Search results for "hydrophilic"
showing 10 items of 276 documents
Effect of Seasonal Storage on Single-Stem Bark Extractives of Norway Spruce (Picea abies)
2021
Increasing the net value of forestry side-streams has both ecological as well as economic benefits for emerging biorefining industries. Spruce bark represents one of the nature’s abundant sources of valuable extractives. In this study, the impact of storage on the quality and quantity of Norway spruce (Picea abies) extractives was examined as a function of storage time, environmental conditions and season (i.e., winter or summer). The bark from stored spruce saw logs was extracted with an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE) at 120 °C with hexane and water. The produced extracts were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively by gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and…
Self-assembled multivalent (SAMul) ligand systems with enhanced stability in the presence of human serum
2019
Self-assembled cationic micelles are an attractive platform for binding biologically-relevant polyanions such as heparin. This has potential applications in coagulation control, where a synthetic heparin rescue agent could be a useful replacement for protamine, which is in current clinical use. However, micelles can have low stability in human serum and unacceptable toxicity profiles. This paper reports the optimi- sation of self-assembled multivalent (SAMul) arrays of amphiphilic ligands to bind heparin in competitive conditions. Specifically, modification of the hydrophobic unit kinetically stabilises the self-assembled nanostructures, preventing loss of binding ability in the presence of…
The utility of measuring tear film break-up time for prescribing contact lenses.
2017
Abstract Purpose To evaluate the clinical value of non-invasive keratograph tear film breakup time (NIKBUT) in the assessment of pre-corneal and pre-lens tear film quality for prescribing contact lenses (CLs). Methods Forty-six subjects aged 25.5 ± 4.3 (mean ± standard deviation) years were recruited. Visual acuity (VA), anterior eye health checks and NIKBUT were evaluated. On the following day, subjects were fitted with a daily Silicon Hydrogel (SiHy) CL in one eye and a Hydrogel (Hy) CL in the other. After four hours one material for both eyes was chosen based on a qualitative analysis which included VA, CL fitting and comfort. Information about the first and the mean NIKBUT was then cont…
Ethanol Controls the Self-Assembly and Mesoscopic Properties of Human Insulin Amyloid Spherulites.
2018
Protein self-assembly into amyloid fibrils or highly hierarchical superstructures is closely linked to neurodegenerative pathologies as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Moreover, protein assemblies also emerged as building blocks for bioinspired nanostructured materials. In both the above mentioned fields, the main challenge is to control the growth and properties of the final protein structure. This relies on a more fundamental understanding of how interactions between proteins can determine structures and functions of biomolecular aggregates. Here, we identify a striking effect of the hydration of the single human insulin molecule and solvent properties in controlling hydrophobicity/…
Neuroprotective and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Hydrophilic Saffron Extract in a Model of Glaucoma
2019
Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). An increase in the intraocular pressure is the principal risk factor for such loss, but controlling this pressure does not always prevent glaucomatous damage. Activation of immune cells resident in the retina (microglia) may contribute to RGC death. Thus, a substance with anti-inflammatory activity may protect against RGC degeneration. This study investigated the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of a hydrophilic saffron extract standardized to 3% crocin content in a mouse model of unilateral, laser-induced ocular hypertension (OHT). Treatment with saffron extract decreased microg…
Effect of contact lens surface properties on comfort, tear stability and ocular physiology.
2018
Aim: Retrospective analysis of different contact lens wearing groups suggests lens surface lubricity is the main factor influencing contact lens comfort. However, the examined commercially available contact lenses differ in material and design as well as surface properties. Hence this study isolates the contribution of lens surface properties using an ultra-thin coating technology. Methods: Nineteen habitual contact lens wearers (21.6. ±. 1.7years) wore formofilcon B soft monthly disposable contact lenses with and without coating technology modified surface properties for a month each in a randomised double-masked cross-over study. Objective non-invasive: breakup time (NIKBUT), NIKBUT avera…
eIF5A facilitates translation termination globally and promotes the elongation of many non polyproline-specific tripeptide sequences
2017
Abstract eIF5A is an essential protein involved in protein synthesis, cell proliferation and animal development. High eIF5A expression is observed in many tumor types and has been linked to cancer metastasis. Recent studies have shown that eIF5A facilitates the translation elongation of stretches of consecutive prolines. Activated eIF5A binds to the empty E-site of stalled ribosomes, where it is thought to interact with the peptidyl-tRNA situated at the P-site. Here, we report a genome-wide analysis of ribosome stalling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF5A depleted cells using 5Pseq. We confirm that, in the absence of eIF5A, ribosomes stall at proline stretches, and extend previous studies by …
Interaction of G protein coupled receptors and cholesterol
2016
G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) form the largest receptor superfamily in eukaryotic cells. Owing to their seven transmembrane helices, large parts of these proteins are embedded in the cholesterol-rich plasma membrane bilayer. Thus, GPCRs are always in proximity to cholesterol. Some of them are functionally dependent on the specific presence of cholesterol. Over the last years, enormous progress on receptor structures has been achieved. While lipophilic ligands other than cholesterol have been shown to bind either inside the helix bundle or at the receptor-lipid interface, the binding site of cholesterol was either a single transmembrane helix or a groove between two or more transmembra…
Viral Bcl2s' transmembrane domain interact with host Bcl2 proteins to control cellular apoptosis
2020
© The Author(s) 2020.
The Crystal Structure of Gurmarin, a Sweet Taste–Suppressing Protein: Identification of the Amino Acid Residues Essential for Inhibition
2018
International audience; Gurmarin is a highly specific sweet-taste suppressing protein in rodents that is isolated from the Indian plant Gymnemasylvestre. Gurmarin consists of 35 amino acid residues containing three intramolecular disulfide bridges that form a cystine knot. Here, we report the crystal structure of gurmarin at a 1.45 Å resolution and compare it with previously reported NMR solution structures. The atomic structure at this resolution allowed us to identify a very flexible region consisting of hydrophobic residues. Some of these amino acid residues had been identified as a putative binding site for the rat sweet taste receptor in a previous study. By combining alanine-scanning …