Search results for "Biophysic"
showing 10 items of 3565 documents
Interactions between proteins and poly(ethylene-glycol) investigated using molecular dynamics simulations
2017
Poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) is a polymer used to coat therapeutic preparations, like drugs or drug nanocarriers, and improve their efficacy. This effect is probably due to a reduction of the interactions of the coated species with the host organism. Nevertheless, experiments show that PEGylated materials do interact with the surrounding biological milieu, and in particular with blood proteins. Here, we use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to characterize the interactions between the polymer and several blood proteins. In these simulations, the proteins are immersed in a mixture of PEG and water molecules. We observe how PEG distributes around the protein surface and measure PEG-prot…
On the stability of the 24-meric hemocyanin from Eurypelma californicum.
1998
The stability of the 24-meric hemocyanin from Eurypelma californicum towards various denaturants (GdnHCl, urea, urea derivatives and salts of the Hofmeister series) indicates that the quaternary structure is stabilized by hydrophilic and polar forces. Thus, the interaction between the seven different subunit types of this cheliceratan hemocyanin is comparable with that of the closely related crustacean hemocyanins. In contrast, no significant influence of divalent ions such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ on the stability is observed at pH 8.0 and pH 8.5 but not at pH 7.0. Studies, both in the presence of urea and GdnHCl indicate that the denaturation process consists of a dissociation of the oligomeric s…
1H-nmr studies of polyoxyethylene-bound homo-oligo-L-methionines
1982
The use of 1H-nmr spectroscopy is demonstrated to be a useful analytical method to characterize the structure of synthetic peptides attached to soluble, macromolecular polyoxyethylene (POE) supports in the liquid-phase method (LPM) of peptide synthesis. We report an extensive 360-MHz 1H-nmr study of POE-bound homo-oligo-L-methionine peptides. A combination of high field and selective saturation or Redfield pulse methods allows resolution of individual backbone NH and α-CH resonances of dilute peptides in the presence of strong resonances from macromolecular POE and/or protonated solvents. The nmr spectra for the POE-bound peptides in CDCl3 are qualitatively similar to those of the low-molec…
Controllable membrane remodeling by a modified fragment of the apoptotic protein Bax.
2021
Intrinsic apoptosis is orchestrated by a group of proteins that mediate the coordinated disruption of mitochondrial membranes. Bax is a multi-domain protein that, upon activation, disrupts the integrity of the mitochondrial outer membrane by forming pores. We strategically introduced glutamic acids into a short sequence of the Bax protein that constitutively creates membrane pores. The resulting BaxE5 peptide efficiently permeabilizes membranes at acidic pH, showing low permeabilization at neutral pH. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging showed that at acidic pH BaxE5 established several membrane remodeling modalities that progressively disturbed the integrity of the lipid bilayer. The AFM…
1,4-Naphthoquinones as inducers of oxidative damage and stress signaling in HaCaT human keratinocytes.
2010
Selected biological effects of 1,4-naphthoquinone, menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) and structurally related quinones from natural sources--the 5-hydroxy-naphthoquinones juglone, plumbagin and the 2-hydroxy-naphthoquinones lawsone and lapachol--were studied in human keratinocytes (HaCaT). 1,4-naphthoquinone and menadione as well as juglone and plumbagin were highly cytotoxic, strongly induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and depleted cellular glutathione. Moreover, they induced oxidative DNA base damage and accumulation of DNA strand breaks, as demonstrated in an alkaline DNA unwinding assay. Neither lawsone nor lapachol (up to 100 microM) were active in any of these assay…
Effect of?-cyclodextrin complexation on the photohaemolitic activity induced by Ketoprofen and Naproxen sensitization
1993
Red blood cell lysis photosensitized by two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Naproxen (NAP) and Ketoprofen (KPF) was investigated in the presence of β-cyclodextrin (β-Cyd). The photohaemolysis was inhibited by the addition of β-Cyd both for NAP and, to a lesser extent, for KPF. The protective action was found only in a restricted range of concentration of β-Cyd. Higher amounts of β-Cyd interfered with the resistance of the cell to the osmotic shock induced by the photosensitization process. The complexing action of β-Cyd was ascertained through UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, induced circular dichroism and emission spectroscopy. The isolated complexes Naproxen-β-Cyd (NAP-β-Cyd) and Ket…
Kinetics of Molecule Transfer between Lipid Vesicles and β-Cyclodextrins
1996
Abstract We propose a calorimetric method based on the van't Hoff model of depression of the freezing temperature to investigate slow kinetics involving lipid vesicles (liposomes) and drug–β-cyclodextrin (Cyd) complexes. Some nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were examined and standard phospholipid liposomes were used in our experiments. Three different kinetic processes were investigated: (a)9Transfer of drugs from water-soluble Cyd-complexes to void liposomes. (b)9Uptake of drugs from the surface of liposomes by free Cyd dissolved in the aqueous phase. (c)9Exchange of drugs from loaded to void vesicles, and the effect of free Cyd in enhancing such a transfer. Most experiments w…
How to Bridge the Gap Between Membrane Biology and Polymer Science
1986
Can polymer chemists contribute to the understanding or even mimicking of cell membrane functions and cell-cell interactions? Fascinated by the specificity and efficiency of, for example, the destruction of tumor cells by lymphocytes (1) and having in mind what biochemical analyses tell us about membrane composition, we may try to “synthesize” membrane and cell models. The commonly used model systems, such as planar lipid monolayers at the gas-water interface, bimolecular lipid membranes and spherical liposomes, are much less stable than natural membrane systems (Figure 1).
Asialofetuin Liposomes for Receptor-Mediated Gene Transfer into Hepatic Cells
2003
Publisher Summary The liver is an excellent organ for gene transfer in treating a wide variety of diseases that affect liver function. It is an ideal organ for a high amount of expression of therapeutic genes and efficient systemic distribution of the resulting therapeutic proteins secreted into the bloodstream. For strategies of liver-destined gene therapy, the liver sinusoid endothelium contains pores with a mean diameter of 100 nm, which allow small vectors to leave the blood circulation and reach the hepatocytes. The preparation of asialofetuin–liposomes targeted to hepatocytes can be made by covalent coupling of asialofetuin glycoprotein (ASF) onto the liposome surface, by the use of h…
De-epoxidation of Violaxanthin after Reconstitution into Different Carotenoid Binding Sites of Light-harvesting Complex II
2001
In higher plants, the de-epoxidation of violaxanthin (Vx) to antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin is required for the pH-dependent dissipation of excess light energy as heat and by that process plays an important role in the protection against photo-oxidative damage. The de-epoxidation reaction was investigated in an in vitro system using reconstituted light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) and a thylakoid raw extract enriched in the enzyme Vx de-epoxidase. Reconstitution of LHCII with varying carotenoids was performed to replace lutein and/or neoxanthin, which are bound to the native complex, by Vx. Recombinant LHCII containing either 2 lutein and 1 Vx or 1.6 Vx and 1.1 neoxanthin or 2.8 Vx per mono…