PIP-on-a-chip: A Label-free Study of Protein-phosphoinositide Interactions

Numerous cellular proteins interact with membrane surfaces to affect essential cellular processes. These interactions can be directed towards a specific lipid component within a membrane, as in the case of phosphoinositides (PIPs), to ensure specific subcellular localization and/or activation. PIPs and cellular PIP-binding domains have been studied extensively to better understand their role in cellular physiology. We applied a pH modulation assay on supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) as a tool to study protein-PIP interactions. In these studies, pH sensitive ortho-Sulforhodamine B conjugated phosphatidylethanolamine is used to detect protein-PIP interactions. Upon binding of a protein to a PIP-containing membrane surface, the interfacial potential is modulated (i.e. change in local pH), shifting the protonation state of the probe. A case study of the successful usage of the pH modulation assay is presented by using phospholipase C delta1 Pleckstrin Homology (PLC-δ1 PH) domain and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) interaction as an example. The apparent dissociation constant (Kd,app) for this interaction was 0.39 ± 0.05 µM, similar to Kd,app values obtained by others. As previously observed, the PLC-δ1 PH domain is PI(4,5)P2 specific, shows weaker binding towards phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate, and no binding to pure phosphatidylcholine SLBs. The PIP-on-a-chip assay is advantageous over traditional PIP-binding assays, including but not limited to low sample volume and no ligand/receptor labeling requirements, the ability to test high- and low-affinity membrane interactions with both small and large molecules, and improved signal to noise ratio. Accordingly, the usage of the PIP-on-a-chip approach will facilitate the elucidation of mechanisms of a wide range of membrane interactions. Furthermore, this method could potentially be used in identifying therapeutics that modulate protein's capacity to interact with membranes

Biomarker patterns in patients with cardiogenic shock versus septic shock

Background: In cardiogenic shock (CS), contractile failure is often accompanied by a systemic inflammatory response syndrome. In contrast, many patients with septic shock (SS) develop cardiac dysfunction. A similar hemodynamic support strategy is often deployed in both syndromes but it is unclear whether this is justified based on profiles of biomarkers expressing neurohormonal activation and cardiovascular stress. Methods: In this prospective, multicenter cohort, 111 patients with acute myocardial infarction related CS were identified, and matched to patients with SS. Clinical parameters were collected and blood samples were obtained on day 1–3 of Intensive Care admission. Results: In this shock cohort comprising 222 patients, with a mean age of 61 (±13.5) years and of whom 161 (37 %) were male, we found that despite obvious clinical disparities on admission, mortality at 30-days did not differ (CS: 40.5 % vs. SS 43.1 %, p = 0.56). Overall, plasma concentrations of all biomarkers were higher in SS patients, with the largest difference on the first day. However, only in CS patients the biomarker concentrations were associated with mortality. Conclusion: In this prospective, multicenter cohort SS and CS patients showed similarities in baseline conditions and had similar mortality. However, several biomarkers only showed prognostic value in CS

Search for dark mesons decaying to top and bottom quarks in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for dark mesons originating from strongly-coupled, SU(2) dark favor symmetry conserving models and decaying gaugephobically to pure Standard Model final states containing top and bottom quarks is presented. The search targets fully hadronic final states and final states with exactly one electron or muon and multiple jets. The analyzed data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions collected at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant excess over the Standard Model background expectation is observed and the results are used to set the first direct constraints on this type of model. The two-dimensional signal space of dark pion masses mπD and dark rho-meson masses mρD is scanned. For mπD /mρD = 0.45, dark pions with masses mπD < 940 GeV are excluded at the 95% CL, while for mπD /mρD = 0.25 masses mπD < 740 GeV are excluded

Combination of searches for Higgs boson decays into a photon and a massless dark photon using pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A combination of searches for Higgs boson decays into a visible photon and a massless dark photon (H → γγd) is presented using 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit on the Standard Model Higgs boson decay branching ratio is determined to be B(H → γγd) < 1.3% (1.5)%. The search is also sensitive to higher-mass Higgs bosons decaying into the same final state. The observed (expected) 95% confidence level limit on the cross-section times branching ratio ranges from 16 fb (20 fb) for mH = 400 GeV to 1.0 fb (1.5 fb) for mH = 3 TeV. Results are also interpreted in the context of a minimal simplified model

The hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of C{sub 2}-C{sub 4} hydrocarbons on Pt(111) monitored in situ over 13 orders of magnitude in pressure with infrared-visible sum frequency generation

The hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of ethylene, propylene, and isobutene were monitored in situ during heterogeneous catalysis over Pt(111) between 10{sup -10} Torr and 1000 Torr with infrared-visible sum frequency generation (SFG). SFG is a surface specific vibrational spectroscopy capable of achieving submonolayer sensitivity under reaction conditions in the presence of hundreds of Toff of reactants and products. Olefin dehydrogenation experiments were carried out with SFG under ultra high vacuum (UHV) conditions on the (111) crystal face of platinum Ethylene chemisorbed on Pt(111) below 230 K in the di-{sigma} bonded conformation (Pt-CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}-Pt). Upon annealing the system to form the dehydrogenation product, ethylidyne (M=CCH{sub 3}), evidence was found for an ethylidene intermediate (M=CHCH{sub 3}) from its characteristic v{sub as}(CH{sub 3}) near 2960 cm{sup -1}. Hydrogenation of ethylene was carried out between 1 Toff and 700 Torr of H{sub 2} while the vibrational spectrum of surface species was monitored with SFG. Simultaneously, gas chromatography was used to obtain the turnover rate for the catalytic reaction, which could be correlated with the adsorbed intermediate concentration to determine the reaction rate per surface intermediate. Di-{sigma} bonded ethylene, {pi}-bonded ethylene, ethyl groups and ethylidyne resided on the surface during reaction. The mechanistic pathway for ethylene hydrogenation involved the stepwise hydrogenation of {pi}-bonded ethylene through an ethyl intermediate to ethane. The hydrogenation of propylene was carried out under the same conditions as ethylene. It was found that propylene hydrogenates from {pi}-bonded propylene through a 2-propyl intermediate to propane on Pt(111). The rate of reaction was approximately 50% slower than that of ethylene hydrogenation. Isobutene, however, was found to hydrogenate almost two order of magnitude slower than propylene on Pt(111)