Reversal of Aging-Induced Increases in Aortic Stiffness by Targeting Cytoskeletal Protein-Protein Interfaces.

Background: The proximal aorta normally functions as a critical shock absorber that protects small downstream vessels from damage by pressure and flow pulsatility generated by the heart during systole. This shock absorber function is impaired with age because of aortic stiffening.

Methods And Results: We examined the contribution of common genetic variation to aortic stiffness in humans by interrogating results from the AortaGen Consortium genome-wide association study of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity.

Coordinated regulation of acid resistance in Escherichia coli.

Background: Enteric Escherichia coli survives the highly acidic environment of the stomach through multiple acid resistance (AR) mechanisms. The most effective system, AR2, decarboxylates externally-derived glutamate to remove cytoplasmic protons and excrete GABA. The first described system, AR1, does not require an external amino acid.

Algal chloroplast produced camelid VH H antitoxins are capable of neutralizing botulinum neurotoxin.

We have produced three antitoxins consisting of the variable domains of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies (VH H) by expressing the genes in the chloroplast of green algae. These antitoxins accumulate as soluble proteins capable of binding and neutralizing botulinum neurotoxin. Furthermore, they accumulate at up to 5% total soluble protein, sufficient expression to easily produce these antitoxins at scale from algae.