Timothy J; Redshaw, Carl

2018-01-15

The host-guest interaction of a series of cyclohexyl-appended guests with cucurbit[8]uril (Q[8]) was studied by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and X-ray crystallography. The X-ray structure revealed that two cycloalkane moieties can be simultaneously encapsulated in the hydrophobic cavity of the Q[8] host to form a ternary complex for the first time.

Mediation of donor–acceptor distance in an enzymatic methyl transfer reaction

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jianyu; Kulik, Heather J.; Martinez, Todd J.; Klinman, Judith P.

2015-01-01

Enzymatic methyl transfer, catalyzed by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), is investigated using binding isotope effects (BIEs), time-resolved fluorescence lifetimes, Stokes shifts, and extended graphics processing unit (GPU)-based quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approaches. The WT enzyme is compared with mutants at Tyr68, a conserved residue that is located behind the reactive sulfur of cofactor. Small (>1) BIEs are observed for an S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet)-binary and abortive ternary complex containing 8-hydroxyquinoline, and contrast with previously reported inverse (<1) kinetic isotope effects (KIEs). Extended GPU-based computational studies of a ternary complex containing catecholate show a clear trend in ground state structures, from noncanonical bond lengths for WT toward solution values with mutants. Structural and dynamical differences that are sensitive to Tyr68 have also been detected using time-resolved Stokes shift measurements and molecular dynamics. These experimental and computational results are discussed in the context of active site compaction that requires an ionization of substrate within the enzyme ternary complex. PMID:26080432

Atomic-scale properties of Ni-based FCC ternary, and quaternary alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tamm, Artur; Aabloo, Alvo; Klintenberg, Mattias

2015-08-26

The aim of our study is to characterize some atomic-scale properties of Ni-based FCC multicomponent alloys. For this purpose, we use Monte Carlo method combined with density functional theory calculations to study short-range order (SRO), atomic displacements, electronic density of states, and magnetic moments in equimolar ternary NiCrCo, and quaternary NiCrCoFe alloys. The salient features for the ternary alloy are a negative SRO parameter between Ni Cr and a positive between Cr Cr pairs as well as a weakly magnetic state. For the quaternary alloy we predict negative SRO parameter for Ni Cr and Ni Fe pairs and positive formore » Cr Cr and Fe Fe pairs. Atomic displacements for both ternary and quaternary alloys are negligible. In contrast to the ternary, the quaternary alloy shows a complex magnetic structure. The electronic structure of the ternary and quaternary alloys shows differences near the Fermi energy between a random solid solution and the predicted structure with SRO. Despite that, the calculated EXAFS spectra does not show enough contrast to discriminate between random and ordered structures. Finally, the predicted SRO has an impact on point-defect energetics, electron phonon coupling and thermodynamic functions and thus, SRO should not be neglected when studying properties of these two alloys.« less

Effector region of the translation elongation factor EF-Tu.GTP complex stabilizes an orthoester acid intermediate structure of aminoacyl-tRNA in a ternary complex.

PubMed Central

Förster, C; Limmer, S; Zeidler, W; Sprinzl, M

1994-01-01

tRNA(Val) from Escherichia coli was aminoacylated with [1-13C]valine and its complex with Thermus thermophilus elongation factor EF-Tu.GTP was analyzed by 13C NMR spectroscopy. The results suggest that the aminoacyl residue of the valyl-tRNA in ternary complex with bacterial EF-Tu and GTP is not attached to tRNA by a regular ester bond to either a 2'- or 3'-hydroxyl group; instead, an intermediate orthoester acid structure with covalent linkage to both vicinal hydroxyls of the terminal adenosine-76 is formed. Mutation of arginine-59 located in the effector region of EF-Tu, a conserved residue in protein elongation factors and the alpha subunits of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins), abolishes the stabilization of the orthoester acid structure of aminoacyl-tRNA. PMID:8183898

X-ray structure of the ternary MTX·NADPH complex of the anthrax dihydrofolate reductase: A pharmacophore for dual-site inhibitor design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bennett, Brad C.; Wan, Qun; Ahmad, Md Faiz

2009-11-18

For reasons of bioterrorism and drug resistance, it is imperative to identify and develop new molecular points of intervention against anthrax. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a highly conserved enzyme and an established target in a number of species for a variety of chemotherapeutic programs. Recently, the crystal structure of B. anthracis DHFR (baDHFR) in complex with methotrexate (MTX) was determined and, based on the structure, proposals were made for drug design strategies directed against the substrate binding site. However, little is gleaned about the binding site for NADPH, the cofactor responsible for hydride transfer in the catalytic mechanism. In themore » present study, X-ray crystallography at 100 K was used to determine the structure of baDHFR in complex with MTX and NADPH. Although the NADPH binding mode is nearly identical to that seen in other DHFR ternary complex structures, the adenine moiety adopts an off-plane tilt of nearly 90 deg. and this orientation is stabilized by hydrogen bonds to functionally conserved Arg residues. A comparison of the binding site, focusing on this region, between baDHFR and the human enzyme is discussed, with an aim at designing species-selective therapeutics. Indeed, the ternary model, refined to 2.3{angstrom} resolution, provides an accurate template for testing the feasibility of identifying dual-site inhibitors, compounds that target both the substrate and cofactor binding site. With the ternary model in hand, using in silico methods, several compounds were identified which could potentially form key bonding contacts in the substrate and cofactor binding sites. Ultimately, two structurally distinct compounds were verified that inhibit baDHFR at low {mu}M concentrations. The apparent K{sub d} for one of these, (2-(3-(2-(hydroxyimino)-2-(pyridine-4-yl)-6,7-dimethylquinoxalin-2-yl)-1-(pyridine-4-yl)ethanone oxime), was measured by fluorescence spectroscopy to be 5.3 {mu}M.« less

A pivotal role for reductive methylation in the de novo crystallization of a ternary complex composed of Yersinia pestis virulence factors YopN, SycN and YscB.

PubMed

Schubot, Florian D; Waugh, David S

2004-11-01

Structural studies of a ternary complex composed of the Yersina pestis virulence factors YopN, SycN and YscB were initially hampered by poor solubility of the individual proteins. Co-expression of all three proteins in Escherichia coli yielded a well behaved complex, but this sample proved to be recalcitrant to crystallization. As crystallization efforts remained fruitless, even after the proteolysis-guided engineering of a truncated YopN polypeptide, reductive methylation of lysine residues was employed to alter the surface properties of the complex. The methylated complex yielded crystals that diffracted X-rays to a maximal resolution of 1.8 A. The potential utility of reductive methylation as a remedial strategy for high-throughput structural biology was further underscored by the successful modification of a selenomethionine-substituted sample.

Characterization of WY 14,643 and its Complex with Aldose Reductase

PubMed Central

Sawaya, Michael R.; Verma, Malkhey; Balendiran, Vaishnavi; Rath, Nigam P.; Cascio, Duilio; Balendiran, Ganesaratnam K.

2016-01-01

The peroxisome proliferator, WY 14,643 exhibits a pure non-competitive inhibition pattern in the aldehyde reduction and in alcohol oxidation activities of human Aldose reductase (hAR). Fluorescence emission measurements of the equilibrium dissociation constants, Kd, of oxidized (hAR•NADP+) and reduced (hAR•NADPH) holoenzyme complexes display a 2-fold difference between them. Kd values for the dissociation of WY 14,643 from the oxidized (hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643) and reduced (hAR•NADPH•WY 14,643) ternary complexes are comparable to each other. The ternary complex structure of hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643 reveals the first structural evidence of a fibrate class drug binding to hAR. These observations demonstrate how fibrate molecules such as WY 14,643, besides being valued as agonists for PPAR, also inhibit hAR. PMID:27721416

Synthesis, structural characterization, in vitro antimicrobial and anticancer activity studies of ternary metal complexes containing glycine amino acid and the anti-inflammatory drug lornoxicam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoud, Walaa H.; Mohamed, Gehad G.; El-Dessouky, Maher M. I.

2015-02-01

Mixed ligand complexes were synthesized using lornoxicam (LOR) as the primary ligand and glycine amino acid (HGly) as the secondary ligand. They were characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, mass, 1H NMR, ESR spectral studies, TG-DTG, X-ray powder diffraction and physical analytical studies. From the molar conductance, magnetic moment and electronic spectral data of the synthesized complexes, general formulae of [M(LOR)2(Gly)]·Xn·yH2O where M = Cr(III) (X = Cl, n = 2, y = 3), Mn(II) (X = Cl, n = 1, y = 1), Co(II) (X = BF4, n = 1, y = 0), Ni(II) (X = Cl, n = 1, y = 0), Cu(II) (X = BF4, n = 1, y = 2) and Zn(II) (X = BF4, n = 1, y = 2) and (M = Fe(II) (X = BF4, n = 1, y = 1) and Fe(III) (X = Cl, n = 2, y = 1) with an octahedral structure were proposed. Thermal analyses show that the complexes lose water molecules of hydration initially and subsequently expel anionic parts and organic ligands in continuous steps. The kinetic parameters namely E, ΔH∗, ΔS∗ and ΔG∗ illustrate the spontaneous association of the metal and ligands in the formation of the complexes. The antimicrobial efficiency of the LOR and HGly ligands and the ternary complexes were examined by in vitro method against various pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. The metal complexes were found to possess efficient antimicrobial properties compared to lornoxicam and most of these complexes could turn out to be excellent models for the design of effective antibiotic drug substances. Also, the two ligands, in comparison to ternary metal complexes are screened for their anticancer activity against breastic cancer cell line. The results showed that the metal complexes be more active than the parent LOR and glycine free ligands except Cr(III) ternary complex which was found to be inactive.

High-performance ternary blend polymer solar cells involving both energy transfer and hole relay processes.

PubMed

Lu, Luyao; Chen, Wei; Xu, Tao; Yu, Luping

2015-06-04

The integration of multiple materials with complementary absorptions into a single junction device is regarded as an efficient way to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, because of increased complexity with one more component, only limited high-performance ternary systems have been demonstrated previously. Here we report an efficient ternary blend OSC with a PCE of 9.2%. We show that the third component can reduce surface trap densities in the ternary blend. Detailed studies unravel that the improved performance results from synergistic effects of enlarged open circuit voltage, suppressed trap-assisted recombination, enhanced light absorption, increased hole extraction, efficient energy transfer and better morphology. The working mechanism and high device performance demonstrate new insights and design guidelines for high-performance ternary blend solar cells and suggest that ternary structure is a promising platform to boost the efficiency of OSCs.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cody, V.; Pace, J.; Rosowsky, A.

It has been shown that 2,4-diamino-6-arylmethylpteridines and 2,4-diamino-5-arylmethylpyrimidines containing an O-carboxylalkyloxy group in the aryl moiety are potent and selective inhibitors of the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) from opportunistic pathogens such as Pneumocystis carinii, the causative agent of Pneumocystis pneumonia in HIV/AIDS patients. In order to understand the structure-activity profile observed for a series of substituted dibenz[b,f]azepine antifolates, the crystal structures of mouse DHFR (mDHFR; a mammalian homologue) holo and ternary complexes with NADPH and the inhibitor 2,4-diamino-6-(2{prime}-hydroxydibenz[b,f]azepin-5-yl)methylpteridine were determined to 1.9 and 1.4 A resolution, respectively. Structural data for the ternary complex with the potent O-(3-carboxypropyl) inhibitor PT684 revealed nomore » electron density for the O-carboxylalkyloxy side chain. The side chain was either cleaved or completely disordered. The electron density fitted the less potent hydroxyl compound PT684a. Additionally, cocrystallization of mDHFR with NADPH and the less potent 2{prime}-(4-carboxybenzyl) inhibitor PT682 showed no electron density for the inhibitor and resulted in the first report of a holoenzyme complex despite several attempts at crystallization of a ternary complex. Modeling data of PT682 in the active site of mDHFR and P. carinii DHFR (pcDHFR) indicate that binding would require ligand-induced conformational changes to the enzyme for the inhibitor to fit into the active site or that the inhibitor side chain would have to adopt an alternative binding mode to that observed for other carboxyalkyloxy inhibitors. These data also show that the mDHFR complexes have a decreased active-site volume as reflected in the relative shift of helix C (residues 59-64) by 0.6 A compared with pcDHFR ternary complexes. These data are consistent with the greater inhibitory potency against pcDHFR.« less

Crystal Structures of MEK1 Binary and Ternary Complexes with Nucleotides and Inhibitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischmann, Thierry O.; Smith, Catherine K.; Mayhood, Todd W.

MEK1 is a member of the MAPK signal transduction pathway that responds to growth factors and cytokines. We have determined that the kinase domain spans residues 35-382 by proteolytic cleavage. The complete kinase domain has been crystallized and its X-ray crystal structure as a complex with magnesium and ATP-{gamma}S determined at 2.1 {angstrom}. Unlike crystals of a truncated kinase domain previously published, the crystals of the intact domain can be grown either as a binary complex with a nucleotide or as a ternary complex with a nucleotide and one of a multitude of allosteric inhibitors. Further, the crystals allow formore » the determination of costructures with ATP competitive inhibitors. We describe the structures of nonphosphorylated MEK1 (npMEK1) binary complexes with ADP and K252a, an ATP-competitive inhibitor (see Table 1), at 1.9 and 2.7 {angstrom} resolution, respectively. Ternary complexes have also been solved between npMEK1, a nucleotide, and an allosteric non-ATP competitive inhibitor: ATP-{gamma}S with compound 1 and ADP with either U0126 or the MEK1 clinical candidate PD325089 at 1.8, 2.0, and 2.5 {angstrom}, respectively. Compound 1 is structurally similar to PD325901. These structures illustrate fundamental differences among various mechanisms of inhibition at the molecular level. Residues 44-51 have previously been shown to play a negative regulatory role in MEK1 activity. The crystal structure of the integral kinase domain provides a structural rationale for the role of these residues. They form helix A and repress enzymatic activity by stabilizing an inactive conformation in which helix C is displaced from its active state position. Finally, the structure provides for the first time a molecular rationale that explains how mutations in MEK may lead to the cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome.« less

Antimicrobial and SOD activities of novel transition metal ternary complexes of iminodiacetic acid containing alpha-diimine as auxiliary ligand.

PubMed

Siddiqi, Zafar A; Shahid, M; Khalid, Mohd; Kumar, S

2009-06-01

Ternary complexes containing an alpha-diimine auxiliary ligand have been widely used as models for several mono and polynuclear metal enzymes. The present ternary complexes [M(IDA)(Phen)H(2)O] x xH(2)O (x = 2, 3 or 4) were prepared as novel antimicrobial agents employing reactions of Cu(OAc)(2) or MCl(2) (M = Co, Ni, Cr) with iminodiacetic acid (H(2)IDA) in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen), whose chemical structure and bonding were elucidated by IR, FAB-Mass, (1)H, (13)C NMR, EPR spectral and elemental analyses. The antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli (K-12), Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 121), Staphylococcus aureus (IOA-SA-22), Salmonella typhimurium (MTCC 98), Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium marneffei (isolates from Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agricultural Science, AMU) were investigated and significant activities were obtained. The superoxide dismutase activity of the Cu(II) complex was assessed by NBT assay. The single crystal X-ray structure for [Cu(IDA)(Phen)H(2)O] x 2 H(2)O indicates a triclinic unit cell in P-1 space group with structural parameters, a = 6.745(5), b = 10.551(5), c = 11.414(5)A, alpha = 95.770(5), beta = 91.396(5), gamma = 92.518(5) degrees and presence of an extensive H-bonding and pi-pi stacking interactions which generate a supramolecular framework.

Characterization of WY 14,643 and its Complex with Aldose Reductase

DOE PAGES

Sawaya, Michael R.; Verma, Malkhey; Balendiran, Vaishnavi; ...

2016-10-10

The peroxisome proliferator, WY 14,643 exhibits a pure non-competitive inhibition pattern in the aldehyde reduction and in alcohol oxidation activities of human Aldose reductase (hAR). Fluorescence emission measurements of the equilibrium dissociation constants, Kd, of oxidized (hAR•NADP+) and reduced (hAR•NADPH) holoenzyme complexes display a 2-fold difference between them. Kd values for the dissociation of WY 14,643 from the oxidized (hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643) and reduced (hAR•NADPH•WY 14,643) ternary complexes are comparable to each other. The ternary complex structure of hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643 reveals the first structural evidence of a fibrate class drug binding to hAR. These observations demonstrate how fibrate molecules such asmore » WY 14,643, besides being valued as agonists for PPAR, also inhibit hAR.« less

Characterization of WY 14,643 and its Complex with Aldose Reductase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sawaya, Michael R.; Verma, Malkhey; Balendiran, Vaishnavi

The peroxisome proliferator, WY 14,643 exhibits a pure non-competitive inhibition pattern in the aldehyde reduction and in alcohol oxidation activities of human Aldose reductase (hAR). Fluorescence emission measurements of the equilibrium dissociation constants, Kd, of oxidized (hAR•NADP+) and reduced (hAR•NADPH) holoenzyme complexes display a 2-fold difference between them. Kd values for the dissociation of WY 14,643 from the oxidized (hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643) and reduced (hAR•NADPH•WY 14,643) ternary complexes are comparable to each other. The ternary complex structure of hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643 reveals the first structural evidence of a fibrate class drug binding to hAR. These observations demonstrate how fibrate molecules such asmore » WY 14,643, besides being valued as agonists for PPAR, also inhibit hAR.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guo, Yiming; Fredrickson, Daniel C.

Intermetallic crystal structures offer an enormous structural diversity, with an endless array of structural motifs whose connection to stability and physical properties are often mysterious. Making sense of the often complex crystal structures that arise here, developing a clear structural description, and identifying connections to other phases can be laborious and require an encyclopedic knowledge of structure types. In this Article, we present PRINCEPS, an algorithm based on a new coordination environment projection scheme that facilitates the structural analysis and comparison of such crystal structures. We demonstrate the potential of this approach by applying it to the complex Ce-Ni-Si ternarymore » system, whose 17 binary and 21 ternary phases would present a daunting challenge to one seeking to understand the system by manual inspection (but has nonetheless been well-described through the heroic efforts of previous researchers). With the help of PRINCEPS, most of the ternary phases in this system can be rationalized as intergrowths of simple structural fragments, and grouped into a handful of structural series (with some outliers). Lastly, these results illustrate how the PRINCEPS approach can be used to organize a vast collection of crystal structures into structurally meaningful families, and guide the description of complex atomic arrangements.« less

Study on effect of L-arginine on solubility and dissolution of Zaltoprofen: Preparation and characterization of binary and ternary cyclodextrin inclusion complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherje, Atul P.; Patel, Forum; Murahari, Manikanta; Suvarna, Vasanti; Patel, Kavitkumar

2018-02-01

The present study demonstrated the binary and ternary complexes of Zaltoprofen (ZPF) with β-CD and HP-β-CD. The products were characterized using solubility, in vitro dissolution, and DSC studies. The mode of interaction of guest and host was revealed through 1H NMR and FT-IR studies. A significant increase was noticed in the stability constant (Kc) and complexation efficiency (CE) of β-CD and HP-β-CD due to addition of L-Arg in ternary complexes. The ternary complexes showed greater increase in solubility and dissolution of ZPF than binary complexes. Thus, ternary system of ZPF could be an innovative approach for its solubility and dissolution enhancement.

Elongation factor Ts directly facilitates the formation and disassembly of the Escherichia coli elongation factor Tu·GTP·aminoacyl-tRNA ternary complex.

PubMed

Burnett, Benjamin J; Altman, Roger B; Ferrao, Ryan; Alejo, Jose L; Kaur, Navdep; Kanji, Joshua; Blanchard, Scott C

2013-05-10

Aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) enters the ribosome in a ternary complex with the G-protein elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) and GTP. EF-Tu·GTP·aa-tRNA ternary complex formation and decay rates are accelerated in the presence of the nucleotide exchange factor elongation factor Ts (EF-Ts). EF-Ts directly facilitates the formation and disassociation of ternary complex. This system demonstrates a novel function of EF-Ts. Aminoacyl-tRNA enters the translating ribosome in a ternary complex with elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) and GTP. Here, we describe bulk steady state and pre-steady state fluorescence methods that enabled us to quantitatively explore the kinetic features of Escherichia coli ternary complex formation and decay. The data obtained suggest that both processes are controlled by a nucleotide-dependent, rate-determining conformational change in EF-Tu. Unexpectedly, we found that this conformational change is accelerated by elongation factor Ts (EF-Ts), the guanosine nucleotide exchange factor for EF-Tu. Notably, EF-Ts attenuates the affinity of EF-Tu for GTP and destabilizes ternary complex in the presence of non-hydrolyzable GTP analogs. These results suggest that EF-Ts serves an unanticipated role in the cell of actively regulating the abundance and stability of ternary complex in a manner that contributes to rapid and faithful protein synthesis.

High-performance ternary blend polymer solar cells involving both energy transfer and hole relay processes

DOE PAGES

Lu, Luyao; Chen, Wei; Xu, Tao; ...

2015-06-04

The integration of multiple materials with complementary absorptions into a single junction device is regarded as an efficient way to enhance the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, because of increased complexity with one more component, only limited high-performance ternary systems have been demonstrated previously. Here we report an efficient ternary blend OSC with a PCE of 9.2%. We show that the third component can reduce surface trap densities in the ternary blend. Detailed studies unravel that the improved performance results from synergistic effects of enlarged open circuit voltage, suppressed trap-assisted recombination, enhanced light absorption, increasedmore » hole extraction, efficient energy transfer and better morphology. As a result, the working mechanism and high device performance demonstrate new insights and design guidelines for high-performance ternary blend solar cells and suggest that ternary structure is a promising platform to boost the efficiency of OSCs.« less

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of novel Schiff base type polymer-rare earth complexes containing furfural-based bidentate Schiff base ligands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Baojiao; Zhang, Dandan; Li, Yanbin

2018-03-01

Luminescent polymer-rare earth complexes are an important class of photoluminescence and electroluminescence materials. Via molecular design, two furfural-based bidentate Schiff base ligands, furfural-aniline (FA) type ligand and furfural-cyclohexylamine (FC) type ligand, were bonded on the side chains of polysulfone (PSF), respectively, forming two functionalized macromolecules, PSF-FA and PSF-FC. And then through respective coordination reactions of the two functionalized macromolecules with Eu(Ⅲ) ion and Tb(Ⅲ) ion, novel luminescent binary and ternary (with 1,10-phenanthroline as the second ligand) polymer-rare earth complexes were synthesized. For these complexes, on basis of the characterization of their chemical structures, they photoluminescence properties were main researched, and the relationship between their luminescent properties and structures was explored. The experimental results show that the complexes coming from PSF-FA and Eu(Ⅲ) ion including binary and ternary complexes emit strong red luminescence, indicating that the bonded bidentate Schiff base ligand FA can sensitize the fluorescence emission of Eu(III) ion. While the complexes coming from PSF-FC and Tb(Ⅲ) ion produce green luminescence, displaying that the bonded bidentate Schiff base ligand FC can sensitize the fluorescence emission of Tb(Ⅲ) ion. The fluorescence emission intensities of the ternary complexes were stronger than that of binary complexes, reflecting the important effect of the second ligand. The fluorescence emission of the solid film of complexes is much stronger than that of the solutions of complexes. Besides, by comparison, it is found that the furfural (as a heteroaromatic compound)-based Schiff base type polymer-rare earth complexes have stronger fluorescence emission and higher energy transfer efficiency than salicylaldehyde (as a common aromatic compound)-based Schiff base type polymer-rare earth complexes.

A high-performance ternary Si composite anode material with crystal graphite core and amorphous carbon shell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sui, Dong; Xie, Yuqing; Zhao, Weimin; Zhang, Hongtao; Zhou, Ying; Qin, Xiting; Ma, Yanfeng; Yang, Yong; Chen, Yongsheng

2018-04-01

Si is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries, but suffers from sophisticated engineering structures and complex fabrication processes that pose challenges for commercial application. Herein, a ternary Si/graphite/pyrolytic carbon (SiGC) anode material with a structure of crystal core and amorphous shell using low-cost raw materials is developed. In this ternary SiGC composite, Si component exists as nanoparticles and is spread on the surface of the core graphite flakes while the sucrose-derived pyrolytic carbon further covers the graphite/Si components as the amorphous shell. With this structure, Si together with the graphite contributes to the high specific capacity of this Si ternary material. Also the graphite serves as the supporting and conducting matrix and the amorphous shell carbon could accommodate the volume change effect of Si, reinforces the integrity of the composite architecture, and prevents the graphite and Si from direct exposing to the electrolyte. The optimized ternary SiGC composite displays high reversible specific capacity of 818 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, initial Coulombic efficiency (CE) over 80%, and excellent cycling stability at 0.5 A g-1 with 83.6% capacity retention (∼610 mAh g-1) after 300 cycles.

Ternary structure reveals mechanism of a membrane diacylglycerol kinase

PubMed Central

Li, Dianfan; Stansfeld, Phillip J.; Sansom, Mark S. P.; Keogh, Aaron; Vogeley, Lutz; Howe, Nicole; Lyons, Joseph A.; Aragao, David; Fromme, Petra; Fromme, Raimund; Basu, Shibom; Grotjohann, Ingo; Kupitz, Christopher; Rendek, Kimberley; Weierstall, Uwe; Zatsepin, Nadia A.; Cherezov, Vadim; Liu, Wei; Bandaru, Sateesh; English, Niall J.; Gati, Cornelius; Barty, Anton; Yefanov, Oleksandr; Chapman, Henry N.; Diederichs, Kay; Messerschmidt, Marc; Boutet, Sébastien; Williams, Garth J.; Marvin Seibert, M.; Caffrey, Martin

2015-01-01

Diacylglycerol kinase catalyses the ATP-dependent conversion of diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid in the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. The small size of this integral membrane trimer, which has 121 residues per subunit, means that available protein must be used economically to craft three catalytic and substrate-binding sites centred about the membrane/cytosol interface. How nature has accomplished this extraordinary feat is revealed here in a crystal structure of the kinase captured as a ternary complex with bound lipid substrate and an ATP analogue. Residues, identified as essential for activity by mutagenesis, decorate the active site and are rationalized by the ternary structure. The γ-phosphate of the ATP analogue is positioned for direct transfer to the primary hydroxyl of the lipid whose acyl chain is in the membrane. A catalytic mechanism for this unique enzyme is proposed. The active site architecture shows clear evidence of having arisen by convergent evolution. PMID:26673816

Ternary structure reveals mechanism of a membrane diacylglycerol kinase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dianfan; Stansfeld, Phillip J.; Sansom, Mark S. P.; Keogh, Aaron; Vogeley, Lutz; Howe, Nicole; Lyons, Joseph A.; Aragao, David; Fromme, Petra; Fromme, Raimund; Basu, Shibom; Grotjohann, Ingo; Kupitz, Christopher; Rendek, Kimberley; Weierstall, Uwe; Zatsepin, Nadia A.; Cherezov, Vadim; Liu, Wei; Bandaru, Sateesh; English, Niall J.; Gati, Cornelius; Barty, Anton; Yefanov, Oleksandr; Chapman, Henry N.; Diederichs, Kay; Messerschmidt, Marc; Boutet, Sébastien; Williams, Garth J.; Marvin Seibert, M.; Caffrey, Martin

2015-12-01

Diacylglycerol kinase catalyses the ATP-dependent conversion of diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid in the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. The small size of this integral membrane trimer, which has 121 residues per subunit, means that available protein must be used economically to craft three catalytic and substrate-binding sites centred about the membrane/cytosol interface. How nature has accomplished this extraordinary feat is revealed here in a crystal structure of the kinase captured as a ternary complex with bound lipid substrate and an ATP analogue. Residues, identified as essential for activity by mutagenesis, decorate the active site and are rationalized by the ternary structure. The γ-phosphate of the ATP analogue is positioned for direct transfer to the primary hydroxyl of the lipid whose acyl chain is in the membrane. A catalytic mechanism for this unique enzyme is proposed. The active site architecture shows clear evidence of having arisen by convergent evolution.

Structural Basis for Recognition of L-lysine, L-ornithine, and L-2,4-diamino Butyric Acid by Lysine Cyclodeaminase.

PubMed

Min, Kyungjin; Yoon, Hye-Jin; Matsuura, Atsushi; Kim, Yong Hwan; Lee, Hyung Ho

2018-04-30

L-pipecolic acid is a non-protein amino acid commonly found in plants, animals, and microorganisms. It is a well-known precursor to numerous microbial secondary metabolites and pharmaceuticals, including anticancer agents, immunosuppressants, and several antibiotics. Lysine cyclodeaminase (LCD) catalyzes β-deamination of L-lysine into L-pipecolic acid using β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as a cofactor. Expression of a human homolog of LCD, μ-crystallin, is elevated in prostate cancer patients. To understand the structural features and catalytic mechanisms of LCD, we determined the crystal structures of Streptomyces pristinaespiralis LCD (SpLCD) in (i) a binary complex with NAD + , (ii) a ternary complex with NAD + and L-pipecolic acid, (iii) a ternary complex with NAD + and L-proline, and (iv) a ternary complex with NAD + and L-2,4-diamino butyric acid. The overall structure of SpLCD was similar to that of ornithine cyclodeaminase from Pseudomonas putida . In addition, SpLCD recognized L-lysine, L-ornithine, and L-2,4-diamino butyric acid despite differences in the active site, including differences in hydrogen bonding by Asp236, which corresponds with Asp228 from Pseudomonas putida ornithine cyclodeaminase. The substrate binding pocket of SpLCD allowed substrates smaller than lysine to bind, thus enabling binding to ornithine and L-2,4-diamino butyric acid. Our structural and biochemical data facilitate a detailed understanding of substrate and product recognition, thus providing evidence for a reaction mechanism for SpLCD. The proposed mechanism is unusual in that NAD + is initially converted into NADH and then reverted back into NAD + at a late stage of the reaction.

Effect of guest drug character encapsulated in the cavity and intermolecular spaces of γ-cyclodextrins on the dissolution property of ternary γ-cyclodextrin complex.

PubMed

Liu, Nan; Higashi, Kenjirou; Ueda, Keisuke; Moribe, Kunikazu

2017-10-15

Various ternary Guest 2/(Guest 1/γ-cyclodextrin (CD)) complexes were prepared using a cogrinding and subsequent heating method, wherein Guest 1 was incorporated in the cavity of γ-CD and Guest 2 was incorporated into the intermolecular spaces between γ-CD columns. Dissolution fluxes of Guest 1 and Guest 2 from all ternary complexes were almost identical. The dissolution flux of flurbiprofen (Guest 1) from the ternary complexes depended on the solubility of Guest 2 drugs (naproxen

Structural evolution of dilute magnetic (Sn,Mn)Se films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanzyuba, Vasily; Dong, Sining; Liu, Xinyu; Li, Xiang; Rouvimov, Sergei; Okuno, Hanako; Mariette, Henri; Zhang, Xueqiang; Ptasinska, Sylwia; Tracy, Brian D.; Smith, David J.; Dobrowolska, Margaret; Furdyna, Jacek K.

2017-02-01

We describe the structural evolution of dilute magnetic (Sn,Mn)Se films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (111) substrates, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. When the Mn concentration is increased, the lattice of the ternary (Sn,Mn)Se films evolves quasi-coherently from a SnSe2 two-dimensional (2D) crystal structure into a more complex quasi-2D lattice rearrangement, ultimately transforming into the magnetically concentrated antiferromagnetic MnSe 3D rock-salt structure as Mn approaches 50 at. % of this material. These structural transformations are expected to underlie the evolution of magnetic properties of this ternary system reported earlier in the literature.

Extraction and characterization of ternary complexes between natural organic matter, cations, and oxyanions from a natural soil.

PubMed

Peel, Hannah R; Martin, David P; Bednar, Anthony J

2017-06-01

Natural organic matter (NOM) can have a significant influence on the mobility and fate of inorganic oxyanions, such as arsenic and selenium, in the environment. There is evidence to suggest that interactions between NOM and these oxyanions are facilitated by bridging cations (primarily Fe 3+ ) through the formation of ternary complexes. Building on previous work characterizing ternary complexes formed in the laboratory using purified NOM, this study describes the extraction and characterization of intact ternary complexes directly from a soil matrix. The complexes are stable to the basic extraction conditions (pH 12) and do not appear to change when the pH of the extract is adjusted back to neutral. The results suggest that ternary complexes between NOM, cations, and inorganic oxyanions exist in natural soils and could play a role in the speciation of inorganic oxyanions in environmental matrices. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Structure and reactivity of ferrihydrite-soil organic carbon-calcium ternary complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Adhikari, D.; Sowers, T.; Stuckey, J.; Poulson, S.; Sparks, D. L.

2017-12-01

Complete understanding about the interactions between soil organic carbon (SOC) and minerals is important for predicting the stability of SOC and its response to climate change. Recent studies have shown the importance of calcium (Ca)-bearing minerals and iron (Fe) oxide in associating with and stabilizing SOC. In this study, we have investigated the formation and reactivity of ferrihydrite-SOC-Ca ternary complexes. During the co-precipitation of ferrihydrite with SOC in the presence of Ca2+, 60% of SOC can be co-precipitated with ferrihydrite at a C/Fe (molar ratio) of up to 10, whereas the Ca/Fe ratio was saturated at 0.2. Increasing amount of Ca2+ did not affect the co-precipitation of SOC with ferrihydrite or the lability of ferrihydrite-bound SOC. In addition, microbial reduction of ferrihydrite and reductive release of ferrihydrite-bound SOC were not influenced by the presence of Ca, but the pathway for Fe mineral transformation during the reduction was affected by Ca. In the meantime, Fe reduction selectively released carboxylic-enriched SOC. As a comparison, the presence of SOC increased the incorporation of Ca into the structure of ferrihydrite. Our results indicate the formation of ferrihydrite-SOC-Ca complexes, with organic carbon bridging the ferrihydrite and Ca. Such ternary complexes potentially play an important role in regulating the interactions between SOC and mineral phases in soil.

Adiabatic pipelining: a key to ternary computing with quantum dots.

PubMed

Pečar, P; Ramšak, A; Zimic, N; Mraz, M; Lebar Bajec, I

2008-12-10

The quantum-dot cellular automaton (QCA), a processing platform based on interacting quantum dots, was introduced by Lent in the mid-1990s. What followed was an exhilarating period with the development of the line, the functionally complete set of logic functions, as well as more complex processing structures, however all in the realm of binary logic. Regardless of these achievements, it has to be acknowledged that the use of binary logic is in computing systems mainly the end result of the technological limitations, which the designers had to cope with in the early days of their design. The first advancement of QCAs to multi-valued (ternary) processing was performed by Lebar Bajec et al, with the argument that processing platforms of the future should not disregard the clear advantages of multi-valued logic. Some of the elementary ternary QCAs, necessary for the construction of more complex processing entities, however, lead to a remarkable increase in size when compared to their binary counterparts. This somewhat negates the advantages gained by entering the ternary computing domain. As it turned out, even the binary QCA had its initial hiccups, which have been solved by the introduction of adiabatic switching and the application of adiabatic pipeline approaches. We present here a study that introduces adiabatic switching into the ternary QCA and employs the adiabatic pipeline approach to successfully solve the issues of elementary ternary QCAs. What is more, the ternary QCAs presented here are sizewise comparable to binary QCAs. This in our view might serve towards their faster adoption.

Understanding the role of dynamics in the iron sulfur cluster molecular machine.

PubMed

di Maio, Danilo; Chandramouli, Balasubramanian; Yan, Robert; Brancato, Giuseppe; Pastore, Annalisa

2017-01-01

The bacterial proteins IscS, IscU and CyaY, the bacterial orthologue of frataxin, play an essential role in the biological machine that assembles the prosthetic FeS cluster groups on proteins. They form functionally binary and ternary complexes both in vivo and in vitro. Yet, the mechanism by which they work remains unclear. We carried out extensive molecular dynamics simulations to understand the nature of their interactions and the role of dynamics starting from the crystal structure of a IscS-IscU complex and the experimentally-based model of a ternary IscS-IscU-CyaY complex and used nuclear magnetic resonance to experimentally test the interface. We show that, while being firmly anchored to IscS, IscU has a pivotal motion around the interface. Our results also describe how the catalytic loop of IscS can flip conformation to allow FeS cluster assembly. This motion is hampered in the ternary complex explaining its inhibitory properties in cluster formation. We conclude that the observed 'fluid' IscS-IscU interface provides the binary complex with a functional adaptability exploited in partner recognition and unravels the molecular determinants of the reported inhibitory action of CyaY in the IscS-IscU-CyaY complex explained in terms of the hampering effect on specific IscU-IscS movements. Our study provides the first mechanistic basis to explain how the IscS-IscU complex selects its binding partners and supports the inhibitory role of CyaY in the ternary complex. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural characterization of environmentally relevant ternary uranyl citrate complexes present in aqueous solutions and solid state materials.

PubMed

Basile, Madeline; Unruh, Daniel K; Flores, Erin; Johns, Adam; Forbes, Tori Z

2015-02-14

Organic acids are important metal chelators in environmental systems and tend to form soluble complexes in aqueous solutions, ultimately influencing the transport and bioavailability of contaminants in surface and subsurface waters. This is particularly true for the formation of uranyl citrate complexes, which have been utilized in advanced photo- and bioremediation strategies for soils contaminated with nuclear materials. Given the complexity of environmental systems, the formation of ternary or heterometallic uranyl species in aqueous solutions are also expected, particularly with Al(iii) and Fe(iii) cations. These ternary forms are reported to be more stable in aqueous solutions, potentially enhancing contaminant mobility and uptake by organisms, but the exact coordination geometries of these soluble molecular complexes have not been elucidated. To provide insight into the nature of these species, we have developed a series of geochemical model compounds ([(UO(2))(2)Al(2)(C(6)H(4)O(7))(4)](6-) (U(2)Al(2)), [(UO(2))(2)Fe(2)(C(6)H(4)O(7))(4)](6-) (U(2)Fe(2)-1) and [(UO(2))(2)Fe(2)(C(6)H(4)O(7))(4)(H(2)O)(2)](6-) (U(2)Fe(2)-2) and [(UO(2))(2)Fe(4)(OH)(4)(C(6)H(4)O(7))(4)](8-) (U(2)Fe(4))) that were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy. Mass spectroscopy was then employed to compare the model compounds to species present in aqueous solutions to provide an enhanced understanding of the ternary uranyl citrate complexes that could be relevant in natural systems.

Ternary metal complexes of guaifenesin drug: Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and in vitro anticancer activity of the metal complexes.

PubMed

Mahmoud, W H; Mahmoud, N F; Mohamed, G G; El-Sonbati, A Z; El-Bindary, A A

2015-01-01

The coordination behavior of a series of transition metal ions named Cr(III), Fe(III), Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) with a mono negative tridentate guaifenesin ligand (GFS) (OOO donation sites) and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) is reported. The metal complexes are characterized based on elemental analyses, IR, (1)H NMR, solid reflectance, magnetic moment, molar conductance, UV-vis spectral studies, mass spectroscopy, ESR, XRD and thermal analysis (TG and DTG). The ternary metal complexes were found to have the formulae of [M(GFS)(Phen)Cl]Cl·nH2O (M=Cr(III) (n=1) and Fe(III) (n=0)), [M(GFS)(Phen)Cl]·nH2O (M=Mn(II) (n=0), Zn(II) (n=0) and Cu(II) (n=3)) and [M(GFS)(Phen)(H2O)]Cl·nH2O (M=Co(II) (n=0), Ni(II) (n=0) and Cd(II) (n=4)). All the chelates are found to have octahedral geometrical structures. The ligand and its ternary chelates are subjected to thermal analyses (TG and DTG). The GFS ligand, in comparison to its ternary metal complexes also was screened for their antibacterial activity on gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and for in vitro antifungal activity against (Candida albicans). The activity data show that the metal complexes have antibacterial and antifungal activity more than the parent GFS ligand. The complexes were also screened for its in vitro anticancer activity against the Breast cell line (MFC7) and the results obtained show that they exhibit a considerable anticancer activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous Speciation, Structure, and Equilibrium Constant Determination in the Ni2+-EDTA-CN- Ternary System via High-Resolution Laboratory X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy and Theoretical Calculations.

PubMed

Bajnóczi, Éva G; Németh, Zoltán; Vankó, György

2017-11-20

Even quite simple chemical systems can involve many components and chemical states, and sometimes it can be very difficult to differentiate them by their hardly separable physical-chemical properties. The Ni II -EDTA-CN - (EDTA = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) ternary system is a good example for this problem where, in spite of its fairly simple components and numerous investigations, several molecular combinations can exist, all of them not having been identified unambiguously yet. In order to achieve a detailed understanding of the reaction steps and chemical equilibria, methods are required in which the structural transitions in the different reaction steps can be followed via element-selective complex spectral feature sets. With the help of our recently developed von Hámos type high-resolution laboratory X-ray absorption spectrometer, both the structural variations and stability constants of the forming complexes were determined from the same measurement series, proving that X-ray absorption spectroscopy can be considered as a multifaced, table-top tool in coordination chemistry. Furthermore, with the help of theoretical calculations, independent structural evidence was also given for the formation of the [NiEDTA(CN)] 3- mixed complex.

PRINCEPS: A computer-based approach to the structural description and recognition of trends within structural databases, and its application to the Ce-Ni-Si System

DOE PAGES

Guo, Yiming; Fredrickson, Daniel C.

2016-04-01

Intermetallic crystal structures offer an enormous structural diversity, with an endless array of structural motifs whose connection to stability and physical properties are often mysterious. Making sense of the often complex crystal structures that arise here, developing a clear structural description, and identifying connections to other phases can be laborious and require an encyclopedic knowledge of structure types. In this Article, we present PRINCEPS, an algorithm based on a new coordination environment projection scheme that facilitates the structural analysis and comparison of such crystal structures. We demonstrate the potential of this approach by applying it to the complex Ce-Ni-Si ternarymore » system, whose 17 binary and 21 ternary phases would present a daunting challenge to one seeking to understand the system by manual inspection (but has nonetheless been well-described through the heroic efforts of previous researchers). With the help of PRINCEPS, most of the ternary phases in this system can be rationalized as intergrowths of simple structural fragments, and grouped into a handful of structural series (with some outliers). Lastly, these results illustrate how the PRINCEPS approach can be used to organize a vast collection of crystal structures into structurally meaningful families, and guide the description of complex atomic arrangements.« less

Inhibition of the aggregation of lactoferrin and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate in the presence of polyphenols, oligosaccharides, and collagen peptide.

PubMed

Yang, Wei; Liu, Fuguo; Xu, Chenqi; Sun, Cuixia; Yuan, Fang; Gao, Yanxiang

2015-05-27

The aggregation of lactoferrin and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was inhibited by polyphenols, oligosaccharides, and collagen peptide in this study. Polyphenols, oligosaccharides, or collagen peptide can effectively prevent the formation of lactoferrin-EGCG aggregates, respectively. The addition sequence of lactoferrin, polyphenols (oligosaccharides or collagen peptide) and EGCG can affect the turbidity and particle size of the ternary complexes in the buffer solution; however, it hardly affected the ζ-potential and fluorescence characteristics. With either positive or negative charge, polyphenols and collagen peptide disrupted the formation of lactoferrin-EGCG aggregate mainly through the mechanism of its competition with EGCG molecules which surrounded the lactoferrin molecule surface with weaker binding affinities, forming polyphenols or a collagen peptide-lactoferrin-EGCG ternary complex; for neutral oligosaccharides, the ternary complex was generated mainly through steric effects, accompanied by a change in the lactoferrin secondary structure induced by gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and xylo-oligosaccharide. Polyphenols, oligosaccharides, or collagen peptide restraining the formation of lactoferrin-EGCG aggregate could be applied in the design of clear products in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

Human topoisomerase I poisoning: docking protoberberines into a structure-based binding site model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettmann, Viktor; Košt'álová, Daniela; Höltje, Hans-Dieter

2004-12-01

Using the X-ray crystal structure of the human topoisomerase I (top1) - DNA cleavable complex and the Sybyl software package, we have developed a general model for the ternary cleavable complex formed with four protoberberine alkaloids differing in the substitution on the terminal phenyl rings and covering a broad range of the top1-poisoning activities. This model has the drug intercalated with its planar chromophore between the -1 and +1 base pairs flanking the cleavage site, with the nonplanar portion pointing into the minor groove. The ternary complexes were geometry-optimized and relative interaction energies, computed by using the Tripos force field, were found to rank in correct order the biological potency of the compounds; in addition, the model is also consistent with the top1-poisoning inactivity of berberine, a major prototype of the protoberberine alkaloids. The model might serve as a rational basis for elaboration of the most active compound as a lead structure, in order to develop more potent top1 poisons as next generation anti-cancer drugs.

Mechanical properties of bulk graphene oxide/poly(acrylic acid)/poly(ethylenimine) ternary polyelectrolyte complex.

PubMed

Duan, Yipin; Wang, Chao; Zhao, Mengmeng; Vogt, Bryan D; Zacharia, Nicole S

2018-05-30

Ternary complexes formed in a single pot process through the mixing of cationic (branched polyethylenimine, BPEI) and anionic (graphene oxide, GO, and poly(acrylic acid), PAA) aqueous solutions exhibit superior mechanical performance in comparison to their binary analogs. The composition of the ternary complex can be simply tuned through the composition of the anionic solution, which influences the water content and mechanical properties of the complex. Increasing the PAA content in the complex decreases the overall water content due to improved charge compensation with the BPEI, but this change also significantly improves the toughness of the complex. Ternary complexes containing ≤32 wt% PAA were too brittle to generate samples for tensile measurements, while extension in excess of 250% could be reached with 57 wt% PAA. From this work, the influence of GO and PAA on the mechanical properties of GO/PAA/BPEI complexes were elucidated with GO sheets acting to restrain the viscous flow and improve the mechanical strength at low loading (<12.6 wt%) and PAA more efficiently complexes with BPEI than GO to generate a less swollen and stronger network. This combination overcomes the brittle nature of GO-BPEI complexes and viscous creep of PAA-BPEI complexes. Ternary nanocomposite complexes appear to provide an effective route to toughen and strengthen bulk polyelectrolyte complexes.

Molecular And Structural Basis of Cytokine Receptor Pleiotropy in the Interleukin-4/13 System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LaPorte, S.L.; Juo, Z.S.; Vaclavikova, J.

2009-05-20

Interleukin-4 and Interleukin-13 are cytokines critical to the development of T cell-mediated humoral immune responses, which are associated with allergy and asthma, and exert their actions through three different combinations of shared receptors. Here we present the crystal structures of the complete set of type I (IL-4R{alpha}/{gamma}{sub c}/IL-4) and type II (IL-4R/IL-13R{alpha}1/IL-4, IL-4R{alpha}/IL-13R{alpha}1/IL-13) ternary signaling complexes. The type I complex reveals a structural basis for {gamma}{sub c}'s ability to recognize six different {gamma}{sub c}-cytokines. The two type II complexes utilize an unusual top-mounted Ig-like domain on IL-13R{alpha}1 for a novel mode of cytokine engagement that contributes to a reversal inmore » the IL-4 versus IL-13 ternary complex assembly sequences, which are mediated through substantially different recognition chemistries. We also show that the type II receptor heterodimer signals with different potencies in response to IL-4 versus IL-13 and suggest that the extracellular cytokine-receptor interactions are modulating intracellular membrane-proximal signaling events.« less

G-actin provides substrate-specificity to eukaryotic initiation factor 2α holophosphatases

PubMed Central

Chen, Ruming; Rato, Cláudia; Yan, Yahui; Crespillo-Casado, Ana; Clarke, Hanna J; Harding, Heather P; Marciniak, Stefan J; Read, Randy J; Ron, David

2015-01-01

Dephosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2a (eIF2a) restores protein synthesis at the waning of stress responses and requires a PP1 catalytic subunit and a regulatory subunit, PPP1R15A/GADD34 or PPP1R15B/CReP. Surprisingly, PPP1R15-PP1 binary complexes reconstituted in vitro lacked substrate selectivity. However, selectivity was restored by crude cell lysate or purified G-actin, which joined PPP1R15-PP1 to form a stable ternary complex. In crystal structures of the non-selective PPP1R15B-PP1G complex, the functional core of PPP1R15 made multiple surface contacts with PP1G, but at a distance from the active site, whereas in the substrate-selective ternary complex, actin contributes to one face of a platform encompassing the active site. Computational docking of the N-terminal lobe of eIF2a at this platform placed phosphorylated serine 51 near the active site. Mutagenesis of predicted surface-contacting residues enfeebled dephosphorylation, suggesting that avidity for the substrate plays an important role in imparting specificity on the PPP1R15B-PP1G-actin ternary complex. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04871.001 PMID:25774600

Reversible stalling of transcription elongation complexes by high pressure.

PubMed

Erijman, L; Clegg, R M

1998-07-01

We have investigated the effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the stability of RNA polymerase molecules during transcription. RNA polymerase molecules participating in stalled or active ternary transcribing complexes do not dissociate from the template DNA and nascent RNA at pressures up to 180 MPa. A lower limit for the free energy of stabilization of an elongating ternary complex relative to the quaternary structure of the free RNAP molecules is estimated to be 20 kcal/mol. The rate of elongation decreases at high pressure; transcription completely halts at sufficiently high pressure. The overall rate of elongation has an apparent activation volume (DeltaVdouble dagger) of 55-65 ml . mol-1 (at 35 degrees C). The pressure-stalled transcripts are stable and resume elongation at the prepressure rate upon decompression. The efficiency of termination decreases at the rho-independent terminator tR2 after the transcription reaction has been exposed to high pressure. This suggests that high pressure modifies the ternary complex such that termination is affected in a manner different from that of elongation. The solvent and temperature dependence of the pressure-induced inhibition show evidence for major conformational changes in the core polymerase enzyme during RNA synthesis. It is proposed that the inhibition of the elongation phase of the transcription reaction at elevated pressures is related to a reduction of the partial specific volume of the RNA polymerase molecule; under high pressure, the RNA polymerase molecule does not have the necessary structural flexibility required for the protein to translocate.

How a low-fidelity DNA polymerase chooses non-Watson-Crick from Watson-Crick incorporation.

PubMed

Wu, Wen-Jin; Su, Mei-I; Wu, Jian-Li; Kumar, Sandeep; Lim, Liang-Hin; Wang, Chun-Wei Eric; Nelissen, Frank H T; Chen, Ming-Chuan Chad; Doreleijers, Jurgen F; Wijmenga, Sybren S; Tsai, Ming-Daw

2014-04-02

A dogma for DNA polymerase catalysis is that the enzyme binds DNA first, followed by MgdNTP. This mechanism contributes to the selection of correct dNTP by Watson-Crick base pairing, but it cannot explain how low-fidelity DNA polymerases overcome Watson-Crick base pairing to catalyze non-Watson-Crick dNTP incorporation. DNA polymerase X from the deadly African swine fever virus (Pol X) is a half-sized repair polymerase that catalyzes efficient dG:dGTP incorporation in addition to correct repair. Here we report the use of solution structures of Pol X in the free, binary (Pol X:MgdGTP), and ternary (Pol X:DNA:MgdGTP with dG:dGTP non-Watson-Crick pairing) forms, along with functional analyses, to show that Pol X uses multiple unprecedented strategies to achieve the mutagenic dG:dGTP incorporation. Unlike high fidelity polymerases, Pol X can prebind purine MgdNTP tightly and undergo a specific conformational change in the absence of DNA. The prebound MgdGTP assumes an unusual syn conformation stabilized by partial ring stacking with His115. Upon binding of a gapped DNA, also with a unique mechanism involving primarily helix αE, the prebound syn-dGTP forms a Hoogsteen base pair with the template anti-dG. Interestingly, while Pol X prebinds MgdCTP weakly, the correct dG:dCTP ternary complex is readily formed in the presence of DNA. H115A mutation disrupted MgdGTP binding and dG:dGTP ternary complex formation but not dG:dCTP ternary complex formation. The results demonstrate the first solution structural view of DNA polymerase catalysis, a unique DNA binding mode, and a novel mechanism for non-Watson-Crick incorporation by a low-fidelity DNA polymerase.

Structure of tropinone reductase-II complexed with NADP+ and pseudotropine at 1.9 A resolution: implication for stereospecific substrate binding and catalysis.

PubMed

Yamashita, A; Kato, H; Wakatsuki, S; Tomizaki, T; Nakatsu, T; Nakajima, K; Hashimoto, T; Yamada, Y; Oda, J

1999-06-15

Tropinone reductase-II (TR-II) catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of the carbonyl group of tropinone to a beta-hydroxyl group. The crystal structure of TR-II complexed with NADP+ and pseudotropine (psi-tropine) has been determined at 1.9 A resolution. A seven-residue peptide near the active site, disordered in the unliganded structure, is fixed in the ternary complex by participation of the cofactor and substrate binding. The psi-tropine molecule is bound in an orientation which satisfies the product configuration and the stereochemical arrangement toward the cofactor. The substrate binding site displays a complementarity to the bound substrate (psi-tropine) in its correct orientation. In addition, electrostatic interactions between the substrate and Glu156 seem to specify the binding position and orientation of the substrate. A comparison between the active sites in TR-II and TR-I shows that they provide different van der Waals surfaces and electrostatic features. These differences likely contribute to the correct binding mode of the substrates, which are in opposite orientations in TR-II and TR-I, and to different reaction stereospecificities. The active site structure in the TR-II ternary complex also suggests that the arrangement of the substrate, cofactor, and catalytic residues is stereoelectronically favorable for the reaction.

Elongation Factor Ts Directly Facilitates the Formation and Disassembly of the Escherichia coli Elongation Factor Tu·GTP·Aminoacyl-tRNA Ternary Complex*

PubMed Central

Burnett, Benjamin J.; Altman, Roger B.; Ferrao, Ryan; Alejo, Jose L.; Kaur, Navdep; Kanji, Joshua; Blanchard, Scott C.

2013-01-01

Aminoacyl-tRNA enters the translating ribosome in a ternary complex with elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) and GTP. Here, we describe bulk steady state and pre-steady state fluorescence methods that enabled us to quantitatively explore the kinetic features of Escherichia coli ternary complex formation and decay. The data obtained suggest that both processes are controlled by a nucleotide-dependent, rate-determining conformational change in EF-Tu. Unexpectedly, we found that this conformational change is accelerated by elongation factor Ts (EF-Ts), the guanosine nucleotide exchange factor for EF-Tu. Notably, EF-Ts attenuates the affinity of EF-Tu for GTP and destabilizes ternary complex in the presence of non-hydrolyzable GTP analogs. These results suggest that EF-Ts serves an unanticipated role in the cell of actively regulating the abundance and stability of ternary complex in a manner that contributes to rapid and faithful protein synthesis. PMID:23539628

The structures of the horseradish peroxidase C-ferulic acid complex and the ternary complex with cyanide suggest how peroxidases oxidize small phenolic substrates.

PubMed

Henriksen, A; Smith, A T; Gajhede, M

1999-12-03

We have solved the x-ray structures of the binary horseradish peroxidase C-ferulic acid complex and the ternary horseradish peroxidase C-cyanide-ferulic acid complex to 2.0 and 1.45 A, respectively. Ferulic acid is a naturally occurring phenolic compound found in the plant cell wall and is an in vivo substrate for plant peroxidases. The x-ray structures demonstrate the flexibility and dynamic character of the aromatic donor binding site in horseradish peroxidase and emphasize the role of the distal arginine (Arg(38)) in both substrate oxidation and ligand binding. Arg(38) hydrogen bonds to bound cyanide, thereby contributing to the stabilization of the horseradish peroxidase-cyanide complex and suggesting that the distal arginine will be able to contribute with a similar interaction during stabilization of a bound peroxy transition state and subsequent O-O bond cleavage. The catalytic arginine is additionally engaged in an extensive hydrogen bonding network, which also includes the catalytic distal histidine, a water molecule and Pro(139), a proline residue conserved within the plant peroxidase superfamily. Based on the observed hydrogen bonding network and previous spectroscopic and kinetic work, a general mechanism of peroxidase substrate oxidation is proposed.

Crystal structure of a complete ternary complex of T-cell receptor, peptide-MHC, and CD4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yin, Yiyuan; Wang, Xin Xiang; Mariuzza, Roy A

2012-07-11

Adaptive immunity depends on specific recognition by a T-cell receptor (TCR) of an antigenic peptide bound to a major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecule on an antigen-presenting cell (APC). In addition, T-cell activation generally requires binding of this same pMHC to a CD4 or CD8 coreceptor. Here, we report the structure of a complete TCR-pMHC-CD4 ternary complex involving a human autoimmune TCR, a myelin-derived self-peptide bound to HLA-DR4, and CD4. The complex resembles a pointed arch in which TCR and CD4 are each tilted ~65° relative to the T-cell membrane. By precluding direct contacts between TCR and CD4, the structure explainsmore » how TCR and CD4 on the T cell can simultaneously, yet independently, engage the same pMHC on the APC. The structure, in conjunction with previous mutagenesis data, places TCR-associated CD3εγ and CD3εδ subunits, which transmit activation signals to the T cell, inside the TCR-pMHC-CD4 arch, facing CD4. By establishing anchor points for TCR and CD4 on the T-cell membrane, the complex provides a basis for understanding how the CD4 coreceptor focuses TCR on MHC to guide TCR docking on pMHC during thymic T-cell selection.« less

Ellipsometric study of metal-organic chemically vapor deposited III-V semiconductor structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alterovitz, Samuel A.; Sekula-Moise, Patricia A.; Sieg, Robert M.; Drotos, Mark N.; Bogner, Nancy A.

1992-01-01

An ellipsometric study of MOCVD-grown layers of AlGaAs and InGaAs in thick films and strained layer complex structures is presented. It is concluded that the ternary composition of thick nonstrained layers can be accurately determined to within experimental errors using numerical algorithms. In the case of complex structures, thickness of all layers and the alloy composition of nonstrained layers can be determined simultaneously, provided that the correlations between parameters is no higher than 0.9.

New insight into the ternary complexes of uranyl carbonate in seawater.

PubMed

Beccia, M R; Matara-Aho, M; Reeves, B; Roques, J; Solari, P L; Monfort, M; Moulin, C; Den Auwer, C

2017-11-01

Uranium is naturally present in seawater at trace levels and may in some cases be present at higher concentrations, due to anthropogenic nuclear activities. Understanding uranium speciation in seawater is thus essential for predicting and controlling its behavior in this specific environmental compartment and consequently, its possible impact on living organisms. The carbonato calcic complex Ca 2 UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 was previously identified as the main uranium species in natural seawater, together with CaUO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 2- . In this work, we further investigate the role of the alkaline earth cation in the structure of the ternary uranyl-carbonate complexes. For this purpose, artificial seawater, free of Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ , using Sr 2+ as a spectroscopic probe was prepared. Combining TRLIF and EXAFS spectroscopy, together with DFT and theoretical thermodynamic calculations, evidence for the presence of Sr alkaline earth counter ion in the complex structure can be asserted. Furthermore, data suggest that when Ca 2+ is replaced by Sr 2+ , SrUO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 2- is the main complex in solution and it occurs with the presence of at least one monodentate carbonate in the uranyl coordination sphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural analysis of fungus-derived FAD glucose dehydrogenase

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Hiromi; Sakai, Genki; Mori, Kazushige; Kojima, Katsuhiro; Kamitori, Shigehiro; Sode, Koji

2015-01-01

We report the first three-dimensional structure of fungus-derived glucose dehydrogenase using flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as the cofactor. This is currently the most advanced and popular enzyme used in glucose sensor strips manufactured for glycemic control by diabetic patients. We prepared recombinant nonglycosylated FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (FADGDH) derived from Aspergillus flavus (AfGDH) and obtained the X-ray structures of the binary complex of enzyme and reduced FAD at a resolution of 1.78 Å and the ternary complex with reduced FAD and D-glucono-1,5-lactone (LGC) at a resolution of 1.57 Å. The overall structure is similar to that of fungal glucose oxidases (GOxs) reported till date. The ternary complex with reduced FAD and LGC revealed the residues recognizing the substrate. His505 and His548 were subjected for site-directed mutagenesis studies, and these two residues were revealed to form the catalytic pair, as those conserved in GOxs. The absence of residues that recognize the sixth hydroxyl group of the glucose of AfGDH, and the presence of significant cavity around the active site may account for this enzyme activity toward xylose. The structural information will contribute to the further engineering of FADGDH for use in more reliable and economical biosensing technology for diabetes management. PMID:26311535

The three-dimensional structure of the native ternary complex of bovine pancreatic procarboxypeptidase A with proproteinase E and chymotrypsinogen C.

PubMed Central

Gomis-Rüth, F X; Gómez, M; Bode, W; Huber, R; Avilés, F X

1995-01-01

The metalloexozymogen procarboxypeptidase A is mainly secreted in ruminants as a ternary complex with zymogens of two serine endoproteinases, chymotrypsinogen C and proproteinase E. The bovine complex has been crystallized, and its molecular structure analysed and refined at 2.6 A resolution to an R factor of 0.198. In this heterotrimer, the activation segment of procarboxypeptidase A essentially clamps the other two subunits, which shield the activation sites of the former from tryptic attack. In contrast, the propeptides of both serine proproteinases are freely accessible to trypsin. This arrangement explains the sequential and delayed activation of the constituent zymogens. Procarboxypeptidase A is virtually identical to the homologous monomeric porcine form. Chymotrypsinogen C displays structural features characteristic for chymotrypsins as well as elastases, except for its activation domain; similar to bovine chymotrypsinogen A, its binding site is not properly formed, while its surface located activation segment is disordered. The proproteinase E structure is fully ordered and strikingly similar to active porcine elastase; its specificity pocket is occluded, while the activation segment is fixed to the molecular surface. This first structure of a native zymogen from the proteinase E/elastase family does not fundamentally differ from the serine proproteinases known so far. Images PMID:7556081

Theoretical study of X⁻ · 1 · YF (1 = triazine, X = Cl, Br and I, Y = H, Cl, Br, I, PH₂ and AsH₂): noncovalently electron-withdrawing effects on anion-arene interactions.

PubMed

Chen, Yishan; Yao, Lifeng

2014-01-01

The ternary complexes X(-) · 1 · YF (1 = triazine, X = Cl, Br and I, Y = H, Cl, Br, I, PH2 and AsH2) have been investigated by MP2 calculations to understand the noncovalently electron-withdrawing effects on anion-arene interactions. The results indicate that in binary complexes (1 · X(-)), both weak σ-type and anion-π complexes can be formed for Cl(-) and Br(-), but only anion-π complex can be formed for I(-). Moreover, the hydrogen-bonding complex is the global minimum for all three halides in binary complexes. However, in ternary complexes, anion-π complex become unstable and only σ complex can retain in many cases for Cl(-) and Br(-). Anion-π complex keeps stable only when YF = HF. In contrast with binary complexes, σ complex become the global minimum for Cl(-) and Br(-) in ternary complexes. These changes in binding mode and strength are consistent with the results of covalently electron-withdrawing effects. However, in contrast with the covalently electron-withdrawing substituents, Cl(-) and Br(-) can attack the aromatic carbon atom to form a strong σ complex when the noncovalently electron-withdrawing effect is induced by halogen bonding. The binding behavior for I(-) is different from that for Cl(-) and Br(-) in two aspects. First, the anion-π complex for I(-) can also keep stable when the noncovalent interaction is halogen bonding. Second, the anion-π complex for I(-) is the global minimum when it can retain as a stable structure.

Spectral characterization, crystal structures and biological activities of iminodiacetate ternary complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahid, M.; Anjuli; Tasneem, Sana; Mantasha, I.; Ahamad, M. Naqi; Sama, Farasha; Fatma, Kehkeshan; Siddiqi, Zafar A.

2017-10-01

The ternary complexes with stoichiometry [M(imda)(bipy)]·6H2O (M = Cu) and [M(imda)(bipy)(H2O)]·4H2O (M = Ni, Co and Mn) where H2imda = iminodiacetic acid and bipy = 2,2‧-bipyridine, are prepared and characterized to exploit as novel antimicrobial agents and SOD mimics. The chemical structures were elucidated by IR, FAB-Mass, 1H, 13C NMR, EPR and spectral techniques. Single crystal X-ray and spectral studies of the complexes (1) and (2) have confirmed a square pyramidal geometry around Cu(II) ion while a saturated six coordinate (distorted octahedral) geometry around the Ni(II), Co(II) and Mn(II) ions due to the additional coordination from water. A supramolecular network is formed by extensive H-bonding in complex (1). The supramolecular assembly in complex (1) is additionally consolidated via the existence of unusual cyclic hexameric water clusters. The antimicrobial activities for the present complexes have been examined against Escherichia coli (K-12), Bacillus subtilis (MTC-121), Staphylococcus aureus (IOASA-22), Salmonella typhymurium (MTCC-98), Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium marneffei. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of the Cu(II) complex (1) is also assessed employing nitrobluetetrazolium (NBT) assay.

Crystal Structure of the Ternary Complex of a NaV C-Terminal Domain, a Fibroblast Growth Factor Homologous Factor, and Calmodulin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Chaojian; Chung, Ben C.; Yan, Haidun

2012-11-13

Voltage-gated Na{sup +} (Na{sub V}) channels initiate neuronal action potentials. Na{sub V} channels are composed of a transmembrane domain responsible for voltage-dependent Na{sup +} conduction and a cytosolic C-terminal domain (CTD) that regulates channel function through interactions with many auxiliary proteins, including fibroblast growth factor homologous factors (FHFs) and calmodulin (CaM). Most ion channel structural studies have focused on mechanisms of permeation and voltage-dependent gating but less is known about how intracellular domains modulate channel function. Here we report the crystal structure of the ternary complex of a human NaV CTD, an FHF, and Ca{sup 2+}-free CaM at 2.2 {angstrom}.more » Combined with functional experiments based on structural insights, we present a platform for understanding the roles of these auxiliary proteins in NaV channel regulation and the molecular basis of mutations that lead to neuronal and cardiac diseases. Furthermore, we identify a critical interaction that contributes to the specificity of individual NaV CTD isoforms for distinctive FHFs.« less

Aqueous V(V)-peroxo-amino acid chemistry. Synthesis, structural and spectroscopic characterization of unusual ternary dinuclear tetraperoxo vanadium(V)-glycine complexes.

PubMed

Gabriel, C; Kaliva, M; Venetis, J; Baran, P; Rodriguez-Escudero, I; Voyiatzis, G; Zervou, M; Salifoglou, A

2009-01-19

Vanadium participation in cellular events entails in-depth comprehension of its soluble and bioavailable forms bearing physiological ligands in aqueous distributions of binary and ternary systems. Poised to understand the ternary V(V)-H(2)O(2)-amino acid interactions relevant to that metal ion's biological role, we have launched synthetic efforts involving the physiological ligands glycine and H(2)O(2). In a pH-specific fashion, V(2)O(5), glycine, and H(2)O(2) reacted and afforded the unusual complexes (H(3)O)(2)[V(2)(O)(2)(mu(2):eta(2):eta(1)-O(2))(2)(eta(2)-O(2))(2)(C(2)H(5)NO(2))] x 5/4 H(2)O (1) and K(2)[V(2)(O)(2)(mu(2):eta(2):eta(1)-O(2))(2)(eta(2)-O(2))(2)(C(2)H(5)NO(2))] x H(2)O (2). 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1, with a = 7.805(4) A, b = 8.134(5) A, c = 12.010(7) A, alpha = 72.298(9) degrees, beta = 72.991(9) degrees, gamma = 64.111(9) degrees, V = 641.9(6) A(3), and Z = 2. 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1, with a = 7.6766(9) A, b = 7.9534(9) A, c = 11.7494(13) A, alpha = 71.768(2) degrees, beta = 73.233(2) degrees, gamma = 65.660(2) degrees, V = 610.15(12) A(3), and Z = 2. Both complexes 1 and 2 were characterized by UV/visible, LC-MS, FT-IR, Raman, NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and X-ray crystallography. The structures of 1 and 2 reveal the presence of unusual ternary dinuclear vanadium-tetraperoxo-glycine complexes containing [(V(V)=O)(O(2))(2)](-) units interacting through long V-O bonds and an effective glycinate bridge. The latter ligand is present in the dianionic assembly as a bidentate moiety spanning both V(V) centers in a zwitterionic form. The collective physicochemical properties of the two ternary species 1 and 2 project the chemical role of the low molecular mass biosubstrate glycine in binding V(V)-diperoxo units, thereby stabilizing a dinuclear V(V)-tetraperoxo dianion. Structural comparisons of the anions in 1 and 2 with other known dinuclear V(V)-tetraperoxo binary anionic species provide insight into the chemical reactivity of V(V)-diperoxo species in key cellular events such as insulin mimesis and antitumorigenicity, potentially modulated by the presence of glycinate and hydrogen peroxide.

An approach to control tuning range and speed in 1D ternary photonic band gap material nano-layered optical filter structures electro-optically

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zia, Shahneel; Banerjee, Anirudh

2016-05-01

This paper demonstrates a way to control spectrum tuning capability in one-dimensional (1D) ternary photonic band gap (PBG) material nano-layered structures electro-optically. It is shown that not only tuning range, but also tuning speed of tunable optical filters based on 1D ternary PBG structures can be controlled Electro-optically. This approach finds application in tuning range enhancement of 1D Ternary PBG structures and compensating temperature sensitive transmission spectrum shift in 1D Ternary PBG structures.

An approach to control tuning range and speed in 1D ternary photonic band gap material nano-layered optical filter structures electro-optically

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zia, Shahneel, E-mail: shahneelzia@gmail.com; Banerjee, Anirudh, E-mail: abanerjee@amity.edu

2016-05-06

This paper demonstrates a way to control spectrum tuning capability in one-dimensional (1D) ternary photonic band gap (PBG) material nano-layered structures electro-optically. It is shown that not only tuning range, but also tuning speed of tunable optical filters based on 1D ternary PBG structures can be controlled Electro-optically. This approach finds application in tuning range enhancement of 1D Ternary PBG structures and compensating temperature sensitive transmission spectrum shift in 1D Ternary PBG structures.

In vitro and in vivo gene delivery using chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanoparticles: Influences of molecular mass of hyaluronic acid and lyophilization on transfection efficiency.

PubMed

Sato, Toshinori; Nakata, Mitsuhiro; Yang, Zhihong; Torizuka, Yu; Kishimoto, Satoko; Ishihara, Masayuki

2017-08-01

Lyophilization is an effective method for preserving nonviral gene vectors. To improve the stability and transgene expression of lyophilized plasmid DNA (pDNA) complexes, we coated the surfaces of pDNA/chitosan complexes with hyaluronic acid (HA) of varying molecular masses. The transgene expression of pDNA/chitosan/HA ternary complexes was characterized in vitro and in vivo. pDNA complexes were lyophilized overnight and the resultant products with spongy, porous consistencies were stored at -30, 4 or 25°C for 2 weeks. Rehydrated complexes were characterized using gel retardation assays, aiming to confirm complex formation, measure particle size and evaluate zeta potential, as well as conduct luciferase gene reporter assays. The anti-tumor effects of pDNA ternary complexes were evaluated using suicide gene (pTK) coding thymidine kinase in Huh7-implanted mice. Transfection efficiencies of pDNA/chitosan/HA ternary complexes were dependent on the average molecular masses of HA. The coating of pDNA/chitosan complexes with HA maintained the cellular transfection efficiencies of lyophilized pDNA ternary complexes. Furthermore, intratumoral injection of lyophilized, rehydrated pDNA ternary complexes into tumor-bearing mice showed a significant suppression of tumor growth. The coating of pDNA/chitosan complexes with high-molecular-weight HA augmented the stability and cellular transfection ability of the complexes after lyophilization-rehydration. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Symportin 1 chaperones 5S RNP assembly during ribosome biogenesis by occupying an essential rRNA-binding site

PubMed Central

Calviño, Fabiola R.; Kharde, Satyavati; Ori, Alessandro; Hendricks, Astrid; Wild, Klemens; Kressler, Dieter; Bange, Gert; Hurt, Ed; Beck, Martin; Sinning, Irmgard

2015-01-01

During 60S biogenesis, mature 5S RNP consisting of 5S RNA, RpL5 and RpL11, assembles into a pre-60S particle, where docking relies on RpL11 interacting with helix 84 (H84) of the 25S RNA. How 5S RNP is assembled for recruitment into the pre-60S is not known. Here we report the crystal structure of a ternary symportin Syo1–RpL5-N–RpL11 complex and provide biochemical and structural insights into 5S RNP assembly. Syo1 guards the 25S RNA-binding surface on RpL11 and competes with H84 for binding. Pull-down experiments show that H84 releases RpL11 from the ternary complex, but not in the presence of 5S RNA. Crosslinking mass spectrometry visualizes structural rearrangements on incorporation of 5S RNA into the Syo1–RpL5–RpL11 complex supporting the formation of a pre-5S RNP. Our data underline the dual role of Syo1 in ribosomal protein transport and as an assembly platform for 5S RNP. PMID:25849277

Symportin 1 chaperones 5S RNP assembly during ribosome biogenesis by occupying an essential rRNA-binding site.

PubMed

Calviño, Fabiola R; Kharde, Satyavati; Ori, Alessandro; Hendricks, Astrid; Wild, Klemens; Kressler, Dieter; Bange, Gert; Hurt, Ed; Beck, Martin; Sinning, Irmgard

2015-04-07

During 60S biogenesis, mature 5S RNP consisting of 5S RNA, RpL5 and RpL11, assembles into a pre-60S particle, where docking relies on RpL11 interacting with helix 84 (H84) of the 25S RNA. How 5S RNP is assembled for recruitment into the pre-60S is not known. Here we report the crystal structure of a ternary symportin Syo1-RpL5-N-RpL11 complex and provide biochemical and structural insights into 5S RNP assembly. Syo1 guards the 25S RNA-binding surface on RpL11 and competes with H84 for binding. Pull-down experiments show that H84 releases RpL11 from the ternary complex, but not in the presence of 5S RNA. Crosslinking mass spectrometry visualizes structural rearrangements on incorporation of 5S RNA into the Syo1-RpL5-RpL11 complex supporting the formation of a pre-5S RNP. Our data underline the dual role of Syo1 in ribosomal protein transport and as an assembly platform for 5S RNP.

Synthesis, characterization, DNA-binding study and anticancer properties of ternary metal(II) complexes of edda and an intercalating ligand.

PubMed

Ng, Chew Hee; Kong, King Chow; Von, Sze Tin; Balraj, Pauline; Jensen, Paul; Thirthagiri, Eswary; Hamada, Hirokazu; Chikira, Makoto

2008-01-28

A series of ternary metal(ii) complexes {M(phen)(edda); 1a (Cu), 1b (Co), 1c (Zn), 1d (Ni); H(2)edda = N,N(')-ethylenediaminediacetic acid} of N,N'-ethylene-bridged diglycine and 1,10-phenanthroline were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurement. The interaction of these complexes with DNA was investigated using CD and EPR spectroscopy. MTT assay results of 1a-1c , screened on MCF-7 cancer cell lines, show that synergy between the metal and ligands results in significant enhancement of their antiproliferative properties. Preliminary results from apoptosis and cell cycle analyses with flow cytometry are reported. seems to be able to induce cell cycle arrest at G(0)/G(1). The crystal structure of 1a is also included.

Ternary complexes of folate-PEG-appended dendrimer (G4)/α-cyclodextrin conjugate, siRNA and low-molecular-weight polysaccharide sacran as a novel tumor-selective siRNA delivery system.

PubMed

Ohyama, Ayumu; Higashi, Taishi; Motoyama, Keiichi; Arima, Hidetoshi

2017-06-01

We previously developed a tumor-selective siRNA carrier by preparing polyamidoamine dendrimer (generation 4, G4) conjugates with α-cyclodextrin and folate-polyethylene glycol (Fol-PαC (G4)). In the present study, we developed ternary complexes of Fol-PαC (G4)/siRNA with low-molecular-weight-sacrans to achieve more effective siRNA transfer activity. Among the different molecular-weight sacrans, i.e. sacran 100, 1000 and 10,000 (MW 44,889Da, 943,692Da and 1,488,281Da, respectively), sacran 100 significantly increased the cellular uptake and the RNAi effects of Fol-PαC (G4)/siRNA binary complex with negligible cytotoxicity in KB cells (folate receptor-α positive cells). In addition, the ζ-potential and particle size of Fol-PαC (G4)/siRNA complex were decreased by the ternary complexation with sacran 100. Importantly, the in vivo RNAi effect of the ternary complex after the intravenous administration to tumor-bearing BALB/c mice was significantly higher than that of the binary complex. In conclusion, Fol-PαC (G4)/siRNA/sacran 100 ternary complex has a potential as a novel tumor-selective siRNA delivery system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The structure of free L11 and functional dynamics of L11 in free, L11-rRNA(58 nt) binary and L11-rRNA(58 nt)-thiostrepton ternary complexes.

PubMed

Lee, Donghan; Walsh, Joseph D; Yu, Ping; Markus, Michelle A; Choli-Papadopoulou, Theodora; Schwieters, Charles D; Krueger, Susan; Draper, David E; Wang, Yun-Xing

2007-04-06

The L11 binding site is one of the most important functional sites in the ribosome. The N-terminal domain of L11 has been implicated as a "reversible switch" in facilitating the coordinated movements associated with EF-G-driven GTP hydrolysis. The reversible switch mechanism has been hypothesized to require conformational flexibility involving re-orientation and re-positioning of the two L11 domains, and warrants a close examination of the structure and dynamics of L11. Here we report the solution structure of free L11, and relaxation studies of free L11, L11 complexed to its 58 nt RNA recognition site, and L11 in a ternary complex with the RNA and thiostrepton antibiotic. The binding site of thiostrepton on L11 was also defined by analysis of structural and dynamics data and chemical shift mapping. The conclusions of this work are as follows: first, the binding of L11 to RNA leads to sizable conformation changes in the regions flanking the linker and in the hinge area that links a beta-sheet and a 3(10)-helix-turn-helix element in the N terminus. Concurrently, the change in the relative orientation may lead to re-positioning of the N terminus, as implied by a decrease of radius of gyration from 18.5 A to 16.2 A. Second, the regions, which undergo large conformation changes, exhibit motions on milliseconds-microseconds or nanoseconds-picoseconds time scales. Third, binding of thiostrepton results in more rigid conformations near the linker (Thr71) and near its putative binding site (Leu12). Lastly, conformational changes in the putative thiostrepton binding site are implicated by the re-emergence of cross-correlation peaks in the spectrum of the ternary complex, which were missing in that of the binary complex. Our combined analysis of both the chemical shift perturbation and dynamics data clearly indicates that thiostrepton binds to a pocket involving residues in the 3(10)-helix in L11.

The Structure of Free L11 and Functional Dynamics of L11 in Free, L11-rRNA(58nt) Binary and L11-rRNA(58nt)-thiostrepton Ternary Complexes

PubMed Central

Lee, Donghan; Walsh, Joseph D.; Yu, Ping; Markus, Michelle A.; Choli-Papadopoulou, Theodora; Schwieters, Charles D.; Krueger, Susan; Draper, David E.; Wang, Yun-Xing

2007-01-01

Summary The L11 binding site is one of the most important functional sites in the ribosome. The N-terminal domain of L11 has been implicated as a “reversible switch” in facilitating the coordinated movements associated with EF-G–driven GTP hydrolysis. The “reversible switch” mechanism has been hypothesized to require conformational flexibility involving re-orientation and re-positioning of the two L11 domains, and warrants a close examination of the structure and dynamics of L11. Here we report the solution structure of free L11, and relaxation studies of free L11, L11complexed to its 58 nt RNA recognition site, and L11 in a ternary complex with the RNA and thiostrepton antibiotic. The binding site of thiostrepton on L11 was also defined by analysis of structural and dynamics data and chemical shift mapping. The conclusions of this work are as follows: First, the binding of L11 to RNA leads to sizable conformation changes in the regions flanking the linker and in the hinge area that links a β-sheets and a 310-helix-turn-helix element in the N-terminus. Concurrently, the change in the relative orientation may lead to re-positioning of the N-terminus, as implied by a decrease of radius of gyration from 18.5 Å to 16.2 Å. Second, the regions, which undergo large conformation changes, exhibit motions on ms-μs or ns-ps time scales. Third, binding of thiostrepton results in more rigid conformations near the linker (Thr71) and near its putative binding site (Leu12). Lastly, conformational changes in the putative thiostrepton binding site are implicated by the re-emergence of cross-correlation peaks in the spectrum of the ternary complex, which were missing in that of the binary complex. Our combined analysis of both the chemical shift perturbation and dynamics data clearly indicates that thiostrepton binds to a pocket involving residues in the 310-helix in L11. PMID:17292917

Low- and room-temperature X-ray structures of protein kinase A ternary complexes shed new light on its activity.

PubMed

Kovalevsky, Andrey Y; Johnson, Hanna; Hanson, B Leif; Waltman, Mary Jo; Fisher, S Zoe; Taylor, Susan; Langan, Paul

2012-07-01

Post-translational protein phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA) is a ubiquitous signalling mechanism which regulates many cellular processes. A low-temperature X-ray structure of the ternary complex of the PKA catalytic subunit (PKAc) with ATP and a 20-residue peptidic inhibitor (IP20) at the physiological Mg(2+) concentration of ∼0.5 mM (LT PKA-MgATP-IP20) revealed a single metal ion in the active site. The lack of a second metal in LT PKA-MgATP-IP20 renders the β- and γ-phosphoryl groups of ATP very flexible, with high thermal B factors. Thus, the second metal is crucial for tight positioning of the terminal phosphoryl group for transfer to a substrate, as demonstrated by comparison of the former structure with that of the LT PKA-Mg(2)ATP-IP20 complex obtained at high Mg(2+) concentration. In addition to its kinase activity, PKAc is also able to slowly catalyze the hydrolysis of ATP using a water molecule as a substrate. It was found that ATP can be readily and completely hydrolyzed to ADP and a free phosphate ion in the crystals of the ternary complex PKA-Mg(2)ATP-IP20 by X-ray irradiation at room temperature. The cleavage of ATP may be aided by X-ray-generated free hydroxyl radicals, a very reactive chemical species, which move rapidly through the crystal at room temperature. The phosphate anion is clearly visible in the electron-density maps; it remains in the active site but slides about 2 Å from its position in ATP towards Ala21 of IP20, which mimics the phosphorylation site. The phosphate thus pushes the peptidic inhibitor away from the product ADP, while resulting in dramatic conformational changes of the terminal residues 24 and 25 of IP20. X-ray structures of PKAc in complex with the nonhydrolysable ATP analogue AMP-PNP at both room and low temperature demonstrated no temperature effects on the conformation and position of IP20.

A Stimulation Function of Synaptotagmin-1 in Ternary SNARE Complex Formation Dependent on Munc18 and Munc13

PubMed Central

Li, Yun; Wang, Shen; Li, Tianzhi; Zhu, Le; Xu, Yuanyuan; Ma, Cong

2017-01-01

The Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) plays an essential function in synaptic exocytosis. Recently, Syt1 has been implicated in synaptic vesicle priming, a maturation step prior to Ca2+-triggered membrane fusion that is believed to involve formation of the ternary SNARE complex and require priming proteins Munc18-1 and Munc13-1. However, the mechanisms of Syt1 in synaptic vesicle priming are still unclear. In this study, we found that Syt1 stimulates the transition from the Munc18-1/syntaxin-1 complex to the ternary SNARE complex catalyzed by Munc13-1. This stimulation can be further enhanced in a membrane-containing environment. Further, we showed that Syt1, together with Munc18-1 and Munc13-1, stimulates trans ternary SNARE complex formation on membranes in a manner resistant to disassembly factors NSF and α-SNAP. Disruption of a proposed Syt1/SNARE binding interface strongly abrogated the stimulation function of Syt1. Our results suggest that binding of Syt1 to an intermediate SNARE assembly with Munc18-1 and Munc13-1 is critical for the stimulation function of Syt1 in ternary SNARE complex formation, and this stimulation may underlie the priming function of Syt1 in synaptic exocytosis. PMID:28860966

A ternary AppA-PpsR-DNA complex mediates light regulation of photosynthesis-related gene expression.

PubMed

Winkler, Andreas; Heintz, Udo; Lindner, Robert; Reinstein, Jochen; Shoeman, Robert L; Schlichting, Ilme

2013-07-01

The anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides uses different energy sources, depending on environmental conditions including aerobic respiration or, in the absence of oxygen, photosynthesis. Photosynthetic genes are repressed at high oxygen tension, but at intermediate levels their partial expression prepares the bacterium for using light energy. Illumination, however, enhances repression under semiaerobic conditions. Here, we describe molecular details of two proteins mediating oxygen and light control of photosynthesis-gene expression: the light-sensing antirepressor AppA and the transcriptional repressor PpsR. Our crystal structures of both proteins and their complex and hydrogen/deuterium-exchange data show that light activation of AppA-PpsR2 affects the PpsR effector region within the complex. DNA binding studies demonstrate the formation of a light-sensitive ternary AppA-PpsR-DNA complex. We discuss implications of these results for regulation by light and oxygen, highlighting new insights into blue light-mediated signal transduction.

Si-Mn/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite anodes with enhanced capacity and stability for lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Park, A Reum; Kim, Jung Sub; Kim, Kwang Su; Zhang, Kan; Park, Juhyun; Park, Jong Hyeok; Lee, Joong Kee; Yoo, Pil J

2014-02-12

Although Si is a promising high-capacity anode material for Li-ion batteries (LIB), it suffers from capacity fading due to excessively large volumetric changes upon Li insertion. Nanocarbon materials have been used to enhance the cyclic stability of LIB anodes, but they have an inherently low specific capacity. To address these issues, we present a novel ternary nanocomposite of Si, Mn, and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for LIB anodes, in which the Si-Mn alloy offers high capacity characteristics and embedded rGO nanosheets confer structural stability. Si-Mn/rGO ternary nanocomposites were synthesized by mechanical complexation and subsequent thermal reduction of mixtures of Si nanoparticles, MnO2 nanorods, and rGO nanosheets. Resulting ternary nanocomposite anodes displayed a specific capacity of 600 mAh/g with ∼90% capacity retention after 50 cycles at a current density of 100 mA/g. The enhanced performance is attributed to facilitated Li-ion reactions with the MnSi alloy phase and the formation of a structurally reinforced electroconductive matrix of rGO nanosheets. The ternary nanocomposite design paradigm presented in this study can be exploited for the development of high-capacity and long-life anode materials for versatile LIB applications.

Crystal structures of palladium(II) ternary complexes of 5-x-2-aminobenzoic acid with 1,10-phenanthroline and their interaction with calf thymus DNA (where X=Cl, Br and I).

PubMed

Wang, Yue; Okabe, Nobuo; Odoko, Mamiko

2005-10-01

The crystal structures of a series of three palladium(II) ternary complexes of 5-halogeno-2-aminobenzoic acid (5-X-AB, where X=Cl, Br and I) with 1,10-phenanthroline [Pd(5-Cl-AB)(phen)] (1), [Pd(5-Br-AB)(phen)] (2) and [Pd(5-I-AB)(phen)] (3) have been determined, and their coordination geometries and the crystal architecture characterized. All of the complexes are an isostructure in which each Pd(II) atom has basically similar square planar coordination geometry. The substitute halogen group at 5-position of AB plays an important role in producing the coordination bonds of the carboxylate and amino groups in which the carboxylate O atom and the amino N atom act as the negative monodentate ligand atoms. The coordination bond distances of O-Pd increase in the order 1<2<3, while those of N-Pd decrease in the same order. The binding of the complexes to the calf thymus DNA has also been studied by the fluorescence method. Each of the complexes shows high binding propensity to DNA which can be reflected as the relative order 1<2<3.

Structure-based Mechanism of CMP-2-keto-3-deoxymanno-octulonic Acid Synthetase

PubMed Central

Heyes, Derren J.; Levy, Colin; Lafite, Pierre; Roberts, Ian S.; Goldrick, Marie; Stachulski, Andrew V.; Rossington, Steven B.; Stanford, Deborah; Rigby, Stephen E. J.; Scrutton, Nigel S.; Leys, David

2009-01-01

The enzyme CMP-Kdo synthetase (KdsB) catalyzes the addition of 2-keto-3-deoxymanno-octulonic acid (Kdo) to CTP to form CMP-Kdo, a key reaction in the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide. The reaction catalyzed by KdsB and the related CMP-acylneuraminate synthase is unique among the sugar-activating enzymes in that the respective sugars are directly coupled to a cytosine monophosphate. Using inhibition studies, in combination with isothermal calorimetry, we show the substrate analogue 2β-deoxy-Kdo to be a potent competitive inhibitor. The ligand-free Escherichia coli KdsB and ternary complex KdsB-CTP-2β-deoxy-Kdo crystal structures reveal that Kdo binding leads to active site closure and repositioning of the CTP phosphates and associated Mg2+ ion (Mg-B). Both ligands occupy conformations compatible with an Sn2-type attack on the α-phosphate by the Kdo 2-hydroxyl group. Based on strong similarity with DNA/RNA polymerases, both in terms of overall chemistry catalyzed as well as active site configuration, we postulate a second Mg2+ ion (Mg-A) is bound by the catalytically competent KdsB-CTP-Kdo ternary complex. Modeling of this complex reveals the Mg-A coordinated to the conserved Asp100 and Asp235 in addition to the CTP α-phosphate and both the Kdo carboxylic and 2-hydroxyl groups. EPR measurements on the Mn2+-substituted ternary complex support this model. We propose the KdsB/CNS sugar-activating enzymes catalyze the formation of activated sugars, such as the abundant CMP-5-N-acetylneuraminic acid, by recruitment of two Mg2+ to the active site. Although each metal ion assists in correct positioning of the substrates and activation of the α-phosphate, Mg-A is responsible for activation of the sugar-hydroxyl group. PMID:19815542

Mechanisms Mediating Enhanced Neutralization Efficacy of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B by Combinations of Monoclonal Antibodies*

PubMed Central

Dutta, Kaushik; Varshney, Avanish K.; Franklin, Matthew C.; Goger, Michael; Wang, Xiaobo; Fries, Bettina C.

2015-01-01

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is a superantigen that cross-links the major histocompatibility complex class II and specific V-β chains of the T-cell receptor, thus forming a ternary complex. Developing neutralizing mAb to disrupt the ternary complex and abrogate the resulting toxicity is a major therapeutic challenge because SEB is effective at very low concentrations. We show that combining two SEB-specific mAbs enhances their efficacy, even though one of the two mAbs by itself has no effect on neutralization. Crystallography was employed for fine-mapping conformational epitopes in binary and ternary complexes between SEB and Fab fragments. NMR spectroscopy was used to validate and identify subtle allosteric changes induced by mAbs binding to SEB. The mapping of epitopes established that a combination of different mAbs can enhance efficacy of mAb-mediated protection from SEB induced lethal shock by two different mechanisms: one mAb mixture promoted clearance of the toxin both in vitro and in vivo by FcR-mediated cross-linking and clearance, whereas the other mAb mixture induced subtle allosteric conformational changes in SEB that perturbed formation of the SEB·T-cell receptor·major histocompatibility complex class II trimer. Finally structural information accurately predicted mAb binding to other superantigens that share conformational epitopes with SEB. Fine mapping of conformational epitopes is a powerful tool to establish the mechanism and optimize the action of synergistic mAb combinations. PMID:25572397

Mechanisms mediating enhanced neutralization efficacy of Staphylococcal enterotoxin B by combinations of monoclonal antibodies

DOE PAGES

Dutta, Kaushik; Varshney, Avanish K.; Franklin, Matthew C.; ...

2015-01-08

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is a superantigen that cross-links the major histocompatibility complex class II and specific V-β chains of the T-cell receptor, thus forming a ternary complex. Developing neutralizing mAb to disrupt the ternary complex and abrogate the resulting toxicity is a major therapeutic challenge because SEB is effective at very low concentrations. We show that combining two SEB-specific mAbs enhances their efficacy, even though one of the two mAbs by itself has no effect on neutralization. Crystallography was employed for fine-mapping conformational epitopes in binary and ternary complexes between SEB and Fab fragments. NMR spectroscopy was used tomore » validate and identify subtle allosteric changes induced by mAbs binding to SEB. The mapping of epitopes established that a combination of different mAbs can enhance efficacy of mAb-mediated protection from SEB induced lethal shock by two different mechanisms: one mAb mixture promoted clearance of the toxin both in vitro and in vivo by FcR-mediated cross-linking and clearance, whereas the other mAb mixture induced subtle allosteric conformational changes in SEB that perturbed formation of the SEB·T-cell receptor·major histocompatibility complex class II trimer. Lastly structural information accurately predicted mAb binding to other superantigens that share conformational epitopes with SEB. Fine mapping of conformational epitopes is a powerful tool to establish the mechanism and optimize the action of synergistic mAb combinations.« less

Single Molecule Measurements of Interaction Free Energies Between the Proteins Within Binary and Ternary SNARE Complexes

PubMed Central

Liu, W.; Montana, Vedrana; Parpura, Vladimir; Mohideen, U.

2010-01-01

We use an Atomic Force Microscope based single molecule measurements to evaluate the activation free energy in the interaction of SNARE proteins syntaxin 1A, SNAP25B and synaptobrevin 2 which regulate intracellular fusion of vesicles with target membranes. The dissociation rate of the binary syntaxin-synaptobrevin and the ternary syntaxin-SNAP25B-synaptobrevin complex was measured from the rupture force distribution as a function of the rate of applied force. The temperature dependence of the spontaneous dissociation rate was used to obtain the activation energy to the transition state of 19.8 ± 3.5 kcal/mol = 33 ± 6 kBT and 25.7 ± 3.0 kcal/mol = 43 ± 5 kBT for the binary and ternary complex, respectively. They are consistent with those measured previously for the ternary complex in lipid membranes and are of order expected for bilayer fusion and pore formation. The ΔG was 12.4–16.6 kcal/mol = 21–28 kBT and 13.8–18.0 kcal/mol = 23–30 kBT for the binary and ternary complex, respectively. The ternary complex was more stable by 1.4 kcal/mol = 2.3 kBT, consistent with the spontaneous dissociation rates. The higher adhesion energies and smaller molecular extensions measured with SNAP25B point to its possible unique and important physiological role in tethering/docking the vesicle in closer proximity to the plasma membrane and increasing the probability for fusion completion. PMID:20107522

Biochemical and structural characterization of Cryptosporidium parvum Lactate dehydrogenase.

PubMed

Cook, William J; Senkovich, Olga; Hernandez, Agustin; Speed, Haley; Chattopadhyay, Debasish

2015-03-01

The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum causes waterborne diseases worldwide. There is no effective therapy for C. parvum infection. The parasite depends mainly on glycolysis for energy production. Lactate dehydrogenase is a major regulator of glycolysis. This paper describes the biochemical characterization of C. parvum lactate dehydrogenase and high resolution crystal structures of the apo-enzyme and four ternary complexes. The ternary complexes capture the enzyme bound to NAD/NADH or its 3-acetylpyridine analog in the cofactor binding pocket, while the substrate binding site is occupied by one of the following ligands: lactate, pyruvate or oxamate. The results reveal distinctive features of the parasitic enzyme. For example, C. parvum lactate dehydrogenase prefers the acetylpyridine analog of NADH as a cofactor. Moreover, it is slightly less sensitive to gossypol inhibition compared with mammalian lactate dehydrogenases and not inhibited by excess pyruvate. The active site loop and the antigenic loop in C. parvum lactate dehydrogenase are considerably different from those in the human counterpart. Structural features and enzymatic properties of C. parvum lactate dehydrogenase are similar to enzymes from related parasites. Structural comparison with malate dehydrogenase supports a common ancestry for the two genes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A ternary metal binding site in the C2 domain of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-delta1.

PubMed

Essen, L O; Perisic, O; Lynch, D E; Katan, M; Williams, R L

1997-03-11

We have determined the crystal structures of complexes of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-delta1 from rat with calcium, barium, and lanthanum at 2.5-2.6 A resolution. Binding of these metal ions is observed in the active site of the catalytic TIM barrel and in the calcium binding region (CBR) of the C2 domain. The C2 domain of PLC-delta1 is a circularly permuted topological variant (P-variant) of the synaptotagmin I C2A domain (S-variant). On the basis of sequence analysis, we propose that both the S-variant and P-variant topologies are present among other C2 domains. Multiple adjacent binding sites in the C2 domain were observed for calcium and the other metal/enzyme complexes. The maximum number of binding sites observed was for the calcium analogue lanthanum. This complex shows an array-like binding of three lanthanum ions (sites I-III) in a crevice on one end of the C2 beta-sandwich. Residues involved in metal binding are contained in three loops, CBR1, CBR2, and CBR3. Sites I and II are maintained in the calcium and barium complexes, whereas sites II and III coincide with a binary calcium binding site in the C2A domain of synaptotagmin I. Several conformers for CBR1 are observed. The conformation of CBR1 does not appear to be strictly dependent on metal binding; however, metal binding may stabilize certain conformers. No significant structural changes are observed for CBR2 or CBR3. The surface of this ternary binding site provides a cluster of freely accessible liganding positions for putative phospholipid ligands of the C2 domain. It may be that the ternary metal binding site is also a feature of calcium-dependent phospholipid binding in solution. A ternary metal binding site might be a conserved feature among C2 domains that contain the critical calcium ligands in their CBR's. The high cooperativity of calcium-mediated lipid binding by C2 domains described previously is explained by this novel type of calcium binding site.

A novel method based on selective laser sintering for preparing high-performance carbon fibres/polyamide12/epoxy ternary composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Wei; Yan, Chunze; Shi, Yunsong; Wen, Shifeng; Liu, Jie; Wei, Qingsong; Shi, Yusheng

2016-09-01

A novel method based on selective laser sintering (SLS) process is proposed for the first time to prepare complex and high-performance carbon fibres/polyamide12/epoxy (CF/PA12/EP) ternary composites. The procedures are briefly described as follows: prepare polyamide12 (PA12) coated carbon fibre (CF) composite powder; build porous green parts by SLS; infiltrate the green parts with high-performance thermosetting epoxy (EP) resin; and finally cure the resin at high temperature. The obtained composites are a ternary composite system consisting of the matrix of novolac EP resin, the reinforcement of CFs and the transition thin layer of PA12 with a thickness of 595 nm. The SEM images and micro-CT analysis prove that the ternary system is a three-dimensional co-continuous structure and the reinforcement of CFs are well dispersed in the matrix of EP with the volume fraction of 31%. Mechanical tests show that the composites fabricated by this method yield an ultimate tensile strength of 101.03 MPa and a flexural strength of 153.43 MPa, which are higher than those of most of the previously reported SLS materials. Therefore, the process proposed in this paper shows great potential for manufacturing complex, lightweight and high-performance CF reinforced composite components in aerospace, automotive industries and other areas.

A novel method based on selective laser sintering for preparing high-performance carbon fibres/polyamide12/epoxy ternary composites

PubMed Central

Zhu, Wei; Yan, Chunze; Shi, Yunsong; Wen, Shifeng; Liu, Jie; Wei, Qingsong; Shi, Yusheng

2016-01-01

A novel method based on selective laser sintering (SLS) process is proposed for the first time to prepare complex and high-performance carbon fibres/polyamide12/epoxy (CF/PA12/EP) ternary composites. The procedures are briefly described as follows: prepare polyamide12 (PA12) coated carbon fibre (CF) composite powder; build porous green parts by SLS; infiltrate the green parts with high-performance thermosetting epoxy (EP) resin; and finally cure the resin at high temperature. The obtained composites are a ternary composite system consisting of the matrix of novolac EP resin, the reinforcement of CFs and the transition thin layer of PA12 with a thickness of 595 nm. The SEM images and micro-CT analysis prove that the ternary system is a three-dimensional co-continuous structure and the reinforcement of CFs are well dispersed in the matrix of EP with the volume fraction of 31%. Mechanical tests show that the composites fabricated by this method yield an ultimate tensile strength of 101.03 MPa and a flexural strength of 153.43 MPa, which are higher than those of most of the previously reported SLS materials. Therefore, the process proposed in this paper shows great potential for manufacturing complex, lightweight and high-performance CF reinforced composite components in aerospace, automotive industries and other areas. PMID:27650254

Cyclodextrin based ternary system of modafinil: Effect of trimethyl chitosan and polyvinylpyrrolidone as complexing agents.

PubMed

Patel, Parth; Agrawal, Y K; Sarvaiya, Jayrajsinh

2016-03-01

Modafinil is an approved drug for the treatment of narcolepsy and have a strong market presence in many countries. The drug is widely consumed for off-label uses and currently listed as a restricted drug. Modafinil has very low water solubility. To enhance the aqueous solubility of modafinil by the formation of a ternary complex with Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and two hydrophilic polymers was the main objective of the present study. Pyrrolidone (PVP K30) and a water soluble chitosan derivative, trimethyl chitosan (TMC) were studied by solution state and solid state characterization methods for their discriminatory efficiency in solubility enhancement of modafinil. Phase solubility study depicted the highest complexation efficiency (2.22) of cyclodextrin derivative in the presence of TMC compared to the same in the presence of PVP K30 (0.08) and in the absence of any polymer (0.92). FT-IR analysis of binary and ternary complex expressed comparable contribution of both polymers in formation of inclusion complex. The thermal behaviour of binary and ternary complex, involving individual polymers disclosed the influence of TMC on polymorphism of the drug. DSC study revealed efficiency of TMC to prevent conversion of metastable polymorphic form to stable polymorphic form. Ternary complex, involving TMC enhanced water solubility of the drug 1.5 times more compared to the binary complex of the drug whereas PVP K30 reduced the Solubility. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Complexin induces a conformational change at the membrane-proximal C-terminal end of the SNARE complex

PubMed Central

Choi, Ucheor B; Zhao, Minglei; Zhang, Yunxiang; Lai, Ying; Brunger, Axel T

2016-01-01

Complexin regulates spontaneous and activates Ca2+-triggered neurotransmitter release, yet the molecular mechanisms are still unclear. Here we performed single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments and uncovered two conformations of complexin-1 bound to the ternary SNARE complex. In the cis conformation, complexin-1 induces a conformational change at the membrane-proximal C-terminal end of the ternary SNARE complex that specifically depends on the N-terminal, accessory, and central domains of complexin-1. The complexin-1 induced conformation of the ternary SNARE complex may be related to a conformation that is juxtaposing the synaptic vesicle and plasma membranes. In the trans conformation, complexin-1 can simultaneously interact with a ternary SNARE complex via the central domain and a binary SNARE complex consisting of syntaxin-1A and SNAP-25A via the accessory domain. The cis conformation may be involved in activation of synchronous neurotransmitter release, whereas both conformations may be involved in regulating spontaneous release. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16886.001 PMID:27253060

Role of large thermal fluctuations and magnesium ions in t-RNA selectivity of the ribosome

PubMed Central

Guo, Zuojun; Gibson, Meghan; Sitha, Sanyasi; Chu, Steven; Mohanty, Udayan

2011-01-01

The fidelity of translation selection begins with the base pairing of codon-anticodon complex between the m-RNA and tRNAs. Binding of cognate and near-cognate tRNAs induces 30S subunit of the ribosome to wrap around the ternary complex, EF-Tu(GTP)aa-tRNA. We have proposed that large thermal fluctuations play a crucial role in the selection process. To test this conjecture, we have developed a theoretical technique to determine the probability that the ternary complex, as a result of large thermal fluctuations, forms contacts leading to stabilization of the GTPase activated state. We argue that the configurational searches for such processes are in the tail end of the probability distribution and show that the probability for this event is localized around the most likely configuration. Small variations in the repositioning of cognate relative to near-cognate complexes lead to rate enhancement of the cognate complex. The binding energies of over a dozen unique site-bound magnesium structural motifs are investigated and provide insights into the nature of interaction of divalent metal ions with the ribosome. PMID:21368154

The Phase Behavior of γ-Oryzanol and β-Sitosterol in Edible Oil.

PubMed

Sawalha, Hassan; Venema, Paul; Bot, Arjen; Flöter, Eckhard; Adel, Ruud den; van der Linden, Erik

The phase behavior of binary mixtures of γ-oryzanol and β-sitosterol and ternary mixtures of γ-oryzanol and β-sitosterol in sunflower oil was studied. Binary mixtures of γ-oryzanol and β-sitosterol show double-eutectic behavior. Complex phase behavior with two intermediate mixed solid phases was derived from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data, in which a compound that consists of γ-oryzanol and β-sitosterol molecules at a specific ratio can be formed. SAXS shows that the organization of γ-oryzanol and β-sitosterol in the mixed phases is different from the structure of tubules in ternary systems. Ternary mixtures including sunflower oil do not show a sudden structural transition from the compound to a tubule, but a gradual transition occurs as γ-oryzanol and β-sitosterol are diluted in edible oil. The same behavior is observed when melting binary mixtures of γ-oryzanol and β-sitosterol at higher temperatures. This indicates the feasibility of having an organogelling agent in dynamic exchange between solid and liquid phase, which is an essential feature of triglyceride networks.

pH-Specific structural speciation of the ternary V(V)-peroxido-betaine system: a chemical reactivity-structure correlation.

PubMed

Gabriel, C; Kioseoglou, E; Venetis, J; Psycharis, V; Raptopoulou, C P; Terzis, A; Voyiatzis, G; Bertmer, M; Mateescu, C; Salifoglou, A

2012-06-04

Vanadium involvement in cellular processes requires deep understanding of the nature and properties of its soluble and bioavailable forms arising in aqueous speciations of binary and ternary systems. In an effort to understand the ternary vanadium-H(2)O(2)-ligand interactions relevant to that metal ion's biological role, synthetic efforts were launched involving the physiological ligands betaine (Me(3)N(+)CH(2)CO(2)(-)) and H(2)O(2). In a pH-specific fashion, V(2)O(5), betaine, and H(2)O(2) reacted and afforded three new, unusual, and unique compounds, consistent with the molecular formulation K(2)[V(2)O(2)(O(2))(4){(CH(3))(3)NCH(2)CO(2))}]·H(2)O (1), (NH(4))(2)[V(2)O(2)(O(2))(4){(CH(3))(3)NCH(2)CO(2))}]·0.75H(2)O (2), and {Na(2)[V(2)O(2)(O(2))(4){(CH(3))(3)NCH(2)CO(2))}(2)]}(n)·4nH(2)O (3). All complexes 1-3 were characterized by elemental analysis; UV/visible, FT-IR, Raman, and NMR spectroscopy in solution and the solid state; cyclic voltammetry; TGA-DTG; and X-ray crystallography. The structures of 1 and 2 reveal the presence of unusual ternary dinuclear vanadium-tetraperoxido-betaine complexes containing [(V(V)═O)(O(2))(2)] units interacting through long V-O bonds. The two V(V) ions are bridged through the oxygen terminal of one of the peroxide groups bound to the vanadium centers. The betaine ligand binds only one of the two V(V) ions. In the case of the third complex 3, the two vanadium centers are not immediate neighbors, with Na(+) ions (a) acting as efficient oxygen anchors and through Na-O bonds holding the two vanadium ions in place and (b) providing for oxygen-containing ligand binding leading to a polymeric lattice. In 1 and 3, interesting 2D (honeycomb) and 1D (zigzag chains) topologies of potassium nine-coordinate polyhedra (1) and sodium octahedra (3), respectively, form. The collective physicochemical properties of the three ternary species 1-3 project the chemical role of the low molecular mass biosubstrate betaine in binding V(V)-diperoxido units, thereby stabilizing a dinuclear V(V)-tetraperoxido dianion. Structural comparisons of the anions in 1-3 with other known dinuclear V(V)-tetraperoxido binary anionic species provide insight into the chemical reactivity of V(V)-diperoxido systems and their potential link to cellular events such as insulin mimesis and anitumorigenicity modulated by the presence of betaine.

Luminescence enhancement of terbium(III) perchlorate by 2,2'-dipyridyl on bis(benzylsulfinyl)methane complex and luminescence mechanism.

PubMed

Feng, Shu-Yan; Li, Wen-Xian; Guo, Feng; Cao, Xiao-Fang

2014-11-01

A novel ternary complex, Tb(2)L4 · L'·(ClO4)6 · 8H2O, has been synthesized using bis(benzylsulfinyl)methane as the first ligand L and 2,2'-dipyridyl as the second ligand L'. The ternary complex was characterized by element analysis, molar conductivity, coordination titration analysis, infrared, thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetric and ultraviolet spectra. The results indicated that the composition of the complex was Tb2 L4 · L'·(ClO4)6 · 8H2O (L = C(6)H(5)CH(2) SOCH(2)SOCH(2)C(6)H(5); L' = Dipy). Fourier transform infrared results revealed that the perchlorate group was bonded with the Tb(III) ion by the oxygen atom, and the coordination was bidentate. The fluorescent spectra illustrated that the complex displayed characteristic fluorescence in the solid state. After the introduction of the second ligand, 2,2-dipyridyl, the relative emission intensity and fluorescence lifetime of the ternary complex Tb(2)L(4) · L'·(ClO(4))(6) · 8H2O were enhanced compared to the binary complex TbL(2.5)(ClO4)3 · 3H2O. This indicated that the presence of both organic ligand bis(benzylsulfinyl)methane and the second ligand 2,2-dipyridyl could sensitize the fluorescence intensity of Tb(III) ion, and introduction of the 2,2-dipyridyl group resulted in an enhancement of the fluorescence of the Tb(III) ternary rare earth complex. The strongest characteristic fluorescence emission intensity of the ternary complex was 9.36 times that of the binary complex. The phosphorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime of the complex were also measured. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thermoelastic martensitic transformations in ternary Ni50Mn50- z Ga z alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belosludtseva, E. S.; Kuranova, N. N.; Marchenkova, E. B.; Popov, A. G.; Pushin, V. G.

2016-01-01

We have studied the effect of gallium alloying on the structure, phase composition, and physical properties of ternary alloys of the Ni50Mn50- z Ga z (0 ≤ z ≤ 25 at %) quasi-binary section in a broad temperature range. Dependences of the type of crystalline structure of the high-temperature austenite phase and martensite, as well as the critical temperatures of martensitic transformations on the alloy composition, are determined. A phase diagram of the structural and magnetic transformations is constructed. Concentration boundaries of the existence of tetragonal L10 (2 M) martensite and martensitic phases (10 M and 14 M) with complex multilayer crystalline lattices are found. It is established that the predominant martensite morphology is determined by the hierarchy of packets of thin coherent nano- and submicrocrystalline plates with habit planes close to {011} B2, pairwise twinned along one of 24 equivalent {011}<011> B2 twinning shear systems.

Human Lipopolysaccharide-binding Protein (LBP) and CD14 Independently Deliver Triacylated Lipoproteins to Toll-like Receptor 1 (TLR1) and TLR2 and Enhance Formation of the Ternary Signaling Complex*

PubMed Central

Ranoa, Diana Rose E.; Kelley, Stacy L.; Tapping, Richard I.

2013-01-01

Bacterial lipoproteins are the most potent microbial agonists for the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) subfamily, and this pattern recognition event induces cellular activation, leading to host immune responses. Triacylated bacterial lipoproteins coordinately bind TLR1 and TLR2, resulting in a stable ternary complex that drives intracellular signaling. The sensitivity of TLR-expressing cells to lipoproteins is greatly enhanced by two lipid-binding serum proteins known as lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and soluble CD14 (sCD14); however, the physical mechanism that underlies this increased sensitivity is not known. To address this, we measured the ability of LBP and sCD14 to drive ternary complex formation between soluble extracellular domains of TLR1 and TLR2 and a synthetic triacylated lipopeptide agonist. Importantly, addition of substoichiometric amounts of either LBP or sCD14 significantly enhanced formation of a TLR1·TLR2 lipopeptide ternary complex as measured by size exclusion chromatography. However, neither LBP nor sCD14 was physically associated with the final ternary complex. Similar results were obtained using outer surface protein A (OspA), a naturally occurring triacylated lipoprotein agonist from Borrelia burgdorferi. Activation studies revealed that either LBP or sCD14 sensitized TLR-expressing cells to nanogram levels of either the synthetic lipopeptide or OspA lipoprotein agonist. Together, our results show that either LBP or sCD14 can drive ternary complex formation and TLR activation by acting as mobile carriers of triacylated lipopeptides or lipoproteins. PMID:23430250

Single-source precursors for ternary chalcopyrite materials, and methods of making and using the same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banger, Kulbinder K. (Inventor); Hepp, Aloysius F. (Inventor); Harris, Jerry D. (Inventor); Jin, Michael Hyun-Chul (Inventor); Castro, Stephanie L. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A single source precursor for depositing ternary I-III-VI.sub.2 chalcopyrite materials useful as semiconductors. The single source precursor has the I-III-VI.sub.2 stoichiometry built into a single precursor molecular structure which degrades on heating or pyrolysis to yield the desired I-III-VI.sub.2 ternary chalcopyrite. The single source precursors effectively degrade to yield the ternary chalcopyrite at low temperature, e.g. below 500.degree. C., and are useful to deposit thin film ternary chalcopyrite layers via a spray CVD technique. The ternary single source precursors according to the invention can be used to provide nanocrystallite structures useful as quantum dots. A method of making the ternary single source precursors is also provided.

Synthesis, investigation and spectroscopic characterization of piroxicam ternary complexes of Fe(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) with glycine and DL-phenylalanine.

PubMed

Mohamed, Gehad G; El-Gamel, Nadia E A

2004-11-01

The ternary piroxicam (Pir; 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(2-pyridyl)-2H-1,2-benzothiazine-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide) complexes of Fe(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) with various amino acids (AA) such as glycine (Gly) or DL-phenylalanine (PhA) were prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductance, IR, UV-Vis, magnetic moment, diffuse reflectance and X-ray powder diffraction. The UV-Vis spectra of Pir and the effect of metal chelation on the different interligand transitions are discussed in detailed manner. IR and UV-Vis spectra confirm that Pir behaves as a neutral bidentate ligand coordinated to the metal ions via the pyridine-N and carbonyl group of the amide moiety. Gly molecule acted as a uninegatively monodentate ligand and coordinate to the metal ions through its carboxylic group, in addition PhA acted as a uninegatively bidentate ligand and coordinate to the metal ions through its carboxylic and amino groups. All the chelates have octahedral geometrical structures while Cu(II)- and Zn(II)-ternary chelates with PhA have square planar geometrical structures. The molar conductance data reveal that most of these chelates are non electrolytes, while Fe(III)-Pir-Gly, Co(II)-, Ni(II)-, Cu(II)- and Zn(II)-Pir-PhA chelates were 1:1 electrolytes. X-ray powder diffraction is used as a new tool to estimate the crystallinity of chelates as well as to elucidate their geometrical structures.

Synthesis, investigation and spectroscopic characterization of piroxicam ternary complexes of Fe(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) with glycine and DL-phenylalanine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, Gehad G.; El-Gamel, Nadia E. A.

2004-11-01

The ternary piroxicam (Pir; 4-hydroxy-2-methyl- N-(2-pyridyl)-2H-1,2-benzothiazine-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide) complexes of Fe(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) with various amino acids (AA) such as glycine (Gly) or DL-phenylalanine (PhA) were prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductance, IR, UV-Vis, magnetic moment, diffuse reflectance and X-ray powder diffraction. The UV-Vis spectra of Pir and the effect of metal chelation on the different interligand transitions are discussed in detailed manner. IR and UV-Vis spectra confirm that Pir behaves as a neutral bidentate ligand coordinated to the metal ions via the pyridine- N and carbonyl group of the amide moiety. Gly molecule acted as a uninegatively monodentate ligand and coordinate to the metal ions through its carboxylic group, in addition PhA acted as a uninegatively bidentate ligand and coordinate to the metal ions through its carboxylic and amino groups. All the chelates have octahedral geometrical structures while Cu(II)- and Zn(II)-ternary chelates with PhA have square planar geometrical structures. The molar conductance data reveal that most of these chelates are non electrolytes, while Fe(III)-Pir-Gly, Co(II)-, Ni(II)-, Cu(II)- and Zn(II)-Pir-PhA cheletes were 1:1 electrolytes. X-ray powder diffraction is used as a new tool to estimate the crystallinity of chelates as well as to elucidate their geometrical structures.

Cyclodextrin-water soluble polymer ternary complexes enhance the solubility and dissolution behaviour of poorly soluble drugs. Case example: itraconazole.

PubMed

Taupitz, Thomas; Dressman, Jennifer B; Buchanan, Charles M; Klein, Sandra

2013-04-01

The aim of the present series of experiments was to improve the solubility and dissolution/precipitation behaviour of a poorly soluble, weakly basic drug, using itraconazole as a case example. Binary inclusion complexes of itraconazole with two commonly used cyclodextrin derivatives and a recently introduced cyclodextrin derivative were prepared. Their solubility and dissolution behaviour was compared with that of the pure drug and the marketed formulation Sporanox®. Ternary complexes were prepared by addition of Soluplus®, a new highly water soluble polymer, during the formation of the itraconazole/cyclodextrin complex. A solid dispersion made of itraconazole and Soluplus® was also studied as a control. Solid state analysis was performed for all formulations and for pure itraconazole using powder X-ray diffraction (pX-RD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Solubility tests indicated that with all formulation approaches, the aqueous solubility of itraconazole formed with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) or hydroxybutenyl-β-cyclodextrin (HBen-β-CD) and Soluplus® proved to be the most favourable formulation approaches. Whereas the marketed formulation and the pure drug showed very poor dissolution, both of these ternary inclusion complexes resulted in fast and extensive release of itraconazole in all test media. Using the results of the dissolution experiments, a newly developed physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) in silico model was applied to compare the in vivo behaviour of Sporanox® with the predicted performance of the most promising ternary complexes from the in vitro studies. The PBPK modelling predicted that the bioavailability of itraconazole is likely to be increased after oral administration of ternary complex formulations, especially when itraconazole is formulated as a ternary complex comprising HP-β-CD or HBen-β-CD and Soluplus®. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mutual influence between triel bond and cation-π interactions: an ab initio study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esrafili, Mehdi D.; Mousavian, Parisasadat

2017-12-01

Using ab initio calculations, the cooperative and solvent effects on cation-π and B...N interactions are studied in some model ternary complexes, where these interactions coexist. The nature of the interactions and the mechanism of cooperativity are investigated by means of quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), noncovalent interaction (NCI) index and natural bond orbital analysis. The results indicate that all cation-π and B...N binding distances in the ternary complexes are shorter than those of corresponding binary systems. The QTAIM analysis reveals that ternary complexes have higher electron density at their bond critical points relative to the corresponding binary complexes. In addition, according to the QTAIM analysis, the formation of cation-π interaction increases covalency of B...N bonds. The NCI analysis indicates that the cooperative effects in the ternary complexes make a shift in the location of the spike associated with each interaction, which can be regarded as an evidence for the reinforcement of both cation-π and B...N interactions in these systems. Solvent effects on the cooperativity of cation-π and B...N interactions are also investigated.

Phospholipid imprinted polymers as selective endotoxin scavengers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulc, Robert; Szekely, Gyorgy; Shinde, Sudhirkumar; Wierzbicka, Celina; Vilela, Filipe; Bauer, David; Sellergren, Börje

2017-03-01

Herein we explore phospholipid imprinting as a means to design receptors for complex glycolipids comprising the toxic lipopolysaccharide endotoxin. A series of polymerizable bis-imidazolium and urea hosts were evaluated as cationic and neutral hosts for phosphates and phosphonates, the latter used as mimics of the phospholipid head groups. The bis-imidazolium hosts interacted with the guests in a cooperative manner leading to the presence of tight and well defined 1:2 ternary complexes. Optimized monomer combinations were subsequently used for imprinting of phosphatidic acid as an endotoxin dummy template. Presence of the aforementioned ternary complexes during polymerization resulted in imprinting of lipid dimers - the latter believed to crudely mimic the endotoxin Lipid A motif. The polymers were characterized with respect to template rebinding, binding affinity, capacity and common structural properties, leading to the identification of polymers which were thereafter subjected to an industrially validated endotoxin removal test. Two of the polymers were capable of removing endotoxin down to levels well below the accepted threshold (0.005 EU/mg API) in pharmaceutical production.

Studies on Cu(II) ternary complexes involving an aminopenicillin drug and imidazole containing ligands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regupathy, Sthanumoorthy; Nair, Madhavan Sivasankaran

2010-02-01

Equilibrium studies on the ternary complex systems involving ampicillin (amp) as ligand (A) and imidazole containing ligands viz., imidazole (Him), benzimidazole (Hbim), histamine (Hist) and histidine (His) as ligands (B) at 37 °C and I = 0.15 mol dm -3 (NaClO 4) show the presence of CuABH, CuAB and CuAB 2. The proton in the CuABH species is attached to ligand A. In the ternary complexes the ligand, amp(A) binds the metal ion via amino nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen atom. The CuAB (B = Hist/His)/CuAB 2 (B = Him/Hbim) species have also been isolated and the analytical data confirmed its formation. Non-electrolytic behavior and monomeric type of chelates have been assessed from their low conductance and magnetic susceptibility values. The electronic and vibrational spectral results were interpreted to find the mode of binding of ligands to metal and geometry of the complexes. This is also supported by the g tensor values calculated from ESR spectra. The thermal behaviour of complexes were studied by TGA/DTA. The redox behavior of the complexes has been studied by cyclic voltammetry. The antimicrobial activity and CT DNA cleavage study of the complexes show higher activity for ternary complexes.

Model of a ternary complex between activated factor VII, tissue factor and factor IX.

PubMed

Chen, Shu-wen W; Pellequer, Jean-Luc; Schved, Jean-François; Giansily-Blaizot, Muriel

2002-07-01

Upon binding to tissue factor, FVIIa triggers coagulation by activating vitamin K-dependent zymogens, factor IX (FIX) and factor X (FX). To understand recognition mechanisms in the initiation step of the coagulation cascade, we present a three-dimensional model of the ternary complex between FVIIa:TF:FIX. This model was built using a full-space search algorithm in combination with computational graphics. With the known crystallographic complex FVIIa:TF kept fixed, the FIX docking was performed first with FIX Gla-EGF1 domains, followed by the FIX protease/EGF2 domains. Because the FIXa crystal structure lacks electron density for the Gla domain, we constructed a chimeric FIX molecule that contains the Gla-EGF1 domains of FVIIa and the EGF2-protease domains of FIXa. The FVIIa:TF:FIX complex has been extensively challenged against experimental data including site-directed mutagenesis, inhibitory peptide data, haemophilia B database mutations, inhibitor antibodies and a novel exosite binding inhibitor peptide. This FVIIa:TF:FIX complex provides a powerful tool to study the regulation of FVIIa production and presents new avenues for developing therapeutic inhibitory compounds of FVIIa:TF:substrate complex.

Remarkable high efficiency of red emitters using Eu(iii) ternary complexes.

PubMed

Kalyakina, Alena S; Utochnikova, Valentina V; Zimmer, Manuel; Dietrich, Fabian; Kaczmarek, Anna M; Van Deun, Rik; Vashchenko, Andrey A; Goloveshkin, Alexander S; Nieger, Martin; Gerhards, Markus; Schepers, Ute; Bräse, Stefan

2018-05-17

We have synthesized Eu(iii) ternary complexes possessing record photoluminescence yields up to 90%. This high luminescence performance resulted from the absence of quenching moieties in the Eu coordination environment and an efficient energy transfer between ligands, combined with a particular symmetry of the coordination environment.

Thermodynamic Investigation and Mixed Ligand Complex Formation of 1,4-Bis-(3-aminopropyl)-piperazine and Biorelevant Ligands.

PubMed

El-Sherif, Ahmed A; Shehata, Mohamed R; Shoukry, Mohamed M; Barakat, Mohammad H

2012-01-01

Thermodynamic parameters for protonation of 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)-piperazine (BAPP) and its metal complexation with some divalent metal ions were determined in aqueous solution at constant ionic strength (0.1 M NaNO(3)) using a potentiometric technique. The order of -ΔG(0) and -ΔH(0) was found to obey Co(2+) < Ni(2+) < Cu(2+) > Zn(2+), in accordance with the Irving-Williams order. The formation equilibria of zinc (II) complexes and the ternary complexes Zn(BAPP)L, where L = amino acid, amides, or DNA constituents), have been investigated. Ternary complexes are formed by a simultaneous mechanism. The concentration distribution of the complexes in solution was evaluated as a function of pH. Stoichiometry and stability constants for the complexes formed are reported and discussed. The stability of ternary complexes was quantitatively compared with their corresponding binary complexes in terms of the parameter Δlog K.

Thermodynamic Investigation and Mixed Ligand Complex Formation of 1,4-Bis-(3-aminopropyl)-piperazine and Biorelevant Ligands

PubMed Central

El-Sherif, Ahmed A.; Shehata, Mohamed R.; Shoukry, Mohamed M.; Barakat, Mohammad H.

2012-01-01

Thermodynamic parameters for protonation of 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)-piperazine (BAPP) and its metal complexation with some divalent metal ions were determined in aqueous solution at constant ionic strength (0.1 M NaNO3) using a potentiometric technique. The order of –ΔG0 and –ΔH0 was found to obey Co2+ < Ni2+ < Cu2+ > Zn2+, in accordance with the Irving-Williams order. The formation equilibria of zinc (II) complexes and the ternary complexes Zn(BAPP)L, where L = amino acid, amides, or DNA constituents), have been investigated. Ternary complexes are formed by a simultaneous mechanism. The concentration distribution of the complexes in solution was evaluated as a function of pH. Stoichiometry and stability constants for the complexes formed are reported and discussed. The stability of ternary complexes was quantitatively compared with their corresponding binary complexes in terms of the parameter Δlog K. PMID:23226992

FIR Filter of DS-CDMA UWB Modem Transmitter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Kyu-Min; Cho, Sang-In; Won, Hui-Chul; Choi, Sang-Sung

This letter presents low-complexity digital pulse shaping filter structures of a direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) ultra wide-band (UWB) modem transmitter with a ternary spreading code. The proposed finite impulse response (FIR) filter structures using a look-up table (LUT) have the effect of saving the amount of memory by about 50% to 80% in comparison to the conventional FIR filter structures, and consequently are suitable for a high-speed parallel data process.

Ternary liquid mixtures control the multiplicity, shape and internal structure of emulsion droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, Martin F.; Brujic, Jasna

2014-03-01

It is important to control the shape, internal structure and stability of emulsion droplets for drug delivery, biochemical assays, and the design of materials with novel physical properties. Successful methods involve the mechanical manipulation of the flow of oil in water using complex microfluidic devices to make multiple emulsions with a sequential introduction of specific reactants. Instead, here we show how the thermodynamics of immiscible liquid mixtures tailor emulsions using a single dripping instability. For example, the initial composition and choice of surfactant govern the multiplicity of concentric alternating oil and water layers inside the droplets. Stabilizing ternary droplets using nanoparticles gives rise to a plethora of shapes whose geometry is defined by the deformability of the shell and the flow rate. Another option is to incorporate lipids to the multiple emulsion droplet, which form vesicles upon expulsion of the inner water droplets. Depending on the number of initial water droplets, these vesicles eventually form complex hollow topologies, which can be used as junctions or scaffolds for the self-assembly of colloidal particles in the future.

Ternary complexes of Zn(II) and Cu(II) with 1-((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)-4-phenylthiosemicarbazide in the presence of heterocyclic bases as auxiliary ligands: Synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization and antibacterial activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azarkish, Mohammad; Akbari, Alireza; Sedaghat, Tahereh; Simpson, Jim

2018-03-01

The new ternary complexes, ZnLL‧ [L = 1-((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)-4-phenylthiosemicarbazide and L‧ = imidazole (1), 2, 2‧-bipyridine (2) and 2-methyimidazole (3)], Zn2L2L‧ [L‧ = 4, 4‧-bipy (4)] and CuLL‧ [L‧ = 2, 2‧-bipy (5)] have been synthesized by the reaction of a metal(II) acetate salt with the thiosemicarbazone and in presence of heterocyclic bases as auxiliary ligands. The synthesized compounds were investigated by elemental analysis and IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy and complex 5 was structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. The results indicate the thiosemicarbazone doubly deprotonated and coordinates to metal through the thiolate sulfur, imine nitrogen and phenolic oxygen atoms. The nitrogen atom(s) of the auxiliary ligand complete the coordination sphere. Complex 4 is binuclear with 4, 4‧-bipy acting as a bridging ligand. The structure of 5 is a distorted square pyramid with one of the bipyridine nitrogen atoms in the apical position. This compound creates an inversion dimer in solid state by intermolecular hydrogen bonds of Nsbnd H⋯S type. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the synthesized compounds were evaluated against Gram-positive (B. subtilis and S. aureus) and Gram-negative (P. aeruginosa) bacteria and is compared to that of standard antibacterial drugs. All complexes exhibit good inhibitory effects and are significantly more effective than the parent ligand.

Evaluation of Cu(i) binding to the E2 domain of the amyloid precursor protein - a lesson in quantification of metal binding to proteins via ligand competition.

PubMed

Young, Tessa R; Wedd, Anthony G; Xiao, Zhiguang

2018-01-24

The extracellular domain E2 of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) features a His-rich metal-binding site (denoted as the M1 site). In conjunction with surrounding basic residues, the site participates in interactions with components of the extracellular matrix including heparins, a class of negatively charged polysaccharide molecules of varying length. This work studied the chemistry of Cu(i) binding to APP E2 with the probe ligands Bcs, Bca, Fz and Fs. APP E2 forms a stable Cu(i)-mediated ternary complex with each of these anionic ligands. The complex with Bca was selected for isolation and characterization and was demonstrated, by native ESI-MS analysis, to have the stoichiometry E2 : Cu(i) : Bca = 1 : 1 : 1. Formation of these ternary complexes is specific for the APP E2 domain and requires Cu(i) coordination to the M1 site. Mutation of the M1 site was consistent with the His ligands being part of the E2 ligand set. It is likely that interactions between the negatively charged probe ligands and a positively charged patch on the surface of APP E2 are one aspect of the generation of the stable ternary complexes. Their formation prevented meaningful quantification of the affinity of Cu(i) binding to the M1 site with these probe ligands. However, the ternary complexes are disrupted by heparin, allowing reliable determination of a picomolar Cu(i) affinity for the E2/heparin complex with the Fz or Bca probe ligands. This is the first documented example of the formation of stable ternary complexes between a Cu(i) binding protein and a probe ligand. The ready disruption of the complexes by heparin identified clear 'tell-tale' signs for diagnosis of ternary complex formation and allowed a systematic review of conditions and criteria for reliable determination of affinities for metal binding via ligand competition. This study also provides new insights into a potential correlation of APP functions regulated by copper binding and heparin interaction.

Binding Thermodynamics of Ferredoxin:NADP+ Reductase: Two Different Protein Substrates and One Energetics

PubMed Central

Martínez-Júlvez, Marta; Medina, Milagros; Velázquez-Campoy, Adrián

2009-01-01

Abstract The thermodynamics of the formation of binary and ternary complexes between Anabaena PCC 7119 FNR and its substrates, NADP+ and Fd, or Fld, has been studied by ITC. Despite structural dissimilarities, the main difference between Fd and Fld binding to FNR relates to hydrophobicity, reflected in different binding heat capacity and number of water molecules released from the interface. At pH 8, the formation of the binary complexes is both enthalpically and entropically driven, accompanied by the protonation of at least one ionizable group. His299 FNR has been identified as the main responsible for the proton exchange observed. However, at pH 10, where no protonation occurs and intrinsic binding parameters can be obtained, the formation of the binary complexes is entropically driven, with negligible enthalpic contribution. Absence of the FMN cofactor in Fld does not alter significantly the strength of the interaction, but considerably modifies the enthalpic and entropic contributions, suggesting a different binding mode. Ternary complexes show negative cooperativity (6-fold and 11-fold reduction in binding affinity, respectively), and an increase in the enthalpic contribution (more favorable) and a decrease in the entropic contribution (less favorable), with regard to the binary complexes energetics. PMID:19527656

Ternary iron(II) complex with an emissive imidazopyridine arm from Schiff base cyclizations and its oxidative DNA cleavage activity.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Arindam; Dhar, Shanta; Nethaji, Munirathinam; Chakravarty, Akhil R

2005-01-21

The ternary iron(II) complex [Fe(L')(L")](PF6)3(1) as a synthetic model for the bleomycins, where L' and L" are formed from metal-mediated cyclizations of N,N'-(2-hydroxypropane-1,3-diyl)bis(pyridine-2-aldimine)(L), is synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. In the six-coordinate iron(ii) complex, ligands L' and L" show tetradentate and bidentate chelating modes of bonding. Ligand L' is formed from an intramolecular attack of the alcoholic OH group of L to one imine moiety leading to the formation of a stereochemically constrained five-membered ring. Ligand L" which is formed from an intermolecular reaction involving one imine moiety of L and pyridine-2-carbaldehyde has an emissive cationic imidazopyridine pendant arm. The complex binds to double-stranded DNA in the minor groove giving a Kapp value of 4.1 x 10(5) M(-1) and displays oxidative cleavage of supercoiled DNA in the presence of H2O2 following a hydroxyl radical pathway. The complex also shows photo-induced DNA cleavage activity on UV light exposure involving formation of singlet oxygen as the reactive species.

Structural and viscoelastic characterization of ternary mixtures of sunflower oil, saturated monoglycerides and aqueous phases containing different bases.

PubMed

Valoppi, Fabio; Calligaris, Sonia; Barba, Luisa; Nicoli, Maria Cristina

2015-08-01

The structure at different length scales and the viscoelastic properties of ternary mixtures composed of saturated monoglycerides, sunflower oil and aqueous solutions of weak bases (KHCO 3 , NaHCO 3 , and NH 4 HCO 3 ) or strong bases (NaOH and KOH) were investigated. The characteristics of ternary mixtures were studied systematically by using polarized light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and rheological analysis. Results showed that the base type and concentration greatly affected the structure of the mixtures. The use of strong bases allowed gelled systems to be obtained only at low concentrations (<10mM). On the contrary, the presence of weak bases induced gelling at all concentrations considered (from 1 to 1000mM). The increase of base concentration led to a reduction of the mean droplet diameter and melting temperature. At the same time, the viscoelastic characteristics as a function of base concentration followed a more complex behavior: G' and G″ progressively decreased as the salt concentration increased in a concentration range from 1 to 100mM, while the rheological parameters increased when salt concentration increased from 100 to 1000mM. The structural and viscoelastic behavior of systems prepared with different salts were commonly independent of the cation present in the medium. Results highlight that it is possible to tailor the structure of these gels by using specific bases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trans-acting RNAs as molecular probes for monitoring time-dependent structural change of an RNA complex adapting two structures.

PubMed

Maeda, Yuri; Furuta, Hiroyuki; Ikawa, Yoshiya

2011-03-01

As dynamic structural changes are pivotal for the functions of some classes of RNA molecule, it is important to develop methods to monitor structural changes in RNA in a time-dependent manner without chemical modification. Based on previous reports that trans-acting RNAs can be used as probes for analysis and control of 3D structures of target RNAs, we applied this method to monitor time-dependent structural changes in RNA. We designed and performed a proof-of-principle study using a simple model RNA complex that adopts two different structures as a target. The time-dependent structural changes in the target RNA were successfully monitored using two trans-acting RNAs, which stably form a ternary complex with the bimolecular target RNA and act as a catalyst to join two RNA fragments of the target complex, respectively. Copyright © 2010 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure and luminescent property of complexes of aryl carboxylic acid-functionalized polystyrene with Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions.

PubMed

Gao, Baojiao; Shi, Nan; Qiao, Zongwen

2015-11-05

Via polymer reactions, naphthoic acid (NA) and benzoic acid (BA) were bonded onto the side chains of polystyrene (PS), respectively, and two aryl carboxylic acid-functionalized polystyrenes, PSNA and PSBA, were obtained. Using PSNA and PSBA as macromolecule ligands and Eu(3+) and Tb(3+) ions as central ions, various luminescent binary polymer-rare earth complexes were prepared. At the same time, with 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) and 4,4'-bipyridine (Bipy) as small-molecule co-ligands, various ternary polymer-rare earth complexes were also prepared. On the basis of characterizing PSNA, PSBA and complexes, the relationship between structure and luminescent property for these prepared complexes were mainly investigated. The study results show that the macromolecule ligands PSNA and PSBA, or the bonded NA and BA ligands, can strongly sensitize the fluorescence emissions of Eu(3+) ion or Tb(3+) ion, but the sensitization effect is strongly dependent on the structure of the ligands and the property of the central ions, namely it is strongly dependent on the matching degree of energy levels. The fluorescence emission of the binary complex PS-(NA)3-Eu(III) is stronger than that PS-(BA)3-Eu(III), indicating ligand NA has stronger sensitization action for Eu(3+) ion than ligand BA; the binary complex PS-(BA)3-Tb(III) emit strong characteristic fluorescence of Tb(3+) ion, displaying that ligand BA can strongly sensitize Tb(3+) ion, whereas the binary complex PS-(NA)3-Tb(III) nearly does not emit the characteristic fluorescence of Tb(3+) ion, showing that ligand NA does not sensitize Tb(3+) ion. The fluorescence intensity of the ternary complexes is much stronger than that of the binary complexes in the same series. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Formulation of ternary complexes of glyburide with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and other solubilizing agents and their effect on release behavior of glyburide in aqueous and buffered media at different agitation speeds.

PubMed

Singh, Sachin Kumar; Srinivasan, K K; Singare, Dhananjay S; Gowthamarajan, K; Prakash, Dev

2012-11-01

Glyburide, a sulfonylurea derivative, widely used as hypoglycaemic agent. In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the most effective third component which can be used with hydroxylpropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCd) to form a ternary complex with glyburide in order to enhance its dissolution rate, as well as reduce the amount of HPβCd used for formulating the binary complex with glyburide. Moreover, the objective of this study was also to develop a discriminatory dissolution media in order to discriminate the effect of the different solubilizing agents used for formulating the ternary complex system. Sodium lauryl sulphate, Poloxamer-188, Polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30, lactose and L-arginine were used to formulate ternary system along with HPβCd and glyburide. The ternary system formulated with glyburide:HPβCd:L-arginine in a proportion of 1:1:0.5 has shown the fastest dissolution rate when compared to other solubilizing agents. Unbuffered aqueous media with stirring speed 50 rpm has produced the most discriminatory dissolution profiles. The DSC thermograms and the powder X-ray analysis revealed the decrease in crystallinity of the drug. This was an indication of amorphous solid dispersion or molecular encapsulation of the drug into the cyclodextrin cavity.

PRISM-EM: template interface-based modelling of multi-protein complexes guided by cryo-electron microscopy density maps.

PubMed

Kuzu, Guray; Keskin, Ozlem; Nussinov, Ruth; Gursoy, Attila

2016-10-01

The structures of protein assemblies are important for elucidating cellular processes at the molecular level. Three-dimensional electron microscopy (3DEM) is a powerful method to identify the structures of assemblies, especially those that are challenging to study by crystallography. Here, a new approach, PRISM-EM, is reported to computationally generate plausible structural models using a procedure that combines crystallographic structures and density maps obtained from 3DEM. The predictions are validated against seven available structurally different crystallographic complexes. The models display mean deviations in the backbone of <5 Å. PRISM-EM was further tested on different benchmark sets; the accuracy was evaluated with respect to the structure of the complex, and the correlation with EM density maps and interface predictions were evaluated and compared with those obtained using other methods. PRISM-EM was then used to predict the structure of the ternary complex of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimer, the ligand CD4 and the neutralizing protein m36.

PDZ Domain-containing 1 (PDZK1) Protein Regulates Phospholipase C-β3 (PLC-β3)-specific Activation of Somatostatin by Forming a Ternary Complex with PLC-β3 and Somatostatin Receptors*

PubMed Central

Kim, Jung Kuk; Kwon, Ohman; Kim, Jinho; Kim, Eung-Kyun; Park, Hye Kyung; Lee, Ji Eun; Kim, Kyung Lock; Choi, Jung Woong; Lim, Seyoung; Seok, Heon; Lee-Kwon, Whaseon; Choi, Jang Hyun; Kang, Byoung Heon; Kim, Sanguk; Ryu, Sung Ho; Suh, Pann-Ghill

2012-01-01

Phospholipase C-β (PLC-β) is a key molecule in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated signaling. Many studies have shown that the four PLC-β subtypes have different physiological functions despite their similar structures. Because the PLC-β subtypes possess different PDZ-binding motifs, they have the potential to interact with different PDZ proteins. In this study, we identified PDZ domain-containing 1 (PDZK1) as a PDZ protein that specifically interacts with PLC-β3. To elucidate the functional roles of PDZK1, we next screened for potential interacting proteins of PDZK1 and identified the somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) as another protein that interacts with PDZK1. Through these interactions, PDZK1 assembles as a ternary complex with PLC-β3 and SSTRs. Interestingly, the expression of PDZK1 and PLC-β3, but not PLC-β1, markedly potentiated SST-induced PLC activation. However, disruption of the ternary complex inhibited SST-induced PLC activation, which suggests that PDZK1-mediated complex formation is required for the specific activation of PLC-β3 by SST. Consistent with this observation, the knockdown of PDZK1 or PLC-β3, but not that of PLC-β1, significantly inhibited SST-induced intracellular Ca2+ mobilization, which further attenuated subsequent ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that the formation of a complex between SSTRs, PDZK1, and PLC-β3 is essential for the specific activation of PLC-β3 and the subsequent physiologic responses by SST. PMID:22528496

Copper(II) ions interactions in the systems with triamines and ATP. Potentiometric and spectroscopic studies.

PubMed

Hoffmann, S K; Goslar, J; Bregier-Jarzebowska, R; Gasowska, A; Zalewska, A; Lomozik, L

2017-12-01

The mode of interaction and thermodynamic stability of complexes formed in binary and ternary Cu(II)/ATP/triamines systems were studied using potentiometric and spectroscopic (NMR, EPR, UV-Vis) methods. It was found that in binary metal-free systems ATP/H x PA species are formed (PA: Spd=spermidine or 3,3-tri=1,7-diamino-4-azaheptane) where the phosphate groups from nucleotides are preferred negative centers and protonated amine groups of amines are positive centers of reaction. In the ternary systems Cu/ATP/H x (PA) as well as Cu/(ATP)(PA) species are formed. The type of the formed Cu(II) complexes depends on pH of the solution. For a low pH value the complexation appears between Cu(II) and ATP molecules via oxygen atoms of phosphate groups. For a very high pH value, where ATP is hydrolyzed, the Cu(II) ions are bound to the nitrogen atoms of polyamine molecules. We did not detect any direct coordination of the N7 nitrogen atom of adenosine to Cu(II) ions. It means that the CuN7 interaction is an indirect type and can be due to noncovalent interplay including water molecule. EPR studies were performed at glassy state (77K) after a fast freezing both for binary and ternary systems. The glassy state EPR spectra do not reflect species identified in titration studies indicating significant effect of rapid temperature decrease on equilibrium of Cu(II) complexes. We propose the molecular structure of all the studied complexes at the glassy state deduced from EPR and optical spectroscopy results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence for a ternary complex formed between flavodoxin and cytochrome c3: 1H-NMR and molecular modeling studies.

PubMed

Palma, P N; Moura, I; LeGall, J; Van Beeumen, J; Wampler, J E; Moura, J J

1994-05-31

Small electron-transfer proteins such as flavodoxin (16 kDa) and the tetraheme cytochrome c3 (13 kDa) have been used to mimic, in vitro, part of the complex electron-transfer chain operating between substrate electron donors and respiratory electron acceptors, in sulfate-reducing bacteria (Desulfovibrio species). The nature and properties of the complex formed between these proteins are revealed by 1H-NMR and molecular modeling approaches. Our previous study with the Desulfovibrio vulgaris proteins [Moura, I., Moura, J.J. G., Santos, M.H., & Xavier, A. V. (1980) Cienc. Biol. (Portugal) 5, 195-197; Stewart, D.E. LeGall, J., Moura, I., Moura, J. J. G., Peck, H.D. Jr., Xavier, A. V., Weiner, P. K., & Wampler, J.E. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 2444-2450] indicated that the complex between cytochrome c3 and flavodoxin could be monitored by changes in the NMR signals of the heme methyl groups of the cytochrome and that the electrostatic surface charge (Coulomb's law) on the two proteins favored interaction between one unique heme of the cytochrome with flavodoxin. If the interaction is indeed driven by the electrostatic complementarity between the acidic flavodoxin and a unique positive region of the cytochrome c3, other homologous proteins from these two families of proteins might be expected to interact similarly. In this study, three homologous Desulfovibrio cytochromes c3 were used, which show a remarkable variation in their individual isoelectric points (ranging from 5.5 to 9.5). On the basis of data obtained from protein-protein titrations followed at specific proton NMR signals (i.e., heme methyl resonances), a binding model for this complex has been developed with evaluation of stoichiometry and binding constants. This binding model involves one site on the cytochromes c3 and two sites on the flavodoxin, with formation of a ternary complex at saturation. In order to understand the potential chemical form of the binding model, a structural model for the hypothetical ternary complex, formed between one molecule of Desulfovibrio salexigens flavodoxin and two molecules of cytochrome c3, is proposed. These molecular models of the complexes were constructed on the basis of complementarity of Coulombic electrostatic surface potentials, using the available X-ray structures of the isolated proteins and, when required, model structures (D. salexigens flavodoxin and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 cytochrome c3) predicted by homology modeling.

Density functional theory based screening of ternary alkali-transition metal borohydrides: A computational material design project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hummelshøj, J. S.; Landis, D. D.; Voss, J.; Jiang, T.; Tekin, A.; Bork, N.; Dułak, M.; Mortensen, J. J.; Adamska, L.; Andersin, J.; Baran, J. D.; Barmparis, G. D.; Bell, F.; Bezanilla, A. L.; Bjork, J.; Björketun, M. E.; Bleken, F.; Buchter, F.; Bürkle, M.; Burton, P. D.; Buus, B. B.; Calborean, A.; Calle-Vallejo, F.; Casolo, S.; Chandler, B. D.; Chi, D. H.; Czekaj, I.; Datta, S.; Datye, A.; DeLaRiva, A.; Despoja, V.; Dobrin, S.; Engelund, M.; Ferrighi, L.; Frondelius, P.; Fu, Q.; Fuentes, A.; Fürst, J.; García-Fuente, A.; Gavnholt, J.; Goeke, R.; Gudmundsdottir, S.; Hammond, K. D.; Hansen, H. A.; Hibbitts, D.; Hobi, E.; Howalt, J. G.; Hruby, S. L.; Huth, A.; Isaeva, L.; Jelic, J.; Jensen, I. J. T.; Kacprzak, K. A.; Kelkkanen, A.; Kelsey, D.; Kesanakurthi, D. S.; Kleis, J.; Klüpfel, P. J.; Konstantinov, I.; Korytar, R.; Koskinen, P.; Krishna, C.; Kunkes, E.; Larsen, A. H.; Lastra, J. M. G.; Lin, H.; Lopez-Acevedo, O.; Mantega, M.; Martínez, J. I.; Mesa, I. N.; Mowbray, D. J.; Mýrdal, J. S. G.; Natanzon, Y.; Nistor, A.; Olsen, T.; Park, H.; Pedroza, L. S.; Petzold, V.; Plaisance, C.; Rasmussen, J. A.; Ren, H.; Rizzi, M.; Ronco, A. S.; Rostgaard, C.; Saadi, S.; Salguero, L. A.; Santos, E. J. G.; Schoenhalz, A. L.; Shen, J.; Smedemand, M.; Stausholm-Møller, O. J.; Stibius, M.; Strange, M.; Su, H. B.; Temel, B.; Toftelund, A.; Tripkovic, V.; Vanin, M.; Viswanathan, V.; Vojvodic, A.; Wang, S.; Wellendorff, J.; Thygesen, K. S.; Rossmeisl, J.; Bligaard, T.; Jacobsen, K. W.; Nørskov, J. K.; Vegge, T.

2009-07-01

We present a computational screening study of ternary metal borohydrides for reversible hydrogen storage based on density functional theory. We investigate the stability and decomposition of alloys containing 1 alkali metal atom, Li, Na, or K (M1); and 1 alkali, alkaline earth or 3d/4d transition metal atom (M2) plus two to five (BH4)- groups, i.e., M1M2(BH4)2-5, using a number of model structures with trigonal, tetrahedral, octahedral, and free coordination of the metal borohydride complexes. Of the over 700 investigated structures, about 20 were predicted to form potentially stable alloys with promising decomposition energies. The M1(Al/Mn/Fe)(BH4)4, (Li/Na)Zn(BH4)3, and (Na/K)(Ni/Co)(BH4)3 alloys are found to be the most promising, followed by selected M1(Nb/Rh)(BH4)4 alloys.

A comparison of acoustic levitation with microgravity processing for containerless solidification of ternary Al-Cu-Sn alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, N.; Hong, Z. Y.; Geng, D. L.; Wei, B.

2015-07-01

The containerless rapid solidification of liquid ternary Al-5 %Cu-65 %Sn immiscible alloy was accomplished at both ultrasonic levitation and free fall conditions. A maximum undercooling of 185 K (0.22 T L) was obtained for the ultrasonically levitated alloy melt at a cooling rate of about 122 K s-1. Meanwhile, the cooling rate of alloy droplets in drop tube varied from 102 to 104 K s-1. The macrosegregation was effectively suppressed through the complex melt flow under ultrasonic levitation condition. In contrast, macrosegregation became conspicuous and core-shell structures with different layers were formed during free fall. The microstructure formation mechanisms during rapid solidification at containerless states were investigated in comparison with the conventional static solidification process. It was found that the liquid phase separation and structural growth kinetics may be modulated by controlling both alloy undercooling and cooling rate.

Ternary structure reveals mechanism of a membrane diacylglycerol kinase

DOE PAGES

Li, Dianfan; Stansfeld, Phillip J.; Sansom, Mark S. P.; ...

2015-12-17

Diacylglycerol kinase catalyses the ATP-dependent conversion of diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid in the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. The small size of this integral membrane trimer, which has 121 residues per subunit, means that available protein must be used economically to craft three catalytic and substrate-binding sites centred about the membrane/cytosol interface. How nature has accomplished this extraordinary feat is revealed here in a crystal structure of the kinase captured as a ternary complex with bound lipid substrate and an ATP analogue. Residues, identified as essential for activity by mutagenesis, decorate the active site and are rationalized by the ternarymore » structure. The γ-phosphate of the ATP analogue is positioned for direct transfer to the primary hydroxyl of the lipid whose acyl chain is in the membrane. A catalytic mechanism for this unique enzyme is proposed. As a result, the active site architecture shows clear evidence of having arisen by convergent evolution.« less

Structural determinants of ligand binding in the ternary complex of human ileal bile acid binding protein with glycocholate and glycochenodeoxycholate obtained from solution NMR.

PubMed

Horváth, Gergő; Bencsura, Ákos; Simon, Ágnes; Tochtrop, Gregory P; DeKoster, Gregory T; Covey, Douglas F; Cistola, David P; Toke, Orsolya

2016-02-01

Besides aiding digestion, bile salts are important signal molecules exhibiting a regulatory role in metabolic processes. Human ileal bile acid binding protein (I-BABP) is an intracellular carrier of bile salts in the epithelial cells of the distal small intestine and has a key role in the enterohepatic circulation of bile salts. Positive binding cooperativity combined with site selectivity of glycocholate and glycochenodeoxycholate, the two most abundant bile salts in the human body, make human I-BABP a unique member of the family of intracellular lipid binding proteins. Solution NMR structure of the ternary complex of human I-BABP with glycocholate and glycochenodeoxycholate reveals an extensive network of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions stabilizing the bound bile salts. Conformational changes accompanying bile salt binding affects four major regions in the protein including the C/D, E/F and G/H loops as well as the helical segment. Most of these protein regions coincide with a previously described network of millisecond time scale fluctuations in the apo protein, a motion absent in the bound state. Comparison of the heterotypic doubly ligated complex with the unligated form provides further evidence of a conformation selection mechanism of ligand entry. Structural and dynamic aspects of human I-BABP-bile salt interaction are discussed and compared with characteristics of ligand binding in other members of the intracellular lipid binding protein family. The coordinates of the 10 lowest energy structures of the human I-BABP : GCDA : GCA complex as well as the distance restraints used to calculate the final ensemble have been deposited in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank with accession number 2MM3. © 2015 FEBS.

Quercetagetin-Loaded Zein-Propylene Glycol Alginate Ternary Composite Particles Induced by Calcium Ions: Structure Characterization and Formation Mechanism.

PubMed

Sun, Cuixia; Wei, Yang; Li, Ruirui; Dai, Lei; Gao, Yanxiang

2017-05-17

The complexation of zein and propylene glycol alginate (PGA) was confirmed to improve the entrapment efficiency and loading capacity of quercetagetin (Q) in our previous study. The present work focused on the influence and induction mechanism of calcium ions on structures of Q-loaded zein-PGA ternary composite particles. The incorporation of Ca 2+ resulted in the formation of aggregates with a large dimension between zein particles, led to obvious conformational, secondary, and tertiary structural changes of zein, and caused the disappearance of crystalline structure of zein. PGA exhibited a fine filamentous network structure and became much thicker and stronger in the presence of Ca 2+ . The presence of Q promoted the affinity and binding capacity of Ca 2+ to zein and PGA. An interwoven network structure with enhanced firmness and density was observed in Q-loaded zein-PGA composite particles, leading to improved thermal stability. Three potential mechanisms were proposed to explain the structural characteristics induced by Ca 2+ , including particle-particle collision for zein particles, chain-chain association for PGA molecules, and simultaneous cross-linking coupled with aggregating for Q-loaded zein-PGA composite particles.

Structural characterization of a new lipid/DNA complex showing a selective transfection efficiency in ovarian cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caracciolo, G.; Pozzi, D.; Caminiti, R.; Congiu Castellano, A.

2003-04-01

We investigated, for the first time, by using Energy Dispersive X-ray Diffraction, the structure of a new ternary cationic liposome formulated with dioleoyl trimethylammonium propane (DOTAP), 1,2-dioleoyl-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) and cholesterol (Chol) (DDC) which has been recently found to have a selective high gene transfer ability in ovarian cancer cells. Our structural results provide a further experimental support to the widely accepted statement that there is not a simple and direct correlation between structure and transfection efficiency and that the factors controlling cationic lipid/DNA (CL-DNA) complexes-mediated gene transfer depend not only on the formulations of the cationic liposomes and their thermodynamic phase, but also significantly on the cell properties.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of binary and ternary complexes of Haloferax mediterranei glucose dehydrogenase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esclapez, Julia; Britton, K. Linda; Baker, Patrick J.

2005-08-01

Single crystals of binary and ternary complexes of wild-type and D38C mutant H. mediterranei glucose dehydrogenase have been obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. Haloferax mediterranei glucose dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.47) belongs to the medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenase superfamily and requires zinc for catalysis. In the majority of these family members, the catalytic zinc is tetrahedrally coordinated by the side chains of a cysteine, a histidine, a cysteine or glutamate and a water molecule. In H. mediterranei glucose dehydrogenase, sequence analysis indicates that the zinc coordination is different, with the invariant cysteine replaced by an aspartate residue. In order to analyse themore » significance of this replacement and to contribute to an understanding of the role of the metal ion in catalysis, a range of binary and ternary complexes of the wild-type and a D38C mutant protein have been crystallized. For most of the complexes, crystals belonging to space group I222 were obtained using sodium/potassium citrate as a precipitant. However, for the binary and non-productive ternary complexes with NADPH/Zn, it was necessary to replace the citrate with 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol. Despite the radical change in conditions, the crystals thus formed were isomorphous.« less

Comparative analysis of the ternary complex factors Elk-1, SAP-1a and SAP-2 (ERP/NET).

PubMed Central

Price, M A; Rogers, A E; Treisman, R

1995-01-01

A transcription factor ternary complex composed of Serum Response Factor (SRF) and Ternary Complex Factor (TCF) mediates the response of the c-fos Serum Response Element (SRE) to growth factors and mitogens. Three Ets domain proteins, Elk-1, SAP-1 and ERP/NET, have been reported to have the properties of TCF. Here we compare Elk-1 and SAP-1a with the human ERP/NET homologue SAP-2. All three TCF RNAs are ubiquitously expressed at similar relative levels. All three proteins contain conserved regions that interact with SRF and the c-fos SRE with comparable efficiency, but in vitro complex formation by SAP-2 is strongly inhibited by its C-terminal sequences. Similarly, only Elk-1 and SAP-1a efficiently bind the c-fos SRE in vivo; ternary complex formation by SAP-2 is weak and is substantially unaffected by serum stimulation or v-ras co-expression. All three TCFs contain C-terminal transcriptional activation domains that are phosphorylated following growth factor stimulation. Activation requires conserved S/T-P motifs found in all the TCF family members. Each TCF activation domain can be phosphorylated in vitro by partially purified ERK2, and ERK activation in vivo is sufficient to potentiate transcriptional activation. Images PMID:7540136

Comparative analysis of the ternary complex factors Elk-1, SAP-1a and SAP-2 (ERP/NET).

PubMed

Price, M A; Rogers, A E; Treisman, R

1995-06-01

A transcription factor ternary complex composed of Serum Response Factor (SRF) and Ternary Complex Factor (TCF) mediates the response of the c-fos Serum Response Element (SRE) to growth factors and mitogens. Three Ets domain proteins, Elk-1, SAP-1 and ERP/NET, have been reported to have the properties of TCF. Here we compare Elk-1 and SAP-1a with the human ERP/NET homologue SAP-2. All three TCF RNAs are ubiquitously expressed at similar relative levels. All three proteins contain conserved regions that interact with SRF and the c-fos SRE with comparable efficiency, but in vitro complex formation by SAP-2 is strongly inhibited by its C-terminal sequences. Similarly, only Elk-1 and SAP-1a efficiently bind the c-fos SRE in vivo; ternary complex formation by SAP-2 is weak and is substantially unaffected by serum stimulation or v-ras co-expression. All three TCFs contain C-terminal transcriptional activation domains that are phosphorylated following growth factor stimulation. Activation requires conserved S/T-P motifs found in all the TCF family members. Each TCF activation domain can be phosphorylated in vitro by partially purified ERK2, and ERK activation in vivo is sufficient to potentiate transcriptional activation.

Trialkylphosphine-stabilized copper(I) gallium(III) phenylchalcogenolate complexes: crystal structures and generation of ternary semiconductors by thermolysis.

PubMed

Kluge, Oliver; Krautscheid, Harald

2012-06-18

A series of organometallic trialkylphosphine-stabilized copper gallium phenylchalcogenolate complexes [(R(3)P)(m)Cu(n)Me(2-x)Ga(EPh)(n+x+1)] (R = Me, Et, (i)Pr, (t)Bu; E = S, Se, Te; x = 0, 1) has been prepared and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. From their molecular structures three groups of compounds can be distinguished: ionic compounds, ring systems, and cage structures. All these complexes contain one gallium atom bound to one or two methyl groups, whereas the number of copper atoms, and therefore the nuclearity of the complexes, is variable and depends mainly on size and amount of phosphine ligand used in synthesis. The Ga-E bonds are relatively rigid, in contrast to flexible Cu-E bonds. The lengths of the latter are controlled by the coordination number and steric influences. The Ga-E bond lengths depend systematically on the number of methyl groups bound to the gallium atom, with somewhat shorter bonds in monomethyl compounds compared to dimethyl compounds. Quantum chemical computations reproduce this trend and show furthermore that the rotation of one phenyl group around the Ga-E bond is a low energy process with two distinct minima, corresponding to two different conformations found experimentally. Mixtures of different types of chalcogen atoms on molecular scale are possible, and then ligand exchange reactions in solution lead to mixed site occupation. In thermogravimetric studies the complexes were converted into the ternary semiconductors CuGaE(2). The thermolysis reaction is completed at temperatures between 250 and 400 °C, typically with lower temperatures for the heavier chalcogens. Because of significant release of Me(3)Ga during the thermolysis process, and especially in case of copper excess in the precursor complexes, binary copper chalcogenides are obtained as additional thermolysis products. Quaternary semiconductors can be obtained from mixed chalcogen precursors.

Crystal structure of a polyhistidine-tagged recombinant catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase complexed with the peptide inhibitor PKI(5-24) and adenosine.

PubMed

Narayana, N; Cox, S; Shaltiel, S; Taylor, S S; Xuong, N

1997-04-15

The crystal structure of the hexahistidine-tagged mouse recombinant catalytic subunit (H6-rC) of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK), complexed with a 20-residue peptide inhibitor from the heat-stable protein kinase inhibitor PKI(5-24) and adenosine, was determined at 2.2 A resolution. Novel crystallization conditions were required to grow the ternary complex crystals. The structure was refined to a final crystallographic R-factor of 18.2% with good stereochemical parameters. The "active" enzyme adopts a "closed" conformation as found in rC:PKI(5-24) [Knighton et al. (1991a,b) Science 253, 407-414, 414-420] and packs in a similar manner with the peptide providing a major contact surface. This structure clearly defines the subsites of the unique nucleotide binding site found in the protein kinase family. The adenosine occupies a mostly hydrophobic pocket at the base of the cleft between the two lobes and is completely buried. The missing triphosphate moiety of ATP is filled with a water molecule (Wtr 415) which replaces the gamma-phosphate of ATP. The glycine-rich loop between beta1 and beta2 helps to anchor the phosphates while the ribose ring is buried beneath beta-strand 2. Another ordered water molecule (Wtr 375) is pentacoordinated with polar atoms from adenosine, Leu 49 in beta-strand 1, Glu 127 in the linker strand between the two lobes, Tyr 330, and a third water molecule, Wtr 359. The conserved nucleotide fold can be defined as a lid comprised of beta-strand 1, the glycine-rich loop, and beta-strand 2. The adenine ring is buried beneath beta-strand 1 and the linker strand (120-127) that joins the small and large lobes. The C-terminal tail containing Tyr 330, a segment that lies outside the conserved core, covers this fold and anchors it in a closed conformation. The main-chain atoms of the flexible glycine-rich loop (residues 50-55) in the ATP binding domain have a mean B-factor of 41.4 A2. This loop is quite mobile, in striking contrast to the other conserved loops that converge at the active site cleft. The catalytic loop (residues 166-171) and the Mg2+ positioning loop (residues 184-186) are a stable part of the large lobe and have low B-factors in all structures solved to date. The stability of the glycine-rich loop is highly dependent on the ligands that occupy the active site cleft with maximum stability achieved in the ternary complex containing Mg x ATP and the peptide inhibitor. In this ternary complex the gamma-phosphate is secured between both lobes by hydrogen bonds to the backbone amide of Ser 53 in the glycine-rich loop and the amino group of Lys 168 in the catalytic loop. In the adenosine ternary complex the water molecule replacing the gamma-phosphate hydrogen bonds between Lys 168 and Asp 166 and makes no contact with the small lobe. This glycine-rich loop is thus the most mobile component of the active site cleft, with the tip of the loop being highly sensitive to what occupies the gamma-subsite.

Multiple ligand-binding modes in bacterial R67 dihydrofolate reductase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso, Hernán; Gillies, Malcolm B.; Cummins, Peter L.; Bliznyuk, Andrey A.; Gready, Jill E.

2005-03-01

R67 dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), a bacterial plasmid-encoded enzyme associated with resistance to the drug trimethoprim, shows neither sequence nor structural homology with the chromosomal DHFR. It presents a highly symmetrical toroidal structure, where four identical monomers contribute to the unique central active-site pore. Two reactants (dihydrofolate, DHF), two cofactors (NADPH) or one of each (R67•DHF•NADPH) can be found simultaneously within the active site, the last one being the reactive ternary complex. As the positioning of the ligands has proven elusive to empirical determination, we addressed the problem from a theoretical perspective. Several potential structures of the ternary complex were generated using the docking programs AutoDock and FlexX. The variability among the final poses, many of which conformed to experimental data, prompted us to perform a comparative scoring analysis and molecular dynamics simulations to assess the stability of the complexes. Analysis of ligand-ligand and ligand-protein interactions along the 4 ns trajectories of eight different structures allowed us to identify important inter-ligand contacts and key protein residues. Our results, combined with published empirical data, clearly suggest that multipe binding modes of the ligands are possible within R67 DHFR. While the pterin ring of DHF and the nicotinamide ring of NADPH assume a stacked endo-conformation at the centre of the pore, probably assisted by V66, Q67 and I68, the tails of the molecules extend towards opposite ends of the cavity, adopting multiple configurations in a solvent rich-environment where hydrogen-bond interactions with K32 and Y69 may play important roles.

Prediction of novel stable Fe-V-Si ternary phase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Manh Cuong; Chen, Chong; Zhao, Xin

Genetic algorithm searches based on a cluster expansion model are performed to search for stable phases of Fe-V-Si ternary. Here, we identify a new thermodynamically, dynamically and mechanically stable ternary phase of Fe 5V 2Si with 2 formula units in a tetragonal unit cell. The formation energy of this new ternary phase is -36.9 meV/atom below the current ternary convex hull. The magnetic moment of Fe in the new structure varies from -0.30-2.52 μ B depending strongly on the number of Fe nearest neighbors. The total magnetic moment is 10.44 μ B/unit cell for new Fe 5V 2Si structure andmore » the system is ordinarily metallic.« less

Prediction of novel stable Fe-V-Si ternary phase

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Manh Cuong; Chen, Chong; Zhao, Xin; ...

2018-10-28

Genetic algorithm searches based on a cluster expansion model are performed to search for stable phases of Fe-V-Si ternary. Here, we identify a new thermodynamically, dynamically and mechanically stable ternary phase of Fe 5V 2Si with 2 formula units in a tetragonal unit cell. The formation energy of this new ternary phase is -36.9 meV/atom below the current ternary convex hull. The magnetic moment of Fe in the new structure varies from -0.30-2.52 μ B depending strongly on the number of Fe nearest neighbors. The total magnetic moment is 10.44 μ B/unit cell for new Fe 5V 2Si structure andmore » the system is ordinarily metallic.« less

Surface Segregation in Multicomponent Systems: Modeling of Surface Alloys and Alloy Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozzolo, Guillermo; Ferrante, John; Noebe, Ronald D.; Good, Brian; Honecy, Frank S.; Abel, Phillip

1999-01-01

The study of surface segregation, although of great technological importance, has been largely restricted to experimental work due to limitations associated with theoretical methods. However, recent improvements in both first-particle and semi-empirical methods are opening, the doors to an array of new possibilities for surface scientists. We apply one of these techniques, the Bozzolo, Ferrante and Smith (BFS) method for alloys, which is particularly suitable for complex systems, to several aspects of the computational modeling of surfaces and segregation, including alloy surface segregation, structure and composition of alloy surfaces, and the formation of surface alloys. We conclude with the study of complex NiAl-based binary, ternary and quaternary thin films (with Ti, Cr and Cu additions to NiAl). Differences and similarities between bulk and surface compositions are discussed, illustrated by the results of Monte Carlo simulations. For some binary and ternary cases, the theoretical predictions are compared to experimental results, highlighting the accuracy and value of this developing theoretical tool.

Synergistic Growth of Giant Wormlike Micelles in Ternary Mixed Surfactant Solutions: Effect of Octanoic Acid.

PubMed

Georgieva, Gergana S; Anachkov, Svetoslav E; Lieberwirth, Ingo; Koynov, Kaloian; Kralchevsky, Peter A

2016-12-06

The synergistic growth of giant wormlike micelles in ternary mixed solutions composed of an anionic surfactant (sodium laurylethersulfate, SLES), a zwitterionic surfactant (cocamidopropyl betaine, CAPB), and octanoic acid (HC8) is studied. Rheological data and their analysis in terms of Cole-Cole plots and micellar characteristic times are presented, and the micellar structures behind the observed rheological behavior are revealed by cryo-TEM micrographs. The surfactant composition is fixed near the maximal micelle size of the binary SLES + CAPB system, whereas the concentration of HC8 is varied. At a given HC8 concentration, the viscosity of the ternary micellar solutions exhibits a very high and sharp peak. Polarized-light optical microscopy indicates that all investigated solutions are isotropic rather than liquid-crystalline. The cryo-TEM imaging shows complex phase behavior: wormlike micelles to the left of the peak, giant entangled wormlike micelles at the peak, and long wormlike micelles coexisting with multiconnected micellar aggregates to the right of the peak. The formation of multiconnected micelles leads to a drop in viscosity at the higher concentrations. The results contribute to a better understanding of the structure-rheology relations in micellar surfactant solutions and could be useful for controlling the properties of formulations in personal-care and house-hold detergency.

Interaction of DNA with Simple and Mixed Ligand Copper(II) Complexes of 1,10-Phenanthrolines as Studied by DNA-Fiber EPR Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Chikira, Makoto; Ng, Chew Hee; Palaniandavar, Mallayan

2015-01-01

The interaction of simple and ternary Cu(II) complexes of 1,10-phenanthrolines with DNA has been studied extensively because of their various interesting and important functions such as DNA cleavage activity, cytotoxicity towards cancer cells, and DNA based asymmetric catalysis. Such functions are closely related to the DNA binding modes of the complexes such as intercalation, groove binding, and electrostatic surface binding. A variety of spectroscopic methods have been used to study the DNA binding mode of the Cu(II) complexes. Of all these methods, DNA-fiber electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy affords unique information on the DNA binding structures of the complexes. In this review we summarize the results of our DNA-fiber EPR studies on the DNA binding structure of the complexes and discuss them together with the data accumulated by using other measurements. PMID:26402668

Structure of the Apo Form of Bacillus stearothermophilus Phosphofructokinase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mosser, Rockann; Reddy, Manchi C.M.; Bruning, John B.

2012-02-08

The crystal structure of the unliganded form of Bacillus stearothermophilus phosphofructokinase (BsPFK) was determined using molecular replacement to 2.8 {angstrom} resolution (Protein Data Bank entry 3U39). The apo BsPFK structure serves as the basis for the interpretation of any structural changes seen in the binary or ternary complexes. When the apo BsPFK structure is compared with the previously published liganded structures of BsPFK, the structural impact that the binding of the ligands produces is revealed. This comparison shows that the apo form of BsPFK resembles the substrate-bound form of BsPFK, a finding that differs from previous predictions.

Structured codebook design in CELP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leblanc, W. P.; Mahmoud, S. A.

1990-01-01

Codebook Excited Linear Protection (CELP) is a popular analysis by synthesis technique for quantizing speech at bit rates from 4 to 6 kbps. Codebook design techniques to date have been largely based on either random (often Gaussian) codebooks, or on known binary or ternary codes which efficiently map the space of (assumed white) excitation codevectors. It has been shown that by introducing symmetries into the codebook, good complexity reduction can be realized with only marginal decrease in performance. Codebook design algorithms are considered for a wide range of structured codebooks.

An in vitro study of interactions between insulin-mimetic zinc(II) complexes and selected plasma components.

PubMed

Enyedy, Eva Anna; Horváth, László; Gajda-Schrantz, Krisztina; Galbács, Gábor; Kiss, Tamás

2006-12-01

The speciations of some potent insulin-mimetic zinc(II) complexes of bidentate ligands: maltol and 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyridinone with (O,O) and picolinic acid with (N,O) coordination modes, were studied via solution equilibrium investigations of the ternary complex formation in the presence of small relevant bioligands of the blood serum such as cysteine, histidine and citric acid. Results show that formation of the ternary complexes, especially with cysteine, is favoured at physiological pH range in almost all systems studied. Besides these low molecular mass binders, serum proteins among others albumin and transferrin can bind zinc(II) or its complexes. Accordingly, the distribution of zinc(II) between the small and high molecular mass fractions of the serum was also studied by ultrafiltration. Modelling calculations relating to the distribution of zinc(II), using the stability constants of the ternary complexes studied and those of the serum proteins reported in the literature, confirmed the ultrafiltration results, namely, the primary role of albumin in zinc(II) binding among the low and high molecular mass components of the serum.

An inhibitor of eIF2 activity in the sRNA pool of eukaryotic cells.

PubMed

Centrella, Michael; Porter, David L; McCarthy, Thomas L

2011-08-15

Eukaryotic protein synthesis is a multi-step and highly controlled process that includes an early initiation complex containing eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2), GTP, and methionine-charged initiator methionyl-tRNA (met-tRNAi). During studies to reconstruct formation of the ternary complex containing these molecules, we detected a potent inhibitor in low molecular mass RNA (sRNA) preparations of eukaryotic tRNA. The ternary complex inhibitor (TCI) was retained in the total sRNA pool after met-tRNAi was charged by aminoacyl tRNA synthetase, co-eluted with sRNA by size exclusion chromatography, but resolved from met-tRNAi by ion exchange chromatography. The adverse effect of TCI was not overcome by high GTP or magnesium omission and was independent of GTP regeneration. Rather, TCI suppressed the rate of ternary complex formation, and disrupted protein synthesis and the accumulation of heavy polymeric ribosomes in reticulocyte lysates in vitro. Lastly, a component or components in ribosome depleted cell lysate significantly reversed TCI activity. Since assembly of the met-tRNAi/eIF2/GTP ternary complex is integral to protein synthesis, awareness of TCI is important to avoid confusion in studies of translation initiation. A clear definition of TCI may also allow a better appreciation of physiologic or pathologic situations, factors, and events that control protein synthesis in vivo. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved Aqueous Solubility and Antihypercholesterolemic Activity of Ezetimibe on Formulating with Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin and Hydrophilic Auxiliary Substances.

PubMed

Srivalli, Kale Mohana Raghava; Mishra, Brahmeshwar

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to improve the aqueous solubility, dissolution, and pharmacodynamic properties of a BCS class II drug, ezetimibe (Eze) by preparing ternary cyclodextrin complex systems. We investigated the potential synergistic effect of two novel hydrophilic auxiliary substances, D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) and L-ascorbic acid-2-glucoside (AA2G) on hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) solubilization of poorly water-soluble hypocholesterolemic drug, Eze. In solution state, the binary and ternary systems were analyzed by phase solubility studies and Job's plot. The solid complexes prepared by freeze-drying were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The log P values, aqueous solubility, dissolution, and antihypercholesterolemic activity of all systems were studied. The analytical techniques confirmed the formation of inclusion complexes in the binary and ternary systems. HPBCD complexation significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the log P and improved the solubility, dissolution, and hypocholesterolemic properties of Eze, and the addition of ternary component produced further significant improvement (p < 0.05) even compared to binary system. The remarkable reduction in log P and enhancement in solubility, dissolution, and antihypercholesterolemic activity due to the addition of TPGS or AA2G may be attributed to enhanced wetting, dispersibility, and complete amorphization. The use of TPGS or AA2G as ternary hydrophilic auxiliary substances improved the HPBCD solubilization and antihypercholesterolemic activity of Eze.

Ternary copper(II) complexes with amino acid chains and heterocyclic bases: DNA binding, cytotoxic and cell apoptosis induction properties.

PubMed

Ma, Tieliang; Xu, Jun; Wang, Yuan; Yu, Hao; Yang, Yong; Liu, Yang; Ding, Weiliang; Zhu, Wenjiao; Chen, Ruhua; Ge, Zhijun; Tan, Yongfei; Jia, Lei; Zhu, Taofeng

2015-03-01

Nowadays, chemotherapy is a common means of oncology. However, it is difficult to find excellent chemotherapy drugs. Here we reported three new ternary copper(II) complexes which have potential chemotherapy characteristics with reduced Schiff base ligand and heterocyclic bases (TBHP), [Cu(phen)(TBHP)]H2O (1), [Cu(dpz)(TBHP)]H2O (2) and [Cu(dppz)(TBHP)]H2O (3) (phen=1,10-phenanthroline, dpz=dipyrido [3,2:2',3'-f]quinoxaline, dppz=dipyrido [3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine, H2TBHP=2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzylamino)-2-benzyl-acetic acid). The DNA-binding properties of the complexes were investigated by spectrometric titrations, ethidium bromide displacement experiments and viscosity measurements. The results indicated that the three complexes, especially the complex 13, can strongly bind to calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA). The intrinsic binding constants Kb of the ternary copper(II) complexes with CT-DNA were 1.37×10(5), 1.81×10(5) and 3.21×10(5) for 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Comparative cytotoxic activities of the copper(II) complexes were also determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results showed that the ternary copper(II) complexes had significant cytotoxic activity against the human lung cancer (A549), human esophageal cancer (Eca109) and human gastric cancer (SGC7901) cell lines. Cell apoptosis were detected by AnnexinV/PI flow cytometry and by Western blotting with the protein expression of p53, Bax and Bcl-2. All the three copper complexes can effectively induce apoptosis of the three human tumor cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of an invariant lysine residue in folate binding on Escherichia coli thymidylate synthase: calorimetric and crystallographic analysis of the K48Q mutant

PubMed Central

Arvizu-Flores, Aldo A.; Sugich-Miranda, Rocio; Arreola, Rodrigo; Garcia-Orozco, Karina D.; Velazquez-Contreras, Enrique F.; Montfort, William R.; Maley, Frank; Sotelo-Mundo, Rogerio R.

2008-01-01

Thymidylate synthase (TS) catalyzes the reductive methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) using methylene tetrahydrofolate (CH2THF) as cofactor, the glutamate tail of which forms a water-mediated hydrogen-bond with an invariant lysine residue of this enzyme. To understand the role of this interaction, we studied the K48Q mutant of Escherichia coli TS using structural and biophysical methods. The kcat of the K48Q mutant was 430 fold lower than wild-type TS in activity, while the the Km for the (R)-stereoisomer of CH2THF was 300 µM, about 30 fold larger than Km from the wild-type TS. Affinity constants were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry, which showed that binding was reduced by one order of magnitude for folate-like TS inhibitors, such as propargyl-dideaza folate (PDDF) or compounds that distort the TS active site like BW1843U89 (U89). The crystal structure of the K48Q-dUMP complex revealed that dUMP binding is not impaired in the mutamt, and that U89 in a ternary complex of K48Q-nucleotide-U89 was bound in the active site with subtle differences relative to comparable wild type complexes. PDDF failed to form ternary complexes with K48Q and dUMP. Thermodynamic data correlated with the structural determinations, since PDDF binding was dominated by enthalpic effects while U89 had an important entropic component. In conclusion, K48 is critical for catalysis since it leads to a productive CH2THF binding, while mutation at this residue does not affect much the binding of inhibitors that do not make contact with this group. PMID:18403248

Structural Basis for Dual-Inhibition Mechanism of a Non-Classical Kazal-Type Serine Protease Inhibitor from Horseshoe Crab in Complex with Subtilisin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shenoy, Rajesh T.; Thangamani, Saravanan; Velazquez-Campoy, Adrian

2011-04-26

Serine proteases play a crucial role in host-pathogen interactions. In the innate immune system of invertebrates, multi-domain protease inhibitors are important for the regulation of host-pathogen interactions and antimicrobial activities. Serine protease inhibitors, 9.3-kDa CrSPI isoforms 1 and 2, have been identified from the hepatopancreas of the horseshoe crab, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda. The CrSPIs were biochemically active, especially CrSPI-1, which potently inhibited subtilisin (Ki=1.43 nM). CrSPI has been grouped with the non-classical Kazal-type inhibitors due to its unusual cysteine distribution. Here we report the crystal structure of CrSPI-1 in complex with subtilisin at 2.6 Å resolution and the results of biophysicalmore » interaction studies. The CrSPI-1 molecule has two domains arranged in an extended conformation. These two domains act as heads that independently interact with two separate subtilisin molecules, resulting in the inhibition of subtilisin activity at a ratio of 1:2 (inhibitor to protease). Each subtilisin molecule interacts with the reactive site loop from each domain of CrSPI-1 through a standard canonical binding mode and forms a single ternary complex. In addition, we propose the substrate preferences of each domain of CrSPI-1. Domain 2 is specific towards the bacterial protease subtilisin, while domain 1 is likely to interact with the host protease, Furin. Elucidation of the structure of the CrSPI-1: subtilisin (1:2) ternary complex increases our understanding of host-pathogen interactions in the innate immune system at the molecular level and provides new strategies for immunomodulation.« less

Core@shell@shell structured carbon-based magnetic ternary nanohybrids: Synthesis and their enhanced microwave absorption properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Erqi; Qi, Xiaosi; Xie, Ren; Bai, Zhongchen; Jiang, Yang; Qin, Shuijie; Zhong, Wei; Du, Youwei

2018-05-01

High encapsulation efficiency of core@shell@shell structured carbon-based magnetic ternary nanohybrids have been synthesized in high yield by chemical vapor deposition of acetylene directly over octahedral-shaped Fe2O3 nanoparticles. By controlling the pyrolysis temperature, Fe3O4@Fe3C@carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Fe@Fe3C@CNTs ternary nanohybrids could be selectively produced. The optimal RL values for the as-prepared ternary nanohybrids could reach up to ca. -46.7, -52.7 and -29.5 dB, respectively. The excellent microwave absorption properties of the obtaiend ternary nanohybrids were proved to ascribe to the quarter-wavelength matching model. Moreover, the as-prepared Fe@Fe3C@CNTs ternary nanohybrids displayed remarkably enhanced EM wave absorption capabilities compared to Fe3O4@Fe3C@CNTs due to their excellent dielectric loss abilities, good complementarities between the dielectric loss and the magnetic loss, and high attenuation constant. Generally, this strategy can be extended to explore other categories of core@shell or core@shell@shell structured carbon-based nanohybrids, which is very beneficial to accelerate the advancements of high performance MAMs.

Controlling the physics and chemistry of binary and ternary praseodymium and cerium oxide systems.

PubMed

Niu, Gang; Zoellner, Marvin Hartwig; Schroeder, Thomas; Schaefer, Andreas; Jhang, Jin-Hao; Zielasek, Volkmar; Bäumer, Marcus; Wilkens, Henrik; Wollschläger, Joachim; Olbrich, Reinhard; Lammers, Christian; Reichling, Michael

2015-10-14

Rare earth praseodymium and cerium oxides have attracted intense research interest in the last few decades, due to their intriguing chemical and physical characteristics. An understanding of the correlation between structure and properties, in particular the surface chemistry, is urgently required for their application in microelectronics, catalysis, optics and other fields. Such an understanding is, however, hampered by the complexity of rare earth oxide materials and experimental methods for their characterisation. Here, we report recent progress in studying high-quality, single crystalline, praseodymium and cerium oxide films as well as ternary alloys grown on Si(111) substrates. Using these well-defined systems and based on a systematic multi-technique surface science approach, the corresponding physical and chemical properties, such as the surface structure, the surface morphology, the bulk-surface interaction and the oxygen storage/release capability, are explored in detail. We show that specifically the crystalline structure and the oxygen stoichiometry of the oxide thin films can be well controlled by the film preparation method. This work leads to a comprehensive understanding of the properties of rare earth oxides and highlights the applications of these versatile materials. Furthermore, methanol adsorption studies are performed on binary and ternary rare earth oxide thin films, demonstrating the feasibility of employing such systems for model catalytic studies. Specifically for ceria systems, we find considerable stability against normal environmental conditions so that they can be considered as a "materials bridge" between surface science models and real catalysts.

Ran-dependent nuclear export mediators: a structural perspective

PubMed Central

Güttler, Thomas; Görlich, Dirk

2011-01-01

Nuclear export is an essential eukaryotic activity. It proceeds through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and is mediated by soluble receptors that shuttle between nucleus and cytoplasm. RanGTPase-dependent export mediators (exportins) constitute the largest class of these carriers and are functionally highly versatile. All of these exportins load their substrates in response to RanGTP binding in the nucleus and traverse NPCs as ternary RanGTP–exportin–cargo complexes to the cytoplasm, where GTP hydrolysis leads to export complex disassembly. The different exportins vary greatly in their substrate range. Recent structural studies of both protein- and RNA-specific exporters have illuminated how exportins bind their cargoes, how Ran triggers cargo loading and how export complexes are disassembled in the cytoplasm. Here, we review the current state of knowledge and highlight emerging principles as well as prevailing questions. PMID:21878989

Ternary Kv4.2 channels recapitulate voltage-dependent inactivation kinetics of A-type K+ channels in cerebellar granule neurons.

PubMed

Amarillo, Yimy; De Santiago-Castillo, Jose A; Dougherty, Kevin; Maffie, Jonathon; Kwon, Elaine; Covarrubias, Manuel; Rudy, Bernardo

2008-04-15

Kv4 channels mediate most of the somatodendritic subthreshold operating A-type current (I(SA)) in neurons. This current plays essential roles in the regulation of spike timing, repetitive firing, dendritic integration and plasticity. Neuronal Kv4 channels are thought to be ternary complexes of Kv4 pore-forming subunits and two types of accessory proteins, Kv channel interacting proteins (KChIPs) and the dipeptidyl-peptidase-like proteins (DPPLs) DPPX (DPP6) and DPP10. In heterologous cells, ternary Kv4 channels exhibit inactivation that slows down with increasing depolarization. Here, we compared the voltage dependence of the inactivation rate of channels expressed in heterologous mammalian cells by Kv4.2 proteins with that of channels containing Kv4.2 and KChIP1, Kv4.2 and DPPX-S, or Kv4.2, KChIP1 and DPPX-S, and found that the relation between inactivation rate and membrane potential is distinct for these four conditions. Moreover, recordings from native neurons showed that the inactivation kinetics of the I(SA) in cerebellar granule neurons has voltage dependence that is remarkably similar to that of ternary Kv4 channels containing KChIP1 and DPPX-S proteins in heterologous cells. The fact that this complex and unique behaviour (among A-type K(+) currents) is observed in both the native current and the current expressed in heterologous cells by the ternary complex containing Kv4, DPPX and KChIP proteins supports the hypothesis that somatically recorded native Kv4 channels in neurons include both types of accessory protein. Furthermore, quantitative global kinetic modelling showed that preferential closed-state inactivation and a weakly voltage-dependent opening step can explain the slowing of the inactivation rate with increasing depolarization. Therefore, it is likely that preferential closed-state inactivation is the physiological mechanism that regulates the activity of both ternary Kv4 channel complexes and native I(SA)-mediating channels.

Tuning of "antenna effect" of Eu(III) in ternary systems in aqueous medium through binding with protein.

PubMed

Ghorai, Shyamal Kr; Samanta, Swarna Kamal; Mukherjee, Manini; Saha Sardar, Pinki; Ghosh, Sanjib

2013-02-04

A simple ternary system containing a protein [human serum albumin (HSA)/bovine serum albumin (BSA)], tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), and Eu(III) in suitable aqueous buffer medium at physiological pH (= 7.2) has been shown to exhibit highly efficient "antenna effect" compared to the binary complex of TC with Eu(III) (Eu(3)TC). The ternary system containing E. coli alkaline phosphatase (AP), TC, and Eu(III), however, shows a slight enhancement of Eu(III) emission, although the binding constant of AP with TC is 2 orders of magnitude greater than with BSA/HSA. The enhanced emission of bound TC in the binary systems containing proteins and TC gets quenched in the ternary systems containing HSA/BSA, showing the efficient energy transfer (ET) from TC to Eu(III). Steady state and time-resolved emission studies of each component in all the ternary systems in H(2)O and in D(2)O medium reveal that Eu(III) is very well protected from the O-H oscillator in the ternary system containing HSA/BSA compared to that containing AP. The docking studies locating the binding site of TC in the proteins suggest that TC binds near the surface of AP. In the case of HSA/BSA, TC resides in the interior of the protein resulting in a large shielding effect of Eu(III). The rotational correlation time (θ(c)) determined from the anisotropy decay of bound TC in the complexes and the accessible surface area (ASA) of the ligand in the complexes obtained from the docking studies also support the contention that Eu(3)TC is more exposed to solvent in the case of the ternary system consisting of AP, TC, and Eu(III). The calculated radiative lifetime and the sensitization efficiency ratio of Eu(III) in all the systems clearly demonstrate the protein mediated tuning of "antenna effect" in Eu(III).

Binary and ternary copper(II) complexes of a new Schiff base ligand derived from 4-acetyl-5,6-diphenyl-3(2H)-pyridazinone: Synthesis, spectral, thermal, antimicrobial and antitumor studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shebl, Magdy; Adly, Omima M. I.; Abdelrhman, Ebtesam M.; El-Shetary, B. A.

2017-10-01

A new Schiff base ligand was synthesized by the reaction of 4-acetyl-5,6-diphenyl-3(2H)-pyridazinone with ethylenediamine. A series of binary copper(II) Schiff base complexes have been synthesized by using various copper(II) salts; AcO-, NO3-, ClO4-, Cl- and Br-. Ternary complexes were synthesized by using auxiliary ligands (L‧) [N,O-donor; 8-hydroxyquinoline and glycine or N,N-donor; 1,10-phenanthroline, bipyridyl and 2-aminopyridine]. The structures of the Schiff base and its complexes were characterized by elemental and thermal analyses, IR, electronic, mass, 1H NMR and ESR spectra in addition to conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The obtained complexes include neutral binuclear complexes as well as neutral and cationic mononuclear complexes according to the anion used and the experimental conditions. The ESR spin Hamiltonian parameters of some complexes were calculated and discussed. The metal complexes exhibited octahedral and square planar geometrical arrangements depending on the nature of the anion. Kinetic parameters (Ea, A, ΔH, ΔS and ΔG) of the thermal decomposition stages were evaluated using Coats-Redfern equations. The antimicrobial activity of the Schiff base and its complexes was screened against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis), Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli), yeast (Candida albicans) and fungus (Aspergillus fumigatus). The antitumor activity of the Schiff base and some of its Cu(II) complexes was investigated against HepG-2 cell line.

Understanding the vapor-liquid-solid growth and composition of ternary III-V nanowires and nanowire heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubrovskii, V. G.

2017-11-01

Based on the recent achievements in vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) synthesis, characterization and modeling of ternary III-V nanowires and axial heterostructures within such nanowires, we try to understand the major trends in their compositional evolution from a general theoretical perspective. Clearly, the VLS growth of ternary materials is much more complex than in standard vapor-solid epitaxy techniques, and even maintaining the necessary control over the composition of steady-state ternary nanowires is far from straightforward. On the other hand, VLS nanowires offer otherwise unattainable material combinations without introducing structural defects and hence are very promising for next-generation optoelectronic devices, in particular those integrated with a silicon electronic platform. In this review, we consider two main problems. First, we show how and by means of which parameters the steady-state composition of Au-catalyzed or self-catalyzed ternary III-V nanowires can be tuned to a desired value and why it is generally different from the vapor composition. Second, we present some experimental data and modeling results for the interfacial abruptness across axial nanowire heterostructures, both in Au-catalyzed and self-catalyzed VLS growth methods. Refined modeling allows us to formulate some general growth recipes for suppressing the unwanted reservoir effect in the droplet and sharpening the nanowire heterojunctions. We consider and refine two approaches developed to date, namely the regular crystallization model for a liquid alloy with a critical size of only one III-V pair at high supersaturations or classical binary nucleation theory with a macroscopic critical nucleus at modest supersaturations.

Lactate Dehydrogenase Undergoes a Substantial Structural Change to Bind its Substrate

PubMed Central

Qiu, Linlin; Gulotta, Miriam; Callender, Robert

2007-01-01

Employing temperature-jump relaxation spectroscopy, we investigate the kinetics and thermodynamics of the formation of a very early ternary binding intermediate formed when lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) binds a substrate mimic on its way to forming the productive LDH/NADH·substrate Michaelis complex. Temperature-jump scans show two distinct submillisecond processes are involved in the formation of this ternary binding intermediate, called the encounter complex here. The on-rate of the formation of the encounter complex from LDH/NADH with oxamate (a substrate mimic) is determined as a function of temperature and in the presence of small concentrations of a protein destabilizer (urea) and protein stabilizer (TMAO). It shows a strong temperature dependence with inverse Arrhenius behavior and a temperature-dependent enthalpy (heat capacity of 610 ± 84 cal/Mol K), is slowed in the presence of TMAO and speeded up in the presence of urea. These results suggest that LDH/NADH occupies a range of conformations, some competent to bind substrate (open structure; a minority population) and others noncompetent (closed), in fast equilibrium with each other in accord with a select fit model of binding. From the thermodynamic results, the two species differ in the rearrangement of low energy hydrogen bonds as would arise from changes in internal hydrogen bonding and/or increases in the solvation of the protein structure. The binding-competent species can bind ligand at or very near diffusion-limited speeds, suggesting that the binding pocket is substantially exposed to solvent in these species. This would be in contrast to the putative closed structure where the binding pocket resides deep within the protein interior. PMID:17483169

Modeling of multiple equilibria in the self-aggregation of di-n-decyldimethylammonium chloride/octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether/cyclodextrin ternary systems.

PubMed

Leclercq, Loïc; Lubart, Quentin; Aubry, Jean-Marie; Nardello-Rataj, Véronique

2013-05-28

The surface tension equations of binary surfactant mixtures (di-n-decyldimethylammonium chloride and octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether) are established by combining the Szyszkowski equation of surfactant solutions, the ideal or nonideal mixing theory, and the phase separation model. For surfactant mixtures, the surface tension at the air-water interface is calculated using nonideal theory due to synergism between the two adsorbed surfactant types. The incorporation of cyclodextrin complexation model to the surface tension equations gives a robust model for the description of the surface tension isotherms of binary, ternary, and more complex systems involving numerous inclusion complexes. The surface tension data obtained experimentally shows excellent agreement with the theoretical model below and above the formation of micelles. The strong synergistic effect observed between the two surfactants is disrupted by the presence of CDs, leading to ideal behavior of ternary systems. Indeed, depending on the nature of the cyclodextrin (i.e., α, β, or γ), which allows a tuning of the cavity size, the binding constants with the surfactants are modified as well as the surface properties due to strong modification of equilibria involved in the ternary mixture.

Spectral characterization of novel ternary zinc(II) complexes containing 1,10-phenanthroline and Schiff bases derived from amino acids and salicylaldehyde-5-sulfonates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boghaei, Davar M.; Gharagozlou, Mehrnaz

2007-07-01

A series of new ternary zinc(II) complexes [Zn(L 1-10)(phen)], where phen is 1,10-phenanthroline and H 2L 1-10 = tridentate Schiff base ligands derived from the condensation of amino acids (glycine, L-phenylalanine, L-valine, L-alanine, and L-leucine) and salicylaldehyde-5-sulfonates (sodium salicylaldehyde-5-sulfonate and sodium 3-methoxy-salicylaldehyde-5-sulfonate), have been synthesized. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectra. The IR spectra of the complexes showed large differences between νas(COO) and νs(COO), Δ ν ( νas(COO) - νs(COO)) of 191-225 cm -1, indicating a monodentate coordination of the carboxylate group. Spectral data showed that in these ternary complexes the zinc atom is coordinated with the Schiff base ligand acts as a tridentate ONO moiety, coordinating to the metal through its phenolic oxygen, imine nitrogen, and carboxyl oxygen, and also with the neutral planar chelating ligand, 1,10-phenanthroline, coordinating through nitrogens.

Sorption of trivalent lanthanides and actinides onto montmorillonite: Macroscopic, thermodynamic and structural evidence for ternary hydroxo and carbonato surface complexes on multiple sorption sites.

PubMed

Fernandes, M Marques; Scheinost, A C; Baeyens, B

2016-08-01

The credibility of long-term safety assessments of radioactive waste repositories may be greatly enhanced by a molecular level understanding of the sorption processes onto individual minerals present in the near- and far-fields. In this study we couple macroscopic sorption experiments to surface complexation modelling and spectroscopic investigations, including extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopies (TRLFS), to elucidate the uptake mechanism of trivalent lanthanides and actinides (Ln/An(III)) by montmorillonite in the absence and presence of dissolved carbonate. Based on the experimental sorption isotherms for the carbonate-free system, the previously developed 2 site protolysis non electrostatic surface complexation and cation exchange (2SPNE SC/CE) model needed to be complemented with an additional surface complexation reaction onto weak sites. The fitting of sorption isotherms in the presence of carbonate required refinement of the previously published model by reducing the strong site capacity and by adding the formation of Ln/An(III)-carbonato complexes both on strong and weak sites. EXAFS spectra of selected Am samples and TRLFS spectra of selected Cm samples corroborate the model assumptions by showing the existence of different surface complexation sites and evidencing the formation of Ln/An(III) carbonate surface complexes. In the absence of carbonate and at low loadings, Ln/An(III) form strong inner-sphere complexes through binding to three Al(O,OH)6 octahedra, most likely by occupying vacant sites in the octahedral layers of montmorillonite, which are exposed on {010} and {110} edge faces. At higher loadings, Ln/An(III) binds to only one Al octahedron, forming a weaker, edge-sharing surface complex. In the presence of carbonate, we identified a ternary mono- or dicarbonato Ln/An(III) complex binding directly to one Al(O,OH)6 octahedron, revealing that type-A ternary complexes form with the one or two carbonate groups pointing away from the surface into the solution phase. Within the spectroscopically observable concentration range these complexes could only be identified on the weak sites, in line with the small strong site capacity suggested by the refined sorption model. When the solubility of carbonates was exceeded, formation of an Am carbonate hydroxide could be identified. The excellent agreement between the thermodynamic model parameters obtained by fitting the macroscopic data, and the spectroscopically identified mechanisms, demonstrates the mature state of the 2SPNE SC/CE model for predicting and quantifying the retention of Ln/An(III) elements by montmorillonite-rich clay rocks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insights into the Phosphoryl Transfer Catalyzed by cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase: An X-ray Crystallographic Study of Complexes with Various Metals and Peptide Substrate SP20

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

X-ray structures of several ternary substrate and product complexes of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKAc) have been determined with different bound metal ions. In the PKAc complexes, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+ metal ions could bind to the active site and facilitate the phosphoryl transfer reaction. ATP and a substrate peptide (SP20) were modified, and the reaction products ADP and the phosphorylated peptide were found trapped in the enzyme active site. Finally, we determined the structure of a pseudo-Michaelis complex containing Mg2+, nonhydrolyzable AMP-PCP (β,γ-methyleneadenosine 5′-triphosphate) and SP20. The product structures together with the pseudo-Michaelis complex provide snapshots of different stages of the phosphorylation reaction. Comparison of these structures reveals conformational, coordination, and hydrogen bonding changes that might occur during the reaction and shed new light on its mechanism, roles of metals, and active site residues. PMID:23672593

Faceting, composition and crystal phase evolution in III-V antimonide nanowire heterostructures revealed by combining microscopy techniques.

PubMed

Xu, Tao; Dick, Kimberly A; Plissard, Sébastien; Nguyen, Thanh Hai; Makoudi, Younes; Berthe, Maxime; Nys, Jean-Philippe; Wallart, Xavier; Grandidier, Bruno; Caroff, Philippe

2012-03-09

III-V antimonide nanowires are among the most interesting semiconductors for transport physics, nanoelectronics and long-wavelength optoelectronic devices due to their optimal material properties. In order to investigate their complex crystal structure evolution, faceting and composition, we report a combined scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study of gold-nucleated ternary InAs/InAs(1-x)Sb(x) nanowire heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy. SEM showed the general morphology and faceting, TEM revealed the internal crystal structure and ternary compositions, while STM was successfully applied to characterize the oxide-free nanowire sidewalls, in terms of nanofaceting morphology, atomic structure and surface composition. The complementary use of these techniques allows for correlation of the morphological and structural properties of the nanowires with the amount of Sb incorporated during growth. The addition of even a minute amount of Sb to InAs changes the crystal structure from perfect wurtzite to perfect zinc blende, via intermediate stacking fault and pseudo-periodic twinning regimes. Moreover, the addition of Sb during the axial growth of InAs/InAs(1-x)Sb(x) heterostructure nanowires causes a significant conformal lateral overgrowth on both segments, leading to the spontaneous formation of a core-shell structure, with an Sb-rich shell.

Structure of the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B in complex with TCR and peptide-MHC demonstrates absence of TCR-peptide contacts.

PubMed

Rödström, Karin E J; Elbing, Karin; Lindkvist-Petersson, Karin

2014-08-15

Superantigens are immune-stimulatory toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus, which are able to interact with host immune receptors to induce a massive release of cytokines, causing toxic shock syndrome and possibly death. In this article, we present the x-ray structure of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) in complex with its receptors, the TCR and MHC class II, forming a ternary complex. The structure, in combination with functional analyses, clearly shows how SEB adopts a wedge-like position when binding to the β-chain of TCR, allowing for an interaction between the α-chain of TCR and MHC. Furthermore, the binding mode also circumvents contact between TCR and the peptide presented by MHC, which enables SEB to initiate a peptide-independent activation of T cells. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

First principles study on structural, electronic and optical properties of Ga1-xBxP ternary alloys (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoat, D. M.; Rivas Silva, J. F.; Méndez Blas, A.

2018-07-01

The structural, electronic and optical properties of GaP, BP binary compounds and their ternary alloys Ga1-xBxP (x = 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75) have been studied by full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) as implemented in WIEN2k package. Local density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) as proposed by Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE), Wu-Cohen (WC) and PBE for solid (PBESol) were used for treatment of exchange-correlation effect in calculations. Additionally, the Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) potential was also employed for electronic and optical calculations due to that it gives very accurate band gap of solids. As B concentration increases, the lattice constant reduces and the energy band gap firstly decreases for small composition x and then it shows increasing trend until pure BP. Our results show that the indirect-direct band gap transition can be reached from x = 0.33. The linear optical properties, such as reflectivity, absorption coefficient, refractive index and optical conductivity of binary compounds and ternary alloys were derived from their calculated complex dielectric function in wide energy range up to 30 eV, and the alloying effect on these properties was also analyzed in detail.

Acoustical Studies of L-leucine and L-asparagine in aqueous electrolyte through thermal expansion coefficient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jajodia, S.; Chimankar, O. P.; Kalambe, A.; Goswami, S. G.

2012-12-01

Amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins; their study provides important information, about the behaviour of larger biomolecules such as proteins. The properties of proteins such as their structure, solubility, denaturation, etc. are greatly influenced by electrolytes. Ultrasonic velocity and density values have been used for evaluation of thermal expansion coefficient and adiabatic compressibility for ternary systems (amino acid/salt + water) namely L-leucine / L-asparagine each in 1.5 M aqueous solution of NaCl used as solvent for various concentrations and at different temperatures (298.15K - 323.15K). Present paper reports the variation of various thermoacoustical parameters such as Moelwyn-Hughes parameter (C1), Beyer's non-linearity parameter (B/A), internal pressure (Pi), fractional free volume (f), available volume (Va), repulsive exponent (n), molecular constant (r), van der Waals' constant (b), Debye temperatue (θD), etc. have been computed from the thermal expansion coefficient with the change of concentration and temperature. The variations of all these parameters have been interpreted in terms of various intermolecular interactions such as strong, weak, charge transfer, complex formation, hydrogen bonding interaction. The structure making and breaking properties of the interacting components existing in proposed ternary systems. It shows the associating and dissociating tendency of the molecules of solute in solvent.The hetromolecular interactions are present in both the ternary systems.

Analysis of the phase solubility diagram of a phenacetin/competitor/beta-cyclodextrin ternary system, involving competitive inclusion complexation.

PubMed

Ono, N; Hirayama, F; Arima, H; Uekama, K

2001-01-01

The competitive inclusion complexations in the ternary phenacetin/competitors/beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CyD) systems were investigated by the solubility method, where m-bromobenzoic acid (m-BBA) and o-toluic acid (o-TA) were used as competitors. The solubility changes of the drug and competitors as a function of beta-CyD concentration in the ternary systems were formulated using their stability constants and intrinsic solubilities. The decrease in solubility of phenacetin by the addition of competitors could be quantitatively simulated by the formulation, when both drug and competitor give A(L) type solubility diagrams. On the other hand, when one of the guests gives a B(S) type solubility diagram, its solubility change was clearly reflected in that of the another guest, i.e., phenacetin gave an A(L) type solubility diagram in the binary phenacetin/beta-CyD system and o-TA gave a B(S) type diagram in the binary o-TA/beta-CyD system, but in the ternary phenacetin/o-TA/beta-CyD system, a new plateau region appeared in the original A(L) type diagram of phenacetin. This was explained by the solubilization theory of Higuchi and Connors. The solubility analysis of the ternary drug/competitor/CyD systems may be particularly useful for determination of the stability constant of a drug whose physicochemical and spectroscopic analyses are difficult, because they can be calculated by monitoring the solubility change of a competitor, without monitoring that of a drug. Furthermore, the present results suggest that attention should be paid to the type of the phase solubility diagram, as well as the magnitude of the stability constant and the solubility of the complex, for a rational formulation design of CyD complexes.

In situ molecular elucidation of drug supersaturation achieved by nano-sizing and amorphization of poorly water-soluble drug.

PubMed

Ueda, Keisuke; Higashi, Kenjirou; Yamamoto, Keiji; Moribe, Kunikazu

2015-09-18

Quantitative evaluation of drug supersaturation and nanoparticle formation was conducted using in situ evaluation techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We prepared a ternary complex of carbamazepine (CBZ) with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to improve the drug concentration. Different preparation methods, including grinding and spray drying, were performed to prepare the ternary component products, ground mixture (GM) and spray-dried sample (SD), respectively. Although CBZ was completely amorphized in the ternary SD, CBZ was partially amorphized with the remaining CBZ crystals in the ternary GM. Aqueous dispersion of the ternary GM formed nanoparticles of around 150 nm, originating from the CBZ crystals in the ternary GM. In contrast, the ternary SD formed transparent solutions without a precipitate. The molecular-level evaluation using NMR measurements revealed that approximately half a dose of CBZ in the ternary GM dispersion was present as nanoparticles; however, CBZ in the ternary SD was completely dissolved in the aqueous solution. The characteristic difference between the solid states, followed by different preparation methods, induced different solution characteristics in the ternary GM and SD. The permeation study, using a dialysis membrane, showed that the CBZ concentration dissolved in the bulk water phase rapidly reduced in the ternary SD dispersion compared to the ternary GM dispersion; this demonstrated the advantage of ternary GM dispersion in the maintenance of CBZ supersaturation. Long-term maintenance of a supersaturated state of CBZ observed in the ternary GM dispersion rather than in the ternary SD dispersion was achieved by the inhibition of CBZ crystallization owing to the existence of CBZ nanoparticles in the ternary GM dispersion. Nanoparticle formation, combined with drug amorphization, could be a promising approach to improve drug concentrations. The detailed elucidation of solution characteristics using in situ evaluation techniques will lead to the formation of useful solid dispersion and nanoparticle formulations, resulting in improved drug absorption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural and electronic transport properties of compound forming HgPb liquid alloy using ab-initio pseudopotential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Nalini; Thakur, Anil; Ahluwalia, P. K.

2013-02-01

The electrical resistivity of compound forming liquid alloy HgPb is studied as a function of concentration. Hard sphere diameters of Hg and Pb are obtained through the inter-ionic pair potential evaluated using Troullier and Martins ab initio pseudopotential, which have been used to calculate partial structure factors. Considering the liquid alloy to be a ternary mixture Ziman's formula for calculating the resistivity of binary liquid alloys, modified for complex formation, has been used. The concentration dependence in resistivity occurs due to preferential ordering of unlike atoms as nearest neighbours with help of complex formation model. Though the compound HgiPbi as per structure peaks is found to be less stable. However it contributes significantly to resistivity as compared to bare ions.

Evaluation of ternary blended cements for use in transportation concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilliland, Amanda Louise

This thesis investigates the use of ternary blended cement concrete mixtures for transportation structures. The study documents technical properties of three concrete mixtures used in federally funded transportation projects in Utah, Kansas, and Michigan that used ternary blended cement concrete mixtures. Data were also collected from laboratory trial batches of ternary blended cement concrete mixtures with mixture designs similar to those of the field projects. The study presents the technical, economic, and environmental advantages of ternary blended cement mixtures. Different barriers of implementation for using ternary blended cement concrete mixtures in transportation projects are addressed. It was concluded that there are no technical, economic, or environmental barriers that exist when using most ternary blended cement concrete mixtures. The technical performance of the ternary blended concrete mixtures that were studied was always better than ordinary portland cement concrete mixtures. The ternary blended cements showed increased durability against chloride ion penetration, alkali silica reaction, and reaction to sulfates. These blends also had less linear shrinkage than ordinary portland cement concrete and met all strength requirements. The increased durability would likely reduce life cycle costs associated with concrete pavement and concrete bridge decks. The initial cost of ternary mixtures can be higher or lower than ordinary portland cement, depending on the supplementary cementitious materials used. Ternary blended cement concrete mixtures produce less carbon dioxide emissions than ordinary portland cement mixtures. This reduces the carbon footprint of construction projects. The barriers associated with implementing ternary blended cement concrete for transportation projects are not significant. Supplying fly ash returns any investment costs for the ready mix plant, including silos and other associated equipment. State specifications can make designing ternary blended cements more acceptable by eliminating arbitrary limitations for supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) use and changing to performance-based standards. Performance-based standards require trial batching of concrete mixture designs, which can be used to optimize ternary combinations of portland cement and SCMs. States should be aware of various SCMs that are appropriate for the project type and its environment.

Hydrothermal synthesis of graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite for removal of Cu (II) and methylene blue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Zhihang; Zhan, Yingqing; Li, Fei; Wan, Xinyi; He, Yi; Hou, Chunyan; Hu, Hai

2017-09-01

In this work, highly activated graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite adsorbent was prepared from a simple hydrothermal route by using ferrous sulfate as precursor. For this purpose, the graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube architectures were formed through the π-π attractions between them, followed by attaching Fe3O4 nanoparticles onto their surface. The structure and composition of as-prepared ternary nanocomposite were characterized by XRD, FTIR, XPS, SEM, TEM, Raman, TGA, and BET. It was found that the resultant porous graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite with large surface area could effectively prevent the π-π stacking interactions between graphene oxide nanosheets and greatly improve sorption sites on the surfaces. Thus, owing to the unique ternary nanocomposite architecture and synergistic effect among various components, as-prepared ternary nanocomposite exhibited high separation efficiency when they were used to remove the Cu (II) and methylene blue from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherms of ternary nanocomposite structures for Cu (II) and methylene blue removal fitted the Langmuir isotherm model. This work demonstrated that the graphene oxide/multiwalled carbon nanotube/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite was promising as an efficient adsorbent for heavy metal ions and organic dye removal from wastewater in low concentration.

Charge-transfer modified embedded atom method dynamic charge potential for Li-Co-O system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Fantai; Longo, Roberto C.; Liang, Chaoping; Nie, Yifan; Zheng, Yongping; Zhang, Chenxi; Cho, Kyeongjae

2017-11-01

To overcome the limitation of conventional fixed charge potential methods for the study of Li-ion battery cathode materials, a dynamic charge potential method, charge-transfer modified embedded atom method (CT-MEAM), has been developed and applied to the Li-Co-O ternary system. The accuracy of the potential has been tested and validated by reproducing a variety of structural and electrochemical properties of LiCoO2. A detailed analysis on the local charge distribution confirmed the capability of this potential for dynamic charge modeling. The transferability of the potential is also demonstrated by its reliability in describing Li-rich Li2CoO2 and Li-deficient LiCo2O4 compounds, including their phase stability, equilibrium volume, charge states and cathode voltages. These results demonstrate that the CT-MEAM dynamic charge potential could help to overcome the challenge of modeling complex ternary transition metal oxides. This work can promote molecular dynamics studies of Li ion cathode materials and other important transition metal oxides systems that involve complex electrochemical and catalytic reactions.

Charge-transfer modified embedded atom method dynamic charge potential for Li-Co-O system.

PubMed

Kong, Fantai; Longo, Roberto C; Liang, Chaoping; Nie, Yifan; Zheng, Yongping; Zhang, Chenxi; Cho, Kyeongjae

2017-11-29

To overcome the limitation of conventional fixed charge potential methods for the study of Li-ion battery cathode materials, a dynamic charge potential method, charge-transfer modified embedded atom method (CT-MEAM), has been developed and applied to the Li-Co-O ternary system. The accuracy of the potential has been tested and validated by reproducing a variety of structural and electrochemical properties of LiCoO 2 . A detailed analysis on the local charge distribution confirmed the capability of this potential for dynamic charge modeling. The transferability of the potential is also demonstrated by its reliability in describing Li-rich Li 2 CoO 2 and Li-deficient LiCo 2 O 4 compounds, including their phase stability, equilibrium volume, charge states and cathode voltages. These results demonstrate that the CT-MEAM dynamic charge potential could help to overcome the challenge of modeling complex ternary transition metal oxides. This work can promote molecular dynamics studies of Li ion cathode materials and other important transition metal oxides systems that involve complex electrochemical and catalytic reactions.

First examples of ternary lanthanide 5-aminoisophthalate complexes: Hydrothermal syntheses and structures of lanthanide coordination polymers with 5-aminoisophthalate and oxalate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chong-Bo; Wen, Hui-Liang; Tan, Sheng-Shui; Yi, Xiu-Guang

2008-05-01

Two new lanthanide coordination polymers with mixed-carboxylates, [Ln(OX)(HAPA)(H 2O)] n[Ln = Eu ( 1), Ho ( 2); H 2APA = 5-aminoisophthalic acid; OX = oxalate] were obtained by hydrothermal reactions, and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis and IR spectra. Complexes 1 and 2 are both 3-D supramolecular structure, in which lanthanide ions are bridged by oxalate and 5-aminoisophthalate ligands forming 2-D metal-organic framework, and 2-D networks are further architectured to form 3-D supramolecular structures by hydrogen bonds. The two carboxylate groups of H 2APA ligand are all deprotonated and exhibit chelating and bridging bidentate coordination modes, respectively, and the amino group in HAPA presents - NH3+ in the titled complexes. The thermogravimetric analysis was carried out to examine the thermal stability of the titled complexes. And the photoluminescence property of 1 was investigated.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jia, Xiaofei; Singh, Rajendra; Homann, Stefanie

The HIV-1 protein Nef inhibits antigen presentation by class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I). We determined the mechanism of this activity by solving the crystal structure of a protein complex comprising Nef, the MHC-I cytoplasmic domain (MHC-I CD) and the {mu}1 subunit of the clathrin adaptor protein complex 1. A ternary, cooperative interaction clamps the MHC-I CD into a narrow binding groove at the Nef-{mu}1 interface, which encompasses the cargo-recognition site of {mu}1 and the proline-rich strand of Nef. The Nef C terminus induces a previously unobserved conformational change in {mu}1, whereas the N terminus binds the Nef core tomore » position it optimally for complex formation. Positively charged patches on {mu}1 recognize acidic clusters in Nef and MHC-I. The structure shows how Nef functions as a clathrin-associated sorting protein to alter the specificity of host membrane trafficking and enable viral evasion of adaptive immunity.« less

Atomic description of the immune complex involved in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

DOE PAGES

Cai, Zheng; Yarovoi, Serge V.; Zhu, Zhiqiang; ...

2015-09-22

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an autoimmune thrombotic disorder caused by immune complexes containing platelet factor 4 (PF4), antibodies to PF4 and heparin or cellular glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Here we solve the crystal structures of the: (1) PF4 tetramer/fondaparinux complex, (2) PF4 tetramer/KKO-Fab complex (a murine monoclonal HIT-like antibody) and (3) PF4 monomer/RTO-Fab complex (a non-HIT anti-PF4 monoclonal antibody). Fondaparinux binds to the ‘closed’ end of the PF4 tetramer and stabilizes its conformation. This interaction in turn stabilizes the epitope for KKO on the ‘open’ end of the tetramer. Fondaparinux and KKO thereby collaborate to ‘stabilize’ the ternary pathogenic immune complex. Bindingmore » of RTO to PF4 monomers prevents PF4 tetramerization and inhibits KKO and human HIT IgG-induced platelet activation and platelet aggregation in vitro, and thrombus progression in vivo. Lastly, the atomic structures provide a basis to develop new diagnostics and non-anticoagulant therapeutics for HIT.« less

Alternative solution model for the ternary carbonate system CaCO3 - MgCO3 - FeCO3 - I. A ternary Bragg-Williams ordering model

USGS Publications Warehouse

McSwiggen, P.L.

1993-01-01

The minerals of the ternary carbonate system CaCO3 - MgCO3 - FeCO3 represent a complex series of solid solutions and ordering states. An understanding of those complexities requires a solution model that can both duplicate the subsolidus phase relationships and generate correct values for the activities. Such a solution model must account for the changes in the total energy of the system resulting from a change in the ordering state of the individual constituents. Various ordering models have been applied to binary carbonate systems, but no attempts have previously been made to model the ordering in the ternary system. This study derives a new set of equations that allow for the equilibrium degree of order to be calculated for a system involving three cations mixing on two sites, as in the case of the ternary carbonates. The method is based on the Bragg-Williams approach. From the degree of order, the mole fractions of the three cations in each of the two sites can be determined. Once the site occupancies have been established, a Margules-type mixing model can be used to determine the free energy of mixing in the solid solution and therefore the activities of the various components. ?? 1993 Springer-Verlag.

Phosphoryl transfer reaction snapshots in crystals: Insights into the mechanism of protein kinase a catalytic subunit

DOE PAGES

Das, Amit; Gerlits, Oksana O.; Heller, William T.; ...

2015-06-19

To study the catalytic mechanism of phosphorylation catalyzed by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) a structure of the enzyme-substrate complex representing the Michaelis complex is of specific interest as it can shed light on the structure of the transition state. However, all previous crystal structures of the Michaelis complex mimics of the PKA catalytic subunit (PKAc) were obtained with either peptide inhibitors or ATP analogs. Here we utilized Ca 2+ ions and sulfur in place of the nucleophilic oxygen in a 20-residue pseudo-substrate peptide (CP20) and ATP to produce a close mimic of the Michaelis complex. In the ternary reactant complex,more » the thiol group of Cys-21 of the peptide is facing Asp-166 and the sulfur atom is positioned for an in-line phosphoryl transfer. Replacement of Ca 2+ cations with Mg 2+ ions resulted in a complex with trapped products of ATP hydrolysis: phosphate ion and ADP. As a result, the present structural results in combination with the previously reported structures of the transition state mimic and phosphorylated product complexes complete the snapshots of the phosphoryl transfer reaction by PKAc, providing us with the most thorough picture of the catalytic mechanism to date.« less

Repulsive Guidance Molecule is a structural bridge between Neogenin and Bone Morphogenetic Protein

PubMed Central

Healey, Eleanor G.; Bishop, Benjamin; Elegheert, Jonathan; Bell, Christian H.; Padilla-Parra, Sergi; Siebold, Christian

2015-01-01

Repulsive guidance molecules (RGMs) control crucial processes spanning cell motility, adhesion, immune cell regulation and systemic iron metabolism. RGMs signal via two fundamental signaling cascades: the Neogenin (NEO1) and the Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathways. Here, we report crystal structures of the N-terminal domains of all human RGM family members in complex with the BMP ligand BMP2, revealing a novel protein fold and a conserved BMP-binding mode. Our structural and functional data suggest a pH-linked mechanism for RGM-activated BMP signaling and offer a rationale for RGM mutations causing juvenile hemochromatosis. We also determined the ternary BMP2–RGM–NEO1 complex crystal structure, which combined with solution scattering and live-cell super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, indicates BMP-induced clustering of the RGM–NEO1 complex. Our results show how RGM acts as the central hub linking BMP and NEO1 and physically connecting these fundamental signaling pathways. PMID:25938661

Synthesis and electrochemical performance of multi-walled carbon nanotube/polyaniline/MnO 2 ternary coaxial nanostructures for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qiang; Liu, Jianhua; Zou, Jianhua; Chunder, Anindarupa; Chen, Yiqing; Zhai, Lei

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polyaniline (PANI)/MnO 2 (MPM) ternary coaxial structures are fabricated as supercapacitor electrodes via a simple wet chemical method. The electrostatic interaction between negative poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSS) molecules and positive Mn 2+ ions causes the generation of MnO 2 nanostructures on MWCNT surfaces while the introduction of PANI layers with appropriate thickness on MWCNT surfaces facilitates the formation of MWCNT/PANI/MnO 2 ternary coaxial structures. The thickness of PANI coatings is controlled by tuning the aniline/MWCNT ratio. The effect of PANI thickness on the subsequent MnO 2 nanoflakes attachment onto MWCNTs, and the MPM structures is investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results suggest that appropriate thickness of PANI layers is important for building MPM ternary coaxial structures without the agglomeration of MnO 2 nanoflakes. The MPM ternary coaxial structures provide large interaction area between the MnO 2 nanoflakes and electrolyte, and improve the electrochemical utilization of the hydrous MnO 2, and decrease the contact resistance between MnO 2 and PANI layer coated MWCNTs, leading to intriguing electrochemical properties for the applications in supercapacitors such as a specific capacitance of 330 Fg -1 and good cycle stability.

Complex formation equilibria of binary and ternary complexes involving 3,3-bis(1-methylimidazol-2yl)propionic acid and bio-relevant ligands as 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid with reference to plant hormone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoukry, Mohamed M.; Hassan, Safaa S.

2014-01-01

The formation equilibria for the binary complexes of Cu(II) with 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC) and 3,3-bis(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)propionic acid (BIMP) were investigated. ACC and BIMP form the complexes 1 1 0, 1 2 0 and 1 1 -1. The ternary complexes of Cu(II) with BIMP and biorelevant ligands as some selected amino acids, peptides and DNA constituents are formed in a stepwise mechanism. The stability constants of the complexes formed were determined and their distribution diagrams were evaluated. The kinetics of hydrolysis of glycine methyl ester in presence of [Cu(BIMP)]+ was investigated by pH-stat technique and the mechanism was discussed.

Structural Basis for Telomerase RNA Recognition and RNP Assembly by the Holoenzyme La Family Protein p65

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singh, Mahavir; Wang, Zhonghua; Koo, Bon-Kyung

2012-07-01

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex essential for maintenance of telomere DNA at linear chromosome ends. The catalytic core of Tetrahymena telomerase comprises a ternary complex of telomerase RNA (TER), telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), and the essential La family protein p65. NMR and crystal structures of p65 C-terminal domain and its complex with stem IV of TER reveal that RNA recognition is achieved by a combination of single- and double-stranded RNA binding, which induces a 105{sup o} bend in TER. The domain is a cryptic, atypical RNA recognition motif with a disordered C-terminal extension that forms an {alpha} helix in themore » complex necessary for hierarchical assembly of TERT with p65-TER. This work provides the first structural insight into biogenesis and assembly of TER with a telomerase-specific protein. Additionally, our studies define a structurally homologous domain (xRRM) in genuine La and LARP7 proteins and suggest a general mode of RNA binding for biogenesis of their diverse RNA targets.« less

Evidence of an inverted hexagonal phase in self-assembled phospholipid-DNA-metal complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francescangeli, O.; Pisani, M.; Stanic, V.; Bruni, P.; Weiss, T. M.

2004-08-01

We report the first observation of an inverted hexagonal phase of phospholipid-DNA-metal complexes. These ternary complexes are formed in a self-assembled manner when water solutions of neutral lipid dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), DNA and divalent metal cations (Me2+; Me=Fe, Co, Mg, Mn) are mixed, which represents a striking example of supramolecular chemistry. The structure, derived from synchrotron X-ray diffraction, consists of cylindrical DNA strands coated by neutral lipid monolayers and arranged on a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice (HIIc). Besides the fundamental aspects, DOPE-DNA-Me2+ complexes may be of great interest as efficient nonviral delivery systems in gene therapy applications because of the low inherent cytotoxicity and the potential high transfection efficiency.

Structural variety in copper(II) complexes of 3-formylchromone: Synthesis, spectral, thermal, molecular modeling and biological studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shebl, Magdy; Adly, Omima M. I.; Taha, A.; Elabd, N. N.

2017-11-01

The compound in the title (L) was synthesized and reacted with Cu(II) metal ion with different anions (OAc-, NO3-, SO42-, ClO4-, Cl- and Br-) in absence and presence of auxiliary ligands (L‧); N,O-donor; or N,N-donor; to form binary and ternary Cu(II)-chelates. The metal complexes were fully characterized by analytical and spectral techniques in addition to thermal, conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The obtained results showed that the ligand behaves as a neutral bidentate, forming chelates with molar ratios: 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3; M:L for binary and 1:2:1 and 1:1:1; M:L:L‧ for ternary complexes, which can be formulated as: [LmCuXn(H2O)y]·zH2O, m = 1 or 2, n = 0, 1 or 2, X = OAc-, SO42-, Cl- or Br-, y = 0 or 2, z = 0 or 0.5; [LmCu(H2O)n]X2·zMeOH, m = 2 or 3, n = 0 or 2, X = ClO4- or NO3-, z = 0 or 1 and [Lm L'Cu(H2O)n](NO3)x·yS, m = 1 or 2, n = 0 or 2, X = 1 or 2, y = 0.5 or 4, S = H2O or MeOH. The ESR spin Hamiltonian parameters of some complexes were calculated. Kinetic parameters (Ea, A, ΔH, ΔS and ΔG) of the thermal decomposition stages have been evaluated using Coats-Redfern equations. The structural parameters of the ligand and its metal complexes have been calculated and correlated with the experimental data. The metal complexes exhibited octahedral and square planar geometrical arrangements according to the nature of the anion. The ligand and its metal complexes showed antibacterial activity towards Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, yeast and fungus.

Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) Signaling Requires αvβ3-IGF1-IGF Type 1 Receptor (IGF1R) Ternary Complex Formation in Anchorage Independence, and the Complex Formation Does Not Require IGF1R and Src Activation

PubMed Central

Fujita, Masaaki; Takada, Yoko K.; Takada, Yoshikazu

2013-01-01

Integrin αvβ3 plays a role in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling (integrin-IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) cross-talk) in non-transformed cells in anchorage-dependent conditions. We reported previously that IGF1 directly binds to αvβ3 and induces αvβ3-IGF1-IGF1R ternary complex formation in these conditions. The integrin-binding defective IGF1 mutant (R36E/R37E) is defective in inducing ternary complex formation and IGF signaling, whereas it still binds to IGF1R. We studied if IGF1 can induce signaling in anchorage-independent conditions in transformed Chinese hamster ovary cells that express αvβ3 (β3-CHO) cells. Here we describe that IGF1 signals were more clearly detectable in anchorage-independent conditions (polyHEMA-coated plates) than in anchorage-dependent conditions. This suggests that IGF signaling is masked by signals from cell-matrix interaction in anchorage-dependent conditions. IGF signaling required αvβ3 expression, and R36E/R37E was defective in inducing signals in polyHEMA-coated plates. These results suggest that αvβ3-IGF1 interaction, not αvβ3-extracellular matrix interaction, is essential for IGF signaling. Inhibitors of IGF1R, Src, AKT, and ERK1/2 did not suppress αvβ3-IGF-IGF1R ternary complex formation, suggesting that activation of these kinases are not required for ternary complex formation. Also, mutations of the β3 cytoplasmic tail (Y747F and Y759F) that block β3 tyrosine phosphorylation did not affect IGF1R phosphorylation or AKT activation. We propose a model in which IGF1 binding to IGF1R induces recruitment of integrin αvβ3 to the IGF-IGF1R complex and then β3 and IGF1R are phosphorylated. It is likely that αvβ3 should be together with the IGF1-IGF1R complex for triggering IGF signaling. PMID:23243309

Coordination properties of tridentate (N,O,O) heterocyclic alcohol (PDC) with Cu(II). Mixed ligand complex formation reactions of Cu(II) with PDC and some bio-relevant ligands.

PubMed

El-Sherif, Ahmed A; Shoukry, Mohamed M

2007-03-01

The formation equilibria of copper(II) complexes and the ternary complexes Cu(PDC)L (PDC=2,6-bis-(hydroxymethyl)-pyridine, HL=amino acid, amides or DNA constituents) have been investigated. Ternary complexes are formed by a simultaneous mechanism. The results showed the formation of Cu(PDC)L, Cu(PDC, H(-1))(L) and Cu(PDC, H(-2))(L) complexes. The concentration distribution of the complexes in solution is evaluated as a function of pH. The effect of dioxane as a solvent on the protonation constant of PDC and the formation constants of Cu(II) complexes are discussed. The thermodynamic parameters DeltaH degrees and DeltaS degrees calculated from the temperature dependence of the equilibrium constants are investigated.

Crystal structure of the Csm3-Csm4 subcomplex in the type III-A CRISPR-Cas interference complex.

PubMed

Numata, Tomoyuki; Inanaga, Hideko; Sato, Chikara; Osawa, Takuo

2015-01-30

Clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) loci play a pivotal role in the prokaryotic host defense system against invading genetic materials. The CRISPR loci are transcribed to produce CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs), which form interference complexes with CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins to target the invading nucleic acid for degradation. The interference complex of the type III-A CRISPR-Cas system is composed of five Cas proteins (Csm1-Csm5) and a crRNA, and targets invading DNA. Here, we show that the Csm1, Csm3, and Csm4 proteins from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii form a stable subcomplex. We also report the crystal structure of the M. jannaschii Csm3-Csm4 subcomplex at 3.1Å resolution. The complex structure revealed the presence of a basic concave surface around their interface, suggesting the RNA and/or DNA binding ability of the complex. A gel retardation analysis showed that the Csm3-Csm4 complex binds single-stranded RNA in a non-sequence-specific manner. Csm4 structurally resembles Cmr3, a component of the type III-B CRISPR-Cas interference complex. Based on bioinformatics, we constructed a model structure of the Csm1-Csm4-Csm3 ternary complex, which provides insights into its role in the Csm interference complex. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct evidence of an elongation factor-Tu/Ts·GTP·Aminoacyl-tRNA quaternary complex.

PubMed

Burnett, Benjamin J; Altman, Roger B; Ferguson, Angelica; Wasserman, Michael R; Zhou, Zhou; Blanchard, Scott C

2014-08-22

During protein synthesis, elongation factor-Tu (EF-Tu) bound to GTP chaperones the entry of aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) into actively translating ribosomes. In so doing, EF-Tu increases the rate and fidelity of the translation mechanism. Recent evidence suggests that EF-Ts, the guanosine nucleotide exchange factor for EF-Tu, directly accelerates both the formation and dissociation of the EF-Tu-GTP-Phe-tRNA(Phe) ternary complex (Burnett, B. J., Altman, R. B., Ferrao, R., Alejo, J. L., Kaur, N., Kanji, J., and Blanchard, S. C. (2013) J. Biol. Chem. 288, 13917-13928). A central feature of this model is the existence of a quaternary complex of EF-Tu/Ts·GTP·aa-tRNA(aa). Here, through comparative investigations of phenylalanyl, methionyl, and arginyl ternary complexes, and the development of a strategy to monitor their formation and decay using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we reveal the generality of this newly described EF-Ts function and the first direct evidence of the transient quaternary complex species. These findings suggest that EF-Ts may regulate ternary complex abundance in the cell through mechanisms that are distinct from its guanosine nucleotide exchange factor functions. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Ternary complex formation of Eu(III) with o-phthalate in aqueous solutions.

PubMed

Park, K K; Jung, E C; Cho, H-R; Kim, W H

2009-08-15

Ternary hydroxo complex formation of Eu(III) with o-phthalate was investigated by potentiometry and fluorescence spectrophotometry. Curves of the equilibrium pH versus the amount of NaOH added showed that the pH value starting to form a Eu(III) precipitate was decreased due to the formation of a ternary hydroxo complex, EuOHL(s) (L = phthalate). The formation of EuOHL(s) was qualitatively confirmed by the enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of Eu(III) in the precipitate with the light absorbed by phthalate, and was quantitatively confirmed by the measurement of the amounts of Eu(III), OH(-) and phthalate included in the precipitate. The solubility product of EuOHL(s) was determined as pK(sp)(0) = 15.6+/-0.4. Characteristic features in the fluorescence spectra and the solubility product of the Eu(III)-phthalate complex were compared with those of the Eu(III)-PDA (PDA = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate) complex. The fluorescence intensity of the EuL(+) complex of L = PDA was about 11 times stronger than that of L = phthalate. The origin of the difference in the fluorescence intensity is discussed based on the intramolecular energy transfer effect from the lowest triplet energy level of the ligand to the resonance energy level of Eu(III).

Effect of Ni-Co Ternary Molten Salt Catalysts on Coal Catalytic Pyrolysis Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Xin; Qi, Cong; Li, Liang; Li, Yimin; Li, Song

2017-08-01

In order to facilitate efficient and clean utilization of coal, a series of Ni-Co ternary molten salt crystals are explored and the catalytic pyrolysis mechanism of Datong coal is investigated. The reaction mechanisms of coal are achieved by thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), and a reactive kinetic model is constructed. The microcosmic structure and macerals are observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The catalytic effects of ternary molten salt crystals at different stages of pyrolysis are analyzed. The experimental results show that Ni-Co ternary molten salt catalysts have the capability to bring down activation energy required by pyrolytic reactions at its initial phase. Also, the catalysts exert a preferable catalytic action on macromolecular structure decomposition and free radical polycondensation reactions. Furthermore, the high-temperature condensation polymerization is driven to decompose further with a faster reaction rate by the additions of Ni-Co ternary molten salt crystal catalysts. According to pyrolysis kinetic research, the addition of catalysts can effectively decrease the activation energy needed in each phase of pyrolysis reaction.

Luminescence properties and warm white LED application of a ternary-alkaline fluoride red phosphor K2NaAlF6:Mn4+ .

PubMed

Wang, L Y; Song, E H; Deng, T T; Zhou, Y Y; Liao, Z F; Zhao, W R; Zhou, B; Zhang, Q Y

2017-08-14

Herein, a Mn 4+ ion doped complex ternary-alkaline fluoride red phosphor K 2 NaAlF 6 :Mn 4+ has been synthesized through a facile two-step co-precipitation method at room temperature. The crystal structure, morphological properties and influence of the dopant concentration, temperature and humidity on luminescence properties as well as the performance of the as-synthesized phosphor used in white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) were investigated carefully. Intense absorption in the blue region (∼460 nm) and bright narrow-band red emission (∼630 nm) with high color purity were observed from this resultant powder. Temperature-dependent investigation and reliability examination in a HTHH environment (85 °C high temperature and 85% high humidity) indicate that the obtained ternary-alkaline fluoride phosphor K 2 NaAlF 6 :Mn 4+ presents more exceptional thermal quenching behavior and longevity compared to some other binary-alkaline fluorides. Moreover, using K 2 NaAlF 6 :Mn 4+ as a red light component, a warm WLED with a preferable color rendering index (R a = 85.5) and luminous efficacy (LE = 91.2 lm W -1 ) as well as a low corresponding color temperature (CCT = 3650 K) is easily achieved, further revealing the great potential of the as-prepared ternary-alkaline fluoride red phosphor K 2 NaAlF 6 :Mn 4+ for WLED applications.

Spatial Associations and Chemical Composition of Organic Carbon Sequestered in Fe, Ca, and Organic Carbon Ternary Systems.

PubMed

Sowers, Tyler D; Adhikari, Dinesh; Wang, Jian; Yang, Yu; Sparks, Donald L

2018-05-25

Organo-mineral associations of organic carbon (OC) with iron (Fe) oxides play a major role in environmental OC sequestration, a process crucial to mitigating climate change. Calcium has been found to have high coassociation with OC in soils containing high Fe content, increase OC sorption extent to poorly crystalline Fe oxides, and has long been suspected to form bridging complexes with Fe and OC. Due to the growing realization that Ca may be an important component of C cycling, we launched a scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) investigation, paired with near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, in order to spatially resolve Fe, Ca, and OC relationships and probe the effect of Ca on sorbed OC speciation. We performed STXM-NEXAFS analysis on 2-line ferrihydrite reacted with leaf litter-extractable dissolved OC and citric acid in the absence and presence of Ca. Organic carbon was found to highly associate with Ca ( R 2 = 0.91). Carboxylic acid moieties were dominantly sequestered; however, Ca facilitated the additional sequestration of aromatic and phenolic moieties. Also, C NEXAFS revealed polyvalent metal ion complexation. Our results provide evidence for the presence of Fe-Ca-OC ternary complexation, which has the potential to significantly impact how organo-mineral associations are modeled.

Spectroscopic identification of binary and ternary surface complexes of Np(V) on gibbsite.

PubMed

Gückel, Katharina; Rossberg, André; Müller, Katharina; Brendler, Vinzenz; Bernhard, Gert; Foerstendorf, Harald

2013-12-17

For the first time, detailed molecular information on the Np(V) sorption species on amorphous Al(OH)3 and crystalline gibbsite was obtained by in situ time-resolved Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier-Transform Infrared (ATR FT-IR) and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The results consistently demonstrate the formation of mononuclear inner sphere complexes of the NpO2(+) ion irrespective of the prevailing atmospheric condition. The impact of the presence of atmospheric equivalent added carbonate on the speciation in solution and on the surfaces becomes evident from vibrational data. While the 1:1 aqueous carbonato species (NpO2CO3(-)) was found to become predominant in the circumneutral pH range, it is most likely that this species is sorbed onto the gibbsite surface as a ternary inner sphere surface complex where the NpO2(+) moiety is directly coordinated to the functional groups of the gibbsite's surface. These findings are corroborated by results obtained from EXAFS spectroscopy providing further evidence for a bidentate coordination of the Np(V) ion on amorphous Al(OH)3. The identification of the Np(V) surface species on gibbsite constitutes a basic finding for a comprehensive description of the dissemination of neptunium in groundwater systems.

Structure, equilibrium and ligand exchange dynamics in the binary and ternary dioxouranium(VI)-ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid-fluoride system: A potentiometric, NMR and X-ray crystallographic study.

PubMed

Palladino, Giuseppe; Szabó, Zoltán; Fischer, Andreas; Grenthe, Ingmar

2006-11-21

The structure, thermodynamics and kinetics of the binary and ternary uranium(VI)-ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetate (in the following denoted EDDA) fluoride systems have been studied using potentiometry, 1H, 19F NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The UO2(2+)-EDDA system could be studied up to -log[H3O+] = 3.4 where the formation of two binary complexes UO2(EDDA)(aq) and UO2(H3EDDA)3+ were identified, with equilibrium constants logbeta(UO2EDDA) = 11.63 +/- 0.02 and logbeta(UO2H3EDDA3+) = 1.77 +/- 0.04, respectively. In the ternary system the complexes UO2(EDDA)F-, UO2(EDDA)(OH)- and (UO2)2(mu-OH)2(HEDDA)2F2(aq) were identified; the latter through 19F NMR. 1H NMR spectra indicate that the EDDA ligand is chelate bonded in UO2(EDDA)(aq), UO2(EDDA)F- and UO2(EDDA)(OH)- while only one carboxylate group is coordinated in UO2(H3EDDA)3+. The rate and mechanism of the fluoride exchange between UO2(EDDA)F- and free fluoride was studied by 19F NMR spectroscopy. Three reactions contribute to the exchange; (i) site exchange between UO2(EDDA)F- and free fluoride without any net chemical exchange, (ii) replacement of the coordinated fluoride with OH- and (iii) the self dissociation of the coordinated fluoride forming UO2(EDDA)(aq); these reactions seem to follow associative mechanisms. (1)H NMR spectra show that the exchange between the free and chelate bonded EDDA is slow and consists of several steps, protonation/deprotonation and chelate ring opening/ring closure, the mechanism cannot be elucidated from the available data. The structure (UO2)2(EDDA)2(mu-H2EDDA) was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and contains two UO2(EDDA) units with tetracoordinated EDDA linked by H2EDDA in the "zwitterion" form, coordinated through a single carboxylate oxygen from each end to the two uranium atoms. The geometry of the complexes indicates that there is no geometric constraint for an associative ligand substitution mechanism.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cai, Zheng; Yarovoi, Serge V.; Zhu, Zhiqiang

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an autoimmune thrombotic disorder caused by immune complexes containing platelet factor 4 (PF4), antibodies to PF4 and heparin or cellular glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Here we solve the crystal structures of the: (1) PF4 tetramer/fondaparinux complex, (2) PF4 tetramer/KKO-Fab complex (a murine monoclonal HIT-like antibody) and (3) PF4 monomer/RTO-Fab complex (a non-HIT anti-PF4 monoclonal antibody). Fondaparinux binds to the ‘closed’ end of the PF4 tetramer and stabilizes its conformation. This interaction in turn stabilizes the epitope for KKO on the ‘open’ end of the tetramer. Fondaparinux and KKO thereby collaborate to ‘stabilize’ the ternary pathogenic immune complex. Bindingmore » of RTO to PF4 monomers prevents PF4 tetramerization and inhibits KKO and human HIT IgG-induced platelet activation and platelet aggregation in vitro, and thrombus progression in vivo. Lastly, the atomic structures provide a basis to develop new diagnostics and non-anticoagulant therapeutics for HIT.« less

Structural Investigations of the Nickel-Induced Inhibition of Truncated Constructs of the JMJD2 Family of Histone Demethylases Using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Giri, Nitai Charan; Passantino, Lisa; Sun, Hong; Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Costa, Max; Maroney, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Occupational and/or environmental exposure to nickel has been implicated in various types of cancer, and in vitro exposure to nickel compounds results in accumulation of Ni(II) ions in cells. One of the major targets of Ni(II) ions inside the cell is Fe(II)- and αKG-dependent dioxygenases. Using JMJD2A and JMJD2C as examples, we show that JMJD2 family of histone demethylases, which are products of putative oncogenes as well as Fe(II)- and αKG-dependent dioxygenases, are highly sensitive to inhibition by Ni(II) ions. In this work, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to investigate the Fe(II) active site of truncated JMJD2A and JMJD2C (1 – 350 aa) in the presence and absence of αKG and/or substrate to obtain mechanistic details of the early steps in catalysis that precede O2 binding in histone demethylation by the JMJD2 family of histone demethylases. Zinc K-edge XAS has been performed on the resting JMJD2A (with iron in the active site) to confirm the presence of the expected structural zinc site. XAS of the Ni(II)-substituted enzymes has also been performed to investigate the inhibition of these enzymes by Ni(II) ions. Our XAS results indicate that the five-coordinate Fe(II) center in the resting enzyme is retained in the binary and ternary complexes. In contrast, the Ni(II) center is six-coordinate in the resting enzyme, binary and ternary complexes. XAS results indicate that both Fe(II) and Ni(II) bind αKG in the binary and ternary complexes. The electron density build-up that is observed at the Fe(II) center in the presence of αKG and substrate is not observed at the Ni(II) center. Thus, both electronic and steric factors are responsible for Ni-induced inhibition of the JMJD2 family of histone demethylases. Ni-induced inhibition of these enzymes may explain the alteration of the epigenetic mechanism of gene expression that is responsible for Ni-induced carcinogenesis. PMID:23692052

Canonical Initiation Factor Requirements of the Myc Family of Internal Ribosome Entry Segments▿ †

PubMed Central

Spriggs, Keith A.; Cobbold, Laura C.; Jopling, Catherine L.; Cooper, Rebecca E.; Wilson, Lindsay A.; Stoneley, Mark; Coldwell, Mark J.; Poncet, Didier; Shen, Ya-Ching; Morley, Simon J.; Bushell, Martin; Willis, Anne E.

2009-01-01

Initiation of protein synthesis in eukaryotes requires recruitment of the ribosome to the mRNA and its translocation to the start codon. There are at least two distinct mechanisms by which this process can be achieved; the ribosome can be recruited either to the cap structure at the 5′ end of the message or to an internal ribosome entry segment (IRES), a complex RNA structural element located in the 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) of the mRNA. However, it is not well understood how cellular IRESs function to recruit the ribosome or how the 40S ribosomal subunits translocate from the initial recruitment site on the mRNA to the AUG initiation codon. We have investigated the canonical factors that are required by the IRESs found in the 5′-UTRs of c-, L-, and N-myc, using specific inhibitors and a tissue culture-based assay system, and have shown that they differ considerably in their requirements. The L-myc IRES requires the eIF4F complex and the association of PABP and eIF3 with eIF4G for activity. The minimum requirements of the N- and c-myc IRESs are the C-terminal domain of eIF4G to which eIF4A is bound and eIF3, although interestingly this protein does not appear to be recruited to the IRES RNA via eIF4G. Finally, our data show that all three IRESs require a ternary complex, although in contrast to c- and L-myc IRESs, the N-myc IRES has a lesser requirement for a ternary complex. PMID:19124605

Synthesis and thermal characterization of new ternary chelates of piroxicam and tenoxicam with glycine and DL-phenylalanine and some transition metals.

PubMed

Zayed, M A; El-Dien, F A Nour; Mohamed, Gehad G; El-Gamel, Nadia E A

2006-05-01

The ternary chelates of piroxicam (Pir) and tenoxicam (Ten) with Fe(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) in the presence of various amino acids such as glycine (Gly) or dl-phenylalanine (PhA) were prepared and characterized with different physicochemical methods. IR spectra confirm that Pir and Ten behave as a neutral bidentate ligand coordinated to the metal ions via the pyridine-N and carbonyl group of the amide moiety. Gly molecule acted as a uninegatively monodentate ligand and coordinate to the metal ions through its deprotonated carboxylic group. In addition, PhA acted as a uninegatively bidentate ligand and coordinate to the metal ions through its deprotonated carboxylic and amino groups. The solid reflectance spectra and magnetic moment measurements confirm that all the chelates have octahedral geometrical structures while Cu(II)- and Zn(II)-ternary chelates with PhA have square planar geometrical structures. Thermal behaviour of the complexes is extensively studied using TG and DTA techniques. TG results show that water molecules (hydrated and coordinated) and anions are removed in the first and second steps while Gly, PhA, Pir and Ten are decomposed in the next and subsequent steps. The pyrolyses of the chelates into different gases are observed in the DTA curves as exo- or endothermic peaks. Also, phase transition states are observed in some chelates. Different thermodynamic parameters are calculated using Coats-Redfern method and the results are interpreted.

Synthesis and thermal characterization of new ternary chelates of piroxicam and tenoxicam with glycine and DL-phenylalanine and some transition metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zayed, M. A.; El-Dien, F. A. Nour; Mohamed, Gehad G.; El-Gamel, Nadia E. A.

2006-05-01

The ternary chelates of piroxicam (Pir) and tenoxicam (Ten) with Fe(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) in the presence of various amino acids such as glycine (Gly) or DL-phenylalanine (PhA) were prepared and characterized with different physicochemical methods. IR spectra confirm that Pir and Ten behave as a neutral bidentate ligand coordinated to the metal ions via the pyridine- N and carbonyl group of the amide moiety. Gly molecule acted as a uninegatively monodentate ligand and coordinate to the metal ions through its deprotonated carboxylic group. In addition, PhA acted as a uninegatively bidentate ligand and coordinate to the metal ions through its deprotonated carboxylic and amino groups. The solid reflectance spectra and magnetic moment measurements confirm that all the chelates have octahedral geometrical structures while Cu(II)- and Zn(II)-ternary chelates with PhA have square planar geometrical structures. Thermal behaviour of the complexes is extensively studied using TG and DTA techniques. TG results show that water molecules (hydrated and coordinated) and anions are removed in the first and second steps while Gly, PhA, Pir and Ten are decomposed in the next and subsequent steps. The pyrolyses of the chelates into different gases are observed in the DTA curves as exo- or endothermic peaks. Also, phase transition states are observed in some chelates. Different thermodynamic parameters are calculated using Coats-Redfern method and the results are interpreted.

Effect of Natural Organic Matter on Plutonium Sorption to Goethite

DOE PAGES

Conroy, Nathan A.; Zavarin, Mavrik; Kersting, Annie B.; ...

2016-11-21

For this research, the effect of citric acid (CA), desferrioxamine B (DFOB), fulvic acid (FA), and humic acid (HA) on plutonium (Pu) sorption to goethite was studied as a function of organic carbon concentration and pH using batch sorption experiments at 5 mg C·L –1 and 50 mg C·L –1 natural organic matter (NOM), 10 –9–10 –10 M 238Pu, and 0.1 g·L –1 goethite concentrations, at pH 3, 5, 7, and 9. Low sorption of ligands coupled with strong Pu complexation decreased Pu sorption at pH 5 and 7, relative to a ligand-free system. Conversely, CA, FA, and HA increasedmore » Pu sorption to goethite at pH 3, suggesting ternary complex formation or, in the case of humic acid, incorporation into HA aggregates. Mechanisms for ternary complex formation were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the absence of Pu. CA and FA demonstrated clear surface interactions at pH 3, HA appeared unchanged suggesting HA aggregates had formed, and no DFOB interactions were observed. Plutonium sorption decreased in the presence of DFOB (relative to a ligand free system) at all pH values examined. Thus, DFOB does not appear to facilitate formation of ternary Pu-DFOB-goethite complexes. At pH 9, Pu sorption in the presence of all NOM increased relative to pH 5 and 7; speciation models attributed this to Pu(IV) hydrolysis competing with ligand complexation, increasing sorption. In conclusion, the results indicate that in simple Pu-NOM-goethite ternary batch systems, NOM will decrease Pu sorption to goethite at all but particularly low pH conditions.« less

Effect of Natural Organic Matter on Plutonium Sorption to Goethite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conroy, Nathan A.; Zavarin, Mavrik; Kersting, Annie B.

For this research, the effect of citric acid (CA), desferrioxamine B (DFOB), fulvic acid (FA), and humic acid (HA) on plutonium (Pu) sorption to goethite was studied as a function of organic carbon concentration and pH using batch sorption experiments at 5 mg C·L –1 and 50 mg C·L –1 natural organic matter (NOM), 10 –9–10 –10 M 238Pu, and 0.1 g·L –1 goethite concentrations, at pH 3, 5, 7, and 9. Low sorption of ligands coupled with strong Pu complexation decreased Pu sorption at pH 5 and 7, relative to a ligand-free system. Conversely, CA, FA, and HA increasedmore » Pu sorption to goethite at pH 3, suggesting ternary complex formation or, in the case of humic acid, incorporation into HA aggregates. Mechanisms for ternary complex formation were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the absence of Pu. CA and FA demonstrated clear surface interactions at pH 3, HA appeared unchanged suggesting HA aggregates had formed, and no DFOB interactions were observed. Plutonium sorption decreased in the presence of DFOB (relative to a ligand free system) at all pH values examined. Thus, DFOB does not appear to facilitate formation of ternary Pu-DFOB-goethite complexes. At pH 9, Pu sorption in the presence of all NOM increased relative to pH 5 and 7; speciation models attributed this to Pu(IV) hydrolysis competing with ligand complexation, increasing sorption. In conclusion, the results indicate that in simple Pu-NOM-goethite ternary batch systems, NOM will decrease Pu sorption to goethite at all but particularly low pH conditions.« less

Analysis of physicochemical properties of ternary systems of oxaprozin with randomly methylated-ß-cyclodextrin and l-arginine aimed to improve the drug solubility.

PubMed

Mennini, Natascia; Maestrelli, Francesca; Cirri, Marzia; Mura, Paola

2016-09-10

The influence of l-arginine on the complexing and solubilizing power of randomly-methylated-β-cyclodextrin (RameβCD) towards oxaprozin, a very poorly soluble anti-inflammatory drug, was examined. The interactions between the components were investigated both in solution, by phase-solubility analysis, and in the solid state, by differential scanning calorimetry, FTIR and X-ray powder diffractometry. The morphology of the solid products was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Results of phase-solubility studies indicated that addition of arginine enhanced the RameβCD complexing and solubilizing power of about 3.0 and 4.5 times, respectively, in comparison with the binary complex (both at pH≈6.8). The effect of arginine was not simply additive, but synergistic, being the ternary system solubility higher than the sum of those of the respective drug-CD and drug-arginine binary systems. Solid equimolar ternary systems were prepared by physical mixing, co-grinding, coevaporation and kneading techniques, to explore the effect of the preparation method on the physicochemical properties of the final products. The ternary co-ground product exhibited a dramatic increase in both drug dissolution efficiency and percent dissolved at 60min, whose values (83.6 and 97.1, respectively) were about 3 times higher than the sum of those given by the respective drug-CD and drug-aminoacid binary systems. Therefore, the ternary co-ground system with arginine and RameβCD appears as a very valuable product for the development of new more effective delivery systems of oxaprozin, with improved safety and bioavailability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advanced Fault Diagnosis Methods in Molecular Networks

PubMed Central

Habibi, Iman; Emamian, Effat S.; Abdi, Ali

2014-01-01

Analysis of the failure of cell signaling networks is an important topic in systems biology and has applications in target discovery and drug development. In this paper, some advanced methods for fault diagnosis in signaling networks are developed and then applied to a caspase network and an SHP2 network. The goal is to understand how, and to what extent, the dysfunction of molecules in a network contributes to the failure of the entire network. Network dysfunction (failure) is defined as failure to produce the expected outputs in response to the input signals. Vulnerability level of a molecule is defined as the probability of the network failure, when the molecule is dysfunctional. In this study, a method to calculate the vulnerability level of single molecules for different combinations of input signals is developed. Furthermore, a more complex yet biologically meaningful method for calculating the multi-fault vulnerability levels is suggested, in which two or more molecules are simultaneously dysfunctional. Finally, a method is developed for fault diagnosis of networks based on a ternary logic model, which considers three activity levels for a molecule instead of the previously published binary logic model, and provides equations for the vulnerabilities of molecules in a ternary framework. Multi-fault analysis shows that the pairs of molecules with high vulnerability typically include a highly vulnerable molecule identified by the single fault analysis. The ternary fault analysis for the caspase network shows that predictions obtained using the more complex ternary model are about the same as the predictions of the simpler binary approach. This study suggests that by increasing the number of activity levels the complexity of the model grows; however, the predictive power of the ternary model does not appear to be increased proportionally. PMID:25290670

The Structure of the GM-CSF Receptor Complex Reveals a Distinct Mode of Cytokine Receptor Activation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Guido; Hercus, Timothy R.; McClure, Barbara J.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that controls the production and function of blood cells, is deregulated in clinical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and leukemia, yet offers therapeutic value for other diseases. Its receptors are heterodimers consisting of a ligand-specific {alpha} subunit and a {beta}c subunit that is shared with the interleukin (IL)-3 and IL-5 receptors. How signaling is initiated remains an enigma. We report here the crystal structure of the human GM-CSF/GM-CSF receptor ternary complex and its assembly into an unexpected dodecamer or higher-order complex. Importantly, mutagenesis of the GM-CSF receptor at the dodecamer interface andmore » functional studies reveal that dodecamer formation is required for receptor activation and signaling. This unusual form of receptor assembly likely applies also to IL-3 and IL-5 receptors, providing a structural basis for understanding their mechanism of activation and for the development of therapeutics.« less

The Dynamics of the Human Leukocyte Antigen Head Domain Modulates Its Recognition by the T-Cell Receptor.

PubMed

García-Guerrero, Estefanía; Pérez-Simón, José Antonio; Sánchez-Abarca, Luis Ignacio; Díaz-Moreno, Irene; De la Rosa, Miguel A; Díaz-Quintana, Antonio

2016-01-01

Generating the immune response requires the discrimination of peptides presented by the human leukocyte antigen complex (HLA) through the T-cell receptor (TCR). However, how a single amino acid substitution in the antigen bonded to HLA affects the response of T cells remains uncertain. Hence, we used molecular dynamics computations to analyze the molecular interactions between peptides, HLA and TCR. We compared immunologically reactive complexes with non-reactive and weakly reactive complexes. MD trajectories were produced to simulate the behavior of isolated components of the various p-HLA-TCR complexes. Analysis of the fluctuations showed that p-HLA binding barely restrains TCR motions, and mainly affects the CDR3 loops. Conversely, inactive p-HLA complexes displayed significant drop in their dynamics when compared with its free versus ternary forms (p-HLA-TCR). In agreement, the free non-reactive p-HLA complexes showed a lower amount of salt bridges than the responsive ones. This resulted in differences between the electrostatic potentials of reactive and inactive p-HLA species and larger vibrational entropies in non-elicitor complexes. Analysis of the ternary p-HLA-TCR complexes also revealed a larger number of salt bridges in the responsive complexes. To summarize, our computations indicate that the affinity of each p-HLA complex towards TCR is intimately linked to both, the dynamics of its free species and its ability to form specific intermolecular salt-bridges in the ternary complexes. Of outstanding interest is the emerging concept of antigen reactivity involving its interplay with the HLA head sidechain dynamics by rearranging its salt-bridges.

Glass transition behavior of ternary disaccharide-ethylene glycol-water solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Tongxu; Zhao, Lishan; Wang, Qiang; Cao, Zexian

2017-06-01

Glass transition behavior of ternary disaccharide-ethylene glycol-water solutions, in reference to that of the binary combinations, has been investigated towards a better understanding of their cryoprotective ability. In water-deficient solutions, the disaccharides, including trehalose, sucrose and maltose, can associate with more than 100 ethylene glycol molecules to form amorphous complex, one order of magnitude larger than the corresponding hydration numbers. In water-rich solutions, a second glass transition emerges with increasing molar fraction of ethylene glycol, indicating the possible synergy of disaccharides and ethylene glycol in vitrification of the ternary aqueous solution.

Novel Optical Fiber Materials With Engineered Brillouin Gain Coefficients SSL 1: Novel Fiber Lasers

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-29

strontium aluminosilicate glasses . A zero-p12 composition is calculated to be at a SiO2 content of about 41.5 mol%, SrO content of about 22.5 mol...ternary, glasses that are needed for this program. These include the BaO- SiO2 system as an example binary glass , and the MgO-Al2O3- SiO2 and BaO-Al2O3... SiO2 systems as example ternary glasses (with the addition of a rare earth 16 resulting in a quaternary glass ). Complex ternary compositions were

Competitive and Cooperative Effects during Nickel Adsorption to Iron Oxides in the Presence of Oxalate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flynn, Elaine D.; Catalano, Jeffrey G.

Iron oxides are ubiquitous in soils and sediments and play a critical role in the geochemical distribution of trace elements and heavy metals via adsorption and coprecipitation. The presence of organic acids may potentially alter how metals associate with iron oxide minerals through a series of cooperative or competitive processes: solution complexation, ternary surface complexation, and surface site competition. The macroscopic and molecular-scale effects of these processes were investigated for Ni adsorption to hematite and goethite at pH 7 in the presence of oxalate. The addition of this organic acid suppresses Ni uptake on both minerals. Aqueous speciation suggests thatmore » this is dominantly the result of oxalate complexing and solubilizing Ni. Comparison of the Ni surface coverage to the concentration of free (uncomplexed) Ni 2+ in solution suggests that the oxalate also alters Ni adsorption affinity. EXAFS and ATR-FTIR spectroscopies indicate that these changes in binding affinity are due to the formation of Ni–oxalate ternary surface complexes. These observations demonstrate that competition between dissolved oxalate and the mineral surface for Ni overwhelms the enhancement in adsorption associated with ternary complexation. Oxalate thus largely enhances Ni mobility, thereby increasing micronutrient bioavailability and inhibiting contaminant sequestration.« less

Multiprotein assembly of Kv4.2, KChIP3 and DPP10 produces ternary channel complexes with ISA-like properties.

PubMed

Jerng, Henry H; Kunjilwar, Kumud; Pfaffinger, Paul J

2005-11-01

Kv4 pore-forming subunits are the principal constituents of the voltage-gated K+ channel underlying somatodendritic subthreshold A-type currents (I(SA)) in neurones. Two structurally distinct types of Kv4 channel modulators, Kv channel-interacting proteins (KChIPs) and dipeptidyl-peptidase-like proteins (DPLs: DPP6 or DPPX, DPP10 or DPPY), enhance surface expression and modify functional properties. Since KChIP and DPL distributions overlap in the brain, we investigated the potential coassembly of Kv4.2, KChIP3 and DPL proteins, and the contribution of DPLs to ternary complex properties. Immunoprecipitation results show that KChIP3 and DPP10 associate simultaneously with Kv4.2 proteins in rat brain as well as heterologously expressing Xenopus oocytes, indicating Kv4.2 + KChIP3 + DPP10 multiprotein complexes. Consistent with ternary complex formation, coexpression of Kv4.2, KChIP3 and DPP10 in oocytes and CHO cells results in current waveforms distinct from the arithmetic sum of Kv4.2 + KChIP3 and Kv4.2 + DPP10 currents. Furthermore, the Kv4.2 + KChIP3 + DPP10 channels recover from inactivation very rapidly (tau(rec) approximately 18-26 ms), closely matching that of native I(SA) and significantly faster than the recovery of Kv4.2 + KChIP3 or Kv4.2 + DPP10 channels. For comparison, identical triple coexpression experiments were performed using DPP6 variants. While most results are similar, the Kv4.2 + KChIP3 + DPP6 channels exhibit inactivation that slows with increasing membrane potential, resulting in inactivation slower than that of Kv4.2 + KChIP3 + DPP10 channels at positive voltages. In conclusion, the native neuronal subthreshold A-type channel is probably a macromolecular complex formed from Kv4 and a combination of both KChIP and DPL proteins, with the precise composition of channel alpha and auxiliary subunits underlying tissue and regional variability in I(SA) properties.

Omnidirectional photonic band gap enlarged by one-dimensional ternary unmagnetized plasma photonic crystals based on a new Fibonacci quasiperiodic structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang Haifeng; Nanjing Artillery Academy, Nanjing 211132; Liu Shaobin

2012-11-15

In this paper, an omnidirectional photonic band gap realized by one-dimensional ternary unmagnetized plasma photonic crystals based on a new Fibonacci quasiperiodic structure, which is composed of homogeneous unmagnetized plasma and two kinds of isotropic dielectric, is theoretically studied by the transfer matrix method. It has been shown that such an omnidirectional photonic band gap originates from Bragg gap in contrast to zero-n gap or single negative (negative permittivity or negative permeability) gap, and it is insensitive to the incidence angle and the polarization of electromagnetic wave. From the numerical results, the frequency range and central frequency of omnidirectional photonicmore » band gap can be tuned by the thickness and density of the plasma but cease to change with increasing Fibonacci order. The bandwidth of omnidirectional photonic band gap can be notably enlarged. Moreover, the plasma collision frequency has no effect on the bandwidth of omnidirectional photonic band gap. It is shown that such new structure Fibonacci quasiperiodic one-dimensional ternary plasma photonic crystals have a superior feature in the enhancement of frequency range of omnidirectional photonic band gap compared with the conventional ternary and conventional Fibonacci quasiperiodic ternary plasma photonic crystals.« less

Evaluation of ternary cementitious combinations : research project capsule.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-03-01

PROBLEM: Many entities currently use fly ash, slag, and other supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement and structures. Although the body of knowledge is limited, several states are currently using ternary...

Splenic gene delivery system using self-assembling nano-complex with phosphatidylserine analog.

PubMed

Kurosaki, Tomoaki; Nakasone, Chihiro; Kodama, Yukinobu; Egashira, Kanoko; Harasawa, Hitomi; Muro, Takahiro; Nakagawa, Hiroo; Kitahara, Takashi; Higuchi, Norihide; Nakamura, Tadahiro; Sasaki, Hitoshi

2015-01-01

The recognition of phosphatidylserine on the erythrocyte membrane mediates erythrophagocytosis by resident spleen macrophages. The application of phosphatidylserine to a gene vector may be a novel approach for splenic drug delivery. Therefore, we chose 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serin (DOPS) as an analogue of phosphatidylserine for splenic gene delivery of plasmid DNA (pDNA). In the present study, we successfully prepared a stable pDNA ternary complex using DOPS and polyethyleneimine (PEI) and evaluated its efficacy and safety. The pDNA/PEI complex had a positive charge and showed high transgene efficacy, although it caused cytotoxicity and agglutination. The addition of DOPS changed the ζ-potential of the pDNA/PEI complex to negative. It is known that anionic complexes are not taken up well by cells. Surprisingly, however, the pDNA/PEI/DOPS complex showed relatively high transgene efficacy in vitro. Fluorescence microscope observation revealed that the pDNA/PEI/DOPS complex internalized the cells while maintaining the complex formation. The injection of the pDNA/PEI complex killed most mice within 24 h at high doses, although all mice in the pDNA/PEI/DOPS complex group survived. The ternary complex with DOPS showed markedly better safety compared with the pDNA/PEI complex. The pDNA/PEI/DOPS complex showed high gene expression selectively in the spleen after intravenous injection into mice. Thus the ternary complex with DOPS can be used to deliver pDNA to the spleen, in which immune cells are abundant. It appears to have an excellent safety level, although further study to determine the mechanism of action is necessary.

Novel One-Tube-One-Step Real-Time Methodology for Rapid Transcriptomic Biomarker Detection: Signal Amplification by Ternary Initiation Complexes.

PubMed

Fujita, Hiroto; Kataoka, Yuka; Tobita, Seiji; Kuwahara, Masayasu; Sugimoto, Naoki

2016-07-19

We have developed a novel RNA detection method, termed signal amplification by ternary initiation complexes (SATIC), in which an analyte sample is simply mixed with the relevant reagents and allowed to stand for a short time under isothermal conditions (37 °C). The advantage of the technique is that there is no requirement for (i) heat annealing, (ii) thermal cycling during the reaction, (iii) a reverse transcription step, or (iv) enzymatic or mechanical fragmentation of the target RNA. SATIC involves the formation of a ternary initiation complex between the target RNA, a circular DNA template, and a DNA primer, followed by rolling circle amplification (RCA) to generate multiple copies of G-quadruplex (G4) on a long DNA strand like beads on a string. The G4s can be specifically fluorescence-stained with N(3)-hydroxyethyl thioflavin T (ThT-HE), which emits weakly with single- and double-stranded RNA/DNA but strongly with parallel G4s. An improved dual SATIC system, which involves the formation of two different ternary initiation complexes in the RCA process, exhibited a wide quantitative detection range of 1-5000 pM. Furthermore, this enabled visual observation-based RNA detection, which is more rapid and convenient than conventional isothermal methods, such as reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification, signal mediated amplification of RNA technology, and RNA-primed rolling circle amplification. Thus, SATIC methodology may serve as an on-site and real-time measurement technique for transcriptomic biomarkers for various diseases.

Effects of variation in chain length on ternary polymer electrolyte - Ionic liquid mixture - A molecular dynamics simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, S. G.; Hariharan, Krishnan S.; Park, Da-Hye; Kang, HyoRang; Kolake, Subramanya Mayya

2015-10-01

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of ternary polymer electrolyte - ionic liquid mixtures are conducted using an all-atom model. N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([CnMPy][TFSI], n = 1, 3, 6, 9) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) are used. Microscopic structure, energetics and dynamics of ionic liquid (IL) in these ternary mixtures are studied. Properties of these four pure IL are also calculated and compared to that in ternary mixtures. Interaction between pyrrolidinium cation and TFSI is stronger and there is larger propensity of ion-pair formation in ternary mixtures. Unlike the case in imidazolium IL, near neighbor structural correlation between TFSI reduces with increase in chain length on cation in both pure IL and ternary mixtures. Using spatial density maps, regions where PEO and TFSI interact with pyrrolidinium cation are identified. Oxygens of PEO are above and below the pyrrolidinium ring and away from the bulky alkyl groups whereas TFSI is present close to nitrogen atom of CnMPy. In pure IL, diffusion coefficient (D) of C3MPy is larger than of TFSI but D of C9MPy and C6MPy are larger than that of TFSI. The reasons for alkyl chain dependent phenomena are explored.

Spectral and thermal study of the ternary complexes of nickel with sulfasalazine and some amino acids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soliman, Ahmed A.

2006-12-01

The ternary complexes of Ni(II) with sulfasalazine (H 3SS) as a primary ligand and alanine (ala), aspartic acid (asp), histidene (hist), methionine (meth) and serine (ser) amino acids as secondary ligands have been synthesized. Characterization of the complexes was based on elemental analyses, IR, UV-vis, mass spectra, magnetic moment and thermal analysis (TG). The isolated complexes were found to have the general formula [M(HSS)(AA)]4H 2O (AA = ala, asp, hist, meth, or ser amino acid) where nickel is tetra-coordinated. The thermal stability of the complexes was studied and the weight losses for the decomposition of the complexes were calculated and correlated with the mass fragmentation pattern. In most cases, the amino acid moiety is removed along with the Schiff base moiety leaving NiO as a metallic residue. The metallic residue was confirmed by powder XRD measurements.

Structural characterization of the mitomycin 7-O-methyltransferase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singh, Shanteri; Chang, Aram; Goff, Randal D.

2014-10-02

Mitomycins are quinone-containing antibiotics, widely used as antitumor drugs in chemotherapy. Mitomycin-7-O-methyltransferase (MmcR), a key tailoring enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of mitomycin in Streptomyces lavendulae, catalyzes the 7-O-methylation of both C9{beta}- and C9{alpha}-configured 7-hydroxymitomycins. We have determined the crystal structures of the MmcR-S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) binary complex and MmcR-SAH-mitomycin A (MMA) ternary complex at resolutions of 1.9 and 2.3 {angstrom}, respectively. The study revealed MmcR to adopt a common S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent O-methyltransferase fold and the presence of a structurally conserved active site general acid-base pair is consistent with a proton-assisted methyltransfer common to most methyltransferases. Given the importance of C7 alkylationmore » to modulate mitomycin redox potential, this study may also present a template toward the future engineering of catalysts to generate uniquely bioactive mitomycins.« less

Crystal structure of human nicotinamide riboside kinase.

PubMed

Khan, Javed A; Xiang, Song; Tong, Liang

2007-08-01

Nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK) has an important role in the biosynthesis of NAD(+) as well as the activation of tiazofurin and other NR analogs for anticancer therapy. NRK belongs to the deoxynucleoside kinase and nucleoside monophosphate (NMP) kinase superfamily, although the degree of sequence conservation is very low. We report here the crystal structures of human NRK1 in a binary complex with the reaction product nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) at 1.5 A resolution and in a ternary complex with ADP and tiazofurin at 2.7 A resolution. The active site is located in a groove between the central parallel beta sheet core and the LID and NMP-binding domains. The hydroxyl groups on the ribose of NR are recognized by Asp56 and Arg129, and Asp36 is the general base of the enzyme. Mutation of residues in the active site can abolish the catalytic activity of the enzyme, confirming the structural observations.

Probing conformational states of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase by fragment screening

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Begley, Darren W.; Davies, Douglas R.; Hartley, Robert C.

Glutaric acidemia type 1 is an inherited metabolic disorder which can cause macrocephaly, muscular rigidity, spastic paralysis and other progressive movement disorders in humans. The defects in glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase (GCDH) associated with this disease are thought to increase holoenzyme instability and reduce cofactor binding. Here, the first structural analysis of a GCDH enzyme in the absence of the cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is reported. The apo structure of GCDH from Burkholderia pseudomallei reveals a loss of secondary structure and increased disorder in the FAD-binding pocket relative to the ternary complex of the highly homologous human GCDH. After conducting amore » fragment-based screen, four small molecules were identified which bind to GCDH from B. pseudomallei. Complex structures were determined for these fragments, which cause backbone and side-chain perturbations to key active-site residues. Structural insights from this investigation highlight differences from apo GCDH and the utility of small-molecular fragments as chemical probes for capturing alternative conformational states of preformed protein crystals.« less

Kinetics, Structure, and Mechanism of 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine Bypass by Human DNA Polymerase η*♦

PubMed Central

Patra, Amritraj; Nagy, Leslie D.; Zhang, Qianqian; Su, Yan; Müller, Livia; Guengerich, F. Peter; Egli, Martin

2014-01-01

DNA damage incurred by a multitude of endogenous and exogenous factors constitutes an inevitable challenge for the replication machinery. Cells rely on various mechanisms to either remove lesions or bypass them in a more or less error-prone fashion. The latter pathway involves the Y-family polymerases that catalyze trans-lesion synthesis across sites of damaged DNA. 7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG) is a major lesion that is a consequence of oxidative stress and is associated with cancer, aging, hepatitis, and infertility. We have used steady-state and transient-state kinetics in conjunction with mass spectrometry to analyze in vitro bypass of 8-oxoG by human DNA polymerase η (hpol η). Unlike the high fidelity polymerases that show preferential insertion of A opposite 8-oxoG, hpol η is capable of bypassing 8-oxoG in a mostly error-free fashion, thus preventing GC→AT transversion mutations. Crystal structures of ternary hpol η-DNA complexes and incoming dCTP, dATP, or dGTP opposite 8-oxoG reveal that an arginine from the finger domain assumes a key role in avoiding formation of the nascent 8-oxoG:A pair. That hpol η discriminates against dATP exclusively at the insertion stage is confirmed by structures of ternary complexes that allow visualization of the extension step. These structures with G:dCTP following either 8-oxoG:C or 8-oxoG:A pairs exhibit virtually identical active site conformations. Our combined data provide a detailed understanding of hpol η bypass of the most common oxidative DNA lesion. PMID:24759104

Kinetics, structure, and mechanism of 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine bypass by human DNA polymerase η.

PubMed

Patra, Amritraj; Nagy, Leslie D; Zhang, Qianqian; Su, Yan; Müller, Livia; Guengerich, F Peter; Egli, Martin

2014-06-13

DNA damage incurred by a multitude of endogenous and exogenous factors constitutes an inevitable challenge for the replication machinery. Cells rely on various mechanisms to either remove lesions or bypass them in a more or less error-prone fashion. The latter pathway involves the Y-family polymerases that catalyze trans-lesion synthesis across sites of damaged DNA. 7,8-Dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG) is a major lesion that is a consequence of oxidative stress and is associated with cancer, aging, hepatitis, and infertility. We have used steady-state and transient-state kinetics in conjunction with mass spectrometry to analyze in vitro bypass of 8-oxoG by human DNA polymerase η (hpol η). Unlike the high fidelity polymerases that show preferential insertion of A opposite 8-oxoG, hpol η is capable of bypassing 8-oxoG in a mostly error-free fashion, thus preventing GC→AT transversion mutations. Crystal structures of ternary hpol η-DNA complexes and incoming dCTP, dATP, or dGTP opposite 8-oxoG reveal that an arginine from the finger domain assumes a key role in avoiding formation of the nascent 8-oxoG:A pair. That hpol η discriminates against dATP exclusively at the insertion stage is confirmed by structures of ternary complexes that allow visualization of the extension step. These structures with G:dCTP following either 8-oxoG:C or 8-oxoG:A pairs exhibit virtually identical active site conformations. Our combined data provide a detailed understanding of hpol η bypass of the most common oxidative DNA lesion. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Structural Basis of Substrate Recognition in Human Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peng, Yi; Sartini, Davide; Pozzi, Valentina

2012-05-02

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) catalyzes the N-methylation of nicotinamide, pyridines, and other analogues using S-adenosyl-L-methionine as donor. NNMT plays a significant role in the regulation of metabolic pathways and is expressed at markedly high levels in several kinds of cancers, presenting it as a potential molecular target for cancer therapy. We have determined the crystal structure of human NNMT as a ternary complex bound to both the demethylated donor S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine and the acceptor substrate nicotinamide, to 2.7 {angstrom} resolution. These studies reveal the structural basis for nicotinamide binding and highlight several residues in the active site which may play roles inmore » nicotinamide recognition and NNMT catalysis. The functional importance of these residues was probed by mutagenesis. Of three residues near the nicotinamide's amide group, substitution of S201 and S213 had no effect on enzyme activity while replacement of D197 dramatically decreased activity. Substitutions of Y20, whose side chain hydroxyl interacts with both the nicotinamide aromatic ring and AdoHcy carboxylate, also compromised activity. Enzyme kinetics analysis revealed k{sub cat}/K{sub m} decreases of 2-3 orders of magnitude for the D197A and Y20A mutants, confirming the functional importance of these active site residues. The mutants exhibited substantially increased K{sub m} for both NCA and AdoMet and modestly decreased k{sub cat}. MD simulations revealed long-range conformational effects which provide an explanation for the large increase in K{sub m}(AdoMet) for the D197A mutant, which interacts directly only with nicotinamide in the ternary complex crystal structure.« less

Inner-sphere oxidation of ternary iminodiacetatochromium(III) complexes involving DL-valine and L-arginine as secondary ligands. Isokinetic relationship for the oxidation of ternary iminodiacetato-chromium(III) complexes by periodate.

PubMed

Ewais, Hassan A; Dahman, Faris D; Abdel-Khalek, Ahmed A

2009-02-04

In this paper, the kinetics of oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Val)(H2O)2]+ and [CrIII(HIDA)(Arg)(H2O)2]+ (HIDA = iminodiacetic acid, Val = DL-valine and Arg = L-arginine) were studied. The choice of ternary complexes was attributed to two considerations. Firstly, in order to study the effect of the secondary ligands DL-valine and L-arginine on the stability of binary complex [CrIII(HIDA)(IDA)(H2O)] towards oxidation. Secondly, transition metal ternary complexes have received particular focus and have been employed in mapping protein surfaces as probes for biological redox centers and in protein capture for both purification and study. The results have shown that the reaction is first order with respect to both [IO4(-)] and the complex concentration, and the rate increases over the pH range 2.62 - 3.68 in both cases. The experimental rate law is consistent with a mechanism in which both the deprotonated forms of the complexes [CrIII(IDA)(Val)(H2O)2] and [CrIII(IDA)(Arg)(H2O)2] are significantly more reactive than the conjugate acids. The value of the intramolecular electron transfer rate constant for the oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Arg)(H2O)2]+, k3 (1.82 x 10(-3) s(-1)), is greater than the value of k1 (1.22 x 10(-3) s(-1)) for the oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Val)(H2O)2]+ at 45.0 degrees C and I = 0.20 mol dm(-3). It is proposed that electron transfer proceeds through an inner-sphere mechanism via coordination of IO4(-) to chromium(III). The oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Val)(H2O)2]+ and [CrIII(HIDA)(Arg)(H2O)2]+ by periodate may proceed through an inner-sphere mechanism via two electron transfer giving chromium(VI). The value of the intramolecular electron transfer rate constant for the oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Arg)(H2O)2]+, k3, is greater than the value of k1 for the oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Val)(H2O)2]+. A common mechanism for the oxidation of ternary iminodiacetatochromium(III) complexes by periodate is proposed, and this is supported by an excellent isokinetic relationship between DeltaH* and DeltaS* values for these reactions.

Inner-sphere oxidation of ternary iminodiacetatochromium(III) complexes involving DL-valine and L-arginine as secondary ligands. Isokinetic relationship for the oxidation of ternary iminodiacetato-chromium(III) complexes by periodate

PubMed Central

Ewais, Hassan A; Dahman, Faris D; Abdel-Khalek, Ahmed A

2009-01-01

Background In this paper, the kinetics of oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Val)(H2O)2]+ and [CrIII(HIDA)(Arg)(H2O)2]+ (HIDA = iminodiacetic acid, Val = DL-valine and Arg = L-arginine) were studied. The choice of ternary complexes was attributed to two considerations. Firstly, in order to study the effect of the secondary ligands DL-valine and L-arginine on the stability of binary complex [CrIII(HIDA)(IDA)(H2O)] towards oxidation. Secondly, transition metal ternary complexes have received particular focus and have been employed in mapping protein surfaces as probes for biological redox centers and in protein capture for both purification and study. Results The results have shown that the reaction is first order with respect to both [IO4-] and the complex concentration, and the rate increases over the pH range 2.62 – 3.68 in both cases. The experimental rate law is consistent with a mechanism in which both the deprotonated forms of the complexes [CrIII(IDA)(Val)(H2O)2] and [CrIII(IDA)(Arg)(H2O)2] are significantly more reactive than the conjugate acids. The value of the intramolecular electron transfer rate constant for the oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Arg)(H2O)2]+, k3 (1.82 × 10-3 s-1), is greater than the value of k1 (1.22 × 10-3 s-1) for the oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Val)(H2O)2]+ at 45.0°C and I = 0.20 mol dm-3. It is proposed that electron transfer proceeds through an inner-sphere mechanism via coordination of IO4- to chromium(III). Conclusion The oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Val)(H2O)2]+ and [CrIII(HIDA)(Arg)(H2O)2]+ by periodate may proceed through an inner-sphere mechanism via two electron transfer giving chromium(VI). The value of the intramolecular electron transfer rate constant for the oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Arg)(H2O)2]+, k3, is greater than the value of k1 for the oxidation of [CrIII(HIDA)(Val)(H2O)2]+. A common mechanism for the oxidation of ternary iminodiacetatochromium(III) complexes by periodate is proposed, and this is supported by an excellent isokinetic relationship between ΔH* and ΔS* values for these reactions. PMID:19193241

Structural insight into the Ragulator complex which anchors mTORC1 to the lysosomal membrane

PubMed Central

Mu, Zongkai; Wang, Lei; Deng, Wei; Wang, Jiawei; Wu, Geng

2017-01-01

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal-transduction pathway plays a key role in regulating many aspects of metabolic processes. The central player of the mTOR signaling pathway, mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), is recruited by the pentameric Ragulator complex and the heterodimeric Rag GTPase complex to the lysosomal membrane and thereafter activated. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the human Ragulator complex, which shows that Lamtor1 possesses a belt-like shape and wraps the other four subunits around. Extensive hydrophobic interactions occur between Lamtor1 and the Lamtor2-Lamtor3, Lamtor4-Lamtor5 roadblock domain protein pairs, while there is no substantial contact between Lamtor2-Lamtor3 and Lamtor4-Lamtor5 subcomplexes. Interestingly, an α-helix from Lamtor1 occupies each of the positions on Lamtor4 and Lamtor5 equivalent to the α3-helices of Lamtor2 and Lamtor3, thus stabilizing Lamtor4 and Lamtor5. Structural comparison between Ragulator and the yeast Ego1-Ego2-Ego3 ternary complex (Ego-TC) reveals that Ego-TC only corresponds to half of the Ragulator complex. Coupling with the fact that in the Ego-TC structure, Ego2 and Ego3 are lone roadblock domain proteins without another roadblock domain protein pairing with them, we suggest that additional components of the yeast Ego complex might exist. PMID:29285400

New stable ternary alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides: Ca / Sr / BaPb 2 O 3 and BaPbO 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Yuwei; Zhang, Lijun; Singh, David J.

The different but related chemical behaviors of Pb(II) oxides compared to Sn(II) oxides, and the existence of known alkali/alkali-earth metal Sn(II) ternary phases, suggest that there should be additional ternary Pb(II) oxide phases. Here, we report structure searches on the ternary alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides leading to four new phases. These are two ternary Pb(II) oxides, SrPb 2O 3 and BaPb 2O 3, which have larger chemical potential stability ranges compared with the corresponding Sn(II) oxides, and additionally two other ternary Pb(II) oxides, CaPb 2O 3 and BaPbO 2, for which there are no corresponding Sn(II) oxides. Those Pb(II) oxidesmore » are stabilized by Pb-rich conditions. These structures follow the Zintl behavior and consist of basic structural motifs of (PbO 3) 4- anionic units separated and stabilized by the alkaline-earth metal ions. They show wide band gaps ranging from 2.86 to 3.12 eV, and two compounds (CaPb 2O 3 and SrPb 2O 3) show rather light hole effective masses (around 2m 0). The valence band maxima of these compounds have a Pb-6s/O-2p antibonding character, which may lead to p-type defect (or doping) tolerant behavior. This then suggests alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides may be potential p-type transparent conducting oxides.« less

New stable ternary alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides: Ca / Sr / BaPb 2 O 3 and BaPbO 2

DOE PAGES

Li, Yuwei; Zhang, Lijun; Singh, David J.

2017-10-16

The different but related chemical behaviors of Pb(II) oxides compared to Sn(II) oxides, and the existence of known alkali/alkali-earth metal Sn(II) ternary phases, suggest that there should be additional ternary Pb(II) oxide phases. Here, we report structure searches on the ternary alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides leading to four new phases. These are two ternary Pb(II) oxides, SrPb 2O 3 and BaPb 2O 3, which have larger chemical potential stability ranges compared with the corresponding Sn(II) oxides, and additionally two other ternary Pb(II) oxides, CaPb 2O 3 and BaPbO 2, for which there are no corresponding Sn(II) oxides. Those Pb(II) oxidesmore » are stabilized by Pb-rich conditions. These structures follow the Zintl behavior and consist of basic structural motifs of (PbO 3) 4- anionic units separated and stabilized by the alkaline-earth metal ions. They show wide band gaps ranging from 2.86 to 3.12 eV, and two compounds (CaPb 2O 3 and SrPb 2O 3) show rather light hole effective masses (around 2m 0). The valence band maxima of these compounds have a Pb-6s/O-2p antibonding character, which may lead to p-type defect (or doping) tolerant behavior. This then suggests alkaline-earth metal Pb(II) oxides may be potential p-type transparent conducting oxides.« less

Cobalamin-Independent Methionine Synthase (MetE): A Face-to-Face Double Barrel that Evolved by Gene Duplication

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pejcha, Robert; Ludwig, Martha L.

2010-03-08

Cobalamin-independent methionine synthase (MetE) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from methyltetrahydrofolate to L-homocysteine (Hcy) without using an intermediate methyl carrier. Although MetE displays no detectable sequence homology with cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase (MetH), both enzymes require zinc for activation and binding of Hcy. Crystallographic analyses of MetE from T. maritima reveal an unusual dual-barrel structure in which the active site lies between the tops of the two ({beta}{alpha}){sub 8} barrels. The fold of the N-terminal barrel confirms that it has evolved from the C-terminal polypeptide by gene duplication; comparisons of the barrels provide an intriguing example of homologous domainmore » evolution in which binding sites are obliterated. The C-terminal barrel incorporates the zinc ion that binds and activates Hcy. The zinc-binding site in MetE is distinguished from the (Cys){sub 3}Zn site in the related enzymes, MetH and betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase, by its position in the barrel and by the metal ligands, which are histidine, cysteine, glutamate, and cysteine in the resting form of MetE. Hcy associates at the face of the metal opposite glutamate, which moves away from the zinc in the binary E {center_dot} Hcy complex. The folate substrate is not intimately associated with the N-terminal barrel; instead, elements from both barrels contribute binding determinants in a binary complex in which the folate substrate is incorrectly oriented for methyl transfer. Atypical locations of the Hcy and folate sites in the C-terminal barrel presumably permit direct interaction of the substrates in a ternary complex. Structures of the binary substrate complexes imply that rearrangement of folate, perhaps accompanied by domain rearrangement, must occur before formation of a ternary complex that is competent for methyl transfer.« less

Structure of a phage display-derived variant of human growth hormone complexed to two copies of the extracellular domain of its receptor: evidence for strong structural coupling between receptor binding sites.

PubMed

Schiffer, Celia; Ultsch, Mark; Walsh, Scott; Somers, William; de Vos, Abraham M; Kossiakoff, Anthony

2002-02-15

The structure of the ternary complex between the phage display- optimized, high-affinity Site 1 variant of human growth hormone (hGH) and two copies of the extracellular domain (ECD) of the hGH receptor (hGHR) has been determined at 2.6 A resolution. There are widespread and significant structural differences compared to the wild-type ternary hGH hGHR complex. The hGH variant (hGH(v)) contains 15 Site 1 mutations and binds>10(2) tighter to the hGHR ECD (hGH(R1)) at Site 1. It is biologically active and specific to hGHR. The hGH(v) Site 1 interface is somewhat smaller and 20% more hydrophobic compared to the wild-type (wt) counterpart. Of the ten hormone-receptor H-bonds in the site, only one is the same as in the wt complex. Additionally, several regions of hGH(v) structure move up to 9A in forming the interface. The contacts between the C-terminal domains of two receptor ECDs (hGH(R1)- hGH(R2)) are conserved; however, the large changes in Site 1 appear to cause global changes in the domains of hGH(R1) that affect the hGH(v)-hGH(R2) interface indirectly. This coupling is manifested by large changes in the conformation of groups participating in the Site 2 interaction and results in a structure for the site that is reorganized extensively. The hGH(v)- hGH(R2) interface contains seven H-bonds, only one of which is found in the wt complex. Several groups on hGH(v) and hGH(R2) undergo conformational changes of up to 8 A. Asp116 of hGH(v) plays a central role in the reorganization of Site 2 by forming two new H-bonds to the side-chains of Trp104(R2) and Trp169(R2), which are the key binding determinants of the receptor. The fact that a different binding solution is possible for Site 2, where there were no mutations or binding selection pressures, indicates that the structural elements found in these molecules possess an inherent functional plasticity that enables them to bind to a wide variety of binding surfaces. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

The ribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase can interact with small regulatory RNAs in both protective and degradative modes.

PubMed

Bandyra, Katarzyna J; Sinha, Dhriti; Syrjanen, Johanna; Luisi, Ben F; De Lay, Nicholas R

2016-03-01

In all bacterial species examined thus far, small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) contribute to intricate patterns of dynamic genetic regulation. Many of the actions of these nucleic acids are mediated by well-characterized chaperones such as the Hfq protein, but genetic screens have also recently identified the 3'-to-5' exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) as an unexpected stabilizer and facilitator of sRNAs in vivo. To understand how a ribonuclease might mediate these effects, we tested the interactions of PNPase with sRNAs and found that the enzyme can readily degrade these nucleic acids in vitro but, nonetheless, copurifies from cell extracts with the same sRNAs without discernible degradation or modification to their 3' ends, suggesting that the associated RNA is protected against the destructive activity of the ribonuclease. In vitro, PNPase, Hfq, and sRNA can form a ternary complex in which the ribonuclease plays a nondestructive, structural role. Such ternary complexes might be formed transiently in vivo, but could help to stabilize particular sRNAs and remodel their population on Hfq. Taken together, our results indicate that PNPase can be programmed to act on RNA in either destructive or stabilizing modes in vivo and may form complex, protective ribonucleoprotein assemblies that shape the landscape of sRNAs available for action. © 2016 Bandyra et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

The ribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase can interact with small regulatory RNAs in both protective and degradative modes

PubMed Central

Bandyra, Katarzyna J.; Sinha, Dhriti; Syrjanen, Johanna; Luisi, Ben F.; De Lay, Nicholas R.

2016-01-01

In all bacterial species examined thus far, small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) contribute to intricate patterns of dynamic genetic regulation. Many of the actions of these nucleic acids are mediated by well-characterized chaperones such as the Hfq protein, but genetic screens have also recently identified the 3′-to-5′ exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) as an unexpected stabilizer and facilitator of sRNAs in vivo. To understand how a ribonuclease might mediate these effects, we tested the interactions of PNPase with sRNAs and found that the enzyme can readily degrade these nucleic acids in vitro but, nonetheless, copurifies from cell extracts with the same sRNAs without discernible degradation or modification to their 3′ ends, suggesting that the associated RNA is protected against the destructive activity of the ribonuclease. In vitro, PNPase, Hfq, and sRNA can form a ternary complex in which the ribonuclease plays a nondestructive, structural role. Such ternary complexes might be formed transiently in vivo, but could help to stabilize particular sRNAs and remodel their population on Hfq. Taken together, our results indicate that PNPase can be programmed to act on RNA in either destructive or stabilizing modes in vivo and may form complex, protective ribonucleoprotein assemblies that shape the landscape of sRNAs available for action. PMID:26759452

Electrodeposition of amorphous ternary nickel-chromium-phosphorus alloy

DOEpatents

Guilinger, Terry R.

1990-01-01

Amorphous ternary nickel-chromium-phosphorus alloys are electrodeposited from a bath comprising a nickel salt, a chromium salt, a phosphorus source such as sodium hypophosphite, a complexing agent for the nickel ions, supporting salts to increase conductivity, and a buffering agent. The process is carried out at about room temperature and requires a current density between about 20 to 40 A/dm.sup.2.

Following DNA chain extension and protein conformational changes in crystals of a Y-family DNA polymerase via Raman crystallography.

PubMed

Espinoza-Herrera, Shirly J; Gaur, Vineet; Suo, Zucai; Carey, Paul R

2013-07-23

Y-Family DNA polymerases are known to bypass DNA lesions in vitro and in vivo. Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase (Dpo4) was chosen as a model Y-family enzyme for investigating the mechanism of DNA synthesis in single crystals. Crystals of Dpo4 in complexes with DNA (the binary complex) in the presence or absence of an incoming nucleotide were analyzed by Raman microscopy. (13)C- and (15)N-labeled d*CTP, or unlabeled dCTP, were soaked into the binary crystals with G as the templating base. In the presence of the catalytic metal ions, Mg(2+) and Mn(2+), nucleotide incorporation was detected by the disappearance of the triphosphate band of dCTP and the retention of *C modes in the crystal following soaking out of noncovalently bound C(or *C)TP. The addition of the second coded base, thymine, was observed by adding cognate dTTP to the crystal following a single d*CTP addition. Adding these two bases caused visible damage to the crystal that was possibly caused by protein and/or DNA conformational change within the crystal. When d*CTP is soaked into the Dpo4 crystal in the absence of Mn(2+) or Mg(2+), the primer extension reaction did not occur; instead, a ternary protein·template·d*CTP complex was formed. In the Raman difference spectra of both binary and ternary complexes, in addition to the modes of d(*C)CTP, features caused by ring modes from the template/primer bases being perturbed and from the DNA backbone appear, as well as features from perturbed peptide and amino acid side chain modes. These effects are more pronounced in the ternary complex than in the binary complex. Using standardized Raman intensities followed as a function of time, the C(*C)TP population in the crystal was maximal at ∼20 min. These remained unchanged in the ternary complex but declined in the binary complexes as chain incorporation occurred.

The use of ternary mixtures in concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-05-01

This manual is a summary of the findings of a comprehensive study. Its purpose is to provide engineers with the information they need to make educated decisions on the use of ternary mixtures for constructing concrete structures. It discusses the eff...

Formation of ternary CaUO2(CO3)3(2-) and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) complexes under neutral to weakly alkaline conditions.

PubMed

Lee, Jun-Yeop; Yun, Jong-Il

2013-07-21

The chemical behavior of ternary Ca-UO2-CO3 complexes was investigated by using time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) in combination with EDTA complexation at pH 7-9. A novel TRLFS revealed two distinct fluorescence lifetimes of 12.7 ± 0.2 ns and 29.2 ± 0.4 ns for uranyl complexes which were formed increasingly dependent upon the calcium ion concentration, even though nearly indistinguishable fluorescence peak shapes and positions were measured for both Ca-UO2-CO3 complexes. For identifying the stoichiometric number of complexed calcium ions, slope analysis in terms of relative fluorescence intensity versus calcium concentration was employed in a combination with the complexation reaction of CaEDTA(2-) by adding EDTA. The formation of CaUO2(CO3)3(2-) and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) was identified under given conditions and their formation constants were determined at I = 0.1 M Na/HClO4 medium, and extrapolated to infinitely dilute solution using specific ion interaction theory (SIT). As a result, the formation constants for CaUO2(CO3)3(2-) and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) were found to be log β113(0) = 27.27 ± 0.14 and log β213(0) = 29.81 ± 0.19, respectively, providing that the ternary Ca-UO2-CO3 complexes were predominant uranium(vi) species at neutral to weakly alkaline pH in the presence of Ca(2+) and CO3(2-) ions.

A review on the synthesis, crystal growth, structure and physical properties of rare earth based quaternary intermetallic compounds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mumbaraddi, Dundappa; Sarkar, Sumanta; Peter, Sebastian C., E-mail: sebastiancp@jncasr.ac.in

2016-04-15

This review highlights the synthesis and crystal growth of quaternary intermetallic compounds based on rare earth metals. In the first part of this review, we highlight briefly about intermetallics and their versatile properties in comparison to the constituent elements. In the next part, we have discussed about various synthesis techniques with more focus on the metal flux technique towards the well shaped crystal growth of novel compounds. In the subsequent parts, several disordered quaternary compounds have been reviewed and then outlined most known ordered quaternary compounds with their complex structure. A special attention has been given to the ordered compoundsmore » with structural description and relation to the parent binary and ternary compounds. The importance of electronic and structural feature is highlighted as the key roles in designing these materials for emerging applications. - Graphical abstract: Rare earth based quaternary intermetallic compounds crystallize in complex novel crystal structures. The diversity in the crystal structure may induce unique properties and can be considered them as future materials. - Highlights: • Crystal growth and crystal structure of quaternary rare earth based intermetallics. • Structural complexity of quaternary compounds in comparison to the parent compounds. • Novel quaternary compounds display unique crystal structure.« less

Fusel Alcohols Regulate Translation Initiation by Inhibiting eIF2B to Reduce Ternary Complex in a Mechanism That May Involve Altering the Integrity and Dynamics of the eIF2B Body

PubMed Central

Taylor, Eleanor J.; Campbell, Susan G.; Griffiths, Christian D.; Reid, Peter J.; Slaven, John W.; Harrison, Richard J.; Sims, Paul F.G.; Pavitt, Graham D.; Delneri, Daniela

2010-01-01

Recycling of eIF2-GDP to the GTP-bound form constitutes a core essential, regulated step in eukaryotic translation. This reaction is mediated by eIF2B, a heteropentameric factor with important links to human disease. eIF2 in the GTP-bound form binds to methionyl initiator tRNA to form a ternary complex, and the levels of this ternary complex can be a critical determinant of the rate of protein synthesis. Here we show that eIF2B serves as the target for translation inhibition by various fusel alcohols in yeast. Fusel alcohols are endpoint metabolites from amino acid catabolism, which signal nitrogen scarcity. We show that the inhibition of eIF2B leads to reduced ternary complex levels and that different eIF2B subunit mutants alter fusel alcohol sensitivity. A DNA tiling array strategy was developed that overcame difficulties in the identification of these mutants where the phenotypic distinctions were too subtle for classical complementation cloning. Fusel alcohols also lead to eIF2α dephosphorylation in a Sit4p-dependent manner. In yeast, eIF2B occupies a large cytoplasmic body where guanine nucleotide exchange on eIF2 can occur and be regulated. Fusel alcohols impact on both the movement and dynamics of this 2B body. Overall, these results confirm that the guanine nucleotide exchange factor, eIF2B, is targeted by fusel alcohols. Moreover, they highlight a potential connection between the movement or integrity of the 2B body and eIF2B regulation. PMID:20444979

Detection of DNA via the fluorescence quenching of Mn-doped ZnSe D-dots/doxorubicin/DNA ternary complexes system.

PubMed

Gao, Xue; Niu, Lu; Su, Xingguang

2012-01-01

This manuscript reports a method for the detection of double-stranded DNA, based on Mn:ZnSe d-dots and intercalating agent doxorubicin (DOX). DOX can quench the photoluminescence (PL) of Mn:ZnSe d-dots through photoinduced electron transfer process, after binding with Mn:ZnSe d-dots. The addition of DNA can result in the formation of the Mn:ZnSe d-dots-DOX-DNA ternary complexes, the fluorescence of the Mn:ZnSe d-dots-DOX complexes would be further quenched by the addition of DNA, thus allowing the detection of DNA. The formation mechanism of the Mn:ZnSe d-dots-DOX-DNA ternary complexes was studied in detail in this paper. Under optimal conditions, the quenched fluorescence intensity of Mn:ZnSe d-dots-DOX system are perfectly described by Stern-Volmer equation with the concentration of hsDNA ranging from 0.006 μg mL(-1) to 6.4 μg mL(-1). The detection limit (S/N = 3) for hsDNA is 0.5 ng mL(-1). The proposed method was successfully applied to the detection of DNA in synthetic samples and the results were satisfactory.

Crystal structures of a halophilic archaeal malate synthase from Haloferax volcanii and comparisons with isoforms A and G

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Malate synthase, one of the two enzymes unique to the glyoxylate cycle, is found in all three domains of life, and is crucial to the utilization of two-carbon compounds for net biosynthetic pathways such as gluconeogenesis. In addition to the main isoforms A and G, so named because of their differential expression in E. coli grown on either acetate or glycolate respectively, a third distinct isoform has been identified. These three isoforms differ considerably in size and sequence conservation. The A isoform (MSA) comprises ~530 residues, the G isoform (MSG) is ~730 residues, and this third isoform (MSH-halophilic) is ~430 residues in length. Both isoforms A and G have been structurally characterized in detail, but no structures have been reported for the H isoform which has been found thus far only in members of the halophilic Archaea. Results We have solved the structure of a malate synthase H (MSH) isoform member from Haloferax volcanii in complex with glyoxylate at 2.51 Å resolution, and also as a ternary complex with acetyl-coenzyme A and pyruvate at 1.95 Å. Like the A and G isoforms, MSH is based on a β8/α8 (TIM) barrel. Unlike previously solved malate synthase structures which are all monomeric, this enzyme is found in the native state as a trimer/hexamer equilibrium. Compared to isoforms A and G, MSH displays deletion of an N-terminal domain and a smaller deletion at the C-terminus. The MSH active site is closely superimposable with those of MSA and MSG, with the ternary complex indicating a nucleophilic attack on pyruvate by the enolate intermediate of acetyl-coenzyme A. Conclusions The reported structures of MSH from Haloferax volcanii allow a detailed analysis and comparison with previously solved structures of isoforms A and G. These structural comparisons provide insight into evolutionary relationships among these isoforms, and also indicate that despite the size and sequence variation, and the truncated C-terminal domain of the H isoform, the catalytic mechanism is conserved. Sequence analysis in light of the structure indicates that additional members of isoform H likely exist in the databases but have been misannotated. PMID:21569248

Essential Requirements for Robust Signaling in Hfq Dependent Small RNA Networks

PubMed Central

Adamson, David N.; Lim, Han N.

2011-01-01

Bacteria possess networks of small RNAs (sRNAs) that are important for modulating gene expression. At the center of many of these sRNA networks is the Hfq protein. Hfq's role is to quickly match cognate sRNAs and target mRNAs from among a large number of possible combinations and anneal them to form duplexes. Here we show using a kinetic model that Hfq can efficiently and robustly achieve this difficult task by minimizing the sequestration of sRNAs and target mRNAs in Hfq complexes. This sequestration can be reduced by two non-mutually exclusive kinetic mechanisms. The first mechanism involves heterotropic cooperativity (where sRNA and target mRNA binding to Hfq is influenced by other RNAs bound to Hfq); this cooperativity can selectively decrease singly-bound Hfq complexes and ternary complexes with non-cognate sRNA-target mRNA pairs while increasing cognate ternary complexes. The second mechanism relies on frequent RNA dissociation enabling the rapid cycling of sRNAs and target mRNAs among different Hfq complexes; this increases the probability the cognate ternary complex forms before the sRNAs and target mRNAs degrade. We further demonstrate that the performance of sRNAs in isolation is not predictive of their performance within a network. These findings highlight the importance of experimentally characterizing duplex formation in physiologically relevant contexts with multiple RNAs competing for Hfq. The model will provide a valuable framework for guiding and interpreting these experiments. PMID:21876666

Malachite green mediates homodimerization of antibody VL domains to form a fluorescent ternary complex with singular symmetric interfaces

PubMed Central

Szent-Gyorgyi, Chris; Stanfield, Robyn L.; Andreko, Susan; Dempsey, Alison; Ahmed, Mushtaq; Capek, Sara; Waggoner, Alan; Wilson, Ian A.; Bruchez, Marcel P.

2013-01-01

We report that a symmetric small molecule ligand mediates the assembly of antibody light chain variable domains (VLs) into a correspondent symmetric ternary complex with novel interfaces. The L5* Fluorogen Activating Protein (FAP) is a VL domain that binds malachite green dye (MG) to activate intense fluorescence. Crystallography of liganded L5* reveals a 2:1 protein:ligand complex with inclusive C2 symmetry, where MG is almost entirely encapsulated between an antiparallel arrangement of the two VL domains. Unliganded L5* VL domains crystallize as a similar antiparallel VL/VL homodimer. The complementarity determining regions (CDRs) are spatially oriented to form novel VL/VL and VL/ligand interfaces that tightly constrain a propeller conformer of MG. Binding equilibrium analysis suggests highly cooperative assembly to form a very stable VL/MG/VL complex, such that MG behaves as a strong chemical inducer of dimerization. Fusion of two VL domains into a single protein tightens MG binding over 1,000-fold to low picomolar affinity without altering the large binding enthalpy, suggesting that bonding interactions with ligand and restriction of domain movements make independent contributions to binding. Fluorescence activation of a symmetrical fluorogen provides a selection mechanism for the isolation and directed evolution of ternary complexes where unnatural symmetric binding interfaces are favored over canonical antibody interfaces. As exemplified by L5*, these self-reporting complexes may be useful as modulators of protein association or as high affinity protein tags and capture reagents. PMID:23978698

A Facile Method for Synthesizing Dendritic Core–Shell Structured Ternary Metallic Aerogels and Their Enhanced Electrochemical Performances

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shi, Qiurong; Zhu, Chengzhou; Li, Yijing

2016-11-08

Currently, three dimensional self-supported metallic structures are attractive for their unique properties of high porosity, low density, excellent conductivity etc. that promote their wide application in fuel cells. Here, for the first time, we report a facile synthesis of dendritic core-shell structured Au/Pt3Pd ternary metallic aerogels via a one-pot self-assembly gelation strategy. The as-prepared Au/Pt3Pd ternary metallic aerogels demonstrated superior electrochemical performances toward oxygen reduction reaction compared to commercial Pt/C. The unique dendritic core-shell structures, Pt3Pd alloyed shells and the cross-linked network structures are beneficial for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction performances of the Pt-based materials via the electronic effect,more » geometric effect and synergistic effect. This strategy of fabrication of metallic hydrogels and aerogels as well as their exceptional properties hold great promise in a variety of applications.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Houtz, Robert, L.

This project focused on a molecular and biochemical characterization of the protein methyltransferases responsible for methylation of the LS and SS in Rubisco, and the associated functional consequences accompanying these modifications. Our results provided some of the most informative structural and mechanistic understandings of SET domain protein methyltransferases. These results also positioned us to provide the first unambiguous assignment of the kinetic reaction mechanism for SET-domain protein methyltransferases, and to design and engineer an alternative substrate for Rubisco LSMT, enabling substrate specificity and functional significance studies. We demonstrated that the minimal substrate recognized by Rubisco LSMT is free lysine asmore » well as monomethyllysine, an observation corroborated both by structural analyses as well as enzymatic activity and subsequent product distribution analyses. Ternary complexes between Rubisco LSMT and free lysine compared to complexes with monomethyllysine demonstrated that the structural basis for multiple methyl group additions is a consequence of hydrogen-bond driven spatial shifts in the amino group of Lys-14, which maintains the direct in-line geometry necessary for SN2 nucleophilic attack. The structural observations are also consistent with the previous proposal that the multiplicity of methyl group additions takes place through a processive mechanism, with successive methyl group additions to an enzyme protein complex which does not disassociate prior to the formation of trimethyllysine. This mechanism has important implications, since the regulation of gene expression by SET domain histone methyltransferases is not only dependent on site-specific lysine methylation, but also the degree of methylation. We examined the kinetic reaction mechanism for three different types of SET domain protein methyltransferases, each under conditions supporting mono-, di-, or trimethyllysine formation corroborated by product analyses. Additionally, the tight initial binding of Rubisco LSMT to Rubisco also allowed us to design a novel immobilized complex between Rubisco and Rubisco LSMT, which allowed for an unambiguous demonstration of the requirement for trimethyllysine formation prior to disassociation of the Rubisco LSMT:Rubisco complex, and therefore proof of the processive mechanism for methyl group transfer. These kinetic studies also demonstrated that an important factor has been overlooked in all kinetic analyses of SET domain protein methyltransferases reported to date. This factor is the influence of the low turnover number for SET domain protein methyltransferases and how, relative to the time-frame of kinetic enzyme assays, this can generate changes in kinetic profiles shifting reciprocal plot patterns from random/ordered bi-bi to the real kinetic reaction mechanism plots of ping-pong. Although the ternary complexes of Rubisco LSMT with S-Adenosylhomocysteine and lysine and monomethyllysine were informative in regard to reaction mechanism, they were not helpful in identifying the mechanism used by Rubisco LSMT for determining substrate specificity. We were unsuccessful at obtaining ternary complexes of Rubisco LSMT with bound synthetic polypeptide substrates, as has been reported for several histone methyltransferases. However, we were able to model a polypeptide sequence corresponding to the N-terminal region of the LS of Rubisco into the apparent substrate binding cleft in Rubisco LSMT. Knowledge of the determinants of polypeptide substrate specificity are important for identifying possible alternate substrates, as well as the possibility of generating more desirable substrates amenable to site-directed mutagenesis experiments unlike Rubisco. We determined that Rubisco LSMT is capable of methylating synthetic polypeptide mimics of the N-terminal region of the LS, both free as well as conjugated to keyhole limpet hemacyanin, but with considerable less efficiency than intact holoenzyme.« less

Synthesis and properties of ternary mixture of nickel/cobalt/tin oxides for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, C. S.; Passos, R. R.; Pocrifka, L. A.

2014-12-01

The present study reports the synthesis and morphological, structural and electrochemical characterization of ternary oxides mixture containing nickel, cobalt and tin. The ternary oxide is synthesized by Pechini method with subsequent deposition onto a titanium substrate in a thin-film form. XRD and EDS analysis confirm the formation of ternary film with amorphous nature. SEM analysis show that cracks on the film favor the gain of the surface area that is an interesting feature for electrochemical capacitors. The ternary film is investigated in KOH electrolyte solution using cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge study with a specific capacitance of 328 F g-1, and a capacitance retention of 86% over 600 cycles. The values of specific power and specific energy was 345.7 W kg-1 and 18.92 Wh kg-1, respectively.

Chemical-Biological Properties of Zinc Sensors TSQ and Zinquin: Formation of Sensor-Zn-Protein Adducts versus Zn(Sensor)2 Complexes.

PubMed

Nowakowski, Andrew B; Meeusen, Jeffrey W; Menden, Heather; Tomasiewicz, Henry; Petering, David H

2015-12-21

Fluorescent zinc sensors are the most commonly used tool to study the intracellular mobile zinc status within cellular systems. Previously, we have shown that the quinoline-based sensors Zinquin and 6-methoxy-8-p-toluenesulfonamido-quinoline (TSQ) predominantly form ternary adducts with members of the Zn-proteome. Here, the chemistries of these sensors are further characterized, including how Zn(sensor)2 complexes may react in an intracellular environment. We demonstrate that these sensors are typically used in higher concentrations than needed to obtain maximum signal. Exposing cells to either Zn(Zinquin)2 or Zn(TSQ)2 resulted in efficient cellular uptake and the formation of sensor-Zn-protein adducts as evidenced by both a fluorescence spectral shift toward that of ternary adducts and the localization of the fluorescence signal within the proteome after gel filtration of cellular lysates. Likewise, reacting Zn(sensor)2 with the Zn-proteome from LLC-PK1 cells resulted in the formation of sensor-Zn-protein ternary adducts that could be inhibited by first saturating the Zn- proteome with excess sensor. Further, a native SDS-PAGE analysis of the Zn-proteome reacted with either the sensor or the Zn(sensor)2 complex revealed that both reactions result in the formation of a similar set of sensor-Zn-protein fluorescent products. The results of this experiment also demonstrated that TSQ and Zinquin react with different members of the Zn-proteome. Reactions with the model apo-Zn-protein bovine serum albumin showed that both Zn(TSQ)2 and Zn(Zinquin)2 reacted to form ternary adducts with its apo-Zn-binding site. Moreover, incubating Zn(sensor)2 complexes with non-zinc binding proteins failed to elicit a spectral shift in the fluorescence spectrum, supporting the premise that blue-shifted emission spectra are due to sensor-Zn-protein ternary adducts. It was concluded that Zn(sensors)2 species do not play a significant role in the overall reaction between these sensors and intact cells. In turn, this study further supports the formation of sensor-Zn-protein adducts as the principal observed fluorescent product during experiments employing these two sensors.

pH-specific hydrothermal assembly of binary and ternary Pb(II)-(O,N-carboxylic acid) metal organic framework compounds: correlation of aqueous solution speciation with variable dimensionality solid-state lattice architecture and spectroscopic signatures.

PubMed

Gabriel, C; Perikli, M; Raptopoulou, C P; Terzis, A; Psycharis, V; Mateescu, C; Jakusch, T; Kiss, T; Bertmer, M; Salifoglou, A

2012-09-03

Hydrothermal pH-specific reactivity in the binary/ternary systems of Pb(II) with the carboxylic acids N-hydroxyethyl-iminodiacetic acid (Heida), 1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (Dpot), and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) afforded the new well-defined crystalline compounds [Pb(Heida)](n)·nH(2)O(1), [Pb(Phen)(Heida)]·4H(2)O(2), and [Pb(3)(NO(3))(Dpot)](n)(3). All compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, solution or/and solid-state NMR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structures in 1-2 reveal the presence of a Pb(II) center coordinated to one Heida ligand, with 1 exhibiting a two-dimensional (2D) lattice extending to a three-dimensional (3D) one through H-bonding interactions. The concurrent aqueous speciation study of the binary Pb(II)-Heida system projects species complementing the synthetic efforts, thereby lending credence to a global structural speciation strategy in investigating binary/ternary Pb(II)-Heida/Phen systems. The involvement of Phen in 2 projects the significance of nature and reactivity potential of N-aromatic chelators, disrupting the binary lattice in 1 and influencing the nature of the ultimately arising ternary 3D lattice. 3 is a ternary coordination polymer, where Pb(II)-Dpot coordination leads to a 2D metal-organic-framework material with unique architecture. The collective physicochemical properties of 1-3 formulate the salient features of variable dimensionality metal-organic-framework lattices in binary/ternary Pb(II)-(hydroxy-carboxylate) structures, based on which new Pb(II) materials with distinct architecture and spectroscopic signature can be rationally designed and pursued synthetically.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of polymer-rare earth complexes containing salicylaldehyde-type bidentate Schiff base ligand.

PubMed

Zhang, Dandan; Gao, Baojiao; Li, Yanbin

2017-08-01

Using molecular design and polymer reactions, two types of bidentate Schiff base ligands, salicylaldehyde-aniline (SAN) and salicylaldehyde-cyclohexylamine (SCA), were synchronously synthesized and bonded onto the side chain of polysulfone (PSF), giving two bidentate Schiff base ligand-functionalized PSFs, PSF-SAN and PSF-SCA, referred to as macromolecular ligands. Following coordination reactions between the macromolecular ligands and Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions (the reaction occurred between the bonded ligands SAN or SCA and the lanthanide ion), two series of luminescent polymer-rare earth complexes, PSF-SAN-Eu(III) and PSF-SCA-Tb(III), were obtained. The two macromolecular ligands were fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 1 H NMR and UV absorption spectroscopy, and the prepared complexes were also characterized by FTIR, UV absorption spectroscopy and thermo-gravity analysis. On this basis, the photoluminescence properties of these complexes and the relationships between their structure and luminescence were investigated in depth. The results show that the bonded bidentate Schiff base ligands, SAN and SCA, can effectively sensitize the fluorescence emission of Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions, respectively. PSF-SAN-Eu(III) series complexes, namely the binary complex PSF-(SAN) 3 -Eu(III) and the ternary complex PSF-(SAN) 3 -Eu(III)-(Phen) 1 (Phen is the small-molecule ligand 1,10-phenanthroline), produce strong red luminescence, suggesting that the triplet state energy level of SAN is lower and well matched with the resonant energy level of the Eu(III) ion. By contrast, PSF-SAN-Eu(III) series complexes, namely the binary complex PSF-(SCA) 3 -Tb(III) and the ternary complex PSF-(SCA) 3 -Tb(III)-(Phen) 1 , display strong green luminescence, suggesting that the triplet state energy level of SCA is higher and is well matched with the resonant energy level of Tb(III). Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

EF-1 alpha is a target site for an inhibitory effect of quercetin in the peptide elongation process.

PubMed

Marcinkiewicz, C; Gałasiński, W; Gindzieński, A

1995-01-01

The effect of quercetin (3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) on the polypeptide elongation system isolated from rat liver cells, was investigated. Quercetin inhibited [14C]leucine incorporation into proteins in vitro and the inhibitory effect is being directed towards the elongation factor eEF-1, but not to eEF-2 and ribosomes. Quercetin was found to form a complex with EF-1 alpha, which was inactive in GTP-dependent binding to ribosomes. It can be suggested that quercetin can block the total or the part of the domain of EF-1 alpha structure that is responsible for formation of the ternary complex EF-1 alpha-GTP-[14C]Phe-tRNA and therefore preventing formation of the quaternary complex with ribosomes.

Preparation and luminescent properties of the novel polymer-rare earth complexes composed of Poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) and Europium ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuewen; Hao, Haixia; Wu, Qingyao; Gao, Zihan; Xie, Hongde

2018-06-01

A series of novel polymer-rare earth complexes with Eu3+ ions have been synthesized and investigated successfully, including the binary complexes containing the single ligand poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (EAA) and the ternary complexes using 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), dibenzoylmethane (DBM) or thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) as the second ligand. Their structures have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which confirm that both EAA and small molecules participate in the coordination reaction with rare earth ions, and they can disperse homogeneously in the polymer matrixes. Both ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption and photoluminescence tests for the complexes have been recorded. The relationship between fluorescence intensity of polymer-rare earth complexes and the quantity of ligand EAA has been studied and discussed. The films casted from the complexes solution can emit strong characteristic red light under UV light excitation. All these results suggest that the complexes possess potential application as luminescent materials.

Structure of the apo form of the catabolite control protein A (CcpA) from Bacillus megaterium with a DNA-binding domain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singh, Rajesh Kumar; Palm, Gottfried J.; Panjikar, Santosh

2007-04-01

Crystal structure analysis of the apo form of catabolite control protein A reveals the three-helix bundle of the DNA-binding domain. In the crystal packing, this domain interacts with the binding site for the corepressor protein. Crystal structure determination of catabolite control protein A (CcpA) at 2.6 Å resolution reveals for the first time the structure of a full-length apo-form LacI-GalR family repressor protein. In the crystal structures of these transcription regulators, the three-helix bundle of the DNA-binding domain has only been observed in cognate DNA complexes; it has not been observed in other crystal structures owing to its mobility. Inmore » the crystal packing of apo-CcpA, the protein–protein contacts between the N-terminal three-helix bundle and the core domain consisted of interactions between the homodimers that were similar to those between the corepressor protein HPr and the CcpA N-subdomain in the ternary DNA complex. In contrast to the DNA complex, the apo-CcpA structure reveals large subdomain movements in the core, resulting in a complete loss of contacts between the N-subdomains of the homodimer.« less

Molecular dynamics study of polysaccharides in binary solvent mixtures of an ionic liquid and water.

PubMed

Liu, Hanbin; Sale, Kenneth L; Simmons, Blake A; Singh, Seema

2011-09-01

Some ionic liquids (ILs) have great promise as effective solvents for biomass pretreatment, and there are several that have been reported that can dissolve large amounts of cellulose. The solubilized cellulose can then be recovered by addition of antisolvents, such as water or ethanol, and this regeneration process plays an important role in the subsequent enzymatic saccharification reactions and in the recovery of the ionic liquid. To date, little is known about the fundamental intermolecular interactions that drive the dissolution and subsequent regeneration of cellulose in complex mixtures of ionic liquids, water, and cellulose. To investigate these interactions, in this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to study binary and ternary mixtures of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) with water and a cellulose oligomer. Simulations of a cellulose oligomer dissolved in three concentrations of binary mixtures of [C2mim][OAc] and water were used to represent the ternary system in the dissolution phase (high [C2mim][OAc] concentration) and present during the initial phase of the regeneration step (intermediate and low [C2mim][OAc] concentrations). The MD analysis of the structure and dynamics that exist in these binary and ternary mixtures provides information on the key intermolecular interactions between cellulose and [C2mim][OAc] that lead to dissolution of cellulose and the key intermolecular interactions in the intermediate states of cellulose precipitation as a function of water content in the cellulose/IL/water system. The analysis of this intermediate state provides new insight into the molecular driving forces present in this ternary system. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Phase Structure and Site Preference Behavior of Ternary Alloying Additions to PdTi and PtTi Shape-Memory Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozzolo, Guillermo; Mosca, Hugo O.; Noebe, Ronald D.

2006-01-01

The phasc structure and concentration dependence of the lattice parameter and energy of formation of ternary Pd-'I-X and Pt-Ti-X alloys for a large number of ternary alloying additions X (X = Na, Mg, Al, Si, Sc. V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir) are investigated with an atomistic modeling approach. In addition, a detailed description of the site preference behavior of such additions showing that the elements can be grouped according to their absolute preference for a specific site, regardless of concentration, or preference for available sites in the deficient sublattice is provided.

A New Multifunctional Sensor for Measuring Concentrations of Ternary Solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Guo; Shida, Katsunori

This paper presents a multifunctional sensor with novel structure, which is capable of directly sensing temperature and two physical parameters of solutions, namely ultrasonic velocity and conductivity. By combined measurement of these three measurable parameters, the concentrations of various components in a ternary solution can be simultaneously determined. The structure and operation principle of the sensor are described, and a regression algorithm based on natural cubic spline interpolation and the least square method is adopted to estimate the concentrations. The performances of the proposed sensor are experimentally tested by the use of ternary aqueous solution of sodium chloride and sucrose, which is widely involved in food and beverage industries. This sensor could prove valuable as a process control sensor in industry fields.

Structural and Biochemical Insights into MLL1 Core Complex Assembly

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Avdic, Vanja; Zhang, Pamela; Lanouette, Sylvain

2012-05-02

Histone H3 Lys-4 methylation is predominantly catalyzed by a family of methyltransferases whose enzymatic activity depends on their interaction with a three-subunit complex composed of WDR5, RbBP5, and Ash2L. Here, we report that a segment of 50 residues of RbBP5 bridges the Ash2L C-terminal domain to WDR5. The crystal structure of WDR5 in ternary complex with RbBP5 and MLL1 reveals that both proteins binds peptide-binding clefts located on opposite sides of WDR5s {beta}-propeller domain. RbBP5 engages in several hydrogen bonds and van der Waals contacts within a V-shaped cleft formed by the junction of two blades on WDR5. Mutational analysesmore » of both the WDR5 V-shaped cleft and RbBP5 residues reveal that the interactions between RbBP5 and WDR5 are important for the stimulation of MLL1 methyltransferase activity. Overall, this study provides the structural basis underlying the formation of the WDR5-RbBP5 subcomplex and further highlight the crucial role of WDR5 in scaffolding the MLL1 core complex.« less

Synthesis and characterization of CdS-based ternary composite for enhanced visible light-driven photocatalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Arvind; Sinha, A. S. K.

2018-09-01

Active ternary graphite and alumina-supported cadmium sulphide (CdS) composite was synthesized by impregnation method followed by high-temperature solid-gas reaction and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The ternary CdS-graphite-alumina composite exhibited superior catalytic activity compared with the binary CdS-alumina composite due to its better visible-light absorption and higher charge separation. The ternary composite has a bed-type structure. It permits a greater interaction at the interface due to intimate contact between CdS and graphite in the ternary composite. This composite has a highly efficient visible light-driven photocatalytic activity for sustainable hydrogen production. It is also capable of degrading organic dyes in wastewater.

Organic Solar Cells beyond One Pair of Donor-Acceptor: Ternary Blends and More.

PubMed

Yang, Liqiang; Yan, Liang; You, Wei

2013-06-06

Ternary solar cells enjoy both an increased light absorption width, and an easy fabrication process associated with their simple structures. Significant progress has been made for such solar cells with demonstrated efficiencies over 7%; however, their fundamental working principles are still under investigation. This Perspective is intended to offer our insights on the three major governing mechanisms in these intriguing ternary solar cells: charge transfer, energy transfer, and parallel-linkage. Through careful analysis of exemplary cases, we summarize the advantages and limitations of these three major mechanisms and suggest future research directions. For example, incorporating additional singlet fission or upconversion materials into the energy transfer dominant ternary solar cells has the potential to break the theoretical efficiency limit in single junction organic solar cells. Clearly, a feedback loop between fundamental understanding and materials selection is in urgent need to accelerate the efficiency improvement of these ternary solar cells.

Si/Ti2O3/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries with Highly Enhanced Cyclic Stability.

PubMed

Park, A Reum; Son, Dae-Yong; Kim, Jung Sub; Lee, Jun Young; Park, Nam-Gyu; Park, Juhyun; Lee, Joong Kee; Yoo, Pil J

2015-08-26

Silicon (Si) has attracted tremendous attention as a high-capacity anode material for next generation Li-ion batteries (LIBs); unfortunately, it suffers from poor cyclic stability due to excessive volume expansion and reduced electrical conductivity after repeated cycles. To circumvent these issues, we propose that Si can be complexed with electrically conductive Ti2O3 to significantly enhance the reversible capacity and cyclic stability of Si-based anodes. We prepared a ternary nanocomposite of Si/Ti2O3/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using mechanical blending and subsequent thermal reduction of the Si, TiO2 nanoparticles, and rGO nanosheets. As a result, the obtained ternary nanocomposite exhibited a specific capacity of 985 mAh/g and a Coulombic efficiency of 98.4% after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA/g. Furthermore, these ternary nanocomposite anodes exhibited outstanding rate capability characteristics, even with an increased current density of 10 A/g. This excellent electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the improved electron and ion transport provided by the Ti2O3 phase within the Si domains and the structurally reinforced conductive framework comprised of the rGO nanosheets. Therefore, it is expected that our approach can also be applied to other anode materials to enable large reversible capacity, excellent cyclic stability, and good rate capability for high-performance LIBs.

Lipophilic ternary complexes in liquid-liquid extraction of trivalent lanthanides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lumetta, Gregg J.; Levitskaia, Tatiana G.; Latesky, Stanley

2012-03-01

The formation of ternary complexes between lanthanide ions [Nd(III) or Eu(III)], octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutyl-carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO), and bis-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP) was probed by liquid-liquid extraction and spectroscopic techniques. Equilibrium modeling of data for the extraction of Nd(III) or Eu(III) from lactic acid media into n-dodecane solutions of CMPO and HDEHP indicates the predominant extracted species are of the type [Ln(AHA){sub 2}(A)] and [Ln(CMPO)(AHA){sub 2}(A)], where Ln = Nd or Eu and A represents the DEHP{sup -} anion. FTIR (for both Eu and Nd) and visible spectrophotometry (in the case of Nd) indicate the formation of the [Ln(CMPO)(A){sup 3}] complexes when CMPO ismore » added to n-dodecane solutions of the LnA{sub 3} compounds. Both techniques indicate a stronger propensity of CMPO to complex Nd(III) versus Eu(III).« less

Interactions between the cyclic AMP receptor protein and the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase at the Escherichia coli galactose operon P1 promoter.

PubMed

Attey, A; Belyaeva, T; Savery, N; Hoggett, J; Fujita, N; Ishihama, A; Busby, S

1994-10-25

DNAase I footprinting has been used to study open complexes between Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and the galactose operon P1 promoter, both in the absence and the presence of CRP (the cyclic AMP receptor protein, a transcription activator). From the effects of deletion of the C-terminal part of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit, we deduce that alpha binds at the upstream end of both the binary RNA polymerase-galP1 and ternary RNA polymerase-CRP-galP1 complexes. Disruption of the alpha-upstream contact suppresses open complex formation at galP1 at lower temperatures. In ternary RNA polymerase-CRP-galP1 complexes, alpha appears to make direct contact with Activating Region 1 in CRP. DNAase I footprinting has been used to detect and quantify interactions between purified alpha and CRP bound at galP1.

Interactions between the cyclic AMP receptor protein and the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase at the Escherichia coli galactose operon P1 promoter.

PubMed Central

Attey, A; Belyaeva, T; Savery, N; Hoggett, J; Fujita, N; Ishihama, A; Busby, S

1994-01-01

DNAase I footprinting has been used to study open complexes between Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and the galactose operon P1 promoter, both in the absence and the presence of CRP (the cyclic AMP receptor protein, a transcription activator). From the effects of deletion of the C-terminal part of the RNA polymerase alpha subunit, we deduce that alpha binds at the upstream end of both the binary RNA polymerase-galP1 and ternary RNA polymerase-CRP-galP1 complexes. Disruption of the alpha-upstream contact suppresses open complex formation at galP1 at lower temperatures. In ternary RNA polymerase-CRP-galP1 complexes, alpha appears to make direct contact with Activating Region 1 in CRP. DNAase I footprinting has been used to detect and quantify interactions between purified alpha and CRP bound at galP1. Images PMID:7971267

Net (ERP/SAP2) one of the Ras-inducible TCFs, has a novel inhibitory domain with resemblance to the helix-loop-helix motif.

PubMed Central

Maira, S M; Wurtz, J M; Wasylyk, B

1996-01-01

The three ternary complex factors (TCFs), Net (ERP/ SAP-2), ELK-1 and SAP-1, are highly related ets oncogene family members that participate in the response of the cell to Ras and growth signals. Understanding the different roles of these factors will provide insights into how the signals result in coordinate regulation of the cell. We show that Net inhibits transcription under basal conditions, in which SAP-1a is inactive and ELK-1 stimulates. Repression is mediated by the NID, the Net Inhibitory Domain of about 50 amino acids, which autoregulates the Net protein and also inhibits when it is isolated in a heterologous fusion protein. Net is particularly sensitive to Ras activation. Ras activates Net through the C-domain, which is conserved between the three TCFs, and the NID is an efficient inhibitor of Ras activation. The NID, as well as more C-terminal sequences, inhibit DNA binding. Net is more refractory to DNA binding than the other TCFs, possibly due to the presence of multiple inhibitory elements. The NID may adopt a helix-loop-helix (HLH) structure, as evidenced by homology to other HLH motifs, structure predictions, model building and mutagenesis of critical residues. The sequence resemblance with myogenic factors suggested that Net may form complexes with the same partners. Indeed, we found that Net can interact in vivo with the basic HLH factor, E47. We propose that Net is regulated at the level of its latent DNA-binding activity by protein interactions and/or phosphorylation. Net may form complexes with HLH proteins as well as SRF on specific promotor sequences. The identification of the novel inhibitory domain provides a new inroad into exploring the different roles of the ternary complex factors in growth control and transformation. Images PMID:8918463

Net (ERP/SAP2) one of the Ras-inducible TCFs, has a novel inhibitory domain with resemblance to the helix-loop-helix motif.

PubMed

Maira, S M; Wurtz, J M; Wasylyk, B

1996-11-01

The three ternary complex factors (TCFs), Net (ERP/ SAP-2), ELK-1 and SAP-1, are highly related ets oncogene family members that participate in the response of the cell to Ras and growth signals. Understanding the different roles of these factors will provide insights into how the signals result in coordinate regulation of the cell. We show that Net inhibits transcription under basal conditions, in which SAP-1a is inactive and ELK-1 stimulates. Repression is mediated by the NID, the Net Inhibitory Domain of about 50 amino acids, which autoregulates the Net protein and also inhibits when it is isolated in a heterologous fusion protein. Net is particularly sensitive to Ras activation. Ras activates Net through the C-domain, which is conserved between the three TCFs, and the NID is an efficient inhibitor of Ras activation. The NID, as well as more C-terminal sequences, inhibit DNA binding. Net is more refractory to DNA binding than the other TCFs, possibly due to the presence of multiple inhibitory elements. The NID may adopt a helix-loop-helix (HLH) structure, as evidenced by homology to other HLH motifs, structure predictions, model building and mutagenesis of critical residues. The sequence resemblance with myogenic factors suggested that Net may form complexes with the same partners. Indeed, we found that Net can interact in vivo with the basic HLH factor, E47. We propose that Net is regulated at the level of its latent DNA-binding activity by protein interactions and/or phosphorylation. Net may form complexes with HLH proteins as well as SRF on specific promotor sequences. The identification of the novel inhibitory domain provides a new inroad into exploring the different roles of the ternary complex factors in growth control and transformation.

Spectral and theoretical study on complexation of sulfamethoxazole with β- and HPβ-cyclodextrins in binary and ternary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varghese, Beena; Suliman, FakhrEldin O.; Al-Hajri, Aalia; Al Bishri, Nahed Surur S.; Al-Rwashda, Nathir

2018-02-01

The inclusion complexes of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) with β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and (2-hydroxypropyl) β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) were prepared. Fluorescence spectroscopy and electrospray mass spectrometry, ESI-MS, were used to investigate and characterize the inclusion complexation of SMX with cyclodextrins in solutions. Whereas in the solid state the complexes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Raman techniques. Enhanced twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT), emission as well as local excited (LE) bands were observed upon addition of HPβCD indicate that SMX enters deeper into the cyclodextrins cavity. The stoichiometries and association constants of these complexes have been determined by monitoring the fluorescence data. The effect of presence of ternary components like arginine and cysteine on the complexation efficiency of SMX with cyclodextrins was investigated. Molecular Dynamic simulations were also performed to shed an atomistic insight into the complexation mechanism. The results obtained showed that complexes of SMX with both cyclodextrins are stabilized in aqueous media by strong hydrogen bonding interactions.

Combinatorial selection of molecular conformations and supramolecular synthons in quercetin cocrystal landscapes: a route to ternary solids

PubMed Central

Dubey, Ritesh; Desiraju, Gautam R.

2015-01-01

The crystallization of 28 binary and ternary cocrystals of quercetin with dibasic coformers is analyzed in terms of a combinatorial selection from a solution of preferred molecular conformations and supramolecular synthons. The crystal structures are characterized by distinctive O—H⋯N and O—H⋯O based synthons and are classified as nonporous, porous and helical. Variability in molecular conformation and synthon structure led to an increase in the energetic and structural space around the crystallization event. This space is the crystal structure landscape of the compound and is explored by fine-tuning the experimental conditions of crystallization. In the landscape context, we develop a strategy for the isolation of ternary cocrystals with the use of auxiliary template molecules to reduce the molecular and supramolecular ‘confusion’ that is inherent in a molecule like quercetin. The absence of concomitant polymorphism in this study highlights the selectivity in conformation and synthon choice from the virtual combinatorial library in solution. PMID:26175900

Effect of phosphate on U(VI) sorption to montmorillonite: Ternary complexation and precipitation barriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troyer, Lyndsay D.; Maillot, Fabien; Wang, Zheming; Wang, Zimeng; Mehta, Vrajesh S.; Giammar, Daniel E.; Catalano, Jeffrey G.

2016-02-01

Phosphate addition is a potential treatment method to lower the solubility of U(VI) in soil and groundwater systems by causing U(VI) phosphate precipitation as well as enhancing adsorption. Previous work has shown that iron oxide surfaces may facilitate the nucleation of U(VI) phosphate minerals and, that under weakly acidic conditions, phosphate also enhances U(VI) adsorption to such phases. Like iron oxides, clays are important reactive phases in the subsurface but little is known about the interaction of U(VI) and phosphate with these minerals. The effect of aqueous phosphate on U(VI) binding to Wyoming montmorillonite (SWy-2) in air-equilibrated systems was investigated. Equilibrium U(VI) uptake to montmorillonite was determined at pH 4, 6 and 8 at discrete initial phosphate concentrations between 0 and 100 μM. The observed behavior of U(VI) indicates a transition from adsorption to precipitation with increasing total uranium and phosphate concentrations at all pH values. At the highest phosphate concentration examined at each pH value, a barrier to U(VI) phosphate nucleation is observed. At lower concentrations, phosphate has no effect on macroscopic U(VI) adsorption. To assess the mechanisms of U(VI)-phosphate interactions on smectite surfaces, U(VI) speciation was investigated under selected conditions using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS) and extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. Samples above the precipitation threshold display EXAFS and LIFS spectral signatures consistent with the autunite family of U(VI) phosphate minerals. However, at lower U(VI) concentrations, changes in LIFS spectra upon phosphate addition suggest that U(VI)-phosphate ternary surface complexes form on the montmorillonite surface at pH 4 and 6 despite the lack of a macroscopic effect on adsorption. The speciation of solid-associated U(VI) below the precipitation threshold at pH 8 is dominated by U(VI)-carbonate surface complexes. This work reveals that ternary complexation may occur without a macroscopic signature, which is attributed to phosphate not appreciably binding to smectite in the absence of U(VI), with U(VI) surface complexes serving as the sole reactive surface sites for phosphate. This study shows that phosphate does not enhance U(VI) adsorption to smectite clay minerals, unlike oxide phases, and that a barrier to homogeneous nucleation of U(VI) phosphates was not affected by the presence of the smectite surface.

Roles of Raft-Anchored Adaptor Cbp/PAG1 in Spatial Regulation of c-Src Kinase

PubMed Central

Oneyama, Chitose; Suzuki, Takashi; Okada, Masato

2014-01-01

The tyrosine kinase c-Src is upregulated in numerous human cancers, implying a role for c-Src in cancer progression. Previously, we have shown that sequestration of activated c-Src into lipid rafts via a transmembrane adaptor, Cbp/PAG1, efficiently suppresses c-Src-induced cell transformation in Csk-deficient cells, suggesting that the transforming activity of c-Src is spatially regulated via Cbp in lipid rafts. To dissect the molecular mechanisms of the Cbp-mediated regulation of c-Src, a combined analysis was performed that included mathematical modeling and in vitro experiments in a c-Src- or Cbp-inducible system. c-Src activity was first determined as a function of c-Src or Cbp levels, using focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as a crucial c-Src substrate. Based on these experimental data, two mathematical models were constructed, the sequestration model and the ternary model. The computational analysis showed that both models supported our proposal that raft localization of Cbp is crucial for the suppression of c-Src function, but the ternary model, which includes a ternary complex consisting of Cbp, c-Src, and FAK, also predicted that c-Src function is dependent on the lipid-raft volume. Experimental analysis revealed that c-Src activity is elevated when lipid rafts are disrupted and the ternary complex forms in non-raft membranes, indicating that the ternary model accurately represents the system. Moreover, the ternary model predicted that, if Cbp enhances the interaction between c-Src and FAK, Cbp could promote c-Src function when lipid rafts are disrupted. These findings underscore the crucial role of lipid rafts in the Cbp-mediated negative regulation of c-Src-transforming activity, and explain the positive role of Cbp in c-Src regulation under particular conditions where lipid rafts are perturbed. PMID:24675741

Dissecting the Catalytic Mechanism of Betaine-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase Using Intrinsic Tryptophan Fluorescence and Site-Directed Mutagenesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Castro, C.; Gratson, A.A.; Evans, J.C.

2010-03-05

Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT) is a zinc-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from glycine betaine (Bet) to homocysteine (Hcy) to form dimethylglycine (DMG) and methionine (Met). Previous studies in other laboratories have indicated that catalysis proceeds through the formation of a ternary complex, with a transition state mimicked by the inhibitor S-({delta}-carboxybutyl)-l-homocysteine (CBHcy). Using changes in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence to determine the affinity of human BHMT for substrates, products, or CBHcy, we now demonstrate that the enzyme-substrate complex reaches its transition state through an ordered bi-bi mechanism in which Hcy is the first substrate to bind andmore » Met is the last product released. Hcy, Met, and CBHcy bind to the enzyme to form binary complexes with K{sub d} values of 7.9, 6.9, and 0.28 {micro}M, respectively. Binary complexes with Bet and DMG cannot be detected with fluorescence as a probe, but Bet and DMG bind tightly to BHMT-Hcy to form ternary complexes with K{sub d} values of 1.1 and 0.73 {micro}M, respectively. Mutation of each of the seven tryptophan residues in human BHMT provides evidence that the enzyme undergoes two distinct conformational changes that are reflected in the fluorescence of the enzyme. The first is induced when Hcy binds, and the second, when Bet binds. As predicted by the crystal structure of BHMT, the amino acids Trp44 and Tyr160 are involved in binding Bet, and Glu159 in binding Hcy. Replacing these residues by site-directed mutagenesis significantly reduces the catalytic efficiency (V{sub max}/K{sub m}) of the enzyme. Replacing Tyr77 with Phe abolishes enzyme activity.« less

Ternary rare earth-lanthanide sulfides

DOEpatents

Takeshita, Takuo; Gschneidner JR., Karl A.; Beaudry, Bernard J.

1987-01-06

A new ternary rare earth sulfur compound having the formula: where M is a rare earth element selected from the group europium, samarium and ytterbium and x=0.15 to 0.8. The compound has good high-temperature thermoelectric properties and exhibits long-term structural stability up to 1000.degree. C.

Intrinsic disorder in the partitioning protein KorB persists after co-operative complex formation with operator DNA and KorA.

PubMed

Hyde, Eva I; Callow, Philip; Rajasekar, Karthik V; Timmins, Peter; Patel, Trushar R; Siligardi, Giuliano; Hussain, Rohanah; White, Scott A; Thomas, Christopher M; Scott, David J

2017-08-30

The ParB protein, KorB, from the RK2 plasmid is required for DNA partitioning and transcriptional repression. It acts co-operatively with other proteins, including the repressor KorA. Like many multifunctional proteins, KorB contains regions of intrinsically disordered structure, existing in a large ensemble of interconverting conformations. Using NMR spectroscopy, circular dichroism and small-angle neutron scattering, we studied KorB selectively within its binary complexes with KorA and DNA, and within the ternary KorA/KorB/DNA complex. The bound KorB protein remains disordered with a mobile C-terminal domain and no changes in the secondary structure, but increases in the radius of gyration on complex formation. Comparison of wild-type KorB with an N-terminal deletion mutant allows a model of the ensemble average distances between the domains when bound to DNA. We propose that the positive co-operativity between KorB, KorA and DNA results from conformational restriction of KorB on binding each partner, while maintaining disorder. © 2017 The Author(s).

Quantifying the assembly of multicomponent molecular machines by single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy

PubMed Central

Boehm, Elizabeth M.; Subramanyam, Shyamal; Ghoneim, Mohamed; Washington, M. Todd; Spies, Maria

2016-01-01

Large, dynamic macromolecular complexes play essential roles in many cellular processes. Knowing how the components of these complexes associate with one another and undergo structural rearrangements is critical to understanding how they function. Single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy is a powerful approach for addressing these fundamental issues. In this article, we first discuss single-molecule TIRF microscopes and strategies to immobilize and fluorescently label macromolecules. We then review the use of single-molecule TIRF microscopy to study the formation of binary macromolecular complexes using one-color imaging and inhibitors. We conclude with a discussion of the use of TIRF microscopy to examine the formation of higher-order (i.e., ternary, quaternary, etc.) complexes using multi-color setups. The focus throughout this article is on experimental design, controls, data acquisition, and data analysis. We hope that single-molecule TIRF microscopy, which has largely been the province of specialists, will soon become as common in the tool box of biophysicists and biochemists as structural approaches has become today. PMID:27793278

Investigation of Cyclodextrin-Based Nanosponges for Solubility and Bioavailability Enhancement of Rilpivirine.

PubMed

Rao, Monica R P; Chaudhari, Jagruti; Trotta, Francesco; Caldera, Fabrizio

2018-06-04

Rilpivrine is BCS class II drug used for treatment of HIV infection. The drug has low aqueous solubility (0.0166 mg/ml) and dissolution rate leading to low bioavailability (32%). Aim of this work was to enhance solubility and dissolution of rilpivirine using beta-cyclodextrin-based nanosponges. These nanosponges are biocompatible nanoporous particles having high loading capacity to form supramolecular inclusion and non-inclusion complexes with hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs for solubility enhancement. Beta-cyclodextrin was crosslinked with carbonyl diimidazole and pyromellitic dianhydride to prepare nanosponges. The nanosponges were loaded with rilpivirine by solvent evaporation method. Binary and ternary complexes of drug with β-CD, HP-β-CD, nanosponges, and tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate were prepared and characterized by phase solubility, saturation solubility in different media, in vitro dissolution, and in vivo pharmacokinetics. Spectral analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry was performed. Results obtained from spectral characterization confirmed inclusion complexation. Phase solubility studies indicated stable complex formation. Saturation solubility was found to be 10-13-folds higher with ternary complexes in distilled water and 12-14-fold higher in 0.1 N HCl. Solubility enhancement was evident in biorelevant media. Molecular modeling studies revealed possible mode of entrapment of rilpivirine within β-CD cavities. A 3-fold increase in dissolution with ternary complexes was observed. Animal studies revealed nearly 2-fold increase in oral bioavailability of rilpivirine. It was inferred that electronic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals forces are involved in the supramolecular interactions.

Mispairs with Watson-Crick base-pair geometry observed in ternary complexes of an RB69 DNA polymerase variant.

PubMed

Xia, Shuangluo; Konigsberg, William H

2014-04-01

Recent structures of DNA polymerase complexes with dGMPCPP/dT and dCTP/dA mispairs at the insertion site have shown that they adopt Watson-Crick geometry in the presence of Mn(2+) indicating that the tautomeric or ionization state of the base has changed. To see whether the tautomeric or ionization state of base-pair could be affected by its microenvironment, we determined 10 structures of an RB69 DNA polymerase quadruple mutant with dG/dT or dT/dG mispairs at position n-1 to n-5 of the Primer/Template duplex. Different shapes of the mispairs, including Watson-Crick geometry, have been observed, strongly suggesting that the local environment of base-pairs plays an important role in their tautomeric or ionization states. © 2014 The Protein Society.

Mechanism and Substrate Recognition of Human Holo ACP Synthase

PubMed Central

Bunkoczi, Gabor; Pasta, Saloni; Joshi, Anil; Wu, Xiaoqiu; Kavanagh, Kathryn L.; Smith, Stuart; Oppermann, Udo

2007-01-01

Summary Mammals utilize a single phosphopantetheinyl transferase for the posttranslational modification of at least three different apoproteins: the carrier protein components of cytosolic and mitochondrial fatty acid synthases and the aminoadipate semialdehyde reductase involved in lysine degradation. We determined the crystal structure of the human phosphopantetheinyl transferase, a eukaryotic phosphopantetheinyl transferase characterized, complexed with CoA and Mg2+, and in ternary complex with CoA and ACP. The involvement of key residues in ligand binding and catalysis was confirmed by mutagenesis and kinetic analysis. Human phosphopantetheinyl transferase exhibits an α/β fold and 2-fold pseudosymmetry similar to the Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase from Bacillus subtilis. Although the bound ACP exhibits a typical four-helix structure, its binding is unusual in that it is facilitated predominantly by hydrophobic interactions. A detailed mechanism is proposed describing the substrate binding and catalytic process. PMID:18022563

Efficient Vacuum-Deposited Ternary Organic Solar Cells with Broad Absorption, Energy Transfer, and Enhanced Hole Mobility.

PubMed

Shim, Hyun-Sub; Moon, Chang-Ki; Kim, Jihun; Wang, Chun-Kai; Sim, Bomi; Lin, Francis; Wong, Ken-Tsung; Seo, Yongsok; Kim, Jang-Joo

2016-01-20

The use of multiple donors in an active layer is an effective way to boost the efficiency of organic solar cells by broadening their absorption window. Here, we report an efficient vacuum-deposited ternary organic photovoltaic (OPV) using two donors, 2-((2-(5-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-2-yl)thiazol-5-yl)methylene)malononitrile (DTTz) for visible absorption and 2-((7-(5-(dip-tolylamino)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[c]-[1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)methylene)malononitrile (DTDCTB) for near-infrared absorption, codeposited with C70 in the ternary layer. The ternary device achieved a power conversion efficiency of 8.02%, which is 23% higher than that of binary OPVs. This enhancement is the result of incorporating two donors with complementary absorption covering wavelengths of 350 to 900 nm with higher hole mobility in the ternary layer than that of binary layers consisting of one donor and C70, combined with energy transfer from the donor with lower hole mobility (DTTz) to that with higher mobility (DTDCTB). This structure fulfills all the requirements for efficient ternary OPVs.

Spectroscopic evidence for ternary surface complexes in the lead(II)-malonic acid-hematite system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lenhart, J.J.; Bargar, J.R.; Davis, J.A.

2001-01-01

Using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) measurements, we examined the sorption of Pb(II) to hematite in the presence of malonic acid. Pb LIII-edge EXAFS measurements performed in the presence of malonate indicate the presence of both Fe and C neighbors, suggesting that a major fraction of surface-bound malonate is bonded to adsorbed Pb(II). In the absence of Pb(II), ATR-FTIR measurements of sorbed malonate suggest the formation of more than one malonate surface complex. The dissimilarity of the IR spectrum of malonate sorbed on hematite to those for aqueous malonate suggest at least one of the sorbed malonate species is directly coordinated to surface Fe atoms in an inner-sphere mode. In the presence of Pb, little change is seen in the IR spectrum for sorbed malonate, indicating that geometry of malonate as it coordinates to sorbed Pb(II) adions is similar to the geometry of malonate as it coordinates to Fe in the hematite surface. Fits of the raw EXAFS spectra collected from pH 4 to pH 8 result in average Pb-C distances of 2.98 to 3.14 A??, suggesting the presence of both four- and six-membered Pb-malonate rings. The IR results are consistent with this interpretation. Thus, our results suggest that malonate binds to sorbed Pb(II) adions, forming ternary metal-bridging surface complexes. ?? 2001 Academic Press.

Deciphering three beneficial effects of 2,2'-bipyridine-N,N'-dioxide on the luminescence sensitization of lanthanide(III) hexafluoroacetylacetonate ternary complexes.

PubMed

Eliseeva, Svetlana V; Pleshkov, Dmitry N; Lyssenko, Konstantin A; Lepnev, Leonid S; Bünzli, Jean-Claude G; Kuzmina, Natalia P

2011-06-06

Lanthanide hexafluoroacetylacetonate ternary complexes with 2,2'-bipyridine-N,N'-dioxide, [Ln(hfa)(3)(bpyO2)], were synthesized for Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb, and Lu and fully characterized by elemental, thermal, and mass-spectrometric analyses. The X-ray crystal structure of [Eu(hfa)(3)(bpyO2)]·0.5C(6)H(6) reveals an octa-coordinate metal ion lying in a severely distorted trigonal dodecahedron geometry; the Eu-O distances lie in the range 2.36-2.44 Å with no significant difference between hfa(-) and bpyO2. A detailed comparative photophysical investigation has been carried out to determine the exact influence of the introduction of bpyO2 in the inner coordination sphere of the metal ion in replacement of the two water molecules in [Ln(hfa)(3)(H(2)O)(2)]. While this replacement is detrimental for Tb, it leads to a 15-fold increase in the overall quantum yield for Eu. This large improvement originates from (i) a better sensitization efficiency, the ancillary ligand being responsible for 3/4 of the energy transfer, (ii) elimination of nonradiative deactivation pathways through harmonics of O-H vibrations, and (iii) reduction in the radiative lifetime. The latter influence is rarely documented, but it accounts here for a ≈25% increase in the intrinsic quantum yield, so that more attention should be given to this parameter when designing highly luminescent lanthanide complexes. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Factors affecting nucleolytic efficiency of some ternary metal complexes with DNA binding and recognition domains. Crystal and molecular structure of Zn(phen)(edda).

PubMed

Seng, Hoi-Ling; Ong, Han-Kiat Alan; Rahman, Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abd; Yamin, Bohari M; Tiekink, Edward R T; Tan, Kong Wai; Maah, Mohd Jamil; Caracelli, Ignez; Ng, Chew Hee

2008-11-01

The binding selectivity of the M(phen)(edda) (M=Cu, Co, Ni, Zn; phen=1,10-phenanthroline, edda=ethylenediaminediacetic acid) complexes towards ds(CG)(6), ds(AT)(6) and ds(CGCGAATTCGCG) B-form oligonucleotide duplexes were studied by CD spectroscopy and molecular modeling. The binding mode is intercalation and there is selectivity towards AT-sequence and stacking preference for A/A parallel or diagonal adjacent base steps in their intercalation. The nucleolytic properties of these complexes were investigated and the factors affecting the extent of cleavage were determined to be: concentration of complex, the nature of metal(II) ion, type of buffer, pH of buffer, incubation time, incubation temperature, and the presence of hydrogen peroxide or ascorbic acid as exogenous reagents. The fluorescence property of these complexes and its origin were also investigated. The crystal structure of the Zn(phen)(edda) complex is reported in which the zinc atom displays a distorted trans-N(4)O(2) octahedral geometry; the crystal packing features double layers of complex molecules held together by extensive hydrogen bonding that inter-digitate with adjacent double layers via pi...pi interactions between 1,10-phenanthroline residues. The structure is compared with that of the recently described copper(II) analogue and, with the latter, included in molecular modeling.

C–IBI: Targeting cumulative coordination within an iterative protocol to derive coarse-grained models of (multi-component) complex fluids

DOE PAGES

de Oliveira, Tiago E.; Netz, Paulo A.; Kremer, Kurt; ...

2016-05-03

We present a coarse-graining strategy that we test for aqueous mixtures. The method uses pair-wise cumulative coordination as a target function within an iterative Boltzmann inversion (IBI) like protocol. We name this method coordination iterative Boltzmann inversion (C–IBI). While the underlying coarse-grained model is still structure based and, thus, preserves pair-wise solution structure, our method also reproduces solvation thermodynamics of binary and/or ternary mixtures. In addition, we observe much faster convergence within C–IBI compared to IBI. To validate the robustness, we apply C–IBI to study test cases of solvation thermodynamics of aqueous urea and a triglycine solvation in aqueous urea.

[Spectral Analysis of CdZnSe Ternary Quantum Dots Sensitized TiO2 Tubes and Its Application in Visible-Light Photocatalysis].

PubMed

Han, Zhi-zhong; Ren, Li-li; Pan, Hai-bo; Li, Chun-yan; Chen, Jing-hua; Chen, Jian-zhong

2015-11-01

In this work, cadmium nitrate hexahydrate [Cd(NO₃)₂ · 6H₂O] is as a source of cadmium, zinc nitrate [Zn(NO₃)₂] as a source of zinc source, and NaHSe as a source of selenium which was prepared through reducing the elemental selenium with sodium borohydride (NaBH₄). Then water-soluble Cd₁₋xZnxSe ternary quantum dots with different component were prepared by colloid chemistry. The as-prepared Cd₁₋xZnx Se ternary quantum dots exhibit stable fluorescent property in aqueous solution, and can still maintain good dispersivity at room temperature for four months. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) were used to analyze crystal structure and morphology of the prepared Cd₁₋xZnxSe. It is found that the as-prepared ternary quantum dots are cubic phase, show as sphere, and the average of particle size is approximate 4 nm. The spectral properties and energy band structure of the as-prepared ternary quantum dots were modulated through changing the atom ratio of elements Zn and Cd. Compared with binary quantum dots CdSe and ZnSe, the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Visible) absorption spectrum and fluorescence (FL) emission spectrum of ternary quantum dots are both red-shift. The composites (Cd₀.₅ Zn₀.₅ Se@TNTs) of Cd₀.₅ Zn₀.₅ Se ternary quantum dots and TiO₂ nanotubes (TNTs) were prepared by directly immerging TNTs into quantum dots dispersive solution for 5 hours. TEM image shows that the Cd₀.₅ Zn₀.₅ Se ternary quantum dots were closely combined to nanotube surface. The infrared spectra show that the Ti-Se bond was formed between Cd₀.₅ Zn₀.₅ Se ternary quantum dots and TiO₂ nanotubes, which improve the stability of the composite. Compared to pristine TNTs, UV-Visible absorption spectrum of the composites is significantly enhanced in the visible region of light. And the absorption band edge of Cd₀.₅Zn₀.₅ Se@TNTs red-shift from 400 to 700 nm. The recombination of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs was restrained with the as-prepared ternary quantum dots. Therefore, the visible-light photocatalytic efficiency was greatly improved. After visible-light irradiation for 60 min, the degradation of Cd₀.₅ Zn₀.₅ Se@TNTs photocatalysts for RhB is nearly 100%, which is about 3. 3 times of that of pristine TNTs and 2. 5 times of that of pure Cd₀.₅ Zn₀.₅ Se ternary quantum dots, respectively.

Crystallographic and spectroscopic snapshots reveal a dehydrogenase in action

DOE PAGES

Huo, Lu; Davis, Ian; Liu, Fange; ...

2015-01-07

Aldehydes are ubiquitous intermediates in metabolic pathways and their innate reactivity can often make them quite unstable. There are several aldehydic intermediates in the metabolic pathway for tryptophan degradation that can decay into neuroactive compounds that have been associated with numerous neurological diseases. An enzyme of this pathway, 2-aminomuconate-6-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, is responsible for ‘disarming’ the final aldehydic intermediate. Here we show the crystal structures of a bacterial analogue enzyme in five catalytically relevant forms: resting state, one binary and two ternary complexes, and a covalent, thioacyl intermediate. We also report the crystal structures of a tetrahedral, thiohemiacetal intermediate, a thioacylmore » intermediate and an NAD +-bound complex from an active site mutant. These covalent intermediates are characterized by single-crystal and solution-state electronic absorption spectroscopy. The crystal structures reveal that the substrate undergoes an E/Z isomerization at the enzyme active site before an sp 3-to-sp 2 transition during enzyme-mediated oxidation.« less

Artemin Crystal Structure Reveals Insights into Heparan Sulfate Binding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silvian,L.; Jin, P.; Carmillo, P.

2006-01-01

Artemin (ART) promotes the growth of developing peripheral neurons by signaling through a multicomponent receptor complex comprised of a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor (cRET) and a specific glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked co-receptor (GFR{alpha}3). Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) signals through a similar ternary complex but requires heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) for full activity. HSPG has not been demonstrated as a requirement for ART signaling. We crystallized ART in the presence of sulfate and solved its structure by isomorphous replacement. The structure reveals ordered sulfate anions bound to arginine residues in the pre-helix and amino-terminal regions that were organized in a triad arrangementmore » characteristic of heparan sulfate. Three residues in the pre-helix were singly or triply substituted with glutamic acid, and the resulting proteins were shown to have reduced heparin-binding affinity that is partly reflected in their ability to activate cRET. This study suggests that ART binds HSPGs and identifies residues that may be involved in HSPG binding.« less

Oxide perovskite crystals for HTSC film substrates microwave applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhalla, A. S.; Guo, Ruyan

1995-01-01

The research focused upon generating new substrate materials for the deposition of superconducting yttrium barium cuprate (YBCO) has yielded several new hosts in complex perovskites, modified perovskites, and other structure families. New substrate candidates such as Sr(Al(1/2)Ta(1/2))O3 and Sr(Al(1/2)Nb(1/2))O3, Ba(Mg(1/3)Ta(2/3))O3 in complex oxide perovskite structure family and their solid solutions with ternary perovskite LaAlO3 and NdGaO3 are reported. Conventional ceramic processing techniques were used to fabricate dense ceramic samples. A laser heated molten zone growth system was utilized for the test-growth of these candidate materials in single crystal fiber form to determine crystallographic structure, melting point, thermal, and dielectric properties as well as to make positive identification of twin free systems. Some of those candidate materials present an excellent combination of properties suitable for microwave HTSC substrate applications.

Crystal Structure of Human Nicotinamide Riboside Kinase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khan,J.; Xiang, S.; Tong, L.

2007-01-01

Nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK) has an important role in the biosynthesis of NAD{sup +} as well as the activation of tiazofurin and other NR analogs for anticancer therapy. NRK belongs to the deoxynucleoside kinase and nucleoside monophosphate (NMP) kinase superfamily, although the degree of sequence conservation is very low. We report here the crystal structures of human NRK1 in a binary complex with the reaction product nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) at 1.5 {angstrom} resolution and in a ternary complex with ADP and tiazofurin at 2.7 {angstrom} resolution. The active site is located in a groove between the central parallel {beta} sheetmore » core and the LID and NMP-binding domains. The hydroxyl groups on the ribose of NR are recognized by Asp56 and Arg129, and Asp36 is the general base of the enzyme. Mutation of residues in the active site can abolish the catalytic activity of the enzyme, confirming the structural observations.« less

Solution Structures of 2 : 1 And 1 : 1 DNA Polymerase - DNA Complexes Probed By Ultracentrifugation And Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tang, K.H.; /Ohio State U.; Niebuhr, M.

2009-04-30

We report small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and sedimentation velocity (SV) studies on the enzyme-DNA complexes of rat DNA polymerase {beta} (Pol {beta}) and African swine fever virus DNA polymerase X (ASFV Pol X) with one-nucleotide gapped DNA. The results indicated formation of a 2 : 1 Pol {beta}-DNA complex, whereas only 1 : 1 Pol X-DNA complex was observed. Three-dimensional structural models for the 2 : 1 Pol {beta}-DNA and 1 : 1 Pol X-DNA complexes were generated from the SAXS experimental data to correlate with the functions of the DNA polymerases. The former indicates interactions of the 8 kDamore » 5{prime}-dRP lyase domain of the second Pol {beta} molecule with the active site of the 1 : 1 Pol {beta}-DNA complex, while the latter demonstrates how ASFV Pol X binds DNA in the absence of DNA-binding motif(s). As ASFV Pol X has no 5{prime}-dRP lyase domain, it is reasonable not to form a 2 : 1 complex. Based on the enhanced activities of the 2 : 1 complex and the observation that the 8 kDa domain is not in an optimal configuration for the 5{prime}-dRP lyase reaction in the crystal structures of the closed ternary enzyme-DNA-dNTP complexes, we propose that the asymmetric 2 : 1 Pol {beta}-DNA complex enhances the function of Pol {beta}.« less

Ternary Complex Factors and Cofactors Are Essential for Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Tax Transactivation of the Serum Response Element

PubMed Central

Shuh, Maureen; Derse, David

2000-01-01

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax protein activates the expression of cellular immediate early genes controlled by the serum response element (SRE), which contains both the serum response factor (SRF) binding element (CArG box) and the ternary complex factor (TCF) binding element (Ets box). We show that TCF binding is necessary for Tax activation of the SRE and that Tax directly interacts with TCFs in vitro. In addition, Tax interactions with CREB binding protein (CBP) and p300- and CBP-associated factor were found to be essential for Tax activation of SRF-mediated transcription. PMID:11070040

Ternary copper(II) complex: NCI60 screening, toxicity studies, and evaluation of efficacy in xenograft models of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PubMed

Ahmad, Munirah; Suhaimi, Shazlan-Noor; Chu, Tai-Lin; Abdul Aziz, Norazlin; Mohd Kornain, Noor-Kaslina; Samiulla, D S; Lo, Kwok-Wai; Ng, Chew-Hee; Khoo, Alan Soo-Beng

2018-01-01

Copper(II) ternary complex, [Cu(phen)(C-dmg)(H2O)]NO3 was evaluated against a panel of cell lines, tested for in vivo efficacy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma xenograft models as well as for toxicity in NOD scid gamma mice. The Cu(II) complex displayed broad spectrum cytotoxicity against multiple cancer types, including lung, colon, central nervous system, melanoma, ovarian, and prostate cancer cell lines in the NCI-60 panel. The Cu(II) complex did not cause significant induction of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A and 1A enzymes but moderately inhibited CYP isoforms 1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2B6, 2C8 and 3A4. The complex significantly inhibited tumor growth in nasopharyngeal carcinoma xenograft bearing mice models at doses which were well tolerated without causing significant or permanent toxic side effects. However, higher doses which resulted in better inhibition of tumor growth also resulted in toxicity.

Enzyme-like catalysis via ternary complex mechanism: alkoxy-bridged dinuclear cobalt complex mediates chemoselective O-esterification over N-amidation.

PubMed

Hayashi, Yukiko; Santoro, Stefano; Azuma, Yuki; Himo, Fahmi; Ohshima, Takashi; Mashima, Kazushi

2013-04-24

Hydroxy group-selective acylation in the presence of more nucleophilic amines was achieved using acetates of first-row late transition metals, such as Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, and Zn. Among them, cobalt(II) acetate was the best catalyst in terms of reactivity and selectivity. The combination of an octanuclear cobalt carboxylate cluster [Co4(OCOR)6O]2 (2a: R = CF3, 2b: R = CH3, 2c: R = (t)Bu) with nitrogen-containing ligands, such as 2,2'-bipyridine, provided an efficient catalytic system for transesterification, in which an alkoxide-bridged dinuclear complex, Co2(OCO(t)Bu)2(bpy)2(μ2-OCH2-C6H4-4-CH3)2 (10), was successfully isolated as a key intermediate. Kinetic studies and density functional theory calculations revealed Michaelis-Menten behavior of the complex 10 through an ordered ternary complex mechanism similar to dinuclear metallo-enzymes, suggesting the formation of alkoxides followed by coordination of the ester.

The reaction mechanism of methyl-coenzyme M reductase: How an enzyme enforces strict binding order

DOE PAGES

Wongnate, Thanyaporn; Ragsdale, Stephen W.

2015-02-17

Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) is a nickel tetrahydrocorphinoid (coenzyme F430) containing enzyme involved in the biological synthesis and anaerobic oxidation of methane. MCR catalyzes the conversion of methyl-2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (methyl-SCoM) and N-7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate (CoB 7SH) to CH 4 and the mixed disulfide CoBS-SCoM. In this study, the reaction of MCR from Methanothermobacter marburgensis, with its native substrates was investigated using static binding, chemical quench, and stopped-flow techniques. Rate constants were measured for each step in this strictly ordered ternary complex catalytic mechanism. Surprisingly, in the absence of the other substrate, MCR can bind either substrate; however, only one binary complex (MCR·methyl-SCoM)more » is productive whereas the other (MCR·CoB 7SH) is inhibitory. Moreover, the kinetic data demonstrate that binding of methyl-SCoM to the inhibitory MCR·CoB 7SH complex is highly disfavored ( Kd = 56 mM). However, binding of CoB 7SH to the productive MCR·methyl-SCoM complex to form the active ternary complex (CoB 7SH·MCR(Ni I)·CH 3SCoM) is highly favored ( Kd = 79 μM). Only then can the chemical reaction occur ( kobs = 20 s -1 at 25 °C), leading to rapid formation and dissociation of CH 4 leaving the binary product complex (MCR(Ni II)·CoB 7S -·SCoM), which undergoes electron transfer to regenerate Ni(I) and the final product CoBS-SCoM. In conclusion, this first rapid kinetics study of MCR with its natural substrates describes how an enzyme can enforce a strictly ordered ternary complex mechanism and serves as a template for identification of the reaction intermediates.« less

Macroscopic and molecular approaches of enrofloxacin retention in soils in presence of Cu(II).

PubMed

Graouer-Bacart, Mareen; Sayen, Stéphanie; Guillon, Emmanuel

2013-10-15

The co-adsorption of copper and the fluoroquinolone antibiotic enrofloxacin (ENR) at the water-soil interface was studied by means of batch adsorption experiments, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The system was investigated over a pH range between 6 and 10, at different contact times, ionic strengths, and ENR concentrations. Adsorption coefficient - Kd - was determined at relevant environmental concentrations and the value obtained in water at a ionic strength imposed by the soil and at soil natural pH was equal to 0.66Lg(-1). ENR adsorption onto the soil showed strong pH dependence illustrating the influence of the electrostatic interactions in the sorption processes. The simultaneous co-adsorption of ENR and Cu(II) on the soil was also investigated. The presence of Cu(II) strongly influenced the retention of the antibiotic, leading to an increase up to 35% of adsorbed ENR amount. The combined quantitative and spectroscopic results showed that Cu(II) and ENR directly interacted at the water-soil interface to form ternary surface complexes. Cu K-edge EXAFS data indicated a molecular structure where the carboxylate and carbonyl groups of ENR coordinate to Cu(II) to form a 6-membered chelate ring and where Cu(II) bridges between ENR and the soil surface sites. Cu(II) bonds bidentately to the surface in an inner-sphere mode. Thus, the spectroscopic data allowed us to propose the formation of ternary surface complexes with the molecular architecture soil-Cu(II)-ENR. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ternary Solar Cells Based on Two Small Molecule Donors with Same Conjugated Backbone: The Role of Good Miscibility and Hole Relay Process.

PubMed

Xiao, Liangang; Liang, Tianxiang; Gao, Ke; Lai, Tianqi; Chen, Xuebin; Liu, Feng; Russell, Thomas P; Huang, Fei; Peng, Xiaobin; Cao, Yong

2017-09-06

Ternary organic solar cells (OSCs) are very attractive for further enhancing the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of binary ones but still with a single active layer. However, improving the PCEs is still challenging because a ternary cell with one more component is more complicated on phase separation behavior. If the two donors or two acceptors have similar chemical structures, good miscibility can be expected to reduce the try-and-error work. Herein, we report ternary devices based on two small molecule donors with the same backbone but different substituents. Whereas both binary devices show PCEs about 9%, the PCE of the ternary cells is enhanced to 10.17% with improved fill factor and short-circuit current values and external quantum efficiencies almost in the whole absorption wavelength region from 440 to 850 nm. The same backbone enables the donors miscible at molecular level, and the donor with a higher HOMO level plays hole relay process to facilitate the charge transportation in the ternary devices. Since side-chain engineering has been well performed to tune the active materials' energy levels in OSCs, our results suggest that their ternary systems are promising for further improving the binary cells' performance although their absorptions are not complementary.

Ternary cyclodextrin polyurethanes containing phosphate groups: Synthesis and complexation of ciprofloxacin.

PubMed

Moreira, Mirna Pereira; Andrade, George Ricardo Santana; de Araujo, Marcia Valeria Gaspar; Kubota, Tatiana; Gimenez, Iara F

2016-10-20

Synthesis of ternary polyurethanes (PUs) from hexamethylenediisocyanate, β-cyclodextrin and β-glycerophosphate (acid and calcium salt) was studies varying synthesis parameters such as monomer proportion, heating method (reflux and microwave), and catalyst amount. Favorable conditions were provided by microwave irradiation and use of β-glycerophosphoric acid although the results suggest that it is possible to obtain ternary PUs with the calcium salt. FTIR data indicated the existence of secondary urea linkages. After characterization of ternary PUs by FTIR spectroscopy, XRD and thermal analysis, as well as evidences that the cyclodextrin cavities remained active toward inclusion of guest molecules, the possibility of inclusion of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin was evaluated. Absence of ciprofloxacin melting peak in DSC curves indicated that it is molecularly dispersed within the polymer, possibly included in the cyclodextrin. In vitro release experiments suggested additional non-inclusion interactions, showing also that the use of dialysis membranes may mask the actual release profile. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Generalized Synthesis of Ternary Sulfide Hollow Structures with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance for Degradation and Hydrogen Evolution.

PubMed

Ding, Shuoping; Liu, Xiufan; Shi, Yiqiu; Liu, Ye; Zhou, Tengfei; Guo, Zaiping; Hu, Juncheng

2018-05-17

A series of ternary sulfide hollow structures have been successfully prepared by a facile glutathione (GSH)-assisted one-step hydrothermal route, where GSH acts as the source of sulfur and bubble template. We demonstrate the feasibility and versatility of this in situ gas-bubble template strategy by the fabrication of novel hollow structures of MIn 2 S 4 (M = Cd, Zn, Ca, Mg, and Mn). Interestingly, with the reaction time varying, the hierarchical CdIn 2 S 4 microspheres with controlled internal structures can be regulated from yolk-shell, smaller yolk-shell (yolk-shell with shrunk yolk), hollow, to solid. Under visible-light irradiation, all of our prepared CdIn 2 S 4 samples with different morphologies were photoactivated. In virtue of the appealing hierarchical hollow structure, the yolk-shell-structured CdIn 2 S 4 microspheres exhibited the optimal photocatalytic activity and excellent durability for both the X 3 B degradation and H 2 evolution, which can be ascribed to the synergy-promoting effect of the small crystallite size together with the unique structural advantages of the yolk-shell structure. Thus, we hypothesize that this proof-of-concept strategy paves an example of rational design of hollow structured ternary or multinary sulfides with superior photochemical performance, holding great potential for future multifunctional applications.

Effects of adding corn oil and soy protein to corn starch on the physicochemical and digestive properties of the starch.

PubMed

Chen, Xu; He, Xiao-Wei; Zhang, Bin; Fu, Xiong; Jane, Jay-Lin; Huang, Qiang

2017-11-01

This study aimed to understand effects of adding corn oil (CO) and soy protein (SP) to corn starch on the physicochemical properties and digestive rates of annealed starch complex and mechanisms of interactions between corn starch (CS), CO and SP. Binary and ternary blends were prepared using CS mixed with CO (10%, dsb) and/or SP (10%, dsb) and incubated in a water bath at 50°C for 14h. Results showed that more agglomerates of the granules were in the ternary blends. With the addition of CO and/or SP, the CS displayed a decreased pasting temperature, an increased peak viscosity and a decreased enthalpy change of amylose-lipid complex dissociation. The CO can reinforce but SP hinder the annealing phenomenon. Results also showed that CO decreased retrogradation of CS, whereas SP increased it. The digestibility studies showed that the addition of CO and SP decreased the content of rapidly digestible starch and increased the sum of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch contents. SP displayed more impact on the digestibility of the ternary blends than CO. The physical barrier of CO, and amylose-lipid complex and protein-starch matrix can provide resistance to starch digestion. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Experimental and theoretical insight into the cooperativity effect in composite wax powder and ternary complex of coronene with CH4 and Mn+ (Mn+ = Li+, Na+, K+, Be2+, Mg2+ or Ca2+)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Le-tao; Bai, Pei-kang; Wang, Jian-hong; Liu, Bin; Li, Yu-xin

2018-01-01

The experimental infrared (IR) spectrum of composite wax powder was investigated. The frequency shifts of the C=C anti-symmetrical stretching mode were observed and the experimental cooperativity effect involving Na+...π interaction was suggested. In order to further reveal the nature of cooperativity effect, the interaction energies in Mn+...coronene...CH4 (Mn+ = Li+, Na+, K+, Be2+, Mg2+ or Ca2+) as the model systems of composite wax powder were calculated by using the B3LYP, M06-2X and MP2 methods with 6-311++G** basis set. The results show that the Mn+...π interactions were strengthened upon the formation of ternary complexes. Although the changes of absolute values of the interactions between CH4 and coronene were not obvious, the relative values were considerably significant upon the formation of ternary complexes. The cooperativity effect was perhaps the reason for the formation of notable advantage of composite wax powder upon the introduction of surfactant with cation into wax powder. Reduced density gradient and atoms-in-molecules analysis confirm the cooperativity effect in Mn+...coronene...CH4, and reveal the nature of the formation of the predominant advantage of composite wax powder.

Synthesis and electrochemical performance of polyaniline @MnO2/graphene ternary composites for electrochemical supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Chao; Gu, Haiteng; Dong, Li

2016-01-01

We introduce a facile method to construct new ternary hierarchical nanocomposites by combining MnO2 coated one dimensional (1D) conducting polyaniline (PANI) nanowires with 2D graphene sheets (GNs). The hierarchical nanocomposite structures of PANI@MnO2/GNs (PMGNs) are further proved by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical characteristics of the electrodes made of the hierarchical structured PMGNs materials are determined by the CV and galvanostatic measurements. These electrochemical tests indicate that electrodes made of the nanostructured PMGNs exhibit an improved reversible capacitance of 695 F g-1 after 1000 cycles at a high current density of 4 A g-1. The ternary composites possess higher electrochemical capacitance than each individual component as supercapacitor electrode materials. Such intriguing electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of MnO2, PANI and graphene. The hierarchical ternary nanocomposites show excellent electrochemical properties for energy storage applications, which evidence their potential application as supercapacitors.

Solubility enhancement of miconazole nitrate: binary and ternary mixture approach.

PubMed

Rai, Vineet Kumar; Dwivedi, Harinath; Yadav, Narayan Prasad; Chanotiya, Chandan Singh; Saraf, Shubhini A

2014-08-01

Enhancement of aqueous solubility of very slightly soluble Miconazole Nitrate (MN) is required to widen its application from topical formulation to oral/mucoadhesive formulations. Aim of the present investigation was to enhance the aqueous solubility of MN using binary and ternary mixture approach. Binary mixtures such as solvent deposition, inclusion complexation and solid dispersion were adopted to enhance solubility using different polymers like lactose, beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and polyethylene-glycol 6000 (PEG 6000), respectively. Batches of binary mixtures with highest solubility enhancement potentials were further mixed to form ternary mixture by a simple kneading method. Drug polymer interaction and mixture morphology was studied using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the scanning electron microscopy, respectively along with their saturation solubility studies and drug release. An excellent solubility enhancement, i.e. up to 72 folds and 316 folds of MN was seen by binary and ternary mixture, respectively. Up to 99.5% drug was released in 2 h from the mixtures of MN and polymers. RESULTS revealed that solubility enhancement by binary mixtures is achieved due to surface modification and by increasing wettability of MN. Tremendous increase in solubility of MN by ternary mixture could possibly be due to blending of water soluble polymers, i.e. lactose and PEG 6000 with β-CD which was found to enhance the solubilizing nature of β-CD. Owing to the excellent solubility enhancement potential of ternary mixtures in enhancing MN solubility from 110.4 μg/ml to 57640.0 μg/ml, ternary mixture approach could prove to be promising in the development of oral/mucoadhesive formulations.

Synthesis and properties of Ag/ZnO/g-C3N4 ternary micro/nano composites by microwave-assisted method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zijie; Li, Xuexue; Chen, Haitao; Shao, Gang; Zhang, Rui; Lu, Hongxia

2018-01-01

Ag/ZnO/g-C3N4 ternary micro/nanocomposites, as novel visible-light-driven photocatalysts, were prepared by a simple and convenient microwave-assisted method. The resulting ternary structure micro/nano composites were characterized by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and infrared radiation techniques to examine its phase structure, valence state, morphological, thermal and optical properties. Well crystallized Ag/ZnO/g-C3N4 ternary micro/nano composites were synthesized under microwave-radiation for 15 min with the output of 240 W. Further experiments indicated Ag(5.0mol%)/ZnO/g-C3N4 photocatalyst in degradation of methylene blue exhibited an outstanding photocatalytic activity and its reaction rate constant (k, 0.0084 min-1) is 7.5, 2.4 2.9 and 3.5 times higher than that of monolithic ZnO (k, 0.0011 min-1), ZnO/g-C3N4(k, 0.0035 min-1), Ag(5 mol%)/ZnO(k, 0.0029 min-1) and Ag(5mol%)/g-C3N4 (k, 0.0024 min-1) respectively. Finally, a possible photocatalytic mechanism of Ag/ZnO/g-C3N4 photocatalyst in degradation process was proposed. This work provides a feasible strategy to synthesize an efficient ZnO-based photocatalyst which combines structure and properties of different dimensional components and made this ternary system an exciting candidate for sunlight-driven photocatalytic water treatment.

Compositional Dependence of Optical and Structural Properties of Nanogranular Mixed ZrO2/ZnO/SnO2 Thin Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salari, S.; Ghodsi, F. E.

2018-06-01

A study on the optical properties and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ternary oxide nanogranular thin films comprising Zr, Zn, and Sn revealed that the change in component ratio could direct the roadmap to improve characteristics of the films. Grazing angle X-ray diffraction analysis showed that incorporation of Sn atoms into the tetragonal structure of Zn/Zr thin film resulted in an amorphous structure. The band gap of film was tunable by precisely controlling the concentration of components. The widening of band gap could correlate to the quantum confinement effect. PL spectra of the composite thin films under excitation at 365 nm showed a sharp red emission with relatively Gaussian line shape, which was intensified in the optimum percentage ratio of 50/30/20. This nearly red emission is attributed to the radiative emission of electrons captured at low-energy traps located near the valence band. An optimum red emission is strongly desirable for use in white LEDs. The comparative study on FTIR spectra of unary, binary, and ternary thin films confirmed successful composition of three different metal oxides in ternary thin films. Detailed investigation on FTIR spectra of ternary compounds revealed that the quenching in PL emission at higher percentage of Sn was originally due to the hydroxyl group.

Structure-Function Relationship of the Bik1-Bim1 Complex.

PubMed

Stangier, Marcel M; Kumar, Anil; Chen, Xiuzhen; Farcas, Ana-Maria; Barral, Yves; Steinmetz, Michel O

2018-04-03

In budding yeast, the microtubule plus-end tracking proteins Bik1 (CLIP-170) and Bim1 (EB1) form a complex that interacts with partners involved in spindle positioning, including Stu2 and Kar9. Here, we show that the CAP-Gly and coiled-coil domains of Bik1 interact with the C-terminal ETF peptide of Bim1 and the C-terminal tail region of Stu2, respectively. The crystal structures of the CAP-Gly domain of Bik1 (Bik1CG) alone and in complex with an ETF peptide revealed unique, functionally relevant CAP-Gly elements, establishing Bik1CG as a specific C-terminal phenylalanine recognition domain. Unlike the mammalian CLIP-170-EB1 complex, Bik1-Bim1 forms ternary complexes with the EB1-binding motifs SxIP and LxxPTPh, which are present in diverse proteins, including Kar9. Perturbation of the Bik1-Bim1 interaction in vivo affected Bik1 localization and astral microtubule length. Our results provide insight into the role of the Bik1-Bim1 interaction for cell division, and demonstrate that the CLIP-170-EB1 module is evolutionarily flexible. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure of dual receptor binding to botulinum neurotoxin B.

PubMed

Berntsson, Ronnie P-A; Peng, Lisheng; Dong, Min; Stenmark, Pål

2013-01-01

Botulinum neurotoxins are highly toxic, and bind two receptors to achieve their high affinity and specificity for neurons. Here we present the first structure of a botulinum neurotoxin bound to both its receptors. We determine the 2.3-Å structure of a ternary complex of botulinum neurotoxin type B bound to both its protein receptor synaptotagmin II and its ganglioside receptor GD1a. We show that there is no direct contact between the two receptors, and that the binding affinity towards synaptotagmin II is not influenced by the presence of GD1a. The interactions of botulinum neurotoxin type B with the sialic acid 5 moiety of GD1a are important for the ganglioside selectivity. The structure demonstrates that the protein receptor and the ganglioside receptor occupy nearby but separate binding sites, thus providing two independent anchoring points.

A density functional theory study on the structural and electronic properties of PbxSbySez (x + y + z = 2, 3) clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peköz, Rengi˙n; Erkoç, Şaki˙r

2018-01-01

The structural and electronic properties of neutral ternary PbxSbySez clusters (x + y + z = 2, 3) in their ground states have been explored by means of density functional theory calculations. The geometric structures and binding energies are systematically explored and for the most stable configurations of each cluster type vibrational frequencies, charges on atoms, energy difference between highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, and the possible dissociations channels have been analyzed. Depending on being binary or ternary cluster and composition, the most energetic structures have singlet, doublet or triplet ground states, and trimers prefer to form isosceles, equilateral or scalene triangle structure.

Fibroblast Growth Factor-based Signaling through Synthetic Heparan Sulfate Blocks Copolymers Studied Using High Cell Density Three-dimensional Cell Printing*

PubMed Central

Sterner, Eric; Masuko, Sayaka; Li, Guoyun; Li, Lingyun; Green, Dixy E.; Otto, Nigel J.; Xu, Yongmei; DeAngelis, Paul L.; Liu, Jian; Dordick, Jonathan S.; Linhardt, Robert J.

2014-01-01

Four well-defined heparan sulfate (HS) block copolymers containing S-domains (high sulfo group content) placed adjacent to N-domains (low sulfo group content) were chemoenzymatically synthesized and characterized. The domain lengths in these HS block co-polymers were ∼40 saccharide units. Microtiter 96-well and three-dimensional cell-based microarray assays utilizing murine immortalized bone marrow (BaF3) cells were developed to evaluate the activity of these HS block co-polymers. Each recombinant BaF3 cell line expresses only a single type of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) but produces neither HS nor fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). In the presence of different FGFs, BaF3 cell proliferation showed clear differences for the four HS block co-polymers examined. These data were used to examine the two proposed signaling models, the symmetric FGF2-HS2-FGFR2 ternary complex model and the asymmetric FGF2-HS1-FGFR2 ternary complex model. In the symmetric FGF2-HS2-FGFR2 model, two acidic HS chains bind in a basic canyon located on the top face of the FGF2-FGFR2 protein complex. In this model the S-domains at the non-reducing ends of the two HS proteoglycan chains are proposed to interact with the FGF2-FGFR2 protein complex. In contrast, in the asymmetric FGF2-HS1-FGFR2 model, a single HS chain interacts with the FGF2-FGFR2 protein complex through a single S-domain that can be located at any position within an HS chain. Our data comparing a series of synthetically prepared HS block copolymers support a preference for the symmetric FGF2-HS2-FGFR2 ternary complex model. PMID:24563485

In vitro selection of DNA elements highly responsive to the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I transcriptional activator, Tax.

PubMed

Paca-Uccaralertkun, S; Zhao, L J; Adya, N; Cross, J V; Cullen, B R; Boros, I M; Giam, C Z

1994-01-01

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) transactivator, Tax, the ubiquitous transcriptional factor cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB protein), and the 21-bp repeats in the HTLV-I transcriptional enhancer form a ternary nucleoprotein complex (L. J. Zhao and C. Z. Giam, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:7070-7074, 1992). Using an antibody directed against the COOH-terminal region of Tax along with purified Tax and CREB proteins, we selected DNA elements bound specifically by the Tax-CREB complex in vitro. Two distinct but related groups of sequences containing the cAMP response element (CRE) flanked by long runs of G and C residues in the 5' and 3' regions, respectively, were preferentially recognized by Tax-CREB. In contrast, CREB alone binds only to CRE motifs (GNTGACG[T/C]) without neighboring G- or C-rich sequences. The Tax-CREB-selected sequences bear a striking resemblance to the 5' or 3' two-thirds of the HTLV-I 21-bp repeats and are highly inducible by Tax. Gel electrophoretic mobility shift assays, DNA transfection, and DNase I footprinting analyses indicated that the G- and C-rich sequences flanking the CRE motif are crucial for Tax-CREB-DNA ternary complex assembly and Tax transactivation but are not in direct contact with the Tax-CREB complex. These data show that Tax recruits CREB to form a multiprotein complex that specifically recognizes the viral 21-bp repeats. The expanded DNA binding specificity of Tax-CREB and the obligatory role the ternary Tax-CREB-DNA complex plays in transactivation reveal a novel mechanism for regulating the transcriptional activity of leucine zipper proteins like CREB.

Thermodynamic studies of drug-alpha-cyclodextrin interactions in water at 298.15 K: promazine hydrochloride/chlorpromazine hydrochloride + alpha-cyclodextrin + H(2)O systems.

PubMed

Terdale, Santosh S; Dagade, Dilip H; Patil, Kesharsingh J

2007-12-06

Data on osmotic coefficients have been obtained for a binary aqueous solution of two drugs, namely, promazine hydrochloride (PZ) and chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ) using a vapor pressure osmometer at 298.15 K. The observed critical micelle concentration (cmc) agrees excellently with the available literature data. The measurements are extended to aqueous ternary solutions containing fixed a concentration of alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) of 0.1 mol kg(-1) and varied concentrations (approximately 0.005-0.2 mol kg(-1)) of drugs at 298.15 K. It has been found that the cmc values increase by the addition of alpha-CD. The mean molal activity coefficients of the ions and the activity coefficient of alpha-CD in binary as well as ternary solutions were obtained, which have been further used to calculate the excess Gibbs free energies and transfer Gibbs free energies. The lowering of the activity coefficients of ions and of alpha-CD is attributed to the existence of host-guest (inclusion)-type complex equilibria. It is suggested that CPZ forms 2:1 and 1:1 complexed species with alpha-CD, while PZ forms only 1:1 complexed species. The salting constant (ks) values are determined at 298.15 K for promazine-alpha-CD and chlorpromazine-alpha-CD complexes, respectively, by following the method based on the application of the McMillan-Mayer theory of virial coefficients to transfer free energy data. It is noted that the presence of chlorine in the drug molecule imparts better complexing capacity, the effect of which gets attenuated as a result of hydrophobic interaction. The results are discussed from the point of view of associative equilibria before the cmc and complexed equilibria for binary and ternary solutions, respectively.

A theoretical investigation of mixing thermodynamics, age-hardening potential, and electronic structure of ternary M11–xM2xB2 alloys with AlB2 type structure

PubMed Central

Alling, B.; Högberg, H.; Armiento, R.; Rosen, J.; Hultman, L.

2015-01-01

Transition metal diborides are ceramic materials with potential applications as hard protective thin films and electrical contact materials. We investigate the possibility to obtain age hardening through isostructural clustering, including spinodal decomposition, or ordering-induced precipitation in ternary diboride alloys. By means of first-principles mixing thermodynamics calculations, 45 ternary M11–xM2xB2 alloys comprising MiB2 (Mi = Mg, Al, Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta) with AlB2 type structure are studied. In particular Al1–xTixB2 is found to be of interest for coherent isostructural decomposition with a strong driving force for phase separation, while having almost concentration independent a and c lattice parameters. The results are explained by revealing the nature of the electronic structure in these alloys, and in particular, the origin of the pseudogap at EF in TiB2, ZrB2, and HfB2. PMID:25970763

Precursor Routes to Complex Ternary Intermetallics: Single-Crystal and Microcrystalline Preparation of Clathrate-I Na8Al8Si38 from NaSi + NaAlSi.

PubMed

Dong, Yongkwan; Chai, Ping; Beekman, Matt; Zeng, Xiaoyu; Tritt, Terry M; Nolas, George S

2015-06-01

Single crystals of the ternary clathrate-I Na8Al8Si38 were synthesized by kinetically controlled thermal decomposition (KCTD), and microcrystalline Na8Al8Si38 was synthesized by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using a NaSi + NaAlSi mixture as the precursor. Na8AlxSi46-x compositions with x ≤ 8 were also synthesized by SPS from precursor mixtures of different ratios. The crystal structure of Na8Al8Si38 was investigated using both Rietveld and single-crystal refinements. Temperature-dependent transport and UV/vis measurements were employed in the characterization of Na8Al8Si38, with diffuse-reflectance measurement indicating an indirect optical gap of 0.64 eV. Our results indicate that, when more than one precursor is used, both SPS and KCTD are effective methods for the synthesis of multinary inorganic phases that are not easily accessible by traditional solid-state synthesis or crystal growth techniques.

Structures of Staphylococcus aureus D-tagatose-6-phosphate kinase implicate domain motions in specificity and mechanism.

PubMed

Miallau, Linda; Hunter, William N; McSweeney, Sean M; Leonard, Gordon A

2007-07-06

High resolution structures of Staphylococcus aureus d-tagatose-6-phosphate kinase (LacC) in two crystal forms are herein reported. The structures define LacC in apoform, in binary complexes with ADP or the co-factor analogue AMP-PNP, and in a ternary complex with AMP-PNP and D-tagatose-6-phosphate. The tertiary structure of the LacC monomer, which is closely related to other members of the pfkB subfamily of carbohydrate kinases, is composed of a large alpha/beta core domain and a smaller, largely beta "lid." Four extended polypeptide segments connect these two domains. Dimerization of LacC occurs via interactions between lid domains, which come together to form a beta-clasp structure. Residues from both subunits contribute to substrate binding. LacC adopts a closed structure required for phosphoryl transfer only when both substrate and co-factor are bound. A reaction mechanism similar to that used by other phosphoryl transferases is proposed, although unusually, when both substrate and co-factor are bound to the enzyme two Mg(2+) ions are observed in the active site. A new motif of amino acid sequence conservation common to the pfkB subfamily of carbohydrate kinases is identified.

In situ spectroscopic evidence for neptunium(V)-carbonate inner-sphere and outer-sphere ternary surface complexes on hematite surfaces.

PubMed

Arai, Yuji; Moran, P B; Honeyman, B D; Davis, J A

2007-06-01

Np(V) surface speciation on hematite surfaces at pH 7-9 under pC2 = 10(-3.45) atm was investigated using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). In situ XAS analyses suggest that bis-carbonato inner-sphere and tris-carbonato outer-sphere ternary surface species coexist at the hematite-water interface at pH 7-8.8, and the fraction of outer-sphere species gradually increases from 27 to 54% with increasing pH from 7 to 8.8. The results suggest that the heretofore unknown Np(V)-carbonato ternary surface species may be important in predicting the fate and transport of Np(V) in the subsurface environment down gradient of high-level nuclear waste respositories.

Ternary rare earth-lanthanide sulfides. [Re = Eu, Sm or Yb

DOEpatents

Takeshita, Takuo; Gschneidner, K.A. Jr.; Beaudry, B.J.

1986-03-06

Disclosed is a new ternary rare earth sulfur compound having the formula La/sub 3-x/M/sub x/S/sub 4/, where M is europium, samarium, or ytterbium, with x = 0.15 to 0.8. The compound has good high-temperature thermoelectric properties and exhibits long-term structural stability up to 1000/sup 0/C.

Ternary rare earth-lanthanide sulfides

DOEpatents

Takeshita, Takuo; Gschneidner, Jr., Karl A.; Beaudry, Bernard J.

1987-01-06

A new ternary rare earth sulfur compound having the formula: La.sub.3-x M.sub.x S.sub.4 where M is a rare earth element selected from the group europium, samarium and ytterbium and x=0.15 to 0.8. The compound has good high-temperature thermoelectric properties and exhibits long-term structural stability up to 1000.degree. C.

Epitaxial ternary nitride thin films prepared by a chemical solution method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo, Hongmei; Feldmann, David M; Wang, Haiyan

2008-01-01

It is indispensable to use thin films for many technological applications. This is the first report of epitaxial growth of ternary nitride AMN2 films. Epitaxial tetragonal SrTiN2 films have been successfully prepared by a chemical solution approach, polymer-assisted deposition. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the films are also investigated.

Concentration dependence of electrical resistivity of binary liquid alloy HgZn: Ab-initio study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Nalini; Thakur, Anil; Ahluwalia, P. K.

2013-06-01

The electrical resistivity of HgZn liquid alloy has been made calculated using Troullier and Martins ab-initio pseudopotential as a function of concentration. Hard sphere diameters of Hg and Zn are obtained through the inter-ionic pair potential have been used to calculate partial structure factors. Considering the liquid alloy to be a ternary mixture Ziman's formula for calculating the resistivity of binary liquid alloys, modified for complex formation, has been used. These results suggest that ab-initio approach for calculating electrical resistivity is quite successful in explaining the electronic transport properties of binary Liquid alloys.

Retention Mechanisms of Citric Acid in Ternary Kaolinite-Fe(III)-Citrate Acid Systems Using Fe K-edge EXAFS and L3,2-edge XANES Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Yang, Jianjun; Wang, Jian; Pan, Weinan; Regier, Tom; Hu, Yongfeng; Rumpel, Cornelia; Bolan, Nanthi; Sparks, Donald

2016-01-01

Organic carbon (OC) stability in tropical soils is strongly interlinked with multivalent cation interaction and mineral association. Low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) represent the readily biodegradable OC. Therefore, investigating retention mechanisms of LMWOAs in mineral-cation-LMWOAs systems is critical to understanding soil C cycling. Given the general acidic conditions and dominance of kaolinite in tropical soils, we investigated the retention mechanisms of citric acid (CA) in kaolinite-Fe(III)-CA systems with various Fe/CA molar ratios at pH ~3.5 using Fe K-edge EXAFS and L3,2-edge XANES techniques. With Fe/CA molar ratios >2, the formed ferrihydrite mainly contributed to CA retention through adsorption and/or coprecipitation. With Fe/CA molar ratios from 2 to 0.5, ternary complexation of CA to kaolinite via a five-coordinated Fe(III) bridge retained higher CA than ferrihydrite-induced adsorption and/or coprecipitation. With Fe/CA molar ratios ≤0.5, kaolinite-Fe(III)-citrate complexation preferentially occurred, but less CA was retained than via outer-sphere kaolinite-CA complexation. This study highlighted the significant impact of varied Fe/CA molar ratios on CA retention mechanisms in kaolinite-Fe(III)-CA systems under acidic conditions, and clearly showed the important contribution of Fe-bridged ternary complexation on CA retention. These findings will enhance our understanding of the dynamics of CA and other LMWOAs in tropical soils. PMID:27212680

Gold nanoparticles interacting with β-cyclodextrin-phenylethylamine inclusion complex: a ternary system for photothermal drug release.

PubMed

Sierpe, Rodrigo; Lang, Erika; Jara, Paul; Guerrero, Ariel R; Chornik, Boris; Kogan, Marcelo J; Yutronic, Nicolás

2015-07-22

We report the synthesis of a 1:1 β-cyclodextrin-phenylethylamine (βCD-PhEA) inclusion complex (IC) and the adhesion of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto microcrystals of this complex, which forms a ternary system. The formation of the IC was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and NMR analyses ((1)H and ROESY). The stability constant of the IC (760 M(-1)) was determined using the phase solubility method. The adhesion of AuNPs was obtained using the magnetron sputtering technique, and the presence of AuNPs was confirmed using UV-vis spectroscopy (surface plasmon resonance effect), which showed an absorbance at 533 nm. The powder X-ray diffractograms of βCD-PhEA were similar to those of the crystals decorated with AuNPs. A comparison of the one- and two-dimensional NMR spectra of the IC with and without AuNPs suggests partial displacement of the guest to the outside of the βCD due to attraction toward AuNPs, a characteristic tropism effect. The size, morphology, and distribution of the AuNPs were analyzed using TEM and SEM. The average size of the AuNPs was 14 nm. Changes in the IR and Raman spectra were attributed to the formation of the complex and to the specific interactions of this group with the AuNPs. Laser irradiation assays show that the ternary system βCD-PhEA-AuNPs in solution enables the release of the guest.

Retention mechanisms of citric acid in ternary kaolinite-Fe(III)-citrate acid systems using Fe K-edge EXAFS and L 3,2-edge XANES spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Jianjun; Wang, Jian; Pan, Weinan

Organic carbon (OC) stability in tropical soils is strongly interlinked with multivalent cation interaction and mineral association. Low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) represent the readily biodegradable OC. Therefore, investigating retention mechanisms of LMWOAs in mineral-cation-LMWOAs systems is critical to understanding soil C cycling. Given the general acidic conditions and dominance of kaolinite in tropical soils, we investigated the retention mechanisms of citric acid (CA) in kaolinite-Fe(III)-CA systems with various Fe/CA molar ratios at pH ~3.5 using Fe K-edge EXAFS and L- 3,2-edge XANES techniques. With Fe/CA molar ratios >2, the formed ferrihydrite mainly contributed to CA retention through adsorptionmore » and/or coprecipitation. With Fe/CA molar ratios from 2 to 0.5, ternary complexation of CA to kaolinite via a five-coordinated Fe(III) bridge retained higher CA than ferrihydrite-induced adsorption and/or coprecipitation. With Fe/CA molar ratios ≤ 0.5, kaolinite-Fe(III)-citrate complexation preferentially occurred, but less CA was retained than via outer-sphere kaolinite-CA complexation. This study highlighted the significant impact of varied Fe/CA molar ratios on CA retention mechanisms in kaolinite-Fe(III)-CA systems under acidic conditions, and clearly showed the important contribution of Fe-bridged ternary complexation on CA retention. In conclusion, these findings will enhance our understanding of the dynamics of CA and other LMWOAs in tropical soils.« less

Retention mechanisms of citric acid in ternary kaolinite-Fe(III)-citrate acid systems using Fe K-edge EXAFS and L 3,2-edge XANES spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Yang, Jianjun; Wang, Jian; Pan, Weinan; ...

2016-05-23

Organic carbon (OC) stability in tropical soils is strongly interlinked with multivalent cation interaction and mineral association. Low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) represent the readily biodegradable OC. Therefore, investigating retention mechanisms of LMWOAs in mineral-cation-LMWOAs systems is critical to understanding soil C cycling. Given the general acidic conditions and dominance of kaolinite in tropical soils, we investigated the retention mechanisms of citric acid (CA) in kaolinite-Fe(III)-CA systems with various Fe/CA molar ratios at pH ~3.5 using Fe K-edge EXAFS and L- 3,2-edge XANES techniques. With Fe/CA molar ratios >2, the formed ferrihydrite mainly contributed to CA retention through adsorptionmore » and/or coprecipitation. With Fe/CA molar ratios from 2 to 0.5, ternary complexation of CA to kaolinite via a five-coordinated Fe(III) bridge retained higher CA than ferrihydrite-induced adsorption and/or coprecipitation. With Fe/CA molar ratios ≤ 0.5, kaolinite-Fe(III)-citrate complexation preferentially occurred, but less CA was retained than via outer-sphere kaolinite-CA complexation. This study highlighted the significant impact of varied Fe/CA molar ratios on CA retention mechanisms in kaolinite-Fe(III)-CA systems under acidic conditions, and clearly showed the important contribution of Fe-bridged ternary complexation on CA retention. In conclusion, these findings will enhance our understanding of the dynamics of CA and other LMWOAs in tropical soils.« less

Theoretical investigation of structural, electronic and optical properties of MgxBa1-xS, MgxBa1-xSe and MgxBa1-xTe ternary alloys using DFT based FP-LAPW approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharjee, Rahul; Chattopadhyaya, Surya

2017-11-01

Density functional theory (DFT) based full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) methodology has been employed to investigate theoretically the structural, electronic and optical properties of MgxBa1-xS, MgxBa1-xSe and MgxBa1-xTe ternary alloys for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 in their rock-salt (B1) crystallographic phase. The exchange-correlation potentials for the structural properties have been computed using the Wu-Cohen generalized-gradient approximation (WC-GGA) scheme, while those for the electronic and optical properties have been computed using both the WC-GGA and the recently developed Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) schemes. The thermodynamic stability of all the ternary alloys have been investigated by calculating their respective enthalpy of formation. The atomic and orbital origin of different electronic states in the band structure of the compounds have been identified from the respective density of states (DOS). Using the approach of Zunger and co-workers, the microscopic origin of band gap bowing has been discussed in term of volume deformation, charge exchange and structural relaxation. Bonding characteristics among the constituent atoms of each of the specimens have been discussed from their charge density contour plots. Optical properties of the binary compounds and ternary alloys have been investigated theoretically in terms of their respective dielectric function, refractive index, normal incidence reflectivity and optical conductivity. Several calculated results have been compared with available experimental and other theoretical data.

Extensive Evaluation of the Conductor-like Screening Model for Real Solvents Method in Predicting Liquid-Liquid Equilibria in Ternary Systems of Ionic Liquids with Molecular Compounds.

PubMed

Paduszyński, Kamil

2018-04-12

A conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) is nowadays one of the most popular and commonly applied tools for the estimation of thermodynamic properties of complex fluids. The goal of this work is to provide a comprehensive review and analysis of the performance of this approach in calculating liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) phase diagrams in ternary systems composed of ionic liquid and two molecular compounds belonging to diverse families of chemicals (alkanes, aromatics, S/N-compounds, alcohols, ketones, ethers, carboxylic acid, esters, and water). The predictions are presented for extensive experimental database, including 930 LLE data sets and more than 9000 data points (LLE tie lines) reported for 779 unique ternary mixtures. An impact of the type of molecular binary subsystem on the accuracy of predictions is demonstrated and discussed on the basis of representative examples. The model's capability of capturing qualitative trends in the LLE distribution ratio and selectivity is also checked for a number of structural effects. Comparative analysis of two levels of quantum chemical theory (BP-TZVP-COSMO vs BP-TZVPD-FINE) for the input molecular data for COSMO-RS is presented. Finally, some general recommendations for the applicability of the model are indicated based on the analysis of the global performance as well as on the results obtained for systems relevant from the point of view of important separation problems.

Band gap characterization of ternary BBi1-xNx (0≤x≤1) alloys using modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yalcin, Battal G.

2015-04-01

The semi-local Becke-Johnson (BJ) exchange-correlation potential and its modified form proposed by Tran and Blaha have attracted a lot of interest recently because of the surprisingly accurate band gaps they can deliver for many semiconductors and insulators (e.g., sp semiconductors, noble-gas solids, and transition-metal oxides). The structural and electronic properties of ternary alloys BBi1-xNx (0≤x≤1) in zinc-blende phase have been reported in this study. The results of the studied binary compounds (BN and BBi) and ternary alloys BBi1-xNx structures are presented by means of density functional theory. The exchange and correlation effects are taken into account by using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functional of Wu and Cohen (WC) which is an improved form of the most popular Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE). For electronic properties the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) potential, which is more accurate than standard semi-local LDA and PBE calculations, has been chosen. Geometric optimization has been implemented before the volume optimization calculations for all the studied alloys structure. The obtained equilibrium lattice constants of the studied binary compounds are in coincidence with experimental works. And, the variation of the lattice parameter of ternary alloys BBi1-xNx almost perfectly matches with Vegard's law. The spin-orbit interaction (SOI) has been also considered for structural and electronic calculations and the results are compared to those of non-SOI calculations.

Use of spectroscopic technique to develop a reagent for Mo(VI) utilizing micellar effects on complex formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taşcioğlu, Sülin; Kaki, E.; Taşcioğlu, Senay

2012-09-01

Ultraviolet and visible spectral properties of aqueous solutions of molybdenum(VI) (Mo), gallic acid (GA), Lalanine (Ala), and L-Phenylalanine (Phe), and of their binary and ternary solutions were investigated in the absence and presence of anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactant micelles. Evaluation of the spectra in a comparative way revealed that both Ala and Phe form ternary complexes with Mo and GA. The formation of a quaternary complex between Mo, GA, Phe, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide at pH 4.5 provided a reagent system with a strikingly high sensitivity (1.2•106 l/(mol•cm)) for use in the spectrophotometric determination of Mo. A mechanism of micellar effects was discussed in terms of the substrate molecular charge and hydrophobicity, and rationalized on the basis of the spectral data obtained above and below the isoelectric pH of the amino acids.

Gene delivery through the use of a hyaluronate-associated intracellularly degradable cross-linked polyethyleneimine

PubMed Central

Xu, Peisheng; Quick, Griffin; Yeo, Yoon

2009-01-01

For a non-viral gene delivery system to be clinically effective, it should be non-toxic, compatible with biological components, and highly efficient in gene transfection. With this goal in mind, we investigated the gene delivery efficiency of a ternary complex consisting of DNA, an intracellularly degradable polycation, and sodium hyaluronate (DPH complex). Here, we report that the DPH ternary complex achieved significantly higher transfection efficiency than other polymer systems, especially in the presence of serum. The high transfection efficiency and serum tolerance of DPH are attributed to a unique interplay between CLPEI and HA, which leads to (i) the improved stability of DNA in the extracellular environment and at the early stage of intracellular trafficking and (ii) timely dissociation of the DNA-polymer complex. This study reinforces findings of earlier studies that emphasized each step as a bottleneck for efficient gene delivery; yet, it is the first to show that it is possible to overcome these obstacles simultaneously by taking advantage of two distinctive approaches. PMID:19631979

Crystal structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis GlgE and complexes with non-covalent inhibitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lindenberger, Jared J.; Kumar Veleti, Sri; Wilson, Brittney N.

GlgE is a bacterial maltosyltransferase that catalyzes the elongation of a cytosolic, branched α-glucan. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), inactivation of GlgE (Mtb GlgE) results in the rapid death of the organism due to a toxic accumulation of the maltosyl donor, maltose-1-phosphate (M1P), suggesting that GlgE is an intriguing target for inhibitor design. In this study, the crystal structures of the Mtb GlgE in a binary complex with maltose and a ternary complex with maltose and a maltosyl-acceptor molecule, maltohexaose, were solved to 3.3 Å and 4.0 Å, respectively. The maltohexaose structure reveals a dominant site for α-glucan binding. Tomore » obtain more detailed interactions between first generation, non-covalent inhibitors and GlgE, a variant Streptomyces coelicolor GlgEI (Sco GlgEI-V279S) was made to better emulate the Mtb GlgE M1P binding site. The structure of Sco GlgEI-V279S complexed with α-maltose-C-phosphonate (MCP), a non-hydrolyzable substrate analogue, was solved to 1.9 Å resolution, and the structure of Sco GlgEI-V279S complexed with 2,5-dideoxy-3-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-2,5-imino-D-mannitol (DDGIM), an oxocarbenium mimic, was solved to 2.5 Å resolution. These structures detail important interactions that contribute to the inhibitory activity of these compounds, and provide information on future designs that may be exploited to improve upon these first generation GlgE inhibitors.« less

Magnetic properties and structural transitions of fluorite-related rare earth osmates Ln3OsO7 (Ln=Pr, Tb)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinatsu, Yukio; Doi, Yoshihiro

2013-02-01

Ternary rare-earth osmates Ln3OsO7 (Ln=Pr, Tb) have been prepared. They crystallize in an ortho-rhombic superstructure of cubic fluorite with space group Cmcm. Both of these compounds undergo a structural phase transition at 130 K (Ln=Pr) and 580 K (Ln=Tb). These compounds show complex magnetic behavior at low temperatures. Pr3OsO7 exhibits magnetic transitions at 8 and 73 K, and Tb3OsO7 magnetically orders at 8 and 60 K. The Os moments become one-dimensionally ordered, and when the temperature is furthermore decreased, it provokes the ordering in the Ln3+ sublattice that simultaneously becomes three-dimensionally ordered with the Os sublattice.

A self-organized ensemble of fluorescent 3-hydroxyflavone-Al (III) complex as sensor for fluoride and acetate ions.

PubMed

Sathish, Sai; Narayan, Govindh; Rao, Nageswara; Janardhana, Chelli

2007-01-01

Aluminum chloride addition results in a self-organized TURN-ON fluorescence of 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) by a complexation reaction in MeOH and subsequent ligand exchange reaction with fluoride or acetate ions causes a fluorescence TURN-OFF of this complex, delivering a quantitative estimation route for fluoride and acetate ions. The ternary complex of 3HF with Al (III), a hard acid provides for a sensitive signalling system for fluoride ion, a hard base in the concentration range from 6 muM to 50 mM by a concerted co-ordination of fluoride ion involving an intermediate mechanistic pathway, while the complex is sensitive to acetate addition between 0-68 muM. The ligand exchange reaction of Al (3HF)(2) complex by fluoride or acetate ion, without interference from other common anions, has been investigated by UV-visible and fluorescence spetroscopies. The structure of the in-situ intermediate isolated at higher Al (3HF)(2) complex and acetate concentrations was inferred from the FT-IR spectrum and ESI-MS of the sample.

Single-step electrodeposition of CIS thin films with the complexing agent triethanolamine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Yu-Shuen; Hsieh, Mu-Tao; Chang, Chih-Min; Chen, Chun-Shuo; Whang, Thou-Jen

2014-04-01

Some difficulties have long been encountered by single-step electrodeposition such as the optimization of electrolyte composition, deposition potentials, deposition time, and pH values. The approach of introducing ternary components into single-step electrodeposition is rather challenging especially due to the different values of the equilibrium potential for each constituent. Complexing agents play an important role in single-step electrodeposition of CuInSe2 (CIS), since the equilibrium potential of every constituent can be brought closer to each other when complexing agents are employed. In this work, single-step electrodeposition of CIS was enhanced by adding triethanolamine (TEA) into deposition bath, the CIS thin films were improved consequently in the form of polycrystalline cauliflower structures through the examination of SEM images and XRD patterns. The optimum composition of the solution for single-step electrodeposition of CIS is found to be 5 mM CuCl2, 22 mM InCl3, and 22 mM SeO2 at pH 1.5 with 0.1 M TEA. The structures, compositions, and morphologies of as-deposited and of annealed films were investigated.

Ternary polyplex micelles with PEG shells and intermediate barrier to complexed DNA cores for efficient systemic gene delivery.

PubMed

Li, Junjie; Chen, Qixian; Zha, Zengshi; Li, Hui; Toh, Kazuko; Dirisala, Anjaneyulu; Matsumoto, Yu; Osada, Kensuke; Kataoka, Kazunori; Ge, Zhishen

2015-07-10

Simultaneous achievement of prolonged retention in blood circulation and efficient gene transfection activity in target tissues has always been a major challenge hindering in vivo applications of nonviral gene vectors via systemic administration. Herein, we constructed novel rod-shaped ternary polyplex micelles (TPMs) via complexation between the mixed block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly{N'-[N-(2-aminoethyl)-2-aminoethyl]aspartamide} (PEG-b-PAsp(DET)) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-PAsp(DET) (PNIPAM-b-PAsp(DET)) and plasmid DNA (pDNA) at room temperature, exhibiting distinct temperature-responsive formation of a hydrophobic intermediate layer between PEG shells and pDNA cores through facile temperature increase from room temperature to body temperature (~37 °C). As compared with binary polyplex micelles of PEG-b-PAsp(DET) (BPMs), TPMs were confirmed to condense pDNA into a more compact structure, which achieved enhanced tolerability to nuclease digestion and strong counter polyanion exchange. In vitro gene transfection results demonstrated TPMs exhibiting enhanced gene transfection efficiency due to efficient cellular uptake and endosomal escape. Moreover, in vivo performance evaluation after intravenous injection confirmed that TPMs achieved significantly prolonged blood circulation, high tumor accumulation, and promoted gene expression in tumor tissue. Moreover, TPMs loading therapeutic pDNA encoding an anti-angiogenic protein remarkably suppressed tumor growth following intravenous injection into H22 tumor-bearing mice. These results suggest TPMs with PEG shells and facilely engineered intermediate barrier to inner complexed pDNA have great potentials as systemic nonviral gene vectors for cancer gene therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First principle study of UHTC ternary diboride, Cr2AlB2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rastogi, Anugya; Rajpoot, Priyanka; Verma, U. P.

2018-04-01

In this paper ab-initio study of the structural, electronic and optical properties of ternary metal boride Cr2AlB2 using full potential linear augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method based on the density functional theory (DFT). The study of structural properties shows that Cr2AlB2 is metallic in nature and have orthorhombic crystal structure. The optical properties show that it possess anisotropic behavior, which have wide applications in electricity production through concentration of solar power (CSP) technology. To the best of our knowledge, theoretical study of the optical properties of Cr2AlB2 is reported for the first time.

Ternary metal-rich sulfide with a layered structure

DOEpatents

Franzen, Hugo F.; Yao, Xiaoqiang

1993-08-17

A ternary Nb-Ta-S compound is provided having the atomic formula, Nb.sub.1.72 Ta.sub.3.28 S.sub.2, and exhibiting a layered structure in the sequence S-M3-M2-M1-M2-M3-S wherein S represents sulfur layers and M1, M2, and M3 represent Nb/Ta mixed metal layers. This sequence generates seven sheets stacked along the [001] direction of an approximate body centered cubic crystal structure with relatively weak sulfur-to-sulfur van der Waals type interactions between adjacent sulfur sheets and metal-to-metal bonding within and between adjacent mixed metal sheets.

Large moments in bcc FexCoyMnz ternary alloy thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snow, R. J.; Bhatkar, H.; N'Diaye, A. T.; Arenholz, E.; Idzerda, Y. U.

2018-02-01

The elemental magnetic moments and the average atomic moment of 10-20 nm thick single crystal bcc (bct) FexCoyMnz films deposited on MgO(001) have been determined as a function of a broad range of compositions. Thin film epitaxy stabilized the bcc structure for 80% of the available ternary compositional space compared to only a 23% stability region for the bulk. The films that display ferromagnetism represent 60% of the available compositional possibilities compared to 25% for the bulk. A maximum average atomic moment of 3.25 ± 0.3 μB/atom was observed for a bcc Fe9Co62Mn29 film (well above the limit of the Slater-Pauling binary alloy curve of 2.45 μB/atom). The FexCoyMnz ternary alloys that exhibit high moments can only be synthesized as ultrathin films since the bcc structure is not stable in the bulk for those compositions.

Thin single-crystalline Bi2(Te1-xSex)3 ternary nanosheets synthesized by a solvothermal technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jing; Jian, Jikang; Zhang, Zhihua; Wu, Rong; Li, Jin; Sun, Yanfei

2016-01-01

Bi2(Te1-xSex)3 ternary nanosheets have been successfully synthesized through a facile solvothermal technique using diethylenetriamine as solvent, where x can vary from 0 to 1. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicate that the as-synthesized Bi2(Te1-xSex)3 samples are nanosheets with rhombohedral structure, and the thickness of the nanosheets can be as thin as several nanometers. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) reveal that the nanosheets are single crystalline with a rhombohedral structure. Energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS) and XRD analysis by Vegard's law confirm that the ternary Bi2(Te1-xSex)3 nanosheets have been obtained here. The growth of the nanosheets is discussed based on an amine-based molecular template mechanism that has been employed to synthesize some other metal chalcogenides.

Extension of photonic band gap in one-dimensional ternary metal-dielectric photonic crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, G. N.; Thapa, Khem B.

2018-05-01

In this paper, the photonic band gap structure in the visible and near infrared for a ternary metal dielectric photonic crystal has been theoretically investigated. At the normal incidence, the high reflectance range can be significantly enlarged at a thicker metal film. The transmission of the structure containing Cu has large compared to the other metals like Al and Ag metals. The transmission properties of the metal are dependent upon the value of the plasma frequency. In this paper we consider the effect of the variation of the thickness of the metal on the reflection bands of ternary metallic-dielectric photonic crystal (MDPC). Finally we find that the enlargement of band gap in MDPC is due to the addition of increase of the thickness of metallic film at normal incidence. All the theoretical calculations are made based on the transfer matrix method together with the Drude model of metal.

Integration of growth factor signals at the c-fos serum response element.

PubMed

Price, M A; Hill, C; Treisman, R

1996-04-29

A transcription factor ternary complex composed of serum response factor (SRF) and a second factor, ternary complex factor (TCF), mediates the response of the c-fos Serum Response Element to growth factors and mitogens. In NIH3T3 fibroblasts, TCF binding is required for transcriptional activation by the SRE in response to activation of the Ras-Raf-ERK pathway. We compared the properties of three members of the TCF family, Elk-1, SAP-1 and SAP-2 (ERP/NET). Although all the proteins contain sequences required for ternary complex formation with SRF, only Elk-1 and SAP-1 appear to interact with the c-fos SRE efficiently in vivo. Each TCF contains a C-terminal activation domain capable of transcriptional activation in response to activation of the Ras-Raf-ERK pathway, and this is dependent on the integrity of S/T-P motifs conserved between all the TCF family members. In contrast, activation of the SRE by whole serum and the mitogenic phospholipid LPA requires SRF binding alone. Constitutively activated members of the Rho subfamily of Ras-like GTPases are also capable of inducing activation of the SRE in the absence of TCF; unlike activated Ras itself, these proteins do not activate the TCFs in NIH3T3 cells. At the SRE, SRF- and TCF-linked signalling pathways act synergistically to potentiate transcription.

Substrate Binding and Catalytic Mechanism of Human Choline Acetyltransferase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim,A.; Rylett, J.; Shilton, B.

2006-01-01

Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) catalyzes the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from choline and acetyl-CoA, and its presence is a defining feature of cholinergic neurons. We report the structure of human ChAT to a resolution of 2.2 {angstrom} along with structures for binary complexes of ChAT with choline, CoA, and a nonhydrolyzable acetyl-CoA analogue, S-(2-oxopropyl)-CoA. The ChAT-choline complex shows which features of choline are important for binding and explains how modifications of the choline trimethylammonium group can be tolerated by the enzyme. A detailed model of the ternary Michaelis complex fully supports the direct transfer of the acetyl group from acetyl-CoAmore » to choline through a mechanism similar to that seen in the serine hydrolases for the formation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate. Domain movements accompany CoA binding, and a surface loop, which is disordered in the unliganded enzyme, becomes localized and binds directly to the phosphates of CoA, stabilizing the complex. Interactions between this surface loop and CoA may function to lower the K{sub M} for CoA and could be important for phosphorylation-dependent regulation of ChAT activity.« less

Theoretical investigation of the structural stabilities, optoelectronic properties and thermodynamic characteristics of GaPxSb1-x ternary alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oumelaz, F.; Nemiri, O.; Boumaza, A.; Ghemid, S.; Meradji, H.; Bin Omran, S.; El Haj Hassan, F.; Rai, D. P.; Khenata, R.

2018-06-01

In this theoretical study, we have investigated the structural, phase transition, electronic, thermodynamic and optical properties of GaPxSb1-x ternary alloys. Our calculations are performed with the WIEN2k code based on density functional theory using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method. For the electron exchange-correlation potential, a generalized gradient approximation within Wu-Cohen scheme is considered. The recently developed Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson potential has also been used to improve the underestimated band gap. The structural properties, including the lattice constants, the bulk moduli and their pressure derivatives are in very good agreement with the available experimental data and theoretical results. Several structural phase transitions were studied here to establish the stable structure and to predict the phase transition under hydrostatic pressure. The computed transition pressure (Pt) of the material of our interest from the zinc blende (B3) to the rock salt (B1) phase has been determined and found to agree well with the experimental and theoretical data. The calculated band structure shows that GaSb binary compound and the ternary alloys are direct band gap semiconductors. Optical parameters such as the dielectric constants and the refractive indices are calculated and analyzed. The thermodynamic results are also interpreted and analyzed.

Optimization of contrast-to-tissue ratio by adaptation of transmitted ternary signal in ultrasound pulse inversion imaging.

PubMed

Ménigot, Sébastien; Girault, Jean-Marc

2013-01-01

Ultrasound contrast imaging has provided more accurate medical diagnoses thanks to the development of innovating modalities like the pulse inversion imaging. However, this latter modality that improves the contrast-to-tissue ratio (CTR) is not optimal, since the frequency is manually chosen jointly with the probe. However, an optimal choice of this command is possible, but it requires precise information about the transducer and the medium which can be experimentally difficult to obtain, even inaccessible. It turns out that the optimization can become more complex by taking into account the kind of generators, since the generators of electrical signals in a conventional ultrasound scanner can be unipolar, bipolar, or tripolar. Our aim was to seek the ternary command which maximized the CTR. By combining a genetic algorithm and a closed loop, the system automatically proposed the optimal ternary command. In simulation, the gain compared with the usual ternary signal could reach about 3.9 dB. Another interesting finding was that, in contrast to what is generally accepted, the optimal command was not a fixed-frequency signal but had harmonic components.

The Structure and Composition Statistics of 6A Binary and Ternary Crystalline Materials.

PubMed

Hever, Alon; Oses, Corey; Curtarolo, Stefano; Levy, Ohad; Natan, Amir

2018-01-16

The fundamental principles underlying the arrangement of elements into solid compounds with an enormous variety of crystal structures are still largely unknown. This study presents a general overview of the structure types appearing in an important subset of the solid compounds, i.e., binary and ternary compounds of the 6A column oxides, sulfides and selenides. It contains an analysis of these compounds, including the prevalence of various structure types, their symmetry properties, compositions, stoichiometries and unit cell sizes. It is found that these compound families include preferred stoichiometries and structure types that may reflect both their specific chemistry and research bias in the available empirical data. Identification of nonoverlapping gaps and missing stoichiometries in these structure populations may be used as guidance in the search for new materials.

Dual-cavity basket promotes encapsulation in water in an allosteric fashion.

PubMed

Chen, Shigui; Yamasaki, Makoto; Polen, Shane; Gallucci, Judith; Hadad, Christopher M; Badjić, Jovica D

2015-09-30

We prepared dual-cavity basket 1 to carry six (S)-alanine residues at the entrance of its two juxtaposed cavities (289 Å(3)). With the assistance of (1)H NMR spectroscopy and calorimetry, we found that 1 could trap a single molecule of 4 (K1 = 1.45 ± 0.40 × 10(4) M(-1), ITC), akin in size (241 Å(3)) and polar characteristics to nerve agent VX (289 Å(3)). The results of density functional theory calculations (DFT, M06-2X/6-31G*) and experiments ((1)H NMR spectroscopy) suggest that the negative homotropic allosterism arises from the guest forming C-H···π contacts with all three of the aromatic walls of the occupied basket's cavity. In response, the other cavity increases its size and turns rigid to prevent the formation of the ternary complex. A smaller guest 6 (180 Å(3)), akin in size and polar characteristics to soman (186 Å(3)), was also found to bind to dual-cavity 1, although giving both binary [1⊂6] and ternary [1⊂62] complexes (K1 = 7910 M(-1) and K2 = 2374 M(-1), (1)H NMR spectroscopy). In this case, the computational and experimental ((1)H NMR spectroscopy) results suggest that only two aromatic walls of the occupied basket's cavity form C-H···π contacts with the guest to render the singly occupied host flexible enough to undergo additional structural changes necessary for receiving another guest molecule. The structural adaptivity of dual-cavity baskets of type 1 is unique and important for designing multivalent hosts capable of effectively sequestering targeted guests in an allosteric manner to give stable supramolecular polymers.

Cooperativity effect involving drug-DNA/RNA intermolecular interaction: A B3LYP-D3 and MP2 theoretical investigation on ketoprofen⋯cytosine⋯H2O system.

PubMed

Zhen, Jun-Ping; Wei, Xiao-Chun; Shi, Wen-Jing; Huang, Zhu-Yuan; Jin, Bo; Zhou, Yu-Kun

2017-11-14

In order to examine the origin of the drug action and design new DNA/RNA-targeted drugs, the cooperativity effect involving drug-DNA/RNA intermolecular interaction in ketoprofen⋯cytosine⋯H 2 O ternary system were investigated by the B3LYP, B3LYP-D3, and MP2 methods with the 6-311++G(2d,p) basis set. The thermodynamic cooperativity was also evaluated at 310.15 K. The N-H⋯O, O-H⋯O, O-H⋯N, C-H⋯N, and C-H⋯O H bonds coexist in ternary complexes. The intermolecular interactions obtained by B3LYP-D3 are close to those calculated by MP2. The steric effects and van der Waals interactions have little influence on the cooperativity effects. The anti-cooperativity effect in ket⋯cyt⋯H 2 O is far more notable than the cooperativity effect, and the stability of the cyclic structure with anti-cooperativity effect is higher than that of the linear structure with cooperativity effect, as is confirmed by the AIM (atoms in molecules) and RDG (reduced density gradient) analysis. Thus, it can be inferred that, in the presence of H 2 O, the anti-cooperativity effect plays a dominant role in the drug-DNA/RNA interaction, and the nature of the hydration in the binding of drugs to DNA/RNA bases is the H-bonding anti-cooperativity effect. Furthermore, the drug always links simultaneously with DNA/RNA base and H 2 O, and only in this way can the biological activity of drugs play a role. In most cases, the enthalpy change is the major factor driving the cooperativity, as is different from most of biomacromolecule complexes.

Using a Fluorescent Cytosine Analogue tC[superscript o] To Probe the Effect of the Y567 to Ala Substitution on the Preinsertion Steps of dNMP Incorporation by RB69 DNA Polymerase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xia, Shuangluo; Beckman, Jeff; Wang, Jimin

2012-10-10

Residues in the nascent base pair binding pocket (NBP) of bacteriophage RB69 DNA polymerase (RB69pol) are responsible for base discrimination. Replacing Tyr567 with Ala leads to greater flexibility in the NBP, increasing the probability of misincorporation. We used the fluorescent cytosine analogue, 1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine (tC{sup o}), to identify preinsertion step(s) altered by NBP flexibility. When tC{sup o} is the templating base in a wild-type (wt) RB69pol ternary complex, its fluorescence is quenched only in the presence of dGTP. However, with the RB69pol Y567A mutant, the fluorescence of tC{sup o} is also quenched in the presence of dATP. We determined the crystalmore » structure of the dATP/tC{sup o}-containing ternary complex of the RB69pol Y567A mutant at 1.9 {angstrom} resolution and found that the incoming dATP formed two hydrogen bonds with an imino-tautomerized form of tC{sup o}. Stabilization of the dATP/tC{sup o} base pair involved movement of the tC{sup o} backbone sugar into the DNA minor groove and required tilting of the tC{sup o} tricyclic ring to prevent a steric clash with L561. This structure, together with the pre-steady-state kinetic parameters and dNTP binding affinity, estimated from equilibrium fluorescence titrations, suggested that the flexibility of the NBP, provided by the Y567 to Ala substitution, led to a more favorable forward isomerization step resulting in an increase in dNTP binding affinity.« less

Effect of Phosphate on U(VI) Sorption to Montmorillonite: Ternary Complexation and Precipitation Barriers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Troyer, Lyndsay D.; Maillot, Fabien; Wang, Zheming

Phosphate addition is a potential treatment method to lower the solubility of U(VI) in soil and groundwater systems by causing U(VI) phosphate precipitation as well as enhancing adsorption. Previous work has shown that iron oxide surfaces may facilitate the nucleation of U(VI) phosphate minerals and, that under weakly acidic conditions, phosphate also enhances U(VI) adsorption to such phases. Like iron oxides, clays are important reactive phases in the subsurface but little is known about the interaction of U(VI) and phosphate with these minerals. The effect of aqueous phosphate on U(VI) binding to Wyoming montmorillonite (SWy-2) in air-equilibrated systems was investigated.more » Equilibrium U(VI) uptake to montmorillonite was determined at pH 4, 6 and 8 at discrete initial phosphate concentrations between 0 and 100 μM. The observed behavior of U(VI) indicates a transition from adsorption to precipitation with increasing total uranium and phosphate concentrations at all pH values. At the highest phosphate concentration examined at each pH value, a barrier to U(VI) phosphate nucleation is observed. At lower concentrations, phosphate has no effect on macroscopic U(VI) adsorption. To assess the mechanisms of U(VI)-phosphate interactions on smectite surfaces, U(VI) speciation was investigated under selected conditions using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIFS) and extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. Samples above the precipitation threshold display EXAFS and LIFS spectral signatures consistent with the autunite family of U(VI) phosphate minerals. However, at lower U(VI) concentrations, changes in LIFS spectra upon phosphate addition suggest that U(VI)-phosphate ternary surface complexes form on the montmorillonite surface at pH 4 and 6 despite the lack of a macroscopic effect on adsorption. The speciation of solid-associated U(VI) below the precipitation threshold at pH 8 is dominated by U(VI)-carbonate surface complexes. This work reveals that ternary complexation may occur without a macroscopic signature, which is attributed to phosphate not appreciably binding to smectite in the absence of U(VI), with U(VI) surface complexes serving as the sole reactive surface sites for phosphate. This study shows that phosphate does not enhance U(VI) adsorption to smectite clay minerals, unlike oxide phases, and that a barrier to homogeneous nucleation of U(VI) phosphates was not affected by the presence of the smectite surface« less

Surface Engineering of ITO Substrates to Improve the Memory Performance of an Asymmetric Conjugated Molecule with a Side Chain.

PubMed

Hou, Xiang; Cheng, Xue-Feng; Xiao, Xin; He, Jing-Hui; Xu, Qing-Feng; Li, Hua; Li, Na-Jun; Chen, Dong-Yun; Lu, Jian-Mei

2017-09-05

Organic multilevel random resistive access memory (RRAM) devices with an electrode/organic layer/electrode sandwich-like structure suffer from poor reproducibility, such as low effective ternary device yields and a wide threshold voltage distribution, and improvements through organic material renovation are rather limited. In contrast, engineering of the electrode surfaces rather than molecule design has been demonstrated to boost the performance of organic electronics effectively. Herein, we introduce surface engineering into organic multilevel RRAMs to enhance their ternary memory performance. A new asymmetric conjugated molecule composed of phenothiazine and malononitrile with a side chain (PTZ-PTZO-CN) was fabricated in an indium tin oxide (ITO)/PTZ-PTZO-CN/Al sandwich-like memory device. Modification of the ITO substrate with a phosphonic acid (PA) prior to device fabrication increased the ternary device yield (the ratio of effective ternary device) and narrowed the threshold voltage distribution. The crystallinity analysis revealed that PTZ-PTZO-CN grown on untreated ITO crystallized into two phases. After the surface engineering of ITO, this crystalline ambiguity was eliminated and a sole crystal phase was obtained that was the same as in the powder state. The unified crystal structure and improved grain mosaicity resulted in a lower threshold voltage and, therefore, a higher ternary device yield. Our result demonstrated that PA modification also improved the memory performance of an asymmetric conjugated molecule with a side chain. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Automatic classification of protein structures relying on similarities between alignments

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Identification of protein structural cores requires isolation of sets of proteins all sharing a same subset of structural motifs. In the context of an ever growing number of available 3D protein structures, standard and automatic clustering algorithms require adaptations so as to allow for efficient identification of such sets of proteins. Results When considering a pair of 3D structures, they are stated as similar or not according to the local similarities of their matching substructures in a structural alignment. This binary relation can be represented in a graph of similarities where a node represents a 3D protein structure and an edge states that two 3D protein structures are similar. Therefore, classifying proteins into structural families can be viewed as a graph clustering task. Unfortunately, because such a graph encodes only pairwise similarity information, clustering algorithms may include in the same cluster a subset of 3D structures that do not share a common substructure. In order to overcome this drawback we first define a ternary similarity on a triple of 3D structures as a constraint to be satisfied by the graph of similarities. Such a ternary constraint takes into account similarities between pairwise alignments, so as to ensure that the three involved protein structures do have some common substructure. We propose hereunder a modification algorithm that eliminates edges from the original graph of similarities and gives a reduced graph in which no ternary constraints are violated. Our approach is then first to build a graph of similarities, then to reduce the graph according to the modification algorithm, and finally to apply to the reduced graph a standard graph clustering algorithm. Such method was used for classifying ASTRAL-40 non-redundant protein domains, identifying significant pairwise similarities with Yakusa, a program devised for rapid 3D structure alignments. Conclusions We show that filtering similarities prior to standard graph based clustering process by applying ternary similarity constraints i) improves the separation of proteins of different classes and consequently ii) improves the classification quality of standard graph based clustering algorithms according to the reference classification SCOP. PMID:22974051

Integrated Ternary Bioinspired Nanocomposites via Synergistic Toughening of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

PubMed

Gong, Shanshan; Cui, Wei; Zhang, Qi; Cao, Anyuan; Jiang, Lei; Cheng, Qunfeng

2015-12-22

With its synergistic toughening effect and hierarchical micro/nanoscale structure, natural nacre sets a "gold standard" for nacre-inspired materials with integrated high strength and toughness. We demonstrated strong and tough ternary bioinspired nanocomposites through synergistic toughening of reduced graphene oxide and double-walled carbon nanotube (DWNT) and covalent bonding. The tensile strength and toughness of this kind of ternary bioinspired nanocomposites reaches 374.1 ± 22.8 MPa and 9.2 ± 0.8 MJ/m(3), which is 2.6 and 3.3 times that of pure reduced graphene oxide film, respectively. Furthermore, this ternary bioinspired nanocomposite has a high conductivity of 394.0 ± 6.8 S/cm and also shows excellent fatigue-resistant properties, which may enable this material to be used in aerospace, flexible energy devices, and artificial muscle. The synergistic building blocks with covalent bonding for constructing ternary bioinspired nanocomposites can serve as the basis of a strategy for the construction of integrated, high-performance, reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based nanocomposites in the future.

Sol-Gel-Synthesis of Nanoscopic Complex Metal Fluorides

PubMed Central

Rehmer, Alexander; Scheurell, Kerstin; Scholz, Gudrun; Kemnitz, Erhard

2017-01-01

The fluorolytic sol-gel synthesis for binary metal fluorides (AlF3, CaF2, MgF2) has been extended to ternary and quaternary alkaline earth metal fluorides (CaAlF5, Ca2AlF7, LiMgAlF6). The formation and crystallization of nanoscopic ternary CaAlF5 and Ca2AlF7 sols in ethanol were studied by 19F liquid and solid state NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy, as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The crystalline phases of the annealed CaAlF5, Ca2AlF7, and LiMgAlF6 xerogels between 500 and 700 °C could be determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and 19F solid state NMR spectroscopy. The thermal behavior of un-annealed nanoscopic ternary and quaternary metal fluoride xerogels was ascertained by thermal analysis (TG/DTA). The obtained crystalline phases of CaAlF5 and Ca2AlF7 derived from non-aqueous sol-gel process were compared to crystalline phases from the literature. The corresponding nanoscopic complex metal fluoride could provide a new approach in ceramic and luminescence applications. PMID:29099086

Structural and dynamical studies of molecular and network forming chalcogenide glasses and supercooled liquids with NMR and Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gjersing, Erica Lee

The techniques of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Raman spectroscopy have been employed to study structure and dynamics in Ge-Se, Ge/As-Te, and As-S binary and complex Ge-As-Te and P-As-S ternary chalcogenide glasses. Structural studies were conducted on Ge-Se glasses and on binary Ge/As-Te and ternary Ge-As-Te systems. The structure of the GexSe100-x glass series, with 5≤x≤33, is investigated with 77Se Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) NMR and then compared with three different proposed structural models. For the binary Ge-Te and As-Te and ternary Ge-As-Te glass systems the structure is studied using Raman spectroscopy and correlated with physical properties such as molar volume, viscosity, optical band gap and thermophysical properties. Studies on glass transition dynamics were conducted on systems with a range of structural features including an As4S3 inorganic molecular glass former, an As-P-S system where molecules are bonded to the As-S network, and network glasses in the Ge-Se system. Timescales of the rotational dynamics of As4S3 cage molecules in the molecular As-sulfide glass and supercooled liquid show remarkably large decoupling from the timescales of viscous flow and shear relaxation at temperatures below and near Tg (312K). Next, the dynamic behavior of a (As 2S3)90(P2S5)10 glass, which is proposed to consist of As2P2S8 molecular structures which are connected to an As-S network, is investigated with 31P NMR. The rotational dynamics of selenium chains in network forming GexSe100-x glasses and supercooled liquids with 5≤x≤23 are investigated with variable temperature 77Se NMR spectroscopy to determine the relationship between rigidity percolation and dynamic behavior. The timescale of the motion of the Se atoms is observed to be nearly identical for x≤17 and ≤2.36. However, for the x=20 and 23 compositions where ≤2.4, above the rigidity percolation threshold, the timescale slows down abruptly. Finally, the Ge20Se 80 glass and supercooled liquid have been the focus of a variable temperature Raman spectroscopy study to investigate the vibrational mode softening behavior and the importance of vibrational entropy in glass transition.

First-principles calculation of the structural and elastic properties of ternary metal nitrides TaxMo1-xN and TaxW1-xN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouamama, Kh.; Djemia, P.; Benhamida, M.

2015-09-01

First-principles pseudo-potentials calculations of the mixing enthalpy, of the lattice constants a0 and of the single-crystal elastic constants cij for ternary metal nitrides TaxMe1-xN (Me=Mo or W) alloys considering the cubic B1-rocksalt structure is carried out. For disordered ternary alloys, we employ the virtual crystal approximation VCA in which the alloy pseudopotentials are constructed within a first-principles VCA scheme. The supercell method SC is also used for ordered structures in order to evaluate clustering effects. We find that the mixing enthalpy still remains negative for TaxMe1-xN alloys in the whole composition range which implies these cubic TaxMo1-xN and TaxW1-xN ordered solid solutions are stable. We investigate the effect of Mo and W alloying on the trend of the mechanical properties of TaN. The effective shear elastic constant c44, the Cauchy pressure (c12-c44), and the shear to bulk modulus G/B ratio are used to discuss, respectively, the mechanical stability of the ternary structure and the brittle/ductile behavior in reference to TaN, MeN alloys. We determine the onset transition from the unstable structure to the stable one B1-rocksalt from the elastic stability criteria when alloying MeN with Ta. In a second stage, in the frame of anisotropic elasticity, we estimate by one homogenization method the averaged constants of the polycrystalline TaxMe1-xN alloys considering the special case of an isotropic medium with no crystallographic texture.

Fabrication of wide-band-gap Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O quasi-ternary alloys by molecular-beam epitaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanaka, Hiroshi; Fujita, Shigeo; Fujita, Shizuo

2005-05-09

A series of wurtzite MgZnO quasi-ternary alloys, which consist of wurtzite MgO/ZnO superlattices, were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on sapphire substrates. By changing the thicknesses of ZnO layers and/or of MgO layers of the superlattice, the band-gap energy was artificially tuned from 3.30 to 4.65 eV. The highest band gap, consequently realized by the quasi-ternary alloy, was larger than that of the single MgZnO layer, we have ever reported, keeping the wurtzite structure. The band gap of quasi-ternary alloys was well analyzed by the Kronig-Penny model supposing the effective masses of wurtzite MgO as 0.30m{sub 0} and (1-2)m{sub 0} formore » electrons and holes, respectively.« less

The crystal structure of the new ternary antimonide Dy 3Cu 20+xSb 11-x ( x≈2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedyna, L. O.; Bodak, O. I.; Fedorchuk, A. O.; Tokaychuk, Ya. O.

2005-06-01

New ternary antimonide Dy 3Cu 20+xSb 11-x ( x≈2) was synthesized and its crystal structure was determined by direct methods from X-ray powder diffraction data (diffractometer DRON-3M, Cu Kα-radiation, R=6.99%,R=12.27%,R=11.55%). The compound crystallizes with the own cubic structure type: space group F 4¯ 3m, Pearson code cF272, a=16.6150(2) Å,Z=8. The structure of the Dy 3Cu 20Sb 11-x ( x≈2) can be obtained from the structure type BaHg 11 by doubling of the lattice parameter and subtraction of 16 atoms. The studied structure was compared with the structures of known compounds, which crystallize in the same space group with similar cell parameters.

Structure/cleavage-based insights into helical perturbations at bulge sites within T. thermophilus Argonaute silencing complexes

PubMed Central

Sheng, Gang; Gogakos, Tasos; Wang, Jiuyu; Zhao, Hongtu; Serganov, Artem; Juranek, Stefan

2017-01-01

Abstract We have undertaken a systematic structural study of Thermus thermophilus Argonaute (TtAgo) ternary complexes containing single-base bulges positioned either within the seed segment of the guide or target strands and at the cleavage site. Our studies establish that single-base bulges 7T8, 5A6 and 4A5 on the guide strand are stacked-into the duplex, with conformational changes localized to the bulge site, thereby having minimal impact on the cleavage site. By contrast, single-base bulges 6’U7’ and 6’A7’ on the target strand are looped-out of the duplex, with the resulting conformational transitions shifting the cleavable phosphate by one step. We observe a stable alignment for the looped-out 6’N7’ bulge base, which stacks on the unpaired first base of the guide strand, with the looped-out alignment facilitated by weakened Watson–Crick and reversed non-canonical flanking pairs. These structural studies are complemented by cleavage assays that independently monitor the impact of bulges on TtAgo-mediated cleavage reaction. PMID:28911094

Structural basis of transcription arrest by coliphage HK022 Nun in an Escherichia coli RNA polymerase elongation complex

PubMed Central

Kang, Jin Young; Olinares, Paul Dominic B; Chen, James; Campbell, Elizabeth A; Mustaev, Arkady; Chait, Brian T; Gottesman, Max E; Darst, Seth A

2017-01-01

Coliphage HK022 Nun blocks superinfection by coliphage λ by stalling RNA polymerase (RNAP) translocation specifically on λ DNA. To provide a structural framework to understand how Nun blocks RNAP translocation, we determined structures of Escherichia coli RNAP ternary elongation complexes (TECs) with and without Nun by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. Nun fits tightly into the TEC by taking advantage of gaps between the RNAP and the nucleic acids. The C-terminal segment of Nun interacts with the RNAP β and β’ subunits inside the RNAP active site cleft as well as with nearly every element of the nucleic acid scaffold, essentially crosslinking the RNAP and the nucleic acids to prevent translocation, a mechanism supported by the effects of Nun amino acid substitutions. The nature of Nun interactions inside the RNAP active site cleft suggests that RNAP clamp opening is required for Nun to establish its interactions, explaining why Nun acts on paused TECs. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.25478.001 PMID:28318486

Super-complexes of adhesion GPCRs and neural guidance receptors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Verity A.; Mehmood, Shahid; Chavent, Matthieu; Roversi, Pietro; Carrasquero, Maria; Del Toro, Daniel; Seyit-Bremer, Goenuel; Ranaivoson, Fanomezana M.; Comoletti, Davide; Sansom, Mark S. P.; Robinson, Carol V.; Klein, Rüdiger; Seiradake, Elena

2016-04-01

Latrophilin adhesion-GPCRs (Lphn1-3 or ADGRL1-3) and Unc5 cell guidance receptors (Unc5A-D) interact with FLRT proteins (FLRT1-3), thereby promoting cell adhesion and repulsion, respectively. How the three proteins interact and function simultaneously is poorly understood. We show that Unc5D interacts with FLRT2 in cis, controlling cell adhesion in response to externally presented Lphn3. The ectodomains of the three proteins bind cooperatively. Crystal structures of the ternary complex formed by the extracellular domains reveal that Lphn3 dimerizes when bound to FLRT2:Unc5, resulting in a stoichiometry of 1:1:2 (FLRT2:Unc5D:Lphn3). This 1:1:2 complex further dimerizes to form a larger `super-complex' (2:2:4), using a previously undescribed binding motif in the Unc5D TSP1 domain. Molecular dynamics simulations, point-directed mutagenesis and mass spectrometry demonstrate the stability and molecular properties of these complexes. Our data exemplify how receptors increase their functional repertoire by forming different context-dependent higher-order complexes.

Development of High-Strength High-Temperature Cast Al-Ni-Cr Alloys Through Evolution of a Novel Composite Eutectic Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, P.; Kashyap, S.; Tiwary, C. S.; Chattopadhyay, K.

2017-12-01

Aiming to develop high-strength Al-based alloys with high material index (strength/density) for structural application, this article reports a new class of multiphase Al alloys in the Al-Ni-Cr system that possess impressive room temperature and elevated temperature (≥ 200 °C) mechanical properties. The ternary eutectic and near eutectic alloys display a complex microstructure containing intermetallic phases displaying hierarchically arranged plate and rod morphologies that exhibit extraordinary mechanical properties. The yield strengths achieved at room temperatures are in excess of 350 MPa with compressive plastic strains of more than 30 pct (without fracturing) for these alloys. The stability of the complex microstructure also leads to a yield stress of 191 ± 8 to 232 ± 5 MPa at 250 °C. It is argued that the alloys derive their high strength and impressive plasticity through synergic effects of refined nanoeutectics of two different morphologies forming a core shell type of architecture.

Gibberellin Perception by the Gibberellin Receptor and its Effector Recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakoshima, Toshio; Murase, Kohji; Hirano, Yoshinori; Sun, Tai-Ping

Gibberellins control a diverse range of growth and developmental processes in higher plants and have been widely utilized in the agricultural industry. By binding to a nuclear receptor GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF1 (GID1), gibberellins regulate gene expression by promoting degradation of the transcriptional regulator DELLA proteins. The precise manner in which GID1 discriminates and becomes activated by bioactive gibberellins for specific binding to DELLA proteins remains unclear. We present the crystal structure of a ternary complex of Arabidopsis thaliana GID1A, a bioactive gibberellin and the N-terminal DELLA domain of GAI. In this complex, GID1a occludes gibberellin in a deep binding pocket covered by its N-terminal helical switch region, which in turn interacts with the DELLA domain containing DELLA, VHYNP and LExLE motifs. Our results establish a structural model of a plant hormone receptor which is distinct from the hormone-perception mechanism and effector recognition of the known auxin receptors.

A silencing-mediated enhancement of osteogenic differentiation by supramolecular ternary siRNA polyplexes comprising biocleavable cationic polyrotaxanes and anionic fusogenic peptides.

PubMed

Inada, Takasuke; Tamura, Atsushi; Terauchi, Masahiko; Yamaguchi, Satoshi; Yui, Nobuhiko

2018-01-30

Gene silencing of noggin by small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising approach for the treatment of bone defects, because noggin deactivates bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and suppresses osteogenic differentiation. Here, we demonstrated the silencing of the noggin gene by siRNA polyplexes composed of noggin-targeted siRNA and biocleavable cationic polyrotaxanes (DMAE-SS-PRX). To improve the endosomal escape efficiencies of the DMAE-SS-PRX/siRNA polyplexes, anionic and fusogenic GALA peptides were integrated onto the DMAE-SS-PRX/siRNA polyplexes via simple electrostatic interactions. The formation of ternary complexes was confirmed by gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, and zeta-potential measurements. Although the association of GALA peptides with the DMAE-SS-PRX/siRNA polyplexes did not remarkably affect the cellular uptake efficiency of siRNA, the endosomal escape efficiency was remarkably increased for GALA/DMAE-SS-PRX/siRNA ternary polyplexes because of the endosomal and lysosomal membrane destabilization by GALA peptides. Consequently, GALA/DMAE-SS-PRX/siRNA ternary polyplexes showed significantly higher gene silencing efficiency against noggin and enhanced the BMP-2-mediated osteogenic differentiation efficiency. Therefore, we concluded that GALA/DMAE-SS-PRX/siRNA ternary polyplexes can be effective siRNA carriers for suppressing the expression of specific endogenous genes. Consequently, we believe that a more practical approach in vivo will be the combined use of BMP-2 and GALA/DMAE-SS-PRX/siRNA ternary polyplexes, because it will improve the efficacy of bone regeneration therapy.

Toward resolving the catalytic mechanism of dihydrofolate reductase using neutron and ultrahigh-resolution X-ray crystallography [Neutron and ultrahigh resolution X-ray crystallography reveals water as the proton donor in the catalytic mechanism of dihydrofolate reductase

DOE PAGES

Wan, Qun; Bennett, Brad C.; Wilson, Mark A.; ...

2014-12-01

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of dihydrofolate (DHF) to tetrahydrofolate (THF). An important step in the mechanism involves proton donation to the N5 atom of DHF. The inability to determine the protonation states of active site residues and substrate has led to the lack of consensus on a catalytic mechanism. To resolve this ambiguity, we conducted neutron and ultrahigh resolution X-ray crystallographic studies of the pseudo-Michaelis ternary complex of DHFR with folate and NADP + from E. coli. The neutron data were collected to 2.0 Å resolution using a 3.6 mm 3 crystal with the quasi-Laue technique, andmore » the structure reveals that the N3 atom of folate is protonated while Asp27 is negatively charged. Previous mechanisms have proposed a keto-to-enol tautomerization of the substrate to facilitate protonation of the N5 atom. The structure supports the existence of the keto tautomer due to protonation of the N3 atom, suggesting tautomerization is unnecessary for catalysis. In the 1.05 Å resolution X-ray structure of the ternary complex, conformational disorder of the Met20 side chain is coupled to electron density for a partially occupied water within hydrogen-bonding distance of the N5 atom of folate; this suggests direct protonation of substrate by solvent. We propose a catalytic mechanism for DHFR that involves stabilization of the keto tautomer of the substrate, elevation of the pK a of the N5 atom of DHF by Asp27, and protonation of N5 by water whose access to the active site is gated by fluctuation of the Met20 side chain even though the Met-20 loop is closed.« less

Confine Clay in an Alternating Multilayered Structure through Injection Molding: A Simple and Efficient Route to Improve Barrier Performance of Polymeric Materials.

PubMed

Yu, Feilong; Deng, Hua; Bai, Hongwei; Zhang, Qin; Wang, Ke; Chen, Feng; Fu, Qiang

2015-05-20

Various methods have been devoted to trigger the formation of multilayered structure for wide range of applications. These methods are often complicated with low production efficiency or require complex equipment. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and efficient method for the fabrication of polymeric sheets containing multilayered structure with enhanced barrier property through high speed thin-wall injection molding (HSIM). To achieve this, montmorillonite (MMT) is added into PE first, then blended with PP to fabricate PE-MMT/PP ternary composites. It is demonstrated that alternating multilayer structure could be obtained in the ternary composites because of low interfacial tension and good viscosity match between different polymer components. MMT is selectively dispersed in PE phase with partial exfoliated/partial intercalated microstructure. 2D-WAXD analysis indicates that the clay tactoids in PE-MMT/PP exhibits an uniplanar-axial orientation with their surface parallel to the molded part surface, while the tactoids in binary PE-MMT composites with the same overall MMT contents illustrate less orientation. The enhanced orientation of nanoclay in PE-MMT/PP could be attributed to the confinement of alternating multilayer structure, which prohibits the tumbling and rotation of nanoplatelets. Therefore, the oxygen barrier property of PE-MMT/PP is superior to that of PE-MMT because of increased gas permeation pathway. Comparing with the results obtained for PE based composites in literature, outstanding barrier property performance (45.7% and 58.2% improvement with 1.5 and 2.5 wt % MMT content, respectively) is achieved in current study. Two issues are considered responsible for such improvement: enhanced MMT orientation caused by the confinement in layered structure, and higher local density of MMT in layered structure induced denser assembly. Finally, enhancement in barrier property by confining impermeable filler into alternating multilayer structure through such simple and efficient method could provide a novel route toward high-performance packaging materials and other functional materials require layered structure.

Efficient double-quenching of electrochemiluminescence from CdS:Eu QDs by hemin-graphene-Au nanorods ternary composite for ultrasensitive immunoassay

PubMed Central

Liu, Jing; Cui, Meirong; Zhou, Hong; Zhang, Shusheng

2016-01-01

A novel ternary composite of hemin-graphene-Au nanorods (H-RGO-Au NRs) with high electrocatalytic activity was synthesized by a simple method. And this ternary composite was firstly used in construction of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor due to its double-quenching effect of quantum dots (QDs). Based on the high electrocatalytic activity of ternary complexes for the reduction of H2O2 which acted as the coreactant of QDs-based ECL, as a result, the ECL intensity of QDs decreased. Besides, due to the ECL resonance energy transfer (ECL-RET) strategy between the large amount of Au nanorods (Au NRs) on the ternary composite surface and the CdS:Eu QDs, the ECL intensity of QDs was further quenched. Based on the double-quenching effect, a novel ultrasensitive ECL immunoassay method for detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) which is used as a model biomarker analyte was proposed. The designed immunoassay method showed a linear range from 0.01 pg mL−1 to 1.0 ng mL−1 with a detection limit of 0.01 pg mL−1. The method showing low detection limit, good stability and acceptable fabrication reproducibility, provided a new approach for ECL immunoassay sensing and significant prospect for practical application. PMID:27460868

Bisquaternary dimers of strychnine and brucine. A new class of potent enhancers of antagonist binding to muscarinic M2 receptors.

PubMed

Zlotos, D P; Buller, S; Holzgrabe, U; Mohr, K

2003-06-12

Bisquaternary dimers of strychnine and brucine were synthesized and their allosteric effect on muscarinic acetylcholine M(2) receptors was examined. The compounds retarded the dissociation of the antagonist [(3)H]N-methylscopolamine ([(3)H]NMS) from porcine cardiac cholinoceptors. This action indicated ternary complex formation. All compounds exhibited higher affinity to the allosteric site of [(3)H]NMS-occupied M(2) receptors than the monomeric strychnine and brucine, while the positive cooperativity with NMS was fully maintained. SAR studies revealed the unchanged strychnine ring as an important structural feature for high allosteric potency.

High Curie temperature of Ce-Fe-Si compounds with ThMn12 structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, C; Pinkerton, FE; Herbst, JF

2015-01-15

We report the discovery of ternary CeFe(12-x)Si(x)compounds possessing the ThMn12 structure. The samples were prepared by melt spinning followed by annealing. In contrast to other known Ce Fe-based binary and ternary compounds, CeFe12-xSix compounds exhibit exceptionally high Curie temperatures whose values increase with added Si substitution. The highest T. = 583 K in CeFe10Si2 rivals that of the well-established Nd2Fe14B compound. We ascribe the T-c behavior to a combination of Si-induced 3d band structure changes and partial Ce3+ stabilization. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Structural and Enzymatic Analysis of MshA from Corynebacterium glutamicum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vetting,M.; Frantom, P.; Blanchard, J.

2008-01-01

The glycosyltransferase termed MshA catalyzes the transfer of N-acetylglucosamine from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate in the first committed step of mycothiol biosynthesis. The structure of MshA from Corynebacterium glutamicum was determined both in the absence of substrates and in a complex with UDP and 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. MshA belongs to the GT-B structural family whose members have a two-domain structure with both domains exhibiting a Rossman-type fold. Binding of the donor sugar to the C-terminal domain produces a 97 rotational reorientation of the N-terminal domain relative to the C-terminal domain, clamping down on UDP and generating the binding site for 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. The structuremore » highlights the residues important in binding of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. Molecular models of the ternary complex suggest a mechanism in which the {beta}-phosphate of the substrate, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, promotes the nucleophilic attack of the 3-hydroxyl group of 1-l-myo-inositol-1-phosphate while at the same time promoting the cleavage of the sugar nucleotide bond.« less

Nb-Based Nb-Al-Fe Alloys: Solidification Behavior and High-Temperature Phase Equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, Frank; Philips, Noah

2018-03-01

High-melting Nb-based alloys hold significant promise for the development of novel high-temperature materials for structural applications. In order to understand the effect of alloying elements Al and Fe, the Nb-rich part of the ternary Nb-Al-Fe system was investigated. A series of Nb-rich ternary alloys were synthesized from high-purity Nb, Al, and Fe metals by arc melting. Solidification paths were identified and the liquidus surface of the Nb corner of the ternary system was established by analysis of the as-melted microstructures and thermal analysis. Complementary analysis of heat-treated samples yielded isothermal sections at 1723 K and 1873 K (1450 °C and 1600 °C).

Multimeric complexes among ankyrin-repeat and SOCS-box protein 9 (ASB9), ElonginBC, and Cullin 5: insights into the structure and assembly of ECS-type Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases.

PubMed

Thomas, Jemima C; Matak-Vinkovic, Dijana; Van Molle, Inge; Ciulli, Alessio

2013-08-06

Proteins of the ankyrin-repeat and SOCS-box (ASB) family act as the substrate-recognition subunits of ECS-type (ElonginBC-Cullin-SOCS-box) Cullin RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL) complexes that catalyze the specific polyubiquitination of cellular proteins to target them for degradation by the proteasome. Therefore, ASB multimeric complexes are involved in numerous cell processes and pathways; however, their interactions, assembly, and biological roles remain poorly understood. To enhance our understanding of ASB CRL systems, we investigated the structure, affinity, and assembly of the quaternary multisubunit complex formed by ASB9, Elongin B, Elongin C (EloBC), and Cullin 5. Here, we describe the application of several biophysical techniques including differential scanning fluorimetry, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), nanoelectrospray ionization, and ion-mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) to provide structural and thermodynamic information for a quaternary ASB CRL complex. We find that ASB9 is unstable alone but forms a stable ternary complex with EloBC that binds with high affinity to the Cullin 5 N-terminal domain (Cul5NTD) but not to Cul2NTD. The structure of the monomeric ASB9-EloBC-Cul5NTD quaternary complex is revealed by molecular modeling and is consistent with IM-MS and temperature-dependent ITC data. This is the first experimental study to validate structural information for the assembly of the quaternary N-terminal region of an ASB CRL complex. The results suggest that ASB E3 ligase complexes function and assemble in an analogous manner to that of other CRL systems and provide a platform for further molecular investigation of this important protein family. The data reported here will also be of use for the future development of chemical probes to examine the biological function and modulation of other ECS-type CRL systems.

Multimeric Complexes among Ankyrin-Repeat and SOCS-box Protein 9 (ASB9), ElonginBC, and Cullin 5: Insights into the Structure and Assembly of ECS-type Cullin-RING E3 Ubiquitin Ligases

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Proteins of the ankyrin-repeat and SOCS-box (ASB) family act as the substrate-recognition subunits of ECS-type (ElonginBC–Cullin–SOCS-box) Cullin RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL) complexes that catalyze the specific polyubiquitination of cellular proteins to target them for degradation by the proteasome. Therefore, ASB multimeric complexes are involved in numerous cell processes and pathways; however, their interactions, assembly, and biological roles remain poorly understood. To enhance our understanding of ASB CRL systems, we investigated the structure, affinity, and assembly of the quaternary multisubunit complex formed by ASB9, Elongin B, Elongin C (EloBC), and Cullin 5. Here, we describe the application of several biophysical techniques including differential scanning fluorimetry, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), nanoelectrospray ionization, and ion-mobility mass spectrometry (IM–MS) to provide structural and thermodynamic information for a quaternary ASB CRL complex. We find that ASB9 is unstable alone but forms a stable ternary complex with EloBC that binds with high affinity to the Cullin 5 N-terminal domain (Cul5NTD) but not to Cul2NTD. The structure of the monomeric ASB9–EloBC–Cul5NTD quaternary complex is revealed by molecular modeling and is consistent with IM–MS and temperature-dependent ITC data. This is the first experimental study to validate structural information for the assembly of the quaternary N-terminal region of an ASB CRL complex. The results suggest that ASB E3 ligase complexes function and assemble in an analogous manner to that of other CRL systems and provide a platform for further molecular investigation of this important protein family. The data reported here will also be of use for the future development of chemical probes to examine the biological function and modulation of other ECS-type CRL systems. PMID:23837592

Ternary Bismuthide SrPtBi 2: Computation and Experiment in Synergism to Explore Solid-State Materials

DOE PAGES

Gui, Xin; Zhao, Xin; Sobczak, Zuzanna; ...

2018-02-14

A combination of theoretical calculation and the experimental synthesis to explore the new ternary compound is demonstrated in the Sr–Pt–Bi system. Because Pt–Bi is considered as a new critical charge-transfer pair for superconductivity, it inspired us to investigate the Sr–Pt–Bi system. With a thorough calculation of all the known stable/metastable compounds in the Sr–Pt–Bi system and crystal structure predictions, the thermodynamic stability of hypothetical stoichiometry, SrPtBi2, is determined. Following the high-temperature synthesis and crystallographic analysis, the first ternary bismuthide in Sr–Pt–Bi, SrPtBi2 was prepared, and the stoichiometry was confirmed experimentally. SrPtBi 2 crystallizes in the space group Pnma (S.G. 62,more » Pearson Symbol oP48), which matches well with theoretical prediction using an adaptive genetic algorithm. Using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that the orthorhombic structure has lower formation energies than other 112 structure types, such as tetragonal BaMnBi 2 (CuSmP 2) and LaAuBi 2 (CuHfSi 2) structure types. The bonding analysis indicates that the Pt–Bi interactions play a critical role in structural stability. The physical property measurements show the metallic properties at the low temperature, which agrees with the electronic structure assessment.« less

Implementing the LIM code: the structural basis for cell type-specific assembly of LIM-homeodomain complexes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhati, Mugdha; Lee, Christopher; Nancarrow, Amy L.

2008-09-03

LIM-homeodomain (LIM-HD) transcription factors form a combinatorial 'LIM code' that contributes to the specification of cell types. In the ventral spinal cord, the binary LIM homeobox protein 3 (Lhx3)/LIM domain-binding protein 1 (Ldb1) complex specifies the formation of V2 interneurons. The additional expression of islet-1 (Isl1) in adjacent cells instead specifies the formation of motor neurons through assembly of a ternary complex in which Isl1 contacts both Lhx3 and Ldb1, displacing Lhx3 as the binding partner of Ldb1. However, little is known about how this molecular switch occurs. Here, we have identified the 30-residue Lhx3-binding domain on Isl1 (Isl1{sub LBD}).more » Although the LIM interaction domain of Ldb1 (Ldb1{sub LID}) and Isl1{sub LBD} share low levels of sequence homology, X-ray and NMR structures reveal that they bind Lhx3 in an identical manner, that is, Isl1{sub LBD} mimics Ldb1{sub LID}. These data provide a structural basis for the formation of cell type-specific protein-protein interactions in which unstructured linear motifs with diverse sequences compete to bind protein partners. The resulting alternate protein complexes can target different genes to regulate key biological events.« less

Adsorption of uranium(VI) to manganese oxides: X-ray absorption spectroscopy and surface complexation modeling.

PubMed

Wang, Zimeng; Lee, Sung-Woo; Catalano, Jeffrey G; Lezama-Pacheco, Juan S; Bargar, John R; Tebo, Bradley M; Giammar, Daniel E

2013-01-15

The mobility of hexavalent uranium in soil and groundwater is strongly governed by adsorption to mineral surfaces. As strong naturally occurring adsorbents, manganese oxides may significantly influence the fate and transport of uranium. Models for U(VI) adsorption over a broad range of chemical conditions can improve predictive capabilities for uranium transport in the subsurface. This study integrated batch experiments of U(VI) adsorption to synthetic and biogenic MnO(2), surface complexation modeling, ζ-potential analysis, and molecular-scale characterization of adsorbed U(VI) with extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The surface complexation model included inner-sphere monodentate and bidentate surface complexes and a ternary uranyl-carbonato surface complex, which was consistent with the EXAFS analysis. The model could successfully simulate adsorption results over a broad range of pH and dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations. U(VI) adsorption to synthetic δ-MnO(2) appears to be stronger than to biogenic MnO(2), and the differences in adsorption affinity and capacity are not associated with any substantial difference in U(VI) coordination.

Loss of partitioning-defective-3/isotype-specific interacting protein (par-3/ASIP) in the elongating spermatid of RA175 (IGSF4A/SynCAM)-deficient mice.

PubMed

Fujita, Eriko; Tanabe, Yuko; Hirose, Tomonori; Aurrand-Lions, Michel; Kasahara, Tadashi; Imhof, Beat A; Ohno, Shigeo; Momoi, Takashi

2007-12-01

IGSF4a/RA175/SynCAM (RA175) and junctional adhesion molecules (Jams) are members of the immunoglobulin superfamily with a PDZ-binding domain at their C termini. Deficiency of Ra175 (Ra175(-/-)) as well as Jam-C deficiency (Jam-C(-/-)) causes the defect of the spermatid differentiation, oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia. Ra175(-/-) elongating spermatids fail to mature further, whereas Jam-C(-/-) round spermatids lose cell polarity, and most of Jam-C(-/-) elongated spermatids are completely lost. RA175 and Jam-C seem to have similar but distinct functional roles during spermatid differentiation. Here we show that the cell polarity protein Par-3 with PDZ domains, a binding partner of Jams, is one of the associated proteins of the cytoplasmic region of RA175 in testis. Par-3 and Jam-C are partly co-localized with RA175 in the elongating and elongated spermatids; their distributions overlapped with that of RA175 on the tips of the dorsal region of the head of the elongating spermatid (steps 9 to 12) in the wild type. In the Ra175(-/-) elongating spermatid, Par-3 was absent, and Jam-C was absent or abnormally localized. The RA175 formed a ternary complex with Jam-C via interaction with Par-3. The lack of the ternary complex in the Ra175(-/-) elongating spermatid may cause the defect of the specialized adhesion structures, resulting in the oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia.

Influence of support electrolytic in the electrodeposition of CuGaSe thin films

DOE PAGES

Fernandez, A. M.; Turner, J. A.; Lara-Lara, B.; ...

2016-11-02

CuGaSe 2 is an important thin film electronic material that possesses several attributes that make it appealing for solar energy conversion. Because of its properties it can be incorporated in to various devices, among the greatest highlights are photovoltaic cells, as well as its potential use as photocathodes for hydrogen production, via the photoelectrolysis. There are several methods of its preparation, most notably electrodeposition that has the potential for large areas and high volumes. Electrodeposition of ternary and/or quaternary semiconductors generally proceeds via the formation of a binary, which is subsequently reacted to form the ternary compound. Several conditions mustmore » be controlled to form binary compounds that include the use of complexing agents, buffers, temperature, etc. Here, we discuss the effect of anion composition in the electrolytic bath and the type of lithium salts, in order to manipulate the atomic concentration of CuGaSe 2 during the electrodeposition of thin films, yielding copper-rich, gallium-rich or stoichiometric thin films. Finally, we present the results of a study on the morphology and structure obtained using two types of substrates both before and after performing a heat treatment.« less

Influence of support electrolytic in the electrodeposition of Cusbnd Gasbnd Se thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, A. M.; Turner, J. A.; Lara-Lara, B.; Deutsch, T. G.

2017-01-01

CuGaSe2 is an important thin film electronic material that possesses several attributes that make it appealing for solar energy conversion. Due to its properties it can be incorporated in to various devices, among the greatest highlights are photovoltaic cells, as well as its potential use as photocathodes for hydrogen production, via the photoelectrolysis. There are several methods of its preparation, most notably electrodeposition that has the potential for large areas and high volumes. Electrodeposition of ternary and/or quaternary semiconductors generally proceeds via the formation of a binary, which is subsequently reacted to form the ternary compound. Several conditions must be controlled to form binary compounds that include the use of complexing agents, buffers, temperature, etc. In this paper, we discuss the effect of anion composition in the electrolytic bath and the type of lithium salts, in order to manipulate the atomic concentration of CuGaSe2 during the electrodeposition of thin films, yielding copper-rich, gallium-rich or stoichiometric thin films. We also present the results of a study on the morphology and structure obtained using two types of substrates both before and after performing a heat treatment.

Influence of support electrolytic in the electrodeposition of CuGaSe thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fernandez, A. M.; Turner, J. A.; Lara-Lara, B.

CuGaSe 2 is an important thin film electronic material that possesses several attributes that make it appealing for solar energy conversion. Because of its properties it can be incorporated in to various devices, among the greatest highlights are photovoltaic cells, as well as its potential use as photocathodes for hydrogen production, via the photoelectrolysis. There are several methods of its preparation, most notably electrodeposition that has the potential for large areas and high volumes. Electrodeposition of ternary and/or quaternary semiconductors generally proceeds via the formation of a binary, which is subsequently reacted to form the ternary compound. Several conditions mustmore » be controlled to form binary compounds that include the use of complexing agents, buffers, temperature, etc. Here, we discuss the effect of anion composition in the electrolytic bath and the type of lithium salts, in order to manipulate the atomic concentration of CuGaSe 2 during the electrodeposition of thin films, yielding copper-rich, gallium-rich or stoichiometric thin films. Finally, we present the results of a study on the morphology and structure obtained using two types of substrates both before and after performing a heat treatment.« less

Thermal stability of mullite RMn₂O₅ (R  =  Bi, Y, Pr, Sm or Gd): combined density functional theory and experimental study.

PubMed

Li, Chenzhe; Thampy, Sampreetha; Zheng, Yongping; Kweun, Joshua M; Ren, Yixin; Chan, Julia Y; Kim, Hanchul; Cho, Maenghyo; Kim, Yoon Young; Hsu, Julia W P; Cho, Kyeongjae

2016-03-31

Understanding and effectively predicting the thermal stability of ternary transition metal oxides with heavy elements using first principle simulations are vital for understanding performance of advanced materials. In this work, we have investigated the thermal stability of mullite RMn2O5 (R  =  Bi, Pr, Sm, or Gd) structures by constructing temperature phase diagrams using an efficient mixed generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and the GGA  +  U method. Simulation predicted stability regions without corrections on heavy elements show a 4-200 K underestimation compared to our experimental results. We have found the number of d/f electrons in the heavy elements shows a linear relationship with the prediction deviation. Further correction on the strongly correlated electrons in heavy elements could significantly reduce the prediction deviations. Our corrected simulation results demonstrate that further correction of R-site elements in RMn2O5 could effectively reduce the underestimation of the density functional theory-predicted decomposition temperature to within 30 K. Therefore, it could produce an accurate thermal stability prediction for complex ternary transition metal oxide compounds with heavy elements.

Structure of human O-GlcNAc transferase and its complex with a peptide substrate

PubMed Central

Lazarus, Michael B.; Nam, Yunsun; Jiang, Jiaoyang; Sliz, Piotr; Walker, Suzanne

2010-01-01

O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is an essential mammalian enzyme that couples metabolic status to the regulation of a wide variety of cellular signaling pathways by acting as a nutrient sensor1. OGT catalyzes the transfer of N-acetyl-glucosamine from UDP-GlcNAc to serines and threonines of cytoplasmic, nuclear and mitochondrial proteins2,3, including numerous transcription factors4, tumor suppressors, kinases5, phosphatases1, and histone-modifying proteins6. Aberrant O-GlcNAcylation by OGT has been linked to insulin resistance7, diabetic complications8, cancer9 and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s10. Despite the importance of OGT, the details of how it recognizes and glycosylates its protein substrates are largely unknown. We report here two crystal structures of human OGT, as a binary complex with UDP (2.8 A) and a ternary complex with UDP and a peptide substrate (1.95 A). The structures provide clues to the enzyme mechanism, show how OGT recognizes target peptide sequences, and reveal the fold of the unique domain between the two halves of the catalytic region. This information will accelerate the rational design of biological experiments to investigate OGT’s functions and the design of inhibitors for use as cellular probes and to assess its potential as a therapeutic target. PMID:21240259

Studies of lysine cyclodeaminase from Streptomyces pristinaespiralis: Insights into the complex transition NAD+ state.

PubMed

Ying, Hanxiao; Wang, Jing; Shi, Ting; Zhao, Yilei; Wang, Xin; Ouyang, Pingkai; Chen, Kequan

2018-01-01

Lysine cyclodeaminase (LCD) catalyzes the piperidine ring formation in macrolide-pipecolate natural products metabolic pathways from a lysine substrate through a combination of cyclization and deamination. This enzyme belongs to a unique enzyme class, which uses NAD + as the catalytic prosthetic group instead of as the co-substrate. To understand the molecular details of NAD + functions in lysine cyclodeaminase, we have determined four ternary crystal structure complexes of LCD-NAD + with pipecolic acid (LCD-PA), lysine (LCD-LYS), and an intermediate (LCD-INT) as ligands at 2.26-, 2.00-, 2.17- and 1.80 Å resolutions, respectively. By combining computational studies, a NAD + -mediated "gate keeper" function involving NAD + /NADH and Arg49 that control the binding and entry of the ligand lysine was revealed, confirming the critical roles of NAD + in the substrate access process. Further, in the gate opening form, a substrate delivery tunnel between ε-carboxyl moiety of Glu264 and the α-carboxyl moiety of Asp236 was observed through a comparison of four structure complexes. The LCD structure details including NAD + -mediated "gate keeper" and substrate tunnel may assist in the exploration the NAD + function in this unique enzyme class, and in regulation of macrolide-pipecolate natural product synthesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of interatomic potential of Ge(1- x - y )Si x Sn y ternary alloy semiconductors for classical lattice dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomita, Motohiro; Ogasawara, Masataka; Terada, Takuya; Watanabe, Takanobu

2018-04-01

We provide the parameters of Stillinger-Weber potentials for GeSiSn ternary mixed systems. These parameters can be used in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to reproduce phonon properties and thermal conductivities. The phonon dispersion relation is derived from the dynamical structure factor, which is calculated by the space-time Fourier transform of atomic trajectories in an MD simulation. The phonon properties and thermal conductivities of GeSiSn ternary crystals calculated using these parameters mostly reproduced both the findings of previous experiments and earlier calculations made using MD simulations. The atomic composition dependence of these properties in GeSiSn ternary crystals obtained by previous studies (both experimental and theoretical) and the calculated data were almost exactly reproduced by our proposed parameters. Moreover, the results of the MD simulation agree with the previous calculations made using a time-independent phonon Boltzmann transport equation with complicated scattering mechanisms. These scattering mechanisms are very important in complicated nanostructures, as they allow the heat-transfer properties to be more accurately calculated by MD simulations. This work enables us to predict the phonon- and heat-related properties of bulk group IV alloys, especially ternary alloys.

Ternary gradient metal-organic frameworks.

PubMed

Liu, Chong; Rosi, Nathaniel L

2017-09-08

Gradient MOFs contain directional gradients of either structure or functionality. We have successfully prepared two ternary gradient MOFs based on bMOF-100 analogues, namely bMOF-100/102/106 and bMOF-110/100/102, via cascade ligand exchange reactions. The cubic unit cell parameter discrepancy within an individual ternary gradient MOF crystal is as large as ∼1 nm, demonstrating the impressive compatibility and flexibility of the component MOF materials. Because of the presence of a continuum of unit cells, the pore diameters within individual crystals also change in a gradient fashion from ∼2.5 nm to ∼3.0 nm for bMOF-100/102/106, and from ∼2.2 nm to ∼2.7 nm for bMOF-110/100/102, indicating significant porosity gradients. Like previously reported binary gradient MOFs, the composition of the ternary gradient MOFs can be easily controlled by adjusting the reaction conditions. Finally, X-ray diffraction and microspectrophotometry were used to analyse fractured gradient MOF crystals by comparing unit cell parameters and absorbance spectra at different locations, thus revealing the profile of heterogeneity (i.e. gradient distribution of properties) and further confirming the formation of ternary gradient MOFs.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xia, Shuangluo; Konigsberg, William H.; Wang, Jimin

Results obtained using 2,4-difluorotoluene nucleobase (dF) as a nonpolar thymine isostere by Kool and colleagues challenged the Watson-Crick dogma that hydrogen bonds between complementary bases are an absolute requirement for accurate DNA replication. Here, we report crystal structure of an RB69 DNA polymerase L561A/S565G/Y567A triple mutant ternary complex with a templating dF opposite dTTP at 1.8 {angstrom}-resolution. In this structure, direct hydrogen bonds were observed between: (i) dF and the incoming dTTP, (ii) dF and residue G568 of the polymerase, and (iii) dF and ordered water molecules surrounding the nascent base pair. Therefore, this structure provides evidence that a templatingmore » dF can form novel hydrogen bonds with the incoming dTTP and with the enzyme that differ from those formed with a templating dT.« less

Computational Insights into the Interactions between Calmodulin and the c/nSH2 Domains of p85α Regulatory Subunit of PI3Kα: Implication for PI3Kα Activation by Calmodulin.

PubMed

Ni, Duan; Liu, Dingyu; Zhang, Jian; Lu, Shaoyong

2018-01-04

Calmodulin (CaM) and phosphatidylinositide-3 kinase (PI3Kα) are well known for their multiple roles in a series of intracellular signaling pathways and in the progression of several human cancers. Crosstalk between CaM and PI3Kα has been an area of intensive research. Recent experiments have shown that in adenocarcinoma, K-Ras4B is involved in the CaM-PI3Kα crosstalk. Based on experimental results, we have recently put forward a hypothesis that the coordination of CaM and PI3Kα with K-Ras4B forms a CaM-PI3Kα-K-Ras4B ternary complex, which leads to the formation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, the mechanism for the CaM-PI3Kα crosstalk is unresolved. Based on molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, here we explored the potential interactions between CaM and the c/nSH2 domains of p85α subunit of PI3Kα. We demonstrated that CaM can interact with the c/nSH2 domains and the interaction details were unraveled. Moreover, the possible modes for the CaM-cSH2 and CaM-nSH2 interactions were uncovered and we used them to construct a complete CaM-PI3Kα complex model. The structural model of CaM-PI3Kα interaction not only offers a support for our previous ternary complex hypothesis, but also is useful for drug design targeted at CaM-PI3Kα protein-protein interactions.

Cd(II) Sorption on Montmorillonite-Humic acid-Bacteria Composites

PubMed Central

Du, Huihui; Chen, Wenli; Cai, Peng; Rong, Xingmin; Dai, Ke; Peacock, Caroline L.; Huang, Qiaoyun

2016-01-01

Soil components (e.g., clays, bacteria and humic substances) are known to produce mineral-organic composites in natural systems. Herein, batch sorption isotherms, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and Cd K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy were applied to investigate the binding characteristics of Cd on montmorillonite(Mont)-humic acid(HA)-bacteria composites. Additive sorption and non-additive Cd(II) sorption behaviour is observed for the binary Mont-bacteria and ternary Mont-HA-bacteria composite, respectively. Specifically, in the ternary composite, the coexistence of HA and bacteria inhibits Cd adsorption, suggesting a “blocking effect” between humic acid and bacterial cells. Large positive entropies (68.1 ~ 114.4 J/mol/K), and linear combination fitting of the EXAFS spectra for Cd adsorbed onto Mont-bacteria and Mont-HA-bacteria composites, demonstrate that Cd is mostly bound to bacterial surface functional groups by forming inner-sphere complexes. All our results together support the assertion that there is a degree of site masking in the ternary clay mineral-humic acid-bacteria composite. Because of this, in the ternary composite, Cd preferentially binds to the higher affinity components-i.e., the bacteria. PMID:26792640

Thermoelectric materials ternary penta telluride and selenide compounds

DOEpatents

Sharp, Jeffrey W.

2001-01-01

Ternary tellurium compounds and ternary selenium compounds may be used in fabricating thermoelectric devices with a thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 1.5 or greater. Examples of such compounds include Tl.sub.2 SnTe.sub.5, Tl.sub.2 GeTe.sub.5, K.sub.2 SnTe.sub.5 and Rb.sub.2 SnTe.sub.5. These compounds have similar types of crystal lattice structures which include a first substructure with a (Sn, Ge) Te.sub.5 composition and a second substructure with chains of selected cation atoms. The second substructure includes selected cation atoms which interact with selected anion atoms to maintain a desired separation between the chains of the first substructure. The cation atoms which maintain the desired separation between the chains occupy relatively large electropositive sites in the resulting crystal lattice structure which results in a relatively low value for the lattice component of thermal conductivity (.kappa..sub.g). The first substructure of anion chains indicates significant anisotropy in the thermoelectric characteristics of the resulting semiconductor materials.

Thermoelectric materials: ternary penta telluride and selenide compounds

DOEpatents

Sharp, Jeffrey W.

2002-06-04

Ternary tellurium compounds and ternary selenium compounds may be used in fabricating thermoelectric devices with a thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 1.5 or greater. Examples of such compounds include Tl.sub.2 SnTe.sub.5, Tl.sub.2 GeTe.sub.5, K.sub.2 SnTe.sub.5 and Rb.sub.2 SnTe.sub.5. These compounds have similar types of crystal lattice structures which include a first substructure with a (Sn, Ge) Te.sub.5 composition and a second substructure with chains of selected cation atoms. The second substructure includes selected cation atoms which interact with selected anion atoms to maintain a desired separation between the chains of the first substructure. The cation atoms which maintain the desired separation between the chains occupy relatively large electropositive sites in the resulting crystal lattice structure which results in a relatively low value for the lattice component of thermal conductivity (.kappa..sub.g). The first substructure of anion chains indicates significant anisotropy in the thermoelectric characteristics of the resulting semiconductor materials.

Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Fe-Co-Ni/C Nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muratov, D. G.; Kozhitov, L. V.; Karpenkov, D. Yu.; Yakushko, E. V.; Korovin, E. Yu.; Vasil'ev, A. V.; Popkova, A. V.; Kazaryan, T. M.; Shadrinov, A. V.

2018-03-01

Nanoparticles of the Fe-Co-Ni ternary alloy, encapsulated in the carbon matrix of nanocomposites, have been synthesized, The structure, phase composition, and magnetic properties of the obtained materials have been determined with the help of diffractometry and magnetometry. It has been established that nanoparticles of the ternary alloy are formed due to solution of cobalt in the Fe-Ni alloy. The composition of the nanoparticles of the alloy depends on the mass percent ratio of the metas in the precursor. With growth of the iron content, nanoparticles of the ternary alloy with various composition are formed with FCC and BCC crystal lattice structure. As the synthesis temperature and relative iron content are increased, the magnetization of the Fe-Co-Ni/C nanocomposites increases from 26 to 157 A·m2/kg. The coercive force is determined by the synthesis temperature, the size of the nanoparticles, and the composition of the alloy, and its value varies from 330 to 43 Oe.

Two Types of 2D Layered Iodoargentates Based on Trimeric [Ag3I7] Secondary Building Units and Hexameric [Ag6I12] Ternary Building Units: Syntheses, Crystal Structures, and Efficient Visible Light Responding Photocatalytic Properties.

PubMed

Lei, Xiao-Wu; Yue, Cheng-Yang; Zhao, Jian-Qiang; Han, Yong-Fang; Yang, Jiang-Tao; Meng, Rong-Rong; Gao, Chuan-Sheng; Ding, Hao; Wang, Chun-Yan; Chen, Wan-Dong; Hong, Mao-Chun

2015-11-16

With mixed transition-metal-complex, alkali-metal, or organic cations as structure-directing agents, a series of novel two-dimensional (2D) layered inorganic-organic hybrid iodoargentates, namely, Kx[TM(2,2-bipy)3]2Ag6I11 (TM = Mn (1), Fe (2), Co (3), Ni (4), Zn (5); x = 0.89-1) and [(Ni(2,2-bipy)3][H-2,2-bipy]Ag3I6 (6), have been solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. All the title compounds feature 2D microporous layers composed by [Ag3I7] secondary building units based on AgI4 tetrahedra. Differently, the [Ag3I7] trimers are directly interconnected via corner-sharing to form the 2D [Ag6I11](5-) layer in compounds 1-5, whereas two neighboring [Ag3I7] trimers are initially condensed into a hexameric [Ag6I12] ternary building unit as a new node, which further self-assembles, leading to the 2D [Ag6I10](4-) layer in compound 6. The UV-vis diffuse-reflectance measurements reveal that all the compounds possess proper semiconductor behaviors with tunable band gaps of 1.66-2.75 eV, which lead to highly efficient photocatalytic degradation activities over organic pollutants under visible light irradiation compared to that of N-dotted P25. Interestingly, all the samples feature distinct photodegradative speeds at the same reaction conditions, and compound 1 features the highest photocatalytic activity among the title phases. The luminescence properties, band structures, and thermal stabilities were also studied.

Construction of 6-thioguanine and 6-mercaptopurine carriers based on βcyclodextrins and gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Sierpe, R; Noyong, Michael; Simon, Ulrich; Aguayo, D; Huerta, J; Kogan, Marcelo J; Yutronic, N

2017-12-01

As a novel strategy to overcome some of the therapeutic disadvantages of 6-thioguanine (TG) and 6-mercaptopurine (MP), we propose the inclusion of these drugs in βcyclodextrin (βCD) to form the complexes βCD-TG and βCD-MP, followed by subsequent interaction with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), generating the ternary systems: βCD-TG-AuNPs and βCD-MP-AuNPs. This modification increased their solubility and improved their stability, betting by a site-specific transport due to their nanometric dimensions, among other advantages. The formation of the complexes was confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and one and two-dimensional NMR. A theoretical study using DFT and molecular modelling was conducted to obtain the more stable tautomeric species of TG and MP in solution and confirm the proposed inclusion geometries. The deposition of AuNPs onto βCD-TG and βCD-MP via sputtering was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy. Subsequently, the ternary systems were characterized by TEM, FE-SEM and EDX to directly observe the deposited AuNPs and evaluate their sizes, size dispersion, and composition. Finally, the in vitro permeability of the ternary systems was studied using parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hot-melt extrusion as a continuous manufacturing process to form ternary cyclodextrin inclusion complexes.

PubMed

Thiry, Justine; Krier, Fabrice; Ratwatte, Shenelka; Thomassin, Jean-Michel; Jerome, Christine; Evrard, Brigitte

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate hot-melt extrusion (HME) as a continuous process to form cyclodextrin (CD) inclusion complexes in order to increase the solubility and dissolution rate of itraconazole (ITZ), a class II model drug molecule of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System. Different CD derivatives were tested in a 1:1 (CD:ITZ) molar ratio to obtain CD ternary inclusion complexes in the presence of a polymer, namely Soluplus ® (SOL). The CD used in this series of experiments were β-cyclodextrin (βCD), hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) with degrees of substitution of 0.63 and 0.87, randomly methylated β-cyclodextrin (Rameb ® ), sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (Captisol ® ) and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (Crysmeb ® ). Rheology testing and mini extrusion using a conical twin screw mini extruder were performed to test the processability of the different CD mixtures since CD are not thermoplastic. This allowed Captisol ® and Crysmeb ® to be discarded from the study due to their high impact on the viscosity of the SOL/ITZ mixture. The remaining CD were processed by HME in an 18mm twin screw extruder. Saturation concentration measurements confirmed the enhancement of solubility of ITZ for the four CD formulations. Biphasic dissolution tests indicated that all four formulations had faster release profiles compared to the SOL/ITZ solid dispersion. Formulations of HPβCD 0.63 and Rameb ® even reached 95% of ITZ released in both phases after 1h. The formulations were characterized using thermal differential scanning calorimetry and attenuated total reflectance infra-red analysis. These analyses confirmed that the increased release profile was due to the formation of ternary inclusion complexes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

mRNA 3' of the A site bound codon is located close to protein S3 on the human 80S ribosome.

PubMed

Molotkov, Maxim V; Graifer, Dmitri M; Popugaeva, Elena A; Bulygin, Konstantin N; Meschaninova, Maria I; Ven'yaminova, Aliya G; Karpova, Galina G

2006-07-01

Ribosomal proteins neighboring the mRNA downstream of the codon bound at the decoding site of human 80S ribosomes were identified using three sets of mRNA analogues that contained a UUU triplet at the 5' terminus and a perfluorophenylazide cross-linker at guanosine, adenosine or uridine residues placed at various locations 3' of this triplet. The positions of modified mRNA nucleotides on the ribosome were governed by tRNA(Phe) cognate to the UUU triplet targeted to the P site. Upon mild UV-irradiation, the mRNA analogues cross-linked preferentially to the 40S subunit, to the proteins and to a lesser extent to the 18S rRNA. Cross-linked nucleotides of 18S rRNA were identified previously. In the present study, it is shown that among the proteins the main target for cross-linking with all the mRNA analogues tested was protein S3 (homologous to prokaryotic S3, S3p); minor cross-linking to protein S2 (S5p) was also detected. Both proteins cross-linked to mRNA analogues in the ternary complexes as well as in the binary complexes (without tRNA). In the ternary complexes protein S15 (S19p) also cross-linked, the yield of the cross-link decreased significantly when the modified nucleotide moved from position +5 to position +12 with respect to the first nucleotide of the P site bound codon. In several ternary complexes minor cross-linking to protein S30 was likewise detected. The results of this study indicate that S3 is a key protein at the mRNA binding site neighboring mRNA downstream of the codon at the decoding site in the human ribosome.

Weighing the evidence for a ternary protein complex mediating A-type K+ currents in neurons.

PubMed

Maffie, Jonathon; Rudy, Bernardo

2008-12-01

The subthreshold-operating A-type K(+) current in neurons (I(SA)) has important roles in the regulation of neuronal excitability, the timing of action potential firing and synaptic integration and plasticity. The channels mediating this current (Kv4 channels) have been implicated in epilepsy, the control of dopamine release, and the regulation of pain plasticity. It has been proposed that Kv4 channels in neurons are ternary complexes of three types of protein: pore forming subunits of the Kv4 subfamily and two types of auxiliary subunits, the Ca(2+) binding proteins KChIPs and the dipeptidyl peptidase-like proteins (DPPLs) DPP6 (also known as DPPX) and DPP10 (4 molecules of each per channel for a total of 12 proteins in the complex). Here we consider the evidence supporting this hypothesis. Kv4 channels in many neurons are likely to be ternary complexes of these three types of protein. KChIPs and DPPLs are required to efficiently traffic Kv4 channels to the plasma membrane and regulate the functional properties of the channels. These proteins may also be important in determining the localization of the channels to specific neuronal compartments, their dynamics, and their response to neuromodulators. A surprisingly large number of additional proteins have been shown to modify Kv4 channels in heterologous expression systems, but their association with native Kv4 channels in neurons has not been properly validated. A critical consideration of the evidence suggests that it is unlikely that association of Kv4 channels with these additional proteins is widespread in the CNS. However, we cannot exclude that some of these proteins may associate with the channels transiently or in specific neurons or neuronal compartments, or that they may associate with the channels in other tissues.

Structural Characterization of Cross-Linked Hemoglobins Developed as Potential Transfusion Substitutes

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-30

phase HPLC using an IBM Instruments Inc. model LC 9533 ternary liquid chromatograph attached to a model F9522 fixed UV module and a model F9523...acid analyses are done by separation and quantitation of phenylthiocarbamyl amino acid derivatives using a second IBM model LC 9533 ternary liquid...computer which controls the HPLC and an IBM Instruments Inc. model LC 9505 automatic sampler. The hemoglobin present in the effluent from large

Structure and Reversibility of 2D von Neumann Cellular Automata Over Triangular Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uguz, Selman; Redjepov, Shovkat; Acar, Ecem; Akin, Hasan

2017-06-01

Even though the fundamental main structure of cellular automata (CA) is a discrete special model, the global behaviors at many iterative times and on big scales could be a close, nearly a continuous, model system. CA theory is a very rich and useful phenomena of dynamical model that focuses on the local information being relayed to the neighboring cells to produce CA global behaviors. The mathematical points of the basic model imply the computable values of the mathematical structure of CA. After modeling the CA structure, an important problem is to be able to move forwards and backwards on CA to understand their behaviors in more elegant ways. A possible case is when CA is to be a reversible one. In this paper, we investigate the structure and the reversibility of two-dimensional (2D) finite, linear, triangular von Neumann CA with null boundary case. It is considered on ternary field ℤ3 (i.e. 3-state). We obtain their transition rule matrices for each special case. For given special triangular information (transition) rule matrices, we prove which triangular linear 2D von Neumann CAs are reversible or not. It is known that the reversibility cases of 2D CA are generally a much challenged problem. In the present study, the reversibility problem of 2D triangular, linear von Neumann CA with null boundary is resolved completely over ternary field. As far as we know, there is no structure and reversibility study of von Neumann 2D linear CA on triangular lattice in the literature. Due to the main CA structures being sufficiently simple to investigate in mathematical ways, and also very complex to obtain in chaotic systems, it is believed that the present construction can be applied to many areas related to these CA using any other transition rules.

Ternary and coupled binary zinc tin oxide nanopowders: Synthesis, characterization, and potential application in photocatalytic processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ivetić, T.B., E-mail: tamara.ivetic@df.uns.ac.rs; Finčur, N.L.; Đačanin, Lj. R.

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Mechanochemically synthesized nanocrystalline zinc tin oxide (ZTO) powders. • Photocatalytic degradation of alprazolam in the presence of ZTO water suspensions. • Coupled binary ZTO exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to ternary ZTO. - Abstract: In this paper, ternary and coupled binary zinc tin oxide nanocrystalline powders were prepared via simple solid-state mechanochemical method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman and reflectance spectroscopy were used to study the structure and optical properties of the obtained powder samples. The thermal behavior of zinc tin oxide system was examined through simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetric analysis. The efficiencies of ternary (Zn{sub 2}SnO{submore » 4} and ZnSnO{sub 3}) and coupled binary (ZnO/SnO{sub 2}) zinc tin oxide water suspensions in the photocatalytic degradation of alprazolam, short-acting anxiolytic of the benzodiazepine class of psychoactive drugs, under UV irradiation were determined and compared with the efficiency of pure ZnO and SnO{sub 2}.« less

Photocatalytic activity of attapulgite-TiO2-Ag3PO4 ternary nanocomposite for degradation of Rhodamine B under simulated solar irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Hongcai; Jiang, Zhuolin; He, Zhaoling; Liu, Tao; Li, Enzhu; Li, Bao-Wen

2018-01-01

An excellent ternary composite photocatalyst consisting of silver orthophosphate (Ag3PO4), attapulgite (ATP), and TiO2 was synthesized, in which heterojunction was formed between dissimilar semiconductors to promote the separation of photo-generated charges. The ATP/TiO2/Ag3PO4 composite was characterized by SEM, XRD, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The co-deposition of Ag3PO4 and TiO2 nanoparticles onto the surface of ATP forms a lath-particle structure. Compared with composite photocatalysts consisting of two phases, ATP/TiO2/Ag3PO4 ternary composite exhibits greatly improved photocatalytic activity for degradation of rhodamine B under simulated solar irradiation. Such ternary composite not only improves the stability of Ag3PO4, but also lowers the cost by reducing application amount of Ag3PO4, which provides guidance for the design of Ag3PO4- and Ag-based composites for photocatalytic applications.

Large field-induced-strain at high temperature in ternary ferroelectric crystals

PubMed Central

Wang, Yaojin; Chen, Lijun; Yuan, Guoliang; Luo, Haosu; Li, Jiefang; Viehland, D.

2016-01-01

The new generation of ternary Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 ferroelectric single crystals have potential applications in high power devices due to their surperior operational stability relative to the binary system. In this work, a reversible, large electric field induced strain of over 0.9% at room temperature, and in particular over 0.6% above 380 K was obtained. The polarization rotation path and the phase transition sequence of different compositions in these ternary systems have been determined with increasing electric field applied along [001] direction based on x-ray diffraction data. Thereafter, composition dependence of field-temperature phase diagrams were constructed, which provide compositional and thermal prospectus for the electromechanical properties. It was found the structural origin of the large stain, especially at higher temperature is the lattice parameters modulated by dual independent variables in composition of these ternary solid solution crystals. PMID:27734908

Physicochemical characterization of chitosan/nylon6/polyurethane foam chemically cross-linked ternary blends.

PubMed

Jayakumar, S; Sudha, P N

2013-03-15

Chitosan/nylon6/polyurethane foam (CS/Ny6/PUF) ternary blend was prepared and chemically cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Structural, thermal and morphological studies were performed for the prepared ternary blends. Characterizations of the ternary blends were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The FTIR results showed that the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds took place between CS, Ny6 and PUF. TGA and DSC studies reveal that the thermal stability of the blend is enhanced by glutaraldehyde as crosslinking agent. Results of XRD indicated that the relative crystalline of pure CS film was reduced when the polymeric network was reticulated by glutaraldehyde. Finally, the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the morphology of the blend is rough and heterogeneous, further it confirms the interaction between the functional groups of the blend components. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Honeycomb Films with Core-Shell Dispersed Phases Prepared by the Combination of Breath Figures and Phase Separation Process of Ternary Blends.

PubMed

Del Campo, A; de León, A S; Rodríguez-Hernández, J; Muñoz-Bonilla, A

2017-03-21

Herein, we propose a strategy to fabricate core-shell microstructures ordered in hexagonal arrays by combining the breath figures approach and phase separation of immiscible ternary blends. This simple strategy to fabricate these structures involves only the solvent casting of a ternary polymer blend under moist atmosphere, which provides a facile and low-cost fabrication method to obtain the porous structures with a core-shell morphology. For this purpose, blends consisting of polystyrene (PS) as a major component and PS 40 -b-P(PEGMA300) 48 amphiphilic copolymer and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as minor components were dissolved in tetrahydrofuran and cast onto glass wafers under humid conditions, 70% of relative humidity. The resulting porous morphologies were characterized by optical and confocal Raman microscopy. In particular, confocal Raman results demonstrated the formation of core-shell morphologies into the ordered pores, in which the PS forms the continuous matrix, whereas the other two phases are located into the cavities (PDMS is the core while the amphiphilic copolymer is the shell). Besides, by controlling the weight ratio of the polymer blends, the structural parameters of the porous structure such as pore diameter and the size of the core can be effectively tuned.

Chromium Grain-boundary Segregation and Effect of Ion Beam Cleaning on Fe-Ni-Cr Alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saraf, Laxmikant V.

2011-04-01

The grain boundaries play important role to control the mechanical strength of ternary alloys. From spacecrafts to naval vessels to nuclear reactors, stress corrosion cracking, brittleness, oxidation mostly originates at the grain boundaries and cause long term structural stability problems in most of the metallic structures [1]. Fe-Ni-Cr based ternary metal alloys have been widely studied for more than fifty years [2, 3]. Despite of vast amount of research, chromium diffusion in stainless steel or other Ni-Fe-Cr based ternary alloys is still an open scientific problem with challenges in structural stability and corrosion resistance [4]. Particularly, austenite Fe-Ni-Cr is lookedmore » upon favorably in space and jet engine industry for their improved resistance to stress corrosion cracking [5]. In solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), Ni-alloys are frequently used as interconnects and seals [6]. In this communication, simultaneous energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping is utilized to study chemical and structural aspects of chromium segregation in Fe-Ni-Cr alloy. A focused Ga-ion beam is also utilized to study the effect of ion beam cleaning on EBSD image quality (IQ) and inverse pole figure (IPF) maps of Fe-Ni-Cr alloy.« less

Structural Reorganization and the Cooperative Binding of Single-stranded Telomere DNA in Sterkiella nova*

PubMed Central

Buczek, Pawel; Horvath, Martin P.

2009-01-01

In Sterkiella nova, α and β telomere proteins bind cooperatively with single-stranded DNA to form a ternary α·β·DNA complex. Association of telomere protein subunits is DNA-dependent, and α-β association enhances DNA affinity. To further understand the molecular basis for binding cooperativity, we characterized several possible stepwise assembly pathways using isothermal titration calorimetry. In one path, α and DNA first form a stable α·DNA complex followed by addition of β in a second step. Binding energy accumulates with nearly equal free energy of association for each of these steps. Heat capacity is nonetheless dramatically different with ΔCp = −305 ± 3 cal mol−1 K−1 for α binding with DNA and ΔCp = −2010 ± 20 cal mol−1 K−1 for addition of β to complete the α·β·DNA complex. By examining alternate routes including titration of single-stranded DNA with a preformed α·β complex, a significant portion of binding energy and heat capacity could be assigned to structural reorganization involving protein-protein interactions and repositioning of the DNA. Structural reorganization probably affords a mechanism to regulate high affinity binding of telomere single-stranded DNA with important implications for telomere biology. Regulation of telomere complex dissociation is thought to involve post-translational modifications in the lysine-rich C-terminal portion of β. We observed no difference in binding energetics or crystal structure when comparing complexes prepared with full-length β or a C-terminally truncated form, supporting interesting parallels between the intrinsically disordered regions of histones and this portion of β. PMID:17082188

Crystal structure and physical properties of a novel Kondo antiferromagnet: U3Ru4Al12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasturel, M; Tougait, O; Potel, M; Roisnel, T; Wochowski, K; Noël, H; Troć, R

2009-03-01

A novel ternary compound U3Ru4Al12 has been identified in the U-Ru-Al ternary diagram. Single-crystal x-ray diffraction indicates a hexagonal Gd3Ru4Al12-type structure for this uranium-based intermetallic. While this structure type usually induces geometrically a spin-glass behaviour, an antiferromagnetic ordering is observed at TN = 8.4 K in the present case. The reduced effective magnetic moment of U atoms (μeff = 2.6 µB) can be explained by Kondo-like interactions and crystal field effects that have been identified by a logarithmic temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity, negative values of the magnetoresistivity and particular shape of the Seebeck coefficient.

New Insights in Thrombin Inhibition Structure-Activity Relationships by Characterization of Octadecasaccharides from Low Molecular Weight Heparin.

PubMed

Mourier, Pierre A J; Guichard, Olivier Y; Herman, Fréderic; Sizun, Philippe; Viskov, Christian

2017-03-08

Low Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWH) are complex anticoagulant drugs that mainly inhibit the blood coagulation cascade through indirect interaction with antithrombin. While inhibition of the factor Xa is well described, little is known about the polysaccharide structure inhibiting thrombin. In fact, a minimal chain length of 18 saccharides units, including an antithrombin (AT) binding pentasaccharide, is mandatory to form the active ternary complex for LMWH obtained by alkaline β-elimination (e.g., enoxaparin). However, the relationship between structure of octadecasaccharides and their thrombin inhibition has not been yet assessed on natural compounds due to technical hurdles to isolate sufficiently pure material. We report the preparation of five octadecasaccharides by using orthogonal separation methods including size exclusion, AT affinity, ion pairing and strong anion exchange chromatography. Each of these octadecasaccharides possesses two AT binding pentasaccharide sequences located at various positions. After structural elucidation using enzymatic sequencing and NMR, in vitro aFXa and aFIIa were determined. The biological activities reveal the critical role of each pentasaccharide sequence position within the octadecasaccharides and structural requirements to inhibit thrombin. Significant differences in potency, such as the twenty-fold magnitude difference observed between two regioisomers, further highlights the importance of depolymerisation process conditions on LMWH biological activity.

Two new phases in the ternary RE-Ga-S systems with the unique interlinkage of GaS4 building units: synthesis, structure, and properties.

PubMed

Lin, Hua; Shen, Jin-Ni; Zhu, Wei-Wei; Liu, Yi; Wu, Xin-Tao; Zhu, Qi-Long; Wu, Li-Ming

2017-10-17

Two novel ternary rare-earth chalcogenides, Yb 6 Ga 4 S 15 and Lu 5 GaS 9 , have been prepared by solid-state reactions of an elemental mixture at high temperatures. Their structures were determined on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Yb 6 Ga 4 S 15 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/m (no.12) [a = 23.557(2) Å, b = 3.7664(4) Å, c = 12.466(1) Å, β = 90.915(9)°, V = 1105.9(2) Å 3 and Z = 2], whereas Lu 5 GaS 9 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1[combining macron] (no.2) [a = 7.735(3) Å, b = 10.033(4) Å, c = 10.120(4) Å, α = 106.296(4)°, β = 100.178(5)°, γ = 101.946(3)°, V = 714.1(5) Å 3 and Z = 2]. Both the structures feature complicated three dimensional frameworks with the unique interlinkages of GaS 4 as basic building units. Significantly, photo-electrochemical measurements indicated that title compounds were photoresponsive under visible-light illumination. Furthermore, the UV-visible-near IR diffuse reflectance spectra, thermal stabilities, electronic structures, physical properties as well as a structure change trend of the ternary rare-earth/gallium/sulfur compounds have been evaluated.

Study of binary and ternary organic hybrid CdSe quantum dot photodetector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramar, M.; Kajal, S.; Pal, Prabir; Srivastava, R.; Suman, C. K.

2015-09-01

The hybrid binary and ternary photodetectors (PDs) were fabricated from P3HT-PC71BM with CdSe quantum dot (QD) materials. The absorption spectra of P3HT:PC71BM (named as B1), P3HT:CdSe (B2) and P3HT:CdSe:PC71BM (T) active blended material were analyzed in the wavelength range from 350 to 800 nm. The current density-voltage characteristics of the device were measured in dark and under illumination for study of detector detectivities and the contact with electrode. The ratio at -0.5 V for PDs B1, B2 and T is 1.1 × 102, 1.9 × 102 and 1.8 × 103, respectively. The values of detectivity for B1, B2 and T are 1 × 1010, 2 × 1010 and 7 × 1011 Jones, respectively. The for PD T is ten times in comparison with B1 and B2 PDs. The linear dynamic range (LDR) value for ternary device is more than double to both binary PDs. The absorption by CdSe QD increases the photon efficiency in the ternary detector, and at the same time the ternary detectors have high detectivity in broad spectral range. The responsivity of current to the light intensity exponent θ for detector B1, B2 and T is ~0.55, 0.55 and 0.62, respectively, which represents a complex process of electron hole generation, recombination and trapping within active material.

Structure of ternary additive hard-sphere fluid mixtures.

PubMed

Malijevský, Alexander; Malijevský, Anatol; Yuste, Santos B; Santos, Andrés; López de Haro, Mariano

2002-12-01

Monte Carlo simulations on the structural properties of ternary fluid mixtures of additive hard spheres are reported. The results are compared with those obtained from a recent analytical approximation [S. B. Yuste, A. Santos, and M. López de Haro, J. Chem. Phys. 108, 3683 (1998)] to the radial distribution functions of hard-sphere mixtures and with the results derived from the solution of the Ornstein-Zernike integral equation with both the Martynov-Sarkisov and the Percus-Yevick closures. Very good agreement between the results of the first two approaches and simulation is observed, with a noticeable improvement over the Percus-Yevick predictions especially near contact.

Design and Performance of Property Gradient Ternary Nitride Coating Based on Process Control.

PubMed

Yan, Pei; Chen, Kaijie; Wang, Yubin; Zhou, Han; Peng, Zeyu; Jiao, Li; Wang, Xibin

2018-05-09

Surface coating is an effective approach to improve cutting tool performance, and multiple or gradient coating structures have become a common development strategy. However, composition mutations at the interfaces decrease the performance of multi-layered coatings. The key mitigation technique has been to reduce the interface effect at the boundaries. This study proposes a structure design method for property-component gradient coatings based on process control. The method produces coatings with high internal cohesion and high external hardness, which could reduce the composition and performance mutations at the interface. A ZrTiN property gradient ternary nitride coating was deposited on cemented carbide by multi-arc ion plating with separated Ti and Zr targets. The mechanical properties, friction behaviors, and cutting performances were systematically investigated, compared with a single-layer coating. The results indicated that the gradient coating had better friction and wear performance with lower wear rate and higher resistance to peeling off during sliding friction. The gradient coating had better wear and damage resistance in cutting processes, with lower machined surface roughness Ra. Gradient-structured coatings could effectively inhibit micro crack initiation and growth under alternating force and temperature load. This method could be extended to similar ternary nitride coatings.

Structure and catalytic activities of ferrous centers confined on the interface between carbon nanotubes and humic acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bing; Zhou, Xiaoyan; Wang, Dongqi; Yin, Jun-Jie; Chen, Hanqing; Gao, Xingfa; Zhang, Jing; Ibrahim, Kurash; Chai, Zhifang; Feng, Weiyue; Zhao, Yuliang

2015-01-01

Preparation of heterogeneous catalysts with active ferrous centers is of great significance for industrial and environmental catalytic processes. Nanostructured carbon materials (NCM), which possess free-flowing π electrons, can coordinate with transition metals, provide a confinement environment for catalysis, and act as potential supports or ligands to construct analogous complexes. However, designing such catalysts using NCM is still seldom studied to date. Herein, we synthesized a sandwich structured ternary complex via the coordination of Fe-loaded humic acid (HA) with C&z.dbd;C bonds in the aromatic rings of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), in which the O/N-Fe-C interface configuration provides the confinement environment for the ferrous sites. The experimental and theoretical results revealed octahedrally/tetrahedrally coordinated geometry at Fe centers, and the strong hybridization between CNT C π* and Fe 3d orbitals induces discretization of the atomic charges on aromatic rings of CNTs, which facilitates O2 adsorption and electron transfer from carbon to O2, which enhances O2 activation. The O2 activation by the novel HA/Fe-CNT complex can be applied in the oxidative degradation of phenol red (PR) and bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous media.Preparation of heterogeneous catalysts with active ferrous centers is of great significance for industrial and environmental catalytic processes. Nanostructured carbon materials (NCM), which possess free-flowing π electrons, can coordinate with transition metals, provide a confinement environment for catalysis, and act as potential supports or ligands to construct analogous complexes. However, designing such catalysts using NCM is still seldom studied to date. Herein, we synthesized a sandwich structured ternary complex via the coordination of Fe-loaded humic acid (HA) with C&z.dbd;C bonds in the aromatic rings of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), in which the O/N-Fe-C interface configuration provides the confinement environment for the ferrous sites. The experimental and theoretical results revealed octahedrally/tetrahedrally coordinated geometry at Fe centers, and the strong hybridization between CNT C π* and Fe 3d orbitals induces discretization of the atomic charges on aromatic rings of CNTs, which facilitates O2 adsorption and electron transfer from carbon to O2, which enhances O2 activation. The O2 activation by the novel HA/Fe-CNT complex can be applied in the oxidative degradation of phenol red (PR) and bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous media. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Optimization of the mass ratios of HA to CNTs and the reaction pH conditions for Fe loading; scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-Vis-near-infrared, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for CNT-HA; EPR experiment and UPLC-ESI-MS analysis; and DFT calculation. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr06665k

Copper(II) ion catalytic oxidation of o-phenylenediamine and characterization, X-ray crystal structure and solution studies of the final product [DAPH][H3O][Cu(dipic)2]·3H2O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghasemi, Khaled; Rezvani, Ali Reza; Shokrollahi, Ardeshir; Abdul Razak, Ibrahim; Refahi, Masoud; Moghimi, Abolghasem; Rosli, Mohd Mustaqim

2015-09-01

The complex [DAPH][H3O][Cu(dipic)2]·3H2O, (1) (dipicH2 = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid and DAP = 2,3-diaminophenazine) was prepared from the reaction of Cu(NO3)2·2H2O with mixture of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid in water. The complex was characterized by FTIR, elemental analysis, UV-Vis and the single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal system is monoclinic with the space group P21/c. This complex is stabilized in the solid state by an extensive network of hydrogen bonds between crystallized water, anionic and cationic fragments, which form a three-dimensional network. Furthermore, hydrogen bonds, π⋯π and Csbnd O⋯π stacking interactions seem to be effective in stabilizing the crystal structures. The protonation constants of dipic (L) and DAP (Q), the equilibrium constants for the dipic-DAP proton transfer system and the stoichiometry and stability constants of binary complexes including each of ligands (dipic, DAP) in presence Cu2+ ion, ternary complexes including, both of ligands (dipic-DAP) in presence of metal ion were calculated in aqueous solutions by potentiometric pH titration method using the Hyperquad2008 program. The stoichiometry of the most complexes species in solution was found to be very similar to the solid-state of cited metal ion complex.

Evidence for two interconverting protein isomers in the methotrexate complex of dihydrofolate reductase from Escherichia coli

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Falzone, C.J.; Benkovic, S.J.; Wright, P.E.

1991-02-26

Two-dimensional {sup 1}H NMR methods and a knowledge of the X-ray crystal structure have been used to make resonance assignments for the amino acid side chains of dihydrofolate reductase from Escherichia coli complexed with methotrexate. The H7 proton on the pteridine ring of methotrexate was found to have NOEs to the methyl protons of Leu-28 which were assigned by using the L28F mutant. These NOEs indicated that the orientation of the methotrexate pteridine ring is similar in both solution and crystal structures. During the initial assignment process, it became evident that many of the resonances in this complex, unlike thosemore » of the folate complex, are severally broadened or doubled. The observation of two distinct sets of resonances in a ratio of approximately 2:1 was attributed to the presence of two protein isomers. Many of the side chains with clearly doubled resonances were located in the {beta}-sheet and the active site. Preliminary studies on the apoprotein also revealed doubled resonances in the absence of the inhibitor, indicating the existence of the protein isomers prior to methotrexate binding. In contrast to the methotrexate complex, the binary complex with folate and the ternary MTX-NADPH-DHFR complex presented a single enzyme form. These results are proposed to reflect the ability of folate and NADPH to bind predominantly to one protein isomer.« less

DNA Cleavage, Cytotoxic Activities, and Antimicrobial Studies of Ternary Copper(II) Complexes of Isoxazole Schiff Base and Heterocyclic Compounds

PubMed Central

Chityala, Vijay Kumar; Sathish Kumar, K.; Macha, Ramesh; Tigulla, Parthasarathy; Shivaraj

2014-01-01

Novel mixed ligand bivalent copper complexes [Cu. L. A. ClO 4] and [Cu. L. A] where “L” is Schiff bases, namely 2-((3,4-dimethylisoxazol-5-ylimino)methyl)-4-bromophenol (DMIIMBP)/2-((3,4-dimethylisoxazol-5-ylimino)methyl)-4-chlorophenol (DMIIMCP), and “A” is heterocyclic compound, such as 1,10-phenanthroline (phen)/2,21-bipyridyl (bipy)/8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine)/5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline (5-Cl-oxine), have been synthesized. These complexes have been characterized by IR, UV-Vis, ESR, elemental analysis, magnetic moments, TG, and DTA. On the basis of spectral studies and analytical data, five-coordinated square pyramidal/four-coordinated square planar geometry is assigned to all complexes. The ligands and their ternary complexes with Cu(II) have been screened for antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi by paper disc method. The antimicrobial studies of Schiff bases and their metal complexes showed significant activity and further it is observed that the metal complexes showed more activity than corresponding Schiff bases. In vitro antitumor activity of Cu(II) complexes was assayed against human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cancer cells and it was observed that few complexes exhibit good antitumor activity on HeLa cell lines. The DNA cleavage studies have also been carried out on pBR 322 and it is observed that these Cu(II) complexes are capable of cleaving supercoiled plasmid DNA in the presence of H2O2 and UV light. PMID:24895493

Theoretical investigation of the structural, elastic, electronic and optical properties of the ternary indium sulfide layered structures AInS2 (A = K, Rb and Cs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchenafa, M.; Sidoumou, M.; Halit, M.; Benmakhlouf, A.; Bouhemadou, A.; Maabed, S.; Bentabet, A.; Bin-Omran, S.

2018-02-01

Ab initio calculations were performed to investigate the structural, elastic, electronic and optical properties of the ternary layered systems AInS2 (A = K, Rb and Cs). The calculated structural parameters are in good agreement with the existing experimental data. Analysis of the electronic band structure shows that the three studied materials are direct band-gap semiconductors. Density of states, charge transfers and charge density distribution maps were computed and analyzed. Numerical estimations of the elastic moduli and their related properties for single-crystal and polycrystalline aggregates were predicted. The optical properties were calculated for incident radiation polarized along the [100], [010] and [001] crystallographic directions. The studied materials exhibit a noticeable anisotropic behaviour in the elastic and optical properties, which is expected due to the symmetry and the layered nature of these compounds.

Modified g-C3N4/TiO2 nanosheets/ZnO ternary facet coupled heterojunction for photocatalytic degradation of p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) under visible light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Dong; Yu, Han; Yu, Hongbing

2017-01-01

Novel ternary nanocomposites with facet coupled structure were synthesized by using modified g-C3N4, TiO2 nanosheets and nano-ZnO. Nanosheet/nanosheet heterojunction structure was investigated by TEM, XPS and XRD. FT-IR and Nitrogen adsorption were illustrated for chemical/physical structure analyses. Solution of p-Toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) was chosen as target pollutant for visible light photodegradation and the excellent removal efficiency was achieved by this structurally modified g-C3N4/TiO2/ZnO hybrid. The visible light absorption improvement and quantum efficiency enhancement, which were testified by UV-vis DRS, PL and p-TSA photodegradation measurements, due to the facet coupled structure and appropriate quantity of modified g-C3N4 in the nanocomposites.

Synthesis and loading-dependent characteristics of nitrogen-doped graphene foam/carbon nanotube/manganese oxide ternary composite electrodes for high performance supercapacitors.

PubMed

Cheng, Tao; Yu, Baozhi; Cao, Linli; Tan, Huiyun; Li, Xinghua; Zheng, Xinliang; Li, Weilong; Ren, Zhaoyu; Bai, Jinbo

2017-09-01

The ternary composite electrodes, nitrogen-doped graphene foam/carbon nanotube/manganese dioxide (NGF/CNT/MnO 2 ), have been successfully fabricated via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and facile hydrothermal method. The morphologies of the MnO 2 nanoflakes presented the loading-dependent characteristics and the nanoflake thickness could also be tuned by MnO 2 mass loading in the fabrication process. The correlation between their morphology and electrochemical performance was systematically investigated by controlling MnO 2 mass loading in the ternary composite electrodes. The electrochemical properties of the flexible ternary electrode (MnO 2 mass loading of 70%) exhibited a high areal capacitance of 3.03F/cm 2 and a high specific capacitance of 284F/g at the scan rate of 2mV/s. Moreover, it was interesting to find that the capacitance of the NGF/CNT/MnO 2 composite electrodes showed a 51.6% increase after 15,000 cycles. The gradual increase in specific capacitance was due to the formation of defective regions in the MnO 2 nanostructures during the electrochemical cycles of the electrodes, which further resulted in increased porosity, surface area, and consequently increased electrochemical capacity. This work demonstrates a rarely reported conclusion about loading-dependent characteristics for the NGF/CNT/MnO 2 ternary composite electrodes. It will bring new perspectives on designing novel ternary or multi-structure for various energy storage applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accurate, precise, and efficient theoretical methods to calculate anion-π interaction energies in model structures.

PubMed

Mezei, Pál D; Csonka, Gábor I; Ruzsinszky, Adrienn; Sun, Jianwei

2015-01-13

A correct description of the anion-π interaction is essential for the design of selective anion receptors and channels and important for advances in the field of supramolecular chemistry. However, it is challenging to do accurate, precise, and efficient calculations of this interaction, which are lacking in the literature. In this article, by testing sets of 20 binary anion-π complexes of fluoride, chloride, bromide, nitrate, or carbonate ions with hexafluorobenzene, 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene, 2,4,6-trifluoro-1,3,5-triazine, or 1,3,5-triazine and 30 ternary π-anion-π' sandwich complexes composed from the same monomers, we suggest domain-based local-pair natural orbital coupled cluster energies extrapolated to the complete basis-set limit as reference values. We give a detailed explanation of the origin of anion-π interactions, using the permanent quadrupole moments, static dipole polarizabilities, and electrostatic potential maps. We use symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) to calculate the components of the anion-π interaction energies. We examine the performance of the direct random phase approximation (dRPA), the second-order screened exchange (SOSEX), local-pair natural-orbital (LPNO) coupled electron pair approximation (CEPA), and several dispersion-corrected density functionals (including generalized gradient approximation (GGA), meta-GGA, and double hybrid density functional). The LPNO-CEPA/1 results show the best agreement with the reference results. The dRPA method is only slightly less accurate and precise than the LPNO-CEPA/1, but it is considerably more efficient (6-17 times faster) for the binary complexes studied in this paper. For 30 ternary π-anion-π' sandwich complexes, we give dRPA interaction energies as reference values. The double hybrid functionals are much more efficient but less accurate and precise than dRPA. The dispersion-corrected double hybrid PWPB95-D3(BJ) and B2PLYP-D3(BJ) functionals perform better than the GGA and meta-GGA functionals for the present test set.

Fabrication of Ternary AgPdAu Alloy Nanoparticles on c-Plane Sapphire by the Systematical Control of Film Thickness and Deposition Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunwar, Sundar; Pandey, Puran; Sui, Mao; Bastola, Sushil; Lee, Jihoon

2018-06-01

In this work, a systematic study on the fabrication of ternary AgPdAu alloy nanoparticles (NPs) on c-plane sapphire (0001) is presented and the corresponding structural and optical characteristics are demonstrated. The metallic trilayers of various thicknesses and deposition orders are annealed in a controlled manner (400 °C to 900 °C) to induce the solid-state dewetting that yields the various structural configurations of AgPdAu alloy NPs. The dewetting of relatively thicker trilayers (15 nm) is gradually progressed with void nucleation, growth, and coalescence, isolated NP formation, and shape transformation, along with the temperature control. For 6 nm thickness, owing to the sufficient dewetting of trilayers along with enhanced diffusion, dense and small spherical alloy NPs are fabricated. Depending on the specific growth condition, the surface diffusion and interdiffusion of metal atoms, surface and interface energy minimization, Rayleigh instability, and equilibrium configuration are correlated to describe the fabrication of ternary alloy NPs. Ternary alloy NPs exhibit morphology-dependent ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-VIS-NIR) reflectance properties such as the inverse relationship of average reflectance with the surface coverage, absorption enhancement in specific regions, and reflectance maxima in UV and NIR regions. In addition, Raman spectra depict the six active phonon modes of sapphires and their intensity and position modulation by the alloy NPs.

Structural analyses of Ca2+/CaM interaction with NaV channel C-termini reveal mechanisms of calcium-dependent regulation

PubMed Central

Wang, Chaojian; Chung, Ben C.; Yan, Haidun; Wang, Hong-Gang; Lee, Seok-Yong; Pitt, Geoffrey S.

2014-01-01

Ca2+ regulates voltage-gated Na+ (NaV) channels and perturbed Ca2+ regulation of NaV function is associated with epilepsy syndromes, autism, and cardiac arrhythmias. Understanding the disease mechanisms, however, has been hindered by a lack of structural information and competing models for how Ca2+ affects NaV channel function. Here, we report the crystal structures of two ternary complexes of a human NaV cytosolic C-terminal domain (CTD), a fibroblast growth factor homologous factor, and Ca2+/calmodulin (Ca2+/CaM). These structures rule out direct binding of Ca2+ to the NaV CTD, and uncover new contacts between CaM and the NaV CTD. Probing these new contacts with biochemical and functional experiments allows us to propose a mechanism by which Ca2+ could regulate NaV channels. Further, our model provides hints towards understanding the molecular basis of the neurologic disorders and cardiac arrhythmias caused by NaV channel mutations. PMID:25232683

Structural analysis of Notch-regulating Rumi reveals basis for pathogenic mutations

DOE PAGES

Yu, Hongjun; Takeuchi, Hideyuki; Takeuchi, Megumi; ...

2016-07-18

We present Rumi O-glucosylates the EGF repeats of a growing list of proteins essential in metazoan development, including Notch. Rumi is essential for Notch signaling, and Rumi dysregulation is linked to several human diseases. Despite Rumi's critical roles, it is unknown how Rumi glucosylates a serine of many but not all EGF repeats. Here we report crystal structures of Drosophila Rumi as binary and ternary complexes with a folded EGF repeat and/or donor substrates. These structures provide insights into the catalytic mechanism and show that Rumi recognizes structural signatures of the EGF motif, the U-shaped consensus sequence, C-X-S-X-(P/A)-C and amore » conserved hydrophobic region. We found that five Rumi mutations identified in cancers and Dowling–Degos disease are clustered around the enzyme active site and adversely affect its activity. In conclusion, our study suggests that loss of Rumi activity may underlie these diseases, and the mechanistic insights may facilitate the development of modulators of Notch signaling.« less

Structural analysis of Notch-regulating Rumi reveals basis for pathogenic mutations

PubMed Central

Yu, Hongjun; Takeuchi, Hideyuki; Takeuchi, Megumi; Liu, Qun; Kantharia, Joshua; Haltiwanger, Robert S.; Li, Huilin

2016-01-01

Rumi O-glucosylates the EGF repeats of a growing list of proteins essential in metazoan development including Notch. Rumi is essential for Notch signaling, and Rumi dysregulation is linked to several human diseases. Despite Rumi’s critical roles, it is unknown how Rumi glucosylates a serine of many but not all EGF repeats. Here we report crystal structures of Drosophila Rumi as binary or ternary complexes with a folded EGF repeat and/or donor substrates. These structures provide insights into the catalytic mechanism, and show that Rumi recognizes structural signatures of the EGF motif, the U-shaped consensus sequence, C-X-S-X-(P/A)-C and a conserved hydrophobic region. We found that five Rumi mutations identified in cancers and Dowling-Degos disease are clustered around the enzyme active site and adversely affect its activity. Our study suggests that loss of Rumi activity may underlie these diseases, and the mechanistic insights may facilitate the development of modulators of Notch signaling. PMID:27428513

Structural analysis of Notch-regulating Rumi reveals basis for pathogenic mutations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, Hongjun; Takeuchi, Hideyuki; Takeuchi, Megumi

We present Rumi O-glucosylates the EGF repeats of a growing list of proteins essential in metazoan development, including Notch. Rumi is essential for Notch signaling, and Rumi dysregulation is linked to several human diseases. Despite Rumi's critical roles, it is unknown how Rumi glucosylates a serine of many but not all EGF repeats. Here we report crystal structures of Drosophila Rumi as binary and ternary complexes with a folded EGF repeat and/or donor substrates. These structures provide insights into the catalytic mechanism and show that Rumi recognizes structural signatures of the EGF motif, the U-shaped consensus sequence, C-X-S-X-(P/A)-C and amore » conserved hydrophobic region. We found that five Rumi mutations identified in cancers and Dowling–Degos disease are clustered around the enzyme active site and adversely affect its activity. In conclusion, our study suggests that loss of Rumi activity may underlie these diseases, and the mechanistic insights may facilitate the development of modulators of Notch signaling.« less

Manipulation of prenylation reactions by structure-based engineering of bacterial indolactam prenyltransferases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Takahiro; Zhang, Lihan; Awakawa, Takayoshi; Hoshino, Shotaro; Okada, Masahiro; Morita, Hiroyuki; Abe, Ikuro

2016-03-01

Prenylation reactions play crucial roles in controlling the activities of biomolecules. Bacterial prenyltransferases, TleC from Streptomyces blastmyceticus and MpnD from Marinactinospora thermotolerans, catalyse the `reverse' prenylation of (-)-indolactam V at the C-7 position of the indole ring with geranyl pyrophosphate or dimethylallyl pyrophosphate, to produce lyngbyatoxin or pendolmycin, respectively. Using in vitro analyses, here we show that both TleC and MpnD exhibit relaxed substrate specificities and accept various chain lengths (C5-C25) of the prenyl donors. Comparisons of the crystal structures and their ternary complexes with (-)-indolactam V and dimethylallyl S-thiophosphate revealed the intimate structural details of the enzyme-catalysed `reverse' prenylation reactions and identified the active-site residues governing the selection of the substrates. Furthermore, structure-based enzyme engineering successfully altered the preference for the prenyl chain length of the substrates, as well as the regio- and stereo-selectivities of the prenylation reactions, to produce a series of unnatural novel indolactams.

Delivery of siRNA using ternary complexes containing branched cationic peptides: the role of peptide sequence, branching and targeting.

PubMed

Kudsiova, Laila; Welser, Katharina; Campbell, Frederick; Mohammadi, Atefeh; Dawson, Natalie; Cui, Lili; Hailes, Helen C; Lawrence, M Jayne; Tabor, Alethea B

2016-03-01

Ternary nanocomplexes, composed of bifunctional cationic peptides, lipids and siRNA, as delivery vehicles for siRNA have been investigated. The study is the first to determine the optimal sequence and architecture of the bifunctional cationic peptide used for siRNA packaging and delivery using lipopolyplexes. Specifically three series of cationic peptides of differing sequence, degrees of branching and cell-targeting sequences were co-formulated with siRNA and vesicles prepared from a 1 : 1 molar ratio of the cationic lipid DOTMA and the helper lipid, DOPE. The level of siRNA knockdown achieved in the human alveolar cell line, A549-luc cells, in both reduced serum and in serum supplemented media was evaluated, and the results correlated to the nanocomplex structure (established using a range of physico-chemical tools, namely small angle neutron scattering, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurement); the conformational properties of each component (circular dichroism); the degree of protection of the siRNA in the lipopolyplex (using gel shift assays) and to the cellular uptake, localisation and toxicity of the nanocomplexes (confocal microscopy). Although the size, charge, structure and stability of the various lipopolyplexes were broadly similar, it was clear that lipopolyplexes formulated from branched peptides containing His-Lys sequences perform best as siRNA delivery agents in serum, with protection of the siRNA in serum balanced against efficient release of the siRNA into the cytoplasm of the cell.

In Vitro Self-Assembly of the Light Harvesting Pigment-Protein LH2 Revealed by Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy

PubMed Central

Schubert, Axel; Stenstam, Anna; Beenken, Wichard J. D.; Herek, Jennifer L.; Cogdell, Richard; Pullerits, Tõnu; Sundström, Villy

2004-01-01

Controlled ensemble formation of protein-surfactant systems provides a fundamental concept for the realization of nanoscale devices with self-organizing capability. In this context, spectroscopic monitoring of pigment-containing proteins yields detailed structural information. Here we have studied the association behavior of the bacterial light-harvesting protein LH2 from Rhodobacter spheroides in an n,n-dimethyldodecylamine-n-oxide/water environment. Time-resolved studies of the excitation annihilation yielded information about aggregate sizes and packing of the protein complexes therein. The results are compared to transmission electron microscopy images of instantaneously frozen samples. Our data indicate the manifestation of different phases, which are discussed with respect to the thermodynamic equilibrium in ternary protein-surfactant-water systems. Accordingly, by varying the concentration the formation of different types of aggregates can be controlled. Conditions for the appearance of isolated LH2 complexes are defined. PMID:15041674

TiO2, SiO2 and ZrO2 Nanoparticles Synergistically Provoke Cellular Oxidative Damage in Freshwater Microalgae

PubMed Central

Liu, Yinghan; Ye, Nan; Fang, Hao; Wang, Degao

2018-01-01

Metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) are the most widely used engineered nanomaterials. The individual toxicities of metal-based NPs have been plentifully studied. However, the mixture toxicity of multiple NP systems (n ≥ 3) remains much less understood. Herein, the toxicity of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs), silicon dioxide (SiO2) NPs and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) NPs to unicellular freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus was investigated individually and in binary and ternary combination. Results show that the ternary combination systems of TiO2, SiO2 and ZrO2 NPs at a mixture concentration of 1 mg/L significantly enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular reactive oxygen species level in the algae. Moreover, the ternary NP systems remarkably increased the activity of the antioxidant defense enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, together with an increase in lipid peroxidation products and small molecule metabolites. Furthermore, the observation of superficial structures of S. obliquus revealed obvious oxidative damage induced by the ternary mixtures. Taken together, the ternary NP systems exerted more severe oxidative stress in the algae than the individual and the binary NP systems. Thus, our findings highlight the importance of the assessment of the synergistic toxicity of multi-nanomaterial systems. PMID:29419775

Thermoelectric properties of Co(x)Ni(4-x)Sb(12-y)Sn(y) ternary skutterudites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackey, Jon A.; Dynys, Frederick W.; Sehirlioglu, Alp

2014-01-01

Thermoelectric materials based on the skutterudite crystal structure have demonstrated enhanced performance (ZT greater than 1), along with good thermal stability and favorable mechanical properties. Binary skutterudites, with single and multiple fillers, have been intensively studied in recent years. Compared to binary skutterudites, the ternary systems have received less attention, e.g. Ni4Sb8Sn4. Ternary skutterudites are isoelectronic variants of binary skutterudites; cation substitutions appear to be isostructural to their binary analogues. In general, ternary skutterudites exhibit lower thermal conductivity. Ternary systems of Ni4Bi8Ge4, Ni4Sb8Ge4, and Ni4Sb8Sn4 were investigated using combined solidification and sintering steps. Skutterudite formation was not achieved in the Ni4Bi8Ge4 and Ni4Sb8Ge4 systems; skutterudite formation occurred in Ni4Sb8Sn4 system. P-type material was achieved by Co substitution for Ni. Thermoelectric properties were measured from 298 K to 673 K for Ni4Sb8Sn4, Ni4 Sb7Sn5 and Co2Ni2Sb7Sn5. N-type Ni4Sb8Sn4 exhibit the highest figure of merit of 0.1 at 523 K.

A study of interdiffusion in beta + gamma/gamma + gamma prime Ni-Cr-Al. M.S. Thesis. Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carol, L. A.

1985-01-01

Ternary diffusion in the NiCrAl system at 1200 C was studied with beta + gamma/gamma + gamma prime infinite diffusion couples. Interdiffusion resulted in the formation of complex, multiphase diffusion zones. Concentration/distance profiles for Cr and Al in the phases present in the diffusion zone were measured after 200 hr. The Ni-rich portion of the NiCrAl phase diagram (1200 C) was also determined. From these data, bulk Cr and Al profiles were calculated and translated to diffusion paths on the ternary isotherm. Growth layer kinetics of the layers present in the diffusion zone were also measured.

Hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry of functional membrane-bound chemotaxis receptor complexes.

PubMed

Koshy, Seena S; Eyles, Stephen J; Weis, Robert M; Thompson, Lynmarie K

2013-12-10

The transmembrane signaling mechanism of bacterial chemotaxis receptors is thought to involve changes in receptor conformation and dynamics. The receptors function in ternary complexes with two other proteins, CheA and CheW, that form extended membrane-bound arrays. Previous studies have shown that attractant binding induces a small (∼2 Å) piston displacement of one helix of the periplasmic and transmembrane domains toward the cytoplasm, but it is not clear how this signal propagates through the cytoplasmic domain to control the kinase activity of the CheA bound at the membrane-distal tip, nearly 200 Å away. The cytoplasmic domain has been shown to be highly dynamic, which raises the question of how a small piston motion could propagate through a dynamic domain to control CheA kinase activity. To address this, we have developed a method for measuring dynamics of the receptor cytoplasmic fragment (CF) in functional complexes with CheA and CheW. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) measurements of global exchange of the CF demonstrate that the CF exhibits significantly slower exchange in functional complexes than in solution. Because the exchange rates in functional complexes are comparable to those of other proteins with similar structures, the CF appears to be a well-structured protein within these complexes, which is compatible with its role in propagating a signal that appears to be a tiny conformational change in the periplasmic and transmembrane domains of the receptor. We also demonstrate the feasibility of this protocol for local exchange measurements by incorporating a pepsin digest step to produce peptides with 87% sequence coverage and only 20% back exchange. This method extends HDX-MS to membrane-bound functional complexes without detergents that may perturb the stability or structure of the system.

Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry of Functional Membrane-bound Chemotaxis Receptor Complexes

PubMed Central

Koshy, Seena S.; Eyles, Stephen J.; Weis, Robert M.; Thompson, Lynmarie K.

2014-01-01

The transmembrane signaling mechanism of bacterial chemotaxis receptors is thought to involve changes in receptor conformation and dynamics. The receptors function in ternary complexes with two other proteins, CheA and CheW, that form extended membrane-bound arrays. Previous studies have shown that attractant binding induces a small (~2 Å) piston displacement of one helix of the periplasmic and transmembrane domains towards the cytoplasm, but it is not clear how this signal propagates through the cytoplasmic domain to control the kinase activity of the CheA bound at the membrane-distal tip, nearly 200 Å away. The cytoplasmic domain has been shown to be highly dynamic, which raises the question of how a small piston motion could propagate through a dynamic domain to control CheA kinase activity. To address this, we have developed a method for measuring dynamics of the receptor cytoplasmic fragment (CF) in functional complexes with CheA and CheW. Hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) measurements of global exchange of CF demonstrate that CF exhibits significantly slower exchange in functional complexes than in solution. Since the exchange rates in functional complexes are comparable to that of other proteins of similar structure, the CF appears to be a well-structured protein within these complexes, which is compatible with its role in propagating a signal that appears to be a tiny conformational change in the periplasmic and transmembrane domains of the receptor. We also demonstrate the feasibility of this protocol for local exchange measurements, by incorporating a pepsin digest step to produce peptides with 87% sequence coverage and only 20% back exchange. This method extends HDX-MS to membrane-bound functional complexes without detergents that may perturb the stability or structure of the system. PMID:24274333

Focused Belief Measures for Uncertainty Quantification in High Performance Semantic Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joslyn, Cliff A.; Weaver, Jesse R.

In web-scale semantic data analytics there is a great need for methods which aggregate uncertainty claims, on the one hand respecting the information provided as accurately as possible, while on the other still being tractable. Traditional statistical methods are more robust, but only represent distributional, additive uncertainty. Generalized information theory methods, including fuzzy systems and Dempster-Shafer (DS) evidence theory, represent multiple forms of uncertainty, but are computationally and methodologically difficult. We require methods which provide an effective balance between the complete representation of the full complexity of uncertainty claims in their interaction, while satisfying the needs of both computational complexitymore » and human cognition. Here we build on J{\\o}sang's subjective logic to posit methods in focused belief measures (FBMs), where a full DS structure is focused to a single event. The resulting ternary logical structure is posited to be able to capture the minimal amount of generalized complexity needed at a maximum of computational efficiency. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach in a web ingest experiment over the 2012 Billion Triple dataset from the Semantic Web Challenge.« less

Sorption mechanism of enrofloxacin on humic acids extracted from Brazilian soils.

PubMed

Martínez-Mejía, Mónica J; Sato, Isabela; Rath, Susanne

2017-07-01

Veterinary antimicrobials are emerging environmental contaminants of concern. In this study, the sorption of enrofloxacin (ENR) onto humic acids (HAs) extracted from three Brazilian soils was evaluated. HAs were characterized by elemental analysis and solid 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The sorption of ENR onto HAs was at least 20-fold higher than onto the soils from which they were separated. Ionic and cation bridging are the primary interactions involved. The interactions driven by cation exchange are predominant on HAs, which appear to have abundant carboxylic groups and a relatively high proportion of H-bond donor moieties with carbohydrate-like structures. Interactions explained by cation bridging and/or surface complexation on HAs are facilitated by moieties containing conjugated ligands, significant content of oxygen-containing functional groups, such as phenolic-OH or lignin-like structures. HAs containing electron-donating phenolic moieties and carboxylic acid ligand groups exhibit a sorption mechanism that is primarily driven by strong metal binding, favoring the formation of ternary complexes between functional groups of the organic matter and drugs.

First principles studies of structure stability and lithium intercalation of ZnCo2 O4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanning; Liu, Weiwei; Beijing Computational Science Research Center Team

Among the metal oxides, which are the most widely investigated alternative anodes for use in lithium ion batteries (LIBs), binary and ternary transition metal oxides have received special attention due to their high capacity values. ZnCo2O4 is a promising candidate as anode for LIB, and one can expect a total capacity corresponding to 7.0 - 8.33 mol of recyclable Li per mole of ZnCo2O4. Here we studied the structural stability, electronic properties, lithium intercalation and diffusion barrier of ZnCo2O4 through density functional calculations. The calculated structural and energetic parameters are comparable with experiments. Our theoretical studies provide insights in understanding the mechanism of lithium ion displacement reactions in this ternary metal oxide.

Xenon and Other Volatile Anesthetics Change Domain Structure in Model Lipid Raft Membranes

PubMed Central

Weinrich, Michael; Worcester, David L.

2014-01-01

Inhalation anesthetics have been in clinical use for over 160 years, but the molecular mechanisms of action continue to be investigated. Direct interactions with ion channels received much attention after it was found that anesthetics do not change the structure of homogeneous model membranes. However, it was recently found that halothane, a prototypical anesthetic, changes domain structure of a binary lipid membrane. The noble gas xenon is an excellent anesthetic and provides a pivotal test of the generality of this finding, extended to ternary lipid raft mixtures. We report that xenon and conventional anesthetics change the domain equilibrium in two canonical ternary lipid raft mixtures. These findings demonstrate a membrane-mediated mechanism whereby inhalation anesthetics can affect the lipid environment of trans-membrane proteins. PMID:24299622

Thermodynamics of concentrated electrolyte mixtures and the prediction of mineral solubilities to high temperatures for mixtures in the system Na-K-Mg-Cl-SO 4-OH-H 2O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pabalan, Roberto T.; Pitzer, Kenneth S.

1987-09-01

Mineral solubilities in binary and ternary electrolyte mixtures in the system Na-K-Mg-Cl-SO 4-OH-H 2O are calculated to high temperatures using available thermodynamic data for solids and for aqueous electrolyte solutions. Activity and osmotic coefficients are derived from the ion-interaction model of Pitzer (1973, 1979) and co-workers, the parameters of which are evaluated from experimentally determined solution properties or from solubility data in binary and ternary mixtures. Excellent to good agreement with experimental solubilities for binary and ternary mixtures indicate that the model can be successfully used to predict mineral-solution equilibria to high temperatures. Although there are currently no theoretical forms for the temperature dependencies of the various model parameters, the solubility data in ternary mixtures can be adequately represented by constant values of the mixing term θ ij and values of ψ ijk which are either constant or have a simple temperature dependence. Since no additional parameters are needed to describe the thermodynamic properties of more complex electrolyte mixtures, the calculations can be extended to equilibrium studies relevant to natural systems. Examples of predicted solubilities are given for the quaternary system NaCl-KCl-MgCl 2-H 2O.

Investigation of the Interaction Between Human Serum Albumin and Two Drugs as Binary and Ternary Systems.

PubMed

Abdollahpour, Nooshin; Soheili, Vahid; Saberi, Mohammad Reza; Chamani, Jamshidkhan

2016-12-01

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most frequent protein in blood plasma. Albumin transports various compounds, preserves osmotic pressure, and buffers pH. A unique feature of albumin is its ability to bind drugs and other bioactive molecules. However, it is important to consider binary and ternary systems of two pharmaceuticals to estimate the effect of the first drug on the second one and physicochemical properties. Different techniques including time-resolved, second-derivative and anisotropy fluorescence spectroscopy, resonance light scattering (RLS), critical induced aggregation concentration (C CIAC ), particle size, zeta potential and stability analysis were employed in this assessment to elucidate the binding behavior of Amlodipine and Aspirin to HSA. Moreover, isothermal titration calorimetric techniques were performed and the QSAR properties were applied to analyze the hydration energy and log P. Multiple sequence alignments were also used to predict the structure and biological characteristics of the HSA binding site. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy showed interaction of both drugs to HSA based on a static quenching mechanism. Subsequently, second-derivative fluorescence spectroscopy presented different values of parameter H in binary and ternary systems, which were suggested that tryptophan was in a more polar environment in the ternary system than in a binary system. Moreover, the polydispersity index and results from mean number measurements revealed that the presence of the second drug caused a decrease in the stability of systems and increased the heterogeneity of complex. It is also, observed that the gradual addition of HSA has led to a marked increase in fluorescence anisotropy (r) of Amlodipine and Aspirin which can be suggested that the drugs were located in a restricted environment of the protein as confirmed by Red Edge Excitation Shift (REES) studies. The isothermal titration calorimetric technique demonstrated that the interaction of the drugs with HSA was an enthalpically-driven process. The present experiment showed that the binding of Amlodipine and Aspirin to HSA induced a conformational change of HSA. It was also identified that the protein binding of the first drug could be affected by the second drug. Such results can be of great use for understanding the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic mechanisms of drugs.

Short and medium range structures of 80GeSe2–20Ga2Se3 chalcogenide glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petracovschi, Elena; Calvez, Laurent; Cormier, Laurent; Le Coq, David; Du, Jincheng

2018-05-01

The short and medium range structures of 80GeSe2–20Ga2Se3 (or Ge23.5Ga11.8Se64.7) chalcogenide glasses have been studied by combining ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and experimental neutron diffraction studies. The structure factor and total correlation function were calculated from glass structures generated from AIMD simulations and compared with neutron diffraction experiments showing reasonable agreement. The atomic structures of ternary chalcogenide glasses were analyzed in detail, and it was found that gallium atoms are four-fold coordinated by selenium (Se) and form [GaSe4] tetrahedra. Germanium atoms on average also have four-fold coordination, among which Se is 3.5 with the remaining being Ge–Ge homo-nuclear bonds. Ga and Ge tetrahedra link together mainly through corner-sharing and some edge-sharing of Se. No homo-nuclear bonds were observed among Ga atoms or between Ge and Ga. In addition, Se–Se homo-nuclear bonds and Se chains with various lengths were observed. A small fraction of Se atom triclusters that bond to three cations of Ge and Ga were also observed, confirming earlier proposals from 77Se solid state nuclear magnetic resonance studies. Furthermore, the electronic structures of ternary chalcogenide glasses were studied in terms of atomic charge and electronic density of states in order to gain insights into the chemical bonding and electronic properties, as well as to provide an explanation of the observed atomic structures in these ternary chalcogenide glasses.

Substrate-induced stable enzyme-inhibitor complex formation allows tight binding of novel 2-aminopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones to drug-resistant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase mutants.

PubMed

Samuele, Alberta; Facchini, Marcella; Rotili, Dante; Mai, Antonello; Artico, Marino; Armand-Ugón, Mercedes; Esté, José A; Maga, Giovanni

2008-09-01

We recently reported the synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel series of 5-alkyl-2-(N,N-disubstituted)amino-6-(2,6-difluorophenylalkyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-4(3H)-ones (F(2)-N,N-DABOs). These compounds are highly active against both wild-type HIV-1 and the K103N, Y181C, and Y188L mutant strains. Herein we present novel 6-(2-chloro-6-fluorophenylalkyl)-N,N-DABO (2-Cl-6-F-N,N-DABO) derivatives and investigate the molecular basis for their high-affinity binding to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). Our results show that the new compounds display higher association rates than the difluoro derivatives toward wild-type HIV-1 RT or drug-resistant RT mutant forms. We also show that they preferentially associate to either the free enzyme or the enzyme-nucleic acid binary complex, and that this binding is stabilized upon formation of the ternary complex between HIV-1 RT and both the nucleic acid and nucleotide substrates. Interestingly, one compound showed dissociation rates from the ternary complex with RT mutants K103N and Y181I 10-20-fold slower than from the corresponding complex with wild-type RT.

His-Tag-Mediated Dimerization of Chemoreceptors Leads to Assembly of Functional Nanoarrays.

PubMed

Haglin, Elizabeth R; Yang, Wen; Briegel, Ariane; Thompson, Lynmarie K

2017-11-07

Transmembrane chemotaxis receptors are found in bacteria in extended hexagonal arrays stabilized by the membrane and by cytosolic binding partners, the kinase CheA and coupling protein CheW. Models of array architecture and assembly propose receptors cluster into trimers of dimers that associate with one CheA dimer and two CheW monomers to form the minimal "core unit" necessary for signal transduction. Reconstructing in vitro chemoreceptor ternary complexes that are homogeneous and functional and exhibit native architecture remains a challenge. Here we report that His-tag-mediated receptor dimerization with divalent metals is sufficient to drive assembly of nativelike functional arrays of a receptor cytoplasmic fragment. Our results indicate receptor dimerization initiates assembly and precedes formation of ternary complexes with partial kinase activity. Restoration of maximal kinase activity coincides with a shift to larger complexes, suggesting that kinase activity depends on interactions beyond the core unit. We hypothesize that achieving maximal activity requires building core units into hexagons and/or coalescing hexagons into the extended lattice. Overall, the minimally perturbing His-tag-mediated dimerization leads to assembly of chemoreceptor arrays with native architecture and thus serves as a powerful tool for studying the assembly and mechanism of this complex and other multiprotein complexes.

The Kinetic Mechanism of Phenylalanine Hydroxylase: Intrinsic Binding and Rate Constants from Single Turnover Experiments†

PubMed Central

Roberts, Kenneth M.; Pavon, Jorge Alex; Fitzpatrick, Paul F.

2013-01-01

Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PheH) catalyzes the key step in the catabolism of dietary phenylalanine, its hydroxylation to tyrosine using tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) and O2. A complete kinetic mechanism for PheH was determined by global analysis of single turnover data in the reaction of PheHΔ117, a truncated form of the enzyme lacking the N-terminal regulatory domain. Formation of the productive PheHΔ117-BH4-phenylalanine complex begins with the rapid binding of BH4 (Kd = 65 µM). Subsequent addition of phenylalanine to the binary complex to form the productive ternary complex (Kd = 130 µM) is approximately ten-fold slower. Both substrates can also bind to the free enzyme to form inhibitory binary complexes. O2 rapidly binds to the productive ternary complex; this is followed by formation of an unidentified intermediate, detectable as a decrease in absorbance at 340 nm, with a rate constant of 140 s−1. Formation of the 4a-hydroxypterin and Fe(IV)O intermediates is ten-fold slower and is followed by the rapid hydroxylation of the amino acid. Product release is the rate-determining step and largely determines kcat. Similar reactions using 6-methyltetrahydropterin indicate a preference for the physiological pterin during hydroxylation. PMID:23327364

Adsorption of Selenium and Strontium on Goethite: EXAFS Study and Surface Complexation Modeling of the Ternary Systems.

PubMed

Nie, Zhe; Finck, Nicolas; Heberling, Frank; Pruessmann, Tim; Liu, Chunli; Lützenkirchen, Johannes

2017-04-04

Knowledge of the geochemical behavior of selenium and strontium is critical for the safe disposal of radioactive wastes. Goethite, as one of the most thermodynamically stable and commonly occurring natural iron oxy-hydroxides, promisingly retains these elements. This work comprehensively studies the adsorption of Se(IV) and Sr(II) on goethite. Starting from electrokinetic measurements, the binary and ternary adsorption systems are investigated and systematically compared via batch experiments, EXAFS analysis, and CD-MUSIC modeling. Se(IV) forms bidentate inner-sphere surface complexes, while Sr(II) is assumed to form outer-sphere complexes at low and intermediate pH and inner-sphere complexes at high pH. Instead of a direct interaction between Se(IV) and Sr(II), our results indicate an electrostatically driven mutual enhancement of adsorption. Adsorption of Sr(II) is promoted by an average factor of 5 within the typical groundwater pH range from 6 to 8 for the concentration range studied here. However, the interaction between Se(IV) and Sr(II) at the surface is two-sided, Se(IV) promotes Sr(II) outer-sphere adsorption, but competes for inner-sphere adsorption sites at high pH. The complexity of surfaces is highlighted by the inability of adsorption models to predict isoelectric points without additional constraints.

mTORC1 and CK2 coordinate ternary and eIF4F complex assembly

PubMed Central

Gandin, Valentina; Masvidal, Laia; Cargnello, Marie; Gyenis, Laszlo; McLaughlan, Shannon; Cai, Yutian; Tenkerian, Clara; Morita, Masahiro; Balanathan, Preetika; Jean-Jean, Olivier; Stambolic, Vuk; Trost, Matthias; Furic, Luc; Larose, Louise; Koromilas, Antonis E.; Asano, Katsura; Litchfield, David; Larsson, Ola; Topisirovic, Ivan

2016-01-01

Ternary complex (TC) and eIF4F complex assembly are the two major rate-limiting steps in translation initiation regulated by eIF2α phosphorylation and the mTOR/4E-BP pathway, respectively. How TC and eIF4F assembly are coordinated, however, remains largely unknown. We show that mTOR suppresses translation of mRNAs activated under short-term stress wherein TC recycling is attenuated by eIF2α phosphorylation. During acute nutrient or growth factor stimulation, mTORC1 induces eIF2β phosphorylation and recruitment of NCK1 to eIF2, decreases eIF2α phosphorylation and bolsters TC recycling. Accordingly, eIF2β mediates the effect of mTORC1 on protein synthesis and proliferation. In addition, we demonstrate a formerly undocumented role for CK2 in regulation of translation initiation, whereby CK2 stimulates phosphorylation of eIF2β and simultaneously bolsters eIF4F complex assembly via the mTORC1/4E-BP pathway. These findings imply a previously unrecognized mode of translation regulation, whereby mTORC1 and CK2 coordinate TC and eIF4F complex assembly to stimulate cell proliferation. PMID:27040916

Structural Basis for a Reciprocating Mechanism of Negative Cooperativity in Dimeric Phosphagen Kinase Activity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, X.; Ye, S; Guo, S

Phosphagen kinase (PK) family members catalyze the reversible phosphoryl transfer between phosphagen and ADP to reserve or release energy in cell energy metabolism. The structures of classic quaternary complexes of dimeric creatine kinase (CK) revealed asymmetric ligand binding states of two protomers, but the significance and mechanism remain unclear. To understand this negative cooperativity further, we determined the first structure of dimeric arginine kinase (dAK), another PK family member, at 1.75 {angstrom}, as well as the structure of its ternary complex with AMPPNP and arginine. Further structural analysis shows that the ligand-free protomer in a ligand-bound dimer opens more widelymore » than the protomers in a ligand-free dimer, which leads to three different states of a dAK protomer. The unexpected allostery of the ligand-free protomer in a ligand-bound dimer should be relayed from the ligand-binding-induced allostery of its adjacent protomer. Mutations that weaken the interprotomer connections dramatically reduced the catalytic activities of dAK, indicating the importance of the allosteric propagation mediated by the homodimer interface. These results suggest a reciprocating mechanism of dimeric PK, which is shared by other ATP related oligomeric enzymes, e.g., ATP synthase. - Wu, X., Ye, S., Guo, S., Yan, W., Bartlam, M., Rao, Z. Structural basis for a reciprocating mechanism of negative cooperativity in dimeric phosphagen kinase activity.« less

ON THE REACTION OF COMPONENETS IN MeNO$sub 3$-UO$sub 2$(NO$sub 3$)$sub 2$- H$sub 2$O TYPE SYSTEMS (in Russian)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yakimov, M.A.; Nosova, N.F.; Degtyarev, A.Ya.

1963-01-01

Solubility in ternary systems TlNO/sub 3/--UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/-- H/sub 2/ O and CsNO/sub 3/--UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/--H/sub 2/O at 0 to 25 c- C was studi ed by the isothermal method. The first system did not form solid phase compounds; the second system formed two compounds Cs/sub 2/UO/ sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 4/ and CsUO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 3/ at 25 c- and of water vapor pressure over the systems at 25 c- showed that water activity in the ternary systems at certain concentrations does not exceed the water activity in binary uranyl nitratewater system (at identical uranyl nitrate concentrations) confirmingmore » the observed complex formation in the solution. The mechanism of complex formation was analyzed and expanded for alkali metal - metal salt-complexing agent water systems. (R.V.J.)« less

Structure of a retro-binding peptide inhibitor complexed with human alpha-thrombin.

PubMed

Tabernero, L; Chang, C Y; Ohringer, S L; Lau, W F; Iwanowicz, E J; Han, W C; Wang, T C; Seiler, S M; Roberts, D G; Sack, J S

1995-02-10

The crystallographic structure of the ternary complex between human alpha-thrombin, hirugen and the peptidyl inhibitor Phe-alloThr-Phe-O-CH3, which is acylated at its N terminus with 4-guanidino butanoic acid (BMS-183507), has been determined at 2.6 A resolution. The structure reveals a unique "retro-binding" mode for this tripeptide active site inhibitor. The inhibitor binds with its alkyl-guanidine moiety in the primary specificity pocket and its two phenyl rings occupying the hydrophobic proximal and distal pockets of the thrombin active site. In this arrangement the backbone of the tripeptide forms a parallel beta-strand to the thrombin main-chain at the binding site. This is opposite to the orientation of the natural substrate, fibrinogen, and all the small active site-directed thrombin inhibitors whose bound structures have been previously reported. BMS-183507 is the first synthetic inhibitor proved to bind in a retro-binding fashion to thrombin, in a fashion similar to that of the N-terminal residues of the natural inhibitor hirudin. Furthermore, this new potent thrombin inhibitor (Ki = 17.2 nM) is selective for thrombin over other serine proteases tested and may be a template to be considered in designing hirudin-based thrombin inhibitors with interactions at the specificity pocket.

Crystal structures of nematode (parasitic T. spiralis and free living C. elegans), compared to mammalian, thymidylate synthases (TS). Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations in search for nematode-specific inhibitors of TS.

PubMed

Jarmuła, Adam; Wilk, Piotr; Maj, Piotr; Ludwiczak, Jan; Dowierciał, Anna; Banaszak, Katarzyna; Rypniewski, Wojciech; Cieśla, Joanna; Dąbrowska, Magdalena; Frączyk, Tomasz; Bronowska, Agnieszka K; Jakowiecki, Jakub; Filipek, Sławomir; Rode, Wojciech

2017-10-01

Three crystal structures are presented of nematode thymidylate synthases (TS), including Caenorhabditis elegans (Ce) enzyme without ligands and its ternary complex with dUMP and Raltitrexed, and binary complex of Trichinella spiralis (Ts) enzyme with dUMP. In search of differences potentially relevant for the development of species-specific inhibitors of the nematode enzyme, a comparison was made of the present Ce and Ts enzyme structures, as well as binary complex of Ce enzyme with dUMP, with the corresponding mammalian (human, mouse and rat) enzyme crystal structures. To complement the comparison, tCONCOORD computations were performed to evaluate dynamic behaviors of mammalian and nematode TS structures. Finally, comparative molecular docking combined with molecular dynamics and free energy of binding calculations were carried out to search for ligands showing selective affinity to T. spiralis TS. Despite an overall strong similarity in structure and dynamics of nematode vs mammalian TSs, a pool of ligands demonstrating predictively a strong and selective binding to TsTS has been delimited. These compounds, the E63 family, locate in the dimerization interface of TsTS where they exert species-specific interactions with certain non-conserved residues, including hydrogen bonds with Thr174 and hydrophobic contacts with Phe192, Cys191 and Tyr152. The E63 family of ligands opens the possibility of future development of selective inhibitors of TsTS and effective agents against trichinellosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low Pt-content ternary PdCuPt nanodendrites: an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fu, Shaofang; Zhu, Chengzhou; Song, Junhua

2017-01-01

Dendritic nanostructures are capturing increasing attentions in electrocatalysis owing to their unique structural features and low density. Herein, we report for the first time bromide ions mediated synthesis of low-Pt-content PdCuPt ternary nanodendrites via galvanic replacement reaction between Pt precursor and PdCu template in aqueous solution. The experimental results show that the ternary PdCuPt nanodendrites present enhanced electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction in acid solution compared with commercial Pt/C as well as some state-of-the-art catalysts. In details, the mass activity of the PdCuPt catalyst with optimized composition is 1.73 A/mgPt at 0.85 V vs RHE, which is 14 timesmore » higher than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, the long-term stability test demonstrates its better durability in acid solution. After 5k cycles, there is still 70% electrochemical surface area maintained. This method provides an efficient way to synthesize trimetallic alloys with controllable composition and specific structure for oxygen reduction reaction.« less

Co(x)Ni(4-x)Sb(12-y)Sn(y) Ternary Skutterudites: Processing and Thermoelectric Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackey, Jon; Sehirlioglu, Alp; Dynys, Fred

2014-01-01

Skutterudites have proven to be a useful thermoelectric system as a result of their high figure of merit, favorable mechanical properties, and good thermal stability. Binary skutterudites have received the majority of interest in recent years, as a result of successful double and triple filling schemes. Ternary skutterudites, such as Ni4Sb7Sn5, also demonstrate good thermoelectric performance, with high power factor and low thermal conductivity. Ternary skutterudites, as contrasted to binary systems, provide more possibility for tuning electronic structure as substitutions can be studied on three elements. The Co(x)Ni(4-x)Sb(12-y)Sn(y) system has been investigated as both a p- and n-type thermoelectric material, stable up to 200 C. The system is processed through a combination of solidification, mechanical alloying, and hot pressing steps. Rietveld structure refinement has revealed an interesting occupancy of Sn on both the 24g Wyckoff position with Sb as well as the 2a position as a rattler. In addition to thermoelectric properties, detailed processing routes have been investigated on the system.

Stretchable, Highly Durable Ternary Nanocomposite Strain Sensor for Structural Health Monitoring of Flexible Aircraft

PubMed Central

Yin, Feng; Ye, Dong; Zhu, Chen; Qiu, Lei; Huang, YongAn

2017-01-01

Harmonious developments of electrical and mechanical performances are crucial for stretchable sensors in structural health monitoring (SHM) of flexible aircraft such as aerostats and morphing aircrafts. In this study, we prepared a highly durable ternary conductive nanocomposite made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), carbon black (CB) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to fabricate stretchable strain sensors. The nanocomposite has excellent electrical and mechanical properties by intensively optimizing the weight percentage of conducting fillers as well as the ratio of PDMS pre-polymer and curing agent. It was found that the nanocomposite with homogeneous hybrid filler of 1.75 wt % CB and 3 wt % MWCNTs exhibits a highly strain sensitive characteristics of good linearity, high gauge factor (GF ~ 12.25) and excellent durability over 105 stretching-releasing cycles under a tensile strain up to 25% when the PDMS was prepared at the ratio of 12.5:1. A strain measurement of crack detection for the aerostats surface was also employed, demonstrating a great potential of such ternary nanocomposite used as stretchable strain sensor in SHM. PMID:29156620

Facilitated charge transport in ternary interconnected electrodes for flexible supercapacitors with excellent power characteristics.

PubMed

Chen, Wanjun; He, Yongmin; Li, Xiaodong; Zhou, Jinyuan; Zhang, Zhenxing; Zhao, Changhui; Gong, Chengshi; Li, Shuankui; Pan, Xiaojun; Xie, Erqing

2013-12-07

Flexible and high performance supercapacitors are very critical in modern society. In order to develop the flexible supercapacitors with high power density, free-standing and flexible three-dimensional graphene/carbon nanotubes/MnO2 (3DG/CNTs/MnO2) composite electrodes with interconnected ternary 3D structures were fabricated, and the fast electron and ion transport channels were effectively constructed in the rationally designed electrodes. Consequently, the obtained 3DG/CNTs/MnO2 composite electrodes exhibit superior specific capacitance and rate capability compared to 3DG/MnO2 electrodes. Furthermore, the 3DG/CNTs/MnO2 based asymmetric supercapacitor demonstrates the maximum energy and power densities of 33.71 W h kg(-1) and up to 22,727.3 W kg(-1), respectively. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits excellent cycling stability with 95.3% of the specific capacitance maintained after 1000 cycle tests. Our proposed synthesis strategy to construct the novel ternary 3D structured electrodes can be efficiently applied to other high performance energy storage/conversion systems.

Liquid-liquid phase separation and core-shell structure of ternary Al-In-Sn immiscible alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Degang; Bo, Lin; Wang, Lin; Li, Shanshan

2018-04-01

In this study, the liquid-liquid phase separation of four kinds of ternary immiscible Al-In-Sn melts was investigated with resistivity and thermodynamics method. The nonlinear changes in ρ-T and DSC curves of Al-In-Sn immiscible alloys above monotectic reaction temperature revealed the occurrence of liquid-liquid phase separation of Al-In-Sn melts. The monotectic temperature, liquid phase separation temperature and immiscible gap of ternary Al-In-Sn alloys were lower than those of binary Al-In alloy. With the Al content decreasing, the immiscible gap of Al-In-Sn alloy decreased. The composition of Al80In10Sn10, Al70In15Sn15, Al60In20Sn20 and Al50In25Sn25 was located in the immiscible zone of Al-In-Sn system. Due to the differences of Stokes effect, Marangoni convection and immiscible gap, the solidification morphology of four kinds of Al-In-Sn monotectic alloy was different. The core–shell structure of Al-In-Sn monotectic alloy can form within a certain range of composition.

Superconductivity of ternary silicide with the AlB(2)-type structure Sr(Ga(0.37),Si(0.63))(2).

PubMed

Imai, M; Abe, E; Ye, J; Nishida, K; Kimura, T; Honma, K; Abe, H; Kitazawa, H

2001-08-13

A ternary silicide Sr(Ga(0.37),Si(0.63))(2) was synthesized by a floating zone method. Electron diffraction and powder x-ray diffraction measurements indicate that the silicide has the AlB(2)-type structure with the lattice constants of a = 4.1427(6) A and c = 4.7998(9) A, where Si and Ga atoms are arranged in a chemically disordered honeycomb lattice and Sr atoms are inercalated between them. The silicide is isostructural with the high-temperature superconductor MgB(2) reported recently. Electrical resistivity and dc magnetization measurements revealed that it is a type-II superconductor with onset temperature of 3.5 K.

Study of certain features of the electronic structure of the ternary alloys Ni2(Mn, Fe) and Ni3(Mn, Co)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhukova, V. M.; Fadin, V. P.

1981-01-01

The changes in electronic structure related to transport processes occurring during the alloying of he alloy Ni3Mn with iron and cobalt, and the ordering of the ternary alloys thus formed are presented. The Hall effect, the absolute thermal emf, the internal saturation induction, the Nernst-Ettingshausen constant, and the electrical resistivity were measured. Results show a decrease in the contribution of hole sections of the Fermi surface to the transport process occurs together with a considerable increase in the contribution of electron sections. In this case, the mobility of 3 dimensional holes decreases and the mobility of 4s electrons increases considerably.

Towards Solvation of a Chiral Alpha-Hydroxy Ester: Broadband Chirp and Narrow Band Cavity Fouirier Transform Microwave Spectroscopy of Methyl Lactate-Water Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Javix; Sukhorukov, Oleksandr; Jaeger, Wolfgang; Xu, Yunjie

2013-06-01

Methyl lactate (ML), a chiral alpha-hydroxy ester, has attracted much attention as a prototype system in studies of chirality transfer,[1] solvation effects on chiroptical signatures,[2] and chirality recognition.[3] It has multiple functional groups which can serve both as a hydrogen donor and acceptor. By applying rotational spectroscopy and high level ab initio calculations, we examine the delicate competition between inter- and intramolecular hydrogen-bonding in the ML-water clusters. Broadband rotational spectra obtained with a chirp Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectrometer, reveal that the insertion conformations are the most favourable ones in the binary and ternary solvated complexes. In the insertion conformations, the water molecule(s) inserts itself (themselves) into the existing intramolecular hydrogen-bonded ring formed between the alcoholic hydroxyl group and the oxygen of the carbonyl group of ML. The final frequency measurements have been carried out using a cavity based FTMW instrument where internal rotation splittings due to the ester methyl group have also been detected. A number of insertion conformers with subtle structural differences for both the binary and ternary complexes have been identified theoretically. The interconversion dynamics of these conformers and the identification of the most favorable conformers will be discussed. 1. C. Merten, Y. Xu, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2013, 52, 2073 -2076. 2. M. Losada, Y. Xu, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2007, 9, 3127-3135; Y. Liu, G. Yang, M. Losada, Y. Xu, J. Chem. Phys., 2010, 132, 234513/1-11. 3. A. Zehnacker, M. Suhm, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 6970 - 6992.

Loss of Partitioning-Defective-3/Isotype-Specific Interacting Protein (Par-3/ASIP) in the Elongating Spermatid of RA175 (IGSF4A/SynCAM)-Deficient Mice

PubMed Central

Fujita, Eriko; Tanabe, Yuko; Hirose, Tomonori; Aurrand-Lions, Michel; Kasahara, Tadashi; Imhof, Beat A.; Ohno, Shigeo; Momoi, Takashi

2007-01-01

IGSF4a/RA175/SynCAM (RA175) and junctional adhesion molecules (Jams) are members of the immunoglobulin superfamily with a PDZ-binding domain at their C termini. Deficiency of Ra175 (Ra175−/−) as well as Jam-C deficiency (Jam-C−/−) causes the defect of the spermatid differentiation, oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia. Ra175−/− elongating spermatids fail to mature further, whereas Jam-C−/− round spermatids lose cell polarity, and most of Jam-C−/− elongated spermatids are completely lost. RA175 and Jam-C seem to have similar but distinct functional roles during spermatid differentiation. Here we show that the cell polarity protein Par-3 with PDZ domains, a binding partner of Jams, is one of the associated proteins of the cytoplasmic region of RA175 in testis. Par-3 and Jam-C are partly co-localized with RA175 in the elongating and elongated spermatids; their distributions overlapped with that of RA175 on the tips of the dorsal region of the head of the elongating spermatid (steps 9 to 12) in the wild type. In the Ra175−/− elongating spermatid, Par-3 was absent, and Jam-C was absent or abnormally localized. The RA175 formed a ternary complex with Jam-C via interaction with Par-3. The lack of the ternary complex in the Ra175−/− elongating spermatid may cause the defect of the specialized adhesion structures, resulting in the oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia. PMID:18055550

Carbon-Coated Honeycomb Ni-Mn-Co-O Inverse Opal: A High Capacity Ternary Transition Metal Oxide Anode for Li-ion Batteries

PubMed Central

McNulty, David; Geaney, Hugh; O’Dwyer, Colm

2017-01-01

We present the formation of a carbon-coated honeycomb ternary Ni-Mn-Co-O inverse opal as a conversion mode anode material for Li-ion battery applications. In order to obtain high capacity via conversion mode reactions, a single phase crystalline honeycombed IO structure of Ni-Mn-Co-O material was first formed. This Ni-Mn-Co-O IO converts via reversible redox reactions and Li2O formation to a 3D structured matrix assembly of nanoparticles of three (MnO, CoO and NiO) oxides, that facilitates efficient reactions with Li. A carbon coating maintains the structure without clogging the open-worked IO pore morphology for electrolyte penetration and mass transport of products during cycling. The highly porous IO was compared in a Li-ion half-cell to nanoparticles of the same material and showed significant improvement in specific capacity and capacity retention. Further optimization of the system was investigated by incorporating a vinylene carbonate additive into the electrolyte solution which boosted performance, offering promising high-rate performance and good capacity retention over extended cycling. The analysis confirms the possibility of creating a ternary transition metal oxide material with binder free accessible open-worked structure to allow three conversion mode oxides to efficiently cycle as an anode material for Li-ion battery applications. PMID:28186183

Carbon-Coated Honeycomb Ni-Mn-Co-O Inverse Opal: A High Capacity Ternary Transition Metal Oxide Anode for Li-ion Batteries.

PubMed

McNulty, David; Geaney, Hugh; O'Dwyer, Colm

2017-02-10

We present the formation of a carbon-coated honeycomb ternary Ni-Mn-Co-O inverse opal as a conversion mode anode material for Li-ion battery applications. In order to obtain high capacity via conversion mode reactions, a single phase crystalline honeycombed IO structure of Ni-Mn-Co-O material was first formed. This Ni-Mn-Co-O IO converts via reversible redox reactions and Li 2 O formation to a 3D structured matrix assembly of nanoparticles of three (MnO, CoO and NiO) oxides, that facilitates efficient reactions with Li. A carbon coating maintains the structure without clogging the open-worked IO pore morphology for electrolyte penetration and mass transport of products during cycling. The highly porous IO was compared in a Li-ion half-cell to nanoparticles of the same material and showed significant improvement in specific capacity and capacity retention. Further optimization of the system was investigated by incorporating a vinylene carbonate additive into the electrolyte solution which boosted performance, offering promising high-rate performance and good capacity retention over extended cycling. The analysis confirms the possibility of creating a ternary transition metal oxide material with binder free accessible open-worked structure to allow three conversion mode oxides to efficiently cycle as an anode material for Li-ion battery applications.

Design and implementation of the modified signed digit multiplication routine on a ternary optical computer.

PubMed

Xu, Qun; Wang, Xianchao; Xu, Chao

2017-06-01

Multiplication with traditional electronic computers is faced with a low calculating accuracy and a long computation time delay. To overcome these problems, the modified signed digit (MSD) multiplication routine is established based on the MSD system and the carry-free adder. Also, its parallel algorithm and optimization techniques are studied in detail. With the help of a ternary optical computer's characteristics, the structured data processor is designed especially for the multiplication routine. Several ternary optical operators are constructed to perform M transformations and summations in parallel, which has accelerated the iterative process of multiplication. In particular, the routine allocates data bits of the ternary optical processor based on digits of multiplication input, so the accuracy of the calculation results can always satisfy the users. Finally, the routine is verified by simulation experiments, and the results are in full compliance with the expectations. Compared with an electronic computer, the MSD multiplication routine is not only good at dealing with large-value data and high-precision arithmetic, but also maintains lower power consumption and fewer calculating delays.

Facet-Specific Ligand Interactions on Ternary AgSbS 2 Colloidal Quantum Dots

DOE PAGES

Choi, Hyekyoung; Kim, Sungwoo; Luther, Joseph M.; ...

2017-11-07

Silver dimetal chalcogenide (Ag-V-VI 2) ternary quantum dots (QDs) are emerging lead-free materials for optoelectronic devices due to their NIR band gaps, large absorption coefficients, and superior electronic properties. However, thin film-based devices of the ternary QDs still lag behind due to the lack of understanding of the surface chemistry, compared to that of lead chalcogenide QDs even with the same crystal structure. Here in this paper, the surface ligand interactions of AgSbS 2 QDs, synthesized with 1-dodecanethiol used as a stabilizer, are studied. For nonpolar (1 0 0) surfaces, it is suggested that the thiolate ligands are associated withmore » the crystal lattices, thus preventing surface oxidation by protecting sulfur after air-exposure, as confirmed through optical and surface chemical analysis. Otherwise, silver rich (1 1 1) surfaces are passivated by thiolate ligands, allowing ligand exchange processes for the conductive films. This in-depth investigation of the surface chemistry of ternary QDs will prompt the performance enhancement of their optoelectronic devices.« less

First-principles study of intermetallic phase stability in the ternary Ti-Al-Nb alloy system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asta, M.; Ormeci, A.; Wills, J.M.

The stability of bcc-based phases in the Ti-Al-Nb alloy system has been studied from first-principles using a combination of ab-initio total energy and cluster variation method (CVM) calculations. Total energies have been computed for 18 binary and ternary bcc superstructures in order to determine low temperature ordering tendencies. From the results of these calculations a set of effective cluster interaction parameters have been derived. These interaction parameters are required input for CVM computations of alloy thermodynamic properties. The CVM has been used to study the effect of composition on finite-temperature ordering tendencies and site preferences for bcc-based phases. Strong orderingmore » tendencies are observed for binary Nb-Al and Ti-Al bcc phases as well as for ternary alloys with compositions near Ti{sub 2}AlNb. For selected superstructures we have also analyzed structural stabilities with respect to tetragonal distortions which transform the bcc into an fcc lattice. Instabilities with respect to such distortions are found to exist for binary but not ternary bcc compounds.« less

Compositional bowing of band energies and their deformation potentials in strained InGaAs ternary alloys: A first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khomyakov, Petr A.; Luisier, Mathieu; Schenk, Andreas

2015-08-01

Using first-principles calculations, we show that the conduction and valence band energies and their deformation potentials exhibit a non-negligible compositional bowing in strained ternary semiconductor alloys such as InGaAs. The electronic structure of these compounds has been calculated within the framework of local density approximation and hybrid functional approach for large cubic supercells and special quasi-random structures, which represent two kinds of model structures for random alloys. We find that the predicted bowing effect for the band energy deformation potentials is rather insensitive to the choice of the functional and alloy structural model. The direction of bowing is determined by In cations that give a stronger contribution to the formation of the InxGa1-xAs valence band states with x ≳ 0.5, compared to Ga cations.

Filtering properties of Thue-Morse nano-photonic crystals containing high-temperature superconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talebzadeh, Robabeh; Bavaghar, Mehrdad

2018-05-01

In this paper, we introduced new design of quasi-periodic layered structures by choosing order two of ternary Thue-Morse structure. We considered Superconductor-dielectric photonic crystal with mirror symmetric as (ABSSAB)N(BASSBA)N composed of two kinds of nano-scale dielectric layers (A and B) and high-temperature superconductor layers where N is the number of period. This structure is assumed to be the free space. By using the transfer matrix method and the two fluid model, we theoretically study the transmission spectrum of ternary Thue-Morse superconducting photonic crystals with mirror symmetry and introduce this structure as a narrow optical filter. We showed that transmission peak so-called defect mode appears itself inside the transmission spectrum of suggested structure as same as defective layered structure. Also, we analyzed the influence of various related parameters such as the operating temperature of superconductor layer on position of defect mode. The redshift of defect mode with increasing the operating temperature was observed.

Utilizing Energy Transfer in Binary and Ternary Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells.

PubMed

Feron, Krishna; Cave, James M; Thameel, Mahir N; O'Sullivan, Connor; Kroon, Renee; Andersson, Mats R; Zhou, Xiaojing; Fell, Christopher J; Belcher, Warwick J; Walker, Alison B; Dastoor, Paul C

2016-08-17

Energy transfer has been identified as an important process in ternary organic solar cells. Here, we develop kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) models to assess the impact of energy transfer in ternary and binary bulk heterojunction systems. We used fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy to determine the energy disorder and Förster radii for poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester, 4-bis[4-(N,N-diisobutylamino)-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl]squaraine (DIBSq), and poly(2,5-thiophene-alt-4,9-bis(2-hexyldecyl)-4,9-dihydrodithieno[3,2-c:3',2'-h][1,5]naphthyridine-5,10-dione). Heterogeneous energy transfer is found to be crucial in the exciton dissociation process of both binary and ternary organic semiconductor systems. Circumstances favoring energy transfer across interfaces allow relaxation of the electronic energy level requirements, meaning that a cascade structure is not required for efficient ternary organic solar cells. We explain how energy transfer can be exploited to eliminate additional energy losses in ternary bulk heterojunction solar cells, thus increasing their open-circuit voltage without loss in short-circuit current. In particular, we show that it is important that the DIBSq is located at the electron donor-acceptor interface; otherwise charge carriers will be trapped in the DIBSq domain or excitons in the DIBSq domains will not be able to dissociate efficiently at an interface. KMC modeling shows that only small amounts of DIBSq (<5% by weight) are needed to achieve substantial performance improvements due to long-range energy transfer.

Facilitated charge transport in ternary interconnected electrodes for flexible supercapacitors with excellent power characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wanjun; He, Yongmin; Li, Xiaodong; Zhou, Jinyuan; Zhang, Zhenxing; Zhao, Changhui; Gong, Chengshi; Li, Shuankui; Pan, Xiaojun; Xie, Erqing

2013-11-01

Flexible and high performance supercapacitors are very critical in modern society. In order to develop the flexible supercapacitors with high power density, free-standing and flexible three-dimensional graphene/carbon nanotubes/MnO2 (3DG/CNTs/MnO2) composite electrodes with interconnected ternary 3D structures were fabricated, and the fast electron and ion transport channels were effectively constructed in the rationally designed electrodes. Consequently, the obtained 3DG/CNTs/MnO2 composite electrodes exhibit superior specific capacitance and rate capability compared to 3DG/MnO2 electrodes. Furthermore, the 3DG/CNTs/MnO2 based asymmetric supercapacitor demonstrates the maximum energy and power densities of 33.71 W h kg-1 and up to 22 727.3 W kg-1, respectively. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits excellent cycling stability with 95.3% of the specific capacitance maintained after 1000 cycle tests. Our proposed synthesis strategy to construct the novel ternary 3D structured electrodes can be efficiently applied to other high performance energy storage/conversion systems.Flexible and high performance supercapacitors are very critical in modern society. In order to develop the flexible supercapacitors with high power density, free-standing and flexible three-dimensional graphene/carbon nanotubes/MnO2 (3DG/CNTs/MnO2) composite electrodes with interconnected ternary 3D structures were fabricated, and the fast electron and ion transport channels were effectively constructed in the rationally designed electrodes. Consequently, the obtained 3DG/CNTs/MnO2 composite electrodes exhibit superior specific capacitance and rate capability compared to 3DG/MnO2 electrodes. Furthermore, the 3DG/CNTs/MnO2 based asymmetric supercapacitor demonstrates the maximum energy and power densities of 33.71 W h kg-1 and up to 22 727.3 W kg-1, respectively. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits excellent cycling stability with 95.3% of the specific capacitance maintained after 1000 cycle tests. Our proposed synthesis strategy to construct the novel ternary 3D structured electrodes can be efficiently applied to other high performance energy storage/conversion systems. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional experimental details; calculations of the specific capacitances, and energy and power densities; additional SEM and optical images; XPS results; additional electrochemical results. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03923d

Crystal structure and stability of gyrase–fluoroquinolone cleaved complexes from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Williamson, Benjamin H.; Kerns, Robert J.; Berger, James M.

2016-01-01

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infects one-third of the world’s population and in 2013 accounted for 1.5 million deaths. Fluoroquinolone antibacterials, which target DNA gyrase, are critical agents used to halt the progression from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis to extensively resistant disease; however, fluoroquinolone resistance is emerging and new ways to bypass resistance are required. To better explain known differences in fluoroquinolone action, the crystal structures of the WT Mtb DNA gyrase cleavage core and a fluoroquinolone-sensitized mutant were determined in complex with DNA and five fluoroquinolones. The structures, ranging from 2.4- to 2.6-Å resolution, show that the intrinsically low susceptibility of Mtb to fluoroquinolones correlates with a reduction in contacts to the water shell of an associated magnesium ion, which bridges fluoroquinolone–gyrase interactions. Surprisingly, the structural data revealed few differences in fluoroquinolone–enzyme contacts from drugs that have very different activities against Mtb. By contrast, a stability assay using purified components showed a clear relationship between ternary complex reversibility and inhibitory activities reported with cultured cells. Collectively, our data indicate that the stability of fluoroquinolone/DNA interactions is a major determinant of fluoroquinolone activity and that moieties that have been appended to the C7 position of different quinolone scaffolds do not take advantage of specific contacts that might be made with the enzyme. These concepts point to new approaches for developing quinolone-class compounds that have increased potency against Mtb and the ability to overcome resistance. PMID:26792525

Differences observed in the surface morphology and microstructure of Ni-Fe-Cu ternary thin films electrochemically deposited at low and high applied current densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarac, U.; Kaya, M.; Baykul, M. C.

2016-10-01

In this research, nanocrystalline Ni-Fe-Cu ternary thin films using electrochemical deposition technique were produced at low and high applied current densities onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coated conducting glass substrates. Change of surface morphology and microstructural properties of the films were investigated. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements showed that the Ni-Fe-Cu ternary thin films exhibit anomalous codeposition behaviour during the electrochemical deposition process. From the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, it was revealed that there are two segregated phases such as Cu- rich and Ni-rich within the films. The crystallographic structure of the films was face-centered cubic (FCC). It was also observed that the film has lower lattice micro-strain and higher texture degree at high applied current density. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that the films have rounded shape particles on the base part and cauliflower-like structures on the upper part. The film electrodeposited at high current density had considerably smaller rounded shape particles and cauliflower-like structures. From the atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses, it was shown that the film deposited at high current density has smaller particle size and surface roughness than the film grown at low current density.

Theoretical investigation on thermodynamic properties of ZnO1-x Te x alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Debing; Li, Mingkai; Luo, Minghai; Zhu, Jiakun; Yang, Hui; Huang, Zhongbing; Ahuja, Rajeev; He, Yunbin

2017-05-01

In this study, the formation energy, phase diagram (with/without phonon contribution) and the relationship between bond stiffness and bond length for wurtzite (WZ) and zincblende (ZB) structures of ZnO1-x Te x (0  ⩽  x  ⩽  1) alloys have been investigated by combining first-principles calculations and cluster expansion method. The formation energy of ZnO1-x Te x alloys is very high in both structures, which means that it is difficult for ZnO and ZnTe to form stable ternary alloys ZnO1-x Te x . In the phase diagrams, both structures do not have stable phase of ternary alloys and ZnO1-x Te x ternary alloys can only exist in the form of metastable phase. These results indicate that ZnO and ZnTe easily form solid solubility gap when they form alloys. After considering vibrational free energy, we found the solubility of Te in ZnO and O in ZnTe was increased and the vibrational entropy improved the solubility furthermore. The phonon contribution is not ignorable to improve solid solubility. The phonon density of states was analyzed for ZnO1-x Te x alloys and the contribution from vibrational entropy was discussed.

Unraveling Structure-Property Relationships in Polymer Blends for Intelligent Materials Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irwin, Matthew Tyler

Block polymers provide an accessible route to structured, composite materials by combining two or more components with disparate mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties into a single bulk material with nanoscale domains. However, the characteristic lengthscale of these systems is limited, and the choice of components is restricted to those that are able to undergo microstructural ordering at accessible temperatures. This thesis details routes to overcoming these limitations through the addition of a lithium salt, a blend of homopolymers, or both. Chapter 2 describes a study wherein complex sphere phases such as the Frank-Kasper sigma phase can be observed in otherwise disordered asymmetric block polymers through the addition of a lithium salt. Chapter 3 discusses the development and characterization of a ternary polymer blend of an AB diblock copolymer and A and B homopolymers doped with a lithium salt. Detailed characterization showed that doping blends that are otherwise disordered with lithium salt induced microstructural ordering and largely recovers the phase behavior of traditional ternary polymer blends. A systematic study of the ionic conductivity of the blends at a fixed salt concentration demonstrates that, at a given composition, disordered, yet highly structured blends consistently exhibit better conductivity than polycrystalline morphologies with long range order. Chapter 4 extends the methodology of Chapter 3 and details a systematic study of the effects of cross-linker concentration on the performance of polymer electrolyte membranes produced via polymerization-induced microphase separation that exhibit a highly structured, globally disordered microstructure. Finally, Chapter 5 details efforts to develop a water filtration membrane using a polyethylene template derived from a polymeric bicontinuous microemulsion. Throughout all of this work, the goal is to better understand structure-property relationships at the molecular level in order to ultimately inform design criteria for materials where simultaneous control over morphology and mechanical, chemical, or electrical properties is important.

A New Class of Ternary Compound for Lithium-Ion Battery: from Composite to Solid Solution.

PubMed

Wang, Jiali; Wu, Hailong; Cui, Yanhua; Liu, Shengzhou; Tian, Xiaoqing; Cui, Yixiu; Liu, Xiaojiang; Yang, Yin

2018-02-14

Searching for high-performance cathode materials is a crucial task to develop advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with high-energy densities for electrical vehicles (EVs). As a promising lithium-rich material, Li 2 MnO 3 delivers high capacity over 200 mAh g -1 but suffers from poor structural stability and electronic conductivity. Replacing Mn 4+ ions by relatively larger Sn 4+ ions is regarded as a possible strategy to improve structural stability and thus cycling performance of Li 2 MnO 3 material. However, large difference in ionic radii of Mn 4+ and Sn 4+ ions leads to phase separation of Li 2 MnO 3 and Li 2 SnO 3 during high-temperature synthesis. To prepare solid-solution phase of Li 2 MnO 3 -Li 2 SnO 3 , a buffer agent of Ru 4+ , whose ionic radius is in between that of Mn 4+ and Sn 4+ ions, is introduced to assist the formation of a single solid-solution phase. The results show that the Li 2 RuO 3 -Li 2 MnO 3 -Li 2 SnO 3 ternary system evolves from mixed composite phases into a single solid-solution phase with increasing Ru content. Meanwhile, discharge capacity of this ternary system shows significantly increase at the transformation point which is ascribed to the improvement of Li + /e - transportation kinetics and anionic redox chemistry for solid-solution phase. The role of Mn/Sn molar ratio of Li 2 RuO 3 -Li 2 MnO 3 -Li 2 SnO 3 ternary system has also been studied. It is revealed that higher Sn content benefits cycling stability of the system because Sn 4+ ions with larger sizes could partially block the migration of Mn 4+ and Ru 4+ from transition metal layer to Li layer, thus suppressing structural transformation of the system from layered-to-spinel phase. These findings may enable a new route for exploring ternary or even quaternary lithium-rich cathode materials for LIBs.

Interactions of diamines with adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) in the systems including copper(II) ions.

PubMed

Bregier-Jarzebowska, R; Gasowska, A; Hoffmann, S K; Lomozik, L

2016-09-01

Interactions were studied in the systems ATP/tn and ATP/Put (tn=1,3-diaminopropane, Put=putrescine) whereas the complexation reactions in ternary systems Cu(II)/ATP/tn and Cu(II)/ATP/Put. Results of the potentiometric and spectroscopic studies evidenced the formation of adducts of the type (ATP)H x (PA), where PA=diamine. The thermodynamic stability of the complexes and the mode of interactions were determined. On the basis of analysis of changes in the positions of NMR signals, in the pH range of (ATP)H 3 (Put) formation, the preferred centres of the interaction between ATP and Put are the endocyclic nitrogen atoms from the nucleotide. On the other hand, the shorter diamine tn in the entire pH range reacts with the phosphate groups from ATP. The positive centres of noncovalent interactions are the protonated NH x + groups from amines. In both complexes Cu(ATP)H 2 (tn) and Cu(ATP)H 3 (Put) formed in ternary systems at pH<6.5, the amines are in the outer sphere of coordination with the noncovalent interaction with anchoring Cu(ATP). Only the phosphate groups from the nucleotide take part in metalation. At higher pH in the range of Cu(ATP)(PA) complex formation, significant differences in the reactions of the two amines appear. The shorter one (tn) binds Cu(II) ions with two nitrogen atoms, while putrescine coordinates in the monofunctional mode, which is undoubtedly related to the differences in lengths of methylene chain. This explains the considerable differences in the stability of Cu(ATP)(tn) and Cu(ATP)(Put). In both complexes the nucleotide is coordinated through phosphate groups. As a result of noncovalent interactions ATP forms molecular complexes with 1,3-diaminopropane and 1,4-diaminobutane (putrescine). Significant differences in the mode of interactions between the two diamines were observed in ATP/diamine binary systems and in ternary systems Cu(II)/ATP/diamine, at high pH. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Substrate Induced Structural and Dynamics Changes in Human Phosphomevalonate Kinase and Implications for Mechanism

PubMed Central

Olson, Andrew L.; Yao, Huili; Herdendorf, Timothy J.; Miziorko, Henry M.; Hannongbua, Supa; Saparpakorn, Patchareenart; Cai, Sheng; Sem, Daniel S.

2008-01-01

Phosphomevalonate kinase (PMK) catalyzes an essential step in the mevalonate pathway, which is the only pathway for synthesis of isoprenoids and steroids in humans. PMK catalyzes transfer of the γ-phosphate of ATP to mevalonate 5-phosphate (M5P) to form mevalonate 5-diphosphate. Bringing these phosphate groups in proximity to react is especially challenging, given the high negative charge density on the four phosphate groups in the active site. As such, conformational and dynamics changes needed to form the Michaelis complex are of mechanistic interest. Herein, we report the characterization of substrate induced changes (Mg-ADP, M5P, and the ternary complex) in PMK, using NMR-based dynamics and chemical shift perturbation measurements. Mg-ADP and M5P Kd's were 6-60 μM in all complexes, consistent with there being little binding synergy. Binding of M5P causes the PMK structure to compress (τc= 13.5 nsec), while subsequent binding of Mg-ADP opens the structure up (τc= 17.6 nsec). The overall complex seems to stay very rigid on the psec-nsec timescale with an average NMR order parameter of S2∼0.88. Data are consistent with addition of M5P causing movement around a hinge region to permit domain closure, which would bring the M5P domain close to ATP to permit catalysis. Dynamics data identify potential hinge residues as H55 and R93, based on their low order parameters and their location in extended regions that connect the M5P and ATP domains in the PMK homology model. Likewise, D163 may be a hinge residue for the lid region that is homologous to the adenylate kinase lid, covering the “Walker-A” catalytic loop. Binding of ATP or ADP appears to cause similar conformational changes; but, these observations do not indicate an obvious role for γ-phosphate binding interactions. Indeed, the role of γ-phosphate interactions may be more subtle than suggested by ATP/ADP comparisons, since the conservative O to NH substitution in the β-γ bridge of ATP causes a dramatic decrease in affinity and induces few chemical shift perturbations. In terms of positioning of catalytic residues, binding of M5P induces a rigidification of Gly21 (adjacent to the catalytically important Lys22), although exchange broadening in the ternary complex suggests some motion on a slower timescale does still occur. Finally, the first 9 residues of the N-terminus are highly disordered, suggesting they may be part of a cleavable signal or regulatory peptide sequence. PMID:18798562

Constructing Sheet-On-Sheet Structured Graphitic Carbon Nitride/Reduced Graphene Oxide/Layered MnO₂ Ternary Nanocomposite with Outstanding Catalytic Properties on Thermal Decomposition of Ammonium Perchlorate.

PubMed

Xu, Jianhua; Li, Dongnan; Chen, Yu; Tan, Linghua; Kou, Bo; Wan, Fushun; Jiang, Wei; Li, Fengsheng

2017-12-15

We unprecedentedly report that layered MnO₂ nanosheets were in situ formed onto the surface of covalently bonded graphitic carbon nitride/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (g-C₃N₄/rGO), forming sheet-on-sheet structured two dimension (2D) graphitic carbon nitride/reduced graphene oxide/layered MnO₂ ternary nanocomposite (g-C₃N₄/rGO/MnO₂) with outstanding catalytic properties on thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP). The covalently bonded g-C₃N₄/rGO was firstly prepared by the calcination of graphene oxide-guanidine hydrochloride precursor (GO-GndCl), following by its dispersion into the KMnO₄ aqueous solution to construct the g-C₃N₄/rGO/MnO₂ ternary nanocomposite. FT-IR, XRD, Raman as well as the XPS results clearly demonstrated the chemical interaction between g-C₃N₄, rGO and MnO₂. TEM and element mapping indicated that layered g-C₃N₄/rGO was covered with thin MnO₂ nanosheets. Furthermore, the obtained g-C₃N₄/rGO/MnO₂ nanocomposite exhibited promising catalytic capacity on thermal decomposition of AP. Upon addition of 2 wt % g-C₃N₄/rGO/MnO₂ ternary nanocomposite as catalyst, the thermal decomposition temperature of AP was largely decreased up by 142.5 °C, which was higher than that of pure g-C₃N₄, g-C₃N₄/rGO and MnO₂, respectively, demonstrating the synergistic catalysis of the as-prepared nanocomposite.

Coexistence of tunable Weyl points and topological nodal lines in ternary transition-metal telluride TaIrT e4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiaoqing; Liu, Qihang; Wu, QuanSheng; Nummy, Tom; Li, Haoxiang; Griffith, Justin; Parham, Stephen; Waugh, Justin; Emmanouilidou, Eve; Shen, Bing; Yazyev, Oleg V.; Ni, Ni; Dessau, Daniel

2018-06-01

We report a combined theoretical and experimental study on TaIrT e4 , a potential candidate for a minimal model of type-II Weyl semimetals. Unexpectedly, an intriguing node structure with 12 Weyl points and a pair of nodal lines protected by mirror symmetry was found by first-principles calculations. Some signatures of the complex electronic structure, such as topologically nontrivial band crossings and topologically trivial Fermi arcs, are cross-validated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Through external strain, the number of Weyl points can be reduced to a theoretical minimum of four, and the appearance of the nodal lines can be switched between different mirror planes in momentum space. The coexistence of switchable Weyl points and nodal lines establishes transition-metal chalcogenides as a unique test ground for topological state characterization and engineering.

Structural basis for inhibition of DNA replication by aphidicolin

DOE PAGES

Baranovskiy, A. G.; Babayeva, N. D.; Suwa, Y.; ...

2014-11-27

Natural tetracyclic diterpenoid aphidicolin is a potent and specific inhibitor of B-family DNA polymerases, haltering replication and possessing a strong antimitotic activity in human cancer cell lines. Clinical trials revealed limitations of aphidicolin as an antitumor drug because of its low solubility and fast clearance from human plasma. The absence of structural information hampered the improvement of aphidicolin-like inhibitors: more than 50 modifications have been generated so far, but all have lost the inhibitory and antitumor properties. Here we report the crystal structure of the catalytic core of human DNA polymerase α (Pol α) in the ternary complex with anmore » RNA-primed DNA template and aphidicolin. The inhibitor blocks binding of dCTP by docking at the Pol α active site and by rotating the template guanine. The structure provides a plausible mechanism for the selectivity of aphidicolin incorporation opposite template guanine and explains why previous modifications of aphidicolin failed to improve its affinity for Pol α. With new structural information, aphidicolin becomes an attractive lead compound for the design of novel derivatives with enhanced inhibitory properties for B-family DNA polymerases.« less

Directed evolution approach to a structural genomics project: Rv2002 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Yang, Jin Kuk; Park, Min S; Waldo, Geoffrey S; Suh, Se Won

2003-01-21

One of the serious bottlenecks in structural genomics projects is overexpression of the target proteins in soluble form. We have applied the directed evolution technique and prepared soluble mutants of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv2002 gene product, the wild type of which had been expressed as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. A triple mutant I6TV47MT69K (Rv2002-M3) was chosen for structural and functional characterizations. Enzymatic assays indicate that the Rv2002-M3 protein has a high catalytic activity as a NADH-dependent 3alpha, 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. We have determined the crystal structures of a binary complex with NAD(+) and a ternary complex with androsterone and NADH. The structure reveals that Asp-38 determines the cofactor specificity. The catalytic site includes the triad Ser-140Tyr-153Lys-157. Additionally, it has an unusual feature, Glu-142. Enzymatic assays of the E142A mutant of Rv2002-M3 indicate that Glu-142 reverses the effect of Lys-157 in influencing the pKa of Tyr-153. This study suggests that the Rv2002 gene product is a unique member of the SDR family and is likely to be involved in steroid metabolism in M. tuberculosis. Our work demonstrates the power of the directed evolution technique as a general way of overcoming the difficulties in overexpressing the target proteins in soluble form.

Structure of Arabidopsis thaliana FUT1 Reveals a Variant of the GT-B Class Fold and Provides Insight into Xyloglucan Fucosylation

PubMed Central

Chazalet, Valérie

2016-01-01

The plant cell wall is a complex and dynamic network made mostly of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and pectins. Xyloglucan, the major hemicellulosic component in Arabidopsis thaliana, is biosynthesized in the Golgi apparatus by a series of glycan synthases and glycosyltransferases before export to the wall. A better understanding of the xyloglucan biosynthetic machinery will give clues toward engineering plants with improved wall properties or designing novel xyloglucan-based biomaterials. The xyloglucan-specific α2-fucosyltransferase FUT1 catalyzes the transfer of fucose from GDP-fucose to terminal galactosyl residues on xyloglucan side chains. Here, we present crystal structures of Arabidopsis FUT1 in its apoform and in a ternary complex with GDP and a xylo-oligosaccharide acceptor (named XLLG). Although FUT1 is clearly a member of the large GT-B fold family, like other fucosyltransferases of known structures, it contains a variant of the GT-B fold. In particular, it includes an extra C-terminal region that is part of the acceptor binding site. Our crystal structures support previous findings that FUT1 behaves as a functional dimer. Mutational studies and structure comparison with other fucosyltransferases suggest that FUT1 uses a SN2-like reaction mechanism similar to that of protein-O-fucosyltransferase 2. Thus, our results provide new insights into the mechanism of xyloglucan fucosylation in the Golgi. PMID:27637560

Derivatization of DNAs with Selenium at 6-Position of Guanine for Function and Crystal Structure Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salon, J.; Jiang, J; Sheng, J

2008-01-01

To investigate nucleic acid base pairing and stacking via atom-specific mutagenesis and crystallography, we have synthesized for the first time the 6-Se-deoxyguanosine phosphoramidite and incorporated it into DNAs via solid-phase synthesis with a coupling yield over 97%. We found that the UV absorption of the Se-DNAs red-shifts over 100 nm to 360 nm ({Epsilon} = 2.3 x 10{sup 4} M{sup -1} cm{sup -1}), the Se-DNAs are yellow colored, and this Se modification is relatively stable in water and at elevated temperature. Moreover, we successfully crystallized a ternary complex of the Se-G-DNA, RNA and RNase H. The crystal structure determination andmore » analysis reveal that the overall structures of the native and Se-modified nucleic acid duplexes are very similar, the selenium atom participates in a Se-mediated hydrogen bond (Se H-N), and the {sup Se}G and C form a base pair similar to the natural G-C pair though the Se-modification causes the base-pair to shift (approximately 0.3 {angstrom}). Our biophysical and structural studies provide new insights into the nucleic acid flexibility, duplex recognition and stability. Furthermore, this novel selenium modification of nucleic acids can be used to investigate chemogenetics and structure of nucleic acids and their protein complexes.« less

Structural Biology and Evolution of the TGF-β Family

PubMed Central

Hinck, Andrew P.; Mueller, Thomas D.; Springer, Timothy A.

2017-01-01

We review the evolution and structure of members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family, antagonistic or agonistic modulators, and receptors that regulate TGF-β signaling in extracellular environments. The growth factor (GF) domain common to all family members and many of their antagonists evolved from a common cystine knot growth factor (CKGF) domain. The CKGF superfamily comprises six distinct families in primitive metazoans, including the TGF-β and Dan families. Compared with Wnt/Frizzled and Notch/Delta families that also specify body axes, cell fate, tissues, and other families that contain CKGF domains that evolved in parallel, the TGF-β family was the most fruitful in evolution. Complexes between the prodomains and GFs of the TGF-β family suggest a new paradigm for regulating GF release by conversion from closed- to open-arm procomplex conformations. Ternary complexes of the final step in extracellular signaling show how TGF-β GF dimers bind type I and type II receptors on the cell surface, and enable understanding of much of the specificity and promiscuity in extracellular signaling. However, structures suggest that when GFs bind repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) family coreceptors, type I receptors do not bind until reaching an intracellular, membrane-enveloped compartment, blurring the line between extra- and intracellular signaling. Modulator protein structures show how structurally diverse antagonists including follistatins, noggin, and members of the chordin family bind GFs to regulate signaling; complexes with the Dan family remain elusive. Much work is needed to understand how these molecular components assemble to form signaling hubs in extracellular environments in vivo. PMID:27638177

IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and ALS in adult patients with chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Lepenies, Julia; Wu, Zida; Stewart, Paul M; Strasburger, Christian J; Quinkler, Marcus

2010-04-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) is for the most part bound in a ternary complex with IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and acid-labile subunit (ALS). This ternary complex is a storage form of IGF-1 in blood and passes not through the renal glomerulus. Little information is available in regard to the components of the ternary complex in adult renal disease. To investigate levels of serum IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and ALS in relation to renal function and extent of proteinuria. We measured IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and ALS concentrations in 137 patients who were investigated due to proteinuria and/or haematuria and/or renal impairment. The patients received renal biopsies and the histological diagnosis was documented. Urinary albumin excretion and relevant clinical parameter were evaluated. IGF-1 showed a highly positive correlation to IGFBP-3 and ALS, and the latter to IGFBP-3. IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and ALS decreased with increasing age. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 showed no significant change depending on the creatinine clearance. However, ALS decreased with decreasing renal function. In patients with heavy proteinuria ALS levels, but not IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels, decreased significantly. Patients with chronic ischaemic renal damage and diabetic glomerulopathy showed higher IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels compared to patients with thin glomerular basement membrane disease despite their older age. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels seem to be independent of renal function and severity of proteinuria. However, ALS levels are altered in renal failure and nephrotic syndrome, which may be due to increased renal loss or diminished hepatic production or both. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Folding of thyroglobulin in the calnexin/calreticulin pathway and its alteration by loss of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum.

PubMed Central

Di Jeso, Bruno; Ulianich, Luca; Pacifico, Francesco; Leonardi, Antonio; Vito, Pasquale; Consiglio, Eduardo; Formisano, Silvestro; Arvan, Peter

2003-01-01

During its initial folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), newly synthesized thyroglobulin (Tg) is known to interact with calnexin and other ER molecular chaperones, but its interaction with calreticulin has not been examined previously. In the present study, we have investigated the interactions of endogenous Tg with calreticulin and with several other ER chaperones. We find that, in FRTL-5 and PC-Cl3 cells, calnexin and calreticulin interact with newly synthesized Tg in a carbohydrate-dependent manner, with largely overlapping kinetics that are concomitant with the maturation of Tg intrachain disulphide bonds, preceding Tg dimerization and exit from the ER. Calreticulin co-precipitates more newly synthesized Tg than does calnexin; however, using two different experimental approaches, calnexin and calreticulin were found in ternary complexes with Tg, making this the first endogenous protein reported in ternary complexes with calnexin and calreticulin in the ER of live cells. Depletion of Ca(2+) from the ER elicited by thapsigargin (a specific inhibitor of ER Ca(2+)-ATPases) results in retention of Tg in this organelle. Interestingly, thapsigargin treatment induces the premature exit of Tg from the calnexin/calreticulin cycle, while stabilizing and prolonging interactions of Tg with BiP (immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein) and GRP94 (glucose-regulated protein 94), two chaperones whose binding is not carbohydrate-dependent. Our results suggest that calnexin and calreticulin, acting in ternary complexes with a large glycoprotein substrate such as Tg, might be engaged in the folding of distinct domains, and indicate that lumenal Ca(2+) strongly influences the folding of exportable glycoproteins, in part by regulating the balance of substrate binding to different molecular chaperone systems within the ER. PMID:12401114

Dimerization of a Viral SET Protein Endows its Function

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

H Wei; M Zhou

Histone modifications are regarded as the most indispensible phenomena in epigenetics. Of these modifications, lysine methylation is of the greatest complexity and importance as site- and state-specific lysine methylation exerts a plethora of effects on chromatin structure and gene transcription. Notably, paramecium bursaria chlorella viruses encode a conserved SET domain methyltransferase, termed vSET, that functions to suppress host transcription by methylating histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27), a mark for eukaryotic gene silencing. Unlike mammalian lysine methyltransferases (KMTs), vSET functions only as a dimer, but the underlying mechanism has remained elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that dimeric vSET operatesmore » with negative cooperativity between the two active sites and engages in H3K27 methylation one site at a time. New atomic structures of vSET in the free form and a ternary complex with S-adenosyl homocysteine and a histone H3 peptide and biochemical analyses reveal the molecular origin for the negative cooperativity and explain the substrate specificity of H3K27 methyltransferases. Our study suggests a 'walking' mechanism, by which vSET acts all by itself to globally methylate host H3K27, which is accomplished by the mammalian EZH2 KMT only in the context of the Polycomb repressive complex.« less

On-the-fly machine-learning for high-throughput experiments: search for rare-earth-free permanent magnets

PubMed Central

Kusne, Aaron Gilad; Gao, Tieren; Mehta, Apurva; Ke, Liqin; Nguyen, Manh Cuong; Ho, Kai-Ming; Antropov, Vladimir; Wang, Cai-Zhuang; Kramer, Matthew J.; Long, Christian; Takeuchi, Ichiro

2014-01-01

Advanced materials characterization techniques with ever-growing data acquisition speed and storage capabilities represent a challenge in modern materials science, and new procedures to quickly assess and analyze the data are needed. Machine learning approaches are effective in reducing the complexity of data and rapidly homing in on the underlying trend in multi-dimensional data. Here, we show that by employing an algorithm called the mean shift theory to a large amount of diffraction data in high-throughput experimentation, one can streamline the process of delineating the structural evolution across compositional variations mapped on combinatorial libraries with minimal computational cost. Data collected at a synchrotron beamline are analyzed on the fly, and by integrating experimental data with the inorganic crystal structure database (ICSD), we can substantially enhance the accuracy in classifying the structural phases across ternary phase spaces. We have used this approach to identify a novel magnetic phase with enhanced magnetic anisotropy which is a candidate for rare-earth free permanent magnet. PMID:25220062

Fluctuation Dynamics Analysis of gp120 Envelope Protein Reveals a Topologically Based Communication Network

PubMed Central

Shrivastava, Indira; LaLonde, Judith M.

2012-01-01

HIV infection is initiated by binding of the viral glycoprotein gp120, to the cellular receptor CD4. Upon CD4 binding, gp120 undergoes conformational change, permitting binding to the chemokine receptor. Crystal structures of gp120 ternary complex reveal the CD4 bound conformation of gp120. We report here the application of Gaussian Network Model (GNM) to the crystal structures of gp120 bound to CD4 or CD4 mimic and 17b, to study the collective motions of the gp120 core and determine the communication propensities of the residue network. The GNM fluctuation profiles identify residues in the inner domain and outer domain that may facilitate conformational change or stability, respectively. Communication propensities delineate a residue network that is topologically suited for signal propagation from the Phe43 cavity throughout the gp120 outer domain. . These results provide a new context for interpreting gp120 core envelope structure-function relationships. PMID:20718047

Structural basis of malaria parasite lysyl-tRNA synthetase inhibition by cladosporin.

PubMed

Khan, Sameena; Sharma, Arvind; Belrhali, Hassan; Yogavel, Manickam; Sharma, Amit

2014-06-01

Malaria parasites inevitably develop drug resistance to anti-malarials over time. Hence the immediacy for discovering new chemical scaffolds to include in combination malaria drug therapy. The desirable attributes of new chemotherapeutic agents currently include activity against both liver and blood stage malaria parasites. One such recently discovered compound called cladosporin abrogates parasite growth via inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum lysyl-tRNA synthetase (PfKRS), an enzyme central to protein translation. Here, we present crystal structure of ternary PfKRS-lysine-cladosporin (PfKRS-K-C) complex that reveals cladosporin's remarkable ability to mimic the natural substrate adenosine and thereby colonize PfKRS active site. The isocoumarin fragment of cladosporin sandwiches between critical adenine-recognizing residues while its pyran ring fits snugly in the ribose-recognizing cavity. PfKRS-K-C structure highlights ample space within PfKRS active site for further chemical derivatization of cladosporin. Such derivatives may be useful against additional human pathogens that retain high conservation in cladosporin chelating residues within their lysyl-tRNA synthetase.

Total Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 22-Hydroxyacuminatine

PubMed Central

Xiao, Xiangshu; Antony, Smitha; Pommier, Yves; Cushman, Mark

2008-01-01

A total synthesis of 22-hydroxyacuminatine, a cytotoxic alkaloid isolated from Camptotheca acuminata, is reported. The key step in the synthesis involves the reaction of 2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-b]quinoline with a brominated phthalide to generate a substituted pentacyclic 12H-5,11a-diazadibenzo[b,h]fluoren-11-one intermediate. Despite its structural resemblance to camptothecin and luotonin A, a biological evaluation of 22-hydroxyacuminatine in a topoisomerase I-deficient cell line P388/CPT45 has confirmed that the observed cytotoxicity is not due to topoisomerase I inhibition. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that π-π stacking is more important than hydrogen bonding interactions in determining topoisomerase I inhibitor binding in the ternary cleavage complex. PMID:16480276

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunter, C.A.; Meah, M.N.; Sanders, J.K.M.

Transient ternary complexes of the general form metalloporphyrin-DABCO-metalloporphyrin are described and characterized by NMR spectroscopy: the protons of DABCO (1,4-diazobicyclo(2.2.2)octane) molecules sandwiched between two diamagnetic metalloporphyrins resonate around {minus}5 ppm. The same structural motif is shown to occur when DABCO binds within the cavity of cofacial metalloporphyrin dimers. The kinetics and thermodynamics of intracavity binding were measured by electronic and NMR spectroscopy and lead to an estimate of 48 {plus minus} 10 kJ mol{sup {minus}1} (11.5 {plus minus} 2.4 kcal mol{sup {minus}1}) for the enthalpy of the {pi}-{pi} interaction between two zinc porphyrin moieties. The mechanism of ligand exchange andmore » isomer interconversion for one of the porphyrin dimers has also been elucidated.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pal, Suresh, E-mail: ajay-phy@rediffmail.com; Tiwari, R. K.; Gupta, D. C.

In this paper, we present the expressions relating the inter atomic force constants like as bond-stretching force constant (α in N/m) and bond-bending force constant (β in N/m) for the binary (zinc blende structure) and ternary (chalcopyrite structure) semiconductors with the product of ionic charges (PIC) and crystal ionicity (f{sub i}). Interatomic force constants of these compounds exhibit a linear relationship; when plot a graph between Interatomic force constants and the nearest neighbor distance d (Å) with crystal ionicity (f{sub i}), but fall on different straight lines according to the product of ionic charges of these compounds. A fairly goodmore » agreement has been found between the observed and calculated values of the α and β for binary and ternary tetrahedral semiconductors.« less

Growth of a New Ternary BON Crystal on Si(100) by Plasma-Assisted MOCVD and Study on the Effects of Fed Gas and Growth Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, G. C.; Lee, S.-B.; Boo, J.-H.

A new ternary BOxNy crystal was grown on Si(100) substrate at 500°C by low-frequency (100 kHz) radio-frequency (rf) derived plasma-assisted MOCVD with an organoborate precursor. The as-grown deposits were characterized by SEM, TED, XPS, XRD, AFM and FT-IR. The experimental results showed that BOxNy crystal was apt to be formed at N-rich atmosphere and high temperature. The decrease of hydrogen flux in fed gases was of benefit to form BON crystal structure. The crystal structure of BOxNy was as similar to that of H3BO3 in this study.

Evidence of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 proteolysis during growth hormone stimulation testing.

PubMed

Nwosu, Benjamin U; Soyka, Leslie A; Angelescu, Amanda; Lee, Mary M

2011-01-01

The ternary complex is composed of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 and acid labile subunit (ALS). Growth hormone (GH) promotes IGFBP-3 proteolysis to release free IGF-I, ALS, and IGFBP-3 fragments. Our aim was to determine whether elevated GH levels during GH stimulation testing would trigger IGFBP-3 proteolysis. This prospective study of 10 short prepubertal children (height standard deviation score -2.37 +/- 0.31) used arginine and GH releasing hormone stimulation to study dynamic changes in the ternary complex moieties. IGFBP-3 was measured in two assays: a radioimmunoassay (RIA) that detects both cleaved and intact IGFBP-3; and an immunochemiluminescence assay (ICMA) that detects only intact IGFBP-3. IGFBP-3 measured by RIA increased by 19% (p < 0.05), while IGFBP-3 measured by ICMA did not significantly increase (6.1%). The significant increase in IGFBP-3 measured by RIA, but not ICMA, provides evidence of IGFBP-3 proteolysis during acute GH stimulation.

Piezo-/dielectric properties of perovskite-structure high-temperature relaxor ferroelectrics: The Pb(Lu{sub 1/2}Nb{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}–Pb(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}–PbTiO{sub 3} ternary ceramics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Tao; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049; Long, Xifa, E-mail: lxf@fjirsm.ac.cn

2014-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Pb(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-based ternary ferroelectric ceramics were prepared by solid-state synthesis method. • Morphotropic phase boundary region has been determined by XRD, di-/piezoelectric properties. • The compositions near MPB region exhibit excellent piezoelectric properties. - Abstract: A new compositional system of relaxor ferroelectrics was investigated based on the high piezoelectricity Pb(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}–PbTiO{sub 3} ferroelectric perovskite family. Compositions were fabricated near an estimated morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of the Pb(Lu{sub 1/2}Nb{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}–Pb(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}–PbTiO{sub 3} (PLZNT) ternary system by a two-step synthetic process. Their structures have been analyzed by means ofmore » X-ray diffraction technique. On the basis of X-ray powder diffraction, the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region for the ternary system was obtained. The Curie temperature T{sub C} of ternary system varied from 240 °C to 330 °C and the coercive fields E{sub c}s > 10 kV/cm. The values of piezoelectric coefficients d{sub 33} vary in the range of 260–450 pC/N with different PZN contents. It is worth noting that the optimum compositions were located at MPB region but near the tetragonal phase. The new PLZNT ceramics exhibit wider range of T{sub C}s and E{sub c}s, making it a promising material for high-powder ultrasound transducers using in a large temperature range.« less

Novel Colloidal Microstructures of β-Escin and the Liposomal Components Cholesterol and DPPC.

PubMed

de Groot, Carolin; Müsken, Mathias; Müller-Goymann, Christel C

2018-05-24

The discovery of immunostimulating complex formation by the saponin Quil A from the plant Quillaja saponaria with cholesterol and a phospholipid opened up new avenues for the development of drug delivery systems for vaccine application with additional adjuvant properties. In this study, β -escin, a monodesmosidic triterpene saponin from horse chestnut, was investigated in terms of its interaction with liposomal components (cholesterol, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine) by Langmuir film balance studies and with regard to particle formation visualized by transmission electron microscopy. A strong interaction of β -escin with cholesterol was observed by Langmuir isotherms due to the intercalation of the saponin into the monolayer, whereas no interaction occurred with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. Transmission electron microscopy studies also confirmed the strong interaction of β -escin with cholesterol. In aqueous pseudo-ternary systems ( β -escin, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, cholesterol) and in pseudo-binary systems ( β -escin, cholesterol), new colloidal structures built up from ring-like and worm-like subunits were observed with a size of about 100 - 200 nm. These colloidal structures are formed in pseudo-binary systems by aggregation of the subunits, whereas in pseudo-ternary systems, they are formed among others by attacking the liposomal membrane. The rehydration of the liposomal dispersions in NANOpure water or Tris buffer pH 7.4 (140 mM) resulted in the same particle formation. In contrast, the sequence of the dispersions' production process affected the particle formation. Unless adding the saponin to the other components from the beginning, just a liposomal dispersion was formed without any colloidal aggregates of the subunits mentioned above. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The optical spectrum of ternary alloy BBi1-xAsx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yalcin, Battal G.; Aslan, M.; Ozcan, M. H.; Rahnamaye Aliabad, H. A.

2016-06-01

Among the III-V semiconductors, boron BBi and BAs as well as their alloys have attracted both scientific and technological interest in recent years. We present a calculation of the structural, electronic and optical properties of ternary alloy BBi1-xAsx by means of the WIEN2k software package. The exchange-correlation potential is treated by the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) within the schema of Wu and Cohen. Also, we have used the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) formalism to improve the band gap results. All the calculations have been performed after geometry optimization. In this study, we have investigated structural properties such as the lattice constant (a0), bulk modulus (B0) and its pressure derivative (B‧), and calculated the electronic band structures of the studied materials. Accurate calculation of linear optical properties, such as real (ɛ 1) and imaginary (ɛ 2) dielectric functions, reflectivity (R), electron energy loss spectrum, absorption coefficient (α), refractive index (n) and sum rule (Neff) are investigated. Our obtained results for studied binary compounds, BBi and BAs, fairly coincide with other theoretical calculations and experimental measurements. According to the best of our knowledge, no experimental or theoretical data are presently available for the studied ternary alloy BBi1-xAsx (0 < x < 1). The role of electronic band structure calculation with regards to the linear optical properties of BBi1-xAsx is discussed. The effect of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is also investigated and found to be quite small.

Molecular dynamics simulations of Ago silencing complexes reveal a large repertoire of admissible ‘seed-less’ targets

PubMed Central

Xia, Zhen; Clark, Peter; Huynh, Tien; Loher, Phillipe; Zhao, Yue; Chen, Huang-Wen; Rigoutsos, Isidore; Zhou, Ruhong

2012-01-01

To better understand the recognition mechanism of RISC and the repertoire of guide-target interactions we introduced G:U wobbles and mismatches at various positions of the microRNA (miRNA) ‘seed’ region and performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the resulting Ago-miRNA:mRNA ternary complexes. Our simulations reveal that many modifications, including combinations of multiple G:U wobbles and mismatches in the seed region, are admissible and result in only minor structural fluctuations that do not affect overall complex stability. These results are further supported by analyses of HITS-CLIP data. Lastly, introduction of disruptive mutations revealed a bending motion of the PAZ domain along the L1/L2 ‘hinge’ and a subsequent opening of the nucleic-acid-binding channel. Our findings suggest that the spectrum of a miRNA's admissible targets is different from what is currently anticipated by the canonical seed-model. Moreover, they provide a likely explanation for the previously reported sequence-dependent regulation of unintended targeting by siRNAs. PMID:22888400

Enhanced performance of polymer solar cells by employing a ternary cascade energy structure.

PubMed

An, Qiaoshi; Zhang, Fujun; Li, Lingliang; Zhuo, Zuliang; Zhang, Jian; Tang, Weihua; Teng, Feng

2014-08-14

We present a route to successfully tackle the two main limitations, low open circuit voltage (Voc) and limited short circuit-density (Jsc), of polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as an electron-donor. The indene-C60 bisadduct (ICBA) was selected as an electron acceptor to improve the open circuit voltage (Voc). The narrow band gap polymer poly[(4,8-bis-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene)-2,6-diyl-alt-(4-(2-ethylhexanoyl)-thieno[3,4-b]thiophene)-2,6-diyl] (PBDTTT-C), as a complementary electron-donor material, was doped into the host system of P3HT:ICBA to form ternary cascade energy structured PSCs with increased Jsc. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of P3HT:ICBA-based cells was improved from 3.32% to 4.38% by doping with 3 wt% PBDTTT-C with 1 min 150 °C annealing treatment. The 4.38% PCE of ternary PSCs is still larger than the 3.79% PCE of PSCs based on P3HT:ICBA with 10 minutes 150 °C annealing treatment.

Improving Rice Modeling Success Rate with Ternary Non-structural Fertilizer Response Model.

PubMed

Li, Juan; Zhang, Mingqing; Chen, Fang; Yao, Baoquan

2018-06-13

Fertilizer response modelling is an important technical approach to realize metrological fertilization on rice. With the goal of solving the problems of a low success rate of a ternary quadratic polynomial model (TPFM) and to expand the model's applicability, this paper established a ternary non-structural fertilizer response model (TNFM) based on the experimental results from N, P and K fertilized rice fields. Our research results showed that the TNFM significantly improved the modelling success rate by addressing problems arising from setting the bias and multicollinearity in a TPFM. The results from 88 rice field trials in China indicated that the proportion of typical TNFMs that satisfy the general fertilizer response law of plant nutrition was 40.9%, while the analogous proportion of TPFMs was only 26.1%. The recommended fertilization showed a significant positive linear correlation between the two models, and the parameters N 0 , P 0 and K 0 that estimated the value of soil supplying nutrient equivalents can be used as better indicators of yield potential in plots where no N or P or K fertilizer was applied. The theoretical analysis showed that the new model has a higher fitting accuracy and a wider application range.

Multinary alloy electrodes for solid state batteries I. A phase diagram approach for the selection and storage properties determination of candidate electrode materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anani, A.; Huggins, R. A.

The desire to produce high specific energy rechargeable batteries has led to the investigation of ternary alloy systems for use as negative electrode components in lithium-based cells. The addition of a third component to a binary alloy electrode could result in a significant change in the thermodynamic and/or kinetic behavior of the electrode material, depending on the relevant phase diagram and the crystal structures of the phases present. The influence of ternary phase diagram characteristics upon the thermodynamic properties and specific energies of multi-component electrodes is discussed with lithiumsilicon-based systems as an illustration. It is shown that the electrode potentials (and thus specific energies of the ensuing cell) as well as the theoretical lithium capacities of electrodes based on these ternary alloy modifications can be significantly increased with respect to their present day binary counterpart.

In-vacuum thermolysis of ethane 1,2-diamineborane for the synthesis of ternary borocarbonitrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massimi, Lorenzo; Grazia Betti, Maria; Caramazza, Simone; Postorino, Paolo; Mariani, Carlo; Latini, Alessandro; Leardini, Fabrice

2016-10-01

High-temperature (1000 °C) thermolytic decomposition of ethane 1,2-diamineborane (BH3NH2CH2CH2NH2BH3) deposited onto a Cu foil has been performed in an ultra-high-vacuum environment. A combined thermolytic, structural (x-ray diffraction), microscopic (scanning electron microscopy) and spectroscopic (Raman, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy) analysis, has identified a ternary borocarbonitride (BCN) compound as a result of the process. The obtained BCN compound is nanocrystalline, surrounded by crystallites of ammonium hydroxide borate hydrate. The ternary compound presents a 0.2:0.6:0.2 B:C:N composition in the bulk and 0.11:0.76:0.13 stoichiometry at the very surface, richer in C-C networks with respect to the bulk. Furthermore, the resulting BCN compound does not show oxidation at the surface due to the in-vacuum thermolysis of the single precursor.

Plasmonic spectral tunability of conductive ternary nitrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassavetis, S.; Bellas, D. V.; Abadias, G.; Lidorikis, E.; Patsalas, P.

2016-06-01

Conductive binary transition metal nitrides, such as TiN and ZrN, have emerged as a category of promising alternative plasmonic materials. In this work, we show that ternary transition metal nitrides such as TixTa1-xN, TixZr1-xN, TixAl1-xN, and ZrxTa1-xN share the important plasmonic features with their binary counterparts, while having the additional asset of the exceptional spectral tunability in the entire visible (400-700 nm) and UVA (315-400 nm) spectral ranges depending on their net valence electrons. In particular, we demonstrate that such ternary nitrides can exhibit maximum field enhancement factors comparable with gold in the aforementioned broadband range. We also critically evaluate the structural features that affect the quality factor of the plasmon resonance and we provide rules of thumb for the selection and growth of materials for nitride plasmonics.

Particulate reduction in ternary-compound film growth via pulsed laser deposition from segmented binary-targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant-Jacob, James A.; Prentice, Jake J.; Beecher, Stephen J.; Shepherd, David P.; Eason, Robert W.; Mackenzie, Jacob I.

2018-03-01

We present the hetero-epitaxial growth of high-quality crystalline Y3Ga5O12 onto a 〈100〉-oriented YAG substrate via pulsed laser deposition, using mixed ternary-compound and segmented binary-compound targets. We observe that a Y3Ga5O12 film fabricated using a segmented target (Y2O3/Ga2O3) contained ∼100 times fewer scattering points than a film grown using a mixed Y3Ga5O12 target. We show that following ablation, the surface of the mixed compound (ternary) target had laser-induced cone structures, whereas the surface of single compound (binary) targets did not. It is concluded that the different ablation dynamics of the oxide constituents in the respective targets plays a significant role in the origin of the scattering points in the resultant films.

In-vacuum thermolysis of ethane 1,2-diamineborane for the synthesis of ternary borocarbonitrides.

PubMed

Massimi, Lorenzo; Betti, Maria Grazia; Caramazza, Simone; Postorino, Paolo; Mariani, Carlo; Latini, Alessandro; Leardini, Fabrice

2016-10-28

High-temperature (1000 °C) thermolytic decomposition of ethane 1,2-diamineborane (BH3NH2CH2CH2NH2BH3) deposited onto a Cu foil has been performed in an ultra-high-vacuum environment. A combined thermolytic, structural (x-ray diffraction), microscopic (scanning electron microscopy) and spectroscopic (Raman, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy) analysis, has identified a ternary borocarbonitride (BCN) compound as a result of the process. The obtained BCN compound is nanocrystalline, surrounded by crystallites of ammonium hydroxide borate hydrate. The ternary compound presents a 0.2:0.6:0.2 B:C:N composition in the bulk and 0.11:0.76:0.13 stoichiometry at the very surface, richer in C-C networks with respect to the bulk. Furthermore, the resulting BCN compound does not show oxidation at the surface due to the in-vacuum thermolysis of the single precursor.

Interaction of intermetallic compound formation in Cu/SnAgCu/NiAu sandwich solder joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Yanghua; Lu, Chuanyan; Chang, Junling; Xie, Xiaoming

2006-05-01

The interaction between Cu/solder interface and solder/Ni interface at a Cu/SnAgCu/NiAu sandwich solder joint with various surface finishes and solder heights was investigated. The interfacial microstructure and composition of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The phase structure of IMC was identified by x-ray diffraction (XRD). It is found that ternary (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 IMCs form at both interfaces. The composition, thickness, and morphology of the ternary IMCs depend not only on the interface itself, but also on the opposite interface. That is to say, strong coupling effects exist between the two interfaces. Lattice parameters of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 shrink with increasing Ni content, in agreement with Vegard’s law. The mechanism of ternary IMC formation and interface coupling effects are discussed in this paper.

Structural and biochemical studies on ATP binding and hydrolysis by the Escherichia coli RNA chaperone Hfq.

PubMed

Hämmerle, Hermann; Beich-Frandsen, Mads; Večerek, Branislav; Rajkowitsch, Lukas; Carugo, Oliviero; Djinović-Carugo, Kristina; Bläsi, Udo

2012-01-01

In Escherichia coli the RNA chaperone Hfq is involved in riboregulation by assisting base-pairing between small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) and mRNA targets. Several structural and biochemical studies revealed RNA binding sites on either surface of the donut shaped Hfq-hexamer. Whereas sRNAs are believed to contact preferentially the YKH motifs present on the proximal site, poly(A)(15) and ADP were shown to bind to tripartite binding motifs (ARE) circularly positioned on the distal site. Hfq has been reported to bind and to hydrolyze ATP. Here, we present the crystal structure of a C-terminally truncated variant of E. coli Hfq (Hfq(65)) in complex with ATP, showing that it binds to the distal R-sites. In addition, we revisited the reported ATPase activity of full length Hfq purified to homogeneity. At variance with previous reports, no ATPase activity was observed for Hfq. In addition, FRET assays neither indicated an impact of ATP on annealing of two model oligoribonucleotides nor did the presence of ATP induce strand displacement. Moreover, ATP did not lead to destabilization of binary and ternary Hfq-RNA complexes, unless a vast stoichiometric excess of ATP was used. Taken together, these studies strongly suggest that ATP is dispensable for and does not interfere with Hfq-mediated RNA transactions.

Divergent synthesis routes and superconductivity of ternary hydride MgSiH6 at high pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yanbin; Duan, Defang; Shao, Ziji; Yu, Hongyu; Liu, Hanyu; Tian, Fubo; Huang, Xiaoli; Li, Da; Liu, Bingbing; Cui, Tian

2017-10-01

We predict a new ternary hydride MgSiH6 under high pressures, which is a metal with an ionic feature and takes on a simple cubic structure with space group P m -3 above 250 GPa. Our first-principles calculations show that the cubic MgSiH6 is a potential high-temperature superconductor with a superconducting transition temperature Tc of ˜63 K at 250 GPa. Further analysis suggests that phonon softening along mainly Γ -X and Γ -M directions induced by Fermi surface nesting plays a crucial role in the high-temperature superconductivity. Herein we propose the "triangle straight-line method" which provides a clear guide to determine the specific A + B → D type formation routes for ternary hydrides of the Mg-Si-H system and it effectively reveals two divergent paths to obtain MgSiH6 under high pressures: MgH2+SiH4→MgSiH6 and MgSi + 3 H2→MgSiH6 . This method might be applicable to all ternary compounds, which will be very significant for further experimental synthesis.