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Topic Review
Properties of Claudin-2
Claudin-2 is a member of the claudin family of epithelial tight junction proteins expressed mostly in the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Its role as a cation-selective and water permeable paracellular channel is well studied. In addition, newly emerging strong evidence also shows that it can modulate proliferation, migration, and cell fate determination. These effects appear to be due to its interactions with cytosolic adapters, that connect it to key signaling pathways. A multitude of new data document dysregulated claudin-2 expression in many pathologies including cancer, inflammation, and fibrosis. Thus, changes in claudin-2 expression may contribute to the generation, maintenance, and/or progression of diseases through both permeability-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Based on this, efforts are underway to develop therapies targeting claudin-2 with the hope of benefiting patients with a variety of disease. 
  • 2.1K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Chelating Ability of Plant Polyphenols
Many studies have widely examined the effects of dietary polyphenols on human health. Polyphenols are well known for their antioxidant properties and for their chelating abilities, by which they can be potentially employed in cases of pathological conditions, such as iron overload. The iron-binding abilities of dietary polyphenols can be important in inflammatory/immunomodulatory responses, especially involving macrophages and dendritic cells, and they also might contribute to reshape the gut microbiota into a healthy profile. As the axes “polyphenol–iron metabolism–inflammatory responses” and “polyphenol–iron availability–gut microbiota” have not been very well explored so far, there is the need for further investigation to exploit such a potential to prevent or counteract pathological conditions.
  • 2.1K
  • 16 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Uremic Toxins
Some uremic toxins such as indol acetic acid, indoxyl sulfate, p-cresyl sulfate hippuric acid, phenyl sulfate, trimethylamine N-oxide, and hydrogen sulfide in the blood of CKD patients come from the metabolism of bacteria in the gut. As a result of the conducted research, the list of potential uremic toxins is constantly being modified. For example, it is suggested that the current list of cytokines that are considered potential uremic toxins is incomplete and excessive.
  • 2.1K
  • 28 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Ribonucleotides in DNA
RNA is frequently found into DNA. Single embedded ribonucleotides are mainly introduced by DNA polymerases. Longer stretches of RNA can also anneal to DNA, forming RNA:DNA hybrids, as occurs for R-loops. Even if R-loops are the most studied hybrid structures, the world of RNA:DNA hybrids is much wider. Polyribonucleotide chains are indeed synthesized to allow Okazaki fragments priming in the process of DNA replication, and double-strand breaks repair and may also result from the direct incorporation of several consecutive ribonucleotides by DNA polymerases. We discuss about all the possible sources of single and multiple ribonucleotides in DNA, focusing on situations where the aberrant processing of RNA:DNA hybrids may result in potentially harmful stretches of consecutive ribonucleotides embedded into the genome, whose existence is also supported by their presence into the DNA of organelles.
  • 2.1K
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Bioactive Flavonoids from Citrus Fruits
Citrus species are one of the world’s popular fruit crops, cultivated all over the world for their economic and nutritional values. Citrus, like other fruits and vegetables, are an important source of several antioxidant molecules (polyphenols, ascorbic acid, and carotenoids) that can inhibit the harmful effects of free radicals on the human body; due to their functional values and health-promoting properties, Citrus species are considered valuable fruits not only in agri-food industry, but also in pharmaceutical industry. Flavonoids are among the major constituents of polyphenols found in different parts of Citrus fruits (skin, peels, seed, pulp membrane, and juice). Flavonoids have different biological properties (antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial activities). Several studies have also shown the health-related properties of Citrus flavonoids, especially antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammation, anti-aging, and cardiovascular protection activities.
  • 2.1K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Health Benefits of Phenolic Compounds from Pigmented Corn
Pigmented corn is a gramineae food of great biological, cultural and nutritional importance for many Latin American countries, with more than 250 breeds on the American continent. It confers a large number of health benefits due to its diverse and abundant bioactive compounds. Phenolic compounds, among which are anthocyanins are some of the most studied and representative compounds in these grasses, with a wide range of health properties, mainly the reduction of pro-oxidant molecules.
  • 2.1K
  • 13 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Curcuma longa L. Essential Oil
Curcuma longa L. rhizome essential oil is a valuable product in pharmaceutical industry due to its wide beneficial health effects.
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Feb 2021
Topic Review
DNA Dyes
Cell quantification is widely used both in basic and applied research. A typical example of its use is drug discovery research. Presently, plenty of methods for cell quantification are available. In this review, the basic techniques used for cell quantification, with a special emphasis on techniques based on fluorescent DNA dyes, are described. 
  • 2.1K
  • 23 Sep 2021
Topic Review
FGCaMP7 Genetically Encoded Calcium Indicator
Genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) have become a widespread tool for the visualization of neuronal activity. As compared to popular GCaMP GECIs, the FGCaMP indicator benefits from calmodulin from the Aspergillus niger fungus, which prevent its interaction with the intracellular environment. However, FGCaMP exhibits a two-phase fluorescence behavior with the variation of calcium ion concentration, has moderate sensitivity in neurons (as compared to the GCaMP6s indicator), and has not been fully characterized in vitro and in vivo. To address these limitations, we developed an enhanced version of FGCaMP, called FGCaMP7. FGCaMP7 preserves the ratiometric phenotype of FGCaMP, with a 3.1-fold larger ratiometric dynamic range in vitro. FGCaMP7 demonstrates 2.7- and 8.7-fold greater photostability compared to mEGFP and mTagBFP2 fluorescent proteins in vitro, respectively. The ratiometric response of FGCaMP7 is 1.6- and 1.4-fold higher, compared to the intensiometric response of GCaMP6s, in non-stimulated and stimulated neuronal cultures, respectively. We reveal the inertness of FGCaMP7 to the intracellular environment of HeLa cells using its truncated version with a deleted M13-like peptide; in contrast to the similarly truncated variant of GCaMP6s. We characterize the crystal structure of the parental FGCaMP indicator. Finally, we test the in vivo performance of FGCaMP7 in mouse brain using a two-photon microscope and an NVista miniscope; and in zebrafish using two-color ratiometric confocal imaging.
  • 2.1K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Targeting CDK4/6 for Anticancer Therapy
Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) are key regulators of the cell cycle and are deemed as critical therapeutic targets of multiple cancers. Various approaches have been applied to silence CDK4/6 at different levels, i.e., CRISPR to knock out at the DNA level, siRNA to inhibit translation, and drugs that target the protein of interest. Here we summarize the current status in this field, highlighting the mechanisms of small molecular inhibitors treatment and drug resistance.
  • 2.1K
  • 12 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Sugar Transporters in Plants
Phytohormone transporters, alkaloid transporters, ion and ion chelator transporters, sugar transporters, and amino acid transporters are common active transporters in plants. The examples of phytohormone transporters, alkaloid transporters, and ion and ion chelator transporters include ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and Multidrug And Toxic compound Extrusion (MATE) transporters, while the examples of sugar transporters include MonoSaccharide Transporters (MSTs) and SUcrose Transporters (SUTs). These transporters have been reported to play important roles in various biological processes including cellular detoxification, nutrient transport, and stress adaptation. 
  • 2.1K
  • 17 Mar 2022
Topic Review
ADP-ribosylation
Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent post-translational modification that is found on proteins as well as on nucleic acids. Promising technological advances have enabled the development of innovative tools to detect NAD+ and NAD+/NADH (H for hydrogen) ratios as well as ADP-ribosylation. These tools have significantly enhanced our current understanding of how intracellular NAD dynamics contribute to the regulation of ADP-ribosylation as well as to how mono-ADP-ribosylation integrates into various cellular processes.
  • 2.1K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Genetically-Encoded Probes for Live-Cell Imaging of Histone Modifications
Epigenetic modifications of histones (methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, etc.) are of great importance in determining the functional state of chromatin. There are various fluorescent probes for histone modification detection. Various types of live-cell imaging epigenetic sensors suitable for conventional as well as super-resolution fluorescence microscopy are described.
  • 2.1K
  • 25 Aug 2022
Topic Review
BMSC Osteogenic or Adipogenic Differentiation
Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are multipotent cells in the bone marrow which can differentiate into chondrocytes, osteoblasts, adipocytes (fat cells) and other cell types. Many factors have been identified to control the process of BMSC osteogenic or adipogenic differentiation in the bone.
  • 2.1K
  • 12 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Cytokines Drive Angiogenesis
Cytokines are important molecular players in cancer development, progression, and potential targets for treatment. Despite being small and overlooked, research has revealed that cytokines influence cancer biology in multiple ways. Cytokines are often found to contribute to immune function, cell damage, inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and several other cellular processes important to tumor survival. Cytokines have also proven to have powerful effects on complex tumor microenvironment molecular biology and microbiology.  Angiogenesis, also termed neovascularization, is blood vessel development from pre-existing vasculature. It is regulated by a careful balance of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors.
  • 2.1K
  • 10 May 2022
Topic Review
Anti-Cancer Quinone
Natural quinones are secondary metabolites of plant and are categorized as benzoquinone, naphthoquinone, phenanthrenequinone, and anthraquinone according to their aromatic carbon skeleton [3]. Quinones are highly electrophilic molecules that accept one- or two-electrons from flavoenzymes and iron-sulfur proteins to form semiquinone or hydroquinone. They exert cytotoxic effects through alkylating proteins or DNA and affect the redox cycle with their semiquinone radicals to generate reactive oxygen species.
  • 2.1K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Bacterial Flagellar Filament
The bacterial flagellum is a complex and dynamic nanomachine that propels bacteria through liquids. It consists of a basal body, a hook, and a long filament. The flagellar filament is composed of thousands of copies of the protein flagellin (FliC) arranged helically and ending with a filament cap composed of an oligomer of the protein FliD. The overall structure of the filament core is preserved across bacterial species, while the outer domains exhibit high variability, and in some cases are even completely absent. Flagellar assembly is a complex and energetically costly process triggered by environmental stimuli and, accordingly, highly regulated on transcriptional, translational and post-translational levels. Apart from its role in locomotion, the filament is critically important in several other aspects of bacterial survival, reproduction and pathogenicity, such as adhesion to surfaces, secretion of virulence factors and formation of biofilms. Additionally, due to its ability to provoke potent immune responses, flagellins have a role as adjuvants in vaccine development.
  • 2.1K
  • 02 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Updating Phospholipase A2 Biology
The phospholipase A2 (PLA2) superfamily contains more than 50 enzymes in mammals that are subdivided into several distinct families on a structural and biochemical basis. In principle, PLA2 has the capacity to hydrolyze the sn-2 position of glycerophospholipids to release fatty acids and lysophospholipids, yet several enzymes in this superfamily catalyze other reactions rather than or in addition to the PLA2 reaction. PLA2 enzymes play crucial roles in not only the production of lipid mediators, but also membrane remodeling, bioenergetics, and body surface barrier, thereby participating in a number of biological events. Accordingly, disturbance of PLA2-regulated lipid metabolism is often associated with various diseases.
  • 2.1K
  • 17 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Limb Development
The function of retinoic acid (RA) during limb development is still debated, as loss and gain of function studies led to opposite conclusions. With regard to limb initiation, genetic studies demonstrated that activation of FGF10 signaling is required for the emergence of limb buds from the trunk, with Tbx5 and RA signaling acting upstream in the forelimb field, whereas Tbx4 and Pitx1 act upstream in the hindlimb field. Early studies in chick embryos suggested that RA as well as Meis1 and Meis2 (Meis1/2) are required for subsequent proximodistal patterning of both forelimbs and hindlimbs, with RA diffusing from the trunk, functioning to activate Meis1/2 specifically in the proximal limb bud mesoderm. However, genetic loss of RA signaling does not result in loss of limb Meis1/2 expression and limb patterning is normal, although Meis1/2 expression is reduced in trunk somitic mesoderm. More recent studies demonstrated that global genetic loss of Meis1/2 results in a somite defect and failure of limb bud initiation. Other new studies reported that conditional genetic loss of Meis1/2 in the limb results in proximodistal patterning defects, and distal FGF8 signaling represses Meis1/2 to constrain its expression to the proximal limb.
  • 2.1K
  • 19 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an important oxidation molecule regulating aerobic metabolism. Redox signals include physiological oxidative stress (EU stress), and excessive oxidative stress can damage molecules. The main enzyme sources of H2O2 are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase or NADPH oxidase (NOx), mitochondrial respiratory chain and various kinds of oxidase. NOx family consists of seven enzyme subtypes, which produce a superoxide anion (O2 -) which can be converted to H2O2 by superoxide dismutase or spontaneously. H2O2 passes through the membrane through some aquaporin (AQP), which is called porphyrin hydroperoxide. It diffuses in cells and tissues, triggering cellular effects such as proliferation, immune cell recruitment and morphological changes. 
  • 2.1K
  • 27 Jan 2022
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