Assessment of anti-arthritic potential of pulegone in formaldehyde- and Complete Freund's Adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

Pulegone, a monoterpene phytochemical, was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. This study investigated its preventive efficacy against rheumatoid arthritis using in vivo animal models and in vitro assays. The in vitro analysis included the inhibition of egg albumin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) denaturation, as well as the stabilization of red blood cell membranes against hemolysis, across concentrations of 50-6400 μg/mL.

HIV-1 Gag targeting to the plasma membrane reorganizes sphingomyelin-rich and cholesterol-rich lipid domains.

Although the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 lipid envelope has been reported to be enriched with host cell sphingomyelin and cholesterol, the molecular mechanism of the enrichment is not well understood. Viral Gag protein plays a central role in virus budding. Here, we report the interaction between Gag and host cell lipids using different quantitative and super-resolution microscopy techniques in combination with specific probes that bind endogenous sphingomyelin and cholesterol.

Zinc Fingers in HIV-1 Gag Precursor Are Not Equivalent for gRNA Recruitment at the Plasma Membrane.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag precursor specifically selects the unspliced viral genomic RNA (gRNA) from the bulk of cellular and spliced viral RNAs via its nucleocapsid (NC) domain and drives gRNA encapsidation at the plasma membrane (PM). To further identify the determinants governing the intracellular trafficking of Gag-gRNA complexes and their accumulation at the PM, we compared, in living and fixed cells, the interactions between gRNA and wild-type Gag or Gag mutants carrying deletions in NC zinc fingers (ZFs) or a nonmyristoylated version of Gag. Our data showed that the deletion of both ZFs simultaneously or the complete NC domain completely abolished intracytoplasmic Gag-gRNA interactions.