DNA-templated plasmonic Ag/AgCl nanostructures for molecular selective photocatalysis and photocatalytic inactivation of cancer cells.

Silver halide (AgX, X = Cl, Br, I)-based materials represent an emerging class of heterogeneous photocatalysts. Despite progress in the synthesis of carrier-separated AgX-based photocatalysts, a number of issues remain unaddressed, including complicated synthesis, unfavorably large size and therefore poor photocatalytic performance of the resultant structures. Here we show the one-step DNA-programmable synthesis of Ag/AgCl nanostructures that takes only approximately 1 min for photocatalytic application.

Single-molecule study on the decay process of the football-shaped GroEL-GroES complex using zero-mode waveguides.

It has been widely believed that an asymmetric GroEL-GroES complex (termed the bullet-shaped complex) is formed solely throughout the chaperonin reaction cycle, whereas we have recently revealed that a symmetric GroEL-(GroES)(2) complex (the football-shaped complex) can form in the presence of denatured proteins. However, the dynamics of the GroEL-GroES interaction, including the football-shaped complex, is unclear. We investigated the decay process of the football-shaped complex at a single-molecule level.

Effect of the C-terminal truncation on the functional cycle of chaperonin GroEL: implication that the C-terminal region facilitates the transition from the folding-arrested to the folding-competent state.

To elucidate the exact role of the C-terminal region of GroEL in its functional cycle, the C-terminal 20-amino acid truncated mutant of GroEL was constructed. The steady-state ATPase rate and duration of GroES binding showed that the functional cycle of the truncated GroEL is extended by approximately 2 s in comparison with that of the wild type, without interfering with the basic functions of GroEL. We have proposed a model for the functional cycle of GroEL, which consists of two rate-limiting steps of approximately 3- and approximately 5-s duration (Ueno, T.

Real-time imaging of single-molecule fluorescence with a zero-mode waveguide for the analysis of protein-protein interaction.

Real-time imaging of single-molecule fluorescence with a zero-mode waveguide (ZMW) was achieved. With modification of the ZMW geometry, the signal-to-background ratio is twice that obtainable with a conventional ZMW. The improved signal-to-background ratio makes it possible to visualize individual binding-release events between chaperonin GroEL and cochaperonin GroES at a concentration of 5 microM.

Control of charge-transfer-induced spin transition temperature on cobalt-iron Prussian blue analogues.

The electronic and spin states of a series of Co-Fe Prussian blue analogues containing Na(+) ion in the lattice, Na(x)()Co(y)()Fe(CN)(6) x zH(2)O, strongly depended on the atomic composition ratio of Co to Fe (Co/Fe) and temperature. Compounds of Co/Fe = 1.5 and 1.