scholarly journals Use of protein-engineered fabrics to identify design rules for integrin ligand clustering in biomaterials

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick L. Benitez ◽  
Shamik Mascharak ◽  
Amy C. Proctor ◽  
Sarah C. Heilshorn

We engineered novel electrospun protein fabrics to gain insight into cellular responses to heterogeneity in global versus local ligand density.

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (31) ◽  
pp. E6447-E6456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inbal Eizenberg-Magar ◽  
Jacob Rimer ◽  
Irina Zaretsky ◽  
David Lara-Astiaso ◽  
Shlomit Reich-Zeliger ◽  
...  

During cell differentiation, progenitor cells integrate signals from their environment that guide their development into specialized phenotypes. The ways by which cells respond to complex signal combinations remain difficult to analyze and model. To gain additional insight into signal integration, we systematically mapped the response of CD4+ T cells to a large number of input cytokine combinations that drive their differentiation. We find that, in response to varied input combinations, cells differentiate into a continuum of cell fates as opposed to a limited number of discrete phenotypes. Input cytokines hierarchically influence the cell population, with TGFβ being most dominant followed by IL-6 and IL-4. Mathematical modeling explains these results using additive signal integration within hierarchical groups of input cytokine combinations and correctly predicts cell population response to new input conditions. These findings suggest that complex cellular responses can be effectively described using a segmented linear approach, providing a framework for prediction of cellular responses to new cytokine combinations and doses, with implications to fine-tuned immunotherapies.


2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda C.A. Maranhão ◽  
Henrique C.S. Silveira ◽  
Antonio Rossi ◽  
Nilce M. Martinez-Rossi

Trichophyton rubrum is the most common etiological agent of human dermatophytosis. Despite the incidence and medical importance of this dermatophyte, little is known about the mechanisms of host invasion and pathogenicity. Host invasion depends on the adaptive cellular responses of the pathogen that allow it to penetrate the skin layers, which are mainly composed of proteins and lipids. In this study, we used suppression subtractive hybridization to identify transcripts overexpressed in T. rubrum cultured in lipid as carbon source. Among the subtractive cDNA clones isolated, 85 clones were positively screened by cDNA array dot blotting and were sequenced. The putative proteins encoded by the isolated transcripts showed similarities to fungal proteins involved in metabolism, signaling, defense, and virulence, such as the MDR/ABC transporter, glucan 1,3-β-glucosidase, chitin synthase B, copper-sulfate-regulated protein, and serine/threonine phosphatase (calcineurin A). These results provide the first molecular insight into the genes differentially expressed during the adaptation of T. rubrum to a lipidic carbon source.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2279
Author(s):  
Silvestar Beljan ◽  
Maja Herak Bosnar ◽  
Helena Ćetković

Non-bilaterian animals consist of four phyla; Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, and Placozoa. These early-diverging animals are crucial for understanding the evolution of the entire animal lineage. The Rho family of proteins make up a major branch of the Ras superfamily of small GTPases, which function as key molecular switches that play important roles in converting and amplifying external signals into cellular responses. This review represents a compilation of the current knowledge on Rho-family GTPases in non-bilaterian animals, the available experimental data about their biochemical characteristics and functions, as well as original bioinformatics analysis, in order to gain a general insight into the evolutionary history of Rho-family GTPases in simple animals.


2020 ◽  
pp. 103084
Author(s):  
Jian Jiang ◽  
Wenyu Cai ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Jihong Ye ◽  
Guo-Qiang Li

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 242-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.W.-L. Toh ◽  
N.F. Lowndes

Eukaryotic cells have evolved surveillance mechanisms, known as DNA-damage checkpoints, that sense and respond to genome damage. DNA-damage checkpoint pathways ensure co-ordinated cellular responses to DNA damage, including cell cycle delays and activation of repair mechanisms. RAD9, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was the first damage checkpoint gene to be identified, although its biochemical function remained unknown until recently. This review examines briefly work that provides significant insight into how Rad9 activates the checkpoint signalling kinase Rad53.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-243
Author(s):  
Marisa Rio ◽  
Sharanya Bola ◽  
Richard H. W. Funk ◽  
Gerald Gerlach

Abstract. Endogenous electric fields (EFs) play an important role in many biological processes. In order to gain an insight into these biological phenomena, externally applied electric fields are used to study cellular responses. In this work, we report the construction and fabrication of a direct current (DC)-electrically stimulated microfluidic biochip and its validation with murine photoreceptor-derived 661 W cells. The presented device has the particularity of offering a non-homogeneous EF environment that best resembles the endogenous electric fields in vitro. The fabrication process is relatively easy, namely by photolithography and soft lithography techniques and, furthermore, it enables live-cell imaging under an inverted microscope. First experimental results reveal cathodal directional cell migration upon applied DC EFs. In summary, the microfluidic biochip has proven biocompatibility and suitability for cellular electrotaxis experiments in non-homogeneous DC electric fields.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuying Huang ◽  
Hongqin Ying ◽  
Xibiao Yang ◽  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Tuo Li ◽  
...  

AbstractCardamine enshiensis is a well-known selenium (Se)-hyperaccumulating plant. Se is an essential trace element associated with many health benefits. Despite its critical importance, genomic information of this species is limited. Here, we report a chromosome-level genome assembly of C. enshiensis, which consists of 443.4 Mb in 16 chromosomes with a scaffold N50 of 24 Mb. To elucidate the mechanism of Se tolerance and hyperaccumulation in C. enshiensis, we generated and analyzed a dataset encompassing genomes, transcriptomes, and metabolomes. The results reveal that flavonoid, glutathione, and lignin biosynthetic pathways may play important roles in protecting C. enshiensis from stress induced by Se. Hi-C analysis of chromatin interaction patterns showed that the chromatin of C. enshiensis is partitioned into A and B compartments, and strong interactions between the two telomeres of each chromosome were correlated with histone modifications, epigenetic markers, DNA methylation, and RNA abundance. Se supplementation could affect the 3D chromatin architecture of C. enshiensis at the compartment level. Genes with compartment changes after Se treatment were involved in selenocompound metabolism, and genes in regions with topologically associated domain insulation participated in cellular responses to Se, Se binding, and flavonoid biosynthesis. This multiomics research provides molecular insight into the mechanism underlying Se tolerance and hyperaccumulation in C. enshiensis.


Author(s):  
Niklas Meyer ◽  
Robert Seifried

Abstract Particle dampers show a huge potential to reduce undesired vibrations in technical applications even under harsh environmental conditions. However, their energy dissipation depends on many effects on the micro- and macroscopic scale, which are not fully understood yet. This paper aims toward the development of design rules for particle dampers by looking at both scales. This shall shorten the design process for future applications. The energy dissipation and loss factor of different configurations are analyzed via the complex power for a large excitation range. Comparisons to discrete element simulations show a good qualitative agreement. These simulations give an insight into the process in the damper. For monodisperse systems, a direct correlation of the loss factor to the motion modes of the rheology behavior is shown. For well-known excitation conditions, simple design rules are derived. First investigations into polydisperse settings are made, showing a potential for a more robust damping behavior.


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