Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Activation of p38 MAPK, Caspase-2 and Caspase-8 Leads to Abrin-Induced Apoptosis

Abrin from Abrus precatorius plant is a potent protein synthesis inhibitor and induces apoptosis in cells. However, the relationship between inhibition of protein synthesis and apoptosis is not well understood. Inhibition of protein synthesis by abrin can lead to accumulation of unfolded protein in the endoplasmic reticulum causing ER stress. The observation of phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha and upregulation of CHOP (CAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein), important players involved in ER stress signaling by abrin, suggested activation of ER stress in the cells. ER stress is also known to induce apoptosis via stress kinases such as p38 MAPK and JNK. Activation of both the pathways was observed upon abrin treatment and found to be upstream of the activation of caspases. Moreover, abrin-induced apoptosis was found to be dependent on p38 MAPK but not JNK. We also observed that abrin induced the activation of caspase-2 and caspase-8 and triggered Bid cleavage leading to mitochondrial membrane potential loss and thus connecting the signaling events from ER stress to mitochondrial death machinery.

Ultrastructural and hormonal changes in rat cauda epididymal spermatozoa induced by Boswellia papyrifera and Boswellia carterii

Boswellia papyrifera and Boswellia carterii diffuses smoke polluting air that adversely affects indoor environment that certainly harm human health. Therefore, this study aims at ascertaining the effect of these plants on gonadal hormones and molecular changes in rat spermatozoa. The animals were exposed to 4 g/kg body weight of B. papyrifera and B. carterii daily for 120 days along with suitable controls. Significant decreases in FSH, LH and testosterone levels were evidenced, along with a reduction of protein, sialic acid, and carnitine levels. In sperm physiology, sperm count, motility, speed decrease, whereas sperm anomalies increase. TEM observation indicates morphological changes in plasma and acrosomal membranes, cytoplasmic droplet in the tail region, vacuolated, and disorganization of the mitochondrial sheath. These findings demonstrate that B. papyrifera and B. carterii smoke affects the process of sperm formation and maturation, which indicates the detrimental effects of these plants on the reproductive system. (c) 2014 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.d

Calibration Curve with Improved Limit of Detection for Cadmium in Soil: An Approach to Minimize the Matrix Effect in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopic Analysis

The present article describes a working or combined calibration curve in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic analysis, which is the cumulative result of the calibration curves obtained from neutral and singly ionized atomic emission spectral lines. This working calibration curve reduces the effect of change in matrix between different zone soils and certified soil samples because it includes both the species' (neutral and singly ionized) concentration of the element of interest. The limit of detection using a working calibration curve is found better as compared to its constituent calibration curves (i.e., individual calibration curves). The quantitative results obtained using the working calibration curve is in better agreement with the result of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy as compared to the result obtained using its constituent calibration curves.

MazF-induced Growth Inhibition and Persister Generation in Escherichia coli

Background: MazEF is a chromosomally encoded bacterial toxin-antitoxin system whose cellular role is controversial. Results: Expression of chromosomal MazF inhibits cell killing by multiple antibiotics in a Lon and ClpP dependent manner. Conclusion: MazF is involved in reversible growth inhibition and bacterial drug tolerance. Significance: Inactive, active-site toxin mutants yield functional insights by selectively activating the corresponding WT toxin in vivo. Toxin-antitoxin systems are ubiquitous in nature and present on the chromosomes of both bacteria and archaea. MazEF is a type II toxin-antitoxin system present on the chromosome of Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Whether MazEF is involved in programmed cell death or reversible growth inhibition and bacterial persistence is a matter of debate. In the present work the role of MazF in bacterial physiology was studied by using an inactive, active-site mutant of MazF, E24A, to activate WT MazF expression from its own promoter. The ectopic expression of E24A MazF in a strain containing WT mazEF resulted in reversible growth arrest. Normal growth resumed on inhibiting the expression of E24A MazF. MazF-mediated growth arrest resulted in an increase in survival of bacterial cells during antibiotic stress. This was studied by activation of mazEF either by overexpression of an inactive, active-site mutant or pre-exposure to a sublethal dose of antibiotic. The MazF-mediated persistence phenotype was found to be independent of RecA and dependent on the presence of the ClpP and Lon proteases. This study confirms the role of MazEF in reversible growth inhibition and persistence.

Allosteric Transition Induced by Mg2+ Ion in a Transactivator Monitored by SERS

We demonstrate the utility of the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to monitor conformational transitions in protein upon ligand binding. The changes in protein's secondary and tertiary structures were monitored using amide and aliphatic/aromatic side chain vibrations. Changes in these bands are suggestive of the stabilization of the secondary and tertiary structure of transcription activator protein C in the presence of Mg2+ ion, whereas the spectral fingerprint remained unaltered in the case of a mutant protein, defective in Mg2+ binding. The importance of the acidic residues in Mg2+ binding, which triggers an overall allosteric transition in the protein, is visualized in the molecular model. The present study thus opens up avenues toward the application of SERS as a potential tool for gaining structural insights into the changes occurring during conformational transitions in proteins.

Defect-Induced Enhancement and Quenching Control of Photocurrent in Few-Layer Graphene Photodetectors

A novel approach is presented for achieving an enhanced photo-response in a few layer graphene (FLG) based photodetector that is realized by introducing defect sites in the FLG. Fabrication induced wrinkle formation in graphene presented a four-fold enhancement in the photocurrent when compared to unfold PLC. Interestingly, it was observed that the addition of few multiwalled carbon nanotubes to an FLG improves the photocurrent by two-fold along with a highly stable response as compared to FLG alone.

Film thickness mediated transition in the kinetics of electric current induced flow of thin liquid metal films

Application of high electric-field between two points in a thin metallic film results in liquefaction and subsequent flow of the liquid-film from one electrode to another in a radially symmetric fashion. Here, we report the transition of the flow kinetics driven by the liquid film thickness varying from 3 to 100 nm. The mechanism of the flow behavior is observed to be independent of the film thickness; however, the kinetics of the flow depends on the film thickness and the applied voltage. An analytical model, incorporating viscosity and varying electrical resistivity with film thickness, is developed to explain the experimental observations. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Pressure-Induced Bond Rearrangement and Reversible Phase Transformation in a Metal-Organic Framework

Pressure-induced phase transformations (PIPTs) occur in a wide range of materials. In general, the bonding characteristics, before and after the PIPT, remain invariant in most materials, and the bond rearrangement is usually irreversible due to the strain induced under pressure. A reversible PIPT associated with a substantial bond rearrangement has been found in a metal-organic framework material, namely tmenH(2)]Er(HCOO)(4)](2) (tmenH(2)(2+) = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediammonium). The transition is first-order and is accompanied by a unit cell volume change of about 10%. High-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal the complex bond rearrangement through the transition. The reversible nature of the transition is confirmed by means of independent nanoindentation measurements on single crystals.

Pressure-induced semiconducting to metallic transition in multilayered molybdenum disulphide

Molybdenum disulphide is a layered transition metal dichalcogenide that has recently raised considerable interest due to its unique semiconducting and opto-electronic properties. Although several theoretical studies have suggested an electronic phase transition in molybdenum disulphide, there has been a lack of experimental evidence. Here we report comprehensive studies on the pressure-dependent electronic, vibrational, optical and structural properties of multilayered molybdenum disulphide up to 35 GPa. Our experimental results reveal a structural lattice distortion followed by an electronic transition from a semiconducting to metallic state at similar to 19 GPa, which is confirmed by ab initio calculations. The metallization arises from the overlap of the valance and conduction bands owing to sulphur-sulphur interactions as the interlayer spacing reduces. The electronic transition affords modulation of the opto-electronic gain in molybdenum disulphide. This pressure-tuned behaviour can enable the development of novel devices with multiple phenomena involving the strong coupling of the mechanical, electrical and optical properties of layered nanomaterials.

Shock tunnel experiments on control of shock induced large separation bubble using boundary layer bleed

Shock-Boundary Layer Interaction (SBLI) often occurs in supersonic/hypersonic flow fields. Especially when accompanied by separation (termed strong interaction), the SBLI phenomena largely affect the performance of the systems where they occur, such as scramjet intakes, thus often demanding the control of the interaction. Experiments on the strong interaction between impinging shock wave and boundary layer on a flat plate at Mach 5.96 are carried out in IISc hypersonic shock tunnel HST-2. The experiments are performed at moderate flow total enthalpy of 1.3 MJ/kg and freestream Reynolds number of 4 million/m. The strong shock generated by a wedge (or shock generator) of large angle 30.96 degrees to the freestream is made to impinge on the flat plate at 95 mm (inviscid estimate) from the leading edge, due to which a large separation bubble of length (75 mm) comparable to the distance of shock impingement from the leading edge is generated. The experimental simulation of such large separation bubble with separation occurring close to the leading edge, and its control using boundary layer bleed (suction and tangential blowing) at the location of separation, are demonstrated within the short test time of the shock tunnel (similar to 600 mu s) from time resolved schlieren flow visualizations and surface pressure measurements. By means of suction - with mass flow rate one order less than the mass flow defect in boundary layer - a reduction in separation length by 13.33% was observed. By the injection of an array of (nearly) tangential jets in the direction of mainstream (from the bottom of the plate) at the location of separation - with momentum flow rate one order less than the boundary layer momentum flow defect - 20% reduction in separation length was observed, although the flow field was apparently unsteady. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Mitigating UVA light induced reactivity of 6-thioguanine through formation of a Ru(II) half-sandwich complex

The organometallic complex of (eta(6)-cymene)Ru(II)Br with 6-thioguanine (6-TG) shows better photostability than the biologically active 6-thioguanine which is used as an immunosuppressant and as an anticancer agent.

Reversible and irreversible pH induced conformational changes in self-assembled weak polyelectrolyte multilayers probed using etched fiber Bragg grating sensors

Polyelectrolytes are charged polymer species which electrostatically adsorb onto surfaces in a layer by layer fashion leading to the sequential assembly of multilayer structures. It is known that the morphology of weak polyelectrolyte structures is strongly influenced by environmental variables such as pH. We created a weak polyelectrolyte multilayer structure (similar to 100 nm thick) of cationic polymer poly-allylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and an anionic polymer poly-acrylic acid (PAA) on an etched clad fiber Bragg grating (EFBG) to study the pH induced conformational transitions in the polymer multilayers brought about by the variation in charge density of weak polyelectrolyte groups as a function of pH. The conformational changes of the polyelectrolyte multilayer structure lead to changes in optical density of the adsorbed film which reflects in the shift of the Bragg wavelength from the EFBG. Using the EFBG system we were able to probe reversible and irreversible pH induced transitions in the PAH/PAA weak polyelectrolyte system. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlating defect induced ferromagnetism and gas sensing properties of undoped tin oxide sensors

A correlation between gas sensing properties and defect induced Room Temperature Ferromagnetism (RTFM) is demonstrated in non-stoichiometric SnO2 prepared by solution combustion method. The presence of oxygen vacancies (V-O), confirmed by RTFM is identified as the primary factor for enhanced gas sensing effect. The as-prepared SnO2 shows high saturation magnetization of similar to 0.018 emu/g as compared to similar to 0.002 and similar to 0.0005 emu/g in annealed samples and SnO2 prepared by precipitation respectively. The SnO2 prepared by precipitation which is an equilibrium method of synthesis shows lesser defects compared to the combustion product and hence exhibits lesser sensitivity in spite of smaller crystallite size. The study utilizes RTFM as a potential tool to characterize metal oxide gas sensors and recognizes the significance of oxygen vacancies in sensing mechanism over the microstructure. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.