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Topic Review
Ferritin
Ferritin is a universal intracellular protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion. The protein is produced by almost all living organisms, including archaea, bacteria, algae, higher plants, and animals. It is the primary intracellular iron-storage protein in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, keeping iron in a soluble and non-toxic form. In humans, it acts as a buffer against iron deficiency and iron overload. Ferritin is found in most tissues as a cytosolic protein, but small amounts are secreted into the serum where it functions as an iron carrier. Plasma ferritin is also an indirect marker of the total amount of iron stored in the body; hence, serum ferritin is used as a diagnostic test for iron-deficiency anemia. Aggregated ferritin transforms into a toxic form of iron called hemosiderin. Ferritin is a globular protein complex consisting of 24 protein subunits forming a hollow nanocage with multiple metal–protein interactions. Ferritin that is not combined with iron is called apoferritin.
  • 3.4K
  • 14 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Biogas as Energy in Rural Sector and Significance
In rural areas, where access to conventional energy sources is limited, alternative energy options such as biogas production offer tremendous potential. The sustainable utilization of biowaste resources for biogas production is a promising solution for meeting rural bioenergy requirements. Biowaste, such as agricultural residues, food waste, and animal manure, represents a significant source of organic material that can be converted into biogas through anaerobic digestion.
  • 3.4K
  • 27 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Process of Apoptosis
The term “Apoptosis” originates from Greek, which means the shedding of leaves from trees in autumn or the falling of petals from flowers. Apoptosis was firstly utilized by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie in 1972 for explaining a morphologically discrete way of cell death. However, multiple concepts of apoptosis were precisely explained several years back. The main concept of apoptosis emerged from the knowledge of the process of programmed cell death that takes place in the developmental cycle of Caenorhabditis elegans.
  • 3.4K
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Source and Application of Melanin
Melanin is a biological pigment formed by indoles and phenolic compounds. It is widely found in living organisms and has a variety of unique properties. Due to its diverse characteristics and good biocompatibility, melanin has become the focus in the fields of biomedicine, agriculture, the food industry, etc.
  • 3.3K
  • 17 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Diversity and Role of Latex in Plant Physiology
Latex, a sticky emulsion produced by specialized cells called laticifers, is a crucial part of a plant’s defense system against herbivory and pathogens. It consists of a broad spectrum of active compounds, which are beneficial not only for plants, but for human health as well, enough to mention the use of morphine or codeine from poppy latex.
  • 3.3K
  • 30 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Phospholipase A1
Phospholipase A1 (PLA1) is an enzyme that cleaves an ester bond at the sn-1 position of glycerophospholipids, producing a free fatty acid and a lysophospholipid.
  • 3.3K
  • 27 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin D Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms
Vitamin D is a potent immunonutrient that through its main metabolite calcitriol, regulates the immunomodulation of macrophages, dendritic cells, T and B lymphocytes, which express the vitamin D receptor (VDR), and they produce and respond to calcitriol. Genetic association studies have shown that up to 65% of vitamin D serum variance may be explained due to genetic background. 
  • 3.3K
  • 02 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Light, Water, and Melatonin Relationship with Hydrogen Bonds
The synergistic relationship between melatonin, water, and light may have originated billions of years ago when primitive unicellular organisms depended on this effective and precise synergy to modulate phase separation to control protein aggregation and associated biological effects. The efficacy of this synergy also provides a credible explanation for the immensely successful and rapid distribution of melatonin via horizontal gene transfer. The discovery of the serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT) gene responsible for the synthesis of essential melatonin substrate N-acetylserotonin (NAS) in archaea firmly establishes the quintessential role played by melatonin in early primitive organisms that use phase separation as the fundamental driver for relevant biochemical and biophysical processes to support metabolism, replication, and survival.
  • 3.3K
  • 27 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Thioxanthenes
Thioxanthenes are one of the three major groups of antipsychotics (the others being phenothiazines and butyrophenones).  Thioxanthene is a chemical compound having a central triple ring structure closely related to one of the other group of antipsychotics (phenothiazines, which also has the triple ring). The major structural difference between the two classes is that the carbon in position 10 in thioxanthenes is replaced by a nitrogen atom in phenothiazines. In thioxanthenes, this C10  shares a double bond with the side chain. Thioxanthenes are represented in two geometric stereoisomers: Z- and E-compounds.
  • 3.2K
  • 24 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Interplay between Polyphenols and Lysyl Oxidase Enzymes
Collagen, the most abundant structural protein found in mammals, plays a vital role as a constituent of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that surrounds cells. Collagen fibrils are strengthened through the formation of covalent cross-links, which involve complex enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is responsible for catalyzing the oxidative deamination of lysine and hydroxylysine residues, resulting in the production of aldehydes, allysine and hydroxyallysine. These intermediates undergo spontaneous condensation reactions, leading to the formation of immature cross-links, which are the initial step in the development of mature covalent cross-links. Additionally, non-enzymatic glycation contributes to the formation of abnormal cross-linking in collagen fibrils. During glycation, specific lysine and arginine residues in collagen are modified by reducing sugars, leading to the creation of Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). These AGEs have been associated with changes in the mechanical properties of collagen fibers.
  • 3.2K
  • 13 Jul 2023
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.
  • 3.2K
  • 20 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Molecular Aspects of Thyroid Calcification
In thyroid cancer, calcification is mainly present in classical papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), despite being described in benign lesions and in other subtypes of thyroid carcinomas. Thyroid calcifications are classified according to their diameter and location. At ultrasonography, microcalcifications appear as hyperechoic spots ≤ 1 mm in diameter and can be named as stromal calcification, bone formation, or psammoma bodies (PBs), whereas calcifications > 1 mm are macrocalcifications. The mechanism of their formation is still poorly understood. Microcalcifications are generally accepted as a reliable indicator of malignancy as they mostly represent PBs. In order to progress in terms of the understanding of the mechanisms behind calcification occurring in thyroid tumors in general, and in PTC in particular, we decided to use histopathology as the basis of the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of calcification formation in thyroid cancer. We explored the involvement of molecules such as runt-related transcription factor-2 (Runx-2), osteonectin/secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone sialoprotein (BSP), and osteopontin (OPN) in the formation of calcification. The present review offers a novel insight into the mechanisms underlying the development of calcification in thyroid cancer.
  • 3.2K
  • 02 Dec 2020
Topic Review
The Oncogenic Potential of SARS-CoV-2
Some viruses are known to be associated with the onset of specific cancers. Seven of these microorganisms, recognized as oncogenic viruses or oncoviruses, promote tumorigenesis in humans, converting normal cells into cancer cells through the modulation of central metabolic pathways or the impairment of genomic integrity mechanisms, consequently inhibiting the apoptotic machinery and/or enhancing cell proliferation. Actually, research indicates that SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 progression may predispose recovered patients to cancer onset and accelerate cancer development. This hypothesis is based on the growing evidence regarding the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to modulate oncogenic pathways, promoting chronic low-grade inflammation and causing tissue damage. As for SARS-CoV-2, its role as an oncogenic virus seems to occur through the inhibition of oncosuppressors or controlling the metabolic and autophagy pathways in the infected cells. On the other hand, looking at the SARS-CoV-2─cancer relationship from an opposite perspective, oncolytic effects and anti-tumor immune response were triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection in some cases.
  • 3.2K
  • 11 May 2023
Topic Review
A Bioinformatics Workflow of Metabolomics Analysis
Metabolomics is an emerging field that quantifies numerous metabolites systematically. The key purpose of metabolomics is to identify the metabolites corresponding to each biological phenotype, and then provide an analysis of the mechanisms involved. Although metabolomics is important to understand the involved biological phenomena, the approach’s ability to obtain an exhaustive description of the processes is limited. Thus, an analysis-integrated metabolomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and other omics approach is recommended. Such integration of different omics data requires specialized statistical and bioinformatics software. 
  • 3.2K
  • 25 May 2022
Topic Review
3D Genome
The genome is the most functional part of a cell, and genomic contents are organized in a compact three-dimensional (3D) structure. The genome contains millions of nucleotide bases organized in its proper frame. Rapid development in genome sequencing and advanced microscopy techniques have enabled us to understand the 3D spatial organization of the genome. Chromosome capture methods using a ligation approach and the visualization tool of a 3D genome browser have facilitated detailed exploration of the genome. 
  • 3.1K
  • 04 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are a family of essential and universal ‘house-keeping’ enzymes responsible for catalyzing the esterification of amino acids to their cognate tRNAs.
  • 3.1K
  • 09 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Membrane Protein
Membrane proteins are polypeptides integrated into or associated with biological membranes. They are present at roughly equal weight to phospholipids in plasma membranes of cells, in outer membranes of bacteria, mitochondria, chloroplasts and in other organelles. Membrane proteins govern the active functions of membranes, such as transport, signalling, asymmetry and polarisation. Membrane proteins follow characteristic folding patterns and have hydrophobic domains that make them compatible with the amphipathic lipid biayers.
  • 3.1K
  • 24 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Functional Mechanisms of Coding and Non-Coding Region SNPs
Cancer ranks as the second leading cause of death worldwide, and, being a genetic disease, it is highly heritable. Over the past few decades, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many risk-associated loci harboring hundreds of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Some of these cancer-associated SNPs have been revealed as causal, and the functional characterization of the mechanisms underlying the cancer risk association has been illuminated in some instances.
  • 3.1K
  • 12 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Niacin
Niacin (also known as “vitamin B3” or “vitamin PP”) includes two vitamers (nicotinic acid and nicotinamide) giving rise to the coenzymatic forms nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP).
  • 3.1K
  • 17 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Bioactive Compounds from Marine Sponges
Marine sponges are sessile invertebrates that can be found in temperate, polar and tropical regions. They are known to be major contributors of bioactive compounds, which are discovered in and extracted from the marine environment. The compounds extracted from these sponges are known to exhibit various bioactivities, such as antimicrobial, antitumor and general cytotoxicity.
  • 3.1K
  • 25 May 2021
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