The three-dimensional structure of porin from Rhodobacter capsulatus at 3 Å resolution

AbstractThe crystal structure of porin from Rhodobacter capsulatus strain 37b4 has been solved at 3.0 Å (1 Å = 0.1 nm) resolution by multiple isomorphous replacement and solvent-flattening. The three pores of the trimer are well denned in the electron density map. Each pore consists of a 16-stranded β-barrel which traverses the membrane as a tube. Near its center the tube is narrowed by chain segments protruding from the inner wall of the barrel that form an eye-let with an irregular cross-section of about 6 Å by 10 Å. The eye-let has an axial length of about 10 Å; it defines the exclusion limit for diffusing particles

The Correlation of Plasma Characteristics to the Deposition Rate of Plasma Polymerized Methyl Methacrylate Thin Films in an Inductively Coupled Plasma System

A plasma system attached with one internal coil (for generating inductively coupled plasma) and two sputtering carbon targets was set up to deposit PP-MMA (plasma polymerized methyl methacrylate) thin films. PP-MMA was used as a model material in the present study. In the experiment, the working pressure and Ar/MMA flow ratio were varied, which resulted in the change in plasma conditions as well as the deposition rates. The optical emission spectroscopy (OES) method was applied to identify the presence of the excited species related to the fragmented monomer. In addition, the electron temperature and electron density were determined using the modified Boltzmann plot and line-ratio method, according to the measured OES spectra. The deposition rate of the PMMA film was then correlated with the determined plasma characteristics. To determine the vibrational modes of the deposited PP-MMA films, Fourier transformed infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was used. The highest deposition rate of PP-MMA could be obtained with the optimized working pressure and Ar/MMA volume ratio. This could be related to the plasma characteristics that contribute to the fragmentation of the monomer in the plasma

The Correlation of Plasma Characteristics to the Deposition Rate of Plasma Polymerized Methyl Methacrylate Thin Films in an Inductively Coupled Plasma System

A plasma system attached with one internal coil (for generating inductively coupled plasma) and two sputtering carbon targets was set up to deposit PP-MMA (plasma polymerized methyl methacrylate) thin films. PP-MMA was used as a model material in the present study. In the experiment, the working pressure and Ar/MMA flow ratio were varied, which resulted in the change in plasma conditions as well as the deposition rates. The optical emission spectroscopy (OES) method was applied to identify the presence of the excited species related to the fragmented monomer. In addition, the electron temperature and electron density were determined using the modified Boltzmann plot and line-ratio method, according to the measured OES spectra. The deposition rate of the PMMA film was then correlated with the determined plasma characteristics. To determine the vibrational modes of the deposited PP-MMA films, Fourier transformed infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was used. The highest deposition rate of PP-MMA could be obtained with the optimized working pressure and Ar/MMA volume ratio. This could be related to the plasma characteristics that contribute to the fragmentation of the monomer in the plasma.</jats:p

Application of Spectroscopic Analysis for Plasma Polymerization Deposition onto the Inner Surfaces of Silicone Tubes

In the current study, plasma-polymerized methyl methacrylate (PP-MMA) generation on the inner surface of a silicone tube was performed in a capacitively coupled discharge reactor. The possibility of generating plasma inside the tube was analyzed and calculated by using optical emission spectroscopy (OES). A hollow cathode model was first proposed to determine whether plasma discharge would be generated inside the tube in the low-pressure regime. Since the ignition of plasma inside the tube is necessary for the initiation of polymerization processes, the sheath thickness was calculated analytically. To achieve the goal, the electron temperature and density of plasma should be determined beforehand. In this study, the electron temperature and plasma density were measured and calculated according to OES spectra using both the modified Boltzmann plot and the line-ratio method. The results reveal that the occurrence of plasma inside the tube can be achieved if the tube’s inner diameter is greater than two times the thickness of the sheath. The effect of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer concentration on sheath thickness, and, hence, plasma generation and deposition, was investigated in the presence of argon plasma and MMA monomer. According to the study, one could control the ignition of plasma discharges inside the tube followed by plasma polymerization deposition. The OES method was also applied to identify the presence of the excited species related to the fragmented monomer. The deposition of PP-MMA films on the inner surface of the tube was confirmed via attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy.</jats:p

The structure of porin from Rhodobacter capsulatus at 0.6 nm resolution

AbstractThe crystal electron density map of porin from Rhodobacter capsulatus 37b4 at 0.6 nm resolution shows that the trimeric molecule consists of 3 merged cylinders as the central part, plus 3 laterally radiating domains. The density shows no prominent α-helices and is consistent with β-pleated sheet structure. The trimer density was dissected into monomers. Three separate pores per trimer with sizes that agree with the exclusion limit of permeating molecules could be identified. The cross-section of the central part as well as the pore distance agree with prior electron microscopy data on other porins.Porin; Membrane protein structure; X-ray structure; (Rhodobacter capsulatus