Laser-Induced Optical Breakdown of an Aqueous Colloidal Solution Containing Terbium Nanoparticles: The Effect of Oxidation of Nanoparticles

The influence of the number of oxidized terbium nanoparticles on the intensity of physicochemical processes occurring during optical breakdown in aqueous colloidal solutions of nanoparticles has been studied. It is shown that the effect of the number of oxidized terbium nanoparticles on the physicochemical processes occurring during optical breakdown depends significantly on the fluence of laser radiation. At a fluence of less than 100-110 J/cm², plasma formation processes occur more intensively on less-oxidized (metal) nanoparticles. At a fluence of more than 100-110 J/cm², the processes of plasma formation during optical breakdown occur much more intensively on more-oxidized nanoparticles. It has been established that the dependence of the rate of laser-induced decomposition of water on the concentration of nanoparticles is two-phase. The rate of generation of water decomposition products increases with an increase in the concentration of nanoparticles up to 10⁹ NP/mL. With a further increase in the concentration of nanoparticles, the rate of generation of water decomposition products decreases. In this case, more than 99% of the decomposition products of water are formed due to the action of plasma, and the share of ultraviolet and ultrasound formed during optical breakdown is approximately 0.5% on each.

Influence of electromagnetic waves, with maxima in the green or red range, on the morphofunctional properties of multipotent stem cells

This paper examines the effect of electromagnetic waves, with maxima in the green or red regions of the spectrum, on the morphofunctional state of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. The illumination regimes used in our experiments did not lead to any substantial heating of the samples; the physical parameters of the lighting were carefully monitored. When the samples were illuminated with a green light, no significant photostimulatory effect was observed. Red light, on the other hand, had an evident photostimulatory effect. It is shown that photostimulation with a red light decreases the enzymatic activities of mitochondrial dehydrogenases and enhances the viability of cells, their proliferative activity, and their ability to form bone tissue. It is also established that red light stimulates cell proliferation, while not activating the genes that increase the risk of the subsequent malignant transformation of cells or their death. This paper discusses the possible role of hydrogen peroxide in the processes examined.

Transcriptional coupling (Mfd) and DNA damage scanning (DisA) coordinate excision repair events for efficient Bacillus subtilis spore outgrowth

The absence of base excision repair (BER) proteins involved in processing ROS-promoted genetic insults activates a DNA damage scanning (DisA)-dependent checkpoint event in outgrowing Bacillus subtilis spores. Here, we report that genetic disabling of transcription-coupled repair (TCR) or nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathways severely affected outgrowth of ΔdisA spores, and much more so than the effects of these mutations on log phase growth. This defect delayed the first division of spore's nucleoid suggesting that unrepaired lesions affected transcription and/or replication during outgrowth. Accordingly, return to life of spores deficient in DisA/Mfd or DisA/UvrA was severely affected by a ROS-inducer or a replication blocking agent, hydrogen peroxide and 4-nitroquinoline-oxide, respectively. Mutation frequencies to rifampin resistance (Rifr ) revealed that DisA allowed faithful NER-dependent DNA repair but activated error-prone repair in TCR-deficient outgrowing spores. Sequencing analysis of rpoB from spontaneous Rifr colonies revealed that mutations resulting from base deamination predominated in outgrowing wild-type spores. Interestingly, a wide range of base substitutions promoted by oxidized DNA bases were detected in ΔdisA and Δmfd outgrown spores. Overall, our results suggest that Mfd and DisA coordinate excision repair events in spore outgrowth to eliminate DNA lesions that interfere with replication and transcription during this developmental period.

Roles of endonuclease V, uracil-DNA glycosylase, and mismatch repair in Bacillus subtilis DNA base-deamination-induced mutagenesis

The disruption of ung, the unique uracil-DNA-glycosylase-encoding gene in Bacillus subtilis, slightly increased the spontaneous mutation frequency to rifampin resistance (Rif(r)), suggesting that additional repair pathways counteract the mutagenic effects of uracil in this microorganism. An alternative excision repair pathway is involved in this process, as the loss of YwqL, a putative endonuclease V homolog, significantly increased the mutation frequency of the ung null mutant, suggesting that Ung and YwqL both reduce the mutagenic effects of base deamination. Consistent with this notion, sodium bisulfite (SB) increased the Rif(r) mutation frequency of the single ung and double ung ywqL strains, and the absence of Ung and/or YwqL decreased the ability of B. subtilis to eliminate uracil from DNA. Interestingly, the Rif(r) mutation frequency of single ung and mutSL (mismatch repair [MMR] system) mutants was dramatically increased in a ung knockout strain that was also deficient in MutSL, suggesting that the MMR pathway also counteracts the mutagenic effects of uracil. Since the mutation frequency of the ung mutSL strain was significantly increased by SB, in addition to Ung, the mutagenic effects promoted by base deamination in growing B. subtilis cells are prevented not only by YwqL but also by MMR. Importantly, in nondividing cells of B. subtilis, the accumulations of mutations in three chromosomal alleles were significantly diminished following the disruption of ung and ywqL. Thus, under conditions of nutritional stress, the processing of deaminated bases in B. subtilis may normally occur in an error-prone manner to promote adaptive mutagenesis.

DNA-Platinum Thin Films for Use in Chemoradiation Therapy Studies

Dry films of platinum chemotherapeutic drugs covalently bound to plasmid DNA (Pt-DNA) represent a useful experimental model to investigate direct effects of radiation on DNA in close proximity to platinum chemotherapeutic agents, a situation of considerable relevance to understand the mechanisms underlying concomitant chemoradiation therapy. In the present paper we determine the optimum conditions for preparation of Pt-DNA films for use in irradiation experiments. Incubation conditions for DNA platination reactions have a substantial effect on the structure of Pt-DNA in the films. The quantity of Pt bound to DNA as a function of incubation time and temperature is measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Our experiments indicate that chemical instability and damage to DNA in Pt-DNA samples increase when DNA platination occurs at 37^°C for 24 hours, the condition which has been extensively used for in vitro studies. Platination of DNA for the formation of Pt-DNA films is optimal at room temperature for reaction times less than 2 hours. By increasing the concentration of Pt compounds relative to DNA and thus accelerating the rate of their mutual binding, it is possible to prepare Pt-DNA samples containing known concentrations of Pt while reducing DNA degradation caused by more lengthy procedures.