Hanoverian F/W-line contributes to segregation of Warmblood fragile foal syndrome type 1 variant PLOD1:c.2032G>A in Warmblood horses.

Background: Warmblood fragile foal syndrome (WFFS) is a lethal condition detected in Warmblood horses. Its origin and association with performance traits and fertility among horse populations is unknown.

Objectives: To validate the previously identified WFFS type 1 (WFFST1)-associated missense variant PLOD1:c.

Biocatalytic response of multi-layer assembled collagen/hyaluronic acid nanoengineered capsules.

Biodegradable hollow capsules filled with fluorescently labelled bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model drug were prepared via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly of type-I collagen (COL) and hyaluronic acid (HA) using calcium carbonate micro-particles and co-precipitation method. Capsules loaded with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-BSA, tetramethylrhodamin isothiocyanate (TRITC)-BSA or Alex-Fluor-488-BSA, respectively, were characterised before and after core removal using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM), whilst the morphologies of individual hollow capsules were assessed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The sustained release of the encapsulated FITC-BSA protein was attained using enzymatic degradation of the capsule shells by collagenase.

Multicompartmental micro- and nanocapsules: hierarchy and applications in biosciences.

Multicompartmentalized micro- and nanocapsules allow simultaneous delivery of several vectors or biomolecules; they are the next generation of carriers with increased complexity. Here we overview multicompartment micro- and nanocapsules and present a road-map for future developments in the field. Four basic building block structures are demonstrated, three isotropic: concentric, pericentric, and innercentric, and one anisotropic: acentric.

Controlled intracellular release of peptides from microcapsules enhances antigen presentation on MHC class I molecules.

To understand the time course of action of any small molecule inside a single cell, one would deposit a defined amount inside the cell and initiate its activity at a defined moment. An elegant way to achieve this is to encapsulate the molecule in a micrometer-sized reservoir, introduce it into a cell, remotely open its wall by a laser pulse, and then follow the biological response by microscopy. The validity of this approach is validated here using microcapsules with defined walls that are doped with metallic nanoparticles so as to enable them to be opened with an infrared laser.

A novel flow-cytometry-based assay for cellular uptake studies of polyelectrolyte microcapsules.

A flow-cytometry-based assay is presented with which the uptake of polyelectrolyte capsules can be quantified. The cavity of the capsules is loaded with the pH-sensitive dye SNARF, which emits in the red and green in alkaline and acidic environments, respectively. By recording the fluorescence intensities in the red and green channels, the localization of capsules associated with cells can be determined.

Stable stealth function for hollow polyelectrolyte microcapsules through a poly(ethylene glycol) grafted polyelectrolyte adlayer.

Prospective biomedical applications of hollow polyelectrolyte microcapsules, for example, as drug delivery systems, require surface modifications that help to escape clearance by the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS). Layer-by-layer assembled microcapsules that were alternatingly composed of polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) and polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) were coated with adlayers of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-grafted poly-L-lysine (PLL-g-PEG) and poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA-g-PEG). Their effects on MPS recognition were studied in primary cell cultures of human monocyte derived dendritic cells and macrophages.

Multifunctionalized polymer microcapsules: novel tools for biological and pharmacological applications.

We describe recent developments with multifunctional nanoengineered polymer capsules. In addition to their obvious use as a delivery system, multifunctional nanocontainers find wide application in enzymatic catalysis, controlled release, and directed drug delivery in medicine. The multifunctionality is provided by the following components: 1) Luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) that facilitate imaging and identification of different capsules, 2) superparamagnetic nanoparticles that allow manipulation of the capsules in a magnetic field, 3) surface coatings, which target the capsules to desired cells, 4) metallic nanoparticles in the capsule wall that act as an absorbing antenna for electromagnetic fields and provide heat for controlled release, and 5) enzymes and pharmaceutical agents that allow specific reactions.

Combined atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy measurements as a method to investigate particle uptake by cells.

We propose a combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical microscopy for the investigation of particle uptake by cells. Positively and negatively charged polymer microcapsules were chosen as model particles, because their interaction with cells had already been investigated in detail. AFM measurements allowed the recording of adhesion forces on a single-molecule level.

Current understanding of the regulation of methionine biosynthesis in plants.

Plants can provide most of the nutrients for the human diet. However, the major crops are often deficient in some of the nutrients. Thus, malnutrition, with respect to micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc, but also macronutrients such as the essential amino acids lysine and methionine, affects more than 40% of the world's population.

Functional analysis of cystathionine gamma-synthase in genetically engineered potato plants.

In plants, metabolic pathways leading to methionine (Met) and threonine diverge at the level of their common substrate, O-phosphohomoserine (OPHS). To investigate the regulation of this branch point, we engineered transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants affected in cystathionine gamma-synthase (CgS), the enzyme utilizing OPHS for the Met pathway. Plants overexpressing potato CgS exhibited either: (a) high transgene RNA levels and 2.