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Topic Review
Caenorhabditis elegans Models Established for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal motor neuron disease characterised by the selective and gradual loss of motor neurons in the spinal, bulbar and cortical regions. C. elegans has established itself as a favoured model organism in the field of neurodegenerative disease research. Through analysis of gene mutations pertinent to these disease, it provides a unique opportunity to identify pathogenic molecular pathways and explore promising therapeutic options. 
  • 628
  • 10 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Lactate-Dependent Mechanisms of Maintaining Cancer Cell Stemness
The role of lactic acid (lactate) in cell metabolism has been significantly revised. Initially, lactic acid was attributed to the role of a toxic end-product of metabolism, with its accumulation in the cell and extracellular space leading to acidosis, muscle pain, and other adverse effects. However, it has now become obvious that lactate is not only a universal fuel molecule and the main substrate for gluconeogenesis but also one of the most ancient metabolites, with a signaling function that has a wide range of regulatory activity. The Warburg effect described (the intensification of glycolysis associated with high lactate production), which is characteristic of many malignant tumors, confirms the key role of lactate not only in physiological conditions but also in pathologies. The study of lactate’s role in the malignant transformation becomes more relevant in the light of the “atavistic theory of carcinogenesis,” which suggests that tumor cells return to a more primitive hereditary phenotype during microevolution. 
  • 628
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Molecular Biology of Miscanthus
Miscanthus is a perennial wild plant that is vital for the production of paper and roofing, as well as horticulture and the development of new high-yielding crops in temperate climates. Chromosome-level assembly of the ancient tetraploid genome of miscanthus chromosomes is reported to provide resources that can link its chromosomes to related diploid sorghum and complex polyploid sugarcane. 
  • 626
  • 25 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Chemical Sensor Based on Piezoelectric/Triboelectric Nanogenerators
Piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators (P-TENGs) have emerged as promising technologies for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, with potential applications in self-powered wearable and environmental monitoring devices. Modular design in P-TENGs, characterized by the flexible assembly and customization of device components, enables the development of sustainable and versatile chemical sensors.
  • 624
  • 24 May 2023
Topic Review
RXynSOS
A GH10 β-1,4-endoxylanase (XynSOS), from the ascomycetous fungus Talaromyces amestolkiae, has been heterologously produced in Pichia pastoris, purified, and characterized. rXynSOS is a highly glycosylated monomeric enzyme of 53 kDa that contains a functional CBM1 domain and shows its optimal activity on azurine cross-linked (AZCL)–beechwood xylan at 70 °C and pH 5. rXynSOS was capable of transglycosylating phenolic compounds, although with low efficiencies.
  • 623
  • 14 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Epitranscriptomic Marks Affect RNA Structures
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) belong to a class of non-protein-coding RNAs with their lengths longer than 200 nucleotides. Most of the mammalian genome is transcribed as RNA, yet only a small percent of the transcribed RNA corresponds to exons of protein-coding genes. Thus, the number of lncRNAs is predicted to be several times higher than that of protein-coding genes. Because of sheer number of lncRNAs, it is often difficult to elucidate the functions of all lncRNAs, especially those arising from their relationship to their binding partners, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. Due to their binding to other macromolecules, it has become evident that the structures of lncRNAs influence their functions.
  • 623
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Extracellular Vesicle as Resourceful Biological Systems
In the era of multi-omic sciences, which continuously provide a more comprehensive overview of human pathogenesis, dogma on singular cause-effect in physio-pathological processes is overcome and system biology approaches have been welcomed to look at pathologies through new perspectives. In this context, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have also been targets of this approach, shedding light on their heterogeneity in terms of content, function, origin and potentiality.
  • 622
  • 18 May 2022
Topic Review
Human Pathogens Hijacking the Ubiquitin–Proteasome System
Ubiquitin, a small protein, is well known for tagging target proteins through a cascade of enzymatic reactions that lead to protein degradation. The ubiquitin tag, apart from its signaling role, is paramount in destabilizing the modified protein.
  • 622
  • 14 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Ribosomal Protein uS5 and Friends
Ribosomal proteins are fundamental components of the ribosomes in all living cells. The ribosomal protein uS5 (Rps2) is a stable component of the small ribosomal subunit within all three domains of life. In addition to its interactions with proximal ribosomal proteins and rRNA inside the ribosome, uS5 has a surprisingly complex network of evolutionarily conserved non-ribosome-associated proteins.
  • 621
  • 24 May 2023
Topic Review
Mechanisms Underlying Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. Despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a significant medical challenge. Prostate cancer cells can develop mechanisms to resist androgen deprivation therapy, such as AR overexpression, AR mutations, alterations in AR coregulators, increased steroidogenic signaling pathways, outlaw pathways, and bypass pathways. Various treatment options for CRPC exist, including androgen deprivation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, localized or systemic therapeutic radiation, and PARP inhibitors. However, more research is needed to combat CRPC effectively. Further investigation into the underlying mechanisms of the disease and the development of new therapeutic strategies will be crucial in improving patient outcomes. 
  • 621
  • 31 Oct 2023
Topic Review
DNA-based Quality Control of Cell Lines
Cell lines are a widely used pre-clinical models for biomedical research. However, the access to cell lines from a non-confident source results in uncontrollable cell lines of uncertain quality, the main consequence of which is the lack of reproducibility between the research results. Compliance with Good Cell Culture Practice (GCCP) is essential to have quality-controlled material independently of its nature or downstream application. Quality controls of cell lines include the tools necessary to monitor their authentication, stability, functionality, and contamination absence by using different molecular biology techniques. Many of these quality controls used to test different attributes of cell lines are based on DNA, which are presented here.
  • 621
  • 04 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Melatonin Use for Early Life Origins of Hypertension
 Hypertension represents a major disease burden worldwide. Abundant evidence suggests that hypertension can originate in early life. Adverse programming processes can be prevented by early life intervention—namely, reprogramming—to avoid developing chronic diseases later in life. Melatonin is an endogenously produced hormone with a multifaceted biological function. Although melatonin supplementation has shown benefits for human health, less attention has been paid to exploring its reprogramming effects on the early life origins of hypertension.
  • 620
  • 12 May 2022
Topic Review
Biochemical Dysfunctions Related to MT-ATP6/MT-ATP8 Pathogenic Variants
Mitochondrial ATP synthase (Complex V) catalyzes the last step of oxidative phosphorylation and provides most of the energy (ATP) required by human cells. The mitochondrial genes MT-ATP6 and MT-ATP8 encode two subunits of the multi-subunit Complex V. Since the discovery of the first MT-ATP6 variant in the year 1990 as the cause of Neuropathy, Ataxia, and Retinitis Pigmentosa (NARP) syndrome, a large and continuously increasing number of inborn variants in the MT-ATP6 and MT-ATP8 genes have been identified as pathogenic. Variants in these genes correlate with various clinical phenotypes, which include several neurodegenerative and multisystemic disorders.
  • 620
  • 01 Mar 2024
Topic Review
CD133 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Oncology
The CD133 cell membrane glycoprotein, also termed prominin-1, is expressed on some of the tumor cells of both solid and blood malignancies. The CD133-positive tumor cells were shown to exhibit higher proliferative activity, greater chemo- and radioresistance, and enhanced tumorigenicity compared to their CD133-negative counterparts. The CD133-positive cells are related to the cancer stem cell subpopulation in many types of cancer. For this reason, CD133 is regarded as a potential prognostic biomarker in oncology. 
  • 619
  • 27 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Monomeric Extracellular Ubiquitin
Ubiquitin (Ub) was discovered in 1975 in bovine thymus and subsequently found in multiple organisms and tissues. Ub is a small 76-amino-acid protein with a molecular weight of 8.6 kDa and a surface area of 4800 Å2. It is highly conserved across species. Indeed, human and mouse Ub are identical and differ from yeast by only two amino acids (96% sequence identity), indicating a well-conserved role in regulating important cellular processes across diverse and evolutionarily distant organisms. Ub is encoded by four different genes in humans; two of them, UBA52 and RSP27A, encode for a single Ub fused to the ribosomal L40 and S27A proteins, respectively, whereas the other two, UBB and UBC, produce three and nine head-to-tail tandem Ubs with a C-terminal cysteine (C) or valine (V), respectively. After expression, the polyubiquitins, as well as the C-terminal C or V extensions, are processed by specific cellular deubiquitinases (DUBs) to generate Ub.
  • 619
  • 18 Feb 2024
Topic Review
MicroRNA-21 Regulates Stemness in PDAC
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common and aggressive type of pancreatic cancer (PCa) with a low survival rate. microRNAs (miRs) are endogenous, non-coding RNAs that moderate numerous biological processes. miRs have been associated with the chemoresistance and metastasis of PDAC and the presence of a subpopulation of highly plastic “stem”-like cells within the tumor, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs).
  • 618
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Structure of Glycosylated Arsenicals
Microalgae are abundant components of the biosphere rich in low molecular weight carbohydrate-containing natural products (glycoconjugates). Glycoconjugates take part in the processes of photosynthesis, provide producers with important biological molecules, influence other organisms and are known by their biological activities. Some of them, for example, glycosylated toxins and arsenicals, are detrimental and can be transferred via food chains into higher organisms, including humans. 
  • 618
  • 05 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Limited Access to Drug in Malaria Control
Malaria burden has severe impact on the world. Several arsenals, including the use of antimalarials, are in place to curb the malaria burden. Limited access to drugs ensures that patients do not get the right doses of the antimalarials in order to have an effective plasma concentration to kill the malaria parasites, which leads to treatment failure and overall reduction in malaria control via increased transmission rate. 
  • 617
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Modern Research on Heavy Metal Toxicity
This entry analyzes the causes and consequences of apoptosis and oxidative stress that occur in mitochondria and cells exposed to the toxic effects of different valent heavy metals (Ag+, Tl+, Hg2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Al3+, Ga3+, In3+, As3+, Sb3+, Cr6+, and U6+). Experiments with different cells and mitochondria showed that the heavy metals under review induced apoptosis characterized by caspase-3 and -9 activation, Bax and Bcl-2 expression, and mitogen-activated protein kinases. 
  • 617
  • 11 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Biosensors for the Detection of L-Amino Acids
The field of biosensors is filled with reports and designs of various sensors, with the vast majority focusing on glucose sensing. However, in addition to glucose, there are many other important analytes that are worth investigating as well. In particular, L-amino acids appear as important diagnostic markers for a number of conditions. The need to determine L-amino acids from clinical samples has risen. More clinical data appear to demonstrate that abnormal concentrations of L-amino acids are related to various clinical conditions such as inherited metabolic disorders, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, muscle damage, etc.
  • 615
  • 03 Jan 2024
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