Vagal TRPV1 sensory neurons regulate myeloid cell dynamics and protect against influenza virus infection.

Influenza viruses are a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. Vagal TRPV1 nociceptive sensory neurons, which innervate the airways, are known to mediate defenses against harmful agents. However, their function in lung antiviral defenses remains unclear.

Eco-safe composite edible coating of hydrocolloids with papaya leaf extract improves postharvest quality and shelf life of papaya fruit under ambient storage.

Papaya postharvest management using low-temperature storage is discouraged as it is a tropical fruit. Extensive research is going on to preserve papaya quality at ambient storage using edible coatings and its composites. The present investigation examined the effects of an eco-safe composite edible coating consisting of hydrocolloid carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) (1%), guar gum (1.

Genetic diversity and genome-scale population structure of wild Indian major carp, (Hamilton, 1822), revealed by genotyping-by-sequencing.

(catla) is the second most commercially important and widely cultured Indian major carp (IMC). It is indigenous to the Indo-Gangetic riverine system of India and the rivers of Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Despite the availability of substantial genomic resources in this important species, detailed information on the genome-scale population structure using SNP markers is yet to be reported.

Somatosensory and autonomic neuronal regulation of the immune response.

Bidirectional communication between the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the immune system is a crucial part of an effective but balanced mammalian response to invading pathogens, tissue damage and inflammatory stimuli. Here, we review how somatosensory and autonomic neurons regulate immune cellular responses at barrier tissues and in peripheral organs. Immune cells express receptors for neuronal mediators, including neuropeptides and neurotransmitters, allowing neurons to influence their function in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Revelation of candidate genes and molecular mechanism of reproductive seasonality in female rohu (Labeo rohita Ham.) by RNA sequencing.

Background: Carp fish, rohu (Labeo rohita Ham.) is important freshwater aquaculture species of South-East Asia having seasonal reproductive rhythm. There is no holistic study at transcriptome level revealing key candidate genes involved in such circannual rhythm regulated by biological clock genes (BCGs).

The complete mitochondrial genome of (Hamilton, 1822) using long read sequencing.

is a widely cultured species in monoculture and polyculture systems of the Indian subcontinent. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of catla was reconstructed from Oxford Nanopore sequence data. The mitochondrial genome is 16,600 bp in length (accession no.

Revealing Alteration in the Hepatic Glucose Metabolism of Genetically Improved Carp, Jayanti Rohu Fed a High Carbohydrate Diet Using Transcriptome Sequencing.

Although feed cost is the greatest concern in aquaculture, the inclusion of carbohydrates in the fish diet, and their assimilation, are still not well understood in aquaculture species. We identified molecular events that occur due to the inclusion of high carbohydrate levels in the diets of genetically improved 'Jayanti rohu' . To reveal transcriptional changes in the liver of rohu, a feeding experiment was conducted with three doses of gelatinized starch (20% (control), 40%, and 60%).

The draft genome of Labeo catla.

Objective: Labeo catla (catla), one of the three Indian major carps, is native to the Indo-Gangetic riverine system of India as well as the rivers of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar. Its higher growth rate and compatibility with other major carps, specific surface feeding habit, and consumer preference have increased its popularity in carp polyculture systems among the fish farmers in Indian subcontinent. Recent advancement in sequencing technology coupled with massive parallel sequencing platforms has facilitated accelerated genetic improvement in aquaculture species through integration of genomics tools.

Pain and immunity: implications for host defence.

Pain is a hallmark of tissue injury, inflammatory diseases, pathogen invasion and neuropathy. It is mediated by nociceptor sensory neurons that innervate the skin, joints, bones, muscles and mucosal tissues and protects organisms from noxious stimuli. Nociceptors are sensitized by inflammatory mediators produced by the immune system, including cytokines, lipid mediators and growth factors, and can also directly detect pathogens and their secreted products to produce pain during infection.

Polyvalent Hybrid Virus-Like Nanoparticles with Displayed Heparin Antagonist Peptides.

The potential applications for nanomaterials continue to grow as new materials are developed and environmental and safety concerns are more adequately addressed. In particular, virus-like particles (VLPs) have myriad applications in medicine and biology, exploiting both the reliable, symmetric self-assembly mechanism and the ability to take advantage of surface functionalities that may be appropriately modified through mutation or bioconjugation. Herein we describe the design and application of hybrid VLPs for use as potent heparin antagonists, providing an alternative to the toxic heparin antidote protamine.

Na1.8 neurons are involved in limiting acute phase responses to dietary fat.

Objective And Methods: Metabolic viscera and their vasculature are richly innervated by peripheral sensory neurons. Here, we examined the metabolic and inflammatory profiles of mice with selective ablation of all Na1.8-expressing primary afferent neurons.

Heparin Binding to an Engineered Virus-like Nanoparticle Antagonist.

The anticoagulant activity of heparin administered during medical interventions must be reversed to restore normal clotting, typically by titrating with protamine. Given the acute toxicity associated with protamine, we endeavored to generate safer heparin antagonists by engineering bacteriophage Qβ virus-like particles (VLPs) to display motifs that bind heparin. A particle bearing a single amino acid change from wild-type (T18R) was identified as a promising candidate for heparin antagonism.

Electrochemical and structural characterization of Azotobacter vinelandii flavodoxin II.

Azotobacter vinelandii flavodoxin II serves as a physiological reductant of nitrogenase, the enzyme system mediating biological nitrogen fixation. Wildtype A. vinelandii flavodoxin II was electrochemically and crystallographically characterized to better understand the molecular basis for this functional role.

Heterogeneous catalysis for azide-alkyne bioconjugation in solution via spin column: Attachment of dyes and saccharides to peptides and DNA.

Copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) "click" chemistry is widely used and has demonstrated particular utility for bio-orthogonal conjugation reactions. Here we describe a one-pot, heterogeneous bioconjugation and purification method for selectively activated CuAAC. A Cu(II) precursor, with either the neutral ligand 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione or the anionic ligand 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-disulfonic acid, is converted to the active Cu(I) species within an ion-exchange matrix using zinc amalgam as the reducing agent.

Bio-layer interferometry of a multivalent sulfated virus nanoparticle with heparin-like anticoagulant activity.

Heparin is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan that is routinely used as an anticoagulant. It is typically purified from bovine or porcine sources, leading to heterogeneity that poses several challenges when used clinically. We have found that the bacteriophage Qβ can be selectively sulfated to yield virus-like nanoparticles (sulf-VLP) that elicit anticoagulant activity similar to heparin.

Directed polyvalent display of sulfated ligands on virus nanoparticles elicits heparin-like anticoagulant activity.

Heparin is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan that is widely used as an anticoagulant. It is typically extracted from porcine or bovine sources to yield a heterogeneous mixture that varies both in molecular weight and in degree of sulfation. This heterogeneity, coupled with concern for contamination, has led to widespread interest in developing safer alternatives.

PPARγ in vagal neurons regulates high-fat diet induced thermogenesis.

The vagus nerve innervates visceral organs providing a link between key metabolic cues and the CNS. However, it is not clear whether vagal neurons can directly respond to changing lipid levels and whether altered "lipid sensing" by the vagus nerve regulates energy balance. In this study, we systematically profiled the expression of all known nuclear receptors in laser-captured nodose ganglion (NG) neurons.

Engineered virus-like nanoparticle heparin antagonists.

Virus nanoparticles provide a self-assembling, reproducible multivalent platform that can be chemically and genetically manipulated for the presentation of a wide array of epitopes. Presented herein are engineered bacteriophage Qβ nanoparticles that function as potent heparin antagonists. Three successful approaches have been used: 1) chemically appending poly-Arg peptides; 2) point mutations to Arg on the virus capsid; 3) incorporation of heparin-binding peptides displayed externally on the virus surface.

Electrochemistry of mammalian cytochrome P450 2B4 indicates tunable thermodynamic parameters in surfactant films.

Electrochemical methods continue to present an attractive means for achieving in vitro biocatalysis with cytochromes P450; however understanding fully the nature of electrode-bound P450 remains elusive. Herein we report thermodynamic parameters using electrochemical analysis of full-length mammalian microsomal cytochrome P450 2B4 (CYP 2B4) in didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) surfactant films. Electronic absorption spectra of CYP 2B4-DDAB films on silica slides reveal an absorption maximum at 418nm, characteristic of low-spin, six-coordinate, water-ligated Fe(III) heme in P450.

Molecular anatomy of the gut-brain axis revealed with transgenic technologies: implications in metabolic research.

Neurons residing in the gut-brain axis remain understudied despite their important role in coordinating metabolic functions. This lack of knowledge is observed, in part, because labeling gut-brain axis neurons and their connections using conventional neuroanatomical methods is inherently challenging. This article summarizes genetic approaches that enable the labeling of distinct populations of gut-brain axis neurons in living laboratory rodents.

Electron-transfer rates govern product distribution in electrochemically-driven P450-catalyzed dioxygen reduction.

Developing electrode-driven biocatalytic systems utilizing the P450 cytochromes for selective oxidations depends not only on achieving electron transfer (ET) but also doing so at rates that favor native-like turnover. Herein we report studies that correlate rates of heme reduction with ET pathways and resulting product distributions. We utilized single-surface cysteine mutants of the heme domain of P450 from Bacillus megaterium and modified the thiols with N-(1-pyrene)-iodoacetamide, affording proteins that could bond to basal-plane graphite.

Genetic tracing of Nav1.8-expressing vagal afferents in the mouse.

Nav1.8 is a tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channel present in large subsets of peripheral sensory neurons, including both spinal and vagal afferents. In spinal afferents, Nav1.