Modelling constructivist language acquisition through syntactico-semantic pattern finding.

The constructivist acquisition of language by children has been elaborately documented by researchers in psycholinguistics and cognitive science. However, despite the centrality of human-like communication in the field of artificial intelligence, no faithful computational operationalizations of the mechanisms through which children learn language exist to date. In this article, we fill part of this void by introducing a mechanistic model of the constructivist acquisition of language through syntactico-semantic pattern finding.

Dissection of the structural and functional role of a conserved hydration site in RNase T1.

The reoccurrence of water molecules in crystal structures of RNase T1 was investigated. Five waters were found to be invariant in RNase T1 as well as in six other related fungal RNases. The structural, dynamical, and functional characteristics of one of these conserved hydration sites (WAT1) were analyzed by protein engineering, X-ray crystallography, and (17)O and 2H nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD).

Dissecting histidine interactions of ribonuclease T1 with asparagine and glutamine replacements: analysis of double mutant cycles at one position.

His92 of Ribonuclease T1 combines functional and structural features involving both imidazole nitrogens. To evaluate the use of Asn and Gln substitutions in dissecting the properties of histidines, we analysed the consequences of the His92Gln and His92Asn substitutions on the enzyme's structure, function, and conformational stability by protein engineering and X-ray crystallographic methods. In the X-ray structures of wild-type and His92Gln RNase T1 in complex with 2'-GMP the His92-N epsilon 2 and Gln92-N epsilon 2 atoms are isosterically equivalent.

Additivity of protein-guanine interactions in ribonuclease T1.

It has been established that Tyr-42, Tyr-45, and Glu-46 take part in a structural motif that renders guanine specificity to ribonuclease T1. We report on the impact of Tyr-42, Tyr-45, and Glu-46 substitutions on the guanine specificity of RNase T1. The Y42A and E46A mutations profoundly affect substrate binding.

A catalytic function for the structurally conserved residue Phe 100 of ribonuclease T1.

The function of the conserved Phe 100 residue of RNase T1 (EC 3.1.27.