Search results for "Assays"
showing 10 items of 546 documents
Rational Design of a Carrier Protein for the Production of Recombinant Toxic Peptides in Escherichia coli
2016
Commercial uses of bioactive peptides require low cost, effective methods for their production. We developed a new carrier protein for high yield production of recombinant peptides in Escherichia coli very well suited for the production of toxic peptides like antimicrobial peptides. GKY20, a short antimicrobial peptide derived from the C-terminus of human thrombin, was fused to the C-terminus of Onconase, a small ribonuclease (104 amino acids), which efficiently drove the peptide into inclusion bodies with very high expression levels (about 200-250 mg/L). After purification of the fusion protein by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, peptide was obtained by chemical cleavage in d…
A BMP7 Variant Inhibits Tumor Angiogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo through Direct Modulation of Endothelial Cell Biology
2015
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), members of the TGF-β superfamily, have numerous biological activities including control of growth, differentiation, and vascular development. Using an in vitro co-culture endothelial cord formation assay, we investigated the role of a BMP7 variant (BMP7v) in VEGF, bFGF, and tumor-driven angiogenesis. BMP7v treatment led to disruption of neo-endothelial cord formation and regression of existing VEGF and bFGF cords in vitro. Using a series of tumor cell models capable of driving angiogenesis in vitro, BMP7v treatment completely blocked cord formation. Pre-treatment of endothelial cells with BMP7v significantly reduced their cord forming ability, indicating …
Abnormal mitotic spindle assembly and cytokinesis induced by D-Limonene in cultured mammalian cells
2013
D-Limonene is found widely in citrus and many other plant species; it is a major constituent of many essential oils and is used as a solvent for commercial purposes. With the discovery of its chemotherapeutic properties against cancer, it is important to investigate the biological effects of the exposure to D-Limonene and elucidate its, as yet unknown, mechanism of action. We reported here that D-Limonene is toxic in V79 Chinese hamster cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, to determine the cellular target of D-Limonene, we performed morphological observations and immunocytochemical analysis and we showed that this drug has a direct effect on dividing cells preventing assembly of mito…
Accumulation of trace metals in sediments in a Mediterranean Lagoon: Usefulness of metal sediment fractionation and elutriate toxicity assessment.
2015
International audience; The authors investigated sediment quality in Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia) focusing on geochemical characteristics, metal sediment fractionation and elutriate toxicity assessment. Nickel, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Cd partitioning in sediments was studied; accumulation and bioavailability were elucidated using enrichment factors, sequential extractions, redox potential, acid volatile sulfide and biotest procedures in toxicity evaluation. Results revealed an accumulation for Pb and Zn, reaching 99 and 460 mg kg−1 respectively. In addition, the acid volatile sulfide values were high in both eastern and western lagoon areas, thus affecting metal availability. Mean enrichment factor …
(R)-NODAGA-PSMA: A Versatile Precursor for Radiometal Labeling and Nuclear Imaging of PSMA-Positive Tumors
2015
Purpose The present study aims at developing and evaluating an urea-based prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) inhibitor suitable for labeling with 111In for SPECT and intraoperative applications as well as 68Ga and 64Cu for PET imaging. Methods The PSMA-based inhibitor-lysine-urea-glutamate-coupled to the spacer Phe-Phe-D-Lys(suberoyl) and functionalized with the enantiomerically pure prochelator (R)-1-(1-carboxy-3-carbotertbutoxypropyl)-4,7-carbotartbutoxymethyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane ((R)-NODAGA(tBu)3), to obtain (R)-NODAGA-Phe-Phe-D-Lys(suberoyl)-Lys-urea-Glu (CC34). CC34 was labeled with 111In, 68Ga and 64Cu. The radioconjugates were further evaluated in vitro and in vivo in LNC…
Cytotoxicity and chemosensitizing activity of amphiphilic poly(glycerol)-poly(alkylene oxide) block copolymers.
2014
All polymeric chemosensitizers proposed thus far have a linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrophilic block. To testify whether precisely this chemical structure and architecture of the hydrophilic block is a prerequisite for chemosensitization, we tested a series of novel block copolymers containing a hyperbranched polyglycerol segment as a hydrophilic block (PPO-NG copolymers) on multi-drug-resistant (MDR) tumor cells in culture. PPO-NG copolymers inhibited MDR of three cell lines, indicating that the linear PEG can be substituted for a hyperbranched polyglycerol block without loss of the polymers' chemosensitizing activity. The extent of MDR reversal increased with the polymers affinity…
Differences between the Glycosylation Patterns of Haptoglobin Isolated from Skin Scales and Plasma of Psoriatic Patients
2012
Improved diagnosis of psoriasis, by new biomarkers, is required for evaluating the progression rate of the disease and the response to treatment. Haptoglobin (Hpt), a glycoprotein secreted by hepatocytes and other types of cells including keratinocytes, was found with glycan changes in psoriasis and other diseases. We previously reported that Hpt isolated from plasma of psoriatic patients is more fucosylated than Hpt of healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to compare the glycosylation pattern of Hpt isolated from skin scales or plasma of patients with psoriasis with that of Hpt from cornified epidermal layer or plasma of healthy subjects. High performance liquid chromatography analys…
Porphyrin-bile acid conjugates: from saccharide recognition in the solution to the selective cancer cell fluorescence detection.
2008
This paper describes the preparation and use of conjugates of porphyrins and bile acids as ligands to bind to tumor expressed saccharides. Bile acid-porphyrin conjugates were tested for recognition of saccharides that are typically present on malignant tumor cells. Fluorescence microscopy, in vitro PDT cell killing, and PDT of subcutaneous 4T1 mouse tumors is reported. High selectivity for saccharide cancer markers and cancer cells was observed. This in vivo and in vitro study demonstrated high potential use for these compounds in targeted photodynamic therapy.
Ruthenium-arene complexes bearing naphthyl-substituted 1,3-dioxoindan-2-carboxamides ligands for G-quadruplex DNA recognition.
2019
Quadruplex nucleic acids – DNA/RNA secondary structures formed in guanine rich sequences – proved to have key roles in the biology of cancers and, as such, in recent years they emerged as promising targets for small molecules. Many reports demonstrated that metal complexes can effectively stabilize quadruplex structures, promoting telomerase inhibition, downregulation of the expression of cancer-related genes and ultimately cancer cell death. Although extensively explored as anticancer agents, studies on the ability of ruthenium arene complexes to interact with quadruplex nucleic acids are surprisingly almost unknown. Herein, we report on the synthesis and characterization of four novel Ru(…
Triterpenoid saponins from the roots of two Gypsophila species.
2013
Two triterpenoid saponins with two known ones have been isolated from the roots of Gypsophila arrostii var. nebulosa, and two new ones from the roots of Gypsophila bicolor. Their structures were established by extensive NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques as 3-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-d-glucuronopyranosylquillaic acid 28-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-d-fucopyranosyl ester (1), 3-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-d-glucuronopyranosylgypsogenin 28-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-d-fuco…