Search results for "PROCESSES"
showing 10 items of 3831 documents
Editorial for the Special Issue “Extracellular Chaperones and Related miRNA as Diagnostic Tools of Chronic Diseases”
2021
Molecular chaperones are a family of proteins that are highly conserved during phylogenesis [...]
Identification and Quantification of Valuable Compounds in Red Grape Seeds
2021
Grape seeds are a by-product of the wine industry. They represent 38–52% of grape pomace and about 5% of the weight of grapes. The main objective of this study is to establish some important characteristics of grape seeds from red varieties cultivated in Romania. The analyzed grape varieties were Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot noir, Burgund Mare, Cadarcă, Syrah, Novac. The grape seeds were dried and ground and the following determinations were made: determination of total polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity, antiradical capacity and determination of phenolic compounds. The analyses were performed on the first day after obtaining the grape extract, on the 14th day and the 30th day. T…
Phenolic Compounds in Extra Virgin Olive Oil Stimulate Human Osteoblastic Cell Proliferation.
2016
In this study, we aimed to clarify the effects of phenolic compounds and extracts from different extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) varieties obtained from fruits of different ripening stages on osteoblast cells (MG-63) proliferation. Cell proliferation was increased by hydroxytyrosol, luteolin, apigenin, p-coumaric, caffeic, and ferulic acids by approximately 11-16%, as compared with controls that were treated with one vehicle alone, while (+)-pinoresinol, oleuropein, sinapic, vanillic acid and derivative (vanillin) did not affect cell proliferation. All phenolic extracts stimulated MG-63 cell growth, and they induced higher cell proliferation rates than individual compounds. The most effective…
Interaction of C 60 fullerenes with asymmetric and curved lipid membranes: a molecular dynamics study
2015
Interaction of fullerenes with asymmetric and curved DOPC/DOPS bicelles is studied by means of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The effects caused by asymmetric lipid composition of the membrane leaflets and the curvature of the membrane are analyzed. It is shown that the aggregates of fullerenes prefer to penetrate into the membrane in the regions of the moderately positive mean curvature. Upon penetration into the hydrophobic core of the membrane fullerenes avoid the regions of the extreme positive or the negative curvature. Fullerenes increase the ordering of lipid tails, which are in direct contact with them, but do not influence other lipids significantly. Our data sugges…
Functions and Therapeutic Potential of Extracellular Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsp90 in Neuroinflammatory Disorders
2021
Neuroinflammation is implicated in central nervous system (CNS) diseases, but the molecular mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Progress may be accelerated by developing a comprehensive view of the pathogenesis of CNS disorders, including the immune and the chaperone systems (IS and CS). The latter consists of the molecular chaperones; cochaperones; and chaperone cofactors, interactors, and receptors of an organism and its main collaborators in maintaining protein homeostasis (canonical function) are the ubiquitin–proteasome system and chaperone-mediated autophagy. The CS has also noncanonical functions, for instance, modulation of the IS with induction of proinflammatory cytokines. …
The Challenging Riddle about the Janus-Type Role of Hsp60 and Related Extracellular Vesicles and miRNAs in Carcinogenesis and the Promises of Its Sol…
2021
Hsp60 is one of the most ancient and evolutionarily conserved members of the chaperoning system. It typically resides within mitochondria, in which it contributes to maintaining the organelle’s proteome integrity and homeostasis. In the last few years, it has been shown that Hsp60 also occurs in other locations, intracellularly and extracellularly, including cytosol, plasma-cell membrane, and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Consequently, non-canonical functions and interacting partners of Hsp60 have been identified and it has been realized that it is a hub molecule in diverse networks and pathways and that it is implicated, directly or indirectly, in the development of various pathological co…
Community composition and seasonal changes of archaea in coarse and fine air particulate matter
2018
Archaea are ubiquitous in terrestrial and marine environments and play an important role in biogeochemical cycles. Although air acts as the primary medium for their dispersal among different habitats, their diversity and abundance is not well characterized. The main reason for this lack of insight is that archaea are difficult to culture, seem to be low in number in the atmosphere, and have so far been difficult to detect even with molecular genetic approaches. However, to better understand the transport, residence time, and living conditions of microorganisms in the atmosphere as well as their effects on the atmosphere and vice versa, it is essential to study all groups of bioaerosols. Her…
SNPs in bone-related miRNAs are associated with the osteoporotic phenotype
2017
AbstractBiogenesis and function of microRNAs can be influenced by genetic variants in the pri-miRNA sequences leading to phenotypic variability. This study aims to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affecting the expression levels of bone-related mature microRNAs and thus, triggering an osteoporotic phenotype. An association analysis of SNPs located in pri-miRNA sequences with bone mineral density (BMD) was performed in the OSTEOMED2 cohort (n = 2183). Functional studies were performed for assessing the role of BMD-associated miRNAs in bone cells. Two SNPs, rs6430498 in the miR-3679 and rs12512664 in the miR-4274, were significantly associated with femoral neck BMD. Further, we…
Hydrogen Bond Fluctuations Control Photochromism in a Reversibly Photo-Switchable Fluorescent Protein
2015
Reversibly switchable fluorescent proteins (RSFPs) are essential for high-resolution microscopy of biological samples, but the reason why these proteins are photochromic is still poorly understood. To address this problem, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the fast switching Met159Thr mutant of the RSFP Dronpa. Our simulations revealed a ground state structural heterogeneity in the chromophore pocket that consists of three populations with one, two, or three hydrogen bonds to the phenolate moiety of the chromophore. By means of non-adiabatic quantum mechanics/molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrated that the subpopulation with a single hydrogen bond is responsible for of…
Cortex-wide BOLD fMRI activity reflects locally-recorded slow oscillation-associated calcium waves.
2017
When a person is in a deep non-dreaming sleep, neurons in their brain alternate slowly between periods of silence and periods of activity. This gives rise to low-frequency brain rhythms called slow waves, which are thought to help stabilize memories. Slow wave activity can be detected on multiple scales, from the pattern of electrical impulses sent by an individual neuron to the collective activity of the brain’s entire outer layer, the cortex. But does slow wave activity in an individual group of neurons in the cortex affect the activity of the rest of the brain? To find out, Schwalm, Schmid, Wachsmuth et al. took advantage of the fact that slow waves also occur under general anesthesia, a…