Green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles for antimicrobial and vegetative growth applications: A novel approach for advancing efficient high quality health care to human wellbeing

The present work aims to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles via green approaches using leaf extract of Parthenium hysterophorus. UV–vis and FT-IR tests confirmed the existence of biomolecules, active materials, and metal oxides. The X-ray diffraction structural study exposes the ZnO nanoparticles formation with hexagonal phase structures. SEM and TEM analysis reveal surface morphologies of ZnO nanoparticles and most of them are spherical with a size range of 10 nm. ZnO nanoparticles were revealed strong antimicrobial activity against both bacterial and fungal strains. The germination of seeds and vegetative growth of Sesamum indicum has been greatly improved.     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of carbamate-modified (−)-N1-phenethylnorphysostigmine derivatives as selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors

We synthesized carbamate-modified (?)-N¹-phenethylnorphysostigmine derivatives 3a–u and evaluated their anti-cholinesterase activities. In vitro evaluation showed that cyclohexylmethylcarbamate derivative 3u potently and selectively inhibits butyrylcholinesterase.     

Efficient and sustained gene expression in primary T lymphocytes and primary and cultured tumor cells mediated by adeno-associated virus plasmid DNA complexed to cationic liposomes.

We have used cationic liposomes to facilitate adeno-associated virus (AAV) plasmid transfections of primary and cultured cell types. AAV plasmid DNA complexed with liposomes showed levels of expression several fold higher than those of complexes with standard plasmids. In addition, long-term expression (> 30 days) of the gene, unlike the transient expression demonstrated by typical liposome-mediated transfection with standard plasmids, was observed. Southern analysis of chromosomal DNA further substantiated the hypothesis that the long-term expression was due to the presence of the transgene in the AAV plasmid-transfected group and not in the standard plasmid-transfected group. AAV plasmid-liposome complexes induced levels of transgene expression comparable to those obtained by recombinant AAV transduction. Primary breast, ovarian, and lung tumor cells were transfectable with the AAV plasmid DNA-liposome complexes. Transfected primary and cultured tumor cells were able to express transgene product even after lethal irradiation. High-level gene expression was also observed in freshly isolated CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells from normal human peripheral blood. Transfection efficiency ranged from 10 to 50% as assessed by intracellular interleukin-2 levels in interleukin-2-transfected cells. The ability to express transgenes in primary tumor and lymphoid cells may be applied toward tumor vaccine studies and protocols which may eventually permit highly specific modulation of the cellular immune response in cancer and AIDS.     

Egg and miracidium of Hirudinella ventricosa (Trematoda: Hirudinellidae)

It is reported for the first time that Hirudinella ventricosa releases eggs in strings, each string containing active spermatozoa and numerous oval, thick-shelled, translucent eggs measuring 40-42 x 28-30 microns. Each egg contained a fully developed miracidium with an anterior crown of spines.     

Quantitation of the Calcium and Membrane Binding Properties of the C2 Domains of Dysferlin

Dysferlin is a large membrane protein involved in calcium-triggered resealing of the sarcolemma after injury. Although it is generally accepted that dysferlin is Ca²⁺ sensitive, the Ca²⁺ binding properties of dysferlin have not been characterized. In this study, we report an analysis of the Ca²⁺ and membrane binding properties of all seven C2 domains of dysferlin as well as a multi-C2 domain construct. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements indicate that all seven dysferlin C2 domains interact with Ca²⁺ with a wide range of binding affinities. The C2A and C2C domains were determined to be the most sensitive, with K_d values in the tens of micromolar, whereas the C2D domain was least sensitive, with a near millimolar K_d value. Mutagenesis of C2A demonstrates the requirement for negatively charged residues in the loop regions for divalent ion binding. Furthermore, dysferlin displayed significantly lower binding affinity for the divalent cations magnesium and strontium. Measurement of a multidomain construct indicates that the solution binding affinity does not change when C2 domains are linked. Finally, sedimentation assays suggest all seven C2 domains bind lipid membranes, and that Ca²⁺ enhances but is not required for interaction. This report reveals for the first time, to our knowledge, that all dysferlin domains bind Ca²⁺ albeit with varying affinity and stoichiometry.     

Rapid screening of enzyme inhibitors using profiling of enzyme-metabolite assay by HPLC (PREMA-HPLC)

A number of isolates from different ecosystems were screened for their ability to inhibit tyrosinase resulting in the selection of isolate CFR 101, which showed an inhibition of 72%. The metabolites present in the crude extract of the selected isolate was profiled through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) before the enzyme inhibition assay to reveal a 66% decrease in area of the peak at room temperature for 13.9?min, after the assay. Upon purification, this peak was identified as kojic acid, a known inhibitor of tyrosinase. This unique technique of combining a reaction assay mixture with HPLC profile wherein inhibitors can be rapidly pinpointed in crude extracts addresses the drawback of rapid chemical high-throughput screening (HTS) systems, which is limited to the chemical nature of metabolites without any evidence of their biological activities.     

Design,synthesis, evaluation and QSAR analysis of N1-substituted norcymserine derivatives as selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors

We synthesized a series of N¹-substituted norcymserine derivatives 7a–p and evaluated their anti-cholinesterase activities. In vitro evaluation showed that the pyridinylethyl derivatives 7m–o and the piperidinylethyl derivative 7p improved the anti-butyrylcholinesterase activity by approximately threefold compared to N¹-phenethylnorcymserine (PEC, 2). A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study indicated that logS might be a key feature of the improved compounds.     

Sost and its paralog Sostdc1 coordinate digit number in a Gli3-dependent manner

WNT signaling is critical in most aspects of skeletal development and homeostasis, and antagonists of WNT signaling are emerging as key regulatory proteins with great promise as therapeutic agents for bone disorders. Here we show that Sost and its paralog Sostdc1 emerged through ancestral genome duplication and their expression patterns have diverged to delineate non-overlapping domains in most organ systems including musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous, digestive, reproductive and respiratory. In the developing limb, Sost and Sostdc1 display dynamic expression patterns with Sost being restricted to the distal ectoderm and Sostdc1 to the proximal ectoderm and the mesenchyme. While Sostdc1^−/− mice lack any obvious limb or skeletal defects, Sost^−/− mice recapitulate the hand defects described for Sclerosteosis patients. However, elevated WNT signaling in Sost^−/−; Sostdc1^−/− mice causes misregulation of SHH signaling, ectopic activation of Sox9 in the digit 1 field and preaxial polydactyly in a Gli1- and Gli3-dependent manner. In addition, we show that the syndactyly documented in Sclerosteosis is present in both Sost^−/− and Sost^−/−; Sostdc1^−/− mice, and is driven by misregulation of Fgf8 in the AER, a region lacking Sost and Sostdc1 expression. This study highlights the complexity of WNT signaling in skeletal biology and disease and emphasizes how redundant mechanism and non-cell autonomous effects can synergize to unveil new intricate phenotypes caused by elevated WNT signaling.