2 research outputs found
A Fast Entry to Furanoditerpenoid-Based Hedgehog Signaling Inhibitors: Identifying Essential Structural Features
New, small molecule
Hedgehog (Hh) pathway inhibitors, such as the
furanoditerpenoid taepeenin D, are of high medicinal importance. To
establish key structure–activity relationships (SARs) for this
lead, a synthetic sequence has been developed for the expedient preparation
of several derivatives and their evaluation as Hh inhibitors exploiting
its structural similarity to abietic acid. While C(14) substitution
is not essential for biological activity, the presence of a hydrogen
bond acceptor at C(6) and an intact benzofuran moiety are
Fluid and Resistive Tethered Lipid Membranes on Nanoporous Substrates
Cell
membranes perform important biological roles including compartmentalization,
signaling, and transport of nutrients. Supported lipid membranes mimic
the behavior of cell membranes and are an important model tool for
studying membrane properties in a controlled laboratory environment.
Lipid membranes may be supported on solid substrates; however, protein
and lipid interactions with the substrate typically result in their
denaturation. In this report, we demonstrate the formation of intact
lipid membranes tethered on nanoporous metal thin films obtained via
a dealloying process. Uniform lipid membranes were formed when the
surface defect density of the nanoporous metal film was significantly
reduced through a two-step dealloying process reported here. We show
that the tethered lipid membranes on nanoporous metal substrates maintain
both fluidity and electrical resistivity, which are key attributes
to naturally occurring lipid membranes. The lipid assemblies supported
on nanoporous metals provide a new platform for investigating lipid
membrane properties, and potentially membrane proteins, for numerous
applications including next generation biosensor platforms, targeted
drug-delivery, and energy harvesting devices