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Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Dnase1 Family in Autoimmunity
The deoxyribonuclease 1 (Dnase1) family is a key family of endonucleases that degrades DNA. Loss of Dnase1 family function causes several diseases where the host’s immune system targets the host, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome. 
  • 937
  • 18 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Human Paraoxonase-2 (PON2)
PON1, PON2, and PON3 belong to a family of lactone hydrolyzing enzymes endowed with various substrate specificities. Among PONs, PON2 shows the highest hydrolytic activity toward many acyl-homoserine lactones (acyl-HL) involved in bacterial quorum-sensing signaling. Accordingly, defense against pathogens, such as Brevundimonas aeruginosa (B. aeruginosa), was postulated to be the principal function of PON2. Moreover, findings have highlighted the importance of PON2 in oxidative stress control, inhibition of apoptosis, and the progression of various types of malignancies.
  • 937
  • 17 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Pygidial Glands
Predator community structure is an important selective element shaping the evolution of prey defence traits and strategies. Carabid beetles are one of the most diverse families of Coleoptera, and their success in terrestrial ecosystems is related to considerable morphological, physiological, and behavioural adaptations that provide protection against predators. Their most common form of defence is the chemical secretion from paired abdominal pygidial glands that produce a heterogeneous set of carboxylic acids, quinones, hydrocarbons, phenols, aldehydes, and esters. 
  • 936
  • 25 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Antioxidant Potential and Beneficial Effects of Sea Cucumbers
Sea cucumbers are considered a luxury food item and used locally in traditional medication due to their impressive nutritional profile and curative effects. Sea cucumbers contain a wide range of bioactive compounds, namely phenolics, polysaccharides, proteins (collagen and peptides), carotenoids, and saponins, demonstrating strong antioxidant and other activities. In particular, phenolic compounds, mainly phenolic acids and flavonoids, are abundant in this marine invertebrate and exhibit antioxidant activity. Protein hydrolysates and peptides obtained from sea cucumbers exhibit antioxidant potential, mainly dependent on the amino acid compositions and sequences as well as molecular weight, displayed for those of ≤20 kDa. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of sea cucumber polysaccharides, including fucosylated chondroitin sulfate and fucan, is a combination of numerous factors and is mostly associated with molecular weight, degree of sulfation, and type of major sugars. However, the activity of these bioactive compounds typically depends on the sea cucumber species, harvesting location, food habit, body part, and processing methods employed.
  • 936
  • 24 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Oleuropein in Non-Communicable Diseases
Growing scientific literature data suggest that the intake of natural bioactive compounds plays a critical role in preventing or reducing the occurrence of human chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as neuro- and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and cancer. Oleuropein, the main phenolic component of Olea europaea L., has attracted scientific attention for its several health beneficial properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardio- and neuro-protective, and anti-cancer. This entry contains data from the current literature concerning the effect of oleuropein in NCDs not only due to its putative antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, but also to its other peculiar actions such as autophagy inducer and amyloid fibril growth inhibitor and, finally, as anti-cancer agent. Despite the increasing number of published studies, looking at the health effects of oleuropein, there is limited clinical evidence focused on the benefits of this polyphenol as a nutraceutical product in humans, and many problems are still to be resolved about its bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and dosage. Thus, future clinical randomized trials are needed to establish the relation between the beneficial effects and the mechanisms of action occurring in the human body in response to the intake of oleuropein.
  • 935
  • 27 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Diet and Male Fertility
Nutrition can affect, negatively or positively, sperm quality and this effect depends on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the diet, such as calorie content of each macronutrient (carbohydrates, protein, and fats), as well as on the specific fatty acid composition, carbohydrates, and protein profiles. While a Western diet is considered a risk factor for male infertility, the Mediterranean diet seems to protect against male infertility; moreover, the role of a vegetarian habitus in the preservation of sperm quality is controversial. Since diet may be an important modifiable determinant of male reproductive potential,  the role of daily nutrient exposure needs to be highlighted to preserve male fertility or to prevent male infertility. 
  • 934
  • 06 May 2023
Topic Review
LGMD2D myotubes
LGMD2D (LGMD-R3 according to the new nomenclature) is a rare autosomal recessive disease affecting striated muscle. It belongs to the group of limb girdle muscular dystrophies because of the involvement of the proximal musculature of the shoulders and pelvic girdle. LGMD2D is caused by mutations in the SGCA gene coding for α-sarcoglycan (SG).  
  • 932
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
KRAS
The RAS family consists of membrane-associated small GTPases which play essential roles in cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. There are four RAS protein isoforms in humans: HRAS, NRAS, and two splice variants, KRAS4A and KRAS4B. 
  • 932
  • 12 Oct 2021
Topic Review
RNA-Binding Proteins (RBPs)
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are multi-faceted proteins in the regulation of RNA or its RNA splicing, localisation, stability, and translation.
  • 932
  • 31 May 2021
Topic Review
Penicillium digitatum
Penicillium digitatum is a widespread pathogen responsible for the postharvest decay of citrus, one of the most economically important crops worldwide. Currently, chemical fungicides are still the main strategy to control the green mould disease caused by the fungus. In this scenario, understanding the molecular determinants underlying P. digitatum’s response to biological and chemical antifungals may help in the development of safer and more effective non-chemical control methods.
  • 932
  • 20 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Ribosomal Protein L10
Eukaryotic cytoplasmic ribosomes are highly structured macromolecular complexes made up of four different ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and 80 ribosomal proteins (RPs), which play a central role in the decoding of genetic code for the synthesis of new proteins. Over the past 25 years, studies on yeast and human models have made it possible to identify RPL10 (ribosomal protein L10), which is a constituent of the large subunit of the ribosome, as an important player in the final stages of ribosome biogenesis and in ribosome function.
  • 931
  • 30 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists: Sex Differences
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are a relatively new class of anti-diabetic medications that have exhibited very promising results in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). According to the 2021 American Diabetes Association guidelines, they constitute one of the preferred add-on agents when metformin monotherapy and lifestyle modifications have failed to achieve adequate glycemic control.
  • 931
  • 06 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Lipids and Gut Microbiota Alterations
Advances in sequencing technologies over the past 15 years have led to a substantially greater appreciation of the importance of the gut microbiome to the health of the host. Recent outcomes indicate that aspects of nutrition, especially lipids (exogenous or endogenous), can influence the gut microbiota composition and consequently, play an important role in the metabolic health of the host. Thus, there is an increasing interest in applying holistic analytical approaches, such as lipidomics, metabolomics, (meta)transcriptomics, (meta)genomics, and (meta)proteomics, to thoroughly study the gut microbiota and any possible interplay with nutritional or endogenous components.
  • 931
  • 21 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Colorectal Cancer Treatment Based on Nanomaterials
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a global health problem responsible for 10% of all cancer incidences and 9.4% of all cancer deaths worldwide. The number of new cases increases per annum, whereas the lack of effective therapies highlights the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Conventional treatment methods, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are widely applied in oncology practice. Their therapeutic success is little, and therefore, the search for novel technologies is ongoing. Many efforts have focused recently on the development of safe and efficient cancer nanomedicines. Nanoparticles are among them. They are unique with their properties on a nanoscale and hold the potential to exploit intrinsic metabolic differences between cancer and healthy cells. This feature allows them to induce high levels of toxicity in cancer cells with little damage to the surrounding healthy tissues.
  • 931
  • 21 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Boron Essentiality in Humans and Animals
Boron (B) is considered a prebiotic chemical element with a role in both the origin and evolution of life, as well as an essential micronutrient for some bacteria, plants, fungi, and algae. B has beneficial effects on the biological functions of humans and animals, such as reproduction, growth, calcium metabolism, bone formation, energy metabolism, immunity, and brain function. Naturally organic B (NOB) species may become promising novel prebiotic candidates. NOB-containing compounds have been shown to be essential for the symbiosis between organisms from different kingdoms. New insights into the key role of NOB species in the symbiosis between human/animal hosts and their microbiota will influence the use of natural B-based colon-targeting nutraceuticals. The mechanism of action (MoA) of NOB species is related to the B signaling molecule (autoinducer-2-borate (AI-2B)) as well as the fortification of the colonic mucus gel layer with NOB species from B-rich prebiotic diets. Both the microbiota and the colonic mucus gel layer can become NOB targets. The evidence supporting the essentiality of the NOB species in the symbiosis between the microbiota and the human/animal hosts is reviewed, with the stated aim of highlighting the MoA and targets of these species.
  • 931
  • 13 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Lactosylceramide
Lactosylceramide (LacCer), also known as CD17/CDw17, is a member of a large family of small molecular weight compounds known as glycosphingolipids. It plays a pivotal role in the biosynthesis of glycosphingolipids, primarily by way of serving as a precursor to the majority of its higher homolog sub-families such as gangliosides, sulfatides, fucosylated-glycosphingolipids and complex neutral glycosphingolipids—some of which confer “second-messenger” and receptor functions. LacCer is an integral component of the “lipid rafts,” serving as a conduit to transduce external stimuli into multiple phenotypes, which may contribute to mortality and morbidity in man and in mouse models of human disease.
  • 930
  • 02 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Bile Acids and Microbiota
After their synthesis from cholesterol in hepatic tissues, bile acids (BAs) are secreted into the intes-tinal lumen. Most BAs are subsequently re-absorbed in the terminal ileum and are transported back for recycling to the liver. Some of them, however, reach the colon and change their physico-chemical properties upon modification by gut bacteria, and vice versa, BAs also shape the compo-sition and function of the intestinal microbiota. This mutual interplay of both BAs and gut micro-biota regulates many physiological processes, including the lipid, carbohydrate and energy metab-olism of the host. Emerging evidence also implies an important role of this enterohepatic BA cir-cuit in shaping mucosal colonization resistance as well as local and distant immune responses, tissue physiology and carcinogenesis.
  • 929
  • 20 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Effect of Metals in Transthyretin
Transthyretin (TTR) is a plasma homotetrameric protein that transports thyroxine and retinol. TTR itself, under pathological conditions, dissociates into partially unfolded monomers that aggregate and form fibrils. Metal ions such as Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Mn2+ and Ca2+ play a controversial role in the TTR amyloidogenic pathway. TTR is also present in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), where it behaves as one of the major Aβ-binding-proteins. The interaction between TTR and Aβ is stronger in the presence of high concentrations of Cu2+. Crystals of TTR, soaked in solutions of physiological metals such as Cu2+ and Fe2+, but not Mn2+, Zn2+, Fe3+, Al3+, Ni2+, revealed an unusual conformational change. 
  • 927
  • 25 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Chemical and Cell-Based Antioxidant Assays
Antioxidants remain interesting molecules of choice for suppression of the toxic effects of free radicals in foods and human systems. The current practice involves the use of mainly synthetic molecules as potent antioxidant agents. However, due to the potential negative impact on human health, there is an intensive effort within the research community to develop natural alternatives with similar antioxidant efficacy but without the negative side effects of synthetic molecules. Still, the successful development of new molecules depends on the use of reliable chemical or cell culture assays to screen antioxidant properties. Chemical antioxidant assays include the determination of scavenging ability against free radicals such as DPPH, superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide. Other antioxidant tests include the ability of compounds to bind and sequester prooxidant metal cations, reduce ferric iron, and attenuate the rate of lipid oxidation. Ex vivo tests utilize cell cultures to confirm entry of the molecules into cells and the ability to quench synthetic intracellular free radicals or to stimulate the increased biosynthesis of endogenous antioxidants.
  • 927
  • 19 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Insulin Growth-Factor-Binding Protein 2
Evidence from observational and in vitro studies suggests that insulin growth-factor-binding pro-tein type 2 (IGFBP2) is a promising protein in non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, or type 2 diabetes. Accordingly, great efforts have been carried out to explore the role of IGFBP2 in obesity state and insulin-related diseases, which it is typically found decreased.
  • 926
  • 28 Jan 2021
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