Autophagy and bacterial infectious diseases

Autophagy is a housekeeping process that maintains cellular homeostasis through recycling of nutrients and degradation of damaged or aged cytoplasmic constituents. Over the past several years, accumulating evidence has suggested that autophagy can function as an intracellular innate defense pathway in response to infection with a variety of bacteria and viruses. Autophagy plays a role as a specialized immunologic effector and regulates innate immunity to exert antimicrobial defense mechanisms. Numerous bacterial pathogens have developed the ability to invade host cells or to subvert host autophagy to establish a persistent infection. In this review, we have summarized the recent advances in our understanding of the interaction between antibacterial autophagy (xenophagy) and different bacterial pathogens.     

Naked-eye detection of amyloid aggregates using gold nanoparticles modified with amyloid beta antibody

We developed a rapid method for estimating the amyloid beta (Aβ)-conformation state related with Alzheimer's disease. We prepared gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-Aβ antibody conjugates treated with bovine serum albumin to stabilize their dispersibility in a buffer. The prepared AuNPs were precipitated in the presence of Aβ aggregates, such as oligomers and fibrils. Aβ monomers did not precipitate AuNPs. The formation of AuNP precipitates by Aβ aggregates could be confirmed by the naked eye within 1 h.     

Synthesis of vinyl ether-capped telechelic poly(tetrahydrofuran)

Vinyl ether-terminated telechelic poly(tetrahydrofuran) (poly(THF)) was synthesized by the reaction of a bifunctional living cationic polymer of THF with an excess of Na⊕⊖OCH₂CH₂ O CHCH₂ in THF at 0°C. The obtained polymer has narrow molecular weight distribution and end functionality close to two.