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Functional Molecules (functional + molecule)
Selected AbstractsEffect of citrus pulp silage feeding on concentration of beta-cryptoxanthin in plasma and milk of dairy cowsANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2010Masahito TANAKA ABSTRACT Citrus pulp is known to contain a functional molecule of beta-cryptoxanthin which is one of the carotenoids showing anti-oxidative capacity. Influences of citrus pulp silage feeding to dairy cows on beta-cryptoxanthin concentration in plasma, other blood properties and milking performances were investigated. Four Holstein cows were fed total mixed ration (TMR) containing citrus pulp silage 20% dry matter (DM) for 2 weeks with free access to the TMR. Dry mater intake, milk production and milk components 2 weeks later were not altered compared with those of the control group without citrus pulp silage. Activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanin aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in plasma were not affected by feeding of citrus pulp silage. Concentrations of protein, albumin, sulfhydryl residue, ascorbic acid, thio-barbituric acid reactive substance and urea nitrogen in plasma were also not altered by citrus pulp silage feeding. Concentration of beta-cryptoxanthin in plasma was increased approximately 20-fold compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Content of beta-cryptxanthin in pooled milk fat fraction was also increased approximately three times compared with that of the control group. Feeding of TMR containing citrus pulp silage 15% DM for 30 days to eight dairy cows also increased plasma beta-cryptoxanthin concentration 30-fold compared with that before feeding. [source] Efficient Synthesis of Structurally Diverse Diazabicycloalkanes: Scaffolds for Modular Dipeptide Mimetics with Tunable Backbone ConformationsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2004Wolfgang Maison Abstract A stereoselective synthesis of new dipeptide mimetics based on a diazabicycloalkane scaffold is reported. The route starts from enantiomerically pure azabicycloalkenes 1 that are bis(hydroxylated) and coupled N -terminally to a second amino acid. The key step of the reaction sequence is an oxidative cleavage of the resulting dipeptides 5 to give highly functionalised diazabicycloalkanes 6, which can be easily converted into a number of dipeptide mimetics with defined and variable stereochemistry and a number of different amino acid side chains. The backbone dihedral angles within these dipeptide mimetics can be tuned by varying the stereochemistry and the ring sizes of the diazabicycloalkane scaffold. The syntheses of conformationally constrained dipeptide analogues in four to five steps are presented. With the syntheses of dipeptide mimetics 19a,c, suitable linker moieties for conjugation of diazabicycloalkanes to other functional molecules like markers or solid phases are introduced, making these compounds modular dipeptide mimetics that might find applications as modular ligands or as solid-phase-attached scaffolds in combinatorial chemistry. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004) [source] A novel Takeout-like protein expressed in the taste and olfactory organs of the blowfly, Phormia reginaFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 18 2006Kazuyo Fujikawa In insects, the functional molecules responsible for the taste system are still obscure. The gene for a 28.5 kDa protein purified from taste sensilla of the blowfly Phormia regina belongs to a gene family that includes takeout of Drosophila melanogaster. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Phormia Takeout-like protein is most similar to the protein encoded by a member of the Drosophila takeout gene family, CG14661, whose expression and function have not been identified yet. Western blot analyses revealed that Phormia Takeout-like protein was exclusively expressed in antennae and labellum of the adult blowfly in both sexes. Immunohistochemical experiments demonstrated that Takeout-like protein was localized around the lamella structure of the auxiliary cells and in the sensillar lymph of the labellar taste sensillum. In antennae, Takeout-like protein was distributed at the base of the olfactory sensilla as well. No significant differences in Takeout-like protein expression were found between the sexes. Our results suggest that Phormia Takeout-like protein is involved in some early events concerned with chemoreception in both the taste and olfactory systems. [source] Surface Modification of Exfoliated Layered Gadolinium Hydroxide for the Development of Multimodal Contrast Agents for MRI and Fluorescence ImagingADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 21 2009Young-su Yoon Abstract A novel method for modifying the surface of magnetic-resonance-contrasting layered gadolinium hydroxide (LGdH) is developed providing them with water- and bio-compatibility and acid-resistance, all of which are essential for medical applications. A stable colloid of exfoliated layers is synthesized by exchanging interlayer anions of LGdH with oleate ions. The delaminated layers are successively coated with phospholipids with poly(ethylene glycol) tail groups, and their effectiveness as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is demonstrated. The adaptability of this surface modification approach for incorporating functional molecules and fabricating a fluorescent colloid of LGdH, which has the potential utility as a multimodal probe, is also demonstrated. This result provides a novel approach for expanding the applications of layered inorganic materials and developing a new class of MRI contrast agents. [source] Copper-Free Clickable CoatingsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 21 2009Luiz A. Canalle Abstract The copper-catalyzed azide,alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) is extensively used for the functionalization of well-defined polymeric materials. However, the necessity for copper, which is inherently toxic, limits the potential applications of these materials in the area of biology and biomedicine. Therefore, the first entirely copper-free procedure for the synthesis of clickable coatings for the immobilization of functional molecules is reported. In the first step, azide-functional coatings are prepared by thermal crosslinking of side-chain azide-functional polymers and dialkyne linkers. In a second step, three copper-free click reactions (i.e., the Staudinger ligation, the dibenzocyclooctyne-based strain-promoted azide,alkyne [3+2] cycloaddition, and the methyl-oxanorbornadiene-based tandem cycloaddition,retro-Diels,Alder (crDA) reaction) are used to functionalize the azide-containing surfaces with fluorescent probes, allowing qualitative comparison with the traditional CuAAC. [source] Cover Picture: Hierarchically Organized Superstructure Emerging from the Exquisite Association of Inorganic Crystals, Organic Polymers, and Dyes: A Model Approach Towards Suprabiomineral Materials (Adv. Funct.ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2005Mater. Abstract Suprabiomineral materials possessing hierarchically organized superstructures are investigated by Imai and Oaki on p.,1407. Inorganic crystals, organic polymers, and functional dyes have assembled via a simple biomimetic route into a superstructure that contains six different tiers, from the macroscale to the nanoscale. The hierarchy originates from the strong interaction between crystals and polymers and the diffusion-controlled conditions. The versatile role of the polymer is found to be essential for the construction of a superstructure. This approach promises to generate novel types of functional materials with controllable structures and properties. We report a novel hierarchically organized superstructure emerging from an exquisite association of inorganic crystals, organic polymers, and dyes. The resultant K2SO4/poly(acrylic acid) composite includes five different tiers from the nanoscopic to the macroscopic. An additional new tier leading to functionality is formed by the incorporation of organic dyes that are organized in a nanospace. The emergent superstructure and properties are designed through changes in polymer concentration. The multiple roles of the polymer realize the generation of the architecture at each size scale. This model approach should be widely applicable to other systems, allowing for the preparation of innovative materials by an appropriate combination of crystals, polymers, and functional molecules. [source] Layered Double Hydroxide Surface Modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane by Covalent Bonding,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 1 2005A.-Y. Park Interlayer surfaces of layered double hydroxide (LDH) have been functionalized with amine moieties by condensation between the hydroxyl groups and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APS) molecules via the covalent oxane bonds M-O-Si (M=Zn and Cr) (see Figure). Since the galleries of the modified LDHs have a hydrophobic field, various functional molecules such as enzymes, catalysts, and organic molecules can be incorporated between the LDH layers. [source] A New Method to Fabricate Single-Molecule Nanoarrays Using Dendrimer-Based Templates,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 18 2003H. Tokuhisa Dendrimer architectures are used as spacing-templates to fabricate single molecule nanoarrays. It is shown that this new method (see Figure for illustration) fabricates a nanoarray of single thioctic acids separated by a distance related to the dendron size on Au. This approach could be used for assembling single functional molecules for nanotechnology in areas such as molecular electronics. [source] Glucocorticoids increase CD4+CD25high cell percentage and Foxp3 expression in patients with multiple sclerosisACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2009M. Braitch Objectives,,, To determine whether percentages of CD4+CD25high T cells (a group of regulatory T cells, Treg) differ in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in relapse vs remission after glucocorticoid treatment and whether treatment for relapses changes Treg population and the expression of Foxp3, a key Treg-associated molecule. Materials and methods,,, Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from 20 patients with MS during relapse, just before and 2 days after starting steroid treatment (i.v. methylprednisolone 1 g/day for 3 days) and then 6 weeks after treatment. CD4+CD25hi cells were analysed by using flow cytometry. Cytokines were measured by using an ELISA and Foxp3, CD3 and CD25 expression by using quantitative real-time PCR. Results,,, The percentage of CD4+CD25hi cells, plasma IL-10 and Foxp3/CD3 ratio increased 48 h after methylprednisolone initiation and returned to baseline values by 6 weeks post-treatment. Conclusions,,, Results suggest that glucocorticoids increase Treg cell functional molecules and percentages. This may be a mechanism whereby steroids expedite recovery from MS relapses. [source] Long-Chain Polyamines (LCPAs) from Marine Sponge: Possible Implication in Spicule FormationCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 14 2007Satoko Matsunaga Abstract Two distinct marine organisms, diatoms and sponges, deposit dissolved silicates to construct highly architectural and species-specific body supports. Several factors such as proteins, long-chain polyamines (LCPAs), or polypeptides modified with LCPAs are known to be involved in this process. The LCPAs contained in the silica walls of diatoms are thought to play pivotal roles in the silica deposition. In sponges, however, a protein called silicatein and several other proteins have been reported to be the factors involved in the silica deposition. However, no other factors involved in this process have been reported. We have identified the LCPAs from the marine sponge Axinyssa aculeata and present here some evidence that sponge-derived LCPAs can deposit silica and that the LCPA derivatives are associated with spicules. The results indicate a common chemistry between sponges and diatoms, the two major players in the biological circulation of silicon in the marine environment. A wide variety of organisms are known to utilize silica in their biological processes. Polyamines or other functional molecules might be involved, in combination with proteins, in their biosilicification process. [source] | |||||||||||||