We model the interaction of side-chain and end-chain groups of poly(4-vinylpyridine) by a 5:1 molar ratio mixture of 4-isopropylpyridine (side-chain model) and 4-propylpyridine (end-chain model). We find that the 4-isopropylpyridine in the mixture is oxidized in a slow air flow to produce 4-isopropylpyridine hydroperoxide which in turn precipitates as lamellar crystals with monoclinic structure. The fact that the peroxide group is exchanged for the hydrogen of the tertiary carbon demonstrates the high activity of the latter and gives strong support for its involvement in the self-protonation mechanism proposed earlier for the poly(4-vinylpyridine)/pyridine gel.

This work investigates the feasibility of transducing molecular-recognition events into a measurable potentiometric signal. It is shown for the first time that biorecognition of acetylcholine (ACh) can be translated to conformational changes in the enzyme, acetylcholine-esterase (AChE), which in turn induces a measurable change in surface potential. Our results show that a highly sensitive detector for ACh can be obtained by the dilute assembly of AChE on a floating gate derived field effect transistor (FG-FET). A wide concentration range response is observed for ACh (10-2-10-9M) and for the inhibitor carbamylcholine CCh (10-6-10-11M). These enhanced sensitivities are modeled theoretically and explained by the combined response of the device to local pH changes and molecular dipole variations due to the enzyme-substrate recognition event.

Interdependent structural properties such as molecular conformation, flexibility and charge redistribution control the intermolecular interactions of acetylcholine (ACh) with adjacent molecules. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the effect of the diffusion of ACh through a nano/microporous poly (N-vinylimidazole) (PVI) gel on its structural properties, namely on changes in its conformation. To investigate the conformational changes of ACh during spontaneous diffusion through the gel, the fluorescence lifetime of the label molecule - fluorescein - was monitored. To clarify the results, analogous experiments were conducted with nicotinic acid and dopamine. In contrast to the nicotinic acid and dopamine, ACh can play the role of a regulator in molecular transport.

Neurotransmitter release is the key factor of chemical messaging in the brain. Fast, sensitive and in situ detection of single cell neurotransmitter release is essential for the investigation of synaptic transmission under physiological or pathophysiological conditions. Although various techniques have been developed for detecting neurotransmitter release both in vitro and in vivo, the sensing of such events still remains challenging. First of all, the amount of neurotransmitter released during synaptic transmission is unknown because of the limited number of molecules released and the fast diffusion and reuptake of these molecules after release.

On the other hand, advances in microelectronic biosensor devices have made possible the fast detection of various analytes with high sensitivity and selectivity. Specifically, enzyme-modified field-effect (ENFET) devices are attractive for such applications due to their fast response, small dimensions and the possibility to integrate a large number of sensors on the same chip.

In this paper, we present a floating-gate FET device coated with glutamate oxidase (GLOD) layer. The surface chemistry was optimized for maximal enzyme loading and long-term stability, and characterized by quartz crystal microbalance and colorimetric assays. Enzyme loading was largest on poly-l-lysin-based surfaces combined with glutaraldehyde. The surface chemistry showed excellent stability for at least one month in Tris buffers stored at 4 °C. A glutamate detection limit of 10^-7 M has been obtained with the GLOD-coated FET and our sensor proved to be selective to glutamate only. We show that this biosensor is a promising tool for the in vitro detection of glutamate and can be extended to other neurotransmitters.

Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) is one of the two major pathways of DNA Double Strand Breaks (DSBs) repair. Mutations in human NHEJ genes can lead to immunodeficiency due to its role in V(D)J recombination in the immune system. In addition, most patients carrying mutations in NHEJ genes display developmental anomalies which are likely the result of a general defect in repair of endogenously induced DSBs such as those arising during normal DNA replication. Cernunnos/XLF is a recently identified NHEJ gene which is mutated in immunodeficiency with microcephaly patients. Here we aimed to investigate whether Cernunnos/XLF mutations disrupt the ability of patient cells to respond to replication stress conditions. Our results demonstrate that Cernunnos/XLF mutated cells and cells downregulated for Cernunnos/XLF have increased sensitivity to conditions which perturb DNA replication. In addition, under replication stress, these cells exhibit impaired DSB repair and increased accumulation of cells in G2/M. Moreover Cernunnos/XLF mutated and down regulated cells display greater chromosomal instability, particularly at fragile sites, under replication stress conditions. These results provide evidence for the role of Cernunnos/XLF in repair of DSBs and maintenance of genomic stability under replication stress conditions. This is the first study of a NHEJ syndrome showing association with impaired cellular response to replication stress conditions. These findings may be related to the clinical features in these patients which are not due to the V(D)J recombination defect. Additionally, in light of the emerging important role of replication stress in the early stages of cancer development, our findings may provide a mechanism for the role of NHEJ in preventing tumorigenesis.

Interfacing neurons with micro- and nano-electronic devices has been a subject of intense study over the last decade. One of the major problems in assembling efficient neuro-electronic hybrid systems is the weak electrical coupling between the components. This is mainly attributed to the fundamental property of living cells to form and maintain an extracellular cleft between the plasma membrane and any substrate to which they adhere. This cleft shunts the current generated by propagating action potentials and thus reduces the signal-to-noise ratio. Reducing the cleft thickness, and thereby increasing the seal resistance formed between the neurons and the sensing surface, is thus a challenge and could improve the electrical coupling coefficient. Using electron microscopic analysis and field potential recordings, we examined here the use of gold micro-structures that mimic dendritic spines in their shape and dimensions to improve the adhesion and electrical coupling between neurons and micro-electronic devices. We found that neurons cultured on a gold-spine matrix, functionalized by a cysteine-terminated peptide with a number of RGD repeats, readily engulf the spines, forming tight apposition. The recorded field potentials of cultured Aplysia neurons are significantly larger using gold-spine electrodes in comparison with flat electrodes.

We present infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated by the conducting polymers polyaniline (PANI), polycarbazole (PCz), and melanin (polydopamine). These hybrid materials have been prepared by electrochemical polymerization and exhibit increased conductivity and enhanced electron transfer from the electrolyte to the electrode. Interaction of the polymers with the nanotube surface causes attenuation of some IR modes [surface-attenuated infrared absorption (SAIRA) effect], while the Raman modes are enhanced by a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) mechanism. The magnitude of the attenuation depends on the strength of the nanotube–polymer interaction. We compared the spectra of the hybrids and found the most outspoken effect in the case of polyaniline, in accordance with the results of ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) and impedance spectroscopy.