Interfacial water confers transcription factors with dinucleotide specificity.

Transcription factors (TFs) recognize specific bases within their DNA-binding motifs, with each base contributing nearly independently to total binding energy. However, the energetic contributions of particular dinucleotides can deviate strongly from the additive approximation, indicating that some TFs can specifically recognize DNA dinucleotides. Here we solved high-resolution (<1 Å) structures of MYF5 and BARHL2 bound to DNAs containing sets of dinucleotides that have different affinities to the proteins.

Out-of-phase ELDOR spectroscopy: A precise tool for investigating structure and dynamics of charge-transfer states in organic photovoltaic blends.

We developed a technique allowing the direct observation of photoinduced charge-transfer states (CTSs)-the weakly coupled electron-hole pairs preceding the completely separated charges in organic photovoltaic (OPV) blends. Quadrature detection of the electron spin echo (ESE) signal enables the observation of an out-of-phase ESE signal of CTS. The out-of-phase Electron-Electron Double Resonance (ELDOR) allows measuring electron-hole distance distributions within CTS and its temporal evolution in the microsecond range.

Novel Flavin Mononucleotide-Functionalized Cerium Fluoride Nanoparticles for Selective Enhanced X-Ray-Induced Photodynamic Therapy.

X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy (X-PDT) represents a promising new method of cancer treatment. A novel type of nanoscintillator based on cerium fluoride (CeF) nanoparticles (NPs) modified with flavin mononucleotide (FMN) has been proposed. A method for synthesizing CeF-FMN NPs has been developed, enabling the production of colloidal, spherical NPs with an approximate diameter of 100 nm, low polydispersity, and a high fluorescence quantum yield of 0.

Comparative analysis of the primary structure and production of recombinant poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 of long-lived Heterocephalus glaber.

DNA repair is a most important cellular process that helps maintain the integrity of the genome and is currently considered by researchers as one of the factors determining the maximum lifespan. The central regulator of the DNA repair process is the enzyme poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP1). PARP1 catalyzes the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) polymer (PAR) upon DNA damage using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) as a substrate.