An important part of natural ceramides contain asymmetric hydrocarbon chains. We have used calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance to study the effect of ceramide chain asymmetry in mixtures of C8Cer with DMPC as a model system of hydrocarbon chain disparity. A phase diagram is provided along with information on the thickness of the membrane and the mobility of the chains at different temperatures both below and above the phase transition temperature of the mixtures. The results indicate a partial interdigitation of C8Cer chains in the gel phase, producing a correlation between the organization of both hemilayers. Our data suggest that the effects of ceramides on biomembranes may be bimodal and similar to those of cholesterol.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1403173 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1529/biophysj.105.074252 | DOI Listing |
Clin Rheumatol
January 2025
Department of Rheumatology, Guang'anmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Introduction/objectives: Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory and difficult-to-treat autoimmune disease. Timosaponin AIII (TAIII), a plant-derived steroidal saponin, effectively inhibits cell proliferation, induces apoptosis, and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. This study explored the mechanisms of action of TAIII in SS treatment by studying gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) using fecal metabolomics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
January 2025
Hubei Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Theory and Technology (China University of Geosciences), Wuhan 430074, China.
The strong solid-liquid interaction leads to the complicated occurrence characteristics of shale oil. However, the solid-liquid interface interaction and its controls of the occurrence state of shale oil are poorly understood on the molecular scale. In this work, the adsorption behavior and occurrence state of shale oil in pores of organic/inorganic matter under reservoir conditions were investigated by using grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFALTEX
January 2025
Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium.
The gut microbiota is unanimously acknowledged as playing a central role in human health, notably through the production of various metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, vitamins or neurotransmitters. Beyond contributing to gut health itself, these microbial metabolites significantly impact multiple organ systems by participating in key signaling pathways along the well documented gut-organ axes. Chemicals ingested through food might interact with our gut microbiota, altering metabolites production with consequences on health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFEMS Yeast Res
January 2025
Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 58 Gothenburg, Sweden.
Yeast-based sensors have shown great applicability for deorphanization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and screening of ligands targeting these. A GPCR of great interest is free fatty acid 2 receptor (FFA2R), for which short-chain fatty acids such as propionate and acetate are agonists. FFA2R regulates a wide array of downstream receptor signaling pathways in both adipose tissue and immune cells and has been recognized as a promising therapeutic target, having been implicated in several metabolic and inflammatory diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Oral Biosci
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Functional Morphology, Dental Research Center, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address:
Objectives: Exposure of gingival epithelial cells to butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by dental plaque bacteria, cause cell death and subsequent damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) release. We investigated the effects of curcumin, a polyphenol extracted from turmeric, on butyrate-induced human gingival epithelial Ca9-22 cell death and DAMP release.
Methods: Ca9-22 cells were pretreated with curcumin before butyrate exposure.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!