scholarly journals Influence of protein (human galectin-3) design on aspects of lectin activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 154 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel García Caballero ◽  
Donella Beckwith ◽  
Nadezhda V. Shilova ◽  
Adele Gabba ◽  
Tanja J. Kutzner ◽  
...  

Abstract The concept of biomedical significance of the functional pairing between tissue lectins and their glycoconjugate counterreceptors has reached the mainstream of research on the flow of biological information. A major challenge now is to identify the principles of structure–activity relationships that underlie specificity of recognition and the ensuing post-binding processes. Toward this end, we focus on a distinct feature on the side of the lectin, i.e. its architecture to present the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). Working with a multifunctional human lectin, i.e. galectin-3, as model, its CRD is used in protein engineering to build variants with different modular assembly. Hereby, it becomes possible to compare activity features of the natural design, i.e. CRD attached to an N-terminal tail, with those of homo- and heterodimers and the tail-free protein. Thermodynamics of binding disaccharides proved full activity of all proteins at very similar affinity. The following glycan array testing revealed maintained preferential contact formation with N-acetyllactosamine oligomers and histo-blood group ABH epitopes irrespective of variant design. The study of carbohydrate-inhibitable binding of the test panel disclosed up to qualitative cell-type-dependent differences in sections of fixed murine epididymis and especially jejunum. By probing topological aspects of binding, the susceptibility to inhibition by a tetravalent glycocluster was markedly different for the wild-type vs the homodimeric variant proteins. The results teach the salient lesson that protein design matters: the type of CRD presentation can have a profound bearing on whether basically suited oligosaccharides, which for example tested positively in an array, will become binding partners in situ. When lectin-glycoconjugate aggregates (lattices) are formed, their structural organization will depend on this parameter. Further testing (ga)lectin variants will thus be instrumental (i) to define the full range of impact of altering protein assembly and (ii) to explain why certain types of design have been favored during the course of evolution, besides opening biomedical perspectives for potential applications of the novel galectin forms.

Author(s):  
D. Loretto ◽  
J. M. Gibson ◽  
S. M. Yalisove ◽  
R. T. Tung

The cobalt disilicide/silicon system has potential applications as a metal-base and as a permeable-base transistor. Although thin, low defect density, films of CoSi2 on Si(111) have been successfully grown, there are reasons to believe that Si(100)/CoSi2 may be better suited to the transmission of electrons at the silicon/silicide interface than Si(111)/CoSi2. A TEM study of the formation of CoSi2 on Si(100) is therefore being conducted. We have previously reported TEM observations on Si(111)/CoSi2 grown both in situ, in an ultra high vacuum (UHV) TEM and ex situ, in a conventional Molecular Beam Epitaxy system.The procedures used for the MBE growth have been described elsewhere. In situ experiments were performed in a JEOL 200CX electron microscope, extensively modified to give a vacuum of better than 10-9 T in the specimen region and the capacity to do in situ sample heating and deposition. Cobalt was deposited onto clean Si(100) samples by thermal evaporation from cobalt-coated Ta filaments.


Author(s):  
Marcin Kalek ◽  
Jacek Jemielity ◽  
Ewa Grudzien ◽  
Joanna Zuberek ◽  
Zbigniew M. Darzynkiewicz ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gopal Avashthi ◽  
Man Singh

Ultrasonochemically driven graphene oxide (GrO) functionalization (f) with Sulfanilamide (SA) near-edge catalyzed heterogeneous graphene oxide (h-GrO) as economic scalable f-(SA)GrO is reported. The novel in-situ H2O association was subsequently aligned...


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 403-411
Author(s):  
Youliang Cheng ◽  
Mingjie Wang ◽  
Changqing Fang ◽  
Ying Wei ◽  
Jing Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract To change the optical properties and improve the antibacterial performances of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and Ag NPs, mesoporous SiO2 spheres were combined with them to form the composites. In this paper, CQDs with a uniform size of about 3.74 nm were synthesized using glucose as carbon source. Then, CQDs/mesoporous SiO2/Ag NPs composites were obtained in situ under UV light irradiating by using mesoporous SiO2 and Ag NO3 as the carrier and silver resource, respectively. The diameter of CQDs/mesoporous SiO2/Ag NPs particles was in the range of 200–250 nm. With the increase in irradiating time, the red-shift in the UV-Vis spectrum for as-prepared CQDs/mesoporous SiO2/Ag NPs composites was found, and the adsorption peak was widened. In addition, the composites showed a high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli via disc diffusion method. These results indicated that inhibition circles for Ag NPs/mesoporous SiO2/CQDs and mesoporous SiO2/Ag NPs were similar in diameter. Furthermore, the two composites had a better bactericidal performance compared with other particles. Therefore, as-prepared CQDs/mesoporous SiO2/Ag NPs composites in this paper have great potential applications for fluorescent materials and antibacterial materials.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1466
Author(s):  
Ye Eun Kim ◽  
Hyunsung Cho ◽  
Yoo Jin Lim ◽  
Chorong Kim ◽  
Sang Hyup Lee

Studies on a one-pot synthesis of novel multisubstituted 1-alkoxyindoles 1 and their mechanistic investigations are presented. The synthesis of 1 was successfully achieved through consecutive four step reactions from substrates 2. The substrates 2, prepared through a two-step synthetic sequence, underwent three consecutive reactions of nitro reduction, intramolecular condensation, and nucleophilic 1,5-addition to provide the intermediates, 1-hydroxyindoles 8, which then were alkylated in situ with alkyl halide to afford the novel target products 1. We optimized the reaction conditions for 1 focusing on the alkylation step, along with the consideration of formation of intermediates 8. The optimized condition was SnCl2·2H2O (3.3 eq) and alcohols (R1OH, 2.0 eq) for 1–2 h at 40 °C and then, base (10 eq) and alkyl halides (R2Y, 2.0 eq) for 1–4 h at 25–50 °C. Notably, all four step reactions were performed in one-pot to give 1 in good to modest yields. Furthermore, the mechanistic aspects were also discussed regarding the reaction pathways and the formation of side products. The significance lies in development of efficient one-pot reactions and in generation of new 1-alkoxyindoles.


2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 656-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D Freeman ◽  
Lori M Rosman ◽  
Jeremy D Ratcliff ◽  
Paul T Strickland ◽  
David R Graham ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Advancements in the quality and availability of highly sensitive analytical instrumentation and methodologies have led to increased interest in the use of microsamples. Among microsamples, dried blood spots (DBS) are the most well-known. Although there have been a variety of review papers published on DBS, there has been no attempt at describing the full range of analytes measurable in DBS, or any systematic approach published for characterizing the strengths and weaknesses associated with adoption of DBS analyses. CONTENT A scoping review of reviews methodology was used for characterizing the state of the science in DBS. We identified 2018 analytes measured in DBS and found every common analytic method applied to traditional liquid samples had been applied to DBS samples. Analytes covered a broad range of biomarkers that included genes, transcripts, proteins, and metabolites. Strengths of DBS enable its application in most clinical and laboratory settings, and the removal of phlebotomy and the need for refrigeration have expanded biosampling to hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations. Weaknesses may limit adoption in the near term because DBS is a nontraditional sample often requiring conversion of measurements to plasma or serum values. Opportunities presented by novel methodologies may obviate many of the current limitations, but threats around the ethical use of residual samples must be considered by potential adopters. SUMMARY DBS provide a wide range of potential applications that extend beyond the reach of traditional samples. Current limitations are serious but not intractable. Technological advancements will likely continue to minimize constraints around DBS adoption.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 3920
Author(s):  
Martin Weber ◽  
Gábor Balázs ◽  
Alexander V. Virovets ◽  
Eugenia Peresypkina ◽  
Manfred Scheer

By reacting [{Cp‴Fe(CO)2}2(µ,η1:1-P4)] (1) with in situ generated phosphenium ions [Ph2P][A] ([A]− = [OTf]− = [O3SCF3]−, [PF6]−), a mixture of two main products of the composition [{Cp‴Fe(CO)2}2(µ,η1:1-P5(C6H5)2)][PF6] (2a and 3a) could be identified by extensive 31P NMR spectroscopic studies at 193 K. Compound 3a was also characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, showing the rarely observed bicyclo[2.1.0]pentaphosphapentane unit. At room temperature, the novel compound [{Cp‴Fe}(µ,η4:1-P5Ph2){Cp‴(CO)2Fe}][PF6] (4) is formed by decarbonylation. Reacting 1 with in situ generated diphenyl arsenium ions gives short-lived intermediates at 193 K which disproportionate at room temperature into tetraphenyldiarsine and [{Cp‴Fe(CO)2}4(µ4,η1:1:1:1-P8)][OTf]2 (5) containing a tetracyclo[3.3.0.02,7.03,6]octaphosphaoctane ligand.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasturi Vimalanathan ◽  
Timotheos Palmer ◽  
Zoe Gardner ◽  
Irene Ling ◽  
Soraya Rahpeima ◽  
...  

Herein, we have explored the use of a microfluidics platform for the exfoliation and oxidation of liquid gallium into ultrathin sheets of gallium oxide under continuous flow condition. The novel method developed here takes advantage of the high mass transfer in liquids and has the potential for creating high yielding thin sheets of oxidised gallium with insulating properties as well as acts as an active catalyst in hydrogen evolution reactions. This highlights the potential utility of the sheets as an alternative to the expensive and scarce noble metal based electrocatalysts


Symmetry ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Schmidt ◽  
Katrin Kahlen

Fluctuating asymmetry in plant leaves is a widely used measure in geometric morphometrics for assessing random deviations from perfect symmetry. In this study, we considered the concept of fluctuating asymmetry to improve the prototype leaf shape of the functional-structural plant model L-Cucumber. The overall objective was to provide a realistic geometric representation of the leaves for the light sensitive plant reactions in the virtual plant model. Based on three-dimensional data from several hundred in situ digitized cucumber leaves comparisons of model leaves and measurements were conducted. Robust Bayesian comparison of groups was used to assess statistical differences between leaf halves while respecting fluctuating asymmetries. Results indicated almost no directional asymmetry in leaves comparing different distances from the prototype while detecting systematic deviations shared by both halves. This information was successfully included in an improved leaf prototype and implemented in the virtual plant model L-Cucumber. Comparative virtual plant simulations revealed a slight improvement in plant internode development against experimental data using the novel leaf shape. Further studies can now focus on analyses of stress on the 3D-deformation of the leaf and the development of a dynamic leaf shape model.


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