Engineering,Cloning and Expression of Interleukin 2–Com1 Chimera with Aim of Recombinant Subunit Vaccine Production Against Coxiella burnetii

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Query fever is an important disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, therefore vaccination against this disease is so crucial. Com1 is one...     

Autoradiographic method to screen for soil microorganisms which accumulate zinc.

An autoradiographic method was developed to screen for and isolate soil microorganisms which accumulate zinc (Zn). Diluted soil samples (Rubicon fine sand, Entic Haplorthods [pH 5.9]) were plated on soil extract-glucose agar containing radioactive 65Zn. After 7 days of incubation, individual colonies which accumulated sufficient 65Zn could be detected by autoradiography. These colonies were isolated and confirmed as Zn accumulators in pure culture by using the autoradiographic plate technique. Most Zn accumulators were filamentous fungi, identified as Penicillium janthinellum, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Paecilomyces sp. Isolates of Penicillium janthinellum were the most common Zn accumulators. The most abundant Zn-accumulating bacteria were Bacillus spp. The validity of the autoradiographic plate technique to differentiate soil microbes which accumulate Zn was examined independently by energy dispersive X-ray analysis in a scanning electron microscope. This method confirmed that fungal isolates which gave positive autoradiographic responses in the plate assay bioaccumulated more Zn in their biomass than fungal isolates from the same soil sample which gave negative autoradiographic responses. Thus, this technique can be applied to specifically screen for and isolate microbes from the environment which bioaccumulate Zn.     

Autoradiographic method to screen for soil microorganisms which accumulate zinc

An autoradiographic method was developed to screen for and isolate soil microorganisms which accumulate zinc (Zn). Diluted soil samples (Rubicon fine sand, Entic Haplorthods [pH 5.9]) were plated on soil extract-glucose agar containing radioactive 65Zn. After 7 days of incubation, individual colonies which accumulated sufficient 65Zn could be detected by autoradiography. These colonies were isolated and confirmed as Zn accumulators in pure culture by using the autoradiographic plate technique. Most Zn accumulators were filamentous fungi, identified as Penicillium janthinellum, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Paecilomyces sp. Isolates of Penicillium janthinellum were the most common Zn accumulators. The most abundant Zn-accumulating bacteria were Bacillus spp. The validity of the autoradiographic plate technique to differentiate soil microbes which accumulate Zn was examined independently by energy dispersive X-ray analysis in a scanning electron microscope. This method confirmed that fungal isolates which gave positive autoradiographic responses in the plate assay bioaccumulated more Zn in their biomass than fungal isolates from the same soil sample which gave negative autoradiographic responses. Thus, this technique can be applied to specifically screen for and isolate microbes from the environment which bioaccumulate Zn.     

Aptamer-functionalized quantum dots as theranostic nanotools against cancer and bacterial infections: A comprehensive overview of recent trends

Aptamers (Apts) are synthetic nucleic acid ligands that can be engineered to target various molecules, including amino acids, proteins, and pharmaceuticals. Through a series of adsorption, recovery, and amplification steps, Apts are extracted from combinatorial libraries of synthesized nucleic acids. Using aptasensors in bioanalysis and biomedicine can be improved by combining them with nanomaterials. Moreover, Apt-associated nanomaterials, including liposomes, polymeric, dendrimers, carbon nanomaterials, silica, nanorods, magnetic NPs, and quantum dots (QDs), have been widely used as promising nanotools in biomedicine. Following surface modifications and conjugation with appropriate functional groups, these nanomaterials can be successfully used in aptasensing. Advanced biological assays can use Apts immobilized on QD surfaces through physical interaction and chemical bonding. Accordingly, modern QD aptasensing platforms rely on interactions between QDs, Apts, and targets to detect them. QD-Apt conjugates can be used to directly detect prostate, ovarian, colorectal, and lung cancers or simultaneously detect biomarkers associated with these malignancies. Tenascin-C, mucin 1, prostate-specific antigen, prostate-specific membrane antigen, nucleolin, growth factors, and exosomes are among the cancer biomarkers that can be sensitively detected using such bioconjugates. Furthermore, Apt-conjugated QDs have shown great potential for controlling bacterial infections such as Bacillus thuringiensis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Campylobacter jejuni, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhimurium. This comprehensive review discusses recent advancements in the design of QD-Apt bioconjugates and their applications in cancer and bacterial theranostics.     

Characterisation and Regional Localisation of Pre- and Postsynaptic Glycoproteins of the Chick Forebrain Showing Changed Fucose Incorporation Following Passive Avoidance Training

To identify those glycoproteins whose synthesis or modification is necessary for memory formation, we have studied the uptake of radiolabelled fucose into synaptic plasma membranes (SPMs) and postsynaptic densities (PSDs) derived from two specific left and right forebrain loci, at two different times after training of 1-day-old chicks on a one-trial passive avoidance learning task. To increase the reliability of the comparison, a double-labelling method was used. Tissue samples from intermediate medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) and lobus parolfactorius (LPO) were isolated at 6 and 24 h after training. At both times, training resulted in region-specific changes, both increases and decreases, in incorporated radioactivity into pre- and postsynaptic glycoproteins. After 6 h, there was a relative decline in incorporation into both SPMs and PSDs of the right IMHV of trained chicks, a decline that persisted in the PSDs until 24 h. A small decline in incorporation in SPMs from the right LPO of trained chicks at 6 h was reversed by 24 h, by which time there was a 64% increase in incorporation into SPMs and a 24% increase into PSDs of the left LPO. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of left and right hemisphere samples containing LPO revealed that 6 h after training the main effect was presynaptic, including a reduction of incorporation into high molecular mass glycoproteins, of 150-180 kDa, and an increase in a lower molecular mass (41 kDa) fraction. By 24 h after training, a left hemisphere presynaptic glycoprotein of molecular mass approximately 50 kDa showed the biggest increase in fucosylation. In addition, a wide group of postsynaptic glycoproteins of both hemispheres, in the ranges 150-180, 100-120, and 33 kDa now showed increases in incorporation. Some other fractions showed decreases. These results are in accord with previous data on incorporation obtained using the amnesic agent 2-deoxygalactose. They also support the hypothesis that memory formation involves the strengthening of connections between pre- and postsynaptic neurons of the LPO by growth or modulation of pre- and postsynaptic structures.     

Molecular characterization of Plasmodium vivax clinical isolates in Pakistan and Iran using pvmsp-1, pvmsp-3α and pvcsp genes as molecular markers

In this study, the diversity of Plasmodium vivax populations circulating in Pakistan and Iran has been investigated by using circumsporozoite protein (csp) and merozoite surface proteins 1 and 3α (msp-1 and msp-3α) genes as genetic markers. Infected P. vivax blood samples were collected from Pakistan (n = 187) and Iran (n = 150) during April to October 2008, and were analyzed using nested-PCR/RFLP and sequencing methods. Genotyping pvmsp-1 (variable block 5) revealed the presence of type 1, type 2 and recombinant type 3 allelic variants, with type 1 predominant, in both study areas. The sequence analysis of 33 P. vivax isolates from Pakistan and 30 from Iran identified 16 distinct alleles each, with one allele (R-8) from Iran which was not reported previously. Genotyping pvcsp gene also showed that VK210 type is predominant in both countries. Moreover, based on the size of amplified fragment of pvmsp-3α, three major types: type A (1800 bp), type B (1500 bp) and type C (1200 bp), were distinguished among the examined isolates that type A was predominant among Pakistani (72.7%) and Iranian (77.3%) parasites. PCR/RFLP products of pvmsp-3α with HhaI and AluI have detected 40 and 39 distinct variants among Pakistani and Iranian examined isolates, respectively. Based on these three studied genes, the rate of combined multiple genotypes were 30% and 24.6% for Pakistani and Iranian P. vivax isolates, respectively. These results indicate an extensive diversity in the P. vivax populations in both studies.     

Metal Binding Antimicrobial Peptides in Nanoparticle Bio-functionalization: New Heights in Drug Delivery and Therapy

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - Peptides are considered very important due to the diversity expressed through their amino acid sequence, structure variation, large spectrum, and their...     

MicroRNA-424-5p enhances chemosensitivity of breast cancer cells to Taxol and regulates cell cycle,apoptosis, and proliferation

Molecular Biology Reports - Combination therapy has been considered as a potential method to overcome the BC chemoresistance. MicroRNAs (miRs) have been suggested as a therapeutic factor in the...     

Therapeutic effects of Typha elephantina leave’s extract against paracetamol induced renal injury in rabbits

Present study focuses on ameliorative potential of Typha elephantina leave’s aqueous (TE.AQ) extract against Paracetamol (PCM) induced toxicity in rabbits. We fed the male rabbits with 300 mg PCM in alone and in combination with TE.AQ at different doses i.e. (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight) or silymarin (100 mg/kg) daily for 21 days. PCM in alone significantly (P < 0.5) increased serum urea, uric acid, creatinine, total protein, albumin, globulin and blood urea nitrogen. Serum sodium, potassium and magnesium level were high. The glutathione, radical scavenging activity and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were significantly reduced. Treatment with TE.AQ at dose rate 300 mg/kg body weight and Silymarin significantly ameliorated all the parameters when compared with PCM administered group. The 100 and 200 mg of TE.AQ showed no significant effects. The histopathological examination confirmed the therapeutic potential of TE.AQ. These results established the presence of natural antioxidants in Typha elephantina leaves.