The ion-translocating c ring of the Na(+) F1 Fo ATP synthase of the anaerobic bacterium Acetobacterium woodii is the first heteromeric c ring found in nature that contains one V- (c1 ) and two F-type-like c subunits (c2 /c3 ), the latter of identical amino acid sequence. To address whether they are of equal or different importance for function, they were deleted in combination or individually. ...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases, which play a pivotal role in invasion, migration, and angiogenesis of glioma. Therefore, controlling MMPs is potentially an important therapeutic strategy for glioma. In the present study, we found that exogenous cell-permeable short-chain C2 ceramide inhibits phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced MMP-1, -3, and -...

The most significant complication for patients with severe cases of congenital or acquired hemophilia A is the development of inhibitor antibodies against coagulation factor VIII (fVIII). The C2 domain of fVIII is a significant antigenic target of anti-fVIII antibodies. Here, we have utilized small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and biochemical techniques to characterize interactions between two...

In this review, we examine how the specialized "Kranz" anatomy of C4 photosynthesis evolved from C3 ancestors. Kranz anatomy refers to the wreath-like structural traits that compartmentalize the biochemistry of C4 photosynthesis and enables the concentration of CO2 around Rubisco. A simplified version of Kranz anatomy is also present in the species that utilize C2 photosynthesis, where a photor...

To evaluate possible physiological roles of the large cytoplasmic loops (C2) and neighboring transmembrane domains of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits, we generated novel fusion constructs in which human nAChR alpha4, beta2, or beta4 subunit C2 or C2 and neighboring sequences were replaced by corresponding sequences from the mouse serotonin type 3A (5-HT3A) receptor subunit. Fo...

This note investigates πT,c1,c2(a1,a2)=P(supt∈[0,T](σ1B(t)−c1t)>a1,supt∈[0,T](σ2B(t)−c2t)>a2), where {B(t):t≥0} is a standard Brownian motion, with T>0,σ1,σ2>0,c1,c2∈R. We derive explicit formula for the probability πT,c1,c2(a1,a2) and find its asymptotic behavior both in so called many-source high-threshold regimes.

The recently discovered intermetallic superconductor MgB2 appears to have a highly anisotopic upper critical field with H c2 /H min c2 ≡ γ > 5. In order to determine the temperature dependence of both H c2 and H min c2 we propose a method of extracting the superconducting anisotropy from the magnetization M(H,T ) of randomly oriented powder samples. The method is based on two features in (∂M/∂T...

An increasing body of evidence points at a role of the plant hormones jasmonates (JAs) in determining the outcome of plant-virus interactions. Geminiviruses, small DNA viruses infecting a wide range of plant species worldwide, encode a multifunctional protein, C2, which is essential for full pathogenicity. The C2 protein has been shown to suppress the JA response, although the current view on t...

Amphotericin B (AmB) is a clinically vital antimycotic but is limited by its severe toxicity. Binding ergosterol, independent of channel formation, is the primary mechanism by which AmB kills yeast, and binding cholesterol may primarily account for toxicity to human cells. The leading structural model predicts that the C2' hydroxyl group on the mycosamine appendage is critical for binding both ...