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Bacteriorhodopsin in liposomes. II. Experimental evidence in support of a theoretical model.

In the preceding article equations describing relevant ion flows in illuminated suspensions of bacteriorhodopsin liposomes have been derived. Here these equations are subjected to experimental tests. Changes in permeability characteristics of the liposomal membrane are brought about by addition of specific ionophores and change of medium composition. Using light-driven proton uptake and electrochemical potential differences for protons across the membrane as observation parameters, ridig attempts to falsify the derived equations are unsuccessful. Agreement between equations and experimental results is established on the point of: (i) the antagonistic effect of valinomycin and nigericin on the two components of the proton-motive force, (ii) the time dependence of the changes in transmembrane electrical and chemical potential differences after the onset of illumination. In three independent experimental systems evidence was obtained for the correctness of the postulated dependence of the turnover rate of the photochemical cycle on back pressure by the transmembrane electrochemical potential difference for protons.

Bacteriorhodopsins↗

Phase transitions in lipid bilayers. A theoretical model for phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidic acid bilayers.

We present an application of an earlier model to the description of phase transitions in phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidic acid bilayers. For the former system we modify the model to allow for very slightly closer chain packing. This small modification alone is sufficient to shift the main phase transition temperature to higher values, and to eliminate the lower transition. For the charged bilayers we incorporate electrostatic contributions into the free energy using double layer theory and we consider the excluded volume of counterions at the bilayer/water interface. Phase transition temperatures and the presence of absence of a lower transition are determined for various pH values, and the results are compared with experiment.

Hydrogen-Ion Concentration↗

Transition state of the glycolytic pathway under FDP saturating conditions: experimental studies and a theoretical model.

1. The transition state of the glycolytic pathway, under FDP saturating conditions, from no ADP to ADP-saturating levels, is studied in a metabolic model in vitro obtained from rat skeletal muscle. 2. When ADP is absent from the reaction mixture a steady state for NADH concentration is observed. After ADP addition, a new steady state is reached. The transition state from the first steady state to the second one shows a pulse of NADH. Both the profile and the size of this pulse depend on the enzyme concentration. 3. A kinetic model of the lower part of glycolysis (after PFK reaction) is proposed, and this is described by a set of first order coupled nonlinear differential equations. The results obtained through stability analysis and numerical integration of these equations agree with the experimental ones. 4. The possible role of the above mentioned transition state on the transmitter mechanism of glycolytic oscillations from PFK to the lower part of the glycolysis is discussed.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Reversing flow in the aorta: a theoretical model.

The viscous boundary layer in a reversing flow in a curved tube is analysed with a view to study the reversing flow in the aorta at the beginning of the diastole. The velocity in the core is taken to vary with time as in a dog's aorta. The flow is considered to be quasi-steady long before the time of reversal. Near the time of reversal, the flow is governed by the diffusion equation--a balance between the unsteady inertia terms and viscous terms. The solution which ensures the continuity of the displacement thickness at the time of take over from the quasi-steady solution to the diffusive solution, is obtained. The knowledge of the distribution of the shearing stress in the circulatory system is essential due to its relevance with regard to atheroma--a disease leading to the hardening of the arteries. With this in mind, the wall shear rate is obtained as a function of time at every cross-section of the tube. The shearing stresses at the inner bend and the outer bend are also plotted. The results are compared with those for the straight tube.

Animals↗

A theoretical model for stress-generated fluid flow in the canaliculi-lacunae network in bone tissue.

A mathematical model was developed to study stress-induced fluid flow in the canaliculi-lacunae system in an osteon. The effect of canaliculi diameters on the magnitude and depth of penetration of squeeze flow through the canaliculi system was investigated. An optimal canaliculus diameter (which would maximize the fluid velocity through the canaliculi) was determined. For canaliculi diameters of 0.2 micron, squeeze flow can nourish four to five concentric layers of osteocytes in an osteon. It is possible that such stress-induced flow may be important in bone remodeling, and that lack of such flow may be one cause for producing osteoporosis due to immobilization.

Bone Matrix↗

A theoretical model of the knee and ACL: theory and experimental verification.

A three-dimensional mathematical model of the human knee joint was developed to examine the role of single ligaments, such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft in ACL reconstruction, on joint motion and tissue forces. The model is linear and valid for small motions about an equilibrium position. The knee joint is modeled as two rigid bodies (the femur and the tibia) interconnected by deformable structures, including the ACL or ACL graft, the cartilage layer, and the remainder of the knee tissues (modeled as a single element). The model was demonstrated for the equilibrium condition of the knee in extension with an anterior tibial force, causing anterior drawer and hyperextension. The knee stiffness matrix for this condition was measured for a human right knee in vitro. Predicted model response was compared with experimental observations. Qualitative agreement was found between model and experiment, validating the model and its assumptions. The model was then used to predict the change in graft and cartilage forces and joint motion of the knee due to an increment of load in the normal joint both after ACL removal and with various altered states simulating ACL reconstructions. Results illustrate the interdependence between loads in the ACL graft, other knee structures, and contact force. Stiffer grafts and smaller maximum unloaded length of the ligament lead to higher graft and contact forces. Changes in cartilage stiffness alter load sharing between ACL graft and other joint tissues.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament↗

Estimation of increased flow resistance in a narrow catheterized artery--a theoretical model.

The changed flow pattern in a narrow catheterized artery is studied and an estimate of the increased flow resistance is made. The anomalous behaviour of blood in small blood vessels has been taken into account by modelling blood as a Casson fluid possessing some finite yield stress. Both the cases of steady and pulsatile flow situations are studied. The pulsatile flow is analysed by considering the pressure gradient as a periodic function of time with small inertial effects. The resulting quasi-steady non-linear coupled implicit system of differential equations governing the flow are solved using a perturbation analysis, where it is assumed that the Womersley frequently parameter is small (alpha < 1) which is reasonable for physiological situations in small blood vessels as well as in coronary arteries. The effect of pulsatility, catheter radius and yield stress of the fluid on the yield plane locations, velocity distribution, flow rate, shear stress and frictional resistance are investigated. Because of the yield stress theta, two yield surfaces are found to be located in the flow field. Depending on the ration kappa (catheter size/vessel size) ranging from 0.3 to 0.7 (which is widely used in coronary angioplasty procedures), the frictional resistance to flow in large blood vessels, where the effect of yield stress can be neglected (i.e. theta = 0), increases by a factory ranging from 3 to 33. In small blood vessels with the same range of catheter size and an unit pressure gradient, frictional resistance increase was by a factor of 7-21 when theta = 0.05 and 11-294 when theta = 0.1. For small values of kappa and theta, the frictional resistance increased to several hundred times thus implying that the combined effect of increased catheter radius and yield stress is to obstruct the fluid movement considerably.

Animals↗

Theoretical model and computer simulation of excitation-contraction coupling of mammalian cardiac muscle.

A mathematical model is developed to investigate the kinetics of electrical, mechanical and molecular processes in mammalian cardiac muscle. Isometric contractions at different muscle length and frequency of stimulation in response to a rhythmically applied clamp pulse or artificial action potential are simulated. Numerical results show that concentration of Ca2+ ions, bound to Ca(2+)-specific sites on protein troponin C, could be a regulatory factor in actin-myosin interactions and subsequent production of force in Huxley's mathematical approach for the sliding mechanism. The behavior of the model is compared to that of living cardiac muscle.

Animals↗

The folding of an enzyme. VI. The folding pathway of barnase: comparison with theoretical models.

The sequence of events in the refolding pathway of barnase has been analysed to search for general principles in protein folding. There appears to be a correlation between burying hydrophobic surface area and early folding events. All the regions that fold early interact extensively with the beta-sheet. These interactions involve predominantly hydrophobic interactions and the burial of very extensive hydrophobic areas in which multiple, close, hydrophobic-hydrophobic contacts are established around a central group of aliphatic residues. There is no burial of hydrophilic residues in these regions; those that are partly screened from the solvent make hydrogen bonds. All the regions or interactions that are made late in the folding pathway do not make extensive contacts with the beta-sheet. Their buried hydrophobic regions lack a central hydrophobic residue or residues around which other hydrophobic residues pack. Further, in some of these regions there is an extensive burial of hydrophilic residues. The results are consistent with one of the earlier events in protein folding being the local formation of native-like secondary structure elements driven by local hydrophobic surface burial. A possible candidate for an initiation site is a beta-hairpin between beta-strands 3 and 4 that is conserved in the microbial ribonuclease family. A comparison of structures in this family shows that those regions that can be superimposed, or have sequence homology, correspond to elements of structure that are formed and interact with each other early in the folding pathway, suggesting that some of these residues could be involved in directing the folding process. The data on barnase combined with results from other laboratories suggest the following tentative conclusions for the refolding of small monomeric proteins. (1) The refolding pathway is, at least in part, sequential and of compulsory order. (2) Secondary structure formation is driven by local hydrophobic surface burial and precedes the formation of most tertiary interactions. These elements are then stabilized and sometimes elongated by tertiary interactions. It is plausible that there are stop signals encoded in the linear sequence that prevent the elongation of isolated secondary structure elements in solution to a larger extent than is found in the folded protein. (3) Many tertiary interactions are not very constrained in the intermediate but become more and more defined as the hydrophobic cores consolidate, loop structures form and the configuration of surface residues takes place. The interactions between different elements of secondary structure are the last ones to be consolidated while the interactions within the secondary structure elements are consolidated earlier.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗