Impact of dengue virus (serotype DENV-2) infection on liver of BALB/c mice: A histopathological analysis

In this research, we characterized the histopathological impact of dengue virus (serotype DENV-2) infection in livers of BALB/c mice. The mice were infected with different doses of DENV-2 via intraperitoneal injection and liver tissues were processed for histological analyses and variation was documented. In the BALB/c mouse model, typical liver tissues showed regular hepatocyte architecture, with normal endothelial cells surrounding sinusoid capillary. Based on histopathological observations, the liver sections of BALB/c mice infected by DENV-2 exhibited a loss of cell integrity, with a widening of the sinusoidal spaces. There were marked increases in the infiltration of mononuclear cells. The areas of hemorrhage and micro- and macrovesicular steatosis were noted. Necrosis and apoptosis were abundantly present. The hallmark of viral infection, i.e., cytopathic effects, included intracellular edema and vacuole formation, cumulatively led to sinusoidal and lobular collapse in the liver. The histopathological studies on autopsy specimens of fatal human DENV cases are important to shed light on tissue damage for preventive and treatment modalities, in order to manage future DENV infections. In this framework, the method present here on BALB/c mouse model may be used to study not only the effects of infections by other DENV serotypes, but also to investigate the effects of novel drugs, such as recently developed nano-formulations, and the relative recovery ability with intact immune functions of host.     

Complex structure of cytochrome c–cytochrome c oxidase reveals a novel protein–protein interaction mode

Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) transfers electrons from cytochrome c (Cyt.c) to O₂ to generate H₂O, a process coupled to proton pumping. To elucidate the mechanism of electron transfer, we determined the structure of the mammalian Cyt.c–CcO complex at 2.0‐Å resolution and identified an electron transfer pathway from Cyt.c to CcO. The specific interaction between Cyt.c and CcO is stabilized by a few electrostatic interactions between side chains within a small contact surface area. Between the two proteins are three water layers with a long inter‐molecular span, one of which lies between the other two layers without significant direct interaction with either protein. Cyt.c undergoes large structural fluctuations, using the interacting regions with CcO as a fulcrum. These features of the protein–protein interaction at the docking interface represent the first known example of a new class of protein–protein interaction, which we term “soft and specific”. This interaction is likely to contribute to the rapid association/dissociation of the Cyt.c–CcO complex, which facilitates the sequential supply of four electrons for the O₂ reduction reaction.     

Thieno[3,4‐c]Pyrrole‐4,6‐Dione‐Based Polymer Acceptors for High Open‐Circuit Voltage All‐Polymer Solar Cells

While polymer acceptors are promising fullerene alternatives in the fabrication of efficient bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, the range of efficient material systems relevant to the “all‐polymer” BHJ concept remains narrow, and currently limits the perspectives to meet the 10% efficiency threshold in all‐polymer solar cells. This report examines two polymer acceptor analogs composed of thieno[3,4‐c ]pyrrole‐4,6‐dione (TPD) and 3,4‐difluorothiophene ([2F]T) motifs, and their BHJ solar cell performance pattern with a low‐bandgap polymer donor commonly used with fullerenes (PBDT‐TS1; taken as a model system). In this material set, the introduction of a third electron‐deficient motif, namely 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole (BT), is shown to (i) significantly narrow the optical gap (E _opt) of the corresponding polymer (by ≈0.2 eV) and (ii) improve the electron mobility of the polymer by over two orders of magnitude in BHJ solar cells. In turn, the narrow‐gap P2TPDBT[2F]T analog (E _opt = 1.7 eV) used as fullerene alternative yields high open‐circuit voltages (V _OC) of ≈1.0 V, notable short‐circuit current values (J _SC) of ≈11.0 mA cm⁻², and power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) nearing 5% in all‐polymer BHJ solar cells. P2TPDBT[2F]T paves the way to a new, promising class of polymer acceptor candidates.     

微生物谷氨酰胺转氨酶催化细胞色素c赖氨酸残基的定点修饰

研究微生物谷氨酰胺转氨酶(mTG)催化细胞色素c(Cytc)的PEG定点修饰的可行性,并优化修饰条件,研究PEG修饰对Cytc性质的影响。将单甲氧基聚乙二醇氨(mPEG-NH_2)与N-苄氧羰基-谷氨酰胺-甘氨酸(CBZ-QG)共价结合制备含谷氨酰胺残基的甲氧基聚乙二醇衍生物(N-苄氧羰基-谷氨酰胺-甘氨酰-单甲氧基聚乙二醇,CBZ-QG-mPEG);mTG分别催化mPEG-NH_2、CBZQG-mPEG(mTG)修饰Cytc,研究酶法定点修饰Cytc残基的可行性;改变酶的用量、温度、反应时间和p H等反应条件优化谷胺酰胺转氨酶催化修饰Cytc的条件。研究结果表明:(1)mPEG-NH_2不能作为mTG的底物修饰Cytc,甲氧基聚乙二醇氨(mPEG-NH_2)分子上引入谷氨酰胺残基后,在mTG的催化作用下了实现Cytc的PEG修饰,而且基于mTG的底物特异性实现了PEG定点修饰Cytc的赖氨酸(Lys)残基;(2)37℃温度下,p H 8.0的溶液中,1mg/ml的mTG催化修饰反应2h是最佳修饰反应条件;(3)化学法PEG修饰Cytc产物复杂,是多种多点修饰产物的混合物,酶法催化PEG修饰Cytc只产生单一产物;(4)与天然Cytc相比,修饰后Cytc的活力、稳定性都有所提高。提出的谷胺酰胺转胺酶催化修饰法解决了蛋白质Lys残基难以定点修饰的难题,拓展了mTG在蛋白质修饰方面的应用。     

重组扁豆过敏原Len c 1表达纯化及免疫活性鉴定

目的:纯化重组扁豆过敏原Len c 1(rLen c 1)并进行免疫活性鉴定。方法:通过原核表达的方式生产rLen c 1,然后采用亲和层析的方法纯化带有Strep II标签的目的蛋白。将BALB/c小鼠随机分为对照组(注射生理盐水)和过敏原致敏组(注射rLen c 1),通过腹腔注射方式免疫小鼠,建立BALB/c小鼠扁豆致敏模型,利用间接ELISA法检测血清总IgE和过敏原特异性IgE,鉴定重组扁豆过敏原的免疫活性。结果:IPTG成功诱导Len c 1蛋白表达,rLen c 1蛋白主要以包涵体形式表达,通过透析复性和亲和层析获得纯化的复性扁豆过敏原蛋白rLen c 1,成功建立小鼠致敏模型。和对照组相比,致敏组小鼠TIgE及过敏原特异性IgE水平均明显增高,结论:获得纯化的具有免疫活性的rLen c 1过敏原蛋白,为扁豆过敏机制研究、单克隆抗体的制备、以及临床诊断和免疫治疗奠定基础。     

Resistance irrelevant CYP417A2v2 was found degrading insecticide in Laodelphax striatellus

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP s) usually overexpressed in resistant strain were found involved in oxidative detoxification of insecticides. In this study, an investigation was conducted to confirm if resistance irrelevant CYP s which were not overexpressed in resistant strain before, were capable of degrading insecticides. Three resistance irrelevant CYP s viz. CYP 417A2v2, CYP 425A1v2, and CYP 4DJ 1 from CYP 4 family of Laodelphax striatellus were randomly selected for experiments. CYP 417A2v2 and CYP 425A1v2 were found expressed successfully in Sf9 cell line while CYP 4DJ 1 was not expressed successfully and out of two expressed CYP s, only CYP 417A2v2 showed its efficient catalytic activity. For catalytic activity, three traditional model probe substrates and five insecticides were assayed. For the probe substrates screened, p‐nitroanisole and ethoxycoumarin were preferentially metabolized by CYP 417A2v2 (specific activity 3.76 ± 1.22 and 1.63 ± 0.37 nmol min^?1 mg protein^?1, respectively) and they may be potential diagnostic probes for this enzyme. Among insecticides, only imidacloprid was efficiently degraded by CYP 417A2v2. Incubation of imidacloprid with CYP 417A2v2 of L. striatellus and subsequent HPLC , LC ‐MS , and MS /MS analysis revealed the formation of imidacloprid metabolites, that is, 4′ or 5′hydroxy‐imidacloprid by hydroxylation. This result implies the exemption of CYP s character that it is not always, all the CYP s degrading insecticides being selected and overexpressed in resistant strains and the degrading CYP s without mutations to upregulate could be candidates during insecticide resistance evolution. This characterization of individual insect CYP s in insecticide degradation can provide insight for better understand of insecticide resistance development.