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Topic Review
Polyphenoloxidase (PPO)
Fresh-cut produce are quite popular among consumers due to their eating ease, high quality and functional content. However, some of the processing steps taking place during minimal processing (such as cutting, peeling, draining, etc.) might speed up decay, e.g., microbial growth, dehydration or browning. When it comes to the latter, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) plays an important role, being the center of many works focused on the understanding of its reaction mechanism and the application of conservative techniques. The aim of this review study was to compare recent research about the effect of PPO on minimally processed fruits and vegetables, trying to understand the way it acts, the measurement of its activity and current treatments, such as modified atmosphere packaging, washing treatments or edible coatings, among others. In conclusion, the combination of conservation techniques (that is, hurdle technology) is vital to guarantee global quality in minimally processed fruits and vegetables, including synergistic effects which will allow the use of mild treatment conditions to decrease PPO activity. However, further research is required to clearly understand PPO inhibition in trendy techniques such as irradiation. 
  • 1.3K
  • 10 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Engineering and Expression Strategies for Optimization of L-Asparaginase
L-asparaginase, an enzyme widely used in the clinic for the treatment of leukemia and in bakeries for the reduction of acrylamide. Newly developed recombinant L-asparaginase (L-ASNase) may have a low affinity for asparagine, reduced catalytic activity, low stability, and increased glutaminase activity or immunogenicity. Some successful commercial preparations of L-ASNase are now available. Therefore, obtaining novel L-ASNases with improved properties suitable for food or clinical applications remains a challenge. 
  • 1.3K
  • 23 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Evaluating Enzymatic Productivity
Kinetic productivity analysis is critical to the characterization of enzyme catalytic performance and capacity. Enzymatic productivity is a measure of product formation or substrate disappearance over time, at a prescribed temperature under specified reaction conditions. It is the only measure which reliably summarizes the durability and reaction yield (a measure of the conversion of substrate) of an enzymatic process. Kinetic productivity analysis can be employed to assess the catalytic capacity of genetically and chemically modified variants, whole cells, the effect of immobilization carriers on productivity, difference between isoforms isolated from a range of organisms or tissues, and the effect of reaction solution additives.
  • 1.3K
  • 08 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Tropical Diseases Caused by Mosquitoes
Tropical diseases (TDs) are among the leading cause of mortality and fatality globally. The emergence and reemergence of TDs continue to challenge healthcare system. Several tropical diseases such as yellow fever, tuberculosis, cholera, Ebola, HIV, rotavirus, dengue, and malaria outbreaks have led to endemics and epidemics around the world, resulting in millions of deaths. The increase in climate change, migration and urbanization, overcrowding, and other factors continue to increase the spread of TDs.
  • 1.3K
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
TKS4 and TKS5 Scaffold Proteins
Scaffold proteins are typically thought of as multi-domain “bridging molecules.” They serve as crucial regulators of key signaling events by simultaneously binding multiple participants involved in specific signaling pathways. In the case of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) binding, the activated EGFR contacts cytosolic SRC tyrosine-kinase, which then becomes activated. This process leads to the phosphorylation of SRC-substrates, including the tyrosine kinase substrates (TKS) scaffold proteins. The TKS proteins serve as a platform for the recruitment of key players in EGFR signal transduction, promoting cell spreading and migration. The TKS4 and the TKS5 scaffold proteins are tyrosine kinase substrates with four or five SH3 domains, respectively. Their structural features allow them to recruit and bind a variety of signaling proteins and to anchor them to the cytoplasmic surface of the cell membrane. TKS4 and TKS5 had been recognized for their involvement in cellular motility, reactive oxygen species-dependent processes, and embryonic development. Furthermore, TKS4 has also been implicated in the regulation of homeostasis of mature adipose and bone tissue.
  • 1.3K
  • 19 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Glycan-Binding Protein Scaffolds
Glycans—a broad term describing carbohydrates, including oligosaccharides and polysaccharides—are the third class of important biological macromolecules following nucleic acids and proteins. Glycans are found in all domains of life and in viruses. They can exist as free sugars, but are more commonly found as glycoconjugates, including proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. Glycans are involved in a wide variety of physiological functions and have implications in numerous infectious and non-infectious diseases, making them diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Additionally, glycans are targeted in various biotechnological and industrial applications. The broad applications of glycans have spurred interest in the development of glycan binding proteins (GBPs).GBPs include lectins, antibodies, pseudoenzymes, and carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). Lectins are non-immunoglobulin proteins containing at least one non-catalytic domain that exhibits reversible carbohydrate binding. CBMs are similar to lectins, but are small binding domains typically found in lectins or carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). CAZymes can be further classified into glycoside hydrolases, glycosyltransferases, polysaccharide lyases, and carbohydrate esterases—detailed information on these enzymes is available through the Carbohydrate Active Enzymes (CAZy) database.
  • 1.3K
  • 28 Jan 2021
Topic Review
PI3K
The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is a family of kinases that play a key role in the biology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
  • 1.3K
  • 19 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Chitosans and Nanochitosans
Chitosan displays a dual function, acting as both an active ingredient and/or carrier for pharmaceutical bioactive molecules and metal ions. Its hydroxyl- and amino-reactive groups and acetylation degree can be used to adjust this biopolymer’s physicochemical and pharmacological properties in different forms, including scaffolds, nanoparticles, fibers, sponges, films, and hydrogels, among others. 
  • 1.3K
  • 01 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Main Characteristics of CircRNAs
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a category of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and constitute functional RNAs that are predetermined not to be translated, but transcribed. CircRNAs are characterized by single-stranded closed-loop structures without 5′-3′-polarity or a polyadenylated tail. The term “circRNA” was first used by Sanger et al. when identifying the structure of viroids.
  • 1.3K
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
TNF Receptor Associated Factor-2 in Immune Signaling Pathways
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor-2 (TRAF2) is an intracellular adapter protein with E3 ligase activity, which interacts with a plethora of other signaling proteins, including plasma membrane receptors, kinases, phosphatases, other E3 ligases, and deubiquitinases. TRAF2 is involved in various cancer-relevant cellular processes, such as the activation of transcription factors of the NFκB family, stimulation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling, autophagy, and the control of cell death programs. In a context-dependent manner, TRAF2 promotes tumor development but it can also act as a tumor suppressor.
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Ribosomal Proteins
Mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes translate 13 proteins encoded by mitochondrial genes, all of which play roles in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. After a long period of reconstruction, mitochondrial ribosomes are the most protein-rich ribosomes. Mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPs) are encoded by nuclear genes, synthesized in the cytoplasm and then, transported to the mitochondria to be assembled into mitochondrial ribosomes. MRPs not only play a role in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Moreover, they participate in the regulation of cell state as apoptosis inducing factors. Abnormal expressions of MRPs will lead to mitochondrial metabolism disorder, cell dysfunction, etc. Many researches have demonstrated the abnormal expression of MRPs in various tumors.
  • 1.3K
  • 16 Dec 2020
Topic Review
RNA Interference in Fungi
RNA interference (RNAi) was discovered at the end of last millennium, changing the way scientists understood regulation of gene expression. Within the following two decades, a variety of different RNAi mechanisms were found in eukaryotes, reflecting the evolutive diversity that RNAi entails. The essential silencing mechanism consists of an RNase III enzyme called Dicer that cleaves double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) generating small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), a hallmark of RNAi. These siRNAs are loaded into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) triggering the cleavage of complementary messenger RNAs by the Argonaute protein, the main component of the complex. Consequently, the expression of target genes is silenced. This mechanism has been thoroughly studied in fungi due to their proximity to the animal phylum and the conservation of the RNAi mechanism from lower to higher eukaryotes. However, the role and even the presence of RNAi differ across the fungal kingdom, as it has evolved adapting to the particularities and needs of each species. Fungi have exploited RNAi to regulate a variety of cell activities as different as defense against exogenous and potentially harmful DNA, genome integrity, development, drug tolerance, or virulence. This pathway has offered versatility to fungi through evolution, favoring the enormous diversity this kingdom comprises. 
  • 1.3K
  • 11 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Calmodulin Role in Hemichannel Gating
Evidence for the existence of connexin hemichannels was first demonstrated in cultured cells expressing connexin43 by data showing that a fluorescent dye enters the cells when the extracellular calcium concentration is reduced. This was proven by evidence that the membrane resistance significantly drops when the cells are bathed in no-added-Ca2+ solution. Significantly, while external Ca2+ keeps hemichannels closed, an intracellular [Ca2+] rise opens hemichannels. Hemichannel opening is prevented by calmodulin inhibitors, suggesting that calmodulin plays a role in hemichannel gating opposite to that in gap junction channels.
  • 1.3K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Alternative Splicing and Isoforms
Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA is a key mechanism for increasing the complexity of proteins in humans, causing a diversity of expression of transcriptomes and proteomes in a tissue-specific manner. Alternative splicing is an essential process in post-transcriptional mRNA processing, and produces various mature mRNAs with different structures and functions.
  • 1.3K
  • 10 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Micro/Nanorobots for Medical Diagnosis and Disease Treatment
Micro/nanorobots are functional devices in microns, at nanoscale, which enable efficient propulsion through chemical reactions or external physical field, including ultrasonic, optical, magnetic, and other external fields, as well as microorganisms. Compared with traditional robots, micro/nanorobots can perform various tasks on the micro/nanoscale, which has the advantages of high precision, strong flexibility, and wide adaptability. In addition, such robots can also perform tasks in a cluster manner.
  • 1.3K
  • 30 May 2022
Topic Review
Carotenoids Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Mood Disorders
Depression has a multifactorial etiology comprising family history and unemployment. Antioxidant supplementation has been found to combat various stress-induced psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety. A growing body of evidence indicates that carotenoids have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Studies also suggest that poor dietary intake, particularly low intakes of fruit and vegetables and high intakes of fast food and other convenience foods, may increase the risk of developing depression. Thus, dietary interventions have the potential to help mitigate the risk of mental health decline in both the general population and those with mood disorders. 
  • 1.3K
  • 17 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Cell-Penetrable Peptide-Conjugated FADD protein
Peptide mediated intracellular delivery of FADD protein, efficiently expressed in the cytosol and target core pro-tumorigenic NFκB signaling to restrict cancer cells proliferation. This approach has the potential to design strategies for targeted delivery of proteins inside the cells, which might be useful in cancer therapeutics.
  • 1.3K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
m1A RNA Modification in Gene Expression Regulation
N1-methyladenosine (m1A) is a prevalent and reversible post-transcriptional RNA modification that decorates tRNA, rRNA and mRNA. Studies based on technical advances in analytical chemistry and high-throughput sequencing methods have revealed the crucial roles of m1A RNA modification in gene regulation and biological processes.
  • 1.3K
  • 01 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Ras Isoforms
The central protein in the oncogenic circuitry is the Ras GTPase that has been under intense scrutiny for the last four decades.  The complexity of the Ras functioning is further exemplified by the fact that the three canonical Ras genes encode for four protein isoforms (H-Ras, K-Ras4A, K-Ras4B, and N-Ras).
  • 1.3K
  • 29 Jun 2021
Topic Review
ADAR-Mediated Site-Specific RNA Editing in Immune-Related Disease
ADAR (Adenosine Deaminases Acting on RNA) proteins are a group of enzymes that play a vital role in RNA editing by converting adenosine to inosine in RNAs. This process is a frequent post-transcriptional event observed in metazoan transcripts. Recent studies indicate widespread dysregulation of ADAR-mediated RNA editing across many immune-related diseases, such as human cancer. 
  • 1.3K
  • 09 Jan 2024
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