Topic Review
Milk Proteins
Milk and colostrum have high biological potential, and due to their natural origin and non-toxicity, they have many uses in cosmetics and dermatology. Research is ongoing on their potential application in other fields of medicine, but there are still few results; most of the published ones are included in this entry. These natural products are especially rich in proteins, such as casein, β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, and growth factors, and possess various antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant, immunomodulatory properties, etc. 
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Nematode Identification Techniques
Nematodes are among the most diverse but least studied organisms. Classic morphology-based identification is often insufficient for nematode identification, mainly due to the lack of sufficient variations among closely related species. Various molecular methods are used to supplement and/or circumvent these problems. These methods range from DNA fingerprinting to sequence analyses of DNA- and/or protein-based information. Computational image analyses have also contributed towards improved nematode identification and classification. Each of these methods have unique benefits, and potential issues, usually depending on the goal and circumstance of identification. However, together, these methods have aided nematode identification and increase our understanding of nematode diversity and phylogeny. 
  • 1.1K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Litsea cubeba
Litsea cubeba is a special woody oil plant resource in China, which is mainly distributed in provinces and regions in the south of the Yangtze River. For the past several decades, Litsea cubeba essential oil has been the only product for trading, which can be extracted from its whole plant, including leaves, flowers, fruits, trunks, and even roots. Based on the zero-waste biorefinery concept, residues generated from Litsea cubeba essential oil processing have recently been found as potential sources for various plant-based products with added values, i.e., kernel oil with a high content of medium chain fatty acids might be used for the sustainable production of surfactants or even biofuels, pomace including protein might be used as a good source for feeding.
  • 1.1K
  • 12 Jul 2021
Topic Review
T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Sequencing and Its Applications
The immune system is a dynamic feature of each individual and a footprint of our unique internal and external exposures. Indeed, the type and level of exposure to physical and biological agents shape the development and behavior of this complex and diffuse system. Many pathological conditions depend on how our immune system responds or does not respond to a pathogen or a disease or on how the regulation of immunity is altered by the disease itself. T-cells are important players in adaptive immunity and, together with B-cells, define specificity and monitor the internal and external signals that our organism perceives through its specific receptors, TCRs and BCRs, respectively. Today, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) applied to the TCR repertoire has opened a window of opportunity to disclose T-cell repertoire development and behavior down to the clonal level. Although TCR repertoire sequencing is easily accessible today, it is important to deeply understand the available technologies for choosing the best fit for the specific experimental needs and questions. Here, an updated overview of TCR repertoire sequencing strategies, providers and applications to infectious diseases and cancer to guide researchers’ choice through the multitude of available options is provided. The possibility of extending the TCR repertoire to HLA characterization will be of pivotal importance in the near future to understand how specific HLA genes shape T-cell responses in different pathological contexts and will add a level of comprehension that was unthinkable just a few years ago.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Hepatitis B Virus
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a globally-distributed pathogen and is a major cause of liver disease. HBV (or closely-related animal hepadnaviruses) can integrate into the host genome, but (unlike retroviruses) this integrated form is replication-defective. 
  • 1.1K
  • 10 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Lateral Organization of PI(4,5)P2
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5- bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) is a minor but ubiquitous component of the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells. However, due to its particular complex biophysical properties, it stands out from its neighboring lipids as one of the most important regulators of membrane-associated signaling events. Despite its very low steady-state concentration, PI(4,5)P2 is able to engage in a multitude of simultaneous cellular functions that are temporally and spatially regulated through the presence of localized transient pools of PI(4,5)P2 in the membrane.
  • 1.1K
  • 04 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Cell Cycle Regulation in Pluripotent Stem Cells
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) hold great promise in cell-based therapy because of their pluripotent property and the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from inner cell mass (ICM) possess unique cell cycle control with shortened G1 phase. In addition, ESCs have high expression of homologous recombination (HR)-related proteins, which repair double-strand breaks (DSBs) through HR or the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Histone H1 post-translational modifications
Protein molecules can be further modified after translation. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are responsible for most of the proteome diversity and often modulate critical protein functions in health and disease. Histone H1 is a chromatin structural protein, which contains many PTMs that may alter chromatin structure and function. In this entry, we present a summary of the post-translational modifications (PTMs) identified, up to date, in histone H1 from lower eukaryotes to humans. We also highlight the use of different proteomic strategies, as well as the technical challenges involved in mapping H1 PTMs.
  • 1.1K
  • 26 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is secreted primarily from the hypothalamus, but other tissues, including the lungs, produce it locally. GHRH stimulates the release and secretion of growth hormone (GH) by the pituitary and regulates the production of GH and hepatic insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Pituitary-type GHRH-receptors (GHRH-R) are expressed in human lungs, indicating that GHRH or GH could participate in lung development, growth, and repair. The goal of thisentry is to present and critically evaluate new findings regarding growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its actions in the settings of lung inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer. The essential, unanswered question we address is whether GHRH, as revealed by synthetic peptide probes that activate or inhibit its receptor, plays key roles in lung pathophysiology that are distinct from its effects on growth and metabolism. It provides background on the physiology of GHRH in the lung, which was elucidated using recently developed GHRH receptor peptide agonists and antagonists as mechanistic probes.
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Tomato Fruit Set and Parthenocarpy
Fruit set is the earliest phase of fruit growth and represents the onset of ovary growth after successful fertilization. Environmental conditions can negatively affect fruit set and final productivity. In parthenocarpy, fruit formation is less affected by environmental factors because it occurs in the absence of pollination and fertilization, making parthenocarpy a highly desired agronomic trait. Elucidating the genetic program controlling parthenocarpy, and more generally fruit set, may have important implications in agriculture, considering the need for crops to be adaptable to climate changes. Several phytohormones play an important role in the transition from flower to fruit. Further complexity emerges from functional analysis of floral homeotic genes. Some homeotic MADS-box genes are implicated in fruit growth and development, displaying an expression pattern commonly observed for ovary growth repressors.
  • 1.1K
  • 15 Dec 2020
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