Search results for " envelope"

Duck Hepatitis B Virus Requires Cholesterol for Endosomal Escape during Virus Entry

2008

ABSTRACT The identity and functionality of biological membranes are determined by cooperative interaction between their lipid and protein constituents. Cholesterol is an important structural lipid that modulates fluidity of biological membranes favoring the formation of detergent-resistant microdomains. In the present study, we evaluated the functional role of cholesterol and lipid rafts for entry of hepatitis B viruses into hepatocytes. We show that the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) attaches predominantly to detergent-soluble domains on the plasma membrane. Cholesterol depletion from host membranes and thus disruption of rafts does not affect DHBV infection. In contrast, depletion of chole…

Adaptive Materials Research for Architecture

2018

The volume "Adaptive Materials Research for Architecture" is a Special Issue of the journal "Advanced Material Research". The goal of this volume is to spread knowledge on studies, analyses and results of scientific research carried out from academics, researchers, and scientists regarding the soundest issues related to smart materials, innovative technologies and ongoing researches in the field of adaptive materials in past and current architectural practice.

DNA-mediated immunization to hepatitis B virus envelope proteins: preS antigen secretion enhances the humoral response.

1999

In order to design optimized DNA vectors as genetic vaccines against infections with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) we investigated if secretion or retention of the viral antigens has an influence on the quality and quantity of the humoral immune response. Intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA encoding the HBV large L envelope protein, known to be retained within host cells, induced only a weak response in mice whereas a vector expressing the secretion-competent small S envelope protein elicited strong and sustained immunity. Immunization with rearranged envelope genes further demonstrated that secretion affects the magnitude of the immune response. In situ expression of modified small and mi…

Membrane topology of gp41 and amyloid precursor protein: Interfering transmembrane interactions as potential targets for HIV and Alzheimer treatment

2009

AbstractThe amyloid precursor protein (APP), that plays a critical role in the development of senile plaques in Alzheimer disease (AD), and the gp41 envelope protein of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the causative agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), are single-spanning type-1 transmembrane (TM) glycoproteins with the ability to form homo-oligomers. In this review we describe similarities, both in structural terms and sequence determinants of their TM and juxtamembrane regions. The TM domains are essential not only for anchoring the proteins in membranes but also have functional roles. Both TM segments contain GxxxG motifs that drive TM associations within the li…

Enhanced Gene Delivery by Avidin-Displaying Baculovirus

2004

Flexible alteration of virus surface properties would be beneficial for enhanced and targeted gene delivery. A useful approach could be based on a high-affinity receptor–ligand pair, such as avidin and biotin. In this study, we have constructed an avidin-displaying baculovirus, Baavi. Avidin display was expected to enhance cell transduction due to the high positive charge of avidin in physiological pH and to provide a binding site for covering the virus with desired biotinylated ligands. Successful incorporation of avidin on the virus envelope was detected by immunoblotting and electron microscopy. Multiple biotin-binding sites per virus were detected with fluorescence-correlation spectrosc…

Involvement of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa MexAB–OprM efflux pump in the secretion of the metallophore pseudopaline

2020

ABSTRACTThe ability for all organisms to acquire metals from their environment is essential for life. To overcome the metal restriction imposed by the host’s nutritional immunity, bacterial pathogens exploits the use of small high metal affinity molecules called metallophores. Metallophores are first synthetized in the cytoplasm, then secreted into the medium where they sequester the metal. The metal-metallophore complex is then imported into the bacterium following binding to dedicated cell surface receptors. Recently, a new family of metallophores has been discovered in pathogenic bacteria called staphylopine in Staphylococcus aureus and pseudopaline in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we ar…

ARCHITECTURE AND PHOTOVOLTAICS. Strategies, technologies and novel components for the building envelope

Il principale obiettivo della tesi ha riguardato lo studio di strategie e tecnologie per l’integrazione del fotovoltaico negli edifici, con particolare attenzione verso le tecnologie solari di terza generazione, e la successiva definizione di un componente multifunzionale innovativo per l’involucro edilizio integrato con Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSC). Nella prima parte del lavoro, la ricerca si è concentrata sull’analisi del mercato del Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), sottolineando differenze, limiti e potenzialità di ciascuna tecnologia fotovoltaica. Particolare attenzione, inoltre, è stata rivolta a un numero consistente di casi studio, ossia edifici di nuova costruzione o in…

TOWARDS A TAO BUILDING’S ENVELOPE: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VOID

2017

The forward summarizes the role of the void in the building envelope.

Benefits of a translucent building envelope made of DSC-integrated glass blocks

2015

The aim of this paper is to analyse the benefits deriving from the replacement of the glazed façades of an office building located in Palermo (Sicily) with a new translucent BIPV envelope made of multifunctional glass block panels integrated with Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSCs). The analysed 11-storey building is cladded by a curtain wall determining high management costs, especially during summer, in order to maintain indoor comfort. After the design of the building envelope and of the components for the connection of the glass block panels with existing load bearing structure, the energy performance of the building, before and after the replacement of its envelope, were analysed with th…

T-cell receptor transfer into human T cells with ecotropic retroviral vectors

2014

Adoptive T-cell transfer for cancer immunotherapy requires genetic modification of T cells with recombinant T-cell receptors (TCRs). Amphotropic retroviral vectors (RVs) used for TCR transduction for this purpose are considered safe in principle. Despite this, TCR-coding and packaging vectors could theoretically recombine to produce replication competent vectors (RCVs), and transduced T-cell preparations must be proven free of RCV. To eliminate the need for RCV testing, we transduced human T cells with ecotropic RVs so potential RCV would be non-infectious for human cells. We show that transfection of synthetic messenger RNA encoding murine cationic amino-acid transporter 1 (mCAT-1), the re…