Galangin inhibits tumour growth and metastasis of B16F10 melanoma.
AuthorsZhang W, Tang B, Huang Q, Hua Z,
JournalJ Cell Biochem
PubMed ID22887049
Galangin, an active flavonoid extracted from the root of the Alpinia officinarum Hance, showed a cytotoxic effect on several cancer cell lines in vitro. However, there is no information available concerning its antimetastatic effect. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase, involves in many aspects of cellular processes such ... More
Efficient replication of genotype 3a and 4a hepatitis C virus replicons in human hepatoma cells.
AuthorsSaeed M, Scheel TK, Gottwein JM, Marukian S, Dustin LB, Bukh J, Rice CM,
JournalAntimicrob Agents Chemother
PubMed ID22869572
Despite recent advances in the treatment of hepatitis C, the quest for pan-genotype, effective, and well-tolerated inhibitors continues. To facilitate these efforts, it is desirable to have in vitro replication systems for all major HCV genotypes. However, cell culture replication systems exist for only genotypes 1a, 1b, and 2a. In ... More
Portable self-contained cultures for phage and bacteria made of paper and tape.
AuthorsFunes-Huacca M, Wu A, Szepesvari E, Rajendran P, Kwan-Wong N, Razgulin A, Shen Y, Kagira J, Campbell R, Derda R,
JournalLab Chip
PubMed ID22895550
In this paper, we demonstrate that a functional, portable device for the growth of bacteria or amplification of bacteriophage can be created using simple materials. These devices are comprised of packing tape, sheets of paper patterned by hydrophobic printer ink, and a polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) membrane, which is selectively permeable ... More
Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 6 (SOCS6) Negatively Regulates Flt3 Signal Transduction through Direct Binding to Phosphorylated Tyrosines 591 and 919 of Flt3.
AuthorsKazi JU, Sun J, Phung B, Zadjali F, Flores-Morales A, Rönnstrand L,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID22952242
The receptor tyrosine kinase Flt3 is an important growth factor receptor in hematopoiesis, and gain-of-function mutations of the receptor contribute to the transformation of acute myeloid leukemia. SOCS6 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 6) is a member of the SOCS family of E3 ubiquitin ligases that can regulate receptor tyrosine kinase ... More
Triphala and its active constituent chebulinic acid are natural inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor-a mediated angiogenesis.
AuthorsLu K, Chakroborty D, Sarkar C, Lu T, Xie Z, Liu Z, Basu S,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID22937129
Triphala churna (THL) is a combination of three fruits that has been used for many years in India for the treatment of various diseases. There are now reports which indicate that THL can inhibit growth of malignant tumors in animals. However, the mechanisms by which THL mediates its anti-tumor actions ... More
a-Synuclein Induces Alterations in Adult Neurogenesis in Parkinson Disease Models via p53-mediated Repression of Notch1.
AuthorsDesplats P, Spencer B, Crews L, Pathel P, Morvinski-Friedmann D, Kosberg K, Roberts S, Patrick C, Winner B, Winkler J, Masliah E,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID22833673
Parkinson disease is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons mainly in the substantia nigra. Accumulation of a-synuclein and cell loss has been also reported in many other brain regions including the hippocampus, where it might impair adult neurogenesis, contributing to nonmotor symptoms. However, the molecular mechanisms of these alterations ... More
Engineering Surface Adhered Poly(vinyl alcohol) Physical Hydrogels as Enzymatic Microreactors.
AuthorsFejerskov B, Jensen BE, Jensen NB, Chong SF, Zelikin AN,
JournalACS Appl Mater Interfaces
PubMed ID22939117
In this work, we characterize physical hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA, as intelligent biointerfaces for surface-mediated drug delivery. Specifically, we assemble microstructured (µS) surface adhered hydrogels via noncryogenic gelation of PVA, namely polymer coagulation using sodium sulfate (Na(2)SO(4)). We present systematic investigation of concentrations of Na(2)SO(4) as a tool ... More
Screening for novel LRRK2 inhibitors using a high-throughput TR-FRET cellular assay for LRRK2 Ser935 phosphorylation.
Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase-2 (LRRK2) have been linked to Parkinson's disease. Recent studies show that inhibition of LRRK2 kinase activity decreased the level of phosphorylation at its own Ser910 and Ser935, indicating that these sites are prime targets for cellular readouts of LRRK2 inhibition. Using Time-Resolved Förster Resonance ... More
Susceptibility of human head and neck cancer cells to combined inhibition of glutathione and thioredoxin metabolism.
AuthorsSobhakumari A, Love-Homan L, Fletcher EV, Martin SM, Parsons AD, Spitz DR, Knudson CM, Simons AL,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID23118946
'Increased glutathione (GSH) and thioredoxin (Trx) metabolism are mechanisms that are widely implicated in resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy. The current study determined if simultaneous inhibition of GSH and Trx metabolism enhanced cell killing of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells by a mechanism involving oxidative ... More
Allele-specific siRNA silencing for the common Keratin 12 founder mutation in Meesmann epithelial corneal dystrophy.
AuthorsAllen EH, Atkinson SD, Liao H, Moore JE, Leslie Pedrioli DM, Smith FJ, McLean WH, Moore TC,
JournalInvest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
PubMed ID23233254
'PURPOSE: TO IDENTIFY AN ALLELE-SPECIFIC SIRNA, AGAINST THE COMMON KRT12 MUTATION ARG135THR IN MEESMANN EPITHELIAL CORNEAL DYSTROPHY (MECD) AS A PERSONALIZED APPROACH TO TREATMENT. METHODS: siRNAs against the K12 Arg135Thr mutation were evaluated using a dual luciferase reporter gene assay and the most potent and specific siRNAs were further screened ... More
Watsonianone A-C, anti-plasmodial ß-triketones from the Australian tree, Corymbia watsoniana.
'Three new ß-triketones, watsonianones A-C, and the known compound corymbone B were isolated from the flowers of the Australian eucalypt Corymbia watsoniana. Watsonianone A is the first naturally occurring methylene bridged bis-tetramethylcyclohexatrione, watsonianone B is only the fourth fused bisfurano ß-triketone and watsonianone C is the first 4,4a,9,9a-tetrahydro-2H-xanthene-1,3,5,7(6H,8H)-tetraone to be ... More
Discovery of Linear Cyclotides in Monocot Plant Panicum laxum of Poaceae Family Provides New Insights into Evolution and Distribution of Cyclotides in Plants.
AuthorsNguyen GK, Lian Y, Pang EW, Nguyen PQ, Tran TD, Tam JP,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID23195955
'Cyclotides are disulfide-rich macrocyclic peptides that display a wide range of bioactivities and represent an important group of plant defense peptide biologics. A few linear variants of cyclotides have recently been identified. They share a high sequence homology with cyclotides but are biosynthetically unable to cyclize from their precursors. All ... More
Gold Nanorods for Ovarian Cancer Detection with Photoacoustic Imaging and Resection Guidance via Raman Imaging in Living Mice.
AuthorsJokerst JV, Cole AJ, Van de Sompel D, Gambhir SS,
JournalACS Nano
PubMed ID23101432
'Improved imaging approaches are needed for ovarian cancer screening, diagnosis, staging, and resection guidance. Here, we propose a combined photoacoustic (PA)/Raman approach using gold nanorods (GNRs) as a passively targeted molecular imaging agent. GNRs with three different aspect ratios were studied. Those with an aspect ratio of 3.5 were selected ... More
Host mTORC1 Signaling Regulates Andes Virus Replication.
AuthorsMcNulty S, Flint M, Nichol ST, Spiropoulou CF,
JournalJ Virol
PubMed ID23135723
'Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a severe respiratory disease characterized by pulmonary edema with a fatality of 35-45%. Disease occurs following infection by pathogenic New World hantaviruses, such as Andes virus (ANDV), which targets lung microvascular endothelial cells. During replication the virus scavenges 5'' m(7)G-caps from cellular mRNA to ensure ... More
High yield derivation of enriched glutamatergic neurons from suspension-cultured mouse ESCs for neurotoxicology research.
AuthorsHubbard KS, Gut IM, Lyman ME, Tuznik KM, Mesngon MT, McNutt PM,
JournalBMC Neurosci
PubMed ID23095170
'ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Recently, there has been a strong emphasis on identifying an in vitro model for neurotoxicity research that combines the biological relevance of primary neurons with the scalability, reproducibility and genetic tractability of continuous cell lines. Derived neurons should be homotypic, exhibit neuron-specific gene expression and morphology, form functioning ... More
Respiratory syncytial virus inhibits ciliagenesis in differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial cells: effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine.
AuthorsMata M, Sarrion I, Armengot M, Carda C, Martinez I, Melero JA, Cortijo J,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID23118923
'Persistent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections have been associated with the exacerbation of chronic inflammatory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This virus infects the respiratory epithelium, leading to chronic inflammation, and induces the release of mucins and the loss of cilia activity, two factors that determine mucus clearance ... More
Induction of inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis by carbon black nanoparticles.
AuthorsReisetter AC, Stebounova LV, Baltrusaitis J, Powers L, Gupta A, Grassian VH, Monick MM,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID21525001
'Inhalation of nanoparticles has been implicated in respiratory morbidity and mortality. In particular, carbon black nanoparticles are found in many different environmental exposures. Macrophages take up inhaled nanoparticles and respond via release of inflammatory mediators and in some cases cell death. Based on new data, we propose that exposure of ... More
TR-FRET Cellular Assays for Interrogating Posttranslational Modifications of Histone H3.
AuthorsMachleidt T, Robers MB, Hermanson SB, Dudek JM, Bi K,
JournalJ Biomol Screen
PubMed ID21972037
'Posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation, and methylation play important roles in regulating the structures and functions of histones, which in turn regulate gene expression and DNA repair and replication. Histone-modifying enzymes, such as deacetylases, methyltransferases and demethylases, have been pursued as therapeutic targets for various diseases. However, detection of ... More
Novel Live Alkaline Phosphatase Substrate for Identification of Pluripotent Stem Cells.
AuthorsSingh U, Quintanilla RH, Grecian S, Gee KR, Rao MS, Lakshmipathy U,
JournalStem Cell Rev
PubMed ID22426885
Sontochin as a guide to development of drugs against chloroquine resistant malaria.
AuthorsPou S, Winter RW, Nilsen A, Kelly JX, Li Y, Doggett JS, Riscoe EW, Wegmann KW, Hinrichs DJ, Riscoe MK,
JournalAntimicrob Agents Chemother
PubMed ID22508305
'Sontochin was the original chloroquine replacement drug, arising from research by Andersag two years after chloroquine (known as '
Busseihydroquinones A-D from the roots of Pentas bussei.
AuthorsEndale M, Ekberg A, Akala HM, Alao JP, Sunnerhagen P, Yenesew A, Erdélyi M,
JournalJ Nat Prod
PubMed ID22709138
'Four new naphthohydroquinones, named busseihydroquinones A-D (1-4), along with a known homoprenylated dihydronaphthoquinone (5), were isolated from the CH(2)Cl(2)/MeOH (1:1) extract of the roots of Pentas bussei. Although the genus Pentas is frequently used by traditional healers for the treatment of malaria, only marginal activities against the chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and ... More
Ethanol Increases Phosphate-Mediated Mineralization and Osteoblastic Transformation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.
AuthorsOros M, Zavaczki E, Vadasz C, Jeney V, Tosaki A, Lekli I, Balla G, Nagy L, Balla J,
JournalJ Cell Mol Med
PubMed ID22260235
'Vascular calcification is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Human vascular smooth muscle cells (HSMCs) undergo mineralization in response to elevated levels of inorganic phosphate (Pi) in an active and well-regulated process. This process involves increased activity of alkaline phosphatase and increased expression of core ... More
Bile acids induce monocyte differentiation toward interleukin-12 hypo-producing dendritic cells via a TGR5-dependent pathway.
'Dendritic cells (DCs) are known as antigen-presenting cells and play a central role in both innate and acquired immunity. Peripheral blood monocytes give rise to resident and recruited DCs in lymph nodes and non-lymphoid tissues. The ligands of nuclear hormone receptors can modulate DC differentiation and so influence various biological ... More
Genotoxicity of diuron and glyphosate in oyster spermatozoa and embryos.
AuthorsAkcha F, Spagnol C, Rouxel J,
JournalAquat Toxicol
PubMed ID22115909
'We investigated the effects of genotoxicant exposure in gametes and embryos to find a possible link between genotoxicity and reproduction/developmental impairment, and explore the impact of chemical genotoxicity on population dynamics. Our study focused on the genotoxic effects of two herbicides on oyster gametes and embryos: glyphosate (both as an ... More
Antibacterial Strategies from the Sea: Polymer-Bound Cl-Catechols for Prevention of Biofilm Formation.
AuthorsGarcía-Fernández L, Cui J, Serrano C, Shafiq Z, Gropeanu RA, Miguel VS, Ramos JI, Wang M, Auernhammer GK, Ritz S, Golriz AA, Berger R, Wagner M, Del Campo A,
JournalAdv Mater
PubMed ID23139083
Inspired by the amino acid 2-chloro-4,5-dihydroxyphenylalanine (Cl-DOPA), present in the composition of the proteinaceous glue of the sandcastle worm Phragmatopoma californica, a simple strategy is presented to confer antifouling properties to polymer surfaces using (but not releasing) a bioinspired biocide. Cl-Dopamine is used to functionalize polymer materials and hydrogel films ... More
Two-step labeling of Staphylococcus aureus with Lysostaphin-Azide and DIBO-Alexa using click chemistry.
AuthorsPotapova I, Eglin D, Laschke MW, Bischoff M, Richards RG, Moriarty TF,
JournalJ Microbiol Methods
PubMed ID23159797
Specific bacteria imaging is highly desirable in clinical diagnostics. Probes enabling rapid and specific diagnostics of bacteria are limited. Current clinical infection diagnostics is time consuming and invasive, relies on microbiological cultures. We investigated the potential of Lysostaphin as a specific probe to label staphylococci in a new labeling protocol. ... More
A Luminescent and Biocompatible PhotoCORM.
AuthorsPierri AE, Pallaoro A, Wu G, Ford PC,
JournalJ Am Chem Soc
PubMed ID23077984
The water-soluble rhenium(I) complex fac-[Re(bpy)(CO)(3)(thp)](+) (1) [CF(3)SO(3)(-) salt; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, thp = tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine] is both strongly luminescent and photoactive toward carbon monoxide release. It is stable in aerated aqueous media, is incorporated into cells from the human prostatic carcinoma cell line PPC-1, and shows no apparent cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the ... More
Amino-Functionalized Cellulose Nanoparticles: Preparation, Characterization, and Interactions with Living Cells.
AuthorsNikolajski M, Wotschadlo J, Clement JH, Heinze T,
JournalMacromol Biosci
PubMed ID22535832
Spherical nanoparticles with sizes from 80 to 200?nm are obtained by self-assembly of highly functionalized 6-deoxy-6-(?-aminoalkyl)aminocellulosecarbamates. The particles are very stable, nontoxic, and possess primary amino groups that are accessible to further modifications in aqueous suspension. The particles can be labeled with rhodamine B isothiocyanate without changing their size, stability, ... More
C-Terminal Clipping of Chemokine CCL1/I-309 Enhances CCR8-Mediated Intracellular Calcium Release and Anti-Apoptotic Activity.
AuthorsDenis C, Deiteren K, Mortier A, Tounsi A, Fransen E, Proost P, Renauld JC, Lambeir AM,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID22479563
Carboxypeptidase M (CPM) targets the basic amino acids arginine and lysine present at the C-terminus of peptides or proteins. CPM is thought to be involved in inflammatory processes. This is corroborated by CPM-mediated trimming and modulation of inflammatory factors, and expression of the protease in inflammatory environments. Since the function ... More
Mechanism of entomotoxicity of the plant lectin from Hippeastrum hybrid (Amaryllis) in Spodoptera littoralis larvae.
AuthorsCaccia S, Van Damme EJ, De Vos WH, Smagghe G,
JournalJ Insect Physiol
PubMed ID22677323
Plant lectins have received a lot of attention because of their insecticidal properties. When orally administered in artificial diet or in transgenic plants, lectins provoke a wide range of detrimental effects, including alteration of the digestive enzyme machinery, fecundity drop, reduced feeding, changes in oviposition behavior, growth and development inhibition ... More
Albopunctatone, an antiplasmodial anthrone-anthraquinone from the Australian ascidian Didemnum albopunctatum.
AuthorsCarroll AR, Nash BD, Duffy S, Avery VM,
JournalJ Nat Prod
PubMed ID22680914
Chemical investigation of a MeOH extract of the Great Barrier Reef ascidian Didemnum albopunctatum has led to the isolation and identification of a new anthrone-anthraquinone, albopunctatone (1), together with the known 1,8-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (2). The structure of 1 was established from interpretation of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric ... More
Human DJ-1 and its homologs are novel glyoxalases.
AuthorsLee JY, Song J, Kwon K, Jang S, Kim C, Baek K, Kim J, Park C,
JournalHum Mol Genet
PubMed ID22523093
Human DJ-1 is a genetic cause of early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD), although its biochemical function is unknown. We report here that human DJ-1 and its homologs of the mouse and Caenorhabditis elegans are novel types of glyoxalase, converting glyoxal or methylglyoxal to glycolic or lactic acid, respectively, in the absence ... More
Nanotopography induced contact guidance of the F11 cell line during neuronal differentiation: a neuronal model cell line for tissue scaffold development.
AuthorsWieringa P, Tonazzini I, Micera S, Cecchini M,
JournalNanotechnology
PubMed ID22710035
The F11 hybridoma, a dorsal root ganglion-derived cell line, was used to investigate the response of nociceptive sensory neurons to nanotopographical guidance cues. This established this cell line as a model of peripheral sensory neuron growth for tissue scaffold design. Cells were seeded on substrates of cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) ... More
Saponins show high entomotoxicity by cell membrane permeation in Lepidoptera.
BACKGROUND: In this study, the effects of three saponins and one sapogenin with a triterpenoid or steroid structure in two lepidopteran insect cell lines, ovarian Bm5 and midgut CF-203 cells, were analysed with regard to cell viability, cell membrane permeation, EcR responsiveness and DNA fragmentation. In addition, the entomotoxic action ... More
Deciphering the Pathways of Death of Histoplasma capsulatum-Infected Macrophages: Implications for the Immunopathogenesis of Early Infection.
AuthorsDeepe GS, Buesing WR,
JournalJ Immunol
PubMed ID22102723
Apoptosis of leukocytes is known to strongly influence the immunopathogenesis of infection. In this study, we dissected the death pathways of murine macrophages (MFs) infected with the intracellular pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum. Yeast cells caused apoptosis of MFs at a wide range of multiplicity of infection, but smaller inocula resulted in ... More
Relating skin sensitizing potency to chemical reactivity: reactive Michael acceptors inhibit NF-?B signaling and are less sensitizing than S(N)Ar- and S(N)2- reactive chemicals.
AuthorsNatsch A, Haupt T, Laue H,
JournalChem Res Toxicol
PubMed ID22023385
The skin sensitization potency of chemicals is partly related to their reactivity to proteins. This can be quantified as the rate constant of the reaction with a model peptide, and a kinetic profiling approach to determine rate constants was previously proposed. A linear relationship between the skin sensitization potency in ... More
Enhanced cell-material interactions on medium-pressure plasma-treated polyhydroxybutyrate/polyhydroxyvalerate.
AuthorsJacobs T, Declercq H, De Geyter N, Cornelissen R, Dubruel P, Leys C, Beaurain A, Payen E, Morent R,
JournalJ Biomed Mater Res A
PubMed ID23197417
In this article, a medium-pressure DBD plasma treatment is used to improve the cell-material interaction of a polyhydroxybutyrate/polyhydroxyvalerate (PHB/PHV) film. PHB/PHV is a biodegradable natural polyester, used for different biomedical applications, including sutures, repair devices, and bone marrow scaffolds. The cell adhesion onto PHB/PHV is far less than optimal due ... More
A comparative examination of the anti-inflammatory effects of SSRI and SNRI antidepressants on LPS stimulated microglia.
AuthorsTynan RJ, Weidenhofer J, Hinwood M, Cairns MJ, Day TA, Walker FR,
JournalBrain Behav Immun
PubMed ID22251606
Selective serotonin and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSRI; SNRI) are the first choice pharmacological treatment options for major depression. It has long been assumed that the primary therapeutic mechanism of action of these drugs involves the modulation of monoaminergic systems. However, contemporary investigations have revealed that depression is linked with ... More
Substrate mediated enzyme prodrug therapy.
AuthorsFejerskov B, Zelikin AN,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID23152927
In this report, we detail Substrate Mediated Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (SMEPT) as a novel approach in drug delivery which relies on enzyme-functionalized cell culture substrates to achieve a localized conversion of benign prodrug(s) into active therapeutics with subsequent delivery to adhering cells or adjacent tissues. For proof-of-concept SMEPT, we use ... More
Phototriggerable 2',7-caged Paclitaxel.
AuthorsGropeanu RA, Baumann H, Ritz S, Mailänder V, Surrey T, Del Campo A,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID22970137
Three different variants of photoactivatable caged paclitaxel (PTX) have been synthesized and their bioactivity was characterized in in vitro assays and in living cells. The caged PTXs contain the photoremovable chromophore 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl (Nvoc) attached to position C7, C2' and to both of these positions via a carbonate bond. Single caged ... More
Label-Free Cytotoxicity Screening Assay by Digital Holographic Microscopy.
AuthorsKühn J, Shaffer E, Mena J, Breton B, Parent J, Rappaz B, Chambon M, Emery Y, Magistretti P, Depeursinge C, Marquet P, Turcatti G,
JournalAssay Drug Dev Technol
PubMed ID23062077
Abstract We introduce a label-free technology based on digital holographic microscopy (DHM) with applicability for screening by imaging, and we demonstrate its capability for cytotoxicity assessment using mammalian living cells. For this first high content screening compatible application, we automatized a digital holographic microscope for image acquisition of cells using ... More
Identification of Compounds with Anti-Proliferative Activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei Strain 427 by a Whole Cell Viability Based HTS Campaign.
AuthorsSykes ML, Baell JB, Kaiser M, Chatelain E, Moawad SR, Ganame D, Ioset JR, Avery VM,
JournalPLoS Negl Trop Dis
PubMed ID23209849
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is caused by two trypanosome sub-species, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. Drugs available for the treatment of HAT have significant issues related to difficult administration regimes and limited efficacy across species and disease stages. Hence, there is considerable need to find new alternative and ... More
Enzymatic mineralization of gellan gum hydrogel for bone tissue-engineering applications and its enhancement by polydopamine.
AuthorsDouglas T, Wlodarczyk M, Pamula E, Declercq H, de Mulder E, Bucko M, Balcaen L, Vanhaecke F, Cornelissen R, Dubruel P, Jansen J, Leeuwenburgh S,
JournalJ Tissue Eng Regen Med
PubMed ID23038649
Interest is growing in the use of hydrogels as bone tissue-engineering (TE) scaffolds due to advantages such as injectability and ease of incorporation of active substances such as enzymes. Hydrogels consisting of gellan gum (GG), an inexpensive calcium-crosslinkable polysaccharide, have been applied in cartilage TE. To improve GG suitability as ... More
Hydroxyethyl disulfide as an efficient metabolic assay for cell viability in vitro.
AuthorsLi J, Zhang D, Ward KM, Prendergast GC, Ayene IS,
JournalToxicol In Vitro
PubMed ID22321380
Cell viability assays have a variety of well known practical and technical limitations. All the available approaches have disadvantages, such as non-linearity, high background and cumbersome protocols. Several commonly used tetrazolium chemicals rely upon generation of a colored formazan product formed by mitochondrial reduction of these compounds via phenazine methosulfate ... More
Antiviral activity of recombinant ankyrin targeted to the capsid domain of HIV-1 Gag polyprotein.
AuthorsNangola S, Urvoas A, Valerio-Lepiniec M, Khamaikawin W, Sakkhachornphop S, Hong SS, Boulanger P, Minard P, Tayapiwatana C,
JournalRetrovirology
PubMed ID22348230
Ankyrins are cellular mediators of a number of essential protein-protein interactions. Unlike intrabodies, ankyrins are composed of highly structured repeat modules characterized by disulfide bridge-independent folding. Artificial ankyrin molecules, designed to target viral components, might act as intracellular antiviral agents and contribute to the cellular immunity against viral pathogens such ... More
RNase L controls terminal adipocyte differentiation, lipids storage and insulin sensitivity via CHOP10 mRNA regulation.
AuthorsFabre O, Salehzada T, Lambert K, Boo Seok Y, Zhou A, Mercier J, Bisbal C,
JournalCell Death Differ
PubMed ID22441668
Adipose tissue structure is altered during obesity, leading to deregulation of whole-body metabolism. Its function depends on its structure, in particular adipocytes number and differentiation stage. To better understand the mechanisms regulating adipogenesis, we have investigated the role of an endoribonuclease, endoribonuclease L (RNase L), using wild-type and RNase L-knockout ... More
Zinc Finger Protein Designed to Target 2-LTR Junctions Interferes with HIV Integration.
Integration of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome into the host chromosome is a vital step in the HIV life cycle. The highly conserved cytosine-adenine (CA) dinucleotide sequence immediately upstream of the cleavage site is crucial for integrase (IN) activity. As this viral enzyme has an important role ... More
Biological effects of a de novo designed myxoma virus peptide analogue: evaluation of cytotoxicity on tumor cells.
AuthorsIstivan TS, Pirogova E, Gan E, Almansour NM, Coloe PJ, Cosic I,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID21949758
The Resonant Recognition Model (RRM) is a physico-mathematical model that interprets protein sequence linear information using digital signal processing methods. In this study the RRM concept was employed for structure-function analysis of myxoma virus (MV) proteins and the design of a short bioactive therapeutic peptide with MV-like antitumor/cytotoxic activity. The ... More
Functional characterization of codCath, the mature cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).
Cathelicidins are among the best characterized antimicrobial peptides and have been shown to have an important role in mammalian innate immunity. We recently isolated a novel mature cathelicidin peptide (codCath) from Atlantic cod and in the present study we functionally characterized codCath. The peptide demonstrated salt sensitivity with abrogation of ... More
Functional screening of TLRs in human amniotic epithelial cells.
AuthorsGillaux C, Méhats C, Vaiman D, Cabrol D, Breuiller-Fouché M,
JournalJ Immunol
PubMed ID21775685
Intrauterine infection is a major cause of spontaneous preterm birth. Amniotic epithelial cells represent the first line of defense against intra-amniotic bacteria. We hypothesize that this epithelial cell barrier is able to recognize and respond to pathogens through the function of TLRs, which are crucial regulators of the innate immune ... More
Antiplasmodial quinones from Pentas longiflora and Pentas lanceolata.
AuthorsEndale M, Alao JP, Akala HM, Rono NK, Eyase FL, Derese S, Ndakala A, Mbugua M, Walsh DS, Sunnerhagen P, Erdelyi M, Yenesew A,
JournalPlanta Med
PubMed ID21979929
The dichloromethane/methanol (1:1) extracts of the roots of Pentas longiflora and Pentas lanceolata showed low micromolar (IC(50) =?0.9-3?µg/mL) IN VITRO antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-resistant (W2) and chloroquine-sensitive (D6) strains of PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM. Chromatographic separation of the extract of PENTAS LONGIFLORA led to the isolation of the pyranonaphthoquinones pentalongin (1) and ... More