A switch-on mechanism to activate maize ribosome-inactivating protein for targeting HIV-infected cells

Maize ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) is a plant toxin that inactivates eukaryotic ribosomes by depurinating a specific adenine residue at the a-sarcin/ricin loop of 28S rRNA. Maize RIP is first produced as a proenzyme with a 25-amino acid internal inactivation region on the protein surface. During germination, proteolytic removal of this internal inactivation region generates the active heterodimeric maize RIP with full N-glycosidase activity. This naturally occurring switch-on mechanism provides an opportunity for targeting the cytotoxin to pathogen-infected cells. Here, we report the addition of HIV-1 protease recognition sequences to the internal inactivation region and the activation of the maize RIP variants by HIV-1 protease in vitro and in HIV-infected cells. Among the variants generated, two were cleaved efficiently by HIV-1 protease. The HIV-1 protease-activated variants showed enhanced N-glycosidase activity in vivo as compared to their un-activated counterparts. They also possessed potent inhibitory effect on p24 antigen production in human T cells infected by two HIV-1 strains. This switch-on strategy for activating the enzymatic activity of maize RIP in target cells provides a platform for combating pathogens with a specific protease.

Gain Switch of an AlGaInP Red Light Semiconductor Laser Diode

We solve the single mode coupled rate equations by computer, simulate the behavior of a gain switch of an AlGalnP red light semiconductor laser diode, and find the characteristic of FWHM of pulses changing with the amplitude of modulation signal, the bias current, and the modulated frequency. On this basis, we conduct experiments. The experiment results accord with the simulations well.

An Improvement on 2× 2 Silicon-on-Insulator Mach-Zehnder Thermo-Optical Switch

An improved 2 ×2 silicon-on-insulator Mach-Zehnder thermo-optical switch is designed and fabricated, which is based on strongly guided multimode interference couplers and single- mode phase-shifting arms. The multimode interference couplers and input/output waveguides are deeply etched to improve coupler performances and coupler-waveguide coupling efficiencies. However, shallow etching is used in the phase-shifting arms to guarantee single-mode property. The strongly guided coupler presents an attractive uniformity about 0. 03 dB and a low propagation loss of -0.6 dB. The 2× 2 switch shows an insertion loss as low as -6.8 dB, where the fiber-waveguide coupling loss of -4.3 dB is included, and the response-time is measured as short as 6.8 μs, which are much better than our previous results.

An Improved Driving Circuit for Thermo-Optical Switch to Improve the Reliability of Thermo-Optical Switch Matrix

The influence of the heaters on the reliability of the thermo-optic (TO) switch matrix is analyzed and an improved driving circuit based on the analyzed results is designed and fabricated. The circuit can improve the reliability of the switch matrix device from 78.87% to 97.04% for a 4×4 optical switch device with a simplified tree structure. The simulation and experimental results show the circuit can provide suitable driving current for TO switch matrix.

2 x 2 electrooptical switch in silicon-on-insulator waveguide

A 2 x 2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer electrooptical switch integrated in silicon-on-insulator using multimode interference 3-dB couplers as splitter and combiner has been proposed and fabricated. Free carriers plasma dispersion effect was utilized to realize light modulation in silicon. Switching operation was achieved at an injection current of 358mA and which can be much reduced by optimizing the PIN structure and improving fabrication process. Extinction ratio of 7.7dB and crosstalk of 4.8dB has been observed.