scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

Showing papers by "Michael Schmid published in 2014"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present study conclusively explains the differences between the two polymorphs and indicates that even small structural variations in the crystal lattice can lead to a very different behavior.
Abstract: A combination of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy and density functional theory is used to characterize excess electrons in TiO2 rutile and anatase, two prototypical materials with identical chemical composition but different crystal lattices. In rutile, excess electrons can localize at any lattice Ti atom, forming a small polaron, which can easily hop to neighboring sites. In contrast, electrons in anatase prefer a free-carrier state, and can only be trapped near oxygen vacancies or form shallow donor states bound to Nb dopants. The present study conclusively explains the differences between the two polymorphs and indicates that even small structural variations in the crystal lattice can lead to a very different behavior.

354 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
05 Dec 2014-Science
TL;DR: Using a combination of quantitative low-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density functional theory calculations, it is shown that an ordered array of subsurface iron vacancies and interstitials underlies the well-known (2×2)R45° reconstruction of Fe3O4(001).
Abstract: Iron oxides play an increasingly prominent role in heterogeneous catalysis, hydrogen production, spintronics, and drug delivery. The surface or material interface can be performance-limiting in these applications, so it is vital to determine accurate atomic-scale structures for iron oxides and understand why they form. Using a combination of quantitative low-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density functional theory calculations, we show that an ordered array of subsurface iron vacancies and interstitials underlies the well-known ( 2 × 2 )R45° reconstruction of Fe3O4(001). This hitherto unobserved stabilization mechanism occurs because the iron oxides prefer to redistribute cations in the lattice in response to oxidizing or reducing environments. Many other metal oxides also achieve stoichiometry variation in this way, so such surface structures are likely commonplace.

222 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a combinatory approach using metabolomics and gut microbiome analysis techniques was performed to unravel the nature and specificity of metabolic profiles related to gut ecology in obesity, showing clear alterations of the metabolome in the gastrointestinal tract and liver within a HFD-induced obesity mouse model in relation to the host-microbial nutritional adaptation.
Abstract: A combinatory approach using metabolomics and gut microbiome analysis techniques was performed to unravel the nature and specificity of metabolic profiles related to gut ecology in obesity. This study focused on gut and liver metabolomics of two different mouse strains, the C57BL/6J (C57J) and the C57BL/6N (C57N) fed with high-fat diet (HFD) for 3 weeks, causing diet-induced obesity in C57N, but not in C57J mice. Furthermore, a 16S-ribosomal RNA comparative sequence analysis using 454 pyrosequencing detected significant differences between the microbiome of the two strains on phylum level for Firmicutes, Deferribacteres and Proteobacteria that propose an essential role of the microbiome in obesity susceptibility. Gut microbial and liver metabolomics were followed by a combinatory approach using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and ultra performance liquid chromatography time of tlight MS/MS with subsequent multivariate statistical analysis, revealing distinctive host and microbial metabolome patterns between the C57J and the C57N strain. Many taurine-conjugated bile acids (TBAs) were significantly elevated in the cecum and decreased in liver samples from the C57J phenotype likely displaying different energy utilization behavior by the bacterial community and the host. Furthermore, several metabolite groups could specifically be associated with the C57N phenotype involving fatty acids, eicosanoids and urobilinoids. The mass differences based metabolite network approach enabled to extend the range of known metabolites to important bile acids (BAs) and novel taurine conjugates specific for both strains. In summary, our study showed clear alterations of the metabolome in the gastrointestinal tract and liver within a HFD-induced obesity mouse model in relation to the host–microbial nutritional adaptation.

112 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A combination of photoemission, atomic force, and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy measurements shows that excess electrons in the TiO2 anatase (101) surface are trapped at step edges, and steps act as preferred adsorption sites for O2.
Abstract: A combination of photoemission, atomic force, and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy measurements shows that excess electrons in the TiO2 anatase (101) surface are trapped at step edges. Consequently, steps act as preferred adsorption sites for O2 . In density functional theory calculations electrons localize at clean step edges, this tendency is enhanced by O vacancies and hydroxylation. The results show the importance of defects for the wide-ranging applications of titania.

99 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A minimal setup for a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at oxide heterostructures––the SrTiO3(110)-(4 × 1) surface, natively terminated with one monolayer of tetrahedrally coordinated titania, offering a high flexibility to engineer the properties of this system.
Abstract: Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at oxide heterostructures are attracting considerable attention, as these might one day substitute conventional semiconductors at least for some functionalities. Here we present a minimal setup for such a 2DEG––the SrTiO3(110)-(4 × 1) surface, natively terminated with one monolayer of tetrahedrally coordinated titania. Oxygen vacancies induced by synchrotron radiation migrate underneath this overlayer; this leads to a confining potential and electron doping such that a 2DEG develops. Our angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and theoretical results show that confinement along (110) is strikingly different from the (001) crystal orientation. In particular, the quantized subbands show a surprising “semiheavy” band, in contrast with the analog in the bulk, and a high electronic anisotropy. This anisotropy and even the effective mass of the (110) 2DEG is tunable by doping, offering a high flexibility to engineer the properties of this system.

97 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A novel nonmotile, Gram-staining-negative, yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated CT348 T, isolated from the ectorhizosphere of an organic olive tree in Spain and characterised as an efficient plant growth promoting bacterium was investigated to determine its taxonomic status as discussed by the authors.

58 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
22 Jul 2014-ACS Nano
TL;DR: The atomic-scale mechanisms underlying the growth of Ag on the ( √2×√2)R45°-Fe3O4(001) surface were studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory based calculations and can be understood as the result of supersaturation within an adsorption template system.
Abstract: The atomic-scale mechanisms underlying the growth of Ag on the (√2×√2)R45°-Fe3O4(001) surface were studied using scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory based calculations. For coverages up to 0.5 ML, Ag adatoms populate the surface exclusively; agglomeration into nanoparticles occurs only with the lifting of the reconstruction at 720 K. Above 0.5 ML, Ag clusters nucleate spontaneously and grow at the expense of the surrounding material with mild annealing. This unusual behavior results from a kinetic barrier associated with the (√2×√2)R45° reconstruction, which prevents adatoms from transitioning to the thermodynamically favorable 3D phase. The barrier is identified as the large separation between stable adsorption sites, which prevents homogeneous cluster nucleation and the instability of the Ag dimer against decay to two adatoms. Since the system is dominated by kinetics as long as the (√2×√2)R45° reconstruction exists, the growth is not well described by the traditional growth mode...

52 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A way to reliably identify H2O, CO and O2 on the TiO2 anatase (101) surface with STM by using the tip-adsorbate interaction to identify molecular adsorbed species reported in recent studies.
Abstract: While Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) has evolved as an ideal tool to study surface chemistry at the atomic scale, the identification of adsorbed species is often not straightforward. This paper describes a way to reliably identify H2O, CO and O2 on the TiO2 anatase (101) surface with STM. These molecules are of a key importance in the surface chemistry of this and many other (photo-) catalytic materials. They exhibit a wide variety of contrasts in STM images, depending on the tip condition. With clean, metallic tips the molecules appear very similar, i.e., as bright, dimer-like features located in the proximity of surface Ti5c atoms. However, each species exhibits a specific response to the electric field applied by the STM tip. It is shown that this tip–adsorbate interaction can be used to reliably ascertain the identity of such species. The tip–adsorbate interactions, together with comparison of experimental and calculated STM images, are used to analyse and revisit the assignments of molecular adsorbed species reported in recent studies.

48 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that sex chromosome-linked color patterns and other sexually selected genes are important for maintaining the observed structural polymorphism of sex chromosomes.
Abstract: Sex chromosomes differ from autosomes by dissimilar gene content and, at a more advanced stage of their evolution, also in structure and size. This is driven by the divergence of the Y or W from their counterparts, X and Z, due to reduced recombination and the resulting degeneration as well as the accumulation of sex-specific and sexually antagonistic genes. A paradigmatic example for Y-chromosome evolution is found in guppies. In these fishes, conflicting data exist for a morphological and molecular differentiation of sex chromosomes. Using molecular probes and the previously established linkage map, we performed a cytogenetic analysis of sex chromosomes. We show that the Y chromosome has a very large pseudoautosomal region, which is followed by a heterochromatin block (HCY) separating the subtelomeric male-specific region from the rest of the chromosome. Interestingly, the size of the HCY is highly variable between individuals from different population. The largest HCY was found in one population of Poecilia wingei, making the Y almost double the size of the X and the largest chromosome of the complement. Comparative analysis revealed that the Y chromosomes of different guppy species are homologous and share the same structure and organization. The observed size differences are explained by an expansion of the HCY, which is due to increased amounts of repetitive DNA. In one population, we observed also a polymorphism of the X chromosome. We suggest that sex chromosome-linked color patterns and other sexually selected genes are important for maintaining the observed structural polymorphism of sex chromosomes.

48 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The ultra-thin oxide shows large buckling in STM, confirmed by DFT calculations, where the buckling of the Zr layer can exceed 100 pm, and Pt, STM and XPS suggest a stoichiometric Pd3Zr below the oxide.
Abstract: Despite its importance in many areas of industry, such as catalysis, fuel cell technology and microelectronics, the surface structure and physical properties of ZrO2 are not well understood. Following the successful growth of ultra-thin zirconia on Pt3Zr(0 0 0 1) (Antlanger et al 2012 Phys. Rev. B 86 035451), we report on recent progress into ZrO2 thin films, which were prepared by oxidation of a Pd3Zr(0 0 0 1) crystal. Results from scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as well as density-functional theory (DFT) are presented. Many sputter-annealing cycles are required for preparation of the clean Pd3Zr alloy surface, because oxygen easily dissolves in the bulk. By oxidation and post-annealing, a homogeneous ultra-thin ZrO2 film was obtained. This is an O-Zr-O trilayer based on cubic ZrO2(1 1 1). Using STM images corrected for distortion and creep of the piezo scanner the in-plane lattice parameter was determined as (351.2 ± 0.4) pm, slightly contracted with respect to the cubic ZrO2 bulk phase. The oxide forms an overlayer that is either incommensurate or has a very large superstructure cell (a = 8.3 nm); nevertheless its rotational orientation is always the same. In contrast to ultra-thin zirconia on Pt3Zr(0 0 0 1), where the uppermost substrate layer is pure (but reconstructed) Pt, STM and XPS suggest a stoichiometric Pd3Zr below the oxide. The oxide film binds to the substrate mainly via bonds between oxygen and the Zr atoms in the substrate. The ultra-thin oxide shows large buckling in STM, confirmed by DFT calculations, where the buckling of the Zr layer can exceed 100 pm. Compared to the ZrO2 film on Pt3Zr(0 0 0 1), the oxide on Pd3Zr(0 0 0 1) has the advantage that the substrate below does not reconstruct, leading to a homogeneous oxide film.

47 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of bulk impurities on surface preparation is discussed, and the optimum sample treatment procedures are proposed based on the temperature-dependence of O-induced Fe segregation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Based on comparative sequence analysis of almost full length 16S-rRNA coding gene fragments, Cellulosimicrobium sp.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Interestingly, the bacterial community associated with soybean roots after glyphosate application not only demonstrated effective resilience after the disturbance but in addition, T-RF diversity also increased in comparison to the untreated control samples, suggesting that bacterial diversity was even stimulated in the rhizosphere after glyphosateApplication.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The influence of surface stoichiometry on the atomic structure of the SrTiO3(001) surface was examined with scanning tunneling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction,Low-energy He+ ion scattering (LEIS, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and the combination of LEIS and XPS.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The development of a sandwich ELISA for the quantification of equine PCT in equine plasma samples is reported, based on monoclonal antibodies targeted against human PCT.
Abstract: In human medicine, procalcitonin (PCT) is a very common and well-established biomarker for sepsis Even though sepsis is also a leading cause of death in foals and adult horses, up to now, no data about the role of equine PCT in septic horses has been available Based on monoclonal antibodies targeted against human PCT, we report here the development of a sandwich ELISA for the quantification of equine PCT in equine plasma samples The ELISA was characterized for intra- and interassay variance and a working range from 25 to 1,000 ng mL−1 was defined as within this range; both intra- and interassay variances were below 15 % The target recovery ranged between 73 and 106 % The ELISA was used to determine the equine PCT concentration in 24 healthy and 5 septic horses to show the potential for clinical evaluation of equine PCT Significantly different (P = 00006) mean equine PCT concentrations were found for the healthy control group and the sepsis group (47 and 8,450 ng mL−1)

Journal ArticleDOI
21 May 2014-PLOS ONE
TL;DR: Direct screening of 3,000 transposon insertion mutants for plant-growth-promotion revealed the gene products of nfrA and RBAM_017140 to be essential for beneficial effects exerted by FZB42 on plants and hypothesize that the n frA gene product is essential for overcoming the stress caused by plant response towards bacterial root colonization.
Abstract: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ssp. plantarum FZB42 represents the prototype of Gram-positive plant growth promoting and biocontrol bacteria. In this study, we applied transposon mutagenesis to generate a transposon library, which was screened for genes involved in multicellular behavior and biofilm formation on roots as a prerequisite of plant growth promoting activity. Transposon insertion sites were determined by rescue-cloning followed by DNA sequencing. As in B. subtilis, the global transcriptional regulator DegU was identified as an activator of genes necessary for swarming and biofilm formation, and the DegU-mutant of FZB42 was found impaired in efficient root colonization. Direct screening of 3,000 transposon insertion mutants for plant-growth-promotion revealed the gene products of nfrA and RBAM_017140 to be essential for beneficial effects exerted by FZB42 on plants. We analyzed the performance of GFP-labeled wild-type and transposon mutants in the colonization of lettuce roots using confocal laser scanning microscopy. While the wild-type strain heavily colonized root surfaces, the nfrA mutant did not colonize lettuce roots, although it was not impaired in growth in laboratory cultures, biofilm formation and swarming motility on agar plates. The RBAM17410 gene, occurring in only a few members of the B. subtilis species complex, was directly involved in plant growth promotion. None of the mutant strains were affected in producing the plant growth hormone auxin. We hypothesize that the nfrA gene product is essential for overcoming the stress caused by plant response towards bacterial root colonization.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It could be shown that by introducing a simple washing step, the bacterial contamination was reduced in most cases or even was removed completely in some cases.
Abstract: In recent years, increasing numbers of outbreaks caused by the consumption of vegetables contaminated with human pathogenic bacteria were reported. The application of organic fertilizers during vegetable production is one of the possible reasons for contamination with those pathogens. In this study laboratory experiments in axenic and soil systems following common practices in organic farming were conducted to identify the minimal dose needed for bacterial colonization of plants and to identify possible factors like bacterial species or serovariation, plant species or organic fertilizer types used, influencing the success of plant colonization by human pathogenic bacteria. Spinach and corn salad were chosen as model plants and were inoculated with different concentrations of Salmonella enterica sv. Weltevreden, Listeria monocytogenes sv. 4b and EGD-E sv. 1/2a either directly (axenic system) or via agricultural soil amended with spiked organic fertilizers (soil system). In addition to PCR- and culture-based detection methods, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied in order to localize bacteria on or in plant tissues. Our results demonstrate that shoots were colonized by the pathogenic bacteria at inoculation doses as low as 4x10CFU/ml in the axenic system or 4x105CFU/g in the soil system. In addition, plant species dependent effects were observed. Spinach was colonized more often and at lower inoculation doses compared to corn salad. Differential colonization sites on roots, depending on the plant species could be detected using FISH-CLSM analysis. Furthermore, the transfer of pathogenic bacteria to plants via organic fertilizers was observed more often and at lower initial inoculation doses when fertilization was performed with inoculated slurry compared to inoculated manure. Finally, it could be shown that by introducing a simple washing step, the bacterial contamination was reduced in most cases or even was removed completely in some cases.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wagner et al. as discussed by the authors presented an analysis of the relationship between the properties of molecular materials and computer-chemistry at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Nägelsbachstrasse.
Abstract: Dr. M. Wagner, Prof. Dr. M. Schmid, Prof. Dr. U. Diebold Institute of Applied Physics Vienna University of Technology Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8–10/134 1040 Vienna , Austria E-mail: wagner@iap.tuwien.ac.at S. Seiler, Prof. Dr. B. Meyer Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials and Computer-Chemistry-Center Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg Nägelsbachstrasse 25, 91052 Erlangen , Germany Dr. L. A. Boatner Materials Science and Technology Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , USA

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The quorum-sensing system in P. putida IsoF is remarkably stable under different environmental conditions, and in all chemostat experiments, the signal concentration decreased strongly after a peak, because emerging lactonase activity led to a lower concentration under steady-state conditions.
Abstract: In this interdisciplinary approach, the dynamics of production and degradation of the quorum sensing signal 3-oxo-decanoylhomoserine lactone were studied for continuous cultures of Pseudomonas putida IsoF. The signal concentrations were quantified over time by use of monoclonal antibodies and ELISA. The results were verified by use of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. By use of a mathematical model we derived quantitative values for non-induced and induced signal production rate per cell. It is worthy of note that we found rather constant values for different rates of dilution in the chemostat, and the values seemed close to those reported for batch cultures. Thus, the quorum-sensing system in P. putida IsoF is remarkably stable under different environmental conditions. In all chemostat experiments, the signal concentration decreased strongly after a peak, because emerging lactonase activity led to a lower concentration under steady-state conditions. This lactonase activity probably is quorum sensing-regulated. The potential ecological implication of such unique regulation is discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, two types of antiphase domain boundaries (APDBs) formed on each reconstruction were studied with scanning tunneling microscopy, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations.
Abstract: Antiphase domain boundaries (APDBs) in the $(n\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1)(n=4,5)$ reconstructions of the ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}(110)$ surface were studied with scanning tunneling microscopy, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Two types of APDBs form on each reconstruction; they consist of ${\mathrm{Ti}}_{x}$${\mathrm{O}}_{y}$ vacancy clusters with a specific stoichiometry. The presence of these clusters is controlled by the oxygen pressure during annealing. The structural models of the vacancy clusters are resolved with DFT, which also shows that their relative stability depends on the chemical potential of oxygen. The surface band bending can be tuned by controlling the vacancy clusters at the domain boundaries.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory was used to study the adaption of CO at the surface of perovskite oxides.
Abstract: Adsorption of CO at the ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}(001)$ surface was studied with low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory. In situ cleaved single crystals terminate in an almost perfect SrO surface. At 78 K, CO first populates impurities and then adsorbs above the apical surface O with a binding energy ${E}_{\mathrm{ads}}=\ensuremath{-}0.7\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$. Above 100 K, this physisorbed CO replaces the surface O, forming a bent ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ with the C end bound to the Ru underneath. The resulting metal carboxylate (Ru-COO) can be desorbed by STM manipulation. A low activation (0.2 eV) and high binding ($\ensuremath{-}2.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$) energy confirm a strong reaction between CO and regular surface sites of ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$; likely, this reaction causes the ``UHV aging effect'' reported for this and other perovskite oxides.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study produces well-dispersed single-adatom arrays on a well-characterized oxide support, providing a model system to investigate single- adatom catalytic and magnetic properties.
Abstract: Nickel vapor-deposited on the SrTiO3(110) surface was studied using scanning tunneling microscopy, photoemission spectroscopy (PES), and density functional theory calculations. This surface forms a (4 × 1) reconstruction, composed of a 2-D titania structure with periodic six- and ten-membered nanopores. Anchored at these nanopores, Ni single adatoms are stabilized at room temperature. PES measurements show that the Ni adatoms create an in-gap state located at 1.9 eV below the conduction band minimum and induce an upward band bending. Both experimental and theoretical results suggest that Ni adatoms are positively charged. Our study produces well-dispersed single-adatom arrays on a well-characterized oxide support, providing a model system to investigate single-adatom catalytic and magnetic properties.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the formation energy for a Sr and O vacancy, 4.19 eV and 3.81 eV, respectively, was investigated using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations.
Abstract: The (001) surfaces of cleaved ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{3}{\mathrm{Ru}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ and ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$ samples were investigated using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations. Intrinsic defects are not created during cleaving. This experimental observation is consistent with calculations, where the formation energy for a Sr and O vacancy, 4.19 eV and 3.81 eV, respectively, is significantly larger than that required to cleave the crystal, 1.11 eV/(1 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 1) unit cell. Surface oxygen vacancies can be created through electron bombardment, however, and their appearance is shown to vary strongly with the imaging conditions. Point defects observed on as-cleaved surfaces result from bulk impurities and adsorption from the residual gas.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that defects of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) are responsible for aneuploidy and the following abortions, and deficiency/insufficiency of BubR1 and other components of the SAC in human areresponsible for a significant fraction of both early and late RPLs.
Abstract: Chromosome aberrations (aneuploidies mostly) are the cause of the majority of spontaneous abortions in humans. However, little is known about defects in the underlying molecular mechanisms resulting in chromosome aberrations and following failure of preimplantation embryo development, initiation of implantation and postimplantation pregnancy loss. We suggest that defects of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) are responsible for aneuploidy and the following abortions. To develop our hypothesis, we modeled this process in the mouse after inactivation of protein BubR1, one of the key players of SAC. We found that soon after implantation, more than 50 % of cells of BubR1−/− embryos were aneuploid and had an increased level of premature sister chromatid separation (PSCS). Aneuploid cells do not have a predominant gain or loss of some specific chromosomes, but they have mosaic variegated aneuploidy (MVA), which is characterised by random mixture of different chromosomes. MVA leads to growth retardation, stochastic massive apoptosis, disruption of bilateral symmetry, and embryo death between embryonic days 7.5 to 13.5. Analysis published human data revealed that human recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) embryos and rare infant patients carrying BubR1 mutations that have been described so far have the PSCS and MVA as in BubR1 deficient/insufficient mice. Based on this data, we predict that deficiency/insufficiency of BubR1 and other components of the SAC in human are responsible for a significant fraction of both early and late RPLs.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The chromosomes of the turnip-tailed gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda from the Falcón State in northern Venezuela were examined by means of conventional staining, a variety of banding techniques and in situ hybridization with an 18S + 28S rDNA probe to detect a cryptic W sex chromosome-associated interstitial heterochromatic segment.
Abstract: The chromosomes of the turnip-tailed gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda from the Falcon State in northern Venezuela were examined by means of conventional staining, a variety of banding techniques and in situ hybridization with an 18S + 28S rDNA probe. In female specimens, C-banding analyses detected a cryptic W sex chromosome-associated interstitial heterochromatic segment which is absent in the Z sex chromosome. These ZW sex chromosomes are considered to be in a nascent stage of morphological differentiation and are absent in T. rapicauda collected in Guatemala. The amount, location and fluorochrome affinities of constitutive heterochromatin, the position of the nucleolus organizer region, and the genome sizes of female and male individuals were determined. The previously published cytogenetic data on T. rapicauda are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Comparison of the karyotypes of G. falconensis and G. taniae with those of other Gonatodes species indicates that the exceptional 2n = 16 karyotype originated by a series of 8 centric fusions.
Abstract: Mitotic and meiotic chromosomes of 5 species of the reptile genus Gonatodes are described by means of conventional staining, banding analyses and in situ hybridization using a synthetic telomeric DNA probe. The amount, location and fluorochrome affinities of constitutive heterochromatin, the number and positions of nucleolus organizer regions, and the patterns of telomeric DNA sequences were determined for most of the species. The karyotypes of G. falconensis and G. taniae from northern Venezuela are distinguished by their extraordinarily reduced diploid chromosome number of 2n = 16, which is the lowest value found so far in reptiles. In contrast to most other reptiles, both species have exclusively large biarmed (meta- and submetacentric) chromosomes. Comparison of the karyotypes of G. falconensis and G. taniae with those of other Gonatodes species indicates that the exceptional 2n = 16 karyotype originated by a series of 8 centric fusions. The karyotypes of G. falconensis and G. taniae are further characterized by the presence of considerable amounts of (TTAGGG)n telomeric sequences in the centromeric regions of all chromosomes. These are probably not only relics of the centric fusion events, but a component of the highly repetitive DNA in the constitutive heterochromatin of the chromosomes. The genome sizes of 4 Gonatodes species were determined using flow cytometry. For comparative purposes, all previously published cytogenetic data on Gonatodes and other sphaerodactylids are included and discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The mitotic chromosomes of 11 species from the anuran families Centrolenidae and Allophrynidae were analyzed by means of conventional staining, banding techniques, and in situ hybridization and found to be highly conserved with a low diploid chromosome number of 2n = 20 and morphologically similar chromosomes.
Abstract: The mitotic chromosomes of 11 species from the anuran families Centrolenidae and Allophrynidae were analyzed by means of conventional staining, banding techniques, and in situ hybridization. The amount, location, and fluorochrome affinities of constitutive heterochromatin, the number and positions of nucleolus organizer regions, and the patterns of telomeric DNA sequences were determined for most of the species. The karyotypes were found to be highly conserved with a low diploid chromosome number of 2n = 20 and morphologically similar chromosomes. The sister group relationship between the Centrolenidae and Allophrynidae (unranked taxon Allocentroleniae) is clearly corroborated by the cytogenetic data. The existence of heteromorphic XY♂/XX♀ sex chromosomes in an initial stage of morphological differentiation was confirmed in Vitreorana antisthenesi. The genome sizes of 4 centrolenid species were determined using flow cytometry. For completeness and for comparative purposes, all previously published cytogenetic data on centrolenids are included.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, eine Kombination aus Photoemissionsspektroskopie, Rasterkraft-and Rastertunnelmikroskopsopie/spektrokopies wird gezeigt, dass sich uberschussige Elektronen auf einer Anatas-TiO2(101)-Oberflache an Stufenkants ansammeln.
Abstract: Mithilfe einer Kombination aus Photoemissionsspektroskopie, Rasterkraft- und Rastertunnelmikroskopie/-spektroskopie wird gezeigt, dass sich uberschussige Elektronen auf einer Anatas-TiO2(101)-Oberflache an Stufenkanten ansammeln. Stufenkanten fungieren daher als bevorzugte Adsorptionsplatze fur O2. Auch wenn in Dichtefunktionalrechnungen bereits bei sauberen Stufenkanten eine Lokalisierung der Elektronen festgestellt wird, wird dieser Effekt durch Sauerstofffehlstellen und Hydroxylierung noch weiter verstarkt. Die vorliegenden Befunde illustrieren die Bedeutung von Defekten bei den vielfaltigen Anwendungen von Titandioxid.