Search results for "PLASMA"
showing 10 items of 4043 documents
Mutation of the important Tyr-33 residue of chicken avidin: functional and structural consequences
2002
The strong interaction between avidin and biotin is so tight (dissociation constant 10-15M) that conditions usually sufficient for protein denaturing fail to dislodge biotin from the avidin—biotin complex. This kind of irreversible binding hinders the use of avidin in applications such as affinity purification or protein immobilization. To address this concern, we have constructed a series of mutants of the strategically positioned Tyr-33 in order to study the role of this residue in biotin binding, and to create avidin variants with more reversible ligand-binding properties. Unexpectedly, an avidin mutant in which Tyr-33 was replaced with phenylalanine (Avm-Y33F) displayed similar biotin-b…
Cloning and characterization of Scavidin, a fusion protein for the targeted delivery of biotinylated molecules.
2001
We have constructed a novel fusion protein "Scavidin" consisting of the macrophage scavenger receptor class A and avidin. The Scavidin fusion protein is transported to plasma membranes where the avidin portion of the fusion protein binds biotin with high affinity and forms the basis for the targeted delivery of biotinylated molecules. Subcellular fractionation analysis, immunostaining, and electron microscopy demonstrated endosomal localization of the fusion protein. According to pulse-labeling and cross-linking studies Scavidin is found as monomers (55 kDa), dimers, and multimers, of which the 220-kDa form was the most abundant. The biotin binding capacity and active endocytosis of the bio…
A divergent Anaplasma phagocytophilum variant in an Ixodes tick from a migratory bird; Mediterranean basin
2020
Anaplasma phagocytophilum (AP) has vast geographical and host ranges and causes disease in humans and domesticated animals. We investigated the role of northward migratory birds in the dispersal of tick-borne AP in the African-Western Palearctic. Ticks were collected from northward migratory birds trapped during spring migration of 2010 at two localities in the central Mediterranean Sea. AP DNA was detected by PCR (gltA and 16S rRNA) and variant determination was performed using ankA sequences. In total, 358 ticks were collected. One of 19 ticks determined as Ixodes was confirmed positive for AP DNA. The tick was collected from a woodchat shrike (Lanius senator senator) trapped in Greece, a…
Dyakonov-like surface waves in semi-infinite metal-dielectric lattices
2012
We demonstrated the existence of Dyakonov-like surface waves propagating at the boundary between a metal-insulator lattice and an isotropic dielectric. A range of propagation angles substantially greater than that for conventional birefringent materials is obtained, and with reasonably small losses.
Cutoff solitons and bistability of the discrete inductance-capacitance electrical line: Theory and experiments
2007
A discrete nonlinear system driven at one end by a periodic excitation of frequency above the upper band edge (the discreteness induced cutoff) is shown to be a means to (1) generate propagating breather excitations in a long chain and (2) reveal the bistable property of a short chain. After detailed numerical verifications, the bistability prediction is demonstrated experimentally on an electrical transmission line made of 18 inductance-capacitance $(LC)$ cells. The numerical simulations of the $LC$-line model allow us also to verify the breather generation prediction with a striking accuracy.
Experimental study of electrical FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons with modified excitability
2006
International audience; We present an electronical circuit modelling a FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron with a modified excitability. To characterize this basic cell, the bifurcation curves between stability with excitation threshold, bistability and oscillations are investigated. An electrical circuit is then proposed to realize a unidirectional coupling between two cells, mimicking an inter-neuron synaptic coupling. In such a master-slave configuration, we show experimentally how the coupling strength controls the dynamics of the slave neuron, leading to frequency locking, chaotic behavior and synchronization. These phenomena are then studied by phase map analysis. The architecture of a possible ne…
Entanglement dynamics in superconducting qubits affected by local bistable impurities
2012
We study the entanglement dynamics for two independent superconducting qubits each affected by a bistable impurity generating random telegraph noise (RTN) at pure dephasing. The relevant parameter is the ratio $g$ between qubit-RTN coupling strength and RTN switching rate, that captures the physics of the crossover between Markovian and non-Markovian features of the dynamics. For identical qubit-RTN subsystems, a threshold value $g_\mathrm{th}$ of the crossover parameter separates exponential decay and onset of revivals; different qualitative behaviors also show up by changing the initial conditions of the RTN. We moreover show that, for different qubit-RTN subsystems, when both qubits are …
Host–virus evolutionary dynamics with specialist and generalist infection strategies: Bifurcations, bistability, and chaos
2019
In this work, we have investigated the evolutionary dynamics of a generalist pathogen, e.g., a virus population, that evolves toward specialization in an environment with multiple host types. We have particularly explored under which conditions generalist viral strains may rise in frequency and coexist with specialist strains or even dominate the population. By means of a nonlinear mathematical model and bifurcation analysis, we have determined the theoretical conditions for stability of nine identified equilibria and provided biological interpretation in terms of the infection rates for the viral specialist and generalist strains. By means of a stability diagram, we identified stable fixed…
Postnatal Overfeeding Causes Early Shifts in Gene Expression in the Heart and Long-Term Alterations in Cardiometabolic and Oxidative Parameters
2013
International audience; Background: Postnatal overfeeding (OF) in rodents induces a permanent moderate increase in body weight in adulthood. However, the repercussions of postnatal OF on cardiac gene expression, cardiac metabolism and nitro-oxidative stress are less well known. Methodology/Principal Findings: Immediately after birth, litters of C57BL/6 mice were either maintained at 10 (normal-fed group, NF), or reduced to 3 in order to induce OF. At weaning, mice of both groups received a standard diet. The cardiac gene expression profile was determined at weaning and cardiac metabolism and oxidative stress were assessed at 7 months. The cardiac expression of several genes, including membe…
Influence of dietary fat and carbohydrates proportions on plasma lipids, glucose control and low-grade inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes—…
2015
Purpose: The optimal macronutrient composition of the diet for the management of type 2 diabetes is debated, particularly with regard to the ideal proportion of fat and carbohydrates. The aim of the study was to explore the association of different proportions of fat and carbohydrates of the diet—within the ranges recommended by different guidelines—with metabolic risk factors. Methods: We studied 1785 people with type 2 diabetes, aged 50–75, enrolled in the TOSCA.IT Study. Dietary habits were assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire (EPIC). Anthropometry, fasting lipids, HbA1c and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. Results: Increasing fat intake from <25 to ≥35 % is …