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The kinetics of isothermal cyclotrimerization of bifunctional hexamethylene diisocyanate and trifunctional isocyanurate in the presence of hexabutyldistannyl oxide as a catalyst has been studied with differential scanning calorimetry and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. It has been demonstrated that a rise in the glass transition temperature in the course of cure of the trifunctional monomer is satisfactorily described by the equilibrium first-order kinetics. The evolution of dielectric parameters is similar for both samples but is characterized by a shift along the time scale because of different specific concentrations of isocyanate groups in the parent monomers. Given the same catalyst concentration, the trimerization of hexamethylene diisocyanate proceeds at a higher rate than that of isocyanurate. For maximally cured systems, this effect manifests itself as a small increase in the glass transition temperature and the shear modulus in the rubbery state and a change in the temperature interval of α relaxation.

This paper presents melt mixed composites where two ways of introducing nanotubes in polymer matrices were used. In the first case, commercially available masterbatches of nanotube/polymer composites are used as the starting material which are diluted by the pure polymer in a subsequent melt mixing process (masterbatch dilution method) while in the other case nanotubes are directly incorporated into the polymer matrix. As an example of the masterbatch dilution method, composites of polycarbonate with MWNT are presented which are produced using different melt mixing equipments. The lowest percolation threshold was found at about 0.5 wt% MWNT using a Brabender PL‐19 single screw extruder. The nanotube dispersion as observed by TEM investigations is quite homogeneous. The direct incorporation method is discussed in composites of polycarbonate with MWNT and SWNT. The nanotube addition significantly changes the stress‐strain behavior of the composites: modulus and stress are increased; however, elongation is reduced especially above the percolation concentration.

The primary structure of calmodulin from human brain has been determined. As compared to calmodulin from bovine brain, it shows three substitutions of the amide----acid type at positions 24, 60, 129, and two acid----amide changes at positions 104 and 135.

Steady state kinetics of DNA depolymerisation in the presence of the DNAase A and Mg2+ ions were investigated at pH 5.5 and wide region of the enzyme, substrate and metal ion concentrations. A model, which is consistent with experimental results obtained is suggested. According to the model catalytically active form of the DNAase A should be a metal-bound enzyme. That species reacts with the metal-free DNA to form the Michaelis complex. The kinetics observed can be described in terms of mechanism which involves covalent enzyme-substrate intermediate formation. It was shown that the second Mg2+ ion binding to the complex Mg2+ DNAase -- DNA (KD - 2.2 . 10(-3) M) enhances the kinetic parameters of the reaction. To rationalise the effect one has to assume that the rate of the intermediate formation was accelerated as a result of the second Mg2+ binding.

Isotermic unfolding of ribonuclease A, phosphopyridoxyl-8Lys41-RNAase A and complexes of the enzyme with cytidine, 2'-CMP, 3'-CMP, 3'-AMP and with the phosphoric ester of 1-(omega-oxypropyl)-cytosine in presence of urea has been studied. The stabilization of the protein structure resulting from the complex formation was shown to be determined by the ligand nucleobase binding. The comparison of the results obtained with those known from the literature suggests, that binding and catalytic zones of the enzyme active site form an integrated network system which is substained by multipoint contacts between the constituents. The change in the state of any part within the enzyme active state affects the energetics of the whole protein globule.

The paper surveys the data obtained during the last years in the Laboratory of Regulation of Cellular Activity of the Institute of Molecular Biology. The data mostly concern the enzymes taking part in metabolism and in biological action of the secondary messengers, as well as the mechanisms of regulation of some metabolic pathways in the cultured cells. The results pertinent to the mechanisms of chromatin condensation and based on this genetic control processes are also discussed.

The rate constants and Km for the hydrolysis of the optically active nonglycosidic analogues of the CpA and C greater than p catalysed by RNase A and RNase BS-I were measured. The rate of hydrolysis of the model substrates in 10(5) and 10(3) slower that for the appropriate dinucleoside phosphate and nucleoside cyclophosphate. However, substitution of the relatively rigid ribofuranose ring with flexible alifatic chains is accompanied by little variation in binding constants. The analyses based on the single substrate system indicate that the observed difference in rate constants must be accounted for by a difference between the binding of the substrates in the transition state to the RNase active site. Consequently, the "rigidity" of the ribose rings in RNA leads to large decreases in the free energy of activation for the reactions catalysed by RNases.

Five Hybridoma clones producing monoclonal antibodies (MAT) to bovine nerve growth factor (NGF) were developed. The biological effects of antibodies were studied: the influence of MAT on neurit outgrowth induced by NGF in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 or spinal chicken ganglia was investigated. MAT fell into two groups. Two of them inhibited neurit induction by NGF, three others stimulated this process. The stimulation of the neurit outgrowth by MAT was observed at low concentration of NGF (3 ng/ml of culture medium). Mechanisms of antibodies effects are discussed.

The physico-chemical properties have been studied of RNase A selectively modified at the E-NH2-group of Lys-7 and Lys-41 with pyridoxal-P. Modification did not affect conformational stability of the protein globule, thus all changes in the molecule of the modified RNase A were localised around the alkylated Lys residue. In the both cases pyridoxyl-P. The residue was shown to be localized in the active site region of the (P-Pxy)-Lys-7-RNase A and its chromophore parts was highly exposed to the solvent. (P-Pxy) E-Lys-7-RNase A and its chromophore parts was highly exposed to the solvent. In the Lys-41 derivative, pyridoxamine-P was situated exactly in the active site and is partially hidden in the protein grobule. The pH-dependence of absorption spectra indicates that the chromophore of pyridoxyl-P in modified proteins is quite sensible to the ionic state of its surrounding. The usefulness of pyridoxyl-P as a reporter group was proved in the study with (P-Pxy)-Lys-7-RNase A. Some conformational changes involving His-119 were shown to take place in the course of the enzyme-nucleotide complex formation.

The circular-dichroism and proton-magnetic-resonance spectra of complexes of ribonuclease A with dihydrouridine 3′-phosphate, 2′- and 3′-CMP, arabinosyl-3′-CMP, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)cytosine 2′-phosphate and 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)cytosine 3′-phosphate were studied. Comparison of the results shows that non-additivity of the circular-dichroic spectrum of an enzyme-nucleotide complex may be due to: (a), alteration of the circular dichroic spectrum of the nucleotide under the influence of the asymmetric protein matrix (induced dichroism), and (b) a change in the nucleotide conformation. The contribution of each of the two factors was estimated to calculate the circular-dichoroic spectra of 2′-CMP and 3′-CMP in complex with ribonuclease A. 3′-CMP in this complex was characterized by negative circular dichroism in the long-wavelength absorption band of the nucleotide, whereas 2′-CMP was characterized by positive circular dichroism. Since both nucleotides in the complex are known to be in an anti conformation, it follows that even small changes in the conformation considerably modify the circular-dichroic spectrum of the nucleotide in complex with the enzyme.