249 research outputs found
Novel method for preparing fish collagen gels with excellent physicochemical properties via the dehydration of ethanol
Content:
Fish collagen has been considered to be an alternative for mammalian collagen, however, physicochemical properties of fish collagen-based materials such as gels are so far not adequate for actual application. In the present study, we prepared two types of fish collagen gels with sufficient elasticity: i) dehydrated fibrillogenesis collagen gels (DFCG), which were fabricated via collagen self-assembly followed by immersion in different concentrations of ethanol solutions, and ii) dehydrated cross-linking collagen gels (DCCG), which were fabricated via collagen self-assembly and simultaneous cross-linking followed by immersion in ethanol solution. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of DFCG and DCCG were analyzed by atomic force microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, enzymatic degradation and dynamic viscoelastic measurements. The microstructure of DFCG was consisted of characteristic Dperiodic collagen fibrils and insusceptible of ethanol concentrations (20-100% (v/v)). However, the thermal
stability, remaining weight after enzymatic degradation and mechanical properties of DFCG distinctly increased with the increase of ethanol dose, possiblely ascribing that ethanol with higher polarity might
dehydrate partial free water of DFCG and strengthen the interactions of hydrogen bond. Especially, for the gel treated by 100% (v/v) enthanol, Td increased by 32.7 °C and GⲠwas 55-folds than those of
undehydrated gel (43.1 °C and 239.2 Pa). In the case of DCCG, the formation of collagen fibrils was depended on the concentrations of N-hydroxysuccinimide adipic acid derivative (NHS-AA), which was
converted to [NHS-AA]/[NH2] ratios (calculated by the [active ester group] of NHS-AA and [ξ-NH2] of lysine and hydroxylysine residues of collagen). As the ratio= 0.05, the characteristic D-periodic fibrils were still formed and the treatment of 60% (v/v) ethanol increased the Td (52.5 °C) and GⲠ(7388 Pa) values of the gel compared with those of uncross-linked gel (49 °C and 2064.32 Pa, respectively), majorly resulting from the effects of covalent cross-linking bonds and hydrogen bonds. However, when the ratio= 0.2, the collagen self-assembly was intensively inhibited and the dehydration of free water within gel structure in the absence of thick fibrils led to the shrinkage of the gel and an obvious decrease in Td (42 °C) and GⲠ(432 Pa). Although the [NHS-AA]/[NH2] ratio further increased to 0.8, the thermal stability and elasticity of the gel enhanced mildly suggesting that the presence of thick fibrils formed via the self-assembly was significantly crucial for reinforcing the gels.
Take-Away:
The fish collagen gels with excellent elasticity were prepared via the treatment of ethanol.
The physicochemical properties of the dehydrated gels were depended on the concentrations of ethanol.
The presence of characteristic D-periodic fibrils was significantly crucial for reinforcing the gels
Cloning and heterologous expression of pro-2127, a gene encoding cold-active protease from Pseudoalteromonas sp. QI-1
The psychrotropic bacterium, Pseudoalteromonas sp. QI-1, which produces extracellular cold-active protease, was isolated from Antarctic seawater. The genomic DNA of this bacterium was used to construct a plasmid genomic library with the goal of screening cold-active protease genes. Gene pro-2127 with an open reading frame of 2127 bp encoding protease PRO-2127 was cloned and sequenced. Alignment of amino acid sequences suggested that the precursor of PRO-2127 was a member of subfamily S8A, and that it might contain four domains: a signal peptide, an N-terminal prosequence, a catalytic domain and a C-terminal extension. Amino acids Asp185, His244 and Ser425 might form a catalytic triad. PRO-2127 showed some structural features common to psychrophilic enzymes, such as a decrease in Arg residues and the Arg/(Arg+Lys) ratio. Heterologous expression of pro-2127 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) by pColdIII was also successfully observed in this study
The combination of bioactive herbal compounds with biomaterials for regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine aims to restore the function of diseased or damaged tissues and organs by cell therapy, gene therapy, and tissue engineering, along with the adjunctive application of bioactive molecules. Traditional bioactive molecules, such as growth factors and cytokines, have shown great potential in the regulation of cellular and tissue behavior, but have the disadvantages of limited source, high cost, short half-life, and side effects. In recent years, herbal compounds extracted from natural plants/herbs have gained increasing attention. This is not only because herbal compounds are easily obtained, inexpensive, mostly safe, and reliable, but also owing to their excellent effects, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidative, proangiogenic behavior and ability to promote stem cell differentiation. Such effects also play important roles in the processes related to tissue regeneration. Furthermore, the moieties of the herbal compounds can form physical or chemical bonds with the scaffolds, which contributes to improved mechanical strength and stability of the scaffolds. Thus, the incorporation of herbal compounds as bioactive molecules in biomaterials is a promising direction for future regenerative medicine applications. Herein, an overview on the use of bioactive herbal compounds combined with different biomaterial scaffolds for regenerative medicine application is presented. We first introduce the classification, structures, and properties of different herbal bioactive components and then provide a comprehensive survey on the use of bioactive herbal compounds to engineer scaffolds for tissue repair/regeneration of skin, cartilage, bone, neural, and heart tissues. Finally, we highlight the challenges and prospects for the future development of herbal scaffolds toward clinical translation. Overall, it is believed that the combination of bioactive herbal compounds with biomaterials could be a promising perspective for the next generation of regenerative medicine
Stretchable elastic synaptic transistors for neurologically integrated soft engineering systems
Artificial synaptic devices that can be stretched similar to those appearing in soft-bodied animals, such as earthworms, could be seamlessly integrated onto soft machines toward enabled neurological functions. Here, we report a stretchable synaptic transistor fully based on elastomeric electronic materials, which exhibits a full set of synaptic characteristics. These characteristics retained even the rubbery synapse that is stretched by 50%. By implementing stretchable synaptic transistor with mechanoreceptor in an array format, we developed a deformable sensory skin, where the mechanoreceptors interface the external stimulations and generate presynaptic pulses and then the synaptic transistors render postsynaptic potentials. Furthermore, we demonstrated a soft adaptive neurorobot that is able to perform adaptive locomotion based on robotic memory in a programmable manner upon physically tapping the skin. Our rubbery synaptic transistor and neurologically integrated devices pave the way toward enabled neurological functions in soft machines and other applications
Hsp47 Promotes Cancer Metastasis by Enhancing Collagen-Dependent Cancer Cell-Platelet Interaction
Increased expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) suggests potential function of cancer cell-produced ECM in initiation of cancer cell colonization. Here, we showed that collagen and heat shock protein 47 (Hsp47), a chaperone facilitating collagen secretion and deposition, were highly expressed during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and in CTCs. Hsp47 expression induced mesenchymal phenotypes in mammary epithelial cells (MECs), enhanced platelet recruitment, and promoted lung retention and colonization of cancer cells. Platelet depletion in vivo abolished Hsp47-induced cancer cell retention in the lung, suggesting that Hsp47 promotes cancer cell colonization by enhancing cancer cellâplatelet interaction. Using rescue experiments and functional blocking antibodies, we identified type I collagen as the key mediator of Hsp47-induced cancer cellâplatelet interaction. We also found that Hsp47-dependent collagen deposition and platelet recruitment facilitated cancer cell clustering and extravasation in vitro. By analyzing DNA/RNA sequencing data generated from human breast cancer tissues, we showed that gene amplification and increased expression of Hsp47 were associated with cancer metastasis. These results suggest that targeting the Hsp47/collagen axis is a promising strategy to block cancer cellâplatelet interaction and cancer colonization in secondary organs
Reassortant H9N2 Influenza Viruses Containing H5N1-Like PB1 Genes Isolated from Black-Billed Magpies in Southern China
H9N2 influenza A viruses have become endemic in different types of terrestrial poultry and wild birds in Asia, and are occasionally transmitted to humans and pigs. To evaluate the role of black-billed magpies (Pica pica) in the evolution of influenza A virus, we conducted two epidemic surveys on avian influenza viruses in wild black-billed magpies in Guangxi, China in 2005 and characterized three isolated black-billed magpie H9N2 viruses (BbM viruses). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that three BbM viruses were almost identical with 99.7 to 100% nucleotide homology in their whole genomes, and were reassortants containing BJ94-like (Ck/BJ/1/94) HA, NA, M, and NS genes, SH/F/98-like (Ck/SH/F/98) PB2, PA, and NP genes, and H5N1-like (Ck/YN/1252/03, clade 1) PB1 genes. Genetic analysis showed that BbM viruses were most likely the result of multiple reassortments between co-circulating H9N2-like and H5N1-like viruses, and were genetically different from other H9N2 viruses because of the existence of H5N1-like PB1 genes. Genotypical analysis revealed that BbM viruses evolved from diverse sources and belonged to a novel genotype (B46) discovered in our recent study. Molecular analysis suggested that BbM viruses were likely low pathogenic reassortants. However, results of our pathogenicity study demonstrated that BbM viruses replicated efficiently in chickens and a mammalian mouse model but were not lethal for infected chickens and mice. Antigenic analysis showed that BbM viruses were antigenic heterologous with the H9N2 vaccine strain. Our study is probably the first report to document and characterize H9N2 influenza viruses isolated from black-billed magpies in southern China. Our results suggest that black-billed magpies were susceptible to H9N2 influenza viruses, which raise concerns over possible transmissions of reassortant H9N2 viruses among poultry and wild birds
Reassortant H9N2 Influenza Viruses Containing H5N1- Like PB1 Genes Isolated from Black-Billed Magpies in Southern China
H9N2 influenza A viruses have become endemic in different types of terrestrial poultry and wild birds in Asia, and are occasionally transmitted to humans and pigs. To evaluate the role of black-billed magpies (Pica pica) in the evolution of influenza A virus, we conducted two epidemic surveys on avian influenza viruses in wild black-billed magpies in Guangxi, China in 2005 and characterized three isolated black-billed magpie H9N2 viruses (BbM viruses). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that three BbM viruses were almost identical with 99.7 to 100% nucleotide homology in their whole genomes, and were reassortants containing BJ94-like (Ck/BJ/1/94) HA, NA, M, and NS genes, SH/F/98-like (Ck/SH/F/98) PB2, PA, and NP genes, and H5N1-like (Ck/YN/1252/03, clade 1) PB1 genes. Genetic analysis showed that BbM viruses were most likely the result of multiple reassortments between co-circulating H9N2-like and H5N1-like viruses, and were genetically different from other H9N2 viruses because of the existence of H5N1-like PB1 genes. Genotypical analysis revealed that BbM viruses evolved from diverse sources and belonged to a novel genotype (B46) discovered in our recent study. Molecular analysis suggested that BbM viruses were likely low pathogenic reassortants. However, results of our pathogenicity study demonstrated that BbM viruses replicated efficiently in chickens and a mammalian mouse model but were not lethal for infected chickens and mice. Antigenic analysis showed that BbM viruses were antigenic heterologous with the H9N2 vaccine strain. Our study is probably the first report to document and characterize H9N2 influenza viruses isolated from black-billed magpies in southern China. Our results suggest that black-billed magpies were susceptible to H9N2 influenza viruses, which raise concerns over possible transmissions of reassortant H9N2 viruses among poultry and wild birds
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