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Septins are cytoskeletal proteins that assemble into hetero-oligomeric complexes and sense micron-scale membrane curvature. During infection with Shigella flexneri, an invasive enteropathogen, septins restrict actin tail formation by entrapping bacteria in cage-like structures. Here, we reconstitute septin cages in vitro using purified recombinant septin complexes (SEPT2-SEPT6-SEPT7), and study how these recognize bacterial cells and assemble on their surface. We show that septin complexes recognize the pole of growing Shigella cells. An amphipathic helix domain in human SEPT6 enables septins to sense positively curved membranes and entrap bacterial cells. Shigella strains lacking lipopolysaccharide components are more efficiently entrapped in septin cages. Finally, cryo-electron tomography of in vitro cages reveals how septins assemble as filaments on the bacterial cell surface.

Fine particles with a characteristic size smaller than 100 nm (i.e. nanoparticlesspread out in nowadays life. Silicon or Si, is one of the most abundant chemical elements found on the Earth. Its oxide forms, such as silicate (SiO4) and silicon dioxide, also known as silica (SiO2), are the main constituents of sand and quartz contributing to 90% of the Earth's crust. In this work, three genotoxicity systems "sister chromatid exchange, cytokinesis block micronucleus test and single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay" were employed to provide further insight into the cytotoxic and mutagenic/genotoxic potential of SiO2 nanoparticules (particle size 6 nm, 20 nm, 50 nm) in cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes as in vitro. It was observed that there is a significant decrease in Mitotic index (MI), Cytokinesis block proliferation index (CBPI), proliferation index (PRI) values expressed as Cell Kinetic parameters compared with negative control (p < 0.05). There is a statistically significant difference between negative control culture and culture exposed to SiO2 (6 nm, 20 nm, 50 nm) (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively). It is found that SiO2 nanoparticles at different size (6, 20, 50 nm) progressively increased the SCE frequency and DNA damage on the basis the AU values compared with negative control (p < 0.05). Results showed that the genotoxic/mutagenic and cytotoxic effects of SiO2 nanoparticules is dependent to particule size.

Fipronil (FP) is a phenylpyrazole pesticide developed by the transnational company Rhône-Poulenc Agro in 1987. Data on the genotoxicity and toxicity of FP are rather inadequate. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential genotoxic activity of FP using the single-cell microgel electrophoresis or comet assay, sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), and micronuclei (MN) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. In addition, the cytokinesis block proliferation index (CBPI) and proliferation index (PRI) were measured for cytotoxicity. In this study, three different doses of FP were used (0.7, 0.3, 0.1 μg/mL). Mitomycin C (2 μg/mL) and hydrogen peroxide were used as positive controls for SCE MN test systems, and comet assay, respectively. FP induced a statistically significant increase in the MN and SCE frequency and DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (p<0.01, p<0.05, for 0.7 and 0.3 μg/mL, respectively) compared with a negative control. There is no significant difference between 0.1 μg/mL and the negative control for MN frequency, but there is significant difference between all the doses of FP and negative control for SCE frequency, mitotic index, CBPI, and PRI values (p<0.01). Using the alkaline comet assay, we showed that all the doses of the FP induced DNA damage in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro (p<0.05).

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