Synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopy of oligonucleotides at millimolar concentrations.

Circular dichroism spectroscopy of nucleic acids has been traditionally performed at sample concentrations orders of magnitude lower than what occur in biological systems. While recent work from us demonstrated the flexibility of an adjustable sample cell that allowed for successful recording of CD spectra of an 18- and a 21-mer double stranded DNA sequences at around 1 mM, sample concentrations beyond 1 mM present a challenge for standard benchtop CD spectrometers. In the present work, the synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) spectra were recorded for d(CG) and a mixed 18-mer double stranded DNA at 1, 5, and 10 mM in 100 mM or 4 M NaCl.

The interaction and orientation of Peptide KL in model membranes.

We report on the orientation and location of synthetic pulmonary surfactant peptide KL, (KLLLL)K, in model lipid membranes. The partitioning depths of selectively deuterated leucine residues within KL were determined in DPPC:POPG (4:1) and POPC:POPG (4:1) bilayers by oriented neutron diffraction. These measurements were combined with an NMR-generated model of the peptide structure to determine the orientation and partitioning of the peptide at the lipid-water interface.

From fat to bilayers: Understanding where and how vitamin E works.

Vitamin E was one of the last fat-soluble vitamins to be discovered. We provide here an historical review of the discovery and the increasingly more detailed understanding of the role of α-tocopherol both as an antioxidant and as a structural component of phospholipid bilayer membranes. Despite the detailed descriptions now available of the orientation, location, and dynamics of α-tocopherol in lipid bilayers, there are still gaps in our knowledge of the effect of α-tocopherol and its potential receptors than control gene transcription.

Circular dichroism spectroscopy of DNA duplexes at near-biological concentrations.

Circular dichroism (CD) of nucleic acids has been typically carried out at sample concentrations below 10 μM, which is far lower than nucleic acid concentrations in biological systems. Attempts to study nucleic acid conformations by CD at higher concentrations using 10 and 1 mm pathlength cuvettes led to instrument artifacts. By shortening the light pathlength to around 0.

Post-COVID Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in the Deployed Environment.

Cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome after current or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection have been extensively documented in children. Although there has been recent recognition of a similar adult post-COVID entity known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A), these cases have rarely been reported. This report describes the case of a soldier in the deployed setting with a benign initial clinical presentation who rapidly developed life-threatening MIS-A.