membran lipids

Vanillyl alcohol (VA) possesses potent antioxidant activity, yet its applicability is hindered by its limited solubility in emulsions or non-polar organic solvents. Conversely, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids exhibit antibacterial properties. The combination of these compounds offers the prospect of developing novel phenolic lipid compounds with dual antioxidant and antibacterial activities, alongside enhanced solubility capabilities. In this investigation, linolenic acid vanillyl ester (LAVE) was synthesized from VA and linseed oil (LO) through a transesterification reaction employing immobilized lipase...

Molecular probes and indicators are broadly employed for pH measurements in bulk media and at interfaces. The underlying physical principle of pH measurements of most of these probes is based on a change in the electronic structure that, for example, results in a shift of the emission peak of the fluorescence probes, changes in NMR chemical shifts due to the affected electronic shielding, or magnetic parameters of pH-sensitive nitroxides as measured by EPR. Here we explore another concept for measuring local protonation state of molecular tags based on changes in rotational dynamics of electron spin-bearing moieties that are readily detected by conventional continuous wave X-band EPR...

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) has emerged as a powerful method to quantitatively investigate the transport of molecules and ions across various biological membranes as represented by living cells. Advantageously, SECM allows for the in situ and non-destructive imaging and measurement of high membrane permeability under simple steady-state conditions, thereby facilitating quantitative data analysis. The SECM method, however, has not provided any information about the interactions of a transported species, i...

Sperm cryopreservation is one of the main methods for preserving rooster sperm for artificial insemination (AI) in commercial flocks. Yet, rooster sperm is extremely susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during the freezing process. Oxidative stress could be prevented by using nanoparticles containing antioxidants. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) in rooster semen freezing extender on quality parameters and fertility potential. For this aim, semen samples were collected and diluted in Lake extenders as follows: control: Lake without ZnONP, ZnO100: Lake with 100-μg zinc oxide (ZnO), ZnONP50: Lake with 50-μg ZnONP, ZnONP100: Lake with 100-μg ZnONP and ZnONP200: Lake with 200-μg ZnONP...

Nanoparticles' (NPs) permeation through cell membranes, whether it happens via passive or active transport, is an essential initial step for their cellular internalization. The NPs' surface coating impacts the way they translocate through the lipid bilayer and the spontaneity of the process. Understanding the molecular details of NPs' interaction with cell membranes allows the design of nanosystems with optimal characteristics for crossing the lipid bilayer: computer simulations are a powerful tool for this purpose...

PURPOSE: As the most common subset of breast cancer (BC), estrogen receptor positive (ER+) BC accounting for 80% of cases, has become a global public health concern. The female hormone estrogen (E2) unequivocally drives ER + breast malignancies. The reasons that estrogen affects BC development has long been considered, yet further study remains to be conducted of the molecular events in the E2-estrogen receptor α (ERα) signaling pathway in ER + BC progression, especially lipid metabolism, so providing more options for tailored and individualized therapy...

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) coated with functional and biocompatible polymers have been widely used as carriers to deliver oligonucleotide and messenger RNA therapeutics to treat diseases. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a representative material used for the surface coating, but the PEG surface-coated LNPs often have reduced cellular uptake efficiency and pharmacological activity. Here, we demonstrate the effect of pH-responsive ethylenediamine-based polycarboxybetaines with different molecular weights as an alternative structural component to PEG for the coating of LNPs...

Lipid droplets are dynamic multifunctional organelles composed of a neutral lipid core and a phospholipid monolayer membrane modified by a specific set of proteins. PAT family proteins are the most characteristic lipid droplet proteins, playing an important role in regulating lipid droplet structure, function, and metabolism. The biogenesis of lipid droplets involves neutral lipid synthesis and the nucleation, budding, and growth of the lipid droplets. Lipid droplets not only serve as the energy metabolism reserve of cells but also participate in intracellular signal transduction and the development of inflammation and tumor...

Diabetic vascular complications are prevalent and severe among diabetic patients, profoundly affecting both their quality of life and long-term prospects. These complications can be classified into macrovascular and microvascular complications. Under the impact of risk factors such as elevated blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol lipids, the vascular endothelium undergoes endothelial dysfunction, characterized by increased inflammation and oxidative stress, decreased NO biosynthesis, endothelial-mesenchymal transition, senescence, and even cell death...

In order to discover novel compounds with excellent agricultural activities, novel flavonol derivatives containing 1,3,4-thiadiazole were synthesized and evaluated for their antifungal activities. The bioassay results showed that some of the target compounds had good antifungal activities against Botrytis cinerea , Phomopsis sp. and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in vitro. It is worth noting that the half-effective concentration (EC50 ) value of Y18 against B. cinerea was 2.4 μg/mL, which was obviously superior to that of azoxystrobin (21...

The high prevalence and severity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) present a significant menace to human health. Despite the significant advancements in nanotechnology-driven antineoplastic agents, there remains a conspicuous gap in the development of targeted chemotherapeutic agents specifically designed for HCC. Consequently, there is an urgent need to explore potent drug delivery systems for effective HCC treatment. Here we have exploited the interplay between HCC and adipocyte to engineer a hybrid adipocyte-derived exosome platform, serving as a versatile vehicle to specifically target HCC and exsert potent antitumor effect...

Chitosan-based nanocomposites (CS NCs) are gaining considerable attention as multifaceted antifungal agents. This study investigated the antifungal activity of NCs against two phytopathogenic strains: Fusarium solani (F. solani) and Alternaria solani (A. solani). Moreover, it sheds light on their underlying mechanisms of action. The NCs, CS-ZnO, CS-CuO, and CS-SiO2 , were characterized using advanced methods. Dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering techniques revealed their size range (60-170 nm) and cationic nature, as indicated by the positive zeta potential values (from +16 to +22 mV)...

Postharvest loss caused by a range of pathogens necessitates exploring novel antifungal compounds that are safe and efficient in managing the pathogens. This study evaluated the antifungal activity of ethyl ferulate (EF) and explored its mechanisms of action against Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum, Penicillium digitatum, Geotrichum candidum and evaluated its potential to inhibit postharvest decay. The results demonstrated that EF exerts potent antifungal activity against a wide board of postharvest pathogens...

Disturbances in cholesterol homeostasis have been associated with ASD. Lipid rafts are central in many transmembrane signaling pathways (including mTOR) and changes in raft cholesterol content affect their order function. Cholesterol levels are controlled by several mechanisms, including endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation (ERAD) of the rate limiting HMGCoA reductase. A new approach to increase cholesterol via temporary ERAD blockade using a benign bacterial toxin-derived competitor for the ERAD translocon is suggested...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive variant, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), constitute a burgeoning worldwide epidemic with no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies. The multifunctional immunometabolic receptor, fatty acid translocase CD36 (CD36), plays an important role in the progression of hepatic steatosis. O-GlcNAcylation is a crucial posttranslational modification that mediates the distribution and function of CD36, but its involvement in NAFLD remains poorly understood...

Oxidative damage to sperm during cooled storage is a significant issue, and selenium with antioxidant potential could be a solution. Moreover, nano-sized selenium offers more advantages compared to its ionic forms. This research aimed to assess the impact of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) supplemented in the INRA96 extender on the quality of Turkmen stallion sperm and lipid peroxidation during 72 h of cooled storage. A total of 25 ejaculates were treated using different concentrations of SeNPs, including no SeNPs (Control), 0...

The identification of monogenic causes for cornification disorders has enhanced our understanding of epidermal differentiation and skin barrier function. Autosomal dominant lamellar ichthyosis (ADLI) is a rare condition, and ASPRV1 was the only gene linked to ADLI to date. We identified a heterozygous variant (ENST00000686631.1:c.1372G>T, p.(Val458Phe)) in the NKPD1 gene in seven individuals from a four-generation German pedigree with generalized lamellar ichthyosis by whole exome sequencing. Segregation analysis confirmed its presence in affected individuals, resulting in a LOD score of 3...

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are two of the most frequent neurological diseases. The clinical features of AD are memory decline and cognitive dysfunction, while PD mainly manifests as motor dysfunction such as limb tremors, muscle rigidity abnormalities, and slow gait. Abnormalities in cholesterol, sphingolipid, and glycerophospholipid metabolism have been demonstrated to directly exacerbate the progression of AD by stimulating Aβ deposition and tau protein tangles. Indirectly, abnormal lipids can increase the burden on brain vasculature, induce insulin resistance, and affect the structure of neuronal cell membranes...

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been extensively implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Recent studies have revealed that PM2.5 plays a role in regulating iron metabolism and redox homeostasis in the brain, which is closely associated with ferroptosis. In this study, the role and underlying mechanism of ferroptosis in PM2.5-induced neurotoxicity were investigated in mice, primary hippocampal neurons, and HT22 cells. Our findings demonstrated that exposure to PM2...

Gram-negative bacteria living in marine waters have evolved peculiar adaptation strategies to deal with the numerous stress conditions that characterize aquatic environments. Among the multiple mechanisms for efficient adaptation, these bacteria typically exhibit chemical modifications in the structure of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a fundamental component of their outer membrane. In particular, the glycolipid anchor to the membrane of marine bacteria LPSs, i.e. the lipid A, frequently shows unusual chemical structures, which are reflected in equally singular immunological properties with potential applications as immune adjuvants or anti-sepsis drugs...