OBJECTIVE Infiltration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) into subendothelial space is an early step in atherosclerosis. In addition to LDL particles, small very low-density lipoprotein (sVLDL) and intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) particles are also able to enter the arterial intima and be retained within the subendothelial extracellular matrix. Here we compared how proteolysis with alpha-c...

Oxidative fusion reactions of meso-phenoxazino Ni(ii) porphyrin were found to be temperature dependent, giving rise to either a doubly phenylene-fused product at room temperature or a singly phenoxazine-fused product at 70 °C. The latter was further oxidized to a doubly phenoxazine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrin, which was subsequently converted to the corresponding free base porphyrin and Zn(ii) porph...

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) monitors random movements of fluorescent molecules in solution, giving information about the number and the size of for example nano-particles. The canine parvovirus VP2 structural protein as well as N-terminal deletion mutants of VP2 (-14, -23, and -40 amino acids) were fused to the C-terminus of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The pro...

To track the behavior of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 in the cytoplasm of infected cells, we have tagged virions by incorporation of HIV Vpr fused to the GFP. Observation of the GFP-labeled particles in living cells revealed that they moved in curvilinear paths in the cytoplasm and accumulated in the perinuclear region, often near the microtubule-organizing center. Further studies show ...

BACKGROUND Food poisoning and diarrheal diseases continue to pose serious health care and socioeconomic problems worldwide. Campylobacter spp. is a very widespread cause of gastroenteritis. Over the past decade there has been increasing interest in the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as mucosal delivery vehicles. They represent an attractive opportunity for vaccination in addition to vaccinat...

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) engaged in phagocytosis produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as those that occur in an activated NADPH oxidase reaction, to eliminate ingested microorganisms. The translocation of NADPH oxidase components to produce antimicrobial free radicals from the vesicles to the phagosomes may be important. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) derived from O2- has been obser...

Plant viruses are suitable as building blocks for nanomaterials and nanoparticles because they are easy to modify and can be expressed and purified using plants or heterologous expression systems. Plant virus nanoparticles have been utilized for epitope presentation in vaccines, for drug delivery, as nanospheres and nanowires, and for biomedical imaging applications. Fluorescent protein fusions...

Escherichia coli biotin ligase can attach biotin molecules to a lysine residue of biotin acceptor peptide (BAP), and biotinylation of particular BAP-fused proteins in cells was carried out by coexpression of E. coli biotin ligase (in vivo biotinylation). This in vivo biotinylation technology has been applied for protein purification, analysis of protein localization, and protein-protein interac...