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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
Endoplasmic Reticulum-Related Protein Targeting and Protein Transport
Cells use an impressive array of components to enable the safe transport of protein cargo from the cytosolic ribosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum. Safety during the transit is warranted by the interplay of cytosolic chaperones, membrane receptors, and protein translocases that together form functional networks and serve as protein targeting and translocation routes. While two targeting routes to the endoplasmic reticulum, SRP (signal recognition particle) and GET (guided entry of tail-anchored proteins), prefer targeting determinants at the N- and C-terminus of the cargo polypeptide, respectively, the discovered SND (SRP-independent) route seems to preferentially cater for cargos with non-generic targeting signals that are less hydrophobic or more distant from the termini.
982
19 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Protein Glycosylation
Protein glycosylation is a highly conserved post-translational modification among organisms. It plays fundamental roles in many biological processes, ranging from protein trafficking and cell adhesion to host–pathogen interactions. According to the amino acid side chain atoms to which glycans are linked, protein glycosylation can be divided into two major categories: N-glycosylation and O-glycosylation. However, there are other types of modifications such as the addition of GPI to the C-terminal end of the protein. Besides the importance of glycoproteins in biological functions, they are a major component of the fungal cell wall and plasma membrane and contribute to pathogenicity, virulence, and recognition by the host immunity. Given that this structure is absent in host mammalian cells, it stands as an attractive target for developing selective compounds for the treatment of fungal infections.
974
27 Oct 2021
Topic Review
CCL2
Factors secreted from adipose tissue may induce and/or maintain a local and systemic low-grade activation of the innate immune system. Attraction of macrophages into adipose tissue and altered crosstalk between macrophages, adipocytes, and other cells of adipose tissue are symptoms of metabolic inflammation. Among several secreted factors attracting immune cells to adipose tissue, chemotactic C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) (also described as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)) has been shown to play a crucial role in adipose tissue macrophage infiltration.
973
28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Circular Bacterial Chromosome
A circular bacterial chromosome is a bacterial chromosome in the form of a molecule of circular DNA. Unlike the linear DNA of most eukaryotes, typical bacterial chromosomes are circular. Most bacterial chromosomes contain a circular DNA molecule – there are no free ends to the DNA. Free ends would otherwise create significant challenges to cells with respect to DNA replication and stability. Cells that do contain chromosomes with DNA ends, or telomeres (most eukaryotes), have acquired elaborate mechanisms to overcome these challenges. However, a circular chromosome can provide other challenges for cells. After replication, the two progeny circular chromosomes can sometimes remain interlinked or tangled, and they must be resolved so that each cell inherits one complete copy of the chromosome during cell division.
973
25 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Bisphenol A-Induced Male Infertility
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known endocrine disruptor present in epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics, which negatively disturbs the male reproductive system affecting male fertility. In vivo studies showed that BPA exposure has deleterious effects on spermatogenesis by disturbing the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and inducing oxidative stress in the testis. This compound seems to disrupt hormone signalling even at low concentrations, modifying the levels of inhibin B, oestradiol, and testosterone. The adverse effects on seminal parameters are mainly supported by studies based on urinary BPA concentration, showing a negative association between BPA levels and sperm concentration, motility, normal morphology and sperm DNA damage.
972
01 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Mitophagy
Mitophagy is a selective autophagic process that eliminates unnecessary and/or damaged mitochondria. Therefore, it is a central hormetic mechanism of mitochondrial quality and quantity control, essential for cellular homeostasis. Its dysregulation has been shown to be a key event in metabolic related diseases and it is the target of emerging therapeutical approaches in this field.
970
28 May 2021
Topic Review
Skeletal Muscle
Skeletal muscle is composed of multinucleated, mature muscle cells (myofibers) responsible for contraction, and a resident pool of mononucleated muscle cell precursors (MCPs), that are maintained in a quiescent state in homeostatic conditions. Skeletal muscle is remarkable in its ability to adapt to mechanical constraints, a property referred as muscle plasticity and mediated by both MCPs and myofibers. This review summarizes recent insights into the mechanisms underlying nuclear force transmission in MCPs and myofibers.
967
11 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Viroids and Plants
Viroids are plant pathogenic, circular, non-coding, single-stranded RNAs (ssRNAs). Members of the Pospiviroidae family replicate in the nucleus of plant cells through double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) intermediates, thus triggering the host’s RNA interference (RNAi) machinery. In plants, the two RNAi pillars are Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing (PTGS) and RNA-directed DNA Methylation (RdDM), and the latter has the potential to trigger Transcriptional Gene Silencing (TGS). Over the last three decades, the employment of viroid-based systems has immensely contributed to our understanding of both of these RNAi facets.
966
20 May 2021
Topic Review
Intracellular Signalling in Wound Healing
The cells response to injury is initiated by growth factors and cytokines that play a key role in wound restoration, and their biological action is achieved via signal transduction. Growth factors and cytokines play distinct roles through all phases of wound healing. In response to injury, they can trigger several strategic signalling transduction pathways that are mostly activated during embryonic skin development. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and calcium (Ca2+) are the first intracellular signalling molecules for tissue repair response. These signalling molecules regulate several biological activities including cellular migration, proliferation, contractility, survival and many more related to different transcription factors that are usually induced by several other intracellular signalling pathways. This phenomenon makes it difficult to link a specific signalling response to injury.
964
28 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Immunogenic Cell Death
Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a type of death, which has the hallmarks of necroptosis and apoptosis, and is best characterized in malignant diseases.
958
18 Feb 2021
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