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State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal
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State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 12500

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Artur Valente

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: transport phenomena; surfactants; biopolymers; polysaccharides; supramolecular chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Maria João Moreno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Chemistry and Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: membrane biophysics; membrane lateral organization; lipid–drug interaction; membrane permeability; pharmacokinetics; P-glycoprotein; isothermal titration calorimetr; fluorescence spectroscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Nuno C. Santos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: molecular biophysics; biochemistry and nanomedicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to announce a call for submissions to a Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences on the topic of “State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal”.

Macromolecules are an important class of materials with a relevant impact on our lives. Among them, those of biological origin are familiar in nature and include carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins and, lato sensu, also lipids.

This Special Issue aims to highlight fundamental and applied aspects on advanced research on macromolecules in Portugal, in different fields including, but not limited to, biomedical, biochemistry, food chemistry, drug delivery, colloid and supramolecular chemistry, and the biorefinery and paper industry.

We encourage the submission of both original research articles and topical reviews on all aspects of macromolecules of biological origin.

Prof. Dr. Artur J.M. Valente
Prof. Dr. Maria João Moreno
Prof. Dr. Nuno C. Santos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polysaccharides
  • protein structure, dynamics, and function
  • nucleic acids
  • lipids and colloidal stability
  • supramolecular complexes
  • biocompatibility and biological functions
  • drug delivery
  • food chemistry
  • functional materials
  • biogels
  • tissue engineering

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 171 KiB  
Editorial
State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal
by Artur J. M. Valente, Nuno C. Santos and Maria João Moreno
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 620; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010620 - 3 Jan 2024
Viewed by 805
Abstract
This Special Issue presents five contributions covering various topics, as it would be expected for an area as comprehensive and multidisciplinary as Macromolecules [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal)

Research

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13 pages, 1693 KiB  
Article
Targeting the Mannose Receptor with Functionalized Fucoidan/Chitosan Nanoparticles Triggers the Classical Activation of Macrophages
by Filipa Serrasqueiro, Ana Isabel Barbosa, Sofia A. Costa Lima and Salette Reis
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(12), 9908; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24129908 - 8 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2192
Abstract
Understanding how nanoparticles’ properties influence their cellular interactions is a bottleneck for improving the design of carriers. Macrophage polarization governs their active role in solving infections or tissue repair. To unravel the effect of carbohydrate-targeting mannose receptors on the macrophage surface, drug-free fucoidan/chitosan [...] Read more.
Understanding how nanoparticles’ properties influence their cellular interactions is a bottleneck for improving the design of carriers. Macrophage polarization governs their active role in solving infections or tissue repair. To unravel the effect of carbohydrate-targeting mannose receptors on the macrophage surface, drug-free fucoidan/chitosan nanoparticles were functionalized using mannose (M) and mannan (Mn). Polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles were obtained upon chitosan self-assembly using fucoidan. The functionalized nanoparticles were characterized in terms of their physicochemical characteristics, chemical profile, and carbohydrate orientation. The nanoparticles varied in size from 200 to 400 nm, were monodisperse, and had a stable negative zeta potential with a low aggregation tendency. The nonfunctionalized and functionalized nanoparticles retained their properties for up to 12 weeks. Cell viability and internalization studies were performed for all the designed nanoparticles in the THP-1 monocytes and THP-1-differentiated macrophages. The expression of the mannose receptor was verified in both immune cells. The carbohydrate-functionalized nanoparticles led to their activation and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Both M- and Mn-coated nanoparticles modulate macrophages toward an M1-polarized state. These findings demonstrate the tailoring of these nanoplatforms to interact and alter the macrophage phenotype in vitro and represent their therapeutic potential either alone or in combination with a loaded drug for future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal)
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10 pages, 719 KiB  
Article
Interactions between Sodium Hyaluronate and β-Cyclodextrin as Seen by Transport Properties
by Lenka Musilová, Aleš Mráček, Eduarda F. G. Azevedo, Artur J. M. Valente, Ana M. T. D. P. V. Cabral, Ana C. F. Ribeiro and Miguel A. Esteso
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2889; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032889 - 2 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1822
Abstract
Knowledge of mass transport parameters, diffusion, and viscosity of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the presence of cyclodextrins is of considerable importance for areas such as food packaging and drug delivery, among others. Despite a number of studies investigating the functionalization of HA or [...] Read more.
Knowledge of mass transport parameters, diffusion, and viscosity of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the presence of cyclodextrins is of considerable importance for areas such as food packaging and drug delivery, among others. Despite a number of studies investigating the functionalization of HA or the corresponding sodium salt by cyclodextrins, only a few studies have reported the effect of cyclodextrins on the mass transport of HA in the presence of these oligosaccharides. Here, we report the tracer binary and ternary interdiffusion coefficients of sodium hyaluronate (NaHy) in water and aqueous β-cyclodextrin solutions. The diffusion behavior of sodium hyaluronate was dependent on the reduced viscosity of NaHy, which, in turn, presented a concave dependence on concentration, with a minimum at approximately 2.5 g dm−3. The significant decrease in the limiting diffusion coefficient of NaHy (at most 45%) at NaHy concentrations below 1 g dm−3 in the presence of β-cyclodextrin, taking water as the reference, allowed us to conclude that NaHy strongly interacted with the cyclodextrin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal)
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11 pages, 5452 KiB  
Article
Effect of Cobalt and Chromium Ions on the Chlorhexidine Digluconate as Seen by Intermolecular Diffusion
by Sónia I. G. Fangaia, Pedro M. G. Nicolau, Fernando A. D. R. A. Guerra, M. Melia Rodrigo, Gianluca Utzeri, Ana M. T. D. P. V. Cabral, Artur J. M. Valente, Miguel A. Esteso and Ana C. F. Ribeiro
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(24), 13266; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222413266 - 9 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2538
Abstract
Metal ions such as cobalt (II) and chromium (III) might be present in the oral cavity, as a consequence of the corrosion of Co-Cr dental alloys. The diffusion of such metal ions into the organism, carried by saliva, can cause health problems as [...] Read more.
Metal ions such as cobalt (II) and chromium (III) might be present in the oral cavity, as a consequence of the corrosion of Co-Cr dental alloys. The diffusion of such metal ions into the organism, carried by saliva, can cause health problems as a consequence of their toxicity, enhanced by a cumulative effect in the body. The effect of the chlorhexidine digluconate, which is commonly used in mouthwash formulations, on the transport of these salts is evaluated in this paper by using the Taylor dispersion technique, which will allow an assessment of how the presence of chlorhexidine digluconate (either in aqueous solution or in a commercial formulation) may affect the diffusion of metal ions. The ternary mutual diffusion coefficients of metal ions (Co and Cr) in the presence of chlorhexidine digluconate, in an artificial saliva media, were measured. Significant coupled diffusion of CoCl2 (and CrCl3) and chlorhexidine digluconate is observed by analysis of the non-zero values of the cross-diffusion coefficients, D12 and D21. The observed interactions between metal ions and chlorhexidine digluconate suggest that the latter might be considered as an advantageous therapeutic agent, once they contribute to the reduction of the concentration of those ions inside the mouth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal)
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Review

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35 pages, 4322 KiB  
Review
Analysis of the Equilibrium Distribution of Ligands in Heterogeneous Media–Approaches and Pitfalls
by Maria João Moreno, Luís M. S. Loura, Jorge Martins, Armindo Salvador and Adrian Velazquez-Campoy
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 9757; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23179757 - 28 Aug 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2007
Abstract
The equilibrium distribution of small molecules (ligands) between binding agents in heterogeneous media is an important property that determines their activity. Heterogeneous systems containing proteins and lipid membranes are particularly relevant due to their prevalence in biological systems, and their importance to ligand [...] Read more.
The equilibrium distribution of small molecules (ligands) between binding agents in heterogeneous media is an important property that determines their activity. Heterogeneous systems containing proteins and lipid membranes are particularly relevant due to their prevalence in biological systems, and their importance to ligand distribution, which, in turn, is crucial to ligand’s availability and biological activity. In this work, we review several approaches and formalisms for the analysis of the equilibrium distribution of ligands in the presence of proteins, lipid membranes, or both. Special attention is given to common pitfalls in the analysis, with the establishment of the validity limits for the distinct approaches. Due to its widespread use, special attention is given to the characterization of ligand binding through the analysis of Stern–Volmer plots of protein fluorescence quenching. Systems of increasing complexity are considered, from proteins with single to multiple binding sites, from ligands interacting with proteins only to biomembranes containing lipid bilayers and membrane proteins. A new formalism is proposed, in which ligand binding is treated as a partition process, while considering the saturation of protein binding sites. This formalism is particularly useful for the characterization of interaction with membrane proteins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal)
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Graphical abstract

14 pages, 1268 KiB  
Review
Cell Architecture-Dependent Constraints: Critical Safeguards to Carcinogenesis
by Komal Khalil, Alice Eon and Florence Janody
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8622; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158622 - 3 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2296
Abstract
Animal cells display great diversity in their shape. These morphological characteristics result from crosstalk between the plasma membrane and the force-generating capacities of the cytoskeleton macromolecules. Changes in cell shape are not merely byproducts of cell fate determinants, they also actively drive cell [...] Read more.
Animal cells display great diversity in their shape. These morphological characteristics result from crosstalk between the plasma membrane and the force-generating capacities of the cytoskeleton macromolecules. Changes in cell shape are not merely byproducts of cell fate determinants, they also actively drive cell fate decisions, including proliferation and differentiation. Global and local changes in cell shape alter the transcriptional program by a multitude of mechanisms, including the regulation of physical links between the plasma membrane and the nuclear envelope and the mechanical modulation of cation channels and signalling molecules. It is therefore not surprising that anomalies in cell shape contribute to several diseases, including cancer. In this review, we discuss the possibility that the constraints imposed by cell shape determine the behaviour of normal and pro-tumour cells by organizing the whole interconnected regulatory network. In turn, cell behaviour might stabilize cells into discrete shapes. However, to progress towards a fully transformed phenotype and to acquire plasticity properties, pro-tumour cells might need to escape these cell shape restrictions. Thus, robust controls of the cell shape machinery may represent a critical safeguard against carcinogenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Macromolecules in Portugal)
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