Nitric oxide-dependent pigment migration induced by ultraviolet radiation in retinal pigment cells of the crab Neohelice granulata

The purpose of this study was to verify the occurrence of pigment dispersion in retinal pigment cells exposed to UVA and UVB radiation, and to investigate the possible participation of a nitric oxide (NO) pathway. Retinal pigment cells from Neohelice granulata were obtained by cellular dissociation. Cells were analyzed for 30 min in the dark (control) and then exposed to 1.1 and 3.3 J cm⁻² UVA, 0.07 and 0.9 J cm⁻² UVB, 20 n m β-PDH (pigment dispersing hormone) or 10 μ m SIN-1 (NO donor). Histological analyses were performed to verify the UV effect in vivo . Cultured cells were exposed to 250 μ m L-NAME (NO synthase blocker) and afterwards were treated with UVA, UVB or β-PDH. The retinal cells in culture displayed significant pigment dispersion in response to UVA, UVB and β-PDH. The same responses to UVA and UVB were observed in vivo . SIN-1 did not induce pigment dispersion in the cell cultures. l-NAME significantly decreased the pigment dispersion induced by UVA and UVB but not by β-PDH. All retinal cells showed an immunopositive reaction against neuronal nitric oxide synthases. Therefore, UVA and UVB radiation are capable of inducing pigment dispersion in retinal pigment cells of Neohelice granulata and this dispersion may be nitric oxide synthase dependent.     

Grid‐independent depth‐averaged simulations with a collocated unstructured finite volume scheme

In this article, the depth‐averaged transport equations are written in a new way so that it is possible to solve the transport equations for very small water depths. Variables are interpolated into the cell face with two different schemes and, the schemes are compared in terms of computational cost and accuracy. The bed source terms are computed using two different assumptions. The effect of these assumptions on numerical simulations is then investigated. Solutions of transport equations on different types of unstructured triangular grids are compared and, an appropriate choice of grid is suggested. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the singularity of Green's tensor for a perfectly conducting semi-infinite cone

This paper is intended to clarify a misunderstanding concerningthe source singularity of the electric Green's tensor for aperfectly conducting semi-infinite cone of circular cross-section.Tai's series expansion of the Green's tensor is known to lacka singular term at the source region. Jones has reconstructedthe solution to this problem and has pointed out the differencebetween his result and that of Tai. The aim of our paper isto demonstrate that, although Jones's closed-form solution iscorrect, there is a mistake in his comparison with Tai's seriessolution. We conclude that one of the two additional singularterms that Jones claims as missing from Tai's formula must beomitted. Besides, we compare Jones's closed-form solution withSmyshlyaev's solution to the very same problem. We concludethat the magnetic field expressions given by Jones and Smyshlyaevcoincide, but a singular term is missing from Smyshlyaev's expressionfor the electric field.     

Membrane activity of biomimetic facially amphiphilic antibiotics

Membranes are a central feature of all biological systems, and their ability to control many cellular processes is critically important. As a result, a better understanding of how molecules bind to and select between biological membranes is an active area of research. Antimicrobial host defense peptides are known to be membrane-active and, in many cases, exhibit discrimination between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The design of synthetic molecules that capture the biological activity of these natural peptides has been shown. In this report, the interaction between our biomimetic structures and different biological membranes is reported using both model vesicle and in vitro bacterial cell experiments. Compound 1 induces 12% leakage at 20 microg/mL against phosphatidylglycerol (PG)-phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) vesicles vs only 3% leakage at 200 microg/mL against phosphatidyl-L-serine (PS)-phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles. Similarly, a 40% reduction in fluorescence is measured in lipid movement experiments for PG-PE compared to 10% for PS-PC at 600 s. A 30 degrees C increase in the phase transition of stearoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylserine is observed in the presence of 1. These results show that lipid composition is more important for selectivity than overall net charge. Additionally, the overall concentration of a given lipid is another important factor. An effort is made to connect model vesicle studies with in vitro data and naturally occurring lipid compositions.     

Nanoparticle-reinforced associative network hydrogels

ABA triblock copolymers in solvents selective for the midblock are known to form associative micellar gels. We have modified the structure and rheology of ABA triblock copolymer gels comprising poly(lactide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(lactide) (PLA-PEO-PLA) through addition of a clay nanoparticle, laponite. Addition of laponite particles resulted in additional junction points in the gel via adsorption of the PEO corona chains onto the clay surfaces. Rheological measurements showed that this strategy led to a significant enhancement of the gel elastic modulus with small amounts of nanoparticles. Further characterization using small-angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering confirmed that nanoparticles increase the intermicellar attraction and result in aggregation of PLA-PEO-PLA micelles.     

Interactions between antimicrobial polynorbornenes and phospholipid vesicles monitored by light scattering and microcalorimetry

Antimicrobial polynorbornenes composed of facially amphiphilic monomers have been previously reported to accurately emulate the antimicrobial activity of natural host-defense peptides (HDPs). The lethal mechanism of most HDPs involves binding to the membrane surface of bacteria leading to compromised phospholipid bilayers. In this paper, the interactions between biomimetic vesicle membranes and these cationic antimicrobial polynorbornenes are reported. Vesicle dye-leakage experiments were consistent with previous biological assays and corroborated a mode of action involving membrane disruption. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that these antimicrobial polymers cause extensive aggregation of vesicles without complete bilayer disintegration as observed with surfactants that efficiently solubilize the membrane. Fluorescence microscopy on vesicles and bacterial cells also showed polymer-induced aggregation of both synthetic vesicles and bacterial cells. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) afforded free energy of binding values (Delta G) and polymer to lipid binding ratios, plus revealed that the interaction is entropically favorable (Delta S>0, Delta H>0). It was observed that the strength of vesicle binding was similar between the active polymers while the binding stoichiometries were dramatically different.     

Stimuli-responsive polyguanidino-oxanorbornene membrane transporters as multicomponent sensors in complex matrices

We introduce guanidinium-containing synthetic polymers based on polyguanidino-oxanorbornenes (PGONs) as anion transporters in lipid bilayers that can be activated and inactivated by chemical stimulation. According to fluorogenic anion export experiments with vesicles, PGON transporters are most active in neutral bilayers near their phase transition, with EC50's in the nanomolar range. Six times higher effective transporter concentrations were measured with aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonate than with 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein, demonstrating the importance of anion binding for transport and excluding nonspecific efflux. Negative surface potentials efficiently annihilate transport activity, while inside-negative membrane potentials slightly increase it. These trends demonstrate the functional importance of counterions to hinder the binding of hydrophilic counterions and to minimize the global positive charge of the transporter-counterion complexes. Strong, nonlinear increases in activity with polymer length reveal a significant polymer effect. Overall, the characteristics of PGONs do not match those of similar systems (for example, polyarginine) and hint toward an interesting mode of action, clearly different from nonspecific leakage caused by detergents. The activity of PGONs increases in the presence of amphiphilic anions such as pyrenebutyrate (EC50 = 70 microM), while several other amphiphilic anions tested were inactive. PGONs are efficiently inactivated by numerous hydrophilic anions including ATP (IC 50 = 150 microM), ADP (IC50 = 460 microM), heparin (IC50 = 1.0 microM), phytate (IC50 = 0.4 microM), and CB hydrazide (IC50 = 26 microM). The compatibility of this broad responsiveness with multicomponent sensing in complex matrices is discussed and illustrated with lactate sensing in sour milk. The PGON lactate sensor operates together with lactate oxidase as a specific signal generator and CB hydrazide as an amplifier for covalent capture of the pyruvate product as CB hydrazone (IC50 = 1.5 microM).     

Highly Unsaturated Platinum and Palladium Carbenes PtC3 and PdC3 Isolated and Characterized in the Gas Phase

Carbenes of platinum and palladium, PtC₃ and PdC₃, were generated in the gas phase through laser vaporization of a metal target in the presence of a low concentration of a hydrocarbon precursor undergoing supersonic expansion. Rotational spectroscopy and ab initio calculations confirm that both molecules are linear. The geometry of PtC₃ was accurately determined by fitting to the experimental moments of inertia of twenty‐six isotopologues. The results are consistent with the proposal of an autogenic isolobal relationship between O, Au⁺, and Pt atoms.