Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) has emerged as an important phenomenon associated with formation of membraneless organelles. Recently, LLPS has been shown to act as nucleation centers for disease-associated protein aggregation and amyloid fibril formation. Phase-separated α-synuclein droplets gradually rigidify during the course of protein aggregation, and it is very challenging to understand the biomolecular interactions that lead to liquid-like to solid-like transition using conventional ensemble measurements. Here, we describe a spectrally-resolved fluorescence microscopy based Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging to probe interactions of α-synuclein in individual droplets during LLPS-mediated aggregation. By acquiring entire emission spectral profiles of individual droplets upon sequential excitation of acceptors and donors therein, this technique allows for the quantification of sensitized emission proportional to the extent of FRET, which enables interrogation of the evolution of local interactions of donor-/acceptor-labeled α-synuclein molecules within each droplet. The present study on single droplets is not only an important development for studying LLPS but can also be used to investigate self-assembly or aggregation in biomolecular systems and soft materials.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2597-2_27 | DOI Listing |
ACS Appl Bio Mater
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad, Palakkad, Kerala 678 623, India.
The aggregation of proteins, peptides and amino acids has been a keen subject of interest owing to their implications in metabolic disorders. In this work, we investigated the self-aggregation of the unmodified aromatic amino acid l-tryptophan (Trp) into unusual spherical microstructures. Using fluorescence spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), we detail the time-dependent transformation of monomeric tryptophan into spherical aggregates with distinct fluorescence characteristics (λ = 345 nm, λ = 430 nm) compared to the monomer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammopharmacology
January 2025
Department of Community Medicine, Vidhyadeep Homoeopathic Medical College and Research Centre, Vidhyadeep University, Anita, Surat, Gujarat, 394110, India.
Volatile oils (VOs), synonymously termed essential oils (EOs), are highly hydrophobic liquids obtained from aromatic plants, containing diverse organic compounds for example terpenes and terpenoids. These oils exhibit significant neuroprotective properties, containing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, glutamate activation, cholinesterase inhibitory action, and anti-protein aggregatory action, making them potential therapeutic agents in managing neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). VOs regulate glutamate activation, enhance synaptic plasticity, and inhibit oxidative stress through the stimulation of antioxidant enzymes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Neuropathol
January 2025
Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund Brain Injury Laboratory for Neurosurgical Research, Lund University, 222 20, Lund, Sweden.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often leads to impaired regulation of cerebral blood flow, which may be caused by pathological changes of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the arterial wall. Moreover, these cerebrovascular changes may contribute to the development of various neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's-like pathologies that include amyloid beta aggregation. Despite its importance, the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for VSMC dysfunction after TBI have rarely been evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Microbiol Biotechnol
January 2025
School of Interdisciplinary Research, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
Monoclonal antibodies are extensively used as biotherapeutics for treatment of a variety of diseases. Glycosylation of therapeutic antibodies is considered a critical quality attribute as it influences the effector function, circulatory half-life, immunogenicity, and eventually efficacy and patient safety. During upstream process development, media components play a significant role in determining the glycosylation profile.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobiol Spectr
January 2025
Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Bacterial membrane vesicles (MVs) are produced by all bacteria and contribute to numerous bacterial functions due to their ability to package and transfer bacterial cargo. In doing so, MVs have been shown to facilitate horizontal gene transfer, mediate antimicrobial activity, and promote biofilm formation. Uropathogenic is a pathogenic Gram-negative organism that persists in the urinary tract of its host due to its ability to form persistent, antibiotic-resistant biofilms.
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