Present study is focussed on the modulation of Mycobacterium bovis BCG induced inflammatory response by poly-dispersed acid-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (AF-SWCNTs) in macrophages.Flow cytometric and confocal microscopy studies indicated that both BCG and AF-SWCNTs were efficiently internalized by RAW 264.7 and MH-S macrophage cell lines and were essentially localized in the cytoplasmic area. The results indicated strong antioxidant activity of AF-SWCNTs in mitigating BCG induced oxidative and nitrosative stress. We also found a marked decline in expression of BCG induced pro-inflammatory genes like COX-2, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β on treatment with AF-SWCNTs at transcriptional level. Decline in expression of BCG induced COX-2 by AF-SWCNTs was also confirmed at protein level using Western blotting. Anti-inflammatory activity of AF-SWCNTs was further validated by our results showing that AF-SWCNTs treatment induced a precipitous decline in BCG induced release of Matrix Metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 by macrophage cell lines, by using Gelatin zymography.Taken together, our results demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory role of AF-SWCNTs in alleviating BCG induced inflammation.
SARS-CoV-2 evolution has continued to generate variants, responsible for new pandemic waves locally and globally. Varying disease presentation and severity has been ascribed to inherent variant characteristics and vaccine immunity. This study analyzed genomic data from 305 whole genome sequences from SARS-CoV-2 patients before and through the third wave in India. Delta variant was responsible for disease in patients without comorbidity(97%), while Omicron BA.2 caused disease primarily in those with comorbidity(77%). Tissue adaptation studies brought forth higher propensity of Omicron variants to bronchial tissue than lung, contrary to observation in Delta variants from Delhi. Study of codon usage pattern distinguished the prevalent variants, clustering them separately, Omicron BA.2 isolated in February grouped away from December strains, and all BA.2 after December acquired a new mutation S959P in ORF1b (44.3% of BA.2 in the study) indicating ongoing evolution. Loss of critical spike mutations in Omicron BA.2 and gain of immune evasion mutations including G142D, reported in Delta but absent in BA.1, and S371F instead of S371L in BA.1 could possibly be due to evolutionary trade-off and explain very brief period of BA.1 in December 2021, followed by complete replacement by BA.2.
Diverse amount of volatile organic compounds is synthesized by plants, proven to be of utmost importance to the plants in various stages of their perpetuation cycle. Their functions are attraction of insects for pollination, dispersal of seeds, helping plants to withstand competition from neighboring plants, contributing towards maintaining plant biodiversity, helping in growth of agriculturally important plants and aiding plants in combating both abiotic stress and biotic stress. Calcium ions and ROS (reactive oxygen species) plays a crucial role as signaling molecules in plants in pathways dealing with induction of synthesis of VOCs in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses and the mechanisms elucidating the survival of plants in such conditions. Apart from this, the concern arising from the expected effects of global climatic changes on rate of synthesis and emission of VOCs in plants has also been expressed. The later part of the paper highlights the beginning of a novel field of metabolic engineering which deals with engineering of biochemical pathways of biosynthesis of VOCs in a manner so as to maximize the yield of beneficial VOCs and at the same time minimizing the yield of harmful VOCs to obtain desired results. The achievements that have been attained, the unintended effects that creep in and the challenges that need to be overcome to make advancements in the field of metabolic engineering have also been included.
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