Sickle cell haemoglobin (HbS) differs from normal haemoglobin by a single amino acid in its beta chain. This amino acid replacement, from glutamic acid to valine, causes polymerisation of proteins into defined long insoluble fibres with a typical diameter of 21.5 nm. The polymerisation is triggered by the formation of deoxyhaemoglobin (deoxyHb) from oxyhaemoglobin (oxyHb) in low oxygen partial ...

Vaccinia virus enhances its cell-to-cell spread by inducing Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerisation. This process is initiated by Src- and Abl-mediated phosphorylation of the viral transmembrane protein A36, leading to recruitment of a signalling network consisting of Grb2, Nck, WIP and N-WASP. Nck is a potent activator of N-WASP-Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerisation. However, recent observations...

This study evaluated the potential of poly(iso-butyl cyanoacrylate) (PBCA) nanocapsules dispersed in a biocompatible microemulsion to facilitate the absorption of insulin following intragastric administration to diabetic rats. Insulin-loaded PBCA nanocapsules were prepared in-situ in a biocompatible water-in-oil microemulsion by interfacial polymerisation. The microemulsion consisted of a mixtu...

Libraries of lanthanide complexes supported by nitrogen and oxygen containing ligands have been synthesised using a high-throughput approach. The complexes were employed in the ring-opening polymerisation of epsilon-caprolactone, in some cases giving polycaprolactone of controlled molecular weight and narrow polydispersity. The libraries, based on twenty-one ligands and eight lanthanide reagent...

The nonlocal diffusion model proposed by Sheridan and coworkers has provided a useful interpretation of the nature of grating formation inside photopolymer materials. This model accounts for some important experimental facts, such as the cut-off of diffraction efficiency for high spatial frequencies. In this article we examine the predictions of the model in the case of a general dependence of ...

In the original version of this Article, the Abstract contains a typographical error. " We identified a ch-TOG centred network of genetic interactions which promotes ensures centrosome-mediated microtubule polymerisation, leading to the incorporation of microtubules polym-erised by all pathways into a bipolar structure. " should read: " We identified a ch-TOG centred network of genetic interact...

Pectins from apple, citrus and sugar beet injected intravenously to ewes markedly stimulated blood prolactin, growth hormone (GH) and cortisol. Pectic acid and polygalacturonic acid exhibited the same property. A preparation of oligogalacturonic acid with a polymerisation degree of 12 to 13 was also active, whereas oligomers with a smaller degree of polymerisation ( ! 10) were devoid of activit...

Measurements of the isoelectric point (pI), sialic acid content, and polymerisation were made of 43 light chains isolated from the urine of patients with myelomatosis excreting large amounts of light chains. The pIs ranged from 3.5-9.5, and 23 were greater than 7.0. Sialylation was detected in 62% of light chains, and 69% showed microheterogeneity of charge. There was no clear association betwe...