The mammalian ionotropic glutamate receptor family encodes 18 gene products that coassemble to form ligand-gated ion channels containing an agonist recognition site, a transmembrane ion permeation pathway, and gating elements that couple agonist-induced conformational changes to the opening or closing of the permeation pore. Glutamate receptors mediate fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system and are localized on neuronal and non-neuronal cells. These receptors regulate a broad spectrum of processes in the brain, spinal cord, retina, and peripheral nervous system. Glutamate receptors are postulated to play important roles in numerous neurological diseases and have attracted intense scrutiny. The description of glutamate receptor structure, including its transmembrane elements, reveals a complex assembly of multiple semiautonomous extracellular domains linked to a pore-forming element with striking resemblance to an inverted potassium channel. In this review we discuss International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology glutamate receptor nomenclature, structure, assembly, accessory subunits, interacting proteins, gene expression and translation, post-translational modifications, agonist and antagonist pharmacology, allosteric modulation, mechanisms of gating and permeation, roles in normal physiological function, as well as the potential therapeutic use of pharmacological agents acting at glutamate receptors.

/pdf/glutamate-receptor-ion-channels-structure-regulation-and-148yts0p6h.pdf

Glutamate Receptor Ion Channels: Structure, Regulation, and Function

We are just beginning to understand the metabolism of heavy metals and to use their metabolic functions in biotechnology, although heavy metals comprise the major part of the elements in the periodic table. Because they can form complex compounds, some heavy metal ions are essential trace elements, but, essential or not, most heavy metals are toxic at higher concentrations. This review describes the workings of known metal-resistance systems in microorganisms. After an account of the basic principles of homoeostasis for all heavy-metal ions, the transport of the 17 most important (heavy metal) elements is compared.

Microbial heavy-metal resistance

http://library.um.ac.id/free-contents/downloadpdf.php/buku/complexation-reactions-in-aquatic-systems-an-analytical-approach-j-buffle-translators-s-p-kounaves-a-kounaves-and-r-s-altman-12623.pdf

Complexation reactions in aquatic systems : an analytical approach / J. Buffle, translators S.P. Kounaves, A. Kounaves and R.S. Altman

FtsZ, a bacterial homolog of tubulin, is well established as forming the cytoskeletal framework for the cytokinetic ring. Recent work has shown that purified FtsZ, in the absence of any other division proteins, can assemble Z rings when incorporated inside tubular liposomes. Moreover, these artificial Z rings can generate a constriction force, demonstrating that FtsZ is its own force generator. Here we review light microscope observations of how Z rings assemble in bacteria. Assembly begins with long-pitch helices that condense into the Z ring. Once formed, the Z ring can transition to short-pitch helices that are suggestive of its structure. FtsZ assembles in vitro into short protofilaments that are ∼30 subunits long. We present models for how these protofilaments might be further assembled into the Z ring. We discuss recent experiments on assembly dynamics of FtsZ in vitro, with particular attention to how two regulatory proteins, SulA and MinC, inhibit assembly. Recent efforts to develop antibacterial drugs that target FtsZ are reviewed. Finally, we discuss evidence of how FtsZ generates a constriction force: by protofilament bending into a curved conformation.

FtsZ in Bacterial Cytokinesis: Cytoskeleton and Force Generator All in One

This work is mainly oriented to give an overview of the progress of multivariate curve resolution methods in the last 5 years. Conceived as a review that combines theory and practice, it will present the basics needed to understand what is the use, prospects and limitations of this family of chemometric methods with the latest trends in theoretical contributions and in the field of analytical applications.

Multivariate Curve Resolution (MCR) from 2000: Progress in Concepts and Applications

Cadmium-binding properties of glutathione: a chemometrical analysis of voltammetric data

http://bioweb.cbm.uam.es/articles/analbiochem240_1996.pdf

Application of Multivariate Curve Resolution to Voltammetric Data: II. Study of Metal-Binding Properties of the Peptides

UNLABELLED From conformational studies to atomistic descriptions of enzymatic reactions, potential and free energy landscapes can be used to describe biomolecular systems in detail. However, extracting the relevant data of complex 3D energy surfaces can sometimes be laborious. In this article, we present MEPSA (Minimum Energy Path Surface Analysis), a cross-platform user friendly tool for the analysis of energy landscapes from a transition state theory perspective. Some of its most relevant features are: identification of all the barriers and minima of the landscape at once, description of maxima edge profiles, detection of the lowest energy path connecting two minima and generation of transition state theory diagrams along these paths. In addition to a built-in plotting system, MEPSA can save most of the generated data into easily parseable text files, allowing more versatile uses of MEPSA's output such as the generation of molecular dynamics restraints from a calculated path. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION MEPSA is freely available (under GPLv3 license) at: http://bioweb.cbm.uam.es/software/MEPSA/ CONTACT: pagomez@cbm.csic.es. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

/pdf/mepsa-minimum-energy-pathway-analysis-for-energy-landscapes-46b67jme83.pdf

MEPSA: minimum energy pathway analysis for energy landscapes

Study of the zinc-binding properties of glutathione by differential pulse polarography and multivariate curve resolution

Multivariate curve resolution is applied to cyclic voltammetry (CV) data obtained in the study of Cd(II) complexation by glutathione (GSH). The relatively poor resolution of CV hinders the direct interpretation of raw data. The use of CV is improved by the combination of several chemometric techniques based on factor analysis:  singular-value decomposition, evolving factor analysis, and multivariate curve resolution with constrained alternating least squares optimization including a new peak-shape constraint. This multivariate analysis data treatment simultaneously reveals the formation of Cd(GSH)2 and Cd2(GSH)2 complexes, through the calculated concentration profiles, and allows the assignment of numerically obtained pure individual CV signals for the different Cd(II) ions present in solution (free and bound) and involved in the electrochemical process.

Jesús Mendieta

Papers

Cadmium-binding properties of glutathione: a chemometrical analysis of voltammetric data

Application of Multivariate Curve Resolution to Voltammetric Data: II. Study of Metal-Binding Properties of the Peptides

MEPSA: minimum energy pathway analysis for energy landscapes

Study of the zinc-binding properties of glutathione by differential pulse polarography and multivariate curve resolution

Multivariate Curve Resolution of Cyclic Voltammetric Data: Application to the Study of the Cadmium-Binding Properties of Glutathione