After Zn2+ finger-mediated binding to a DNA break, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase becomes automodified with long polymers of ADP-ribose. These nucleic acid-like polymers may facilitate DNA repair by noncovalently interacting with neighboring proteins. Using a novel screening technique, we have identified histones as the predominant poly(ADP-ribose)-binding species in human keratinocytes, rat hepat...

Most star polymers with controlled molecular weight and low polydispersity are synthesized by living polymerization, in which only initiation and propagation reactions, but not chain transfer reaction, take place. Accordingly, the obtained star polymers are generally not contaminated with linear polymers. Recently, we have developed chain-growth condensation polymerization, a kind of living pol...

We examined the synthesis, physical properties, and resist properties of various iodine-containing molecules polymers as materials. By condensation reaction 2,6-dimethylphenol (DMP) with 4-iodebenzaldehyde (IBA), 3,5-diiodesalicylaldehyde (DISA) 4-hydroxy-3,5-diiodebenzaldehyde (HDIA), corresponding iodine containing compounds DIPM, 2-DIPM, 4-DIPM were synthesized. The these adamantyl bromo ace...

Dynamics of the polymorphic A<->B transitions in DNA is compared for two polypurine sequences, poly(dA).poly(dT) and poly(dG).poly(dC), long known to exhibit contrasting properties in experiments. In free molecular dynamics simulations reversible transitions are induced by changing the size of a water drop around DNA neutralized by Na ions. In poly(dG).poly(dC) the B<->A transitions are easy, s...

OBJECTIVE Insulin has well-known activities in controlling energy metabolism, cellular proliferation and biosynthesis of functional molecules to maintain a biological homeostasis. Recently, several studies have suggested that insulin may protect cells from apoptosis in different cell lines; however, little is known about the nature of its anti-apoptotic activity. In many clinical disorders, inc...

DNA compaction in a bacterial cell is in part carried out by entropic (depletion) forces induced by "free" proteins or crowding particles in the cytoplasm. Indeed, recent in vitro experiments highlight these effects by showing that they alone can condense the E. coli chromosome to its in vivo size. Using molecular dynamics simulations and a theoretical approach, we study how a flexible chain mo...