Search results for "Alpha"

Formation of covalent di-tyrosine dimers in recombinant α-synuclein

2015

Parkinson's disease is associated with fibril deposition in the diseased brain. Misfolding events of the intrinsically disordered synaptic protein α-synuclein are suggested to lead to the formation of transient oligomeric and cytotoxic species. The etiology of Parkinson's disease is further associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and formation of reactive oxygen species. Oxidative stress causes chemical modification of native α-synuclein, plausibly further influencing misfolding events. Here, we present evidence for the spontaneous formation of covalent di-tyrosine α-synuclein dimers in standard recombinant protein preparations, induced without extrinsic oxidative or nitrative agents. The…

Effects of gamma-irradiation on the alpha-tocopherol and fatty acids content of raw unpeeled almond kernels (Prunus dulcis)

2014

Abstract The present study evaluated fatty acid composition and α-tocopherol content of almond as a function of irradiation dose in order to determine dose levels causing minimal undesirable changes to almonds. Raw unpeeled almonds variety Tuono ( Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb) were irradiated using 60 Co source at dose of 0.5, 1.5, 3, 6, 8 and 10 kGy. Both control and irradiated samples were kept frozen and immediately analyzed. The data obtained showed no change in fatty acid compositions up to a dose of 10 kGy; on the contrary, a general trend observed is that increasing the dose of irradiation resulted in the decrease of α-tocopherol content. The study has shown that irradiation is a…

pH-sensitive hydrogel based on a polyaspartamide derivative

2006

A pH-sensitive hydrogel was prepared by UV irradiation technique. Starting polymer was obtained from alpha,beta-poly (N-2-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA) partially derivatized with glycidyl methacrylate (PHG). The PHG copolymer was cross-linked by UV irradiation in the presence of methacrylic acid (MA) to form a pH sensitive hydrogel. The cross-linked matrix shaped as microparticles was characterized by FT-IR spectrophotometry, XPS, X-ray diffraction, SEM and particle size distribution analyses. Moreover, to have information about water affinity of the prepared sample, swelling measurements were carried out in aqueous media mimicking some biological fluids. In order to employ the prepar…

Revisiting delta-6 desaturase regulation by C18 unsaturated fatty acids, depending on the nutritional status.

2009

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) play a key role in regulating delta-6 desaturase (D6D), the key enzyme for long-chain PUFA biosynthesis. Nevertheless, the extent of their effects on this enzyme remains controversial and difficult to assess. It has been generally admitted that C18 unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) regulate negatively delta-6 desaturase (D6D). This inhibition has been evidenced in regard to a high glucose/fat free (HG/FF) diet used in reference. However, several nutritional investigations did not evidence any inhibition of desaturases when feeding fatty acids. Because the choice of the basal diet appeared to be of primary importance in such experiments, our goal was t…

072 Collagen gene expression and tenascin pattern in normal, osteoarthritic, and rheumatoid connective tissues

1992

The extracellular matrix consists of four major components, namely collagens, elastin, proteoglyeans and glycoproteins. Collagens are important members of the ECM, forming a family of at least t 3 different structurally related proteins. Tenascin, synonymous with cytoactin, hexabrachion and J1, is a new member of matrix glycoproteins with a molecular mass of 1200 kD. It exhibits a "hexabrachion" structure with an ellipsoid central globule from which six arms of 75 nm in length diverge in a T-junction arrangement [1]. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) belongs to the group of connective tissue diseases. In contrast to abundant data about ECM-changes in systemic sclerodermia [2] the matrix alterations…

Nitrate Reductase Activity of Mitochondrial Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH-2) as a Redox Sensor for Cardiovascular Oxidative Stress

2009

In 2002, mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH-2) was identified as an organic nitrate bioactivating enzyme. This so-called nitrate reductase activity denitrates nitroglycerin (glycerol trinitrate) to its 1,2-glycerol dinitrate metabolite and nitrite. This reaction relies on reduced thiols at the active site of the enzyme and on the presence of reduced dithiols as the electron source. During bioconversion of nitroglycerin, and also in the presence of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, the active site thiols of ALDH-2 are oxidized and the enzyme looses its activity. We, therefore, speculated that ALDH-2 activity could be a useful marker for cardiovascular oxidative stress. Indeed, th…

A three-dimensional model of mammalian tyrosinase active site accounting for loss of function mutations

2007

Tyrosinases are the first and rate-limiting enzymes in the synthesis of melanin pigments responsible for colouring hair, skin and eyes. Mutation of tyrosinases often decreases melanin production resulting in albinism, but the effects are not always understood at the molecular level. Homology modelling of mouse tyrosinase based on recently published crystal structures of non-mammalian tyrosinases provides an active site model accounting for loss-of-function mutations. According to the model, the copper-binding histidines are located in a helix bundle comprising four densely packed helices. A loop containing residues M374, S375 and V377 connects the CuA and CuB centres, with the peptide oxyge…

Platelet and Plasmatic Lipidic Profile as Potential Marker of Bipolar Disorders: Preliminary Findings

2017

IntroductionAlthough the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is currently based on clinical criteria, preliminary studies showed that palmitic and arachidonic acid levels are able to discriminate adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) from those with bipolar disorder (BD).ObjectivesTo replicate and to expand previous findings by investigating the relation between mood disorders and platelet and plasmatic fatty levels.AimsTo compare the lipidic profile of individuals with different mood disorder (MDD vs. BD) and to investigate the relation with specific clinical features (duration of illness, attempted suicide, psychotic symptoms).MethodsPotential participants were recruited from the …

Specific and Nonspecific Regulation of GPCR Function by Cholesterol

2012

Four new eremophilendiolides from Ligularia atroviolacea

2007

From Ligularia atroviolacea, four new eremophilendiolides, 8 beta-hydroxy-eremophil-3,7 (11)-dien-12,8 alpha(14,6 alpha)-diolide (1), 8 beta-methoxy-eremophil-3,7(11)-dien-12,8 alpha(14,6 alpha)-diolide (2), 8 alpha-hydroxy-eremophil-3,7(11)-dien-12,8 beta(14,6 alpha)-diolide (3) and eremophil-3,7(11),8-trien-12,8 (14,6 alpha)-diolide (4), as well as a known diolide (5) were isolated. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR as well as ESI-MS spectral data. (c) 2006 Yu Zhao. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.