Search results for "Biophysic"

Heat capacities of butanol and pentanol in aqueous dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide solutions

1987

Heat capacities of the ternary systems water-dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB)-butanol and water-DTAB-pentanol were measured at 25°C. The standard partial molar heat capacities of pentanol in micellar solutions show a maximum at about 0.35 mol-kg−1 DTAB that has been attributed to a micellar structural transition. This maximum tends to vanish by increasing the alcohol concentration and by decreasing the alcohol alkyl chain length; in the case of butanol it was not detected. The behavior of the standard partial molar heat capacities of alcohols in micellar solutions in the region above the cmc and below the structural transition was explained using a previously reported mass-action mod…

Fatty Acid Aggregates Simulated using Constant pH Molecular Dynamics with a Coarse-Grained Model

2013

Fatty acids are crucial biomolecules, important for lipid metabolism, signaling, models for protocell membranes, soaps, industrial applications, and drug delivery. Oleic acid has complex phase behavior with respect to the protonation state of the carboxylic head group, which depends on the pH of the solution. Oils form at low pHs, vesicles at intermediate pHs, and micelles at high pHs. We use constant pH molecular dynamics with the MARTINI coarse-grained model to investigate oleic acid aggregates at different pH conditions. We determine titration curves for the oleic acid monomers in different aggregates, and observe a shift in the microscopic pKa. In agreement with experimental results, th…

Membrane-Perturbing Activities of KL4-Related Surfactant Peptides

2013

KL4 is a 21-residue peptide proposed as a potential substitute of pulmonary surfactant protein SP-B in synthetic surfactants, intended for the treatment of respiratory pathologies. The peptide, composed by leucines interrupted by lysine every four residues, was synthesized to simulate C-terminal amphipathic helical segments of SP-B. Once incorporated into lipid-protein complexes, KL4 promotes formation of interfacial films that produce and maintain surface tensions below 5 mN/m during compression-expansion cycling. Although KL4 was designed as an amphipathic helix at the membrane surface, the data on orientation and interactions of the peptide in membranes are contradictory. In the present …

On the biochemical classification of yeast trehalases: Candida albicans contains two enzymes with mixed features of neutral and acid trehalase activi…

2009

Abstract Two enzymes endowed with trehalase activity are present in Candida albicans . The cytosolic trehalase (Ntc1p), displayed high activity in exponential phase regardless of the carbon source (glucose, trehalose or glycerol). Ntc1p activity was similar in neutral (pH 7.1) or acid (pH 4.5) conditions, strongly inhibited by ATP, weakly stimulated by divalent cations (Ca 2+ or Mn 2+ ) and unaffected in the presence of cyclic AMP. The Ntc1p activity decreased in stationary phase, except in glycerol-grown cultures, but the catalytic properties did not change. In turn, the cell wall-linked trehalase (Atc1p) showed elevated activity in resting cells or in cultures growing on trehalose or glyc…

Corrigendum to “Biomolecule-corona formation confers resistance of bacteria to nanoparticle-induced killing: Implications for the design of improved …

2020

2019

Water-soluble chlorophyll proteins (WSCP) from Brassicaceae form homotetrameric chlorophyll (Chl)–protein complexes binding one Chl per apoprotein and no carotenoids. Despite the lack of photoprotecting pigments, the complex-bound Chls displays a remarkable stability toward photodynamic damage. On the basis of a mutational study, we show that not only the presence of the phytyls is necessary for photoprotection in WSCPs, as we previously demonstrated, but also is their correct conformation and localization. The extreme heat stability of WSCP also depends on the presence of the phytyl chains, confirming their relevance for the unusual stability of WSCP.

Novel Sortase A Inhibitors to Counteract Gram-Positive Bacterial Biofilms

2019

Sortase A (SrtA) is a membrane enzyme responsible for the covalent anchoring of surface proteins on the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria. Nowadays it is considered an interesting target for the development of new anti-infective drugs which aim to interfere with important Gram-positive virulence mechanisms. Along the years, we studied the anti-staphylococcal and anti-biofilm activity of some natural and synthetic polyhalogenated pyrrolic compounds, called pyrrolomycins. Some of them were active on Gram-positive pathogens at a μg/mL range of concentration (1.5-0.045 μg/mL) and showed a biofilm inhibition in the range of 50-80%. [1-3] In light of these encouraging results, herein we present…

Blood Proteins and Their Interactions with Nanoparticles Investigated Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

2018

Blood proteins play a fundamental role in determining the response of the organism to the injection of drugs or, more in general, of therapeutic preparations in the blood stream. Some of these proteins are responsible for mediating immune response and coagulation. Nanoparticles, which are being intensely investigated as possible drug nanocarriers, heavily interact with blood proteins and their ultimate fate is determined by these interactions. Here we report the results of molecular dynamics simulations of several blood proteins aimed to determining their possible behavior at the nanoparticle surface. On one hand we investigated the behavior of fibrinogen, a glycoprotein, which polymerizes …

Kultivierung humaner Zellen auf polymerbeschichteten Bioimplantaten?ein neues Konzept zur Verbesserung der Implantateigenschaften

2004

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Calcific degeneration with the resulting need for operative replacement remains the major drawback of bioprostheses. Previous studies have shown that cellular surface seeding decreases calcium uptake in vitro and in vivo, but complete coverage remains difficult to achieve. A new approach is presented, masking glutaraldehyde residues with a covalently bound polymer layer thus facilitating cell seeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate different polymers for their ability to promote surface cell adhesion and formation of complete monolayers. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ten ultrathin polymers, covalently bound to glass and exhibiting different physicochemical characteristi…

Non-linear optical spectra of excitons in polydiacetylene

1992

Abstract Adding long-range Coulomb interactions to the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model makes it possible to investigate excitonic states in conjugated polymers. Various characteristic features due to these states as well as due to the electron-hole continuum can be found in the calculated non-linear optical susceptibilities. In particular the electroabsorption spectrum and the third harmonic generation intensity and its dependence on the system size are examined. Using only moderate interaction strength, various experiments in polydiacetylene can be interpreted in a consistent way.