The phenomenon of phototoxicity and long-term risks of commonly prescribed and structurally diverse drugs.

Photosensitivity to structurally diverse drugs is a common but under-reported adverse cutaneous reaction and can be classified as phototoxic or photoallergic. Phototoxic reactions occur when the skin is exposed to sunlight after administering topical or systemic medications that exhibit photosensitizing activity. These reactions depend on the dose of medication, degree of exposure to ultraviolet light, type of ultraviolet light, and sufficient skin distribution volume.

Correction: Salivary inflammatory markers and microbiome in normoglycemic lean and obese children compared to obese children with type 2 diabetes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Salivary inflammatory markers and microbiome in normoglycemic lean and obese children compared to obese children with type 2 diabetes.

Background: There is emerging evidence linking diabetes with periodontal disease. Diabetes is a well-recognized risk factor for periodontal disease. Conversely, pro-inflammatory molecules released by periodontally-diseased tissues may enter the circulation to induce insulin resistance.

Mutation of acetylcholinesterase to enhance oxime-assisted catalytic turnover of methylphosphonates.

Selected mutagenesis of acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.

Effect of modification of the length and flexibility of the acyl carrier protein-thioesterase interdomain linker on functionality of the animal fatty acid synthase.

A natural linker of approximately 20 residues connects the acyl carrier protein with the carboxy-terminal thioesterase domain of the animal fatty acid synthase. This study examines the effects of changes in the length and amino acid composition of this linker on catalytic activity, product composition, and segmental motion of the thioesterase domain. Deletion of 10 residues, almost half of the interdomain linker, had no effect on either mobility of the thioesterase domain, estimated from fluorescence polarization of a pyrenebutyl methylphosphono moiety bound covalently to the active site serine residue, or functionality of the fatty acid synthase; further shortening of the linker limited mobility of the thioesterase domain and resulted in reduced fatty acid synthase activity and an increase in product chain length from 16 to 18 and 20 carbon atoms.

Pb2+-mediated down-regulation of dihydropyridine receptors in skeletal muscle.

This study examines the influence of chronic treatment with inorganic lead (Pb(2+)) on the presence of dihydropyridine receptors in two types of excitable cells, primary cultures of skeletal muscle and neural retina from embryonic chick. As assessed through binding of the dihydropyridine antagonist [3H] PN 200-110, treatment of skeletal muscle cultures with Pb2+ caused measurable reductions in the numbers of dihydropyridine receptors. The reductions were dose-dependent, requiring concentrations greater than 1microM, slow in onset, requiring incubation times greater than 12h, and tissue specific, being pronounced in skeletal muscle but absent from neural retina.

Mutant cholinesterases possessing enhanced capacity for reactivation of their phosphonylated conjugates.

Selective mutants of mouse acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.

Acetylcholinesterase active centre and gorge conformations analysed by combinatorial mutations and enantiomeric phosphonates.

A series of eight double and triple mutants of mouse acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.