Host-derived mannose glycans trigger a pathogenic γδ T cell/IL-17a axis in autoimmunity.

Autoimmune diseases are life-threatening disorders that cause increasing disability over time. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases arise when immune stimuli override mechanisms of self-tolerance. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that protein glycosylation is substantially altered in autoimmune disease development, but the mechanisms by which glycans trigger these autoreactive immune responses are still largely unclear.

Measuring the refractive index and sub-nanometre surface functionalisation of nanoparticles in suspension.

Direct measurements to determine the degree of surface coverage of nanoparticles by functional moieties are rare, with current strategies requiring a high level of expertise and expensive equipment. Here, a practical method to determine the ratio of the volume of the functionalisation layer to the particle volume based on measuring the refractive index of nanoparticles in suspension is proposed. As a proof of concept, this technique is applied to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles and semicrystalline carbon dots functionalised with different surface moieties, yielding refractive indices that are commensurate to those from previous literature and Mie theory.

Influence of the reducing-end anomeric configuration of the Man epitope on DC-SIGN recognition.

High-mannose (ManGlcNAc) is the main carbohydrate unit present in viral envelope glycoproteins such as gp120 of HIV and the GP1 of Ebola virus. This oligosaccharide comprises the Man epitope conjugated to two terminal N-acetylglucosamines by otherwise rarely-encountered β-mannose glycosidic bond. Formation of this challenging linkage is the bottleneck of the few synthetic approaches described to prepare high mannose.

Chemokinetic Scattering, Trapping, and Avoidance of Active Brownian Particles.

We present a theory of chemokinetic search agents that regulate directional fluctuations according to distance from a target. A dynamic scattering effect reduces the probability to penetrate regions with high fluctuations and thus reduces search success for agents that respond instantaneously to positional cues. In contrast, agents with internal states that initially suppress chemokinesis can exploit scattering to increase their probability to find the target.

Synthesis of Highly Efficient Multivalent Disaccharide/[60]Fullerene Nanoballs for Emergent Viruses.

After the last epidemic of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil that peaked in 2016, growing evidence has been demonstrated of the link between this teratogenic flavivirus and microcephaly cases. However, no vaccine or antiviral drug has been approved yet. ZIKV and Dengue viruses (DENV) entry to the host cell takes place through several receptors, including dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN), so that the blockade of this receptor through multivalent glycoconjugates supposes a promising biological target to inhibit the infection process.

Straightforward synthesis of Man, the relevant epitope of the high-mannose oligosaccharide.

The high-mannose oligosaccharide (or its corresponding Man epitope) is the most abundant structure present in pathogen envelope glycoproteins. These glycans play a key role in the pathogenesis of several pathogens and also in the communication with the immune system. Understanding the mechanism of action of these glycans requires the access to pure and chemically well-defined structures in reasonable amounts.

Bottom-Up Synthesis of Supported Thioureas and Their Use in Enantioselective Solvent-Free Aza-Henry and Michael Additions.

Two sets of supported chiral thioureas, which differ in the length of the tether that connects the chiral appendage to the polymer structure and the effective functionalization, have been prepared by copolymerization of styrene, novel styryl thioureas derived from l-valine, and divinylbenzene. The efficiency of these polymeric thioureas has been tested in two different enantioselective transformations, namely, aza-Henry and nitro-Michael reactions, in neat reaction conditions. The obtained results show that it is possible to recycle the thiourea, and they are able to promote the reactions with good enantioselectivity at a low catalyst loading.