Search results for "Porins"

Ocular Phenotype of Relaxin Gene Knockout (Rln-/-) Mice

2020

Purpose: To test if relaxin deficiency affects ocular structure and function we investigated expression of relaxin (Rln) and RXFP receptors (Rxfp1, Rxfp2), and compared ocular phenotypes in relaxin gene knockout (Rln-/- ) and wild type (Rln+/+ ) mice. Materials and Methods: Rln, Rxfp1 and Rxfp2 mRNA expression was detected in ocular tissues of Rln+/+ mice using RT-PCR. The eyes of 11 Rln-/- and 5 Rln+/+ male mice were investigated. Corneal and retinal thickness was assessed using optical coherence tomography. Intraocular pressure was measured using a rebound tonometer. Retinal, choroidal and sclera morphology and thickness were evaluated histologically. Eyes were collected and fixed for imm…

Intestinal transport of cefuroxime axetil in rats: absorption and hydrolysis processes.

2002

Studies were performed using three cefuroxime axetil solutions (11.8, 118 and 200 microM) in three selected intestinal segments and one cefuroxime axetil solution (118 microM) in colon of anaesthetized rats. First-order absorption rate pseudoconstants, k(ap) and effective permeability coefficients, P(eff), were calculated in each set. Absorption of cefuroxime axetil can apparently be described as a carrier-mediated transport, which obeys Michaelis-Menten and first order kinetics in the proximal segment of the small intestine and a passive diffusion mechanism in the mean and distal segments. The absorption kinetic parameters for cefuroxime axetil were obtained: Vm=0.613 (0.440) microM min-1;…

Influence of Haemophilus influenzae β-lactamase production and/or ftsI gene mutations on in vitro activity of and susceptibility rates to aminopenici…

2007

Membrane Integration of Poliovirus 2B Viroporin

2011

Virus infections can result in a variety of cellular injuries, and these often involve the permeabilization of host membranes by viral proteins of the viroporin family. Prototypical viroporin 2B is responsible for the alterations in host cell membrane permeability that take place in enterovirus-infected cells. 2B protein can be localized at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi complex, inducing membrane remodeling and the blockade of glycoprotein trafficking. These findings suggest that 2B has the potential to integrate into the ER membrane, but specific information regarding its biogenesis and mechanism of membrane insertion is lacking. Here, we report experimental results of in vi…

Active surfaces engineered by immobilizing protein-polymer nanoreactors for selectively detecting sugar alcohols.

2016

We introduce active surfaces generated by immobilizing protein-polymer nanoreactors on a solid support for sensitive sugar alcohols detection. First, such selective nanoreactors were engineered in solution by simultaneous encapsulation of specific enzymes in copolymer polymersomes, and insertion of membrane proteins for selective conduct of sugar alcohols. Despite the artificial surroundings, and the thickness of the copolymer membrane, functionality of reconstituted Escherichia coli glycerol facilitator (GlpF) was preserved, and allowed selective diffusion of sugar alcohols to the inner cavity of the polymersome, where encapsulated ribitol dehydrogenase (RDH) enzymes served as biosensing e…

Folding and stability of the aquaglyceroporin GlpF: Implications for human aqua(glycero)porin diseases

2015

AbstractAquaporins are highly selective polytopic transmembrane channel proteins that facilitate the permeation of water across cellular membranes in a large diversity of organisms. Defects in aquaporin function are associated with common diseases, such as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, congenital cataract and certain types of cancer. In general, aquaporins have a highly conserved structure; from prokaryotes to humans. The conserved structure, together with structural dynamics and the structural framework for substrate selectivity is discussed. The folding pathway of aquaporins has been a topic of several studies in recent years. These studies revealed that a conserved protein structure ca…

Entropy–enthalpy compensation at the single protein level: pH sensing in the bacterial channel OmpF

2014

The pH sensing mechanism of the OmpF channel operates via ligand modification: increasing acidity induces the replacement of cations with protons in critical binding sites decreasing the channel conductance. Aside from the change in enthalpy associated with the binding, there is also a change in the microscopic arrangements of ligands, receptors and the surrounding solvent. We show that the pH-modulation of the single channel conduction involves small free energy changes because large enthalpic and entropic contributions change in opposite ways, demonstrating an approximate enthalpy–entropy compensation for different salts and concentrations. We wish to acknowledge the support from the Span…

Redistribution of aquaporin-4 in human glioblastoma correlates with loss of agrin immunoreactivity from brain capillary basal laminae

2003

Vasogenic edema is one of the most serious clinical problems in brain tumors and tightly connected to water shifts between the different fluid compartments in the brain. Aquaporin water channels have been recognized to have an important impact on the development of edematous swelling in the brain. Astrocytes, which are believed to induce or at least maintain the blood-brain barrier in the brain capillary endothelial cells, express the aquaporin isoform AQP4. Normally, AQP4 is highly concentrated in the glial membrane where astrocytes contact mesenchymal space, such as perivascular or brain superficial regions. Parenchymal membranes do not show any immunocytochemical AQP4-specific signal. We…

Desiccation and osmotic stress increase the abundance of mRNA of the tonoplast aquaporin BobTIP26-1 in cauliflower cells.

1999

Changes in vacuolar structure and the expression at the RNA level of a tonoplast aquaporin (BobTIP26-1) were examined in cauliflower (Brassicaoleracea L. var. botrytis) under water-stress conditions. Gradual drying out of slices of cauliflower floret tissue caused its collapse, with a shrinkage in tissue and cell volumes and an apparent vesiculation of the central vacuole, whereas osmotic stress resulted in plasmolysis with a collapse of the cytoplasm and the central vacuole within. Osmotic stress caused a rapid and substantial increase in BobTIP26 mRNA in slices of floret tissue. Exposure of tissue slices to a regime of desiccation showed a slower but equally large rise in BobTIP26 mRNA fo…

Ceftazidime Determination in Serum by High-pressure Liquid Chromatography

2004

A rapid and sensitive high-pressure liquid chromatographic method with simple sample preparation was developed for the quantitative analysis of the beta-lactam antibiotic ceftazidime (CAS 78439-06-2, Fortum). A good linear relationship was established between the peak area and the amount of ceftazidime injected over a concentration range of 1 to 200 microg/ml. The detection limit of the method was calculated to be 0.9 microg/ml. Stability was shown at 4 degrees C and at -196 degrees C for time periods of 2 h and 84 days, respectively.