Tag Archives: protein
Preventing over-treatment in euthyroid patients with thyroid hormone abnormalities
Up to 12% of the U.S. population will be diagnosed with a thyroid condition. Because thyroid hormones affect every cell in the body, hypo- (low) and hyper-(high) thyroidism can be difficult to distinguish from other medical conditions.
Cryo-electron microscopy in drug development
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is becoming the method of choice in structure determination of membrane proteins and has great potential for structure-based drug discovery (SBDD). Cryo-EM provides high-resolution structural information of a membrane protein without the need for
The protein TMEM147 is a novel regulator of cholesterol homeostasis in human cells
In terrestrial vertebrate animals, cholesterol is a major sterol lipid with multiple, critically important biological roles. In cells, it is a key constituent lipid of the plasma membrane, affecting its fluidity and stiffness and acting as an
Proteins identified in the immune system of crayfish
Invertebrates characteristically only possess mechanisms of innate immunity, both cellular and humoral, that appear to be activated depending on the pathogens involved. These defense mechanisms are triggered by the activation of the pathogen recognition receptors (PRR). The
A mass spectrometry view of the interaction of Alzheimer’s disease proteins with an anti-aggregation compound
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that has been studied extensively over the last four decades. Millions of people worldwide are affected by this disease, and because our population is growing older, this disease is becoming alarmingly
The immunomodulatory enzyme IDO: Expression in the uterus of mares?
IDO modulates immune responses. The enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO) degrades tryptophan. This amino acid is required for immune defences against pathogens, but also stimulates pathogen growth. Its degradation inhibits effector lymphocytes and retards pathogen proliferation. Thus,
Finding the beta-beta residue pairing for protein structure prediction
Prediction of the tertiary structure of proteins from their amino acid sequences is of great importance and of urgent demand in structural bioinformatics and biophysics, especially considering the increasing gap between the numbers of sequences and structures
Disengaging ATF6 from DREAM for neuroprotection
To study early changes in neuronal function during the pre-symptomatic phase of a given neurodegenerative disease is very important. It could deliver early diagnostic markers, offer prognostic clues about disease progression and uncover novel therapeutic targets for
How does chromium cause lung cancer? Resistance to cellular stress
Lung cancer is the deadliest form of cancer in both men and women. One cause of lung cancer is occupational exposure to heavy metals. Extremely useful in several industries, heavy metals have become widespread environmental pollutants over
The cellular protein (cFLIP) downregulates IFN-alpha, a signaling protein involved in the pathogenesis of SLE
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disorder that manifests itself within various organs of the body. It is observed in women more often than men. While clinical presentations may vary widely, hallmarks of SLE include
Scissors? A truck? Or BOTH? Moonlighting proteins can do it all
Proteins are the molecular machines that perform millions of different jobs throughout the body. Everything we do requires specific kinds of proteins, from cutting molecules into smaller pieces when we digest our food, to carrying oxygen from
Aggregation properties as potential markers for classifying rubber particle proteins
Natural rubber is an important biopolymer that mainly consists of cis-1,4-polyisoprene. The rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis is the only commercially viable source of natural rubber because of its good yield and the product’s high quality. Rubber elongation
Overproduction of membrane-integral undecaprenyl pyrophosphate phosphatase from Vibrio vulnificus
In the cytoplasm, undecaprenyl pyrophosphate (C55-PP) is synthesized by undecaprenyl pyrophosphate synthase (UppS) through consecutive condensation reactions of eight molecules of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (Ipp) with farnesyl pyrophosphate (Fpp). The product C55-PP is then dephosphorylated to monophosphate undecaprenyl phosphate
Assaying protein-protein interaction by the complementation of firefly luciferase catalytic steps
Protein – protein interaction (PPI) assay is a key technology for various fields from basic molecular biology to diagnosis and drug discovery. Previously, PPI assays based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)
Arabidopsis ACYL-COA-BINDING PROTEIN6: a lipid-binding protein in the phloem
Plants utilize long-distance transport systems via their vascular tissues. The xylem is used for water and mineral transport, while the phloem translocates various macromolecules. Although lipids have been detected in the phloem sap, their movement is not
Proteins regulate cancer cell attachment
Aggressive cancer cells are able to leave their original site and invade other tissues. In order for these cells to do this, they must have some way of moving around. This means that a cancer cell must
The proteins and their mRNAs may be located in different areas of the embryos
All proteins are synthesized in a cell in polysomes (polyribosomes) on the template (mRNA). That is why in molecular embryology, by tacit consent, a presence or absence of the specific mRNA in the cell indicates the presence
Simulation by Stanford researchers shows how transporter proteins do their work in cells
Cells must continually pass molecules in and out to sustain life. Computer scientists and molecular physiologists have developed a computer algorithm to capture how these crucial proteins work. Inside every plant or animal, proteins called transporters act
In search of new natural antioxidants for treatment of Parkinson neurodegenerative disease
A lot of studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease. Antioxidant therapy has been proposed for prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases for reducing oxidative damage caused by
Environmental light and biological processes in human body
It is well known that the life on Earth originated and has been sustained by the electromagnetic energy from the sun light. In primitive organisms and plants the sun light directly influences biological processes, while in more
