• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2004

Escherichia coli transcription termination factor Rho catalyzes the unwinding of RNA/DNA duplex in reactions that are coupled to ATP binding and hydrolysis. Fluorescence stopped-flow methods using ATP and the fluorescent 2'(3')-O-( N-methylanthraniloyl) derivatives (mant-derivatives) of ATP and ADP were used to probe the kinetics of nucleotide binding to and dissociation from the Rho-RNA complex. Presteady state nucleotide binding kinetics provides evidence for the presence of negative cooperativity in nucleotide binding among the multiple nucleotide binding sites on Rho hexamer. The binding of the first nucleotide to the Rho-RNA complex occurs at a bimolecular rate of 3.6${\times}$10$\^$6/ M$\^$-1/ sec$\^$-1/ whereas the second nucleotide binds at a slower rate of 4.7${\times}$10$\^$5/ M$\^$-1/ sec$\^$-1/ at 18$^{\circ}C$, RNA complexed with Rho affects the kinetics of nucleotide interaction with the active sites through conformational changes to the Rho hexamer, allowing the incoming nucleotide to be more accessible to the sites. Adenine nucleotide binding and dissociation is more favorable when RNA is bound to Rho, whereas ATP binding and dissociation step in the absence of RNA occurs significantly slower, at a rate ∼70- and ∼40-fold slower than those observed with the Rho-RNA complex, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.743-750
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• 1997

Direct measurement of the kinetics of free fatty acid transfer between phospholipid model membrane is technically limited by the rapid nature of the transfer process. Separation of membrane-bound fatty acid by centrifugation has shown that although the equilibrium distribution of free fatty acid is determined by this method, fatty acid transfer occurs too rapidly for accurate kinetic measurements. Recently fluorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET) assay has been developed to examine transfer of fatty acids between membranes. Donor membranes which has fluorescent fatty acid, anthroyloxy fatty acid(AOFA), is mixed with acceptor membranes which has non-interchangeable fluorescent quencher, nitrobenzo-xadiazol(NBD), using stopped flow apparatus. As the fluorescent fatty acids transfer from donor membrane to acceptor membrane, fluorescence intensity would be decreased and the rate and degree of fatty acid transfer can be analyzed. Fatty acid transfer between micelles is more complicated because of bile salt. Therefore in experiments with micelles, fluorescence self quenching assay is used. At high concentrations, a fluorophore tends to quench its own fluorescence causing a reduction in fluorescence intensity. Donor micelles contained self quenching concentrations of fluorophore and acceptor micelles had no fluorophore. Upon mixing of donor and acceptor micelles, the rate of transfer of the fluorophore from the donor to the acceptor was measured by monitoring the release in self quenching when its concentration in donor decreased over time.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.203-214
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• 1994

Using the methods of stopped-flow and epifluorescence microscopy with entrapped fluorophore, membrane permeability of $NH_3$ and weak acids in liposomes, renal brush border (BBMV) and basolateral membrane vesicles (BLMV), and primary culture cells from renal proximal tubule was measured. Permeability coefficient (cm/sec) of $NH_3$ was $(2.9{\times}10^{-2}$ in phosphatidylcholine liposome $25^{\circ}C)$, $5.9{\times}10^{-2}$ in renal proximal tubule cell $(37^{\circ}C)$, $4.0{\times}10^{-2}\;and\;2.4{\times}10^{-2}$ in BBMV and BLMV $(25^{\circ}C)$, respectively. Formic acid has the highest permeability coefficient among the weak acids tested, which was $4.9{\times}10^{-3}$ in liposome, $5.0{\times}10^{-3}$ in renal proximal tubule cell, $9.1{\times}10^{-3}$ in BBMV and $3.8{\times}10^{-3}$ in BLMV. There was a linear relationship between external concentration of nonionized formic acid and initial rate of flux of formic acid in liposome, and the slope coincided with the value of permeability coefficient of formic acid measured in pH 7.0. These results show that techniques of stopped-flow and epifluorescence microscopy with entrapped fluorophore provide the precise method of measurement of very rapid transport of nonelectrolytes through membranes with the advantages of instantaneous mixing effect, good resolution time and easy manipulation.