Mesoporous ZnFe O Photoanodes with Template-Tailored Mesopores and Temperature-Dependent Photocurrents.

Mesoporous ZnFe O photoanodes have been prepared via dip-coating utilizing the evaporation-induced self-assembly of two different block-copolymer templates to investigate the influence of pore geometry on the photoelectrochemcial performance of those earth-abundant photoelectrodes. The use of commercial block copolymers, triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 and the diblock copolymer PIB3000 as templates, leads to different pore morphologies under identical preparation conditions due to different polymer stabilities. Interestingly, pore morphology in mesoporous ZnFe O turned out to be less important for the photoelectrochemical performance.

A simulation-guided fluorescence correlation spectroscopy tool to investigate the protonation dynamics of cytochrome c oxidase.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a single molecule based technique to temporally resolve rate-dependent processes by correlating the fluorescence fluctuations of individual molecules traversing through a confocal volume. In addition, chemical processes like protonation or intersystem crossing can be monitored in the sub-microsecond range. FCS thereby provides an excellent tool for investigations of protonation dynamics in proton pumps like cytochrome c oxidase (CcO).

Exploring the entrance of proton pathways in cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans: surface charge, buffer capacity and redox-dependent polarity changes at the internal surface.

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO), the terminal oxidase of cellular respiration, reduces molecular oxygen to water. The mechanism of proton pumping as well as the coupling of proton and electron transfer is still not understood in this redox-linked proton pump. Eleven residues at the aqueous-exposed surfaces of CcO from Paracoccus denitrificans have been exchanged to cysteines in a two-subunit base variant to yield single reactive cysteine variants.

Net proton uptake is preceded by multiple proton transfer steps upon electron injection into cytochrome c oxidase.

Cytochrome c oxidase (COX), the last enzyme of the respiratory chain of aerobic organisms, catalyzes the reduction of molecular oxygen to water. It is a redox-linked proton pump, whose mechanism of proton pumping has been controversially discussed, and the coupling of proton and electron transfer is still not understood. Here, we investigated the kinetics of proton transfer reactions following the injection of a single electron into the fully oxidized enzyme and its transfer to the hemes using time-resolved absorption spectroscopy and pH indicator dyes.

Conformational dynamics of helix 8 in the GPCR rhodopsin controls arrestin activation in the desensitization process.

Arrestins are regulatory molecules for G-protein coupled receptor function. In visual rhodopsin, selective binding of arrestin to the cytoplasmic side of light-activated, phosphorylated rhodopsin (P-Rh*) terminates signaling via the G-protein transducin. While the "phosphate-sensor" of arrestin for the recognition of receptor-attached phosphates is identified, the molecular mechanism of arrestin binding and the involvement of receptor conformations in this process are still largely hypothetic.

Functional interaction structures of the photochromic retinal protein rhodopsin.

We studied functional interaction structures of the vertebrate membrane photoreceptor rhodopsin containing retinal as a chromophore. Using time-resolved fluorescence depolarization we analyzed real-time dynamics and conformational changes of the cytoplasmic helix 8 (H8) preceding the long C-terminal tail of rhodopsin. H8 runs parallel to the membrane surface and extends from transmembrane helix 7 whose highly conserved NPxxY(x)F motif connects that region of rhodopsin with the retinal binding pocket.

3-D reconstruction of the coronary artery tree from multiple views of a rotational X-ray angiography.

To present an efficient and robust method for 3-D reconstruction of the coronary artery tree from multiple ECG-gated views of an X-ray angiography. 2-D coronary artery centerlines are extracted automatically from X-ray projection images using an enhanced multi-scale analysis. For the difficult data with low vessel contrast, a semi-automatic tool based on fast marching method is implemented to allow manual correction of automatically-extracted 2-D centerlines.

Dissection of environmental changes at the cytoplasmic surface of light-activated bacteriorhodopsin and visual rhodopsin: sequence of spectrally silent steps.

The physico-chemical properties as well as the conformation of the cytoplasmic surface of the 7-helix retinal proteins bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and visual rhodopsin change upon light activation. A recent study found evidence for a transient softening of bR in its key intermediate M [Pieper et al. (2008) Phys.

A deformation tracking approach to 4D coronary artery tree reconstruction.

This paper addresses reconstruction of a temporally deforming 3D coronary vessel tree, i.e., 4D reconstruction from a sequence of angiographic X-ray images acquired by a rotating C-arm.

Modeling the human aorta for MR-driven real-time virtual endoscopy.

As interventional magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) is getting closer to clinical practice, new means of visualization and navigation are required. We present an approach to create a virtual endoscopic view inside the human aorta in real-time. In our approach, defined cross-sectional slices are acquired and segmented in a highly optimized fashion.

The di-aromatic pentapeptide repeats of the human peroxisome import receptor PEX5 are separate high affinity binding sites for the peroxisomal membrane protein PEX14.

PEX5 functions as a mobile import receptor for peroxisomal matrix proteins with a peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1). A critical step within the PTS1-import pathway is the interaction between PEX5 and the peroxisome membrane-associated protein PEX14. Based on two-hybrid analyses in mammalian cells and complementary in vitro binding assays, we demonstrate that the evolutionarily conserved pentapeptide repeat motifs, WX(E/D/Q/A/S)(E/D/Q)(F/Y), in PEX5 bind to PEX14 with high affinity.

Discrete papular mucinosis-a rare subtype of lichen myxoedematosus.

Lichen myxoedematosus is an uncommon and distinct disease entity characterized by cutaneous mucin deposition which, depending on the distribution and overall skin involvement, can be classified into several subtypes. We now describe the case of a discrete papular type of lichen myxoedematosus in a patient without any conspicious laboratory findings including normal thyroid function and the absence of any abnormal immunglobulins.

[Cutaneous metastases from a leiomyosarcoma of the testicular tunica albuginea].

Cutaneous metastases from a leiomyosarcoma of the testicular tunica albuginea are very rare. Primary leiomyosarcomas in this site are uncommon and furthermore cutaneous metastases develop only in 1,4% of all malignant tumors of the internal organs [10]. A 71 year old patient with such a sarcoma underwent primary excision.

Induction of beta 1 integrin synthesis by recombinant platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AB) correlates with an enhanced migratory response of human dermal fibroblasts to various extracellular matrix proteins.

Cell migration plays a major role during wound healing and is tightly controlled by a variety of growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins. The experiments reported here have been designed to study whether defined beta 1 integrins are involved in the platelet-derived growth-factor-AB (PDGF-AB)-modulated migratory response to collagen type I and to fibronectin. Preincubation of fibroblasts with PDGF-AB resulted in an up to 2.

Mg2+ and Ca2+ differentially regulate beta 1 integrin-mediated adhesion of dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes to various extracellular matrix proteins.

The specific requirements for divalent cations in the integrin-dependent adhesion and deadhesion of human dermal fibroblasts and human epidermal keratinocytes to various extracellular matrix proteins have been studied in vitro. The adhesion of both cell types to collagen type I and to laminin was enhanced by Mg2+ in a concentration-dependent manner, while Ca2+ dose-dependently antagonized this effect, thus promoting deadhesion. The cation-dependent conversion between adhesion and deadhesion occurred already at 2 to 10 min after addition of the alternate cation and was almost completed at 20 min.