Guest-Host Complex Formed between Ascorbic Acid and β-Cyclodextrin Immobilized on the Surface of an Electrode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Teresa Ramírez-Silva

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This work deals with the formation of supramolecular complexes between ascorbic acid (AA, the guest, and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD, the host, that was first potentiodynamically immobilized on the surface of a carbon paste electrode (CPE throughout the formation of a β-CD-based conducting polymer (poly-β-CD. With the bare CPE and the β-CD-modified CPE, an electrochemical study was performed to understand the effect of such surface modification on the electrochemical response of the AA. From this study it was shown that on the modified-CPE, the AA was surface-immobilized through formation of an inclusion complex with β-CD, which provoked the adsorption of AA in such a way that this stage became the limiting step for the electrochemical oxidation of AA. Moreover, from the analysis of the experimental voltammetric plots recorded during AA oxidation on the CPE/poly-β-CD electrode surfaces, the Gibbs’ standard free energy of the inclusion complex formed by the oxidation product of AA and β-CD has been determined for the first time, ∆G0inclus = −36.4 kJ/mol.

Intercalation of paracetamol into the hydrotalcite-like host

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovanda, František; Maryšková, Zuzana; Kovář, Petr

2011-01-01

Hydrotalcite-like compounds are often used as host structures for intercalation of various anionic species. The product intercalated with the nonionic, water-soluble pharmaceuticals paracetamol, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide, was prepared by rehydration of the Mg–Al mixed oxide obtained by calcination of hydrotalcite-like precursor at 500 °C. The successful intercalation of paracetamol molecules into the interlayer space was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy measurements. Molecular simulations showed that the phenolic hydroxyl groups of paracetamol interact with hydroxide sheets of the host via the hydroxyl groups of the positively charged sites of Al-containing octahedra; the interlayer water molecules are located mostly near the hydroxide sheets. The arrangement of paracetamol molecules in the interlayer is rather disordered and interactions between neighboring molecules cause their tilting towards the hydroxide sheets. Dissolution tests in various media showed slower release of paracetamol intercalated in the hydrotalcite-like host in comparison with tablets containing the powdered pharmaceuticals. - Graphical abstract: Molecular simulations showed disordered arrangement of paracetamol molecules in the interlayer; most of the interlayer water molecules are located near the hydroxide sheets.▪ Highlights: ► Paracetamol was intercalated in Mg–Al hydrotalcite-like host by rehydration/reconstruction procedure. ► Paracetamol phenolic groups interact with positively charged sites in hydroxide sheets. ► Molecular simulations showed disordered arrangement of guest molecules in the interlayer. ► Slower release of paracetamol intercalated in the hydrotalcite-like host was observed.

A synthetic eicosanoid LX-mimetic unravels host-donor interactions in allogeneic BMT-induced GvHD to reveal an early protective role for host neutrophils.

Science.gov (United States)

Devchand, Pallavi R; Schmidt, Birgitta A; Primo, Valeria C; Zhang, Qing-yin; Arnaout, M Amin; Serhan, Charles N; Nikolic, Boris

2005-02-01

Lipoxin A(4) (LXA(4)) and aspirin-triggered 15-epi-LXA(4) are potent endogenous lipid mediators thought to define the inflammatory set-point. We used single prophylactic administrations of a synthetic aspirin-triggered lipoxin A(4) signal mimetic, ATLa, to probe dynamics of early host-donor interactions in a mouse model for the inflammation-associated multifactorial disease of allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) -induced graft-vs.-host disease (GvHD). We first demonstrated that both host and donor are responsive to the ATLa signals. The simple and restricted regimen of a single prophylactic administration of ATLa [100 ng/mL to donor cells or 1 microg (approximately 50 microg/kg) i.v. to host] was sufficient to delay death. Clinical indicators of weight, skin lesions, diarrhea and eye inflammation were monitored. Histological analyses on day 45 post-BMT showed that the degree of cellular trafficking, particularly neutrophil infiltrate, and protection of end-organ target pathology are different, depending on whether the host or donor was treated with ATLa. Taken together, these results chart some ATLa protective effects on GvHD cellular dynamics over time and identify a previously unrecognized effect of host neutrophils in the early phase post-BMT as important determinants in the dynamics of GvHD onset and progression.-Devchand, P. R., Schmidt, B. A., Primo, V. C., Zhang, Q.-y., Arnaout, M. A., Serhan, C. N., Nikolic, B. A synthetic eicosanoid LX-mimetic unravels host-donor interactions in allogeneic BMT-induced GvHD to reveal an early protective role for host neutrophils.

Interaction of pathogens with host cholesterol metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Sviridov, Dmitri; Bukrinsky, Michael

2014-10-01

Pathogens of different taxa, from prions to protozoa, target cellular cholesterol metabolism to advance their own development and to impair host immune responses, but also causing metabolic complications, for example, atherosclerosis. This review describes recent findings of how pathogens do it. A common theme in interaction between pathogens and host cholesterol metabolism is pathogens targeting lipid rafts of the host plasma membrane. Many intracellular pathogens use rafts as an entry gate, taking advantage of the endocytic machinery and high abundance of outward-looking molecules that can be used as receptors. At the same time, disruption of the rafts' functional capacity, achieved by the pathogens through a number of various means, impairs the ability of the host to generate immune response, thus helping pathogen to thrive. Pathogens cannot synthesize cholesterol, and salvaging host cholesterol helps pathogens build advanced cholesterol-containing membranes and assembly platforms. Impact on cholesterol metabolism is not limited to the infected cells; proteins and microRNAs secreted by infected cells affect lipid metabolism systemically. Given an essential role that host cholesterol metabolism plays in pathogen development, targeting this interaction may be a viable strategy to fight infections, as well as metabolic complications of the infections.

Charge transport in disordered organic host-guest systems: effects of carrier density and electric field

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yimer, Y.Y.; Bobbert, P.A.; Coehoorn, R.

2008-01-01

We investigate charge transport in disordered organic host–guest systems with a bimodal Gaussian density of states (DOS). The energy difference between the two Gaussians defines the trap depth. By solving the Pauli master equation for the hopping of charge carriers on a regular lattice with site

Genetics of simple and complex host-parasite interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidhu, G.S.; Webster, J.M.

1977-01-01

In nature a host plant can be viewed as a miniature replica of an ecological system where true and incidental parasites share the same habitat. Consequently, they influence each other's presence directly by interspecific interaction, and indirectly by inducing changes in the host's physiology and so form disease complexes. Since all physiological phenomena have their counterpart in the respective genetic systems of interacting organisms, valuable genetic information can be derived from the analysis of complex parasitic systems. Disease complexes may be classified according to the nature of interaction between various parasites on the same host. One parasite may nullify the host's resistance to another (e.g. Tomato - Meloidogyne incognita + Fusarium oxysporum lycopersici system). Conversely, a parasite may invoke resistance in the host against another parasite (e.g. Tomato - Fusarium oxysporum lycopersici + Verticillium albo atrum system). From the study of simple parasitic systems we know that resistance versus susceptibility against a single parasite is normally monogenically controlled. However, when more than one parasite interacts to invoke or nullify each other's responses on the same host plant, the genetic results suggest epistatic ratios. Nevertheless, epistatic ratios have been obtained also from simple parasitic systems owing to gene interaction. The epistatic ratios obtained from complex and simple parasitic systems are contrasted and compared. It is suggested that epistatic ratios obtained from simple parasitic systems may, in fact, be artifacts resulting from complex parasitic associations that often occur in nature. Polygenic inheritance and the longevity of a cultivar is also discussed briefly in relation to complex parasitic associations. Induced mutations can play a significant role in the study of complex parasitic associations, and thus can be very useful in controlling plant diseases

Permanent and reversible gels: transport of guests and guest-host interactions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schlick, S.; Pilař, Jan

2000-01-01

Roč. 159, - (2000), s. 187-195 ISSN 1022-1360. [SPSJ International Polymer Conference: Polymer Science and Industrial Research in the Fast-changing Age /7./. Yokohama, 26.10.1999-29.10.1999] R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME 149 Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 0.406, year: 2000

Charge transport in disordered organic host-guest systems: effects of carrier density and electric field

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yimer, Y.Y.; Bobbert, P.A.; Coehoorn, R.

2009-01-01

We investigate charge transport in disordered organic host–guest systems with a bimodal Gaussian density of states. The energy difference between the peaks of the two Gaussians defines the trap depth. By solving the Pauli master equation for the hopping of charge carriers on a regular lattice we

Pseudomonas predators: understanding and exploiting phage-host interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

De Smet, Jeroen; Hendrix, Hanne; Blasdel, Bob G; Danis-Wlodarczyk, Katarzyna; Lavigne, Rob

2017-09-01

Species in the genus Pseudomonas thrive in a diverse set of ecological niches and include crucial pathogens, such as the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. The bacteriophages that infect Pseudomonas spp. mirror the widespread and diverse nature of their hosts. Therefore, Pseudomonas spp. and their phages are an ideal system to study the molecular mechanisms that govern virus-host interactions. Furthermore, phages are principal catalysts of host evolution and diversity, which directly affects the ecological roles of environmental and pathogenic Pseudomonas spp. Understanding these interactions not only provides novel insights into phage biology but also advances the development of phage therapy, phage-derived antimicrobial strategies and innovative biotechnological tools that may be derived from phage-bacteria interactions.

Testing GxG interactions between coinfecting microbial parasite genotypes within hosts

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Rebecca D Schulte

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Host-parasite interactions represent one of the strongest selection pressures in nature. They are often governed by genotype-specific (GxG interactions resulting in host genotypes that differ in resistance and parasite genotypes that differ in virulence depending on the antagonist’s genotype. Another type of GxG interactions, which is often neglected but which certainly influences host-parasite interactions, are those between coinfecting parasite genotypes. Mechanistically, within-host parasite interactions may range from competition for limited host resources to cooperation for more efficient host exploitation. The exact type of interaction, i.e. whether competitive or cooperative, is known to affect life-history traits such as virulence. However, the latter has been shown for chosen genotype combinations only, not considering whether the specific genotype combination per se may influence the interaction (i.e. GxG interactions. Here, we want to test for the presence of GxG interactions between coinfections of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis infecting the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by combining two non-pathogenic and five pathogenic strains in all possible ways. Furthermore, we evaluate whether the type of interaction, reflected by the direction of virulence change of multiple compared to single infections, is genotype-specific. Generally, we found no indication for GxG interactions between non-pathogenic and pathogenic bacterial strains, indicating that virulence of pathogenic strains is equally affected by both non-pathogenic strains. Specific genotype combinations, however, differ in the strength of virulence change, indicating that the interaction type between coinfecting parasite strains and thus the virulence mechanism is specific for different genotype combinations. Such interactions are expected to influence host-parasite interactions and to have strong implications for coevolution.

Host-pathogen interactions: A cholera surveillance system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wright, Aaron T.

2016-02-22

Bacterial pathogen-secreted proteases may play a key role in inhibiting a potentially widespread host-pathogen interaction. Activity-based protein profiling enabled the identification of a major Vibrio cholerae serine protease that limits the ability of a host-derived intestinal lectin to bind to the bacterial pathogen in vivo.

Complexation of triptycene-derived macrotricyclic polyether with paraquat derivatives, diquat, and a 2,7-diazapyrenium salt: guest-induced conformational changes of the host.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Ying; Cao, Jing; Li, Peng-Fei; Zong, Qian-Shou; Zhao, Jian-Min; Guo, Jia-Bin; Xiang, Jun-Feng; Chen, Chuan-Feng

2013-04-05

Complexation between a triptycene-derived macrotricyclic polyether containing two dibenzo-[30]-crown-10 cavities and different functionalized paraquat derivatives, diquat, and a 2,7-diazapyrenium salt in both solution and solid state was investigated in detail. It was found that depending on the guests with different terminal functional groups and structures, the macrotricyclic polyether could form 1:1 or 1:2 complexes with the guests in different complexation modes in solution and also in the solid state. Especially, the conformation of the macrotricyclic polyether was efficiently adjusted by the encapsulated guests, which was to some extent similar to substrate-induced fit of enzymes. Moreover, the binding and releasing of the guests in the complexes could be controlled by potassium ions.

Insight into bacterial virulence mechanisms against host immune response via the Yersinia pestis-human protein-protein interaction network.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Huiying; Ke, Yuehua; Wang, Jian; Tan, Yafang; Myeni, Sebenzile K; Li, Dong; Shi, Qinghai; Yan, Yanfeng; Chen, Hui; Guo, Zhaobiao; Yuan, Yanzhi; Yang, Xiaoming; Yang, Ruifu; Du, Zongmin

2011-11-01

A Yersinia pestis-human protein interaction network is reported here to improve our understanding of its pathogenesis. Up to 204 interactions between 66 Y. pestis bait proteins and 109 human proteins were identified by yeast two-hybrid assay and then combined with 23 previously published interactions to construct a protein-protein interaction network. Topological analysis of the interaction network revealed that human proteins targeted by Y. pestis were significantly enriched in the proteins that are central in the human protein-protein interaction network. Analysis of this network showed that signaling pathways important for host immune responses were preferentially targeted by Y. pestis, including the pathways involved in focal adhesion, regulation of cytoskeleton, leukocyte transendoepithelial migration, and Toll-like receptor (TLR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Cellular pathways targeted by Y. pestis are highly relevant to its pathogenesis. Interactions with host proteins involved in focal adhesion and cytoskeketon regulation pathways could account for resistance of Y. pestis to phagocytosis. Interference with TLR and MAPK signaling pathways by Y. pestis reflects common characteristics of pathogen-host interaction that bacterial pathogens have evolved to evade host innate immune response by interacting with proteins in those signaling pathways. Interestingly, a large portion of human proteins interacting with Y. pestis (16/109) also interacted with viral proteins (Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] and hepatitis C virus [HCV]), suggesting that viral and bacterial pathogens attack common cellular functions to facilitate infections. In addition, we identified vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) as a novel interaction partner of YpkA and showed that YpkA could inhibit in vitro actin assembly mediated by VASP.

Optimization of the host–guest system within an OLED using different models of mobility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adames Prada, Rosana, E-mail: rdadamesp@unal.edu.co; Ardila Vargas, Angel Miguel, E-mail: amardilav@unal.edu.co

2014-12-15

To optimize the host–guest system of organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), it were performed simulations by doping a small molecule organic semiconductor (acting as host) with the transition organometallic complex known as Ir(ppy){sub 2}(acac) (acting as a guest). The simulation was carried out using simOLED with different mobility models: the Pool–Frenkel Model (PFM), the Extended Gaussian Disorder Model (EGDM) and Extended Correlated Disorder Model (ECDM), with the aim to determine the magnitude of some parameters like temperature, applied electric field, film thickness and charge carrier density that improve the electrical and optical properties of OLEDs with a more simplified structure like ITO/CBP/CBP:Ir(ppy){sub 2}(acac)/TPBi/LiF/Al.

Use of Host-like Peptide Motifs in Viral Proteins Is a Prevalent Strategy in Host-Virus Interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzachi Hagai

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Viruses interact extensively with host proteins, but the mechanisms controlling these interactions are not well understood. We present a comprehensive analysis of eukaryotic linear motifs (ELMs in 2,208 viral genomes and reveal that viruses exploit molecular mimicry of host-like ELMs to possibly assist in host-virus interactions. Using a statistical genomics approach, we identify a large number of potentially functional ELMs and observe that the occurrence of ELMs is often evolutionarily conserved but not uniform across virus families. Some viral proteins contain multiple types of ELMs, in striking similarity to complex regulatory modules in host proteins, suggesting that ELMs may act combinatorially to assist viral replication. Furthermore, a simple evolutionary model suggests that the inherent structural simplicity of ELMs often enables them to tolerate mutations and evolve quickly. Our findings suggest that ELMs may allow fast rewiring of host-virus interactions, which likely assists rapid viral evolution and adaptation to diverse environments.

Regulation of stem-cell mediated host immunity by the sphingolipid ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Regulation of stem-cell mediated host immunity by the sphingolipid pathway ... in the generation of mature immune cells and the functioning of the surrounding ... methods with human cells and genetically engineered mice to examine how the ...

Non-host Plant Resistance against Phytophthora capsici Is Mediated in Part by Members of the I2 R Gene Family in Nicotiana spp.

Science.gov (United States)

Vega-Arreguín, Julio C; Shimada-Beltrán, Harumi; Sevillano-Serrano, Jacobo; Moffett, Peter

2017-01-01

The identification of host genes associated with resistance to Phytophthora capsici is crucial to developing strategies of control against this oomycete pathogen. Since there are few sources of resistance to P. capsici in crop plants, non-host plants represent a promising source of resistance genes as well as excellent models to study P. capsici - plant interactions. We have previously shown that non-host resistance to P. capsici in Nicotiana spp. is mediated by the recognition of a specific P. capsici effector protein, PcAvr3a1 in a manner that suggests the involvement of a cognate disease resistance (R) genes. Here, we have used virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and transgenic tobacco plants expressing dsRNA in Nicotiana spp. to identify candidate R genes that mediate non-host resistance to P. capsici . Silencing of members of the I2 multigene family in the partially resistant plant N. edwardsonii and in the resistant N. tabacum resulted in compromised resistance to P. capsici . VIGS of two other components required for R gene-mediated resistance, EDS1 and SGT1 , also enhanced susceptibility to P. capsici in N. edwardsonii , as well as in the susceptible plants N. benthamiana and N. clevelandii . The silencing of I2 family members in N. tabacum also compromised the recognition of PcAvr3a1. These results indicate that in this case, non-host resistance is mediated by the same components normally associated with race-specific resistance.

Host-Microbe Interactions in Microgravity: Assessment and Implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamie S. Foster

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Spaceflight imposes several unique stresses on biological life that together can have a profound impact on the homeostasis between eukaryotes and their associated microbes. One such stressor, microgravity, has been shown to alter host-microbe interactions at the genetic and physiological levels. Recent sequencing of the microbiomes associated with plants and animals have shown that these interactions are essential for maintaining host health through the regulation of several metabolic and immune responses. Disruptions to various environmental parameters or community characteristics may impact the resiliency of the microbiome, thus potentially driving host-microbe associations towards disease. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of host-microbe interactions in microgravity and assess the impact of this unique environmental stress on the normal physiological and genetic responses of both pathogenic and mutualistic associations. As humans move beyond our biosphere and undergo longer duration space flights, it will be essential to more fully understand microbial fitness in microgravity conditions in order to maintain a healthy homeostasis between humans, plants and their respective microbiomes.

Host-microbe interactions in microgravity: assessment and implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Jamie S; Wheeler, Raymond M; Pamphile, Regine

2014-05-26

Spaceflight imposes several unique stresses on biological life that together can have a profound impact on the homeostasis between eukaryotes and their associated microbes. One such stressor, microgravity, has been shown to alter host-microbe interactions at the genetic and physiological levels. Recent sequencing of the microbiomes associated with plants and animals have shown that these interactions are essential for maintaining host health through the regulation of several metabolic and immune responses. Disruptions to various environmental parameters or community characteristics may impact the resiliency of the microbiome, thus potentially driving host-microbe associations towards disease. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of host-microbe interactions in microgravity and assess the impact of this unique environmental stress on the normal physiological and genetic responses of both pathogenic and mutualistic associations. As humans move beyond our biosphere and undergo longer duration space flights, it will be essential to more fully understand microbial fitness in microgravity conditions in order to maintain a healthy homeostasis between humans, plants and their respective microbiomes.

Host age modulates within-host parasite competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Izhar, Rony; Routtu, Jarkko; Ben-Ami, Frida

2015-05-01

In many host populations, one of the most striking differences among hosts is their age. While parasite prevalence differences in relation to host age are well known, little is known on how host age impacts ecological and evolutionary dynamics of diseases. Using two clones of the water flea Daphnia magna and two clones of its bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa, we examined how host age at exposure influences within-host parasite competition and virulence. We found that multiply-exposed hosts were more susceptible to infection and suffered higher mortality than singly-exposed hosts. Hosts oldest at exposure were least often infected and vice versa. Furthermore, we found that in young multiply-exposed hosts competition was weak, allowing coexistence and transmission of both parasite clones, whereas in older multiply-exposed hosts competitive exclusion was observed. Thus, age-dependent parasite exposure and host demography (age structure) could together play an important role in mediating parasite evolution. At the individual level, our results demonstrate a previously unnoticed interaction of the host's immune system with host age, suggesting that the specificity of immune function changes as hosts mature. Therefore, evolutionary models of parasite virulence might benefit from incorporating age-dependent epidemiological parameters. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Guest loyalty in hospitality industry

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Gagić Snježana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The continuous growth of competition in the hospitality sector has created the need to retain guests and prevent them from switching company due to better offer or saturation. Loyal customers are a valuable asset for catering companies, not only because of the awareness of the effects of customer loyalty. They tend to spread word-of-mouth advertising, more tolerant to price changes, as well as they casually create a linkage to their friends, relatives, colleagues, and other probable consumers and thus enable businesses to uphold a guest's base. By recognizing loyalty guests' importance, the global hospitality industry created monetary and non-monetary rewards for loyal visitors, delayed gratification (points collection and immediate rewards, as well as numerous other reward systems that try to keep them. To win customer loyalty, together with all benefits arising from it, caterers need to become familiar with factors, which determine guests' loyalty. The paper will show the results of research regarding the impact of the service quality and guests' satisfaction to their loyalty. Many authors have confirmed that employees' satisfaction affected customers' satisfaction, so this paper will give an answer does it influence on customers' loyalty as well.

An enhanced cerium(IV)-rhodamine 6G chemiluminescence system using guest-host interactions in a lab-on-a-chip platform for estimating the total phenolic content in food samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Haddabi, Buthaina; Al Lawati, Haider A J; Suliman, FakhrEldin O

2016-04-01

Two chemiluminescence-microfluidic (CL-MF) systems, e.g., Ce(IV)-rhodamine B (RB) and Ce(IV)-rhodamine 6G (R6G), for the determination of the total phenolic content in teas and some sweeteners were evaluated. The results indicated that the Ce(IV)-R6G system was more sensitive in comparison to the Ce(IV)-RB CL system. Therefore, a simple (CL-MF) method based on the CL of Ce(IV)-R6G was developed, and the sensitivity, selectivity and stability of this system were evaluated. Selected phenolic compounds (PCs), such as quercetin (QRC), catechin (CAT), rutin (RUT), gallic acid (GA), caffeic acid (CA) and syringic acid (SA), produced analytically useful chemiluminescence signals with low detection limits ranging from 0.35 nmol L(-1) for QRC to 11.31 nmol L(-1) for SA. The mixing sequence and the chip design were crucial, as the sensitivity and reproducibility could be substantially affected by these two factors. In addition, the anionic surfactant (i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) can significantly enhance the CL signal intensity by as much as 300% for the QRC solution. Spectroscopic studies indicated that the enhancement was due to a strong guest-host interaction between the cationic R6G molecules and the anionic amphiphilic environment. Other parameters that could affect the CL intensities of the PCs were carefully optimized. Finally, the method was successfully applied to tea and sweetener samples. Six different tea samples exhibited total phenolic/antioxidant levels from 7.32 to 13.5 g per 100g of sample with respect to GA. Four different sweetener samples were also analyzed and exhibited total phenolic/antioxidant levels from 500.9 to 3422.9 mg kg(-1) with respect to GA. The method was selective, rapid and sensitive when used to estimate the total phenolic/antioxidant level, and the results were in good agreement with those reported for honey and tea samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitive and Specific Guest Recognition through Pyridinium-Modification in Spindle-Like Coordination Containers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhuvaneswari, Nagarajan; Dai, Feng-Rong; Chen, Zhong-Ning

2018-05-02

An elaborately designed pyridinium-functionalized octanuclear zinc(II) coordination container 1-Zn was prepared through the self-assembly of Zn 2+ , p-tert-butylsulfonylcalix[4]arene, and pyridinium-functionalized angular flexible dicarboxylate linker (H 2 BrL1). The structure was determined by a single-crystal X-ray diffractometer. 1-Zn displays highly sensitive and specific recognition to 2-picolylamine as revealed by drastic blueshifts of the absorption and emission spectra, ascribed to the decrease of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character of the container and the occurrence of intermolecular charge transfer between the host and guest molecules. The intramolecular charge transfer plays a key role in the modulation of the electronic properties and is tunable through endo-encapsulation of specific guest molecules. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Volatile chemical cues guide host location and host selection by parasitic plants

Science.gov (United States)

Justin B. Runyon; Mark C. Mescher; Consuelo M. De Moraes

2006-01-01

The importance of plant volatiles in mediating interactions between plant species is much debated. Here, we demonstrate that the parasitic plant Cuscuta pentagona (dodder) uses volatile cues for host location. Cuscuta pentagona seedlings exhibit directed growth toward nearby tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum...

New Horizons Pluto Flyby Guest Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, M.; Turney, D.; Fisher, S.; Carr, S. S.

2015-12-01

On July 14, 2015, after 9.5 years of cruise, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past the Pluto system to gather first images humankind had ever seen on Pluto and its five moons. While much has been discovered about the Pluto system since New Horizons launch in 2006, the system has never been imaged at high resolution and anticipation of the "First Light" of the Pluto system had been anticipated by planetary enthusiasts for decades. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), which built and operates New Horizons, was the focal point for gathering three distinct groups: science and engineering team members; media and public affairs representatives; and invited public, including VIP's. Guest operations activities were focused on providing information primarily to the invited public and VIP's. High level objectives for the Guest Operations team was set to entertain and inform the general public, offer media reaction shots, and to deconflict activities for the guests from media activities wherever possible. Over 2000 people arrived at APL in the days surrounding closest approach for guest, science or media operations tracks. Reaction and coverage of the Guest Operations events was universally positive and global in impact: iconic pictures of the auditorium waving flags during the moment of closest approach were published in media outlets on every continent. Media relations activities ensured coverage in all key media publications targeted for release, such as the New York Times, Science, Le Monde, and Nature. Social and traditional media coverage of the events spanned the globe. Guest operations activities are designed to ensure that a guest has a memorable experience and leaves with a lifelong memory of the mission and their partnership in the activity. Results, lessons learned, and other data from the New Horizons guest operations activity will be presented and analyzed.

The Protein Interaction Network of Bacteriophage Lambda with Its Host, Escherichia coli

Science.gov (United States)

Blasche, Sonja; Wuchty, Stefan; Rajagopala, Seesandra V.

2013-01-01

Although most of the 73 open reading frames (ORFs) in bacteriophage λ have been investigated intensively, the function of many genes in host-phage interactions remains poorly understood. Using yeast two-hybrid screens of all lambda ORFs for interactions with its host Escherichia coli, we determined a raw data set of 631 host-phage interactions resulting in a set of 62 high-confidence interactions after multiple rounds of retesting. These links suggest novel regulatory interactions between the E. coli transcriptional network and lambda proteins. Targeted host proteins and genes required for lambda infection are enriched among highly connected proteins, suggesting that bacteriophages resemble interaction patterns of human viruses. Lambda tail proteins interact with both bacterial fimbrial proteins and E. coli proteins homologous to other phage proteins. Lambda appears to dramatically differ from other phages, such as T7, because of its unusually large number of modified and processed proteins, which reduces the number of host-virus interactions detectable by yeast two-hybrid screens. PMID:24049175

The S-layer Associated Serine Protease Homolog PrtX Impacts Cell Surface-Mediated Microbe-Host Interactions of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brant R. Johnson

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Health-promoting aspects attributed to probiotic microorganisms, including adhesion to intestinal epithelia and modulation of the host mucosal immune system, are mediated by proteins found on the bacterial cell surface. Notably, certain probiotic and commensal bacteria contain a surface (S- layer as the outermost stratum of the cell wall. S-layers are non-covalently bound semi-porous, crystalline arrays of self-assembling, proteinaceous subunits called S-layer proteins (SLPs. Recent evidence has shown that multiple proteins are non-covalently co-localized within the S-layer, designated S-layer associated proteins (SLAPs. In Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, SLP and SLAPs have been implicated in both mucosal immunomodulation and adhesion to the host intestinal epithelium. In this study, a S-layer associated serine protease homolog, PrtX (prtX, lba1578, was deleted from the chromosome of L. acidophilus NCFM. Compared to the parent strain, the PrtX-deficient strain (ΔprtX demonstrated increased autoaggregation, an altered cellular morphology, and pleiotropic increases in adhesion to mucin and fibronectin, in vitro. Furthermore, ΔprtX demonstrated increased in vitro immune stimulation of IL-6, IL-12, and IL-10 compared to wild-type, when exposed to mouse dendritic cells. Finally, in vivo colonization of germ-free mice with ΔprtX led to an increase in epithelial barrier integrity. The absence of PrtX within the exoproteome of a ΔprtX strain caused morphological changes, resulting in a pleiotropic increase of the organisms’ immunomodulatory properties and interactions with some intestinal epithelial cell components.

Using Gas-Phase Guest-Host Chemistry to Probe the Structures of b Ions of Peptides

Science.gov (United States)

Somogyi, Árpád; Harrison, Alex G.; Paizs, Béla

2012-12-01

Middle-sized b n ( n ≥ 5) fragments of protonated peptides undergo selective complex formation with ammonia under experimental conditions typically used to probe hydrogen-deuterium exchange in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Other usual peptide fragments like y, a, a*, etc., and small b n ( n ≤ 4) fragments do not form stable ammonia adducts. We propose that complex formation of b n ions with ammonia is characteristic to macrocyclic isomers of these fragments. Experiments on a protonated cyclic peptide and N-terminal acetylated peptides fully support this hypothesis; the protonated cyclic peptide does form ammonia adducts while linear b n ions of acetylated peptides do not undergo complexation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the proton-bound dimers of all-Ala b 4 , b 5 , and b 7 ions and ammonia indicate that the ionizing proton initially located on the peptide fragment transfers to ammonia upon adduct formation. The ammonium ion is then solvated by N+-H…O H-bonds; this stabilization is much stronger for macrocyclic b n isomers due to the stable cage-like structure formed and entropy effects. The present study demonstrates that gas-phase guest-host chemistry can be used to selectively probe structural features (i.e., macrocyclic or linear) of fragments of protonated peptides. Stable ammonia adducts of b 9 , b 9 -A, and b 9 -2A of A8YA, and b 13 of A20YVFL are observed indicating that even these large b-type ions form macrocyclic structures.

Have the Guests Perceived Superior Value?

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Levyda Levyda

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to describe guests’ perceived value by using a multidimensional approach. From previous research, guests’ perceived value consisted of some functional value, emotional value, and social value. Based on guest experience, and functional value consisted of physical evidence, guest room, food and beverage, hotel staff, and price. This research was conducted in four-star hotels in Jakarta. The respondents were the guests who had stayed in four-star hotels. The number of the respondent was 405. The data were obtained by using self-administered questionnaires. This research shows that guests have not perceived superior value. Some of the values and the necessary efforts need to be improved.

Macromolecule exchange in Cuscuta-host plant interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Gunjune; Westwood, James H

2015-08-01

Cuscuta species (dodders) are parasitic plants that are able to grow on many different host plants and can be destructive to crops. The connections between Cuscuta and its hosts allow movement of not only water and small nutrients, but also macromolecules including mRNA, proteins and viruses. Recent studies show that RNAs move bidirectionally between hosts and parasites and involve a large number of different genes. Although the function of mobile mRNAs has not been demonstrated in this system, small RNAs are also transmitted and a silencing construct expressed in hosts is able to affect expression of the target gene in the parasite. High throughput sequencing of host-parasite associations has the potential to greatly accelerate understanding of this remarkable interaction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Host-Plant Specialization Mediates the Influence of Plant Abundance on Host Use by Flower Head-Feeding Insects.

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Nobre, Paola A F; Bergamini, Leonardo L; Lewinsohn, Thomas M; Jorge, Leonardo R; Almeida-Neto, Mário

2016-02-01

Among-population variation in host use is a common phenomenon in herbivorous insects. The simplest and most trivial explanation for such variation in host use is the among-site variation in plant species composition. Another aspect that can influence spatial variation in host use is the relative abundance of each host-plant species compared to all available hosts. Here, we used endophagous insects that develop in flower heads of Asteraceae species as a study system to investigate how plant abundance influences the pattern of host-plant use by herbivorous insects with distinct levels of host-range specialization. Only herbivores recorded on three or more host species were included in this study. In particular, we tested two related hypotheses: 1) plant abundance has a positive effect on the host-plant preference of herbivorous insects, and 2) the relative importance of plant abundance to host-plant preference is greater for herbivorous species that use a wider range of host-plant species. We analyzed 11 herbivore species in 20 remnants of Cerrado in Southeastern Brazil. For 8 out of 11 herbivore species, plant abundance had a positive influence on host use. In contrast to our expectation, both the most specialized and the most generalist herbivores showed a stronger positive effect of plant species abundance in host use. Thus, we found evidence that although the abundance of plant species is a major factor determining the preferential use of host plants, its relative importance is mediated by the host-range specialization of herbivores.

Echinococcus-Host Interactions at Cellular and Molecular Levels.

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Brehm, K; Koziol, U

2017-01-01

The potentially lethal zoonotic diseases alveolar and cystic echinococcosis are caused by the metacestode larval stages of the tapeworms Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus, respectively. In both cases, metacestode growth and proliferation occurs within the inner organs of mammalian hosts, which is associated with complex molecular host-parasite interactions that regulate nutrient uptake by the parasite as well as metacestode persistence and development. Using in vitro cultivation systems for parasite larvae, and informed by recently released, comprehensive genome and transcriptome data for both parasites, these molecular host-parasite interactions have been subject to significant research during recent years. In this review, we discuss progress in this field, with emphasis on parasite development and proliferation. We review host-parasite interaction mechanisms that occur early during an infection, when the invading oncosphere stage undergoes a metamorphosis towards the metacestode, and outline the decisive role of parasite stem cells during this process. We also discuss special features of metacestode morphology, and how this parasite stage takes up nutrients from the host, utilizing newly evolved or expanded gene families. We comprehensively review mechanisms of host-parasite cross-communication via evolutionarily conserved signalling systems and how the parasite signalling systems might be exploited for the development of novel chemotherapeutics. Finally, we point to an urgent need for the development of functional genomic techniques in this parasite, which will be imperative for hypothesis-driven analyses into Echinococcus stem cell biology, developmental mechanisms and immunomodulatory activities, which are all highly relevant for the development of anti-infective measures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of host relaxation and dynamics on guest molecule dynamics in H2/tetrahydrofuranhydrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Vanessa K; Shoko, Elvis; Kearley, Gordon J

2011-01-01

We use ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to obtain classically the effects of H2O cage motions on the potential-energy surface (PES) of encapsulated H2 in the H2/tetrahydrofuran-hydrate system. The significant differences between the PES for the H2 in rigid and flexible cages that we find will influence calculation of the quantum dynamics of the H2. Part of these differences arises from the relaxation of the H2O cage around the classical H2, with a second part arising from the coupling of both translational and rotational motions of H2 with the H20 cage. We find that isotopic substitution of 2H for 1H of the H2O cage affects the coupling, which has implications for experiments that require the use of 2H2O, including inelastic neutron scattering that uses 2H2O cages in order to focus on the H2 guest dynamics. Overall, this work emphasizes the importance of taking into account cage dynamics in any approach used to understand the dynamics of H2 guests in porous framework materials.

Usability of Security Management:Defining the Permissions of Guests

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Matthew; Stajano, Frank

Within the scenario of a Smart Home, we discuss the issues involved in allowing limited interaction with the environment for unidentified principals, or guests. The challenges include identifying and authenticating guests on one hand and delegating authorization to them on the other. While the technical mechanisms for doing so in generic distributed systems have been around for decades, existing solutions are in general not applicable to the smart home because they are too complex to manage. We focus on providing both security and usability; we therefore seek simple and easy to understand approaches that can be used by a normal computer-illiterate home owner, not just by a trained system administrator. This position paper describes ongoing research and does not claim to have all the answers.

Nanoparticle guests in lyotropic liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Dölle, Sarah; Park, Ji Hyun; Schymura, Stefan; Jo, Hyeran; Scalia, Giusy; Lagerwall, Jan P. F.

In this chapter we discuss the benefits, peculiarities and main challenges related to nanoparticle templating in lyotropic liquid crystals. We first give a brief bird's-eye view of the field, discussing different nanoparticles as well as different lyotropic hosts that have been explored, but then quickly focus on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in surfactant-based lyotropic nematic phases. We discuss in some detail how the transfer of orientational order from liquid crystal host to nanoparticle guest can be verified and which degree of ordering can be expected, as well as the importance of choosing the right surfactant and its concentration for the stability of the nanoparticle suspension. We introduce a method for dispersing nanoparticles with an absolute minimum of stabilizing surfactant, based on dispersion below the Krafft temperature, and we discuss the peculiar phenomenon of filament formation in lyotropic nematic phases with a sufficient concentration of well-dispersed carbon nanotubes. Finally, we describe how the total surfactant concentration in micellar nematics can be greatly reduced by combining cat- and anionic surfactants, and we discuss how nanotubes can help in inducing the liquid crystal phase close to the isotropic-nematic boundary.

Characterization of the Sulfolobus host-SSV2 virus interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Contursi, P.; Jensen, S.; Aucelli, T.

2006-01-01

The Sulfolobus spindle virus, SSV2, encodes a tyrosine integrase which furthers provirus formation in host chromosomes. Consistently with the prediction made during sequence analysis, integration was found to occur in the downstream half of the tRNAGly (CCC) gene. In this paper we report the find......The Sulfolobus spindle virus, SSV2, encodes a tyrosine integrase which furthers provirus formation in host chromosomes. Consistently with the prediction made during sequence analysis, integration was found to occur in the downstream half of the tRNAGly (CCC) gene. In this paper we report...... during the growth of the natural host REY15/4, the cellular content of SSV2 DNA remains fairly low throughout the incubation of the foreign host. The accumulation of episomal DNA in the former case cannot be traced to decreased packaging activity because of a simultaneous increase in the virus titre...... in the medium. In addition, the interaction between SSV2 and its natural host is characterized by the concurrence of host growth inhibition and the induction of viral DNA replication. When this virus-host interaction was investigated using S. islandicus REY15A, a strain which is closely related to the natural...

Host restriction factors in retroviral infection: promises in virus-host interaction

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Zheng Yong-Hui

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Retroviruses have an intricate life cycle. There is much to be learned from studying retrovirus-host interactions. Among retroviruses, the primate lentiviruses have one of the more complex genome structures with three categories of viral genes: structural, regulatory, and accessory genes. Over time, we have gained increasing understanding of the lentivirus life cycle from studying host factors that support virus replication. Similarly, studies on host restriction factors that inhibit viral replication have also made significant contributions to our knowledge. Here, we review recent progress on the rapidly growing field of restriction factors, focusing on the antiretroviral activities of APOBEC3G, TRIM5, tetherin, SAMHD1, MOV10, and cellular microRNAs (miRNAs, and the counter-activities of Vif, Vpu, Vpr, Vpx, and Nef.

Histones as mediators of host defense, inflammation and thrombosis.

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Hoeksema, Marloes; van Eijk, Martin; Haagsman, Henk P; Hartshorn, Kevan L

2016-01-01

Histones are known for their ability to bind to and regulate expression of DNA. However, histones are also present in cytoplasm and extracellular fluids where they serve host defense functions and promote inflammatory responses. Histones are a major component of neutrophil extracellular traps that contribute to bacterial killing but also to inflammatory injury. Histones can act as antimicrobial peptides and directly kill bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, in vitro and in a variety of animal hosts. In addition, histones can trigger inflammatory responses in some cases acting through Toll-like receptors or inflammasome pathways. Extracellular histones mediate organ injury (lung, liver), sepsis physiology, thrombocytopenia and thrombin generation and some proteins can bind histones and reduce these potentially harmful effects.

Energy transfer to xanthene dyes in dansylated POPAM dendrimers

Science.gov (United States)

Aumanen, Jukka; Korppi-Tommola, Jouko

2011-12-01

Excitation energy transfer (EET) in host-guest complexes of dansylated POPAM dendrimers and xanthene dyes have been studied by transient absorption spectroscopy. EET from dansyl periphery to guests: rose bengal, eosin, or fluorescein, showed non-exponential behaviour as a result of distribution of donor-acceptor distances. Time constants range from 100 fs to 8 ps, independent of the dye and the dendrimer generation. Experiments suggested that in dendrimers binding more than one guest, EET among the guests becomes effective. Guest-host and guest-guest interactions induce non-radiative relaxation channels making excitation decays of the guests clearly faster in complexes than in solution.

Serpin functions in host-pathogen interactions

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Jialing Bao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Serpins are a broadly distributed superfamily of protease inhibitors that are present in all kingdoms of life. The acronym, serpin, is derived from their function as potent serine proteases inhibitors. Early studies of serpins focused on their functions in haemostasis since modulating serine proteases activities are essential for coagulation. Additional research has revealed that serpins function in infection and inflammation, by modulating serine and cysteine proteases activities. The aim of this review is to summarize the accumulating findings and current understanding of the functions of serpins in host-pathogen interactions, serving as host defense proteins as well as pathogenic factors. We also discuss the potential crosstalk between host and pathogen serpins. We anticipate that future research will elucidate the therapeutic value of this novel target.

Regulation of host-pathogen interactions via the post-transcriptional Csr/Rsm system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kusmierek, Maria; Dersch, Petra

2018-02-01

A successful colonization of specific hosts requires a rapid and efficient adaptation of the virulence-relevant gene expression program by bacterial pathogens. An important element in this endeavor is the Csr/Rsm system. This multi-component, post-transcriptional control system forms a central hub within complex regulatory networks and coordinately adjusts virulence properties with metabolic and physiological attributes of the pathogen. A key function is elicited by the RNA-binding protein CsrA/RsmA. CsrA/RsmA interacts with numerous target mRNAs, many of which encode crucial virulence factors, and alters their translation, stability or elongation of transcription. Recent studies highlighted that important colonization factors, toxins, and bacterial secretion systems are under CsrA/RsmA control. CsrA/RsmA deficiency impairs host colonization and attenuates virulence, making this post-transcriptional regulator a suitable drug target. The CsrA/RsmA protein can be inactivated through sequestration by non-coding RNAs, or via binding to specific highly abundant mRNAs and interacting proteins. The wide range of interaction partners and RNA targets, as well as the overarching, interlinked genetic control circuits illustrate the complexity of this regulatory system in the different pathogens. Future work addressing spatio-temporal changes of Csr/Rsm-mediated control during the course of an infection will help us to understand how bacteria reprogram their expression profile to cope with continuous changes experienced in colonized niches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping Protein Interactions between Dengue Virus and Its Human and Insect Hosts

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Doolittle, Janet M.; Gomez, Shawn M.

2011-01-01

Background Dengue fever is an increasingly significant arthropod-borne viral disease, with at least 50 million cases per year worldwide. As with other viral pathogens, dengue virus is dependent on its host to perform the bulk of functions necessary for viral survival and replication. To be successful, dengue must manipulate host cell biological processes towards its own ends, while avoiding elimination by the immune system. Protein-protein interactions between the virus and its host are one avenue through which dengue can connect and exploit these host cellular pathways and processes. Methodology/Principal Findings We implemented a computational approach to predict interactions between Dengue virus (DENV) and both of its hosts, Homo sapiens and the insect vector Aedes aegypti. Our approach is based on structural similarity between DENV and host proteins and incorporates knowledge from the literature to further support a subset of the predictions. We predict over 4,000 interactions between DENV and humans, as well as 176 interactions between DENV and A. aegypti. Additional filtering based on shared Gene Ontology cellular component annotation reduced the number of predictions to approximately 2,000 for humans and 18 for A. aegypti. Of 19 experimentally validated interactions between DENV and humans extracted from the literature, this method was able to predict nearly half (9). Additional predictions suggest specific interactions between virus and host proteins relevant to interferon signaling, transcriptional regulation, stress, and the unfolded protein response. Conclusions/Significance Dengue virus manipulates cellular processes to its advantage through specific interactions with the host's protein interaction network. The interaction networks presented here provide a set of hypothesis for further experimental investigation into the DENV life cycle as well as potential therapeutic targets. PMID:21358811

Mapping protein interactions between Dengue virus and its human and insect hosts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janet M Doolittle

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Dengue fever is an increasingly significant arthropod-borne viral disease, with at least 50 million cases per year worldwide. As with other viral pathogens, dengue virus is dependent on its host to perform the bulk of functions necessary for viral survival and replication. To be successful, dengue must manipulate host cell biological processes towards its own ends, while avoiding elimination by the immune system. Protein-protein interactions between the virus and its host are one avenue through which dengue can connect and exploit these host cellular pathways and processes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We implemented a computational approach to predict interactions between Dengue virus (DENV and both of its hosts, Homo sapiens and the insect vector Aedes aegypti. Our approach is based on structural similarity between DENV and host proteins and incorporates knowledge from the literature to further support a subset of the predictions. We predict over 4,000 interactions between DENV and humans, as well as 176 interactions between DENV and A. aegypti. Additional filtering based on shared Gene Ontology cellular component annotation reduced the number of predictions to approximately 2,000 for humans and 18 for A. aegypti. Of 19 experimentally validated interactions between DENV and humans extracted from the literature, this method was able to predict nearly half (9. Additional predictions suggest specific interactions between virus and host proteins relevant to interferon signaling, transcriptional regulation, stress, and the unfolded protein response. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Dengue virus manipulates cellular processes to its advantage through specific interactions with the host's protein interaction network. The interaction networks presented here provide a set of hypothesis for further experimental investigation into the DENV life cycle as well as potential therapeutic targets.

Probing Interactions of N-Donor Molecules with Open Metal Sites within Paramagnetic Cr-MIL-101: A Solid-State NMR Spectroscopic and Density Functional Theory Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittmann, Thomas; Mondal, Arobendo; Tschense, Carsten B L; Wittmann, Johannes J; Klimm, Ottokar; Siegel, Renée; Corzilius, Björn; Weber, Birgit; Kaupp, Martin; Senker, Juergen

2018-02-14

Understanding host-guest interactions is one of the key requirements for adjusting properties in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In particular, systems with coordinatively unsaturated Lewis acidic metal sites feature highly selective adsorption processes. This is attributed to strong interactions with Lewis basic guest molecules. Here we show that a combination of 13 C MAS NMR spectroscopy with state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) calculations allows one to unravel the interactions of water, 2-aminopyridine, 3-aminopyridine, and diethylamine with the open metal sites in Cr-MIL-101. The 13 C MAS NMR spectra, obtained with ultrafast magic-angle spinning, are well resolved, with resonances distributed over 1000 ppm. They present a clear signature for each guest at the open metal sites. Based on competition experiments this leads to the following binding preference: water open metal sites, the NMR data offer additional information about the guest and framework dynamics. We expect that our strategy has the potential for probing the binding situation of adsorbate mixtures at the open metal sites of MOFs in general and thus accesses the microscopic interaction mechanisms for this important material class, which is essential for deriving structure-property relationships.

Double level selection in a constitutional dynamic library of coordination driven supramolecular polygons.

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Rancan, Marzio; Tessarolo, Jacopo; Casarin, Maurizio; Zanonato, Pier Luigi; Quici, Silvio; Armelao, Lidia

2014-07-21

A constitutional dynamic library (CDL) of Cu(II) metallo-supramolecular polygons has been studied as a bench test to examine an interesting selection case based on molecular recognition. Sorting of the CDL polygons is achieved through a proper guest that is hosted into the triangular metallo-macrocycle constituent. Two selection mechanisms are observed, a guest induced path and a guest templated self-assembly (virtual library approach). Remarkably, the triangular host can accommodate several guests with a degree of selectivity ranging from ∼1 to ∼10(4) for all possible guest pairs. A double level selection operates: guests drive the CDL toward the triangular polygon, and, at the same time, this is able to pick a specific guest from a set of competitive molecules, according to a selectivity-affinity correlation. Association constants of the host-guest systems have been determined. Guest competition and exchange studies have been analyzed through variable temperature UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Molecular structures and electronic properties of the triangular polygon and of the host-guest systems also have been studied by means of all electrons density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations including dispersive contributions. DFT outcomes ultimately indicate the dispersive nature of the host-guest interactions, while TDDFT results allow a thorough assignment of the host and host-guests spectral features.

Dynamics of glucosinolate-myrosinase system during Plutella xylostella interaction to a novel host Lepidium latifolium L.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Tarandeep; Bhat, Rohini; Khajuria, Manu; Vyas, Ruchika; Kumari, Anika; Nadda, Gireesh; Vishwakarma, Ram; Vyas, Dhiraj

2016-09-01

Plutella xylostella L. is a notorious pest of cruciferous crops causing worldwide losses of $4-5 billion per year. Developing classical biological control to this pest include an introduction of host plants that act as natural enemies showing deviation from the preference-performance regimen in the evolutionary ecology of plant-insect interactions. The present study was designed to understand the role of glucosinolate-myrosinase system during P. xylostella interactions with a novel host. Adult moth preference and larval performance study were conducted on a novel host Lepidium latifolium L. (LL) that has high sinigrin content and was compared with its laboratory host Arabidopsis thaliana (AT). The glucosinolate-myrosinase system was studied in a time course experiment during larval feeding in choice and no-choice experiments. Adult moths visit and prefers LL over AT for oviposition. Conversely, LL leaves were not preferred and proved detrimental for P. xylostella larvae. Aliphatic and indolic glucosinolates were found to decrease significantly (p≤0.05) in AT during initial 12h of P. xylostella challenge, whereas, they were not affected in LL. Also, MYB transcription factor expression and myrosinase activity in LL do not suggest a typical host response to a specialist insect. This preference-performance mismatch of P. xylostella on LL mediated by glucosinolate pattern suggests that this novel plant could be utilized in P. xylostella management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Host-guest supramolecular nanosystems for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Li, Li-li; Fan, Yun-shan; Wang, Hao

2013-07-26

Extensive efforts have been devoted to the construction of functional supramolecular nanosystems for applications in catalysis, energy conversion, sensing and biomedicine. The applications of supramolecular nanosystems such as liposomes, micelles, inorganic nanoparticles, carbon materials for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics have been reviewed by other groups. Here, we will focus on the recent momentous advances in the implementation of typical supramolecular hosts (i.e., cyclodextrins, calixarenes, cucurbiturils and metallo-hosts) and their nanosystems in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. We discuss the evolutive process of supramolecular nanosystems from the structural control and characterization to their diagnostic and therapeutic function exploitation and even the future potentials for clinical translation. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Host-pathogen interactions in typhoid fever

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, H.K.

2015-01-01

This thesis focuses on host-pathogen interactions in Salmonella Typhi and Burkholderia pseudomallei infections and explores the interplay between these bacteria and the innate immune system. Typhoid fever is one of the most common causes of bacterial infection in low-income countries. With adequate

The specificity of host-bat fly interaction networks across vegetation and seasonal variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarazúa-Carbajal, Mariana; Saldaña-Vázquez, Romeo A; Sandoval-Ruiz, César A; Stoner, Kathryn E; Benitez-Malvido, Julieta

2016-10-01

Vegetation type and seasonality promote changes in the species composition and abundance of parasite hosts. However, it is poorly known how these variables affect host-parasite interaction networks. This information is important to understand the dynamics of parasite-host relationships according to biotic and abiotic changes. We compared the specialization of host-bat fly interaction networks, as well as bat fly and host species composition between upland dry forest and riparian forest and between dry and rainy seasons in a tropical dry forest in Jalisco, Mexico. Bat flies were surveyed by direct collection from bats. Our results showed that host-bat fly interaction networks were more specialized in upland dry forest compared to riparian forest. Bat fly species composition was different between the dry and rainy seasons, while host species composition was different between upland dry forest and riparian forest. The higher specialization in upland dry forest could be related to the differences in bat host species composition and their respective roosting habits. Variation in the composition of bat fly species between dry and rainy seasons coincides with the seasonal shifts in their species richness. Our study confirms the high specialization of host-bat fly interactions and shows the importance of biotic and abiotic factors to understand the dynamics of parasite-host interactions.

Histone modifications influence mediator interactions with chromatin

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xuefeng; Zhang, Yongqiang; Bjornsdottir, Gudrun; Liu, Zhongle; Quan, Amy; Costanzo, Michael; Dávila López, Marcela; Westholm, Jakub Orzechowski; Ronne, Hans; Boone, Charles; Gustafsson, Claes M.; Myers, Lawrence C.

2011-01-01

The Mediator complex transmits activation signals from DNA bound transcription factors to the core transcription machinery. Genome wide localization studies have demonstrated that Mediator occupancy not only correlates with high levels of transcription, but that the complex also is present at transcriptionally silenced locations. We provide evidence that Mediator localization is guided by an interaction with histone tails, and that this interaction is regulated by their post-translational modifications. A quantitative, high-density genetic interaction map revealed links between Mediator components and factors affecting chromatin structure, especially histone deacetylases. Peptide binding assays demonstrated that pure wild-type Mediator forms stable complexes with the tails of Histone H3 and H4. These binding assays also showed Mediator—histone H4 peptide interactions are specifically inhibited by acetylation of the histone H4 lysine 16, a residue critical in transcriptional silencing. Finally, these findings were validated by tiling array analysis that revealed a broad correlation between Mediator and nucleosome occupancy in vivo, but a negative correlation between Mediator and nucleosomes acetylated at histone H4 lysine 16. Our studies show that chromatin structure and the acetylation state of histones are intimately connected to Mediator localization. PMID:21742760

Probing Molecular Insights into Zika Virus–Host Interactions

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Ina Lee

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The recent Zika virus (ZIKV outbreak in the Americas surprised all of us because of its rapid spread and association with neurologic disorders including fetal microcephaly, brain and ocular anomalies, and Guillain–Barré syndrome. In response to this global health crisis, unprecedented and world-wide efforts are taking place to study the ZIKV-related human diseases. Much has been learned about this virus in the areas of epidemiology, genetic diversity, protein structures, and clinical manifestations, such as consequences of ZIKV infection on fetal brain development. However, progress on understanding the molecular mechanism underlying ZIKV-associated neurologic disorders remains elusive. To date, we still lack a good understanding of; (1 what virologic factors are involved in the ZIKV-associated human diseases; (2 which ZIKV protein(s contributes to the enhanced viral pathogenicity; and (3 how do the newly adapted and pandemic ZIKV strains alter their interactions with the host cells leading to neurologic defects? The goal of this review is to explore the molecular insights into the ZIKV–host interactions with an emphasis on host cell receptor usage for viral entry, cell innate immunity to ZIKV, and the ability of ZIKV to subvert antiviral responses and to cause cytopathic effects. We hope this literature review will inspire additional molecular studies focusing on ZIKV–host Interactions.

Probing Molecular Insights into Zika Virus–Host Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ina; Li, Ge; Wang, Shusheng; Desprès, Philippe; Zhao, Richard Y.

2018-01-01

The recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas surprised all of us because of its rapid spread and association with neurologic disorders including fetal microcephaly, brain and ocular anomalies, and Guillain–Barré syndrome. In response to this global health crisis, unprecedented and world-wide efforts are taking place to study the ZIKV-related human diseases. Much has been learned about this virus in the areas of epidemiology, genetic diversity, protein structures, and clinical manifestations, such as consequences of ZIKV infection on fetal brain development. However, progress on understanding the molecular mechanism underlying ZIKV-associated neurologic disorders remains elusive. To date, we still lack a good understanding of; (1) what virologic factors are involved in the ZIKV-associated human diseases; (2) which ZIKV protein(s) contributes to the enhanced viral pathogenicity; and (3) how do the newly adapted and pandemic ZIKV strains alter their interactions with the host cells leading to neurologic defects? The goal of this review is to explore the molecular insights into the ZIKV–host interactions with an emphasis on host cell receptor usage for viral entry, cell innate immunity to ZIKV, and the ability of ZIKV to subvert antiviral responses and to cause cytopathic effects. We hope this literature review will inspire additional molecular studies focusing on ZIKV–host Interactions. PMID:29724036

Host-Parasite Interaction: Parasite-Derived and -Induced Proteases That Degrade Human Extracellular Matrix

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Carolina Piña-Vázquez

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Parasitic protozoa are among the most important pathogens worldwide. Diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, amoebiasis, giardiasis, trichomoniasis, and trypanosomiasis affect millions of people. Humans are constantly threatened by infections caused by these pathogens. Parasites engage a plethora of surface and secreted molecules to attach to and enter mammalian cells. The secretion of lytic enzymes by parasites into host organs mediates critical interactions because of the invasion and destruction of interstitial tissues, enabling parasite migration to other sites within the hosts. Extracellular matrix is a complex, cross-linked structure that holds cells together in an organized assembly and that forms the basement membrane lining (basal lamina. The extracellular matrix represents a major barrier to parasites. Therefore, the evolution of mechanisms for connective-tissue degradation may be of great importance for parasite survival. Recent advances have been achieved in our understanding of the biochemistry and molecular biology of proteases from parasitic protozoa. The focus of this paper is to discuss the role of protozoan parasitic proteases in the degradation of host ECM proteins and the participation of these molecules as virulence factors. We divide the paper into two sections, extracellular and intracellular protozoa.

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever: Tick-Host-Virus Interactions

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Anna Papa

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV is transmitted to humans by bite of infected ticks or by direct contact with blood or tissues of viremic patients or animals. It causes to humans a severe disease with fatality up to 30%. The current knowledge about the vector-host-CCHFV interactions is very limited due to the high-level containment required for CCHFV studies. Among ticks, Hyalomma spp. are considered the most competent virus vectors. CCHFV evades the tick immune response, and following its replication in the lining of the tick's midgut, it is disseminated by the hemolymph in the salivary glands and reproductive organs. The introduction of salivary gland secretions into the host cells is the major route via which CCHFV enters the host. Following an initial amplification at the site of inoculation, the virus is spread to the target organs. Apoptosis is induced via both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Genetic factors and immune status of the host may affect the release of cytokines which play a major role in disease progression and outcome. It is expected that the use of new technology of metabolomics, transcriptomics and proteomics will lead to improved understanding of CCHFV-host interactions and identify potential targets for blocking the CCHFV transmission.

Electroluminescence Properties of IrQ(ppy)2 Dual-Emitter Organometallic Compound in Organic Light-Emitting Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Ciobotaru, Constantin Claudiu; Polosan, Silviu; Ciobotaru, Iulia Corina

2018-02-01

This paper reports the influence of the charge carrier mobility on the electroluminescent properties of a dual-emitter organometallic compound dispersed in two conjugated organic small-molecule host materials and embedded in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). The electroluminescent processes in OLEDs are strongly influenced by the host-guest interaction. The charge carrier mobility in the host material plays an important role in the electroluminescent processes but also depends on the triplet-triplet interaction with the organometallic compound. The low charge carrier mobility in 4,4'-bis( N-carbazolyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (CBP) host material reduces the electroluminescent processes, but they are slightly enhanced by the triplet-triplet exothermic charge transfer. The higher charge carrier mobility in the case of N, N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)- N, N'-diphenylbenzidine (TPD) host material influences the electroluminescent processes by the endothermic energy transfer at room temperature, which facilitates the triplet-triplet harvesting in the host-guest system. The excitation is transferred to the guest molecules by triplet-triplet interaction as a Dexter transfer, which occurs by endothermic transfer from the triplet exciton in the host to the triplet exciton in the guest.

A concept for the removal of microplastics from the marine environment with innovative host-guest relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Herbort, Adrian Frank; Schuhen, Katrin

2017-04-01

Environmental pollution caused by inert anthropogenic stressors such as microplastics in aquatic media is constantly increasing. Through the proliferating use of plastic products in daily life, more and more plastic particles enter waters as primary microplastics. Even though large scale plastic items such as plastic bottles and bags represent the highest percentage of plastic waste, their degeneration also generates microparticles and nanoparticles (secondary microplastics). Modern sewage treatment plants require innovative ideas in order to deal with this man-made problem. State-of-the-art technology offers approaches to minimise the amount of microplastics in aquatic systems. These technologies, however, are either insufficient or very costly, as well as time-consuming in both cases. The conceptual idea presented here is to apply innovative inorganic-organic hybrid silica gels which provide a cost-effective and straightforward approach. Currently, the synthesis of preorganised bioinspired compounds is advancing in order to produce functionalised hybrid silica gels in a further step. These gels have the ability to remove stressors such as microplastics from waste water. By means of the sol-gel process, bioinspired silane compounds are currently being permuted to macromolecules and examined with respect to their properties as fixation and filter material in order to remove the hydrophobic anthropogenic stressors sustainably. Here, the reproduction of biological systems plays a significant role. In particular in material sciences, this approach is becoming increasingly important. Among other concepts, new biomimetic molecules form the basis for the investigation of innovative host-guest relationships for anthropogenic stressors in the environment and their implementation in technical processes.

LEGAL CULTURES AND MEDIATION. INTERACTIONS AND EVOLUTIONS

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Claudiu Ramon D. BUTCULESCU

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Mediation, as an alternative dispute resolution method, is closely connected with the system of legal cultures. Mediation is an important link between legal culture and the judicial system. Mediation also acts as an interface between internal legal culture and external legal culture. This paper addresses the issues regarding the links and interactions between mediation and legal cultures, as well as the effects that arise from these interactions.

Protein prenylation: a new mode of host-pathogen interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaya, Moushimi; Baranova, Ancha; van Hoek, Monique L

2011-12-09

Post translational modifications are required for proteins to be fully functional. The three step process, prenylation, leads to farnesylation or geranylgeranylation, which increase the hydrophobicity of the prenylated protein for efficient anchoring into plasma membranes and/or organellar membranes. Prenylated proteins function in a number of signaling and regulatory pathways that are responsible for basic cell operations. Well characterized prenylated proteins include Ras, Rac and Rho. Recently, pathogenic prokaryotic proteins, such as SifA and AnkB, have been shown to be prenylated by eukaryotic host cell machinery, but their functions remain elusive. The identification of other bacterial proteins undergoing this type of host-directed post-translational modification shows promise in elucidating host-pathogen interactions to develop new therapeutics. This review incorporates new advances in the study of protein prenylation into a broader aspect of biology with a focus on host-pathogen interaction. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Glutathione--hydroxyl radical interaction: a theoretical study on radical recognition process.

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Béla Fiser

Full Text Available Non-reactive, comparative (2 × 1.2 μs molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to characterize the interactions between glutathione (GSH, host molecule and hydroxyl radical (OH(•, guest molecule. From this analysis, two distinct steps were identified in the recognition process of hydroxyl radical by glutathione: catching and steering, based on the interactions between the host-guest molecules. Over 78% of all interactions are related to the catching mechanism via complex formation between anionic carboxyl groups and the OH radical, hence both terminal residues of GSH serve as recognition sites. The glycine residue has an additional role in the recognition of OH radical, namely the steering. The flexibility of the Gly residue enables the formation of further interactions of other parts of glutathione (e.g. thiol, α- and β-carbons with the lone electron pair of the hydroxyl radical. Moreover, quantum chemical calculations were carried out on selected GSH/OH(• complexes and on appropriate GSH conformers to describe the energy profile of the recognition process. The relative enthalpy and the free energy changes of the radical recognition of the strongest complexes varied from -42.4 to -27.8 kJ/mol and from -21.3 to 9.8 kJ/mol, respectively. These complexes, containing two or more intermolecular interactions, would be the starting configurations for the hydrogen atom migration to quench the hydroxyl radical via different reaction channels.

Interactions of seedborne bacterial pathogens with host and non-host plants in relation to seed infestation and seedling transmission.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Bhabesh; Gitaitis, Ronald; Smith, Samuel; Langston, David

2014-01-01

The ability of seed-borne bacterial pathogens (Acidovorax citrulli, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea) to infest seeds of host and non-host plants (watermelon, tomato, pepper, and soybean) and subsequent pathogen transmission to seedlings was investigated. A non-pathogenic, pigmented strain of Serratia marcescens was also included to assess a null-interacting situation with the same plant species. Flowers of host and non-host plants were inoculated with 1 × 10(6) colony forming units (CFUs)/flower for each bacterial species and allowed to develop into fruits or umbels (in case of onion). Seeds harvested from each host/non-host bacterial species combination were assayed for respective bacteria by plating on semi-selective media. Additionally, seedlots for each host/non-host bacterial species combination were also assayed for pathogen transmission by seedling grow-out (SGO) assays under greenhouse conditions. The mean percentage of seedlots infested with compatible and incompatible pathogens was 31.7 and 30.9% (by plating), respectively and they were not significantly different (P = 0.67). The percentage of seedlots infested with null-interacting bacterial species was 16.8% (by plating) and it was significantly lower than the infested lots generated with compatible and incompatible bacterial pathogens (P = 0.03). None of the seedlots with incompatible/null-interacting bacteria developed symptoms on seedlings; however, when seedlings were assayed for epiphytic bacterial presence, 19.5 and 9.4% of the lots were positive, respectively. These results indicate that the seeds of non-host plants can become infested with incompatible and null-interacting bacterial species through flower colonization and they can be transmitted via epiphytic colonization of seedlings. In addition, it was also observed that flowers and seeds of non-host plants can be colonized by

Interactions of seedborne bacterial pathogens with host and non-host plants in relation to seed infestation and seedling transmission.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhabesh Dutta

Full Text Available The ability of seed-borne bacterial pathogens (Acidovorax citrulli, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea to infest seeds of host and non-host plants (watermelon, tomato, pepper, and soybean and subsequent pathogen transmission to seedlings was investigated. A non-pathogenic, pigmented strain of Serratia marcescens was also included to assess a null-interacting situation with the same plant species. Flowers of host and non-host plants were inoculated with 1 × 10(6 colony forming units (CFUs/flower for each bacterial species and allowed to develop into fruits or umbels (in case of onion. Seeds harvested from each host/non-host bacterial species combination were assayed for respective bacteria by plating on semi-selective media. Additionally, seedlots for each host/non-host bacterial species combination were also assayed for pathogen transmission by seedling grow-out (SGO assays under greenhouse conditions. The mean percentage of seedlots infested with compatible and incompatible pathogens was 31.7 and 30.9% (by plating, respectively and they were not significantly different (P = 0.67. The percentage of seedlots infested with null-interacting bacterial species was 16.8% (by plating and it was significantly lower than the infested lots generated with compatible and incompatible bacterial pathogens (P = 0.03. None of the seedlots with incompatible/null-interacting bacteria developed symptoms on seedlings; however, when seedlings were assayed for epiphytic bacterial presence, 19.5 and 9.4% of the lots were positive, respectively. These results indicate that the seeds of non-host plants can become infested with incompatible and null-interacting bacterial species through flower colonization and they can be transmitted via epiphytic colonization of seedlings. In addition, it was also observed that flowers and seeds of non-host plants can be

Effects of electron blocking and hole trapping of the red guest emitter materials on hybrid white organic light emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Lin-Ann; Vu, Hoang-Tuan; Juang, Fuh-Shyang; Lai, Yun-Jr; Yeh, Pei-Hsun; Tsai, Yu-Sheng

2013-01-01

Hybrid white organic light emitting diodes (HWOLEDs) with fluorescence and phosphorescence hybrid structures are studied in this work. HWOLEDs were fabricated with blue/red emitting layers: fluorescent host material doped with sky blue material, and bipolar phosphorescent host emitting material doped with red dopant material. An electron blocking layer is applied that provides hole red guest emitter hole trapping effects, increases the charge carrier injection quantity into the emitting layers and controls the recombination zone (RZ) that helps balance the device color. Spacer layers were also inserted to expand the RZ, increase efficiency and reduce energy quenching along with roll-off effects. The resulting high efficiency warm white OLED device has the lower highest occupied molecule orbital level red guest material, current efficiency of 15.9 cd/A at current density of 20 mA/cm 2 , and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.34, 0.39)

Effects of electron blocking and hole trapping of the red guest emitter materials on hybrid white organic light emitting diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Lin-Ann; Vu, Hoang-Tuan [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Juang, Fuh-Shyang, E-mail: fsjuang@seed.net.tw [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Lai, Yun-Jr [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China); Yeh, Pei-Hsun [Raystar Optronics, Inc., 5F No. 25, Keya Rd. Daya Township, Taichung County, Taiwan (China); Tsai, Yu-Sheng [National Formosa University, Institute of Electro-Optical and Materials Science, Huwei, Yunlin County, Taiwan (China)

2013-10-01

Hybrid white organic light emitting diodes (HWOLEDs) with fluorescence and phosphorescence hybrid structures are studied in this work. HWOLEDs were fabricated with blue/red emitting layers: fluorescent host material doped with sky blue material, and bipolar phosphorescent host emitting material doped with red dopant material. An electron blocking layer is applied that provides hole red guest emitter hole trapping effects, increases the charge carrier injection quantity into the emitting layers and controls the recombination zone (RZ) that helps balance the device color. Spacer layers were also inserted to expand the RZ, increase efficiency and reduce energy quenching along with roll-off effects. The resulting high efficiency warm white OLED device has the lower highest occupied molecule orbital level red guest material, current efficiency of 15.9 cd/A at current density of 20 mA/cm{sup 2}, and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.34, 0.39)

DIBS: a repository of disordered binding sites mediating interactions with ordered proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Schad, Eva; Fichó, Erzsébet; Pancsa, Rita; Simon, István; Dosztányi, Zsuzsanna; Mészáros, Bálint

2018-02-01

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) mediate crucial protein-protein interactions, most notably in signaling and regulation. As their importance is increasingly recognized, the detailed analyses of specific IDP interactions opened up new opportunities for therapeutic targeting. Yet, large scale information about IDP-mediated interactions in structural and functional details are lacking, hindering the understanding of the mechanisms underlying this distinct binding mode. Here, we present DIBS, the first comprehensive, curated collection of complexes between IDPs and ordered proteins. DIBS not only describes by far the highest number of cases, it also provides the dissociation constants of their interactions, as well as the description of potential post-translational modifications modulating the binding strength and linear motifs involved in the binding. Together with the wide range of structural and functional annotations, DIBS will provide the cornerstone for structural and functional studies of IDP complexes. DIBS is freely accessible at http://dibs.enzim.ttk.mta.hu/. The DIBS application is hosted by Apache web server and was implemented in PHP. To enrich querying features and to enhance backend performance a MySQL database was also created. dosztanyi@caesar.elte.hu or bmeszaros@caesar.elte.hu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Interactions between the Hepatitis C Virus Nonstructural 2 Protein and Host Adaptor Proteins 1 and 4 Orchestrate Virus Release

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Fei Xiao

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis C virus (HCV spreads via secreted cell-free particles or direct cell-to-cell transmission. Yet, virus-host determinants governing differential intracellular trafficking of cell-free- and cell-to-cell-transmitted virus remain unknown. The host adaptor proteins (APs AP-1A, AP-1B, and AP-4 traffic in post-Golgi compartments, and the latter two are implicated in basolateral sorting. We reported that AP-1A mediates HCV trafficking during release, whereas the endocytic adaptor AP-2 mediates entry and assembly. We demonstrated that the host kinases AAK1 and GAK regulate HCV infection by controlling these clathrin-associated APs. Here, we sought to define the roles of AP-4, a clathrin-independent adaptor; AP-1A; and AP-1B in HCV infection. We screened for interactions between HCV proteins and the μ subunits of AP-1A, AP-1B, and AP-4 by mammalian cell-based protein fragment complementation assays. The nonstructural 2 (NS2 protein emerged as an interactor of these adaptors in this screening and by coimmunoprecipitations in HCV-infected cells. Two previously unrecognized dileucine-based motifs in the NS2 C terminus mediated AP binding and HCV release. Infectivity and coculture assays demonstrated that while all three adaptors mediate HCV release and cell-free spread, AP-1B and AP-4, but not AP-1A, mediate cell-to-cell spread. Live-cell imaging revealed HCV cotrafficking with AP-1A, AP-1B, and AP-4 and that AP-4 mediates HCV trafficking in a post-Golgi compartment. Lastly, HCV cell-to-cell spread was regulated by AAK1 and GAK and thus susceptible to treatment with AAK1 and GAK inhibitors. These data provide a mechanistic understanding of HCV trafficking in distinct release pathways and reveal a requirement for APs in cell-to-cell viral spread.

Perspectives on the Trypanosoma cruzi–host cell receptor interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Villalta, Fernando; Scharfstein, Julio; Ashton, Anthony W.; Tyler, Kevin M.; Guan, Fangxia; Mukherjee, Shankar; Lima, Maria F.; Alvarez, Sandra; Weiss, Louis M.; Huang, Huan; Machado, Fabiana S.

2009-01-01

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The critical initial event is the interaction of the trypomastigote form of the parasite with host receptors. This review highlights recent observations concerning these interactions. Some of the key receptors considered are those for thromboxane, bradykinin, and for the nerve growth factor TrKA. Other important receptors such as galectin-3, thrombospondin, and laminin are also discussed. Investigation into the molecular biology and cell biology of host receptors for T. cruzi may provide novel therapeutic targets. PMID:19283409

Why Do Corals Bleach? Conflict and Conflict Mediation in a Host/Symbiont Community.

Science.gov (United States)

Blackstone, Neil W; Golladay, Jeff M

2018-06-26

Coral bleaching has attracted considerable study, yet one central question remains unanswered: given that corals and their Symbiodinium symbionts have co-evolved for millions of years, why does this clearly maladaptive process occur? Bleaching may result from evolutionary conflict between the host corals and their symbionts. Selection at the level of the individual symbiont favors using the products of photosynthesis for selfish replication, while selection at the higher level favors using these products for growth of the entire host/symbiont community. To hold the selfish lower-level units in check, mechanisms of conflict mediation must evolve. Fundamental features of photosynthesis have been co-opted into conflict mediation so that symbionts that fail to export these products produce high levels of reactive oxygen species and undergo programmed cell death. These mechanisms function very well under most environmental conditions, but under conditions particularly detrimental to photosynthesis, it is these mechanisms of conflict mediation that trigger bleaching. © 2018 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

PHIDIAS: a pathogen-host interaction data integration and analysis system

OpenAIRE

Xiang, Zuoshuang; Tian, Yuying; He, Yongqun

2007-01-01

The Pathogen-Host Interaction Data Integration and Analysis System (PHIDIAS) is a web-based database system that serves as a centralized source to search, compare, and analyze integrated genome sequences, conserved domains, and gene expression data related to pathogen-host interactions (PHIs) for pathogen species designated as high priority agents for public health and biological security. In addition, PHIDIAS allows submission, search and analysis of PHI genes and molecular networks curated ...

Structure homology and interaction redundancy for discovering virus–host protein interactions

Science.gov (United States)

de Chassey, Benoît; Meyniel-Schicklin, Laurène; Aublin-Gex, Anne; Navratil, Vincent; Chantier, Thibaut; André, Patrice; Lotteau, Vincent

2013-01-01

Virus–host interactomes are instrumental to understand global perturbations of cellular functions induced by infection and discover new therapies. The construction of such interactomes is, however, technically challenging and time consuming. Here we describe an original method for the prediction of high-confidence interactions between viral and human proteins through a combination of structure and high-quality interactome data. Validation was performed for the NS1 protein of the influenza virus, which led to the identification of new host factors that control viral replication. PMID:24008843

Structure homology and interaction redundancy for discovering virus-host protein interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

de Chassey, Benoît; Meyniel-Schicklin, Laurène; Aublin-Gex, Anne; Navratil, Vincent; Chantier, Thibaut; André, Patrice; Lotteau, Vincent

2013-10-01

Virus-host interactomes are instrumental to understand global perturbations of cellular functions induced by infection and discover new therapies. The construction of such interactomes is, however, technically challenging and time consuming. Here we describe an original method for the prediction of high-confidence interactions between viral and human proteins through a combination of structure and high-quality interactome data. Validation was performed for the NS1 protein of the influenza virus, which led to the identification of new host factors that control viral replication.

Interaction of KSHV with Host Cell Surface Receptors and Cell Entry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohanan Valiya Veettil

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Virus entry is a complex process characterized by a sequence of events. Since the discovery of KSHV in 1994, tremendous progress has been made in our understanding of KSHV entry into its in vitro target cells. KSHV entry is a complex multistep process involving viral envelope glycoproteins and several cell surface molecules that is utilized by KSHV for its attachment and entry. KSHV has a broad cell tropism and the attachment and receptor engagement on target cells have an important role in determining the cell type-specific mode of entry. KSHV utilizes heparan sulfate, integrins and EphrinA2 molecules as receptors which results in the activation of host cell pre-existing signal pathways that facilitate the subsequent cascade of events resulting in the rapid entry of virus particles, trafficking towards the nucleus followed by viral and host gene expression. KSHV enters human fibroblast cells by dynamin dependant clathrin mediated endocytosis and by dynamin independent macropinocytosis in dermal endothelial cells. Once internalized into endosomes, fusion of the viral envelope with the endosomal membranes in an acidification dependent manner results in the release of capsids which subsequently reaches the nuclear pore vicinity leading to the delivery of viral DNA into the nucleus. In this review, we discuss the principal mechanisms that enable KSHV to interact with the host cell surface receptors as well as the mechanisms that are required to modulate cell signaling machinery for a successful entry.

A Three - Dimensional Channel Supramolecular Architecture Based on 3-Amino-2-(4-dimethylaminophenyldiazenyl)-1-phenylbut-2en-1-one and Aromatic Guests

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Macháček, V.; Bertolasi, V.; Šimůnek, P.; Svobodová, M.; Svoboda, Jan; Černošková, E.

2010-01-01

Roč. 10, č. 1 (2010), s. 85-91 ISSN 1528-7483 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : X-ray structure * host-guest inclusion * compounds Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 4.390, year: 2010

Synergistic parasite-pathogen interactions mediated by host immunity can drive the collapse of honeybee colonies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Nazzi

Full Text Available The health of the honeybee and, indirectly, global crop production are threatened by several biotic and abiotic factors, which play a poorly defined role in the induction of widespread colony losses. Recent descriptive studies suggest that colony losses are often related to the interaction between pathogens and other stress factors, including parasites. Through an integrated analysis of the population and molecular changes associated with the collapse of honeybee colonies infested by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, we show that this parasite can de-stabilise the within-host dynamics of Deformed wing virus (DWV, transforming a cryptic and vertically transmitted virus into a rapidly replicating killer, which attains lethal levels late in the season. The de-stabilisation of DWV infection is associated with an immunosuppression syndrome, characterized by a strong down-regulation of the transcription factor NF-κB. The centrality of NF-κB in host responses to a range of environmental challenges suggests that this transcription factor can act as a common currency underlying colony collapse that may be triggered by different causes. Our results offer an integrated account for the multifactorial origin of honeybee losses and a new framework for assessing, and possibly mitigating, the impact of environmental challenges on honeybee health.

The potential for host switching via ecological fitting in the emerald ash borer-host plant system.

Science.gov (United States)

Cipollini, Don; Peterson, Donnie L

2018-02-27

The traits used by phytophagous insects to find and utilize their ancestral hosts can lead to host range expansions, generally to closely related hosts that share visual and chemical features with ancestral hosts. Host range expansions often result from ecological fitting, which is the process whereby organisms colonize and persist in novel environments, use novel resources, or form novel associations with other species because of the suites of traits that they carry at the time they encounter the novel environment. Our objective in this review is to discuss the potential and constraints on host switching via ecological fitting in emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, an ecologically and economically important invasive wood boring beetle. Once thought of as an ash (Fraxinus spp.) tree specialist, recent studies have revealed a broader potential host range than was expected for this insect. We discuss the demonstrated host-use capabilities of this beetle, as well as the potential for and barriers to the adoption of additional hosts by this beetle. We place our observations in the context of biochemical mechanisms that mediate the interaction of these beetles with their host plants and discuss whether evolutionary host shifts are a possible outcome of the interaction of this insect with novel hosts.

Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adams, Rachelle Martha Marie; Liberti, Joanito; Illum, Anders A.

2013-01-01

guest ants are sufficient to kill raiders that invariably exterminate host nests without a cohabiting guest ant colony. We also show that the odor of guest ants discourages raider scouts from recruiting nestmates to host colonies. Our results imply that Sericomyrmex fungus-growers obtain a net benefit......The ants are extraordinary in having evolved many lineages that exploit closely related ant societies as social parasites, but social parasitism by distantly related ants is rare. Here we document the interaction dynamics among a Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ant host, a permanently associated...... parasitic guest ant of the genus Megalomyrmex, and a raiding agro-predator of the genus Gnamptogenys. We show experimentally that the guest ants protect their host colonies against agro-predator raids using alkaloid venom that is much more potent than the biting defenses of the host ants. Relatively few...

Interactions and Supramolecular Organization of Sulfonated Indigo and Thioindigo Dyes in Layered Hydroxide Hosts.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Ana L; Gomes, Ana C; Pereira, Ricardo C; Pillinger, Martyn; Gonçalves, Isabel S; Pineiro, Marta; Seixas de Melo, J Sérgio

2018-01-09

Supramolecularly organized host-guest systems have been synthesized by intercalating water-soluble forms of indigo (indigo carmine, IC) and thioindigo (thioindigo-5,5'-disulfonate, TIS) in zinc-aluminum-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and zinc-layered hydroxide salts (LHSs) by coprecipitation routes. The colors of the isolated powders were dark blue for hybrids containing only IC, purplish blue or dark lilac for cointercalated samples containing both dyes, and ruby/wine for hybrids containing only TIS. The as-synthesized and thermally treated materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, Fourier transform Raman, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and elemental and thermogravimetric analyses. The basal spacings found for IC-LDH, TIS-LDH, IC-LHS, and TIS-LHS materials were 21.9, 21.05, 18.95, and 21.00 Å, respectively, with intermediate spacings being observed for the cointercalated samples that either decreased (LDHs) or increased (LHSs) with increasing TIS content. UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopies (steady-state and time-resolved) were used to probe the molecular distribution of the immobilized dyes. The presence of aggregates together with the monomer units is suggested for IC-LDH, whereas for TIS-LDH, IC-LHS, and TIS-LHS, the dyes are closer to the isolated situation. Accordingly, while emission from the powder H 2 TIS is strongly quenched, an increment in the emission of about 1 order of magnitude was observed for the TIS-LDH/LHS hybrids. Double-exponential fluorescence decays were obtained and associated with two monomer species interacting differently with cointercalated water molecules. The incorporation of both TIS and IC in the LDH and LHS hosts leads to an almost complete quenching of the fluorescence, pointing to a very efficient energy transfer process from (fluorescent) TIS to (nonfluorescent) IC.

The metaphor of nurse as guest with ethical implications for nursing and healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Milton, Constance L

2005-10-01

Current healthcare advertising and customer relations terminology acknowledge that healthcare providers, including nurses, are to act as hosts for persons who enter into healthcare agencies and institutions. Indeed, much has been written aligning nursing and other healthcare services with consumer-oriented roles of the hospitality service industry commonly associated with hotels and restaurants. From a human becoming perspective, this article discusses possible ethical, administrative, and practice implications of nurses acting as guests entering into the lives of those we serve.

Epigenetics of host-pathogen interactions: the road ahead and the road behind.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Gómez-Díaz

Full Text Available A growing body of evidence points towards epigenetic mechanisms being responsible for a wide range of biological phenomena, from the plasticity of plant growth and development to the nutritional control of caste determination in honeybees and the etiology of human disease (e.g., cancer. With the (partial elucidation of the molecular basis of epigenetic variation and the heritability of certain of these changes, the field of evolutionary epigenetics is flourishing. Despite this, the role of epigenetics in shaping host-pathogen interactions has received comparatively little attention. Yet there is plenty of evidence supporting the implication of epigenetic mechanisms in the modulation of the biological interaction between hosts and pathogens. The phenotypic plasticity of many key parasite life-history traits appears to be under epigenetic control. Moreover, pathogen-induced effects in host phenotype may have transgenerational consequences, and the bases of these changes and their heritability probably have an epigenetic component. The significance of epigenetic modifications may, however, go beyond providing a mechanistic basis for host and pathogen plasticity. Epigenetic epidemiology has recently emerged as a promising area for future research on infectious diseases. In addition, the incorporation of epigenetic inheritance and epigenetic plasticity mechanisms to evolutionary models and empirical studies of host-pathogen interactions will provide new insights into the evolution and coevolution of these associations. Here, we review the evidence available for the role epigenetics on host-pathogen interactions, and the utility and versatility of the epigenetic technologies available that can be cross-applied to host-pathogen studies. We conclude with recommendations and directions for future research on the burgeoning field of epigenetics as applied to host-pathogen interactions.

Limitations of a metabolic network-based reverse ecology method for inferring host-pathogen interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Takemoto, Kazuhiro; Aie, Kazuki

2017-05-25

Host-pathogen interactions are important in a wide range of research fields. Given the importance of metabolic crosstalk between hosts and pathogens, a metabolic network-based reverse ecology method was proposed to infer these interactions. However, the validity of this method remains unclear because of the various explanations presented and the influence of potentially confounding factors that have thus far been neglected. We re-evaluated the importance of the reverse ecology method for evaluating host-pathogen interactions while statistically controlling for confounding effects using oxygen requirement, genome, metabolic network, and phylogeny data. Our data analyses showed that host-pathogen interactions were more strongly influenced by genome size, primary network parameters (e.g., number of edges), oxygen requirement, and phylogeny than the reserve ecology-based measures. These results indicate the limitations of the reverse ecology method; however, they do not discount the importance of adopting reverse ecology approaches altogether. Rather, we highlight the need for developing more suitable methods for inferring host-pathogen interactions and conducting more careful examinations of the relationships between metabolic networks and host-pathogen interactions.

Identification of Proteins Bound to Dengue Viral RNA In Vivo Reveals New Host Proteins Important for Virus Replication

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Stacia L. Phillips

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Dengue virus is the most prevalent cause of arthropod-borne infection worldwide. Due to the limited coding capacity of the viral genome and the complexity of the viral life cycle, host cell proteins play essential roles throughout the course of viral infection. Host RNA-binding proteins mediate various aspects of virus replication through their physical interactions with viral RNA. Here we describe a technique designed to identify such interactions in the context of infected cells using UV cross-linking followed by antisense-mediated affinity purification and mass spectrometry. Using this approach, we identified interactions, several of them novel, between host proteins and dengue viral RNA in infected Huh7 cells. Most of these interactions were subsequently validated using RNA immunoprecipitation. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA-mediated gene silencing, we showed that more than half of these host proteins are likely involved in regulating virus replication, demonstrating the utility of this method in identifying biologically relevant interactions that may not be identified using traditional in vitro approaches.

Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 surface exopolysaccharide production is a beneficial trait mediating commensal-host interaction through immune modulation and pathogen protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Fanning, Saranna; Hall, Lindsay J; van Sinderen, Douwe

2012-01-01

Bifidobacteria constitute a substantial proportion of the human gut microbiota. There are currently many bifidobacterial strains with claimed probiotic attributes. The mechanism through which these strains reside within their host and exert benefits to the host is far from fully understood. We have shown in the case of Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 that a cell surface exopolysaccharide (EPS) plays a role in in vivo persistence. Biosynthesis of two possible EPSs is controlled by a bidirectional gene cluster which guides alternate EPS synthesis by means of a reorienting promoter. The presence of EPS impacts on host immune response: the wild type, EPS-positive B. breve UCC2003 efficiently evades the adaptive B-cell host response, while its isogenic, EPS-deficient equivalent elicits a strong adaptive immune response. Functionally, EPS positive strains were more resilient to presence of acid and bile and were responsible for reduced colonization levels of Citrobacter rodentium, a gut pathogen. In conclusion, we have found that EPS is important in host interactions and pathogen protection, the latter indicative of a probiotic ability for the EPS of B. breve UCC2003.

Characterization of host proteins interacting with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus L protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Khamina, Kseniya; Lercher, Alexander; Caldera, Michael; Schliehe, Christopher; Vilagos, Bojan; Sahin, Mehmet; Kosack, Lindsay; Bhattacharya, Anannya; Májek, Peter; Stukalov, Alexey; Sacco, Roberto; James, Leo C; Pinschewer, Daniel D; Bennett, Keiryn L; Menche, Jörg; Bergthaler, Andreas

2017-12-01

RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) play a key role in the life cycle of RNA viruses and impact their immunobiology. The arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain Clone 13 provides a benchmark model for studying chronic infection. A major genetic determinant for its ability to persist maps to a single amino acid exchange in the viral L protein, which exhibits RdRp activity, yet its functional consequences remain elusive. To unravel the L protein interactions with the host proteome, we engineered infectious L protein-tagged LCMV virions by reverse genetics. A subsequent mass-spectrometric analysis of L protein pulldowns from infected human cells revealed a comprehensive network of interacting host proteins. The obtained LCMV L protein interactome was bioinformatically integrated with known host protein interactors of RdRps from other RNA viruses, emphasizing interconnected modules of human proteins. Functional characterization of selected interactors highlighted proviral (DDX3X) as well as antiviral (NKRF, TRIM21) host factors. To corroborate these findings, we infected Trim21-/- mice with LCMV and found impaired virus control in chronic infection. These results provide insights into the complex interactions of the arenavirus LCMV and other viral RdRps with the host proteome and contribute to a better molecular understanding of how chronic viruses interact with their host.

Possible Roles of Ectophosphatases in Host-Parasite Interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta T. Gomes

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The interaction and survival of pathogens in hostile environments and in confrontation with host immune responses are important mechanisms for the establishment of infection. Ectophosphatases are enzymes localized at the plasma membrane of cells, and their active sites face the external medium rather than the cytoplasm. Once activated, these enzymes are able to hydrolyze phosphorylated substrates in the extracellular milieu. Several studies demonstrated the presence of surface-located ecto-phosphatases in a vast number of pathogenic organisms, including bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Little is known about the role of ecto-phosphatases in host-pathogen interactions. The present paper provides an overview of recent findings related to the virulence induced by these surface molecules in protozoa and fungi.

Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes. 6. Fully acetylated dendrimers as biocompatible drug vehicles using dexamethasone 21-phosphate as a model drug.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Kun; Weng, Liang; Cheng, Yiyun; Zhang, Hongfeng; Zhang, Jiahai; Wu, Qinglin; Xu, Tongwen

2011-03-17

Fully acetylated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer was proposed as a biocompatible drug vehicle using dexamethasone 21-phosphate (Dp21) as a model drug. NMR techniques including (1)H NMR and 2D NOE NMR were used to characterize the host-guest chemistry of acetylated dendrimer/Dp21 and cationic dendrimer/Dp21 complexes. The pH-dependent micellization, complexation, and inclusion behaviors of Dp21 were observed in the presence of acetylated and cationic PAMAM dendrimers. Acetylated dendrimer only encapsulates Dp21 at acidic conditions, while cationic dendrimer can host Dp21 at both acidic and neutral conditions. The orientation of Dp21 molecules in the dendrimer cavities depends on the quaternization degree of tertiary amine groups of dendrimer and the protonation ratio of phosphate group of Dp21. A distinctive pH-dependent release behavior of Dp21 from the acetylated and nonacetylated dendritic matrix was observed: Dp21 exhibits a much slower release rate from acetylated dendrimer at lower pH conditions and a much faster release rate from nonacetylated dendrimer with decreasing pH values. Cytotoxicity studies further confirmed the biocompatibility of acetylated dendrimers, which are much safer in the delivery of therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases than nonacetylated dendrimers. The dendrimer-drug binding and release mechanisms provide a new insight for the design and optimization of biocompatible dendrimer-based drug delivery systems. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Guest driven structural transformation studies of a luminescent metal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

at room temperature often render MOFs which gener- ally encapsulate low boiling solvents as free guests in the pores. These MOFs generally exhibit flexible char- acter because they often lose those trapped guests upon air drying of the MOFs crystals and undergo struc- tural variations, often termed as guest induced ...

The Trw type IV secretion system of Bartonella mediates host-specific adhesion to erythrocytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muriel Vayssier-Taussat

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Bacterial pathogens typically infect only a limited range of hosts; however, the genetic mechanisms governing host-specificity are poorly understood. The alpha-proteobacterial genus Bartonella comprises 21 species that cause host-specific intraerythrocytic bacteremia as hallmark of infection in their respective mammalian reservoirs, including the human-specific pathogens Bartonella quintana and Bartonella bacilliformis that cause trench fever and Oroya fever, respectively. Here, we have identified bacterial factors that mediate host-specific erythrocyte colonization in the mammalian reservoirs. Using mouse-specific Bartonella birtlesii, human-specific Bartonella quintana, cat-specific Bartonella henselae and rat-specific Bartonella tribocorum, we established in vitro adhesion and invasion assays with isolated erythrocytes that fully reproduce the host-specificity of erythrocyte infection as observed in vivo. By signature-tagged mutagenesis of B. birtlesii and mutant selection in a mouse infection model we identified mutants impaired in establishing intraerythrocytic bacteremia. Among 45 abacteremic mutants, five failed to adhere to and invade mouse erythrocytes in vitro. The corresponding genes encode components of the type IV secretion system (T4SS Trw, demonstrating that this virulence factor laterally acquired by the Bartonella lineage is directly involved in adherence to erythrocytes. Strikingly, ectopic expression of Trw of rat-specific B. tribocorum in cat-specific B. henselae or human-specific B. quintana expanded their host range for erythrocyte infection to rat, demonstrating that Trw mediates host-specific erythrocyte infection. A molecular evolutionary analysis of the trw locus further indicated that the variable, surface-located TrwL and TrwJ might represent the T4SS components that determine host-specificity of erythrocyte parasitism. In conclusion, we show that the laterally acquired Trw T4SS diversified in the Bartonella lineage

Empirical evaluation of neutral interactions in host-parasite networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Canard, E F; Mouquet, N; Mouillot, D; Stanko, M; Miklisova, D; Gravel, D

2014-04-01

While niche-based processes have been invoked extensively to explain the structure of interaction networks, recent studies propose that neutrality could also be of great importance. Under the neutral hypothesis, network structure would simply emerge from random encounters between individuals and thus would be directly linked to species abundance. We investigated the impact of species abundance distributions on qualitative and quantitative metrics of 113 host-parasite networks. We analyzed the concordance between neutral expectations and empirical observations at interaction, species, and network levels. We found that species abundance accurately predicts network metrics at all levels. Despite host-parasite systems being constrained by physiology and immunology, our results suggest that neutrality could also explain, at least partially, their structure. We hypothesize that trait matching would determine potential interactions between species, while abundance would determine their realization.

In vivo Host-Pathogen Interaction as Revealed by Global Proteomic Profiling of Zebrafish Larvae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Díaz-Pascual

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The outcome of a host-pathogen interaction is determined by the conditions of the host, the pathogen, and the environment. Although numerous proteomic studies of in vitro-grown microbial pathogens have been performed, in vivo proteomic approaches are still rare. In addition, increasing evidence supports that in vitro studies inadequately reflect in vivo conditions. Choosing the proper host is essential to detect the expression of proteins from the pathogen in vivo. Numerous studies have demonstrated the suitability of zebrafish (Danio rerio embryos as a model to in vivo studies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. In most zebrafish-pathogen studies, infection is achieved by microinjection of bacteria into the larvae. However, few reports using static immersion of bacterial pathogens have been published. In this study we infected 3 days post-fertilization (DPF zebrafish larvae with P. aeruginosa PAO1 by immersion and injection and tracked the in vivo immune response by the zebrafish. Additionally, by using non-isotopic (Q-exactive metaproteomics we simultaneously evaluated the proteomic response of the pathogen (P. aeruginosa PAO1 and the host (zebrafish. We found some zebrafish metabolic pathways, such as hypoxia response via HIF activation pathway, were exclusively enriched in the larvae exposed by static immersion. In contrast, we found that inflammation mediated by chemokine and cytokine signaling pathways was exclusively enriched in the larvae exposed by injection, while the integrin signaling pathway and angiogenesis were solely enriched in the larvae exposed by immersion. We also found important virulence factors from P. aeruginosa that were enriched only after exposure by injection, such as the Type-III secretion system and flagella-associated proteins. On the other hand, P. aeruginosa proteins involved in processes like biofilm formation, and cellular responses to antibiotic and starvation were enriched exclusively after exposure by

Amides Do Not Always Work: Observation of Guest Binding in an Amide-Functionalized Porous Metal-Organic Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Oguarabau; da Silva, Ivan; Argent, Stephen P; Cabot, Rafel; Savage, Mathew; Godfrey, Harry G W; Yan, Yong; Parker, Stewart F; Manuel, Pascal; Lennox, Matthew J; Mitra, Tamoghna; Easun, Timothy L; Lewis, William; Blake, Alexander J; Besley, Elena; Yang, Sihai; Schröder, Martin

2016-11-16

An amide-functionalized metal organic framework (MOF) material, MFM-136, shows a high CO 2 uptake of 12.6 mmol g -1 at 20 bar and 298 K. MFM-136 is the first example of an acylamide pyrimidyl isophthalate MOF without open metal sites and, thus, provides a unique platform to study guest binding, particularly the role of free amides. Neutron diffraction reveals that, surprisingly, there is no direct binding between the adsorbed CO 2 /CH 4 molecules and the pendant amide group in the pore. This observation has been confirmed unambiguously by inelastic neutron spectroscopy. This suggests that introduction of functional groups solely may not necessarily induce specific guest-host binding in porous materials, but it is a combination of pore size, geometry, and functional group that leads to enhanced gas adsorption properties.

Probing Pseudomonas syringae host interactions using metatranscriptomics

Science.gov (United States)

Transcriptome analyses during the interaction of plants and pathogens can be used to provide insights into molecular mechanisms of plant resistance as well as the mechanisms used by bacteria to adapt to hosts and cause disease. We performed a dual in planta RNA-Seq experiment to profile RNA expressi...

PHIDIAS: a pathogen-host interaction data integration and analysis system.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Zuoshuang; Tian, Yuying; He, Yongqun

2007-01-01

The Pathogen-Host Interaction Data Integration and Analysis System (PHIDIAS) is a web-based database system that serves as a centralized source to search, compare, and analyze integrated genome sequences, conserved domains, and gene expression data related to pathogen-host interactions (PHIs) for pathogen species designated as high priority agents for public health and biological security. In addition, PHIDIAS allows submission, search and analysis of PHI genes and molecular networks curated from peer-reviewed literature. PHIDIAS is publicly available at http://www.phidias.us.

Guest Speakers in School-Based Sexuality Education

Science.gov (United States)

McRee, Annie-Laurie; Madsen, Nikki; Eisenberg, Marla E.

2014-01-01

This study, using data from a statewide survey (n = 332), examined teachers' practices regarding the inclusion of guest speakers to cover sexuality content. More than half of teachers (58%) included guest speakers. In multivariate analyses, teachers who taught high school, had professional preparation in health education, or who received…

Transcriptome profiling during a natural host-parasite interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

McTaggart, Seanna J; Cézard, Timothée; Garbutt, Jennie S; Wilson, Phil J; Little, Tom J

2015-08-28

Infection outcome in some coevolving host-pathogens is characterised by host-pathogen genetic interactions, where particular host genotypes are susceptible only to a subset of pathogen genotypes. To identify candidate genes responsible for the infection status of the host, we exposed a Daphnia magna host genotype to two bacterial strains of Pasteuria ramosa, one of which results in infection, while the other does not. At three time points (four, eight and 12 h) post pathogen exposure, we sequenced the complete transcriptome of the hosts using RNA-Seq (Illumina). We observed a rapid and transient response to pathogen treatment. Specifically, at the four-hour time point, eight genes were differentially expressed. At the eight-hour time point, a single gene was differentially expressed in the resistant combination only, and no genes were differentially expressed at the 12-h time point. We found that pathogen-associated transcriptional activity is greatest soon after exposure. Genome-wide resistant combinations were more likely to show upregulation of genes, while susceptible combinations were more likely to be downregulated, relative to controls. Our results also provide several novel candidate genes that may play a pivotal role in determining infection outcomes.

Recruiting Future Engineers Through Effective Guest Speaking In Elementary School Classrooms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kevin Young

2007-11-01

teachers typically have a limited education in engineering and are eager to have career engineers speak with their students. As an engineer, there are many opportunities to get involved with guest speaking at the elementary school level. If you have a young child, start by meeting with her or his teacher and volunteering to give a presentation on engineering to the class. Many organizations have formal speakers bureaus. If your organization does not have one, consider starting one. There are several excellent resources on the Internet, such as the IEEE Center for Pre-University Engineering Education’s TryEngineering.org Web site. This site is designed for young students, teachers and parents, giving information on engineering careers and engineering activities the guest speaker can use to prepare a dynamic and informative presentation. Young students who have experienced a positive interaction with an engineer are more likely to pursue a career in engineering. Effective guest speaking by engineers in elementary school classrooms today will increase the likelihood these young students will become the desperately needed engineers of our future.

Friends with Social Benefits: Host-Microbe Interactions as a Driver of Brain Evolution and Development?

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Roman M Stilling

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The tight association of the human body with trillions of colonizing microbes that we observe today is the result of a long evolutionary history. Only very recently have we started to understand how this symbiosis also affects brain function and behaviour. Here in this hypothesis and theory article, we propose how host-microbe associations potentially influenced mammalian brain evolution and development. In particular, we explore the integration of human brain development with evolution, symbiosis, and RNA biology, which together represent a ‘social triangle’ that drives human social behaviour and cognition. We argue that, in order to understand how inter-kingdom communication can affect brain adaptation and plasticity, it is inevitable to consider epigenetic mechanisms as important mediators of genome-microbiome interactions on an individual as well as a transgenerational time scale. Finally, we unite these interpretations with the hologenome theory of evolution. Taken together, we propose a tighter integration of neuroscience fields with host-associated microbiology by taking an evolutionary perspective.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Technology to Study Vector-Pathogen-Host Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

Award Number: W81XWH-11-2-0175 TITLE: Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Technology to Study Vector-Pathogen-Host Interactions PRINCIPAL...Positioning Systems (GPS) Technology to Study Vector-Pathogen-Host Interactions 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-11-2-0175 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...genetic diversity in the population, in hospitalized children with severe dengue illness and cluster investigation of their neighborhoods, and by using

Guest–host interactions in the alkaline bleaching of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

cyclodextrin on the bleaching rates of triphenylmethane dyes crystal violet (CV), malachite green (MG) and rosaniline. (RA) have been investigated in alkaline medium with a view to understand the guest–host interaction in these system. 2.

Genotype-specific interactions and the trade-off between host and parasite fitness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shykoff Jacqui A

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Evolution of parasite traits is inextricably linked to their hosts. For instance one common definition of parasite virulence is the reduction in host fitness due to infection. Thus, traits of infection must be viewed in both protagonists and may be under shared genetic and physiological control. We investigated these questions on the oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsis (= parasitica, a natural pathogen of the Brassicaceae Arabidopsis thaliana. Results We performed a controlled cross inoculation experiment confronting six lines of the host plant with seven strains of the parasite in order to evaluate genetic variation for phenotypic traits of infection among hosts, parasites, and distinct combinations. Parasite infection intensity and transmission were highly variable among parasite strains and host lines but depended also on the interaction between particular genotypes of the protagonists, and genetic variation for the infection phenotype of parasites from natural populations was found even at a small spatial scale within population. Furthermore, increased parasite fitness led to a significant decrease in host fitness only on a single host line (Gb, although a trade-off between these two traits was expected because host and parasite share the same resource pool for their respective reproduction. We propose that different levels of compatibility dependent on genotype by genotype interactions might lead to different amounts of resources available for host and parasite reproduction. This variation in compatibility could thus mask the expected negative relationship between host and parasite fitness, as the total resource pool would not be constant. Conclusion These results highlight the importance of host variation in the determination of parasite fitness traits. This kind of interaction may in turn decouple the relationship between parasite transmission and its negative effect on host fitness, altering theoretical predictions

Invaders interfere with native parasite-host interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thieltges, David W.; Reise, Karsten; Prinz, Katrin

2009-01-01

The introduction of species is of increasing concern as invaders often reduce the abundance of native species due to a variety of interactions like habitat engineering, predation and competition. A more subtle and not recognized effect of invaders on their recipient biota is their potential...... interference with native parasite-host interactions. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that two invasive molluscan filter-feeders of European coastal waters interfere with the transmission of free-living infective trematode larval stages and hereby mitigate the parasite burden of native mussels (Mytilus...

Penerapan Aplikasi Web Di Hotel Arinda Guest House Bandung

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Ade Mubarok

2017-09-01

Abstract Hotel was a thriving industry very fast with the advent of the information technology. One factor that can provide comfort is the existence of the information rapid to a reservation hotel. Several problems that ordinarily encountered hotel management and customers as it tough for rapid information, do check in and the payment of requiring guests come to the hotel, include families in village records the guest log and make a report manually.In writing thesis this, writer build a application of hotel by adopting information technology. The model used to the development of software is the method waterfall, which begins with analysis needs adapted to systems are go at the hotel arinda guest house, design system and software, coding, testing, and implementation.So that this research produce information system a reservation hotel web-based. Of interface ease of use user and showing functionality that can be used to at the check in , the hotel , faster information and save time prospective guest on do reservations , efficient in recording the guest log and reports.   Keywords: Website, Aplication, Hotel Arinda Guest House, checked in, Waterfall.

Forms of Mediation: The Case of Interpreter-Mediated Interactions in Medical Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Baraldi, Claudio

2009-01-01

This paper analyses the forms of mediation in interlinguistic interactions performed in Italian healthcare services and in contexts of migration. The literature encourages dialogic transformative mediation, empowering participants' voices and changing cultural presuppositions in social systems. It may be doubtful, however, whether mediation can…

Exploring Conditions to Enhance Student/Host Family Interaction Abroad

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, Susan M.; Schmidt-Rinehart, Barbara C.

2010-01-01

This study investigates the role of task-based learning in the study abroad experience in order to enhance interaction with the host family. Tasks were incorporated into a Family Interaction Journal and implemented under four evolving, though different, conditions over a 5-year period. The conditions were: (1) home campus administered/student…

The guest-worker in Western Europe--an obituary.

Science.gov (United States)

Castles, S

1986-01-01

The significance of guest workers is examined for six Western European countries. It is found that "the dynamics of the migratory process led to family reunification and settlement, against the original intentions of the workers, employers and states concerned. The recruitment of guest-workers stopped after 1974, but many migrants stayed on, becoming permanent ethnic minorities, in a situation of economic and social crisis. It is argued that guest-worker systems inevitably lead to permanent migration in the long run, and that it is better to plan for orderly settlement through appropriate policies." excerpt

New mechanisms of disease and parasite-host interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Tiago Alves Jorge; de Carli, Gabriel Jose; Pereira, Tiago Campos

2016-09-01

An unconventional interaction between a patient and parasites was recently reported, in which parasitic cells invaded host's tissues, establishing several tumors. This finding raises various intriguing hypotheses on unpredicted forms of interplay between a patient and infecting parasites. Here we present four unusual hypothetical host-parasite scenarios with intriguing medical consequences. Relatively simple experimental designs are described in order to evaluate such hypotheses. The first one refers to the possibility of metabolic disorders in parasites intoxicating the host. The second one is on possibility of patients with inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) being more resistant to parasites (due to accumulation of toxic compounds in the bloodstream). The third one refers to a mirrored scenario: development of tumors in parasites due to ingestion of host's circulating cancer cells. The last one describes a complex relationship between parasites accumulating a metabolite and supplying it to a patient with an IEM. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CRISPR genetic screens to discover host-virus interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, William M; Perreira, Jill M; Reynolds, Erin C; Brass, Abraham L

2018-04-01

Viruses impose an immense burden on human health. With the goal of treating and preventing viral infections, researchers have carried out genetic screens to improve our understanding of viral dependencies and identify potential anti-viral strategies. The emergence of CRISPR genetic screening tools has facilitated this effort by enabling host-virus screens to be undertaken in a more versatile and fidelitous manner than previously possible. Here we review the growing number of CRISPR screens which continue to increase our understanding of host-virus interactions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The apolipoprotein L family of programmed cell death and immunity genes rapidly evolved in primates at discrete sites of host-pathogen interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Eric E; Malik, Harmit S

2009-05-01

Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) is a human protein that confers immunity to Trypanosoma brucei infections but can be countered by a trypanosome-encoded antagonist SRA. APOL1 belongs to a family of programmed cell death genes whose proteins can initiate host apoptosis or autophagic death. We report here that all six members of the APOL gene family (APOL1-6) present in humans have rapidly evolved in simian primates. APOL6, furthermore, shows evidence of an adaptive sweep during recent human evolution. In each APOL gene tested, we found rapidly evolving codons in or adjacent to the SRA-interacting protein domain (SID), which is the domain of APOL1 that interacts with SRA. In APOL6, we also found a rapidly changing 13-amino-acid cluster in the membrane-addressing domain (MAD), which putatively functions as a pH sensor and regulator of cell death. We predict that APOL genes are antagonized by pathogens by at least two distinct mechanisms: SID antagonists, which include SRA, that interact with the SID of various APOL proteins, and MAD antagonists that interact with the MAD hinge base of APOL6. These antagonists either block or prematurely cause APOL-mediated programmed cell death of host cells to benefit the infecting pathogen. These putative interactions must occur inside host cells, in contrast to secreted APOL1 that trafficks to the trypanosome lysosome. Hence, the dynamic APOL gene family appears to be an important link between programmed cell death of host cells and immunity to pathogens.

Migratory divides and their consequences for dispersal, population size and parasite-host interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Møller, A P; Garamszegi, L Z; Peralta-Sánchez, J M; Soler, J J

2011-08-01

Populations of migratory birds differ in their direction of migration with neighbouring populations often migrating in divergent directions separated by migratory divides. A total of 26% of 103 passerine bird species in Europe had migratory divides that were located disproportionately often along a longitudinal gradient in Central Europe, consistent with the assumption of a Quaternary glacial origin of such divides in the Iberian and Balkan peninsulas followed by recolonization. Given that studies have shown significant genetic differentiation and reduced gene flow across migratory divides, we hypothesized that an absence of migratory divides would result in elevated rates of gene flow and hence a reduced level of local adaptation. In a comparative study, species with migratory divides had larger population sizes and population densities and longer dispersal distances than species without migratory divides. Species with migratory divides tended to be habitat generalists. Bird species with migratory divides had higher richness of blood parasites and higher growth rates of Staphylococcus on their eggs during the incubation period. There was weaker cell-mediated immunity in adults and stronger cell lysis in species with migratory divides. These findings may suggest that migratory divides constitute barriers to dispersal with consequences for ecology and evolution of distributions, population sizes, habitats and parasite-host interactions. They also suggest that migratory divides may play a role in local adaptation in host-parasite interactions. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2011 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Novel photoluminescence enzyme immunoassay based on supramolecular host-guest recognition using L-arginine/6-aza-2-thiothymine-stabilized gold nanocluster.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Youmei; Lu, Minghua; Tang, Dianping

2018-06-30

A new photoluminescence (PL) enzyme immunoassay was designed for sensitive detection of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) via an innovative enzyme substrate, 6-aza-2-thiothymine-stabilized gold nanocluster (AAT-AuNC) with L-arginine. The enzyme substrate with strong PL intensity was formed through supramolecular host-guest assembly between guanidine group of L-arginine and AAT capped on the surface of AuNC. Upon arginase introduction, the captured L-arginine was hydrolyzed into ornithine and urea, thus resulting in the decreasing PL intensity. Based on this principle, a novel competitive-type immunoreaction was first carried out on AFB 1 -bovine serum albumin (AFB 1 -BSA) conjugate-coated microplate, using arginase-labeled anti-AFB 1 antibody as the competitor. Under the optimum conditions, the PL intensity increased with the increment of target AFB 1 , and allowed the detection of the analyte at concentrations as low as 3.2 pg mL -1 (ppt). Moreover, L-arginine-AAT-AuNC-based PL enzyme immunoassay afforded good reproducibility and acceptable specificity. In addition, the accuracy of this methodology, referring to commercial AFB 1 ELISA kit, was evaluated to analyze naturally contaminated or spiked peanut samples, giving well-matched results between two methods, thus representing a useful scheme for practical application in quantitative monitoring of mycotoxins in foodstuff. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lipids in host-pathogen interactions: pathogens exploit the complexity of the host cell lipidome.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Meer-Janssen, Ynske P M; van Galen, Josse; Batenburg, Joseph J; Helms, J Bernd

2010-01-01

Lipids were long believed to have a structural role in biomembranes and a role in energy storage utilizing cellular lipid droplets and plasma lipoproteins. Research over the last decades has identified an additional role of lipids in cellular signaling, membrane microdomain organization and dynamics, and membrane trafficking. These properties make lipids an attractive target for pathogens to modulate host cell processes in order to allow their survival and replication. In this review we will summarize the often ingenious strategies of pathogens to modify the lipid homeostasis of host cells, allowing them to divert cellular processes. To this end pathogens take full advantage of the complexity of the lipidome. The examples are categorized in generalized and emerging principles describing the involvement of lipids in host-pathogen interactions. Several pathogens are described that simultaneously induce multiple changes in the host cell signaling and trafficking mechanisms. Elucidation of these pathogen-induced changes may have important implications for drug development. The emergence of high-throughput lipidomic techniques will allow the description of changes of the host cell lipidome at the level of individual molecular lipid species and the identification of lipid biomarkers.

Binding abilities of a chiral calix[4]resorcinarene: a polarimetric investigation on a complex case of study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Russo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Polarimetry was used to investigate the binding abilities of a chiral calix[4]resorcinarene derivative, bearing L-proline subunits, towards a set of suitably selected organic guests. The simultaneous formation of 1:1 and 2:1 host–guest inclusion complexes was observed in several cases, depending on both the charge status of the host and the structure of the guest. Thus, the use of the polarimetric method was thoroughly revisited, in order to keep into account the occurrence of multiple equilibria. Our data indicate that the stability of the host–guest complexes is affected by an interplay between Coulomb interactions, π–π interactions, desolvation effects and entropy-unfavorable conformational dynamic restraints. Polarimetry is confirmed as a very useful and versatile tool for the investigation of supramolecular interactions with chiral hosts, even in complex systems involving multiple equilibria.

Pseudomonas sax genes overcome aliphatic isothiocyanate-mediated non-host resistance in Arabidopsis

Science.gov (United States)

Jun Fan; Casey Crooks; Gary Creissen; Lionel Hill; Shirley Fairhurst; Peter Doerner; Chris Lamb

2011-01-01

Most plant-microbe interactions do not result in disease; natural products restrict non-host pathogens. We found that sulforaphane (4-methylsulfinylbutyl isothiocyanate), a natural product derived from aliphatic glucosinolates, inhibits growth in Arabidopsis of non-host Pseudomonas bacteria in planta. Multiple sax genes (saxCAB/F/D/G) were identified in Pseudomonas...

Tools to study pathogen-host interactions in bats.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Arinjay; Misra, Vikram; Schountz, Tony; Baker, Michelle L

2018-03-15

Bats are natural reservoirs for a variety of emerging viruses that cause significant disease in humans and domestic animals yet rarely cause clinical disease in bats. The co-evolutionary history of bats with viruses has been hypothesized to have shaped the bat-virus relationship, allowing both to exist in equilibrium. Progress in understanding bat-virus interactions and the isolation of bat-borne viruses has been accelerated in recent years by the development of susceptible bat cell lines. Viral sequences similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV) have been detected in bats, and filoviruses such as Marburg virus have been isolated from bats, providing definitive evidence for the role of bats as the natural host reservoir. Although viruses can be readily detected in bats using molecular approaches, virus isolation is far more challenging. One of the limitations in using traditional culture systems from non-reservoir species is that cell types and culture conditions may not be compatible for isolation of bat-borne viruses. There is, therefore, a need to develop additional bat cell lines that correspond to different cell types, including less represented cell types such as immune cells, and culture them under more physiologically relevant conditions to study virus host interactions and for virus isolation. In this review, we highlight the current progress in understanding bat-virus interactions in bat cell line systems and some of the challenges and limitations associated with cell lines. Future directions to address some of these challenges to better understand host-pathogen interactions in these intriguing mammals are also discussed, not only in relation to viruses but also other pathogens carried by bats including bacteria and fungi. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amphibian chytridiomycosis: a review with focus on fungus-host interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Rooij, Pascale; Martel, An; Haesebrouck, Freddy; Pasmans, Frank

2015-11-25

Amphibian declines and extinctions are emblematic for the current sixth mass extinction event. Infectious drivers of these declines include the recently emerged fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Chytridiomycota). The skin disease caused by these fungi is named chytridiomycosis and affects the vital function of amphibian skin. Not all amphibians respond equally to infection and host responses might range from resistant, over tolerant to susceptible. The clinical outcome of infection is highly dependent on the amphibian host, the fungal virulence and environmental determinants. B. dendrobatidis infects the skin of a large range of anurans, urodeles and caecilians, whereas to date the host range of B. salamandrivorans seems limited to urodeles. So far, the epidemic of B. dendrobatidis is mainly limited to Australian, neotropical, South European and West American amphibians, while for B. salamandrivorans it is limited to European salamanders. Other striking differences between both fungi include gross pathology and thermal preferences. With this review we aim to provide the reader with a state-of-the art of host-pathogen interactions for both fungi, in which new data pertaining to the interaction of B. dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans with the host's skin are integrated. Furthermore, we pinpoint areas in which more detailed studies are necessary or which have not received the attention they merit.

Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Rachelle M. M.; Liberti, Joanito; Illum, Anders A.; Jones, Tappey H.; Nash, David R.; Boomsma, Jacobus J.

2013-01-01

The ants are extraordinary in having evolved many lineages that exploit closely related ant societies as social parasites, but social parasitism by distantly related ants is rare. Here we document the interaction dynamics among a Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ant host, a permanently associated parasitic guest ant of the genus Megalomyrmex, and a raiding agro-predator of the genus Gnamptogenys. We show experimentally that the guest ants protect their host colonies against agro-predator raids using alkaloid venom that is much more potent than the biting defenses of the host ants. Relatively few guest ants are sufficient to kill raiders that invariably exterminate host nests without a cohabiting guest ant colony. We also show that the odor of guest ants discourages raider scouts from recruiting nestmates to host colonies. Our results imply that Sericomyrmex fungus-growers obtain a net benefit from their costly guest ants behaving as a functional soldier caste to meet lethal threats from agro-predator raiders. The fundamentally different life histories of the agro-predators and guest ants appear to facilitate their coexistence in a negative frequency-dependent manner. Because a guest ant colony is committed for life to a single host colony, the guests would harm their own interests by not defending the host that they continue to exploit. This conditional mutualism is analogous to chronic sickle cell anemia enhancing the resistance to malaria and to episodes in human history when mercenary city defenders offered either net benefits or imposed net costs, depending on the level of threat from invading armies. PMID:24019482

Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Rachelle M M; Liberti, Joanito; Illum, Anders A; Jones, Tappey H; Nash, David R; Boomsma, Jacobus J

2013-09-24

The ants are extraordinary in having evolved many lineages that exploit closely related ant societies as social parasites, but social parasitism by distantly related ants is rare. Here we document the interaction dynamics among a Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ant host, a permanently associated parasitic guest ant of the genus Megalomyrmex, and a raiding agro-predator of the genus Gnamptogenys. We show experimentally that the guest ants protect their host colonies against agro-predator raids using alkaloid venom that is much more potent than the biting defenses of the host ants. Relatively few guest ants are sufficient to kill raiders that invariably exterminate host nests without a cohabiting guest ant colony. We also show that the odor of guest ants discourages raider scouts from recruiting nestmates to host colonies. Our results imply that Sericomyrmex fungus-growers obtain a net benefit from their costly guest ants behaving as a functional soldier caste to meet lethal threats from agro-predator raiders. The fundamentally different life histories of the agro-predators and guest ants appear to facilitate their coexistence in a negative frequency-dependent manner. Because a guest ant colony is committed for life to a single host colony, the guests would harm their own interests by not defending the host that they continue to exploit. This conditional mutualism is analogous to chronic sickle cell anemia enhancing the resistance to malaria and to episodes in human history when mercenary city defenders offered either net benefits or imposed net costs, depending on the level of threat from invading armies.

Efficient luminescent materials based on the incorporation of a Eu(III)tris-(bipyridine-carboxylate) complex in mesoporous hybrid silicate hosts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botelho, M.B.S.; Queiroz, T.B. de; Eckert, H.; Camargo, A.S.S. de

2016-01-01

The study of the photoluminescent characteristics of host–guest systems based on highly emissive trivalent rare earth complexes such as Eu 3+ – tris-bipyridine-carboxylate, immobilized in solid state host matrices, is motivated by their potential applications in optoelectronic devices and bioanalytical systems. Besides offering the possibility of designing a favorable environment to improve the photophysical properties of the guest molecules, encapsulation in porous solids also serves to protect such molecules, prevents leakage (especially critical for bio-applications) and ultimately leads to more robust and versatile materials. Among the most interesting possible host matrices are mesoporous silica and hybrids (organo-silicates) in the form of powders (MCM-41 like) and transparent bulk or film xerogels. In this work we report the synthesis of highly efficient red emitting materials based on the wet impregnation of such host matrices with the new complex Eu[4-(4′-tert-butyl-biphenyl-4-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine-6-carboxyl] 3 (“[ t Bu–COO] 3 Eu”) whose synthesis and photophysical characterization was recently reported. Prior to the incorporation, the host matrices were thoroughly characterized by solid state 29 Si and 1 H NMR, N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Incorporation and retention of the complex molecules are found to be significantly higher in the phenyl-modified hybrid samples than in the regular mesoporous silica, suggesting efficient immobilization of the complex by π–π interactions. Long excited state lifetimes (up to 1.7 ms comparable to 1.8 ms for the complex in solution), and high quantum yields (up to 65%, versus 85% for the complex in solution) were measured for the bulk xerogel materials, suggesting the potential use of thin films for lighting and bioanalytical applications. - Highlights: • New Eu(III) complex in mesoporous hybrid matrices leads to highly emissive material • Matrix

Efficient luminescent materials based on the incorporation of a Eu(III)tris-(bipyridine-carboxylate) complex in mesoporous hybrid silicate hosts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Botelho, M.B.S. [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, 13566-590 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Universidade de Brasilia, 70910-900 Brasilia, DF (Brazil); Queiroz, T.B. de [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, 13566-590 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Eckert, H. [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, 13566-590 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, D-48149 Münster (Germany); Camargo, A.S.S. de, E-mail: andreasc@ifsc.usp.br [Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, 13566-590 São Carlos, SP (Brazil)

2016-02-15

The study of the photoluminescent characteristics of host–guest systems based on highly emissive trivalent rare earth complexes such as Eu{sup 3+} – tris-bipyridine-carboxylate, immobilized in solid state host matrices, is motivated by their potential applications in optoelectronic devices and bioanalytical systems. Besides offering the possibility of designing a favorable environment to improve the photophysical properties of the guest molecules, encapsulation in porous solids also serves to protect such molecules, prevents leakage (especially critical for bio-applications) and ultimately leads to more robust and versatile materials. Among the most interesting possible host matrices are mesoporous silica and hybrids (organo-silicates) in the form of powders (MCM-41 like) and transparent bulk or film xerogels. In this work we report the synthesis of highly efficient red emitting materials based on the wet impregnation of such host matrices with the new complex Eu[4-(4′-tert-butyl-biphenyl-4-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine-6-carboxyl]{sub 3} (“[{sup t}Bu–COO]{sub 3}Eu”) whose synthesis and photophysical characterization was recently reported. Prior to the incorporation, the host matrices were thoroughly characterized by solid state {sup 29}Si and {sup 1}H NMR, N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Incorporation and retention of the complex molecules are found to be significantly higher in the phenyl-modified hybrid samples than in the regular mesoporous silica, suggesting efficient immobilization of the complex by π–π interactions. Long excited state lifetimes (up to 1.7 ms comparable to 1.8 ms for the complex in solution), and high quantum yields (up to 65%, versus 85% for the complex in solution) were measured for the bulk xerogel materials, suggesting the potential use of thin films for lighting and bioanalytical applications. - Highlights: • New Eu(III) complex in mesoporous hybrid matrices leads to highly

Adhesion to the host cell surface is sufficient to mediate Listeria monocytogenes entry into epithelial cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Fabian E.; Rengarajan, Michelle; Chavez, Natalie; Radhakrishnan, Prathima; Gloerich, Martijn; Bianchini, Julie; Siemers, Kathleen; Luckett, William S.; Lauer, Peter; Nelson, W. James; Theriot, Julie A.

2017-01-01

The intestinal epithelium is the first physiological barrier breached by the Gram-positive facultative pathogen Listeria monocytogenes during an in vivo infection. Listeria monocytogenes binds to the epithelial host cell receptor E-cadherin, which mediates a physical link between the bacterium and filamentous actin (F-actin). However, the importance of anchoring the bacterium to F-actin through E-cadherin for bacterial invasion has not been tested directly in epithelial cells. Here we demonstrate that depleting αE-catenin, which indirectly links E-cadherin to F-actin, did not decrease L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells in tissue culture. Instead, invasion increased due to increased bacterial adhesion to epithelial monolayers with compromised cell–cell junctions. Furthermore, expression of a mutant E-cadherin lacking the intracellular domain was sufficient for efficient L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells. Importantly, direct biotin-mediated binding of bacteria to surface lipids in the plasma membrane of host epithelial cells was sufficient for uptake. Our results indicate that the only requirement for L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells is adhesion to the host cell surface, and that E-cadherin–mediated coupling of the bacterium to F-actin is not required. PMID:28877987

Organoid culture systems to study host-pathogen interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dutta, Devanjali; Clevers, Hans

2017-01-01

Recent advances in host-microbe interaction studies in organoid cultures have shown great promise and have laid the foundation for much more refined future studies using these systems. Modeling of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in cerebral organoids have helped us understand its association with

High-Throughput Dissection of AAV-Host Interactions: The Fast and the Curious.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrmann, Anne-Kathrin; Grimm, Dirk

2018-05-18

Over fifty years after its initial description, Adeno-associated virus (AAV) remains a most exciting but also most elusive study object in basic or applied virology. On the one hand, its simple structure not only facilitates investigations into virus biology, but combined with the availability of numerous natural AAV variants with distinct infection efficiency and specificity also makes AAV a preferred substrate for engineering of gene delivery vectors. On the other hand, it is striking to witness a recent flurry of reports that highlight and partially close persistent gaps in our understanding of AAV virus and vector biology. This is all the more perplexing considering that recombinant AAVs have already been used in >160 clinical trials and recently been commercialized as gene therapeutics. Here, we discuss a reason for these advances in AAV research, namely, the advent and application of powerful high-throughput technology for dissection of AAV-host interactions and optimization of AAV gene therapy vectors. As relevant examples, we focus on the discovery of (i) a "new" cellular AAV receptor, AAVR, (ii) host restriction factors for AAV entry, and (iii) AAV capsid determinants that mediate trafficking through the blood-brain barrier. While (i)/(ii) are prototypes of extra- or intracellular AAV host factors that were identified via high-throughput screenings, (iii) exemplifies the power of molecular evolution to investigate the virus itself. In the future, we anticipate that these and other key technologies will continue to accelerate the dissection of AAV biology and will yield a wealth of new designer viruses for clinical use. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Complex interactions among host pines and fungi vectored by an invasive bark beetle

Science.gov (United States)

Min Lu; Michael J. Wingfield; Nancy E. Gillette; Sylvia R. Mori; Jian-Hua Sun

2010-01-01

Recent studies have investigated the relationships between pairs or groups of exotic species to illustrate invasive mechanisms, but most have focused on interactions at a single trophic level.Here, we conducted pathogenicity tests, analyses of host volatiles and fungal growth tests to elucidate an intricate network of interactions between the host...

Rolling Up the Sheet: Constructing Metal–Organic Lamellae and Nanotubes from a [{Mn 3 (propanediolato) 2 }(dicyanamide) 2 ] n Honeycomb Skeleton

KAUST Repository

Wu, Gang; Bai, Jiaquan; Jiang, Yuan; Li, Guanghua; Huang, Jian; Li, Yi; Anson, Christopher E.; Powell, Annie K.; Qiu, Shilun

2013-01-01

of individual layers and to enhance surface areas and optimize host-guest interactions to accommodate bigger guests, spontaneous rolling up to form a tubular structure was achieved. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Chemical-clathrate hybrid hydrogen storage: storage in both guest and host.

Science.gov (United States)

Strobel, Timothy A; Kim, Yongkwan; Andrews, Gary S; Ferrell, Jack R; Koh, Carolyn A; Herring, Andrew M; Sloan, E Dendy

2008-11-12

Hydrogen storage from two independent sources of the same material represents a novel approach to the hydrogen storage problem, yielding storage capacities greater than either of the individual constituents. Here we report a novel hydrogen storage scheme in which recoverable hydrogen is stored molecularly within clathrate cavities as well as chemically in the clathrate host material. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic measurements confirm the formation of beta-hydroquinone (beta-HQ) clathrate with molecular hydrogen. Hydrogen within the beta-HQ clathrate vibrates at considerably lower frequency than hydrogen in the free gaseous phase and rotates nondegenerately with splitting comparable to the rotational constant. Compared with water-based clathrate hydrate phases, the beta-HQ+H2 clathrate shows remarkable stability over a range of p-T conditions. Subsequent to clathrate decomposition, the host HQ was used to directly power a PEM fuel cell. With one H2 molecule per cavity, 0.61 wt % hydrogen may be stored in the beta-HQ clathrate cavities. When this amount is combined with complete dehydrogenation of the host hydroxyl hydrogens, the maximum hydrogen storage capacity increases nearly 300% to 2.43 wt %.

Total Quality Management Implementation and Guest Satisfaction in Hospitality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miroslav Knežević

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Total quality management (TQM has become a modern system of constant improvement of the quality of all company activities. The purpose of this study is to measure the expectations and satisfaction of the guests concerning the attribute quality of the hotel product. Furthermore obtained results were compared in such a way as to analyse particularly the reviews of hotels which have implemented TQM and have the ISO 9001 certificates with reviews from hotels which have not implemented TQM and do not have the ISO 9001 certificates. The conducted analysis included 55 hotels in Serbia belonging to the 4- and 5-star categories, i.e. 1308 guests who have stayed in them. The results show that between the observed groups of guests there are fewer differences in expectations than in perception, and that generally speaking guests who have stayed in the hotels that have implemented TQM are more satisfied. The biggest difference concerning the guest satisfaction with the quality of service in the observed hotels is noticeable in relation to the employees and the value-for-money.

Host-guest interaction on Bruny and Magnetic Islands, Australia

OpenAIRE

Moyle, Brent Don

2017-01-01

Islands are integral to the earth’s biodiversity, with their distinct environments offering a haven for a variety of threatened species of plants, wildlife and unique human cultures. Worldwide, tourism activity profoundly impacts upon destinations, but the impacts on islands are noticeably more acute due to their fragile environments and isolated communities. Research has found that tourism can impact island communities in a variety of ways, including economically, socially and environmentall...

Host Lipid Mediators in Leprosy: The Hypothesized Contributions to Pathogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos A. M. Silva

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The spectrum of clinical forms observed in leprosy and its pathogenesis are dictated by the host’s immune response against Mycobacterium leprae, the etiological agent of leprosy. Previous results, based on metabolomics studies, demonstrated a strong relationship between clinical manifestations of leprosy and alterations in the metabolism of ω3 and ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, and the diverse set of lipid mediators derived from PUFAs. PUFA-derived lipid mediators provide multiple functions during acute inflammation, and some lipid mediators are able to induce both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses as determined by the cell surface receptors being expressed, as well as the cell type expressing the receptors. However, little is known about how these compounds influence cellular immune activities during chronic granulomatous infectious diseases, such as leprosy. Current evidence suggests that specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs are involved in the down-modulation of the innate and adaptive immune response against M. leprae and that alteration in the homeostasis of pro-inflammatory lipid mediators versus SPMs is associated with dramatic shifts in the pathogenesis of leprosy. In this review, we discuss the possible consequences and present new hypotheses for the involvement of ω3 and ω6 PUFA metabolism in the pathogenesis of leprosy. A specific emphasis is placed on developing models of lipid mediator interactions with the innate and adaptive immune responses and the influence of these interactions on the outcome of leprosy.

Interleukin-12 induces sustained activation of multiple host inflammatory mediator systems in chimpanzees

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lauw, F. N.; Dekkers, P. E.; te Velde, A. A.; Speelman, P.; Levi, M. [=Marcel M.; Kurimoto, M.; Hack, C. E.; van Deventer, S. J.; van der Poll, T.

1999-01-01

To determine in vivo effects of interleukin (IL)-12 on host inflammatory mediator systems, 4 healthy chimpanzees received recombinant human IL-12 (1 microg/kg) by intravenous injection. IL-12 induced increases in plasma concentrations of IL-15, IL-18, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), plus a marked

Proteomics in the investigation of HIV-1 interactions with host proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming

2015-02-01

Productive HIV-1 infection depends on host machinery, including a broad array of cellular proteins. Proteomics has played a significant role in the discovery of HIV-1 host proteins. In this review, after a brief survey of the HIV-1 host proteins that were discovered by proteomic analyses, I focus on analyzing the interactions between the virion and host proteins, as well as the technologies and strategies used in those proteomic studies. With the help of proteomics, the identification and characterization of HIV-1 host proteins can be translated into novel antiretroviral therapeutics. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Volatile-mediated interactions in the rhizosphere

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cordovez da Cunha, Viviane

2016-01-01

Plants and microorganisms are constantly engaged in highly dynamic interactions both above- and belowground. Several of these interactions are mediated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), small carbon-based compounds with high vapor pressure at ambient temperature. In the rhizosphere, VOCs have

Guest Editorial

OpenAIRE

Tianlong Gu; Shenghui Liu

2011-01-01

This special issue comprises of 14 selected papers from the International Workshop on Computer Science for Environmental Engineering and EcoInformatics (CSEEE 2011). The conferences received 860 paper submissions from 15 countries and regions, of which 450 were selected for presentation after a rigorous review process. From these 450 research papers, through two rounds of reviewing, the guest editors selected 14 as the best papers on the Networking Technologies and Information track of the Co...

Computational Approaches for Prediction of Pathogen-Host Protein-Protein Interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esmaeil eNourani

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Infectious diseases are still among the major and prevalent health problems, mostly because of the drug resistance of novel variants of pathogens. Molecular interactions between pathogens and their hosts are the key part of the infection mechanisms. Novel antimicrobial therapeutics to fight drug resistance is only possible in case of a thorough understanding of pathogen-host interaction (PHI systems. Existing databases, which contain experimentally verified PHI data, suffer from scarcity of reported interactions due to the technically challenging and time consuming process of experiments. This has motivated many researchers to address the problem by proposing computational approaches for analysis and prediction of PHIs. The computational methods primarily utilize sequence information, protein structure and known interactions. Classic machine learning techniques are used when there are sufficient known interactions to be used as training data. On the opposite case, transfer and multi task learning methods are preferred. Here, we present an overview of these computational approaches for PHI prediction, discussing their weakness and abilities, with future directions.

Putative alternative polyadenylation (APA) events in the early interaction of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and human host cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Afonso-Grunz, Fabian

2015-12-01

The immune response of epithelial cells upon infection is mediated by changing activity levels of a variety of proteins along with changes in mRNA, and also ncRNA abundance. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) represents a mechanism that diversifies gene expression similar to alternative splicing. T-cell activation, neuronal activity, development and several human diseases including viral infections involve APA, but at present it remains unclear if this mechanism is also implicated in the response to bacterial infections. Our recently published study of interacting Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and human host cells includes genome-wide expression profiles of human epithelial cells prior and subsequent to infection with the invasive pathogen. The generated dataset (GEO accession number: GSE61730) covers several points of time post infection, and one of these interaction stages was additionally profiled with MACE-based dual 3'Seq, which allows for identification of polyadenylation (PA) sites. The present study features the polyadenylation landscape in early interacting cells based on this data, and provides a comparison of the identified PA sites with those of a corresponding 3P-Seq dataset of non-interacting cells. Differential PA site usage of FTL , PRDX1 and VAPA results in transcription of mRNA isoforms with distinct sets of miRNA and protein binding sites that influence processing, localization, stability, and translation of the respective mRNA. APA of these candidate genes consequently harbors the potential to modulate the host cell response to bacterial infection.

Putative alternative polyadenylation (APA events in the early interaction of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and human host cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabian Afonso-Grunz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The immune response of epithelial cells upon infection is mediated by changing activity levels of a variety of proteins along with changes in mRNA, and also ncRNA abundance. Alternative polyadenylation (APA represents a mechanism that diversifies gene expression similar to alternative splicing. T-cell activation, neuronal activity, development and several human diseases including viral infections involve APA, but at present it remains unclear if this mechanism is also implicated in the response to bacterial infections. Our recently published study of interacting Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and human host cells includes genome-wide expression profiles of human epithelial cells prior and subsequent to infection with the invasive pathogen. The generated dataset (GEO accession number: GSE61730 covers several points of time post infection, and one of these interaction stages was additionally profiled with MACE-based dual 3'Seq, which allows for identification of polyadenylation (PA sites. The present study features the polyadenylation landscape in early interacting cells based on this data, and provides a comparison of the identified PA sites with those of a corresponding 3P-Seq dataset of non-interacting cells. Differential PA site usage of FTL, PRDX1 and VAPA results in transcription of mRNA isoforms with distinct sets of miRNA and protein binding sites that influence processing, localization, stability, and translation of the respective mRNA. APA of these candidate genes consequently harbors the potential to modulate the host cell response to bacterial infection.

An organic dye-polymer (phenol red-poly (vinyl alcohol)) composite architecture towards tunable -optical and -saturable absorption characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sreedhar, Sreeja, E-mail: sreejasreedhar83@gmail.com; Muneera, C. I., E-mail: drcimuneera@hotmail.com [Department of Physics, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India); Illyaskutty, Navas [Institute for Sensorics and Information Systems (ISIS), Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, Moltkestr. 30, D-76133 Karlsruhe (Germany); Sreedhanya, S. [School of Chemical Sciences, M. G. University, Kottayam, Kerala 686560 (India); Philip, Reji [Light and Matter Physics Group, Raman Research Institute, Bangalore 560080 (India)

2016-05-21

Herein, we demonstrate that blending an organic dye (guest/filler), with a vinyl polymer (host template), is an inexpensive and simple approach for the fabrication of multifunctional photonic materials which could display an enhancement in the desirable properties of the constituent materials and, at the same time provide novel synergistic properties for the guest-host system. A new guest-host nanocomposite system comprising Phenol Red dye and poly (vinyl alcohol) as guest and host template, respectively, which exhibits tunable optical characteristics and saturable absorption behavior, is introduced. The dependence of local electronic environment provided by the polymer template and the interactions of the polymer molecules with the encapsulated guest molecules on the observed optical/nonlinear absorption behavior is discussed. An understanding of the tunability of the optical/ photophysical processes, with respect to the filler content, as discussed herein could help in the design of improved optical materials for several photonic device applications like organic light emitting diodes and saturable absorbers.

Managing Guest as an Asset: a Conceptual Review in the Context of Accommodation Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dwi Suhartanto

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the concept of a customer as an asset of business in the accommodation industry. The purpose of this article is to examine the value of guests as a firm asset and to propose a model for managing guests as an asset in the context of accommodation services. A guest is considered an asset due to its role in providing revenue to the accommodation firm. Because of this role, the accommodation guest needs to be managed appropriately. This article argues that guest service evaluation (i.e. service quality, perceived value, and guest satisfaction and service loyalty are important factors in the development of guest lifetime value. The proposed model of managing guests as an asset consists of marketing instruments, service evaluation, guest loyalty, and financial outcomes provides a comprehensive guide on how accommodation firms can manage the lifetime value of their guests. Finally, as there are limited studies examining this issue, future research should test the proposed model.

Host cell virus entry mediated by Australian bat lyssavirus G envelope glycoprotein occurs through a clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway that requires actin and Rab5.

Science.gov (United States)

Weir, Dawn L; Laing, Eric D; Smith, Ina L; Wang, Lin-Fa; Broder, Christopher C

2014-02-27

Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV), a rhabdovirus of the genus Lyssavirus which circulates in both pteropid fruit bats and insectivorous bats in mainland Australia, has caused three fatal human infections, the most recent in February 2013, manifested as acute neurological disease indistinguishable from clinical rabies. Rhabdoviruses infect host cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis and subsequent pH-dependent fusion mediated by their single envelope glycoprotein (G), but the specific host factors and pathways involved in ABLV entry have not been determined. ABLV internalization into HEK293T cells was examined using maxGFP-encoding recombinant vesicular stomatitis viruses (rVSV) that express ABLV G glycoproteins. A combination of chemical and molecular approaches was used to investigate the contribution of different endocytic pathways to ABLV entry. Dominant negative Rab GTPases were used to identify the endosomal compartment utilized by ABLV to gain entry into the host cell cytosol. Here we show that ABLV G-mediated entry into HEK293T cells was significantly inhibited by the dynamin-specific inhibitor dynasore, chlorpromazine, a drug that blocks clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and the actin depolymerizing drug latrunculin B. Over expression of dominant negative mutants of Eps15 and Rab5 also significantly reduced ABLV G-mediated entry into HEK293T cells. Chemical inhibitors of caveolae-dependent endocytosis and macropinocytosis and dominant negative mutants of Rab7 and Rab11 had no effect on ABLV entry. The predominant pathway utilized by ABLV for internalization into HEK293T cells is clathrin-and actin-dependent. The requirement of Rab5 for productive infection indicates that ABLV G-mediated fusion occurs within the early endosome compartment.

Lattice dynamics study of low energy guest–host coupling in clathrate hydrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yuehai; Dong Shunle; Wang Lin

2008-01-01

Our lattice dynamics simulation of Xe-hydrate with four-site TIP4P oxygen-shell model can accurately reproduce each peak position in the inelastic incoherent neutron scattering spectrum at the acoustic band (below 15meV) and yield correct relative intensity. Based on the results, the uncertain profile at ∼6 meV is assigned to anharmonic guest modes coupled strongly to small cages. Blue shift is proposed in phonon dispersion sheet in the case of anticrossing and found to be an evident signal for guest-host coupling that explains the anomalous thermal conductivity of clathrate hydrate

Use of high-throughput mass spectrometry to elucidate host-pathogen interactions in Salmonella

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodland, Karin D.; Adkins, Joshua N.; Ansong, Charles; Chowdhury, Saiful M.; Manes, Nathan P.; Shi, Liang; Yoon, Hyunjin; Smith, Richard D.; Heffron, Fred

2008-12-01

New improvements to mass spectrometry include increased sensitivity, improvements in analyzing the collected data, and most important, from the standpoint of this review, a much higher throughput allowing analysis of many samples in a single day. This short review describes how host-pathogen interactions can be dissected by mass spectrometry using Salmonella as a model system. The approach allowed direct identification of the majority of annotate Salmonella proteins, how expression changed under various in vitro growth conditions, and how this relates to virulence and expression within host cell cells. One of the most significant findings is that a very high percentage of the all annotated genes (>20%) are regulated post-transcriptionally. In addition, new and unexpected interactions have been identified for several Salmonella virulence regulators that involve protein-protein interactions suggesting additional functions of the regulator in coordinating virulence expression. Overall high throughput mass spectrometer provides a new view of pathogen-host interaction emphasizing the protein products and defining how protein interactions determine the outcome of infection.

Strain mediated interaction of adatom dimers

OpenAIRE

Kappus, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

An earlier model for substrate strain mediated interactions between monomer adatoms is extended to the interaction of monomers with dimers and the interaction of dimers. While monomers (sitting on high symmetric sites) are supposed to create isotropic stress on the substrate, dimers would create anisotropic stress caused by stretching their bond. Resulting interactions are strongly angle dependent and also reflect the elastic anisotropy of the substrate. The applicability of a continuum elast...

Entomopathogenic Fungi: New Insights into Host-Pathogen Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Butt, T M; Coates, C J; Dubovskiy, I M; Ratcliffe, N A

2016-01-01

Although many insects successfully live in dangerous environments exposed to diverse communities of microbes, they are often exploited and killed by specialist pathogens. Studies of host-pathogen interactions (HPI) provide valuable insights into the dynamics of the highly aggressive coevolutionary arms race between entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and their arthropod hosts. The host defenses are designed to exclude the pathogen or mitigate the damage inflicted while the pathogen responds with immune evasion and utilization of host resources. EPF neutralize their immediate surroundings on the insect integument and benefit from the physiochemical properties of the cuticle and its compounds that exclude competing microbes. EPF also exhibit adaptations aimed at minimizing trauma that can be deleterious to both host and pathogen (eg, melanization of hemolymph), form narrow penetration pegs that alleviate host dehydration and produce blastospores that lack immunogenic sugars/enzymes but facilitate rapid assimilation of hemolymph nutrients. In response, insects deploy an extensive armory of hemocytes and macromolecules, such as lectins and phenoloxidase, that repel, immobilize, and kill EPF. New evidence suggests that immune bioactives work synergistically (eg, lysozyme with antimicrobial peptides) to combat infections. Some proteins, including transferrin and apolipophorin III, also demonstrate multifunctional properties, participating in metabolism, homeostasis, and pathogen recognition. This review discusses the molecular intricacies of these HPI, highlighting the interplay between immunity, stress management, and metabolism. Increased knowledge in this area could enhance the efficacy of EPF, ensuring their future in integrated pest management programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heartland virus NSs protein disrupts host defenses by blocking the TBK1 kinase-IRF3 transcription factor interaction and signaling required for interferon induction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Yun-Jia; Feng, Kuan; Min, Yuan-Qin; Deng, Fei; Hu, Zhihong; Wang, Hualin

2017-10-06

Heartland virus (HRTV) is a pathogenic phlebovirus related to the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), another phlebovirus causing life-threatening disease in humans. Previous findings have suggested that SFTSV can antagonize the host interferon (IFN) system via viral nonstructural protein (NSs)-mediated sequestration of antiviral signaling proteins into NSs-induced inclusion bodies. However, whether and how HRTV counteracts the host innate immunity is unknown. Here, we report that HRTV NSs (HNSs) also antagonizes IFN and cytokine induction and bolsters viral replication, although no noticeable inclusion body formation was observed in HNSs-expressing cells. Furthermore, HNSs inhibited the virus-triggered activation of IFN-β promoter by specifically targeting the IFN-stimulated response element but not the NF-κB response element. Consistently, HNSs blocked the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3, an IFN-stimulated response element-activating transcription factor). Reporter gene assays next showed that HNSs blockades the antiviral signaling mediated by RIG-I-like receptors likely at the level of TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1). Indeed, HNSs strongly interacts with TBK1 as indicated by confocal microscopy and pulldown analyses, and we also noted that the scaffold dimerization domain of TBK1 is required for the TBK1-HNSs interaction. Finally, pulldown assays demonstrated that HNSs expression dose-dependently diminishes a TBK1-IRF3 interaction, further explaining the mechanism for HNSs function. Collectively, these data suggest that HNSs, an antagonist of host innate immunity, interacts with TBK1 and thereby hinders the association of TBK1 with its substrate IRF3, thus blocking IRF3 activation and transcriptional induction of the cellular antiviral responses. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Mutagenicity of irradiated food in the host mediated assay system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnston-Arthur, T.; Turanitz, K.; Hruby, R.; Stehlik, G.; Brena-Valle, M.

1975-01-01

Groups of Swiss albino mice (SPF) fed with normal and gamma-irradiated food at doses of 0.75, 1.5 and 3.0 Mrad, were injected intraperitoneally with SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM TA 1530 for the host mediated assay test of mutagenesis. The mutation frequency was calculated in terms of the number of mutant colonies per unit number of surviving cells. The results indicate that there is a significant increase in mutation frequency induced by the 3 Mrad sterilized food. No difference was observed in the 0.75 Mrad dose when compared with the control

Simulation of climate-tick-host-landscape interactions: Effects of shifts in the seasonality of host population fluctuations on tick densities.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hsiao-Hsuan; Grant, W E; Teel, P D; Hamer, S A

2015-12-01

Tick vector systems are comprised of complex climate-tick-host-landscape interactions that are difficult to identify and estimate from empirical observations alone. We developed a spatially-explicit, individual-based model, parameterized to represent ecological conditions typical of the south-central United States, to examine effects of shifts in the seasonal occurrence of fluctuations of host densities on tick densities. Simulated shifts in the seasonal occurrence of periods of high and low host densities affected both the magnitude of unfed tick densities and the seasonality of tick development. When shifting the seasonal densities of all size classes of hosts (small, medium, and large) synchronously, densities of nymphs were affected more by smaller shifts away from the baseline host seasonality than were densities of larval and adult life stages. When shifting the seasonal densities of only a single size-class of hosts while holding other size classes at their baseline levels, densities of larval, nymph, and adult life stages responded differently. Shifting seasonal densities of any single host-class earlier resulted in a greater increase in adult tick density than when seasonal densities of all host classes were shifted earlier simultaneously. The mean densities of tick life stages associated with shifts in host densities resulted from system-level interactions of host availability with tick phenology. For example, shifting the seasonality of all hosts ten weeks earlier resulted in an approximately 30% increase in the relative degree of temporal co-occurrence of actively host-seeking ticks and hosts compared to baseline, whereas shifting the seasonality of all hosts ten weeks later resulted in an approximately 70% decrease compared to baseline. Differences among scenarios in the overall presence of active host-seeking ticks in the system were due primarily to the degree of co-occurrence of periods of high densities of unfed ticks and periods of high densities

Toward engineering intra-receptor interactions into bis(crown ethers).

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Martin R; Kubik, Stefan

2012-03-01

A synthetic receptor was designed in which cooperative binding of two crown ether moieties to an alkali metal ion simultaneously causes two hydrophobic substituents not involved in direct host-guest interactions to converge. Hydrophobic interactions between these substituents can be expected to contribute to the overall complex stability. Independent binding studies involving two diastereoisomers of this bis(crown ether), one in which intra-receptor interactions between the substituents are potentially possible and one in which they are not, using isothermal titration calorimetry showed that both isomers bind potassium ions in different solvent mixtures with the same overall affinity. Profound differences were observed for each isomer, however, in the enthalpies and entropies of binding, which are consistent with intra-receptor interactions in one compound. These interactions are counteracted by enthalpy-entropy compensation so that no overall improvement in cation affinity could be observed.

Drosophila melanogaster as a High-Throughput Model for Host-Microbiota Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Trinder, Mark; Daisley, Brendan A; Dube, Josh S; Reid, Gregor

2017-01-01

Microbiota research often assumes that differences in abundance and identity of microorganisms have unique influences on host physiology. To test this concept mechanistically, germ-free mice are colonized with microbial communities to assess causation. Due to the cost, infrastructure challenges, and time-consuming nature of germ-free mouse models, an alternative approach is needed to investigate host-microbial interactions. Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) can be used as a high throughput in vivo screening model of host-microbiome interactions as they are affordable, convenient, and replicable. D. melanogaster were essential in discovering components of the innate immune response to pathogens. However, axenic D. melanogaster can easily be generated for microbiome studies without the need for ethical considerations. The simplified microbiota structure enables researchers to evaluate permutations of how each microbial species within the microbiota contribute to host phenotypes of interest. This enables the possibility of thorough strain-level analysis of host and microbial properties relevant to physiological outcomes. Moreover, a wide range of mutant D. melanogaster strains can be affordably obtained from public stock centers. Given this, D. melanogaster can be used to identify candidate mechanisms of host-microbe symbioses relevant to pathogen exclusion, innate immunity modulation, diet, xenobiotics, and probiotic/prebiotic properties in a high throughput manner. This perspective comments on the most promising areas of microbiota research that could immediately benefit from using the D. melanogaster model.

Gut microbiome remodeling induces depressive-like behaviors through a pathway mediated by the host's metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, P; Zeng, B; Zhou, C; Liu, M; Fang, Z; Xu, X; Zeng, L; Chen, J; Fan, S; Du, X; Zhang, X; Yang, D; Yang, Y; Meng, H; Li, W; Melgiri, N D; Licinio, J; Wei, H; Xie, P

2016-06-01

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the result of complex gene-environment interactions. According to the World Health Organization, MDD is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and it is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. However, the definitive environmental mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of MDD remain elusive. The gut microbiome is an increasingly recognized environmental factor that can shape the brain through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. We show here that the absence of gut microbiota in germ-free (GF) mice resulted in decreased immobility time in the forced swimming test relative to conventionally raised healthy control mice. Moreover, from clinical sampling, the gut microbiotic compositions of MDD patients and healthy controls were significantly different with MDD patients characterized by significant changes in the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Fecal microbiota transplantation of GF mice with 'depression microbiota' derived from MDD patients resulted in depression-like behaviors compared with colonization with 'healthy microbiota' derived from healthy control individuals. Mice harboring 'depression microbiota' primarily exhibited disturbances of microbial genes and host metabolites involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. This study demonstrates that dysbiosis of the gut microbiome may have a causal role in the development of depressive-like behaviors, in a pathway that is mediated through the host's metabolism.

Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication and Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, Nicole

2016-01-01

The current study reports on a meta-analysis of the relative effectiveness of interaction in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) and face-to-face (FTF) contexts. The primary studies included in the analysis were journal articles and dissertations completed between 1990 and 2012 (k = 14). Results demonstrate that interaction in SCMC…

Combining Phylogenetic and Occurrence Information for Risk Assessment of Pest and Pathogen Interactions with Host Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ángel L. Robles-Fernández

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Phytosanitary agencies conduct plant biosecurity activities, including early detection of potential introduction pathways, to improve control and eradication of pest and pathogen incursions. For such actions, analytical tools based on solid scientific knowledge regarding plant-pest or pathogen relationships for pest risk assessment are needed. Recent evidence indicating that closely related species share a higher chance of becoming infected or attacked by pests has allowed the identification of taxa with different degrees of vulnerability. Here, we use information readily available online about pest-host interactions and their geographic distributions, in combination with host phylogenetic reconstructions, to estimate a pest-host interaction (in some cases infection index in geographic space as a more comprehensive, spatially explicit tool for risk assessment. We demonstrate this protocol using phylogenetic relationships for 20 beetle species and 235 host plant genera: first, we estimate the probability of a host sharing pests, and second, we project the index in geographic space. Overall, the predictions allow identification of the pest-host interaction type (e.g., generalist or specialist, which is largely determined by both host range and phylogenetic constraints. Furthermore, the results can be valuable in terms of identifying hotspots where pests and vulnerable hosts interact. This knowledge is useful for anticipating biological invasions or spreading of disease. We suggest that our understanding of biotic interactions will improve after combining information from multiple dimensions of biodiversity at multiple scales (e.g., phylogenetic signal and host-vector-pathogen geographic distribution.

Identifying potential survival strategies of HIV-1 through virus-host protein interaction networks

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Boucher Charles AB

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has launched the HIV-1 Human Protein Interaction Database in an effort to catalogue all published interactions between HIV-1 and human proteins. In order to systematically investigate these interactions functionally and dynamically, we have constructed an HIV-1 human protein interaction network. This network was analyzed for important proteins and processes that are specific for the HIV life-cycle. In order to expose viral strategies, network motif analysis was carried out showing reoccurring patterns in virus-host dynamics. Results Our analyses show that human proteins interacting with HIV form a densely connected and central sub-network within the total human protein interaction network. The evaluation of this sub-network for connectivity and centrality resulted in a set of proteins essential for the HIV life-cycle. Remarkably, we were able to associate proteins involved in RNA polymerase II transcription with hubs and proteasome formation with bottlenecks. Inferred network motifs show significant over-representation of positive and negative feedback patterns between virus and host. Strikingly, such patterns have never been reported in combined virus-host systems. Conclusions HIV infection results in a reprioritization of cellular processes reflected by an increase in the relative importance of transcriptional machinery and proteasome formation. We conclude that during the evolution of HIV, some patterns of interaction have been selected for resulting in a system where virus proteins preferably interact with central human proteins for direct control and with proteasomal proteins for indirect control over the cellular processes. Finally, the patterns described by network motifs illustrate how virus and host interact with one another.

MODELING HOST-PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS: COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH (Session introduction)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDermott, Jason E.; Braun, Pascal; Bonneau, Richard A.; Hyduke, Daniel R.

2011-12-01

Pathogenic infections are a major cause of both human disease and loss of crop yields and animal stocks and thus cause immense damage to the worldwide economy. The significance of infectious diseases is expected to increase in an ever more connected warming world, in which new viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens can find novel hosts and ecologic niches. At the same time, the complex and sophisticated mechanisms by which diverse pathogenic agents evade defense mechanisms and subvert their hosts networks to suit their lifestyle needs is still very incompletely understood especially from a systems perspective [1]. Thus, understanding host-pathogen interactions is both an important and a scientifically fascinating topic. Recently, technology has offered the opportunity to investigate host-pathogen interactions on a level of detail and scope that offers immense computational and analytical possibilities. Genome sequencing was pioneered on some of these pathogens, and the number of strains and variants of pathogens sequenced to date vastly outnumbers the number of host genomes available. At the same time, for both plant and human hosts more and more data on population level genomic variation becomes available and offers a rich field for analysis into the genetic interactions between host and pathogen.

Host-microbiota interplay in mediating immune disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Felix, Krysta M; Tahsin, Shekha; Wu, Hsin-Jung Joyce

2018-04-01

To maintain health, the immune system must maintain a delicate balance between eliminating invading pathogens and avoiding immune disorders such as autoimmunity and allergies. The gut microbiota provide essential health benefits to the host, particularly by regulating immune homeostasis. Dysbiosis, an alteration and imbalance of the gut microbiota, is associated with the development of several autoimmune diseases in both mice and humans. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding how certain factors, such as age and gender, affect the gut microbiota, which in turn can influence the development of autoimmune diseases. The age factor in microbiota-dependent immune disorders indicates a window of opportunity for future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. We also discuss unique commensal bacteria with strong immunomodulatory activity. Finally, we provide an overview of the potential molecular mechanisms whereby gut microbiota induce autoimmunity, as well as the evidence that gut microbiota trigger extraintestinal diseases by inducing the migration of gut-derived immune cells. Elucidating the interaction of gut microbiota and the host immune system will help us understand the pathogenesis of immune disorders, and provide us with new foundations to develop novel immuno- or microbe-targeted therapies. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

Simultaneous Determination of Binding Constants for Multiple Carbohydrate Hosts in Complex Mixtures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meier, Sebastian; Beeren, Sophie

2014-01-01

We describe a simple method for the simultaneous determination of association constants for a guest binding to seven different hosts in a mixture of more than 20 different oligosaccharides. If the binding parameters are known for one component in the mixture, a single NMR titration suffices...

A rhamnose-rich O-antigen mediates adhesion, virulence, and host colonization for the xylem-limited phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Clifford, Jennifer C; Rapicavoli, Jeannette N; Roper, M Caroline

2013-06-01

Xylella fastidiosa is a gram-negative, xylem-limited bacterium that causes a lethal disease of grapevine called Pierce's disease. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) composes approximately 75% of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and, because it is largely displayed on the cell surface, it mediates interactions between the bacterial cell and its surrounding environment. LPS is composed of a conserved lipid A-core oligosaccharide component and a variable O-antigen portion. By targeting a key O-antigen biosynthetic gene, we demonstrate the contribution of the rhamnose-rich O-antigen to surface attachment, cell-cell aggregation, and biofilm maturation: critical steps for successful infection of the host xylem tissue. Moreover, we have demonstrated that a fully formed O-antigen moiety is an important virulence factor for Pierce's disease development in grape and that depletion of the O-antigen compromises its ability to colonize the host. It has long been speculated that cell-surface polysaccharides play a role in X. fastidiosa virulence and this study confirms that LPS is a major virulence factor for this important agricultural pathogen.

The Xanthomonas campestris type III effector XopJ targets the host cell proteasome to suppress salicylic-acid mediated plant defence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suayib Üstün

Full Text Available The phytopathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv requires type III effector proteins (T3Es for virulence. After translocation into the host cell, T3Es are thought to interact with components of host immunity to suppress defence responses. XopJ is a T3E protein from Xcv that interferes with plant immune responses; however, its host cellular target is unknown. Here we show that XopJ interacts with the proteasomal subunit RPT6 in yeast and in planta to inhibit proteasome activity. A C235A mutation within the catalytic triad of XopJ as well as a G2A exchange within the N-terminal myristoylation motif abolishes the ability of XopJ to inhibit the proteasome. Xcv ΔxopJ mutants are impaired in growth and display accelerated symptom development including tissue necrosis on susceptible pepper leaves. Application of the proteasome inhibitor MG132 restored the ability of the Xcv ΔxopJ to attenuate the development of leaf necrosis. The XopJ dependent delay of tissue degeneration correlates with reduced levels of salicylic acid (SA and changes in defence- and senescence-associated gene expression. Necrosis upon infection with Xcv ΔxopJ was greatly reduced in pepper plants with reduced expression of NPR1, a central regulator of SA responses, demonstrating the involvement of SA-signalling in the development of XopJ dependent phenotypes. Our results suggest that XopJ-mediated inhibition of the proteasome interferes with SA-dependent defence response to attenuate onset of necrosis and to alter host transcription. A central role of the proteasome in plant defence is discussed.

Use of high-throughput mass spectrometry to elucidate host pathogen interactions in Salmonella

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodland, Karin D.; Adkins, Joshua N.; Ansong, Charles; Chowdhury, Saiful M.; Manes, Nathan P.; Shi, Liang; Yoon, Hyunjin; Smith, Richard D.; Heffron, Fred

2008-12-01

Capabilities in mass spectrometry are evolving rapidly, with recent improvements in sensitivity, data analysis, and most important, from the standpoint of this review, much higher throughput allowing analysis of many samples in a single day. This short review describes how these improvements in mass spectrometry can be used to dissect host-pathogen interactions using Salmonella as a model system. This approach enabled direct identification of the majority of annotated Salmonella proteins, quantitation of expression changes under various in vitro growth conditions, and new insights into virulence and expression of Salmonella proteins within host cell cells. One of the most significant findings is that a very high percentage of the all annotated genes (>20%) in Salmonella are regulated post-transcriptionally. In addition, new and unexpected interactions have been identified for several Salmonella virulence regulators that involve protein-protein interactions, suggesting additional functions of these regulators in coordinating virulence expression. Overall high throughput mass spectrometry provides a new view of pathogen-host interactions emphasizing the protein products and defining how protein interactions determine the outcome of infection.

Notable Aspects of Glycan-Protein Interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miriam Cohen

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This mini review highlights several interesting aspects of glycan-mediated interactions that are common between cells, bacteria, and viruses. Glycans are ubiquitously found on all living cells, and in the extracellular milieu of multicellular organisms. They are known to mediate initial binding and recognition events of both immune cells and pathogens with their target cells or tissues. The host target tissues are hidden under a layer of secreted glycosylated decoy targets. In addition, pathogens can utilize and display host glycans to prevent identification as foreign by the host’s immune system (molecular mimicry. Both the host and pathogens continually evolve. The host evolves to prevent infection and the pathogens evolve to evade host defenses. Many pathogens express both glycan-binding proteins and glycosidases. Interestingly, these proteins are often located at the tip of elongated protrusions in bacteria, or in the leading edge of the cell. Glycan-protein interactions have low affinity and, as a result, multivalent interactions are often required to achieve biologically relevant binding. These enable dynamic forms of adhesion mechanisms, reviewed here, and include rolling (cells, stick and roll (bacteria or surfacing (viruses.

Multi-Omics Studies towards Novel Modulators of Influenza A Virus–Host Interaction

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Sandra Söderholm

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Human influenza A viruses (IAVs cause global pandemics and epidemics. These viruses evolve rapidly, making current treatment options ineffective. To identify novel modulators of IAV–host interactions, we re-analyzed our recent transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, phosphoproteomics, and genomics/virtual ligand screening data. We identified 713 potential modulators targeting 199 cellular and two viral proteins. Anti-influenza activity for 48 of them has been reported previously, whereas the antiviral efficacy of the 665 remains unknown. Studying anti-influenza efficacy and immuno/neuro-modulating properties of these compounds and their combinations as well as potential viral and host resistance to them may lead to the discovery of novel modulators of IAV–host interactions, which might be more effective than the currently available anti-influenza therapeutics.

Interactions between 4-thiothymidine and water-soluble cyclodextrins: Evidence for supramolecular structures in aqueous solutions

OpenAIRE

Rizzi, Vito; Matera, Sergio; Semeraro, Paola; Fini, Paola; Cosma, Pinalysa

2016-01-01

Since several years the inclusion of organic compounds (guests) within the hydrophobic cavity (host) of cyclodextrins (CDs) has been the subject of many investigations. Interestingly, the formation of inclusion complexes could affect the properties of the guest molecules and, for example, the influence of the delivery system can be a method to improve/change the photochemical behavior of the guest. In particular, very recent studies have shown the protective role of CDs preventing the degrada...

Solid-state {sup 2}H NMR investigations in guest-host systems and plastic crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garibay, J.A.V.

2004-07-01

Variable temperature {sup 2}H NMR investigations have been carried out to study the molecular behavior of perdeuterated benzene and pyridine in the inclusion compound with tris-(1,2-dioxyphenyl)-cyclotriphosphazene. Here, a comprehensive variable temperature {sup 2}H NMR study is presented comprising line shape studies and relaxation experiments. The experimental data clearly indicate the presence of highly mobile guest species. Sample cooling gives rise to characteristic line shape effects that can be attributed to a slow-down of the rotational motion. Additional {sup 2}H NMR measurements were performed on the plastic crystal 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane where highly mobile species were observed. A quantitative analysis of the experimental data is achieved by appropriate computer simulations taking into account various molecular motions for each studied system. The analysis of these theoretical data give rise to the kinetic parameters that are in the order of related systems. (orig.)

Cross-Species Virus-Host Protein-Protein Interactions Inhibiting Innate Immunity

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-01

diseases are a regular occurrence globally (Figure 1). The Zika virus is the latest example gaining widespread attention. Many of the (re-)emerging...for establishing infection and/or modulating pathogenesis (Figures 2 and 3). 3 Figure 2. Schematic of several virus -host protein interactions within...8725 John J. Kingman Road, MS 6201 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6201 T E C H N IC A L R E P O R T DTRA-TR-16-79 Cross-species virus -host

Gnotobiotic mouse model's contribution to understanding host-pathogen interactions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kubelková, K.; Benuchová, M.; Kozáková, Hana; Šinkora, Marek; Kročová, Z.; Pejchal, J.; Macela, A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 73, č. 20 (2016), s. 3961-3969 ISSN 1420-682X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-02274S Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Germ- free model * Gnotobiology * Host-pathogen interaction Subject RIV: EC - Immunology Impact factor: 5.788, year: 2016

Prediction of host - pathogen protein interactions between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Homo sapiens using sequence motifs.

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Tong; Liu, Wei; Guo, Yu; Yang, Cheng; Lin, Jianping; Rao, Zihe

2015-03-26

Emergence of multiple drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB) threatens to derail global efforts aimed at reigning in the pathogen. Co-infections of M. tuberculosis with HIV are difficult to treat. To counter these new challenges, it is essential to study the interactions between M. tuberculosis and the host to learn how these bacteria cause disease. We report a systematic flow to predict the host pathogen interactions (HPIs) between M. tuberculosis and Homo sapiens based on sequence motifs. First, protein sequences were used as initial input for identifying the HPIs by 'interolog' method. HPIs were further filtered by prediction of domain-domain interactions (DDIs). Functional annotations of protein and publicly available experimental results were applied to filter the remaining HPIs. Using such a strategy, 118 pairs of HPIs were identified, which involve 43 proteins from M. tuberculosis and 48 proteins from Homo sapiens. A biological interaction network between M. tuberculosis and Homo sapiens was then constructed using the predicted inter- and intra-species interactions based on the 118 pairs of HPIs. Finally, a web accessible database named PATH (Protein interactions of M. tuberculosis and Human) was constructed to store these predicted interactions and proteins. This interaction network will facilitate the research on host-pathogen protein-protein interactions, and may throw light on how M. tuberculosis interacts with its host.

Experiences and Coping Strategies of Host Families in International Youth Exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Weidemann, Arne; Bluml, Frances

2009-01-01

Twenty narrative interviews were conducted with German host parents between 2006 and 2007 about their experiences with a one-year stay of a guest student in their family. The study took place within the context of a student research project as part of the research-oriented MA course "Intercultural Communication-Intercultural Competence"…

Host-microbe interactions in the gut of Drosophila melanogaster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takayuki eKuraishi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Many insect species subsist on decaying and contaminated matter and are thus exposed to large quantities of microorganisms. To control beneficial commensals and combat infectious pathogens, insects must be armed with efficient systems for microbial recognition, signaling pathways, and effector molecules. The molecular mechanisms regulating these host-microbe interactions in insects have been largely clarified in Drosophila melanogaster with its powerful genetic and genomic tools. Here we review recent advances in this field, focusing mainly on the relationships between microbes and epithelial cells in the intestinal tract where the host exposure to the external environment is most frequent.

Adelgid host interactions with special reference to the balsam woolly adelgid in North America

Science.gov (United States)

F. P. Hain; R. G. Hollingsworth; F. H. Arthur; F. Sanchez; R. K. Ross

1991-01-01

The objectives of this paper are: 1) to provide a general overview of adelgid biology and the various host relationships; 2) to review the current knowledge of the interactions of the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (an introduced pest), and its North American hosts; 3) to report on the most recent research involving the interactions of this...

A Room with a Viewpoint Revisited: Descriptive Norms and Hotel Guests' Towel Reuse Behavior

OpenAIRE

Bohner, Gerd; Schlüter, Lena E.

2014-01-01

Field experiments on descriptive norms as a means to increase hotel guests' towel reuse [1] were replicated and extended. In two hotels in Germany (Study 1: N = 724; Study 2: N = 204), descriptive norm messages suggesting that 75% of guests had reused their towels, or a standard message appealing to environmental concerns, were placed in guests' bathrooms. Descriptive norm messages varied in terms of proximity of the reference group ("hotel guests" vs. "guests in this room") and temporal prox...

Versatile and Rapid Postfunctionalization from Cyclodextrin Modified Host Polymeric Membrane Substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Jie; Liu, Xinyue; Zhang, Shuqing; Cheng, Chong; Nie, Chuanxiong; Zhao, Changsheng

2015-09-08

Surface modification has long been of great interest to impart desired functionalities to the bioimplants. However, due to the limitations of recent technologies in surface modification, it is highly desirable to explore novel protocols, which can advantageously and efficiently endow the inert material surfaces with versatile biofunctionalities. Herein, to achieve versatile and rapid postfunctionalization of polymeric membrane, we demonstrate a new strategy for the fabrication of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified host membrane substrate that can recognize a series of well-designed guest macromolecules. The surface assembly procedure was driven by the host-guest interaction between adamantane (Ad) and β-CD. β-CD immobilized host membrane was fabricated via two steps: (1) epoxy groups enriched poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membrane was first prepared via in situ cross-linking polymerization and subsequently phase separation; (2) mono-6-deoxy-6-ethylenediamine-β-CD (EDA-β-CD) was then anchored onto the surface of the epoxy functionalized PES membrane to obtain PES-CD. Subsequently, three types of Ad-terminated polymers, including Ad-poly(styrenesulfonate-co-sodium acrylate) (Ad-PSA), Ad-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (Ad-PEG), and Ad-poly(methyl chloride-quaternized 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (Ad-PMT), were separately assembled onto the β-CD immobilized surfaces to endow the membranes with anticoagulant, antifouling, and antibacterial capability, respectively. Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and prothrombin time (PT) measurements were carried out to explore the anticoagulant activity. The antifouling capability was evaluated via protein adsorption and platelet adhesion measurements. Moreover, Staphyllococcous aureus (S. aureus) was selected as model bacteria to evaluate the antibacterial ability of the functionalized membranes. The results indicated that well-regulated blood compatibility, antifouling capability, and

The trans-generational impact of population density signals on host-parasite interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Michel, Jessica; Ebert, Dieter; Hall, Matthew D

2016-11-25

The density of a host population is a key parameter underlying disease transmission, but it also has implications for the expression of disease through its effect on host physiology. In response to higher densities, individuals are predicted to either increase their immune investment in response to the elevated risk of parasitism, or conversely to decrease their immune capacity as a consequence of the stress of a crowded environment. However, an individual's health is shaped by many different factors, including their genetic background, current environmental conditions, and maternal effects. Indeed, population density is often sensed through the presence of info-chemicals in the environment, which may influence a host's interaction with parasites, and also those of its offspring. All of which may alter the expression of disease, and potentially uncouple the presumed link between changes in host density and disease outcomes. In this study, we used the water flea Daphnia magna and its obligate bacterial parasite Pasteuria ramosa, to investigate how signals of high host density impact on host-parasite interactions over two consecutive generations. We found that the chemical signals from crowded treatments induced phenotypic changes in both the parental and offspring generations. In the absence of a pathogen, life-history changes were genotype-specific, but consistent across generations, even when the signal of density was removed. In contrast, the influence of density on infected animals depended on the trait and generation of exposure. When directly exposed to signals of high-density, host genotypes responded differently in how they minimised the severity of disease. Yet, in the subsequent generation, the influence of density was rarely genotype-specific and instead related to ability of the host to minimise the onset of infection. Our findings reveal that population level correlations between host density and infection capture only part of the complex relationship

Parasitic plants of the genus Cuscuta and their interaction with susceptible and resistant host plants

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Bettina eKaiser

2015-02-01

Full Text Available By comparison with plant-microbe interaction, little is known about the interaction of parasitic plants with their hosts. Plants of the genus Cuscuta belong to the family of Cuscutaceae and comprise about 200 species, all of which live as stem holoparasites on other plants. Cuscuta spp. possess no roots nor fully expanded leaves and the vegetative portion appears to be a stem only. The parasite winds around plants and penetrates the host stems via haustoria, forming direct connections to the vascular bundles of their hosts to withdraw water, carbohydrates and other solutes. Besides susceptible hosts, a few plants exist that exhibit an active resistance against infestation by Cuscuta spp. For example, cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum fends off Cuscuta reflexa by means of a hypersensitive-type response occurring in the early penetration phase. This report on the plant-plant dialogue between Cuscuta spp. and its host plants focuses on the incompatible interaction of Cuscuta reflexa with tomato.

Parasitic plants of the genus Cuscuta and their interaction with susceptible and resistant host plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Bettina; Vogg, Gerd; Fürst, Ursula B; Albert, Markus

2015-01-01

By comparison with plant-microbe interaction, little is known about the interaction of parasitic plants with their hosts. Plants of the genus Cuscuta belong to the family of Cuscutaceae and comprise about 200 species, all of which live as stem holoparasites on other plants. Cuscuta spp. possess no roots nor fully expanded leaves and the vegetative portion appears to be a stem only. The parasite winds around plants and penetrates the host stems via haustoria, forming direct connections to the vascular bundles of their hosts to withdraw water, carbohydrates, and other solutes. Besides susceptible hosts, a few plants exist that exhibit an active resistance against infestation by Cuscuta spp. For example, cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fends off Cuscuta reflexa by means of a hypersensitive-type response occurring in the early penetration phase. This report on the plant-plant dialog between Cuscuta spp. and its host plants focuses on the incompatible interaction of C. reflexa with tomato.

Nongenetic individuality in the host-phage interaction.

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Sivan Pearl

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Isogenic bacteria can exhibit a range of phenotypes, even in homogeneous environmental conditions. Such nongenetic individuality has been observed in a wide range of biological processes, including differentiation and stress response. A striking example is the heterogeneous response of bacteria to antibiotics, whereby a small fraction of drug-sensitive bacteria can persist under extensive antibiotic treatments. We have previously shown that persistent bacteria enter a phenotypic state, identified by slow growth or dormancy, which protects them from the lethal action of antibiotics. Here, we studied the effect of persistence on the interaction between Escherichia coli and phage lambda. We used long-term time-lapse microscopy to follow the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP under the phage lytic promoter, as well as cellular fate, in single infected bacteria. Intriguingly, we found that, whereas persistent bacteria are protected from prophage induction, they are not protected from lytic infection. Quantitative analysis of gene expression reveals that the expression of lytic genes is suppressed in persistent bacteria. However, when persistent bacteria switch to normal growth, the infecting phage resumes the process of gene expression, ultimately causing cell lysis. Using mathematical models for these two host-phage interactions, we found that the bacteria's nongenetic individuality can significantly affect the population dynamics, and might be relevant for understanding the coevolution of bacterial hosts and phages.

Weak Molecular Interactions in Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis

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Sarah M. Smith

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a process by which specific molecules are internalized from the cell periphery for delivery to early endosomes. The key stages in this step-wise process, from the starting point of cargo recognition, to the later stage of assembly of the clathrin coat, are dependent on weak interactions between a large network of proteins. This review discusses the structural and functional data that have improved our knowledge and understanding of the main weak molecular interactions implicated in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, with a particular focus on the two key proteins: AP2 and clathrin.

The role of lipids in host microbe interactions.

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Lang, Roland; Mattner, Jochen

2017-06-01

Lipids are one of the major subcellular constituents and serve as signal molecules, energy sources, metabolic precursors and structural membrane components in various organisms. The function of lipids can be modified by multiple biochemical processes such as (de-)phosphorylation or (de-)glycosylation, and the organization of fatty acids into distinct cellular pools and subcellular compartments plays a pivotal role for the morphology and function of various cell populations. Thus, lipids regulate, for example, phagosome formation and maturation within host cells and thus, are critical for the elimination of microbial pathogens. Vice versa, microbial pathogens can manipulate the lipid composition of phagosomal membranes in host cells, and thus avoid their delivery to phagolysosomes. Lipids of microbial origin belong also to the strongest and most versatile inducers of mammalian immune responses upon engagement of distinct receptors on myeloid and lymphoid cells. Furthermore, microbial lipid toxins can induce membrane injuries and cell death. Thus, we will review here selected examples for mutual host-microbe interactions within the broad and divergent universe of lipids in microbial defense, tissue injury and immune evasion.

The Use of Arabidopsis to Study Interactions between Parasitic Angiosperms and Their Plant Hosts

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Goldwasser, Y.; Westwood, J. H.; Yoder, J. I.

2002-01-01

Parasitic plants invade host plants in order to rob them of water, minerals and nutrients. The consequences to the infected hosts can be debilitating and some of the world's most pernicious agricultural weeds are parasitic. Parasitic genera of the Scrophulariaceae and Orobanchaceae directly invade roots of neighboring plants via underground structures called haustoria. The mechanisms by which these parasites identify and associate with host plants present unsurpassed opportunities for studying chemical signaling in plant-plant interactions. Seeds of some parasites require specific host factors for efficient germination, thereby insuring the availability of an appropriate host root prior to germination. A second set of signal molecules is required to induce haustorium development and the beginning of heterotrophy. Later stages in parasitism also require the presence of host factors, although these have not yet been well characterized. Arabidopsis is being used as a model host plant to identify genetic loci associated with stimulating parasite germination, haustorium development, and parasite support. Arabidopsis is also being employed to explore how host plants respond to parasite attack. Current methodologies and recent findings in Arabidopsis – parasitic plant interactions will be discussed. PMID:22303205

Non-Identity-Mediated CRISPR-Bacteriophage Interaction Mediated via the Csy and Cas3 Proteins ▿#

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Cady, Kyle C.; O'Toole, George A.

2011-01-01

Studies of the Escherichia, Neisseria, Thermotoga, and Mycobacteria clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) subtypes have resulted in a model whereby CRISPRs function as a defense system against bacteriophage infection and conjugative plasmid transfer. In contrast, we previously showed that the Yersinia-subtype CRISPR region of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain UCBPP-PA14 plays no detectable role in viral immunity but instead is required for bacteriophage DMS3-dependent inhibition of biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa. The goal of this study is to define the components of the Yersinia-subtype CRISPR region required to mediate this bacteriophage-host interaction. We show that the Yersinia-subtype-specific CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins Csy4 and Csy2 are essential for small CRISPR RNA (crRNA) production in vivo, while the Csy1 and Csy3 proteins are not absolutely required for production of these small RNAs. Further, we present evidence that the core Cas protein Cas3 functions downstream of small crRNA production and that this protein requires functional HD (predicted phosphohydrolase) and DEXD/H (predicted helicase) domains to suppress biofilm formation in DMS3 lysogens. We also determined that only spacer 1, which is not identical to any region of the DMS3 genome, mediates the CRISPR-dependent loss of biofilm formation. Our evidence suggests that gene 42 of phage DMS3 (DMS3-42) is targeted by CRISPR2 spacer 1 and that this targeting tolerates multiple point mutations between the spacer and DMS3-42 target sequence. This work demonstrates how the interaction between P. aeruginosa strain UCBPP-PA14 and bacteriophage DMS3 can be used to further our understanding of the diverse roles of CRISPR system function in bacteria. PMID:21398535

Ecology and evolution in microbial systems: the generation and maintenance of diversity in phage-host interactions.

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Jessup, Christine M; Forde, Samantha E

2008-06-01

Insights gained from studying the interactions between viruses and bacteria have important implications for the ecology and evolution of virus-host interactions in many environments and for pathogen-host and predator-prey interactions in general. Here, we focus on the generation and maintenance of diversity, highlighting recent laboratory and field experiments with microorganisms.

Prediction of interactions between viral and host proteins using supervised machine learning methods.

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Ranjan Kumar Barman

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Viral-host protein-protein interaction plays a vital role in pathogenesis, since it defines viral infection of the host and regulation of the host proteins. Identification of key viral-host protein-protein interactions (PPIs has great implication for therapeutics. METHODS: In this study, a systematic attempt has been made to predict viral-host PPIs by integrating different features, including domain-domain association, network topology and sequence information using viral-host PPIs from VirusMINT. The three well-known supervised machine learning methods, such as SVM, Naïve Bayes and Random Forest, which are commonly used in the prediction of PPIs, were employed to evaluate the performance measure based on five-fold cross validation techniques. RESULTS: Out of 44 descriptors, best features were found to be domain-domain association and methionine, serine and valine amino acid composition of viral proteins. In this study, SVM-based method achieved better sensitivity of 67% over Naïve Bayes (37.49% and Random Forest (55.66%. However the specificity of Naïve Bayes was the highest (99.52% as compared with SVM (74% and Random Forest (89.08%. Overall, the SVM and Random Forest achieved accuracy of 71% and 72.41%, respectively. The proposed SVM-based method was evaluated on blind dataset and attained a sensitivity of 64%, specificity of 83%, and accuracy of 74%. In addition, unknown potential targets of hepatitis B virus-human and hepatitis E virus-human PPIs have been predicted through proposed SVM model and validated by gene ontology enrichment analysis. Our proposed model shows that, hepatitis B virus "C protein" binds to membrane docking protein, while "X protein" and "P protein" interacts with cell-killing and metabolic process proteins, respectively. CONCLUSION: The proposed method can predict large scale interspecies viral-human PPIs. The nature and function of unknown viral proteins (HBV and HEV, interacting partners of host

Be My Guest: A Survey of Mass Communication Students' Perception of Guest Speakers

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Merle, Patrick F.; Craig, Clay

2017-01-01

The use of guest speakers as a pedagogical technique across disciplines at the college level is hardly novel. However, empirical assessment of journalism and mass communication students' perceptions of this practice has not previously been conducted. To fill this gap, this article presents results from an online survey specifically administered to…

Towards a better understanding of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG - host interactions

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2014-01-01

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is one of the most widely used probiotic strains. Various health effects are well documented including the prevention and treatment of gastro-intestinal infections and diarrhea, and stimulation of immune responses that promote vaccination or even prevent certain allergic symptoms. However, not all intervention studies could show a clinical benefit and even for the same conditions, the results are not univocal. Clearly, the host phenotype governed by age, genetics and environmental factors such as the endogenous microbiota, plays a role in whether individuals are responders or non-responders. However, we believe that a detailed knowledge of the bacterial physiology and the LGG molecules that play a key role in its host-interaction capacity is crucial for a better understanding of its potential health benefits. Molecules that were yet identified as important factors governing host interactions include its adhesive pili or fimbriae, its lipoteichoic acid molecules, its major secreted proteins and its galactose-rich exopolysaccharides, as well as specific DNA motifs. Nevertheless, future studies are needed to correlate specific health effects to these molecular effectors in LGG, and also in other probiotic strains. PMID:25186587

Myxoma virus in the European rabbit: interactions between the virus and its susceptible host.

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Stanford, Marianne M; Werden, Steven J; McFadden, Grant

2007-01-01

Myxoma virus (MV) is a poxvirus that evolved in Sylvilagus lagomorphs, and is the causative agent of myxomatosis in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). This virus is not a natural pathogen of O. cuniculus, yet is able to subvert the host rabbit immune system defenses and cause a highly lethal systemic infection. The interaction of MV proteins and the rabbit immune system has been an ideal model to help elucidate host/poxvirus interactions, and has led to a greater understanding of how other poxvirus pathogens are able to cause disease in their respective hosts. This review will examine how MV causes myxomatosis, by examining a selection of the identified immunomodulatory proteins that this virus expresses to subvert the immune and inflammatory pathways of infected rabbit hosts.

Virus-host interaction in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection.

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Taniwaki, Sueli Akemi; Figueiredo, Andreza Soriano; Araujo, João Pessoa

2013-12-01

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection has been the focus of several studies because this virus exhibits genetic and pathogenic characteristics that are similar to those of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). FIV causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in cats, nevertheless, a large fraction of infected cats remain asymptomatic throughout life despite of persistent chronic infection. This slow disease progression may be due to the presence of factors that are involved in the natural resistance to infection and the immune response that is mounted by the animals, as well as due to the adaptation of the virus to the host. Therefore, the study of virus-host interaction is essential to the understanding of the different patterns of disease course and the virus persistence in the host, and to help with the development of effective vaccines and perhaps the cure of FIV and HIV infections. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Host-Induced Gene Silencing of Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae Pathogenicity Genes Mediated by the Brome Mosaic Virus.

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Zhu, Lin; Zhu, Jian; Liu, Zhixue; Wang, Zhengyi; Zhou, Cheng; Wang, Hong

2017-09-26

Magnaporthe oryzae is a devastating plant pathogen, which has a detrimental impact on rice production worldwide. Despite its agronomical importance, some newly-emerging pathotypes often overcome race-specific disease resistance rapidly. It is thus desirable to develop a novel strategy for the long-lasting resistance of rice plants to ever-changing fungal pathogens. Brome mosaic virus (BMV)-induced RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a useful tool to study host-resistance genes for rice blast protection. Planta-generated silencing of targeted genes inside biotrophic pathogens can be achieved by expression of M. oryzae -derived gene fragments in the BMV-mediated gene silencing system, a technique termed host-induced gene silencing (HIGS). In this study, the effectiveness of BMV-mediated HIGS in M. oryzae was examined by targeting three predicted pathogenicity genes, MoABC1, MoMAC1 and MoPMK1 . Systemic generation of fungal gene-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules induced by inoculation of BMV viral vectors inhibited disease development and reduced the transcription of targeted fungal genes after subsequent M. oryzae inoculation. Combined introduction of fungal gene sequences in sense and antisense orientation mediated by the BMV silencing vectors significantly enhanced the efficiency of this host-generated trans-specific RNAi, implying that these fungal genes played crucial roles in pathogenicity. Collectively, our results indicated that BMV-HIGS system was a great strategy for protecting host plants against the invasion of pathogenic fungi.

Significance of Cuscutain, a cysteine protease from Cuscuta reflexa, in host-parasite interactions.

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Bleischwitz, Marc; Albert, Markus; Fuchsbauer, Hans-Lothar; Kaldenhoff, Ralf

2010-10-22

Plant infestation with parasitic weeds like Cuscuta reflexa induces morphological as well as biochemical changes in the host and the parasite. These modifications could be caused by a change in protein or gene activity. Using a comparative macroarray approach Cuscuta genes specifically upregulated at the host attachment site were identified. One of the infestation specific Cuscuta genes encodes a cysteine protease. The protein and its intrinsic inhibitory peptide were heterologously expressed, purified and biochemically characterized. The haustoria specific enzyme was named cuscutain in accordance with similar proteins from other plants, e.g. papaya. The role of cuscutain and its inhibitor during the host parasite interaction was studied by external application of an inhibitor suspension, which induced a significant reduction of successful infection events. The study provides new information about molecular events during the parasitic plant--host interaction. Inhibition of cuscutain cysteine proteinase could provide means for antagonizing parasitic plants.

A Critical Role of Zinc Importer AdcABC in Group A Streptococcus-Host Interactions During Infection and Its Implications for Vaccine Development

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Nishanth Makthal

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Bacterial pathogens must overcome host immune mechanisms to acquire micronutrients for successful replication and infection. Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A streptococcus (GAS, is a human pathogen that causes a variety of clinical manifestations, and disease prevention is hampered by lack of a human GAS vaccine. Herein, we report that the mammalian host recruits calprotectin (CP to GAS infection sites and retards bacterial growth by zinc limitation. However, a GAS-encoded zinc importer and a nuanced zinc sensor aid bacterial defense against CP-mediated growth inhibition and contribute to GAS virulence. Immunization of mice with the extracellular component of the zinc importer confers protection against systemic GAS challenge. Together, we identified a key early stage host-GAS interaction and translated that knowledge into a novel vaccine strategy against GAS infection. Furthermore, we provided evidence that a similar struggle for zinc may occur during other streptococcal infections, which raises the possibility of a broad-spectrum prophylactic strategy against multiple streptococcal pathogens.

Computational Calorimetry: High-Precision Calculation of Host–Guest Binding Thermodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

We present a strategy for carrying out high-precision calculations of binding free energy and binding enthalpy values from molecular dynamics simulations with explicit solvent. The approach is used to calculate the thermodynamic profiles for binding of nine small molecule guests to either the cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) or β-cyclodextrin (βCD) host. For these systems, calculations using commodity hardware can yield binding free energy and binding enthalpy values with a precision of ∼0.5 kcal/mol (95% CI) in a matter of days. Crucially, the self-consistency of the approach is established by calculating the binding enthalpy directly, via end point potential energy calculations, and indirectly, via the temperature dependence of the binding free energy, i.e., by the van’t Hoff equation. Excellent agreement between the direct and van’t Hoff methods is demonstrated for both host–guest systems and an ion-pair model system for which particularly well-converged results are attainable. Additionally, we find that hydrogen mass repartitioning allows marked acceleration of the calculations with no discernible cost in precision or accuracy. Finally, we provide guidance for accurately assessing numerical uncertainty of the results in settings where complex correlations in the time series can pose challenges to statistical analysis. The routine nature and high precision of these binding calculations opens the possibility of including measured binding thermodynamics as target data in force field optimization so that simulations may be used to reliably interpret experimental data and guide molecular design. PMID:26523125

Thermoresponsive Interplay of Water Insoluble Poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazolines Composition and Supramolecular Host–Guest Interactions

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Victor R. de la Rosa

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A series of water insoluble poly[(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline-ran-(2-nonyl-2-oxazoline] amphiphilic copolymers was synthesized and their solubility properties in the presence of different supramolecular host molecules were investigated. The resulting polymer-cavitand assemblies exhibited a thermoresponsive behavior that could be modulated by variation of the copolymer composition and length. Interestingly, the large number of hydrophobic nonyl units across the polymer chain induced the formation of kinetically-trapped nanoparticles in solution. These nanoparticles further agglomerate into larger aggregates at a temperature that is dependent on the polymer composition and the cavitand type and concentration. The present research expands the understanding on the supramolecular interactions between water insoluble copolymers and supramolecular host molecules.

Analysis of protein targets in pathogen-host interaction in infectious diseases: a case study on Plasmodium falciparum and Homo sapiens interaction network.

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Saha, Sovan; Sengupta, Kaustav; Chatterjee, Piyali; Basu, Subhadip; Nasipuri, Mita

2017-09-23

Infection and disease progression is the outcome of protein interactions between pathogen and host. Pathogen, the role player of Infection, is becoming a severe threat to life as because of its adaptability toward drugs and evolutionary dynamism in nature. Identifying protein targets by analyzing protein interactions between host and pathogen is the key point. Proteins with higher degree and possessing some topologically significant graph theoretical measures are found to be drug targets. On the other hand, exceptional nodes may be involved in infection mechanism because of some pathway process and biologically unknown factors. In this article, we attempt to investigate characteristics of host-pathogen protein interactions by presenting a comprehensive review of computational approaches applied on different infectious diseases. As an illustration, we have analyzed a case study on infectious disease malaria, with its causative agent Plasmodium falciparum acting as 'Bait' and host, Homo sapiens/human acting as 'Prey'. In this pathogen-host interaction network based on some interconnectivity and centrality properties, proteins are viewed as central, peripheral, hub and non-hub nodes and their significance on infection process. Besides, it is observed that because of sparseness of the pathogen and host interaction network, there may be some topologically unimportant but biologically significant proteins, which can also act as Bait/Prey. So, functional similarity or gene ontology mapping can help us in this case to identify these proteins. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Self-assembled copper(II) metallacycles derived from asymmetric Schiff base ligands: efficient hosts for ADP/ATP in phosphate buffer.

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Kumar, Amit; Pandey, Rampal; Kumar, Ashish; Gupta, Rakesh Kumar; Dubey, Mrigendra; Mohammed, Akbar; Mobin, Shaikh M; Pandey, Daya Shankar

2015-10-21

Novel asymmetric Schiff base ligands 2-{[3-(3-hydroxy-1-methyl-but-2-enylideneamino)-2,4,6-trimethylphenylimino]-methyl}-phenol (H2L(1)) and 1-{[3-(3-hydroxy-1-methyl-but-2-enylideneamino)-2,4,6-trimethylphenylimino]-methyl}-naphthalen-2-ol (H2L(2)) possessing dissimilar N,O-chelating sites and copper(ii) metallacycles (CuL(1))4 (1) and (CuL(2))4 (2) based on these ligands have been described. The ligands and complexes have been thoroughly characterized by satisfactory elemental analyses, and spectral (IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR, ESI-MS, UV/vis) and electrochemical studies. Structures of H2L(2) and 1 have been unambiguously determined by X-ray single crystal analyses. The crystal structure of H2L(2) revealed the presence of two distinct N,O-chelating sites on dissimilar cores (naphthalene and β-ketoaminato groups) offering a diverse coordination environment. Metallacycles 1 and 2 having a cavity created by four Cu(ii) centres coordinated in a homo- and heteroleptic fashion with respective ligands act as efficient hosts for adenosine-5'-diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) respectively, over other nucleoside polyphosphates (NPPs). The disparate sensitivity of these metallacycles toward ADP and ATP has been attributed to the size of the ligands assuming diverse dimensions and spatial orientations. These are attuned for π-π stacking and electrostatic interactions suitable for different guest molecules under analogous conditions, metallacycle 1 offers better orientation for ADP, while 2 for ATP. The mechanism of the host-guest interaction has been investigated by spectral and electrochemical studies and supported by molecular docking studies.

Thermodynamics of solvent interaction with the metal-organic framework MOF-5.

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Akimbekov, Zamirbek; Wu, Di; Brozek, Carl K; Dincă, Mircea; Navrotsky, Alexandra

2016-01-14

The inclusion of solvent in metal-organic framework (MOF) materials is a highly specific form of guest-host interaction. In this work, the energetics of solvent MOF-5 interactions has been investigated by solution calorimetry in 5 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at room temperature. Solution calorimetric measurement of enthalpy of formation (ΔH(f)) of Zn4O(C8H4O4)3·C3H7NO (MOF-5·DMF) and Zn4O(C8H4O4)3·0.60C5H11NO (MOF-5·0.60DEF) from the dense components zinc oxide (ZnO), 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H2BDC), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and N,N-diethylformamide (DEF) gives values of 16.69 ± 1.21 and 45.90 ± 1.46 kJ (mol Zn4O)(-1), respectively. The enthalpies of interaction (ΔH(int)) for DMF and DEF with MOF-5 are -82.78 ± 4.84 kJ (mol DMF)(-1) and -89.28 ± 3.05 kJ (mol DEF)(-1), respectively. These exothermic interaction energies suggest that, at low guest loading, Lewis base solvents interact more strongly with electron accepting Zn4O clusters in the MOF than at high solvent loading. These data provide a quantitative thermodynamic basis to investigate transmetallation and solvent assisted linker exchange (SALE) methods and to synthesize new MOFs.

Theoretical model estimation of guest diffusion in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

KAUST Repository

Zheng, Bin

2015-08-11

Characterizing molecule diffusion in nanoporous matrices is critical to understanding the novel chemical and physical properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this paper, we developed a theoretical model to fastly and accurately compute the diffusion rate of guest molecules in a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). The ideal gas or equilibrium solution diffusion model was modified to contain the effect of periodical media via introducing the possibility of guests passing through the framework gate. The only input in our model is the energy barrier of guests passing through the MOF’s gate. Molecular dynamics (MD) methods were employed to gather the guest density profile, which then was used to deduce the energy barrier values. This produced reliable results that require a simulation time of 5 picoseconds, which is much shorter when using pure MD methods (in the billisecond scale) . Also, we used density functional theory (DFT) methods to obtain the energy profile of guests passing through gates, as this does not require specification of a force field for the MOF degrees of freedom. In the DFT calculation, we only considered one gate of MOFs each time; as this greatly reduced the computational cost. Based on the obtained energy barrier values we computed the diffusion rate of alkane and alcohol in ZIF-8 using our model, which was in good agreement with experimental test results and the calculation values from standard MD model. Our model shows the advantage of obtaining accurate diffusion rates for guests in MOFs for a lower computational cost and shorter calculation time. Thus, our analytic model calculation is especially attractive for high-throughput computational screening of the dynamic performance of guests in a framework.

Computer-science guest-lecture series at Langston University sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey; abstracts, 1992-93

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, K. S.

1994-01-01

Langston University, a Historically Black University located at Langston, Oklahoma, has a computing and information science program within the Langston University Division of Business. Since 1984, Langston University has participated in the Historically Black College and University program of the U.S. Department of Interior, which provided education, training, and funding through a combined earth-science and computer-technology cooperative program with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). USGS personnel have presented guest lectures at Langston University since 1984. Students have been enthusiastic about the lectures, and as a result of this program, 13 Langston University students have been hired by the USGS on a part-time basis while they continued their education at the University. The USGS expanded the offering of guest lectures in 1992 by increasing the number of visits to Langston University, and by inviting participation of speakers from throughout the country. The objectives of the guest-lecture series are to assist Langston University in offering state-of-the-art education in the computer sciences, to provide students with an opportunity to learn from and interact with skilled computer-science professionals, and to develop a pool of potential future employees for part-time and full-time employment. This report includes abstracts for guest-lecture presentations during 1992-93 school year.

Significance of Cuscutain, a cysteine protease from Cuscuta reflexa, in host-parasite interactions

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Fuchsbauer Hans-Lothar

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant infestation with parasitic weeds like Cuscuta reflexa induces morphological as well as biochemical changes in the host and the parasite. These modifications could be caused by a change in protein or gene activity. Using a comparative macroarray approach Cuscuta genes specifically upregulated at the host attachment site were identified. Results One of the infestation specific Cuscuta genes encodes a cysteine protease. The protein and its intrinsic inhibitory peptide were heterologously expressed, purified and biochemically characterized. The haustoria specific enzyme was named cuscutain in accordance with similar proteins from other plants, e.g. papaya. The role of cuscutain and its inhibitor during the host parasite interaction was studied by external application of an inhibitor suspension, which induced a significant reduction of successful infection events. Conclusions The study provides new information about molecular events during the parasitic plant - host interaction. Inhibition of cuscutain cysteine proteinase could provide means for antagonizing parasitic plants.

Citizen science data reveal ecological, historical and evolutionary factors shaping interactions between woody hosts and wood-inhabiting fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Heilmann-Clausen, Jacob; Maruyama, Pietro K; Bruun, Hans Henrik; Dimitrov, Dimitar; Laessøe, Thomas; Frøslev, Tobias Guldberg; Dalsgaard, Bo

2016-12-01

Woody plants host diverse communities of associated organisms, including wood-inhabiting fungi. In this group, host effects on species richness and interaction network structure are not well understood, especially not at large geographical scales. We investigated ecological, historical and evolutionary determinants of fungal species richness and network modularity, that is, subcommunity structure, across woody hosts in Denmark, using a citizen science data set comprising > 80 000 records of > 1000 fungal species on 91 genera of woody plants. Fungal species richness was positively related to host size, wood pH, and the number of species in the host genus, with limited influence of host frequency and host history, that is, time since host establishment in the area. Modularity patterns were unaffected by host history, but largely reflected host phylogeny. Notably, fungal communities differed substantially between angiosperm and gymnosperm hosts. Host traits and evolutionary history appear to be more important than host frequency and recent history in structuring interactions between hosts and wood-inhabiting fungi. High wood acidity appears to act as a stress factor reducing fungal species richness, while large host size, providing increased niche diversity, enhances it. In some fungal groups that are known to interact with live host cells in the establishment phase, host selectivity is common, causing a modular community structure. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Host-Guest Interaction between Herbicide Oxadiargyl and Hydroxypropyl- β -Cyclodextrin

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Sofia Benfeito

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the face of a growing human population and increased urbanization, the demand for pesticides will simply rise. Farmers must escalate yields on increasingly fewer farm acres. However, the risks of pesticides, whether real or perceived, may force changes in the way these chemicals are used. Scientists are working toward pest control plans that are environmentally sound, effective, and profitable. In this context the development of new pesticide formulations which may improve application effectiveness, safety, handling, and storage can be pointed out as a solution. As a contribution to the area, the microencapsulation of the herbicide oxadiargyl (OXA in (2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD was performed. The study was conducted in different aqueous media (ultrapure water and in different pH buffer solutions. In all cases an increment of the oxadiargyl solubility as a function of the HP-β-CD concentration that has been related to the formation of an inclusion complex was verified. UV-Vis and NMR experiments allowed concluding that the stoichiometry of the OXA/HP-β-CD complex formed is 1 : 1. The gathered results can be regarded as an important step for its removal from industrial effluents and/or to increase the stabilizing action, encapsulation, and adsorption in water treatment plants.

Extractable Bacterial Surface Proteins in Probiotic–Host Interaction

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Fillipe L. R. do Carmo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Some Gram-positive bacteria, including probiotic ones, are covered with an external proteinaceous layer called a surface-layer. Described as a paracrystalline layer and formed by the self-assembly of a surface-layer-protein (Slp, this optional structure is peculiar. The surface layer per se is conserved and encountered in many prokaryotes. However, the sequence of the corresponding Slp protein is highly variable among bacterial species, or even among strains of the same species. Other proteins, including surface layer associated proteins (SLAPs, and other non-covalently surface-bound proteins may also be extracted with this surface structure. They can be involved a various functions. In probiotic Gram-positives, they were shown by different authors and experimental approaches to play a role in key interactions with the host. Depending on the species, and sometime on the strain, they can be involved in stress tolerance, in survival within the host digestive tract, in adhesion to host cells or mucus, or in the modulation of intestinal inflammation. Future trends include the valorization of their properties in the formation of nanoparticles, coating and encapsulation, and in the development of new vaccines.

Get Your Hotel Operations Team Onboard The Tricycle of Guest Service

OpenAIRE

Kennedy, Doug

2018-01-01

As hospitality industry trainers know, using symbols and models can help trainees grasp abstract concepts and make seemingly-complex paradigms easy to understand. Seems like is a good time for the hotel industry to update its model, so let’s get your team onboard The Tricycle of Guest Service. When you think about it, a tricycle is a perfect model for a positive guest experience. For one, it has three wheels, just like the three components of a memorable guest stay. The back wheels repres...

Interaction of MYC with host cell factor-1 is mediated by the evolutionarily conserved Myc box IV motif.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, L R; Foshage, A M; Weissmiller, A M; Popay, T M; Grieb, B C; Qualls, S J; Ng, V; Carboneau, B; Lorey, S; Eischen, C M; Tansey, W P

2016-07-07

The MYC family of oncogenes encodes a set of three related transcription factors that are overexpressed in many human tumors and contribute to the cancer-related deaths of more than 70,000 Americans every year. MYC proteins drive tumorigenesis by interacting with co-factors that enable them to regulate the expression of thousands of genes linked to cell growth, proliferation, metabolism and genome stability. One effective way to identify critical co-factors required for MYC function has been to focus on sequence motifs within MYC that are conserved throughout evolution, on the assumption that their conservation is driven by protein-protein interactions that are vital for MYC activity. In addition to their DNA-binding domains, MYC proteins carry five regions of high sequence conservation known as Myc boxes (Mb). To date, four of the Mb motifs (MbI, MbII, MbIIIa and MbIIIb) have had a molecular function assigned to them, but the precise role of the remaining Mb, MbIV, and the reason for its preservation in vertebrate Myc proteins, is unknown. Here, we show that MbIV is required for the association of MYC with the abundant transcriptional coregulator host cell factor-1 (HCF-1). We show that the invariant core of MbIV resembles the tetrapeptide HCF-binding motif (HBM) found in many HCF-interaction partners, and demonstrate that MYC interacts with HCF-1 in a manner indistinguishable from the prototypical HBM-containing protein VP16. Finally, we show that rationalized point mutations in MYC that disrupt interaction with HCF-1 attenuate the ability of MYC to drive tumorigenesis in mice. Together, these data expose a molecular function for MbIV and indicate that HCF-1 is an important co-factor for MYC.

Host-free, yellow phosphorescent material in white organic light-emitting diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Meng-Ting; Chu, Miao-Tsai; Lin, Jin-Sheng; Tseng, Mei-Rurng, E-mail: osolomio.ac89g@nctu.edu.t [Material and Chemical Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Hsinchu, Taiwan 310 (China)

2010-11-10

A white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED) with a high power efficiency has been demonstrated by dispersing a host-free, yellow phosphorescent material in between double blue phosphorescent emitters. The device performance achieved a comparable value to that of using a complicated host-guest doping system to form the yellow emitter in WOLEDs. Based on this device concept as well as the molecular engineering of blue phosphorescent host material and light-extraction film, a WOLED with a power efficiency of 65 lm W{sup -1} at a practical brightness of 1000 cd m{sup -2} with Commission Internationale d'Echariage coordinates (CIE{sub x,y}) of (0.37, 0.47) was achieved. (fast track communication)

Pollinator-mediated interactions in experimental arrays vary with neighbor identity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Melissa K; Ivey, Christopher T

2017-02-01

Local ecological conditions influence the impact of species interactions on evolution and community structure. We investigated whether pollinator-mediated interactions between coflowering plants vary with plant density, coflowering neighbor identity, and flowering season. We conducted a field experiment in which flowering time and floral neighborhood were manipulated in a factorial design. Early- and late-flowering Clarkia unguiculata plants were placed into arrays with C. biloba neighbors, noncongeneric neighbors, additional conspecific plants, or no additional plants as a density control. We compared whole-plant pollen limitation of seed set, pollinator behavior, and pollen deposition among treatments. Interactions mediated by shared pollinators depended on the identity of the neighbor and possibly changed through time, although flowering-season comparisons were compromised by low early-season plant survival. Interactions with conspecific neighbors were likely competitive late in the season. Interactions with C. biloba appeared to involve facilitation or neutral interactions. Interactions with noncongeners were more consistently competitive. The community composition of pollinators varied among treatment combinations. Pollinator-mediated interactions involved competition and likely facilitation, depending on coflowering neighbor. Experimental manipulation helped to reveal context-dependent variation in indirect biotic interactions. © 2017 Botanical Society of America.

The Metronome of Symbiosis: Interactions Between Microbes and the Host Circadian Clock.

Science.gov (United States)

Heath-Heckman, Elizabeth A C

2016-11-01

The entrainment of circadian rhythms, physiological cycles with a period of about 24 h, is regulated by a variety of mechanisms, including nonvisual photoreception. While circadian rhythms have been shown to be integral to many processes in multicellular organisms, including immune regulation, the effect of circadian rhythms on symbiosis, or host-microbe interactions, has only recently begun to be studied. This review summarizes recent work in the interactions of both pathogenic and mutualistic associations with host and symbiont circadian rhythms, focusing specifically on three mutualistic systems in which this phenomenon has been best studied. One important theme taken from these studies is the fact that mutualisms are profoundly affected by the circadian rhythms of the host, but that the microbial symbionts in these associations can, in turn, manipulate host rhythms. The interplay between circadian rhythms and symbiosis is a promising new field with effects that should be kept in mind when designing future studies across biology. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tumor - host immune interactions in Ewing sarcoma : implications for therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berghuis, Dagmar

2012-01-01

In this thesis, we report on various aspects of tumor - host (immune) interactions in Ewing sarcoma patients with the aim to obtain leads for immunotherapeutic or targeted treatment strategies. We demonstrate a key role for interferon gamma (IFNg) in enhancing both Ewing sarcoma immunogenicity and

Anti-pathogen protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host

Science.gov (United States)

Konrad, Matthias; Grasse, Anna V.; Tragust, Simon; Cremer, Sylvia

2015-01-01

The fitness effects of symbionts on their hosts can be context-dependent, with usually benign symbionts causing detrimental effects when their hosts are stressed, or typically parasitic symbionts providing protection towards their hosts (e.g. against pathogen infection). Here, we studied the novel association between the invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus and its fungal ectosymbiont Laboulbenia formicarum for potential costs and benefits. We tested ants with different Laboulbenia levels for their survival and immunity under resource limitation and exposure to the obligate killing entomopathogen Metarhizium brunneum. While survival of L. neglectus workers under starvation was significantly decreased with increasing Laboulbenia levels, host survival under Metarhizium exposure increased with higher levels of the ectosymbiont, suggesting a symbiont-mediated anti-pathogen protection, which seems to be driven mechanistically by both improved sanitary behaviours and an upregulated immune system. Ants with high Laboulbenia levels showed significantly longer self-grooming and elevated expression of immune genes relevant for wound repair and antifungal responses (β-1,3-glucan binding protein, Prophenoloxidase), compared with ants carrying low Laboulbenia levels. This suggests that the ectosymbiont Laboulbenia formicarum weakens its ant host by either direct resource exploitation or the costs of an upregulated behavioural and immunological response, which, however, provides a prophylactic protection upon later exposure to pathogens. PMID:25473011

The Pathogen-Host Interactions database (PHI-base): additions and future developments.

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Martin; Pant, Rashmi; Raghunath, Arathi; Irvine, Alistair G; Pedro, Helder; Hammond-Kosack, Kim E

2015-01-01

Rapidly evolving pathogens cause a diverse array of diseases and epidemics that threaten crop yield, food security as well as human, animal and ecosystem health. To combat infection greater comparative knowledge is required on the pathogenic process in multiple species. The Pathogen-Host Interactions database (PHI-base) catalogues experimentally verified pathogenicity, virulence and effector genes from bacterial, fungal and protist pathogens. Mutant phenotypes are associated with gene information. The included pathogens infect a wide range of hosts including humans, animals, plants, insects, fish and other fungi. The current version, PHI-base 3.6, available at http://www.phi-base.org, stores information on 2875 genes, 4102 interactions, 110 host species, 160 pathogenic species (103 plant, 3 fungal and 54 animal infecting species) and 181 diseases drawn from 1243 references. Phenotypic and gene function information has been obtained by manual curation of the peer-reviewed literature. A controlled vocabulary consisting of nine high-level phenotype terms permits comparisons and data analysis across the taxonomic space. PHI-base phenotypes were mapped via their associated gene information to reference genomes available in Ensembl Genomes. Virulence genes and hotspots can be visualized directly in genome browsers. Future plans for PHI-base include development of tools facilitating community-led curation and inclusion of the corresponding host target(s). © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Quality of customer service: perceptions from guests in all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica

Science.gov (United States)

Joel L. Frater

2007-01-01

With data collected from guests in all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, West Indies, the purposes of this study were to: (1) delineate unique dimensions of customer service perceptions among guests and (2) report the finding of a study that measured guests' perceptions of the quality of customer service in all-inclusive resorts. The study asked the following research...

Nonintegrated Host Association of Myrmecophilus tetramorii, a Specialist Myrmecophilous Ant Cricket (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takashi Komatsu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Myrmecophilus ant crickets (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae are typical ant guests. In Japan, about 10 species are recognized on the basis of morphological and molecular phylogenetic frameworks. Some of these species have restricted host ranges and behave intimately toward their host ant species (i.e., they are host specialist. We focused on one species, M. tetramorii, which uses the myrmicine ant Tetramorium tsushimae as its main host. All but one M. tetramorii individuals were collected specifically from nests of T. tsushimae in the field. However, behavioral observation showed that all individuals used in the experiment received hostile reactions from the host ants. There were no signs of intimate behaviors such as grooming of hosts or receipt of mouth-to-mouth feeding from hosts, which are seen in some host-specialist Myrmecophilus species among obligate host-ant species. Therefore, it may be that M. tetramorii is the species that is specialized to exploit the host by means other than chemical integration.

Stabilization of cucurbituril/guest assemblies via long-range Coulombic and CH···O interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Roymon; Nkrumah, Anna; Clark, Ronald J; Masson, Eric

2014-05-07

Cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n], n = 6-8) interact strongly with metal-bound 4'-substituted terpyridine ligands (M = Fe(II) and Ir(III)) via CH···O hydrogen bonding, despite significant separation between the positive metallic cation and the carbonylated rim of CB[n], and the location of the latter in the second coordination sphere of the metal ion. While water has been shown to mediate interactions between cations and CB[n]s in some assemblies, mediation by organic ligands is unprecedented. The recognition process is driven by the contrasted combination of extremely favorable binding enthalpies (up to 20.2 kcal/mol) and very unfavorable entropic components (as low as -10.2 kcal/mol). Dynamic oligomers were prepared in the presence of CB[8], which acts as a "soft", noncovalent linker between metal/terpyridine complexes, and interconnects two 4'-substituents inside its cavity. Social self-sorting between CB[8] and metal/terpyridine complexes bearing 4'-(2-naphthyl) and 4'-(2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl) substituents was also observed, and could afford well-organized oligomers with alternating Fe(II) and Ir(III) cations.

Selecting non-classified hotels in Kenya: what really matters for business guests?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex K Kivuva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Non-classified hotels, which comprise small hotels and guest houses, are important accommodation providers offering limited services and products as compared to the classified hotels. Through guest satisfaction, they can achieve repeat business and also get new business through word of mouth from previous guests. The main focus is for the hoteliers to know exactly the determinants of selection of hotels by their guests. In this case, the focus was on non-classified hotels in Mtwapa town at the Kenyan coast. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. Results from this study clearly indicate that all aspects of hotel operations are important to business guests’ selection of a non-classified hotel. However, it was revealed that this was not on equal basis. Results indicate that the core product (guestroom comfortability, hygiene and cleanliness were the most important factors in determining guests’ selection of where to stay. This research therefore suggests that any efforts towards quality improvement in a hotel should focus primarily on ensuring customer satisfaction with the guestroom. While acknowledging the importance of all aspects of hotel operations, managers should recognize the importance of the guestroom and its facilities towards hotel selection and overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, it is imperative that managers channel their resources towards improving guest services in the guestrooms in accordance with the requirements of the clientele. This includes such aspects as the look of the guest rooms, facilities provided in the guest rooms and comfortability of the bed and mattress.

The Thermodynamics of Anion Complexation to Nonpolar Pockets.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Matthew R; Yao, Wei; Tang, Du; Ashbaugh, Henry S; Gibb, Bruce C

2018-02-08

The interactions between nonpolar surfaces and polarizable anions lie in a gray area between the hydrophobic and Hofmeister effects. To assess the affinity of these interactions, NMR and ITC were used to probe the thermodynamics of eight anions binding to four different hosts whose pockets each consist primarily of hydrocarbon. Two classes of host were examined: cavitands and cyclodextrins. For all hosts, anion affinity was found to follow the Hofmeister series, with associations ranging from 1.6-5.7 kcal mol -1 . Despite the fact that cavitand hosts 1 and 2 possess intrinsic negative electrostatic fields, it was determined that these more enveloping hosts generally bound anions more strongly. The observation that the four hosts each possess specific anion affinities that cannot be readily explained by their structures, points to the importance of counter cations and the solvation of the "empty" hosts, free guests, and host-guest complexes, in defining the affinity.

Thermodynamics of interactions between organic ammonium ions and sulfonatocalixarenes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Lihua [Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Guo Dongsheng [Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Chen Yong [Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China); Liu Yu [Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)]. E-mail: yuliu@nankai.edu.cn

2006-04-01

Calorimetric titration and NMR experiments in aqueous phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) at 298.15 K have been done to determine the binding mode, complex stability constants and thermodynamics ({delta}G{sup o}, {delta}H{sup o}, and T{delta}S{sup o}) for 1:1 inclusion complexation of water-soluble calix[n]arenesulfonates (CnAS, n = 4 and 6) and thiacalix[4]arene tetrasulfonate (TCAS) with acethylcholine, carnitine, betaine and benzyltrimethylammonium ion. The results show the inclusion complexations are driven by enthalpy ({delta}H{sup o} < 0), accompanied by negative entropic changes ({delta}S{sup o} < 0). The binding affinities (C4AS > C6AS > TCAS) are discussed from the viewpoint of CH-{pi}/{pi}-{pi} interactions, electrostatic interactions and size/shape-fit relationship between host and guest.

The Vital Components of Restaurant Quality that Affect Guest Satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Snježana Gagić

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the trend of dining in restaurants has become quite prominent in Serbia. Frequent restaurant visits are not only the reflection of satisfying hedonistic needs, but also the result of increasing number of single-person households as well as adjustment to the European business hours.In an increasingly competitive environment, restaurants must be focused on guests using marketing concepts that identify their needs thus leading to their satisfaction and increased retention.Service quality is fundamental component which produce higher levels of guest satisfaction, which in turn lead to higher sales revenue.The main purpose of this study was to examine the quality dimensions that affect guest satisfaction in restaurant industry. Food and beverage quality, the quality of service delivery, physical environment and price fairness are analyzed as a key components of restaurant experience. The results could be helpful tool for restaurant managers to invest their resources more efficiently, making changes to crucial quality attributes that elicit the guests’ satisfaction level. A management approach focused on guest satisfaction can improve restaurant business performance.

Plant genetic variation mediates an indirect ecological effect between belowground earthworms and aboveground aphids.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Akanksha; Braun, Julia; Decker, Emilia; Hans, Sarah; Wagner, Agnes; Weisser, Wolfgang W; Zytynska, Sharon E

2014-10-21

Interactions between aboveground and belowground terrestrial communities are often mediated by plants, with soil organisms interacting via the roots and aboveground organisms via the shoots and leaves. Many studies now show that plant genetics can drive changes in the structure of both above and belowground communities; however, the role of plant genetic variation in mediating aboveground-belowground interactions is still unclear. We used an earthworm-plant-aphid model system with two aphid species (Aphis fabae and Acyrthosiphon pisum) to test the effect of host-plant (Vicia faba) genetic variation on the indirect interaction between the belowground earthworms (Eisenia veneta) on the aboveground aphid populations. Our data shows that host-plant variety mediated an indirect ecological effect of earthworms on generalist black bean aphids (A. fabae), with earthworms increasing aphid growth rate in three plant varieties but decreasing it in another variety. We found no effect of earthworms on the second aphid species, the pea aphid (A. pisum), and no effect of competition between the aphid species. Plant biomass was increased when earthworms were present, and decreased when A. pisum was feeding on the plant (mediated by plant variety). Although A. fabae aphids were influenced by the plants and worms, they did not, in turn, alter plant biomass. Previous work has shown inconsistent effects of earthworms on aphids, but we suggest these differences could be explained by plant genetic variation and variation among aphid species. This study demonstrates that the outcome of belowground-aboveground interactions can be mediated by genetic variation in the host-plant, but depends on the identity of the species involved.

Stepwise observation and quantification and mixed matrix membrane separation of CO2 within a hydroxy-decorated porous host.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Christopher G; Jacques, Nicholas M; Godfrey, Harry G W; Mitra, Tamoghna; Fritsch, Detlev; Lu, Zhenzhong; Murray, Claire A; Potter, Jonathan; Cobb, Tom M; Yuan, Fajin; Tang, Chiu C; Yang, Sihai; Schröder, Martin

2017-04-01

The identification of preferred binding domains within a host structure provides important insights into the function of materials. State-of-the-art reports mostly focus on crystallographic studies of empty and single component guest-loaded host structures to determine the location of guests. However, measurements of material properties ( e.g. , adsorption and breakthrough of substrates) are usually performed for a wide range of pressure (guest coverage) and/or using multi-component gas mixtures. Here we report the development of a multifunctional gas dosing system for use in X-ray powder diffraction studies on Beamline I11 at Diamond Light Source. This facility is fully automated and enables in situ crystallographic studies of host structures under (i) unlimited target gas loadings and (ii) loading of multi-component gas mixtures. A proof-of-concept study was conducted on a hydroxyl-decorated porous material MFM-300(V III ) under (i) five different CO 2 pressures covering the isotherm range and (ii) the loading of equimolar mixtures of CO 2 /N 2 . The study has successfully captured the structural dynamics underpinning CO 2 uptake as a function of surface coverage. Moreover, MFM-300(V III ) was incorporated in a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) with PIM-1 in order to evaluate the CO 2 /N 2 separation potential of this material. Gas permeation measurements on the MMM show a great improvement over the bare PIM-1 polymer for CO 2 /N 2 separation based on the ideal selectivity.

Dark matter self-interactions from a general spin-0 mediator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahlhoefer, Felix; Schmidt-Hoberg, Kai; Wild, Sebastian

2017-04-15

Dark matter particles interacting via the exchange of very light spin-0 mediators can have large self-interaction rates and obtain their relic abundance from thermal freeze-out. At the same time, these models face strong bounds from direct and indirect probes of dark matter as well as a number of constraints on the properties of the mediator. We investigate whether these constraints can be consistent with having observable effects from dark matter self-interactions in astrophysical systems. For the case of a mediator with purely scalar couplings we point out the highly relevant impact of low-threshold direct detection experiments like CRESST-II, which essentially rule out the simplest realization of this model. These constraints can be significantly relaxed if the mediator has CP-violating couplings, but then the model faces strong constraints from CMB measurements, which can only be avoided in special regions of parameter space.

Dark matter self-interactions from a general spin-0 mediator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahlhoefer, Felix; Schmidt-Hoberg, Kai; Wild, Sebastian

2017-01-01

Dark matter particles interacting via the exchange of very light spin-0 mediators can have large self-interaction rates and obtain their relic abundance from thermal freeze-out. At the same time, these models face strong bounds from direct and indirect probes of dark matter as well as a number of constraints on the properties of the mediator. We investigate whether these constraints can be consistent with having observable effects from dark matter self-interactions in astrophysical systems. For the case of a mediator with purely scalar couplings we point out the highly relevant impact of low-threshold direct detection experiments like CRESST-II, which essentially rule out the simplest realization of this model. These constraints can be significantly relaxed if the mediator has CP-violating couplings, but then the model faces strong constraints from CMB measurements, which can only be avoided in special regions of parameter space.

Dark matter self-interactions from a general spin-0 mediator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahlhoefer, Felix; Schmidt-Hoberg, Kai; Wild, Sebastian, E-mail: felix.kahlhoefer@desy.de, E-mail: kai.schmidt-hoberg@desy.de, E-mail: sebastian.wild@desy.de [DESY, Notkestraße 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany)

2017-08-01

Dark matter particles interacting via the exchange of very light spin-0 mediators can have large self-interaction rates and obtain their relic abundance from thermal freeze-out. At the same time, these models face strong bounds from direct and indirect probes of dark matter as well as a number of constraints on the properties of the mediator. We investigate whether these constraints can be consistent with having observable effects from dark matter self-interactions in astrophysical systems. For the case of a mediator with purely scalar couplings we point out the highly relevant impact of low-threshold direct detection experiments like CRESST-II, which essentially rule out the simplest realization of this model. These constraints can be significantly relaxed if the mediator has CP-violating couplings, but then the model faces strong constraints from CMB measurements, which can only be avoided in special regions of parameter space.

Distribution of metal and adsorbed guest species in zeolites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chmelka, B.F.

1989-12-01

Because of their high internal surface areas and molecular-size cavity dimensions, zeolites are used widely as catalysts, shape- selective supports, or adsorbents in a variety of important chemical processes. For metal-catalyzed reactions, active metal species must be dispersed to sites within the zeolite pores that are accessible to diffusing reactant molecules. The distribution of the metal, together with transport and adsorption of reactant molecules in zeolite powders, are crucial to ultimate catalyst performance. The nature of the metal or adsorbed guest distribution is known, however, to be dramatically dependent upon preparatory conditions. Our objective is to understand, at the molecular level, how preparatory treatments influence the distribution of guest species in zeolites, in order that macroscopic adsorption and reaction properties of these materials may be better understood. The sensitivity of xenon to its adsorption environment makes {sup 129}Xe NMR spectroscopy an important diagnostic probe of metal clustering and adsorbate distribution processes in zeolites. The utility of {sup 129}Xe NMR depends on the mobility of the xenon atoms within the zeolite-guest system, together with the length scale of the sample heterogeneity being studied. In large pore zeolites containing dispersed guest species, such as Pt--NaY, {sup 129}Xe NMR is insensitive to fine structural details at room temperature.

Distribution of metal and adsorbed guest species in zeolites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chmelka, B.F.

1989-12-01

Because of their high internal surface areas and molecular-size cavity dimensions, zeolites are used widely as catalysts, shape- selective supports, or adsorbents in a variety of important chemical processes. For metal-catalyzed reactions, active metal species must be dispersed to sites within the zeolite pores that are accessible to diffusing reactant molecules. The distribution of the metal, together with transport and adsorption of reactant molecules in zeolite powders, are crucial to ultimate catalyst performance. The nature of the metal or adsorbed guest distribution is known, however, to be dramatically dependent upon preparatory conditions. Our objective is to understand, at the molecular level, how preparatory treatments influence the distribution of guest species in zeolites, in order that macroscopic adsorption and reaction properties of these materials may be better understood. The sensitivity of xenon to its adsorption environment makes 129 Xe NMR spectroscopy an important diagnostic probe of metal clustering and adsorbate distribution processes in zeolites. The utility of 129 Xe NMR depends on the mobility of the xenon atoms within the zeolite-guest system, together with the length scale of the sample heterogeneity being studied. In large pore zeolites containing dispersed guest species, such as Pt--NaY, 129 Xe NMR is insensitive to fine structural details at room temperature

Establishment of Myotis myotis cell lines--model for investigation of host-pathogen interaction in a natural host for emerging viruses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaocui He

Full Text Available Bats are found to be the natural reservoirs for many emerging viruses. In most cases, severe clinical signs caused by such virus infections are normally not seen in bats. This indicates differences in the virus-host interactions and underlines the necessity to develop natural host related models to study these phenomena. Due to the strict protection of European bat species, immortalized cell lines are the only alternative to investigate the innate anti-virus immune mechanisms. Here, we report about the establishment and functional characterization of Myotis myotis derived cell lines from different tissues: brain (MmBr, tonsil (MmTo, peritoneal cavity (MmPca, nasal epithelium (MmNep and nervus olfactorius (MmNol after immortalization by SV 40 large T antigen. The usefulness of these cell lines to study antiviral responses has been confirmed by analysis of their susceptibility to lyssavirus infection and the mRNA patterns of immune-relevant genes after poly I:C stimulation. Performed experiments indicated varying susceptibility to lyssavirus infection with MmBr being considerably less susceptible than the other cell lines. Further investigation demonstrated a strong activation of interferon mediated antiviral response in MmBr contributing to its resistance. The pattern recognition receptors: RIG-I and MDA5 were highly up-regulated during rabies virus infection in MmBr, suggesting their involvement in promotion of antiviral responses. The presence of CD14 and CD68 in MmBr suggested MmBr cells are microglia-like cells which play a key role in host defense against infections in the central nervous system (CNS. Thus the expression pattern of MmBr combined with the observed limitation of lyssavirus replication underpin a protective mechanism of the CNS controlling the lyssavirus infection. Overall, the established cell lines are important tools to analyze antiviral innate immunity in M. myotis against neurotropic virus infections and present a valuable

Establishment of Myotis myotis cell lines--model for investigation of host-pathogen interaction in a natural host for emerging viruses.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiaocui; Korytář, Tomáš; Zhu, Yaqing; Pikula, Jiří; Bandouchova, Hana; Zukal, Jan; Köllner, Bernd

2014-01-01

Bats are found to be the natural reservoirs for many emerging viruses. In most cases, severe clinical signs caused by such virus infections are normally not seen in bats. This indicates differences in the virus-host interactions and underlines the necessity to develop natural host related models to study these phenomena. Due to the strict protection of European bat species, immortalized cell lines are the only alternative to investigate the innate anti-virus immune mechanisms. Here, we report about the establishment and functional characterization of Myotis myotis derived cell lines from different tissues: brain (MmBr), tonsil (MmTo), peritoneal cavity (MmPca), nasal epithelium (MmNep) and nervus olfactorius (MmNol) after immortalization by SV 40 large T antigen. The usefulness of these cell lines to study antiviral responses has been confirmed by analysis of their susceptibility to lyssavirus infection and the mRNA patterns of immune-relevant genes after poly I:C stimulation. Performed experiments indicated varying susceptibility to lyssavirus infection with MmBr being considerably less susceptible than the other cell lines. Further investigation demonstrated a strong activation of interferon mediated antiviral response in MmBr contributing to its resistance. The pattern recognition receptors: RIG-I and MDA5 were highly up-regulated during rabies virus infection in MmBr, suggesting their involvement in promotion of antiviral responses. The presence of CD14 and CD68 in MmBr suggested MmBr cells are microglia-like cells which play a key role in host defense against infections in the central nervous system (CNS). Thus the expression pattern of MmBr combined with the observed limitation of lyssavirus replication underpin a protective mechanism of the CNS controlling the lyssavirus infection. Overall, the established cell lines are important tools to analyze antiviral innate immunity in M. myotis against neurotropic virus infections and present a valuable tool for a

Establishment of Myotis myotis Cell Lines - Model for Investigation of Host-Pathogen Interaction in a Natural Host for Emerging Viruses

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiaocui; Korytář, Tomáš; Zhu, Yaqing; Pikula, Jiří; Bandouchova, Hana; Zukal, Jan; Köllner, Bernd

2014-01-01

Bats are found to be the natural reservoirs for many emerging viruses. In most cases, severe clinical signs caused by such virus infections are normally not seen in bats. This indicates differences in the virus-host interactions and underlines the necessity to develop natural host related models to study these phenomena. Due to the strict protection of European bat species, immortalized cell lines are the only alternative to investigate the innate anti-virus immune mechanisms. Here, we report about the establishment and functional characterization of Myotis myotis derived cell lines from different tissues: brain (MmBr), tonsil (MmTo), peritoneal cavity (MmPca), nasal epithelium (MmNep) and nervus olfactorius (MmNol) after immortalization by SV 40 large T antigen. The usefulness of these cell lines to study antiviral responses has been confirmed by analysis of their susceptibility to lyssavirus infection and the mRNA patterns of immune-relevant genes after poly I:C stimulation. Performed experiments indicated varying susceptibility to lyssavirus infection with MmBr being considerably less susceptible than the other cell lines. Further investigation demonstrated a strong activation of interferon mediated antiviral response in MmBr contributing to its resistance. The pattern recognition receptors: RIG-I and MDA5 were highly up-regulated during rabies virus infection in MmBr, suggesting their involvement in promotion of antiviral responses. The presence of CD14 and CD68 in MmBr suggested MmBr cells are microglia-like cells which play a key role in host defense against infections in the central nervous system (CNS). Thus the expression pattern of MmBr combined with the observed limitation of lyssavirus replication underpin a protective mechanism of the CNS controlling the lyssavirus infection. Overall, the established cell lines are important tools to analyze antiviral innate immunity in M. myotis against neurotropic virus infections and present a valuable tool for a

The benefit of guest loyalty programmes | La Rose | Research in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the literature review of this research, the following aspects are discussed: a loyalty programme and its use; the sort of loyalty programmes; the effects of a loyalty programme; and the wishes and needs of a leisure guest. Surveys were divided among 46 leisure guests of Apollo Hotels and Resorts in order to collect data on ...

Decomposition of the Total Effect in the Presence of Multiple Mediators and Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellavia, Andrea; Valeri, Linda

2018-06-01

Mediation analysis allows decomposing a total effect into a direct effect of the exposure on the outcome and an indirect effect operating through a number of possible hypothesized pathways. Recent studies have provided formal definitions of direct and indirect effects when multiple mediators are of interest and have described parametric and semiparametric methods for their estimation. Investigating direct and indirect effects with multiple mediators, however, can be challenging in the presence of multiple exposure-mediator and mediator-mediator interactions. In this paper we derive a decomposition of the total effect that unifies mediation and interaction when multiple mediators are present. We illustrate the properties of the proposed framework in a secondary analysis of a pragmatic trial for the treatment of schizophrenia. The decomposition is employed to investigate the interplay of side effects and psychiatric symptoms in explaining the effect of antipsychotic medication on quality of life in schizophrenia patients. Our result offers a valuable tool to identify the proportions of total effect due to mediation and interaction when more than one mediator is present, providing the finest decomposition of the total effect that unifies multiple mediators and interactions.

Exploring Environmental Awareness and Behavior among Guests at Hotels That Apply Water-Saving Measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariadna Gabarda-Mallorquí

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate guest profiles at a hotel that has created a best-practices water management model to determine how different types of guests contribute to saving water during their stay. To do this, we analyzed levels of environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior among the guests. Information was gathered through 648 structured surveys with guests at Hotel Samba in the Spanish seaside resort of Lloret de Mar between September 2015 and August 2016. Cluster analysis revealed four profiles of guests with different sociodemographic characteristics and different levels of awareness and proactivity in relation to water conservation. We combined our findings to develop a framework that illustrates how the two dimensions of environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior are related in this setting. This article provides new insights into how hotel guests’ environmental awareness and engagement can influence a hotel’s water-saving efforts. These insights should help hotel operators to devise new, guest-centered strategies for saving water.

Drivers potentially influencing host-bat fly interactions in anthropogenic neotropical landscapes at different spatial scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Martínez, Jacqueline; Morales-Malacara, Juan B; Alvarez-Añorve, Mariana Yolotl; Amador-Hernández, Sergio; Oyama, Ken; Avila-Cabadilla, Luis Daniel

2018-05-21

The anthropogenic modification of natural landscapes, and the consequent changes in the environmental conditions and resources availability at multiple spatial scales can affect complex species interactions involving key-stone species such as bat-parasite interactions. In this study, we aimed to identify the drivers potentially influencing host-bat fly interactions at different spatial scales (at the host, vegetation stand and landscape level), in a tropical anthropogenic landscape. For this purpose, we mist-netted phyllostomid and moormopid bats and collected the bat flies (streblids) parasitizing them in 10 sites representing secondary and old growth forest. In general, the variation in fly communities largely mirrored the variation in bat communities as a result of the high level of specialization characterizing host-bat fly interaction networks. Nevertheless, we observed that: (1) bats roosting dynamics can shape bat-streblid interactions, modulating parasite prevalence and the intensity of infestation; (2) a degraded matrix could favor crowding and consequently the exchange of ectoparasites among bat species, lessening the level of specialization of the interaction networks and promoting novel interactions; and (3) bat-fly interaction can also be shaped by the dilution effect, as a decrease in bat diversity could be associated with a potential increase in the dissemination and prevalence of streblids.

Self-Healing and Thermo-Responsive Dual-Crosslinked Alginate Hydrogels based on Supramolecular Inclusion Complexes

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Tianxin; Fenn, Spencer L.; Charron, Patrick N.; Oldinski, Rachael A.

2015-01-01

β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), with a lipophilic inner cavity and hydrophilic outer surface, interacts with a large variety of non-polar guest molecules to form non-covalent inclusion complexes. Conjugation of β-CD onto biomacromolecules can form physically-crosslinked hydrogel networks upon mixing with a guest molecule. Herein describes the development and characterization of self-healing, thermo-responsive hydrogels, based on host-guest inclusion complexes between alginate-graft-β-CD and Pluronic® F108 (poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(propylene glycol)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)). The mechanics, flow characteristics, and thermal response were contingent on the polymer concentrations, and the host-guest molar ratio. Transient and reversible physical crosslinking between host and guest polymers governed self-assembly, allowing flow under shear stress, and facilitating complete recovery of the material properties within a few seconds of unloading. The mechanical properties of the dual-crosslinked, multi-stimuli responsive hydrogels were tuned as high as 30 kPa at body temperature, and are advantageous for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and cell transplantation. PMID:26509214

Ocean acidification and host-pathogen interactions: blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, encountering Vibrio tubiashii.

Science.gov (United States)

Asplund, Maria E; Baden, Susanne P; Russ, Sarah; Ellis, Robert P; Gong, Ningping; Hernroth, Bodil E

2014-04-01

Ocean acidification (OA) can shift the ecological balance between interacting organisms. In this study, we have used a model system to illustrate the interaction between a calcifying host organism, the blue mussel Mytilus edulis and a common bivalve bacterial pathogen, Vibrio tubiashii, with organisms being exposed to a level of acidification projected to occur by the end of the 21st century. OA exposures of the mussels were carried out in relative long-term (4 months) and short-term (4 days) experiments. We found no effect of OA on the culturability of V. tubiashii, in broth or in seawater. OA inhibited mussel shell growth and impaired crystalline shell structures but did not appear to affect mussel immune parameters (i.e haemocyte counts and phagocytotic capacity). Despite no evident impact on host immunity or growth and virulence of the pathogen, V. tubiashii was clearly more successful in infecting mussels exposed to long-term OA compared to those maintained under ambient conditions. Moreover, OA exposed V. tubiashii increased their viability when exposed to haemocytes of OA-treated mussel. Our findings suggest that even though host organisms may have the capacity to cope with periods of OA, these conditions may alter the outcome of host-pathogen interactions, favouring the success of the latter. © 2013 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions in the evolution of obligate plant parasitism.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemen, Ariane C; Agler, Matthew T; Kemen, Eric

2015-06-01

Research on obligate biotrophic plant parasites, which reproduce only on living hosts, has revealed a broad diversity of filamentous microbes that have independently acquired complex morphological structures, such as haustoria. Genome studies have also demonstrated a concerted loss of genes for metabolism and lytic enzymes, and gain of diversity of genes coding for effectors involved in host defense suppression. So far, these traits converge in all known obligate biotrophic parasites, but unexpected genome plasticity remains. This plasticity is manifested as transposable element (TE)-driven increases in genome size, observed to be associated with the diversification of virulence genes under selection pressure. Genome expansion could result from the governing of the pathogen response to ecological selection pressures, such as host or nutrient availability, or to microbial interactions, such as competition, hyperparasitism and beneficial cooperations. Expansion is balanced by alternating sexual and asexual cycles, as well as selfing and outcrossing, which operate to control transposon activity in populations. In turn, the prevalence of these balancing mechanisms seems to be correlated with external biotic factors, suggesting a complex, interconnected evolutionary network in host-pathogen-microbe interactions. Therefore, the next phase of obligate biotrophic pathogen research will need to uncover how this network, including multitrophic interactions, shapes the evolution and diversity of pathogens. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Large-Scale Investigation of Leishmania Interaction Networks with Host Extracellular Matrix by Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Fatoux-Ardore, Marie; Peysselon, Franck; Weiss, Anthony; Bastien, Patrick; Pratlong, Francine

2014-01-01

We have set up an assay to study the interactions of live pathogens with their hosts by using protein and glycosaminoglycan arrays probed by surface plasmon resonance imaging. We have used this assay to characterize the interactions of Leishmania promastigotes with ∼70 mammalian host biomolecules (extracellular proteins, glycosaminoglycans, growth factors, cell surface receptors). We have identified, in total, 27 new partners (23 proteins, 4 glycosaminoglycans) of procyclic promastigotes of six Leishmania species and 18 partners (15 proteins, 3 glycosaminoglycans) of three species of stationary-phase promastigotes for all the strains tested. The diversity of the interaction repertoires of Leishmania parasites reflects their dynamic and complex interplay with their mammalian hosts, which depends mostly on the species and strains of Leishmania. Stationary-phase Leishmania parasites target extracellular matrix proteins and glycosaminoglycans, which are highly connected in the extracellular interaction network. Heparin and heparan sulfate bind to most Leishmania strains tested, and 6-O-sulfate groups play a crucial role in these interactions. Numerous Leishmania strains bind to tropoelastin, and some strains are even able to degrade it. Several strains interact with collagen VI, which is expressed by macrophages. Most Leishmania promastigotes interact with several regulators of angiogenesis, including antiangiogenic factors (endostatin, anastellin) and proangiogenic factors (ECM-1, VEGF, and TEM8 [also known as anthrax toxin receptor 1]), which are regulated by hypoxia. Since hypoxia modulates the infection of macrophages by the parasites, these interactions might influence the infection of host cells by Leishmania. PMID:24478075

Anti-pathogen protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host.

Science.gov (United States)

Konrad, Matthias; Grasse, Anna V; Tragust, Simon; Cremer, Sylvia

2015-01-22

The fitness effects of symbionts on their hosts can be context-dependent, with usually benign symbionts causing detrimental effects when their hosts are stressed, or typically parasitic symbionts providing protection towards their hosts (e.g. against pathogen infection). Here, we studied the novel association between the invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus and its fungal ectosymbiont Laboulbenia formicarum for potential costs and benefits. We tested ants with different Laboulbenia levels for their survival and immunity under resource limitation and exposure to the obligate killing entomopathogen Metarhizium brunneum. While survival of L. neglectus workers under starvation was significantly decreased with increasing Laboulbenia levels, host survival under Metarhizium exposure increased with higher levels of the ectosymbiont, suggesting a symbiont-mediated anti-pathogen protection, which seems to be driven mechanistically by both improved sanitary behaviours and an upregulated immune system. Ants with high Laboulbenia levels showed significantly longer self-grooming and elevated expression of immune genes relevant for wound repair and antifungal responses (β-1,3-glucan binding protein, Prophenoloxidase), compared with ants carrying low Laboulbenia levels. This suggests that the ectosymbiont Laboulbenia formicarum weakens its ant host by either direct resource exploitation or the costs of an upregulated behavioural and immunological response, which, however, provides a prophylactic protection upon later exposure to pathogens. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Importance of satisfaction and guests experience in hotel business organizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milošević Srđan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Hotel companies which operate in today's competitive environment must constantly work on improving their products and services, at the request of their guests. Customer satisfaction is the key to retaining existing and attracting new guests. To achieve this goal, managers in the hotel organizations have become aware of the fact that the quality of staying in hotel represent unique experience for tourists. Lot of papers are dealing with the exploration of this topic, it only proves its importance nowadays. However, insufficient attention is paid to the simultaneous study of experience of guests and their satisfaction through the offered models (indexes that are created for this purpose. The purpose of this paper is to show the importance of these issues and identify their potential symbiosis.

Water-mediated ionic interactions in protein structures

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ISHWARYA( R SARANI( M KIRTI VAISHNAVI and K SEKAR. Supplementary table 1. List of complete water-mediated ionic interactions formed by different combinations of charged atoms and their corresponding occurrences. S. No. Type.

Host defense peptides of thrombin modulate inflammation and coagulation in endotoxin-mediated shock and Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalle, Martina; Papareddy, Praveen; Kasetty, Gopinath; Mörgelin, Matthias; van der Plas, Mariena J A; Rydengård, Victoria; Malmsten, Martin; Albiger, Barbara; Schmidtchen, Artur

2012-01-01

Gram-negative sepsis is accompanied by a disproportionate innate immune response and excessive coagulation mainly induced by endotoxins released from bacteria. Due to rising antibiotic resistance and current lack of other effective treatments there is an urgent need for new therapies. We here present a new treatment concept for sepsis and endotoxin-mediated shock, based on host defense peptides from the C-terminal part of human thrombin, found to have a broad and inhibitory effect on multiple sepsis pathologies. Thus, the peptides abrogate pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to endotoxin in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, they interfere with coagulation by modulating contact activation and tissue factor-mediated clotting in vitro, leading to normalization of coagulation responses in vivo, a previously unknown function of host defense peptides. In a mouse model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis, the peptide GKY25, while mediating a modest antimicrobial effect, significantly inhibited the pro-inflammatory response, decreased fibrin deposition and leakage in the lungs, as well as reduced mortality. Taken together, the capacity of such thrombin-derived peptides to simultaneously modulate bacterial levels, pro-inflammatory responses, and coagulation, renders them attractive therapeutic candidates for the treatment of invasive infections and sepsis.

Host defense peptides of thrombin modulate inflammation and coagulation in endotoxin-mediated shock and Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martina Kalle

Full Text Available Gram-negative sepsis is accompanied by a disproportionate innate immune response and excessive coagulation mainly induced by endotoxins released from bacteria. Due to rising antibiotic resistance and current lack of other effective treatments there is an urgent need for new therapies. We here present a new treatment concept for sepsis and endotoxin-mediated shock, based on host defense peptides from the C-terminal part of human thrombin, found to have a broad and inhibitory effect on multiple sepsis pathologies. Thus, the peptides abrogate pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to endotoxin in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, they interfere with coagulation by modulating contact activation and tissue factor-mediated clotting in vitro, leading to normalization of coagulation responses in vivo, a previously unknown function of host defense peptides. In a mouse model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis, the peptide GKY25, while mediating a modest antimicrobial effect, significantly inhibited the pro-inflammatory response, decreased fibrin deposition and leakage in the lungs, as well as reduced mortality. Taken together, the capacity of such thrombin-derived peptides to simultaneously modulate bacterial levels, pro-inflammatory responses, and coagulation, renders them attractive therapeutic candidates for the treatment of invasive infections and sepsis.

Pyrrole-Pyridine and Pyrrole-Naphthyridine Hosts for Anion Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Angeles García

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The association constants of the complexes formed by two hosts containing pyrrole, amide and azine (pyridine and 1,8-naphthyridine groups and six guests, all monoanions (Cl−, CH3CO2−, NO3−, H2PO4−, BF4−, PF6−, have been determined using NMR titrations. The X-ray crystal structure of the host N2,N5-bis(6-methylpyridin-2-yl-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole- 2,5-dicarboxamide (1 has been solved (P21/c monoclinic space group. B3LYP/6-31G(d,p and calculations were carried out in an attempt to rationalize the trends observed in the experimental association constants.

Effect of endocytosis inhibitors on Coxiella burnetii interaction with host cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tujulin, E.; Macellaro, A.; Norlander, L.; Liliehoeoek, B.

1998-01-01

The obligate intracellular rickettsia Coxiella burnetii has previously been reported to reach the intra-vacuolar compartment of host cells by phagocytosis. With the aim to further examine the mechanisms of C. burnetii internalisation, macrophage monolayers were treated with well characterised inhibitors of endocytosis. The treatment with two general inhibitors, colchicine and methylamine, resulted in a pronounced dose-dependent decrease of radiolabelled phase II rickettsiae retained from the intracellular fraction. A third inhibitor used, amiloride, has been reported to reduce effectively clathrin-independent pinocytic pathways. The internalisation of C. burnetii was shown to be substantially reduced also by amiloride and the effect was dependent on its concentration. The passive role of C. burnetii in the internalisation was verified by using heat-killed C. burnetii. Host cells treated with either of the three inhibitors (amiloride, colchicine and methylamine) showed a similar reduction of intracellular C. burnetii after exposure to killed as weal as live organisms. The data presented indicate that different endocytic mechanisms, pinocytosis as well as phagocytosis, may mediate the uptake of C. burnetii by a host cell. Key words: Coxiella burnetii; internalisation; endocytosis (authors)

HumanViCe: Host ceRNA network in virus infected cells in human

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suman eGhosal

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Host-virus interaction via host cellular components has been an important field of research in recent times. RNA interference mediated by short interfering RNAs and microRNAs (miRNA, is a widespread anti-viral defence strategy. Importantly, viruses also encode their own miRNAs. In recent times miRNAs were identified as key players in host-virus interaction. Furthermore, viruses were shown to exploit the host miRNA networks to suite their own need. The complex cross-talk between host and viral miRNAs and their cellular and viral targets forms the environment for viral pathogenesis. Apart from protein-coding mRNAs, non-coding RNAs may also be targeted by host or viral miRNAs in virus infected cells, and viruses can exploit the host miRNA mediated gene regulatory network via the competing endogenous RNA effect. A recent report showed that viral U-rich non-coding RNAs called HSUR, expressed in primate virus herpesvirus saimiri (HVS infected T cells, were able to bind to three host miRNAs, causing significant alteration in cellular level for one of the miRNAs. We have predicted protein coding and non protein-coding targets for viral and human miRNAs in virus infected cells. We identified viral miRNA targets within host non-coding RNA loci from AGO interacting regions in three different virus infected cells. Gene ontology (GO and pathway enrichment analysis of the genes comprising the ceRNA networks in the virus infected cells revealed enrichment of key cellular signalling pathways related to cell fate decisions and gene transcription, like Notch and Wnt signalling pathways, as well as pathways related to viral entry, replication and virulence. We identified a vast number of non-coding transcripts playing as potential ceRNAs to the immune response associated genes; e.g. APOBEC family genes, in some virus infected cells. All these information are compiled in HumanViCe, a comprehensive database that provides the potential ceRNA networks in virus

Evaluation of two novel leptospiral proteins for their interaction with human host components.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Lucas P; Fernandes, Luis G V; Vieira, Monica L; de Souza, Gisele O; Heinemann, Marcos B; Vasconcellos, Silvio A; Romero, Eliete C; Nascimento, Ana L T O

2016-07-01

Pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira are the etiological agents of leptospirosis, the most widespread zoonosis. Mechanisms involved in leptospiral pathogenesis are not well understood. By data mining the genome sequences of Leptospira interrogans we have identified two proteins predicted to be surface exposed, LIC10821 and LIC10064. Immunofluorescence and proteinase K assays confirmed that the proteins are exposed. Reactivity of the recombinant proteins with human sera has shown that rLIC10821, but not rLIC10064, is recognized by antibodies in confirmed leptospirosis serum samples, suggesting its expression during infection. The rLIC10821 was able to bind laminin, in a dose-dependent fashion, and was called Lsa37 (leptospiral surface adhesin of 37 kDa). Studies with human plasma components demonstrated that rLIC10821 interacts with plasminogen (PLG) and fibrinogen (Fg). The binding of Lsa37 with PLG generates plasmin when PLG activator was added. Fibrin clotting reduction was observed in a thrombin-catalyzed reaction, when Fg was incubated with Lsa37, suggesting that this protein may interfere in the coagulation cascade during the disease. Although LIC10064 protein is more abundant than the corresponding Lsa37, binding activity with all the components tested was not detected. Thus, Lsa37 is a novel versatile adhesin that may mediate Leptospira-host interactions. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Test of mutagenicity of an irradiated standard diet for laboratory animals in the host-mediated assay with salmonella typhimurium TA 1530

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muenzner, R.; Renner, H.W.

1976-01-01

Feed irradiated at a dose of 3 Mrad was tested for mutagenic activity in the host-mediated assay with the mouse as host and Salmonella typhimurium TA 1530 as indicator organism. In the in vivo and in the in vitro comparative test the irradiated feed showed no mutagenic effect. (orig.) [de

Say it with flowers! An fMRI study of object mediated communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tylén, Kristian; Wallentin, Mikkel; Roepstorff, Andreas

2009-01-01

Human communicational interaction can be mediated by a host of expressive means from words in a natural language to gestures and material symbols. Given the proper contextual setting even an everyday object can gain a mediating function in a communicational situation. In this study we used event...

MECHANISMS OF MICROBE-HOST-INTERACTION IN CROHN'S DISEASE: DYSBIOSIS VS. PATHOBIONT SELECTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludovica F. Buttó

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Crohn’s disease (CD is a systemic chronic inflammatory condition mainly characterized by discontinuous transmural pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and frequent extra-intestinal manifestations with intermittent episodes of remission and relapse. Genome-wide association studies identified a number of risk loci that, catalyzed by environmental triggers, result in the loss of tolerance towards commensal bacteria based on dysregulated innate effector functions and anti-microbial defense, leading to exacerbated adaptive immune responses responsible for chronic immune-mediated tissue damage. In this review, we discuss the interrelated role of changes in the intestinal microbiota, epithelial barrier integrity and immune cell functions on the pathogenesis of CD, describing the current approaches available to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease. Substantial effort has been dedicated to define disease-associated changes in the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis and to link pathobionts to the aetiology of IBD. A cogent definition of dysbiosis is lacking, as well as an agreement of whether pathobionts or complex shifts in the microbiota trigger inflammation in the host. Among the rarely available animal models, SAMP/Yit and TNFdeltaARE mice are the best known displaying a transmural CD-like phenotype. New hypothesis-driven mouse models e.g. epithelial-specific Caspase8-/-, ATG16L1-/- and XBP-1-/- mice validate pathway-focused function of specific CD-associated risk genes highlighting the role of Paneth cells in antimicrobial defense. To study the causal role of bacteria in initiating inflammation in the host, the use of germfree mouse models is indispensable. Unraveling the interactions of genes, immune cells and microbes constitute a criterion for the development of safe, reliable and effective treatment options for CD.