Cholesterol transport and beyond: Illuminating the versatile functions of HDL apolipoproteins through structural insights and functional implications.

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) play a vital role in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health, as they are intricately involved in cholesterol transport and inflammation modulation. The proteome of HDL particles is indeed complex and distinct from other components in the bloodstream. Proteomics studies have identified nearly 285 different proteins associated with HDL; however, this review focuses more on the 15 or so traditionally named "apo" lipoproteins. Important lipid metabolizing enzymes closely working with the apolipoproteins are also discussed. Apolipoproteins stand out for their integral role in HDL stability, structure, function, and metabolism. The unique structure and functions of each apolipoprotein influence important processes such as inflammation regulation and lipid metabolism. These interactions also shape the stability and performance of HDL particles. HDLs apolipoproteins have multifaceted roles beyond cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and are involved in various physiological processes and disease states. Therefore, a detailed exploration of these apolipoproteins can offer valuable insights into potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. This comprehensive review article aims to provide an in-depth understanding of HDL apolipoproteins, highlighting their distinct structures, functions, and contributions to various physiological processes. Exploiting this knowledge holds great potential for improving HDL function, enhancing cholesterol efflux, and modulating inflammatory processes, ultimately benefiting individuals by limiting the risks associated with CVDs and other inflammation-based pathologies. Understanding the nature of all 15 apolipoproteins expands our knowledge of HDL metabolism, sheds light on their pathological implications, and paves the way for advancements in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of lipid and inflammatory-related disorders.

The use of Bacillus subtilis as a cost-effective expression system for production of Cholera Toxin B fused factor VIII epitope regions applicable for inducing oral immune tolerance.

Coagulation factor replacement therapy for the X-linked bleeding disorder Haemophilia, characterized by a deficiency of coagulation protein factor VIII (FVIII), is severely complicated by antibody (inhibitors) formation. The development of FVIII inhibitors drastically alters the quality of life of the patients and is associated with a tremendous increase in morbidity as well as treatment costs. The ultimate goal of inhibitor control is antibody elimination. Immune tolerance induction (ITI) is the only clinically established approach for developing antigen-specific tolerance to FVIII. This work aims to establish a novel cost-effective strategy to produce FVIII molecules in fusion with cholera toxin B (CTB) subunit at the N terminus using the Bacillus subtilis expression system for oral tolerance, as the current clinical immune tolerance protocols are expensive. Regions of B-Domain Deleted (BDD)-FVIII that have potential epitopes were identified by employing Bepipred linear epitope prediction; 2 or more epitopes in each domain were combined and cDNA encoding these regions were fused with CTB and cloned in the Bacillus subtilis expression vector pHT43 and expression analysis was carried out. The expressed CTB-fused FVIII epitope domains showed strong binding affinity towards the CTB-receptor GM1 ganglioside. To conclude, Bacillus subtilis expressing FVIII molecules might be a promising candidate for exploring for the induction of oral immune tolerance.

Polyclonal Antibody Generation against PvTRAg for the Development of a Diagnostic Assay for Plasmodium vivax.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set forth a global call for eradicating malaria, caused majorly by the protozoan parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. The lack of diagnostic biomarkers for P. vivax, especially those that differentiate the parasite from P. falciparum, significantly hinders P. vivax elimination. Here, we show that P. vivax tryptophan-rich antigen (PvTRAg) can be a diagnostic biomarker for diagnosing P. vivax in malaria patients. We report that polyclonal antibodies against purified PvTRAg protein show interactions with purified PvTRAg and native PvTRAg using Western blots and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We also developed an antibody-antigen-based qualitative assay using biolayer interferometry (BLI) to detect vivax infection using plasma samples from patients with different febrile diseases and healthy controls. The polyclonal anti-PvTRAg antibodies were used to capture free native PvTRAg from the patient plasma samples using BLI, providing a new expansion range to make the assay quick, accurate, sensitive, and high-throughput. The data presented in this report provides a proof of concept for PvTRAg, a new antigen, for developing a diagnostic assay for P. vivax identification and differentiation from the rest of the Plasmodium species and, at a later stage, translating the BLI assay into affordable, point-of-care formats to make it more accessible.

Alleviation of diabetes mellitus through the restoration of ß-cell function and lipid metabolism by Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. extract in obesogenic WNIN/GR-Ob rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. extract has been medicinally used for over 5000 years in different cultures for its curative and therapeutic properties ranging from dermatitis to diabetes. It has been demonstrated to alleviate diabetes through its protective effects on pancreatic islets and by improving insulin secretion. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the simultaneous effect of ethanolic A. vera gel extract on diabetes and obesogenic milieu in Streptozotocin-induced WNIN/GR-Ob mutant obese rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 rats were grouped equally into WNIN/GR-Ob control (received water as a vehicle), WNIN/GR-Ob Diabetic rats (Streptozotocin-35 mg/kg bw), WNIN/GR-Ob Diabetic rats + Sitagliptin (10 mg/kg bw), WNIN/GR-Ob Diabetic rats + A. vera (300 mg/kg bw) and GR-Ob control + A. vera (300 mg/kg bw). After 4 weeks of treatment, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment - Insulin Resistance and ß-cell function, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV activity, and lipid profiles were studied. In addition, ultrastructural analysis of isolated islets and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry analysis for body composition were also carried out. RESULTS: The A. vera treated group showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in triglyceride, Very low-density lipoprotein levels, Triglyceride to High-density lipoprotein ratio as well as fasting blood glucose levels and DPP-IV activity with a concomitant increase in the serum insulin levels. The increase in IR was observed in both WNIN/GR-Ob control and diabetic rats with a significant decrease in ß-cell function in the diabetic rats as per Homeostatic Model Assessment values. Oral administration of A. vera was effective in both reducing Homeostatic Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance and increasing Homeostatic Model Assessment-ß values. Also, the treated group demonstrated preservation of islets and a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the diameter of ß-cell as evident through Scanning electron microscope analysis. The increase in lean body mass was manifested in the treated group with a reduction in Fat percent in comparison with other groups. CONCLUSION: The beneficial effects of A. vera in WNIN/GR-Ob strain may be attributed to its ability to lower lipid profile thus improve insulin sensitivity and/or modulating ß-cell function. Thus, it has great therapeutic potential as an herbal remedy for the treatment of diabetes and associated adverse effects such as obesity. The exact mechanism underlying the observation needs to be investigated further to explore the anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties of A. vera and advocate its potential application as alternative medicine.

Efficient purification of Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) from plasma by HEA HyperCel™: An alternative approach.

HDL-ApoA1 plays a pivotal role in the prevention of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. ApoA1 purification from blood plasma has always remained tedious, involving multiple steps, large volumes of plasma and substantial loss in the final yield of pure ApoA1. In this study, a two-step method has been developed and optimized for the purification of ApoA1 from plasma. Plasma was first subjected to 60% ammonium sulphate (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and subsequently, ApoA1 was recovered using mixed mode chromatographic sorbent, HEA HyperCel™. ApoA1 was found to be enriched in 60% (NH4)2SO4 supernatant that was dialyzed and injected onto HEA sorbent with 50 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.4. The bound proteins were eluted by decreasing the pH in step-gradient from pH 7.4 to pH 4.0 and subsequently to pH 3.5 using 50 mM sodium acetate buffer. Gel electrophoresis showed elution of homogeneous apoA1 at pH 3.5, with purity and yield of 63%. An interesting feature of this approach is that the purified ApoA1 was monomeric with a mass of 28,079.30 Da as confirmed by MS analysis. This simple and efficient method of purification of apoA1 serves as an alternative method which can be combined with traditional approaches and has a great potential for biochemical and clinical studies.

Extraction, purification, and biochemical characterization of serine protease from leaves of Abrus precatorius.

A protease from fresh leaves of Abrus precatorius was purified using two classical chromatography techniques: ion-exchange (DEAE-Sepharose) and Gel filtration (Sephadex G-75). The purified protease showed a molecular weight of ∼ 28 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum pH and temperature for the purified protease was 8 and 40°C, respectively. The purified protease was stable throughout a wide temperature range from 10 to 80°C and pH from 2 to 12. Protease activity was inhibited in the presence of Co2+, Ni2+, Hg2+, and Zn2+ while its activity has increased in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+. The protease was highly specific to casein when compared to its specificity for gelatin, bovine serum albumin, hemoglobin, and defatted flour of Ricinodendron heudelotii. Its Vmax and Km determined using casein as a substrate were 94.34 U/mL and 349.07 µg/mL respectively. Inhibition studies showed that this purified protease was inhibited by both phenylmethane sulfonyl fluoride and aprotinin which are recognized as competitive inhibitors of serine proteases.

Biochemical characterisation of lectin from Indian hyacinth plant bulbs with potential inhibitory action against human cancer cells.

This work describes purification and characterisation of a monocot mannose-specific lectin from Hyacinth bulbs. The purified lectin has a molecular mass of ∼30kDa in reducing as well as in non-reducing SDS-PAGE. In hydrodynamic studies by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) showed that purified lectin was monomeric in nature with a molecular size of 2.38±0.03nm. Agglutination activity of purified lectin was confirmed by rabbit erythrocytes and its agglutination activity was inhibited by d-mannose and a glycoprotein (ovalbumin). Glycoprotein nature of purified lectin was confirmed by Periodic Acid Schiff's (PAS) stain. Purified lectin showed moderate pH and thermal stability by retaining hemagglutination activity from pH 6-8 and temperature up to 60°C. It also suppressed the growth of human colon cancer cells (Caco-2) and cervical cancer cells (HeLa) with IC50 values of 127µg/mL and 158µg/mL respectively, after 24-h treatment. Morphological studies of treated cells (Caco-2 and HeLa) with hyacinth lectin by AO/EB dual staining indicated that purified lectin is capable of inducing apoptosis.

Molecular insight in the purification of immunoglobulin by pseudobiospecific ligand l-histidine and histidyl moieties in histidine ligand affinity chromatography (HLAC) by molecular docking.

Pseudobiospecific ligand l-histidine is an inexpensive, highly stable, non-toxic ligand explored successfully over the last twenty years for the purification of immunoglobulins in immobilised histidine ligand affinity chromatography. It is of great interest to know the molecular recognition sites of IgG to immobilized l-histidine. Here, we have used an in silico approach to explore the molecular recognition of l-histidine by IgG. We have assessed the feasible binding modes of histidine and its moieties at different sites of IgG and considered only those binding conformations which are exhibited via the imidazole ring NH group or any other OH donating group apart from the ones which are terminally conjugated with the support matrix. We categorised binding site into two categories; category I: inner binding groove and category II: surface binding groove and observed that the hinge region of IgG has most favourable binding pocket for l-histidine and histidyl moieties. Ser and Tyr residues on the hinge region make several significant interactions with l-histidine and histidyl moieties. In case of Fc region of IgG, l-histidine and histidyl moieties closely resemble the binding modes of Protein A, biomimetic ligand 22/8 and B domain of SpA to IgG. In addition to these we have also observed a significant binding site for l-histidine and histidyl moieties at Fab region of IgG.

High yield of recombinant human Apolipoprotein A-I expressed in Pichia pastoris by using mixed-mode chromatography.

A vast majority of the cardioprotective properties exhibited by High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is mediated by its major protein component Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA1). In order to develop a simplified bioprocess for producing recombinant human Apolipoprotein A-I (rhApoA1) in its near-native form, rhApoA1was expressed without the use of an affinity tag in view of its potential therapeutic applications. Expressed in Pichia pastoris at expression levels of 58.2 mg ApoA1 per litre of culture in a reproducible manner, the target protein was purified by mixed-mode chromatography using Capto™ MMC ligand with a purity and recovery of 84% and 68%, respectively. ApoA1 purification was scaled up to Mixed-mode Expanded Bed Adsorption chromatography to establish an 'on-line' process for the efficient capture of rhApoA1 directly from the P. pastoris expression broth. A polishing step using anion exchange chromatography enabled the recovery of ApoA1 up to 96% purity. Purified ApoA1 was identified and verified by RPLC-ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometry. This two-step process would reduce processing times and therefore costs in comparison to the twelve-step procedure currently used for recovering rhApoA1 from P. pastoris.

Adjuvant poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) generates more efficient monoclonal antibodies against truncated recombinant histidine-rich protein2 of Plasmodium falciparum for malaria diagnosis.

Adjuvants play an important role in eliciting immune responses and subsequent generation of antibodies with high specificity. Recently, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAAm), also known as a "smart" polymer, has been proposed as a potential adjuvant for making antibodies and vaccines. This material exhibits efficient delivery, protection against degradation, and preservation of antigen epitopes. In this work, we used both CFA and smart polymer to develop a highly specific murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) against recombinant truncated histidine rich protein2 (HRP2) of Plasmodium falciparum. Our results indicate that the mAbs developed using these adjuvants were able to recognize recombinant HRP2 and native PfHRP2 protein from spent medium. The mAbs generated against recombinant truncated HRP2 showed better sensitivity to the antigen and importantly mAbs generated using PNiPAAm adjuvant were in the range of 10(8)-10(9) M(-1). The mAbs generated using PNiPAAm are very efficient and sensitive in detecting HRP2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of such comparison having been made between these two adjuvants and we propose that the smart polymer has huge potential as an alternative to CFA. Additionally, we discuss the utility of the mAbs generated through PNiPAAm for specific diagnosis of malaria caused by P. falciparum.

Development of L-histidine immobilized CIM(®) monolithic disks for purification of immunoglobulin G.

The pseudobiospecific affinity ligand l-histidine was immobilized on epoxy, carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), and ethylenediamine (EDA) convective interaction media (BIA Separations, Slovenia) monolithic disks to obtain the histidyl affinity column for purification of immunoglobulin G (IgG). The kinetics and the mass transfer properties of the affinity columns were studied to determine the optimum buffer condition, flow rate, and concentration of IgG for maximum IgG adsorption. The binding capacities of all the three affinity columns were higher with zwitterionic buffer morpholinopropanesulfonic acid than with charged buffers such as tris-HCl and phosphate buffers, and the optimum pH was 6.5. The interaction of IgG with histidine immobilized CDI and epoxy disks was found to be predominantly driven by ionic interaction, while the interaction with EDA-histidine disk could be partially governed by multiple non-covalent forces of interaction. The maximum binding capacity (Qm ) of l-histidine immobilized on EDA-, CDI-, and epoxy-activated convective interaction media disks were 19.83 ± 0.25, 15.85 ± 0.18 and 12.11 ± 0.17 mg/ml of support, respectively, and the dissociation constant (Kd ) were calculated to be in the micromolar range for all the three histidyl monolithic columns. Purification of IgG from untreated human serum was also attempted, and the results indicate the high potential of this method for purification of total IgG from complex biological sources and also for separation of IgG1 from other subclasses.

Affinity selection of histidine-containing peptides using metal chelate methacrylate monolithic disk for targeted LC-MS/MS approach in high-throughput proteomics.

In recent years, bottom-up approach has become the popular method of choice for large scale analysis of complex proteome samples. Peptide fractionation determines the efficiency of the bottom-up method and often the resolving power of reverse phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) is insufficient for efficient protein identification in case of complex biological samples. To overcome the inherent limitation of proteomics associated with sample complexity, we evaluated fast flow metal chelate methacrylate monolithic system - CIM (Convective Interaction Media) disk chelated with Cu(II) for targeted affinity selection of histidine-containing peptides. Initially the Cu(II)-IMAC using CIM disk was evaluated using tryptic digest of protein mixtures of 8 model proteins and was found to be highly efficient in capturing His-containing peptides with high degree of specificity and selectivity. Further the efficiency of His-peptide enrichment using CIM-IMAC was also demonstrated using complex biological samples like total Escherichia coli cell lysate. The analysis of the Cu(II)-IMAC retained peptides from tryptic digests of model protein mixture and E. coli not only demonstrated a significant reduction in sample complexity but also subsequently enabled the identification of additional peptides. His-peptide enrichment also enabled the identification of low abundant proteins that were not detected in the analysis of total E. coli digest.

Behavior of human immunoglobulin G adsorption onto immobilized Cu(II) affinity hollow-fiber membranes.

Iminodiacetic acid (IDA) and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN) chelating ligands were immobilized on poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol) (PEVA) hollow-fiber membranes after activation with epichlorohydrin or butanediol diglycidyl ether (bisoxirane). The affinity membranes complexed with Cu(II) were evaluated for adsorption of human immunoglobulin G (IgG). The effects of matrix activation and buffer system on adsorption of IgG were studied. Isotherms of batch IgG adsorption onto finely cut membranes showed that neither of the chelates, IDA-Cu(II) or TREN-Cu(II), had a Langmuirean behavior with negative cooperativity for IgG binding. A comparison of equilibrium and dynamic maximum capacities showed that the dynamic capacity for a mini-cartridge in a cross-flow filtration mode (52.5 and 298.4 mg g(-1) dry weight for PEVA-TREN-Cu(II) and PEVA-IDA-Cu(II), respectively) was somewhat higher than the equilibrium capacity (9.2 and 73.3 mg g(-1) dry weight for PEVA-TREN-Cu(II) and PEVA-IDA-Cu(II), respectively). When mini-cartridges were used, the dynamic adsorption capacity of IDA-Cu(II) was the same for both mini-cartridge and agarose gel.

Expression, purification, and partial in vitro characterization of biologically active human coagulation factor VIII light chain (A3-C1-C2) in Pichia pastoris.

Recombinant coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) expressed in mammalian expression systems is used extensively in the treatment of hemophilia A. It is reported that the heavy (A1-A2) and light chains (A3-C1-C2) of factor VIII purified from plasma regained the coagulation activity by dimerization in vitro. In this work, cDNA coding for the light chain of human coagulation factor VIII (FVIII-LC) was cloned into pPICZα-A expression vector downstream of alcohol oxidase promoter and α-mating signal sequence from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in order to express the protein with a native N-terminus. The methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris X-33, was transformed with this cassette, and transformants were selected for production of human factor VIII light chain into culture media. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis confirmed the expression of factor VIII light chain protein. The expressed protein was purified to near homogeneity using histidine ligand affinity chromatography (2.342 mg/L). The biological activity of FVIII-LC was confirmed by analyzing the interaction between FVIII-LC and phospholipid vesicles. The data presented here indicate the possibilities of exploring cost-effective systems to express complex proteins of therapeutic value.

Recovery of active anti TNF-α ScFv through matrix-assisted refolding of bacterial inclusion bodies using CIM monolithic support.

Anti TNF-α molecules are important as therapeutic agents for many of the autoimmune diseases in chronic stage. Here we report the expression and purification of a recombinant single chain variable fragment (ScFv) specific to TNF-α from inclusion bodies. In contrast to the conventional on column refolding using the soft gel supports, an efficient methodology using monolithic matrix has been employed. Nickel (II) coupled to convective interaction media (CIM) support was utilized for this purpose with 6M guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) as the chaotropic agent. The protein purified after solubilization and refolding proved to be biologically active with an IC50 value of 15 µg. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing the application of methacrylate based chromatographic supports for matrix-assisted refolding and purification of Escherichia coli inclusion bodies. The results are promising to elaborate the methodology further to exploit the potential positive features of monoliths in protein refolding science.

Cloning, expression, purification and characterization of a single chain variable fragment specific to tumor necrosis factor alpha in Escherichia coli.

Anti TNF-α molecules have been used as therapeutic agents in a variety of human diseases such as Rheumatoid arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Chron's diseases, Psoriasis, etc., where high levels of TNF-α plays a destructive role. The limitations of the present TNF-α inhibitors in terms of size, tissue penetration and immunogenicity, etc., provoked the search for small anti TNF-α molecules. In the present study, a single chain variable fragment (ScFv) construct was made from a monoclonal antibody of the class IgG raised against TNF-α was used. The anti TNF-α ScFv was well expressed as soluble form in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), which was purified to homogeneity by commercial methacrylate monolith-convective interaction media (CIM) supports using two different chemistries, immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) with copper ions followed by anion exchange chromatography. The anti TNF-α ScFv found to be inhibiting the TNF-α mediated cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells with an IC(50) of 8µg. Data presented here are promising and encouraging to further optimize anti TNF-α ScFv production in larger scale with higher recovery at a cheaper price for therapeutic purposes.

Characterization of metal chelate methacrylate monolithic disk for purification of polyclonal and monoclonal immunoglobulin G.

Dynamic binding capacity (DBC) of commercial metal-chelate methacrylate monolith-convective interaction media (CIM) was performed with commercial human immunoglobulin G (IgG) (Cohn fraction II, III). Monoliths are an attractive stationary phase for purification of large biomolecules because they exhibit very low back pressure even at high flow rates and flow-unaffected binding properties. Adsorption of IgG onto CIM-IDA disk immobilized with Cu(2+), Ni(2+) and Zn(2+) were studied with Tris-acetate (TA), phosphate-acetate (PA) and MMA (MES, MOPS and acetate) buffer systems at different flow rates. Adsorption and elution of IgG varied with different buffers and adsorption of IgG was maximum with MMA buffer. Adsorption of human IgG from Cohn fractions (II, III) was high when Cu(2+) was used as ligand. CIM-IDA disk showed dynamic binding capacity in the range of 14-16 mg/ml with Cu(2+) and 7-9 mg/ml with Ni(2+) for human IgG with MMA buffer. In the case of CIM-IDA-Zn(2+) column, the binding capacity was only about 0.5mg/ml of support. Different desorption strategies like lowering of pH and increasing of competitive agent were also studied to achieve maximum recovery. Chromatographic runs with human serum and mouse ascites fluid were also carried out with metal chelate methacrylate monolithic disk and the results indicate the potential of this technique for polyclonal human IgG and monoclonal IgG purification from complex biological samples.

Curcumin inhibits glyoxalase 1: a possible link to its anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activity.

BACKGROUND: Glyoxalases (Glo1 and Glo2) are involved in the glycolytic pathway by detoxifying the reactive methylglyoxal (MGO) into D-lactate in a two-step reaction using glutathione (GSH) as cofactor. Inhibitors of glyoxalases are considered as anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic agents. The recent finding that various polyphenols modulate Glo1 activity has prompted us to assess curcumin's potency as an Glo1 inhibitor. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Cultures of whole blood cells and tumor cell lines (PC-3, JIM-1, MDA-MD 231 and 1321N1) were set up to investigate the effect of selected polyphenols, including curcumin, on the LPS-induced cytokine production (cytometric bead-based array), cell proliferation (WST-1 assay), cytosolic Glo1 and Glo2 enzymatic activity, apoptosis/necrosis (annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining; flow cytometric analysis) as well as GSH and ATP content. Results of enzyme kinetics revealed that curcumin, compared to the polyphenols quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol, luteolin and rutin, elicited a stronger competitive inhibitory effect on Glo1 (K(i) = 5.1+/-1.4 microM). Applying a whole blood assay, IC(50) values of pro-inflammatory cytokine release (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1beta) were found to be positively correlated with the K(i)-values of the aforementioned polyphenols. Moreover, whereas curcumin was found to hamper the growth of breast cancer (JIMT-1, MDA-MB-231), prostate cancer PC-3 and brain astrocytoma 1321N1 cells, no effect on growth or vitality of human primary hepatocytes was elucidated. Curcumin decreased D-lactate release by tumor cells, another clue for inhibition of intracellular Glo1. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results described herein provide new insights into curcumin's biological activities as they indicate that inhibition of Glo1 by curcumin may result in non-tolerable levels of MGO and GSH, which, in turn, modulate various metabolic cellular pathways including depletion of cellular ATP and GSH content. This may account for curcumin's potency as an anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor agent. The findings support the use of curcumin as a potential therapeutic agent.

Targeted protein accumulation promoted by autoassembly and its recovery from plant cells.

The expression of a fusion protein formed between the avian infectious bronchitis virus M protein and the bacterial enzyme beta-glucuronidase (GUS) in plants promotes the formation of new organization of the endoplasmic reticulum in tobacco plants. This unusual organization of the membranes, never present in nontransformed plants, has been explained by the oligomerization of the GUS domains of the IBVM-GUS fusion proteins. These specific organized membranes could have broad implications for biotechnology since their formation could be used as a mechanism for retaining and accumulating resident proteins in specific and discrete membrane compartments. In this study, we have shown that the unusual organization of native membranes due to overexpression of the IBVM-GUS fusion gene in tobacco transgenic plants and calli is present at higher levels in plant cell suspensions than in plant tissues. In these cell suspensions, IBVM-GUS protein was continuously synthesized and accumulated throughout the cell culture. An enrichment of the chimeric IBVM-GUS protein corresponding to a five-fold increase in the microsomal fractions was achieved and the GUS enzyme did not show any modification on enzyme kinetics. However, the GUS activity could be differentially distributed in the fractions eluted at different pH suggesting differences in the surface topography of histidine residues for this recombinant GUS.