Escherichia coli has three major K(+) uptake systems, Trk, Kup, and Kdp, which have been studied extensively at near neutral pH. However, the function of these transporters under acidic conditions is not well understood, although growth and survival under acidic conditions are important for bacterial pathogenesis. In this study, we examined the expression and activity of Kdp under acidic condit...

Background and aims: Acid gastro-oesophageal reflux is one of the most important causes of chronic cough. The response to acid suppression in these patients is not as good as in patients with heartburn but improvement with antireflux surgery has been reported, suggesting the involvement of a non-acidic gastric component in the refluxate. Less acidic reflux may produce symptoms such as regurgita...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Acid gastro-oesophageal reflux is one of the most important causes of chronic cough. The response to acid suppression in these patients is not as good as in patients with heartburn but improvement with antireflux surgery has been reported, suggesting the involvement of a non-acidic gastric component in the refluxate. Less acidic reflux may produce symptoms such as regurgitat...

The layers of keratinocytes form an acid mantle on the surface of the skin. Herein, we investigated the effects of acidic pH on the membrane current and [Ca(2+)](c) of human primary keratinocytes from foreskins and human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). Acidic extracellular pH (pH(e)</= 5.5) activated outwardly rectifying Cl(-) current (I(Cl,pH)) with slow kinetics of voltage-dependent activatio...

Two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging is used to identify microdomains (1-25 microm) of two distinct pH values within the uppermost layer of the epidermis (stratum corneum). The fluorophore used is 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF), whose lifetime tau (pH 4.5, tau = 2.75 ns; pH 8.5, tau = 3.90 ns) is pH dependent over the pH range of the stratum corneum (pH 4.5 ...

BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the effect of acidic microenvironment on the invasion of prostatic carcinoma PC-3 cells and to explore the potential mechanism. MATERIAL AND METHODS PC-3 cells were maintained in medium at different pHs (pH 7.4, pH 7.0 and pH 6.6). Invasion and metastasis of PC-3 cells were investigated in vitro. Acridine orange staining was performed, followed by la...

Cystic fibrosis is associated with pancreatic insufficiency and acidic intraluminal conditions that limit the action of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, especially that of lipase. Directed evolution combined with rational design was used in the aim of improving the performances of the human pancreatic lipase at acidic pH. We set up a method for screening thousands of lipase variants for a...

The effect of pH on functional association of peptide antigens with APC membranes was investigated by using aldehyde-fixed B cells and class II-restricted T cell hybridomas to assess antigen/MHC complex formation. The results indicated that the rate and extent of functional peptide binding was markedly increased at pH 5.0 as compared with pH 7.3. The pH dependence of binding was preserved after...

The ability of microorganisms to sense and adapt to changes in the environment is essential to their survival. This is particularly important for species with an intimate association with host organisms, such as pathogens, symbionts, and commensals. Host environments vary greatly in pH, ranging from highly acidic in the stomach (pH< 2) to mildly acidic on the skin and plant surfaces (6.5 < pH <...

An interesting observation was found during our continued studies on the hydrolysis of ibuprofen esters by Candida rugosa lipase (CRL). An important role is played by pH in the stereospecific hydrolysis of these esters. The flap region of CRL plays a significant role in the access of the substrate to the active site of the enzyme. At pH 5.6, 48% of the methyl ester and 5% of the butyl ester of ...