Electrochemical immunosensor for label free epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) detection

This paper presents an electrochemical immune sensor for label free detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) by immobilizing anti-EGFR antibody (Anti-EGFRab) on dithiobissuccinimidyl propionate (DTSP) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on gold (Au) electrode. Electrochemical studies show that increased surface concentration of redox moieties onto Anti-EGFRab/DTSP immuno-electrode leads to high electron transport and improved sensing performance. The antigen-antibody complex demonstrates a high association constant (5×10(12)L/mol) that results in high affinity of Anti-EGFRab to EGFR, confirming that the DTSP-SAM provides a conducive environment for anti-EGFR immobilization. The electrochemical response of EA/Anti-EGFRab/DTSP/Au electrode as a function of EGFR concentrations exhibits a linear range from 1pg/mL to 100ng/mL, a detection limit of 1pg/mL at a sensitivity of 2.02μAM(-1)at a regression coefficient of 0.99.     

Biginelli reaction catalyzed by copper nanoparticles

We recently reported a novel synthesis of copper nanoparticles from copper sulphate utilizing the charge-compensatory effect of ionic liquid [bmim]BF(4) and ethylene glycol. The nanoparticles were characterized and found to be stable for one year. Here we hypothesize that the stabilized nanoparticles should be able to catalyze one-pot multicomponent organic reactions. We show that the nanoparticles catalyzed Biginelli reaction at room temperature to give the product 3,4-dihydopyrimidinone (>90% yield in ～15 minutes) from aldehydes, β-diketoester (ethylacetoacetate) and urea (or thiourea). ). Remarkably, such high yields and rapid kinetics was found to be independent of the electronic density on the reactant aryl-aldehyde. This was probably because even the surface-active particles reacted faster in the presence of ionic liquid as compared to conventional methods. The heterocyclic dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs) and their derivatives are widely used in natural and synthetic organic chemistry due to their wide spectrum of biological and therapeutic properties (resulting from their antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor and anti-inflammatory activities. Our method has an easy work-up procedure and the nanoparticles could be recycled with minimal loss of efficiency.     

High-molecular weight Aβ oligomers and protofibrils are the predominant Aβ species in the native soluble protein fraction of the AD brain

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the aggregation and deposition of amyloid β protein (Aβ) in the brain. Soluble Aβ oligomers are thought to be toxic. To investigate the predominant species of Aβ protein that may play a role in AD pathogenesis, we performed biochemical analysis of AD and control brains. Sucrose buffer-soluble brain lysates were characterized in native form using blue native (BN)-PAGE and also in denatured form using SDS-PAGE followed by Western blot analysis. BN-PAGE analysis revealed a high-molecular weight smear (>1000 kD) of Aβ(42) -positive material in the AD brain, whereas low-molecular weight and monomeric Aβ species were not detected. SDS-PAGE analysis, on the other hand, allowed the detection of prominent Aβ monomer and dimer bands in AD cases but not in controls. Immunoelectron microscopy of immunoprecipitated oligomers and protofibrils/fibrils showed spherical and protofibrillar Aβ-positive material, thereby confirming the presence of high-molecular weight Aβ (hiMWAβ) aggregates in the AD brain. In vitro analysis of synthetic Aβ(40) - and Aβ(42) preparations revealed Aβ fibrils, protofibrils, and hiMWAβ oligomers that were detectable at the electron microscopic level and after BN-PAGE. Further, BN-PAGE analysis exhibited a monomer band and less prominent low-molecular weight Aβ (loMWAβ) oligomers. In contrast, SDS-PAGE showed large amounts of loMWAβ but no hiMWAβ(40) and strikingly reduced levels of hiMWAβ(42) . These results indicate that hiMWAβ aggregates, particularly Aβ(42) species, are most prevalent in the soluble fraction of the AD brain. Thus, soluble hiMWAβ aggregates may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD either independently or as a reservoir for release of loMWAβ oligomers.     

Sensory Neuron-Derived Eph Regulates Glomerular Arbors and Modulatory Function of a Central Serotonergic Neuron

Olfactory sensory neurons connect to the antennal lobe of the fly to create the primary units for processing odor cues, the glomeruli. Unique amongst antennal-lobe neurons is an identified wide-field serotonergic neuron, the contralaterally-projecting, serotonin-immunoreactive deutocerebral neuron (CSDn). The CSDn spreads its termini all over the contralateral antennal lobe, suggesting a diffuse neuromodulatory role. A closer examination, however, reveals a restricted pattern of the CSDn arborization in some glomeruli. We show that sensory neuron-derived Eph interacts with Ephrin in the CSDn, to regulate these arborizations. Behavioural analysis of animals with altered Eph-ephrin signaling and with consequent arborization defects suggests that neuromodulation requires local glomerular-specific patterning of the CSDn termini. Our results show the importance of developmental regulation of terminal arborization of even the diffuse modulatory neurons to allow them to route sensory-inputs according to the behavioural contexts.     

Activation of ERK signalling by Src family kinases (SFKs) in DRG neurons contributes to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced thermal hyperalgesia

Concomitant generation of reactive oxygen species during tissue inflammation has been recognised as a major factor for the development and the maintenance of hyperalgesia, out of which H₂O₂ is the major player. However, molecular mechanism of H₂O₂ induced hyperalgesia is still obscure. The aim of present study is to analyse the mechanism of H₂O₂-induced hyperalgesia in rats. Intraplantar injection of H₂O₂ (5, 10 and 20 µmoles/paw) induced a significant thermal hyperalgesia in the hind paw, confirmed by increased c-Fos activity in dorsal horn of spinal cord. Onset of hyperalgesia was prior to development of oxidative stress and inflammation. Rapid increase in phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) was observed in neurons of dorsal root ganglia after 20?min of H₂O₂ (10 µmoles/paw) administration, which gradually returned towards normal level within 24?h, following the pattern of thermal hyperalgesia. The expression of TNFR1 followed the same pattern and colocalised with pERK. ERK phosphorylation was observed in NF-200-positive and -negative neurons, indicating the involvement of ERK in C-fibres as well as in A-fibres. Intrathecal preadministration of Src family kinases (SFKs) inhibitor (PP1) and MEK inhibitor (PD98059) prevented H₂O₂ induced augmentation of ERK phosphorylation and thermal hyperalgesia. Pretreatment of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) inhibitor (sodium orthovanadate) also diminished hyperalgesia, although it further increased ERK phosphorylation. Combination of orthovanadate with PP1 or PD98059 did not exhibit synergistic antihyperalgesic effect. The results demonstrate SFKs-mediated ERK activation and increased TNFR1 expression in nociceptive neurons during H₂O₂ induced hyperalgesia. However, the role of PTPs in hyperalgesic behaviour needs further molecular analysis.     

A key structural domain of the Candida albicans Mdr1 protein

A major multidrug transporter, MDR1 (multidrug resistance 1), a member of the MFS (major facilitator superfamily), invariably contributes to an increased efflux of commonly used azoles and thus corroborates their direct involvement in MDR in Candida albicans. The Mdr1 protein has two transmembrane domains, each comprising six transmembrane helices, interconnected with extracellular loops and ICLs (intracellular loops). The introduction of deletions and insertions through mutagenesis was used to address the role of the largest interdomain ICL3 of the MDR1 protein. Most of the progressive deletants, when overexpressed, eliminated the drug resistance. Notably, restoration of the length of the ICL3 by insertional mutagenesis did not restore the functionality of the protein. Interestingly, most of the insertion and deletion variants of ICL3 became amenable to trypsinization, yielding peptide fragments. The homology model of the Mdr1 protein showed that the molecular surface-charge distribution was perturbed in most of the ICL3 mutant variants. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that the CCL (central cytoplasmic loop) of the fungal MFS transporter of the DHA1 (drug/proton antiporter) family is critical for the function of MDR. Unlike other homologous proteins, ICL3 has no apparent role in imparting substrate specificity or in the recruitment of the transporter protein.     

Distribution of dwell times of a ribosome: effects of infidelity, kinetic proofreading and ribosome crowding

Ribosome is a molecular machine that polymerizes a protein where the sequence of the amino acid residues, the monomers of the protein, is dictated by the sequence of codons (triplets of nucleotides) on a messenger RNA (mRNA) that serves as the template. The ribosome is a molecular motor that utilizes the template mRNA strand also as the track. Thus, in each step the ribosome moves forward by one codon and, simultaneously, elongates the protein by one amino acid. We present a theoretical model that captures most of the main steps in the mechanochemical cycle of a ribosome. The stochastic movement of the ribosome consists of an alternating sequence of pause and translocation; the sum of the durations of a pause and the following translocation is the time of dwell of the ribosome at the corresponding codon. We derive the analytical expression for the distribution of the dwell times of a ribosome in our model. Wherever experimental data are available, our theoretical predictions are consistent with those results. We suggest appropriate experiments to test the new predictions of our model, particularly the effects of the quality control mechanism of the ribosome and that of their crowding on the mRNA track.