Development of a Specific Detection Technique for Cowpea Golden Mosaic Virus

Whitefly transmitted begomoviruses are on increase in tropical and subtropical countries. It is especially true of yellow mosaic viruses infecting legumes. Management of viral diseases requires specific detection techniques to demonstrate their presence in several other alternative and weed hosts. With this in view, nucleic acid hybridization test to detect Cowpea golden mosaic virus (CPGMV) in many crops and weed species was developed. This study showed that while probe to CPGMV DNA A detected all the begomoviruses, DNA B probe was highly specific and detected only CPGMV showing its specific nature.     

Interactions of a designed peptide with lipopolysaccharide: Bound conformation and anti-endotoxic activity

Designed peptides that would selectively interact with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or endotoxin and fold into specific conformations could serve as important scaffolds toward the development of antisepsis compounds. Here, we describe solution structure of a designed amphipathic peptide, H₂N-YVKLWRMIKFIR-CONH₂ (YW12D) in complex with endotoxin as determined by transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy. The conformation of the isolated peptide is highly flexible, but undergoes a dramatic structural stabilization in the presence of LPS. Structure calculations reveal that the peptide presents two amphipathic surfaces in its bound state to LPS whereby each surface is characterized by two positive charges and a number of aromatic and/or aliphatic residues. ITC data suggests that peptide interacts with two molecules of lipid A. In activity assays, YW12D exhibits neutralization of LPS toxicity with very little hemolysis of red blood cells. Structural and functional properties of YW12D would be applicable in designing low molecular weight non-toxic antisepsis molecules.     

Potent γ-secretase inhibitors/modulators interact with amyloid-β fibrils but do not inhibit fibrillation: A high-resolution NMR study

Recently, γ-secretase modulators (GSM) have been shown to interact directly with the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and simultaneously inhibit the activity of the Presenilin domain of γ-secretase. A clear understanding of the molecular recognition pathways by which GSM can target both γ-secretase and Aβ precursor protein can lead to the development of more effective inhibitors. To examine whether this direct interaction with APP affects the downstream Aβ fibril formation, we chose to investigate three different molecules in this study: Sulindac sulfide, Semagacestat and E2012 from the class of generation I GSMs, γ-secretase inhibitors (GSI), and generation II GSM molecules, respectively. Firstly, through NMR based ligand titration, we identified that Sulindac sulfide and Semagacestat interact strongly with Aβ40 monomers, whereas E2012 does not. Secondly, using saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR experiments, we found that all three molecules bind equally well with Aβ40 fibrils. To determine if these interactions with the monomer/fibril lead to a viable inhibition of the fibrillation process, we designed an NMR based time-dependent assay and accurately distinguished the inhibitors from the non-inhibitors within a short period of 12 h. Based on this pre-seeded fibril assay, we conclude that none of these molecules inhibit the ongoing fibrillation, rather ligands such as Semagacestat and E2012 accelerated the rate of aggregation.     

Activation of Wnt-β-catenin pathway in basal–parabasal layers of normal cervical epithelium comparable during development of uterine cervical carcinoma

In this study, importance of Wnt-β-catenin pathway in the development of uterine cervical carcinoma was evaluated. For this purpose, the profiles (expression/methylation/deletion) of β-catenin, p-β-catenin (Y654), Wnt3a, and APC were studied in disease free normal cervical epithelium (n = 9), adjacent normal cervical epithelium of primary tumors (n = 70), CIN (n = 28), CACX (n = 102) samples, and two CACX cell lines (HeLa and SiHa). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed high/medium (74–95%) expression of β-catenin/p-β-catenin (Y654) and Wnt3a and low expression (23–26%) of APC in proliferating basal–parabasal layers contrary to differentiated spinous layer in normal cervix irrespective of HPV16 infection. The expression profile of the genes in the basal–parabasal layers did not change significantly during development of CACX. High (66%) promoter methylation of APC was seen in basal–parabasal layers and the cervical lesions (42–69%), unlike in spinous layers (25%). The promoter methylation status of APC was validated by in vitro demethylation experiments using 5-aza-dC in CACX cell lines. However, additional deletion of APC was significantly increased from CIN (12%) to stage I/II (40%) and became comparable in stage III/IV (48%) of the tumor. Patients with alterations (deletion/methylation) of APC and high/medium expression of Wnt3a/β-catenin/p-β-catenin (Y654) showed significantly poor survival. Thus our data indicate that cumulative effect of Wnt3a overexpression and APC inactivation are needed for overexpression of β-catenin during the development of CACX.     

Structural and thermodynamic analyses of the interaction between melittin and lipopolysaccharide

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major constituent of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, is the very first site of interactions with the antimicrobial peptides. In this work, we have determined a solution conformation of melittin, a well-known membrane active amphiphilic peptide from honey bee venom, by transferred nuclear Overhauser effect (Tr-NOE) spectroscopy in its bound state with lipopolysaccharide. The LPS bound conformation of melittin is characterized by a helical structure restricted only to the C-terminus region (residues A15-R24) of the molecule. Saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR studies reveal that several C-terminal residues of melittin including Trp19 are in close proximity with LPS. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) data demonstrates that melittin binding to LPS or lipid A is an endothermic process. The interaction between melittin and lipid A is further characterized by an equilibrium association constant (Ka) of 2.85 x 10(6) M(-1) and a stoichiometry of 0.80, melittin/lipid A. The estimated free energy of binding (delta G0), -8.8 kcal mol(-1), obtained from ITC experiments correlates well with a partial helical structure of melittin in complex with LPS. Moreover, a synthetic peptide fragment, residues L13-Q26 or mel-C, derived from the C-terminus of melittin has been found to contain comparable outer membrane permeabilizing activity against Escherichia coli cells. Intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence experiments of melittin and mel-C demonstrate very similar emission maxima and quenching in presence of LPS micelles. The Red Edge Excitation Shift (REES) studies of tryptophan residue indicate that both peptides are located in very similar environment in complex with LPS. Collectively, these results suggest that a helical conformation of melittin, at its C-terminus, could be an important element in recognition of LPS in the outer membrane.