The daily expression of genes and the changes in gene expression after silencing the heme oxygenase (ho) gene were examined in the retina of Drosophila using microarray and SybrGreen qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) methods. The HO decrease in the morning upregulated 83 genes and downregulated 57 genes. At night, 80 genes were upregulated and 22 were downregulated. The top 20 genes downregulated after ho silencing in the morning modulate phototransduction, immune responses, autophagy, phagocytosis, apoptosis, the carbon monoxide (CO) response, the oxidative stress/UV response, and translation. In turn, the genes that upregulated at night were involved in translation—the response to oxidative stress, DNA damage, and phototransduction. Among the top 20 genes downregulated at night were genes involved in phototransduction, immune responses, and autophagy. For some genes, a low level of HO had an opposite effect in the morning compared to those at night. Silencing ho also changed the expression of circadian clock genes, while the HO decrease during the night enhanced the expression of immune system genes. The results showed that the cyclic expression of HO is important for controlling several processes in the retina, including neuroprotection and those involved in the innate immune system.

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In this work, we discussed and compared new acoustic (speed of sound), transport (viscosity), surface (surface tension and contact angle on stainless steel and glass), and thermophysical properties with special regard for compressibilities and isobaric thermal expansion of 1,3-diethylimidazolium ethyl sulfate ([C2C2im]­[EtSO4]) with those of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate ([C2C1im]­[EtSO4]), the reference mineral, synthetic, and biodegradable oils as well as hydraulic oils for use as hydraulic fluids. The refractive indices, NMR spectra, and cytotoxicities of [C2C1im]­[EtSO4] and [C2C2im]­[EtSO4] were also investigated. [C2C1im]­[EtSO4] and [C2C2im]­[EtSO4] have low isothermal compressibility and isobaric thermal expansion values, which are weakly dependent on the pressure and temperature. The viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle of [C2C2im]­[EtSO4] are more similar to that of commercial hydraulic oils than [C2C1im]­[EtSO4]. The investigated ILs have a 20 times lower toxicity on normal fibroblast from human new-born skin than that of bis­(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)­imide-based ILs. The presented results show that [C2C2im]­[EtSO4] can potentially be used as a hydraulic fluid in the same way as [C2C1im]­[EtSO4].

Motor proteins, sometimes referred to as mechanoenzymes, are a group of proteins that maintain a large part of intracellular motion. Being enzymes, they undergo chemical reactions leading to energy conversion and changes of their conformation. Being mechanodevices, they use the chemical energy to perform mechanical work, leading to the phenomena of motion. Over the past 20 years a series of novel experiments (e.g. single molecule observations) has been performed to gain the deeper knowledge about chemical states of molecular motors as well as their dynamics in the presence or absence of an external force. At the same time, many theoretical models have been proposed, offering various insights into the nano-world dynamics. They can be divided into three main categories: mechanochemical models, ratchet models and molecular dynamics simulations. We demonstrate that by combining those complementary approaches a deeper understanding of the dynamics and chemistry of the motor proteins can be achieved. As a working example, we choose kinesin -a motor protein responsible for directed transport of organelles and vesicles along microtubule tracts.

Streszczenie. Celem prezentowanej pracy było sprawdzenie, czy mikrofale generowane przez typowy router WiFi wpływają na lepkość wody, jak sugerują niektórzy autorzy. Pomysł bazuje na obserwacji ruchu magnetycznych nanocząstek pod mikroskopem w obecności mikrofal i bez nich. Ruch nanocząstek w polu widzenia mikroskopu był wymuszony przez zastosowanie stałego pola magnetycznego. Porównywano prędkości nanocząstek w obecności pola elektromagnetycznego i bez niego.