We have previously reported that levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in the erythrocyte membrane and of ceruloplasmin, a copper-transport antioxidant protein, in the serum are lower in children with autism than in control subjects. In the present study, we report that (a) copper oxidizes and reduces the levels of membrane PE and (b) copper-mediated oxidation of PE is higher in lymphoblasts ...

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element involved in normal reproduction but its over-exposure may produce some detrimental effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of purslane on copper sulfate poisoning on liver structures changes. Twenty eight wistar rats were randomly allocated to four treatment groups. Group I) Control, Group II) Copper sulfate (200 mg/kg bw were appl...

In eukaryotes, the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a major cytosolic cuproprotein with a small fraction residing in the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) to protect against respiratory superoxide. Curiously, the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is predicted to express two cytosolic SODs including Cu/Zn containing SOD1 and manganese containing SOD3. As part of a co...

Tuberculosis, caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a worldwide public health threat. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is capable of resisting various stresses in host cells, including high levels of ROS and copper ions. To better understand the resistance mechanisms of mycobacteria to copper, we generated a copper-resistant strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis, mc2155-Cu from the select...

BACKGROUND Glutamine synthetase (GS) plays a central role in plant nitrogen assimilation, a process intimately linked to soil water availability. We previously showed that hybrid poplar (Populus tremula X alba, INRA 717-1B4) expressing ectopically a pine cytosolic glutamine synthetase gene (GS1a) display enhanced tolerance to drought. Preliminary transcriptome profiling revealed that during dro...

Engineered nanoparticles are becoming increasingly incorporated into technology and consumer products. In 2014, over 300 tons of copper oxide nanoparticles were manufactured in the United States. The increased production of nanoparticles raises concerns regarding the potential introduction into the environment or human exposure. Copper oxide nanoparticles commonly release copper ions into solut...

The requirement for improved electrical performance and reduced silicon area has driven Copper to replace Aluminum interconnection as silicon technology is scaled beyond 0.25μm. The frontend change, in turn, pushes the wirebond pad pitch from above 100μm to the 80μm-66μm range. This creates challenges for back-end to probe and wire bond at fine pitch geometry onto a readily oxidized Copper surf...

Aging of biological systems is influenced by various factors, conditions and processes. Among others, processes allowing organisms to deal with various types of stress are of key importance. In particular, oxidative stress as the result of the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the mitochondrial respiratory chain and the accumulation of ROS-induced molecular damage has been strongly...

Grain boundaries (GBs) are often the preferred sites for void nucleation in ductile metals. However, it has been observed that all boundaries do not contribute equally to this process. We present a mechanistic rationale for the role of GBs in damage nucleation in copper, along with a quantitative map for predicting preferred void nucleation at GBs based on molecular dynamics simulations in copp...