In cases the proteins functions were predicted, most of which included functions related
to nucleotide synthesis and amino acid metabolism, although interesting cases were found like that of a probable protein involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis and a colagenase. It is concluded that the identified sequences may lay a role favouring the production of viral particles infecting archaea. E-mail: yetzi1980@hotmail.com Dynamics of Pattern Formation in Biomimetic Systems F. Rossi1*, S. Ristori2 M. Rustici3, N. Marchettini4, E. Tiezzi4 1Dipartimento di Chimica Fisica, Universit di Palermo, Italy; 2Dipartimento di Chimica, Universit di Firenze, Italy; 3Dipartimento di Chimica, Universit di Sassari, Italy; 4Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche learn more e dei Biosistemi, GSK872 Universit di Siena, Italy Cellular organization involves a complex
interaction among structure, chemical kinetics, and transport processes. By using model systems where these features can be controlled to a large extent independently of the others, the relative contribution of each aspect to cellular attributes can be inferred. The Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) (Belousov 1958; Zhabotinsky 1964) Selleck CBL0137 reaction spontaneously produces complex spatial patterns (spirals, spots,…) that may oscillate in time or remain stationary and for this property it can be considered a valid model for self structuring and self patterning phenomena. Insights gained from the study of the BZ reaction carried out in biomietic matrices may shed light on the emergence of shape in living systems. For example these systems can be used to investigate the occurrence of self-organized patterns in media confined at the nano- to micromicrometer scale, and/or Sulfite dehydrogenase to design a chemical oscillator composed of biological molecules. The route followed to develop these ideas was to couple chemical oscillations produced by BZ reaction with confined reaction environments such as
direct and reverse micelles (Federico Rossi et al. 2008; Vanag & Epstein 2008) and phospholipids bilayers (Magnani et al. 2004; Ristori et al. 2007); confinement being an essential requirement for any process of Life. Special focus was placed on systems which also present organic or lipidic compartments, as more reliable biomimetic matrices. Belousov, B.P., 1958. A periodic reaction and its mechanism. In A Periodic Reaction and its mechanism. Moscow: Medgiz, pagg. 145–147. Magnani, A. et al., 2004. Chemical waves and pattern formation in the 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/water lamellar system. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 126(37), 11406–11407. Ristori, S. et al., 2007.