Lundsgaardferguson3133

0 ± 1.0 µM and a Hill coefficient of 1.2 ± 0.1. This interaction is suppressed by the inclusion of a single negative charge in the N-terminal region by point mutation. In Dps proteins containing a ferric mineral core (above 96 Fe/protein), DNA binding was impaired. SRCD data clearly showed that no significant modification existed either in secondary structure or protein stability of WT, Q14E variant and core containing proteins. It was, however, interesting to note that, in our experimental conditions, thermal denaturation induced protein aggregation that caused artifacts in thermal denaturation curves, which were dependent on radiation flux and vertical arrangement of the CD cell.Patients after surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) may suffer a decrease in left ventricular (LV) function. The aim of our study is to evaluate a novel method of assessing LV torsion in patients with rTOF, as an early indicator of systolic LV dysfunction. Motion tracking based on image registration regularized by the equilibrium gap principle, known as equilibrated warping, was employed to assess LV torsion. Seventy-six cases of rTOF and ten normal controls were included. The group of controls was assessed for reproducibility using both equilibrated warping and standard clinical tissue tracking software (CVI42, version 5.10.1, Calgary, Canada). Patients were dichotomized into two groups normal vs. loss of torsion. Torsion by equilibrated warping was successfully obtained in 68 of 76 (89%) patients and 9 of 10 (90%) controls. For equilibrated warping, the intra- and interobserver coefficients of variation were 0.095 and 0.117, respectively, compared to 0.260 and 0.831 for tissue tracking by standard clinical software. The intra- and inter-observer intraclass correlation coefficients for equilibrated warping were 0.862 and 0.831, respectively, compared to 0.992 and 0.648 for tissue tracking. Loss of torsion was noted in 32 of the 68 (47%) patients with rTOF. There was no difference in LV or RV volumes or ejection fraction between these groups. The assessment of LV torsion by equilibrated warping is feasible and shows good reliability. Loss of torsion is common in patients with rTOF and its robust assessment might contribute into uncovering heart failure in an earlier stage.Pachychoroid spectrum disorders are characterized by a thickening of the choroid. The spectrum includes pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy (PPE), central serous chorioretinopathy (CCS), pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV)/aneurysmal type 1 choroidal neovascularization (ACNV-1), focal choroidal excavation (FCE) and peripapillary pachychoroid syndrome (PPS). If the choroid is thickened and there is a pathological alteration in the retinal pigment epithelium, the diagnosis is PPE; if the thickened choroid is accompanied by subretinal fluid, the diagnosis is CCS; if choroidal neovascularization is present, the diagnosis is PNV; if accompanied by aneurysms, the diagnosis is ACNV‑1. The PPE, CCS, PNV and ACNV‑1 were formerly regarded as independent disease entities but can be classified into four forms of a single disease family, pachychoroid macular disease.The formation of biofilms by bacterial pathogens and the presence of persister cells in biofilms have become major concerns in the health sector, owing to their antibiotic resistance and tolerance. The transformation of bacterial pathogens into persister cells, either stochastically or due to stressful environmental factors, results in recalcitrant and recurring infections. Here, we sought to prepare gold nanoparticles from naturally occurring caffeine and explore their inhibitory action against biofilm formation and persister cells. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, field emission transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction, and dynamic light scattering were used to characterize the gold nanoparticles obtained from caffeine (Caff-AuNPs). The Caff-AuNPs were found to exhibit a number of properties, including the ability to prevent biofilm formation, disperse mature biofilms, and kill different types of persister of gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes) and gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) pathogenic bacteria. Microscopic analysis of the aforementioned bacterial cells, treated with Caff-AuNPs, revealed the bactericidal effect of Caff-AuNPs, although the underlying mechanism remains unknown. see more Collectively, the Caff-AuNPs synthesized in this study may be used as potential drugs to combat chronic infections caused by biofilm-forming pathogenic bacteria. KEY POINTS • Biofilm and persister cells are clinically relevant, as they either prolong or completely resist antibiotic treatments. • Caffeine is used in the green synthesis of Caff-AuNPs, which have antibacterial and antibiofilm properties. • Caff-AuNPs are effective against various pathogenic bacterial persister cells.The Clostridium genus harbors compelling organisms for biotechnological production processes; while acetogenic clostridia can fix C1-compounds to produce acetate and ethanol, solventogenic clostridia can utilize a wide range of carbon sources to produce commercially valuable carboxylic acids, alcohols, and ketones by fermentation. Despite their potential, the conversion by these bacteria of carbohydrates or C1 compounds to alcohols is not cost-effective enough to result in economically viable processes. Engineering solventogenic clostridia by impairing sporulation is one of the investigated approaches to improve solvent productivity. Sporulation is a cell differentiation process triggered in bacteria in response to exposure to environmental stressors. The generated spores are metabolically inactive but resistant to harsh conditions (UV, chemicals, heat, oxygen). In Firmicutes, sporulation has been mainly studied in bacilli and pathogenic clostridia, and our knowledge of sporulation in solvent-producing or acetogenic clostridia is limited. Still, sporulation is an integral part of the cellular physiology of clostridia; thus, understanding the regulation of sporulation and its connection to solvent production may give clues to improve the performance of solventogenic clostridia. This review aims to provide an overview of the triggers, characteristics, and regulatory mechanism of sporulation in solventogenic clostridia. Those are further compared to the current knowledge on sporulation in the industrially relevant acetogenic clostridia. Finally, the potential applications of spores for process improvement are discussed.Key Points• The regulatory network governing sporulation initiation varies in solventogenic clostridia.• Media composition and cell density are the main triggers of sporulation.• Spores can be used to improve the fermentation process.