The detection of infectious pathogens is essential for the induction of antimicrobial immune responses. The innate immune system detects a wide array of microbes using a limited set of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs). One family of PRRs with a central role in innate immunity are the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Upon ligation, these receptors initiate signaling pathways culminating in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and/or type I interferons (IFN-I). In recent years, it has become evident that the specific subcellular location and timing of TLR activation affect signaling outcome. The subtlety of this signaling has led to a growing demand for chemical tools that provide the ability to conditionally control TLR activation. In this review, we survey current models for TLR signaling in time and space, discuss how chemical tools have contributed to our understanding of TLR ligands, and describe how they can aid further elucidation of the dynamic aspects of TLR signaling.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.05.022 | DOI Listing |
Biochem Biophys Rep
March 2025
Department of Integrative Biology, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
The rising resistance to fluoroquinolones in Typhimurium poses a significant global health challenge. This computational research addresses the pressing need for new therapeutic drugs by utilizing various computational tools to identify potential natural compounds that can inhibit the triple mutant DNA gyrase subunit A enzyme, which is crucial in fluoroquinolone resistance. Initially, the three-dimensional structure of the wild-type DNA gyrase A protein was modeled using homology modeling, and followed by mutagenesis to create the clinically relevant triple mutant (SER83PHE, ASP87GLY, ALA119SER) DNA gyrase A protein structure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResearch (Wash D C)
January 2025
Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China.
In 2001, Tang's team discovered a unique type of luminogens with substantial enhanced fluorescence upon aggregation and introduced the concept of "aggregation-induced emission (AIE)". Unlike conventional fluorescent materials, AIE luminogens (AIEgens) emit weak or no fluorescence in solution but become highly fluorescent in aggregated or solid states, due to a mechanism known as restriction of intramolecular motions (RIM). Initially considered a purely inorganic chemical phenomenon, AIE was later applied in biomedicine to improve the sensitivity of immunoassays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanoscale
January 2025
Nanomaterials for BioImaging Group (nanoBIG), Departamento de Física de Materiales, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid 28049, Spain.
All-optical theranostic systems are sought after in nanomedicine, since they combine in a single platform therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities. Commonly in these systems the therapeutic and diagnostic/imaging functions are accomplished with plasmonic photothermal agents and luminescent nanoparticles (NPs), respectively. For maximized performance and minimized side effects, these two modalities should be independently activated, , in a decoupled way, using distinct near infrared (NIR) wavelengths: a radiation window wherein photon-tissue interaction is reduced.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall
January 2025
School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Fluorescent light-up aptamer/fluorogen pairs are powerful tools for tracking RNA in the cell, however limitations in thermostability and fluorescence intensity exist. Current in vitro selection techniques struggle to mimic complex intracellular environments, limiting in vivo biomolecule functionality. Taking inspiration from microenvironment-dependent RNA folding observed in cells and organelle-mimicking droplets, an efficient system is created that uses microscale heated water droplets to simulate intracellular conditions, effectively replicating the intracellular RNA folding landscape.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemistry
January 2025
National University of Singapore, Chemistry, 4 Science Drive 2, S9-12-01G, 117544, Singapore, SINGAPORE.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) plays a pivotal role in regulating biological processes within living systems, with modified nucleosides serving as critical modulators of various aspects of biological functions. Therefore, the development of efficient methodologies for late-stage, site-selective RNA modification is of considerable interest, as it facilitates the functional exploration of RNA chemical modifications and their implications for therapeutic applications. Precise RNA modification holds significant promise for the treatment of genetic diseases by enabling the correction of mutated nucleobases to their wild-type forms.
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