ID: 1042 Production of PHA from Pseudomonas Plecoglossicida and its biomedical application

To reduce the amount of plastic waste, world-wide programs for efficient management of utilized plastic materials, such as recycling, have been started PHAs could be completely relied on replacing the conventional plastics as they share similar thermo mechanical properties with the petrochemical based plastics. PHA exhibit high level of biocompatibility and biodegradability, hence they are used for several biomedical applications. PHA extracted from Pseudomonas plecoglossicida checked for its ability to attach cancer cells was investigated. Cancer cells showed high affinity of adherence on the PHA sheets used. Contact angle detection have proved that only cancer cells showed the adherence effect and normal cells did not exhibit such adherence property towards the PHA sheets which was further authenticated by contact angle observations. Hence, PHA sheets can be effectively used as a valid target for the contact angle detection of cancer cells.

The regulation by iron of the synthesis of adhesins and cytoadherence levels in the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis.

Levels of adherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to epithelial cells was found to be modulated by iron. Cytoadherence values were greater than or equal to twofold higher for trichomonads grown in a complex cultivation medium supplemented with iron. This increase in adherence levels was specifically mediated by iron; parasites cultured in a low-iron medium in the presence of salts other than iron were unresponsive to changes in adherence levels. Expression of the higher adherence property, by parasites grown first in low-iron medium followed by supplementation with iron, was a function of time, and the extent of cytoadherence was proportional to the concentration of iron added to the medium. Lactoferrin, an important iron source for trichomonads at the site of infection, elevated adherence of the parasite to epithelial cells, demonstrating the likely in vivo modulation of adherence by iron. The alteration of levels of adherence caused by iron was determined to be a reflection of gene expression of previously characterized trichomonad adhesins. Parasites grown under iron-replete conditions had higher quantities of surface-exposed adhesins, and this was a result of increased synthesis of adhesins. Actinomycin D and alpha-amanitin prevented expression of adhesin molecules, which resulted in decreased cytoadherence, showing that adhesin synthesis was dependent on gene transcription. Data indicated that genes encoding the four trichomonad adhesins are coordinately regulated by iron.