Rosette Nanotubes Alter IgE-Mediated Degranulation in the Rat Basophilic Leukemia (RBL)-2H3 Cell Line

Chiral nanotubes self-assembled from discrete non-covalent macrocycles

Many strategies have been used to construct supramolecular hollow tubes, including helical folding of oligomers, bundling of rod-like structures, rolling-up of sheets and stacking of covalent cycles. On the other hand, controlling chirality at the supramolecular level continues attracting much interest because of its implications in future applications of porous systems. This review article covers the main examples in the literature that use simple molecular structures as chiral units for precise assembly into discrete non-covalent cyclic structures that are able to form chiral supramolecular tubular systems.

Detoxification of Bee Venom Increases Its Anti-inflammatory Activity and Decreases Its Cytotoxicity and Allergenic Activity

Bee venom is a medicinal product that is widely used in traditional therapies owing to its excellent anti-inflammatory activity. However, the use of bee venom has shown adverse effects. Therefore, there is a need for research that can remove the cytotoxicity of bee venom and enhance its efficacy. In this study, we hydrolyzed melittin, the main component of bee venom, and removed the other components to eliminate the toxicity of bee venom. To compare the efficacy of bee venom and detoxified bee venom, we examined their antioxidant effects using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. In addition, cytotoxicity was confirmed in MCF 10A and RAW 264.7 cells, using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assay. Detoxified bee venom showed a strong antioxidant activity and decreased a cytotoxicity in MCF 10A and RAW 264.7 cells. The anti-inflammatory activity of detoxified bee venom and bee venom were assessed by comparison of the expression of inflammatory cytokine mRNA and phosphorylation of IκBα in RAW 264.7 cells. Degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells was analyzed through β-hexosaminidase release assay to confirm the allergenic activity of bee venom and detoxified bee venom. Treatment of the detoxified bee venom inhibited inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression, IκBα phosphorylation, and β-hexosaminidase release. Taken together, the results indicated that compared to bee venom, detoxified bee venom exhibited decreased cytotoxicity and allergenicity and increased anti-inflammatory activity. In conclusion, detoxification of bee venom efficiently decreases the adverse effects, making it suitable for medicinal applications.

Cellular Delivery of Plasmid DNA into Wheat Microspores Using Rosette Nanotubes

Plant genetic engineering offers promising solutions to the increasing demand for efficient, sustainable, and high-yielding crop production as well as changing environmental conditions. The main challenge for gene delivery in plants is the presence of a cell wall that limits the transportation of genes within the cells. Microspores are plant cells that are, under the right conditions, capable of generating embryos, leading to the formation of haploid plants. Here, we designed cationic and fluorescent rosette nanotubes (RNTs) that penetrate the cell walls of viable wheat microspores under mild conditions and in the absence of an external force. These nanomaterials can capture plasmid DNA to form RNT-DNA complexes and transport their DNA cargo into live microspores. The nanomaterials and the complexes formed were nontoxic to the microspores.

Molecular and supramolecular chemistry of rosette nanotubes

Synthetic strategies used to tune the properties of a class of supramolecular 1D nanostructures, the rosette nanotubes, are reviewed herein.