Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
E3 Ligases in Muscle Atrophy
Skeletal muscle loss is a detrimental side-effect of numerous chronic diseases that dramatically increases mortality and morbidity. The alteration of protein homeostasis is generally due to increased protein breakdown while, protein synthesis may also be down-regulated. The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a master regulator of skeletal muscle that impacts muscle contractile properties and metabolism through multiple levers like signaling pathways, contractile apparatus degradation, etc. Among the different actors of the UPS, the E3 ubiquitin ligases specifically target key proteins for either degradation or activity modulation, thus controlling both pro-anabolic or pro-catabolic factors. The atrogenes MuRF1/TRIM63 and MAFbx/Atrogin-1 encode for key E3 ligases that target contractile proteins and key actors of protein synthesis respectively. However, several other E3 ligases are involved upstream in the atrophy program, from signal transduction control to modulation of energy balance. Controlling E3 ligases activity is thus a tempting approach for preserving muscle mass.
  • 867
  • 31 May 2021
Topic Review
SnRK2 in Plants
Reversible phosphorylation is a major mechanism for regulating protein function and controls a wide range of cellular functions including responses to external stimuli. The plant-specific SNF1-related protein kinase 2s (SnRK2s) function as central regulators of plant growth and development, as well as tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. 
  • 867
  • 26 Jul 2021
Topic Review
α-Syn Structure, Aggregation, and Degradation in Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The classical behavioral defects of PD patients involve motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity, as well as non-motor symptoms such as anosmia, depression, and cognitive impairment. Pathologically, the progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and the accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn)-composed Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs) are key hallmarks.
  • 867
  • 01 Dec 2022
Topic Review
The Composition and Structure of Silk Fibroin
Silk fibroin is the principal component of raw silk and represents an extensively studied and utilized biopolymer. Silk fibroin is composed by three chains, light, heavy, and P25 protein. Heavy chain is rigorously organized in redundant aminoacidic sequences rich in glycine and alanine, secondary structure is organized in anti-parallel β-sheets that in turn form β-crystallites stacked in nano-fibrils. Those peculiar fibroin’s structural and compositional elements are crucial to determine the excellent physical properties, such as strength and toughness. Besides these characteristics, the processability and biocompatibility have attracted significant attention for the fabrication of several biomaterials suitable in many fields of application.
  • 867
  • 20 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Digital Droplet PCR in Hematologic Malignancies
Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) is a specific, accurate and time-saving technique capables of accurately quantifying gene expression or detecting point mutations applicable in several hematologic disorders, such as leukemias, lymphomas, myeloma, and chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms, and in transplant field. The ddPCR might provide useful informations in prognostic and therapeutic setting.
  • 867
  • 24 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Conditions Determining Male Infertility
The lack of knowledge of the causes of impaired reproductive potential results in an inability to implement specific treatment, which is associated with the lack of positive outcomes (pregnancy). This review will make relevant environmental comparisons. It will allow an understanding of the importance of environmental factors in shaping the body's defense and capabilities in the field of reproductive condition. The results can be used in enhancing diagnosis and deciding on appropriate infertility treatment.
  • 866
  • 23 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Biotechnological Tools to Develop Abiotic Stress-Tolerant Plants
Biotechnological tools include several methods used for plants to develop tolerance to abiotic stress. The genetic transformation of tomato relies highly on the tissue culture technique. Advances in the field of plant genetic transformation have enabled the identification of genes that are responsible for tolerance to different environmental stresses. Various biotechnological tools can be used to alter the tomato genes so that this species can more rapidly or better adapt to abiotic stress. Further advancement in understanding the genomics of wild relatives of tomatoes and other Solanaceae has facilitated their exploitation in various breeding programs aiming to introgress genes responsible for abiotic stress resistance in cultivars.
  • 866
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
The Identity of Thrombosis
Since “two-path unifying theory” of hemostasis was published, it has been confirmed that hemostasis is blood clotting mechanism forming “hemostatic plug” in bleeding from external and internal bodily injury, and is also thrombosis promoting mechanism in intravascular injury by producing “thrombus”.
  • 865
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Insights into HP1a-Chromatin Interactions
     Understanding the packaging of DNA into chromatin is essential for the study of gene expression regulatory mechanisms. Heterochromatin establishment and maintenance dynamics have emerged as key features involved in genome stability, cellular growth, and disease. The heterochromatin protein HP1a is the most extensively studied factor that has both establishment and heterochromatin maintenance activities. This protein has two primary domains, namely the chromoshadow and the chromodomain, separated by a hinge region. Several works have taken place over the years, taking the challenge of defining HP1a partners using diverse experimental approaches. We revised and assemble on explaining these interactions and the potential complexes and subcomplexes associated formed with this essential protein. Characterization of these complexes will allow us to clearly understand the consequences of HP1a interactions in heterochromatin in maintenance, heterochromatin dynamics, and the direct relationship of heterochromatin with gene regulation.
  • 864
  • 03 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Wnt Signalling in Alzheimer’s Brain
The Wnt signalling system is essential for both the developing and adult central nervous system. It regulates numerous cellular functions ranging from neurogenesis to blood brain barrier biology. Dysregulated Wnt signalling can thus have significant consequences for normal brain function, which is becoming increasingly clear in Alzheimer's disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disorder that is the most prevalent form of dementia. AD exhibits a range of pathophysiological manifestations including aberrant amyloid precursor protein processing, tau pathology, synapse loss, neuroinflammation and blood brain barrier breakdown, which have been associated to a greater or lesser degree with abnormal Wnt signalling. 
  • 864
  • 23 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Pig and Wild-Boar Distinguishing
The pig, one of the most important livestock species, is a meaningful source of global meat production. It is necessary to prove whether a food product that a discerning customer selects in a store is actually made from pork or venison, or does not contain it at all. The problem of food authenticity is widespread worldwide, and cases of meat adulteration have accelerated the development of food and the identification methods of feed species. It is worth noting that several different molecular biology techniques can identify a porcine component.
  • 863
  • 31 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Tropomyosin mutation Glu173Ala
Substitution of Glu173 for Ala in Tpm3.12 (E173A) is associated with congenital muscle weakness. It was found that this mutation increases myofilament Ca2+-sensitivity and inhibits in vitro actin-activated ATPase activity of myosin subfragment-1 at high Ca2+. In order to determine the critical conformational changes in myosin, actin and tropomyosin caused by the mutation, we used the polarized fluorimetry technique. We observed changes in the spatial arrangement of actin monomers and myosin heads, and in the position of the mutant tropomyosin on the thin filaments in muscle fibres at various ATPase cycle stages. At low Ca2+ the E173A mutant tropomyosin shifts abnormally towards the inner domains of actin at all stages of the cycle. The number of switched-on actin monomers and strong-binding myosin heads increases even at relaxation. Contrarily, at high Ca2+ the amount of the myosin heads strongly bound with F-actin slightly decreases. The changes in the balance of the strongly bound myosin heads in the ATPase cycle may underlie the occurrence of muscle weakness. W7, an inhibitor of troponin Ca2+-sensitivity, restores the number of strong-binding myosin heads at high Ca2+ and inhibits it at relaxation, suggesting the possibility of using Ca2+-desensitizers to reduce the damaging effect of the E173A mutation on muscle fibre contractility.
  • 859
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Innate Immunity to Tick-Borne Pathogens
Tick borne pathogens, such as Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Rickettsia spp., Babesia and Theileria sensu stricto species, cause infectious diseases both in animals and humans. Different types of immune effector mechanisms could be induced in hosts by these microorganisms. The components of innate immunity, such as natural killer cells, complement proteins, macrophages, dendritic cells and tumor necrosis factor alpha, cause a rapid and intense protection for the acute phase of infectious diseases. Moreover, the onset of a pro-inflammatory state occurs upon the activation of the inflammasome, a protein scaffold with a key-role in host defense mechanism, regulating the action of caspase-1 and the maturation of interleukin-1β and IL-18 into bioactive molecules. Innate immunity is activated immediately after the infection and inflammasome-mediated changes in the pro-inflammatory cytokines at systemic and intracellular levels can be detected as early as on days 2–5 after tick bite. The knowledge of the innate immunity mechanisms could lead to the development of new methods of emergency diagnosis and prevention of tick-borne infections.
  • 858
  • 18 Dec 2020
Topic Review
The anticancer properties of Oligonucleotides
       Telomerase provides cancer cells with replicative immortality, and its overexpression serves as a near-universal marker of cancer. Oligonucleotide-based therapies that inhibit telomerase through direct or indirect modulation of its subunits, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and human telomerase RNA gene (hTERC), are a unique and diverse subclass of telomerase inhibitors which hold clinical promise. 
  • 858
  • 25 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Retroviral Genome Packaging
Retroviruses selectively package two copies of their RNA genomes from a cellular milieu that includes a substantial excess of host and non-genomic viral RNAs. Present understanding of the structural determinants and mechanism of retroviral genome packaging has been derived from combinations of genetic experiments, phylogenetic analyses, nucleotide accessibility mapping, in silico RNA structure predictions, and biophysical studies. Genetic experiments provided early clues regarding the protein and RNA elements required for packaging, and nucleotide accessibility mapping experiments provided insights into the secondary structures of functionally important elements in the genome. Three-dimensional structural determinants of packaging were primarily derived by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A key advantage of NMR, relative to other methods for determining biomolecular structure (such as X-ray crystallography), is that it is well suited for studies of conformationally dynamic and heterogeneous systems—a hallmark of the retrovirus packaging machinery.
  • 857
  • 06 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Congenital Lung Malformations
Congenital lung malformations arise during development and include numerous anatomical anomalies of the lung and respiratory tree. They are usually detected prenatally by ultrasonography and comprise congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM), bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS), bronchogenic cysts (BC), and more rarely bronchial atresia, congenital lobar emphysema (CLE), and congenital tracheal obstruction. This entry focuses on the molecular and genetic determinants of the most frequent anomalies: CPAM, BPS, and BC. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is not usually included in this group; however, since the lung is also highly affected in this condition, we have also incorporated evidence related to lung hypoplasia.
  • 854
  • 30 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Databases in Metabolomics
Metabolomics has advanced from innovation and functional genomics tools and is currently a basis in the big data-led precision medicine era. Metabolomics is promising in the pharmaceutical field and clinical research.
  • 854
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Anticancer Activity of Aminophenoxazinones
Aminophenoxazinones are degradation products resulting from the metabolism of different plant species, which comprise a family of natural products well known for their pharmacological activities. Aminophenoxazinones are tricyclic structures with double bonds in aromatic systems containing oxygen and nitrogen atom, which facilitates the development of synthetic derivatives to enhance the properties of these molecules. Aminophenoxazinones possess a number of promising properties like anticarcinogenic, antifungal, antiparasitic, antibacterial or antimicrobial activities.
  • 853
  • 17 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Connexins in Cancer
The expression, localization, and function of connexins, the protein subunits that comprise gap junctions, are often altered in cancer. In addition to cell–cell coupling through gap junction channels, connexins also form hemichannels that allow communication between the cell and the extracellular space and perform non-junctional intracellular activities. Historically, connexins have been considered tumor suppressors; however, they can also serve tumor-promoting functions in some contexts. Here, we review the literature surrounding connexins in cancer cells in terms of specific connexin functions and propose that connexins function upstream of most, if not all, of the hallmarks of cancer. The development of advanced connexin targeting approaches remains an opportunity for the field to further interrogate the role of connexins in cancer phenotypes, particularly through the use of in vivo models. More specific modulators of connexin function will both help elucidate the functions of connexins in cancer and advance connexin-specific therapies in the clinic.
  • 852
  • 24 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Calcium Dyshomeostasis in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by amyloid β-protein deposition in senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles consisting of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein, and neuronal loss leading to cognitive decline and dementia. Despite extensive research, the exact mechanisms underlying AD remain unknown and effective treatment is not available. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain AD pathophysiology; however, there is general consensus that the abnormal aggregation of the amyloid β peptide (Aβ) is the initial event triggering a pathogenic cascade of degenerating events in cholinergic neurons. The dysregulation of calcium homeostasis has been studied considerably to clarify the mechanisms of neurodegeneration induced by Aβ. Intracellular calcium acts as a second messenger and plays a key role in the regulation of neuronal functions, such as neural growth and differentiation, action potential, and synaptic plasticity. The calcium hypothesis of AD posits that activation of the amyloidogenic pathway affects neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis and the mechanisms responsible for learning and memory. Aβ can disrupt Ca2+ signaling through several mechanisms, by increasing the influx of Ca2+ from the extracellular space and by activating its release from intracellular stores. Here, we review the different molecular mechanisms and receptors involved in calcium dysregulation in AD and possible therapeutic strategies for improving the treatment.
  • 852
  • 11 Oct 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 133
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Fungi
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
ScholarVision Creations
Feedback