Tag Archives: protein
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
Protein structures: the evolutionary time capsules
If you wanted to probe life’s origins, billions of years back, how could you do it? You’d need a preserved message from different points in history, time capsules left by evolution. Amazingly, evolution has left such time
Protein Discovery Summit 2016
Organizer: GTCbio Start date: December 5th, 2016 End date: December 7th, 2016 We invite you to attend the Protein Discovery Summit to be held on December 5-7, 2016 in Boston, MA. The Protein Discovery Summit is the
How fast do proteins break apart with light?
Proteins are microscopic machines that perform diverse functions in nature from transporting materials, to carrying out chemical reactions in the cell, to transmitting signals throughout the body. To do these tasks, the long protein chains must wrap
Acyl-CoA-binding proteins help plants “degrease” adversities
Serving as the building blocks for triacylglycerides and membrane phospholipids, fatty acids are essential in all forms of life. Given their chemical inertness, fatty acids need activation into a more water-soluble form (as acyl-CoA esters), prior to
Evolutionary steps in the emergence of life have come into view
Human beings have had a keen interest for many years, on the way how life emerged and the reason why we are on the Earth. When researchers face up to the problem on the origin of life,
Atomic classification of cancer cells
Cancer cells have molecules, known as receptors, on their surface that distinguish them from healthy cells. Knowing receptors that are present on malignant cells can help to detect and/or classify the disease. Here, we developed a method
Upregulation of a protein in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases due to its altered membrane binding
The proteins of the Neuronal Calcium Sensor (NCS) family act as calcium dependent molecular switches in order to maintain the communication between the brain cells. Most of NCS proteins are involved in neurodegenerative diseases resulting from calcium
Tuberculosis in ancient bones can also be identified by a protein of the pathogen
As we all know, DNA is the matrix for the proteins and the proteins are the molecules which are involved in every step of the metabolism of all living organisms inside and outside of cells. Without proteins
Folding proteins with a pich of salt
The slow but unstoppable progress of evolution has enabled, step-by-step, mutation after mutation, the conquest of almost every possible environment on Earth. Even in those places where conditions are far from “standard”, where the presence of organisms
How plant virus hides from the host cellular degradation machinery
The main goal of obligatory viral parasites is to create the perfect environment for its multiplication. Therefore, the first step is to avoid degradation by the host cellular degradation. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is not
How do chaperones save protein folding?
Protein folding both in vitro and in vivo goes via formation of intermediate states. These “molten globule”-like states fluctuate, expose their hydrophobic sites and therefore easily aggregate. This retards or even inhibits formation of protein native structures,
With a little help from friends: how plastids aid the ER to deal with misfolded proteins
Almost a third of all proteins in eukaryotic cells are synthesized and folded in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) before being secreted and redistributed to other organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, and the plasma membrane. To
Key elements of proteins involved in the bacterial production of the toxin methylmercury
Mercury is a prevalent global pollutant that has adverse effects on human health. This toxin is present in the environment not only as a result of releases during natural events, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires and
Do Bucentaur family proteins represent true monsters in the fight against stress?
The BCNT (Bucentaur) protein family, which is conserved from fungi to humans, is classified by the presence of an ~80 amino acid sequence at the C-terminus called BCNT-C. Family members in fungi, flies, fish, and chicken play
Arrestin-enolase protein complex as a new auto antigen in heart disease
Over the past two decades, evidence of a pathogenic relevance of autoimmunity in human heart disease has increased significantly. A central role for autoimmunity in a significant proportion of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients is supported by the
Yarrowia lipolytica: how a yeast becomes a workhorse for biotechnology
Yarrowia lipolytica is a yeast species belonging to the Ascomycota fungi phylum (like the well-known baker’s and brewer’s yeasts, both from Saccharomyces cerevisiae species). This innocuous yeast can be found in a large range of ecosystems (soils,
Targeted ion therapy using nanoparticles – a new direction
A living body is made of the smallest building block, called ‘cell’. It gives us a shape, helps us to perform physiological and biological activities, and so on. A eukaryotic cell contains a nucleus, buried in the
Antibodies at your pipette tips
Antibodies are essential in our immune system to fight against all sorts of diseases that we could encounter every day. The technological developments over the decade has allowed scientist to isolate target or disease-specific antibodies in the
