Author
B. de Kruijff
Other affiliations: ETH Zurich, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Basel ...read more
Bio: B. de Kruijff is an academic researcher from Utrecht University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Bilayer & Vesicle. The author has an hindex of 71, co-authored 204 publications receiving 16788 citations. Previous affiliations of B. de Kruijff include ETH Zurich & Laboratory of Molecular Biology.
Topics: Bilayer, Vesicle, Phosphatidylcholine, Phospholipid, Membrane
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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TL;DR: The possible functional roles of lipids are reviewed in terms of previous models such as the fluid mosaic model of Singer and Nicolson or the earlier unit membrane model so that the requirement for an alternative approach becomes apparent.
1,751 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that vancomycin and the antibacterial peptide nisin Z use the same target: the membrane-anchored cell wall precursor Lipid II, thus causing the peptide to be highly active (in the nanomolar range).
Abstract: Resistance to antibiotics is increasing in some groups of clinically important pathogens. For instance, high vancomycin resistance has emerged in enterococci. Promising alternative antibiotics are the peptide antibiotics, abundant in host defense systems, which kill their targets by permeabilizing the plasma membrane. These peptides generally do not act via specific receptors and are active in the micromolar range. Here it is shown that vancomycin and the antibacterial peptide nisin Z use the same target: the membrane-anchored cell wall precursor Lipid II. Nisin combines high affinity for Lipid II with its pore-forming ability, thus causing the peptide to be highly active (in the nanomolar range).
754 citations
TL;DR: Genetically engineered nisin variants are used to identify the structural requirements for the interaction of the peptide with lipid II, and the remaining in vivo activity is found to result from the unaltered capacity of the mutated peptide to bind to lipid II and thus to inhibit its incorporation into the peptidoglycan network.
692 citations
TL;DR: Mechanisms of the polyene antibiotic induced permeability changes in membranes are proposed based on the analysis of the complexes of cholesterol, amphotericin B, nystatin, etruscomycin and pimaricin, which can be built with space-filling models.
605 citations
TL;DR: The polymorphic phase behavior of aqueous dispersions of phosphatidylethanolamines isolated from human erythrocytes, hen egg yolk and Escherichia coli have been investigated employing 31P NMR techniques as mentioned in this paper.
387 citations
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TL;DR: ‘Endocytosis’ encompasses several diverse mechanisms by which cells internalize macromolecules and particles into transport vesicles derived from the plasma membrane and must be viewed in a broader context than simple vesicular trafficking.
Abstract: The plasma membrane is the interface between cells and their harsh environment. Uptake of nutrients and all communication among cells and between cells and their environment occurs through this interface. 'Endocytosis' encompasses several diverse mechanisms by which cells internalize macromolecules and particles into transport vesicles derived from the plasma membrane. It controls entry into the cell and has a crucial role in development, the immune response, neurotransmission, intercellular communication, signal transduction, and cellular and organismal homeostasis. As the complexity of molecular interactions governing endocytosis are revealed, it has become increasingly clear that it is tightly coordinated and coupled with overall cell physiology and thus, must be viewed in a broader context than simple vesicular trafficking.
3,709 citations
TL;DR: It is becoming increasingly clear that the outer membrane is very important in the physiology of gram-negative bacteria in making them resistant to host defense factors such as lysozyme, P-lysin, and various leukocyte proteins.
2,357 citations
TL;DR: A comprehensive survey of the many intriguing facets of creatine (Cr) and creatinine metabolism is presented, encompassing the pathways and regulation of Cr biosynthesis and degradation, species and tissue distribution of the enzymes and metabolites involved, and of the inherent implications for physiology and human pathology.
Abstract: The goal of this review is to present a comprehensive survey of the many intriguing facets of creatine (Cr) and creatinine metabolism, encompassing the pathways and regulation of Cr biosynthesis an...
2,332 citations
TL;DR: A technique for the rapid production of large unilamellar vesicles by repeated extrusion under moderate pressures by employing the lipophilic cation methyltriphenylphosphonium (MTPP⁺) and LUVET systems exhibiting a membrane potential in response to a transmembrane Na⁺/K⁺ gradient have been characterized.
2,092 citations
TL;DR: Bacteriocins are bacterially produced antimicrobial peptides with narrow or broad host ranges that can be used to confer a rudimentary form of innate immunity to foodstuffs, helping processors extend their control over the food flora long after manufacture.
Abstract: Bacteriocins are bacterially produced antimicrobial peptides with narrow or broad host ranges. Many bacteriocins are produced by food-grade lactic acid bacteria, a phenomenon which offers food scientists the possibility of directing or preventing the development of specific bacterial species in food. This can be particularly useful in preservation or food safety applications, but also has implications for the development of desirable flora in fermented food. In this sense, bacteriocins can be used to confer a rudimentary form of innate immunity to foodstuffs, helping processors extend their control over the food flora long after manufacture.
2,051 citations