The Fer tyrosine kinase regulates interactions of Rho GDP-Dissociation Inhibitor α with the small GTPase Rac

Background  

RhoGDI proteins are important regulators of the small GTPase Rac, because they shuttle Rac from the cytoplasm to membranes and also protect Rac from activation, deactivation and degradation. How the binding and release of Rac from RhoGDI is regulated is not precisely understood.     

Prevention of TNF-induced necrotic cell death by rottlerin through a Nox1 NADPH oxidase

Previous studies have demonstrated that rottlerin, a specific PKCdelta inhibitor, potentiates death receptor- mediated apoptosis through a cytochrome c-dependent or -independent pathway. However, its ability to regulate necrotic cell death, as well as the underlying mechanism, remains unknown. We found that in murine fibrosarcoma L929 cells, treatment with rottlerin protected the cells against TNF-induced necrosis, whereas it sensitized the cells to apoptosis induced by co-treatment with Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin and TNF, in a manner independent of its ability to inhibit PKC-delta. TNF treatment induced rapid accumulation of mitochondrial superoxide (O2-) through the Nox1 NADPH oxidase when cells undergo necrosis. Moreover, pretreatment with rottlerin failed to induce the GTP-bound form of small GTPase Rac1 by TNF treatment, and subsequently suppressed mitochondrial O2- production and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation, thus inhibiting necrotic cell death. Therefore, our study suggests that Nox1 NADPH oxidase is a new molecular target for anti-necrotic activity of rottlerin upon death-receptor ligation.     

Friction and adhesion forces of Bacillus thuringiensis spores on planar surfaces in atmospheric systems

The kinetic friction force and the adhesion force of Bacillus thuringiensis spores on planar surfaces in atmospheric systems were studied using atomic force microscopy. The influence of relative humidity (RH) on these forces varied for different surface properties including hydrophobicity, roughness, and surface charge. The friction force of the spore was greater on a rougher surface than on mica, which is atomically flat. As RH increases, the friction force of the spores decreases on mica whereas it increases on rough surfaces. The influence of RH on the interaction forces between hydrophobic surfaces is not as strong as for hydrophilic surfaces. The friction force of the spore is linear to the sum of the adhesion force and normal load on the hydrophobic surface. The poorly defined surface structure of the spore and the adsorption of contaminants from the surrounding atmosphere are believed to cause a discrepancy between the calculated and measured adhesion forces.     

Study on the effects of gadolinium-based MRI contrast medium on X-ray scanning

Gadolinium has a higher atomic mass (64) than iodine (53). The K-edge absorption energy of gadolinium is 50.2 keV, which is in the absorbed wavelength range of the X-rays used by a CT scanner, suggesting that it has a high X-ray absorption ability. This study examined the effects of a gadolinium-based MRI contrast medium on the quality (mAs) and the quality (kVp) of radiation during a X-ray scan. A contrast medium phantom was manufactured after diluting the contrast medium to various concentrations. A CT scanner (Siemens, Somatom Senation 64, Germany) was used to obtain images by changing the quality of radiation from 80 kVp to 100, 120, and 140 kVp. At a constant quality of radiation of 120 kVp, the mAs was changed from 100 mAs to 200 and 300 mAs and images were obtained under each condition. The Hounsfield units (HUs) in a test tube were measured for analysis and comparison. The contrast enhancement by the contrast medium for CT scanning was 100% at a tube voltage of 80 kVp. The contrast enhancements at 100 kVp, 120 kVp, and 140 kVp were 93.8%, 87.7%, and 69.5%, respectively. In addition, although the quantity increased a fixed tube voltage, the HU of the test tube remained relatively constant, indicating that the absorption of the contrast medium had little association with the quantity of X-rays but had some correlation with the quality of radiation. A tube voltage of 80 kVp or lower is recommended when a MRI contrast medium is used CT scanning. When MRI scanning and X-ray scanning are conducted together, X-ray scanning should be performed first or after sufficient gadolinium contrast medium has been excreted.

     

Facile preparation of 7,11‐di(4‐nitrobenzenesulfonyl)‐diaza‐1,4‐dioxa‐7,11‐spiro[4,7]dodecan‐9‐one

Compound 1 as a key intermediate for the synthesis of 3,3,7,7‐tetrakis‐(difluoroamino)octahydro‐1,5‐dinitro‐1,5‐diazocine (HNFX) and 3,3‐bis(difluoroamino)octahydro‐1,5,7,7‐tetranitro‐1,5‐diazocine (TNFX) is described. Cycloalkylation of 3 with 1,3‐dibromopropan‐2‐ol ( 4 ) afforded 1,5‐protected‐1,5‐diazocine 2 , followed by chromic acid oxidation to ketone 1 in good yield.     

Functionalization of 4,5-dihalopyridazin-6-ones using 1-(1,1-dibromo-2-oxopropyl) derivatives

Functionalization of 4,5-dihalopyridazin-6-ones using 1-(1,1-dibromo-2-oxopropyl)-4,5-dihalopyridazin-6-ones with some nucleophiles gave regioselectively only 5-halo-4-substituted-pyridazin-6-ones.     

The evolution compressible Navier-Stokes system on polygonal domains

The evolution compressible Navier-Stokes system is considered on polygonal domains. It is shown that the lowest order of the corner singularity of the system is the same as that of the heat equation. In a suitable Banach space the velocity is split into singular and regular parts and the coefficient of the singularity is expressed by convolution of some two functions in the time variable. By a formula of the pressure we observe propagation of the corner singularity along the characteristic lines emanating from the corners and also unboundedness of derivatives of pressure there. An increased regularity for the remainder part is established.     

Mucosal dendritic cells shape mucosal immunity

Dendritic cells (DCs) are key modulators that shape the immune system. In mucosal tissues, DCs act as surveillance systems to sense infection and also function as professional antigen-presenting cells that stimulate the differentiation of naive T and B cells. On the basis of their molecular expression, DCs can be divided into several subsets with unique functions. In this review, we focus on intestinal DC subsets and their function in bridging the innate signaling and adaptive immune systems to maintain the homeostasis of the intestinal immune environment. We also review the current strategies for manipulating mucosal DCs for the development of efficient mucosal vaccines to protect against infectious diseases.