Search results for "Microscopy"
showing 10 items of 3390 documents
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Keratinocytes Is Essential for Murine Skin Barrier Integrity.
2016
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in adaptive cell functions, and it is highly active in the epidermis. AhR ligands can accelerate keratinocyte differentiation, but the precise role of AhR in the skin barrier is unknown. Our study showed that transepidermal water loss, a parameter of skin barrier integrity, is high in AhR-deficient mice. Experiments with conditionally AhR-deficient mouse lines identified keratinocytes as the primary cell population responsible for high transepidermal water loss. Electron microscopy showed weaker intercellular connectivity in the epidermis of keratinocytes in AhR-knockout mice, and gene expression analysi…
Encapsulation mechanisms and structural studies of GRM2 bacterial microcompartment particles
2019
Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are prokaryotic organelles consisting of a protein shell and an encapsulated enzymatic core. BMCs are involved in several biochemical processes, such as choline, glycerol and ethanolamine degradation and carbon fixation. Since non-native enzymes can also be encapsulated in BMCs, an improved understanding of BMC shell assembly and encapsulation processes could be useful for synthetic biology applications. Here we report the isolation and recombinant expression of BMC structural genes from the Klebsiella pneumoniae GRM2 locus, the investigation of mechanisms behind encapsulation of the core enzymes, and the characterization of shell particles by cryo-EM. We …
Reply to Comment on: 'Corneal confocal scanning laser microscopy in patients with dry eye disease treated with topical cyclosporine'
2017
Reply to Comment on: ‘Corneal confocal scanning laser microscopy in patients with dry eye disease treated with topical cyclosporine’
Polysialic acid chains exhibit enhanced affinity for ordered regions of membranes.
2018
Polysialic acid (polySia) forms linear chains which are usually attached to the external surface of the plasma membrane mainly through the Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) protein. It is exposed on neural cells, several types of cancer cells, dendritic cells, and egg and sperm cells. There are several lipid raft-related phenomena in which polySia is involved; however the mechanisms of polySia action as well as determinants of its localization in lipid raft microdomains are still unknown, although the majority of NCAM molecules in the liquid-ordered raft membrane fractions of neural cells appear to be polysialylated. Here we investigate the affinity of polySia (both soluble and NCAM-depe…
Cellular complexity in MAPK signaling in plants: Questions and emerging tools to answer them
2018
International audience; Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades play an important role in many aspects of plant growth, development, and environmental response. Because of their central role in many important processes, MAPKs have been extensively studied using biochemical and genetic approaches. This work has allowed for the identification of the MAPK genes and proteins involved in a number of different signaling pathways. Less well developed, however, is our understanding of how MAPK cascades and their corresponding signaling pathways are organized at subcellular levels. In this review, we will provide an overview of plant MAPK signaling, including a discussion of what is known a…
In vitro antileishmanial activity of trans-stilbene and terphenyl compounds
2016
Leishmaniasis are globally widespread parasitic diseases which often leads to death if left untreated. Currently available drugs present different drawbacks, so there is an urgent need to develop new, safe and cost-effective drugs against leishmaniasis. In this study we tested a small library of trans-stilbene and terphenyl derivatives against promastigote, amastigotes and intramacrophage amastigote forms of Leishmania infantum. Two compounds of the series, the trans-stilbene 3 and the terphenyl 11, presented the best activity and safety profiles. Terphenyl 11 showed a leshmanicidal activity higher than pentostam and the ability to induce apoptosis selectively in Leishmania infantum while s…
19F NMR as a versatile tool to study membrane protein structure and dynamics.
2019
Abstract To elucidate the structures and dynamics of membrane proteins, highly advanced biophysical methods have been developed that often require significant resources, both for sample preparation and experimental analyses. For very complex systems, such as membrane transporters, ion channels or G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), the incorporation of a single reporter at a select site can significantly simplify the observables and the measurement/analysis requirements. Here we present examples using 19F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a powerful, yet relatively straightforward tool to study (membrane) protein structure, dynamics and ligand interactions. We summarize meth…
Intranasal Administration of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Human Teeth Stem Cells Improves Motor Symptoms and Normalizes Tyrosine Hydroxylase E…
2018
Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. At present, there is no effective cure for PD; treatments are symptomatic and do not halt progression of neurodegeneration. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can cross the blood–brain barrier and represent promising alternative to the classical treatment strategies. In the present study, we examined therapeutic effects of intranasal administration of EVs derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth stem cells (SHEDs) on unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) medial forebrain bundle (MFB) rat model of PD. CatWalk gait tests revealed that EVs effectively suppressed 6-OHDA-…
Morphology, performance and attachment function in Corynosoma spp. (Acanthocephala)
2018
Background: Functional inference on the attachment of acanthocephalans has generally been drawn directly from morphology. However, performance of structures is often non-intuitive and context-dependent, thus performance analysis should be included whenever possible to improve functional interpretation. In acanthocephalans, performance analysis of attachment is available only for Acanthocephalus ranae, a species that solely relies on the proboscis to attach. Here we compare body morphology and muscle arrangement in 13 species of Corynosoma, which use their spiny body as a fundamental holdfast. A basic performance analysis using live cystacanths of two representative species is also provided.…
Visualizing Leukocyte Rolling and Adhesion in Angiotensin II-Infused Mice: Techniques and Pitfalls
2018
Epifluorescence intravital video microscopy (IVM) of blood vessels is an established method to evaluate the activation of immune cells and their ability to role and adhere to the endothelial layer. Visualization of circulating cells by injection of fluorescent dyes or fluorophore-coupled antibodies is commonly used. Alternatively, fluorescent reporter mice can be used. Interactions of leukocytes, in particular lysozyme M+ (LysM+) monocytes, with the vessel wall play pivotal roles in promoting vascular dysfunction and arterial hypertension. We here present the technique to visualize and quantify leukocyte rolling and adhesion in carotid arteries in angiotensin II (AngII)-induced hypertension…