Pure Mitochondrial DNA Does Not Activate Human Neutrophils in vitro.

Excessive activation of the innate immune system often leads to fatal consequences and can be considered as one of the phenoptotic events. After traumatic injury, various components of mitochondria are released into the circulation and stimulate myeloid cells of the innate immunity. Presumably, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) might activate immune cells (Zhang, Q.

The structural principles of multidomain organization of the giant polypeptide chain of the muscle titin protein: SAXS/WAXS studies during the stretching of oriented titin fibres.

Elasticity of titin is a key parameter that determines the mechanical properties of muscle. These include reversibility, i.e.

[Effect of various humidity on local dynamic structure of lysozyme in a spin-labeled tetragonal crystal].

The dynamics of the side groups of amino acid residues and local conformational changes in the lysozyme molecule upon dehydration and rehydration of lysozyme crystals were studied by the methods of spin label, X-ray diffraction, and molecular dynamics. The His15 residue of lysozyme from chicken egg white was modified by spin label, and spin-labeled tetragonal crystals of the protein were grown. The spatial structure of the covalently bound spin label and its immediate surroundings in the lysozyme tetragonal crystal was determined.

De novo design of fibrils made of short alpha-helical coiled coil peptides.

Background: The alpha-helical coiled coil structures formed by 25-50 residues long peptides are recognized as one of Nature's favorite ways of creating an oligomerization motif. Known de novo designed and natural coiled coils use the lateral dimension for oligomerization but not the axial one. Previous attempts to design alpha-helical peptides with a potential for axial growth led to fibrous aggregates which have an unexpectedly big and irregular thickness.

Ionic conductivity, transference numbers, composition and mobility of ions in cross-linked lysozyme crystals.

Micromethods for measurements of electric conductivity, transference numbers and concentrations of inorganic ions within immobilized protein crystals have been developed and applied to study tetragonal lysozyme crystals cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Donnan equilibria and mobilities of ions in this crystal were calculated using the data of these methods and the data of crystal pH titration. Taken together these results characterize the lysozyme crystal as an ion exchanger whose electrical properties and ion composition differ greatly from those of the external solution.

[X-ray fluorescent study of the ionic composition of lysozyme crystals].

The method of the studying of the ionic content in the protein crystals by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is proposed. The ionic content of the tetragonal glutaraldehyde--cross-linked lysozyme crystals in the 2- 11 pH range and upon the low and high ionic strengths is studied. The acid-base titration of the lysozyme crystals is carried out for determination of the pH-dependence of the net charge of the lysozyme molecule within protein crystal.

An algorithm to find channels and cavities within protein crystals.

We have written a package called CHANNEL for determining and analyzing the channels and cavities within protein crystals. By using CHANNEL, the intermolecular space within a crystal lattice can be divided into closed cavities and channels. This package is certainly useful in determining the channel topological structure and quantitative characteristics.

[Cross-linking of crystalline sperm whale myoglobin using glutaraldehyde].

The salt composition of the solution has been found, which does not interact with glutaraldehyde and myoglobin at an ionic strength corresponding to that of the mother liquid, i.e., 4.