Calcein release from DPPC liposomes by phospholipase A2 activity: Effect of cholesterol and amphipathic copolymers.

In this study, we evaluated the impact of incorporating diblock and triblock amphiphilic copolymers, as well as cholesterol into DPPC liposomes on the release of a model molecule, calcein, mediated by exogenous phospholipase A2 activity. Our findings show that calcein release slows down in the presence of copolymers at low concentration, while at high concentration, the calcein release profile resembles that of the DPPC control. Additionally, calcein release mediated by exogenous PLA2 decreases as the amount of solubilized cholesterol increases, with a maximum between 18 mol% and 20 mol%.

Molecular Properties and Evolutionary Origins of a Parvovirus-Derived Myosin Fusion Gene in Guinea Pigs.

Sequences derived from parvoviruses (family ) are relatively common in animal genomes, but the functional significance of these endogenous parvoviral element (EPV) sequences remains unclear. In this study, we used a combination of and molecular biological approaches to investigate a fusion gene carried by guinea pigs (genus ) that is partially derived from an EPV. This gene, named , encodes a predicted polypeptide gene product comprising a partial 9-like () gene fused to a 3' truncated, EPV-encoded replicase.