Search results for "DYES"

In Vivo Imaging of Enteric Neuronal Networks in Humans Using Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy

2012

Interaction ofEscherichia colihemolysin with biological membranes

2001

Escherichia coli hemolysin (HlyA) is a membrane-permeabilizing protein belonging to the family of RTX-toxins. Lytic activity depends on binding of Ca2(+) to the C-terminus of the molecule. The N-terminus of HlyA harbors hydrophobic sequences that are believed to constitute the membrane-inserting domain. In this study, 13 HlyA cysteine-replacement mutants were constructed and labeled with the polarity-sensitive fluorescent probe 6-bromoacetyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (badan). The fluorescence emission of the label was examined in soluble and membrane-bound toxin. Binding effected a major blue shift in the emission of six residues within the N-terminal hydrophobic domain, indicating inserti…

Molecular architecture of a toxin pore: a 15-residue sequence lines the transmembrane channel of staphylococcal alpha-toxin.

1996

Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin is a hydrophilic polypeptide of 293 amino acids that produces heptameric transmembrane pores. During assembly, the formation of a pre-pore precedes membrane permeabilization; the latter is linked to a conformational change in the oligomer. Here, 41 single-cysteine replacement toxin mutants were thiol-specifically labelled with the polarity-sensitive fluorescent probe acrylodan. After oligomerization on membranes, only the mutants with acrylodan attached to residues in the sequence 118-140 exhibited a marked blue shift in the fluorescence emission maximum, indicative of movement of the fluorophore to a hydrophobic environment. Within this region, two functio…

Amphiphilic poly(hydroxyethylaspartamide) derivative-based micelles as drug delivery systems for ferulic acid

2008

Self-assembling micelles, potentially useful as drug delivery systems for ferulic acid (FA), were obtained in aqueous media from amphiphilic alpha,beta-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-dl-aspartamide (PHEA) copolymers bearing at the polyamino acidic backbone both poly(ethyleneglycol) (2000 or 5000 Da) and hexadecylamine (C(16)) moieties, at a concentration of 7 x 10(- 3) and 4 x 10(- 3) g/l, respectively, with nanometre size and negative zeta potential. These micelles were able to entrap FA and to release it in a prolonged way in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.4 and human plasma. These systems were also stable in storage conditions and have no cytotoxic effects on Caco-2, 16 HBE, HuDe and K562 cel…

Frequency conversion of propagating surface plasmon polaritons by organic molecules

2008

We demonstrate frequency conversion of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) by utilizing the coupling between organic dye molecules and SPP. Launching of SPPs into a plasmonic waveguide is done in two ways: by optically excited molecules and by quantum dots (QDs). QDs are demonstrated to overcome the major problem of bleaching occurring with molecules. The SPP propagates tens of micrometers and clear frequency conversion is observed in the SPP spectrum after passing an area of converter molecules. The use of molecules and QDs as elements of all-plasmonic devices has the potential for high integration and use of self-assembly in fabrication. Peer reviewed

Intracellular pH-dependent efflux of the fluorescent probe pyranine in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica.

2001

International audience; 8-Hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (pyranine) can be used as a vital intracellular pH (pH(i)) indicator. In the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, a partial efflux of the probe was detected by using the pH-independent wavelength of 415 nm. A simplified correction of the fluorescent signals was applied, enabling to show for this species a good near-neutral pH(i) maintenance capacity in a pH 3.9 medium. Octanoic acid, which is known to have toxic effects on yeast, decreased the pH(i) and increased the 260-nm-absorbing compounds leakage. However, this acid inhibited the fluorescent probe efflux linearly with its concentration suggesting a pH(i)-dependent efflux of pyranine …

Lovastatin protects human endothelial cells from the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of the anticancer drugs doxorubicin and etoposide

2006

Background and purpose: 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) are frequently used lipid-lowering drugs. Moreover, they exert pleiotropic effects on cellular stress responses and death. Here, we analysed whether lovastatin affects the sensitivity of primary human endothelial cells (HUVEC) to the anticancer drug doxorubicin. Experimental approach: We investigated whether pretreatment of HUVEC with low dose of lovastatin influences the cellular sensitivity to doxorubicin. To this end, cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis as well as DNA damage-triggered stress response were analysed. Key results: Lovastatin reduced the cytotoxic potency of doxorub…

Single molecule localization microscopy of the distribution of chromatin using Hoechst and DAPI fluorescent probes.

2014

Several approaches have been described to fluorescently label and image DNA and chromatin in situ on the single-molecule level. These superresolution microscopy techniques are based on detecting optically isolated, fluorescently tagged anti-histone antibodies, fluorescently labeled DNA precursor analogs, or fluorescent dyes bound to DNA. Presently they suffer from various drawbacks such as low labeling efficiency or interference with DNA structure. In this report, we demonstrate that DNA minor groove binding dyes, such as Hoechst 33258, Hoechst 33342, and DAPI, can be effectively employed in single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) with high optical and structural resolution. Upon ill…

TWJ-Screen: an isothermal screening assay to assess ligand/DNA junction interactions in vitro

2017

International audience; The quest for chemicals able to operate at selected genomic loci in a spatiotemporally controlled manner is desirable to create manageable DNA damages. Mounting evidence now shows that alternative DNA structures, including G-quadruplexes and branched DNA (or DNA junctions), might hamper proper progression of replication fork, thus triggering DNA damages and genomic instability. Therefore, small molecules that stabilize these DNA structures are currently scrutinized as a promising way to create genomic defects that cannot be dealt with properly by cancer cells. While much emphasis has been recently given to G-quadruplexes and related ligands, we report herein on three…

Molecular devices for nanoelectronics and plasmonics

2009

This thesis is focused on fabrication and characterization of molecular devices. In connection with molecular electronics the dielectrophoresis based method for trapping and attaching nanoscale double-stranded DNA between nanoelectrodes was developed. Moreover, the method was extended to self-assembled DNA nanostructures. The method allowed to obtain valuable information about electrical and dielectrophoretic properties of DNA. In addition, two general approaches to the utilization of DNA origami structures for the assembly of materials are described and experimentally demonstrated. In context of molecular plasmonics, a novel lithographic fabrication method for positioning dye molecules on …