Highly reproducible ion channels of the lipopeptide antibiotic syringomycin E demonstrate unprecedented involvement of the host bilayer lipids. We find that in addition to a pronounced influence of lipid species on the open-channel ionic conductance, the membrane lipids play a crucial role in channel gating. The effective gating charge, which characterizes sensitivity of the conformational equi...

In order to understand the transition from chemical evolution to Darwinian evolution, we are attempting to synthesize extremely simple artificial cells. I will present recent experimental progress towards the development of one of the key components of such a protocell, namely a self-replicating nucleic acid genome. INTRODUCTION, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION The earliest living cells must...

The default lipid for the bulk of the crystallogenesis studies performed to date using the cubic mesophase method is monoolein. There is no good reason however, why this 18-carbon, cis-monounsaturated monoacylglycerol should be the preferred lipid for all target membrane proteins. The latter come from an array of biomembrane types with varying properties that include hydrophobic thickness, intr...

Lipids, the building blocks of cells, common to every living organisms, have the propensity to self-assemble into well-defined structures over short and long-range spatial scales. The driving forces have their roots mainly in the hydrophobic effect and electrostatic interactions. Membranes in lamellar phase are ubiquitous in cellular compartments and can phase-separate upon mixing lipids in dif...

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background staphylococcus aureus (sa) is frequently found on normal human skin and mucous membranes. methicilline resistance s. aureus (mrsa) strains have spread in many hospital isolates world wide since 1970s. hospital personnel tend to have higher colonization rates than the general population. colonized residents and personnel are sources for dissemination of organism. materials and methods...

objective: this study was designed to investigate rbc indices and hba2 levels in parents of major beta-thalassemia patients to detect possible silent beta- thalassemia carriers and examine its potential impact on the premarital genetic counseling. materials and methods: this cross sectional study was performed at children medical center from 2004 to 2006. after genetic counseling and getting in...

chitosan-graft-polyethylenimine (chi-g-pei) copolymer has been used for theimprovement of low transfection efficiency of chitosan. the present study aims to test thepulmonary toxicity and efficiency of chi-g-pei as an aerosol gene carrier. mice were exposedto aerosol containing green-fluorescent protein (gfp)-polyethylenimine (pei) or gfp-chig-pei complexes for 30 min during the development of ...

hemophilia b is factor ix deficiency and is inherited as x-linked recessive disorder. the subject of carrier detection in hemophilias has received new impetus in the last several years. analysis of factor ix gene polymorphisms is considered the best approach for prenatal diagnosis and hemophilia b carrier detection, if the identification of the gene mutation is possible. allele frequencies of t...

A drop of a drying oil, i.e. an unsaturated glyceride:(linseed oil), spreads upon an oxidizing solution (MnO4K 0.1%) and forms, after a few hours, a thin, flexible floating membrane, showing bright interference colors; this indicates a thickness which can fall below 1 t~ (Monnier and Monnier, 1964). This membrane can be floated on a saline solution and can support a drop of another solution. Th...