Biomedical subjects

E Weckert

Publications and source records attributed to E Weckert.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Approximate solution of the Takagi-Taupin equations for a semi-infinite crystal in the three-beam Laue-Laue case.

An analytical approximate solution of the Takagi-Taupin equations for a symmetrical three-beam Laue-Laue case in a perfect non-absorbing semi-infinite crystal slab has been obtained. The expression, a second-order expansion, is valid for situations where the effective crystal thickness does not exceed half the actual extinction length and it is shown to be in perfect agreement with the full numerical solution of the fundamental equations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Expeditious synthesis and chromatographic resolution of (+)- and (-)-trans-1-benzylcyclohexan-1,2-diamine hydrochlorides.

The hitherto unknown (-)- and (+)-1-benzylcyclohexan-1,2-diamine hydrochlorides 4a. HCl and 4b. HCl were synthesized by means of diastereoselective alpha-iminoamine rearrangement with subsequent imine reduction and hydrogenolysis. The relative trans-configuration as well as the absolute (1S,2R) and (1R,2S) configurations of 4a and 4b, respectively, were elucidated on the basis of an X-ray analysis of 3b. HCl. The enantiomeric excess (ee) values of the title compounds (>99%) were determined by chiral HPLC on a Chirex (D) Penicillamine column.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Synthesis and antibacterial study of unsaturated Mannich ketones.

Several Mannich ketones of 2-arylmethylenecycloalkanones were synthesised using the classical acid-catalysed Mannich reaction. Antibacterial activity of these new water-soluble compounds was reported against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus subtilis standard strains. Human cell line cytotoxicity of our new compounds was evaluated against HeLa cell lines. Some compounds showed low cytotoxicity (41.52 nM mL(-1) for 14 and 46.60 nM mL(-1) for 18) and proved to be efficient antibacterial agents against the Gram-positive strains. Minimum inhibitory concentrations varied from 1.56 to 100 microg mL(-1). The mechanism of action was examined, too.

Bacillus subtilis↗

PubMed2000

Potential for biomolecular imaging with femtosecond X-ray pulses.

Sample damage by X-rays and other radiation limits the resolution of structural studies on non-repetitive and non-reproducible structures such as individual biomolecules or cells. Cooling can slow sample deterioration, but cannot eliminate damage-induced sample movement during the time needed for conventional measurements. Analyses of the dynamics of damage formation suggest that the conventional damage barrier (about 200 X-ray photons per A2 with X-rays of 12 keV energy or 1 A wavelength) may be extended at very high dose rates and very short exposure times. Here we have used computer simulations to investigate the structural information that can be recovered from the scattering of intense femtosecond X-ray pulses by single protein molecules and small assemblies. Estimations of radiation damage as a function of photon energy, pulse length, integrated pulse intensity and sample size show that experiments using very high X-ray dose rates and ultrashort exposures may provide useful structural information before radiation damage destroys the sample. We predict that such ultrashort, high-intensity X-ray pulses from free-electron lasers that are currently under development, in combination with container-free sample handling methods based on spraying techniques, will provide a new approach to structural determinations with X-rays.

Bacteriophage T4↗

PubMed2000

Properties of an electron-density map derived from a limited number of experimentally determined triplet phases.

In a previous communication [Weckert et al. (1999). Acta Cryst. D55, 1320-1328], the feasibility of the measurement of a large set of triplet phases by three-beam interference was demonstrated. This paper reports the methodology for the calculation of an electron-density map from this limited amount of experimental phase information and the map's properties with respect to model building and refinement. The tetragonal form of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) was chosen as a test structure for the development of this method. The quality of the electron-density map obtained from all measured triplet phases allows a straightforward and nearly complete interpretation. The starting model was refined to a final R value of 17.4%. In a second step, the minimum number of phased reflections needed for the interpretation of an electron-density map was investigated, applying criteria based on |F| and resolution.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1999

Ga(22)

A metal-rich intermediate was captured prior to metal formation by means of a substitution reaction during the disproportionation of a metastable Ga(I) bromide solution. In the thus obtained Ga(22) cluster (see structure), the central gallium atom displays the unusual coordination number of 13.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Experimental determination of electric-field-induced differences in structure-factor phases of the order of 2%

In order to understand the induced electron-density response of covalently bonded materials to an externally applied electric field, the change of structure-factor phases of several weak reflections of GaAs has been measured by three-beam interferences. Using a modulation technique, phase variations of the order of 1 degrees for a field strength of 1 kV mm(-1) were determined. Although the statistics of these first experiments are rather poor, the experiment verifies qualitatively the predictions of a semi-empirical bond-charge model. The measured phase variation is the smallest value determined up to now.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Feasibility study for the measurement of a large set of triplet phases from a small protein.

The feasibility of measuring a set of triplet phases large enough to solve the structure of a small protein has been evaluated. A total of about 850 triplet phases have been measured from the tetragonal form of hen egg-white lysozyme. From these triplet phases, about 750 single phases can be derived. The experimental details of these measurements as well as the results, the values of the measured triplet phases, are reported. Additional experimental data from other small proteins are also presented.

Crystallization↗

PubMed1997

Partial improvement of crystal quality for microgravity-grown apocrustacyanin C1.

The protein apocrustacyanin C1 has been crystallized by vapour diffusion in both microgravity (the NASA space shuttle USML-2 mission) and on the ground. Rocking width measurements were made on the crystals at the ESRF Swiss-Norwegian beamline using a high-resolution psi-circle diffractometer from the University of Karlsruhe. Crystal perfection was then evaluated, from comparison of the reflection rocking curves from a total of five crystals (three grown in microgravity and two earth controls), and by plotting mosaicity versus reflection signal/noise. Comparison was then made with previous measurements of almost 'perfect' lysozyme crystals grown aboard IML-2 and Spacehab-1 and reported by Snell et al. [Snell, Weisgerber, Helliwell, Weckert, Holzer & Schroer (1995). Acta Cryst. D51, 1099-1102]. Overall, the best diffraction-quality apocrustacyanin C1 crystal was microgravity grown, but one earth-grown crystal was as good as one of the other microgravity-grown crystals. The remaining two crystals (one from microgravity and one from earth) were poorer than the other three and of fairly equal quality. Crystal movement during growth in microgravity, resulting from the use of vapour-diffusion geometry, may be the cause of not realising the 'theoretical' limit of perfect protein crystal quality.

Carrier Proteins↗

PubMed1991

A feasibility study of experimental triplet-phase determination in small proteins.

It is shown for the first time that the measurement of triplet phases of three-beam cases where strong structure factors are involved is possible in small protein structures, for example myoglobin. The exploitation of the triplet phase from the interference profile is not affected as long as the structure factors of unavoidable overlapping three-beam cases are small.

Chemical Phenomena↗