Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an anion channel, mutations of which cause cystic fibrosis, a disease characterized by defective Cl ؊ and HCO3 ؊ transport. Although >95% of all CF male patients are infertile because of congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD), the question whether CFTR mutations are involved in other forms of male infertility is under intense debates. Here we report that CFTR is detected in both human and mouse sperm. CFTR inhibitor or antibody significantly reduces the sperm capacitation, and the associated HCO 3 ؊ -dependent events, including increases in intracellular pH, cAMP production and membrane hyperpolarization. The fertilizing capacity of the sperm obtained from heterozygous CFTR mutant mice is also significantly lower compared with that of the wild-type. These results suggest that CFTR in sperm may be involved in the transport of HCO 3 ؊ important for sperm capacitation and that CFTR mutations with impaired CFTR function may lead to reduced sperm fertilizing capacity and male infertility other than CBAVD.

Edible: By grafting natural peptide antagonists onto the cyclotide kalata B1, orally active peptides were engineered, which are potentially useful therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory pain. For example, the entire loop 6 of kalata B1 was replaced with the peptidic bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist DALK (red in scheme) to obtain the cyclic bradykinin antagonist ckb‐kal.

SignificanceEmerging respiratory pathogens pose significant public health threats as a result of their potential for rapid global spread via multiple non-mutually exclusive modes of transmission. The relative significance of contact, droplet, and airborne transmission for many respiratory pathogens remains a knowledge gap, and better understanding is essential for developing evidence-based measures for effective infection control. Here, we describe and evaluate a transmission chamber that separates virus-laden particles in air by size to study airborne particles that mediate influenza transmission in ferrets. Our results provide direct experimental evidence of influenza transmission via droplets and fine droplet nuclei, albeit at different efficiency. This transmission device can also be applied to elucidate the mode of transmission of other respiratory pathogens.

Essbar: Durch Aufpropfen von natürlichen Peptid‐Antagonisten auf das Cyclotid Kalata B1 wurden Peptide hergestellt, die nützliche oral verabreichbare Schmerzmittel sein könnten. Zum Beispiel wurde die gesamte Schleife 6 von Kalata B1 durch den peptidischen Bradykinin‐B1‐Rezeptor‐Antagonisten DALK (rot im Schema) ersetzt, um den cyclischen Bradykinin‐Antagonisten ckb‐kal zu erhalten.