Stable Aqueous Colloidal Solutions of Nd: LaF Nanoparticles, Promising for Luminescent Bioimaging in the Near-Infrared Spectral Range.

Two series of stable aqueous colloidal solutions of Nd: LaF single-phase well-crystallized nanoparticles (NPs), possessing a fluorcerite structure with different activator concentrations in each series, were synthesized. A hydrothermal method involving microwave-assisted heating (HTMW) in two Berghof speedwave devices equipped with one magnetron (type I) or two magnetrons (type II) was used. The average sizes of NPs are 15.

A Comparative Study to Decipher the Structural and Dynamics Determinants Underlying the Activity and Thermal Stability of GH-11 Xylanases.

With the growing need for renewable sources of energy, the interest for enzymes capable of biomass degradation has been increasing. In this paper, we consider two different xylanases from the GH-11 family: the particularly active GH-11 xylanase from , Xyn11A, and the hyper-thermostable mutant of the environmentally isolated GH-11 xylanase, Xyn11. Our aim is to identify the molecular determinants underlying the enhanced capacities of these two enzymes to ultimately graft the abilities of one on the other.

[An Overlap between Splicing Sites in RNA and Homo-Repeats in Human Proteins].

Proteins with homo-repeats of more than 4 amino acid residues in length were examined to understand whether some splicing sites in pre-mRNA may be attributed to homo-repeats in human proteins. The human proteome was found to contain a total of 404 proteins with homo-repeats that account for at least one splicing site in pre-mRNA. Pre-mRNA splicing sites were more often found in the C-terminal part (67%) than in the middle orN-terminal part of a homo-repeat.

Odorant Receptor 7D4 Activation Dynamics.

Deciphering how an odorant activates an odorant receptor (OR) and how changes in specific OR residues affect its responsiveness are central to understanding our sense of smell. A joint approach combining site-directed mutagenesis and functional assays with computational modeling has been used to explore the signaling mechanics of OR7D4. In this OR, a genetic polymorphism affects our perception of androstenone.