Electron scattering from molecules and molecular aggregates of biological relevance

In this Topical Review we survey the current state of the art in the study of low energy electron collisions with biologically relevant molecules and molecular clusters. We briefly describe the methods and techniques used in the investigation of these processes and summarise the results obtained so far for DNA constituents and their model compounds, amino acids, peptides and other biomolecules. The applications of the data obtained is briefly described as well as future required developments

Vasodilator activity of extracts of field Alpinia purpurata (Vieill) K: Schum and A. zerumbet (Pers.) Burtt et Smith cultured in vitro

Nowadays, the high blood pressure is one of the main causes of death and cardiovascular diseases. Vasodilator drugs are frequently used to treat arterial hypertension. Experiments were undertaken to determine whether hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from leaves of field-grown Alpinia purpurata and A. zerumbet cultured in vitro under different plant growth regulators induce a vasodilator effect on Wistar rat mesenteric vascular bed pre-contracted with norepinephrine. Plant extracts were able to induce a long-lasting endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Efficiency on activity of A. purpurata reached 87% at concentration of 60 μg. The extract of A. zerumbet maintained in medium containing IAA, induced the relaxation (17.4%) at 90 μg, as compared to the control (MS0) that showed a better vasodilator effect (60%). These results are in agreement with the quantification of phenolic compounds in the extracts, which were 50% lower for those plants cultured in IAA. A. purpurata was assayed for the first time in relation to its vasodilator activity. This paper showed a strong probability of correlation between the pharmacological activities of A. purpurata with their content in phenolic compounds.Atualmente, a hipertensão arterial é uma das maiores causas de morte e de doenças cardiovasculares. Os vasodilatadores são freqüentemente utilizados no tratamento da hipertensão. Extratos hidroalcoólicos de Alpinia purpurata de campo e de A. zerumbet cultivada in vitro sob diferentes reguladores de crescimento vegetal foram ensaiados no leito mesentérico de ratos Wistar. Os extratos de A. purpurata e A. zerumbet produziram efeito vasodilatador com padrão de resposta dose-dependente de duração prolongada. Extratos da espécie A. purpurata tiveram efeito vasodilatador de 87% na dose de 60 μg. O extrato obtido de folhas de A. zerumbet oriundas das culturas mantidas em meio contendo AIA (ácido indol acético) inibiu o relaxamento (17,4%) na dose de 90 μg em relação ao controle (MS0), com o qual foi verificado melhor efeito vasodilatador (60%). Estes resultados estão de acordo com a concentração de fenóis totais que foi 50% menor para os extratos de plantas cultivadas in vitro em AIA. A espécie A. purpurata foi pela primeira vez ensaiada quanto à atividade vasodilatadora. Os resultados obtidos indicaram a presença de substâncias fenólicas provavelmente correlacionadas à ação terapêutica de A. purpurata

The Type VI secretion system deploys anti-fungal effectors against microbial competitors

This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (Senior Research Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Science to S.J.C., 104556; 097377, J.Q.; 101873 & 200208, N.A.R.G.), the MRC (MR/K000111X/1, S.J .C; MC_UU_12016/5, M.T.), and the BBSRC (BB/K016393/1 & BB/P020119/1, J.Q.). We thank Maximilian Fritsch, Mario López Martín and Birte Hollmann for help with strain construction; Gary Eitzen for construction of pGED1; Donna MacCallum for the gift of Candida glabrata ATCC2001; Joachim Morschhäuser for the gift of pNIM1; Gillian Milne (Microscopy and Histology facility, University of Aberdeen) for assistance with TEM; and Peter Taylor, Michael Porter, Laura Monlezun and Colin Rickman for advice and technical assistance.Peer reviewedPostprin

Chemotherapy elicits pro-metastatic extracellular vesicles in breast cancer models

Cytotoxic chemotherapy is an effective treatment for invasive breast cancer. However, experimental studies in mice also suggest that chemotherapy has pro-metastatic effects. Primary tumours release extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, that can facilitate the seeding and growth of metastatic cancer cells in distant organs, but the effects of chemotherapy on tumour-derived EVs remain unclear. Here we show that two classes of cytotoxic drugs broadly employed in pre-operative (neoadjuvant) breast cancer therapy, taxanes and anthracyclines, elicit tumour-derived EVs with enhanced pro-metastatic capacity. Chemotherapy-elicited EVs are enriched in annexin A6 (ANXA6), a Ca2+-dependent protein that promotes NF-κB-dependent endothelial cell activation, Ccl2 induction and Ly6C+CCR2+ monocyte expansion in the pulmonary pre-metastatic niche to facilitate the establishment of lung metastasis. Genetic inactivation of Anxa6 in cancer cells or Ccr2 in host cells blunts the prometastatic effects of chemotherapy-elicited EVs. ANXA6 is detected, and potentially enriched, in the circulating EVs of breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Deletion of the 5'exons of COL4A6 is not needed for the development of diffuse leiomyomatosis in patients with Alport syndrome.

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