Search results for " Biochemistry"
showing 10 items of 5648 documents
Remodeling Pattern of Spinal Canal after Full Endoscopic Uniportal Lumbar Endoscopic Unilateral Laminotomy for Bilateral Decompression: One Year Repe…
2022
Objective: There is limited literature on repetitive postoperative MRI and clinical evaluation after Uniportal Lumbar Endoscopic Unilateral Laminotomy for Bilateral Decompression. Methods: Clinical visual analog scale, Oswestry Disability Index, McNab’s criteria evaluation and MRI evaluation of the axial cut spinal canal area of the upper end plate, mid disc and lower end plate were performed for patients who underwent single-level Uniportal Lumbar Endoscopic Unilateral Laminotomy for Bilateral Decompression. From the evaluation of the axial cut MRI, four types of patterns of remodeling were identified: type A: continuous expanded spinal canal, type B: restenosis with delayed expansio…
Serum Vitamin D as a Biomarker in Autoimmune, Psychiatric and Neurodegenerative Diseases.
2022
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone regulating calcium-phosphorus homeostasis, immune response and brain function. In the past thirty years, an increasing number of cohort studies, meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials (RTCs) evaluated the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], which is considered the Vitamin D status biomarker, in patients affected by neurological, psychiatric and autoimmune diseases. Although an association between low 25(OH)D serum levels and the prevalence of these diseases has been found, it is still unclear whether the serum 25(OH)D measurement can be clinically useful as a biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis and predicting treatment response in neurodegene…
Design, synthesis and structure-activity relationship of 2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)-benzo[b]furan derivatives as a novel class of inhibitors of t…
2009
The biological importance of microtubules in mitosis and cell division makes them an interesting target for the development of anticancer agents. Small molecules such as benzo[b]furans are attractive as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. Thus, a new class of inhibitors of tubulin polymerization based on the 2-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzoyl)-benzo[b]furan molecular skeleton, with electron-donating (Me, OMe or OH) or electron-withdrawing (F, Cl and Br) substituents on the benzene ring, was synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity, inhibition of tubulin polymerization and cell cycle effects. Adding a methyl group at the C-3 position resulted in increased activity. The most prom…
Parasite avoidance behaviours in aquatic environments
2018
Parasites, including macroparasites, protists, fungi, bacteria and viruses, can impose a heavy burden upon host animals. However, hosts are not without defences. One aspect of host defence, behavioural avoidance, has been studied in the terrestrial realm for over 50 years, but was first reported from the aquatic environment approximately 20 years ago. Evidence has mounted on the importance of parasite avoidance behaviours and it is increasingly apparent that there are core similarities in the function and benefit of this defence mechanism between terrestrial and aquatic systems. However, there are also stark differences driven by the unique biotic and abiotic characteristics of terrestrial …
Chromosome Painting in Cercopithecus petaurista (Schreber, 1774) Compared to Other Monkeys of the Cercopithecini Tribe (Catarrhini, Primates)
2023
The Cercopithecini tribe includes terrestrial and arboreal clades whose relationships are controversial, with a high level of chromosome rearrangements. In order to provide new insights on the tribe’s phylogeny, chromosome painting, using the complete set of human syntenic probes, was performed in Cercopithecus petaurista, a representative species of the Cercopithecini tribe. The results show C. petaurista with a highly rearranged karyotype characterized by the fission of human chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, and 12. These results compared with the literature data permit us to confirm the monophyly of the Cercopithecini tribe (fissions of chromosomes 5 and 6), as previously proposed by ch…
Distinctive attributes for predicted secondary structures at terminal sequences of non-classically secreted proteins from proteobacteria
2008
Abstract C- and N-terminal sequences (64 amino acid residues each) of 89 non-classically secreted type I, type III and type IV proteins (Swiss-Prot/TrEMBL) from proteobacteria were transformed into predicted secondary structures. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) confirmed the significance of location (C- or N-termini) and secretion type as essential factors in respect of quantitative representations of structured (a-helices, b-strands) and unstructured (coils) elements. The profiles of secondary structures were transcripted using unequal property values for helices, strands and coils and corresponding numerical vectors (independent variables) were subjected to multiple discriminan…
Protein tyrosine nitration and thiol oxidation by peroxynitrite-strategies to prevent these oxidative modifications.
2013
The reaction product of nitric oxide and superoxide, peroxynitrite, is a potent biological oxidant. The most important oxidative protein modifications described for peroxynitrite are cysteine-thiol oxidation and tyrosine nitration. We have previously demonstrated that intrinsic heme-thiolate (P450)-dependent enzymatic catalysis increases the nitration of tyrosine 430 in prostacyclin synthase and results in loss of activity which contributes to endothelial dysfunction. We here report the sensitive peroxynitrite-dependent nitration of an over-expressed and partially purified human prostacyclin synthase (3.3 μM) with an EC50 value of 5 μM. Microsomal thiols in these preparations effectively co…
Single-cell analysis of population context advances RNAi screening at multiple levels
2012
Isogenic cells in culture show strong variability, which arises from dynamic adaptations to the microenvironment of individual cells. Here we study the influence of the cell population context, which determines a single cell's microenvironment, in image‐based RNAi screens. We developed a comprehensive computational approach that employs Bayesian and multivariate methods at the single‐cell level. We applied these methods to 45 RNA interference screens of various sizes, including 7 druggable genome and 2 genome‐wide screens, analysing 17 different mammalian virus infections and four related cell physiological processes. Analysing cell‐based screens at this depth reveals widespread RNAi‐induce…
The prolyl-isomerase PIN1 is essential for nuclear Lamin-B structure and function and protects heterochromatin under mechanical stress.
2021
Summary: Chromatin organization plays a crucial role in tissue homeostasis. Heterochromatin relaxation and consequent unscheduled mobilization of transposable elements (TEs) are emerging as key contributors of aging and aging-related pathologies, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cancer. However, the mechanisms governing heterochromatin maintenance or its relaxation in pathological conditions remain poorly understood. Here we show that PIN1, the only phosphorylation-specific cis/trans prolyl isomerase, whose loss is associated with premature aging and AD, is essential to preserve heterochromatin. We demonstrate that this PIN1 function is conserved from Drosophila to humans and prevents…
Properties of transmembrane helix TM1 of the DcuS sensor kinase of Escherichia coli, the stator for TM2 piston signaling
2021
Abstract The sensor kinase DcuS of Escherichia coli perceives extracellular fumarate by a periplasmic PASP sensor domain. Transmembrane (TM) helix TM2, present as TM2-TM2′ homo-dimer, transmits fumarate activation in a piston-slide across the membrane. The second TM helix of DcuS, TM1, is known to lack piston movement. Structural and functional properties of TM1 were analyzed. Oxidative Cys-crosslinking (CL) revealed homo-dimerization of TM1 over the complete membrane, but only the central part showed α-helical +3/+4 spacing of the CL maxima. The GALLEX bacterial two-hybrid system indicates TM1/TM1′ interaction, and the presence of a TM1-TM1′ homo-dimer is suggested. The peripheral TM1 regi…