Search results for "030102 biochemistry & molecular biology"
showing 10 items of 174 documents
Inter- and intraspecific variability in invertebrate acute toxicity response to Arsenic and Fluoride exposure
2018
The adverse effects of arsenic and fluoride exposure on six groups of freshwater invertebrates were investigated. Acute toxicity tests (48-h) with arsenic trioxide (As2NO3) resulted in the following pattern of sensitivity: Daphnia magna 24-h-old = Brachionus patulus 72-h-old = Daphnia. cf. prolata, 21-d-old = D. magna 5-d-old > Heterocypris incongruens juvenile instars > Culex sp. Heterocypris juv. incongruens instars were the second group more tolerant to arsenic and the second group that bioconcentrates arsenic the least. In contrast, invertebrates exposed to sodium fluoride (NaF), showed a different pattern of sensitivity: H. incongruens instars > B. patulus = D. magna 24-h-old > D. cf. …
NMR Investigation of Structures of G-Protein Coupled Receptor Folding Intermediates
2016
Folding of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) according to the two-stage model (Popot, J. L., and Engelman, D. M. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 4031-4037) is postulated to proceed in 2 steps: partitioning of the polypeptide into the membrane followed by diffusion until native contacts are formed. Herein we investigate conformational preferences of fragments of the yeast Ste2p receptor using NMR. Constructs comprising the first, the first two, and the first three transmembrane (TM) segments, as well as a construct comprising TM1-TM2 covalently linked to TM7 were examined. We observed that the isolated TM1 does not form a stable helix nor does it integrate well into the micelle. TM1 is significant…
Next‐Generation Sequencing‐Based RiboMethSeq Protocol for Analysis of tRNA 2′‐O‐Methylation
2017
Analysis of RNA modifications by traditional physico‐chemical approaches is labor intensive, requires substantial amounts of input material and only allows site‐by‐site measurements. The recent development of qualitative and quantitative approaches based on next‐generation sequencing (NGS) opens new perspectives for the analysis of various cellular RNA species. The Illumina sequencing‐based RiboMethSeq protocol was initially developed and successfully applied for mapping of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) 2′‐O‐methylations. This method also gives excellent results in the quantitative analysis of rRNA modifications in different species and under varying growth condi…
Genome-Wide Estimation of the Spontaneous Mutation Rate of Human Adenovirus 5 by High-Fidelity Deep Sequencing
2016
Rates of spontaneous mutation determine the ability of viruses to evolve, infect new hosts, evade immunity and undergo drug resistance. Contrarily to RNA viruses, few mutation rate estimates have been obtained for DNA viruses, because their high replication fidelity implies that new mutations typically fall below the detection limits of Sanger and standard next-generation sequencing. Here, we have used a recently developed high-fidelity deep sequencing technique (Duplex Sequencing) to score spontaneous mutations in human adenovirus 5 under conditions of minimal selection. Based on >200 single-base spontaneous mutations detected throughout the entire viral genome, we infer an average mutatio…
Modulating Oxidant Levels to Promote Healthy Aging
2020
Significance: Free radicals although originally thought of as damaging molecules, inevitable side effects of the utilization of oxygen by cells, are now considered as signals that by modifying, among others, the thiol-disulfide balance regulate many cell processes from metabolism to cell cycle. Recent Advances: This review discusses the importance of the modulation of the oxidant levels through physiological strategies such as physical exercise or genetic manipulations such as the overexpression of antioxidant enzymes, in the promotion of healthy aging. Critical Issues: We have divided the review into five different sections. In the first two sections of the article "Oxidants are signals" a…
Overexpression of CYB5R3 and NQO1, two NAD+-producing enzymes, mimics aspects of caloric restriction
2018
© 2018 The Authors.
On-demand autophagic network adaptations upon limited lipid availability
2020
The de novo synthesis of autophagic vesicles is strongly dependent on sufficient lipid supply. Recently, the RAB GTPase RAB18 was shown to affect autophagy by mediating fatty acid release from lipid droplets, which are lipid sources for autophagosome formation. The stable loss of RAB18 interfered with fatty acid release from the lipid reservoirs and provoked autophagy network adaptations aiming to maintain autophagic activity under lipid limiting conditions.
The cytoprotective protein MANF promotes neuronal survival independently from its role as a GRP78 cofactor
2021
Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress-regulated protein exhibiting cytoprotective properties through a poorly understood mechanism in various in vitro and in vivo models of neuronal and non-neuronal damage. Although initially characterized as a secreted neurotrophic factor for midbrain dopamine neurons, MANF has recently gained more interest for its intracellular role in regulating the ER homeostasis, including serving as a cofactor of the chaperone glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78). We aimed for a better understanding of the neuroprotective mechanisms of MANF. Here we show for the first time that MANF promotes the survival of …
CellMap visualizes protein-protein interactions and subcellular localization
2018
Many tools visualize protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. The tool introduced here, CellMap, adds one crucial novelty by visualizing PPI networks in the context of subcellular localization, i.e. the location in the cell or cellular component in which a PPI happens. Users can upload images of cells and define areas of interest against which PPIs for selected proteins are displayed (by default on a cartoon of a cell). Annotations of localization are provided by the user or through our in-house database. The visualizer and server are written in JavaScript, making CellMap easy to customize and to extend by researchers and developers.
Double methylation of tRNA-U54 to 2′-O-methylthymidine (Tm) synergistically decreases immune response by Toll-like receptor 7
2018
Abstract Sensing of nucleic acids for molecular discrimination between self and non-self is a challenging task for the innate immune system. RNA acts as a potent stimulus for pattern recognition receptors including in particular human Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7). Certain RNA modifications limit potentially harmful self-recognition of endogenous RNA. Previous studies had identified the 2′-O-methylation of guanosine 18 (Gm18) within tRNAs as an antagonist of TLR7 leading to an impaired immune response. However, human tRNALys3 was non-stimulatory despite lacking Gm18. To identify the underlying molecular principle, interferon responses of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to differentia…