A simplified approach to control cell adherence on biologically derived in vitro cell culture scaffolds by direct UV-mediated RGD linkage.

In this work, we present a method to fabricate a hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel with spatially controlled cell-adhesion properties based on photo-polymerisation cross-linking and functionalization. The approach utilises the same reaction pathway for both steps meaning that it is user-friendly and allows for adaptation at any stage during the fabrication process. Moreover, the process does not require any additional cross-linkers. The hydrogel is formed by UV-initiated radical addition reaction between acrylamide (Am) groups on the HA backbone. Cell adhesion is modulated by functionalising the adhesion peptide sequence arginine-glycine-aspartate onto the hydrogel surface via radical mediated thiol-ene reaction using the non-reacted Am groups. We show that 10 × 10 µm2 squares could be patterned with sharp features and a good resolution. The smallest area that could be patterned resulting in good cell adhesion was 25 × 25 µm2 squares, showing single-cell adhesion. Mouse brain endothelial cells adhered and remained in culture for up to 7 days on 100 × 100 µm2 square patterns. We see potential for this material combination for future use in novel organ-on-chip models and tissue engineering where the location of the cells is of importance and to further study endothelial cell biology.

Synthesis of [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+)-tethered oligo-DNA and studies on the metallointercalation mode into the DNA duplex.

To explore the binding properties of [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+) complex (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) in a sequence-specific manner in DNA duplex, it was tethered through the dppz ligand to a central position as well as both at the 3'- and 5'-ends of oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN). The middle [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+)-ODN tethered was resolved and isolated as four pure diastereomers, while the 3'- or 5'-[Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+)-ODNs were inseparable on RP-HPLC. Thermal stability of the (Ru(2+)-ODN).DNA duplexes is found to increase considerably (DeltaT(m) = 12.8-23.4 degrees C), depending upon the site of the covalent attachment of the tethered [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+) complex, or the chirality of the [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+)-linker tethered at the middle of the ODN, compared to the unlabeled counterpart. Gross differences in CD between the [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+)-tethered and the native DNA duplexes showed that the global duplex conformation of the former has considerably altered from the B-type, but is still recognized by DNase I. The thermal melting studies, CD measurements, as well as DNase I digestion data, are interpreted as a result of intercalation of the dppz moiety, which is realized by threading of the Ru(phen)(2) complex part through the DNA duplex core. DNase I footprinting with four diastereomerically pure middle ([Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+)-ODN).DNA duplexes furthermore showed that the tethered [Ru(phen)(2)dppz](2+)-linker chirality dictates the stereochemical accessibility of various phosphodiester moieties (around the intercalation site) toward the cleavage reaction by the enzyme. The diastereomerically pure ruthenium-modified duplexes, with the well-defined pi-stack, will be useful to explore stereochemistry-dependent energy- and electron-transfer chemistry to understand oxidative damage to the DNA double helix as well as the long-range energy- and electron-transfer processes with DNA as a reactant.

Yeast ER-Golgi v-SNAREs Bos1p and Bet1p differ in steady-state localization and targeting.

Vesicle specific SNAP receptors (v-SNAREs) Bos1p and Bet1p are involved in targeting of anterograde vesicles between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and early Golgi of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To analyze factors that influence the targeting of these proteins, alpha-factor tagged versions of Bos1p and Bet1p were employed. The alpha-factor can be cleaved off by the Kex2p protease as soon as the hybrid proteins reach the late Golgi compartment. The data obtained by monitoring of Kex2p cleavage, by immunofluorescence microscopy and cell fractionation showed that Bos1-alpha and Bet1-alpha have different cellular localization and dynamics. Bos1-alpha is an ER protein, which recycles between the Golgi and the ER in COPI-dependent manner. Bet1-alpha is an early Golgi protein and it does not change its localization under conditions when other recycling Golgi proteins can be trapped in the ER.

Recycling of the yeast v-SNARE Sec22p involves COPI-proteins and the ER transmembrane proteins Ufe1p and Sec20p.

Vesicle-specific SNAP receptors (v-SNAREs) are believed to cycle between consecutive membrane compartments. The v-SNARE Sec22(Sly2)p mediates the targeting of vesicles between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and early Golgi of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To analyze factors involved in targeting of Sec22(Sly2)p, an alpha-factor-tagged Sec22 protein (Sec22-alpha) was employed. Only on reaching the late Golgi, can alpha-factor be cleaved from this hybrid protein by Kex2p, a protease localized in this compartment. In wild-type cells Kex2p-cleavage is observed only when Sec22-alpha is greatly overproduced. Immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation studies showed that Sec22-alpha is returned to the ER from the late Golgi (Kex2p) compartment. When Sec22-alpha is expressed in wild-type cells at levels comparable to the quantities of endogenous Sec22p, very little of this protein is cleaved by Kex2p. Efficient cleavage, however, occurs in mutants defective in the retrograde transport of different ER-resident proteins indicating that Sec22-alpha rapidly reaches the late Golgi of these cells. These mutants (sec20-1, sec21-1, sec27-1 and ufe1-1) reveal Golgi structures when stained for Sec22-alpha and do not show the ER-immunofluorescence observed in wild-type cells. These results show consistently that Sec22p recycles from the Golgi back to the ER and that this recycling involves retrograde COPI vesicles.

Sec12p requires Rer1p for sorting to coatomer (COPI)-coated vesicles and retrieval to the ER.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells lacking the Rer1 protein (Rer1p), the type II transmembrane protein Sec12p fails to be retained in the ER. The transmembrane domain of Sec12p is sufficient to confer Rer1p-dependent ER retention to other membrane proteins. In rer1 mutants a large part of the Sec12-derived proteins can escape to the late Golgi. In contrast, rer3 mutants accumulate Sec12-derived hybrid proteins carrying early Golgi modifications. We found that rer3 mutants harbour unique alleles of the alpha-COP-encoding RET1 gene. ret1 mutants, along with other coatomer mutants, fail to retrieve KKXX-tagged type I transmembrane proteins from the Golgi back to the ER. Surprisingly rer3-11(=ret1-12) mutants do not affect this kind of ER recycling. Pulse-chase experiments using these mutants show that alpha-COP and Rer1p function together in a very early Golgi compartment to initiate the recycling of Sec12p-derived hybrid proteins. Rer1p protein may be directly involved in the retrieval process since it also recycles between the early Golgi and ER in a coatomer (COPI)-dependent manner. Rer1p may act as an adapter coupling the recycling of non-KKXX transmembrane proteins like Sec12p to the coatomer (COPI)-mediated backward traffic.

Interactions between Paramecium bursaria (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hymenostomatida) and their nuclear symbionts: I. Phenomenon of symbiogenic lysis of the bacterium Holospora acuminata.

In experimental infections the phenomenon of the lysis of symbiotic bacteria (SB) in the host-cell nucleus was discovered for the first time. Light optical investigations were made of 308 possible combinations of experimental infections of 44 clones of originally symbiont-free Paramecium bursaria by 7 strains of SB Holospora acuminata of different origin. In 5% of the cases studied the early stages of infection appeared to be the same as in susceptible strains, but all the SB were lysed during 1-2 days after their penetration of the nucleus. The dynamics and ultrastructural peculiarities of bacterial lysis were thoroughly studied. Possible microevolutionary consequences of direct contacts of heterologous genetic materials in the symbiotic system are discussed.