Ratiometric Singlet Oxygen Sensor Based on BODIPY-DPA Dyad.

Compounds sensitive to reactive oxygen species are widely used in the study of processes in living cells and in the development of therapeutic agents for photodynamic therapy. In the present work, we have synthesized a dyad in which the BODIPY dye is chemically bound to 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA). Here, DPA acts as a specific sensor of singlet oxygen and BODIPY as a reference dye.

Antimicrobial Activity and Immunomodulatory Properties of Acidocin A, the Pediocin-like Bacteriocin with the Non-Canonical Structure.

Pediocin-like bacteriocins are among the natural antimicrobial agents attracting attention as scaffolds for the development of a new generation of antibiotics. Acidocin A has significant structural differences from most other members of this subclass. We studied its antibacterial and cytotoxic activity, as well as effects on the permeability of membranes in comparison with avicin A, the typical pediocin-like bacteriocin.

A New Glutathione-Cleavable Theranostic for Photodynamic Therapy Based on Bacteriochlorin e and Styrylnaphthalimide Derivatives.

Herein, we report a new conjugate BChl-S-S-NI based on the second-generation photosensitizer bacteriochlorin (BChl) and a 4-styrylnaphthalimide fluorophore (NI), which is cleaved into individual functional fragments in the intracellular medium. The chromophores in the conjugate were cross-linked by click chemistry via a bis(azidoethyl)disulfide bridge which is reductively cleaved by the intracellular enzyme glutathione (GSH). A photophysical investigation of the conjugate in solution by using optical spectroscopy revealed that the energy transfer process is realized with high efficiency in the conjugated system, leading to the quenching of the emission of the fluorophore fragment.

Co-expression of different proteins in Escherichia coli using plasmids with identical origins of replication.

It is generally accepted that the use of two different plasmids with the identical origins of replication in bacteria is not desirable due to their "incompatibility". The utilization of the same bacterial enzymatic apparatus for replication of different plasmids is thought to cause a significant redistribution in favor of one of them. In the present work, examining co-expression of two different fluorescent proteins in Escherichia coli, we have shown that the use of highly homologous plasmids with identical origins of replication and providing resistance to different antibiotics results in high representation of both plasmids in bacteria.

Structural Features, Mechanisms of Action, and Prospects for Practical Application of Class II Bacteriocins.

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides ribosomally synthesized by both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as by archaea. Bacteriocins are usually active against phylogenetically related bacteria, providing competitive advantage to their producers in the natural bacterial environment. However, some bacteriocins are known to have a broader spectrum of antibacterial activity, including activity against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains.

Structural and Immunologic Properties of the Major Soybean Allergen Gly m 4 Causing Anaphylaxis.

Gly m 4 is the major soybean allergen, causing birch pollen cross allergic reactions. In some cases, Gly m 4-mediated anaphylaxis takes place, but the causative factors are still unknown. Here, we studied the structural and immunologic properties of Gly m 4 to shed light on this phenomenon.

Complete chemical structure of the K135 capsular polysaccharide produced by Acinetobacter baumannii RES-546 that contains 5,7-di-N-acetyl-8-epipseudaminic acid.

A structurally diverse capsular polysaccharide (CPS) in the outer cell envelope plays an important role in the virulence of the important bacterial pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. More than 75 different CPS structures have been determined for the species to date, and many CPSs include isomers of a higher sugar, namely 5,7-diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxynon-2-ulosonic acid. Recently, a novel isomer having the d-glycero-l-manno configuration (5,7-di-N-acetyl-8-epipseudaminic acid; 8ePse5Ac7Ac) has been identified in the CPS from A.

Taxifolin Reduces Blood Pressure in Elderly Hypertensive Male Wistar Rats.

Male Wistar rats aged 10 months were assigned to groups according to the initial level of systolic BP: hypertensive (systolic BP >115 mm Hg) and normotensive (systolic BP <115 mm Hg). The animals were injected intraperitoneally with 100 μg/kg taxifolin daily for 7 days. Systolic BP and HR were measured on the next day after single taxifolin administration and on the next day after 7-day injection course.

Bet v 1-independent sensitization to major allergens in Fagales pollen: Evidence at the T-cell level.

Background: In birch-dominated areas, allergies to pollen from trees of the order Fagales are considered to be initiated by the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1. However, the sensitizing activity of Bet v 1-homologs in Fagales pollen might be underestimated. Allergen-specific T-cells are crucial in the sensitization process.

Switchable targeting of solid tumors by BsCAR T cells.

The development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has become a critical milestone in modern oncotherapy. Despite the remarkable in vitro effectiveness, the problem of safety and efficacy of CAR T cell therapy against solid tumors is challenged by the lack of tumor-specific antigens required to avoid on-target off-tumor effects. Spatially separating the cytotoxic function of CAR T cells from tumor antigen recognition provided by protein mediators allows for the precise control of CAR T cell cytotoxicity.

Modeling of Chronic Lung Inflammation in Rats by Repeated Intratracheal Administration of LPS.

A model of a chronic lung inflammation in SPF Sprague-Dawley rats was developed by repeated intratracheal administration of LPS in a dose of 0.4 mg/kg. On day 22 of the study, male rats treated with LPS have relative monocytopenia and reduced mean concentration of hemoglobin in the erythrocyte and the mean platelet volume in comparison with the control animals (saline).

Modulation of Membrane Microviscosity by Protein-Mediated Carotenoid Delivery as Revealed by Time-Resolved Fluorescence Anisotropy.

Carotenoids are potent antioxidants with a wide range of biomedical applications. However, their delivery into human cells is challenging and relatively inefficient. While the use of natural water-soluble carotenoproteins capable to reversibly bind carotenoids and transfer them into membranes is promising, the quantitative estimation of the delivery remains unclear.

In Vitro Modulation of Complement Activation by Therapeutically Prospective Analogues of the Marine Polychaeta Arenicin Peptides.

The widespread resistance to antibiotics in pathogenic bacteria makes the development of a new generation of antimicrobials an urgent task. The development of new antibiotics must be accompanied by a comprehensive study of all of their biological activities in order to avoid adverse side-effects from their application. Some promising antibiotic prototypes derived from the structures of arenicins, antimicrobial peptides from the lugworm , have been developed.

Discerning Comparison of 1 and 0.5% Ethylene Glycol in Sprague-Dawley Rats with Modeled Urolithiasis.

A common method of modeling urolithiasis is the use of 1 and 0.75% ethylene glycol, or a combination of ethylene glycol with other lithogens, but too rapid progression of the disease and multiple organ toxicity have been reported. We developed a urolithiasis model in Sprague-Dawley rats, in which the animals received a relatively low concentration of ethylene glycol (0.

Antifungal Activity, Structural Stability, and Immunomodulatory Effects on Human Immune Cells of Defensin from the Lentil .

An increase in the frequency of mycoses and spreading of multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens necessitates the search for new antifungal agents. Earlier, we isolated the novel defensin from lentil seeds, designated as Lc-def, which inhibited the growth of phytopathogenic fungi. Here, we studied an antifungal activity of Lc-def against human pathogenic species, structural stability of the defensin, and its immunomodulatory effects that may help to prevent fungal infection.

Innate Immunity Mechanisms in Marine Multicellular Organisms.

The innate immune system provides an adequate response to stress factors and pathogens through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), located on the surface of cell membranes and in the cytoplasm. Generally, the structures of PRRs are formed by several domains that are evolutionarily conserved, with a fairly high degree of homology in representatives of different species. The orthologs of TLRs, NLRs, RLRs and CLRs are widely represented, not only in marine chordates, but also in invertebrates.

TRIM28 Is a Novel Regulator of CD133 Expression Associated with Cancer Stem Cell Phenotype.

CD133 is an extensively studied marker of the most malignant tumor cell population, designated as cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, the function of this glycoprotein and its involvement in cell regulatory cascades are still poorly understood. Here we show a positive correlation between the level of CD133 plasma membrane expression and the proliferative activity of cells of the Caco-2, HT-29, and HUH7 cancer cell lines.

Specific Antibodies to the Fragments of Meningococcal IgA1 Protease during the Formation of Immunity to Bacterial Infections.

The features of individual fragments of IgA1 protease of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B during the formation of immunity to bacterial infections in animals and humans were studied. The antibodies to the immunogenic regions of the studied proteins are also detected in mice infected with some bacterial pathogens and in humans with bacterial meningitis. A region of IgA1 protease was identified that is not capable of producing antibodies during immunization of animals, but that detects homologous antibodies in the blood of humans and animals recovered from bacterial infections.

Novel β-Hairpin Peptide from Marine Polychaeta with a High Efficacy against Gram-Negative Pathogens.

In recent years, new antibiotics targeting multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria have become urgently needed. Therefore, antimicrobial peptides are considered to be a novel perspective class of antibacterial agents. In this study, a panel of novel BRICHOS-related β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides were identified in transcriptomes of marine polychaeta species.

Structure of the K98 capsular polysaccharide from Acinetobacter baumannii REV-1184 containing a cyclic pyruvic acid acetal.

The K98 capsular polysaccharide (CPS) from the Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolate, REV-1184, was studied by sugar analysis and Smith degradation along with one- and two-dimensional H and C NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The CPS was found to consist of linear tetrasaccharide repeats (K-units) that include one residue each of d-GlcpNAc, d-GalpNAc, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-galacturonic acid (d-GalpNAcA), and 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-d-glucose (N-acetylquinovosamine, d-QuipNAc), with the GalpNAc residue decorated with a (R)-configurated 4,6-pyruvic acid acetal group. The CPS has a similar composition to that of A.

The K218 capsular polysaccharide produced by Acinetobacter baumannii isolate 52-249 includes 5,7-di-N-acetylpseudaminic acid linked by a KpsS3 glycosyltransferase.

Two acylated forms of the higher sugar, 5,7-diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-l-glycero-l-manno-non-2-ulosonic acid called pseudaminic acid, Pse5Ac7Ac and Pse5Ac7RHb where R indicates (R)-3-hydroxybutanoyl, have been found to occur in many capsular polysaccharide (CPS) types produced by isolates of an important human pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. The presence of either a psaABCEDF or psaABCGHF gene module at the K locus (KL) for CPS biosynthesis determines the type of the variant produced. Here, an A.

The K89 capsular polysaccharide produced by Acinetobacter baumannii LUH5552 consists of a pentameric repeat-unit that includes a 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-d-galactose residue.

Acinetobacter baumannii isolate LUH5552 carries the KL89 capsule biosynthesis gene cluster. Capsular polysaccharide (CPS) isolated from LUH5552 was analyzed by sugar analysis, Smith degradation, and one- and two-dimensional H and C NMR spectroscopy. The K89 CPS structure has not been seen before in A.

How Do Pollen Allergens Sensitize?

Plant pollen is one of the main sources of allergens causing allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and asthma. Several allergens in plant pollen are panallergens which are also present in other allergen sources. As a result, sensitized individuals may also experience food allergies.

An armed oncolytic virus enhances the efficacy of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy by converting tumors to artificial antigen-presenting cells in situ.

The full potential of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy has been hampered by the inadequate activation and low persistence of TILs, as well as inefficient neoantigen presentation by tumors. We transformed tumor cells into artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs) by infecting them with a herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)-based oncolytic virus encoding OX40L and IL12 (OV-OX40L/IL12) to provide local signals for optimum T cell activation. The infected tumor cells displayed increased expression of antigen-presenting cell-related markers and induced enhanced T cell activation and killing in coculture with TILs.