Seibutsu Butsuri
Online ISSN : 1347-4219
Print ISSN : 0582-4052
ISSN-L : 0582-4052
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Volume 39, Issue 3
Issue 223
Displaying 1-11 of 11 articles from this issue
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Overview
Review
  • Structure of Bacteriorhodopsin Based on Electron Crystallography at 3.0 Å Resolution
    Kaoru MITSUOKA, Teruhisa HIRAI
    1999 Volume 39 Issue 3 Pages 148-153
    Published: May 25, 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: April 12, 2000
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2142/biophys.39.148
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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    Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is a membrane protein, which absorbs light by its retinal chromophore. The absorbed light energy is used to pump protons from the cytoplasm into the extra-cellular space. To understand the mechanism of the proton pumping, the determination of high resolution structure for bR including ordered water molecules will be required. The atomic model of bR was first built by a pioneer work by Henderson's group on electron crystallography at 3.5 Å resolution, and recently some models analyzed by both X-ray and electron crystallography at higher resolution were reported. Here we describe the structure of bR at 3.0 Å resolution determined by electron crystallography by our group and compare it with the atomic model analyzed by X-ray crystallography at 2.3 Å resolution. In addition, we will discuss the possibility of visualization of charge status by electron crystallography using the characteristic feature of atomic scattering factors for electron.
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  • Modification of Chromatin Structure at Recombination Hot Spots
    Kunihiro OHTA, Ken-ichi MIZUNO, Munenori FURUSE
    1999 Volume 39 Issue 3 Pages 154-158
    Published: May 25, 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: April 12, 2000
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2142/biophys.39.154
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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    Recombination in meiosis is triggered at defined sites on chromosome called "hot spots", which can be found in accessible regions in chromosomes. Some factors for recombination and transcription are required for activation of recombination at hot spots. In fission yeast, a CREB/ATF-type transcription factor enhances recombination by remodeling local chromatin structure around a recombination hot spot, suggesting the relationship between transcription and recombination.
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  • The Capsaicin Receptor : A Heat- and Proton-activated Ion Channel
    Makoto TOMINAGA, Michael J. CATERINA, Tobias A. ROSEN, David JULIUS
    1999 Volume 39 Issue 3 Pages 159-164
    Published: May 25, 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: April 12, 2000
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2142/biophys.39.159
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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    Capsaicin, the main pungent ingredient in 'hot' chili peppers, elicits burning pain by activating specific (vanilloid) receptors on sensory nerve endings. We have isolated a functional cDNA encoding a capsaicin receptor from sensory neurons using an expression cloning strategy. The cloned vanilloid receptor (VR1) is a nonselective cation channel with six transmembrane domains that is structurally related to a member of the TRP family. VR1 is also activated by increases in temperature in the nonoxious range (>43 °C. We also find that protons decrease the temperature threshold for VR1 activation such that even moderately acidic conditions (pH<5.9) activate VR1 at room temperature. Analysis of single-channel currents in excised membrane patches suggests that heat or proton gates VR1 directly. VR1 can therefore be viewed as a molecular integrator of chemical and physical stimuli that elicit pain.
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  • Cerebellar Synaptic Plasticity and Adaptive Control of Locomotion
    Dai YANAGIHARA, Satoshi ITO
    1999 Volume 39 Issue 3 Pages 165-171
    Published: May 25, 1999
    Released on J-STAGE: April 12, 2000
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2142/biophys.39.165
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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    To perform smooth locomotion, animals coodinate not only parts of a limb, but also different limbs. The dynamics of coodination is modified according to changes of external conditions due to obstacles or unexpected perturbation. Formation of the dynamics of the coordinated pattern in space-time is viewed as an important process of motor learning. How is the dynamics of locomotion pattern adjusted to the changes of the external conditions by motor learning? During those motor learning, what happens in the brain? We will present experimental evidence and mathematical simulation that adaptive control of locomotion is involved in the cerebellar synaptic plasticity.
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Experimental techniques
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