Silver Nanostructures: Limited Sensitivity of Detection, Toxicity and Anti-Inflammation Effects

Nanosilver with sizes 1–100 nm at least in one dimension is widely used due to physicochemical, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenesis, antiplatelet, antifungal, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Three modes of the nanosilver action were suggested: “Trojan horse”, inductive, and quantum mechanical. The Ag+ cations have an affinity to thiol, amino, phosphate, and carboxyl groups. Multiple mechanisms of action towards proteins, DNA, and membranes reduce a risk of pathogen resistance but inevitably cause toxicity for cells and organisms. Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are known to generate two reactive oxygen species (ROS)-superoxide (•O2−) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals, which inhibit the cellular antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) and cause mechanical damage of membranes. Ag+ release and replacement by electrolyte ions with potential formation of insoluble AgCl result in NP instability and interactions of heavy metals with nucleic acids and proteins. Protein shells protect AgNP core from oxidation, dissolution, and aggregation, and provide specific interactions with ligands. These nanoconjugates can be used for immunoassays and diagnostics, but the sensitivity is limited at 10 pg and specificity is restricted by binding with protective proteins (immunoglobulins, fibrinogen, albumin, and others). Thus, broad implementation of Ag nanostructures revealed limitations such as instability; binding with major blood proteins; damage of proteins, nucleic acids, and membranes; and immunosuppression of the majority of cytokines.

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The influence of natural and anthropogenic secondary sources on the glyoxal global distribution

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-8-1673-2008 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 1673-1708 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

S. Myriokefalitakis ◽

M. Vrekoussis ◽

K. Tsigaridis ◽

F. Wittrock ◽

A. Richter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomass Burning ◽

Transport Model ◽

Hot Spot ◽

Oh Radicals ◽

Aerosol Formation ◽

Chemical Production ◽

3 Dimensional ◽

Secondary Sources ◽

Voc Oxidation ◽

Potential Formation

Abstract. Glyoxal, the smallest dicarbonyl, which has recently been observed from space, is expected to provide indications on VOC oxidation and secondary aerosol formation in the troposphere. Glyoxal is known to be mostly of natural origin and is produced during biogenic VOC oxidation. However, a number of anthropogenically emitted hydrocarbons, like acetylene and aromatics, have been positively identified as glyoxal precursors. The present study investigates the contribution of pollution emissions to the glyoxal levels by taking into account only the secondary chemical formation of glyoxal from precursors emitted from biogenic, anthropogenic and biomass burning sources. For this purpose, a global 3-dimensional chemistry transport model of the troposphere (TM4) able to simulate the gas phase chemistry coupled with all major aerosol components is used. The model results are compared with satellite observations of glyoxal columns over hot spot areas. According to TM4 model results, the anthropogenic contribution to the glyoxal columns is found to reach 70% in the industrialized areas of the northern hemisphere and up to 20% in the tropics. It is on average three times larger than the secondary production of glyoxal from biomass burning sources. The chemical production of glyoxal is calculated to equal about 56 Tg y−1 with 70% produced from biogenic hydrocarbons oxidation, 17% from acetylene, 11% from aromatic chemistry, and 2% from ethene and propene. Glyoxal is destroyed by reactions mainly with OH radicals (22%) and by photolysis (65%), but it is also removed from the atmosphere through wet (11%) and dry deposition (6%). Secondary organic aerosol potential formation through glyoxal losses on/in aerosols and clouds was neglected here due to the significant uncertainties associated with the underlying chemistry. The global annual mean glyoxal burden and lifetime in the model domain are estimated at 0.02 Tg and 3 h, respectively.

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Electron Microscopy of Nucleic Acids

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100051529 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

pp. 302-303

Author(s):

Norman Davidson

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Nucleic Acids ◽

Basic Protein ◽

Molecular Biologist ◽

Topological Properties ◽

Protein Film ◽

Polynucleotide Chain

The basic protein film technique for mounting nucleic acids for electron microscopy has proven to be a general and powerful tool for the working molecular biologist in characterizing different nucleic acids. It i s possible to measure molecular lengths of duplex and single-stranded DNAs and RNAs. In particular, it is thus possible to as certain whether or not the nucleic acids extracted from a particular source are or are not homogeneous in length. The topological properties of the polynucleotide chain (linear or circular, relaxed or supercoiled circles, interlocked circles, etc. ) can also be as certained.

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The Structure and Development of Microbodies in the Fat Body and other Tissues of an Insect (Calpodes Ethlius)

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s042482010006773x ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 148-149

Author(s):

M. Locke ◽

J. T. McMahon

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Liquid Crystals ◽

Fat Body ◽

Competitive Inhibitor ◽

Dense Core ◽

Urate Oxidase ◽

Blood Proteins ◽

Free Base ◽

The Core ◽

The Matrix

The fat body of insects has always been compared functionally to the liver of vertebrates. Both synthesize and store glycogen and lipid and are concerned with the formation of blood proteins. The comparison becomes even more apt with the discovery of microbodies and the localization of urate oxidase and catalase in insect fat body.The microbodies are oval to spherical bodies about 1μ across with a depression and dense core on one side. The core is made of coiled tubules together with dense material close to the depressed membrane. The tubules may appear loose or densely packed but always intertwined like liquid crystals, never straight as in solid crystals (Fig. 1). When fat body is reacted with diaminobenzidine free base and H2O2 at pH 9.0 to determine the distribution of catalase, electron microscopy shows the enzyme in the matrix of the microbodies (Fig. 2). The reaction is abolished by 3-amino-1, 2, 4-triazole, a competitive inhibitor of catalase. The fat body is the only tissue which consistantly reacts positively for urate oxidase. The reaction product is sharply localized in granules of about the same size and distribution as the microbodies. The reaction is inhibited by 2, 6, 8-trichloropurine, a competitive inhibitor of urate oxidase.

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mRNA localization by Electron microscopic in situ hybridization

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100086453 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 49 ◽

pp. 430-431

Author(s):

J. A. Pollock ◽

M. Martone ◽

T. Deerinck ◽

M. H. Ellisman

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

High Resolution ◽

Nucleic Acids ◽

Recombinant Dna ◽

Light And Electron Microscopy ◽

Electron Microscopic ◽

High Voltage Electron Microscopy ◽

Functional Sites ◽

Voltage Electron

Localization of specific proteins in cells by both light and electron microscopy has been facilitate by the availability of antibodies that recognize unique features of these proteins. High resolution localization studies conducted over the last 25 years have allowed biologists to study the synthesis, translocation and ultimate functional sites for many important classes of proteins. Recently, recombinant DNA techniques in molecular biology have allowed the production of specific probes for localization of nucleic acids by “in situ” hybridization. The availability of these probes potentially opens a new set of questions to experimental investigation regarding the subcellular distribution of specific DNA's and RNA's. Nucleic acids have a much lower “copy number” per cell than a typical protein, ranging from one copy to perhaps several thousand. Therefore, sensitive, high resolution techniques are required. There are several reasons why Intermediate Voltage Electron Microscopy (IVEM) and High Voltage Electron Microscopy (HVEM) are most useful for localization of nucleic acids in situ.

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Nucleic Acid Molecules Prepared by Monolayer Techniques

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100094140 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 178-179

Author(s):

Dimitrij Lang

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Standard Deviation ◽

Nucleic Acid ◽

Cytochrome C ◽

Nucleic Acids ◽

Contour Length ◽

Sample Standard Deviation ◽

Molecular Weights ◽

Length Measurements ◽

Protein Monolayer

The success of the protein monolayer technique for electron microscopy of individual DNA molecules is based on the prevention of aggregation and orientation of the molecules during drying on specimen grids. DNA adsorbs first to a surface-denatured, insoluble cytochrome c monolayer which is then transferred to grids, without major distortion, by touching. Fig. 1 shows three basic procedures which, modified or not, permit the study of various important properties of nucleic acids, either in concert with other methods or exclusively:1) Molecular weights relative to DNA standards as well as number distributions of molecular weights can be obtained from contour length measurements with a sample standard deviation between 1 and 4%.

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Snapshot blotting: The transfer of nucleic acids and nucleoprotein complexes from electrophoresis gels to EM grids

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100124215 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 762-763

Author(s):

Stephen D. Jett

Keyword(s):

Nucleic Acid ◽

Nucleic Acids ◽

Nucleic Acid Binding ◽

Mobility Shift ◽

Carbon Coated ◽

Nucleoprotein Complexes ◽

Mobility Shift Assay ◽

Protein Nucleic Acid ◽

Gel Mobility Shift ◽

Nucleic Acid Interactions

The electrophoresis gel mobility shift assay is a popular method for the study of protein-nucleic acid interactions. The binding of proteins to DNA is characterized by a reduction in the electrophoretic mobility of the nucleic acid. Binding affinity, stoichiometry, and kinetics can be obtained from such assays; however, it is often desirable to image the various species in the gel bands using TEM. Present methods for isolation of nucleoproteins from gel bands are inefficient and often destroy the native structure of the complexes. We have developed a technique, called “snapshot blotting,” by which nucleic acids and nucleoprotein complexes in electrophoresis gels can be electrophoretically transferred directly onto carbon-coated grids for TEM imaging.

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Ultrastructural analysis of the spatial distribution of MRNA

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100123167 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 552-553

Author(s):

Gary Bassell ◽

Robert H. Singer

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

In Situ Hybridization ◽

High Resolution ◽

Nucleic Acids ◽

Colloidal Gold ◽

Dna Probe ◽

Nucleotide Analogs ◽

Gold Particles

We have been investigating the spatial distribution of nucleic acids intracellularly using in situ hybridization. The use of non-isotopic nucleotide analogs incorporated into the DNA probe allows the detection of the probe at its site of hybridization within the cell. This approach therefore is compatible with the high resolution available by electron microscopy. Biotinated or digoxigenated probe can be detected by antibodies conjugated to colloidal gold. Because mRNA serves as a template for the probe fragments, the colloidal gold particles are detected as arrays which allow it to be unequivocally distinguished from background.

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Detection of Nucleic Acids in Cells or Tissue Sections Using In situ Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100162545 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 16-17

Author(s):

J. R. Hully ◽

K. R. Luehrsen ◽

K. Aoyagi ◽

C. Shoemaker ◽

R. Abramson

Keyword(s):

Nucleic Acids ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Anatomical Location ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Reverse Transcription Pcr ◽

Cellular Source ◽

Gene Transcripts ◽

Initial Description ◽

In Cells

The development of PCR technology has greatly accelerated medical research at the genetic and molecular levels. Until recently, the inherent sensitivity of this technique has been limited to isolated preparations of nucleic acids which lack or at best have limited morphological information. With the obvious exception of cell lines, traditional PCR or reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) cannot identify the cellular source of the amplified product. In contrast, in situ hybridization (ISH) by definition, defines the anatomical location of a gene and/or it’s product. However, this technique lacks the sensitivity of PCR and cannot routinely detect less than 10 to 20 copies per cell. Consequently, the localization of rare transcripts, latent viral infections, foreign or altered genes cannot be identified by this technique. In situ PCR or in situ RT-PCR is a combination of the two techniques, exploiting the sensitivity of PCR and the anatomical definition provided by ISH. Since it’s initial description considerable advances have been made in the application of in situ PCR, improvements in protocols, and the development of hardware dedicated to in situ PCR using conventional microscope slides. Our understanding of the importance of viral latency or viral burden in regards to HIV, HPV, and KSHV infections has benefited from this technique, enabling detection of single viral copies in cells or tissue otherwise thought to be normal. Clearly, this technique will be useful tool in pathobiology especially carcinogenesis, gene therapy and manipulations, the study of rare gene transcripts, and forensics.

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Molecular insights on the dynamic stability of peptide nucleic acid functionalized carbon and boron nitride nanotubes

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics ◽

10.1039/d0cp05759b ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 219-228

Author(s):

Nabanita Saikia ◽

Mohamed Taha ◽

Ravindra Pandey

Keyword(s):

Nucleic Acid ◽

Boron Nitride ◽

Nucleic Acids ◽

Dynamic Stability ◽

Peptide Nucleic Acid ◽

Rational Design ◽

Peptide Nucleic Acids ◽

Boron Nitride Nanotubes ◽

Molecular Hybrids ◽

Single Wall Nanotubes

The rational design of self-assembled nanobio-molecular hybrids of peptide nucleic acids with single-wall nanotubes rely on understanding how biomolecules recognize and mediate intermolecular interactions with the nanomaterial's surface.

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