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Topic Review
Pre-Molten, Wet, and Dry Molten Globules
Transitions between the unfolded and native states of the ordered globular proteins are accompanied by the accumulation of several intermediates, such as pre-molten globules, wet molten globules, and dry molten globules. Structurally equivalent conformations can serve as native functional states of intrinsically disordered proteins.
  • 898
  • 17 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress in Retinal Dystrophies
Retinal cell survival requires an equilibrium between oxygen, reactive oxygen species, and antioxidant molecules that counteract oxidative stress damage. Oxidative stress alters cell homeostasis and elicits a protective cell response, which is most relevant in photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells, neurons with a high metabolic rate that are continuously subject to light/oxidative stress insults. Any alteration on the retinal cell mechanisms to respond to oxidative stress injuries results in cell damage and apoptosis. Therefore, antioxidants agents, modulators of gene expression and inducers of cytoprotective signaling pathways may be used as potential therapies to ameliorate phenotypic symptoms in multifactorial and rare retinal dystrophies associated to oxidative stress injuries.
  • 897
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Ventx Family and Its Functional Similarities with Nanog
The Ventx family is one of the subfamilies of the ANTP (antennapedia) superfamily and belongs to the NK-like (NKL) subclass. Ventx is a homeobox transcription factor and has a DNA-interacting domain that is evolutionarily conserved throughout vertebrates. It has been extensively studied in Xenopus, zebrafish, and humans. The Ventx family contains transcriptional repressors widely involved in embryonic development and tumorigenesis in vertebrates. Several studies have documented that the Ventx family inhibited dorsal mesodermal formation, neural induction, and head formation in Xenopus and zebrafish. Moreover, Ventx2.2 showed functional similarities to Nanog and Barx1, leading to pluripotency and neural-crest migration in vertebrates. Among them, Ventx protein is an orthologue of the Ventx family in humans. Studies have demonstrated that human Ventx was strongly associated with myeloid-cell differentiation and acute myeloid leukemia. 
  • 897
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Application of Proteomics in Giardia duodenalis
Giardia duodenalis remains a neglected tropical disease. A key feature of the sustained transmission of Giardia is the ability to form environmentally resistant cysts. Valuable information from proteomics analyses of G. duodenalis has been discovered in terms of the pathogenesis and virulence of Giardia, which may provide guidance for the development of better means with which to prevent and reduce the impacts of giardiasis.
  • 897
  • 18 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Estrogen Receptors in bone
Estrogens are key regulators of bone turnover in both females and males. These hormones play a major role in longitudinal and width growth throughout puberty as well as in the regulation of bone turnover. Effects of estrogens on bone involve either estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) or beta (ERβ) depending on the type of bone (femur, vertebrae, tibia, mandible), the compartment (trabecular or cortical), cell types involved (osteoclasts, osteoblasts and osteocytes) and the sex.  
  • 896
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
MALDI-TOF MS typing of bacteria
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is routinely used for bacterial identification. It would be highly beneficial to also be able to use the technology as a fast way to detect clinically relevant clones of bacterial species. However, studies to this aim have often had limited success. The methods used for data acquisition, processing and data interpretation are highly diverse amongst studies on MALDI-TOF MS sub-species typing. In addition to this, feasibility may depend on the bacterial species and strains investigated, making it difficult to determine what methods may or may not work. There is a lot of variation amongst the methods used in published studies. However, the following approaches were shared by multiple research groups when aiming to MALDI-TOF MS type bacterial clones: Multiple spectra of the same isolate were often combined before further analysis for strain distinction. Furthermore, many groups used a protein extraction step to increase resolution in their MALDI-TOF MS results, and peaks at a high mass range were often excluded for data interpretation. Three groups have found ways to determine feasibility of MALDI-TOF MS typing for their set of strains at an early stage of their project. 
  • 896
  • 16 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Links between Epigenetics, COVID-19 Infection, and Vitamin D
The highly transmittable and infectious COVID-19 remains a major threat worldwide, with the elderly and comorbid individuals being the most vulnerable. While vaccines are currently available, therapeutic drugs will help ease the viral outbreak and prevent serious health outcomes. Epigenetic modifications regulate gene expression through changes in chromatin structure and have been linked to viral pathophysiology. Since epigenetic modifications contribute to the life cycle of the virus and host immune responses to infection, epigenetic drugs are promising treatment targets to ameliorate COVID-19. Deficiency of the multifunctional secosteroid hormone vitamin D is a global health threat. Vitamin D and its receptor function to regulate genes involved in immunity, apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. Amassed evidence also indicates the biological relations of vitamin D with reduced disease risk, while its receptor can be modulated by epigenetic mechanisms. The immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D suggest a role for vitamin D as a COVID-19 therapeutic agent.
  • 896
  • 23 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Retinoic Acid and Lung Development
Retinoic acid (RA) is a key molecular player in embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. In embryo development, RA plays a crucial role in the formation of different organ systems, namely, the respiratory system. During lung development, there is a spatiotemporal regulation of RA levels that assures the formation of a fully functional organ. RA signaling influences lung specification, branching morphogenesis, and alveolarization by regulating the expression of particular target genes. Moreover, cooperation with other developmental pathways is essential to shape lung organogenesis.
  • 895
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
The Complement System, Aging, and Aging-Related Diseases
The complement system is a part of the immune system and consists of multiple complement components with biological functions such as defense against pathogens and immunomodulation. The complement system has three activation pathways: the classical pathway, the lectin pathway, and the alternative pathway. Increasing evidence indicates that the complement system plays a role in aging. Complement plays a role in inflammatory processes, metabolism, apoptosis, mitochondrial function, and Wnt signaling pathways. In addition, the complement system plays a significant role in aging-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, age-related macular degeneration, and osteoarthritis. However, the effect of complement on aging and aging-related diseases is still unclear. Thus, a better understanding of the potential relationship between complement, aging, and aging-related diseases will provide molecular targets for treating aging, while focusing on the balance of complement in during treatment. Inhibition of a single component does not result in a good outcome. 
  • 895
  • 09 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Proteomics in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer with poor prognosis, as the clinical symptoms of this disease are only presented at an advanced stage. At a global level, the incidence of PDAC is expected to continue increasing as observed by the trend in the past consecutive years. On the other hand, the available US Food and Drug Administration-approved biomarker for PDAC, CA 19-9, is not reliable for diagnostic purposes but is rather useful for monitoring treatment response among PDAC patients. Nevertheless, there is an urgent need to identify reliable biomarkers for both diagnosis (specifically for the early detection) and ascertain prognosis, as well as to monitor treatment response and tumour recurrence of PDAC. In recent years, proteomic technologies have grown exponentially at an accelerated rate for a wide range of applications in cancer research. Interestingly, myriad of research mainly focused on the identification of potential biomarkers for the use of early detection and/or diagnosis of PDAC. Nonetheless, it is unfortunate that several other studies too have concurrently reported that these ‘identified potential biomarkers’ either as lacking in specificity and/or has prognostic values, instead. Likewise, studies conducted on biomarkers to ascertain the prognosis of PDAC, as well as to monitor treatment response and predict tumour recurrence in PDAC had also evidently shown conflicting results. In view of this, the identification and/or implementation of protein-based biomarkers with improved specificity and sensitivity for clinical utility for PDAC remains much to be desired. On the bright side though, the integration of multi-omics techniques, as well as further research on other novel technologies such as nanoparticle-enabled blood test and artificial intelligence), is hoped to lead to the discovery of superior biomarkers for PDAC that could be implemented into clinical practice in the near future.
  • 894
  • 01 Mar 2022
Topic Review
NADPH Oxidase in Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a heterogeneous group of disorders unified by loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, resulting in a characteristic phenotype consisting of an excavated optic nerve head with corresponding visual field defects. The pathogenesis of glaucoma is incompletely understood with multiple pathophysiological factors and pathways postulated to be causative, such as mechanical, vascular, and immunological factors, leading to the final result of apoptotic death of RGCs. Increasingly it is becoming apparent that these factors do not contribute to glaucoma independently, but rather they can be viewed as a continuum in which each factor contributes to the damage of retinal ganglion cell axons.
  • 893
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
9,12-Octadecadiynoic Acid
Human breast milk lipids have major beneficial effects: they promote infant early brain development, growth and health. To identify the relationship between human breast milk lipids and infant neurodevelopment, multivariate analyses that combined lipidomics and psychological Bayley-III scales evaluation were utilized. 
  • 893
  • 03 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Metabolomics and Bladder Cancer
In the last decade, metabolomics has tried to assert its value in the bladder cancer field. Due to the current invasive diagnostic techniques, such as cystoscopy and the continuous monitoring patients must undergo, the introduction of non-invasive urinary biomarkers for monitoring this disease would be advantageous. This section represents a collection of all the metabolic information that various studies have obtained in recent years on bladder cancer, with particular attention to discovering biomarkers in urine for the diagnosis of this disease. In principle, they would complement cystoscopy or, at best, replace it. However, evaluating the different degrees of reproducibility that the experiments have shown in the indication of biomarkers, a synthesis was proposed to obtain a consensus list that is more reliable to become a guideline for clinical practice.
  • 893
  • 11 Nov 2021
Topic Review
NDUFS8 in Diseases
NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit S8 (NDUFS8) is an essential core subunit and component of the iron-sulfur (FeS) fragment of mitochondrial complex I directly involved in the electron transfer process and energy metabolism. Pathogenic variants of the NDUFS8 are relevant to infantile-onset and severe diseases, including Leigh syndrome, cancer, and diabetes mellitus. With over 1000 nuclear genes potentially causing a mitochondrial disorder, the diagnostic approach requires targeted molecular analysis, guided by a combination of clinical and biochemical features.
  • 893
  • 27 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Plasma Clearance Receptors of FVIII and VWF
Congenital deficiency in blood coagulation factor (F) VIII (FVIII) results in excessive bleeding. The disease (hemophilia A) is treated with infusions of therapeutic FVIII concentrates, either plasma-derived (pdFVIII) or produced with recombinant DNA technology (rFVIII). Due to the relatively short FVIII plasma half-life (~12 h), such treatment requires frequent FVIII infusions (3–4 per week in prophylaxis) that calls for developing more efficient longer-acting FVIII products, in particular with an extended plasma lifetime, commonly termed half-life (EHL). Relevant protein modifications are performed via genetic and/or chemical modification of rFVIII, and efficient designs require understanding the molecular mechanisms of FVIII plasma clearance.
  • 893
  • 29 May 2023
Topic Review
Tunicamycin in Breast Cancer Research
Tunicamycin is a small biological molecule, that blocks a specific step of the protein N-glycosylation pathway in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), i.e., the catalytic activity of N-acetylglusosaminyl 1-phosphate transferase (GPT).
  • 892
  • 15 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Physiological Importance of Mitochondria
Mitochondria are among the most important organelles in eukaryotic cells and have a distinctive structure composed of lipid-bilayer membranes. A mitochondrion has a unique structure comprising four parts: the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), the inter-membranous space (IMS), the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM), and the matrix, with each part performing a specific role. 
  • 892
  • 06 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Network Regulation of microRNA Biogenesis and Target Interaction
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are versatile, post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Canonical miRNAs are generated through the two-step DROSHA- and DICER-mediated processing of primary miRNA (pri-miRNA) transcripts with optimal or suboptimal features for DROSHA and DICER cleavage and loading into Argonaute (AGO) proteins, whereas multiple hairpin-structured RNAs are encoded in the genome and could be a source of non-canonical miRNAs. Advances in miRNA biogenesis research have revealed details of the structural basis of miRNA processing and cluster assistance mechanisms that facilitate the processing of suboptimal hairpins encoded together with optimal hairpins in polycistronic pri-miRNAs. In addition, a deeper investigation of miRNA–target interaction has provided insights into the complexity of target recognition with distinct outcomes, including target-mediated miRNA degradation (TDMD) and cooperation in target regulation by multiple miRNAs.
  • 892
  • 20 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Function of Defensive Molecules Momilactones A and B
Labdane-related diterpenoids, momilactones A and B were isolated and identified in rice husks in 1973 and later found in rice leaves, straws, roots, root exudate, other several Poaceae species and the moss species Calohypnum plumiforme. Momilactones in rice plants suppressed the growth of fungal pathogens, indicating the defense function against pathogen attacks. Rice plants also inhibited the growth of adjacent competitive plants through the root secretion of momilactones into their rhizosphere due to the potent growth-inhibitory activity of momilactones, indicating a function in allelopathy.
  • 892
  • 30 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Matrix Metalloproteinases in Cancer Development
Matrikines (MKs) can be a rich source of functional nutrition components and additional therapy, thereby contributing to human health care and reducing the risk of developing serious diseases, including cancer. Functionally active MKs as products of enzymatic transformation by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are used for various biomedical purposes. Due to the absence of toxic side effects, low species specificity, relatively small size, and presence of various targets at the cell membranes, MKs often exhibit antitumor properties and, therefore, are promising agents for antitumor combination therapy. 
  • 892
  • 16 Jun 2023
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