Sae Chae Jeoung

Ethylene Suppression of Sugar-Induced Anthocyanin Pigmentation in Arabidopsis

Anthocyanin accumulation is regulated negatively by ethylene signaling and positively by sugar and light signaling. However, the antagonistic interactions underlying these signalings remain to be elucidated fully. We show that ethylene inhibits anthocyanin accumulation induced by sucrose (Suc) and light by suppressing the expression of transcription factors that positively regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis, including GLABRA3, TRANSPARENT TESTA8, and PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT1, while stimulating the concomitant expression of the negative R3-MYB regulator MYBL2. Genetic analyses show that the ethylene-mediated suppression of anthocyanin accumulation is dependent upon ethylene signaling components responsible for the triple response. Furthermore, these positive and negative signaling pathways appear to be under photosynthetic control. Suc and light induction of anthocyanin accumulation was almost fully inhibited in wild-type Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ecotype Columbia and ethylene (ethylene response1 [etr1-1]) and light (long hypocotyl1 [hy1], cryptochrome1/2, and hy5) signaling mutants treated with the photosynthetic electron transport inhibitor 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea. The transcript level of the sugar transporter gene SUC1 was enhanced in ecotype Columbia treated with the ethylene-binding inhibitor silver and in etr1-1, ethylene insensitive2 (ein2-1), and ein3 ein3-like1 mutants. In contrast, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea treatment reduced SUC1 expression, which indicates strongly that SUC1 represents an integrator for signals provided by sugar, light, and ethylene. SUC1 mutations lowered accumulations of anthocyanin pigment, soluble sugar content, and ethylene production in response to Suc and light signals. These data demonstrate that the suppression of SUC1 expression by ethylene inhibits Suc-induced anthocyanin accumulation in the presence of light and, hence, fine-tunes anthocyanin homeostasis.

Formation of superhydrophobic poly(dimethysiloxane) by ultrafast laser-induced surface modification

The formation of hemispherical nanostructures and microscaled papilla by ultrafast laser irradiation was found to be a potential method to generate superhydrophbic surface of synthetic polymers. Irradiation of femtosecond laser creates roughened poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface in nano- and microscales, of which topography fairly well imitate a Lotus leaf in nature. The modified surface showed superhydrophobicity with a contact angle higher than 170 degrees as well as sliding angle less than 3 degrees. We further demonstrated that negative replica of the processed PDMS surface exhibit large contact angle hysteresis with a sliding angle of 90 degrees while the positive replica maintains superhydrophobicity.

Improved method for measuring the first-order hyperpolarizability of organic NLO materials in solution by using the hyper-Rayleigh scattering technique

Abstract We provide an improved method for measuring the first order hyperpolarizability of organic nonlinear optical materials in solution by the hyper-Rayleigh scattering technique. The method is free from the overestimation which is encountered in the conventional method due to the fluorescence induced by two-photon absorption.

Fabry–Perot effects in THz time-domain spectroscopy of plasmonic band-gap structures

Using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, we study transmission in one-dimensional arrays of slits fabricated on metal plates by laser machining. The enhanced peaks of zero-order transmission spectra are attributed to the combined effects of Fabry–Perot and surface plasmon resonances. Angle dependence of transmission spectra shows that the strongly surface plasmon-enhanced peaks appear when the Fabry–Perot-type resonance is located nearby in energy. This means that surface waves traveling in the horizontal direction couple with nearest Fabry–Perot resonance to generate enhanced peaks. These results are in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations.

Invisible plasmonic meta-materials through impedance matching to vacuum

We report on perfect transmission in two-dimensional plasmonic matamaterials in the terahertz frequency range, in which zeroth order transmittance becomes essentially unity near specific resonance frequencies. Perfect transmission may occur when the plasmonic metamaterials are perfectly impedance matched to vacuum, which is equivalent to designing an effective dielectric constant around epsilonr = -2. When the effective dielectric constant of the metamaterial is tuned towards epsilonr and the hole coverage is larger than 0.2, strong evanescent field builds up in the near field, making perfect transmission possible.

Ultrafast Vibrational Relaxation and Ligand Photodissociation/Photoassociation Processes of Nickel(II) Porphyrins in the Condensed Phase

We have carried out a femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic study on nickel(II) porphyrins in various solvents in order to obtain detailed information on vibrational relaxation processes occurring in the initial stage after photoexcitation to the highly excited states. We found the decay process of time constant of approximately 1 ps corresponding to the intramolecular vibrational relaxation process for Ni(II)TPP and Ni(II)OEP in toluene. In addition to this process, the intermolecular vibrational relaxation process with 10−20 ps lifetime was also observed for Ni(II)OEP in toluene, although its contribution to the overall decay process is relatively weak probably due to the weak solute/solvent interaction. In coordinating solvents such as pyridine and piperidine, we observed the intramolecular vibrational relaxation processes before complete population of the bottleneck excited metal 1|0,dz2〉 or 3|0,3(d,d)〉 state. In this case, it is likely that the intermolecular vibrational relaxation process a...

Visualization of Bonghan Microcells by Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy

OBJECTIVES The origin of adult stem cells remains an open question. If they derive from embryos, it is difficult to determine the mechanism which interrupts their differentiation during tissue formation. In the 1960s, the Bonghan microcell was suggested as one possible, yet to be described, route of stem cell production, such that they have the potential to proliferate to produce normal cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, Bonghan microcells were isolated from Bonghan tissues on rat organ surfaces, and their detailed morphology examined by electron and atomic force microscopy. RESULTS The ultrastructure observed distinguished them from apoptotic bodies and other microorganisms, and their unique, possible proliferation feature, as protruding threads, was imaged by atomic force microscopy. CONCLUSIONS The unique threadlike structure of the Bonghan microcell is consistent with Prof. Kims observation in the first step of making a cell. Understanding of the functions of this threadlike structure may give a clue to understand the origin or the differentiation cue of adult stem cells.

Genomic Survey and Biochemical Analysis of Recombinant Candidate Cyanobacteriochromes Reveals Enrichment for Near UV/Violet Sensors in the Halotolerant and Alkaliphilic Cyanobacterium Microcoleus IPPAS B353

Background: Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs), photoreceptors that sense red to near-UV light, were not previously reported in the cyanobacterium Microcoleus. Results: The Microcoleus genome encodes seven CBCR proteins covalently attached to phycocyanobilin or phycoviolobilin. Conclusion: Near-UV and violet CBCRs are enriched in Microcoleus, whereas red- and green-sensitive CBCRs are absent. Significance: This is the first report of CBCRs in the Microcoleus genome. Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs), which are exclusive to and widespread among cyanobacteria, are photoproteins that sense the entire range of near-UV and visible light. CBCRs are related to the red/far-red phytochromes that utilize linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) chromophores. Best characterized from the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and the multicellular heterocyst forming filamentous cyanobacteria Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, CBCRs have been poorly investigated in mat-forming, nonheterocystous cyanobacteria. In this study, we sequenced the genome of one of such species, Microcoleus IPPAS B353 (Microcoleus B353), and identified two phytochromes and seven CBCRs with one or more bilin-binding cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase, adenylyl cyclase and FhlA (GAF) domains. Biochemical and spectroscopic measurements of 23 purified GAF proteins from phycocyanobilin (PCB) producing recombinant Escherichia coli indicated that 13 of these proteins formed near-UV and visible light-absorbing covalent adducts: 10 GAFs contained PCB chromophores, whereas three contained the PCB isomer, phycoviolobilin (PVB). Furthermore, the complement of Microcoleus B353 CBCRs is enriched in near-UV and violet sensors, but lacks red/green and green/red CBCRs that are widely distributed in other cyanobacteria. We hypothesize that enrichment in short wavelength-absorbing CBCRs is critical for acclimation to high-light environments where this organism is found.

Dynamics of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer reactions in piroxicam. Role of triplet states

Abstract The picosecond time-resolved fluorescence and transient absorption behavior of piroxicam at room temperature are reported. The keto tautomer in the excited singlet state ( 1 K*) formed via the fast intramolecular proton transfer (≈ 20 ps) is observed. The short-lived (7.5 ns) triplet state of keto tauomer ( 3 K*) is generated from 1 K * in toluene whereas it is hardly observed in ethanol. Consequently, rapid reverse proton transfer takes place from 3 K * to the enol triplet state ( 3 E * .

Nonlinear enhancement of femtosecond laser ablation efficiency by hybridization with nanosecond laser.

Synchronization of femtosecond laser with nanosecond (~250 ns) laser results in a large enhancement in laser ablation efficiency of the Si wafer 12 times more than that with an independent laser exposure. Transient changes in the status of target material due to the proceeding nanosecond laser increase the femtosecond laser ablation efficiency.