Rab1A, a member of the Ras-like protein in rat brain (Rab) family, acts as an oncogene in a variety of malignant tumors. Previous studies reported that Rab1A was highly expressed in GC tissues. However, the function and molecular mechanism of Rab1A in gastric cancer (GC) development remain far from being addressed. Rab1A mRNA and protein levels were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively

Transforming growth factor beta regulator 4 (TBRG4) is a novel regulator in tumorigenic progression of several tumors. However, so far, the expression and functions of TBRG4 in osteosarcoma are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential biological functions of TBRG4 in osteosarcoma. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of

Background Cardiac fibrosis following myocardial infarction (MI) leads to cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. Dysregulation of Smad7 which negatively regulates the profibrotic transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad signaling promotes cardiac fibrosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying TGF-β1/Smad7 dysregulation remain elusive. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recently emerging as

Objective Despite of previous report regarding the aberrant overexpression of hsa_circ_0011290 in thyroid cancer, the regulatory mechanism and mechanistic involvements of which were still elusive currently in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Here we set out to characterize expression status and functional contributions of hsa_circ_0011290 in this disease especially through mode-of-action of sponging

Iron is an essential requirement for the survival and virulence of most bacteria. The bacterial ferrous iron transporter protein FeoB functions as a major reduced iron transporter in prokaryotes, but its biochemical mechanism has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we compared enzymatic properties of the cytosolic portions of pathogenic bacterial FeoBs to elucidate each bacterial strain-specific

Breast cancer has the highest incidence and mortality in the female population. Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) known as a transcription factor is upregulated and associated with poor prognosis in a variety of cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms of FOXM1 on breast cancer progression are poorly understood. In this study, we found that FOXM1 was up-regulated in breast cancer. FOXM1 promoted cell proliferation

Memory formation transpires to be by activation and persistent modification of synapses. A chain of biochemical events accompany synaptic activation and culminate in memory formation. These biochemical events are steered by interplay and modulation of various synaptic proteins, achieved by conformational changes and phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of these proteins. Calcium/calmodulin dependent protein

Increased tendency of cancer patient to develop venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with high rates of mortality. Elevation of procoagulant proteins and down regulation of naturally occurring coagulation inhibitors appears to form the basis of high risk of VTE in malignancy. A reduced level of anticoagulant protein like antithrombin (AT) will influence both coagulation and angiogenesis, as its

This study summarizes the available evidence from systematic reviews on the in vitro effects of photobiomodulation on the proliferation and differentiation of human bone and stromal cells by appraising their methodological quality. Improvements for future studies are also highlighted, with particular emphasis on in vitro protocols and cell-related characteristics. Six reviews using explicit eligibility

Proteins of the p53 family are best known for their role in the regulation of cell cycle. The p53 protein, as a model system, has been extensively explored in numerous cancer-related studies. The C-terminal domain (CTD) of p53 is an intrinsically disordered region that gains multiple different conformations at interaction with different binding partners. However, the impact of the surrounding environment

Emerging evidence shows that histone modification and its related regulators are involved in the progression and chemoresistance of ovarian cancer (OC) cells. Our present study found that the expression of Jumonji C domain-containing 2A (JMJD2A), while not JMJD2B or JMJD2C, is increased in OC cells and tissues as compared with that in their corresponding controls. Knockdown of JMJD2A can decrease proliferation

Switching microglial polarization from the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype represents a novel therapeutic strategy for diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP). This study aims to determine the role and mechanism of interleukin (IL)-35 in regulating microglial M1/M2 polarization in DNP. A rat model of DNP was induced by a single streptozocin injection and recombinant IL-35

Intrinsically disordered proteins do not adopt well-defined structures, yet they still play functional roles in many different aspects of biology. Their lack of stable conformations poses new challenges to the quantitative description and understanding of their processes, since they cannot be formulated within the classical terms of structural biology. Polymer physics is emerging as a powerful language

Monocyte infiltration and macrophage polarization are widely considered as pivotal steps for the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Previous studies suggested that zanthoxylum piperitum had strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, it remains unclear whether zanthoxylum piperitum inhibits inflammation via macrophage function. In the present study, we investigated the effects

Oxidative stress due to generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause damage to cellular proteins, lipids and DNA, which is one of crucial causes responsible for cancer. Nuclear factor erythroid 2 [NF-E2]-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a transcription factor of a variety of antioxidant and cytoprotective enzymes, so that Nrf2 serves as a hero which reduces the levels of damaging ROS in the cell

Endometrial carcinoma is a type of gynecological cancer that originates in the endometrial epithelial tissue. Due to its high proliferation and ability to invade muscle tissue, it is one of the most common malignant tumors in the female reproductive system. Fatostatin is a small molecule non-sterol diarylthiazole derivative that acts as a chemical inhibitor of the sterol regulatory-element binding

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance is a spectroscopic technique which, in combination with site-directed spin-labeling, provides structural and dynamic information about proteins in conditions similar to those of their physiological environment. The information is sequence-resolved as it is based on probing the local dynamics of a paramagnetic label incorporated as a side chain of a selected amino acid

Post-burn hypertrophic scar (HTS) is a form of excessive dermal fibrosis characterized by cutaneous scarring, which is common in patients following burn injury. Moreover, at least 50% of HTS are accompanied by inflammation. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding (CPEB) proteins are key mRNA-binding proteins that control the translation of several mRNAs. However, their potential roles in treating

Studies have proved the role of GAS5 in the development of different cancers. This study was undertaken to investigate the role and explore therapeutic implications of GAS5 in human cervical cancer. The results showed that GAS5 was significantly (p < 0.05) downregulated in human cervical cancer tissues. The results also showed that cervical cancer progresses with the suppression of GAS5 expression

Eukaryotic double-ring chaperonin TRiC is an ATP-dependent protein-folding machine. Most of its substrates are known to form large ordered structures from multiple polypeptide chains. Since these structures are similar to fibrillar and oligomeric forms of amyloidogenic proteins, we hypothesized that TRiC may play a role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases of amyloid nature including prion

The extraordinary flexibility and structural heterogeneity of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP) make them functionally versatile molecules. We have now begun to better understand their fundamental role in biology, however many aspects of their behaviour remain difficult to grasp experimentally. This is especially true for the intermolecular interactions which lead to the formation of transient

Drought is one of the most serious factors affecting crop yields in the world. Macleaya cordata (Willd.) is a draught-tolerant medicinal plant that has been proposed as a pioneer crop to be cultivated in arid areas. However, the exact molecular mechanisms through which M. cordata responds to draught stress remain elusive. In recent years, microRNA (miRNAs) in plants have been associated with stress

There is currently no effective treatment for neurological impairment caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI). It has been reported that excessive iron production in the brain may be a key factor in neurological impairment. In the present study, we investigated the effects of minocycline, a semi-synthetic tetracycline antibiotic, against TBI-induced neurological impairment and explored its underlying

Leaf herbivory on tea plants (Camellia sinensis) by tea geometrids (Ectropis oblique) can cause severe yield loss and quality damage for tea. In previous work, we discovered that leaf herbivory triggered systemic carbon depletion in undamaged roots to enhance resource investment for local defense induced in damaged leaves. Here, we investigated the dynamics of amino acids in the local and systemic

Intrinsically disordered protein regions are at the core of biological processes and involved in key protein-ligand interactions. The Flavivirus proteins, of viruses of great biomedical importance such as Zika and dengue viruses, exemplify this. Several proteins of these viruses have disordered regions that are of the utmost importance for biological activity. Disordered proteins can adopt several

The standard and transformed values of the Gibbs formation function of a number of radicals and ions are calculated: H, OH, HO2,O, SH, NH2, CH3, H+,O-,OH-HO2-, O2-,SH-NH2-, Q-, NAD*, FMN-, FAD-. These data can be used in consideration of the thermodynamics of biochemical reactions involving free radicals.

Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has long posed a major threat to global health, the mechanisms driving the development and progression of RA remain incompletely understood. In the present study, we investigated the effects of G protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43/FFAR2) in various aspects of the pathogenesis of RA. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that GPR43 is expressed on

We reported previously that higher doses (150-250 μM) of silibinin enhanced fission and inhibited fusion of mitochondria, accompanying apoptosis of double-positive breast cancer cell line MCF-7 cells and triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 cells. We report here three important questions yet unclarified in the previous study; 1) Whether enhanced fission of mitochondria by the treatment

Pathological scar is a common complication after wound healing. One of the most important factors that affects scar formation is inflammation. During this process, macrophages play a critical role in the wound healing process, as well as in scar formation. Notch signaling is reported to participate in inflammation and fibrosis; however, whether it affects scar formation is still unclear. In this study

Hydroxylation activity at the 6β-position of steroid hormones (testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol) by human cytochromes P450 (CYP) 3A4, polymorphic CYP3A5, and fetal CYP3A7 were compared to understand the catalytic properties of the major forms of human CYP3A subfamily. Testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol 6β-hydroxylation activities of recombinant CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and CYP3A7 were determined

Upregulation of nerve growth factor (NGF) in parenchymal hepatocytes has been shown to exert hepatoprotective function during cholestatic liver injury. However, the modulatory role of NGF in regulation of liver autophagy remains unclear. This study aimed to scrutinize the regulatory role of NGF in hepatic expression of farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a bile acid (BA)-activated nuclear receptor, and to

Tropomyosin and cofilin are involved in the regulation of actin filament dynamic polymerization and depolymerization. Binding of cofilin changes actin filaments structure, leading to their severing and depolymerization. Non-muscle tropomyosin isoforms were shown before to differentially regulate the activity of cofilin 1; products of TPM1 gene stabilized actin filaments, but products of TPM3 gene promoted

Oral microbes are a contributing factor to hyperglycemia by inducing an increase in insulin resistance resulting in uncontrolled blood glucose levels. However, the relationship between the distribution of oral flora and hyperglycemia is still controversial. Combining the power of MALDI-Biotyper with anaerobic bacterial culture, this study explores the correlation between anaerobic bacteria in the oral

Low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatases (LMW-PTP) are ubiquitous enzymes found across a spectrum of genera from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes. LMW-PTP belong to the Cys-based PTP class II protein family. Here, we show that LMW-PTP can be categorized into two different groups, referred as class II subdivision I (class II.I) and subdivision II (class II.II). Using BPtpA from the opportunistic

Rieske iron-sulfur protein (RISP) is a catalytic subunit of the complex III in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Studies for years have revealed that RISP is essential for the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) via delicate signaling pathways associated with many important molecules such as protein kinase C-ε, NADPH oxidase, and ryanodine receptors. More significantly

Stroke is one of the world's most deadly pathologies, and the rate of stroke recurrence is high. However, due to the complex nature of ischemia and reperfusion injury, there is presently no reliable treatment. The main factors driving brain damage from ischemic stroke are neuronal cell death resulting from oxidative stress, inflammation, and failure of the blood brain barrier. While under normal conditions

We describe here a simple strategy to characterize transport specificity of NADH:quinone oxidoreductases, using Na+-translocating (NQR) and H+-translocating (NDH-1) enzymes of the soil bacterium Azotobactervinelandii as the models. Submillimolar concentrations of Na+ and Li+ increased the rate of deaminoNADH oxidation by the inverted membrane vesicles prepared from the NDH-1-deficient strain. The vesicles

Human peroxidasin 1 (hsPxd01) is a homotrimeric multidomain heme peroxidase embedded in the extracellular matrix. It catalyses the two-electron oxidation of bromide by hydrogen peroxide to hypobromous acid which mediates the formation of essential sulfilimine cross-links between methionine and hydroxylysine residues in collagen IV. This confers critical structural reinforcement to the extracellular

AADC deficiency is a rare genetic disease caused by mutations in the gene of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate dependent enzyme responsible for the synthesis of dopamine and serotonin. Here, following a biochemical approach together with an in silico bioinformatic analysis, we present a structural and functional characterization of 13 new variants of AADC. The amino acid

A ubiquitously expressed transcription factor, specificity protein 1 (Sp1), interacts with the amyloid precursor protein (APP) promoter and likely mediates APP expression. Promoter-interaction strengths variably regulate the level of APP expression. Here, we examined the interactions of finger 3 of Sp1 (Sp1-f3) with a DNA fragment containing the APP promoter in different ionic solutions using atomic

The roles of lncRNAs in cardiac diseases have received increasing attention. The biological role of taurine up-regulated gene 1 (TUG 1) in hypoxia-induced damage of cardiomyocytes is still poorly defined. Our study aimed to investigate the function of TUG 1 in hypoxia-treated cardiomyocytes and the possible underlying mechanism. TUG 1 and miR-133a expression levels in hypoxia-cultured human AC16 cardiomyocytes

OBJECTIVE Wound healing remains a challenge in burns and trauma fields. Adipose derived stem cells exosomes (AD-exos) had been confirmed to have a positive effect on the wound healing and the migration and proliferation of keratinocyte. However, the mechanism of the AD-exos is still unclear. The objective of this article is to observe the function of the miR-21 expressed in the adipose AD-exos and

Preadipocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis are critical steps for intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition and lipid metabolism homeostasis. IMF content of beef not only determines the ratio of muscle to adipose, but also determines the beef quality, flavor, and sensory characteristics. Maintaining lipid metabolism homeostasis is the key means of preventing and treating diabetes, obesity, and other

Effects of black gram (vigna mungo L.cv. Barimash 3) seed treatments with 400 torr dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) air plasma on seed surface morphology, seed germination, seedling growth and antioxidant enzyme activities in the roots, shoots and leaves were investigated. The plasma discharge voltage, frequency, electrode spacing, gas temperature and power were 5kV, 4.5kHz, 60mm, 310K and 45W, respectively

We measured temporal oscillations of intracellular K+ concentration in yeast cells exhibiting glycolytic oscillations using fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy methods. These oscillations showed the same period as those of glycolytic metabolites (NADH, ATP), indicating a strong coupling between them. We experimentally ruled out that oscillations originate in extra- or intracellular K+ fluxes and