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The name "eukaryote" is derived from Greek, meaning "true kernel", and describes the domain of organisms whose cells have a nucleus. The nucleus is thus the defining feature of eukaryotes and distinguishes them from prokaryotes (Archaea and Bacteria), whose cells lack nuclei. Despite this, we discuss the intriguing possibility that organisms on the path from the first eukaryotic common ancestor to the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes did not possess a nucleus at all-at least not in a form we would recognize today-and that the nucleus in fact arrived relatively late in the evolution of eukaryotes. The clues to this alternative evolutionary path lie, most of all, in recent discoveries concerning the structure of the nuclear pore complex. We discuss the evidence for such a possibility and how this impacts our views of eukaryote origins and how eukaryotes have diversified subsequent to their last common ancestor.
Mitochondria play an important role in the cell aging process. Changes in calcium homeostasis and/or increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production lead to the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), depolarization of the inner mitochondrial membrane, and decrease of ATP production. Our work aimed to monitor age-related changes in the Ca2+ ion effect on MPTP and the ability of isolated rat liver mitochondria to accumulate calcium. The mitochondrial calcium retention capacity (CRC) was found to be significantly affected by the age of rats. Measurement of CRC values of the rat liver mitochondria showed two periods when 3 to 17-week old rats were tested. 3-week and 17-week old rats showed lower CRC values than 7-week old animals. Similar changes were observed while testing calcium-induced swelling of rat liver mitochondria. These findings indicate that the mitochondrial energy production system is more resistant to calcium-induced MPTP opening accompanied by the damaging effect of ROS in adult rats than in young and aged animals.
The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) is a calcium-dependent, ion non-selective membrane pore with a wide range of functions. Although the MPTP has been studied for more than 50 years, its molecular structure remains unclear. Short-term (reversible) opening of the MPTP protects cells from oxidative damage and enables the efflux of Ca2+ ions from the mitochondrial matrix and cell signaling. However, long-term (irreversible) opening induces processes leading to cell death. Ca2+ ions, reactive oxygen species, and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential regulate pore opening. The sensitivity of the pore to Ca2+ ions changes as an organism ages, and MPTP opening plays a key role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Most studies of the MPTP have focused on elucidating its molecular structure. However, understanding the mechanisms that will inhibit the MPTP may improve the treatment of diseases associated with its opening. To evaluate the functional state of the MPTP and its inhibitors, it is therefore necessary to use appropriate methods that provide reproducible results across laboratories. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the function and regulation of the MPTP. The latter part of the review introduces two optimized methods for evaluating the functional state of the pore under standardized conditions.
The aim of the study was to examine the potential role of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) in the cardioprotective effect of chronic continuous hypoxia (CH) against acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Adult male Wistar rats were adapted to CH for 3 weeks, while their controls were kept under normoxic conditions. Subsequently, they were subjected to I/R insult while being administered with mPTP inhibitor, cyclosporin A (CsA). Infarct size and incidence of ischemic and reperfusion arrhythmias were determined. Our results showed that adaptation to CH as well as CsA administration reduced myocardial infarct size in comparison to the corresponding control groups. However, administration of CsA did not amplify the beneficial effect of CH, suggesting that inhibition of mPTP opening contributes to the protective character of CH.
- MeSH
- chronická nemoc MeSH
- cyklosporin * farmakologie MeSH
- hypoxie * metabolismus MeSH
- infarkt myokardu metabolismus patologie prevence a kontrola MeSH
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- potkani Wistar * MeSH
- přechodový pór mitochondriální permeability * metabolismus MeSH
- reperfuzní poškození myokardu * metabolismus prevence a kontrola patologie MeSH
- srdeční mitochondrie metabolismus účinky léků patologie MeSH
- transportní proteiny mitochondriální membrány metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: The recent discovery that camphor activates and strongly desensitizes the capsaicin-sensitive and noxious heat-sensitive channel transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily member 1 (TRPV1) has provided new insights and opened up new research paths toward understanding why this naturally occurring monoterpene is widely used in human medicine for its local counter-irritant, antipruritic, and anesthetic properties. However, the molecular basis for camphor sensitivity remains mostly unknown. The authors attempt to explore the nature of the activation pathways evoked by camphor and narrow down a putative interaction site at TRPV1. METHODS: The authors transiently expressed wild-type or specifically mutated recombinant TRPV1 channels in human embryonic kidney cells HEK293T and recorded cation currents with the whole cell, patch clamp technique. To monitor changes in the spatial distribution of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, they used fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements from cells transfected with the fluorescent protein-tagged pleckstrin homology domains of phospholipase C. RESULTS: The results revealed that camphor modulates TRPV1 channel through the outer pore helix domain by affecting its overall gating equilibrium. In addition, camphor, which generally is known to decrease the fluidity of cell plasma membranes, may also regulate the activity of TRPV1 by inducing changes in the spatial distribution of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study provide novel insights into the structural basis for the modulation of TRPV1 channel by camphor and may provide an explanation for the mechanism by which camphor modulates thermal sensation in vivo.
- MeSH
- gating iontového kanálu účinky léků fyziologie MeSH
- HEK293 buňky MeSH
- jaderný pór účinky léků metabolismus MeSH
- kafr chemie farmakologie MeSH
- kationtové kanály TRPV antagonisté a inhibitory chemie fyziologie MeSH
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- terciární struktura proteinů účinky léků fyziologie MeSH
- vazebná místa účinky léků fyziologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
Daptomycin is a calcium-dependent lipodepsipeptide antibiotic clinically used to treat serious infections caused by Gram-positive pathogens. Its precise mode of action is somewhat controversial; the biggest issue is daptomycin pore formation, which we directly investigated here. We first performed a screening experiment using propidium iodide (PI) entry to Bacillus subtilis cells and chose the optimum and therapeutically relevant conditions (10 µg/ml daptomycin and 1.25 mM CaCl2) for the subsequent analyses. Using conductance measurements on planar lipid bilayers, we show that daptomycin forms nonuniform oligomeric pores with conductance ranging from 120 pS to 14 nS. The smallest conductance unit is probably a dimer; however, tetramers and pentamers occur in the membrane most frequently. Moreover, daptomycin pore-forming activity is exponentially dependent on the applied membrane voltage. We further analyzed the membrane-permeabilizing activity in B. subtilis cells using fluorescence methods [PI and DiSC3(5)]. Daptomycin most rapidly permeabilizes cells with high initial membrane potential and dissipates it within a few minutes. Low initial membrane potential hinders daptomycin pore formation.
- MeSH
- antibakteriální látky farmakologie MeSH
- Bacillus subtilis účinky léků metabolismus MeSH
- biologický transport fyziologie MeSH
- cytotoxické proteiny tvořící póry farmakologie MeSH
- daptomycin farmakologie MeSH
- membránové potenciály účinky léků MeSH
- mikrobiální testy citlivosti MeSH
- permeabilita buněčné membrány účinky léků MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
The effects of acoustic waves on membrane structures, and any resulting consequences of this treatment on membrane subunit structures, remain poorly understood, as are the principals of related clinical effects. With a focus on morphological changes in the nuclear envelope, the current study presents detailed observations of membrane structures exposed to therapeutic ultrasound. Ultrasound treatment most commonly resulted in distinct changes in the distribution of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and mean NPC number per unit area after 30 min of repair, as well as alterations in NPC diameters on the protoplasmic face of fractured nuclear membranes after 10 min of repair. The greatest effects of ultrasound on nuclear envelope structure and NPCs were not to appear immediately, but became evident after repair processes were initiated. Results from the current study may contribute to the general view on the biophysical effects of therapeutic ultrasound on cell morphology and, particularly, the understanding of this effect in relation to the nuclear envelope.
- MeSH
- elektronová mikroskopie metody využití MeSH
- HL-60 buňky cytologie ultrasonografie MeSH
- intracelulární membrány ultrasonografie MeSH
- jaderný obal * ultrasonografie ultrastruktura MeSH
- jaderný pór ultrastruktura MeSH
- komplex proteinů jaderného póru * ultrastruktura MeSH
- kultivační techniky metody využití MeSH
- leptání mrazem metody využití MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mikrofotografie MeSH
- struktury buněčného jádra ultrasonografie MeSH
- ultrasonografie metody škodlivé účinky využití MeSH
- ultrazvuková terapie * metody škodlivé účinky využití MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
A chromatographic characterization of pore volume accessibility for both particulate and monolithic stationary phases is presented. Size-exclusion calibration curves have been used to determine the pore volume fraction that is accessible for six alkylbenzenes and twelve polystyrene standards in tetrahydrofuran as the mobile phase. Accessible porosity has been then correlated with the size of the pores from which individual compounds are just excluded. I have determined pore volume accessibility of commercially available columns packed with fully and superficially porous particles, as well as with silica-based monolithic stationary phase. I also have investigated pore accessibility of polymer-based monolithic stationary phases. Suggested protocol is used to characterize pore formation at the early stage of the polymerization, to evaluate an extent of hypercrosslinking during modification of pore surface, and to characterize the pore accessibility of monolithic stationary phases hypercrosslinked after an early termination of polymerization reaction. Pore volume accessibility was also correlated to column efficiency of both particulate and monolithic stationary phases.
Every cell is protected by a semipermeable membrane. Peptides with the right properties, for example Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), can disrupt this protective barrier by formation of leaky pores. Unfortunately, matching peptide properties with their ability to selectively form pores in bacterial membranes remains elusive. In particular, the proline/glycine kink in helical peptides was reported to both increase and decrease antimicrobial activity. We used computer simulations and fluorescence experiments to show that a kink in helices affects the formation of membrane pores by stabilizing toroidal pores but disrupting barrel-stave pores. The position of the proline/glycine kink in the sequence further controls the specific structure of toroidal pore. Moreover, we demonstrate that two helical peptides can form a kink-like connection with similar behavior as one long helical peptide with a kink. The provided molecular-level insight can be utilized for design and modification of pore-forming antibacterial peptides or toxins.
- MeSH
- biologické modely MeSH
- buněčná membrána chemie metabolismus MeSH
- hydrofobní a hydrofilní interakce MeSH
- kationické antimikrobiální peptidy chemie metabolismus MeSH
- konformace proteinů * MeSH
- metoda Monte Carlo MeSH
- molekulární modely MeSH
- poriny chemie metabolismus MeSH
- vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH