Search results for "glycoprotein"
showing 10 items of 852 documents
Direct Visualization of the Conformational Dynamics of Single Influenza Hemagglutinin Trimers
2018
Influenza hemagglutinin (HA) is the canonical type I viral envelope glycoprotein and provides a template for the membrane-fusion mechanisms of numerous viruses. The current model of HA-mediated membrane fusion describes a static "spring-loaded" fusion domain (HA2) at neutral pH. Acidic pH triggers a singular irreversible conformational rearrangement in HA2 that fuses viral and cellular membranes. Here, using single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET)-imaging, we directly visualized pH-triggered conformational changes of HA trimers on the viral surface. Our analyses reveal reversible exchange between the pre-fusion and two intermediate conformations of HA2. Acidification of p…
Unveiling the evolution of bivalve nacre proteins by shell proteomics of Unionoidae.
2015
The formation of the molluscan shell nacre is regulated to a large extent by a matrix of extracellular macromolecules that are secreted by the shell forming tissue, the mantle. This so called “calcifying matrix” is a complex mixture of proteins and glycoproteins that is assembled and occluded within the mineral phase during the calcification process. While the importance of the calcifying matrix to shell formation has long been appreciated, the molecular basis that dictates nacre formation remains largely uncharacterized.Recent expressed sequence tag (EST) investigations of the freshwater mussels (Elliptio complanata and Villosa leinosa) provide an opportunity to further characterize the pr…
Mode of Action Analyses of Neferine, a Bisbenzylisoquinoline Alkaloid of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) against Multidrug-Resistant Tumor Cells
2017
Neferine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the green seed embryos of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn), has been previously shown to have various anti-cancer effects. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of neferine in terms of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibition via in vitro cytotoxicity assays, R123 uptake assays in drug-resistant cancer cells, in silico molecular docking analysis on human P-gp and in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) and toxicity analyses. Lipinski rule of five were mainly considered for the ADME evaluation and the preset descriptors including number of hydrogen bond d…
The sphingosine kinase 1 activator, K6PC-5, attenuates Ebola virus infection
2021
Summary Ebola virus (EBOV) is responsible for outbreaks with case fatality rates of up to 90% and for an epidemic in West Africa with more than ten thousand deaths. EBOV glycoprotein (EBOV-GP) is the only viral surface protein and is responsible for viral entry into cells. Here, by employing pseudotyped EBOV-GP viral particles, we uncover a critical role for sphingolipids in inhibiting viral entry. Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) catalyzes the phosphorylation of sphingosine to sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). The administration of the SphK1 activator, K6PC-5, or S1P, or the overexpression of SphK1 consistently exhibited striking inhibitory effects in EBOV-GP-driven entry in diverse cell lines. F…
Combined immunotherapy: CTLA-4 blockade potentiates anti-tumor response induced by transcutaneous immunization.
2017
Abstract Background The epidermal application of the Toll Like Receptor 7 agonist imiquimod and a T-cell peptide epitope (transcutaneous immunization, TCI) mediates systemic peptide-specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses and leads to tumor protection in a prophylactic tumor setting. However, it does not accomplish memory formation or permanent defiance of tumors in a therapeutic set-up. As a distinct immunologic approach, CTLA-4 blockade augments systemic immune responses and has shown long-lasting effects in preclinical experiments as well as in clinical trials. Objective The study investigates the vaccination capacity of TCI in combination with the checkpoint inhibitor CTLA-4 in matter…
Transcutaneous immunization with a novel imiquimod nanoemulsion induces superior T cell responses and virus protection
2017
Abstract Background Transcutaneous immunization (TCI) is a novel vaccination strategy utilizing the skin associated lymphatic tissue to induce immune responses. TCI using a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope and the Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist imiquimod mounts strong CTL responses by activation and maturation of skin-derived dendritic cells (DCs) and their migration to lymph nodes. However, TCI based on the commercial formulation Aldara only induces transient CTL responses that needs further improvement for the induction of durable therapeutic immune responses. Objective Therefore we aimed to develop a novel imiquimod solid nanoemulsion (IMI-Sol) for TCI with superior vaccination …
Interactions of human P-glycoprotein transport substrates and inhibitors at the drug binding domain: Functional and molecular docking analyses
2015
Rhodamine 123 (R123) transport substrate sensitizes P-glycoprotein (P-gp) to inhibition by compound 2c (cis-cis) N,N-bis(cyclohexanolamine)aryl ester isomer in a concentration-dependent manner in human MDR1-gene transfected mouse T-lymphoma L5178 cells as shown previously. By contrast, epirubicin (EPI) concentration changes left unaltered 2c IC50 values of EPI efflux. To clarify this discrepancy, defined molecular docking (DMD) analyses of 12 N,N-bis(cyclohexanolamine)aryl esters, the highly flexible aryl ester analog 4, and several P-gp substrate/non-substrate inhibitors were performed on human P-gp drug- or nucleotide-binding domains (DBD or NBD). DMD measurements yielded lowest binding e…
Membrane insertion and topology of the translocon-associated protein (TRAP) gamma subunit
2017
Translocon-associated protein (TRAP) complex is intimately associated with the ER translocon for the insertion or translocation of newly synthesised proteins in eukaryotic cells. The TRAP complex is comprised of three single-spanning and one multiple-spanning subunits. We have investigated the membrane insertion and topology of the multiple-spanning TRAP-γ subunit by glycosylation mapping and green fluorescent protein fusions both in vitro and in cell cultures. Results demonstrate that TRAP-γ has four transmembrane (TM) segments, an Nt/Ct cytosolic orientation and that the less hydrophobic TM segment inserts efficiently into the membrane only in the cellular context of full-length protein.
Impact of Lipid Components and Emulsifiers on Plant Sterols Bioaccessibility from Milk-Based Fruit Beverages.
2016
Sterol bioaccessibility (BA) of three plant sterol (PS)-enriched milk-based fruit beverages (MFb) with different fat contents (1.1–2.4%), lipid sources (animal or vegetable), and without or with emulsifiers (whey proteins enriched with milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) or soy lecithin) was evaluated after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The BA of total PS followed the order 31.4% (MFbM containing milk fat and whey proteins enriched with MFGM) = 28.2% (MFbO containing extra virgin olive oil and soy lecithin) > 8.7% (MFb without fat addition). Total and individual PS content in the bioaccessible fractions followed the order MFbM > MFbO > MFb. Consequently, formulation with MFGM is propos…
Associating HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein structures with states on the virus observed by smFRET
2019
The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer mediates cell entry and is conformationally dynamic1-8. Imaging by single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) has revealed that, on the surface of intact virions, mature pre-fusion Env transitions from a pre-triggered conformation (state 1) through a default intermediate conformation (state 2) to a conformation in which it is bound to three CD4 receptor molecules (state 3)8-10. It is currently unclear how these states relate to known structures. Breakthroughs in the structural characterization of the HIV-1 Env trimer have previously been achieved by generating soluble and proteolytically cleaved trimers of gp140 Env that are …