Topic Review
Adhesion Protein Sialylation
The importance of adhesion protein sialylation was recognized by studying the changes of adhesion behavior of human tissue cells exposed in vitro to microgravity. Proteins involved in cell-cell or cell-extracellular matrix adhesion were investigated by retrieving and evaluation of information about sialylation of cell adhesion molecules detected by omics studies on cells, which change their adhesion behavior when exposed to microgravity. Using a knowledge graph created from experimental omics data and semantic searches across several reference databases, sialylation of adhesion proteins glycosylated at their extracellular domains and their impact in cellular processes were studied. This way, experimental omics data networked with the current knowledge about binding of sialic acids to cell adhesion proteins, its regulation and interactions in-between those proteins provided insights in the mechanisms behind experimental findings suggesting that balancing sialylation against de-sialylation of the terminal ends of the adhesion proteins’ glycans influences the binding activity of adhesion proteins, the interaction of cells and their aggregation. This shed light on the transition from the cells’ growth in a monolayer to spheroid formation observed in microgravity mirroring cell migration and cancer metastasis in vivo.
  • 751
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review Video
Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier
The blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) has been long thought of as a functional equivalent to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), restricting blood flow into the spinal cord. The spinal cord is supported by various disc tissues that provide agility and has different local immune responses compared to the brain. Though physiologically, structural components of the BSCB and BBB share many similarities, the clinical landscape significantly differs. 
  • 747
  • 14 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Anatomical Variations of the External Jugular Vein
The external jugular vein (EJV) descends superficially to the sternocleidomastoid muscle and drains into the subclavian vein after penetrating the deep cervical fascia. Numerous morphological possibilities of the EJV could occur and should be carefully interpreted. These include fenestrations and double fenestrations, true or false duplications, triplication, absence, aberrant origin or course, bifurcation, or the internal jugular vein termination of the EJV. 
  • 742
  • 31 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Gastrointestinal and Intestinal Signals
Signals mediating satiety and satiation arise from various locations within the luminal gastrointestinal tract including the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon. Ingestion of food results in mechanical stimulation by distension of the stomach and small intestine and in chemical stimulation via activation of nutrient receptors on enteroendocrine cells (EECs). These EECs play a pivotal role in the gastrointestinal and central regulation of not only of gastrointestinal (GI) motility and secretion but also of food intake.
  • 733
  • 18 Jun 2021
Topic Review
T-Cell Receptor Signalosome
Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) can undergo either a lytic pathway to cause productive systemic infection or enter a latent state in which the integrated provirus remains transcriptionally silent for decades. The ability to latently infected T-cells enables HIV-1 to establish persistent infections in resting memory CD4+ T-lymphocytes which become reactivated following disruption or cessation of intensive drug therapy. Maintenance of viral latency occurs through epigenetic and non-epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic mechanisms of HIV latency regulation involve deacetylation and methylation of histone proteins within Nucleosome 1 (nuc -1) at the viral long terminal repeats (LTR) such that inhibition of histone deacetyltransferase and histone lysine methyltransferase activities, respectively, reactivates HIV from latency. Non-epigenetic mechanisms involve nuclear restriction of critical cellular transcription factors such as Nuclear factor-kappa Beta (NF-kB) or Nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) which activate transcription from the viral LTR, limiting nuclear levels of viral transcription transactivator protein Tat and its cellular co-factor; positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) which together regulate HIV transcriptional elongation. The T-cell receptor (TCR) activation efficiently induces NF-kB, NFAT, and activator protein 1 (AP-1) transcription factors through multiple signal pathways and how these factors efficiently regulate HIV LTR transcription through the non-epigenetic mechanism. Elongation factor P-TEFb induced through an extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) dependent mechanism regulates HIV transcriptional elongation before Tat is synthesized and the role of AP-1 in the modulation of HIV transcriptional elongation through functional synergy with NF-kB. The TCR signaling induces critical posttranslational modifications of the Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) subunit of P-TEFb which enhances interactions between P-TEFb and viral Tat protein and the resultant enhancement of HIV transcriptional elongation.
  • 699
  • 13 Aug 2020
Topic Review
The Biological Basis for Antioxidant Therapy
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a class of highly reactive free radicals, such as hydroxyl radical (•OH), the superoxide radical (O2•−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The high intracellular ROS level-induced oxidative stress leads to the upregulation of antioxidant capacity to maintain redox homeostasis by metabolic rerouting or activation of genetic programs.
  • 697
  • 06 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Fruit Juice
The intake of fruit has a notable effect on the prevention of signs of aging, cardiovascular diseases, cataracts, and strokes, presenting anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective properties. In addition, fruit juices are considered alternative food products, being developed as probiotic substrates as an alternative to dairy products. Because they are well accepted by consumers and have a high nutritional value with positive health effects, fruit juices are ideal vehicles for probiotics.
  • 664
  • 26 Apr 2023
Topic Review
LNX/PDZRN E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Family
The ligand of Numb protein-X (LNX) family, also known as the PDZRN family, is composed of four discrete RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligases (LNX1, LNX2, LNX3, and LNX4), and LNX5 which may not act as an E3 ubiquitin ligase owing to the lack of the RING domain. 
  • 658
  • 31 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Inflammation in TGFβ-Dependent EMT
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex cellular program known to be a crucial driver in the context of embryonic development, wound healing and tumour progression.
  • 647
  • 03 Mar 2021
Topic Review
The Plant Response to Mechanical Stress
Mechanical stimuli, together with the corresponding plant perception mechanisms and the finely tuned thigmomorphogenetic response, has been of scientific and practical interest since the mid-17th century. As an emerging field, there are many challenges in the research of mechanical stress. Indeed, studies on different plant species (annual/perennial) and plant organs (stem/root) using different approaches (field, wet lab, and in silico/computational) have delivered insufficient findings that frequently impede the practical application of the acquired knowledge. 
  • 629
  • 21 Feb 2023
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