Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels mediate numerous sensory transduction processes and are thought to function as tetramers. TRP channel physiology is well studied; however, comparatively little is understood regarding TRP channel assembly. Here, we identify an autonomously folded assembly domain from the cold- and menthol-gated channel TRPM8. We show that the TRPM8 cytoplasmic C-termi...

Coiled coils are protein structure domains with two or more alpha-helices packed together via interlacing of side chains known as knob-into-hole packing. We analysed and classified a large set of coiled-coil structures using a combination of automated and manual methods. This led to a systematic classification that we termed a "periodic table of coiled coils," which we have made available at ht...

Chloroplast development during carposporogenesis in the parasitic red alga Faucheocolax attenuata Setch. was studied by electron microscopy. Proplastids are usually found in the peripheral cytoplasm of young carpospores and are characterized by the presence of portions of a peripheral thylakoid and coiled lamellar bodies that range in size up to 0.5 micron. One type of coiled lamellar body occu...

The small GTPase Rho and one of its targets, Rho-associated kinase (ROCK), participate in a variety of actin-based cellular processes including smooth muscle contraction, cell migration, and stress fiber formation. The ROCK protein consists of an N-terminal kinase domain, a central coiled-coil domain containing a Rho binding site, and a C-terminal pleckstrin homology domain. Here we present the...

Polar residues lying between adjacent α-helical chains of coiled-coils often contribute to coiled-coil curvature and flexibility, while more typical core hydrophobic residues anneal the chains together. In tropomyosins, ranging from smooth and skeletal muscle to cytoplasmic isoforms, a highly conserved Asp at residue 137 places negative charges within the tropomyosin coiled-coil core in a posit...

Micro-coiled fibers of carbon, Sic, Si N Tic, ZrC and Hf C were prepared by a metal-impurity activa?e%'chemical vapor deposition or vapour phase metallizing of the coiled carbon fibers. The growth conditions, morphology, growth mechanism and some properties were examined. The double-coiled carbon fibers were prepared using acetylene as a carbon source and various powders or plates of transition...

The coiled body is a specific intranuclear structure of unknown function that is enriched in splicing small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). Because adenoviruses make use of the host cell-splicing machinery and subvert the normal subnuclear organization, we initially decided to investigate the effect of adenovirus infection on the coiled body. The results indicate that adenovirus infection ...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the force levels of aesthetic Ni-Ti wires to regular Ni-Ti wires of the same dimension and evaluate their mechanical properties. Aesthetic and regular maxillary superelastic Ni-Ti wires (0.016 × 0.022) from four different manufacturers (G&H Wire Company, TP Orthodontics, GAC International, and Ortho Organizers) were selected and grouped I-IV...

In this study we report antibacterial modification of Kirschner wires (K-wires) with polyluteolin (PL) toward methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). K-wires were modified by immersing them in the luteolin-containing aqueous solution for 24 h. Characterizations using scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical methods confirmed the presence of the PL coatings on the K-wires. Th...

The smart cable with embedded distributed fiber optical Bragg grating (FBG) sensors was chosen as the object to study a new diagnosis method about broken wires of bridge cable. The diagnosis strategy based on cable force and stress distribution state of steel wires was put forward. By establishing bridge cable and cable steel wires model, the broken wires sample database was simulated numerical...