Search results for " Homology"
showing 10 items of 633 documents
Wheat amylase trypsin inhibitors drive intestinal inflammation via activation of toll-like receptor 4
2012
Ingestion of wheat, barley, or rye triggers small intestinal inflammation in patients with celiac disease. Specifically, the storage proteins of these cereals (gluten) elicit an adaptive Th1-mediated immune response in individuals carrying HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 as major genetic predisposition. This well-defined role of adaptive immunity contrasts with an ill-defined component of innate immunity in celiac disease. We identify the α-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) CM3 and 0.19, pest resistance molecules in wheat, as strong activators of innate immune responses in monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. ATIs engage the TLR4–MD2–CD14 complex and lead to up-regulation of maturation markers a…
The inhibition of glycerol permeation through aquaglyceroporin-3 induced by mercury(II)
2016
Mercurial compounds are known to inhibit water permeation through aquaporins (AQPs). Although in the last years some hypotheses were proposed, the exact mechanism of inhibition is still an open question and even less is known about the inhibition of the glycerol permeation through aquaglyceroporins. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of human aquaporin-3 (AQP3) have been performed up to 200 ns in the presence of Hg2+ ions. For the first time, we have observed the unbiased passage of a glycerol molecule from the extracellular to cytosolic side. Moreover, the presence of Hg2+ ions covalently bound to Cys40 leads to a collapse of the aromatic/arginine selectivity filter (ar/R SF), blocking th…
The shell-forming proteome of Lottia gigantea reveals both deep conservations and lineage-specific novelties
2013
19 pages; International audience; Proteins that are occluded within the molluscan shell, the so-called shell matrix proteins (SMPs), are an assemblage of biomolecules attractive to study for several reasons. They increase the fracture resistance of the shell by several orders of magnitude, determine the polymorph of CaCO(3) deposited, and regulate crystal nucleation, growth initiation and termination. In addition, they are thought to control the shell microstructures. Understanding how these proteins have evolved is also likely to provide deep insight into events that supported the diversification and expansion of metazoan life during the Cambrian radiation 543 million years ago. Here, we p…
Identification of a positively evolving putative binding region with increased variability in posttranslational motifs in zonadhesin MAM domain 2.
2005
Positive selection has been shown to be pervasive in sex-related proteins of many metazoan taxa. However, we are only beginning to understand molecular evolutionary processes on the lineage to humans. To elucidate the evolution of proteins involved in human reproduction, we studied the sequence evolution of MAM domains of the sperm-ligand zonadhesin in respect to single amino acid sites, solvent accessibility, and posttranslational modification. GenBank-data were supplemented by new cDNA-sequences of a representative non-human primate panel. Solvent accessibility predictions identified a probably exposed fragment of 30 amino acids belonging to MAM domain 2 (i.e., MAM domain 3 in mouse). The…
Probing suggested catalytic domains of glycosyltransferases by site-directed mutagenesis.
2003
The plant enzyme arbutin synthase isolated from cell suspension cultures of Rauvolfia serpentina and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli is a member of the NRD1beta family of glycosyltransferases. This enzyme was used to prove, by site-directed mutagenesis, suggested catalytic domains and reaction mechanisms proposed for enzyme-catalyzed glycosylation. Replacement of amino acids far from the NRD domain do not significantly affect arbutin synthase activity. Exchange of amino acids at the NRD site leads to a decrease of enzymatic activity, e.g. substitution of Glu368 by Asp. Glu368, which is a conserved amino acid in glycosyltransferases located at position 2 and is important for enz…
Polymorphism in the immunoglobulin-like domains of the receptor tyrosine kinase from the sponge Geodia cydonium.
1996
Sponges [Porifera] are the phylogenetically oldest phylum of the Metazoa. They are provided with both cellular and humoral allorecognition systems. The underlying molecules are not yet known. To study allorecognition in sponges we first determined the frequency of graft rejection in a natural population of the marine sponge Geodia cydonium. We then determined, for the first time at the molecular level, the degree of sequence polymorphism in segments of one molecule which may be related to sponge allorecognition and host defense: the Ig-like domains from the receptor tyrosine kinase [RTK]. Thirty six pairs of auto- and allografts were assayed, either by parabiotic attachment or insertion of …
Suppression of allograft rejection in the sponge Suberites domuncula by FK506 and expression of genes encoding FK506-binding proteins in allografts.
2001
SUMMARY Porifera (sponges) are, evolutionarily, the oldest metazoan phylum. Recent molecular data suggest that these animals possess molecules similar to and homologous with those of the innate and adaptive immune systems of higher Metazoa. Applying the biological system of parabiosis and the technique of differential display of mRNA, two cDNAs encoding putative FK506-binding proteins were isolated. FK506 is successfully used in clinics as a drug to prevent allograft rejection and is toxic to Suberites domuncula cells in vitro at doses above 100ng ml−1. Autograft fusion of transplants from S. domuncula was not affected by FK506. Allograft non-fusion was not affected by FK506 at toxic doses;…
Increased expression of the potential proapoptotic molecule DD2 and increased synthesis of leukotriene B4 during allograft rejection in a marine spon…
2000
Sponges (Porifera) are a classical model to study the events during tissue transplantation. Applying the 'insertion technique' autografts from the marine sponge Geodia cydonium fuse within 5 days. In contrast, allografts are rejected and destroyed. Here we show that during allograft rejection the cells in the grafts undergo apoptosis; 5 days after transplantation 46% of the cells show signs of apoptosis. In a previous study it was shown that during this process a tumor necrosis factor-like molecule is induced in allo- and xenografts. Molecules grouped to the superfamily of tumor necrosis factor receptors and a series of associated adapter molecules contain the characteristic death domain. T…
European Congress of Mathematics Kraków, 2 – 7 July, 2012
2013
Persistent homology is a recent grandchild of homology that has found use in science and engineering as well as in mathematics. This paper surveys the method as well as the applications, neglecting completeness in favor of highlighting ideas and directions. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 55N99; Secondary 68W30.
N-terminal myristoylation-dependent masking of neutralizing epitopes in the preS1 attachment site of hepatitis B virus
2011
The N-terminally myristoylated preS1 domain of the large hepatitis B surface protein (LHBs) mediates specific attachment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) to hepatocytes. Its B-cell epitopes leading to neutralization of infectivity are not yet characterized.We inserted C- and N-terminal preS1 peptides into the most immunogenic region of HBV core particles, therewith immunized Balb/c mice and determined binding properties and neutralization potential of resulting antibodies in vitro.The particles with preS1 inserts were highly immunogenic and the corresponding anti-preS antibodies strongly bound to HBV particles from chronic carriers infected with different HBV genotypes A-F. However, antibodies bi…