Academic literature on the topic 'Molecular virology; Biological control agents'

The cosmopolitan fungus Rhizoctonia solani has a wide host range and is the causal agent of numerous crop diseases, leading to significant economic losses. To date, no cultivars showing complete resistance to R. solani have been identified and it is imperative to develop a strategy to control the spread of the disease. Fungal viruses, or mycoviruses, are widespread in all major groups of fungi and next-generation sequencing (NGS) is currently the most efficient approach for their identification. An increasing number of novel mycoviruses are being reported, including double-stranded (ds) RNA, circular single-stranded (ss) DNA, negative sense (−)ssRNA, and positive sense (+)ssRNA viruses. The majority of mycovirus infections are cryptic with no obvious symptoms on the hosts; however, some mycoviruses may alter fungal host pathogenicity resulting in hypervirulence or hypovirulence and are therefore potential biological control agents that could be used to combat fungal diseases. R. solani harbors a range of dsRNA and ssRNA viruses, either belonging to established families, such as Endornaviridae, Tymoviridae, Partitiviridae, and Narnaviridae, or unclassified, and some of them have been associated with hypervirulence or hypovirulence. Here we discuss in depth the molecular features of known viruses infecting R. solani and their potential as biological control agents.

ABSTRACT Despite its potential importance for the biological control of European rabbits, relatively little is known about the evolution and molecular epidemiology of rabbit calicivirus Australia 1 (RCV-A1). To address this issue we undertook an extensive evolutionary analysis of 36 RCV-A1 samples collected from wild rabbit populations in southeast Australia between 2007 and 2009. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the entire capsid sequence, six clades of RCV-A1 were defined, each exhibiting strong population subdivision. Strikingly, our estimates of the time to the most recent common ancestor of RCV-A1 coincide with the introduction of rabbits to Australia in the mid-19th century. Subsequent divergence events visible in the RCV-A1 phylogenies likely reflect key moments in the history of the European rabbit in Australia, most notably the bottlenecks in rabbit populations induced by the two viral biocontrol agents used on the Australian continent, myxoma virus and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). RCV-A1 strains therefore exhibit strong phylogeographic separation and may constitute a useful tool to study recent host population dynamics and migration patterns, which in turn could be used to monitor rabbit control in Australia.

ABSTRACT Infection with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is characterized by long latency periods, indicating that viral gene expression is under tight control. There is presently little information available regarding the nature of extracellular stimuli that can transactivate the regulatory elements of HTLV-1 (i.e., long terminal repeat [LTR]). To gain insight into the biological importance of externally induced activation pathways in virus gene expression, primary and established T cells were transfected with HTLV-1-based reporter gene vectors and then were treated with agents that cross-linked the T-cell receptor (TCR) or the costimulatory CD28 molecule with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). We demonstrated that a potent induction of HTLV-1 LTR-driven reporter gene activity was seen only when the three agents were used in combination. Interestingly, similar observations were made when using C91/PL, a cell line that carries integrated HTLV-1 proviral DNA. This TCR-CD28-PGE2-mediated increase in virus transcription was dependent on protein kinase A activation and induction of the cAMP response element binding protein. Experiments with a mutated reporter construct further revealed the importance of the Tax-responsive elements in the HTLV-1 LTR in the observed up regulation of virus gene expression when TCR/CD28 engagement was combined with PGE2 treatment. The protein tyrosine kinases p56 lck and the transmembrane tyrosine phosphatase CD45 were all found to be involved in TCR-CD28-PGE2-directed increase in HTLV-1 LTR activity. This study presents new information on the possible mechanisms underlying reactivation of this retrovirus.

Tc toxins were originally identified in entomopathogenic bacteria, which are important as biological pest control agents. Tc toxins are heteromeric exotoxins composed of three subunit types, TcA, TcB, and TcC. The C-terminal portion of the TcC protein encodes the actual toxic domain, which is translocated into host cells by an injectosome nanomachine comprising the other subunits. Currently the pathogenic roles and distribution of Tc toxins among different bacterial genera remain unclear. Here we have performed a comprehensive genome-wide analysis, and established a database that includes 1,608 identified Tc loci containing 2,528 TcC proteins in 1,421 Gram-negative and positive bacterial genomes. Our findings indicate that TcCs conform to the architecture of typical polymorphic toxins, with C-terminal hypervariable regions (HVR) encoding more than 100 different classes of putative toxic domains, most of which have not been previously recognized. Based on further analysis of Tc loci in the genomes of all Salmonella and Yersinia strains in EnteroBase, a “two-level” evolutionary dynamics scenario is proposed for TcC homologues. This scenario implies that the conserved TcC RHS core domain plays a critical role in the taxonomical specific distribution of TcC HVRs. This study provides an extensive resource for the future development of Tc toxins as valuable agrochemical tools. It furthermore implies that Tc proteins, which are encoded by a wide range of pathogens, represent an important versatile toxin superfamily with diverse pathogenic mechanisms.

SUMMARY There is an urgent need in aquaculture to develop microbial control strategies, since disease outbreaks are recognized as important constraints to aquaculture production and trade and since the development of antibiotic resistance has become a matter of growing concern. One of the alternatives to antimicrobials in disease control could be the use of probiotic bacteria as microbial control agents. This review describes the state of the art of probiotic research in the culture of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and live food, with an evaluation of the results obtained so far. A new definition of probiotics, also applicable to aquatic environments, is proposed, and a detailed description is given of their possible modes of action, i.e., production of compounds that are inhibitory toward pathogens, competition with harmful microorganisms for nutrients and energy, competition with deleterious species for adhesion sites, enhancement of the immune response of the animal, improvement of water quality, and interaction with phytoplankton. A rationale is proposed for the multistep and multidisciplinary process required for the development of effective and safe probiotics for commercial application in aquaculture. Finally, directions for further research are discussed.

AbstractThe new association approach for selecting biological control agents has been reanalyzed in the light of recent data. The results support the conclusion that the new association approach is ecologically and statistically sound. One of the major advantages of this approach is its capacity to control native pests, which make up 60–80% of all pests. The specificity of biocontrol agents newly associated with the target hosts is similar to other biocontrol agents. In addition, the new association approach is as safe as the old association approach in terms of environmental risks. Recent trials in the use of new associations have been most encouraging, and suggest that this approach should contribute to the future success of biological pest control worldwide.

The use of biological control for the management of pest insects pre-dates the modern pesticide era. The first major successes in biological control occurred with exotic pests controlled by natural enemy species collected from the country or area of origin of the pest (classical control). Augmentative control has been successfully applied against a range of open-field and greenhouse pests, and conservation biological control schemes have been developed with indigenous predators and parasitoids. The cost–benefit ratio for classical biological control is highly favourable (1 : 250) and for augmentative control is similar to that of insecticides (1 : 2–1 : 5), with much lower development costs. Over the past 120 years, more than 5000 introductions of approximately 2000 non-native control agents have been made against arthropod pests in 196 countries or islands with remarkably few environmental problems. Biological control is a key component of a ‘systems approach’ to integrated pest management, to counteract insecticide-resistant pests, withdrawal of chemicals and minimize the usage of pesticides. Current studies indicate that genetically modified insect-resistant Bt crops may have no adverse effects on the activity or function of predators or parasitoids used in biological control. The introduction of rational approaches for the environmental risk assessment of non-native control agents is an essential step in the wider application of biological control, but future success is strongly dependent on a greater level of investment in research and development by governments and related organizations that are committed to a reduced reliance on chemical control.

Fungal biological control agents against plant pathogens, especially those in soil, operate within physically, biologically, and spatially complex systems by means of a variety of trophic and nontrophic interspecific interactions. However, the biocontrol agents themselves are also subject to the same types of interactions, which may reduce or in some cases enhance their efficacy against target plant pathogens. Characterization of these ecologically complex systems is challenging, but a number of tools are available to help unravel this complexity. Several of these tools are described here, including the use of molecular biology to generate biocontrol agents with useful marker genes and then to quantify these agents in natural systems, epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy to observe their presence and activity in situ, and spatial statistics and computer simulation modeling to evaluate and predict these activities in heterogeneous soil habitats.

O estudo de fungos endofíticos tem sido intensificado nos últimos anos e abrange principalmente a descrição de novas espécies, o potencial de utilização no controle biológico de fitopatógenos e a produção de metabólitos secundários com atividades biológicas diversas. No entanto, a interação e a possível função destes organismos em plantas de clima tropical são pobremente estudadas e pouco compreendidas. A cana-de-açúcar é uma das principais culturas do Brasil e nos últimos anos está recebendo especial atenção devido à produção de etanol para uso como biocombustível. Um grande avanço no conhecimento das comunidades microbianas endofíticas desta planta tem sido alcançado, abrindo a possibilidade de estudo sobre as funções destes organismos na interação endofítica, bem como de seu potencial biotecnológico. Uma espécie que coloniza consistentemente os tecidos de cana-de-açúcar é o fungo Epicoccum nigrum. Este fungo é conhecido por sua atividade de biocontrole de fitopatógenos e por apresentar metabolismo secundário altamente desenvolvido e diverso. Nesse contexto, este trabalho teve por objetivos: 1) estudar a diversidade genética de isolados endofíticos de Epicoccum de cana-de-açúcar e de outros hospedeiros; 2) desenvolver um sistema de transferência de genes repórteres, visando à análise da interação in vitro e in vivo com cana-deaçúcar; 3) avaliar a atividade antimicrobiana in vitro de isolados endofíticos de Epicoccum contra diferentes fitopatógenos e patógenos humanos; 4) obter mutantes insercionais com atividade antimicrobiana ausente, visando à identificação de genes envolvidos no metabolismo secundário. O trabalho foi iniciado com o isolamento de Epicoccum de cana-de-açúcar. A análise por meio de abordagem polifásica resultou na separação dos isolados em dois taxa distintos (Grupo 1, E. nigrum; Grupo 2, Epicoccum sp.), demonstrando que a classificação de E. nigrum como uma única espécie variável deve ser reavaliada. A seguir, transformantes resistentes a higromicina B e expressando GFP foram obtidos por meio de transferência gênica mediada por A. tumefaciens. Ensaios de colonização de cana-de-açúcar in vitro e in vivo com a linhagem selvagem e transformada demonstraram a natureza não patogênica das linhagens e que E. nigrum é capaz de colonizar endofiticamente e persistir nas folhas desta planta. A análise da atividade antimicrobiana revelou extensa variação fisiológica, a qual foi correlacionada com a variabilidade genética dos isolados. Uma biblioteca de agrotransformantes de E. nigrum e Epicoccum sp. foi caracterizada quanto à perda da atividade antimicrobiana. A análise das seqüências flanqueadoras do T-DNA obtidas por TAIL-PCR a partir dos mutantes revelou que a inserção ocorreu em diferentes locais do genoma, muitos com elevada similaridade com proteínas hipotéticas de fungos, algumas sem função conhecida, e outras contendo domínios conservados envolvidos em diferentes funções celulares, como regulação da expressão gênica, transporte, obtenção de energia e outras funções enzimáticas. A análise do extrato orgânico por meio de bioautografia revelou a perda da atividade antimicrobiana de alguns mutantes insercionais, em comparação ao extrato da linhagem selvagem. O grande número de mutantes obtidos e caracterizados constitui uma ferramenta importante para o estudo molecular do metabolismo secundário deste fungo endofítico, auxiliando o entendimento da biossíntese de diversos compostos com estruturas complexas produzidos por esta espécie.
The study of endophytic fungi has increased in last few years and includes mainly the description of new species, biological control and production of compounds with biological activity. However, due the fact that few studies have been done, the role of these microorganisms inside the host plant from tropical areas is poorly understood. Sugarcane is one of the most important crop in Brazil, mainly due the biofuel production. Therefore, studies have been done to better understanding the role of endophytic microbial diversity inside the sugarcane plants, allowing the possibility to use this interaction in sugarcane production and also find endophytic isolates with biotechnological potential. Previous studies have shown that an important sugarcane endophytic fungus is Epicoccum nigrum, which species has been associated to biological control of many phytopathogens and also production of different secondary metabolites. In this way, the aims of the present study were to 1) study the genetic diversity of sugarcane endophytic Epicoccum; 2) develop a genetic transformation system for Epicoccum spp., allowing the in vitro and in vivo study of the interaction with sugarcane; 3) evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Epicoccum; 4) obtain mutants defective to antimicrobial activity and identification of genes associated to this activity. The polyphasic approach indicated that the evaluated Epicoccum population present two different genotypes (Group 1: E. nigrum and Group 2: Epicoccum sp.), suggesting that the classification of E. nigrum in only one species should be revised. Mutants resistant to hygromicin B and expressing GFP gene were obtained by transformation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In vitro and in vivo sugarcane colonization showed that the Epicoccum isolates and mutants were able to settling endophytically inside sugarcane without induce disease symptoms, and live up to leaves. The results shown that the antimicrobial activity was related to genetic variability, and this activity was better characterized by analysis of a obtained mutant library of E. nigrum and Epicoccum sp. The TAIL-PCR analysis revealed that the T-DNA introduced into the mutants was inserted in different regions of the fungi genome, truncating different genes those coding fungi hypothetical proteins, conserved domain associated to cellular function, such as genetic regulation, energy obtaining and others enzymatic activity. The analysis by bioautography indicated that some mutants lose the antimicrobial activity, allowing the correlation between the truncated genes and antimicrobial compound production. The evaluation of this mutant library showed that different genes are associated to antimicrobial compound production and may be an important tools to study the secondary metabolism in this endophytic fungus, allowing the understanding of biochemical pathway associated to biosynthesis of complex molecules produced by this fungus.

This comprehensive volume presents indispensable and up-to-date information on viroids and viroid diseases. It provides a single source of information on the properties of viroids, the economic impact of viroid diseases, and methods for their detection and control. It examines the diseases associated with different plant species, the geographic distribution and epidemiology of viroids, diseases of possible viroid etiology, and the future applications of viroids. Viroids examines the biology of viroids, molecular characteristics, localization and movement, replication, pathogenesis, viroids and gene silencing, classification, viroid-like satellite RNAs, detection of viroids using bioamplification hosts, biological indexing, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, molecular hybridisation and polymerase chain reaction. The book looks at the geographical distribution and epidemiology of viroids in North America, Australasia, China, Japan, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and at the global level. It covers the control of viroids including quarantine of imported germplasm, availability of viroid-tested propagation materials, thermotherapy, tissue culture, and other conventional strategies as well as biotechnological control approaches. Special topics such as ribozyme reaction of viroids and economic advantages of viroid infection are also included. Other chapters summarise the current state of knowledge concerning viroid diseases of the crop in question and aspects of the natural history of viroids in horticulture. Among the crops covered are potato, tomato, tobacco, cucumber, pome fruits, stone fruits, avocado, citrus, grapevines, hop, chrysanthemum, coleus, columnea, and coconut palm. The four eminent editors of this watershed volume have assembled an international group of more than 70 scientists who have substantial experience with viroids and viroid diseases. They have produced a cohesive and comprehensive work that can be used by students, researchers, extension agents, and regulators. It may also be of a great value to science managers, policy makers, and industries in formulating policies and products to obtain viroid-free plants and control viroid diseases. The information on plant quarantine and certification programs will help anyone concerned with the safe movement of plant material across international boundaries or within a single country.

It is obvious that the process of developing cancer—oncogenesis—is a multistep process. We know that smoking, obesity, and a family history are strong independent predictors of developing malignancy; yet, in clinics, we often see that some heavy smokers live into their nineties and that some people with close relatives affected by cancer spend many years worrying about a disease that, in the end, they never contract. For many centuries scientists have struggled to understand the process that make cancer cells different from normal cells. There were those in ancient times who believed that tumours were attributable to acts of the gods. Hippocrates suggested that cancer resulted from an imbalance between the black humour that came from the spleen, and the other three humours: blood, phlegm, and bile. It is only in the last 100 years that biologists have been able to characterize some of the pathways that lead to the uncontrolled replication seen in cancer, and subsequently examine exactly how these pathways evolve. The rampant nature by which cancer invades local and distant tissues, as well its apparent ability to spread between related individuals led some, such as Peyton Rous in 1910, to suggest that cancer was an infectious condition. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1966 for the 50 years of work into investigating a link between sarcoma in chickens and a retrovirus that became known as Rous sarcoma virus. He had shown how retroviruses are able to integrate sequences of DNA coding for errors in cellular replication control (oncogenes) by introducing into the human cell viral RNA together with a reverse transcriptase. Viruses are now implicated in many cancers, and in countries where viruses such as HIV and EBV are endemic, the high incidence of malignancies such as Kaposi’s sarcoma and Burkitt’s lymphoma is likely to be directly related. There are several families of viruses associated with cancer, broadly classed into DNA viruses, which mutate human genes using their own DNA, and retroviruses, like Rous sarcoma virus, which insert viral RNA into the cell, where it is then transcribed into genes. This link with viruses has not only led to an understanding that cancer originates from genetic mutations, but has also become a key focus in the design of new anticancer therapies. Traditional chemotherapies either alter DNA structure (as with cisplatin) or inhibit production of its component parts (as with 5-fluorouracil.) These broad-spectrum agents have many and varied side effects, largely due to their non-specific activity on replicating DNA throughout the body, not just in tumour cells. New vaccine therapies utilizing gene-coding viruses aim to restore deficient biological pathways or inhibit mutated ones specific to tumour cells. The hope is that these gene therapies will be effective and easily tolerated by patients, but development is currently progressing with caution. In a trial in France of ten children suffering from X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency and who were injected with a vector that coded for the gene product they lacked, two of the children subsequently died from leukaemia. Further analysis confirmed that the DNA from the viral vector had become integrated into an existing, but normally inactive, proto-oncogene, LM02, triggering its conversion into an active oncogene, and the development of life-threatening malignancy. To understand how a tiny change in genetic structure could lead to such tragic consequences, we need to understand the molecular biology of the cell and, in particular, to pay attention to the pathways of growth regulation that are necessary in all mammalian cell populations. Errors in six key regulatory pathways are known as the ‘hallmarks of cancer’ and will be discussed in the rest of this chapter.

Cancer is an extraordinarily complicated group of diseases which are characterized by the loss of normal control of the maintenance of cellular organization in the tissues. It is still not completely understood how much of the disease is of genetic, viral, or environmental origin. The result, however, is that cancer cells possess growth advantages over normal cells, a reality which damages the host by local pressure effects, destruction of tissues, and secondary systemic effects. As such, a goal of cancer therapy is the destruction of cancer cells via chemotherapeutic agents or radiation. Since the late 1940s, when Farber treated leukemia with methotrexate, cancer therapy with cytotoxic drugs made enormous progress. Chemotherapy is usually integrated with other treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, and it is clear that post-surgery, it is effective with solid tumors. This is due to the fact that only systemic therapy can attack micrometastases. The rationale for using chemotherapy is the control of tumor-cell populations via a killing mechanism. The major problem in this approach is the lack of selectivity of chemotherapeutic agents. Some agents indeed preferentially kill cancer cells, but no agents have been synthesized yet which kill only cancer cells and do not affect normal cells. Unfortunately, normal tissues are affected, giving rise to a multitude of side effects. In addition to drugs exhibiting cytotoxic activity, antiproliferative drugs are also formulated. According to their mode of action, anti-cancer drugs are divided into several classes. . . . alkylating agents antimetabolites DNA intercalators mitotic inhibitors lexitropsins drugs which bind covalently to DNA . . . Experimental studies of these molecules are complemented and enhanced by theoretical studies. Some of the theoretical studies use molecular mechanics methods while others apply ab initio or semi-empirical quantum-chemistry methods. Most of these molecules are large and besides their structures and properties it is important to investigate their interaction with DNA fragments (themselves large molecules). Ab initio calculations cannot always be applied to the whole system. Therefore, models are used and through a judicious choice of the entities investigated, the calculations can shed light on the problem and provide enough information to complement the experimental studies.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed malignancy, as well as a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men globally. Despite the initial response to hormonal targeted therapy, the majority of patients ultimately progress to a lethal form of the disease, termed as castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which currently lacks curative therapeutic options and is associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, the development of novel treatment modalities for PCa is urgently needed. Chalcones, also known as 1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-ones, are among the highly attractive scaffolds being investigated for their antitumor activities. Three series of 18 cyclic (tetralone-based) and two acyclic chalcone analogs, in which ring B was either substituted with nitrogen mustard or replaced by pyrrole or pyridine heterocyclic rings, were designed, synthesized and evaluated as potential therapies for CRPC. Compounds were synthesized by Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction, purified using columnchromatography or recrystallization and characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and LC-MS. The compounds' in-vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated against three prostate cancer cell lines (PC3, DU145, and LNCaP). Among the tested compounds, OH14, OH19 and OH22 showed potent antiproliferative activities at low micromolar levels with IC50 values ranging between 4.4 and 10 µM against PC3 and DU145 cell lines. Detailed biological studies of the lead molecule OH19 revealed that it significantly induces apoptosis through upregulation of Bax and downregulation of BCL-2. In addition, OH19 potently inhibits colony formation and reduces cell migration of androgen-independent PCa cell lines (PC3 and DU145). The molecular pathway analysis show that the anticancer activity of OH19 is associated with attenuation in the phosphorylation of Akt and ERK. Furthermore, OH19 inhibits blood vessel formation in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model as compared to control. These results indicate that OH19 could serve as a potential promising lead molecule for the treatment of CRPC and thus, further in-vitro and invivo studies are warranted.

Semiconductor nanocrystals have unique optical properties due to quantum confinement effects, and a variety of promising approaches have been devised to interface the nanomaterials with biomolecules for bioimaging and therapeutic applications. Such bio-interface can be facilitated via a DNA template for nanoparticles as oligonucleotides can mediate the aqueous-phase nucleation and capping of semiconductor nanocrystals.[1,2] Here, we report a novel scheme of synthesizing fluorescent nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) using DNA aptamers and the use of this biotic/abiotic nanoparticle system for growth inhibition of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells for the first time. Particularly, we used two DNA sequences for this purpose, which have been developed as anti-cancer agents: 5-GGT GGT GGT GGT TGT GGT GGT GGT GG-3 (also called, AGRO) and 5-(GT)15-3.[3–5] This study may ultimately form the basis of unique nanoparticle-based therapeutics with the additional ability to optically report molecular recognition. Figure 1a shows the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of GT- and AGRO-passivated PbS QD that fluoresce in the near IR, centered at approximately 980 nm. A typical synthesis procedure involves rapid addition of sodium sulfide in the mixture solution of DNA and Pb acetate at a molar ratio of 2:4:1. The resulting nanocrystals are washed to remove unreacted DNA and ions by adding mixture solution of NaCl and isopropanol, followed by centrifugation. The precipitated nanocrystals are collected and re-suspended in aqueous solution by mild sonication. Optical absorption measurements reveal that approximately 90 and 77% of GT and AGRO DNA is removed after the washing process. The particle size distribution in Figure 1b suggests that the GT sequence-capped PbS particles are primarily in 3–5 nm diameter range. These nanocrystals can be easily incorporated with mammalian cells and remain highly fluorescent in sub-cellular environments. Figure 1c serially presents an optical image of a MCF-7 cell and a PL image of the AGRO-capped QD incorporated with the cell. Figure 1. (a) Normalized fluorescence spectra of PbS QD synthesized with GT and AGRO sequences, which were previously developed as anti-cancer agents. The DNA-capped QD fluoresce in the near IR centered at ∼980 nm. (b) TEM image of GT-templated nanocrystals ranging 3–5 nm in diameter. (c) Optical image of an MCF-7 human breast cancer cell after a 12-hour exposure to aptamer-capped QD. (d) PL image of AGRO-QD incorporated with the cell, indicating that these nanocrystals remain highly fluorescent in sub-cellular environments. One immediate concern for interfacing inorganic nanocrystals with cells and tissue for labeling or therapeutics is their cytotoxicity. The nanoparticle cytotoxicity is primarily determined by material composition and surface chemistry, and QD are potentially toxic by generating reactive oxygen species or by leaching heavy metal ions when decomposed.[6] We examined the toxicity of aptamer-passivated nanocrystals with NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. The cells were exposed to PbS nanocrystals for 2 days before a standard MTT assay as shown in Figure 2, where there is no apparent cytotoxicity at these doses. In contrast, Pb acetate exerts statistically significant toxicity. This observation suggests a stable surface passivation by the DNA aptamers and the absence of appreciable Pb2+ leaching. Figure 2. Viability of 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells after a 2-day exposure to DNA aptamer-capped nanocrystals. There is no apparent dose-dependent toxicity, whereas a statistically significant reduction in cell viability is observed with Pb ions. Note that Pb acetate at 133 μM is equivalent to the Pb2+ amount that was used for PbS nanocrystal synthesis at maximum concentration. Error bars are standard deviations of independent experiments. *Statistically different from control (p<0.005). Finally, we examined if these cyto-compatible nanoparticle-aptamers remained therapeutically active for cancer cell growth inhibition. The MTT assay results in Figure 3a show significantly decreased growth of breast cancer cells incorporated with AGRO, GT, and the corresponding templated nanocrystals, as anticipated. In contrast, 5-(GC)15-3 and the QDs synthesized with the same sequence, which were used as negative controls along with zero-dose control cells, did not alter cell viability significantly. Here, we define the growth inhibition efficacy as (100 − cell viability) per DNA of a sample, because the DNA concentration is significantly decreased during the particle washing. The nanoparticle-aptamers demonstrate 3–4 times greater therapeutic activities compared to the corresponding aptamer drugs (Figure 3b). We speculate that when a nanoparticle-aptamer is internalized by the cancer cells, it forms an intracellular complex with nucleolin and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) essential modulator, thereby inhibiting NF-κB activation that would cause transcription of proliferation and anti-apoptotic genes.[7] The nanoparticle-aptamers may more effectively block the pathways for creating anti-apoptotic genes or facilitate the cellular delivery of aptamers via nanoparticle uptake. Our additional investigation indicates that the same DNA capping chemistry can be utilized to produce aptamer-mediated Fe3O4 nanocrystals, which may be potentially useful in MRI and therapeutics, considering their magnetic properties and biocompatibility. In summary, the nanoparticle-based therapeutic schemes developed here should be valuable in developing a multifunctional drug delivery and imaging agent for biological systems. Figure 3. Anti-proliferation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with aptamer-passivated nanocrystals. (a) Viability of MCF-7 cells exposed to AGRO and GT sequences, and AGRO-/GT-capped QD for 7 days. The DNA concentration was 10 uM, while the particles were incubated with cells at 75 nM. (b) Growth inhibition efficacy is defined as (100 − cell viability) per DNA to correct the DNA concentration after particle washing.