Water and Ions in Biomolecular Systems

About 80 scientists from allover the world have gathered at the Parc Valrose Scientific Campus of Nice -Sophia Antipolis University, for the 5th UNESCO International Conference on "Water and Ions in Biornolecular Systems", to present and discuss current problems in the field. The Conference proceedings comprise selected and reviewed contributions of invited plenary lectures, lectures and posters presentations which cover all the Biophysical sectors of research on the following three major topics : Water, Ions and Nucleic Acids Water, Ions and Membranes Water, Ions and Proteins The organizers of the 5th UNESCO International Conference on "Water and Ions in Biomolecular Systems" have obtained financial support from various sponsors. They would like to express their appreciation and gratitude to these organizations for the valuable moral and financial support which has made the arrangement of these Conference in Nice possible. The Meeting has been sponsored by : United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization The University of Nice -Sophia Antipolis D. R. E. T. (Defence Ministery) Conseil General des Alpes Maritimes Ville de Nice The International Union of BiochernistIy The International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics Banque Nationale de Paris Air Liquide Nice Congres The Executive Committee, Professors J. JAZ, B. PULLMAN and D.

Contenu
Water, Ions and Nucleic Acids.- Structural water of nucleic acids.- Structure of xenopus laevis 5s rRNA as determined by solution data and computer graphic modeling.- Ionic effects on DNA electrostatic and elastic stability.- Copper ions at trace level and DNA functioning: studies performed with 64Cu and 67Cu.- Z-DNA transconformation: a quantum molecular approach.- Proteins as counterions of DNA: a new model of nucleoprotamine structure.- Effect of hydration and metal ions on DNA conformations studied by vibrational spectroscopy.- Showing-up the Na+ entropy of fluctuations during the DNA thermal transconformation by 23Na NMR: influence of radioprotector cysteamine.- Water, Ions and Proteins.- The central helix of calmodulin and homologs Effects of solvent exposure on stability.- Control of protein kinase C function: an inhibitor study.- On the structure and elasticity of elastin.- Structure and dynamics of a -19kD phosphoprotein, amelogenin, from bovine tooth enamel.- Studies of protein hydration by direct NMR observation of individual protein-bound water molecules.- A role for molecular motion as a mechanism for the NMR relaxation of water protons in biological systems.- Effect of collagen crosslinking on collagen-water interaction.- Proton conductivity in hydrated proteins Evidence for percolation.- A non-traditional role for water during electron transfer by cytochrome C oxidase.- Water, Ions and Membranes.- Ion translocation by the NA,K-pump : correlation between electrogenic events and conformational transitions.- Theoretical and experimental aspects of the specific association of monovalent ions with lipid bilayer membranes.- The role of isothermal enthalpy production in coupled solute translocation across the membrane.- Intracellular spermine modifiesneuronal electrical activity.- Spectroscopic studies on the structure and aggregation of calcium ionophore, A23187.- Fura-2 imaging of intracellular free calcium dynamics in excitable cells.- Chemically driven phase separation in black lipid membranes.- A study of cadmium and calcium transport into a marine unicellular alga.- Involvement of D2O for H2O substitution in the behaviour of some excitable membranes.- Miscellaneous.- Femtosecond dynamics of single electron transfer in aqueous media and mimetic models of bioaggregates.- Bioelectrochemical properties of glutathione A noise spectrography investigation.- Taking into account the cell water properties for the cytochemical detection of cations: embedding into melamin after pyroantimonate fixation.