Improved display of synthetic IgG-binding domains on the baculovirus surface

Improved display of foreign protein moieties in combination with beneficial alteration of the viral surface properties should be of value for targeted and enhanced gene delivery. Here, we describe a vector based on Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) displaying synthetic IgG-bincling domains (ZZ) of protein A fused to the transmembrane anchor of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G protein. This display vector was equipped with a GFP/EGFP expression cassette enabling fluorescent detection in both insect and mammalian cells. The virus construct displayed the biologically active fusion protein efficiently and showed increased binding capacity to IgG. As the display is carried out using a membrane anchor of foreign origin, gp64 is left intact for virus entry, which may increase gene expression in the transduced mammalian cells. In addition, the viral vector can be targeted to any desired cell type via binding of ZZ domains when an appropriate IgG antibody is available.

Overlapping double turn conformations adopted by tetrapeptides containing non-coded alpha-Amino Isobutyric Acid (AIB) and formation of tape-like structures through supramolecular helix mediated self-assembly

Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies and solvent dependent H-1 NMR titrations reveal that a set of four tetrapeptides with general formula Boc-Xx(1)-Aib(2)-Yy(3)-Zz(4)-OMe, where Xx, Yy and Zz are coded L- amino acids, adopt equivalent conformations that can be described as overlapping double turn conformations stabilized by two 4 -> 1 intramolecular hydrogen bonds between Yy(3)-NH and Boc C=O and Zz(4)-NH and Xx(1)C=O. In the crystalline state, the double turn structures are packed in head-to-tail fashion through intermolecular hydrogen bonds to create supramolecular helical structures. Field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) images of the tetrapeptides in the solid state reveal that they can form flat tape-like structures. The results establish that synthetic Aib containing supramolecular helices can form highly ordered self-aggregated amyloid plaque like human amylin.

Cetobacterium somerae sp nov from human feces and emended description of the genus Cetobacterium

Phenotypic and phylogenetic studies were performed on four isolates of an unidentified gram-negative, microaerotolerant, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium isolated from the feces of children. The unknown organism was bile resistant and produced acetic acid as the major end product of metabolism of peptides and carbohydrates. It possessed a low DNA G + C content of 31 mol %. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that the four isolates were phylogenetically identical (100% 16S rRNA sequence similarity) and represent a hitherto unknown sub-line within the genus Cetobacterium. The novel bacterium displayed approximately 5% sequence divergence with Cetobacterium ceti, and can be readily distinguished from the latter by physiological and biochemical criteria. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that the unknown fecal bacterium be classified in the genus Cetobacterium, as Cetobacterium somerae sp. nov. The proposed type strain of Cetobacterium somerae is WAL 14325(T) (ATCC BAA-474(T) = CCUG 46254T).

BET surface area of carbonaceous adsorbents: verification using geometric considerations and GCMC simulations on virtual porous carbon models

The applicability of BET model for calculation of surface area of activated carbons is checked by using molecular simulations. By calculation of geometric surface areas for the simple model carbon slit-like pore with the increasing width, and by comparison of the obtained values with those for the same systems from the VEGA ZZ package (adsorbate-accessible molecular surface), it is shown that the latter methods provide correct values. For the system where a monolayer inside a pore is created the ASA approach (GCMC, Ar, T = 87 K) underestimates the value of surface area for micropores (especially, where only one layer is observed and/or two layers of adsorbed Ar are formed). Therefore, we propose the modification of this method based on searching the relationship between the pore diameter and the number of layers in a pore. Finally BET; original andmodified ASA; and A, B and C-point surface areas are calculated for a series of virtual porous carbons using simulated Ar adsorption isotherms (GCMC and T = 87 K). The comparison of results shows that the BET method underestimates and not, as it was usually postulated, overestimates the surface areas of microporous carbons.

Gradient recovery in adaptive finite-element methods for parabolic problems

We derive energy-norm a posteriori error bounds, using gradient recovery (ZZ) estimators to control the spatial error, for fully discrete schemes for the linear heat equation. This appears to be the �rst completely rigorous derivation of ZZ estimators for fully discrete schemes for evolution problems, without any restrictive assumption on the timestep size. An essential tool for the analysis is the elliptic reconstruction technique.Our theoretical results are backed with extensive numerical experimentation aimed at (a) testing the practical sharpness and asymptotic behaviour of the error estimator against the error, and (b) deriving an adaptive method based on our estimators. An extra novelty provided is an implementation of a coarsening error "preindicator", with a complete implementation guide in ALBERTA in the appendix.