PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K Kundu

Publications and source records attributed to K Kundu.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Detection of beet yellows virus by RT-PCR and immunocapture RT-PCR in Tetragonia expansa and Beta vulgaris.

Two sensitive methods, RT-PCR with phenol-extracted RNA or Triton X-100-released RNA and immunocapture RT-PCR (IR-RT-PCR) were used for the detection of Beet yellows virus (BYV) in young and old leaves of Tetragonia expansa and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and in sugar beet roots. Four oligonucleotide primer pairs proved suitable for the detection of BYV. The release of BYV RNA with Triton X-100 was shown to be a very effective and easy as compared to isolation of total RNA by phenol extraction with the same or higher sensitivity of subsequent PCR. Using the Triton X-100 release of RNA and IC-RT-PCR the sensitivity of detection was so high that pg amounts of BYV RNA occurring in dilutions up to 10(-6) of saps from young Tetragonia and sugar beet leaves could be detected.

Aizoaceae↗

Perturbative study of classical Ablowitz-Ladik type soliton dynamics in relation to energy transport in alpha-helical proteins.

Classical Ablowitz-Ladik type soliton dynamics from three closely related classical nonlinear equations is studied using a perturbative method. Model nonintegrable equations are derived by assuming nearest neighbor hopping of an exciton(vibron) in the presence of a full exciton(vibron)-phonon interaction in soft molecular chains in general and spines of alpha-helices in particular. In all cases, both trapped and moving solitons are found implying activation energy barrier for propagating solitons. Analysis further shows that staggered and nearly staggered trapped solitons will have a negative effective mass. In some models the exciton(vibron)-phonon coupling affects the hopping. For these models, when the conservation of probability is taken into account, only propagating solitons with a broad profile are found to be acceptable solutions. Of course, for the soliton to be a physically meaningful entity, total nonlinear coupling strength should exceed a critical value. On the basis of the result, a plausible modification in the mechanism for biological energy transport involving conformational change in alpha-helix is proposed. Future directions of the work are also mentioned.

Kinetics↗

Dependence of thermodynamic efficiency of proton pumps on frequency of oscillatory concentration of ATP.

In order to evaluate the utilization of variable ATP concentration produced by an oscillatory reaction (as in anaerobic glycolysis), we analyze the thermodynamic efficiency of power output of a cyclic, ATP-driven proton pump found in the plasma membrane of plant cells. The model used includes the coupling of potassium and calcium ion transport. Oscillations in the concentration of ATP can lead to either increases or decreases in efficiency compared to that at constant ATP concentration, with corresponding decreases and increases in dissipation in the irreversible processes of the proton pump, depending on the frequency of the oscillations. Variations of imposed frequencies induce, in the periodic response, variations of phase shifts between the components of the total membrane current, which consist of the pump's proton current and the currents of potassium and calcium ions. Increases in efficiency are attained when the phase shifts are such that maxima (or minima) in the proton pump current and membrane potential occur simultaneously.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗