VopX, a novel T3SS effector, modulates host actin dynamics.

Unlabelled: Pathogenic strains cause cholera using different mechanisms. O1 and O139 serogroup strains use the toxin-co-regulated pilus (TCP) and cholera toxin (CT) for intestinal colonization and to promote secretory diarrhea, while non-O1/non-O139 serogroup strains are typically non-toxigenic and use alternate virulence factors to cause a clinically similar disease. An O39 serogroup, TCP/CT-negative strain, named AM-19226, uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to translocate more than 10 effector proteins into the host cell cytosol.

Towards the Stable Chelation of Radioantimony(V) for Targeted Auger Theranostics.

Antimony-119 (119Sb) is one of the most attractive Auger-electron emitters identified to date, but it remains practically unexplored for targeted radiotherapy because no chelators have been identified to stably bind this metalloid in vivo. In a departure from current studies focused on chelator development for Sb(III), we explore the chelation chemistry of Sb(V) using the tris-catecholate ligand TREN-CAM. Through a combination of radiolabeling, spectroscopic, solid-state, and computational studies, the radiochemistry and structural chemistry of TREN-CAM with 1XX/natSb(V) were established.

Magnetization of immobilized multi-core particles with varying internal structures.

This work is devoted to the study of the static magnetization of immobilized multi-core particles (MCPs) and their ensembles. These objects model aggregates of superparamagnetic nanoparticles that are taken up by biological cells and subsequently used, for example, as magnetoactive agents for cell imaging. In this study, we derive an analytical formula that allows us to predict the static magnetization of MCPs consisting of immobilized granules, in which the magnetic moment rotates freely the Néel mechanism.

Exploration of the Role of Cyclophilins in Established Hepatitis B and C Infections.

Cyclophilin (Cyp) inhibitors are of clinical interest in respect to their antiviral activities in the context of many viral infections including chronic hepatitis B and C. Cyps are a group of enzymes with peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity (PPIase), known to be required for replication of diverse viruses including hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV). Amongst the Cyp family, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antiviral effects of CypA have been investigated in detail, but potential roles of other Cyps are less well studied in the context of viral hepatitis.

Divergent endothelial mechanisms drive arteriovenous malformations in Alk1 and SMAD4 loss-of-function.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway, leading to arteriovenous malformations. While previously thought to share molecular and cellular dysregulation, this study reveals highly distinct mechanisms depending on whether mutations occur in Alk1 or SMAD4. Loss of SMAD4 enhances endothelial cell responses to flow, including flow-regulated transcription and cell migration against blood flow, causing excessive pruning of capillaries and the formation of single large shunts.