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Air pollution and climate change are potential drivers for the increasing burden of allergic diseases. The molecular mechanisms by which air pollutants and climate parameters may influence allergic diseases, however, are complex and elusive. This article provides an overview of physical, chemical and biological interactions between air pollution, climate change, allergens, adjuvants and the immune system, addressing how these interactions may promote the development of allergies. We reviewed and synthesized key findings from atmospheric, climate, and biomedical research. The current state of knowledge, open questions, and future research perspectives are outlined and discussed. The Anthropocene, as the present era of globally pervasive anthropogenic influence on planet Earth and, thus, on the human environment, is characterized by a strong increase of carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, and combustion- or traffic-related particulate matter in the atmosphere. These environmental factors can enhance the abundance and induce chemical modifications of allergens, increase oxidative stress in the human body, and skew the immune system toward allergic reactions. In particular, air pollutants can act as adjuvants and alter the immunogenicity of allergenic proteins, while climate change affects the atmospheric abundance and human exposure to bioaerosols and aeroallergens. To fully understand and effectively mitigate the adverse effects of air pollution and climate change on allergic diseases, several challenges remain to be resolved. Among these are the identification and quantification of immunochemical reaction pathways involving allergens and adjuvants under relevant environmental and physiological conditions.
Chemical modification by peroxynitrite enhances TLR4 activation of the grass pollen allergen Phl p 5
(2023)
The chemical modification of aeroallergens by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) may contribute to the growing prevalence of respiratory allergies in industrialized countries. Post-translational modifications can alter the immunological properties of proteins, but the underlying mechanisms and effects are not well understood. In this study, we investigate the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation of the major birch and grass pollen allergens Bet v 1 and Phl p 5, and how the physiological oxidant peroxynitrite (ONOO–) changes the TLR4 activation through protein nitration and the formation of protein dimers and higher oligomers. Of the two allergens, Bet v 1 exhibited no TLR4 activation, but we found TLR4 activation of Phl p 5, which increased after modification with ONOO– and may play a role in the sensitization against this grass pollen allergen. We attribute the TLR4 activation mainly to the two-domain structure of Phl p 5 which may promote TLR4 dimerization and activation. The enhanced TLR4 signaling of the modified allergen indicates that the ONOO–-induced modifications affect relevant protein-receptor interactions. This may lead to increased sensitization to the grass pollen allergen and thus contribute to the increasing prevalence of allergies in the Anthropocene, the present era of globally pervasive anthropogenic influence on the environment.
The spontaneous emission of a GaAs-based tapered laser diode emitting at λ = 1060 nm was measured through a window in the transparent substrate in order to study the carrier density distribution inside the device. It is shown that the tapered geometry is responsible for nonuniform amplification of the spontaneous/stimulated emission which in turn influences the spatial distribution of the carriers starting from below threshold. The carrier density does not clamp at the lasing threshold and above it the device shows lateral spatial hole-burning caused by high stimulated emission along the cavity center.
We investigated the correlation between the thickness of the ZnS shell of CdSeZnS quantum dots (QDs), the stability of the particles, and the fluorescence quantum yield. As a measure for stability, a new shell quality test was developed. This test is based on the reaction of the QDs with photochemically formed thiophenol radicals and communicates an imperfect ZnS shell by a rapid and complete loss of fluorescence. The quantum yield increases from less than 5% for unshelled CdSe up to 50%, with an increase in ZnS shell thickness up to 0.60.8 nm. At the same time, the particles become significantly more stable, as revealed by the shell test.
The in vivo effects of coating titanium implants with organic extracellular matrix molecules were examined in the sheep tibia. Titanium screws (5.0 mm) were coated with type I collagen (Ti/Coll) or type I collagen and chondroitin sulfate (Ti/Coll/CS) by biomimetic fibrillogenesis. Uncoated screws (Ti) and screws coated with hydroxyapatite (Ti/HA) served as control. Six adult female sheep received one screw of each type to stabilize a midshaft tibial fracture with external fixation. Four cylindrical implants of 4-mm outer diameter and 3.3-mm inner diameter with the same coatings were inserted into the tibial head. No pin track infections were seen at the time of implant retrieval 6 weeks after implantation. Extraction torque was greater for Ti/HA (1181 Nmm) and Ti/Coll/CS (1088 Nmm) compared to Ti/Coll (900 Nmm) and Ti (904 Nmm) [N.S.]. Newly formed bone was noted around all coated screws within the medullary cavity. Macrophage and osteoclast activity was significantly reduced around Ti/Coll/CS in both types of implants compared to uncoated controls (p < 0.05). Osteoblast activity was significantly increased around loaded Ti/Coll and Ti/Coll/CS screws compared to uncoated Ti screws (p < 0.05). Microtomographic evaluation (SRµCT) revealed no significant differences in new bone formation around the unloaded tibial head implants.Coating of external fixation devices with of type I collagen and chondroitin sulfate appears to have similar effects with respect to stability and bone healing as HA but with less osteoclast activity. These findings were more pronounced under loaded than unloaded conditions in the sheeptibia.
The present work provides a comparative study on the interface and adhesion properties of surface modified single glass fibers embedded in an acrylate matrix. To facilitate a covalent bonding at the fibermatrix interface, the fibers are functionalized with selected organosilanes that comprise either passive (unsaturated C¼C bonds of methacrylate moieties) or photoactive functionalities (photocleavable bis(acyl)phosphane oxide groups). Immobilization of the functional silanes is carried out by a classic silanization reaction involving a condensation reaction across the surface hydroxyl groups of the inorganic glass fibers. The change of the physico-chemical properties of the fibers due to desizing and subsequent surface modification is monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and zeta potential measurements. In addition, scanning electron microscopy is used to follow the changes in surface morphology. After the modification step, the desized and modified single fibers are embedded in a photocurable acrylate resin formulation. By performing single fiber pull-out tests, maximum pull-out force, friction strength and apparent interfacial shear strength are determined as a function of the coupled silanes. The results reveal that the attached organosilanes lead to a significant increase in adhesion strength, whilst the performance of the photo-cleavable organosilane is superior to the passive methacryl-functional derivative.
The potential of semiconducting nanocrystals or so-called quantum dots (QDs) for lifetime multiplexing has not been investigated yet, despite the increasing use of QDs in (bio)analytical detection, biosensing, and fluorescence imaging and the obvious need for simple and cost-effective tools and strategies for the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes or events. This is most likely related to their multiexponential decay behavior as for multiplex chromophores, typically monoexponential decay kinetics are requested. The fluorescence decay kinetics of various mixtures of a long-lived, multiexponentially decaying CdSe QD and a short-lived organic dye were analyzed, and a model was developed for the quantification of these labels from the measured complex decay kinetics as a first proof-of-concept for the huge potential of these labels for lifetime multiplexing. In a second step, we evaluated the potential of mixtures of two types of QDs, varying in constituent material to realize distinguishable, yet multiexponential decay kinetics and similar absorption and emission spectra. Strategies for lifetime multiplexing with nanocrystalline labels were derived on the basis of these measurements.
Numerous membrane importers rely on accessory water-soluble proteins to capture their substrates. These substrate-binding Proteins (SBP) have a strong affinity for their ligands; yet, Substrate release onto the low-affinity membrane transporter must occur for uptake to proceed. It is generally accepted that release is facilitated by the association of SBP and transporter, upon which the SBP adopts a conformation similar to the unliganded state, whose affinity is sufficiently reduced. Despite the appeal of this mechanism, however, direct supporting evidence is lacking. Here, we use experimental and theoretical methods to demonstrate that an allosteric mechanism of enhanced substrate release is indeed plausible.
First, we report the atomic-resolution structure of APO TeaA, the SBP of the Na!-coupled ectoine TRAP transporter TeaBC from Halomonas elongata DSM2581T, and compare it with the substrate-bound structure previously reported. Conformational freeenergy landscape calculations based upon molecular Dynamics simulations are then used to dissect the mechanism that couples ectoine binding to structural change in TeaA. These insights allow us to design a triple mutation that biases TeaA toward apo-like conformations without directly perturbing the binding cleft, thus mimicking the influence of the membrane transporter. Calorimetric measurements demonstrate that the ectoine affinity of the conformationally biased triple mutant is 100-fold weaker than that of the wild type. By contrast, a control mutant predicted to be conformationally unbiased displays wild-type affinity. This work thus demonstrates that substrate release from SBPs onto their Membrane transporters can be facilitated by the latter through a mechanism of allosteric modulation of the former.