The flavonoid corylin exhibits lifespan extension properties in mouse.

In the long history of traditional Chinese medicine, single herbs and complex formulas have been suggested to increase lifespan. However, the identification of single molecules responsible for lifespan extension has been challenging. Here, we collected a list of traditional Chinese medicines with potential longevity properties from pharmacopeias. By utilizing the mother enrichment program, we systematically screened these traditional Chinese medicines and identified a single herb, Psoralea corylifolia, that increases lifespan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Next, twenty-two pure compounds were isolated from Psoralea corylifolia. One of the compounds, corylin, was found to extend the replicative lifespan in yeast by targeting the Gtr1 protein. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells, RNA sequencing data showed that corylin ameliorates cellular senescence. We also examined an in vivo mammalian model, and found that corylin extends lifespan in mice fed a high-fat diet. Taken together, these findings suggest that corylin may promote longevity.

Hydroxygenkwanin Increases the Sensitivity of Liver Cancer Cells to Chemotherapy by Inhibiting DNA Damage Response in Mouse Xenograft Models.

Molecules involved in DNA damage response (DDR) are often overexpressed in cancer cells, resulting in poor responses to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Although treatment efficacy can be improved with the concomitant use of DNA repair inhibitors, the accompanying side effects can compromise the quality of life of patients. Therefore, in this study, we identified a natural compound that could inhibit DDR, using the single-strand annealing yeast-cell analysis system, and explored its mechanisms of action and potential as a chemotherapy adjuvant in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines using comet assay, flow cytometry, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and functional analyses. We developed a mouse model to verify the in vitro findings. We found that hydroxygenkwanin (HGK) inhibited the expression of RAD51 and progression of homologous recombination, thereby suppressing the ability of the HCC cell lines to repair DNA damage and enhancing their sensitivity to doxorubicin. HGK inhibited the phosphorylation of DNA damage checkpoint proteins, leading to apoptosis in the HCC cell lines. In the mouse xenograft model, HGK enhanced the sensitivity of liver cancer cells to doxorubicin without any physiological toxicity. Thus, HGK can inhibit DDR in liver cancer cells and mouse models, making it suitable for use as a chemotherapy adjuvant.

Targeting HR Repair as a Synthetic Lethal Approach to Increase DNA Damage Sensitivity by a RAD52 Inhibitor in BRCA2-Deficient Cancer Cells.

BRCA mutation, one of the most common types of mutations in breast and ovarian cancer, has been suggested to be synthetically lethal with depletion of RAD52. Pharmacologically inhibiting RAD52 specifically eradicates BRCA-deficient cancer cells. In this study, we demonstrated that curcumin, a plant polyphenol, sensitizes BRCA2-deficient cells to CPT-11 by impairing RAD52 recombinase in MCF7 cells. More specifically, in MCF7-siBRCA2 cells, curcumin reduced homologous recombination, resulting in tumor growth suppression. Furthermore, a BRCA2-deficient cell line, Capan1, became resistant to CPT-11 when BRCA2 was reintroduced. In vivo, xenograft model studies showed that curcumin combined with CPT-11 reduced the growth of BRCA2-knockout MCF7 tumors but not MCF7 tumors. In conclusion, our data indicate that curcumin, which has RAD52 inhibitor activity, is a promising candidate for sensitizing BRCA2-deficient cells to DNA damage-based cancer therapies.

2-O-Methylmagnolol, a Magnolol Derivative, Suppresses Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via Inhibiting Class I Histone Deacetylase Expression.

Magnolia officinalis is widely used in Southeast Asian countries for the treatment of fever, headache, diarrhea, and stroke. Magnolol is a phenolic compound extracted from M. officinalis, with proven antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. In this study, we modified magnolol to synthesize a methoxylated derivative, 2-O-methylmagnolol (MM1), and investigated the use of MM1, and magnolol in the treatment of liver cancer. We found that both magnolol and MM1 exhibited inhibitory effects on the growth, migration, and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and halted the cell cycle at the G1 phase. MM1 also demonstrated a substantially better tumor-suppressive effect than magnolol. Further analysis suggested that by inhibiting class I histone deacetylase expression in HCC cell lines, magnolol and MM1 induced p21 expression and p53 activation, thereby causing cell cycle arrest and inhibiting HCC cell growth, migration, and invasion. Subsequently, we verified the significant tumor-suppressive effects of magnolol and MM1 in an animal model. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the anti-HCC activities of magnolol and MM1 and their potential for clinical use.

Hazard Prevention Regarding Occupational Accidents Involving Blue-Collar Foreign Workers: A Perspective of Taiwanese Manpower Agencies.

Since 1989, blue-collar foreign workers have been permitted to work in Taiwanese industries. Most blue-collar foreign workers apply for jobs in Taiwan through blue-collar foreign workers' agencies. Because blue-collar foreign workers are not familiar with the language and culture in Taiwan, in occupational accident education and hazard prevention, the agencies play an important role in the coordination and translation between employees and blue-collar foreign workers. The purpose of this study is to establish the agencies' role in the occupational accidents education and hazard prevention for blue-collar foreign workers in Taiwan. This study uses a qualitative method-grounded theory-to collect, code, and analyze the data in order to understand the agencies' role in occupational accident education and hazard prevention for blue-collar foreign workers in Taiwan. The results show that the duty of agencies in occupational accident education and hazard prevention includes selecting appropriate blue-collar foreign workers, communicating between employees and blue-collar foreign workers, collecting occupational safety and health information, assisting in the training of occupational safety and health, and helping blue-collar foreign workers adapt to their lives in Taiwan. Finally, this study suggests seven important points and discusses the implementation process necessary to improve governmental policies. The government and employees should pay attention to the education/training of occupational safety and health for blue-collar foreign workers to eliminate unsafe behavior in order to protect the lives of blue-collar foreign workers.

Development of single-chain variable fragments (scFv) against influenza virus targeting hemagglutinin subunit 2 (HA2).

Influenza A viruses (IAV) are widespread in birds and domestic poultry, occasionally causing severe epidemics in humans and posing health threats. Hence, the need to develop a strategy for prophylaxis or therapy, such as a broadly neutralizing antibody against IAV, is urgent. In this study, single-chain variable fragment (scFv) phage display technology was used to select scFv fragments recognizing influenza envelope proteins. The Tomlinson I and J scFv phage display libraries were screened against the recombinant HA2 protein (rHA2) for three rounds. Only the third-round elution sample of the Tomlinson J library showed high binding affinity to rHA2, from which three clones (3JA18, 3JA62, and 3JA78) were chosen for preparative-scale production as soluble antibody by E. coli. The clone 3JA18 was selected for further tests due to its broad affinity for influenza H1N1, H3N2 and H5N1. Simulations of the scFv 3JA18-HA trimer complex revealed that the complementarity-determining region of the variable heavy chain (VH-CDR2) bound the stem region of HA. Neutralization assays using a peptide derived from VH-CDR2 also supported the simulation model. Both the selected antibody and its derived peptide were shown to suppress infection with H5N1 and H1N1 viruses, but not H3N2 viruses. The results also suggested that the scFvs selected from rHA2 could have neutralizing activity by interfering with the function of the HA stem region during virus entry into target cells.

A recommended integrated mechanism to enhance OSH management of blue-collar foreign workers in Taiwan.

This study examines the roles and functions of businesses, labor-exporting countries' representative offices in Taiwan, religious organizations, and manpower agencies in promoting occupational safety and health (OSH). It also offers advice to Taiwanese authorities on making policies and improvements regarding the oversight mechanism mandated by the Labor Safety and Health Act, giving them an idea of what to focus on when enforcing control over blue-collar foreign workers' OSH conditions. This study also proposes that Taiwanese authorities may serve not only as an overseer/inspector of those hiring blue-collar foreign workers in Taiwan, but also expand their role to lay down policies regarding a variety of OSH teaching materials in the blue-collar foreign workers' native languages (spoken or written), the qualifications of translators in blue-collar foreign workers' OSH training programs, and regulations concerning the longer hours such training programs take.

Kinetics study on the HIV-1 ectodomain protein quaternary structure formation reveals coupling of chain folding and self-assembly in the refolding cascade.

Entry of HIV-1 into the target cell is mediated by the envelope glycoprotein consisting of noncovalently associated surface subunit gp120 and transmembrane subunit gp41. To form a functional gp41 complex, the protein undergoes hairpin formation and self-assembly. The fusion event can be inhibited by gp41-derived peptides at nanomolar concentration and is highly dependent on the time of addition, implying a role of folding kinetics on the inhibitory action. Oligomerization of the gp41 ectodomain was demonstrated by light scattering measurements. Kinetic study by stopped-flow fluorescence and absorption measurements (i) revealed a multistate folding pathway and stable intermediates; (ii) showed a dissection of fast and slow components for early and late stages of folding, respectively, with 3 orders of magnitude difference in the time scale; (iii) showed the slow process was attributed to misfolding and unzipping of the hairpin; and (iv) showed retardation of the native hairpin formation is assumed to lead to coupling of the correctly registered hairpin and self-assembly. This coupling allows the deduction on the time scale of intrachain folding (0.1-1 s) for the protein. The folding reaction was illustrated by a free energy profile to explain the temporal dichotomy of fast and slow steps of folding as well as effective inhibition by gp41-derived peptide.

Determinations of airborne synthetic musks by polyurethane foam coupled with triple quadrupole gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometer.

Synthetic musk is widely used in various scented consumer products. However, the exposure via inhalation is often ignored due to pleasant smells. In addition, the information regarding the distribution of synthetic musk in air is limited. Hence, this research is aimed to develop a highly sensitive and widely applicable method for the determination of airborne synthetic musk. In this study, polyurethane foam (PUF) and filter were employed for active air sampling. Microwave assisted extraction (MAE) and nitrogen evaporator were performed for sample preparation. A gas chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer (GC/MS-MS) with specific multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transition pairs was applied for sample analysis. Compared with using selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode traditionally, the sensitivities were improved in this study about an order at least. In terms of air concentration, as low as 0.48ngm(-3) can be determined when sampling at 3.5Lmin(-1) for 8h. The method established was further applied to the analysis of synthetic musk compounds in air samples collected in a cosmetics plant. The results showed that the airborne concentrations of gaseous polycyclic musk, gaseous nitro-musk, and particle-phase polycyclic musk were 6.4×10(2), 4.0×10(1) and 3.1×10(2)ngm(-3), respectively. Meanwhile, Cashmeran, Celstolide, Galaxolide, and Tonalide were found as the dominant musk compounds in the factory investigated.

Occupational exposures of airborne trichloramine at indoor swimming pools in Taipei.

Ten indoor swimming pools in Taipei, Taiwan were included in the study to assess the exposure of people to airborne trichloramine (NCl3) and also to discover the factors that might affect the associated concentrations. An active air sampling method was performed to determine the levels of NCl3, while questionnaires were administered to swimming pool workers, including lifeguards, swimming instructors, and management employees. The results show that the concentrations of trichloramine ranged from 0.017 to 0.15 mg m(-3), which were generally lower than what have been reported from other studies. Symptoms of sore throat and phlegm were more frequent among lifeguards and swimming instructors (exposure group) than management employees (reference group) (odds ratios were 11.28 and 4.22 for sore throat and phlegm, respectively). It seems that the current exposure limit for airborne NCl3, which was recommended by WHO, was not lower enough to protect the health of pool attendants. Regulated level of free available chlorine in Taipei (i.e., 0.3-0.7 ppm) is lower than what is required in other countries (e.g., 1-3 ppm in the UK). This might be the main reason why the concentrations of NCl3 reported elsewhere were higher than what were found in this research. Further international comparisons will help to elucidate if low free chlorine concentration should be adopted as an operating standard. For the indoor swimming pools in Taipei, the air quality is suggested to be improved, since even with the low concentrations of NCl3, higher respiratory ailments among pool workers were observed.

Analysis of anabolic androgenic steroids in urine by full-capillary sample injection combined with a sweeping CE stacking method.

This study describes an on-line stacking CE approach by sweeping with whole capillary sample filling for analyzing five anabolic androgenic steroids in urine samples. The five anabolic steroids for detection were androstenedione, testosterone, epitestosterone, boldenone, and clostebol. Anabolic androgenic steroids are abused in sport doping because they can promote muscle growth. Therefore, a sensitive detection method is imperatively required for monitoring the urine samples of athletes. In this research, an interesting and reliable stacking capillary electrophoresis method was established for analysis of anabolic steroids in urine. After liquid-liquid extraction by n-hexane, the supernatant was dried and reconstituted with 30 mM phosphate buffer (pH 5.00) and loaded into the capillary by hydrodynamic injection (10 psi, 99.9 s). The stacking and separation were simultaneously accomplished at -20 kV in phosphate buffer (30 mM, pH 5.0) containing 100 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and 40 % methanol. During the method validation, calibration curves were linear (r≥0.990) over a range of 50-1,000 ng/mL for the five analytes. In the evaluation of precision and accuracy for this method, the absolute values of the RSD and the RE in the intra-day (n=3) and inter-day (n=5) analyses were all less than 6.6 %. The limit of detection for the five analytes was 30 ng/mL (S/N=5, sampling 99.9 s at 10 psi). Compared with simple MECK, this stacking method possessed a 108- to 175-fold increase in sensitivity. This simple and sensitive stacking method could be used as a powerful tool for monitoring the illegal use of doping.

Stability of gp41 hairpin and helix bundle assembly probed by combined stacking and circular dichroic approaches.

The envelope glycoprotein gp41 of HIV-1 undergoes structural rearrangement to form a helix hairpin during the virus-mediated fusion. Previous studies to investigate the folding and stability of hairpin did not monitor the end-to-end distance of the molecule. To directly probe the distance change, rhodamine dye was conjugated to the gp41 recombinant near the N- and C-terminal regions to detect the UV absorption and fluorescence intensity changes induced by the chemical denaturant guanidinium chloride (GdmCl). Using the singly- and doubly-labeled constructs allowed us to distinguish between the hairpin formation and protein oligomerization. A biphasic transition of helical structure for the wild type protein was revealed by circular dichroism measurements while unfolding of the hairpin occurred at 6M GdmCl. The relevance of our study to the fusion inhibitor for HIV-1 was borne out by results on the mutants at the positions within the N-terminal heptad repeat (NHR) and the C-terminal heptad repeat (CHR) regions. A monophasic transition at lower denaturant concentration was detected for the NHR mutant supporting the concept of differential stability of NHR and CHR helical structure. The conclusion that the observed unstacking of doubly-labeled variant arises principally from the intra-molecular dimers was drawn from the unstacking of the protein labeled in the loop. Remarkably, it is deduced that the hairpin is more stable than the CHR helical structure. A model for denaturation of the helix hairpin bundle was proposed from these results. The biological implications of the findings and further applications of the distance-based approach were discussed.

Integration of fiber optic-particle plasmon resonance biosensor with microfluidic chip.

This article reports the integration of the fiber optic-particle plasmon resonance (FO-PPR) biosensor with a microfluidic chip to reduce response time and improve detection limit. The microfluidic chip made of poly(methyl methacrylate) had a flow-channel of dimensions 4.0 cm × 900 µm × 900 µm. A partially unclad optical fiber with gold or silver nanoparticles on the core surface was placed within the flow-channel, where the volume of the flow space was about 14 µL. Results using sucrose solutions of various refractive indexes show that the refractive index resolution improves by 2.4-fold in the microfluidic system. The microfluidic chip is capable of delivering a precise amount of biological samples to the detection area without sample dilution. Several receptor/analyte pairs were chosen to examine the biosensing capability of the integrated platform: biotin/streptavidin, biotin/anti-biotin, DNP/anti-DNP, OVA/anti-OVA, and anti-MMP-3/MMP-3. Results show that the response time to achieve equilibrium can be shortened from several thousand seconds in a conventional liquid cell to several hundred seconds in a microfluidic flow-cell. In addition, the detection limit also improves by about one order of magnitude. Furthermore, the normalization by using the relative change of transmission response as the sensor output alleviate the demand on precise optical alignment, resulting in reasonably good chip-to-chip measurement reproducibility.

An efficient production and characterization of HIV-1 gp41 ectodomain with fusion peptide in Escherichia coli system.

We demonstrated a high level expression and purification of recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp41 ectodomain (gp41e-FP) using glass bead approach with a final yield of 12±2mg/L bacterial culture. The proper folding of gp41e-FP encompassing the fusion peptide (FP) was ascertained by circular dichroism (CD) measurement and recognition by NC-1 antibody. The latter assay revealed stabilization of the gp41 coiled coil structure in the presence of liposome dispersion. The differential affinity of gp41e-FP and gp41e (devoid of FP) by NC-1 suggested an aggregated state for gp41e-FP and/or possible proximity of the fusion peptide domain to the coiled coil structure of gp41 ectodomain. Perfluorooctanoate (PFO)-PAGE electrophoresis experiment revealed the trimeric propensity of the recombinant gp41e-FP. In comparison to gp41e, the lipid mixing activity of gp41e-FP was two-fold higher suggesting a role of FP in promoting membrane fusion. The present approach to efficiently and quantitatively preparing the functional full-length recombinant gp41 ectodomain protein can be employed for structural and biomedical investigations and the extraction of other inclusion body-embedded recombinant proteins.

Urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage in workers exposed to ethylbenzene.

This study assessed the relationships between ethylbenzene exposure and levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) among spray painters. Sixty-four male workers employed at a large shipyard were recruited for this investigation. Fifteen spray painters exposed to paint, together with two non-exposed groups, namely 19 sandblasting workers and 30 office staffs were selected as the subjects. Personal exposure to xylene and ethylbenzene in air were collected using diffusive samplers. Urine samples of the spray painters were collected after a month-long holiday leave and during the pre- and post-workshifts. Urine samples of sandblasting workers and office staffs were gathered after their shift. Urinary mandelic acid and methyl hippuric acid were used as biological indices of dose of ethylbenzene and xylene, respectively. Urinary 8-OHdG was used as biomarker of oxidative DNA damage. The post-workshift concentration of urinary 8-OHdG for 10 spray painters (30.3 ± 9.28 µg g(-1) creatinine) significantly exceeded that of holiday leave (7.20 ± 1.08 µg g(-1) creatinine; P = 0.001). The post-workshift concentration of urinary 8-OHdG was higher among 15 spray painters (29.0 ± 6.52 µg g(-1) creatinine) than sandblasting workers (9.14 ± 2.05 µg g(-1) creatinine; P = 0.01) and office staffs (8.35 ± 0.84 µg g(-1) creatinine; P = 0.007). A stepwise regression model revealed an 8.11 µg g(-1) creatinine increase per 1 p.p.m. increase in ethylbenzene [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.13-12.1]. A stepwise regression model revealed an increase of 6.04 µg g(-1) creatinine (95% CI 2.23-9.84) per 1 p.p.m. in ethylbenzene after adjustment of age (95% CI 2.23-9.84). This pilot study suggests that occupational exposure to paint increases oxidative DNA injury. Moreover, urinary 8-OHdG levels displayed greater DNA damage in spray painters compared to other unexposed groups and their holiday leave samples. A significant correlation was found between urinary 8-OHdG and the exposure to ethylbenzene. The ethylbenzene exposure could not explain all urinary 8-OHdG measured. Other components of paint deserve further investigation.

Biological monitoring of low-level 2-butoxyethanol exposure in decal transfer workers in bicycle manufacturing factories.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, exposures to ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (or 2-butoxyethanol, 2-BE) in decal transfer workers in the bicycle manufacturing industry were investigated. Personal air sampling and biological monitoring were used to assess total uptake through inhalation and dermal exposure. Haemoglobin was also analysed to evaluate the effects of exposure on the haematopoietic system. METHODS: 80 workers in two bicycle factories completed a questionnaire. NIOSH method 1403 was adopted for air sampling and analysis of 2-BE. Prework and postwork urine samples were also collected for determination of total 2-butoxyacetic acid (BAA) after hydrolysis. Haemoglobin tests were performed using an automated haemoglobin analysis system. RESULTS: The 31 decal transfer workers whose hands were in direct contact with a dilute aqueous solution of 2-BE, were exposed to an average of 1.7 ppm (8.1 mg/m(3)) of 2-BE in air. Correlation of 2-BE in air and postshift urinary BAA levels (after hydrolysis) was poor. Postshift total BAA levels in urine on Monday and Friday (446.8 and 619.4 mg/g creatinine) were around 223% and 310% of the ACGIH proposed Biological Exposure Index (BEI; 200 mg/g creatinine). Higher levels of total BAA were observed in the urine of subjects exposed to low-level 2-BE in air, presumably because of direct dermal contact. CONCLUSIONS: The mean preshift BAA on Friday was significantly higher than that on Monday, implying that the more days of exposures, the higher the accumulation. Since accumulation occurred with low-level exposure to 2-BE, it is recommended that urine samples be collected at the end of the working week.

The fusion peptide domain is the primary membrane-inserted region and enhances membrane interaction of the ectodomain of HIV-1 gp41.

To execute the membrane fusion function, it is necessary for the fusion protein of the virus to penetrate into the hydrophobic milieu of membrane bilayer. Hence identification of the region(s) of the ectodomain of viral fusion proteins involved in the membrane insertion and their interaction with the rest of the fusion protein in the membrane would be important for the mechanistic study of membrane fusion. To this end, we examined membrane activity of the fusion peptide, and the ectodomain protein with or without the fusion peptide domain of HIV-1 gp41 by several biophysical measurements. The results revealed that the ectodomain protein containing the fusion peptide domain had higher membrane-perturbing activity and deeper membrane insertion, while the construct lacking the fusion peptide domain had much lower membrane activity. Strikingly, the N-terminal heptad repeat region was found to be induced deeper into the membrane by the fusion peptide, consistent with the role of the latter in the membrane penetration. We concluded that the fusion peptide is the only stretch of gp41 ectodomain that embeds deeply in the membrane interior in the prefusion stage. The function of fusion peptide in terms of membrane interaction and the implications of its interplay with other domains of gp41 on the membrane fusion cascade were discussed.

The application of perfluorooctanoate to investigate trimerization of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 gp41 ectodomain by electrophoresis.

The transmembrane glycoprotein gp41 of human immunodeficiency virus has been proposed to form trimer-of-hairpin during virus-cell membrane fusion. To investigate its oligomerization propensity under soluble and membrane-mimic conditions, sodium salt of perfluorooctanoate (PFO) was applied. A recombinant gp41 ectodomain devoid of disulfide linkage was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and characterized by MS and circular dichroism spectropolarimetry in PFO solution in comparison to SDS. The helical content of this ectodomain in PFO is higher than that in SDS. Notably, PFO employed in PAGE clearly conduced to the formation of trimer under the optimized condition as visualized in the gel. In addition, the proteins expressed from the two mutants in the heptad repeat (HR) domains of gp41, I62P, and N126K, were also examined by the PFO-PAGE analysis for functional ramification of molecular organization. Remarkably, the I62P mutation completely abolished the gp41 trimer formation, whereas the N126K mutation resulted in a more stable trimer. The data suggested that PFO-PAGE analysis is appropriate for evaluating the effect of mutations on the trimerization of gp41 and other fusion proteins which may be implicated in the alteration of their fusogenicity.

Direct solid-phase synthesis and fluorescence labeling of large, monodisperse mannosylated dendrons in a peptide synthesizer.

Fluorophore-labeled glycodendrimers have potential use in the study of carbohydrate-protein interactions by fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging methods. The current solution-phase methods for preparation of such glycoconjugates are labour intensive. On the other hand, the intrinsically more efficient solid-phase methods have been explored only at low generations. Herein we disclose a direct, expedient glycodendrimer synthesis from commercially available or easily prepared building blocks by machine-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Large, monodisperse 4th- and 5th-generation polylysine dendrons are prepared and capped with 16 and 32 mannose residues, respectively, in a single synthetic operation. Incorporation of a C-terminal lysine residue in the 4th-generation dendron allows fluorescence labelling with a number of common labels on resin, in organic solvent or in aqueous buffer, as required. A single HPLC purification is sufficient in all cases to obtain a homogeneous sample. The monodispersity of the glycodendrons is confirmed by MALDI-TOF. FITC-labeled 4th-generation glycodendron is an excellent probe for the imaging studies of mannose-receptor-mediated entry of into dendritic cells by confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Membrane interaction and structure of the transmembrane domain of influenza hemagglutinin and its fusion peptide complex.

BACKGROUND: To study the organization and interaction with the fusion domain (or fusion peptide, FP) of the transmembrane domain (TMD) of influenza virus envelope glycoprotein for its role in membrane fusion which is also essential in the cellular trafficking of biomolecules and sperm-egg fusion. RESULTS: The fluorescence and gel electrophoresis experiments revealed a tight self-assembly of TMD in the model membrane. A weak but non-random interaction between TMD and FP in the membrane was found. In the complex, the central TMD oligomer was packed by FP in an antiparallel fashion. FP insertion into the membrane was altered by binding to TMD. An infrared study exhibited an enhanced membrane perturbation by the complex formation. A model was built to illustrate the role of TMD in the late stages of influenza virus-mediated membrane fusion reaction. CONCLUSION: The TMD oligomer anchors the fusion protein in the membrane with minimal destabilization to the membrane. Upon associating with FP, the complex exerts a synergistic effect on the membrane perturbation. This effect is likely to contribute to the complete membrane fusion during the late phase of fusion protein-induced fusion cascade. The results presented in the work characterize the nature of the interaction of TMD with the membrane and TMD in a complex with FP in the steps leading to pore initiation and dilation during virus-induced fusion. Our data and proposed fusion model highlight the key role of TMD-FP interaction and have implications on the fusion reaction mediated by other type I viral fusion proteins. Understanding the molecular mechanism of membrane fusion may assist in the design of anti-viral drugs.