Despite diligent vaccination efforts, influenza virus infection remains a major cause for respiratory-related illness across the globe. The less-than-optimal immunity conferred by the currently prescribed seasonal vaccines and protracted production times warrant the development of novel vaccines. Induction of an epitope-focused antibody response targeting known neutralization epitopes is a viable strategy

ABC exporters are involved in diverse cellular processes including lipid trafficking, drug resistance, pathogenesis etc. The greatest thrust has been in the area of drug resistance that explains the underlying well-crafted canonical architecture of its structure. Interestingly, ranging from structural organisation to subsequent design and delivery aspects lays the niche of antimicrobial peptides. One

NAD-dependent formate dehydrogenase (FDH) enzymes are frequently used in industrial and scientific applications. FDH is a reversible enzyme that reduces the NAD molecule to NADH and produces CO2 by oxidation of the formate ion, whereas it causes CO2 reduction in the reverse reaction. Some transition metal elements – Fe3+, Mo6+ and W6 + – can be found in the FDH structure of anaerobic and archaeal microorganisms

In protein interaction networks, a complex is a group of proteins that causes a biological process to take place. The correct identification of complexes can help to better understand function of cells used for therapeutic purposes, such as drug discoveries. This paper uses core-attachment structure, centrality measures, and biological properties of proteins to identify protein complex with the aim

The protein folding problem has been extensively studied for decades, and hundreds of thousands of protein structures have been solved. Yet, how proteins fold from a linear peptide chain to their unique 3D structures is not fully understood. With key clues having emerged unexpectedly from the field of nanoscience, a “Confined Lowest Energy Fragment” (CLEF) hypothesis was proposed. The CLEF hypothesis

Chorismate serves as a crucial precursor for the synthesis of many aromatic compounds essential for the survival and virulence in various bacteria and protozoans. Chorismate synthase, a vital enzyme in the shikimate pathway, is responsible for the formation of chorismate from enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP). Moraxella catarrhalis is reported to be resistant to many beta-lactam antibiotics and

The age-dependent loss of solubility and aggregation of crystallins constitute the pathological hallmarks of cataract. Several biochemical and biophysical factors are responsible for the reduction of crystallins’ solubility and formation of irreversible protein aggregates, which display amyloid-like characteristics. The present study reports the heat-induced aggregation of soluble proteins isolated

The sudden emergence of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has brought the world to a standstill. Thousands of people across the globe are biting the dust with every passing day and yet more are being tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 infection. In order to dispense this current crisis, numerous treatment options

Interleukin enhancer-binding factor 2 (ILF2) forms a heterodimer with interleukin enhancer-binding factor 3 (ILF3) via double-stranded RNA-binding motif and zinc finger associated domain and thus regulates gene expression and cancer cell growth. However, how ILF2 is degraded in cells remains elusive. In this work, using stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) quantitative proteomics

The protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) technique employs repeated cycles of incubation and sonication to amplify minute amounts of misfolded protein conformers. Spontaneous (de novo) prion formation and ultrasonic power level represent two potentially interrelated sources of variation that frustrate attempts to replicate results from different laboratories. We previously established that

Human milk proteins are known as vital molecules for infant development and growth. Tissue factor is one of these human milk proteins that its role in human milk has not been cleared yet. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to detect the tissue factor activity of human milk and also was to investigate the effect of extended freezer storage on the milk tissue factor activity. The relationship

The current report focuses on purification, structural and functional characterization of Cerastategrin from Cerastes cerastes venom, a novel basic disintegrin (pI 8.36) with 128 amino acid residues and a molecular weight of 13 835.25 Da measured by MALDI-MSMS. The 3D structure of Cerastategrin is organized as α-helix (13%), β-strand (15%) and disordered structure (30%) and presents homologies with

Plant heterotrimeric G proteins are a major group of signaling molecules involved in regulation of critical processes including stress adaptation, seed size, grain quality and immune responses. Despite an abundance of in situ functional studies; purification of the individual subunits of the plant heterotrimer for biophysical and structural characterization and for studies on their interactions are

Biosynthesis of chlorophyll involves several enzymatic reactions of which many are shared with the heme biosynthesis pathway. Magnesium chelatase is the first specific enzyme in the chlorophyll pathway. It catalyzes the formation of Mg-protoporphyrin IX from the insertion of Mg2+ into protoporphyrin IX. The enzyme consists of three subunits encoded by three genes. The three genes are named Xantha-h

Antifungal proteins and peptides have drawn the attention of numerous plant biologists and Clinicians, owing to their potential value in protecting commercial crops as well as preventing fungal infections in humans. Various proteins and peptides, such as glucanases, chitinases, chitinase-like proteins, lectins, peroxidases, defensins, and lipid transfer proteins have antifungal activities. Thaumatin

Enzymes play important roles in many biological processes. Amino acid residues in the active site pocket of an enzyme, which are in direct contact with the substrate(s), are generally believed to be critical for substrate recognition and catalysis. Identifying and understanding how these “catalytic” residues help enzymes achieve enormous rate enhancement has been the focus of many structural and biochemical

AbstractEnzymes are important tools for various applications. We have studied structural transitions and functional stability of a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor from Chickpea (CaTI2), a potent insect gut-protease inhibitor, under different stress conditions like non-neutral pH, elevated temperature and co-solvent concentrations. CaTI2 was cloned and expressed in an eukaryotic system P. pastoris and was

New support was fabricated to enhance the enzyme activity of cellulase following immobilization. Functionalized core-shell magnetic gold nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cellulase enzyme was immobilized on support via covalent bonding. The successful

Lectins are proteins that bind to the carbohydrate moieties on surface of bacteria, erythrocytes and other cells of invertebrates causing agglutination and mediate in recognition of foreign substances. In the present study, we isolated and characterized a lectin molecule present in the hemolymph of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, an important cultured freshwater prawn. Lectin in serum samples of adult prawns

Cecropin AD (CAD) is a hybrid peptide composed of 37 amino acids with the characters of strong antibacterial, antitumor properties and no hemolytic activity, which was regarded as a promising antibiotic candidate. Thus, a safe method to produce Cecropin AD is necessary to be found. In the study, Bacillus subtilis WB800N was employed as host strain. The CAD coding sequence fused with the signal peptide

The temperature-dependent secondary structure of two monoclonal IgG antibodies, anti-IGF1R and anti-TSLP, were examined by transmission mode Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Anti-IGF1R and anti-TSLP are IgG monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against human Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor for anti-tumor activity and Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin cytokine for anti-asthma activity

Surface accessibility of different types of the same elements of secondary structure has been studied in 10 non-redundant sets of proteins (total number of three-dimensional structures is 1730) with a help of DSSP (Dictionary of Secondary Structure of Proteins). Random coils (C), beta strands (B), and alpha helices (H) have been classified according to their flanking elements of secondary structure

The major threat in modern medicine was biofilm forming bacterial related infections and they were highly tolerant to conventional antibiotics and a boundless demand for new drugs. In this regard, antimicrobial peptide (AMP) have been considered as potential alternative agents to conventional antibiotics. In this study, we have reported a CxxC zinc finger protein derived peptide, MF18 and its various

We attempted to identify the total proteome in sesame lipid droplets. Results from two-dimensional electrophoresis showed 139 protein spots in lipid droplet samples. Each spot was isolated, digested with trypsin, and applied to liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (Q-Tof Premier). As a result, 103 spots were identified. Although oleosin, caleosin, and steroleosin are known major components

We have computed the low energy minima for the two endomorphin peptides, N-acetyl-Tyr-Pro-Trp-Phe-NHCH3 (endomorphin 1) and Tyr-Pro-Phe-Phe-NHCH3 (endomorphin 2) in aqueous solution. These peptides block pain without inducing the harmful side effects of the opiates that bind to the same mu opiate receptor but have short half lives. From over 1000 starting conformations for each peptide, we find less

The devastating effects of the recent global pandemic (termed COVID-19 for “coronavirus disease 2019”) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) are paramount with new cases and deaths growing at an exponential rate. In order to provide a better understanding of SARS CoV-2, this article will review the proteins found in the SARS CoV-2 that caused this global pandemic

The pod wall of legumes is known to protect the developing seeds from pests and pathogens. However, the mechanism of conferring defense against insects has not yet been deciphered. Here, we have utilized 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to identify over expressed proteins in the pod wall of two different cultivars (commercial cultivar: JG 11 and tolerant

Previously, the crude extracts of recombinant Nattokinase (NK) variants i.e. NatTK and NatOC and one wild type Douchi Fibrinolytic Enzyme (DFE) from Indonesian traditional fermented foods has been shown to demonstrate fibrinolytic activity. Both NKs contain substitutions of D41N, V192A and 252-RLQHTLEALSTM-263 but NatOC has additional V4F. In the present study, the effects of amino acid substitutions

In the original version of this article, under the Introduction section in paragraph starting "Some findings of this study..." the "Sect. 10" should be changed to "Sect. 3".

Class-I restricted T cell-associated molecule (CRTAM) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, and it is closely related to nectin-like protein. CRTAM is expressed in activated CD8 T cells, NKT cells, NK cells and in a subpopulation CD4 T cells. In this study, we produce as recombinant proteins, the Ig-domains of CRTAM (IgV–IgC), the IgV, and the IgC. These proteins were successfully purified

Lipoxygenases are non-heme iron-containing lipid dioxygenases enzymes that catalyze the hydroperoxidation of lipids. The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a prominent source of the enzyme with a regeneration capacity in limbs. It has been shown that transfected human osteosarcoma and keratinocyte cells with epidermal lipoxygenase (LOXe) have an increased rate of cell migration. In the present

BackgroundLysine specific demethylase 2B, KDM2B, regulates genes that participate in cellular development, morphogenesis, differentiation and metabolism as a component of the polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1). The CxxC finger of KDM2B is responsible for the DNA binding capacity of this epigenetic regulator, acting as a sampling mechanism across chromatin for gene repression ObjectivesThe molecular

Gout is a common rheumatic condition caused due to increase in serum uric acid level (hyperuricemia). Uricase is for lowering the level of uric acid but unfortunately, it is not produced in humans due to evolutionary changes. Therefore, it is administered to humans from outside in case of the high uric acid level in blood. A different formulation of uricase from bacterial, fungal, and mammalian sources

Matrixins play a major role in tissue regeneration and also in various patho-physiological processes. Discovery of matrix metallo proteins (MMPs) and their detailed structural and functional analysis would lead to the development of numerous potent synthetic inhibitors of matrixins to treat certain diseases. In the present investigation, a marine cephalopod- Octopus sp. collected from Cochin, in the

Cancers are a great threat to humans. In cancer therapy, surgical removal of the tumor combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the most routine treatment procedure and usually the most effective. However, radiotherapy and chemotherapy drugs that kill cancer cells efficiently also kill normal cells, thus exhibiting large side effects. Cancer-targeted drugs, which aim to specifically recognize

Previously we reported that site-specific modification of the human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) A3C analog with polyethylene glycol (PEG) dramatically improved the pharmacokinetic properties of the protein in rats. However, we could not evaluate the hematological properties of the PEG-A3C protein in rats because human GM-CSF is inactive in rodents. To study the biological

Previous studies have indicated that each conotoxin precursor has a hyperconserved signal region, a rather conserved pro region and a hypervariable mature region, and nucleotide mutations are the main driven factor. However, in this study, we made an in-depth analysis on the M-superfamily conotoxin precursors and found that the diversity of the signal, pro and mature regions are more complicated than

AbstractThe global increase in the morbidity/mortality rate of Mycobacterial infections, predominantly renascent tuberculosis, leprosy, and Buruli ulcers have become worrisome over the years. More challenging is the incidence of resistance mediated by mutant Mycobacterium strains against front-line antitubercular drugs. Homologous to all Mycobacteria species is the GlcNAc-6-phosphate deacetylase (NagA)

In eukaryotes, chromosome ends (telomeres) are tethered to the inner nuclear membrane. During the early stages of meiosis, telomeres move along the nuclear membrane and gather near the spindle-pole body, resulting in a bouquet-like arrangement of chromosomes. This chromosomal configuration appears to be widely conserved among eukaryotes, and is assumed to play an important role in the normal progression

For proteome analyses, the tissue samples are mostly preserved either snap frozen or formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded form. Use of RNAlater—a non-toxic solution primarily used to stabilize the RNA content of samples—in tissue preservation for proteome analysis recently described equally reliable with snap-frozen preservation in human tissues. Even though RNALater storage has great potential in the

The segmented annelid worm, Mesenchytraeus solifugus, is a permanent resident of temperate, maritime glaciers in the Pacific northwestern region of North America, displaying atypically high intracellular ATP levels which have been linked to its unusual ability to thrive in hydrated glacier ice. We have shown previously that ice worms contain a highly basic, carboxy terminal extension on their ATP6

Biofluorescence has been found to be an increasingly widespread phenomenon in the ocean. The reclusive Caribbean chlopsid eel, Kaupichthys hyoproroides displays bright green fluorescence in its native marine environment. We have previously shown the fluorescence to be attributed to a fluorescent fatty acid-binding protein, Chlopsid FP, part of a larger family of fluorescent fatty acid-binding proteins

Since the interactions of anti-cancer agents with blood constituents, in particular with human serum albumin (HSA) may have a major impact on drug pharmacology, the present study designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the interaction of nanodiamonds (NDs) together with paclitaxel (PTX) with HSA in detail for the first time. The UV–Vis, steady-state fluorescence, far-UV CD and zeta potential

Therapeutic targeting of folate biosynthetic pathway has recently been explored as a viable strategy in the treatment of tuberculosis. The bioactive metabolite substrate of Para-amino salicyclic acid (PAS-M) reportedly dual-targets dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and flavin-dependent thymidylate synthase (FDTS), two essential enzymes in folate biosynthetic pathway. However, the molecular mechanisms

The pace and efficiency of drug target strategies have been emanating debates among researchers in the field of drug development. Covalent inhibitors possess significant advantages over non-covalent inhibitors, such that covalent warheads can target rare residues of a particular target protein, thus leading to the development of highly selective inhibitors. However, toxicity can be a real challenge

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural antagonistic tools of many bacteria and are considered as attractive antimicrobial agents for the treatment of bacteria with multidrug resistance. Lactic acid bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of animals and human produce various AMPs inhibiting the growth of pathogens. Here we report the isolation and identification of novel Lactobacillus fermentum

A class of secondary structure prediction algorithms use the information from the statistics of the residue pairs found in secondary structural elements. Because the protein folding process is dominated by backbone hydrogen bonding, an approach based on backbone hydrogen-bonded residue pairings would improve the predicting capabilities of these class algorithms. The reliability of the prediction algorithms

Metroxylon sagu Rottb. or locally known as sago palm is a tropical starch crop grown for starch production in commercial plantations in Malaysia, especially in Sarawak, East Malaysia. This plant species accumulate the highest amount of edible starch compared to other starch-producing crops. However, the non-trunking phenomenon has been observed to be one of the major issues restricting the yield of

Control of amylin agglomeration is of interest for both the study of pathophysiology and the design of amylin-based pharmaceutical products. Here we report the effects of a large set of common buffering agents, aminoacids and nucleoside phosphates over the amylin amyloid aggregation. Circular dichroism showed no apparent effects of the co-solutes over the secondary-structure of soluble amylin. Instead

The pupylation pathway marks proteins for prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup)-proteasomal degradation and survival strategy of mycobacteria inside of the host macrophages. Deamidase of Pup (Dop) plays a central role in the pupylation pathway. It is still a matter of investigation to know the function of Dop in virulence of mycobacterial lineage. Hence, the present study was intended to describe

PfbA (Plasmin(ogen) and Fibronectin Binding protein A) is an adhesin present on the surface of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Initial studies characterized PfbA as plasmin(ogen) and fibronectin binding protein and later it was found that it binds with many other proteins of the extracellular matrix such as fibrinogen, collagen and laminin. It also binds to blood protein human serum albumin (HSA). Interestingly

Halophilic enzymes contain a large number of acidic amino acids and marginal large hydrophobic amino acids, which make them highly soluble even under strongly hydrophobic conditions. This characteristic of halophilic enzymes provides potential for their industrial application. However, halophilic enzymes easily degrade when used for industrial applications compared with enzymes from other extremophiles

The original publication of this article contained a number of grammatical errors. Unfortunately, an incorrect version of the file that did not include some final language editing was inadvertently published online. The original article has been corrected.

The original version of this article contained mistakes in author names and affiliations. The last names of the authors Salah Korim, Amro Samra, and Hussein A. Amhedar were misspelled. The corrected spelling is Saleh A. Alkarim, Amr A. El-Hanafy, and Hussein A. Almehdar. The correct list of author names and affiliations are published with this erratum.

The original version of this article unfortunately contains a mistake. The authors have inadvertently incorrectly listed the concentration of TCA in the acetone/TCA/β-ME solution in the materials and methods section of this paper. The TCA concentration in Sects. 2.3.2 and 2.3.5 should be 10% TCA, making the solution acetone/10% TCA/0.07% β-ME. It is now corrected with this erratum.