Cellular Effects of Polysaccharide Colanic Acid.

Colanic acid (CA) is an exopolysaccharide found in . Recently, its ability to stimulate physical activity in mice and to prolong the lifespan of invertebrates has been described. In the current work, we use standard MTT assay, fluorescence microscopy, and flow cytometry to describe CA action on several cell lines of different origins.

Detection of Multiplex NASBA RNA Products Using Colorimetric Split G Quadruplex Probes.

Structural RNA is a challenging target for recognition by hybridization probes. This chapter addresses the recognition problem of RNA amplicons in samples obtained by multiplex nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA). The method describes the design of G-quadruplex binary (split) DNA peroxidase sensors that produces colorimetric signal upon recognition of NASBA amplicons.

Dual-Function Hydrogel Dressings with a Dynamic Exchange of Iron Ions and an Antibiotic Drug for Treatment of Infected Wounds.

Bacterial infection is a major problem with diabetic wounds that may result in nonhealing chronic ulcers. Here, we report an approach to antibacterial hydrogel dressings for enhanced treatment of infected skin wounds. A fibrous hydrogel was derived from cellulose nanocrystals that were modified with dopamine and cross-linked with gelatin.

Characteristics of the Skin Microbiome in Selected Dermatological Conditions: A Narrative Review.

The skin is the largest and outermost organ of the human body. The microbial diversity of the skin can be influenced by several variable factors such as physiological state, lifestyle, and geographical locations. Recent years have seen increased interest in research aiming at an improved understanding of the relationship between the human microbiota and several diseases.

Heparin-coated iron oxide nanoparticles: application as a liver contrast agent, toxicity and pharmacokinetics.

The prepared heparin-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Hep-IONPs) contrasted cholangioma tumors in the liver in MRI. The NPs were not toxic to rats and rabbits after 14 days of consecutive IV injections as observed from the monitoring of the body weight and biochemical and hematological parameters. No embryotoxic or immunotoxic side effects of the material were detected.

Bio-Inspired Surface Modification of Magnetite Nanoparticles with Dopamine Conjugates.

Organically-coated nanomaterials are intensively studied and find numerous applications in a wide range of areas from optics to biomedicine. One of the recent trends in material science is the application of bio-mimetic polydopamine coatings that can be produced on a variety of substrates in a cost-efficient way under mild conditions. Such coatings not only modify the biocompatibility of the material but also add functional amino groups to the surface that can be further modified by classic conjugation techniques.

Fluorescent Hybrid Material Based on Natural Spider Silk and Carbon Dots for Bioapplication.

Since the outcome of an operation largely depends on the quality of wound healing, it is one of the most challenging stages in surgery. Today, wound closure is mostly undertaken by means of a surgical suture. Good surgical sutures are biocompatible and biodegradable and possess excellent mechanical properties.

Mechano-bactericidal anisotropic particles for oral biofilm treatment.

Bacterial biofilms play a major etiological role in dental diseases worldwide. Currently, toothpastes with bactericidal chemicals and abrasive materials are used as preventive care methods. However, chemicals can cause adverse side effects, with the use of antibiotics, fluorides, and antiseptics drastically reducing quality of life.

ClO-Loaded Aerogels with Biocide Effect.

In this work, the mechanism of chlorine dioxide's (ClO) interaction with aerogel surfaces is described for the first time. To determine the mechanism, three types of aerogels (namely, silica, titania, and zirconia composites) were synthesized and characterized using N sorption isotherm analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The kinetics of the ClO interaction mechanism was investigated ClO-controlled sorption and desorption at different temperatures.

Magnetically Controlled Carbonate Nanocomposite with Ciprofloxacin for Biofilm Eradication.

Biofilms are the reason for a vast majority of chronic inflammation cases and most acute inflammation. The treatment of biofilms still is a complicated task due to the low efficiency of drug delivery and high resistivity of the involved bacteria to harmful factors. Here we describe a magnetically controlled nanocomposite with a stimuli-responsive release profile based on calcium carbonate and magnetite with an encapsulated antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) that can be used to solve this problem.

Positive and Negative Effects of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Antibiotic Resistance Genes Transfer.

Rapid development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a critical public health problem in the world. One of the main routes of resistance development is the transfer of genes containing antibiotic resistance cassettes. Gene transfer can be done through horizontal transfer of genes: transduction, conjugation, and transformation.

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Against Bacterial Biofilms: Perspectives and Limitations.

At present, there is an urgent need in medicine and industry to develop new approaches to eliminate bacterial biofilms. Considering the low efficiency of classical approaches to biofilm eradication and the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, the introduction of nanomaterials may be a promising solution. Outstanding antimicrobial properties have been demonstrated by nanoparticles (NPs) of metal oxides and their nanocomposites.

On some structural and evolutionary aspects of rDNA amplification in oogenesis of Trachemys scripta turtles.

The features of rDNA amplification have been studied in oocytes of the red-eared slider Trachemys scripta using a number of specific histochemical and cytomolecular methods. A single nucleolus in early diplotene oocytes is associated with the nucleolus organizer region (NOR). With oocyte growth, the number of nucleoli increases dramatically and reaches hundreds by the lampbrush chromosome stage (pre-vitellogenesis).

Microbiota and cancer: host cellular mechanisms activated by gut microbial metabolites.

In recent years, more and more data indicate the effect of human microbiota on carcinogenesis. Despite the numerous studies on the relationship between gut microbiota and carcinogenesis, the exact mechanisms of this interaction are not well studied. It becomes apparent that this relationship can be mediated by microbial metabolites.

Effects of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Toll-Like Receptor mRNAs in Human Monocytes.

For the widespread application of nanotechnology in biomedicine, it is necessary to obtain information about their safety. A critical problem is presented by the host immune responses to nanomaterials. It is assumed that the innate immune system plays a crucial role in the interaction of nanomaterials with the host organism.

Oscillating of physicochemical and biological properties of metal particles on their sonochemical treatment.

Different metal particles are increasingly used to target bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics. Despite numerous data about treating bacterial infections, the utilization of metal particles in antibacterial coatings for implantable devices and medicinal materials promoting wound healing. The antibacterial mechanisms of nanoscale and microscale particles are poorly understood, but the currently accepted mechanisms include oxidative stress induction, metal ion release, and non-oxidative mechanisms.

RNA-binding protein FXR1 is presented in rat brain in amyloid form.

Amyloids are β-sheets-rich protein fibrils that cause neurodegenerative and other incurable human diseases affecting millions of people worldwide. However, a number of proteins is functional in the amyloid state in various organisms from bacteria to humans. Using an original proteomic approach, we identified a set of proteins forming amyloid-like aggregates in the brain of young healthy rats.

Toxicity Patterns of Clinically Relevant Metal Oxide Nanoparticles.

Nanostructured drugs are being approved for clinical use, although there is a serious deficit of systematic studies of these materials. Data on toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) can vary due to different methods of preparation, size, and shape. We investigated the toxicity against cultured human cells, the acute toxicity in mice, and the influence on conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes of clinically relevant NPs such as TiO, ZrO, HfO, TaO, FeO, and AlOOH.

Biocide-conjugated magnetite nanoparticles as an advanced platform for biofilm treatment.

Biofilm-related diseases contribute to patient morbidity, increased mortality and represent a considerable economic burden. Despite numerous developments in the field of combating biofilms, the most effective treatment method is still the mechanical removal of biofilms or the replacement of a device overgrown with biofilm. Given that the main challenges are the mechanical stability of biofilms, low penetration of biocides and the persistence of cells with reduced metabolic status in them, a promising direction is the use of magnetically controlled materials for their treatment.

Sol-gel derived boehmite nanostructures is a versatile nanoplatform for biomedical applications.

Alumina is one of the most promising carriers for drug delivery due to the long history of its usage as a vaccine adjuvant. Sol-gel synthesis provides excellent conditions for entrapment of biomolecules within an inorganic cage providing stabilization of proteins under the extremal conditions. In this paper, we show in vitro investigation of monodisperse alumina xerogel nanocontainers (AXNCs) using bovine serum albumin as a model protein entrapped in sol-gel alumina building blocks.

Nanostructured Layer-by-Layer Polyelectrolyte Containers to Switch Biofilm Fluorescence.

The development of stimuli-responsive nanocontainers is an issue of utmost importance for many applications such as targeted drug delivery, regulation of the cell and tissue behavior, making bacteria have useful functions and here converting light. The present work shows a new contribution to the design of polyelectrolyte (PE) containers based on surface modified mesoporous titania particles with deposited Ag nanoparticles to achieve chemical light upconversion via biofilms. The PE shell allows slowing down the kinetics of a release of loaded l-arabinose and switching the bacteria luminescence in a certain time.

New high copy tandem repeat in the content of the chicken W chromosome.

The content of repetitive DNA in avian genomes is considerably less than in other investigated vertebrates. The first descriptions of tandem repeats were based on the results of routine biochemical and molecular biological experiments. Both satellite DNA and interspersed repetitive elements were annotated using library-based approach and de novo repeat identification in assembled genome.

Evolution of ribosomal internal transcribed spacers in Deuterostomia.

Sequences of ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITSs) are of great importance to molecular phylogenetics and DNA barcoding, but remain unstudied in some large taxa of Deuterostomia. We have analyzed complete ITS1 and ITS2 sequences in 62 species from 16 Deuterostomia classes, with ITS sequences in 24 species from 11 classes initially obtained using unannotated contigs and raw read sequences. A general tendency for both ITS length and GC-content increase from interior to superior Deuterostomia taxa, a uniform GC-content in both ITSs within the same species, thymine content decrease in sense DNA sequences of both ITSs are shown.