UV irradiation of 1,3-dimethyluracil in ice-matrix yields four dimeric dimethyluracils (2 c) — (5 c) , which could be isolated by preparative thin-layer chromatography. Attemps for structure elucidation of these four dimers by UV, IR, NMR and mass-spectrometric methodes pointed out, that only NMR-spectra give structural evidences; by IR — not by mass-spectra — certain identification of dimers i...

Large von Willebrand factor (vWf) multimers are assembled by the formation of disulfide bonds between dimers in trans Golgi and post-Golgi compartments. We were able to reproduce this process in a cell-free system using purified vWf dimers. The multimers formed in vitro extended to 5 x 10(6) Da and were similar in size distribution to those secreted constitutively by endothelial cells in cultur...

We have investigated the photophysical properties and intracellular behaviour of a series of hydrophilic conjugated porphyrin dimers. All the dimers exhibit intense linear absorption at 650-800 nm and high singlet oxygen quantum yields (0.5-0.9 in methanol), as required for an efficient sensitiser for photodynamic therapy (PDT). They also exhibit fluorescence at 700-800 nm, with fluorescence qu...

In this article, cyclic peptides (CP) with lipid substituents were theoretically designed. The dynamical behavior of the CP dimers and the cyclic peptide nanotube (CPNT) without lipid substituents in the solution (water and chloroform) during the 50 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulations has been investigated. As a result, the CP dimers and CPNT in a non-polar solvent are more stable than in a p...

Tetrameric insulin holoreceptor (alpha 2 beta 2) was reduced with dithiothreitol into alpha beta dimers such that they maintain up to 50% of insulin binding at tracer ligand concentrations. Scatchard analysis of insulin binding to dimers revealed that they had a reduced affinity for ligand by a factor of 3-6 compared to holoreceptor, whereas the maximum number of high affinity binding sites was...

Yeast glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) in solutions exists as the equilibrium mixture of dimers and tetramers. Only dimers are active. The equation responding to these conditions was used to determine the parameters: the specific activity of dimers and the dissociation equilibrium constant of tetramers. The stability of G6PDH dimers were shown to be maintained due to the conformational...

During apoptosis, Bak and Bax undergo major conformational change and form symmetric dimers that coalesce to perforate the mitochondrial outer membrane via an unknown mechanism. We have employed cysteine labelling and linkage analysis to the full length of Bak in mitochondria. This comprehensive survey showed that in each Bak dimer the N-termini are fully solvent-exposed and mobile, the core is...

A problem in the search for an efficient vaccine against dengue virus is the immunodominance of the fusion loop epitope (FLE), a segment of the envelope protein E that is buried at the interface of the E dimers coating mature viral particles. Anti-FLE antibodies are broadly cross-reactive but poorly neutralizing, displaying a strong infection enhancing potential. FLE exposure takes place via dy...

Abstract Spin-state energetics of exchange-coupled copper complexes pose a persistent challenge for applied quantum chemistry. Here, we provide comprehensive comparison all available theoretical approaches to the problem exchange coupling in two antiferromagnetically coupled bis-μ-hydroxo Cu(II) dimers. The evaluated methods include multireference based on density matrix renormalization group (...