Sigma-Aldrich

Ethanol purum, fine spirit, denaturated with 4.8% methanol, F25 METHYL1, ~96% (based on denaturant-free substance); CAS Number: 64-17-5; Synonyms: Ethyl alcohol; Linear Formula: CH3CH2OH; find Sigma-Aldrich-02857 MSDS, related peer-reviewed papers, technical documents, similar products & more at Sigma-Aldrich

Ethanol purum, fine spirit, denaturated with 4.8 methanol, F25 METHYL1, 96 (v/v) based on denaturant-free substance 64-17-5

purum, fine spirit, denaturated with 4.8% methanol, F25 METHYL<SUP>1</SUP>, ~96% (based on denaturant-free substance)

Ethanol purum, fine spirit, denaturated with 4.8% methanol, F25 METHYL1, ~96% (based on denaturant-free substance)

Ethanol

Physicochemical Properties of SnO2-Sb2 O 5 Films Prepared by the Spray Pyrolysis Technique.

Synthesis of ZnO nanorod and the annealing effect on its photoluminescence property.

50-Hz extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields enhance cell proliferation and DNA damage: possible involvement of a redox mechanism.

Fabrication of thin film dye sensitized solar cells with solar to electric power conversion efficiency over 10%.

Several zwitterionic detergents differing in their polar heads, linker parts and hydrophobia tail were synthesized and evaluated for their efficiency in protein solubilizers for two-dimensional electrophoresis. A model system consisting of human red blood cell ghosts was used for this purpose. This study leads to the description of several new efficient detergents and allowed us to derive structural constraints for the design and synthesis of efficient detergents for two-dimensional electrophoresis. These constraints apply to the hydrophilic head (sulfobetaine but not carboxybetaine), to the hydrophobic tail (12 to 16 alkyl carbons long, linear alkyl or alkylaryl) and to the presence and nature of the linker between the hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail.

Structure-efficiency relationships of zwitterionic detergents as protein solubilizers in two-dimensional electrophoresis.

Spectrophotometric characteristics of chlorophylls a and b and their pheophytins in ethanol.

A new oxidase-peroxidase kit for ethanol assays in alcoholic beverages.      

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common chronic neurodegenerative disorder, usually of idiopathic origin. Symptoms including tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity and postural instability are caused by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the nigrostriatal region of the brain. Symptomatic therapies are available but no treatment slows or prevents the loss of neurons. Neuroinflammation has been implicated in its pathogenesis. To this end, the present study utilises the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) neurotoxin to reproduce the pattern of cell death evident in PD patients. Herein, the role of a potential regulator of an immune response, the endocannabinoid system (ECS), is investigated. The most prevalent endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) (3 and 5mg/kg), was added exogenously and its enzymatic degradation inhibited to provide protection against MPTP-induced cell death. Furthermore, the addition of DFU (25mg/kg), a selective inhibitor of inflammatory mediator cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), potentiated these effects. Levels of 2-AG were shown to be upregulated in a time- and region-specific manner following MPTP administration, indicating that the ECS represents a natural defence mechanism against inflammation, potentiation of which could provide therapeutic benefits. The results expand the current understanding of the role that this signalling system has and its potential influence in PD.

Increasing levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG is neuroprotective in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

RNA-guided genome editing with the CRISPR-Cas9 system has great potential for basic and clinical research, but the determinants of targeting specificity and the extent of off-target cleavage remain insufficiently understood. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), we mapped genome-wide binding sites of catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) in HEK293T cells, in combination with 12 different single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). The number of off-target sites bound by dCas9 varied from ∼10 to >1,000 depending on the sgRNA. Analysis of off-target binding sites showed the importance of the PAM-proximal region of the sgRNA guiding sequence and that dCas9 binding sites are enriched in open chromatin regions. When targeted with catalytically active Cas9, some off-target binding sites had indels above background levels in a region around the ChIP-seq peak, but generally at lower rates than the on-target sites. Our results elucidate major determinants of Cas9 targeting, and we show that ChIP-seq allows unbiased detection of Cas9 binding sites genome-wide.

Genome-wide analysis reveals characteristics of off-target sites bound by the Cas9 endonuclease.

Mesolimbic dopamine (DA) controls drug- and alcohol-seeking behavior, but the role of specific DA receptor subtypes is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that D3R gene deletion or the D3R pharmacological blockade inhibits ethanol preference in mice. D3R-deficient mice (D3R(-/-)) and their wild-type (WT) littermates, treated or not with the D3R antagonists SB277011A and U99194A, were tested in a long-term free choice ethanol-drinking (two-bottle choice) and in a binge-like ethanol-drinking paradigm (drinking in the dark, DID). The selectivity of the D3R antagonists was further assessed by molecular modeling. Ethanol intake was negligible in D3R(-/-) and robust in WT both in the two-bottle choice and DID paradigms. Treatment with D3R antagonists inhibited ethanol intake in WT but was ineffective in D3R(-/-) mice. Ethanol intake increased the expression of RACK1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in both WT and D3R(-/-); in WT there was also a robust overexpression of D3R. Thus, increased expression of D3R associated with activation of RACK1/BDNF seems to operate as a reinforcing mechanism in voluntary ethanol intake. Indeed, blockade of the BDNF pathway by the TrkB selective antagonist ANA-12 reversed chronic stable ethanol intake and strongly decreased the striatal expression of D3R. Finally, we evaluated buspirone, an approved drug for anxiety disorders endowed with D3R antagonist activity (confirmed by molecular modeling analysis), that resulted effective in inhibiting ethanol intake. Thus, DA signaling via D3R is essential for ethanol-related reward and consumption and may represent a novel therapeutic target for weaning.

Dopamine D3 receptor is necessary for ethanol consumption: an approach with buspirone.

Stem cell (SC) division, deployment, and differentiation are processes that contribute to corneal epithelial renewal. Until now studying the destiny of these cells in a living mammal has not been possible. However, the advent of inducible multicolor genetic tagging and powerful imaging technologies has rendered this achievable in the translucent and readily accessible murine cornea. K14CreER(T2)-Confetti mice that harbor two copies of the Brainbow 2.1 cassette, yielding up to 10 colors from the stochastic recombination of fluorescent proteins, were used to monitor K-14(+) progenitor cell dynamics within the corneal epithelium in live animals. Multicolored columns of cells emerged from the basal limbal epithelium as they expanded and migrated linearly at a rate of 10.8 µm/day toward the central cornea. Moreover, the permanent expression of fluorophores, passed on from progenitor to progeny, assisted in discriminating individual clones as spectrally distinct streaks containing more than 1,000 cells within the illuminated area. The centripetal clonal expansion is suggestive that a single progenitor cell is responsible for maintaining a narrow corridor of corneal epithelial cells. Our data are in agreement with the limbus as the repository for SC as opposed to SC being distributed throughout the central cornea. This is the first report describing stem/progenitor cell fate determination in the murine cornea using multicolor genetic tracing. This model represents a powerful new resource to monitor SC kinetics and fate choice under homeostatic conditions, and may assist in assessing clonal evolution during corneal development, aging, wound-healing, disease, and following transplantation.

Tracing the fate of limbal epithelial progenitor cells in the murine cornea.

Approximately 50% of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have ongoing expression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) in the liver. It is unclear why this endogenous antiviral response is inefficient in eradicating the infection. Several viral escape strategies have been identified in vitro, including inhibition of interferon (IFN) induction and ISG messenger RNA (mRNA) translation. The in vivo relevance of these mechanisms is unknown, because reliable methods to identify hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected cells in human liver are lacking. We developed a highly sensitive in situ hybridization (ISH) system capable of HCV RNA and ISG mRNA detection in human liver biopsies and applied it to study the interaction of HCV with the endogenous IFN system. We simultaneously monitored HCV RNA and ISG mRNA using HCV isolate- and ISG mRNA-specific probes in liver biopsy sections from 18 CHC patients. The signals were quantified at the single-cell resolution in a series of random high-power fields. The proportion of infected hepatocytes ranged from 1%-54% and correlated with viral load, but not with HCV genotype or ISG expression. Infected cells occurred in clusters, pointing to cell-to-cell spread as the predominant mode of HCV transmission. ISG mRNAs were readily detected in HCV-infected cells, challenging previously proposed mechanisms of viral interference with the immune system. Conversely, infected cells and neighboring cells showed increased ISG mRNA levels, demonstrating that the stimulus driving ISG expression originates from HCV-infected hepatocytes. HCV infection in human hepatocytes during CHC does not efficiently interfere with IFN induction, IFN signaling, or transcription of ISG mRNA.

Simultaneous detection of hepatitis C virus and interferon stimulated gene expression in infected human liver.

The reference human genome sequence set the stage for studies of genetic variation and its association with human disease, but epigenomic studies lack a similar reference. To address this need, the NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Consortium generated the largest collection so far of human epigenomes for primary cells and tissues. Here we describe the integrative analysis of 111 reference human epigenomes generated as part of the programme, profiled for histone modification patterns, DNA accessibility, DNA methylation and RNA expression. We establish global maps of regulatory elements, define regulatory modules of coordinated activity, and their likely activators and repressors. We show that disease- and trait-associated genetic variants are enriched in tissue-specific epigenomic marks, revealing biologically relevant cell types for diverse human traits, and providing a resource for interpreting the molecular basis of human disease. Our results demonstrate the central role of epigenomic information for understanding gene regulation, cellular differentiation and human disease.

Integrative analysis of 111 reference human epigenomes.

Inactivating mutations of the NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO), a key component of NF-κB signaling, cause the genetic disease incontinentia pigmenti (IP). This leads to severe neurological symptoms, but the mechanisms underlying brain involvement were unclear. Here, we show that selectively deleting Nemo or the upstream kinase Tak1 in brain endothelial cells resulted in death of endothelial cells, a rarefaction of brain microvessels, cerebral hypoperfusion, a disrupted blood-brain barrier (BBB), and epileptic seizures. TAK1 and NEMO protected the BBB by activating the transcription factor NF-κB and stabilizing the tight junction protein occludin. They also prevented brain endothelial cell death in a NF-κB-independent manner by reducing oxidative damage. Our data identify crucial functions of inflammatory TAK1-NEMO signaling in protecting the brain endothelium and maintaining normal brain function, thus explaining the neurological symptoms associated with IP.

Brain endothelial TAK1 and NEMO safeguard the neurovascular unit.

Eater is an EGF-like repeat transmembrane receptor of the Nimrod family and is expressed in Drosophila hemocytes. Eater was initially identified for its role in phagocytosis of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We have deleted eater and show that it appears to be required for efficient phagocytosis of Gram-positive but not Gram-negative bacteria. However, the most striking phenotype of eater deficient larvae is the near absence of sessile hemocytes, both plasmatocyte and crystal cell types. The eater deletion is the first loss of function mutation identified that causes absence of the sessile hemocyte state. Our study shows that Eater is required cell-autonomously in plasmatocytes for sessility. However, the presence of crystal cells in the sessile compartment requires Eater in plasmatocytes. We also show that eater deficient hemocytes exhibit a cell adhesion defect. Collectively, our data uncovers a new requirement of Eater in enabling hemocyte attachment at the sessile compartment and points to a possible role of Nimrod family members in hemocyte adhesion.

The Nimrod transmembrane receptor Eater is required for hemocyte attachment to the sessile compartment in Drosophila melanogaster.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor, also known as Met, is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family. The Met-HGF interaction regulates various signalling pathways involving downstream kinases, such as Akt and Erk. Met activation is implicated in wound healing of tissues via multiple biological responses triggered by the above-mentioned signalling cascade. Here we report the development of artificial Met-activating dimeric macrocycles. We identify Met-binding monomeric macrocyclic peptides by means of the RaPID (random non-standard peptide integrated discovery) system, and dimerize the respective monomers through rational design. These dimeric macrocycles specifically and strongly activate Met signalling pathways through receptor dimerization and induce various HGF-like cellular responses, such as branching morphogenesis, in human cells. This work suggests our approach for generating dimeric macrocycles as non-protein ligands for cell surface receptors can be useful for developing potential therapeutics with a broad range of potential applications.

Artificial human Met agonists based on macrocycle scaffolds.

While significant effort has been dedicated to the characterization of epigenetic changes associated with prenatal differentiation, relatively little is known about the epigenetic changes that accompany post-natal differentiation where fully functional differentiated cell types with limited lifespans arise. Here we sought to address this gap by generating epigenomic and transcriptional profiles from primary human breast cell types isolated from disease-free human subjects. From these data we define a comprehensive human breast transcriptional network, including a set of myoepithelial- and luminal epithelial-specific intronic retention events. Intersection of epigenetic states with RNA expression from distinct breast epithelium lineages demonstrates that mCpG provides a stable record of exonic and intronic usage, whereas H3K36me3 is dynamic. We find a striking asymmetry in epigenomic reprogramming between luminal and myoepithelial cell types, with the genomes of luminal cells harbouring more than twice the number of hypomethylated enhancer elements compared with myoepithelial cells.

Epigenetic and transcriptional determinants of the human breast.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has one of the worst prognoses for survival as it is poorly responsive to both conventional chemotherapy and mechanism-directed therapy. This results from a lack of therapeutic concentration in the tumor tissue coupled with the highly toxic off-site effects exhibited by these compounds. Consequently, we believe the best packaging for holistic therapy for HCC will involve three components: a potent therapeutic, a rationally designed drug delivery vehicle to enrich the target site concentration of the drug, and a surface ligand that can enable a greater propensity to internalization by tumor cells compared to the parenchyma. We screened a library containing hundreds of compounds against a panel of HCC cells and found the natural product, triptolide, to be more effective than sorafenib, doxorubicin, and daunorubicin, which are the current standards of therapy. However, the potential clinical application of triptolide is limited due to its poor solubility and high toxicity. Consequently, we synthesized tumor pH-sensitive nanoformulated triptolide coated with folate for use in an HCC-subpopulation that overexpresses the folate receptor. Our results show triptolide itself can prevent disease progression, but at the cost of significant toxicity. Conversely, our pH-sensitive nanoformulated triptolide facilitates uptake into the tumor, and specifically tumor cells, leading to a further increase in efficacy while mitigating systemic toxicity.

pH-sensitive nanoformulated triptolide as a targeted therapeutic strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

DOCK8 mutations result in an inherited combined immunodeficiency characterized by increased susceptibility to skin and other infections. We show that when DOCK8-deficient T and NK cells migrate through confined spaces, they develop cell shape and nuclear deformation abnormalities that do not impair chemotaxis but contribute to a distinct form of catastrophic cell death we term cytothripsis. Such defects arise during lymphocyte migration in collagen-dense tissues when DOCK8, through CDC42 and p21-activated kinase (PAK), is unavailable to coordinate cytoskeletal structures. Cytothripsis of DOCK8-deficient cells prevents the generation of long-lived skin-resident memory CD8 T cells, which in turn impairs control of herpesvirus skin infections. Our results establish that DOCK8-regulated shape integrity of lymphocytes prevents cytothripsis and promotes antiviral immunity in the skin.

DOCK8 regulates lymphocyte shape integrity for skin antiviral immunity.

Protein kinase A (PKA) hyperactivation causes hereditary endocrine neoplasias; however, its role in sporadic epithelial cancers is unknown. Here, we show that heightened PKA activity in the mammary epithelium generates tumors. Mammary-restricted biallelic ablation of Prkar1a, which encodes for the critical type-I PKA regulatory subunit, induced spontaneous breast tumors characterized by enhanced type-II PKA activity. Downstream of this, Src phosphorylation occurs at residues serine-17 and tyrosine-416 and mammary cell transformation is driven through a mechanism involving Src signaling. The phenotypic consequences of these alterations consisted of increased cell proliferation and, accordingly, expansion of both luminal and basal epithelial cell populations. In human breast cancer, low PRKAR1A/high SRC expression defines basal-like and HER2 breast tumors associated with poor clinical outcome. Together, the results of this study define a novel molecular mechanism altered in breast carcinogenesis and highlight the potential strategy of inhibiting SRC signaling in treating this cancer subtype in humans.