Activation of an initiator caspase is essential to the execution of apoptosis. The molecular mechanisms by which initiator caspases are activated remain poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the autocatalytic cleavage of Dronc, an important initiator caspase in Drosophila, results in a drastic enhancement of its catalytic activity in vitro. The autocleaved Dronc forms a homodimer, whereas...

Polymers with a low molecular weight derived from soybean oil have been prepared in a supercritical carbon dioxide medium by cationic polymerization. Boron trifluoride diethyl etherate was used as an initiator. Influences of polymerization temperature, amount of initiator, and carbon dioxide pressure on the molecular weight were investigated. It is shown that the higher polymerization temperatu...

Mixed yeast elongator-tRNAs (bulk tRNA lacking fRNAm,fMet), pure isoaccepting species of elongator-tRNAs (tRNAmMet and tRNAPhe), and purified initiator-tRNA (tRNAfMet) were each oxidized with periodate and the 3' terminus was coupled to Sepharose 4B through an adipic acid dihydrazide spacer. The rat liver ribosomal proteins that associated with the tRNAs were isolated by affinity chromatography...

Polymer nanocomposites of core–shell structure were prepared by grafting poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) from TiO2 nanoparticle via the surface-initiated polymerization (SIP) strategy. A bifunctional polymerization initiator inspired by L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), a key constituent of mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs), was designed and synthesized for use in SIP from oxide surfaces. The...

Methoxyamine reacts selectively with tRNA molecules at certain exposed cytosine residues usually located in non base-paired regions of the two dimensional clover leaf structure. Here methoxyamine is used for the first time in a study of a mammalian tRNA structure. One of the sequence abnormalities of myeloma initiator tRNA is a cytosine instead of the usual uracil immediately preceding the anti...

Formylation of initiator methionyl-tRNA is essential for normal growth of eubacteria. However, under special conditions, it has been possible to initiate protein synthesis with unformylated initiator tRNA even in eubacteria. Earlier studies suggested that the lack of ribothymidine (rT) modification in initiator tRNA may facilitate initiation in the absence of formylation. In this report we show...

Very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency is the most common inborn fatty acid oxidation (FAO) disorder. VLCAD characterized by distinct phenotypes. The severe phenotypes are potentially life-threatening and affect heart or liver, with a comparatively milder phenotype myopathic symptoms. There an unmet clinical need for effective treatment options phenotype. molecular mechanisms...

Exceeding the energy density of lithium−carbon monofluoride (Li−CFx), today's leading Li primary battery, requires an increase in fluorine content (x) that determines theoretical capacity available from C−F bond reduction. However, high F-content carbon materials face challenges such as poor electronic conductivity, low reduction potentials (<1.3 V versus Li/Li+), and/or utilization. This study...

The rolling circle plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus regulate their replication by controlling initiator (Rep) protein synthesis. It was demonstrated recently that the pT181 initiator protein RepC is inactivated during pT181 replication by the addition of an oligodeoxynucleotide, giving rise to a new form, RepC* (A. Rasooly and R. P. Novick, Science, 262:1048-1050). We establish here that this ...