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Topic Review
Mechanisms of Exosome Biogenesis
Exosomes are nanometer-sized vesicles released by different cells that are important in the normal functioning of the body. In cancer, exosomes have been found to promote tumor growth and metastasis by carrying functional biomolecules and acting on different target sites in the body. Understanding the mechanism by which cancers modulate exosome secretion is crucial to studying cancer biology and developing new therapeutic approaches.
  • 2.8K
  • 18 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Vertebrate Cutaneous Sensory Corpuscles
Vertebrate cutaneous sensory corpuscles are specialized sensory nerve formations located in the skin of all vertebrates and responsible for tactile sensation. Functionally, they are mechanoreceptors transducing external mechanical stimuli into electrical signals which will be later led to the Central Nervous System. The afferent innervation of vertebrate skin is supplied by nerve fibers (Aβ, Aδ, C) which are originated from peripheral neurons localized in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Aβ nerve fibers end at the dermis level forming several morphotypes of sensory corpuscles with capacity of detecting different stimuli: Merkel cell–neurite complexes, Ruffini corpuscles, Meissner’s corpuscles and Pacinian corpuscles are present in the glabrous skin; while pilo-neural complexes are found in hairy skin. The structure of sensory corpuscles is formed by an axon, non-myelinating Schwann-like cells, a capsule of endoneurial and/or perineurial origin and extracelullar matrix molecules.  The vertebrate skin contains sensory corpuscles that are receptors for different qualities of mechanosensitivity like light brush, touch, pressure, stretch or vibration. These specialized sensory organs are linked anatomically and functionally to mechanosensory neurons, which function as low-threshold mechanoreceptors connected to peripheral skin through Aβ nerve fibers. Furthermore, low-threshold mechanoreceptors associated with Aδ and C nerve fibers have been identified in hairy skin. The process of mechanotransduction requires the conversion of a mechanical stimulus into electrical signals (action potentials) through the activation of mechanosensible ion channels present both in the axon and the periaxonal cells of sensory corpuscles (i.e., Schwann-, endoneurial- and perineurial-related cells). Most of those putative ion channels belong to the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel (especially the family of acid-sensing ion channels), the transient receptor potential channel superfamilies, and the Piezo family.
  • 2.8K
  • 07 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound
Rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) is derived from defatted rice bran hydrolyzed with Lentinus edodes mycelial enzyme. It has been marketed as a functional food and a nutraceutical with health-promoting properties. Some research has demonstrated this rice bran derivative to be a potent immunomodulator, which also possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-angiogenic properties. To date, research on RBAC has predominantly focused on its immunomodulatory action and application as a complementary therapy for cancer. Nonetheless, the clinical applications of RBAC can extend beyond cancer therapy.
  • 2.8K
  • 18 May 2021
Topic Review
Solidago virgaurea L
Solidago virgaurea L. (European goldenrod, Woundwort), Asteraceae, is a familiar medicinal plant in Europe and other parts of the world, widely used and among the most researched species from its genus. The aerial parts of European goldenrod have long been used for urinary tract conditions and as an anti-inflammatory agent in the traditional medicine of different peoples. Its main chemical constituents are flavonoids (mainly derived from quercetin and kaempferol), C6-C1 and C6-C3 compounds, terpenes (mostly from the essential oil), and a large number of saponin molecules (mainly virgaureasaponins and solidagosaponins). 
  • 2.8K
  • 16 Dec 2020
Topic Review
β-Endorphin
β-Endorphins are peptides that exert a wide variety of effects throughout the body. Produced through the cleavage pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), β-endorphins are the primarily agonist of mu opioid receptors, which can be found throughout the body, brain, and cells of the immune system that regulate a diverse set of systems. As an agonist of the body’s opioid receptors, β-endorphins are most noted for their potent analgesic effects, but they also have their involvement in reward-centric and homeostasis-restoring behaviors, among other effects. These effects have implicated the peptide in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, making it a research target of interest.
  • 2.8K
  • 16 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Natural Cyclopeptides
Cyclopeptides, also known as cyclic peptides, are polypeptides formed from amino acids arranged in a cyclic ring structure.
  • 2.8K
  • 07 May 2021
Topic Review
Phytoestrogen
Phytoestrogens are compounds derived from plants that have a similar structure to human sex hormones. 
  • 2.8K
  • 26 Jan 2021
Topic Review
NAC Transcription Factors
The NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) family of proteins is one of the largest plant-specific transcription factor (TF) families and its members play varied roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses.
  • 2.8K
  • 08 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Adenosine A1 Receptor and Epilepsy
Adenosine acts as an endogenous anticonvulsant and seizure terminator in the brain. Many of its anticonvulsive effects are mediated through activation of the adenosine A1 receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor with a wide array of targets. Various signaling pathways are involved in the neuronal inhibition caused by adenosine A1 receptor activation. These include direct interactions of G protein subunits, the adenyl cyclase pathway and the phospholipase C pathway, which all mediate neuronal hyperpolarization and suppression of synaptic transmission.
  • 2.8K
  • 19 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Glutathione
Glutathione refers to the small molecule protein consisting of three amino acids - glycine, cysteine, and glutamine.
  • 2.8K
  • 01 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier Structure–Function Relationship
The molecular identity of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) was presented in 2012, forty years after the active transport of cytosolic pyruvate into the mitochondrial matrix was first demonstrated. An impressive amount of in vivo and in vitro studies has since revealed an unexpected interplay between one, two, or even three protein subunits defining different functional MPC assemblies in a metabolic-specific context. These have clear implications in cell homeostasis and disease, and on the development of future therapies. Despite intensive efforts by different research groups using state-of-the-art computational tools and experimental techniques, MPCs’ structure-based mechanism remains elusive.
  • 2.8K
  • 27 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Chemical Speciation of Iodine and Practical Applications
Iodine is one of the 30 essential elements for life, and its chemical speciation defines its biological activities. Both inorganic and organic chemical species have crucial roles in the biology of most living organisms. The most relevant inorganic species are iodate (IO3−) and iodide (I−), as the major sources of iodine for living beings, together with molecular iodine (I2) and hypoiodous acid (HIO) as the most reactive performing catalytic activities. Conversely, Thyroid Hormones (THs) are the master regulators of the metabolism of vertebrates and the representative organic species. Mainly inorganic species are exploited in the health science industry to produce disinfectants, supplements, medicines, and X-ray contrast media. 
  • 2.8K
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Practical Methods for Liver Biology
Molecular and cellular research modalities for the study of liver pathologies have been tremendously improved over the recent decades. Advanced technologies offer novel opportunities to establish cell isolation techniques with excellent purity, paving the path for 2D and 3D microscopy and high-throughput assays (e.g., bulk or single-cell RNA sequencing). The use of stem cell and organoid research will help to decipher the pathophysiology of liver diseases and the interaction between various parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells. Furthermore, sophisticated animal models of liver disease allow for the in vivo assessment of fibrogenesis, portal hypertension and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and for the preclinical testing of therapeutic strategies.
  • 2.8K
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Glutathione-Mediated Conjugation of Anticancer Drugs
The effectiveness of many anticancer drugs depends on the creation of specific metabolites that may alter their therapeutic or toxic properties. One significant route of biotransformation is a conjugation of electrophilic compounds with reduced glutathione, which can be non-enzymatic and/or catalyzed by glutathione-dependent enzymes. Glutathione usually combines with anticancer drugs and/or their metabolites to form more polar and water-soluble glutathione S-conjugates, readily excreted outside the body. In this regard, glutathione plays a role in detoxification, decreasing the likelihood that a xenobiotic will react with cellular targets.
  • 2.8K
  • 26 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Bisindole Alkaloids from Alstonia Species
Bisindoles are structurally complex dimers and are intriguing targets for partial and total synthesis. They exhibit stronger biological activity than their corresponding monomeric units. Bisindole alkaloids are naturally occurring alkaloids containing two indole nuclei and are the products of late-stage biosynthetic processes in higher plants by combining two monomeric units. Depending on the monomeric units involved, bisindoles can be a homo- or heterodimer. As a result, bisindole alkaloids comprise much higher structural complexity than both of the monomeric units that comprise them. Alstonia, a major genus in the Apocynaceae family of plants, has more than 150 species and is found all over the world. Robert Brown named it in 1811 in honor of Charles Alston (1685–1760), an eminent botanist at the University of Edinburgh. The Alstonia genus’ trees and shrubs are prevalent in the tropical and subtropical parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. They contribute significant pharmacological activity, including anticancer, antileishmanial, antimalarial, antitussive, antiviral, antiarthritic, and antibacterial activities. 
  • 2.8K
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Phthalic Acid Esters
Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are a class of lipophilic chemicals widely used as plasticizers and additives to improve various products’ mechanical extensibility and flexibility. At present, synthesized PAEs, which are considered to cause potential hazards to ecosystem functioning and public health, have been easily detected in the atmosphere, water, soil, and sediments; PAEs are also frequently discovered in plant and microorganism sources, suggesting the possibility that they might be biosynthesized in nature.
  • 2.7K
  • 29 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Pectolinarin and Pectolinarigenin
Flavonoids are metabolites widely distributed in plants and commonly present in foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Pectolinarin, which belongs to the flavone subclass, has attracted considerable attention due to its presence in many medicinal plants. It has turned out to be a good biological agent especially due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antitumor activities, evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Its aglycone, the metabolite pectolinarigenin, is also known for a series of biological properties including anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects. In the first overview on the two metabolites here presented, their collection, isolation and the results of their biological evaluation are reported
  • 2.7K
  • 28 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen causing devastating acute and chronic infections in individuals with compromised immune systems. Its highly notorious persistence in clinical settings is attributed to its ability to form antibiotic-resistant biofilms. Biofilm is an architecture built mostly by autogenic extracellular polymeric substances which function as a scaffold to encase the bacteria together on surfaces, and to protect them from environmental stresses, impedes phagocytosis and thereby conferring the capacity for colonization and long-term persistence.
  • 2.7K
  • 03 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Pichia kluyveri in Wine Technology
The surfaces of grapes are covered by different yeast species that are important in the first stages of the fermentation process. In recent years, non-Saccharomyces yeasts such as Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, and Pichia kluyveri have become popular with regard to winemaking and improved wine quality. For that reason, several manufacturers started to offer commercially available strains of these non-Saccharomyces species. P. kluyveri stands out, mainly due to its contribution to wine aroma, glycerol, ethanol yield, and killer factor. 
  • 2.7K
  • 18 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Bioluminescent System in Dinoflagellates
The mechanisms underlying the bioluminescent phenomenon have been well characterized in dinoflagellates; however, there are still some aspects that remain an enigma. Such is the case of the presence and diversity of the luciferin-binding protein (LBP), as well as the synthesis process of luciferin. We carry out a review of the literature in relation to the molecular players responsible for bioluminescence in dinoflagellates, with particular interest in P. lunula.
  • 2.7K
  • 29 Oct 2020
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