The roles of epithelial cell contact,respiratory bacterial interactions and phosphorylcholine in promoting biofilm formation by Streptococcus pneumoniae and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae

Streptococcus pneumoniae and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) often share a common niche within the nasopharynx, both associated with infections such as bronchitis and otitis media. This study investigated how the association between NTHi and S. pneumoniae and the host affects their propensity to form biofilms. We investigated a selection of bacterial strain and serotype combinations on biofilm formation, and the effect of contact with respiratory epithelial cells. Measurement of biofilm showed that co-infection with NTHi and S. pneumoniae increased biofilm formation following contact with epithelial cells compared to no contact demonstrating the role of epithelial cells in biofilm formation. Additionally, the influence of phosphorylcholine (ChoP) on biofilm production was investigated using the licD mutant strain of NTHi 2019 and found that ChoP had a role in mixed biofilm formation but was not the only requirement. The study highlights the complex interactions between microbes and the host epithelium during biofilm production, suggesting the importance of understanding why certain strains and serotypes differentially influence biofilm formation. A key contributor to increased biofilm formation was the upregulation of biofilm formation by epithelial cell factors.     

Affinity of guanosine derivatives for polycytidylate revisited

Evidence is presented for complexation of guanosine 5-monophosphate 2-methylimidazolide (2-MeImpG) with polycytidylate (poly(C)) at pH 8.0 and 23°C in the presence of 1.0 M NaCl and 0.2 M MgCl₂ in water. The association of 2-McImpG with poly(C) was investigated using UV-vis spectroscopy as well as by monitoring the kinetics of the nucleophilic substitution reaction of the imidazole moiety by amines. The results of both methods are consistent with moderately strong poly(C) · 2-McImpG complexation and the spectrophotometric measurements allowed the construction of a binding isotherm with a concentration of 2-McImpG equal to 5.55 ± 0.15 mM at half occupancy. UV spectroscopy was employed to establish the binding of other guanosine derivatives on poly(C). These derivatives are guanosine 5-monophosphate (5GMP), guanosine 5monophosphate imidazolide (ImpG), and guanosine 5monophosphate morpholidate (morpG). Within experimental error these guanosine derivatives exhibit the same affinity for poly(C) as 2-McImpG.     

Polymer conformation: 3. Rapid methods for seeking contact-free double helices

A methodology for mapping helix constraint surfaces and contact-free molecular structures, as introduced in parts 1 and 2 of the series^1,2, has been developed and extended to include investigation of stability and stereochemical feasibility of double helices. The motivation for this development was prompted by practical considerations concerning the interpretation of new X-ray fibre diffraction patterns obtained from the gelling polysaccharide agarose³, in the light of previous interpretations⁴ favouring a double helix model for this biopolymer. The method may be of use for objectively scrutinizing double helix structures the interpretation of a number of which, e.g. carrageenan^5,6, poly(methyl methacrylate)^7,10, isotactic polystyrene^11,12, xanthan gum^13,16, appear to be controversial issues.     

Native supported membranes on planar polymer supports and micro-particle supports

To bridge soft biological materials and hard inorganic materials is an interdisciplinary scientific challenge. Despite of experimental difficulties, the deposition of native biological membranes on supports is a straightforward strategy. This review provides an overview of advances in the fabrication and characterization of native biological membranes on planar polymer supports and micro-particles.     

聚苹果酸及其衍生物的制备与应用研究进展

摘要：天然和合成聚合物因优良的特性引起了越来越多研究者的兴趣,并已被广泛用于人类的日常生活中。聚苹果酸（Polymalic acid,PMLA）一种天然的高分子聚酯材料,具有良好的生物相容性和完全生物降解性,其衍生物同样具有优异的生物学性能,被广泛应用于众多领域中。本文就聚苹果酸及其衍生物的结构、性质和合成方法进行了概述,并全面总结了其在制药和其他领域的应用研究现状,最后对未来发展方向进行了展望。     

A New Approach through the Eye of a Needle and Its Potential Application in Bioscience

Putting the thread through the eye of a needle is a very ordinary issues in daily life. The mechanism of putting the thread through the eye of a needle is quite similar to threading a series of polymer chains through synthetic macrocycle in bioscience. A new rubbing approach to thread through the eye of a needle was proposed in this paper, and its potential application in the fields of biomechanics and mechanobiology to mimic the micro scale assembly processes was discussed.     

mRNA疫苗非病毒载体递送系统研究进展*

新型冠状病毒肺炎(Corona Virus Disease 2019,COVID-19)疫情的暴发导致全球迫切需要大量有效的疫苗来应对。mRNA疫苗具有良好的安全性,且研发周期短,成为目前最有潜力的疫苗之一,在传染病和肿瘤研究领域也引发了更多关注。随着技术创新,mRNA不稳定性、翻译效率低等缺点得到较大改善。如何安全高效地将mRNA递送至靶细胞仍是阻碍mRNA研究的一大挑战。综述目前应用于mRNA疫苗体内递送的非病毒载体递送系统,以及mRNA在传染病疫苗和肿瘤疫苗中的应用现状,旨在为mRNA疫苗研发提供参考。     

A fluorescent biosensor based on acetylcholinesterase and 5-oxazolone derivative immobilized in polyvinylchloride (PVC) matrix

A new 2-phenyl-4-[4-(1,4,7,10-tetraoxa-13-azacyclopentadecyl)benzylidene]-5-oxazolone (CPO) derivative was utilized to develop an optical acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensor in which the azlactone derivative was embedded in plasticized polyvinylchloride (PVC) matrix. The sensor system was calibrated for the detection of acetylcholine (ACh) and donepezil which is a competitive cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitor. Two different biosensing systems were developed by using AChE enzyme in solution and immobilized together with the fluorescent derivative (CPO) doped in transparent PVC membrane. The enzymatic hydrolysis of ACh was monitored by following changes in the pH induced fluorescence intensity. When AChE enzyme was immobilized in PVC matrix together with CPO, the sensitivity of the measuring system has increased approximately three times for ACh, in comparison to the sensing system where AChE enzyme was in solution phase.

The photophysical parameters of CPO were also examined in solvents of tetrahydrofuran (THF), acetonitrile (ACN) and dichloromethane (DCM) and in solid matrix of PVC. The azlactone derivative exhibits excellent photostability in PVC matrix.     

Barrier height of free energy on confined polymer translocation through a short nano-channel

The translocation of a confined polymer chain through a nano-channel has been simulated by using two-dimensional bond fluctuation model (BFM) with Monte Carlo dynamics. It is found that the trapping time for the polymer chain to overcome the free energy barrier during the translocation, tautrap, depends exponentially on the chain length N and the channel length M, respectively. The results suggest that the barrier height of free energy depends linearly on N and M, which is different from that predicted for the Gaussian chain.     

Structure and luminescence of copper(I) cyanide-amine and -sulfide networks

Copper(I) cyanide reacts with various liquid amines and sulfides (L) under solvent-less conditions to form (CuCN)L_n, n = 0.5, 0.57, 0.75, 0.8, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2. New X-ray structures are reported for L = Py (Py = pyridine, n = 0.57), 2-MePy (n = 1), 3-EtPy (n = 1.5), 2-ClPy (n = 1), 3-ClPy (n = 2), 3-MeOPy (n = 2), 4-^tBuPy (n = 1.5), piperidine (n = 1.25), N-methylmorpholine (n = 1), N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (n = 1), 1-methylimidazole (n = 3), Me₂S (n = 1), and tetrahydrothiophene (n = 1). The amine structures (except for the monomeric 1-methylimidazole complex) reveal 1D CuCN chains decorated with 0-2 L per metal atom. Chain structures observed include zigzag, helical and figure-8 helical. The CuCN-sulfide structures show sulfur-bridging of CuCN chains. In some cases (CuCN)L_?1.5 species are transformed to (CuCN)L under vacuum. Thermal analysis shows facile release of ligand, yielding CuCN. Most of the (CuCN)L_n products are photoluminescent, emitting in the visible region. In some cases, coordination of very similar amines results in remarkably different emission spectra.