The eosinophil granule protein major basic protein (MBP) is toxic to a wide variety of cell types, by a poorly understood mechanism. To determine whether the action of MBP involves an alteration in membrane permeability, we tested purified MBP on rabbit urinary bladder epithelium using transepithelial voltage-clamp techniques. Addition of nanomolar concentrations of MBP to the mucosal solution ...

Sesamia nonagrioides is one of the most damaging pests of corn in Spain and other Mediterranean countries. Bt corn expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxin is being grown on about 58,000 ha in Spain. Here we studied the mode of action of this Cry protein on S. nonagrioides (binding to specific receptors, stability of binding, and pore formation) and the modes of action of other Cry pr...

This report extends research on Al-induced changes in membrane behavior of intact root cortex cells of Northern red oak (Quercus rubra). Membrane permeability was determined by the plasmometric method for individual intact cells at temperatures from 2 or 4 to 35 degrees C. Al (0.37 millimolar) significantly increased membrane permeability to urea and monoethyl urea and decreased permeability to...

Exposure of the pulmonary pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus to amphotericin B alters membrane permeability as indicated by the escape of amino acids and protein from the mycelium. Amphotericin B exposure for periods of 2-4 h also leads to increased release of the immunosuppressive agent gliotoxin into the surrounding culture medium. Examination of the intracellular gliotoxin concentration followin...

Membrane permeability of an epithelial cell junction (Drosophila salivary gland) was examined with intraccllular microclectrodes and with fluorescent tracers. In contrast to the non-junctional cell membrane surface, which has a low permeability to ions (I0 -4 mho/cm2), the junctional membranc surface is highly pcrmcable. In fact, it introduces no substantial restriction to ion flow beyond that ...

Membrane active peptides are of large interest for development of drug delivery vehicles and therapeutics for treatment of multiple drug resistant infections. Lack of specificity can be detrimental and finding routes to tune specificity and activity of membrane active peptides is vital for improving their therapeutic efficacy and minimize harmful side effects. We describe a de novo designed mem...

more than half of all hydrocarbon reservoirs are naturally fractured reservoirs (nfrs), in which production forecasting is a complicated function of fluid flow in a fracture-matrix system. modelling of fluid flow in nfrs is challenging due to formation heterogeneity and anisotropy. stress sensitivity and depletion effect on already-complex reservoir permeability add to the sophistication. horiz...

new edible composite films formed from salep (orchis mascula) and 10%, 20%, and 30% (w/w) oleic acid were prepared by emulsification with the aim of improving the water vapor barrier and mechanical properties of the film. as oleic acid concentration increased up to 30% (w/w), oxygen permeability (27%), elongation at break (86%) and thickness (2%) of salep films increased significantly and the t...

DEAE-Dextran, Dunaliella, Membrane Permeability, Photosynthesis, Polycations As a prerequisite for studies o f the intracellular distribution o f enzymes o f the glycerol cycle in Dunaliella parva, the effect o f the polycation DEAE-dextran on the permeability o f membranes for various endogenous compounds and on photosynthesis was investigated. DEAE-dextran induces an increase o f the permeabi...

In this study, the toxicities of sediment-associated silver added to sediment as commercially available silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, 20 and 80 nm) and aqueous Ag (AgNO3) to the estuarine polychaete, Nereis (Hediste) diversicolor, were investigated for both individual and subcellular endpoints after 10 d of exposure. Both Ag NP types were characterized in parallel to the toxicity studies and fo...