Search results for "sperm"

Funktion der Spermien in inkompatiblen Kreuzungen der StechmückeCulex pipiens L.

1972

After irradiating males of the incompatible crossC. pipiens ‘Hamburg’ ♀♀×C. pipiens ‘Paris’ ♂♂ with X-ray doses between 1 kR and 40 kR, it could be shown that in this cross the sperm has only the function of activating the egg. All the hybrid embryos develop from the haploid female pronucleus.

A note on the jelly-coat-sperm interaction in sea-urchin.

1952

Es werden Experimente beschrieben, die gegen eine enzymatische Spaltung der Gallerthulle des Seeigeleis durch Spermatozoen sprechen.

On the astrobiological relevance of viruses in extraterrestrial ecosystems

2009

AbstractViruses are the dominant form of genetically reproducing entities on Earth. Yet, viruses are mostly neglected in the context of astrobiology due to their non-living nature. In this discussion it is considered whether viruses are likely to be transferred within bacterial endospores to other planetary bodies through lithopanspermia. Interestingly, it seems possible that ecosystems of panspermial origin might yield biospheres in which viruses are absent. The evolutionary pathway of life in these systems might differ significantly from the path observed on Earth. We hypothesize that the difference in the two potential ways for the emergence of life, those being panspermial or local orig…

Disentangling temporal patterns in our perception of the fossil history of gymnosperms

2012

By taking gymnosperms as a case study, this article evaluates the perception of plant life history from the fossil record to test the biases associated with the time-dependent aspects of the taxonomy, following a stepwise modelling procedure based on two divergent sets of time units. The idea that the effects of the temporal component of paleobiological inference need to be evaluated to remove any possible bias in our interpretation and perception of plant evolution based on analyses of large-scale data sets is investigated. The results reveal important differences in our perception of the tempo of gymnosperm evolution and how it is biased in terms of time unit length due to the loss of inf…

Pollution exposure and high DNA fragmentation index in human sperms: a case-control study

2016

Study question: Could pollution exposure play a key role on sperm quality, in terms of DNA fragmentation index (DFI)? Summary answer: Patients exposed to high level of pollution show an higher percentage of sperm DNA fragmentation index in contrast with patient from control group. What is known already: Taranto area is characterized by a number of steel factories and petrochemical industries. Data about the detrimental effects of environmental pollution are alarming. Pollution coming from the industrial plants causes health and fertility risks, mainly due to the exposure to several pollutant (PM10, heavy metals, etc). Toxic substances can affect DNA directly or indirectly, through oxidative…

Spatially variable rate herbicide application on durum wheat in Sicily

2004

Using the conventional farming system, durum wheat requires high rates of herbicide spraying. Herbicide residues can cause pollution of soil and ground water and, therefore, of the entire environment. In order to minimise the environmental impact of herbicides, a home made system for spatially variable rate crop input application was designed, developed and set up by the Department of Engineering and Technologies in Agriculture and Forestry (I.T.A.F.). This system consists of a DGPS, a portable computer, a specifically developed software and a device for applying rates proportionally related to the machine forward speed (DPA). Tests of spatially variable rate herbicide application were carr…

The acetylation of spermidine catalyzed by P/CAF regulates its acetyltransferase activity versus histones

2010

Transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes occurs within a chromatin setting and is strongly inhibited by nucleosomal barriers imposed by histone proteins. Among the well-known covalent modifications of chromatin, the reversible acetylation of specific lysine residues of histones, catalyzed by several acetyltransferase and deacetylases, has been linked to many biological processes including transcriptional regulation. Indeed, many transcriptional coactivators possess histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity (1). Functional interactions between HAT and polyamines have been previously reported. In particular, it has been shown that polyamines facilitate oligomerization of nucleosomal arrays in …

Cationic polyaspartamide-based nanocomplexes mediate siRNA entry and down-regulation of the pro-inflammatory mediator high mobility group box 1 in ai…

2015

Abstract High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nonhistone protein secreted by airway epithelial cells in hyperinflammatory diseases such as asthma. In order to down-regulate HMGB1 expression in airway epithelial cells, siRNA directed against HMGB1 was delivered through nanocomplexes based on a cationic copolymer of poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)- d,l -aspartamide (PHEA) by using H441 cells. Two copolymers were used in these experiments bearing respectively spermine side chains (PHEA-Spm) and both spermine and PEG2000 chains (PHEA-PEG-Spm). PHEA-Spm and PHEA-PEG-Spm derivatives complexed dsDNA oligonucleotides with a w/w ratio of 1 and higher as shown by a gel retardation assay. PHEA-Spm and PHEA-P…

2019

In photodynamic therapy (PDT), photosensitizers and light are used to cause photochemically induced cell death. The selectivity and the effectiveness of the phototoxicity in cancer can be increased by a specific uptake of the photosensitizer into tumor cells. A promising target for this goal is the folic acid receptor α (FRα), which is overexpressed on the surface of many tumor cells and mediates an endocytotic uptake. Here, we describe a polysaccharide-based nanoparticle system suitable for targeted uptake and its photochemical and photobiological characterization. The photosensitizer 5, 10, 15, 20-tetraphenyl-21H, 23H-porphyrine (TPP) was encapsulated in spermine- and acetal-modified dext…

SiRNA-mediated in vivo gene knockdown by acid-degradable cationic nanohydrogel particles

2017

Cationic nanohydrogel particles have become an attractive tool for systemic siRNA delivery, but improvement of their in vivo tolerance is desirable, especially to prevent potential long term side effects by tissue and cellular accumulation. Here, we designed novel ketal cross-linked cationic nanohydrogel particles that were assessed for reduced tissue accumulation and robust siRNA delivery in vitro and in vivo. An oligo-amine cross-linker equipped with a ketal moiety in its core was synthesized and applied to nanohydrogel cross-linking of self-assembled reactive ester block copolymers in DMSO. The resulting acid-sensitive cationic nanoparticles spontaneously disassembled over time in acidic…