No abstract

A successful attempt to fabricate nanoparticle arrays with sub-nanometre spacing by thermal annealing of the prepared nanoparticle self-assembly was made. The molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the spacing decrease could be attributed to the temperature-enhanced mobility of the ligand, which promoted the relaxation of the nanoparticles to a more compact arrangement.

Using the PCR technique and specific primers, we developed a new diagnostic method that can rapidly diagnose sporotrichosis with tissues obtained from clinical biopsies.

Staphylococcus aureus is the aetiological agent of many hospital-and communityacquired infections. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) has been shown to play a crucial role in the host defence against S. aureus infection. The aim of this study is to investigate the roles of the heterogeneous TLR family proteins TLR2, TLR4 and RP105 during S. aureus infection. Peritoneal macrophages from mice were exposed to S. aureus. Their production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, their expression of cell-surface markers and interactions between TLR2, TLR4 and RP105 were assessed in the presence or absence of inhibitory antibodies against TLR2, TLR4/MD-2 and RP105/MD-1 complexes. Our results demonstrate that not only TLR2 but also TLR4 and RP105 are involved in the response of macrophages to S. aureus, that TLR2, TLR4 and RP105 physically interact with each other during S. aureus infection, and that TLR2, TLR4 and RP105 both cooperate and play unique roles in the production of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-a, IL-12p40 and IL-10) and chemokine (RANTES) by macrophages after S. aureus infection. This study characterizes the important roles that TLR2, TLR4 and RP105 play in host resistance against S. aureus infection.