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Topic Review
Anti-Bacterial Artemisia Plants
Over 70,000 people die of bacterial infections worldwide annually. Antibiotics have been liberally used to treat these diseases and, consequently, antibiotic resistance and drug ineffectiveness has been generated. In this environment, new anti-bacterial compounds are being urgently sought. Around 500 Artemisia species have been identified worldwide. Most species of this genus are aromatic and have multiple functions. Research into the Artemisia plants has expanded rapidly in recent years.
  • 745
  • 12 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Metabolic Diseases and Exercise Effects on Platelets
Chronic disorders are strongly linked to cardiovascular (CV) diseases, and it is unanimously accepted that regular exercise training is a key tool to improving CV risk factors, including diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Increased oxidative stress due to an imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and their scavenging by endogenous antioxidant capacity is the common ground among these metabolic disorders, and each of them affects platelet function. Habitual physical exercise triggers important mechanisms related to the exercise benefits for health improvement and protects against CV events. Platelets play an important role in many physiological and pathophysiological processes, including the development of arterial thrombosis, and physical (in)activity has been shown to interfere with platelet function. Although data reported by studies carried out on this topic show discrepancies, knowledge on platelet function affected by exercise mainly depends on the type of applied exercise intensity and whether acute or habitual, strenuous or moderate, thus suggesting that physical activity and exercise intensity may interfere with platelet function differently. 
  • 745
  • 30 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition towards Clinical Applications in Cancer
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial to metastasis by increasing cancer cell migration and invasion. At the cellular level, EMT-related morphological and functional changes are well established. At the molecular level, critical signaling pathways able to drive EMT have been described.
  • 745
  • 21 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Genome-Folding Mechanisms in the Tree Domains of Life
Comparative structural/molecular biology by single-molecule analyses combined with single-cell dissection, mass spectroscopy, and biochemical reconstitution have been powerful tools for elucidating the mechanisms underlying genome DNA folding. All genomes in the three domains of life undergo stepwise folding from DNA to 30–40 nm fibers. Major protein players are histone (Eukarya and Archaea), Alba (Archaea), and HU (Bacteria) for fundamental structural units of the genome. In Euryarchaeota, a major archaeal phylum, either histone or HTa (the bacterial HU homolog) were found to wrap DNA. This finding divides archaea into two groups: those that use DNA-wrapping as the fundamental step in genome folding and those that do not. Archaeal transcription factor-like protein TrmBL2 has been suggested to be involved in genome folding and repression of horizontally acquired genes, similar to bacterial H-NS protein. Evolutionarily divergent SMC proteins contribute to the establishment of higher-order structures. Recent results are presented, including the use of Hi-C technology to reveal that archaeal SMC proteins are involved in higher-order genome folding, and the use of single-molecule tracking to reveal the detailed functions of bacterial and eukaryotic SMC proteins. Here, we highlight the similarities and differences in the DNA-folding mechanisms in the three domains of life. 
  • 744
  • 28 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Lipidomics of Marine Invertebrates
Marine invertebrates are a paraphyletic group that comprises more than 90% of all marine animal species. Lipids form the structural basis of cell membranes, are utilized as an energy reserve by all marine invertebrates, and are, therefore, considered important indicators of their ecology and biochemistry. The nutritional value of commercial invertebrates directly depends on their lipid composition. The lipid classes and fatty acids of marine invertebrates have been studied in detail, but data on their lipidomes (the profiles of all lipid molecules) remain very limited. To date, lipidomes or their parts are known only for a few species of mollusks, coral polyps, ascidians, jellyfish, sea anemones, sponges, sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, crabs, copepods, shrimp, and squid.
  • 743
  • 20 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Exosomal Circular RNAs in Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine tumor. The genetic and epigenetic molecular alterations of TC have become more evident in recent years. However, a deeper understanding of the roles these molecular changes play in TC tumorigenesis and progression is essential in developing a successful treatment strategy and improving patients’ prognoses. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a family of non-coding RNAs, have been implicated in several aspects of carcinogenesis in multiple cancers, including TC. 
  • 743
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Glutathione Intracellular Compartmentalization
Reduced glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant non-protein endogenous thiol. It is a ubiquitous molecule produced in most organs, but its synthesis is predominantly in the liver, the tissue in charge of storing and distributing it. The conservation of hepatic glutathione levels is a dynamic process resulting from the balance between the synthesis rate, transport, use and removal of such thiols. Its synthesis takes place only in the cellular cytosol since all the necessary enzymes for its synthesis are found there. Nevertheless, within the cell, glutathione is compartmentalized into different cell organelles and ratios.
  • 743
  • 27 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Targeting Potential in Gliomas
Gliomas portray a large and heterogeneous group of CNS tumors, encompassing a wide range of low- to high-grade tumors, as defined by histological and molecular characteristics. The identification of signature mutations and other molecular abnormalities has largely impacted tumor classification, diagnosis, and therapy. Transcription factors (TFs) are master regulators of gene expression programs, which ultimately shape cell fate and homeostasis. A variety of TFs have been detected to be aberrantly expressed in brain tumors, being highly implicated in critical pathological aspects and progression of gliomas.
  • 742
  • 18 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Nociceptor–Macrophage Interactions in Apical Periodontitis
Periradicular tissues have a rich supply of peripheral afferent neurons, also known as nociceptive neurons, originating from the trigeminal nerve. While their primary function is to relay pain signals to the brain, these are known to be involved in modulating innate and adaptive immunity by initiating neurogenic inflammation (NI).
  • 742
  • 15 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Ferritins of Sponges
Ferritins comprise a conservative family of proteins found in all species and play an essential role in resistance to redox stress, immune response, and cell differentiation. Sponges (Porifera) are the oldest Metazoa that show unique plasticity and regenerative potential. 
  • 741
  • 26 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Monoclonal Antibodies: Structure and Function
Monoclonal antibodies are among the most effective tools for detecting tumor-associated antigens. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved more than 36 therapeutic antibodies for developing novel alternative therapies that have significant success rates in fighting cancer. 
  • 741
  • 29 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Anaplasma Species in Africa
Anaplasma species, belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales, are obligate intracellular bacteria responsible for various tick-borne diseases of veterinary and human significance worldwide. With advancements in molecular techniques, seven formal species of Anaplasma and numerous unclassified species have been described. In Africa, several Anaplasma species and strains have been identified in different animals and tick species
  • 740
  • 18 May 2023
Topic Review
Epigenetics in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are major health issues in Western countries. Despite significant efforts, no effective therapeutics for NDDs exist. Several drugs that target epigenetic mechanisms (epidrugs) have been recently developed for the treatment of NDDs, and several of these are currently being tested in clinical trials.
  • 740
  • 23 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Arsenite Inducible Regulatory Particle-Associate Protein
Maintaining 26S proteasome activity under diverse physiological conditions is a fundamental requirement in order to maintain cellular proteostasis. Several quantitative and qualitative mechanisms have evolved to ensure that ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) substrates do not accumulate and lead to promiscuous protein–protein interactions that, in turn, lead to cellular malfunction.
  • 739
  • 30 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Microtubule Dynamics in Toxoplasma gondii
The success of the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii in invading host cells relies on the apical complex, a specialized microtubule cytoskeleton structure associated with secretory organelles. The T. gondii genome encodes three isoforms of both α- and β-tubulin, which undergo specific post-translational modifications (PTMs), altering the biochemical and biophysical proprieties of microtubules and modulating their interaction with associated proteins. Tubulin PTMs represent a powerful and evolutionarily conserved mechanism for generating tubulin diversity, forming a biochemical ‘tubulin code’ interpretable by microtubule-interacting factors.
  • 739
  • 25 Mar 2024
Topic Review
FGF23 in Diabetes
The incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) results from a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral risk-factors that include sedentary lifestyle and diet. Related to diet, small elevations in the levels of Pi in blood also constitute a risk factor for the appearance of prediabetes situations, particularly, impaired glucose tolerance and IR, as well as for the development of T2DM. Pi serum range is maintained by diverse hormones that regulate the intestinal uptake, its mobilization from bone, and the renal excretion. Importantly, the pathophysiological repercussions of Pi imbalances also involve to these regulatory factors. Disbalances in phosphataemic regulatory-factors traditionally related to an increase in morbidity are the decrease in calcitriol (the active form of vitamin D) and the increase in parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is considered the main regulator of phosphorus and vitamin D metabolism. FGF23 is secreted from bones, especially by osteoblasts and osteocytes, after phosphate intake and acts primarily on the kidneys to inhibit phosphate reabsorption in urine. FGF23 also inhibits calcitriol renal synthesis and the secretion of PTH in the parathyroid glands.
  • 738
  • 28 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Transcriptional Enhancers in Cancer
One of the major challenges in cancer treatments is the dynamic adaptation of tumor cells to cancer therapies. In this regard, tumor cells can modify their response to environmental cues without altering their DNA sequence. This cell plasticity enables cells to undergo morphological and functional changes, for example, during the process of tumour metastasis or when acquiring resistance to cancer therapies. Central to cell plasticity, are the dynamic changes in gene expression that are controlled by a set of molecular switches called enhancers. Enhancers are DNA elements that determine when, where and to what extent genes should be switched on and off. Thus, defects in enhancer function can disrupt the gene expression program and can lead to tumour formation. Here, we review how enhancers control the activity of cancer-associated genes and how defects in these regulatory elements contribute to cell plasticity in cancer. Understanding enhancer (de)regulation can provide new strategies for modulating cell plasticity in tumour cells and can open new research avenues for cancer therapy. 
  • 738
  • 23 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Pleiotropic Signaling by Reactive Oxygen Species
The excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of diseases. ROS are central to cellular redox regulation and act as second messengers to activate redox-sensitive signals. Studies have revealed that certain sources of ROS can be beneficial or harmful to human health. Considering the essential and pleiotropic roles of ROS in basic physiological functions, future therapeutics should be designed to modulate the redox state. Dietary phytochemicals, microbiota, and metabolites derived from them can be expected to be developed as drugs to prevent or treat disorders in the tumor microenvironment.
  • 738
  • 18 May 2023
Topic Review
Domain Composition of MAST Kinases
Microtubule-Associated Serine/Threonine (MAST) kinases represent an evolutionary conserved branch of the AGC protein kinase superfamily in the kinome. Since the discovery of the founding member, MAST2, in 1993, three additional family members have been identified in mammals and found to be broadly expressed across various tissues, including the brain, heart, lung, liver, intestine and kidney.
  • 738
  • 03 Aug 2023
Topic Review
ECM Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer
The cellular microenvironment composition and changes therein play an extremely important role in cancer development. Changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM), which constitutes a majority of the tumor stroma, significantly contribute to the development of the tumor microenvironment. These alterations within the ECM and formation of the tumor microenvironment ultimately lead to tumor development, invasion, and metastasis. The ECM is composed of various molecules such as collagen, elastin, laminin, fibronectin, and the MMPs that cleave these protein fibers and play a central role in tissue remodeling. When healthy cells undergo an insult like DNA damage and become cancerous, if the ECM does not support these neoplastic cells, further development, invasion, and metastasis fail to occur. Therefore, ECM-related cancer research is indispensable, and ECM components can be useful biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets. Colorectal cancer specifically, is also affected by the ECM and many studies have been conducted to unravel the complex association between the two
  • 737
  • 08 Sep 2021
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