Introducing the penicillamine moiety into a metallopeptide mimicking the NiSOD enzyme: electronic and kinetic effects

The novel NiSOD related metallopeptide incorporates penicillamine moiety in the active center which alters both the electronic and kinetic features.

Comprehensive checklist of algal class Chlorophyceae (sensu Fritsch, 1935) for Uttar Pradesh, India, with updated taxonomic status

Uttar Pradesh is an active center for algal research in India, but regional checklists are not available. Checklists of algae reported from class Chlorophyceae (sensu Fritsch, 1935) are presented here, with taxonomic status updated per AlgaeBase. The checklist covers algae from 17 types of habitats and includes 749 species, 166 varities and six forma, belonging to four phyla, 11 classes, 26 orders, 64 families and 161 genera. Charophyta is the dominant phylum with 519 infrageneric taxa (species, varities, forma), while Chlorophyta is represented by 389 taxa. Zygnematophyceae is the dominant class with 465 infrageneric taxa under two orders, six families and 29 genera. Chlorophyceae has 305 infrageneric taxa under five orders, 33 families, and 76 genera. Cosmarium is the most speciose genus with 163 taxa, followed by Oedogonium (79), Spirogyra (72), and Closterium (54). Our study revealed that of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh only 40 are explored for algae, with Prayagraj and Lucknow recording 266 and 144 taxa respectively.

TiCl4/MgCl2/MCM-41 Bi-Supported Ziegler–Natta Catalyst: Effects of Catalyst Composition on Ethylene/1-Hexene Copolymerization

TiCl4/MgCl2/MCM-41 type bi-supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts with different MgCl2/MCM-41 ratios were synthesized by adsorbing TiCl4 onto MgCl2 crystallites anchored in mesopores of MCM-41 (mesoporous silica with 3.4 nm pore size). Ethylene/1-hexene copolymerization with the catalysts was conducted at different 1-hexene concentrations and ethylene pressures. MgCl2/MCM-41 composite supports and the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption analysis (BET), and elemental analysis. The copolymers were fractionated by extraction with boiling n-heptane, and comonomer contents of the fractions were determined. Under 4 bar ethylene pressure, the bi-supported catalysts showed higher activity and a stronger comonomer activation effect than the TiCl4/MgCl2 catalyst. In comparison with the TiCl4/MgCl2 catalyst, the bi-supported catalysts produced much less copolymer fraction of low molecular weight and high 1-hexene content, meaning that the active center distribution of the catalyst was significantly changed by introducing MCM-41 in the support. The copolymer produced by the bi-supported catalysts showed similar melting temperature to that produced by TiCl4/MgCl2 under the same polymerization conditions. The space confinement effect of the mesopores of MCM-41 on the size and structure of MgCl2 crystallites is proposed as the main reason for the special active center distribution of the bi-supported catalysts.

Immunobiological properties of granulocytemacrophage colony-stimulating factor and synthetic peptides of his active center

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) belongs to the group of growth cytokines (hematopoietins) that regulate proliferation and differentiation of myeloid lineage cells. Recently, a lot of new data have accumulated, indicating the presence of a number of previously unknown biological effects in GM-CSF and synthetic peptides of its active center, which open up new prospects for their wide clinical use.The review outlines current understanding of the structure, functions, and mechanisms of GM-CSF action and concerns the structure of its receptor. The GM-CSF producer cells are characterized, as well as target cells (effector cells) responding to this cytokine are also presented. The known mechanisms of intracellular signaling involved into the GM-CSF/receptor interaction are described. The main pleiotropic effects of this cytokine as a factor of hematopoiesis and an immunostimulating agent are characterized. The previously known and recently found immunobiological effects of this cytokine, its recombinant forms and synthetic analogues of its active center are discussed.Participation of GM-CSF in hematopoiesis and differentiation of myeloid cells, the effects of this cytokine on the functional activity of immunocompetent populations (lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells) and tissue cells were characterized. The influence of GM-CSF on the development and course of infectious and inflammatory processes, its role in the creation of combined vaccines is reviewed. Clinical data on usage of GM-CSF and its recombinant forms in hematology, immunology, oncology, reproductive medicine and in the treatment of systemic autoimmune processes and infectious diseases are presented.The recently discovered immunobiological properties of synthetic peptides derived from active center of GM-CSF are summarized, indicating that they exhibit immunotropic and hematopoietic effects, as well as antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, viruses, and tissue repair (effect on the rate of wound healing), which is not typical to the whole GM-CSF molecule. We discuss the prospects for clinical applications of synthetic GM-CSF analogue (ZP2 peptide), and an opportunity of creating new cosmetics and pharmaceuticals with combined immunostimulating, antimicrobial and reparative properties on its basis.The review expands the view on potential usage of cytokine therapy in the treatment of various infectious and non-infectious diseases in humans, and is addressing a wide range of specialists working in the field of allergology and immunology, infectology and regenerative medicine.