The primary structural photoresponse of phytochrome proteins captured by a femtosecond X-ray laser

Phytochrome proteins control the growth, reproduction, and photosynthesis of plants, fungi, and bacteria. Light is detected by a bilin cofactor, but it remains elusive how this leads to activation of the protein through structural changes. We present serial femtosecond X-ray crystallographic data of the chromophore-binding domains of a bacterial phytochrome at delay times of 1 ps and 10 ps after photoexcitation. The data reveal a twist of the D-ring, which leads to partial detachment of the chromophore from the protein. Unexpectedly, the conserved so-called pyrrole water is photodissociated from the chromophore, concomitant with movement of the A-ring and a key signaling aspartate. The chan…

Author response: The primary structural photoresponse of phytochrome proteins captured by a femtosecond X-ray laser

Gamma Ray Spectra from Thermal Neutron Capture on Gadolinium-155 and Natural Gadolinium

Natural gadolinium is widely used for its excellent thermal neutron capture cross section, because of its two major isotopes: $^{\rm 155}$Gd and $^{\rm 157}$Gd. We measured the $\gamma$-ray spectra produced from the thermal neutron capture on targets comprising a natural gadolinium film and enriched $^{\rm 155}$Gd (in Gd$_{2}$O$_{3}$ powder) in the energy range from 0.11 MeV to 8.0 MeV, using the ANNRI germanium spectrometer at MLF, J-PARC. The freshly analysed data of the $^{\rm 155}$Gd(n, $\gamma$) reaction are used to improve our previously developed model (ANNRI-Gd model) for the $^{\rm 157}$Gd(n, $\gamma$) reaction, and its performance confirmed with the independent data from the $^{\r…

Gamma Ray Spectrum from Thermal Neutron Capture on Gadolinium-157

International audience; We have measured the |$\gamma$|-ray energy spectrum from the thermal neutron capture, |${}^{157}$|Gd|$(n,\gamma)$|⁠, on an enriched |$^{157}$|Gd target (Gd|$_{2}$|O|$_{3}$|⁠) in the energy range from 0.11 MeV up to about 8 MeV. The target was placed inside the germanium spectrometer of the ANNRI detector at J-PARC and exposed to a neutron beam from the Japan Spallation Neutron Source (JSNS). Radioactive sources (⁠|$^{60}$|Co, |$^{137}$|Cs, and |$^{152}$|Eu) and the |$^{35}$|Cl(⁠|$n$|⁠,|$\gamma$|⁠) reaction were used to determine the spectrometer‘s detection efficiency for |$\gamma$| rays at energies from 0.3 to 8.5 MeV. Using a Geant4-based Monte Carlo simulation of …