Virtually all biological processes depend on the interaction between proteins at some point. The correct prediction of biomolecular binding free-energies has many interesting applications in both basic and applied pharmaceutical research. While recent advances in the field of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have proven the feasibility of the calculation of protein-protein binding free energ...

The reversible binding of neocarzinostatin chromophore to polynucleotides was studied in order to understand the molecular basis of its base sequence-specificity in DNA damage production. Studies of the spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties of chromophore-polynucleotide interactions reveal that the binding of the chromophore to poly(dA-dT) is qualitatively and quantitatively different from...

Viologens are known as an excellent electron acceptor and a versatile supramolecular building block, the physical property of which can be tuned by varying N-substitution. Herein, we present class unprecedented quinoid-viologen conjugates wherein quinoidal unit is incorporated part extended π-system viologen units through Such molecules show intriguing optical electronic properties inherited fr...

Lectins are proteins of a nonimmunoglobulin nature that are capable of specific recognition of and reversible binding to the carbohydrate moieties of complex carbohydrates, without altering the covalent structure of any of the recognized glycosyl ligands. They have a broad range of biological activities important for the functioning of the cell and the whole organism and, owing to the high spec...

The effects of the metabolic inhibitor NaN3 on insulin receptors in isolated rat fat-cells were investigated. The agent reduced insulin binding in parallel to a decrease of the ATP content of cells. Both effects were observed in the same concentration range of NaN3, and were fully reversible. According to the binding curves the affinity rather than the number of receptors was reduced. Kinetic e...

Every lipid membrane fission event involves the association of two apposing bilayers, mediated by proteins that can promote membrane curvature, fusion and fission. We tested the hypothesis that Fis1, a tail-anchored protein involved in mitochondrial and peroxisomal fission, promotes changes in membrane structure. We found that the cytosolic domain of Fis1 alone binds lipid vesicles, which is en...

Boron-doped silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were used to create highly sensitive, real-time electrically based sensors for biological and chemical species. Amine- and oxide-functionalized SiNWs exhibit pH-dependent conductance that was linear over a large dynamic range and could be understood in terms of the change in surface charge during protonation and deprotonation. Biotin-modified SiNWs were use...

We report on the reversible detection of CaptAvidin, a tyrosine modified avidin, with single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) field-effect transistors (FETs) noncovalently functionalized with biotin moieties using 1-pyrenebutyric acid as a linker. Binding affinities at different pH values were quantified, and the sensor's response at various ionic strengths was analyzed. Furthermore, protein "fing...

Herein we demonstrate that dynamic covalent chemistry can be used to induce reversible morphological transitions in block copolymer nano-objects and hydrogels. Poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PGMA-PHPMA) diblock copolymer nano-objects (vesicles or worms) were prepared via polymerization-induced self-assembly. Addition of 4-carboxyphenylboronic acid (CPBA) lea...

The mechanism of translocation of matrix-targeted, cleavable preproteins across the mitochondrial outer membrane was studied using purified outer membrane vesicles. The N-terminal presequence interacts in a sequential and reversible fashion with two specific binding sites. The first one is provided by protease-sensitive receptors on the surface of the membrane (cis site); the second one is loca...