scholarly journals Non-agglomerated silicon–organic nanoparticles and their nanocomplexes with oligonucleotides: synthesis and properties

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 2516-2525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asya S Levina ◽  
Marina N Repkova ◽  
Nadezhda V Shikina ◽  
Zinfer R Ismagilov ◽  
Svetlana A Yashnik ◽  
...  

The development of efficient and convenient systems for the delivery of nucleic-acid-based drugs into cells is an urgent task. А promising approach is the use of various nanoparticles. Silica nanoparticles can be used as vehicles to deliver nucleic acid fragments into cells. In this work, we developed a method for the synthesis of silicon–organic (Si–NH2) non-agglomerated nanoparticles by the hydrolysis of aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The resulting product forms a clear solution containing nanoparticles in the form of low molecular weight polymer chains with [─Si(OH)(C3H6NH2)O─] monomer units. Oligonucleotides (ODN) were conjugated to the prepared Si–NH2 nanoparticles using the electrostatic interaction between positively charged amino groups of nanoparticles and negatively charged internucleotide phosphate groups in oligonucleotides. The Si–NH2 nanoparticles and Si–NH2·ODN nanocomplexes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and IR and electron spectroscopy. The size and zeta potential values of the prepared nanoparticles and nanocomplexes were evaluated. Oligonucleotides in Si–NH2·ODN complexes retain their ability to form complementary duplexes. The Si–NH2 Flu nanoparticles and Si–NH2·ODNFlu nanocomplexes were shown by fluorescence microscopy to penetrate into human cells. The Si–NH2 Flu nanoparticles predominantly accumulated in the cytoplasm whereas ODNFlu complexes were predominantly detected in the cellular nuclei. The Si–NH2·ODN nanocomplexes demonstrated a high antisense activity against the influenza A virus in a cell culture at a concentration that was lower than their 50% toxic concentration by three orders of magnitude.

Author(s):  
D.M. Vanderwalker

There is a fundamental interest in electrochemical fusion of deuterium in palladium and titanium since its supposed discovery by Fleischmann and Pons. Their calorimetric experiments reveal that a large quantity of heat is released by Pd after hours in a cell, suggesting fusion occurs. They cannot explain fusion by force arguments, nor can it be an exothermic reaction on the formation of deuterides because a smaller quantity of heat is released. This study examines reactions of deuterium in titanium.Both iodide titanium and 99% pure titanium samples were encapsulated in vacuum tubes, annealed for 2h at 800 °C. The Ti foils were charged with deuterium in a D2SO4 D2O solution at a potential of .45V with respect to a calomel reference junction. Samples were ion beam thinned for transmission electron microscopy. The TEM was performed on the JEOL 200CX.The structure of D charged titanium is α-Ti with hexagonal and fee deuterides.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishma Pratap Sur ◽  
Marketa Kominkova ◽  
Zaneta Buchtova ◽  
Kristyna Dolezelikova ◽  
Ondrej Zitka ◽  
...  

The physical and chemical synthesis methods of quantum dots (QDs) are generally unfavorable for biological applications. To overcome this limitation, the development of a novel “green” route to produce highly-fluorescent CdSe QDs constitutes a promising substitute approach. In the present work, CdSe QDs were biosynthesized in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a novel method, where we showed for the first time that the concentration of tryptone highly affects the synthesis process. The optimum concentration of tryptone was found to be 25 g/L for the highest yield. Different methods were used to optimize the QD extraction from yeast, and the best method was found to be by denaturation at 80 °C along with an ultrasound needle. Multiple physical characterizations including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and spectrophotometry confirmed the optical features size and shape distribution of the QDs. We showed that the novel conjugate of the CdSe QDs and a cell-penetrating peptide (hecate) can detect bacterial cells very efficiently under a fluorescent microscope. The conjugate also showed strong antibacterial activity against vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Escherichia coli, which may help us to cope with the problem of rising antibiotic resistance.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 888
Author(s):  
Hiro Uemachi ◽  
Yuuya Kasahara ◽  
Keisuke Tanaka ◽  
Takumi Okuda ◽  
Yoshihiro Yoneda ◽  
...  

Nucleic acid aptamers have attracted considerable attention as next-generation pharmaceutical agents and delivery vehicles for small molecule drugs and therapeutic oligonucleotides. Chemical modification is an effective approach for improving the functionality of aptamers. However, the process of selecting appropriately modified aptamers is laborious because of many possible modification patterns. Here, we describe a hybrid-type systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) approach for the generation of the artificial nucleic acid aptamers effective against human TROP2, a cell surface protein identified by drug discovery as a promising target for cancer therapy. Capillary electrophoresis SELEX was used for the pre-screening of multiple modified nucleic acid libraries and enrichment of TROP2 binding aptamers in the first step, followed by functional screening using cell-SELEX in the second step for the generation of cell-internalizing aptamers. One representative aptamer, Tac-B1, had a nanomolar-level affinity to human TROP2 and exhibited elevated capacity for internalization by cells. Because of the growing interest in the application of aptamers for drug delivery, our hybrid selection approach has great potential for the generation of functional artificial nucleic acid aptamers with ideal modification patterns in vitro.


1972 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Read ◽  
R. W. Reed

The replicative events of a virulent phage (A25) infection of a group A Streptococcus (T253) were studied using the electron microscope. The first intracellular evidence of phage replication in a cell occurred 30 min after infection with arrest of cell division and increase in the nucleic acid pool. Phage heads were evident in the nucleic acid pool of the cells 45 min after infection. Release of phages occurred by splitting of the cell wall along discrete lines. This appeared to be at sites of active wall synthesis, i.e., near the region of septum formation. Many phage components were released but relatively few complete phages indicating a relatively inefficient replicative system.


1980 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.W. Chiang ◽  
Y.S. Liu ◽  
R.F. Reihl

ABSTRACTHigh-dose ion implantation (1017 ions-cm−2) of C+, N+, and O+ at 50 KeV into silicon followed by pulsed laser annealing at 1.06 μm was studied. Formation of SiC, Si3N4, and SiO2 has been observed and investigated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Differential Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy. Furthermore, in N+-implanted and laser-annealed silicon samples, we have observed a cell-like structure which has been identified to be spheroidal polycrystalline silicon formed by the rapid laser irradiation.


RSC Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (48) ◽  
pp. 42334-42346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suchitra Parija ◽  
Arup R. Bhattacharyya

Transmission electron microscopic image of separated MWCNTs (N51L15G5) showing the wrapped polymer chains on the MWCNTs surface, which corresponds to the α-phase of the PP.


Author(s):  
Li Ming ◽  
Wu Xiufeng

Abstract ZrSi/ZrC nanocomposites have stable high-temperature properties, where conventional materials cannot meet increasingly demanding high-temperature environments. In this paper, the microstructure and electrochemical reduction mechanism of ZrSi/ZrC nanocomposites have been studied. A mixture of ZrSiO4 and carbon black powder was processed using ball grinding, sheet pressing, and sintering, and cylindrically-sintered sheet was prepared as the cathode for the electrolytic work. A high purity graphite rod was utilized as the anode.The microstructure of the electrolytic product was characterized and analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The experimental results showed that the diameter of the as-synthesized ZrSi/ ZrC fibers typically range between 100-400 nm when produced by the electrolysis of sintered pellets in equimolar CaCl2-NaCl molten salt at 850°C with a cell voltage of 2.8 V for 20 h under an argon atmosphere. The nanofibers were formed in core-shell microstructures that overlap and grow.


1985 ◽  
Vol 100 (6) ◽  
pp. 1922-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
B F McEwen ◽  
W J Arion

Pathogenic staphylococci secrete a number of exotoxins, including alpha-toxin. alpha-Toxin induces lysis of erythrocytes and liposomes when its 3S protein monomers associate with the lipid bilayer and form a hexomeric transmembrane channel 3 nm in diameter. We have used alpha-toxin to render rat hepatocytes 93-100% permeable to trypan blue with a lactate dehydrogenase leakage less than or equal to 22%. Treatment conditions included incubation for 5-10 min at 37 degrees C and pH 7.0 with an alpha-toxin concentration of 4-35 human hemolytic U/ml and a cell concentration of 13-21 mg dry wt/ml. Scanning electron microscopy revealed signs of swelling in the treated hepatocytes, but there were no large lesions or gross damage to the cell surface. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that the nucleus, mitochondria, and cytoplasm were similar in control and treated cells and both had large regions of well-defined lamellar rough endoplasmic reticulum. Comparisons of the mannose-6-phosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase activities demonstrated that 5-10 U/ml alpha-toxin rendered cells freely permeable to glucose-6-phosphate, while substantially preserving the selective permeability of the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and the functionality of the glucose-6-phosphatase system. Thus, alpha-toxin appears to have significant potential as a means to induce selective permeability to small ions. It should make possible the study of a variety of cellular functions in situ.


2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (17) ◽  
pp. 5566-5573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rok Kostanjšek ◽  
Jasna Štrus ◽  
Gorazd Avguštin

ABSTRACT Pointed, rod-shaped bacteria colonizing the cuticular surface of the hindgut of the terrestrial isopod crustacean Porcellio scaber (Crustacea: Isopoda) were investigated by comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and electron microscopy. The results of phylogenetic analysis, and the absence of a cell wall, affiliated these bacteria with the class Mollicutes, within which they represent a novel and deeply branched lineage, sharing less than 82.6% sequence similarity to known Mollicutes. The lineage has been positioned as a sister group to the clade comprising the Spiroplasma group, the Mycoplasma pneumoniae group, and the Mycoplasma hominis group. The specific signature sequence was identified and used as a probe in in situ hybridization, which confirmed that the retrieved sequences originate from the attached rod-shaped bacteria from the hindgut of P. scaber and made it possible to detect these bacteria in their natural environment. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed a spherically shaped structure at the tapered end of the rod-shaped bacteria, enabling their specific and exclusive attachment to the tip of the cuticular spines on the inner surface of the gut. Specific adaptation to the gut environment, as well as phylogenetic positioning, indicate the long-term association and probable coevolution of the bacteria and the host. Taking into account their pointed, rod-shaped morphology and their phylogenetic position, the name “Candidatus Bacilloplasma” has been proposed for this new lineage of bacteria specifically associated with the gut surface of P. scaber.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document